Author Archives: admin

Russian Nuclear-Capable Bombers Fly Over Sea of Japan

Nuclear-capable Russian bombers carried out a training flight over the Sea of Japan, prompting Tokyo to scramble air force planes to intercept them, the Interfax news agency cited the Russian defense ministry as saying on Friday. Read More 77% of Russians Oppose Ceding Kuril Islands to Japan, Poll Says Japanese fighter jets accompanied the Russian…

U.S. Founder of Major Private Equity Group Detained in Russia on Embezzlement Charges, Explained

Russia has detained the U.S. founder of Baring Vostok, the biggest private independent equity fund in the country, in Moscow on suspicion of embezzling $37.5 million. Michael Calvey, 51, and three other partners in the fund who have also been detained face up to 10 years if convicted. Two more suspects, both bank executives, have also…

What’s Behind the Arrest of the U.S. Founder of a Major Private Equity Group in Russia?

Russia has detained the U.S. founder of Baring Vostok, the biggest private independent equity fund in the country, in Moscow on suspicion of embezzling $37.5 million. Michael Calvey, 51, and three other partners in the fund who have also been detained face up to 10 years if convicted. Two more suspects, both bank executives, have also…

Belgian Intel Officer is a Suspected Russian Spy, Reports Say

An officer in Belgium’s military intelligence service is reportedly under investigation for spying for Russia. The unnamed officer was accused of providing a Serbian national, who is suspected of being a Russian agent, access to classified information, Belgium’s De Morgen newspaper reported. Read More Two Estonians Convicted of Spying for Russia The case reportedly reflects internal…

Russian Priest Under Fire for Sultry Sermons

A Russian Orthodox priest has been defrocked for his adult-themed sermons that shocked congregations, church authorities have said. The news comes a little over two months after another Russian priest was investigated for publicizing his love of luxury brands including Gucci on social media. Read More Russian Priest Investigated After Flaunting ‘Gucci’ Lifestyle on Instagram…

U.S. Investor Calvey Detained in Moscow on Suspicion of Fraud

Russia has detained the U.S. founder of the Baring Vostok private equity group in Moscow on suspicion of fraud, a spokeswoman for Moscow’s Basmanny court told Reuters on Friday. Yunona Tsaryova, the spokeswoman, said Michael Calvey was detained on Thursday. Read More U.S. Founder of Major Private Equity Group Detained in Russia on Embezzlement Charges, Explained…

We Won’t Allow a Color Revolution in Venezuela, Moscow Says

Russia’s position on Venezuela is to prevent American-backed regime change, the country’s Foreign Ministry has announced, amid a jostle for power among rival political factions in the crisis-struck Latin American country. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the United States of backing a coup in his country after Washington recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as…

No Offensive Planned in Syria’s Idlib, Kremlin Says

Khalil Ashawi President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia, Turkey and Iran had agreed to take unspecified extra steps to clear Syria’s Idlib region of what he called “a hotbed of terrorists,” but the Kremlin said there would be no military operation there. Putin, one of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s closest allies, was speaking after…

Russia’s Military Vows to ‘Prevent Invasion’ of Polar Bears in Arctic Town

Russia’s Defense Ministry has pledged to address the polar bear invasion that has struck panic in a remote Arctic settlement in recent weeks. Polar bears began to descend on Russia’s Novaya Zemlya archipelago, population 3,000, driven from their habitat by food scarcity fueled by climate change, according to WWF experts. The authorities in the Arkhangelsk…

Armed Men Attack Indian Pharmaceutical Executive in Moscow

An Indian national who heads a pharmaceutical company in Russia has been reportedly hospitalized after falling victim to an armed attack in Moscow. Four unknown assailants beat Jyoti Loomba and his driver with bats on the southeastern outskirts of Moscow Thursday evening, a police source told the RBC news website. They then shot Loomba several…

Russian Markets Waver at Prospect of Tough New U.S. Sanctions

Andrei Lyubimov / Moskva News Agency The threat of new U.S. sanctions rocked Russian markets on Thursday, as investors were left wondering whether they had been getting too complacent about what had been a long-expected move. Russian stocks and government bonds fell and the country’s debt insurance costs rose alongside FX volatility gauges, after U.S.…

Gas Blast Rips Through Russian Apartment Building, Killing 2 Residents

A gas explosion in a Russian apartment block has killed two people, authorities said Friday, two months after another blast killed dozens and exposed the dangers of gas-equipped households. More than 20 people were killed in 12 gas explosions throughout Russia in 2018, with another 39 killed in an explosion on Dec. 31, 2018 in…

Gas Blast Rips Through Russian Apartment Building, Killing Two

A gas explosion in a Russian apartment block has killed two people, authorities said Friday, two months after another blast killed dozens and exposed the dangers of gas-equipped households. More than 20 people were killed in 12 gas explosions throughout Russia in 2018, with another 39 killed in an explosion on Dec. 31, 2018 in…

Bellingcat Names Third Russian GRU Agent Suspected of Skripal Poisoning

A third man suspected of involvement in the nerve agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in England last year is a high-ranking Russian military intelligence agent, the investigative website Bellingcat said on Thursday. “Bellingcat can now reveal the true identity and background of this GRU officer, who operated internationally under the cover persona…

The Great Firewall of Russia. Why Polar Bears Pillaged a Siberian Village. Julia Ioffe on Putin and Trump.

This week on From Russia With News, investigative journalist and security services expert Andrei Soldatov tells us why Russia is moving closer to give the authorities the power to unplug the country’s internet network from the outside world. And Greenpeace Energy Head Vladimir Chuprov has the latest on the polar bear invasion in Russia’s Far…

114 Years After Her Birth, Ayn Rand’s Supporters Think Russia Is Ready for Her Ideas

Young Russians are increasingly turning to the American writer in their search for a political alternative. Ayn Rand was born in St. Petersburg on Feb 2, 1905 and received her education in the city. Pixabay / Wikicommons / MT In a glitzy hotel lobby in central St. Petersburg on Saturday, a band of young anarchists…

Russian Lawmakers Propose Fining Government Officials for Insulting Citizens

Communist lawmakers in Russia have submitted a bill that would introduce fines for officials who disrespect their voters, Interfax reported on Thursday. Public officials across Russia have increasingly made national headlines for being caught on record insulting regular citizens. The mayor of a smog-hit mining town landed in hot water on Wednesday for calling his…

Russia to Turkey: You Can’t Have Syrian Safe Zone Without Assad’s Consent

Russia told Turkey on Thursday it had no right to create a “safe zone” inside Syria unless it sought and received the consent of President Bashar Assad, signaling tensions as a three-way summit on the Syrian conflict began. President Vladimir Putin, one of Assad’s closest allies, was hosting the summit in the Black Sea resort…

A Valentine’s Day Ski Date for Two: Putin and Lukashenko Hit the Slopes

In southern Russia’s resort city of Sochi, President Vladimir Putin shows once again that he’s always ready to demonstrate his physical fitness as he hits the slopes with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko. Their ski date comes a day after Lukashenko promised that despite strained ties between the two neighbors Belarus would “never deliver bad vodka or bad…

More Russian Men Confess to Being in Love than Women on Valentine’s Day — Survey

A majority of Russians have admitted that they are currently in love, according to a state-funded poll released on Valentine’s Day, with many more men saying that they are currently in love than women. In total, 59 percent of Russian respondents told the state-funded VTsIOM pollster that they have been struck by Cupid’s arrow, the…

Russia’s Economy Can Weather New U.S. Sanctions, Kremlin Says

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia’s economy could cope with any new U.S. sanctions, adding that it had demonstrated macroeconomic stability and even achieved growth while facing punitive measures from the West. Read More ‘Insane, Ridiculous’: Russian Lawmakers React to New U.S. Sanctions Bill The Kremlin comments came a day after U.S. senators introduced a…

Russia Considers Japan-Style Fine for ‘Excessively Large’ Waistlines

Russia’s health and consumer rights watchdog is considering drawing on Japan’s experience in tackling obesity, including fining citizens for large waistlines. Japan made it illegal in 2008 for citizens between 40 and 74 years old to exceed the state-prescribed limit of 85 centimeters for male waistlines and 90 centimeters for female waistlines. Russia is on…

Russian Investigators Are Reopening the Dyatlov Pass Case. But What Is It?

Sixty years after a group of hikers mysteriously died in the Ural Mountains, police are breathing new life into the notorious cold case. The group’s tent was found abandoned in the snow; cut open from the inside. Public Domain Britain has Jack the Ripper, the United States has the Zodiac Killer and Russia has the…

Prominent Human Rights NGO Labeled ‘Foreign Agent’ in Russia

A prominent Russian civil rights group has been blacklisted as a “foreign agent” months after its leader spent time behind bars over a protest, the Justice Ministry has said. Russia’s Justice Ministry initiated an inspection of Lev Ponomaryov’s “For Human Rights” group for engaging in suspected political activity while receiving money from abroad in December.…

Russia Moves to Mask Its Soldiers’ Digital Trail

Russia is moving to ban its soldiers from sharing information on the internet, a step that follows the use of social media posts by investigative journalists to shine a light on Moscow’s clandestine role in foreign conflicts. Draft legislation proposes banning servicemen and reserve troops from posting anything online that would allow outsiders to glean…

Putin Challenges Erdogan Over Syria as U.S. Exit Bolsters Russia

Kremlin.ru The planned U.S. withdrawal from Syria is fueling tensions between Russia and Turkey over control of a key region of the Middle Eastern country once American forces have left. Russia is pressuring Turkey to agree to an offensive on Idlib, seized by militants linked to al-Qaeda last month, a senior Turkish official said, speaking…

‘Insane, Ridiculous’: Russian Lawmakers React to New U.S. Sanctions Bill

U.S. senators introduced a bill on Wednesday that would impose stiff new sanctions on Russia over suspected meddling in U.S. elections and aggression against Ukraine. Targets of the sanctions would include: Russian banks that support efforts to interfere in foreign elections; the country’s cyber sector; new sovereign debt; and individuals deemed to “facilitate illicit and…

Belarus Will Never Send ‘Bad Vodka’ to the Russians, Lukashenko Promises Putin

Belarus will only supply good vodka and snacks to Russia regardless of strains on bilateral ties, the country’s President Alexander Lukashenko promised at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. Lukashenko arrived in southern Russia’s resort city of Sochi for talks that could last for up to three days, the Kremlin said earlier…

Siberian Freighters Forced to Defreeze Ships in Minus 50 C

When the Siberian winter bites and the mighty Lena River freezes, workers at the Yakutsk shipyard brace for a backbreaking but vital task — vymorozka. As Siberia’s summer is so short, freighters must be kept moving while the river, whose 4,400 kilometers carry the region’s economic lifeblood, is navigable. Repairs must be done in winter, when…

First Russian Charged for Encouraging Children to Protest

A volunteer with opposition activist Alexei Navalny’s campaign has become the first person to be prosecuted under a new law that bans encouraging young Russians to attend unsanctioned protests. Adults face 15 days of jail and fines under the new law that President Vladimir Putin signed in late December. The law was introduced after Navalny…

Triple Sunrise Dazzles Northern Russia, in Pictures

Early risers in the Yamal-Nenets autonomous district were treated to an enchanting illusion of three glowing suns on Wednesday morning. The phenomenon is caused by tiny ice crystals refracting the light into the sky. Local residents captured the optical illusion — also known as sundog and parhelion — and shared it on Instagram. But while social…

Moscow Has the Worst Traffic Jams in the World, Study Says

Moscow has been named as the world capital of traffic jams in 2018 in an annual report released by the INRIX automotive analytics company. In the rating, Moscow edged out other global cities renowned for traffic congestion including Istanbul, Bogota, Mexico City and Sao Paulo. Other Russian cities in the ranking of 220 included St.…

Aeroflot Cancels or Delays 100 Flights in Moscow Over Snowstorm

Russia’s flag carrier Aeroflot has drawn the ire of law enforcement for announcing the cancellation or delay of over 100 flights on Wednesday at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport due to heavy snow. The Moscow Meteorological Office said Tuesday night’s snowfall set a 23-year precipitation record with nearly one-third of the monthly norm, the state-run RIA Novosti…

Masked Assailants Beat Anti-Corruption Activist to Death Near Moscow

The regional head of a Russian anti-corruption group was been beaten to death outside Moscow, the man’s colleague told local media. Civil activists, politicians and journalists have been threatened or attacked at an increasing rate in recent years in Russia, a report on political violence said last fall. Read More Attacks on Russian Activists and…

Russia Warns U.S. Against Meddling in Venezuela Crisis

Russia said on Tuesday it was ready to facilitate the start of dialogue between Venezuela’s government and opposition but warned the United States against intervening in Caracas’ internal affairs. Russia has sided with President Nicolas Maduro in his stand-off with opposition leader Juan Guaido. Maduro retains control of state institutions including the military, but most Western countries,…

Russia Moves to Grant Government the Power to Shut Down the Internet, Explained

Russian lawmakers advanced a contentious draft bill on Tuesday that seeks to give the authorities the power to unplug the national internet network from the outside world. Deputies submitted the measures to tighten state control over the internet in December, citing the need to respond to an “aggressive” U.S. national cybersecurity strategy. Although Russia’s state…

Expect Slower GDP Growth in 2019, Russia’s Economic Ministry Says

Russia’s Economic Development Ministry has projected significantly slower GDP growth over the next year, describing growth at 2018 levels as “unsustainable.” The Rosstat federal statistics agency sparked skepticism last week for releasing figures that suggested that Russia’s economy had grown 2.3 percent in 2018 — its fastest rate since 2012 and up from 1.6 percent…

Russia Suspends Mission to the Sun

Russian scientists have again delayed the launch of a research spacecraft to the sun over technical issues, researchers say. Russia had been scheduled to send the spacecraft as part of the “Interheliozond” project sometime after 2015, though this was later postponed to 2022 and then again to a final date of 2026. Read More Russia…

Plane Ladder Collapses in Siberia, Injuring Passengers

A group of passengers plummeted from a plane ladder when it collapsed as they boarded a flight from Siberia to Moscow, officials said on Tuesday. Black-and-white footage of the incident showed passengers boarding a Ural Airlines flight when the ladder’s platform suddenly buckled, dropping the passengers to the ground. At least five passengers were injured…

Two Estonians Convicted of Spying for Russia

A court in Estonia has convicted a former military member and his father of espionage for Russia. Ex-defense force member Deniss Metsavas, 38, and his father Pyotr Volin, 65, were suspected of treason and placed in custody by a court in Tallinn in September. Metsavas was suspected of passing state secrets and classified information to…

Moscow Buddhists Commemorate Year of the Pig With Fire, in Photos

A group of Buddhists held a ceremony in honor of the new lunar year at a temple in northeastern Moscow on Sunday, Feb. 10.

They celebrated the beginning of the Year of the Earth Pig at the Drepung Gomang Buddhist monastery, lighting fire offerings in a traditional ceremony.

Here’s a look at the ritual.

FSB Officer Beaten in Moscow, Reports Say

A Federal Security Service (FSB) officer on duty was reportedly assaulted in central Moscow over the weekend after an attack on his service vehicle. FSB lieutenant general Oleg Budagotsky was inside his squad car on Sunday when unknown assailants threw a bottle at the window, the RBC news website reported Monday. Budagotsky was then beaten…

Putin’s Ambitious Plan to Overhaul Russia’s Economy Will Cost $390 Bln, Government Estimates

Russia will spend 25.7 trillion rubles ($391 billion) on carrying out President Vladimir Putin’s expansive promises to overhaul Russia’s economy by the end of his last term in office, according to a new government estimate. After his inauguration last May, Putin outlined plans to spend at least 8 trillion rubles on infrastructure and social issues…

Mourinho Rejoins Kremlin-Run RT for Champions League

Ex-Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho will return to the Kremlin-run RT news network to cover the UEFA Champions League, the network has said. The Portuguese manager was reportedly paid at least 1 million British pounds ($1.3 million) for five days’ work during the 2018 FIFA World Cup that Russia hosted in the summer. RT has…