Author Archives: admin

Russia Tests New Arctic Anti-Aircraft Missiles at Novaya Zemlya

First unveiled at the Victory Day Parade on Moscow’s Red Square in 2017, the Tor-M2DT vehicles with anti-aircraft missiles were specifically designed to be used in Russia’s Arctic regions. This week, two of the vehicles were brought to the southern shores of Novaya Zemlya on board the Northern Fleet’s Kondapoga amphibious ship sailing from the…

Russia Could Ground International Flights Under New Proposal

New rules could grant Russian authorities the power to ground international flights if Russian airlines fail to provide personal information about passengers or if they pose a “security threat.” Unnamed sources within Russia’s aviation industry told the Kommersant business daily that the Federal Security Service (FSB) has been seeking to tighten regulations governing international flights…

Hard Man Putin May Be Showing Softer Side to Russia’s Neighbors

The stage was prepared last week for Russian President Vladimir Putin to hammer tiny Georgia with new economic sanctions after parliament called on him to punish anti-Kremlin protests. Instead, Putin refused “because I respect the Georgians.” The uncharacteristic reaction left some wondering if the Kremlin is beginning to rethink its traditionally tough approach to neighboring states by…

From Russia, No Love for EU’s New Chief and Her Hawkish Stance

Ursula von der Leyen won’t be getting a bear hug from the Kremlin. Russia’s top diplomat was asked during a visit to Germany about the incoming president of the European Commission and her “strict” view of his country. His frosty response was that the decision by the European Union’s leaders and Parliament was one “we…

Moscow Officials Sued For Allowing Gay Couple to Adopt

Russia’s Investigative Committee has accused social welfare officials in Moscow of criminal negligence for allowing a gay couple to raise children they adopted nearly a decade ago. Russia banned gay adoption, along with “homosexual propaganda among minorities,” in 2013. The Investigative Committee said this week that it has opened a criminal negligence case against officials in…

Moscow, St. Petersburg Named Russia’s Most Polluted Cities – Greenpeace

Greenpeace Russia has named Moscow and St. Petersburg the most polluted cities in the country with the highest concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a toxic particle released from diesel fumes. Environmental issues including air pollution, landfills and a proposed bottling plant have galvanized Russians to take to the streets over the past year. Public polling…

Ukraine Agrees Prisoner Swap With Pro-Russian Separatists

Ukraine and Russia have agreed a prisoner swap expected to involve a total of 277 people taken captive in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official said on Thursday. Roman Bezsmertny said Kiev expected to exchange 208 people serving jail sentences in Ukraine for 69 Ukrainians. “The most important — an agreement was reached…

Moscow Is Home to the World’s Third-Largest Number of Billionaires

Moscow ranks third among the world’s cities for its number of billionaire residents, after New York and Hong Kong, according to a recent study from real estate agency Savills.  Forbes’ real-time ranking currently lists 607 billionaires in the United States, 99 in Russia and 71 in Hong Kong. Savills said Moscow has 71 billionaires, New…

New Russian #MeToo Flashmob Takes Twitter by Storm

Russia’s female Twitter users have started a movement to share stories of everyday harassment and abuse in the country, generating widespread support and some backlash from male users. The #I_Need_Openness hashtag — #Mnye_Nuzhna _Glasnost in Russian in a nod to the reformation of the Communist Party in the 1980s — comes two years after the…

Russia, Ukraine Agree ‘Comprehensive’ Cease-Fire in Donbass

Russia, Ukraine and Europe’s top security body have announced an “indefinite” ceasefire in eastern Ukraine that analysts hail as a substantial step toward ending the five-year conflict. The war between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region has killed 13,000 people since it broke out in 2014. Sporadic fighting went on despite…

Ukraine Announces Fast-Track Passports After Putin’s Russian Citizenship Offer

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has ordered an overhaul of the process for granting Ukrainian citizenship, in response to a Russian decree expanding the number of Ukrainians who can apply for fast-track Russian passports. Zelenskiy’s office said early on Thursday, just a few hours after the Kremlin published Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order, that the foreign…

Russia Denies Its Troops Are Fighting in Northwest Syria

Russia on Thursday denied allegations by Syrian rebels that Russian special forces or ground troops were fighting in the campaign for the rebel-held region of Idlib, the state-run RIA news agency reported. Senior rebel commanders said on Wednesday that Russia has sent special forces in recent days to fight alongside Syrian army troops struggling to…

Russian Cops Take Down Security Officials for Planting Drugs on Teen

Russian police have violently detained two National Guardsmen suspected of planting drugs on an underage victim in St. Petersburg and demanding a bribe, as seen in a video published by the Fontanka.ru news website. Footage of the sting operation Tuesday showed plainclothes officers handcuffing the two men in National Guard uniforms and pressing them face-forward…

Russia Has Deployed Ground Forces in Idlib, Syrian Rebels Say

Russia has sent special forces in recent days to fight alongside Syrian army troops struggling to make gains in a more than two month assault in northwestern Syria to seize the last opposition bastion, senior rebel commanders said. They said although Russian officers and troops had been behind front lines directing the operations, using snipers and firing…

Chinese and Russian Cyber Watchdogs Meet in Moscow

A delegation from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which oversees national cyber policy, met officials at Russia’s state communications watchdog in Moscow on Wednesday, the Russian regulator said. Critics have accused Russia’s authorities of trying to implement creeping China-style Internet curbs. Cooperation in this area between the two regulators could alarm Russian proponents of Internet fre edom. The presence of the Chinese delegation in Moscow has not…

Russia’s Putin Extends Passport Offer to Ukraine Citizens

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order on Wednesday further expanding the number of Ukrainian citizens who can apply for fast-track Russian passports. Moscow made the move ahead of a Ukrainian parliamentary election on Sunday, when a Russia-friendly party may become the strongest competitor of the more popular Servant of the People party, led by new president…

Second Russian Nuclear Plant Taken Down After Malfunction

Three units have been unplugged at a nuclear power plant in Russia after a short circuit, less than a week after another nuclear plant unit was briefly taken down in the country over an unspecified malfunction. Russia operates 10 nuclear power plants, including the four-reactor Kalinin plant 350 kilometers northwest of Moscow, according to the…

U.S. Senator Asks FBI to Investigate Russia’s FaceApp Over Security Concerns

U.S. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called on the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission to conduct a national security and privacy investigation into FaceApp, a face-editing photo app developed in Russia, in a letter sent on Wednesday. The viral smartphone application, which has seen a new surge of popularity due to a filter that…

First Bout With Putin Puts Ukraine’s New Leader Under Spotlight

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rose to lead his nation as a political novice and questions still surround his plans, especially regarding Ukraine‘s relations with Russia. As he closes in on solidifying his control at home, some answers are starting to emerge. With less than a week to go until parliamentary elections and his upstart party firmly…

Kremlin Opens Door to Changing Constitution as Succession Looms

The Kremlin raised the possibility of changing Russia’s constitution after a top lawmaker proposed bolstering parliament’s powers, in a move that could help to extend President Vladimir Putin’s rule. The idea of constitutional amendments, including allowing parliament a say in forming the government, received “a widespread response” and are “a matter for discussion,” Putin’s spokesman,…

Russia Accuses the Netherlands of ‘Exploiting’ MH17 Tragedy

The Netherlands is “exploiting” the grief of victims’ families over the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy on Wednesday. Russia has denied any role in the July 17, 2014, downing of MH17 by a missile over territory in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian separatists.…

Russian Court Extends Arrest of Detained Ukrainian Sailors

A court in Moscow on Wednesday ordered the first six of 24 Ukrainian sailors seized by Russia off the coast of Crimea last year to be held in pre-trial detention for another three months. The court is due to rule on the remaining sailors later on Wednesday. The Russian navy captured the Ukrainian sailors and…

Struggling Murmansk Shipping Company Loses Control of Sole Passenger Line

The Klavdiya Yelanskaya motor vessel was built in Yugoslavia in 1977. Since then, it has sailed along the coast of the Kola Peninsula bringing passengers to and from remote towns and villages in the area. For many, it has been the only connection to the rest of the country. But sailings have been increasingly irregular…

EU Calls on Russia to Accept Responsibility for MH17 on Fifth Anniversary

The European Union and victims’ families have called on Russia to accept its role in the downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine on the fifth anniversary of the crash. A missile shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over territory held by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine as it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala…

Two Russian Boxers Competed While Serving Bans for Doping

Two Russian boxers serving doping suspensions have competed while banned, highlighting inconsistencies in Russia’s efforts to reform its anti-doping practices. Competition records show that Russian amateur boxers Islam Dashaev and Alyona Tokarchuk fought in official tournaments last year despite bans announced by Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA, which is forbidden under international anti-doping rules. These lapses…

Russians’ Fear of Chernobyl Repeat Hits Record Low, Poll Says

Fewer Russians believe that a Chernobyl-like nuclear disaster could happen now than at any point in the past two decades, according to an independent Levada Center poll published Wednesday. The April 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl power plant in Soviet Ukraine spread radioactive material across much of the Northern Hemisphere, affecting tens of thousands of…

Russia Denies Visas to Anglo-American School Teachers

Russia has denied visas to more than two dozen foreign teachers at a school attended by the children of diplomats, the New York Times has reported. Diplomatic tensions between Russia and Western countries resulted in the closing of the Anglo-American School’s branch in St. Petersburg last September after 43 years in operation. The Anglo-American School…

Kremlin’s Growth Hopes Face New Headwinds as Economy Sputters

A tide of weak reports are casting doubt on the Russian government’s optimistic economic forecasts for the second half. “There are a lot of worrisome signals from the second quarter,” said Natalia Orlova, chief economist at Alfa Bank in Moscow. “My forecast for the year is for 0.8% growth, but if there are no improvements…

Trump Says Turkey Won’t Receive F-35s Over Russian Missile System

President Donald Trump confirmed reluctantly that Turkey won’t be able to buy the U.S. F-35 fighter that it helps build after the country began taking delivery this week of a Russian missile defense system. “We are now telling Turkey that ‘because you have really been forced to buy another missile system, we are not going…

Russian Premier League Hits Record Attendance in Season Kick-Off

Spartak squeezed out a 1:0 victory at home against the league’s second newcomer, Sochi, at the Otrkritiye Arena. The referee, Vladimir Moskalyov, was suspended after the match over controversial calls, including a decision to give Spartak the winning goal on the 93rd minute after an offensive foul.

FC Spartak

Russia Orders Facebook to Remove Photos of Swastika Flag

Russia’s media regulator has ordered Facebook and Instagram to remove images that it said were disrespectful of the Russian flag from their platforms. This appears to be the first case of a foreign entity being pressured to comply with Russia’s new law that bans the disrespect of state symbols and the authorities. To date, only…

Russia’s S-400 Is ‘the Best Missile System All-Around,’ U.S. Firm Says

Russia’s S-400 is the “best all-around” missile defense system out there, the U.S. intelligence firm Stratfor has said in a new report, but it is severely limited if operating alone. Russia began delivering the S-400 surface-to-air system to Turkey last week, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling it “the strongest defence system against those…

Will a Road Through a Nuclear Dumping Ground Result in ‘Moscow’s Chernobyl’?

When Yelena Ageyeva moved to the Moskvorechye-Saburovo neighborhood in southeastern Moscow in 1987, she was aware that there was a radioactive site across the railroad tracks from her apartment building.  “They calmed us down by saying that it was all buried under soil and so we had nothing to worry about,” said the 59-year-old pensioner…

Turkey Will Produce S-400 Systems With Russia, Erdogan Says

Turkish will cooperate with Russia on the production of advanced missile defense systems, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said as the country continues to defy its NATO allies with purchases of Russia’s S-400 system. Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 from Russia has raised tensions with NATO and the United States, which has warned Turkey that…

Hackers Hit Bulgaria Sending Data From Russian Email

Hackers stole thousands of Bulgarians’ personal financial data and distributed it from a Russian-based email in an attack possibly related to the purchase of new F-16 fighter jets from the United States, the government said on Tuesday. The hackers accessed the National Revenue Agency’s (NRA) systems on Monday before sending local media confidential information purportedly…

Clashes Erupt at New Garbage Protests in Moscow Suburb

Violent clashes have erupted at a protest against plans for a new garbage processing facility in a Moscow suburb, with local activists saying that it has led to a spike in deforestation in the area. Over the past year, Moscow’s plans to ship waste outside its city limits have sparked widespread protests in parts of…

U.S. Teen Accused of Raping Woman in Russian Beach Town

An American teenager has been accused of raping a woman at a beach town in southern Russia, authorities have said. Investigators say the unnamed 19-year-old U.S. citizen invited the woman to his hotel room in the Black Sea town of Divnomorskoye Friday night, where he proceeded to rape her. A 16-year-old Russian was also allegedly involved…

Putin’s Huge Military Buildup Leaves Industry With Debt Hangover

Vladimir Putin’s 20-trillion-ruble ($300 billion) weapons-buying binge over the last decade has brought advanced hypersonic warheads and drone submarines. It’s also left the country’s defense industry with a massive hangover of debt that officials now say is suffocating the strategic sector. The industry “is living from hand to mouth” and doesn’t have enough money to…

Russia Hints At Swap of Jailed Sailors as Ukraine Nears Key Poll

“It’s being discussed — we’re thinking about it,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said Monday, the Interfax news service reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy, a former TV comic who won a landslide election victory in April, discussed the 24 imprisoned sailors during the first phone call between the two leaders last week. Zelenskiy, a…

Moscow Opposition Rallies for Fair Elections, 39 Detained

Police in Moscow detained 39 protesters at a rally calling for opposition candidates to be allowed to run in September’s elections to the Russian capital’s parliament.

Opposition leaders cried foul after Moscow’s election commission said most of their candidates failed to secure the required number of signatures to participate in the election.

Orthodox Pilgrims Flock to Moscow to See Holy Relics

Relics of Saint Peter and Fevronia, the patrons of family and marriage in Orthodoxy, were transported to Moscow from the town of Murom on July 14. Pilgrims will be able to see the shrine and pray to the relics in Christ the Savior Cathedral from July 14 to July 21. Huge queues formed when St.…

Night Race and Bike Parade Light Up Moscow

When the sun goes down, Moscow appears in a new light. But last weekend it changed in a special way when more than 22,500 people gathered for a great double event — the night run race and the bike parade. A column of more than 15,000 cyclists traveled about 11 kilometers through the main streets,…

Same-Sex Adoptions Will Lead to Human Extinction, Russian Speaker Says

Humanity will die out if same-sex couples are granted the right to adopt children, the head of Russia’s upper house of parliament has claimed. Russia banned the adoption of children by same-sex couples and “propaganda of homosexuality among minors” in 2013. While some independent polls say Russians have largely negative views of LGBT people, other…