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Russian Emergency Services Make Final Check on Floating Nuclear Power Plant

The Akademik Lomonosov power barge on Sept. 6 passed the Sannikov Strait south of the New Siberian Islands and made it into the East Siberian Sea. The floating installation now has only about three days left of its extensive voyage across the Northern Sea Route. According to the Northern Sea Route administration, the installation and its…

Russia’s Massive Gold Stash Is Now Worth More Than $100Bln

Russia’s long-running bet on gold is looking better every month. The country quadrupled gold reserves in the past decade as it diversified away from U.S. assets, a move that has paid off recently as haven demand sent prices to a six-year high. In the past year, the value of the nation’s gold jumped 42% to…

Google, Facebook Rebuff Russia Over Political Advertising Accusation

Google said on Monday that it supported responsible political advertising that complies with local legislation, after Russia accused it of circulating such advertising during local elections at the weekend. The tech giant neither affirmed nor denied in a statement that it had disseminated any such advertising. The state communications watchdog said Google and Facebook had…

Russian Tennis Star Medvedev Completes Journey From Villain to Hero at US Open

Daniil Medvedev once reveled in his role as the villain of Flushing Meadows but on Sunday the Russian completed his transformation to unlikely hero after taking Rafael Nadal the distance in a pulsating U.S. Open final. Despite losing to the Spaniard in a five-set thriller, Medvedev’s performance suggests more Grand Slam finals are in his…

Russia’s Ruling Party Loses a Third of Moscow Election Races After Protests

Russia‘s ruling United Russia party, which backs President Vladimir Putin, has lost one-third of its seats in the Moscow parliament, near-complete data cited by Russian news agencies showed on Monday, in an awkward setback for the Kremlin. However, the party still retained its majority in the Moscow assembly following Sunday’s nationwide local elections, and its candidates for regional…

Russians Vote in Regional Elections After Biggest Protests in Years

Russians voted on Sunday in some of the most closely observed regional elections in years, after the exclusion of many opposition candidates triggered huge protests in the capital. The protests began in mid-July after the Central Election Commission refused to register large numbers of candidates, saying they had failed to collect enough signatures from genuine…

Signaling Readiness for Thaw, Russia and Ukraine Swap Prisoners

Russia and Ukraine on Saturday swapped 35 prisoners each, including filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, 24 Ukrainian sailors and potential MH17 witness Vladimir Tsemakh, in a key step toward bringing an end to the war in eastern Ukraine that has claimed more than 13,000 lives since 2014.  Laden with wide-ranging implications, the move underlines new Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s…

Russian Prison Tattoos Are a New Sign of Political Protest

Oleg Navalny, the brother of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, is now exhibiting the tattoo sketches that he made while serving a 3.5-year sentence in prison.

His exhibition comes on the back of months of anti-government protests in Moscow and the arrests of activists that face up to 3 years in prison.

Russia Says Facebook, Google Must Ban Political Ads During Moscow Election

Russian state watchdog Roskomnadzor said on Friday it asked Facebook and Google to ban the publication of political advertising during elections on Sunday and on the preceding day, in line with Russian law. Russia will hold several regional elections on Sunday, including in Moscow. Non-compliance would be viewed as meddling in Russia’s sovereign affairs, the…

Russian National Guard Takes Over Siberian Schoolkids’ Education

Russia’s National Guard has taken over teaching duties at a fifth-grade class in the Siberian city of Irkutsk this week. Officer Alexei Volk, wearing a military uniform, assumed homeroom teaching duties over the class of 12 girls and 20 boys on the first day of school.  “Primarily, we will instill patriotic upbringing and a positive…

Russian City Installs Memorial to North Korea’s Kim Jong Il

The city of Novosibirsk in Siberia has unveiled a memorial plaque Friday honoring Kim Jong Il, the father and predecessor of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kim, who led the secretive state until his death in 2011, visited the Russian city on Aug. 11, 2001, after talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. A…

‘Potentially Dangerous’ Objects Found in Northern Russia After Accident

Potentially dangerous objects have been found in an area of northern Russia where an accident that released radiation occurred last month, Interfax news agency reported on Friday, citing regional authorities. A test at a military site on Aug. 8 caused a brief rise in radiation levels in the nearby city of Severodvinsk. Russia’s state weather…

Russian Billionaire Car Dealer Doesn’t Fear Extradition From Austria

Founder of the Rolf car dealership and former Russian lawmaker Sergei Petrov is confident he won’t be extradited from Austria, despite an international warrant for his arrest issued by Russia on Friday.  Russia’s Investigative Committee accuses Petrov and managers of his company of smuggling 4 billion rubles ($60.5 million) out of the country to a…

New Arctic Partnership Announces Construction of 17 Icebreaking LNG Tankers

Russian natural gas company Novatek and maritime shipping company Sovcomflot have signed a deal that formally establishes a new joint venture during this week’s Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. The vessels will conform to Arc7 ice standards and will be built at the new Zvezda shipyard. They are to be delivered in the period 2023-2026. Sovcomflot said it…

Russia Secures Pens Holding ‘Spy Whales,’ Satellite Images Show

Two whale pens along Russia’s Barents Sea coast have been securely tied up months after a runaway beluga whale nicknamed ‘Whaledimir’ was first spotted by local fishermen in Norway, satellite imagery shows. In May, a series of Google Earth satellite images showed two locations on the Kola Peninsula within closed Russian naval territories where beluga whales…

New Russian Nuclear-Powered Sub to Be Delivered to Northern Fleet

Russia’s Knyaz Vladimir (K-549) submarine is expected to be delivered to the Northern Fleet this year, the pro-Kremlin Izvestia newspaper has reported, citing sources close to the Navy’s commander-in-chief. Knyaz Vladimir is the first of a series of upgraded submarines as part of the Navy’s Project 955A and will be based in the town of Gadzhiyevo on the Kola Peninsula. Originally, it was…

Moscow to Deploy Facial-Recognition Tech at Rallies

Authorities in Moscow have ordered 260 million rubles ($4 million) of facial-recognition technology for surveillance cameras to monitor protests and other mass gatherings, the Vedomosti business daily reported Friday. Moscow claims one of the world’s largest network of 160,000 surveillance cameras, some equipped with facial-recognition technology, with plans to boost the number to 200,000 this…

Masked Man Attempts to Taser Russian Election Chief Before Regional Vote

A masked robber has allegedly tried to tase the head of Russia’s Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, during a burglary, police said Friday. The attack came two days before Russians vote in regional elections, including in Moscow. The vote in the Russian capital has triggered weeks of protests after Pamfilova and her colleagues refused to register a…

Court Frees Famous Russian Football Players Jailed for Attacks

A Russian court on Friday ordered the release on parole of two famous Russian football players jailed for their involvement in a pair of violent attacks last year, Russian news agencies reported on Friday. Alexander Kokorin and Pavel Mamayev, who both played in Russia’s top league and used to play for their country, apologized after…

Putin’s ‘Chef’ Preps Soldiers for Final Assault on Syrian Rebels

Russia’s military is incorporating mercenaries hired by a wealthy ally of President Vladimir Putin into its planned offensive to help Syria’s army retake the last major stronghold held by jihadist rebels, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. Hundreds of freelance fighters who answer to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the businessman known as “Putin’s chef”…

Kremlin Critic Navalny’s Offices Raided Ahead of Moscow Vote

Authorities have raided three of opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s offices in Moscow on the eve of a local election where he is advocating voters to unseat Kremlin-backed candidates. The raids took place ahead of the Sept. 8 city legislature vote that galvanized this summer’s mass protests in Moscow when election officials disqualified opposition candidates, including…

Russian Activist Sentenced to 4 Years for ‘Multiple Protests’

Russian activist Konstantin Kotov has been sentenced to 4 years after a court convicted him of “multiple breaches” of Russian protest law, making him the second person ever to be prosecuted under the controversial legislation.  The clause in the Russian Criminal Code punishing repeat violations of public demonstration rules became known as Ildar “Dadin’s article”…

3 Russian Soldiers Killed in Syria – Military Source

At least three Russian soldiers have been killed in a firefight in Syria’s de-escalation zone this week, the Vedomosti business daily has reported Thursday, citing an unnamed military source. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, backed by Russian airpower, have been waging an offensive in the Idlib region, the last remaining rebel-held territory in Syria. Much…

Italy Arrests Russian Executive in U.S. Spying Case

An executive with Russia’s state engine maker has been arrested in Italy at the request of the U.S., which suspects him of economic espionage, the Fontanka.ru news website reported Thursday. Alexander Korshunov, 57, the head of business development at the state conglomerate Rostec’s subsidiary United Engine Corporation, was reportedly detained Tuesday as he arrived in…

Kremlin Vows to Investigate Moscow Lawmaker Accused of Fraud Ahead of Elections

The Kremlin has agreed to probe a senior member of Moscow’s city legislature over two investigations into his dealings by opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s anti-corruption team, the Vedomosti business daily reported. Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) has claimed that municipal lawmaker Andrei Metelsky’s family owns a motorcycle dealership in Moscow and a hotel franchise in Austria…

Putin Says Russia Will Produce New Missiles After Demise of Nuclear Pact

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia would produce missiles that were banned under a landmark Cold-War era nuclear pact that ended last month, but that Moscow would not deploy them unless the United States did so first. Speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s Far East, Putin said Moscow had urged the United…

India Looks Toward Russian Arctic for Energy Development

“India is tuned toward interaction with Russia in the Arctic,” says a joint declaration signed this week by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Russia-India Summit in Vladivostok. “India is following the development of the Arctic region and is ready to play an important role in the Arctic Council,” the declaration…

Ukraine Releases Key MH17 Witness Amid Prisoner Swap Talks With Russia

A court in Kiev has ruled Thursday to release a potential key witness in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 as Ukraine and Russia gear up for a highly anticipated prisoner exchange. Volodymyr Tsemakh had faced prison time for fighting on the side of pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, leading observers to speculate that…

Putin Says Major Russian Prisoner Swap With Ukraine Is Close

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine was close, after a court in Kiev freed on bail a man suspected of involvement in the downing of a Malaysia Airlines flight over eastern Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine is hoping to secure the release of dozens of prisoners, including 24 sailors…

Russian Woman Brings Grenade to FSB Building

Authorities have launched an inspection after an unnamed woman brought a grenade to the Federal Security Service (FSB) building in central Moscow, the Moskva news agency reported Thursday. The explosive device was reportedly seized from the 34-year-old Moscow region resident at the FSB’s reception hall late on Wednesday. “The woman explained that it was a…

Russians Blame Siberian Wildfires on Illegal Logging, Authorities’ Inaction – Poll

Most Russians believe that wildfires have swept across Siberia this summer because of illegal logging and the authorities’ negligence, according to a new poll published by the independent Levada Center pollster. Activists and environmentalists have decried the authorities’ slow response to the fires, which at their peak covered an area the size of Belgium and…

Putin Rebuffs Call by Japan’s Abe to Sign WWII Peace Treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Thursday that Tokyo’s military ties with the United States and many other issues made it hard for Japan and Russia to sign a World War Two peace treaty. Putin made the comment at an economic forum in Russia’s Far East after Abe called on…

India Will Offer Russia $1Bln Loan to Develop Far East, Indian PM Says

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Kremlin Seeks to Monitor Russians’ Online Activity – Reports

The Kremlin is in talks to set up a system to monitor what Russian internet users watch online, the Vedomosti business daily reported Thursday, citing unnamed government sources. Russia has in recent years attempted to curb internet freedoms by blocking access to certain websites and messaging services such as Telegram. The country has required search…

As Discontent Simmers, Russia’s Ruling Party Dons Camouflage in Countrywide Elections

Ahead of Sunday’s nationwide regional elections, Russia’s most prominent opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, is urging voters dissatisfied with the status quo to ignore their ideological beliefs and focus solely on casting the ruling United Russia party out of power. But in the Russian capital, voters heading to the polls to select deputies for the Moscow…

India’s Russian Arms Purchases Hit ‘Breakthrough’ $14.5Bln, Official Says

India has ordered a “breakthrough” $14.5 billion of Russian-made weapons since last year despite sanctions pressure from the United States, Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) has said. India is the largest buyer of Russian military hardware, having signed a $5 billion deal for Russian S-400 surface to air missile systems last…

‘Stick, Then Carrot’: Why Are Moscow Protest Charges Being Dropped?

Russian media have dubbed Tuesday “Judgment Day” for the number of court decisions related to this summer’s wave of Moscow anti-government protests that took place.  A blogger was sentenced to five years behind bars over a tweet that seemingly threatened the families of security officers accused of violently detaining protesters. The court’s seemingly contradictory move…

Powered by LNG, Russian Tanker Sails Arctic Route to China

The 250-meter long Korolev Prospect tanker set out from Murmansk fully loaded with oil on August 28. Seven days into its eastbound course, it reached Cape Dezhnev in the Bering Strait. The tanker is expected to arrive in a Chinese port by Sept. 14. It is the first time that an LNG-powered tanker will transit across…

Russia Is Warming Disproportionately Fast, Environment Ministry Says

Climate change is heating Russia at a faster rate than the rest of the world, the country’s environment ministry has said in a draft report of environmental data for 2018. Earlier reports have predicted that climate change will bring epidemics, drought and mass hunger to Russia if left unchecked. Melting permafrost in the Russian Arctic…

Bolstered by Sanctions, Russia’s Fledgling Cheese Industry Takes First Steps

When Russian President Vladimir Putin slapped a tit-for-tat embargo on Western dairy products five years ago, cheese lovers lamented the replacement of parmesan camembert and cheddar on store shelves with bland, Russian-made substitutes filled with palm oil and other cheap additives.  But for one man, the embargo was a dream come true.  “I’m very grateful…

Moscow to Re-Examine Soviet-Era Arctic Drill Site for Oil and Gas Potential

The Russian government has commissioned a new analysis of well samples at a drill site in a Norwegian Arctic archipelago used by the Soviet Union nearly 50 years ago. The Grumantskaya-1 well proved to be an underwhelming gas resource and was soon abandoned by Soviet authorities. Half a century later, Moscow is again interested in the…

Russia Moves to Legalize Epilepsy Drug After Mothers Accused of Drug Smuggling

Russia is planning to legalize a prescription drug used to treat epilepsy which almost landed two mothers in jail this summer after they had ordered the unregulated pharmaceutical online for their epileptic children.  The drug smuggling accusations against the two mothers have sparked calls to re-register the epilepsy drug that Russia’s health minister said had no demand…

Russia, India Back Legitimate Trade Ties With Iran

Russia and India said on Wednesday they planned to continue legitimate economic and trade cooperation with Iran, the state-run RIA news agency reported, citing a joint statement issued after talks between the two country’s leaders. The statement was released after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks at an economic…

Germany’s Deutsche Welle Snubs Russian Duma’s Foreign Meddling Panel

German media outlet Deutsche Welle has turned down an invitation to attend Russian lawmakers’ hearings on alleged foreign interference over this summer’s anti-government protests, saying its journalism standards make such meddling impossible. Weeks of demonstrations over elections for the Moscow city legislature have become the biggest sustained protest movement in Russia since 2011-2013. The Foreign…

Moscow Protesters Sentenced in ‘New Bolotnaya’ Case

Russian authorities have begun handing jail sentences to activists on protest-related charges after they took to the streets in support of fair elections this summer. The Investigative Committee opened criminal proceedings following the July 27 opposition protest and placed 14 suspects of what it called mass civil unrest in pre-trial detention. Charges of mass civil unrest carry a…

Bulgaria Condemns Russian Exhibit Lauding WWII ‘Liberation’ of Eastern Europe

Bulgaria lambasted a World War II exhibition organized by the Russian Embassy marking “the liberation of Eastern Europe from Nazism,” saying the region had instead been subjected to a half-century of repression by “Soviet army bayonets.” In a statement, the Foreign Ministry of Bulgaria — which for decades a Soviet satellite in Eastern Europe but now…