Day: November 2, 2022

Russia on Wednesday rejoined a deal to allow Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea but Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Moscow could pull out of the agreement again. The revival of an agreement aimed at easing fears of global food insecurity came just as Washington warned it was “increasingly concerned” that Moscow could use…

Russia said Wednesday that the world’s “top priority” should be to avoid a clash of nuclear powers, stressing it could lead to “catastrophic consequences.” “We are firmly convinced that in the current difficult and turbulent situation — a consequence of irresponsible and shameless actions aimed at undermining our national security — the top priority is…

The Dutch firm that owns Russian telecoms operator Vimpelcom will sell its Russian operations, the company announced Wednesday, reportedly due to the growing complications of Western sanctions. Vimpelcom, which operates popular Russian phone and internet provider Beeline, has been owned by Netherlands-based multinational Veon, formerly Vimpelcom Ltd., since 2009. Veon is now “conducting a competitive…

More than 100 mobilized Russian men have gone on strike at their training center in central Russia to protest their lack of payment. The men, who hail from the republic of Chuvashia, said they still haven’t received the promised sum of 195,000 rubles ($3,170) and refuse to fight in Ukraine until they are paid. “They…

Moscow will “in the near future” summon the British ambassador to hand over “evidence” of its claim that the U.K. helped orchestrate an attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. Russia has claimed U.K. “specialists” helped Kyiv launch a drone attack on the fleet in Moscow-annexed Crimea at…

Russian military officials recently met to talk about the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, The New York Times reported Tuesday, citing U.S. intelligence. Washington learned last month of the conversations, which did not include Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the newspaper.  U.S. officials did not disclose the possible scenarios in which…

Poland has started construction of a barrier along its border with Russia amid Warsaw’s concerns that Moscow could orchestrate a migrant crisis on the European Union’s frontiers, Russian state media reported Wednesday. A senior official in Poland’s ruling party disclosed plans last week to erect a barrier on the border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region after…

Nikita moved to his family’s summer cottage outside the Russian capital to lie low after President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial” mobilization for the war in Ukraine.  Although Putin said earlier this week that mobilization was over, Nikita told The Moscow Times that he has no plans yet to return to his normal life in…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered to allow visa-free travel from countries regardless of their visa policies toward Russian citizens. A Kremlin decree dated Oct. 30 instructs Putin’s cabinet to facilitate visa-free tourism, business, educational, sports and cultural travel even if these countries require visas for Russians to visit. Ukraine, for example, introduced visa requirements…

North Korea and Russia have resumed cross-border railway trade, ending a two-year hiatus caused by Covid-19 border restrictions, media reported Wednesday. Russia’s Interfax news agency reported that the first freight train carrying 30 thoroughbred horses has departed for the country’s only border crossing with North Korea, Khasan-Tumangang. Russian federal customs service data viewed by The…

At least 100 mobilized Russians have been killed on and off the battlefield since President Vladimir Putin announced his chaotic military call-up last month, according to an analysis of confirmed deaths by independent media published Tuesday. One in five of the mobilized men were said to have died before deployment due to alcohol, drugs, physical…