Russia Threatens Facebook, Twitter With $100K Fines

Russia’s communications watchdog said Friday it has launched fresh proceedings against Facebook and Twitter over their failure to comply with local data laws. The social media giants “have not provided information on the localization of Russian users’ database inside Russian servers on time,” the watchdog, Roskomnadzor, said. Roskomnadzor had issued a Jan. 31 deadline for…

Russia Reports First Coronavirus Cases

Russia reported its first two cases of coronavirus on Friday and said the infected people were Chinese citizens who had been quarantined. The two cases were discovered in different parts of the country, one in Tyumen region in west Siberia, the other in Russia‘s Far East, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said. “They are under strict supervision,…

Russian Director Is an Oscar Hopeful

HOLLYWOOD—Daria Kashcheeva is the year’s shining star of the international film festival circuit. Her stop-motion animated picture “Daughter” has won accolades in every competition it has entered, totaling more than three-dozen awards. The native of Tajikistan, whose family settled in the Russian city of Valdai, between St. Petersburg and Moscow, has already captured awards in…

McDonald’s in Russia Turns 30

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

Russia to Drop Murder Charges Against Sisters Who Killed Abusive Father, Lawyers Say

Russian prosecutors have ordered investigators to drop murder charges against three teenage sisters accused of killing their abusive father, the sisters’ lawyers told Russian news agencies Thursday. Investigators said last month they planned to charge Krestina, Angelina and Maria Khachaturyan with premeditated murder, which carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years. The Khachaturyan…

New U.S. Envoy Tells Russia to ‘End Nightmare’ for Jailed Ex-Marine

The United States’ new ambassador to Russia urged Moscow on Thursday to release a former U.S. Marine accused of spying, and said Russian investigators had failed to present credible evidence to back up their case. Days after starting as U.S. ambassador, John Sullivan accused Russian authorities of “shameful treatment” of Paul Whelan, who was detained by security agents in…