Kremlin Calls for ‘Restraint’ Amid N. Korea Escalation

The Kremlin on Tuesday called for restraint following a sharp escalation in tensions after North Korea blew up a liaison office near its border with South Korea.   “This is a concern, we urge all parties to show restraint,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that Russia would be closely monitoring the situation.  The…

Chechen Violence in France, Explained

Violence involving young Chechens rocked France’s eastern city of Dijon over the weekend. French police were deployed late Monday to restore order following the unrest, which was blamed on the local Chechen community seeking vengeance for an assault on a teenager. Here is a brief look at the origins of the conflict as well as…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | June 16

There have been 545,458 cases of coronavirus infection reported in Russia so far and 7,284 deaths. June 16: 3 things you need to know today Russia’s second-largest city St. Petersburg had the highest coronavirus mortality rate among all Russian cities in the month of April, according to a new analysis of official data. Three more Russian cities, Penza, Chelyabinsk…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Rise Past 545K

Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on Tuesday, a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks. Many other regions are lifting lockdown restrictions as Russia is preparing to hold a July 1 national vote despite the pandemic.    President Vladimir Putin is seeking public backing for constitutional amendments that would…

Russia’s Gazprom to Reimburse Poland $1.5Bln

Russian gas giant Gazprom will reimburse Poland’s PGNiG to the tune of $1.5 billion by July 1 for overcharging it for its supplies for years, the Polish company said on Monday following a court battle. On March 30, state-owned PGNiG won a case against Gazprom over its long-term contract for gas imports at an international…

Russia Newspaper Editors Quit, Denouncing Pro-Kremlin Censorship

Senior editors at Russia’s leading business newspaper quit en masse Monday in protest against what they say is censorship under new management as a long-running dispute between journalists and management came to a head. Vedomosti is one of the few remaining independent news outlets in Russia, where journalists are increasingly squeezed by curbs on press freedoms and…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | June 15

There have been 537,210 cases of coronavirus infection reported in Russia so far and 7,091 deaths. June 15: 3 things you need to know today Russia more than doubled its official coronavirus death toll for April to 2,712 after changing how it classifies fatalities. Three more Russian cities, Penza, Chelyabinsk and Yakutsk, have canceled plans to hold Victory Day…

Russia Consecrates Grandiose Armed Forces Cathedral

Russia consecrated a massive new Orthodox cathedral dedicated to the country’s Armed Forces on Sunday. The grand ceremony featured Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov and other top officials. The cathedral drew controversy during the building stage for initial plans, which were…

Customer service centers of Gazprom Gazoraspredeleniye Far East in Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur returning to work

News from projects and regions June 15, 2020, 13:45 As the restrictive measures taken in response to the coronavirus threat in the Khabarovsk Territory have been partially lifted, the customer service centers of Gazprom Gazoraspredeleniye Far East in Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur are going to resume their work with citizens on issues concerning gas supply and gas grid expansion on June 15. Between March 30 and…

Tales from the Trans-Siberian: Irina, the Siberian Free-Climber

Last summer journalist Marina Dmukhovskaya and photographer Georg Wallner took a trip on the Trans-Siberian from Moscow to Vladivostok. For 28 days and almost 10,000 kilometers, they talked to dozens of people in “Seat 47” (Mesto 47) riding next to them. When they returned, they turned 38 conversations into first-person stories. Stolbi nature sanctuary is…

ROSATOM starts equipment installation at the Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex within the “Proryv” project

ROSATOM starts installation of equipment at the fuel fabrication/re-fabrication unit of the Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex, which is under construction at the site of Siberian Chemical Plant (an enterprise of TVEL Fuel Company of ROSATOM in Tomsk region, West Siberia). The Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex is under way within the strategic “Proryv” (Rus. – “the…

Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk continuing to ship equipment to Chayandinskoye field

Background Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom, develops seven fields, including four gas fields, two gas and condensate fields, and one oil, gas and condensate field. The company’s facilities, among them three gas production sites and three gas production directorates, are located in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, Kamchatka, and Yakutia. As an operator, the company provides gas production and…

Putin Criticizes U.S. Coronavirus Response, Condemns ‘Mayhem and Rioting’ at Anti-Racism Protests

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday that the U.S. anti-racism protests were a sign of deep crises in the country, criticizing the protests for sparking violence, and raising questions over Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Russian leader stressed he supported black Americans’ struggle for equality, calling this “a long-standing problem of the…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | June 14

There have been 529,964 cases of coronavirus infection reported in Russia so far and 6,948 deaths. June 14: 3 things you need to know today Russia more than doubled its official coronavirus death toll for April to 2,712 after changing how it classifies fatalities. Almost 60% more people in Moscow have died in May than the city’s average…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Surpass 525K

Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on Tuesday, a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks. Many other regions are lifting lockdown restrictions as Russia is preparing to hold a July 1 national vote despite the pandemic.    President Vladimir Putin is seeking public backing for constitutional amendments that would…

Russia More Than Doubles April Coronavirus Death Toll

Russia on Saturday more than doubled its official coronavirus death toll for April to 2,712 after changing how it classifies fatalities. Officials warned that May’s death toll was likely to be even worse in Russia, which has the world’s third largest number of cases with 520,129. The country reported 8,706 new cases on Saturday after…

Hansa Herring Salad for a Healthy Holiday Picnic

When I think about Russian pantry staples, my mind automatically pivots to images of hearty grains such as buckwheat or hardy root vegetables like beets.  But a crucial staple throughout Russia’s lengthy history has always been fish. Russians became creative experts in finding ways to preserve fish, as anyone who has enjoyed a lavish zakuska…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | June 13

There have been 520,129 cases of coronavirus infection reported in Russia so far and 6,829 deaths. June 13: 3 things you need to know today Moscow ended its self-isolation orders — including its digital pass system and schedule system for taking walks outside — on June 9, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The city has also released a schedule of…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Surpass 520K

Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on Tuesday, a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks. Many other regions are lifting lockdown restrictions as Russia is preparing to hold a July 1 national vote despite the pandemic.    President Vladimir Putin is seeking public backing for constitutional amendments that would…

Drilling of first producing well starts at Kharasaveyskoye field in Yamal

Background On March 20, 2019, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, launched full-scale development of the Kharasaveyskoye field. It was planned to complete road filling and site preparation works for production facilities in 2019 and to start the drilling of producing wells in June 2020. The Kharasaveyskoye field is the second most important field (after the Bovanenkovskoye field) in Gazprom’s Yamal gas production center. The Yamal center plays an essential…

Joint statement by Gazprombank and Gazprom regarding current situation with Belgazprombank

June 12, 2020, 19:50 Gazprombank and Gazprom, as the shareholders of Belgazprombank, declare that on June 11, 2020, the Board of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus committed illegal actions in violation of the laws of the Republic of Belarus when appointing acting Chairman of the Management Board and acting Deputy Chairman of the Management Board at Belgazprombank. These appointments were accompanied by the detention of authorized members of the…

Russia Day 2020

On June 12 1990 Russia became an independent nation with the declaration of state sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Since 1992, over 145 million Russians have celebrated the day as National Russia Day, enjoying festivities and concerts across the nation. With 180 nationalities and 11 different timezones, Russia is truly one of…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | June 12

There have been 511,423 cases of coronavirus infection reported in Russia so far and 6,715 deaths. June 12: 3 things you need to know today Moscow ended its self-isolation orders — including its digital pass system and schedule system for taking walks outside — from June 9, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The city also released a schedule of which…

Staff at Top Russian Paper Offer Replacement for Controversial Editor

Staff at Russia’s leading business newspaper Vedomosti have put forward a candidate to replace the current editor-in-chief, whose editorial decisions have ignited a censorship scandal at the leading independent publication, the paper reported Thursday. Writers and editors rebelled against acting editor Andrei Shmarov, who was appointed after Vedomosti’s previous owner announced its sale this spring.…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Continue Steady Rise Past 500K as Country Emerges From Lockdown

Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on Tuesday, a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks. Many other regions are lifting lockdown restrictions as Russia is preparing to hold a July 1 national vote despite the pandemic.    President Vladimir Putin is seeking public backing for constitutional amendments that would…

Twitter Removes Russian ‘State-Linked’ Accounts

Twitter on Friday said it had removed tens of thousands of “state linked” accounts used by China, Russia and Turkey to push their own propaganda, sow misinformation or attack critics. By far the biggest network uncovered was linked to China, the U.S. social media giant said, comprised of a “highly engaged core” of 23,750 accounts…

Moscow to Hand Out $145M in ‘Prizes’ to Voters for Putin’s Constitutional Reforms

Moscow authorities plan to attract voters for next month’s public vote on constitutional reforms that would allow President Vladimir Putin to rule Russia until 2036 with prizes totaling almost $144 million. The constitutional amendments, in addition to adding social guarantees to Russia’s basic law, reset Putin’s four previous terms as president, allowing him two additional…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | June 11

There have been 502,436 cases of coronavirus infection reported in Russia so far and 6,532 deaths. June 11: 3 things you need to know today Moscow will end its self-isolation orders — including its digital pass system and schedule system for taking walks outside — starting June 9, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The city also released a schedule of which…

St. Petersburg Hospitals Overwhelmed as Coronavirus Patients Decry ‘Worse Than Prison’ Conditions

Russia’s second-largest city of St. Petersburg has a shortage of hospital beds for coronavirus patients, the Fontanka news website reported Wednesday as patients decried poor conditions at a hastily built temporary hospital. St. Petersburg has officially confirmed 19,769 coronavirus cases, a figure that according to Fontanka jumps to 30,000 when community-acquired pneumonia cases are included. …

Russian Mayor Charged Over Failure to Contain Arctic Spill

The mayor of Russia’s Arctic city of Norilsk has been charged with negligence over his response to a spill that dumped thousands of tons of diesel fuel into local waterways, investigators said Thursday. Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement that Rinat Akhmetchin had failed in his duties to contain the spill, which environmentalists say…

Rare Snowmelt Floods Power Station in Russian Far North

There were more melting permafrost problems for Russia’s energy infrastructure after the TGK1 power station on the Far Northwest reported June 9 that two of its hydropower units were flooded with “abnormal water inflow” due to melting snow.  No serious damage was done, although the company’s personnel have been put on high alert. The water…

Go to Thailand This Weekend — at Home in Moscow

This weekend our friends and neighbors at the Hyatt Regency Petrovsky Park are offering a Thai set, a magical mix of spicy, sweet, sour, coco and creamy flavors to take you away from Moscow and set you down on a Thai beach — in your kitchen, that is. The set menu includes:  Som Tam (traditional green…

Russian Prison Guards Walk on Glass for ‘Self-Awareness’

Guards at one of Russia’s strictest prisons recently took part in a self-awareness course involving walking on glass, the prison service has said. The Orenburg region’s prison service said the goal of the course at Penal Colony No. 6 was to promote “self-discovery” among the guards and help them “defeat their own fears.” The colony 1,500…

U.S. Jets Intercept Russian Bombers Near Alaska

U.S. fighter jets intercepted Russian bombers twice on Wednesday off the coast of Alaska, U.S. air defense command said. The intercepts come less than two weeks after U.S. bombers were met by Russian jets over the Black Sea. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said U.S. F-22 Raptors intercepted a Russian bomber formation early Wednesday…

1 in 7 Russians Have ‘Coronavirus Immunity’ – Official

Around 14% of Russians tested for the coronavirus have developed immunity to the infection, Interfax reported Wednesday, citing health officials. Almost 650,000 Russians have been tested for the virus across 46 regions of the country, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s consumer protection watchdog, was cited as saying. “The percentage of immune cases among minors under…

Russia Detains 3 Over Massive Arctic Fuel Spill

Russian investigators on Wednesday detained three staff at a power plant where thousands of tons of diesel leaked into the soil and waterways of the Arctic region. The spill of over 21,000 tons of fuel, which environmentalists say is the largest ever in the Arctic, took place after a fuel reservoir collapsed at a power…

Thousands of Russians Traveled Abroad in April Despite Border Closures, Canceled Flights – RBC

Several thousand Russians traveled abroad in April despite closed national borders around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, the RBC news website reported Wednesday. Russia grounded nearly all international flights in late March to slow the coronavirus outbreak, allowing only special flights evacuating Russians from abroad and other flights authorized by the government. Many…

Gazprom reduces greenhouse gas emissions in 2019

June 10, 2020, 16:00 – Savings of energy sources achieved in parallel with growth in gas production. – Greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 3.52 million tons of СО2 equivalent in 2019. Gazprom took stock of its environmental activities in the year 2019 as presented in the Environmental Report published on the Company’s website. Last year, Gazprom achieved all of its Corporate Environmental Targets. The Company saved 3.3 billion cubic meters…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | June 10

There have been 493,657 cases of coronavirus infection reported in Russia so far and 6,358 deaths. June 10: 3 things you need to know today Moscow will end its self-isolation orders — including its digital pass system and schedule system for taking walks outside — starting June 9, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The city also released a schedule of which…