Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Jailed Reporter Safronov Moved to Siberian Hospital

    Jailed Reporter Safronov Moved to Siberian Hospital

    Jailed Russian journalist Ivan Safronov has turned up in a Siberian hospital as he awaits transfer to a prison colony, his supporters said Tuesday. The “FreeSafronov!” group said it had been unable to find out Safronov’s location since Sept. 13, when he was removed from a prison in the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk “to another facility.” […]

  • Russia’s Navalny Appeals 19-Year Extremism Sentence

    Russia’s Navalny Appeals 19-Year Extremism Sentence

    Russia on Tuesday began hearing an appeal lodged by jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny against a court decision to jail him for 19 years in a maximum security prison on extremism-linked charges. Navalny was Russia’s loudest opposition voice over the last decade and galvanized huge anti-government rallies before he was jailed in 2021 on fraud […]

  • Russian Navy Commander Reported Killed in Ukrainian Missile Strike Appears in Video

    Russian Navy Commander Reported Killed in Ukrainian Missile Strike Appears in Video

    The commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has appeared in a video published by the Defense Ministry on Tuesday following claims by Kyiv that he was killed in a recent missile strike. Ukraine said earlier this week it had killed Admiral Viktor Sokolov and 34 officers in an unprecedented strike on the fleet’s naval headquarters […]

  • Art and Music of Russia’s Indigenous Peoples Comes Into Spotlight in Amsterdam

    Art and Music of Russia’s Indigenous Peoples Comes Into Spotlight in Amsterdam

    Amsterdam’s bustling Red Light District has plenty to offer to visitors on a Saturday evening, but a showcase of art and music of Russia’s indigenous non-Slavic communities might just have been the most unique event that took place there last weekend.  Held at a local Walloon Church and organized by Netherlands-based anti-war collective Free Russia […]

  • Russian Soldier Accuses Military Police of Racially Charged Beating

    Russian Soldier Accuses Military Police of Racially Charged Beating

    A Russian soldier from the republic of North Ossetia has accused military police officers of violently beating him and other servicemen during deployment in occupied Ukraine, media reported Tuesday. Arsen Temirayev said in a video posted on social media that Russian military police officers had attacked him and his fellow soldiers in southern Ukraine’s partially […]

  • Kremlin Says U.S. Abrams Tanks Will ‘Burn’ in Ukraine

    Kremlin Says U.S. Abrams Tanks Will ‘Burn’ in Ukraine

    The Kremlin said Tuesday that U.S. Abrams tanks supplied to Ukraine would not change the outcome of its offensive and would “burn,” after Kyiv received shipments of the vehicles. Kyiv announced Monday it had received deliveries of the U.S. Abrams battle tank, boosting its forces as they seek to break through heavily fortified Russian defensive lines. […]

  • WhatsApp Drops Channels Launch in Russia Over Ban Threat

    WhatsApp Drops Channels Launch in Russia Over Ban Threat

    U.S. tech company Meta will not launch its WhatsApp Channels service in Russia following threats that it could be blocked for allowing the public dissemination of information, The Moscow Times’ Russian service reported Monday.  “The product will not be available to users inside Russia in the near future,” an anonymous Meta representative told the outlet. […]

  • Russia’s Rights Chief Issues Lukewarm Rebuke After Kadyrov’s Son Filmed Beating Detainee

    Russia’s Rights Chief Issues Lukewarm Rebuke After Kadyrov’s Son Filmed Beating Detainee

    Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova has expressed restrained disapproval of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov after he shared a video on social media of his son beating a Russian teenager accused of burning the Koran. Kadyrov on Monday evening posted the graphic video of his son Adam, 15, kicking and punching Nikita Zhuravel, 19, who was detained in May on suspicion […]

  • Russian Villages Lose Power After Ukraine Drone Strike

    Russian Villages Lose Power After Ukraine Drone Strike

    Several villages in Russia’s Kursk region bordering Ukraine lost power Tuesday morning after a Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on an electricity substation, the region’s governor said. Since Russia launched hostilities against Ukraine last year, Russian regions bordering Ukraine have repeatedly accused Kyiv’s forces of attacking civilian infrastructure, including the power grid. “In the morning, a […]

  • Top Sports Court to Hear Russian Skater Valieva’s Doping Case

    Top Sports Court to Hear Russian Skater Valieva’s Doping Case

    The doping case of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, whose positive test ignited a scandal at the 2022 Winter Olympics, will be heard behind closed doors on Tuesday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). At the Beijing games last February, Valieva, then 15, became the first female skater to land a quadruple jump […]

  • Russian Media Rhetoric Could Be ‘Incitement to Genocide’ – UN

    Russian Media Rhetoric Could Be ‘Incitement to Genocide’ – UN

    UN investigators probing violations in Ukraine since Moscow’s invasion warned on Monday that rhetoric broadcasted by Russian state media could amount to incitement to genocide. Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council, the head of the investigation team, Erik Mose, voiced concern “about allegations of genocide in Ukraine.” “Some of the rhetoric transmitted in Russian […]

  • ROSATOM and Algerian Commission of Atomic Energy have agreed to develop non-energy nuclear technologies

    Rosatom State Atomiс Energy Corporation ROSATOM global leader in nuclear technologies nuclear energy On 25 September 2023 in Vienna, Austria, Rosatom State Corporation and Algerian Commission of Atomic Energy (COMENA) signed a memorandum of understanding. The memorandum was signed on sidelines of 67th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference by Boris Arseev, Division Deputy […]

  • Russia Puts ICC President on Wanted List

    Russia Puts ICC President on Wanted List

    Russia said Monday it had placed Piotr Hofmanski, the president of the International Criminal Court, on its wanted list. In March the Hague-based court announced an arrest warrant for Putin for allegedly unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children, which is a war crime. The ICC also issued a warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s […]

  • Unearthed Home Video Shows Putin on ‘Secret’ Finland Trip – Yle

    Unearthed Home Video Shows Putin on ‘Secret’ Finland Trip – Yle

    Home video footage has emerged of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a “secret” trip to Finland with his former boss in the early 1990s. At the time of the trip, Putin served as the decision maker on export permits under St. Petersburg’s ex-mayor Anatoly Sobchak. The home videos, obtained by Finnish broadcaster Yle, showed Sobchak and […]

  • ROSATOM Director General Aleksey Likhachev and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi meet in Vienna

    On September 25th a traditional meeting between the head of the Russian delegation, Director General of ROSATOM Mr Alexey Likhachev and Director General of the IAEA Mr Rafael Grossi took place on the margins of the 67th session of the Agency’s General Conference. On the Russian side, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to […]

  • Russian Liberal Reformer, Economist Yevgeny Yasin Dies at 89

    Russian Liberal Reformer, Economist Yevgeny Yasin Dies at 89

    Yevgeny Yasin, a former Russian economy minister, academic and prominent liberal reformer, has died at the age of 89 after a reported illness, his family and colleagues said Monday. Yasin, born in the Soviet Ukrainian port city of Odesa, headed a Soviet commission on economic reform during the final years of Perestroika and later became a co-author […]

  • Russian Feminist Activist Killed in Turkey

    Russian Feminist Activist Killed in Turkey

    Russian feminist and anti-war activist Anastasia Yemelyanova was found dead in Turkey, her colleagues said late Sunday. Yemelyanova’s fiancé was detained on charges of murder in the eastern Turkish city of Erzurum, fellow activist Anastasia Polozkova wrote on Instagram. “Nastya [Yemelyanova] was killed three days ago,” Polozkova said, adding that she had gone missing on […]

  • Armenia PM Signals Foreign Policy Shift Away From Russia

    Armenia PM Signals Foreign Policy Shift Away From Russia

    Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday signalled a major foreign policy shift away from Russia following Moscow’s refusal to enter the latest conflict over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinyan told the nation in a major television address that his former Soviet republic’s current foreign security alliances were “ineffective” and “insufficient.” He added that Armenia should join […]

  • Putin Critic Kara-Murza Brought To Siberian Penal Colony

    Putin Critic Kara-Murza Brought To Siberian Penal Colony

    Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, jailed for 25 years on treason charges and for denouncing Moscow’s Ukraine offensive, has arrived to serve his sentence at a maximum-security Siberian prison, his lawyer said Sunday. Kara-Murza — a dual Russian-British citizen — was handed the unprecedentedly long sentence in April, with international leaders and supporters calling for […]

  • Ukrainian Drone Strikes Russia’s Kursk – Official

    Ukrainian Drone Strikes Russia’s Kursk – Official

    A Ukrainian drone strike hit an administrative building in the center of Russia’s southern Kursk city, authorities said Sunday. Kyiv has targeted Russian cities with almost daily attacks in recent months of Moscow’s offensive, ongoing for 19 months. Kursk is around 90 kilometres from the border with Ukraine. “In Kursk, a Ukrainian drone attacked an […]

  • Russia Says Armenians Added ‘Fuel to Fire’ in Azerbaijan Conflict

    Russia Says Armenians Added ‘Fuel to Fire’ in Azerbaijan Conflict

    Russia’s top diplomat on Saturday accused Armenian leaders of worsening tensions but voiced hope the country would stay in Moscow’s orbit following furor over Azerbaijan’s recapture of the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Speaking at the United Nations, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov charged that Western powers were “pulling the strings” to undermine Russian influence but added, “unfortunately, […]

  • Russia Accuses West of ‘De Facto’ Fighting in Ukraine

    Russia Accuses West of ‘De Facto’ Fighting in Ukraine

    Western powers through their support for Ukraine are “de facto” fighting against Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday, as Kyiv claimed fresh advances on the ground. “You can call it anything you want, but they are fighting with us, they are straight-up fighting with us,” Lavrov told journalists at the United Nations. “We […]

  • The Sweet Heart of a Black Radish

    The Sweet Heart of a Black Radish

    “Greetings, Katerinushka, my dearest beloved. I’m sending you a local radish and a bottle of Hungarian.” In January 1720 Peter I sent his beloved wife Ekaterina not only a bottle of precious wine but also… an ordinary radish. The sovereign loved this humble vegetable — and with good reason. There is an old Russian saying: […]

  • Head of ROSATOM visited Paks-2 NPP site and announced plan to pour first concrete by 2025

    On September 22, 2023, Levente Magyar, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary,  Gergely Jakli, Director General of Paks-2 NPP CJSC, and Alexey Likhachev, Director General of ROSATOM, visited the construction site of  Paks-2 NPP. Since the start of the main construction stage, this is the fist visit to the only nuclear power plant […]

  • Fugitive Russian Lawmaker Retains Position in Parliament 1 Year After Bribery Conviction – Report

    Fugitive Russian Lawmaker Retains Position in Parliament 1 Year After Bribery Conviction – Report

    A fugitive Russian lawmaker has managed to retain his position in parliament a full year after being convicted on bribery charges, the investigative news website Mozhem Obyasnit reported Friday. Last August, State Duma deputy Vadim Belousov was found guilty of accepting a bribe of 3.2 billion rubles ($49 million) — described as the largest in modern […]

  • Moscow ‘Outraged’ as Bulgaria Expels Orthodox Church Head

    Moscow ‘Outraged’ as Bulgaria Expels Orthodox Church Head

    Russia on Thursday slammed Bulgaria after it expelled the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in the southern Balkans nation. Bulgarian authorities ordered the Russian Orthodox Church representative in Sofia, Archimandrite Vassian, to leave Bulgaria alongside two Belarusian priests following accusations that they acted in the interests of the Kremlin. Bulgaria’s National Security Agency said the three […]

  • Let It Be and Let It Go

    Let It Be and Let It Go

    Пусть: let, permit, request, threaten, concede Among the many useful little words in Russian, there is one that tends to be overlooked: пусть. Пусть is a very handy word that can be used to express everything from an order to a wish to exasperated acceptance to a threat. Time to polish your пусть and be […]

  • Missile Strike Hits Russia’s Black Sea Fleet HQ

    Missile Strike Hits Russia’s Black Sea Fleet HQ

    Updated with Defense Ministry’s statement that one soldier went missing. The headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in annexed Crimea was targeted by a missile strike on Friday, state media and Kremlin-installed officials said. Russia’s Defense Ministry had said earlier that one serviceman was killed in the strike on Sevastopol, where the Black Sea Fleet is based, […]

  • Russia Hopes to Rejoin ‘Olympic Family’

    Russia Hopes to Rejoin ‘Olympic Family’

    The Kremlin said on Friday it hopes Russia could once again become part of the Olympic community despite sanctions against Russian athletes over Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suggested allowing athletes from Russia and Moscow’s ally Belarus to compete as individuals under a neutral flag at the 2024 Olympics in […]

  • The installation of the outer containment dome is completed at Rooppur NPP Unit 2 in record rime

    At the Rooppur NPP construction site in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (with the Rosatom State Corporation Engineering Division being the general designer and general contractor), installation of steel structures of the outer containment dome has been completed in the reactor building of Unit 2. Specialists of the Engineering Division have set a record – […]

  • Russian Media Regulator Slammed After Yakut Film Ban

    Russian Media Regulator Slammed After Yakut Film Ban

    A public row has erupted over the Russian government’s decision to ban an ethnic Yakut film from online streaming platforms over claims of nationalism.  “Ayta” became the highest-grossing film ever in the Far East republic of Sakha (Yakutia), raking in more than 26 million rubles ($275,000) at the box office after its premiere in March. The award-winning […]

  • Russia’s Oscar Committee Suspends Operations

    Russia’s Oscar Committee Suspends Operations

    Russia’s Oscar committee has suspended its operations and will not nominate a film to compete in next year’s Academy Awards, state media reported Friday. Last year, the head of the committee resigned after Russia’s film academy opted out of nominating a movie for the 95th Oscars. At the time there was disagreement among the Russian […]

  • Obninsk NEW International Youth Nuclear Forum brought together more than 500 experts from 70 countries

    Obninsk NEW International Youth Nuclear Forum arranged with the support of ROSATOM was opened in Obninsk on September, 21. More than 500 experts, young scientists and specialists from more than 70 countries gathered at the venue. They will discuss global challenges faced by the industry on the path to creation of the future based on […]

  • Russian Officials Fighting in Ukraine Seek Profile Boost, Career Advancement

    Russian Officials Fighting in Ukraine Seek Profile Boost, Career Advancement

    Scores of Russian officials have signed up to fight in the Ukraine war since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion nearly 19 months ago.  Coming from all corners of the country and holding various positions, these officials harbor a range of motivations for going into military service. While some believe donning army fatigues may help advance […]

  • Russia Curbs Gas, Diesel Exports to Stabilize Fuel Prices

    Russia Curbs Gas, Diesel Exports to Stabilize Fuel Prices

    Russia has imposed “temporary restrictions” on the export of gasoline and diesel in order to stabilize domestic fuel prices, the government said Thursday. “Temporary restrictions will help saturate the fuel market, which will in turn reduce prices for consumers,” Russia’s cabinet of ministers said in a statement. A decree signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin […]

  • Belarus Free Theatre’s ‘King Stakh’s Wild Hunt’ Trots on the London Stage

    Belarus Free Theatre’s ‘King Stakh’s Wild Hunt’ Trots on the London Stage

    Expectations were high for the new staging of Uladzimir Karatkievich’s classic 20th century Belarusian novel, “King Stakh’s Wild Hunt,” brought to London’s Barbican by the Belarus Free Theatre. The directors, Natalia Kaliada and Nicolai Khalezin, fled persecution in Belarus, and the performers hail from Belarus and occupied Ukraine. Tom Stoppard and Cate Blanchett are both […]

  • Azerbaijan’s Aliyev Apologizes for Russian Peacekeeper Deaths in Karabakh

    Azerbaijan’s Aliyev Apologizes for Russian Peacekeeper Deaths in Karabakh

    Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has apologized for the deaths of Russian peacekeepers killed during Baku’s military campaign this week to regain control of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Kremlin said Thursday. “[Aliyev] emphasized that the most thorough investigation into the incident will be carried out and all those responsible will be duly punished,” the […]

  • Mobilized Russian Troops Endure Quick Losses in Ukraine War – Report

    Mobilized Russian Troops Endure Quick Losses in Ukraine War – Report

    One in five mobilized Russian soldiers who died in the Ukraine war were killed less than two months after being enlisted, the independent investigative outlet IStories and the war monitoring project Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) reported Thursday, citing publicly available data. IStories and CIT said their figures are based on data related to the deaths of […]

  • Scores of Ukrainian Drones Downed Over Annexed Crimea, Western Russia

    Scores of Ukrainian Drones Downed Over Annexed Crimea, Western Russia

    Moscow said Thursday it had downed multiple Ukrainian drones overnight in annexed Crimea and the Black Sea, as well as in parts of western Russia. “Air defense systems destroyed 19 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea and the territory of the Republic of Crimea,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on the messaging app Telegram. Mikhail […]

  • Kremlin Orders Media, Lawmakers to Blame Armenia for Karabakh Conflict – Reports

    Kremlin Orders Media, Lawmakers to Blame Armenia for Karabakh Conflict – Reports

    The Kremlin has ordered media and lawmakers to blame Armenia for Azerbaijan’s latest attack on the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia’s independent news outlets Meduza and Vyorstka reported Wednesday, citing anonymous sources. The circulated instructions to media and officials follow Armenia’s frustration over what it sees as Russia’s failure to guarantee its security amid escalating […]

  • Moscow Mayor’s Urban Forest ‘Improvement’ Sparks Grassroots Resistance

    Moscow Mayor’s Urban Forest ‘Improvement’ Sparks Grassroots Resistance

    When lawyer Olga Slastunina chose Troitsk as her new home back in 2006, the presence of the vast Troitsky Forest on her doorstep was one of the main draws.  This green expanse, which she describes as “an absolute marvel,” created a special atmosphere in Troitsk, an academic town of 60,000 inhabitants that became a part […]

  • Azerbaijan Halts ‘Anti-Terrorist Operation’ as Karabakh Vows to Disarm

    Azerbaijan Halts ‘Anti-Terrorist Operation’ as Karabakh Vows to Disarm

    Azerbaijan on Wednesday announced it had halted its military operation in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh after separatist Armenian forces agreed to lay down their arms and hold reintegration talks. Baku and the ethnic-Armenian authorities in Karabakh said a ceasefire deal had been brokered by Russian peacekeepers to stop the fighting a day after Azerbaijan […]

  • Moscow’s Last European Neighbor to Ban Russian Cars

    Moscow’s Last European Neighbor to Ban Russian Cars

    Norway will be the last European nation that borders Russia to ban Russian-registered vehicles amid an uproar over an EU directive on import restrictions. Over the past week, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland have implemented bans on passenger vehicles with Russian license plates. “Norway will introduce restrictions on importing and using Russian-registered cars in […]

  • Residents, Rescuers Killed in Gas Blast Outside Moscow

    Residents, Rescuers Killed in Gas Blast Outside Moscow

    Several residents and rescue workers were killed when a gas explosion ripped through a late Soviet-era apartment building outside Moscow, authorities and state media reported Wednesday. Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said first responders arrived soon after being alerted in the early morning of an incident in the suburb of Balashikha, northeast of Moscow. Footage shared by […]

  • Ukrainian Drones ‘Likely’ Hit Wagner-Backed Sudan Paramilitary – CNN

    Ukrainian Drones ‘Likely’ Hit Wagner-Backed Sudan Paramilitary – CNN

    Ukrainian drones likely attacked Wagner-backed paramilitary forces in Sudan, CNN reported Tuesday, citing anonymous Ukrainian and Sudanese military sources as well as footage of the aerial strikes.  Videos shared by CNN show 14 separate drone attacks on the stronghold of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the city of Omdurman, located across the Nile River […]

  • Russia Says 4 Ukrainian Drones Destroyed

    Russia Says 4 Ukrainian Drones Destroyed

    Russia said early Wednesday it had destroyed four Ukrainian drones overnight in two western regions. In the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, an attack at around 9:00 pm by two drones had been “thwarted,” the Russian Defense said on the messaging app Telegram.  Another attack was reported in the Oryol region, which is located further […]

  • As Nagorno-Karabakh Fighting Flares, Moscow’s Role as Security Guarantor Questioned

    As Nagorno-Karabakh Fighting Flares, Moscow’s Role as Security Guarantor Questioned

    The outbreak of fresh hostilities between South Caucasus foes Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh marks the latest example of Moscow’s diminished sway in the region, experts have said. Azerbaijan on Tuesday launched a military operation in the majority-Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh nearly three years after fighting a brutal war with Yerevan […]

  • Russia and Allies Warn UN That SDGs in Jeopardy Without Sanctions Relief

    Russia and Allies Warn UN That SDGs in Jeopardy Without Sanctions Relief

    Russia has threatened to block the adoption of a new political declaration at the UN Sustainable Development Goals Summit in New York, arguing that sanctions undermine its own progress toward achieving them, the Coalition for Sustainable Development of Russia (CSDR) said Monday. In a joint letter to the UN General Assembly, Russia — along with […]

  • Russia Defense Chief Shoigu Makes Iran Visit

    Russia Defense Chief Shoigu Makes Iran Visit

    Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Iran Tuesday for meetings to deepen Moscow’s defense ties with Tehran, Russian news agencies reported. Moscow has sought to strengthen its alliances with other countries ostracised by the West, including Iran, which has supplied Moscow with attack drones for its offensive in Ukraine. “During the visit, the Russian […]

  • EU’s Russian Car Ban Set to Hinder Fleeing Russian Dissidents, Ukrainian Refugees

    EU’s Russian Car Ban Set to Hinder Fleeing Russian Dissidents, Ukrainian Refugees

    A ban on Russian-registered vehicles by Moscow’s European Union neighbors appears set to hurt not only ordinary Russians but also political dissidents and Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia. Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland have implemented bans on passenger vehicles with Russian license plates in recent days amid intense debate over the enforcement of an EU directive […]

  • Explainer: Reports of Kadyrov’s Death May Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

    Explainer: Reports of Kadyrov’s Death May Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

    Speculation over Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s health condition has mounted in recent days following claims in Ukrainian media that he is in a coma or even dead.  Kadyrov, 46, has ruled the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya for 15 years, earning a reputation for brutality both within his region and towards civilians in Ukraine. In […]

  • Seoul Summons Russian Ambassador After Kim-Putin Summit

    Seoul Summons Russian Ambassador After Kim-Putin Summit

    South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said, to warn Moscow over military cooperation with North Korea the country’s leader Kim Jong Un met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia. Kim spent nearly a week touring Russia’s Far East before returning home Monday, visiting a space centre and weapons factories. The […]

  • Russian Court Rejects U.S. Reporter Gershkovich’s Appeal of Extended Detention

    Russian Court Rejects U.S. Reporter Gershkovich’s Appeal of Extended Detention

    A Moscow court on Tuesday rejected U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich’s appeal against the three-month extension of his pre-trial detention on spying charges, media reported Tuesday.  Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and former Moscow Times journalist, had challenged the judge’s August decision to extend his custody until Nov. 30.  The Moscow City Court […]

  • Turkey Imports, Resells Coal from Russia-Annexed Ukrainian Regions – Reuters

    Turkey Imports, Resells Coal from Russia-Annexed Ukrainian Regions – Reuters

    Turkey has become a leading destination for exports of coal from Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions this year, according to an investigation by Reuters published Tuesday.  About 160,400 tons of coal — or 95% of all shipments — from the regions were delivered to the NATO member state between February and July this year, […]

  • Azerbaijan Launches Military Operation Against Karabakh

    Azerbaijan Launches Military Operation Against Karabakh

    Azerbaijan on Tuesday launched a military operation against the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region and demanded the total withdrawal of Armenian forces from the disputed mountainous territory as a precondition for peace. Fears of a fresh war have been growing in recent months, with Armenia accusing Azerbaijan of a troop build-up and decrying a blockade of its […]

  • Blasts in Karabakh as Azerbaijan Launches Military Operation

    Blasts in Karabakh as Azerbaijan Launches Military Operation

    Azerbaijan on Tuesday launched a military operation in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region and demanded the total withdrawal of Armenian forces from the disputed mountainous territory as a precondition for peace. Fears of a fresh war have been building in recent months, with Armenia accusing Azerbaijan of a troop build-up and decrying a blockade of its […]

  • Kremlin Eyes Liberal Venediktov as Putin’s 2024 Rival – Vedomosti

    Kremlin Eyes Liberal Venediktov as Putin’s 2024 Rival – Vedomosti

    The Kremlin is considering running media personality Alexei Venediktov as Vladimir Putin’s “liberal” rival in the 2024 presidential elections, the Vedomosti business daily reported Tuesday, citing four anonymous sources close to the presidential administration. Venediktov is the former editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy, a liberal-leaning radio station that was blocked by authorities days after Russia invaded Ukraine […]

  • Kremlin Orders State Media to Stop Calling Zelensky ‘President’ – Holod

    Kremlin Orders State Media to Stop Calling Zelensky ‘President’ – Holod

    The Kremlin has instructed Russian state-run media outlets to stop referring to Volodymyr Zelensky as “president” of Ukraine, the independent news website Holod reported Monday, citing the recipients of the presidential administration’s directive.  Television broadcasters and online publications are instead advised to use the phrase “the Zelensky regime” or call the Ukrainian president by name […]

  • Russia Hails ‘Similarity’ of China’s Position on U.S., Ukraine

    Russia Hails ‘Similarity’ of China’s Position on U.S., Ukraine

    Moscow and Beijing are closely aligned in their positions on the United States and resolving the Ukraine conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry said following talks between their top diplomats on Monday. The statement came after China’s Wang Yi kicked off a four-day visit to Moscow with a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the […]

  • At Georgia’s Border With South Ossetia, Deepening Anxieties of Russian Aggression

    At Georgia’s Border With South Ossetia, Deepening Anxieties of Russian Aggression

    MTSKHETA-MTIANETI, Georgia — In the mountain village of Zemo Mleta, locals’ memories of Georgia’s 2008 war with Russia run deep. “Some of my friends fled their homes in South Ossetia after the horror that happened in 2008,” said Tamar, a woman selling souvenirs at a roadside market. The five-day conflict ended with the region of […]

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