Year: 2022

A senior Russian official warned Friday that Moscow would ban oil sales to countries that join a Western price cap on the country’s crude. President Vladimir Putin said he plans to lay out next week the Kremlin’s response to the $60 per barrel price cap imposed this month by the European Union, G7 countries and…

A Russian court on Thursday jailed a man for three years over spreading “false information” about Russia’s offensive in Ukraine on a pirate radio station, as Moscow steps up its crackdown on critics. The court found Vladimir Rumyantsev, a 61-year-old worker in Vologda city in northwest Russia, guilty of broadcasting “false information” that was “full of hatred”…

North Korea has delivered arms to Russia’s private military group Wagner, the White House said Thursday, calling the mercenary enterprise a “rival” for power to the defense and other ministries in the Kremlin. The United States will boost sanctions against Wagner following North Korea’s sale of infantry rockets and missiles to the group last month,…

In a rare show of defiance toward the federal government in Moscow, regional politicians in Tatarstan on Thursday rejected a set of amendments to its constitution that would have, among other measures, demoted the republic’s leader from “president” to “head” as the Kremlin continues its attempt to rein in Russia’s regions.   While at one…

Russian tech giant Yandex has registered holding companies in Armenia and the U.S. in order to bypass international sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, Russian-language TV channel RTVI reported on Thursday. Senior Yandex managers Maxim Zagrebin and Dmitry Stepanov registered Beyond ML, a company that itself owns a dozen technology startups, in Armenia…

Russia’s army chief said on Thursday that his troops in Ukraine were “focused on completing the liberation” of Donetsk, an eastern Ukrainian region Moscow claims to have annexed. “The situation on the frontline has stabilized and the main efforts of our troops are now focused on completing the liberation of the territory of the Donetsk People’s…

Georgia’s ailing ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili on Thursday looked frail as he appeared by video link at a court that will consider deferring his sentence of abuse of office over poor health. Gaunt, hollow-cheeked, and his hands trembling, Saakashvili was connected from the hospital by video link. The footage was aired live from court by the…

Armenian Prime Minister Nikolai Pashinyan accused Russian peacekeepers Thursday of failing in its mission to unblock a key road that links Armenia to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Pashinyan last week accused Armenia’s neighboring arch-nemesis Azerbaijan of blocking the Lachin corridor, Yerevan’s sole road link to the Armenian-populated separatist enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, and cutting off residents…

Russian officials and other prominent figures have dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s first wartime trip to the United States as an empty gesture that would not advance Russian-Ukrainian peace talks. More hawkish voices, meanwhile, called for Ukraine to be “destroyed” altogether following Zelensky’s meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and widely praised address to Congress.…

Russia’s former space chief Dmitry Rogozin said early that Thursday he and several others were wounded in shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. Rogozin, a nationalist politician and avid backer of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said “someone leaked information” about his “working meeting in a small group” at a local hotel on Wednesday evening.…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday directly appealed for long-term U.S. support on his first foreign trip since Russia’s invasion, saying aid was not “charity” and had helped keep his country “alive and kicking.” Three hundred days after Russian leader Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine with hopes of swift conquest, Zelensky enjoyed a hero’s welcome on a…

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin-linked businessman and Wagner Group founder, has voiced his support for commuting the sentences of female prisoners in Russia who agree to fight in Ukraine, according to a Wednesday press release. Women could serve “not only as nurses and signallers but also in sabotage groups and sniper pairs,” Prigozhin said, adding that…

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday inaugurated the Kovykta natural gas field in eastern Siberia, which will allow Russia to increase its gas exports to China amid soaring tensions between Moscow and the West. “We are launching the unique Kovykta gas field, the largest in eastern Siberia. Its recoverable reserves are 1.8 trillion cubic meters…

Adds further comments by Putin and Shoigu Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would continue developing its military potential and the combat readiness of its nuclear forces as Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine continued to face severe challenges.  “The armed forces and combat capabilities of our armed forces are increasing constantly and every…

A series of anonymously produced Russian military recruitment ads has stirred heated debate among pro-war bloggers over what truly motivates men to fight Ukraine. The sleek productions, which first appeared online last week, portray poverty-stricken Russians whose fortunes turn for the better after they join the Russian Armed Forces. Some of the widely shared videos…

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday in an unannounced visit to Beijing, where he passed on President Vladimir Putin’s message hailing “unprecedented” cooperation. “The talks were quite useful,” Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said in a video posted on his Telegram messaging app channel.…

President Vladimir Putin established a task force Tuesday to coordinate work between the government and pro-war military bloggers on Russia’s chaotic mobilization campaign. The move fueled questions over possible plans to launch a second round of mobilization, despite Putin declaring its end in late October, as Moscow faces mounting losses in Ukraine. The Kremlin has denied that…

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet U.S. leader Joe Biden and address Congress in Washington on Wednesday, during a visit the White House said will send Russia a strong message of Western unity. The secretly arranged trip comes on the same day Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to meet his top military officials to assess the dire…

The Russian leadership has conflicting views on whether to launch a winter offensive in Ukraine, which has warned of a fresh Russian attempt to seize Kyiv, a senior U.S. official said Tuesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly called for his top military brass to present him with “short- and medium-term” plans on how to…

Russia’s Justice Ministry has filed for a court order to shut down one of the country’s most prominent and respected human rights organizations, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported on Tuesday. In its legal filing, the Justice Ministry claimed that the Moscow Helsinki Group had violated unspecified “legal requirements” while carrying out its activities, a…

Three people died on Tuesday when a key gas pipeline in the Republic of Chuvashia in western Russia caught fire, the regional governor told Russian television. Images circulating on social media showed a large ball of fire billowing over one and two-story buildings in a snow-blanketed village, with residents moving closer to inspect the blaze.…

Around 100,000 IT specialists have left Russia this year, an official said Tuesday, following the start of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine on Feb. 24. Young Russians fled the country in droves, especially those working in the IT sector and able to work remotely, sparking fears of a brain drain. Some months later, the announcement of the…

A Russian court ordered the seizure of a luxury hotel complex owned by Russian aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska after he criticized President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine earlier this year, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The court order to seize the $1bn Imeretinskiy hotel and marina complex in Sochi came in September after the Kremlin…

The head of Russian space agency Roscosmos on Tuesday praised Russia-U.S. cooperation at the International Space Station following a major coolant leak from a Soyuz crew capsule. “Say hello to the entire American team. They proved themselves to be very worthy in this situation and lent us a helping hand,” Borisov said, speaking to the…

A senior Russian diplomat has accused the United States of holding more than 60 Russian citizens as “hostages,” the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported Tuesday. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin’s comments come nearly two weeks after Russia freed U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner in exchange for Viktor Bout, a notorious arms dealer imprisoned in…

President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s counterintelligence services on Monday to step up their hunt for “traitors, spies and saboteurs” and prevent threats from abroad. Speaking on Security Agency Worker’s Day, a professional holiday in Russia, Putin laid out “high demands” on Russia’s security agencies to respond to “new threats and challenges.” “You must put a firm…

A Russian court has sentenced four members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses to prison terms ranging up to seven years, the religious organization said Monday. The men in the Far East city of Birobidzhan were charged with organizing and financing “extremist” activities by holding joint worship services. They were detained as part of a special operation involving…

President Vladimir Putin denied plans to absorb Belarus as he paid a rare visit Monday to the country whose strongman assisted his invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Putin flew into Minsk with his defense and foreign ministers in tow, hours after Russian forces launched a swarm of attack drones at critical infrastructure in Kyiv, which provoked emergency…

Canada’s government on Monday announced the start of a process to seize $26 million in assets from a company owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. While several of its Western allies have seized yachts, oil and gas ventures, and other assets of people close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, this is the first time…

The head of a Russian cultural center in the Central African Republic (CAR) who was hospitalized when an explosive device sent to him in the mail detonated was “urgently evacuated” to Russia, Moscow’s embassy in the country said Monday. The Russian Embassy in the CAR capital Bangui confirmed that Dmitry Sitiy was being evacuated to…

A veteran environmental watchdog in Russia’s Far East announced its closure over the weekend after authorities labeled it a “foreign agent.” Sakhalin Environment Watch (SEW) said it “categorically disagrees” with Friday’s designation by the Russian Justice Ministry. “Someone at the top has suddenly decided that we are under ‘foreign influence’ and engaged in political activities,” SEW…

Updates with Putin’s arrival in Minsk Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday arrived for a rare visit to neighboring Belarus, from where Moscow partially launched its invasion of Ukraine nearly 10 months ago, for talks with close ally and strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko. His arrival on an icy runway in Minsk came hours after Russian…

A court in Moscow-annexed Crimea has sentenced a Russian citizen to 12 years in prison on charges of sharing details about the Russian Navy with Ukrainian intelligence prior to the invasion of Ukraine, Russian security services announced Monday. Yevgeny Petrushin collected and transmitted information to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Directorate of Intelligence as far…

Heavy snowfall blanketed Moscow on Sunday, disrupting traffic, delaying flights and leaving pavements buried with snow across the Russian capital.  More than 60% of the monthly norm descended on Moscow over the past 24 hours, producing 25-centimeter-tall snow banks, municipal authorities said Monday. Two and a half months’ worth of snow has blanketed the capital…

Members of the anti-Kremlin activist group Pussy Riot were detained at the World Cup final in Qatar after they tried to storm the pitch to protest issues including the war in Ukraine, Reuters and German media reported Monday, citing activists. Pussy Riot associate Pyotr Verzilov, member Veronika Nikulshina and an unnamed Ukrainian member were stopped seconds…

Russian troops will conduct military exercises in Belarus, which neighbors Ukraine, the Interfax news agency said on Monday, citing the Defense Ministry in Moscow. In October, Belarus announced the formation of a joint regional force with Moscow with several thousand Russian servicemen arriving in the ex-Soviet country.   “The final assessment of the combat capability…

Drones attacked Kyiv early Monday, days after the Ukrainian capital withstood one of the biggest missile attacks since the start of Russia’s February invasion.  The latest strikes came as Russian President Vladimir Putin travels to Belarus, Ukraine’s neighbor in the north, where Moscow’s troops stationed as part of a regional force are due to hold…

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday it would not “seek permission from anyone” to expand relations with Russia, dismissing U.S. concerns over a growing military partnership between Tehran and Moscow. Western countries have accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia, allegedly used to attack Ukraine, and slapped sanctions on Tehran, which denies the allegations. CIA chief…

Strikes on the Russian region of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, killed one person and injured five others on Sunday, the regional governor said, two days after a barrage of attacks by Moscow battered Ukraine’s energy grid. In the regional capital Belgorod, “there are four wounded (with injuries) of moderate severity”, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on…

Washington claimed last month that Russia was buying weapons from North Korea and using those weapons in Ukraine.  The allegations that the two heavily sanctioned states were stepping up military cooperation came almost nine months into Russia’s war against its pro-Western neighbor that has severely depleted its stocks of artillery shells, ammunition and cruise missiles. …

President Vladimir Putin has held extensive meetings with the military top brass overseeing Russia’s campaign in Ukraine, where Moscow has stepped up bombardments, the Kremlin said Saturday. “On Friday, the president spent the whole day at the army staff involved in the special military operation in Ukraine,” a statement said. He held a meeting with…

Russia claimed Saturday it had prevented the delivery of foreign weapons to Ukraine as part of mass strikes a day earlier that caused power and water outages across the country. On Friday, “military command systems, the military-industrial complex and their supporting energy facilities of Ukraine were hit with a mass strike with high-precision weapons,” Russia’s…

U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner made her first remarks since being released from a Russian prison on Friday, saying that it was “so good to be home” and vowing to play again for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. Griner, in a message on Instagram, thanked a long list of people for securing her release with a…

Over 10,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since Moscow invaded Ukraine, according to a tally of confirmed military deaths kept by the BBC Russian Service and independent media outlet Mediazona.  While the real scale of Russia’s war losses is likely far higher, the tally is the most accurate independent database of Russian fatalities.  Russia has…

The head of a Russian cultural center in the Central African Republic (CAR) was hospitalized on Friday after an explosive device sent to him in the mail detonated. Dmitry Sitiy, who runs the Bangui branch of Russian House, a state-funded cultural center that promotes Russian culture around the world, collected a parcel addressed to him…

The governor of Russia’s Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, warned on Friday that the country was facing a growing labor shortage following the conscription of over 300,000 civilians during the Defense Ministry’s recent mobilization campaign. “The external environment for the Russian economy remains challenging and significantly constrains economic activity,” the Central Bank said, adding that Russia’s…

Apple is in talks to terminate a lease on its Moscow office that the U.S. tech giant had opened less than a month before Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian media reported Friday, citing unnamed real estate sources. Apple opened its corporate office in one of Moscow’s most expensive office spaces in early February 2022, becoming the first foreign IT…

A fresh barrage of deadly Russian strikes battered Ukraine on Friday, cutting water and electricity in major cities and piling pressure on the grid in sub-zero temperatures. Kyiv residents in winter coats crammed into underground metro stations as air raid sirens rang out and Russian forces fired off dozens of missiles in one of the…

Russian and NASA engineers were assessing a coolant leak on Thursday from a Soyuz crew capsule docked with the International Space Station (ISS) that may have been caused by a micrometeorite strike. Dramatic NASA TV images showed white particles resembling snowflakes streaming out of the rear of the vessel for hours. The coolant leak forced…

Russian job sites are advertising trench- and fortification-digging jobs in occupied Ukrainian and nearby Russian regions, independent media reported Thursday. Russia started building defensive fortifications near the front lines as well as in its border regions following alleged Ukrainian counterstrikes that stoked authorities’ fears of further attacks that could reach deeper into Russian territory. Popular Russian classifieds…

Russian forces bombarded Kherson on Thursday, killing two people and depriving the Ukrainian city of electricity as the European Union announced its latest slew of sanctions against Moscow and an 18 billion euro aid package for Kyiv. Moscow-allied officials in the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, meanwhile, said they have come under some of the heaviest…

The blockade of the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, has sparked concern of a humanitarian disaster in the region, not to mention a fresh outbreak of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The crisis has also renewed scrutiny of Russia’s 2,000 peacekeeping troops in the region, who despite…

The U.S. announced financial sanctions targeting one of Russia’s wealthiest men, Vladimir Potanin, the Treasury Department and State Department said Thursday, adding to efforts that curb Moscow’s ability to fund its war in Ukraine. The actions come after similar moves were taken against Potanin and his network by the U.K. and Canada, the State Department…

The Vatican confirmed on Thursday that it had apologized to Russia after Pope Francis made comments in which he singled out the allegedly cruel role of Russian ethnic minorities in the Ukraine conflict.  Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni was asked about Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova saying earlier on Thursday that the Vatican had apologized for…

Swedish fashion retailer H&M announced on Thursday that it had closed its last remaining stores in Russia and Belarus, wrapping up its progressive withdrawal from both countries due to the invasion of Ukraine.  After ceasing sales in Russia in March following Russian troops being ordered into Ukraine, H&M announced in July that it would withdraw…

The trial of Russian artist Sasha Skochilenko, who was arrested in April for an anti-war protest in which she replaced supermarket price tags with information about the death toll in Ukraine, opened at a St. Petersburg court on Thursday. Skochilenko, 32, who has been held in pre-trial detention for over six months, was charged with…