Russia said one of its fighter jets lost ammunition over Belgorod near the Ukrainian border on Thursday, after local authorities reported a blast that injured two people and left a huge crater in the city. Russian jets have regularly flown sorties over Belgorod since the launch of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine in February 2022. On…
Russia said Thursday that it had finished snap navy drills in the Pacific, stressing its forces were ready to repel “aggression” during an armed conflict at sea. Last week Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the country’s Pacific Fleet, headquartered in the port of Vladivostok, had launched surprise combat drills as tensions rage with the West…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday pressed NATO to invite Ukraine to join the military alliance, while also calling for more shipments of fighter jets and long-range weapons. Zelensky was speaking during a visit to Kyiv by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, his first since the start of Russia’s invasion last year. Moscow views Ukraine’s…
Russia has sentenced a soldier to 10 years in prison for the near-fatal shooting of his slain brother’s commander, according to a statement by the Sevastopol Garrison Court in annexed-Crimea. Ismail Dzangiyev, 29, was convicted of shooting a platoon commander in the head whom he accused of causing his younger brother’s death, according to the…
The first feature film ever shot in space premiered in Russian cinemas on Thursday, which was celebrated in Moscow as a victory over a rival Hollywood project. In “The Challenge” a surgeon played by the actress Yulia Peresild is sent to the International Space Station (ISS) to save a cosmonaut injured during a spacewalk. Along…
Russia’s ultra-rich have seen their wealth swell over the past year despite punishing Western sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, according to the 2023 Forbes World’s Billionaires list published late Wednesday. The overall wealth of Russian billionaires rose from $353 billion in 2022 to $505 billion this year, with the average increase per…
The European Union does not plan to significantly expand sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, The Financial Times reported Thursday, citing unnamed EU officials. Further penalties on Russia’s economy would likely meet vetoes EU member states that “can’t live without” Russian industries like nuclear energy, according to the newspaper. “We are done,” the…
The commander of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet has been removed from his post, President Vladimir Putin’s envoy to the Russian Far East said Thursday. The reshuffle was announced a week after the Pacific Fleet was ordered to stage surprise combat drills to repel a theoretical enemy landing. Presidential envoy Yury Trutnev said Admiral Sergei Avakyants,…
Russia’s Bolshoi Theater has permanently dropped a ballet about Russian dance legend Rudolf Nureyev following the toughening of “gay propaganda” legislation, its director said on Wednesday. The ballet was staged by Kirill Serebrennikov, one of Russia’s most innovative and successful directors, who left the country after President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February…
Russia’s Bolshoi Theater has permanently dropped a ballet about Russian dance legend Rudolf Nureyev following the toughening of “gay propaganda” legislation, its director said on Wednesday. The ballet was staged by Kirill Serebrennikov, one of Russia’s most innovative and successful directors, who left the country after President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February…
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on Wednesday played down the impact of U.S. sanctions on officials of their two nations. During a four-hour stopover in Managua, Lavrov met with Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, who is also vice president. The issue of sanctions arose after the U.S. Treasury Department…