When police moved in to arrest Vladimir Vorontsov in May, they didn’t bother to knock. Instead, two commando teams stormed the former policeman’s top-floor apartment in southeast Moscow at around 7:00 a.m., one abseiling down the high-rise while the other broke down the door. “Our daughter thinks that bandits came and took daddy away,” Aleksandra…
Russia and India could sign contracts for the sale of 33 fighter jets soon as New Delhi deals with heightened tensions with China and Pakistan, Interfax reported Thursday. India’s defense ministry said it has approved procurement of 21 Mig-29 for nearly $1 billion and 12 Su-30MKI for $1.4 billion. It has also approved an upgrade…
Extra public holidays introduced by the Russian government for the delayed Victory Day parade and the constitutional referendum could have cost the Russian economy more than $5 billion, analysts told The Moscow Times. The additional hit from the Kremlin-backed shutdowns comes as Russia’s economy is already set for a sharp recession and two years of…
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday thanked Russians after a nationwide vote approved controversial constitutional reforms that allow him to extend his rule until 2036. “Thank you very much for your support and trust,” Putin said in televised remarks after an announcement from Russia’s election commission that nearly 78% of voters had supported the amendments to the…
The early release of the first Jehovah’s Witness to be jailed for extremism in Russia has been put on hold after prosecutors appealed the court ruling, the religious organization said Wednesday. Danish national Dennis Christensen was granted early release last week when a district court ordered him to pay a fine of 400,000 rubles ($5,800)…
Russia’s aviation authority has extended its ban on international flights until Aug. 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the RBC news website reported and a Vnukovo Airport source confirmed to The Moscow Times on condition of anonymity. The country closed its borders and grounded most international flights in late March to slow the spread of…
Russia has confirmed 661,165 cases of coronavirus and 9,683 deaths. July 2: 3 things you need to know today Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, has extended Russia’s ban on international flights until Aug. 1 due to the coronavirus, the RBC news website reported and a source at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport confirmed to The Moscow Times. Russia is not…
MOROCCAN CUISINE WEEKEND This weekend stay home and have Morocco delivered to your door. The Hyatt Regency Petrovsky Park is offering a full Moroccan dinner for two (or more) Jult 4 and 5. Enjoy the fresh blend of Arabic, Berber and European culinary traditions! This dinner has a lot of dishes for vegetarians. The set…
President Vladimir Putin thanked Russians on Thursday for voting in favour of controversial amendments to the constitution that could extend his grip on power, as the opposition and Western leaders voiced criticism over suspected poll violations. Russia’s Central Elections Commission announced early Thursday that nearly 78% of voters had cast their ballot in favor of…
The Arctic Research Centre, a part of the Rosneft Oil Company Corporate Research Complex, and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute have commenced a comprehensive study of the ivory gull, included in the Red List of Threatened Species.
Mongolia has quarantined its western region near the border with Russia after identifying two suspected cases of the black plague linked to the consumption of marmot meat, health officials said Wednesday. Lab tests confirmed that two unidentified individuals had contracted the “marmot plague” in the region of Khovd, Mongolia’s National Center for Zoonotic Disease (NCZD)…
Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on June 8, a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks. Many other regions lifted lockdown restrictions ahead of a July 1 national vote despite the pandemic. Critics have cast doubt on Russia’s low official mortality rate and accused authorities of under-reporting…
Russians have overwhelmingly backed constitutional reforms that will allow President Vladimir Putin to extend his rule, the Central Elections Commission said Thursday. With all votes counted, the CEC said 77.92% of voters had backed the reforms, with turnout of about 65%. Only one region, the Nenets autonomous district in Russia’s Arctic, registered a majority of…
Russians overwhelmingly approved a package of constitutional changes in a nationwide vote, partial results showed Wednesday, allowing President Vladimir Putin to potentially extend his two-decade rule until 2036. With almost 30% of polling stations reporting after the end of seven days of voting, 74% of voters had supported the reforms, the central election commission said.…
The final day of Russia’s week-long vote on overhauling its Constitution is ending with no surprises. Vladimir Putin, who was first elected president in 2000, has been all but handed the opportunity to remain in office until 2036. If that happens, the former KGB officer will overtake Josef Stalin as the country’s longest-serving leader. In…
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow hung a rainbow flag, the symbol of the LGBT community, from its front facade last week in honor of Pride month. The flag is not often displayed in public in Russia due to a controversial law that prohibits “homosexual propaganda toward minors” and persistent anti-LGBT attitudes across the country. Despite…
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday denounced the United States for imposing new sanctions on Syria’s regime during the coronavirus pandemic. “Despite the call from the UN secretary general for easing the pressure of sanctions under pandemic conditions, Washington like Brussels decided to prolong measures against Syria,” Putin said during a televised meeting with his…
This summer, travel and vacations are not going to be like usual. If you are wary of crowds or flying, forget the Black Sea coast and consider some vacation options closer to Moscow. How about Kazan? The Republic of Tatarstan does not require visitors from other regions to self-isolate, and the capital is full of…
Nearly three-quarters of Russian voters have backed constitutional changes that pave the way for extending President Vladimir Putin’s rule until 2036, according to the Russian election commission’s preliminary results released Wednesday afternoon. Polling stations have closed in the Russian Far East as the rest of the country continues voting for or against the package of…
As regions across Russia have ended their coronavirus lockdowns and reopened businesses, life is slowly returning to normal across much of the country. Although safety guidelines like masks and social distancing are still in place in many cities, Russians are ready to get out and enjoy the summer while it lasts. Here’s a look at…
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has called for the election of Vladimir Putin as Russia’s president for life ahead of a nationwide vote that could allow Putin to stay in power for another 12 years. Millions of Russians are voting on more than 200 constitutional amendments, one of which clears the term limits of sitting or…
Russians are set to approve constitutional reforms on Wednesday denounced by critics as a maneuver to allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in the Kremlin for life. The changes were passed weeks ago by Russia’s parliament and copies of the new Constitution are already on sale in bookshops, but Putin says a nationwide vote ending Wednesday…
U.S. officials have intercepted data showing financial transfers between a Russian military spy unit and Taliban-linked accounts, The New York Times reported Tuesday, citing three unnamed officials familiar with the intelligence. The alleged intercepts bolstered U.S. intelligence conclusions, also reported by the NYT, that Russia offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill American troops in…
July 1, 2020, Büyükeceli, Mersin Province, Turkey. – The installation of the second tier of the reactor building’s internal containment has been completed at the Power Unit 1 of Akkuyu NPP. Internal containment is one of the critical components of power unit’s safety systems, which prevent release of radioactive materials to the environment. “The installation…
Russia opened its domestic tourist season Wednesday as it continues to grapple with the deadly coronavirus pandemic that has seen it record the world’s third-highest number of infections. The country closed its borders and grounded most international flights in late March to slow the spread of the outbreak, allowing only special evacuations of its own…
Russia has confirmed 654,405 cases of coronavirus and 9,536 deaths. July 1: 3 things you need to know today Russia is holding a nationwide vote on constitutional reforms despite the coronavirus. If passed, the amendments would allow President Vladimir Putin to extend his rule until 2036 by resetting his term limits. Russia is not among the 15 countries whose citizens…
Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on June 8, a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks. Many other regions are lifting lockdown restrictions as Russia prepares to hold a July 1 national vote despite the pandemic. President Vladimir Putin is seeking public backing for constitutional amendments that would…