Month: January 2020

Prominent journalists have made a video appeal in support of their colleague who is accused of financing terrorism in Russia’s republic of Dagestan. Abdulmumin Gadzhiyev, the religious affairs editor of the independent Chernovik news weekly, faces life in prison on charges of financing terrorism and participating in a terrorist organization. Gadzhiyev’s colleagues say the charges,…

A Russian governor is facing expulsion from the country’s ruling party following two weeks of controversial actions and comments, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday. Mikhail Ignatyev, who heads the republic of Chuvashia 680 kilometers east of Moscow, made national headlines for saying critical journalists should be “wiped out” on Jan. 18. Ignatyev sparked fresh…

China has leapfrogged Russia to become the world’s second-largest arms producer, according to revised research for the year 2017 published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday. SIPRI had previously excluded Chinese arms companies from its annual ranking over a lack of transparency, placing Russia second behind the United States in weapons…

Update: Russia has expelled a Japanese journalist for trying to obtain secret information related to Russian military capabilities, the state-run RIA news agency reported Monday, in a tit-for-tat move following Japan’s arrest of Araki on espionage suspicions. The journalist, whom it didn’t name, had been given 72 hours to leave Russia and had already left. Russia’s Foreign…

Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot and Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport have come under fire after two cats were killed and another injured during a New York-Moscow flight. Maxim Chumachenko and his three cats boarded Aeroflot flight SU10 in New York on Jan. 22, with a short layover in Moscow before reaching their final destination of Sofia. The…

Mikhail Mishustin was struggling. Drenched in sweat and tripping over himself, he wasn’t a natural ice hockey player.  “I don’t know whether he’d played before, but it was clearly very hard for him,” Dimitri Elkin, CEO of Twelve Seas Investment Company, said of the man just named Russia’s new prime minister. “He’s not the most…

Former Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Vsevolod Chaplin, one of the most controversial and well-known figures in the Church, has died at the age of 51 outside his church in Moscow, the state-run TASS news agency reported.  “Unfortunately, it is true, he died right in front of the church,” TASS quoted the press service of the…

At least 140 Russian citizens are currently in the virus-stricken province of Hubei in central China, the state-run TASS news agency cited Russia’s Embassy in China as saying Monday. The coronavirus outbreak that began in the city of Wuhan in late December has killed 81 people in China so far and infected more than 2,750…

Russian and U.S. forces have faced off for what could be the fourth time in less than two weeks in oil-rich northeastern Syria, the local Kurdish news outlet Anha reported Saturday. Video of the reported standoff in the Hasakah province showed a Russian-flagged armored vehicle and what appeared to be two U.S. Army armored vehicles…

With time running out on his final term as president, Vladimir Putin evidently wants to end it with a boom. Putin has been a cautious steward of Russia’s $1.7 trillion economy, partly to shield it against blowback from his more adventurous foreign policy. For the last five years, he’s imposed some of the world’s toughest…

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 is consulting with China about possibly evacuating Russian citizens from the Chinese city of Wuhan and Hubei province, the center of an outbreak of a new flu-like virus, the RIA news agency cited the Russian embassy as saying on Saturday. There are no Russians infected with the new coronavirus, RIA quoted the embassy’s press…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Prosecutor General to investigate if a guilty verdict for Moscow protester Konstantin Kotov was lawful, the Kremlin said. A Moscow court sentenced Kotov, a 34-year-old programmer, to four years in prison in September for “repeated” participation in unauthorized rallies, under a widely criticized law that has made non-violent…

Bulgaria is likely to expel two Russian diplomats over spying allegations, Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said on Friday. “We have received the letters from the prosecutors with the allegations,” said Zaharieva. “We will undertake the actions that we are obliged to undertake and will most probably declare them ‘persona non grata’.” Zaharieva said she would…

Russia and North Korea ramped up trade in 2019 despite international sanctions, the South Korean news network Arirang reported, citing data from the Geneva-based International Trade Center. Pyongyang has been under UN sanctions since 2006 over its missile and nuclear programs, which the Security Council has unanimously strengthened over the years.  Despite that, North Korea…

A Russian migrant who has lived in Australia for 30 years is documenting how surviving animals find sanctuary on his property as bushfires continue to devastate their habitat. The death toll from southeastern Australia’s bushfires stood at 33 people Friday. The fires have also killed millions of creatures, razed thousands of homes and destroyed an…

Russian authorities will give priority to “spiritual values” when deciding which Russian-made apps should come pre-installed under a controversial law banning smartphone sales without domestic software, the Vedomosti newspaper reported Thursday. From July 1, smartphones will be required to go on sale with pre-installed apps approved by the Russian government. Supporters defend the law, which…

A group of prominent activists and political figures has called on Russians to vote against President Vladimir Putin’s proposed constitutional changes, which they describe as a “coup.” “We’re convinced that the goal of this coup is to keep Vladimir Putin and his corrupt regime in power for life,” the activists wrote in an open letter…

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…

U.S. forces intercepted an unidentified Russian major general in northern Syria during deconfliction operations, the U.S. State Department’s special envoy for Syrian engagement and the anti-Islamic State coalition said Thursday. James Jeffrey’s remarks follow news of U.S. troops “blocking” a Russian military patrol from accessing an oilfield in northeastern Syria’s province of Hasakah on Saturday.…

Russia said on Thursday it had missed a United Nations deadline to repatriate North Korean workers due to what it called objective difficulties, but said it was scrupulously complying with UN sanctions on Pyongyang. A 2017 UN Security Council resolution demanded that all countries send home all North Korean workers by Dec. 22 last year…

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…

Bulgarian prosecutors have charged three Russians with the attempted murder of three men whose poisoning is being investigated by Sofia for possible links with the 2018 nerve-agent attack on ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal. The prosecutors did not name the three Russians, but said European arrest warrants had been issued and that they would seek their extradition to…

Israel and Russia have signed a new adoption agreement that will effectively block LGBT Israelis from adopting Russian children, Israel’s Channel 12 news outlet reported Wednesday.  Russia banned adoption by LGBT couples and individuals from countries that allow gay marriage in 2013. Israel has been complying with this law through a de facto arrangement in the…

Syrian state media said militants launched a major attack on government forces in Idlib on Thursday that Russia‘s Defense Ministry said killed up to 40 Syrian soldiers, though the account was disputed by a rebel official and war monitor. Idlib is the last rebel-held swathe of territory in the country and hundreds of thousands of people…

Russian President Vladimir Putin inaugurated a new monument in Jerusalem dedicated to the defenders and victims of the Siege of Leningrad on Thursday. More than 800,000 people died during the Nazi encirclement of Leningrad — now called St. Petersburg — from starvation, disease and bombardment, making it one of the most devastating episodes of World…

President Vladimir Putin has hinted that he could help reconstruct Russia’s version of the Great Wall of China during a stopover in the country’s central Lipetsk region, the Znak.com news website reported Wednesday. A local archeologist had urged Putin to spearhead reconstruction of the Belgorod fortified line, which was built in the 17th century to…

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s sister owns luxury real estate in and outside Moscow currently valued at 900 million rubles ($14.3 million), BBC Russia reported Thursday, citing a classified tax database. Mishustin and his family were thrust into the spotlight after the former tax chief’s surprise appointment as head of Russia’s government last week. Critics…

Russians believe that environmental pollution poses a greater threat to humanity than terrorism, according to the results of an independent Levada Center survey published Thursday. Russia’s government says that climate change is heating the country faster than the rest of the world, predicting epidemics, drought and mass hunger if it’s left unchecked. Levada conducted its…

Update: Dolgopolov has fled Russia pending further information about the police probe, human rights lawyer Leonid Solovyov told the MBKh news website Thursday. “We can’t say where he went yet,” Solovyov said, citing security reasons. Dolgopolov warned his Instagram followers that his late Wednesday performance in Moscow was canceled. Police near Moscow have put out a…

Russia’s new Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin was convicted for abuse of office as the head of a university a decade ago, according to past media reports that resurfaced following his appointment this week. Matytsin, 55, was one of several new faces named to Russia’s cabinet Tuesday following President Vladimir Putin’s shake-up of the political system…

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Wednesday it had provisionally suspended the status of Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory that had allowed it to analyze athlete biological passports (ABP) as Russia’s doping scandal continues. The move comes little more than a month after WADA barred Russians from competing under their country’s flag at major international events…

Russia must remain a strong presidential republic, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday when asked about a possible transitional period once he steps down in 2024. Last week Putin, who under the constitution cannot run for another presidential term, proposed constitutional changes that would give him scope to extend his grip on power after leaving…

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…

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…

A young woman from Russia’s conservative republic of Chechnya is seeking criminal charges against her parents, one of their acquaintances and a psychiatric clinic for allegedly torturing her based on her sexual orientation, a Russian LGBT support group said Tuesday. The latest incident comes after widespread reports of anti-gay abuse, including torture and killings, in the…

President Vladimir Putin confirmed a new government Tuesday following last week’s shake-up of the political system which led to Dmitry Medvedev’s resignation as prime minister. Despite Putin describing the new government as a break with the past, many senior ministers held on to their positions.  Here’s a look at the main figures in Russia’s new…

Russian tourists appear to be undeterred by a new flu-like coronavirus in China, Russian travel agencies told the state-run TASS news agency as the country’s Health Ministry called it a “biological threat.” The virus has killed nine people and infected more than 400 in an outbreak originating from the central city of Wuhan, spreading fear…

President Vladimir Putin proposed to make several amendments to the Russian Constitution last week in what has been seen by many observers as an move to secure his executive power beyond 2024.  The proposals, made during his annual state of the nation address, set off a chain of events including the prime minister’s resignation, a…

Three days after being announced as Russia’s new prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin has granted Gazprom Oil the development rights to the Khambateyskoye gas and oil field on the Yamal Peninsula.  According to the federal government, the oil company will pay about 2 billion rubles ($32 million) for the production licenses. The field is located both…

Police near Moscow have put out a request for information about a popular comic’s stand-up performance from a year ago, the comic said Tuesday, prompting speculation that he could be targeted for jokes he made about religion and the authorities. It was not immediately clear what prompted the Orekhovo-Zuevo police department to send the request…

Russia and Syria have conducted joint exercises aimed at protecting economic interests in Moscow’s key naval foothold in the Mediterranean, the Defense Ministry’s Zvezda news channel reported. These are at least the second joint Russian-Syrian naval drills to take place in the port of Tartus in a month. Russia seeks to invest $500 million in…

The Trump administration is planning to add seven countries — Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania — to its controversial travel ban list, according to media reports on Tuesday. Some countries will face bans only on some visa categories, the Wall Street Journal reported. The list of countries was not final and could yet…

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a new government on Tuesday which he described as a break with the past, bringing in some fresh faces but retaining many senior ministers. The new government included a new economy minister and a new first deputy prime minister, but the finance, foreign, defense, energy and agriculture ministers all kept…

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday approved a new Russian government that kept many veteran and senior ministers in place, but brought in a new economy minister and a new first deputy prime minister. The new government was formed less than a week after Putin unveiled a sweeping shake-up of the political system, which led to the…

U.S. troops have “blocked” Russian soldiers from accessing an oilfield in northeast Syria, Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News outlet has reported, citing the state news agency Anadolu. News of the standoff appeared two years after an incident in which anywhere from five to 200 Russian mercenaries were killed by U.S. airstrikes while attempting to take over…

Two Russians who identified themselves as plumbers despite carrying diplomatic passports were checked in Switzerland on suspicion of espionage ahead of this week’s World Economic Forum (WEF), the Tagez Anzeiger newspaper reported Monday.  Held annually in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, the WEF gathers world leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump and German…

Russian airports have stepped up screening of travelers arriving from China to try to identify people infected with the new coronavirus, airport officials said Tuesday. The World Health Organization has said that the coronavirus outbreak, which the mayor of the Chinese city of Wuhan says has killed six people, was likely to spread. The virus…

Russian airports have stepped up screening of travelers arriving from China to try to identify people infected with the new coronavirus, airport officials said Tuesday. The World Health Organization has said that the coronavirus outbreak, which the mayor of the Chinese city of Wuhan says has killed six people, was likely to spread. The virus…

Iran has confirmed that it used two Russian-made missiles in the downing of a Ukrainian airliner earlier this month, according to the country’s latest investigation report cited by Bloomberg. All 176 people died onboard the Kiev-bound Ukrainian International Airlines flight when it crashed six minutes after taking off from Tehran on Jan. 8. Iran has…

A swimming pool in southern Russia has banned women without explanation, according to its announcement published by the popular listings magazine Afisha on Monday. The Anzhi Arena spa in Russia’s republic of Dagestan did not say what prompted the abrupt rule change. Afisha reported that a different public pool in the Dagestani city of Makhachkala…