Day: December 22, 2020
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Russia Sent ‘300 Military Instructors’ to C.Africa – Ministry
Moscow said Tuesday it had dispatched 300 Russian military instructors to the Central African Republic at the CAR’s request after an alleged attempted coup ahead of upcoming elections. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Russia had “promptly responded” to a request and sent “an additional 300 instructors to train the military personnel of the national army”…
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Putin Grants Lifetime Immunity to Ex-Presidents and Their Families
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed into law a bill granting lifetime immunity from criminal prosecution to Russian presidents and their family members. The law comes amid swirling questions over Putin’s future after his current term limit expires in 2024 and is part of sweeping constitutional reforms allowing Putin to ignore current limits and run for…
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Appropriate response to challenges. Interview by Famil Sadygov with corporate Gazprom Magazine
By using project financing methods, Gazprom diversifies its loan sources and improves the efficiency and transparency of its key investment projects further. We plan to expand our project financing activities. It should be pointed out that our project financing transactions are very advanced: for instance, the project financing deal for the construction of the Amur Gas Processing Plant (GPP) has received recognition…
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Gazprom Board of Directors approves investment program and budget for 2021
December 22, 2020, 18:00 Gazprom’s overall amount of investments for 2021: RUB 902.413 billion. This budget will provide for a full coverage of Gazprom’s liabilities without a deficit. The Gazprom Board of Directors took note of the Company’s preliminary operating results for 2020 and the projected investment program and budget (financial plan) for 2022–2023. In addition, the Board of Directors approved the investment program and budget (financial…
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Pilot operation stage started at the first power unit of Belarus NPP
On December 22, 2020 the pilot operation stage started at Belarus NPP power unit 1 of III+Gen with VVER-1200 reactor (ROSATOM’s Engineering Division is the General Designer and the General Contractor), as specialists started a gradual reactor power increase up to the rated power. A permit to proceed to this stage was issued by the…
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Russian Director Mansky Detained Over Navalny Poisoning Picket
Famed Russian documentary film director Vitaly Mansky has been detained outside the Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters in central Moscow for staging a single-person picket with a pair of blue boxers, reports said Tuesday. Mansky, 57, staged the protest after leading opposition figure Alexei Navalny published a viral video of his phone talks with whom…
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Russian Film ‘Beanpole’ Awarded Top Prize by U.S. Film Critics
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) has named the Russian movie “Beanpole” as the best foreign language film. “Beanpole,” which was directed by Kantemir Balagov, also won second place for best production design. The film is set in the Soviet city of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) right after WWII. The narration focuses on the tragic relationship between two young women veterans, Iya…
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Russia Launches ‘North Pole’ Floating Arctic Research Vessel
Hardly ever before has a ship with such a peculiar shape been rolled out of St. Petersburg’s Admiralty Shipyard. On Dec. 18, the stout, 83-meter-long vessel Severny Polyus, or North Pole, made it onto the waters of the Neva River. The launch is met with great expectation by Russia’s Arctic research community. Once completed, the…
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7 Protests That Defined the Year in Russia and Former Soviet Republics
In a year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, some of the largest and most protracted protests in post-Soviet history also grabbed headlines. People took to the streets to protest issues including electoral fraud, corruption and territorial disputes. Gathering despite government-imposed public assembly restrictions, protesters across the region faced off against police — with thousands being injured…
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Moscow Holiday Feasts
As the year 2020 comes to an end, many expats are staying in Moscow, some for the first time, as the coronavirus makes travel abroad impossible or impractical. Without the usual holiday fairs, parties and activities — and without widespread celebrations on Dec. 25 — it’s easy to put off planning. And now Christmas is…
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Rosneft Deutschland starts supplies of new Alfabit grades with enhanced performance properties to Switzerland
Rosneft Deutschland GmbH, a Rosneft subsidiary, started deliveries of two new grades of the company’s proprietary polymer-modified bitumen product (PMB), Alfabit, to Switzerland
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Kremlin Calls Navalny ‘Megalomaniac With Persecution Complex’
Russia’s leading opposition figure Alexei Navalny has delusions of grandeur and persecution, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday after Navalny said he tricked an intelligence officer into admitting an attempt to poison him. Peskov said he allowed himself to “indulge a personal point of view” after Navalny’s video of a phone call with an alleged…
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Putin Allows Ex-Presidents to Become Senators for Life
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill into law Tuesday that allows former presidents to become senators for life when they leave office. The law is the latest legislative change regarding Russia’s ex-presidents amid continuing questions over Putin’s future after his current term limit expires in 2024. The law is also part of sweeping constitutional…
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Russia Announces Travel Bans Against EU Officials Over Navalny
Russia said Tuesday it was hitting several EU representatives with tit-for-tat sanctions in response to penalties imposed by the bloc over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The Foreign Ministry said that in response to “confrontational” EU actions, it had “decided to expand the list of representatives of EU member states and institutions who will…
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YouTube Source of Most Fake Info on Russian Internet, State Media Watchdog Says
Russia’s federal media watchdog has accused YouTube of circulating more fake news than any other foreign platform on the Russian internet, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency cited the agency as saying Monday. “About 60% of fakes are related to the Covid-19 virus,” said Roskomnadzor, the federal agency responsible for regulating communications, information technology and…
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U.S. Adds 45 Russian Companies to Restricted ‘Military List’
The U.S. Commerce Department has added 45 Russian and 58 Chinese companies it claims have ties to those countries’ militaries Monday, restricting exports of certain goods and technology to the designated entities. The number of Russian aviation, rocket and nuclear companies with alleged military ties is nearly double that of the initial draft list reported…
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Borscht, Smetana and Crab: Michelin Guide Comes to Moscow
The prestigious French gastronomic guide Michelin said Monday that next year it would launch its first selection of Moscow restaurants, which have recently experienced a renaissance. “The Russian culinary scene has seen new trends appear over the past 30 years, embodied by talented chefs who are committed to enhancing the quality of local products,” Michelin…
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Navalny Ally Sobol Detained After Poisoning Call
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s associate Lyubov Sobol has been detained outside the home of an alleged chemical weapons expert implicated in his poisoning, media reported late Monday. Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) lawyer Sobol said she wanted to speak with alleged Federal Security Service (FSB) agent Konstantin Kudryavtsev, whom Navalny said he had tricked into admitting…