Rosneft increases the reliability of oil pipelines
The experts of RN-Purneftegaz (Rosneft’s producing asset) reduced the accident rate at infield pipelines by 35 per cent in five years (2015-2019).
Russia Begins Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout
Russia has begun releasing its coronavirus vaccine to the general public, the Health Ministry announced Tuesday as developers prepare to conduct large-scale clinical trials while administering the shot to civilians. Its developer has said that a yearlong mass vaccination campaign would begin as soon as the Sputnik V vaccine entered civil circulation. “The first batch…
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Explosion Opens New ‘Pit to Hell’ Crater in Russian Arctic
An explosion believed to have been caused by subterranean gases has opened up a massive hole in the ground in Russia’s Arctic, the latest natural phenomenon to affect the fast-warming region amid a record-setting summer. Russian scientists discovered the 50-meter crater on an expedition to the Yamal Peninsula above the Arctic Circle in July, according…
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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Sept. 7
Russia has confirmed 1,030,690 cases of coronavirus and 17,871 deaths. Sept. 7: What you need to know today Saudi King Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Monday the possible joint production of a Russian coronavirus vaccine, the Kremlin said. Russia’s coronavirus cases continue to rise as the country confirmed 5,185 new coronavirus infections Monday, bringing the country’s official number of…
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Putin, Saudi King Discuss Joint Vaccine Production – Kremlin
Saudi King Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Monday the possible joint production of a Russian coronavirus vaccine, the Kremlin said. In early August, Russia said it had developed the world’s first vaccine against the virus and claimed that more than a billion doses had been pre-ordered by 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia. Russia’s sovereign wealth…
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Russian FM Meets Syria’s Assad on Rare Visit
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad discussed economic cooperation Monday with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as Moscow’s envoy made his first visit to war-torn Syria since 2012, the presidency said. Assad said “the Syrian government was determined to continue working with Russian partners” to implement signed agreements, and encourage the “success of Russian investments in Syria,”…
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Navalny Comes Out of Coma, Berlin Hospital Says
Prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been taken out of his medically induced coma and is being gradually taken off a ventilator, the Charité hospital in Berlin where he has been undergoing treatment for the past two weeks said Monday. German authorities have said that Navalny, Russia’s de facto opposition leader, was poisoned with a…
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Explainer: What is Nord Stream 2 and Why Might Navalny’s Poisoning Stop Its Completion?
The confirmation that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Novichok has heightened calls for Germany to review its support for Nord Stream 2 — Gazprom’s mega gas pipeline project linking the two countries. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not rule out consequences for the project if Russia fails to thoroughly investigate the incident,…
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Gerard Depardieu Converts to Orthodox Christianity
French actor and naturalized Russian citizen Gerard Depardieu has continued his religious journey by converting to Orthodox Christianity, the Valeurs Actuelles weekly news magazine reported Saturday. One of France’s most prolific actors and a popular figure in Russia, Depardieu was granted Russian citizenship in 2013 as he sought to avoid tax hikes in his native…
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On and Off the Trans-Siberian Train: The Dropouts
It’s day 14 of our travel, and we leave Baikhal to Irkutsk after a-four-day stay on a beautiful island of Olkhon. As we get inside Bukhanka, a cramped old Soviet mini bus that takes us from the island back to Irkutsk, we start talking to a young couple. The oddity of this encounter is that…
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Belarus Opposition Leader ‘Kidnapped’ By Masked Men – Reports
Belarusian opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova has been kidnapped by masked men in central Minsk, media reported Monday, citing eyewitnesses. Kolesnikova, 38, was one of a trio of women who united to challenge Lukashenko in last month’s presidential elections after other opposition candidates were either jailed or driven to flee Belarus. She is the only member…
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Russia’s ‘Basic Instinct’ Dig Provokes Spat With Ally Serbia
Serbia accused Russia of “primitivism and vulgarity” on Sunday after Russia’s diplomatic spokeswoman appeared to mock Serbia’s president on social media, marking a rare criticism toward Belgrade’s longtime ally. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova struck a nerve Saturday when she posted a photo of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic alongside a screengrab of Hollywood star…
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Belarus Protesters Keep Pressure on Lukashenko With New March
Thousands of Belarusians staged a peaceful new march on Sunday, keeping the pressure on strongman Alexander Lukashenko who has refused to quit after his disputed re-election and turned to Russia for help to stay in power. Holding red-and-white flags and placards, protesters including many students took to the streets of the capital Minsk despite authorities…
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UK Says Russian State Link Likely in Navalny Poisoning
Britain on Sunday said Russia had “a very serious set of questions to answer” about the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, suggesting some form of state involvement in the high-profile case. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it was “clear” the Kremlin critic was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, which was previously used…
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Germany Threatens Sanctions Against Russia Over Navalny Poisoning
Germany, the current head of the European Union, will discuss possible sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of Alexei Navalny if the Kremlin does not provide an explanation soon, its foreign minister said Sunday. Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption campaigner Navalny fell ill on a flight last month and was treated in a Siberian hospital…
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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Sept. 6
Russia has confirmed 1,025,505 cases of coronavirus and 17,820 deaths. Sept. 6: What you need to know today Russia recorded more than 30,000 excess deaths in July as the coronavirus pandemic continued to sweep across the country, new data from the country’s statistics service Rosstat has shown. Russia’s coronavirus cases continue to rise as the country confirmed 5,195 new coronavirus infections Sunday,…
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Trump: U.S. Has seen ‘No Proof Yet’ of Navalny Poisoning
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he had not yet seen proof that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny had been poisoned as stated by Germany. “I don’t know exactly what happened. I think it’s tragic, it’s terrible, it shouldn’t happen,” Trump said. “We haven’t had any proof yet, but I will take a look…
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A Tale of Two Charlottes
Apple season is officially open! One of the more colorful hybrid holidays in Russia is Yablochny Spas, or “Apple Savior,” celebrated each year in late August, traditionally the moment when apples are ripe for picking. In a delightful tradition reminiscent of Holy Thursday in early spring, Orthodox faithful bring baskets of apples and other early…
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Russia Records 30K Excess Deaths in July, Most Monthly Fatalities in Decade
Russia recorded more than 30,000 excess deaths in July as the coronavirus pandemic continued to sweep across the country, new data from the country’s statistics service Rosstat has shown. A total of 181,479 deaths were registered in July 2020, according to data compiled by regional registry offices — compared to an average of around 150,000…
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Belarus Opposition Leader Urges Sanctions in UN Address
Belarus opposition challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on Friday appealed for help from the United Nations and called for sanctions against those responsible for alleged electoral fraud and rights violations in her ex-Soviet country. Addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council by video link, Tikhanovskaya said the global body should urgently send a mission to Minsk.…
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Germany Finds Nerve Agents in Navalny’s Blood, Skin, Urine, Water Bottle – Spiegel
German medics have found traces of the toxic substance used to poison prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in his blood, skin, urine and a water bottle he drank from, the German news magazine Der Spiegel reported Friday. The German government said Wednesday it had unequivocal proof that Navalny was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent…
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Russia Defies West as NATO Urges Cooperation Over Navalny
Russia defied threats of new Western sanctions Friday in a staring match over the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, as NATO demanded Moscow uncover its Novichok nerve agent programme. A new crisis in ties between Russia and the West broke out after Germany said this week there was “unequivocal evidence” that President Vladimir Putin’s top foe…
DetailsRosneft presents a series of online lectures on biology of the Black and Azov Seas
Rosneft presents a series of online lectures on biology of the Black and Azov Seas
Zvezda Shipbuilding complex starts metal cutting for the first MR-class product carrier tanker
Zvezda Shipbuilding complex started cutting metal for the first MR-type product carrier tanker powered by natural-gas-based motor fuel.
Belarus Leader Lukashenko to Avoid EU Sanctions Over Protest Crackdown – Die Welt
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is poised to escape personal sanctions the European Union is drafting in response to his post-election crackdown, the German daily Die Welt reported Friday. EU foreign ministers agreed in mid-August to draw up a list of targets in Belarus for a fresh round of asset freezes and travel bans expected in…
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Russia Vaccine Passes Early Trial Test – The Lancet
Patients involved in early tests of a Russian coronavirus vaccine developed antibodies with “no serious adverse events”, according to research published in The Lancet Friday, but experts said the trials were too small to prove safety and effectiveness. Russia announced last month that its vaccine, named “Sputnik V” after the Soviet-era satellite that was the…
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Travel Ban, Oil Supplies on Russia-Belarus Agenda
Russia and Belarus are preparing to reopen borders that were closed because of the coronavirus pandemic and are discussing rerouting Belarusian oil exports through Russia, news outlets reported after high-level talks Thursday. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his delegation met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his government in Minsk amid continuing protests against his…
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Typhoon Maysak Batters Russia’s Far East
At least three people died and dozens were injured when Typhoon Maysak hit Russia’s Far East on Thursday. The storm unmoored a floating dry dock, causing it to slam into some of the vessels making up Russia’s Pacific Fleet. Regional prosecutors said two of nine crew members were killed when a floating crane beached onto…
DetailsZvezda Shipbuilding complex is finishing dry dock construction
Construction of dry docks, one of the largest world, at Zvezda Shipbuilding complex is coming to an end.
Russian Doctor Blames Diet, Stress for Navalny Coma
A Russian toxicologist said Friday that opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s health could have deteriorated due to dieting, stress or fatigue, insisting no poison had been found in his samples in Siberia. Russia faces the threat of new sanctions after Germany said this week that President Vladimir Putin’s top foe had been targeted with Novichok, a…
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The West Is Outraged By Navalny’s Novichok Poisoning. That’s No Guarantee of Tough Sanctions
Lawmakers across Europe and the U.S. are scrambling to respond to the revelation that Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Novichok — a lethal Soviet-era military nerve agent — with the possibility of fresh sanctions against Russia on the cards. In Germany — where Navalny remains in a medically induced coma in intensive care…
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Typhoon Maysak Kills 3, Unmoors Floating Dock in Russia
At least three people died and dozens were injured as Typhoon Maysak battered Russia’s Far East on Thursday, local authorities said. Video footage also showed the storm unmooring a floating dry dock, causing it to slam into the Russian Navy’s warships and submarines in Russia’s Primorye region 6,500 kilometers east of Moscow. Regional prosecutors said…
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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Sept. 5
Russia has confirmed 1,020,310 cases of coronavirus and 17,759 deaths. Sept. 5: What you need to know today Russia recorded more than 30,000 excess deaths in July as the coronavirus pandemic continued to sweep across the country, new data from the country’s statistics service Rosstat has shown. Russia’s coronavirus cases continue to rise as the country confirmed 5,205 new coronavirus infections Saturday,…
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NATO to Meet on Poisoning of Putin Critic Navalny
The poisoning of Alexei Navalny will be discussed at an urgent NATO meeting on Friday after European leaders threatened fresh sanctions against Moscow, which has furiously denied targeting the Russian opposition leader. The 44-year-old lawyer, one of President Vladimir Putin’s chief critics, fell ill on a flight last month and was evacuated to Germany for…
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Navalny Ally Says Poisoning ‘New Chapter’ in Kremlin Crackdown
Alexei Navalny’s top ally said Thursday that the Russian opposition leader’s poisoning opened a “new chapter” in a crackdown on dissent and accused the Kremlin of seeking to avoid responsibility for the attack. Allies like Ivan Zhdanov put the blame for the 44-year-old Navalny’s poisoning with a Novichok nerve agent squarely on President Vladimir Putin’s…
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Belarus Leader Replaces Security Chiefs as Russian Prime Minister Visits
Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday replaced his security chiefs and said progress was being made on plans to bring Moscow and Minsk closer. Lukashenko, who is under huge pressure from protesters to step down after last month’s disputed election, replaced the heads of the KGB security service, the security council and the state control…
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Don’t Blame Us for Navalny Poisoning, Russia Says
There is no reason to accuse Russia of poisoning prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin said Thursday, as the fallout from the case raises the threat of new Western sanctions against Moscow. Germany said Wednesday that Berlin has “unequivocal” proof that Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent from the Novichok family. Britain in…
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Chemical Arms Watchdog Voices ‘Grave Concern’ Over Navalny Case
The head of the world chemical arms watchdog expressed “grave concern” on Thursday after Germany said Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny had been poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok. Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director-General Fernando Arias added that the Hague-based body was ready to help any member country that asked for…
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Navalny Case Poisons Ties Between Germany, Russia
German Chancellor Angela Merkel faced mounting pressure Thursday to toughen her ambivalent stance toward Russia following her announcement that Berlin has “unequivocal” proof that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a deadly nerve agent. The Navalny case is only the latest in what Berlin has seen as a series of bitter provocations by…
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Lukashenko Says ‘Intercepted Call’ Shows Germany ‘Falsified’ Navalny Poisoning Claims
Germany “falsified” its statement that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned, Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko told Russia’s visiting prime minister Thursday, citing an intercepted conversation. The German government said Wednesday that Navalny, 44, who remains in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator two weeks after falling ill on a flight, was poisoned…
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A New Russian Law Could Ban Trans People From Officially Changing Their Gender
When Irma Veller, a 44-year-old transgender woman, found out about a new Russian law that would bar transgender people from changing their gender on their birth certificates, she decided it was finally time to leave the country. “I understood that my life is of no value here anymore,” Veller told The Moscow Times last week…
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Europeans Turned Off Visiting Russia by High Costs, Low Awareness – Survey
Europeans avoid Russia because of low awareness of the country as a tourist destination and high costs of travel, according to a survey by the Moscow-based NAFI research center. Two-thirds of those polled told NAFI they had not encountered media information about tourist attractions in Russia. “The lack of information contributes to the spread of…
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Almost All Arctic Wildfires Producing Record CO2 Emissions Are in Russia – EU
This year’s Arctic Circle wildfires, still ablaze, have already surpassed the record set in 2019 for CO2 emissions, adding to the carbon pollution humanity needs to curtail, the European Union’s Earth observation program said Thursday. Uncontrolled forest fires across one of the planet’s coldest regions has sent a quarter of a billion tonnes of CO2 spiraling…
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‘Paradise Without Cocaine.’ Ousted Kremlin Aide Surkov Publishes Poem
Vladislav Surkov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s longtime aide and Ukraine pointman, who was dismissed in February, has penned a poem on the virtues of freedom and loneliness. In his poem, Surkov, 55, a noted lyricist and rap aficionado, reflected on being ousted after seven years of deciding Russia’s Ukraine policy and cultivating the image of…
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Russia Plans to Resume Egypt, UAE, Maldives Flights Amid Pandemic
Russia has added Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives to the list of countries it plans to restart flights with five months after closing its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic, a government decree said Thursday. Russia grounded most international flights in late March to slow the spread of Covid-19. Russia gradually lifted…
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Germany Says Kremlin Critic Navalny Was Poisoned With Novichok
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a substance from the deadly Novichok family, the German government said Wednesday, demanding explanations from Moscow. “The Russian government is urged to explain the incident … the substance in Navalny’s organism is undoubtedly from the Novichok family,” said government spokesman Steffen Seibert in a statement. Prominent Kremlin…
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How the World Is Reacting to the News That Navalny Was Poisoned With Novichok
On Wednesday, Germany said that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a substance from the deadly Novichok family. Novichok is a military-grade poison that was developed by the Soviet government toward the end of the Cold War. The news sent shockwaves around the West. Here’s an overview of how the world’s leading officials have so far…
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Novichok, Feared Soviet-Designed Poison
The Soviet-designed nerve agent Novichok that Germany says poisoned Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny is a military-grade toxin banned as a chemical weapon after it was used in a previous attack in Britain. The newest class of nerve agent, the Novichok family of toxins was developed by the Soviet government towards the end of the…
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Novichok Use Shows ‘Only State’ Could Have Poisoned Navalny – Aide
Germany’s finding that Alexey Navalny was poisoned with nerve agent Novichok shows that only the Russian state could be responsible, the head of the opposition leader’s organization said on Wednesday. “Only the state (FSB, GRU) can use Novichok. This is beyond any reasonable doubt,” Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, said on Twitter,…
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‘Everyone Who Can Leave, Will Leave’: Violence, Raids and Internet Blackouts Scare Off Belarus’ Entrepreneurs
Eight years ago, Anton, a Russian programmer then in his mid-twenties, was lured to Minsk with an unbeatable offer from one of Belarus’ booming online games companies. He knew the country’s strongman president Alexander Lukashenko was no liberal, but having protested at the Bolotnaya Square demonstrations in Moscow in 2011-12 against Vladimir Putin’s return to…
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Russia’s Constitutional Reforms Prevent Disputed Islands’ Transfer to Japan – Ex-PM Medvedev
Russia’s controversial constitutional reforms will make discussions with Japan on the dispute over a set of Pacific islands easier for Moscow, former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday. Russia and Japan are attempting to strike a formal peace treaty, which Tokyo insists on for the return of the Russian-held Kuril Islands. A set of constitutional…
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Belarus Strongman Thanks RT for ‘Support’
Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko has thanked Russian television channel RT for providing “support” after some staff and presenters at Belarus’s state broadcaster quit in protest over his disputed re-election. “I am grateful to you for this support,” Lukashenko told an RT journalist in a video released by the channel. “This is worth a lot,” he…
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Russia Predicts Highest Population Decline Since 2006 Amid Pandemic
Russia’s population could see its biggest decline in 14 years in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic has raised the country’s death rate amid falling birth rates, according to government forecasts reported by the RBC news website Tuesday. The Covid-19 outbreak will also push Russia’s poverty rate up from 12.3% in 2019 to 13.3% this year,…
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A Festival for Would-Be Russian Aristocrats
Women wearing floor-length dresses in muted colors, men in frock coats and tailcoats, the sounds of romantic melodies, tea aroma from a wood-burning samovar and tourists with cameras… This was the scene at the Tainy Usadby (Secrets of the Manor) immersive festival, organized by the Crystal Elephant Cultural Development Club. It has been held since…
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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Sept. 2
Russia has confirmed 1,005,000 cases of coronavirus and 17,414 deaths. Sept. 2: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 4,952 new coronavirus infections Wednesday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 1,005,000 Elderly scientists who helped develop Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine have not reported adverse effects after being injected, the head of the research institute behind the…
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Russian PM to Visit Minsk Thursday
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will visit Belarus on Thursday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday, after weeks of protests in Minsk against a disputed presidential election. Lavrov also confirmed that President Vladimir Putin would host Belarus’s authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow “in the next couple of weeks.” He made the announcements at the start of…
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Elderly Coronavirus Vaccine Recipients ‘Healthy,’ Russian Developer Says
Elderly scientists who helped develop Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine have not reported adverse effects after being injected, the head of the research institute behind the inoculation told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency Wednesday. Sputnik V’s registration last month as the world’s first coronavirus vaccine before large-scale clinical trials has sparked questions over its…
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Greece, Poland Lift Coronavirus Travel Restrictions for Russians for a Short Time
Greece and Poland have updated their coronavirus travel restrictions to allow Russian citizens to cross their borders for two-week periods as Russia’s virus caseload topped the one million milestone. Poland’s government has removed Russia from its latest list of countries subject to a travel ban, meaning flights will be able to resume from Wednesday. According…
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Facebook Nabs Russia-linked Campaign to Fuel US Chaos
Facebook on Tuesday said that it caught a budding Russia-linked campaign to fuel political chaos in the US, working off a tip from the FBI in its latest take-down of coordinated inauthentic behavior at the leading social network. The network of 13 Facebook accounts and two pages posing as journalists and targeting left-wing progressives was removed…
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Belarus Detains Students Marking New Term With Protests
Police in Belarus detained several dozen university students on Tuesday as they marked the first day of school with protests against strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko. Hundreds of students took to the streets of the capital Minsk for the latest in three weeks of rallies rejecting the strongman’s claim to have won a sixth term in…
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