Day: April 30, 2020

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has been diagnosed with coronavirus, he said during a video meeting with President Vladimir Putin broadcast on the state-run Rossiya 24 television channel Thursday. Mishustin, 54, who was appointed prime minister in January, has played a leading role in Russia’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. He is now self-isolating in the hospital…

More Russians approve of local officials’ coronavirus response efforts than they do of President Vladimir Putin and the federal government’s response to the pandemic, according to a newly published independent survey. In a public address over the pandemic early this month, Putin largely delegated decisionmaking authority to regional leaders due to regional differences in infection rates.…

The sale of Russia’s top business newspaper Vedomosti has been postponed as the paper struggles to maintain independence under its new chief editor, the Open Media investigative website reported Wednesday. Claims of censorship have swirled around Vedomosti since its sale was announced in March. In the span of a month, acting editor-in-chief Andrei Shmarov has…

On Wednesday afternoon, Tatiana, a 22-year-old sixth-year medical student at First Moscow State Medical University, received a message from the university’s administration. Starting Friday, the text read, all students in their fourth year or higher would be deployed to coronavirus hospitals around Moscow. Tatiana, who asked that her last name be withheld, is one of…

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 227,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to slow the pandemic’s spread within its borders. There have been 106,498 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 1,073 deaths. April 30: 3 things you need to know today Russia confirmed 7,099 new coronavirus infections…

More than 80% of young Russians have no interest in politics, according to a new survey on Generation Z’s values published by the Vedomosti business daily Thursday. Russian authorities have targeted the country’s youth with several initiatives, including a ban on minors attending protests, funding for military and patriotic education and a plan to monitor youngsters’ online…

Stuck in cramped flats and struggling with fears of the coronavirus and its economic impact, many Russians are worried about the return of an old demon. “When I found myself alone at home, the first thought I had was ‘ah, it’s a good time to get drunk,’” says Tatyana, a recovering alcoholic on lockdown in…

President Vladimir Putin warned Tuesday that Russia had not yet reached the peak of coronavirus infections but said a “phased exit” from the country’s lockdown measures could begin in two weeks. With the number of cases rising by several thousand daily, Putin extended a non-working period across the country until May 11, telling officials to plan for…

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and fears the fresh OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia will not be enough to address a historic fall in demand. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in…

Russia will allow its nationals who hold second passports to leave the country amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to a government decree issued Wednesday. To date, Russia has allowed only foreigners to leave the country to return home as it grounded international flights and effectively closed its land border in an effort to slow the…