The UN’s human rights chief condemned the continued jailing of a leading figure in Russia’s political opposition on Wednesday, demanding that he face “fair proceedings” for his opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, was “concerned by continued detention of opposition politician and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), a global body representing as many as 600,000 media professionals around the world, on Wednesday announced that it had suspended the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) from the organization. The IFJ’s move came in response to the RUJ’s recent decision to expand its work to the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, which it…
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday gave his much-anticipated first address to the nation since ordering the invasion of Ukraine exactly a year ago. However, the members of the Putinist elite invited to Moscow’s Gostiny Dvor for the event were far from the only people listening to the proceedings. As members of both chambers of…
Recast and updated with reaction and analysis. President Vladimir Putin said Russia is fighting for its “historical lands” on Wednesday as the country approaches the one year anniversary of its bloody invasion of Ukraine. Speaking at a state-organized concert the day before Defender of the Fatherland Day, which is a national holiday, Putin delivered a…
Dutch giant brewer Heineken said Wednesday that it still planned to exit Russia after a media report accusing it of “breaking a promise” to leave over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Dutch investigative website Follow the Money said the Amsterdam-based brewer was still operating in Russia despite making a promise last year to stop investing. Although…
The head of the Wagner mercenary outfit, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on Wednesday urged Russians to pressure the country’s regular army into sharing ammunition with his fighters in Ukraine. Prigozhin stopped short of calling on Russians to protest but urged everyone from “driver” to “flight attendant” to help him. He had already made headlines on Tuesday when…
Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with China’s top diplomat on Wednesday that cooperation between Beijing and Moscow was important to “stabilize the international situation.” “The cooperation between China and Russia on the world stage is very important to stabilize the international situation,” Putin said at the meeting with Wang Yi. Their meeting comes as China is…
Russian e-commerce websites have started blocking products carrying anti-war symbols and messages in favor of pro-war items, independent media reported Wednesday. “With the invasion of Ukraine, areas previously far removed from politics have started to get politicized,” said Avtozak Live, an independent YouTube and Telegram channel. The outlet said it has found “thousands” of ads…
Seven people were killed and 11 injured in a large fire that erupted at a hotel in central Moscow overnight, state media reported Wednesday, citing emergency services. Emergency crews evacuated 200 people from the 16-story building and contained the blaze by midnight, according to the TASS news agency. The residential building houses dozens of ground-level…
MOSCOW — As the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches, life in the capital largely goes on as usual, with most Muscovites saying that the dominant mood is one of indifference to the ongoing fighting. “I don’t really feel that there is a war going on,” said a Muscovite in his 30s who…
Russia unsuccessfully tested its nuclear-capable “invincible” missile during President Joe Biden’s visit to Ukraine this week, CNN reported Tuesday, citing two unnamed U.S. officials. Had it been successful, the officials said President Vladimir Putin would have touted the test at his state-of-the-nation address. Instead, Putin announced the suspension of Russia’s participation in the last U.S.-Russian…