Russia Moves to Allow Convicts Join Army

Russian lawmakers have approved legislation allowing convicts to clear their criminal records in exchange for joining the country’s depleted military nearly 16 months into Russia’s war on Ukraine. The move formalizes the recruitment of prisoners for the war in Ukraine, a practice spearheaded by the Wagner mercenary group last year before the Defense Ministry took over prison…

Russia Moves to Allow Convicts to Join Army

Russian lawmakers have approved legislation allowing convicts to clear their criminal records in exchange for joining the country’s depleted military nearly 16 months into Russia’s war on Ukraine. The move formalizes the recruitment of prisoners for the war in Ukraine, a practice spearheaded by the Wagner mercenary group last year before the Defense Ministry took over prison…

5 Killed in Blast at Russian Explosives Plant

Updated with revised death toll. Five people have been killed in a blast at an explosives factory in Russia’s central Tambov region, state-run media reported Tuesday, citing local authorities. “At the moment, there is information about four people killed, and two others were injured,” emergency services told the TASS news agency.  Officials later said one…

4 Killed in Blast at Russian Explosives Plant

Four people have been killed in a blast at an explosives factory in Russia’s central Tambov region, state-run media reported Tuesday, citing local authorities. “At the moment, there is information about four people killed, and two others were injured,” emergency services told the TASS news agency.  Tambov Governor Maxim Yegorov said the explosion was caused…

Moscow Ally Kyrgyzstan Sours on Russian Anti-War Emigres

Updated to clarify a quote. Authorities in Kyrgyzstan are increasingly at odds with the country’s newfound contingent of Russian emigres, with a spate of concert cancellations and the use of facial-recognition technology to track down Russians wanted by Moscow contributing to increased friction. On Monday the rapper Morgenshtern, who was labeled a “foreign agent” in…

Moscow Warns Kyiv Against Targeting Crimea with Western Arms

Moscow claimed Tuesday that Ukrainian forces were planning to use Western-supplied missiles to strike targets inside Russia and the annexed peninsula of Crimea, threatening “immediate retaliation.” “The leadership of Ukraine’s armed forces plans to strike Russian territory, including Crimea, with HIMARS and Storm Shadow missiles,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said during a meeting with military officials. Shoigu…

In India, within the frames of the celebration of the Day of Russia, a presentation of ROSATOM’s contribution to achieving sustainable development goals was held

On June 15, in the city of Trivandrum (Republic of India), the celebration of the Day of Russia was organized by Ratish Nair, the Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation, Director of the Russian House in Trivandrum. The event was attended by representatives of the government and the public of the state of Kerala, consular…

Russian Movie Portal Charged With ‘LGBT Propaganda’ – Reports

Russian authorities have charged a popular movie portal owned by the country’s largest tech company Yandex with distributing so-called “LGBT propaganda” to minors, independent media reported Tuesday. Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky District Court registered an administrative case against Kinopoisk, a film database and streaming service with more than 150 million monthly visitors, according to the news website Mediazona. The plaintiff…

China’s Russian Oil Imports Highest Since Ukraine Invasion

Chinese imports of Russian oil last month hit their highest level since Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, customs data showed Tuesday, as Beijing offers an economic lifeline to an increasingly isolated Kremlin. China is Russia’s largest economic partner, with trade between them reaching a record $190 billion last year. In May, China imported 9.71 million…

Russia Jails Dual National for Fighting for Ukraine

Russia jailed a dual Ukrainian and Russian national for 16 years on Tuesday on terrorism-linked charges for fighting alongside Kyiv’s forces in Ukraine. A judge in a military court in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don handed down the ruling to a man named Denis Muryga, accusing him of fighting as part of Ukraine’s Aidar battalion,…

Navalny Launches Anti-War Presidential Campaign From Jail

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said he has launched a “long, relentless and exhausting” online presidential campaign against Russia’s war in Ukraine. With his grassroots political network banned as “extremist” in Russia, Navalny vowed to deploy a targeted messaging strategy to win over pro-war or neutral Russians. “We’ll change many people’s minds. We’ll sow doubts…