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Russia Warns U.S. is Preparing to Use Nuclear Weapons in Europe

The United States is laying the groundwork to use nuclear weapons in Europe, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s arms control and nonproliferation chief has warned. The U.S. and Russia are suspending the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which bans either side from stationing short- and intermediate-range, land-based missiles in Europe. Russia has said it was…

Turkey Weighs New U.S. Call to Delay Buying Russian Missiles

Turkey is considering a U.S. request to delay the purchase of a Russian missile-defense system into 2020, a move that could ease tensions between the NATO allies, according to two people familiar with the proposal. The Trump administration last week asked Ankara to postpone receiving the advanced S-400 missile-defense system which was set for July,…

Clashes Erupt During Protest at Russian Church Construction Site

Protesters in Russia’s fourth-largest city of Yekaterinburg rallied against the construction of a church in a city park, with reports of church supporters using violence and tear gas against the picketers. Opponents gathered in the city’s central park on Monday after photographs of fencing around the planned church site spread online. They argue that authorities…

Trump Announces Plans to Meet Russia’s Putin at G20

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 gathering in Japan next month.

Trump said his meeting with Xi could be fruitful as their trade dispute escalated after failing to reach agreement during high-level talks last week.

Russia Loses $30Bln a Year in Post-Crimea Investment Climate – Economist

Russia is losing at least $30 billion every year due to the investment climate that has followed its annexation of Crimea, economist Sergei Guriev said in an interview published Monday. Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine has weakened Russia’s relations with the West, launching multiple rounds of sanctions from the U.S.…

List of Persecuted Jehovah’s Witnesses Doubles in Russia, Rights Group Says

The number of Jehovah’s Witnesses persecuted in Russia has almost doubled after 75 more members of the religious group were added this year, the Memorial human rights group said. Russia labeled the Jehovah’s Witnesses an “extremist” group in 2017, exposing Russia’s estimated 175,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses to mass raids and forcing at least 5,000 to flee…

‘Putin Lied to Me’: Russian Officer Detained for Protesting Presidential Administration

A disgruntled former officer seeking to restore his retirement benefits has been detained for at least the seventh time outside President Vladimir Putin’s administration in Moscow on Sunday. Vladimir Skubak, a retired missile forces major, has staged one-person pickets for nearly a month on claims that he had been denied retirement allowances in 2015. He…

Russia’s Aeroflot Cancels Dozens of Flights Following Tragic Plane Crash

Russia’s national flag carrier Aeroflot has canceled at least 50 Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ 100) flights since a crash landing of the Russian-made aircraft killed 41 people last week. The deadly SSJ landing in Moscow on May 5 ended in the plane’s tail section catching fire on the runway and raised questions about the jet’s…

Moscow Metro Riders Sit Atop Game of Thrones’ Iron Throne

The Moscow metro staged a photo op with an Iron Throne inspired by HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones” over the weekend. The one-day event at Delovoy Tsentr station featured three Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister and Jon Snow lookalikes on Saturday. A cello duet accompaniment made the experience even more immersive as commuters took turns…

Russians Commemorate Relatives Who Fought During World War II

On May 9, millions of people across Russia march in the Immortal Regiment, a movement to commemorate family members who fought in World War II. We speak with Maria, a 19-year-old girl from Moscow who hasn’t forgotten the story of her great-grandmother, who fought during the war as a “Night Witch.” The all-women 588th Night…

Was the Mayor of Latvia’s Capital Ousted Because He Was Corrupt, or Russian?

RIGA, Latvia — The sun was shining on Latvia’s capital Riga on Thursday as the city’s former mayor Nils Ušakovs stepped forward with a World War II veteran to lay flowers at the base of a monument commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. For the Baltic nation’s sizeable Russian minority Victory Day is…

Russian Preschoolers’ Victory Day March Stirs Outrage

Children in southern Russia who donned military uniforms and paraded in front of their parents and officials ahead of Victory Day have generated pride among local authorities and caused outrage elsewhere in Russia. The Pyatigorsk city administration boasted that around 500 preschoolers dressed as airborne troops, sailors and Soviet soldiers took part in the parade…

Russia’s Lavrov Says ‘Extremely Significant’ Differences With Japan on Peace Deal – Reports

Moscow and Tokyo still have “extremely significant” differences over a World War II peace deal that Japan hopes will end a territorial row between them, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Friday. Japan is seeking a deal with Russia to put an end to a dispute over islands off…

Siberian Communists Unveil Stalin Monument Amid Controversy

A controversial sculpture of Soviet leader Josef Stalin was unveiled in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk on Thursday. A small black bust and two plaques were unveiled on the date Russia celebrates Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, with crowds gathering at a site where a fence and security measures will protect the memorial…

Russia’s Endgame in Venezuela. And the Kremlin’s Obsession With Victory Day

This week on From Russia With News, Moscow Times columnist and political consultant Max Hess explains why the Kremlin is going all in on Nicolas Maduro, the embattled leader of Venezuela who recently fended off a coup attempt backed by the United States. And it’s Victory Day. We speak with Washington Post bureau chief Anton…

Russia’s ‘Immortal Regiment’ Marches On Victory Day

Each year on Victory Day, millions of people in Russia parade with portraits of relatives who fought in World War II. Called the Immortal Regiment, the tradition — which recognizes those who took part in what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War — has grown every year since it began in 2012, both inside and…

Russia Marks Victory Day With Red Square Military Parade

Every year, Russia celebrates May 9 as the day the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany in World War II. Modern-day Russia marks Victory Day with parades and processions across the country, but none more well-known than Moscow’s massive parade that showcases the Russian military’s tanks, planes, artillery and soldiers. This year’s military parade on Red…

Putin, Battling Ratings Slump, Reviews Victory Day Military Parade

President Vladimir Putin watched intercontinental nuclear missile launchers roll across Red Square on Thursday as Russia put on its annual show of military might to mark the Soviet Union’s World War Two victory over the Nazis. Battling a ratings slump as Russia grinds through a sixth consecutive year of falling real incomes, Putin looked on…

Russians, Opposition Figures Sentenced Over Role in 2016 Montenegro Coup Attempt

Two Russian intelligence officers and two opposition politicians were among 13 people sentenced on Thursday over a 2016 election day plot aimed at toppling Montenegro’s government, killing the prime minister and bringing a pro-Russian alliance to power. The verdict given in the heavily guarded Montenegro court said that on Oct. 16, 2016, the accused planned to…

Russian Airport Fire Crews Mobilized a Minute After Jet Crash-Landed

Staff at a Moscow airport scrambled fire crews one minute after a malfunctioning passenger jet crash-landed on Sunday, raising questions among some senior Russian aviation industry figures about whether the staff acted quickly enough. The speed of the response to the emergency, in which 41 people were killed in an intense blaze, has come into…

New Anti-Gay Abuses Hit Russia’s Chechnya – HRW

Police in the Russian republic of Chechnya are carrying out a new round of detentions and beatings of suspected sexual minorities two years after reported mass anti-gay purges, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday. The new report makes this the third anti-gay crackdown in the majority Muslim region in as many years. An investigative report…

Russian Football Stars Sentenced to Jail for Assault

A Moscow court on Wednesday sentenced two well-known Russian football players to prison terms for their involvement in assaults last year. Moscow’s Presnensky District Court sentenced Alexander Kokorin to 18 months in jail, while Pavel Mamayev was ordered to serve 17 months. Alexander Kokorin and Pavel Mamayev, who both play in Russia’s top league and…

Russian-Made Jets Delayed, Grounded After Deadly Fire

A Russian-made passenger plane has encountered delays days after an emergency landing ended in a plane fire that resulted in the deaths of 41 people in Moscow. Questions resurfaced about the Sukhoi Superjet 100’s safety after one of the planes crash-landed shortly after takeoff at Sheremetyevo Airport on Sunday, killing 40 passengers and one flight…

Putin Aide Says Remarks About Ukraine’s Jewish Repopulation ‘Distorted’

Kremlin aide Sergei Glazyev has said a passage on an obscure nationalist website in which he entertained the possibility that Ukraine’s new president could populate the country’s war-torn southeastern region with Jews has been falsely interpreted. Glazyev, an economic adviser to President Vladimir Putin, wrote that Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s presidency could lead to “mass movement into…

Kremlin Blames U.S. for Iran Nuclear Deal Rollback, Urges Restraint

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Iran had been provoked into rolling back some of the terms of a 2015 nuclear deal due to external pressure which it blamed on the United States. Iran said earlier on Wednesday it had started scaling back parts of its commitments under the deal and threatened to do more…

Ex-Marine Whelan Links His Detention in Russia to U.S. Sanctions

Former U.S. marine Paul Whelan told his family that he thinks that Russia is holding him on espionage charges because of U.S. sanctions over Ukraine, Foreign Policy reported on Wednesday. Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, was detained in a Moscow hotel room on Dec. 28 and accused of espionage, a charge…

Vulgar Putin Graffiti Photographer Charged With ‘Disrespect’

Police in a city north of Moscow have filed administrative charges against a man who posted a photograph online of graffiti calling President Vladimir Putin an anti-gay slur. Kirill Potupnikov of Yaroslavl snapped a picture of the phrase which translates as “Putin is a f–” spray-painted on the local police building in late March. Two…

Russian Athlete Savina Gets 12-Year Doping Ban

Russian middle distance runner Ksenia Savina has been suspended for 12 years after she was found to have taken a banned substance and then provided false medical documents to avoid sanctions, the Athletics Integrity Unit said on Wednesday. The 29-year-old Savina, whose ban essentially ends her career, tested positive in an out-of-competition test for the…

Seven Die in Siberian Avalanche

Seven Russian climbers died and two survived in an avalanche in the Altai mountains in Siberia, emergency officials said on Wednesday. The avalanche happened in a remote area on the border of Russia and Kazakhstan Monday, but the survivors were able to descend and report the incident on Tuesday, Interfax reported. The two female survivors…

Director of ‘Unpatriotic’ Movie Says Russia Not Ready for Truth About War

Outside the Oktyabr cinema in central Moscow a well-dressed crowd lines the red carpet, waiting to catch a glimpse of acclaimed director Pavel Lungin as he enters the building for the premiere of his latest movie, “Bratstvo” (called “Leaving Afghanistan” for distribution abroad). But inside the auditorium is half empty because the authorities have closed…

Four Suspects Arrested in Russian Oil Contamination Case

A Russian court has placed four private oil firm executives under arrest for what authorities say is their role in the tainted oil scandal that forced Moscow to shut a major pipeline to central Europe and Germany. As of Tuesday, the main route of the Druzhba pipeline had been closed for almost two weeks and…

3% of Russians Trust Officials’ Income Declarations – Poll

Only 3 percent of Russians believe that government officials submit trustworthy income declarations every year, according to an independent Levada Center survey. The 2018 declaration showed President Vladimir Putin earning 8.6 million rubles ($134,000), or less than half of what he earned in 2017. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s yearly pay rose to 9.9 million rubles…

Putin Aide Says New Ukraine Leader Could Populate War-Torn Region With Jews

Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy could populate eastern Ukrainian land with Jews, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s adviser Sergei Glazyev said in an opinion piece published Monday. Glazyev’s blog post on an obscure nationalist website appeared on the day that Zelenskiy, who is himself Jewish, met with top Ukrainian Orthodox Jewish Hasidic rabbis. Kremlin officials and Russian…

Half of Russians to Attend Victory Day Parades – State Poll

Almost half of Russians plan to attend Victory Day military parades and commemorative processions this May 9, a state poll published on Tuesday shows. Every year on May 9, Russia celebrates Victory Day to commemorate the Soviet victory in World War II. In Moscow, the day is marked with a massive parade through the city…

Crimean Tatars to Erase Hitler Collaboration Chapter From History Textbook

Authorities in annexed Crimea will remove a chapter from a 10th grade history textbook that describes Crimean Tatars as collaborating with Hitler by the beginning of the next school year. The pro-Moscow council of the Crimean Tatar ethnic group asked de-facto authorities in February to remove the offending textbook from local schools and libraries. The…

Morgan Stanley to Shut Down Its Russian Banking Business

Morgan Stanley is planning to send a formal notice to the Russian central bank that it will close down its banking operations in the country in the first quarter of 2020, its Russian unit said in its annual report. Morgan Stanley announced late last year that it was planning a voluntary shutdown of its banking business in Russia.…

Russian Airline Cancels Sukhoi Superjet Order After Fatal Crash Landing – Reports

Russian regional carrier Yamal Airlines said on Monday it was cancelling its planned purchase of 10 Sukhoi Superjet 100s, the same type of aircraft involved in a fatal crash landing the previous day, the state-run TASS news agency reported. Yamal announced its decision hours after Russia’s transport minister said there was no reason to ground…

Fewer Than Half of Russians Support Syria Campaign, Poll Says

The share of Russians who support President Vladimir Putin’s military intervention in Syria has dropped from more than half to less than half since August 2017, according to an independent Levada Center survey. Russia launched air strikes in Syria in 2015, helping regime forces take back most of the country in the eight-year-long civil war.…

7.5K Russians Sentenced for Bribery in 2018

Almost 7,500 people have been found guilty on charges of bribery last year, more than half of them for giving or taking less than $150, according to data released by the Russian Supreme Court’s justice department. Anti-corruption activists say official figures vastly underestimate the prevalence of bribery in a country that ranks low in transparency…

Belarus In the Dark About When Clean Russian Oil Flows Will Resume

Belarus has no idea when clean Russian oil will flow across it once more to customers in Europe after contamination rocked the pipeline, sources at Belarusian state oil firm Belneftekhim and in the trading sector said. Flows via the main route of the Druzhba pipeline were suspended in late April because tainted crude had entered…

What We Know About the Deadly Aeroflot Superjet Crash Landing

Forty-one people on board a Russian Aeroflot passenger plane, including at least one child, were killed after the aircraft caught fire during a bumpy emergency landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport Sunday. Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal case and was looking into whether the pilots had violated air safety rules. [embedded content]…

Russian Watchdog Warns State’s Role in Economy is Growing

The process of strengthening the state’s role in the economy has switched gears, as the state is no longer simply setting the rules of engagement, but attempting to regulate the whole economic system of the country, the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) watchdog warned in a report on competition in 2018.   The new trends are…

Three Killed in Russian Chemical Plant Blast

At least three people have been killed in a chemical plant explosion in central Russia, media reported and the Emergency Situations Ministry said Monday. Three workers were killed and one hospitalized with injuries at the Azot plant owned by fertilizer producer Uralchem, Perm region’s 59.ru news website reported. The outlet quoted the regional safety administration…

41 Confirmed Dead After Russian Aeroflot Plane Lands With Fire On Board

Forty-one people were killed and at least nine were injured when a Russian Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet plane made an emergency landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday due to fire on board. The plane, a one-year-old Sukhoi Superjet, departed from Sheremetyevo for Murmansk but shortly after taking off requested an emergency landing after experiencing equipment…

Russia’s Lavrov Urges U.S. to Cancel Plans to Oust Venezuela’s Maduro

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday that Russia condemns what he called a campaign to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, arranged by the United States, and urged Washington to cancel its “irresponsible” plans. Lavrov made his statements at the start of a meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza in Moscow. Lavrov is traveling on Monday…

A Day in the Life of a Yandex Food Courier

On April 16, 21-year-old Yandex Food courier Artyk Orozaliyev died after a 10-hour shift. Doctors have linked his death to exhaustion stemming from overwork. The incident triggered outrage on social media over the Russian company’s treatment of its couriers. Other Yandex Food couriers posted complaints of steep fines and harsh delivery timetables. We followed a Yandex Food…