Putin Compares His Actions to Peter the Great’s Conquests

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday compared his current actions to Peter the Great’s conquest of the Baltic coast during his 18th-century war against Sweden. After visiting an exhibition in Moscow dedicated to the 350th birthday of tsar Peter the Great, Putin told a group of young entrepreneurs that “you get the impression that by fighting…

Moscow to Name German Embassy Square after Luhansk Republic

Moscow is set to rename a square close to the capital’s German embassy in honor of one of Ukraine’s breakaway republics. If authorities approve the plans, the embassy’s address will change to “Luhansk People’s Republic Square.” The separatist region is backed by Russian forces, with President Vladimir Putin recognizing the area as an independent country…

Russia’s Yandex Maps to Stop Displaying National Borders 

Russia’s flagship IT company Yandex will stop showing national borders on its online maps. Speaking on Thursday, the company said that their updated digital maps would “focus on natural features rather than on state boundaries.”  “Our task is to display the world around us. So the map will show mountains, rivers, and other data usually…

Foreigners Fighting for Ukraine Sentenced to Death by Russia-Backed Separatist Court

Three foreign men fighting alongside the Ukrainian army have been sentenced to death by a court in eastern Ukraine’s self-proclaimed Donetsk Peopleʼs Republic following a lightning-fast trial, Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti reported Thursday. British fighters Shaun Pinner, 48, and Aiden Aslin, 28, as well as Moroccan national Saadun Brahim, were charged with terrorism, committing a…

Russia to Assist Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Talks – Lavrov

Russia said Thursday it was ready to broker a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as Moscow seeks to reassert its influence on the world stage after invading Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with his Armenian counterpart in the capital Yerevan on Thursday, reaffirming Moscow’s willingness to help negotiate a deal following the…

Kremlin Receives Almost 42,000 Complaints on Missing Ukraine Soldiers – Investigation

The Kremlin received nearly 42,000 complaints in April from the relatives of soldiers missing in Ukraine, investigative outlet iStories reported Thursday. Official data revealed that President Vladimir Putin’s administration received 41,666 requests related to missing or captured soldiers. The Russian government has not released any official figures on its Ukraine death toll since March 25,…

20 Russian Billionaires Challenge EU Sanctions in Court – Bloomberg

At least 20 Russian billionaires have launched legal challenges against European Union sanctions imposed after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.  More than 1,000 Russian individuals, including President Vladimir Putin, are on the EU sanctions list, which sees them hit by travel bans and asset freezes. Former Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich, industrialist…

UK Fighter Captured by Pro-Russian Separatists in Ukraine

A British man fighting in Ukraine has been captured by pro-Russian separatists, an international legion backing the Kyiv government said on Wednesday. “It was announced in the Ukrainian press that the Russians had completed a criminal investigation against three foreigners whom they were preparing to put on trial and that they risked the death penalty,”…