Russia Spies Aided Taliban Attacks, U.S. Intel Says – NYT

US intelligence has concluded that a Russian unit offered rewards to Taliban-linked militants to kill troops of the US-led coalition in Afghanistan, The New York Times reported Friday. The purported bounties gave incentives to the guerrillas to target US forces, just as President Donald Trump tries to withdraw troops and end America’s longest war. The…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | June 27

There have been 627,646 cases of coronavirus infection reported in Russia so far and 8,969 deaths. June 27: 3 things you need to know today About 20% of Moscow residents have coronavirus immunity, deputy mayor Anastasia Rakova said Friday, citing a new study. Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot has been secretly flying passengers abroad for nearly a month despite state-mandated grounded flights…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Rise to 627K

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 is preparing to hold a July 1 national vote despite the pandemic.    President Vladimir Putin is seeking public backing for constitutional amendments that…

S&P, Moody’s and Fitch affirm Gazprom’s long-term investment-grade ratings

June 26, 2020, 21:15 In May-June 2020, international ratings agencies S&P Global Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings affirmed Gazprom’s long-term credit ratings as part of their annual reviews. As before, all these ratings are investment-grade with a stable outlook. The S&P (ВВВ-) and Fitch (BBB) ratings correspond to the sovereign credit rating of the Russian Federation, while the rating assigned by Moody’s (Baa2) is a notch…

Macron ‘Confident’ of Progress in Russia Ties

French President Emmanuel Macron is confident of progress in key areas with Russia, including notably the crisis in Libya, his office said on Friday after a video conference summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Macron is “confident that we can make progress with Russia on a number of subjects,” a senior French presidential official told reporters,…

Oil Firm Says Russian Mercenaries Enter Key Libya Field

Russian and other foreign mercenaries have entered a key oil field in southern Libya, the conflict-hit country’s National Oil Corporation said Friday. The mercenaries drove into Al-Sharara oilfield in a convoy of vehicles late Thursday, the NOC said in a statement on its website, expressing “great concern.” After a months-long suspension, Al-Sharara — under the…

Gazprom Dobycha Irkutsk helps northern regional healthcare and educational institutions

Background Gazprom Dobycha Irkutsk, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom, is the development operator of the Kovyktinskoye gas and condensate field which, along with the Chayandinskoye oil, gas and condensate field in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), serves as the resource base for the Power of Siberia project. The Kovyktinskoye gas and condensate field is the basis for creating the Irkutsk gas production center as part of the Eastern Gas Program. The company’s production…

Interview with Alexey Miller, Chairman of Gazprom Management Committee, on outcomes of Shareholders Meeting

Gazprom has a clearly outlined goal-setting system. Among our goals is the annual replenishment of the resource base. Thanks to geological exploration activities, our reserve replacement ratio consistently exceeds 1. It has been like this for the past 15 years, and it will remain so in 2020. Yamal accounts for the bulk of the new reserves. This year has already seen a discovery of another major field in the…

Investor Breathes New Life Into Major Arctic Coal Project

Roman Trotsenko, one of Russia’s richest businessmen, plans to invest 33 billion rubles ($476 million) into a major Arctic coal extraction project, Forbes Russia reported. Trotsenko on June 18 formalized the acquisition of 75% of shares in the Arctic Mining Company and intends to forge ahead with big plans for coal production on the tundra. Troubled project The…

Viktor Zubkov reelected as Chairman and Alexey Miller as Deputy Chairman of Gazprom Board of Directors

June 26, 2020, 14:10 A meeting of the Company’s newly elected Board of Directors was held in absentia. The meeting resolved to elect Viktor Zubkov as Chairman of the Gazprom Board of Directors. Alexey Miller Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee was named as Deputy Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors. The Board of Directors formed the Audit Committee. The Committee is made up of Mikhail Sereda, Member of the Company’s Board of Directors, and two independent directors Viktor Martynov and Vladimir Mau,…

Gazprom Gazoraspredeleniye Belgorod accepting online applications for utility connections

News from projects and regions June 26, 2020, 12:30 Gazprom Gazoraspredeleniye Belgorod is providing an opportunity for Belgorod residents to file an online application for a utility connection. To save time and ensure safety amid the pandemic, customers can submit applications via the corporate website of Gazprom Gazoraspredeleniye Belgorod. The procedure for filing an application is simple and intuitive. The list of required documents can…

Gazprom’s annual General Shareholders Meeting elects new Board of Directors

Based on the voting results, the annual General Shareholders Meeting of Gazprom formed the Company’s Board of Directors composed as follows: 1. Akimov, Andrey Igorevich Chairman of the Management Board, Gazprombank (Joint Stock Company) 2. Kulibaev, Timur Askarovich Chairman of the Legal Entities Association “Kazakhstan Association of Oil, Gas and Energy Sector Organizations (KAZENERGY),” Chairman of the Presidium of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, Republic of Kazakhstan (Atameken) 3.…

Gazprom’s annual General Shareholders Meeting makes decisions on all agenda items

June 26, 2020, 12:10 The annual General Shareholders Meeting of Gazprom was held in the form of absentee voting. The Shareholders Meeting made decisions on all agenda items. The Meeting approved the Company’s 2019 Annual Report and Accounting (Financial) Statements. It was resolved to allocate the Company’s profit based on the results of 2019. The Meeting approved the dividend amount: RUB 15.24 per share based on Gazprom’s operating results in 2019. The dividend…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | June 26

There have been 620,794 cases of coronavirus infection reported in Russia so far and 8,781 deaths. June 26: 3 things you need to know today About 20% of Moscow residents have coronavirus immunity, deputy mayor Anastasia Rakova said Friday, citing a new study. Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot has been secretly flying passengers abroad for nearly a month despite state-mandated grounded flights…

Russia Passes 620K Coronavirus Cases

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 is preparing to hold a July 1 national vote despite the pandemic.    President Vladimir Putin is seeking public backing for constitutional amendments that…

Anti-Putin Shaman Recognized as Political Prisoner

A self-described Siberian shaman critical of President Vladimir Putin is a political prisoner being persecuted for his beliefs, the Memorial human rights organization said Thursday. Authorities committed Alexander Gabyshev to a mental asylum earlier in June following his three attempts to trek 8,000 kilometers from his hometown of Yakutsk to “banish” Putin from the Kremlin.…

Quorum present for all items on Shareholders Meeting agenda

June 26, 2020, 09:00 The Counting Board finished counting the votes on the agenda of Gazprom’s annual General Shareholders Meeting. A quorum is present with regard to all agenda items. Shareholders from Russia and a number of foreign countries took part in the Shareholders Meeting. As of June 1, 2020, the list of persons eligible to take part in the Meeting included 706,727 accounts with a total of 23,673,512,900 shares.…

Russia Plans Tourist Space Walks in 2023

Russia’s Energia space corporation said Thursday it will take the first tourist on a space walk in 2023, under the terms of a new contract with a U.S. partner. Energia has inked a contract with Space Adventures, which promises to take two space tourists to the International Space Station that year.  “We plan that one…

Gazprom Dobycha Yamburg donates oxygen concentrators to Novy Urengoy hospital

Background Gazprom Dobycha Yamburg is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom. It operates in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area. The company is focused on gas and gas condensate production Gazprom Dobycha Yamburg holds licenses for the development and production of hydrocarbons from the Yamburgskoye and Zapolyarnoye fields and is preparing for commercial production the Severo-Kamennomyssky, Kamennomysskoye-Sea, Obsky, Chugoryakhinsky, Tazovsko-Zapolyarny and Yuzhno-Parusovy subsurface areas, and, as part of joint ventures, the Parusovy, Severo-Parusovy…

Russian Artists Call for Justice in “Theater Trial”

A verdict will be reached on June 26 in the so-called “theater trial.” Four people, including director Kirill Serebrennikov, have been accused of embezzlement. The case has drawn controversy as critics say the case is a political set-up. Several prominent Russian cultural figures have released videos criticizing the case and defending those accused.

Russians Rushing Back to Work as Pre-Virus Life Returns

The majority of Russians have stopped working from home and almost immediately returned to offices and workplaces across the country following the relaxation of quarantine measures. Three in four workers who had switched to working from home have now returned, a survey by Work.Ru, cited by business daily RBC, reported Thursday. Some 68% are back…

Gas companies of Mari El taking additional measures for coronavirus prevention

News from projects and regions June 25, 2020, 16:00 Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Yoshkar-Ola and Gazprom Gazoraspredeleniye Yoshkar-Ola have expanded the set of measures undertaken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection. Testing for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 is being carried out in all cities and districts of the Republic of Mari El. The top-priority groups of specialists to have their samples taken include professionals who have frequent contacts…

Belarus President Accuses Russia, Poland of Election Interference

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday accused Russia and Poland of interfering in the upcoming presidential election, claims that were quickly denied by the Kremlin. The interference is coming from “those who live in Poland and those who incite from Russia,” Lukashenko said at a meeting with newly appointed government officials. Lukashenko said he would…

Russian Communist Unveils Stalin Statue on WWII Anniversary

A Russian communist businessman has unveiled a monument of Josef Stalin that local authorities dubbed illegal on the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II. The statue is being unveiled as Russia grapples with how to treat the Soviet leader’s legacy and amid a contentious worldwide debate over which historical figures deserve to…

Construction of ice-resistant platform for Gazprom’s field on Arctic shelf begins in Astrakhan

June 25, 2020, 13:50 Platform to be operated in extreme climate conditions. Several Russian shipbuilding centers engaged in construction process. Cutting-edge solutions for industrial and environmental safety. A foundation-laying ceremony for an ice-resistant platform (ICP) of Gazprom, which will be used in the development of the Kamennomysskoye-Sea field, took place today at the shipyard of Southern Shipbuilding and Repair Center (part of United Shipbuilding Corporation) in the Astrakhan Region.…

Aeroflot Still Flying Abroad Despite Russia’s International Travel Ban – Vedomosti

Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot has been secretly flying passengers abroad for nearly a month despite state-mandated grounded flights due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Vedomosti business daily reported Wednesday. Russia grounded nearly all international flights in late March to slow the coronavirus, allowing only special flights evacuating Russians from abroad and other government-authorized flights. Aeroflot…

Russia Peddles Putin’s WWII Essay to German Historians – DW

Russian diplomats have been accused of attempting to influence academic freedom by sending President Vladimir Putin’s recent essay on World War II to German historians for future research, the Deutsche Welle broadcaster reported Wednesday. Putin’s 9,000-word screed, published last week in a U.S. magazine, defends the Soviet non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany and blames Western powers for appeasing…

Celebrate with a Chinese Take-Away Feast

This Saturday and Sunday our friends and neighbors at the Hyatt Regency Petrovsky Park are celebrating the end of lock-down — or almost the end of lock-down — with a fabulous Chinese dinner for two — or many more! (The portions are generous, to say the least!) The dinner includes Guan Tang bao with prawns…

U.S. Embassy in Moscow Flies Gay Pride Flag

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has hung a rainbow flag on its front facade, photos posted on social media Thursday show. Starting Thursday, Russians will vote on a set of constitutional amendments that would add language defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman to Russia’s basic law. The provision has been…

Deadline approaching to submit voting ballots for annual General Shareholders Meeting

June 25, 2020, 10:45 The voting on the agenda of Gazprom’s annual General Shareholders Meeting closes today at 06:00 pm (Moscow time). The Meeting quorum and the voting results will be determined on the basis of votes represented by the voting ballots and declarations of intention received before the closing time. Starting from June 5, 2020, the shareholders were given an opportunity to send their filled-out ballots by mail…

Fugitive Oligarch Posts Unseen Photos of Putin’s Daughters

Previously unseen photographs of President Vladimir Putin’s rumored daughters have emerged in the archives of the fugitive tycoon once dubbed “Putin’s banker.” Sergei Pugachev, 57, is credited with helping Putin ascend to the presidency in 1999. He became a French citizen a decade later and left Russia in 2011 after falling out with some of…

Gazprom Gazoraspredeleniye Leningrad Region resuming maintenance services for gas equipment in households and apartments

News from projects and regions June 24, 2020, 15:00 Gazprom Gazoraspredeleniye Leningrad Region is resuming routine operations pertaining to the provision of maintenance services for gas equipment in households and apartments.<o:p> Inspections will be performed according to the schedule, which was updated after the temporary suspension of services due to anti-epidemic restrictions. Residents of the region will be notified of the upcoming inspections within the timeframes…

EU Considers Blocking Russians Upon Reopening Borders – NYT

The European Union is considering barring Russian travelers from entering when it reopens its borders next week, The New York Times reported Tuesday. American and Brazilian visitors could also face the EU ban over the countries’ failures to control their Covid-19 outbreaks. The U.S., Brazil and Russia have the world’s highest Covid-19 caseloads with more…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | June 24

There have been 606,881 cases of coronavirus infection reported in Russia so far and 8,513 deaths. June 24: 3 things you need to know today Starting Tuesday, Moscow’s indoor dining, fitness clubs, swimming pools and public sports and recreation facilities will reopen after being closed for months due to the coronavirus. Russia held its landmark Victory Day parade on…

Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Yoshkar-Ola offering new online service for making contracts

News from projects and regions June 23, 2020, 20:00 Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Yoshkar-Ola, which supplies natural gas in the Republic of Mari El, is offering a new service on the company’s corporate website: applications for gas appliance maintenance contracts and gas supply contracts can now be submitted online. Gas appliance maintenance contracts and gas supply contracts are essential for every homeowner receiving…

Russia Will Raise Taxes on Top Earners, Putin Announces

Russia will hike taxes for the country’s top earners from next year, President Vladimir Putin announced in a speech to the nation Tuesday afternoon. In a lengthy address in which Putin discussed Russia’s fight with the coronavirus and hailed the success of the country’s health system in mobilizing for the epidemic, Putin announced the surprise…