Day: June 9, 2022
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Isolated Russia Celebrates Tsar Who Opened ‘Window to Europe’
More than three centuries after he sought to bring Russia closer to Europe, Russians on Thursday marked the 350th birthday of tsar Peter the Great with the country deeply isolated over the Ukraine conflict. Inspired by time spent abroad, Peter made huge efforts to modernize his vast and under-developed nation during his rule from 1682…
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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…
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Rebranded Russian McDonald’s Picks New Logo Ahead of Re-Opening
McDonald’s Russian owner has picked a new logo, menu and app name ahead of its re-opening under a new brand this month, the company confirmed to state media Thursday. The U.S. fast food giant recently ended its three-decade presence in Russia after it sent troops into Ukraine, selling all 850 of its locations to a…
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Amid Official Silence, Russian Soldiers’ Families Get Answers From the Enemy
Relatives of Russian soldier Amir Shaikenov came across a photo of a dead man in Ukraine on social media that caused his family immediate alarm. The soldier in the picture taken in the Ukrainian city of Bucha bore a striking resemblance to Shaikenov, whose elite military unit, the 76th Air Assault Division, was deployed to…
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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…
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Two Years After Huge Arctic Spill, River Water in Norilsk Is Still Red From Diesel Fuel
Two years after an oil spill at a facility owned by Russian mining giant Nornickel sparked one of the worst-ever environmental disasters in the Arctic, the company says the environment in the area of the spill is in satisfactory condition. Investigations by a visiting environmentalist indicate otherwise. “Two years have passed, there have been some…
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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,…
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Russian Navy Starts Baltic Sea Drills Amid Ukraine Tensions
Dozens of Russian ships on Thursday took part in military exercises in the strategic Baltic Sea after Sweden and Finland recently announced bids to join NATO. Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that ships of its Baltic fleet, will “perform training tasks for the defense of sea lanes and fleet bases.” It said that…
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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…
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Lavrov Faces Impromptu Exchange with Ukrainian Journalist in Turkey
A Ukrainian journalist on Wednesday took advantage of a visit to Ankara by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to confront him with an unwanted question about grain exports from Ukraine, amid fears of world hunger if the issue is not resolved. Lavrov was in Turkey to discuss the establishment of secure corridors for Ukrainian grain…
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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,”…