Navalny Says Placed in Solitary Confinement

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said Monday he had been placed in a punishment cell following his efforts to create a labor union in jail. Navalny is serving a nine-year prison sentence in a strict regime penal colony near the Russian town of Vladimir on embezzlement charges that he and his allies say are politically…

Putin Pushes Russia’s Combat-Tested Arms for Export

President Vladimir Putin on Monday promoted Russian weapons to his foreign allies, saying they had all been tested on the field of battle.  “We are ready to offer allies and partners the most modern types of weapons — from small arms to armored vehicles and artillery, combat aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles,” Putin said in…

Ukraine Says Struck Wagner Mercenary Base in East

Ukrainian forces struck one of Russian mercenary group Wagner’s bases in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region, regional authorities said Monday. “The Armed Forces of Ukraine again successfully struck the enemy’s headquarters…this time in Popasna, where a base of the Wagner PMC was destroyed yesterday. The number of those killed is being clarified,” Luhansk regional head Serhiy…

Russian Tycoon Deripaska Sues Ex-Banker Tinkov for Defamation

Russian aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska has sued bank founder Oleg Tinkov, seeking 2 billion rubles in damages ($32.5 million) for alleged defamation, media reported Monday.  Both Deripaska and Tinkov are among the few influential Russian business owners to have spoken candidly about the negative impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  Deripaska filed civil lawsuits against…

In Photos: Ukrainian Children Live and Play Amid War

While millions of Ukrainian children have fled their homes since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, more than 3 million children remain in the country as of July 26, according to UNICEF. As Russia’s war against Ukraine drags on, children continue to live in wartime conditions, surrounded by bombed buildings, destroyed cars and anti-tank equipment.

U.S. Basketball Star Griner Appeals Drug Conviction in Russia

U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, who was found guilty of drug possession and trafficking in Russia, has appealed her nine-year jail sentence, her lawyers said Monday.  The two-time Olympic basketball gold medalist and Women’s NBA champion was arrested at a Moscow airport in February for possessing vape cartridges with a small amount of cannabis oil. “Brittney…

Russian Journalist Says Barred Entry to Estonia

A Russian journalist said he was barred entry to Estonia over the weekend after the Baltic country decided to stop allowing in Russian nationals on tourist visas. The incident came days before Estonia’s tourist-visa entry ban is set to take effect this Thursday, a measure imposed amid a wider European debate over shutting out Russian…

Russia’s Oil Output Falters After Summer Rebound

Russian oil production fell in the first weeks of August, ending several months of recovery from Western sanctions imposed over Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday.  Average daily production so far this month has fallen by 3% compared to July, totaling 1.428 million tons, the publication said, citing unnamed sources familiar…

Putin, Kim Vow Stronger Russia-North Korea Ties — State Agency

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un exchanged letters indicating stronger bilateral relations amid Moscow’s international isolation over its war in Ukraine, North Korean state media reported Monday. The letters follow Pyongyang’s recognition of two Moscow-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and the country’s reported readiness to send workers to the…

3 Dead, Dozens Injured at Armenian Market Explosion

An explosion that set off a fire at a market in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Sunday killed three people and injured dozens of others, officials announced. The fire ripped through the market at Surmalu, said the first reports. “After preliminary data, an explosion happened which set off a fire,” said the emergency situations ministry…