Russia Spends Record-Breaking $1.4M on Pro-War Concerts – BBC

The Russian government spent almost 100 million rubles ($1.4 million) on a series of concerts aimed at boosting support for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the BBC’s Russian service reported Wednesday.  Some 34 bands, artists and poets performed at the pro-war rallies, which have been held across 30 cities in central Russia, the Urals and Siberia from…

Russia Car Sales Sink 78.5% in April

New car sales in Russia sank by over 78% in April, industry data showed Wednesday after the country was hit by a barrage of sanctions over Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. Only 32,706 units were sold in April, according to the Association of European Businesses. This was down 78.5% from the same month in 2021…

Russian Gas Flows to Europe Fall as Ukraine Halts Route

Russian gas transiting Ukraine for Europe dropped Wednesday after Kyiv said it was suspending flows along a key route as Moscow pushes its military operation.  The move fuels fears that the Kremlin’s campaign in its pro-Western neighbor could see gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine cut off at a time when prices have already soared.…

Occupied Ukrainian Territories Will Ask to ‘Join Russia’ — Reports

Officials in Russian-occupied Kherson will petition the Kremlin to formally recognize the southern Ukrainian region as part of the Russian Federation, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported Wednesday. The Russian military gained control of the Kherson region in late April, replacing its Ukrainian leadership with a pro-Moscow “military-civilian administration” and transitioning to the Russian…

Pussy Riot Activist Maria Alyokhina Leaves Russia – NYT

Leading Pussy Riot activist Maria Alyokhina has escaped to Lithuania after being declared a fugitive by the Russian government. Alyokhina made the journey to Vilnius after leaving Moscow disguised as a food courier, she said in a New York Times interview published Tuesday. She later made several failed attempts to travel to the European Union…

Wildfires Kill 8 in Siberia

This story has been updated with Putin’s comments, and corrected to remove a 2020 quote from the Russian Emergency Situations Minister. At least eight people have been killed in wildfires in the Siberia’s Krasnoyarsk region, local authorities said Wednesday. “The fires were caused by short circuits in electrical wiring and power lines, and dry grass…

Putin Gives GRU Boosted Role in Ukraine – Report

President Vladimir Putin has given Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU) a more prominent role in Ukraine, Russian security analysts said as the U.S. assessed that Putin is “behind schedule” in the invasion of Ukraine. GRU deputy head Vladimir Alexeyev, 61, has been placed in charge of intelligence operations in Ukraine, according to security experts Andrei…