Russia Blames U.S. for Syria Confrontation

Russia on Thursday blamed the United States for a tense confrontation in Syria in which Russian military vehicles and helicopters surrounded U.S. armored vehicles, leaving U.S. troops injured. The White House National Security Council (NSC) said in a statement that a Russian vehicle struck a U.S. mine-resistant all-terrain vehicle, “causing injuries to the vehicle’s crew.”…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Pass 975K

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Siberian Farmer Unearths Neolithic Burial

A resident of Siberia has unearthed an ancient grave that could be part of a burial ground dating back 7,000 years, Russia’s Academy of Sciences (RAS) said Wednesday. The unnamed man stumbled on the finding in May while digging his garden on the outskirts of Ulan-Ude, the capital of Russia’s republic of Buryatia some 5,600…

30 Babies Born to Surrogates Stranded in Russia

Thirty babies born to surrogate mothers are stranded in St. Petersburg, an official said on Wednesday, with foreign parents unable to travel to Russia’s second city due to coronavirus restrictions. The children’s rights ombudswoman in the city Anna Mitianina said on her website that the authorities had received calls from several medical facilities caring for children…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Aug. 26

Russia has confirmed 970,865 cases of coronavirus and 16,683 deaths. Aug. 26: What you need to know today The head of a remote Siberian region has contracted the coronavirus a second time in what may be Russia’s first documented case of reinfection.  President Vladimir Putin has promised Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko the first export batch of Russia’s candidate coronavirus…

Siberian Governor ‘Reinfected’ With Coronavirus

The head of a remote Siberian region has contracted the coronavirus a second time in what may be Russia’s first documented case of reinfection.  Sholban Kara-Ool, the governor of the republic of Tyva on the Mongolian border, was admitted to the hospital again this week three months after his first hospitalization. He said doctors diagnosed…

Russia’s Per-Capita Pollution Hits 155 Kilograms – Analysis

Russia’s per-capita pollution emissions hit 155 kilograms in 2019 due to transportation and industrial activity, according to an analysis cited by the RBC news website Wednesday. In total, the two sources of emissions released 22.7 million tons of pollutants into the atmosphere last year, RBC cited the Finexpertiza consulting firm as saying. Transportation including personal…

ROSATOM will develop REMIX fuel fabrication at the site of the Siberian Chemical Plant in Seversk

The Investment Committee of ROSATOM has approved the project of modernization of the experimental shop-floor for nuclear fuel fabrication at the site of the Siberian Chemical Combine (SCC), an enterprise of TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom in Seversk, Tomsk region (West Siberia). This will enable SCC to manufacture fuel assemblies with uranium-plutonium REMIX fuel matrix…

Which Countries Have Signed Up for Russia’s Coronavirus Vaccine?

More than 20 countries have made requests to purchase over 1 billion doses of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus candidate vaccine despite safety concerns, according to Russia’s sovereign wealth fund which is bankrolling the project. Presidents of several countries, including Moldova, Mexico, the Philippines and Serbia, have volunteered to receive the shots themselves. Here’s a look…

Kremlin-Linked Businessman Prigozhin Vows to Ruin Navalny

The Kremlin-linked businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin has vowed to ruin Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is in a coma in a Berlin hospital, with a court-ordered penalty of around $1.2 million. Prigozhin is nicknamed “President Vladimir Putin’s chef” because his company Concord has done catering for the Kremlin. Media reports have said he funds Wagner,…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Pass 970K

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Russian State Duma to Probe Navalny’s Poisoning for Foreign Interference

A top Russian lawmaker has ordered a probe into whether prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s suspected poisoning was a “provocation” by foreign countries aimed at fueling tensions inside Russia. State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said Monday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s statements urging investigations into the apparent poisoning…

In Memoriam: Moscow’s Trolleybus System 1933-2020

Moscow’s trolleybuses, a staple of city-dwellers’ commutes for nearly a century, have taken their final journey into the sunset. The Russian capital announced Tuesday that it will be retiring all its trolleybuses and replacing them with regular buses and electric buses. “The decision to gradually abandon the trolleybus service was not easy for us, but…

Oil Workers Stumble Upon Mammoth Remains in Russia’s Arctic

Mammoth remains have been accidentally discovered near the Arctic Circle in Russia, the latest surprise archaeological find as climate change accelerates permafrost melt and exposes the long-buried skeletons of ancient animals. Gazprom Neft workers stumbled upon the elephant-sized animal’s skull and tusk earlier in August while working at its northernmost oil field on the remote…

It’s a Long Way to Tipperary for Belarus Opposition Leader Tikhanovskaya

It’s a long way to Tipperary from Belarus for opposition leader Svetlana Tikhonavskaya, who cultivated an independent streak and a flair for leadership during almost a decade of visits to rural Ireland. Tikhonavskaya, 37, was one of the “Chernobyl children,” whose health was directly or indirectly affected by the radioactive fallout of the 1986 nuclear disaster in neighboring Ukraine. She was…

Belarus’ ‘Peaceful Revolution’ Is Neither Pro-Russian Nor Anti-Russian, Opposition Leader Says

Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told the EU parliament on Tuesday that a “peaceful revolution” was under way in Belarus after huge protests broke out over disputed presidential elections. The strongman leader of ex-Soviet Belarus Alexander Lukashenko claimed a sixth term in Aug. 9 elections that sparked historic street rallies and a violent police crackdown…

No Need to Investigate Navalny’s ‘Poisoning,’ Kremlin Says

Russia sees no grounds to launch a criminal investigation into the circumstances of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s sudden illness that German doctors attribute to poisoning, the Kremlin said Tuesday. Navalny’s allies have criticized the Russian authorities for failing to open criminal proceedings after the anti-corruption campaigner and de facto Russian opposition leader fell into a…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Approach 970K

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Gazprom and Mongolian Government sign Memorandum of Intent

August 25, 2020, 11:00 A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Prime Minister of Mongolia, took place today via a video call. The parties discussed the prospects of cooperation on the project for pipeline gas supplies from Russia to China across Mongolia. In the course of the meeting, Alexey Miller and Yangugiin Sodbaatar, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia,…

Putin Pledges First Coronavirus Vaccine Exports to Belarus – Minsk

President Vladimir Putin has promised Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko the first export batch of Russia’s candidate coronavirus vaccine, Minsk said Monday. Putin and Lukashenko spoke by phone the day after Sunday’s unprecedented protests against the Belarusian strongman’s contested re-election earlier this month. Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were among the first to congratulate Lukashenko for what Minsk…

Belarus Intensifies Crackdown After Mammoth Demonstration

Belarusian authorities stepped up arrests of political opponents and strike leaders Monday, after Sunday saw the latest unprecedented demonstration against President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election.  While the protest movement against Lukashenko’s 26-year reign entered its third week, the man known as “Europe’s last dictator” responded with fresh rhetoric and martial imagery. Most prominently, Nobel Literature…

Germany Says Navalny ‘Likely’ Poisoned

Updated to add Charité hospital statement. The German government believes that Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was likely poisoned, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said Monday. Steffen Seibert’s comments during a press briefing align with claims from Navalny’s aides, who say he was poisoned with a cup of tea at an airport cafe. Navalny, 44, has been…

We Saved Navalny’s Life, Russian Doctors Say

Doctors in Siberia who treated Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny for a suspected poisoning before he was airlifted to a hospital in Germany said Monday that their efforts had saved his life. The 44-year-old opposition politician went into a coma after falling suddenly ill Thursday on a flight to Moscow, forcing the plane to make an emergency…

Navalny Will Survive Suspected Poisoning, But Be ‘Politically Incapacitated’ for Months — Evacuation Organizer

Leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny will survive his apparent poisoning but won’t return to politics for several months, the organizer of his medical evacuation to Germany told the German tabloid Bild. Jaka Bizilj’s comments came as Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said the opposition figure’s family has not authorized anyone other than his doctors or herself…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Aug. 24

Russia has confirmed 961,493 cases of coronavirus and 16,448 deaths. Aug. 24: What you need to know today Mexico will receive at least 2,000 doses of Russia’s candidate coronavirus vaccine as part of the injection’s Phase 3 clinical trials, Mexico’s foreign minister said Thursday. Russia said Saturday that it has produced the first batch of its coronavirus vaccine, after…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Surpass 960K

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Tens of Thousands in Lithuania Form Human Chain for Belarus

Tens of thousands of Lithuanians linked arms on Sunday in solidarity with the people of neighboring Belarus who have been holding mass protests against authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko since a disputed presidential election two weeks ago. The participants formed a human chain stretching 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Baltic EU state’s capital Vilnius to…

Mass Belarus Protests to Demand Lukashenko’s Resignation

Tens of thousands of demonstrators massed in central Minsk on Sunday to demand the resignation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who flew over the scene of the banned protest in a helicopter and called the marchers “rats.” The authoritarian leader, shown later clutching an automatic rifle upon landing at his central Minsk residence, has ordered…

Russia’a Coronavirus Cases Surpass 955K

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Aug. 22

Russia has confirmed 951,897 cases of coronavirus and 16,310 deaths. Aug. 22: What you need to know today Mexico will receive at least 2,000 doses of Russia’s candidate coronavirus vaccine as part of the injection’s Phase 3 clinical trials, Mexico’s foreign minister said Thursday. Russia said Saturday that it has produced the first batch of its coronavirus vaccine,…

Lukashenko Rival Calls on Belarus Workers to ‘Expand’ Strikes

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the main challenger to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in this month’s disputed elections, has urged workers of state-owned factories to continue striking against state violence and in favor of new elections despite pressure to stop. Tikhanovskaya’s video address took aim at Lukashenko’s traditionally loyal support base in the wake of strikes at major plants…

Mexico to Test Russia’s Coronavirus Vaccine

Mexico will receive at least 2,000 doses of Russia’s candidate coronavirus vaccine as part of the injection’s Phase 3 clinical trials, Mexico’s foreign minister said Thursday. Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told Russia’s ambassador Wednesday that Mexico wanted to conduct trials of Russia’s “Sputnik V” Covid-19 vaccine, which President Vladimir Putin says is the first in…

Russia’a Coronavirus Cases Surpass 950K

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Russia Records Nearly 950K Coronavirus Cases

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Rosneft Head Gifts Putin With Bottle of Arctic Oil

Rosneft head Igor Sechin has presented Vladimir Putin with a souvenir from the state oil giant’s latest Arctic drilling project: A small bottle of the oil itself. The oil extracted from the Zapadno-Irkinsky field contains only 0.02% of sulphur, Sechin said as he handed the bottle to Putin during their meeting Tuesday. It is the first…

6 Prominent Russians Who Suffered Poisoning Attacks

Leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny remained in a coma in a Siberian hospital several hours after falling ill due to what was likely a toxic substance slipped in his tea, his spokeswoman said Thursday. The incident echoed several other cases of poisoning or suspected poisoning attacks involving Russian activists, journalists and former spies stretching back…

Stephen Fry ‘Stands With Belarus’

Popular British actor and writer Stephen Fry has joined a group of prominent foreign figures in speaking out in support of Belarusians protesting their country’s “rigged” presidential election. Tens of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets of Minsk and other cities to protest the Aug. 9 vote in which officials claimed President Alexander…

Take an Art Trip to Russian Provinces at St. Petersburg Manege

“Once again, nothing is happening.” This merciless slogan greets visitors from puffy white clouds as they enter the Manege Central Exhibition Hall in St. Petersburg. The installation by Mayana Nasybullova is just the first provocation from the curators of the exhibition called “Nemoskva [Not Moscow] Is Just Around the Corner.”  An imaginary elevator that never…

ROSATOM Moves to United Brand

August 20, Moscow – ROSATOM has switched to using a united brand. While preserving their names and unique identity, organizations of the Russian nuclear industry will get unified logos based on the trademark of ROSATOM – the Mobius strip. Such approach to corporate branding is called “umbrella branding,” and many top-class global corporations are using…