Day: June 10, 2022
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Pro-War ‘Z-Banners’ Disappear in Some Russian Cities
Local authorities in cities across Russia have removed banners with the letter “Z” – a symbol of support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – in recent days as the war appears to enter a new phase of bloody fighting and limited territorial gains in eastern Ukraine. The head of the A Just Russia political party,…
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Artists Map Russia’s Regions in Folk Embroidery
In ancient Russia, embroidery was more than a form of art: It was a language unto its own. Cloth and thread took the place of paper and ink, while symbols and motifs made up their own alphabet — all woven together according to the grammar of deep-seated folk traditions. In a celebration of these traditions,…
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How to Fail Spectacularly in Russian
Накрыться медным тазом: to fail, flop, end, close The other day a friend was talking about a project that had gone belly up. But in Russian, belly up is — pardon the bad joke — another kettle of fish. Instead of the image of a dead fish in the water, it’s the image of something…
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‘Acquit Me,’ Russian MH17 Suspect Tells Dutch Judges
A Russian suspect accused of downing Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 told Dutch judges on Friday he had “nothing to do with the disaster,” as the long-running trial concluded. Oleg Pulatov is one of four men on trial in absentia for shooting down the jetliner in July 2014 as it passed over war-torn eastern Ukraine, killing…
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Explainer: What Does Russia’s ‘Zero-Inflation’ Mean?
President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia has been able to “get a grip” on inflation after data showed almost a month of no inflation. “From the second half of May, price growth has stopped completely. Now inflation is at the zero mark,” Putin told a government meeting. But while stable prices might sound like…
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In Photos: Russia Celebrates Peter the Great’s 350th Birthday
Russia celebrated the 350th birthday of Peter the Great, one of its most famous tsars, on Thursday. Celebrations were held in Peter’s namesake city St. Petersburg and Moscow to mark the anniversary of his birth on June 9, 1672. A pivotal figure in the country’s history, Peter led efforts to modernize Russia, expand its territory…
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Russia to Spend $17M on Flags for School Ceremonies
The Russian government will buy over 970 million rubles’ ($17 million) worth of Russian flags and coats of arms to install in rural schools as part of a wider push for “patriotic” education amid the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov in April said that starting Sept. 1, schools will raise the Russian…
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ROSATOM supplies the new model of nuclear fuel to Kudankulam NPP (India)
TVEL Fuel Company of ROSATOM has supplied the first batches of TVS-2M nuclear fuel to India for the two functioning units-1&2 of Kudankulam NPP, powered by VVER-1000 reactors. After refueling in July 2022, the Unit 1 will start its operation in 18-months fuel cycle from currently used UTVS fuel with 12 month operating cycles. With…
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Russian Central Bank Cuts Key Rate as Inflation Eases
Russia’s Central Bank cut its key interest rate on Friday as the country’s economy recovers faster than expected following sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military action in Ukraine. The Bank of Russia cut the rate to 9.5% from 11%, saying in a statement that “inflation is slowing faster and the decline in economic activity…
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Russian Ex-Official Arrested on Siberian Metro Theft Suspicions – Reports
A former Russian government official was detained at a Moscow airport this week on suspicion of embezzling over $15 million from a Siberian metro construction project’s budget, media reported Friday. According to the RBC news website, Federal Security Service (FSB) agents apprehended Oleg Mitvol, a former ecology official and a Moscow city prefect in the…
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Medvedev: Russia’s Reforming President Turned Arch-Hawk
Dmitry Medvedev as Russian president chomped on a burger at an American diner with Barack Obama, praised independent media and made ambitious promises of reform to create a more open Russia. But with the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine raging for over three months, he now vows to make enemies of Russia “disappear,” warns of military…
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7 in 10 European Businesses to Cut Russia Investment – Poll
Seven in 10 European businesses expect to cut their investments in Russia this year as Western sanctions over the Ukraine invasion and Moscow’s countermeasures have forced them to revise their outlooks, according to an Association of European Businesses (AEB) survey. The companies’ forecasts mark a dramatic reversal from their strong performance in 2021, when three-quarters of…
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Russia-China Highway Bridge Opens to Traffic
The first vehicle bridge between Russia and China opened to freight traffic Friday as Moscow pivots to Beijing amid the crisis in relations with the West over its invasion of Ukraine. Most building work on the Blagoveshchensk-Heihe bridge across the Amur River was completed in late 2019. Transportation between the border cities with close economic…
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Ukraine Dependent on Arms From Allies After Exhausting Soviet-Era Weaponry
Ukraine has depleted its stocks of Soviet and Russian-designed weaponry and is now completely dependent on allies for arms to defend against Russia’s invasion, U.S. military sources say. Once part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine’s army and its defense industry were built around Soviet and Russian-standard equipment, small arms, tanks, howitzers and other weapons not…