‘They’re Gossiping Without Us’: Saudi-Hosted Peace Summit Underscores Kremlin’s Diplomatic Dilemma

Russia’s absence from the Saudi-hosted summit to find a peace framework for the war in Ukraine exposed the Kremlin’s vulnerabilities despite the fact that no final joint statement or document was signed, four current and former Russian officials familiar with Russia’s diplomacy admitted to The Moscow Times. The weekend summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was…

Alexey Likhachev, Director General of ROSATOM, took part in the meeting of the Russian-Chinese Subcommission on Nuclear Issues

On August 9, the 27th meeting of the Russian-Chinese Subcommission on Nuclear Issues was held in Saint Petersburg (within the framework of the Commission for Regular Meetings of the Heads of the Governments of Russia and China). Co-Chairmen of the Subcommission are Alexey Likhachev, Director General of ROSATOM, and Zhang Kejian, Director of the China…

Russia Says Ukraine Shelling Kills 1 in Border Region

Ukrainian shelling on Wednesday killed one and injured four people in Russia’s border region of Belgorod, the governor said, targeting a region that has been hit by repeated Ukrainian strikes. “The village of Gorkovsky in the Graivoron district came under fire from the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Vyacheslav Gladkov announced on social media.  “One person died — a…

Eight heat exchangers of passive heat removal system have been installed at Rooppur NPP Unit 1

Installation of eight heat exchangers of passive heat removal system (PHRS) has been completed at Unit 1 of Rooppur NPP (general designer and general contractor is Rosatom State Corporation engineering Division). Each heat exchanger is a metal structure weighing over 32 tons, 8530 meters long, 5904 сеntimeters wide. The installation was performed at elevation +38.100.…

Russian Cinemas Screen Pirated Copies of ‘Barbie’

Russian movie theaters have begun showing pirated versions of the Warner Bros. blockbuster “Barbie,” media reported Wednesday, amid ongoing efforts to circumvent major Hollywood studios’ screening bans in Russia. Russian film distributors adopted an illicit scheme last year by obtaining digital copies of movies shown in Kazakhstan via the messaging app Telegram — without permission…

Russia Vows Response to ‘Threats’ on Western Border

Moscow on Wednesday accused Poland and Finland of threatening its border security and vowed to respond to “multiplying” risks from NATO member countries along Russia’s western frontier. In recent weeks, Poland has beefed up its border security with neighboring Belarus following reports that fighters from the Wagner mercenary outfit have established a new base in…

1 Killed, Dozens Injured in Blast at Optical Plant Near Moscow

Updated with new injury count, death toll, missing persons.  A powerful explosion ripped through an optical equipment factory outside Moscow, triggering a “total evacuation” from all nearby buildings, local authorities said Wednesday. Plumes of smoke billowed high into the air from the Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant in the town of Sergiyev Posad, around 70 kilometers northeast…

3 Years After Anti-Lukashenko Protests, Belarusians in Ukrainian Army Seek to Enact Change Through Force

Andrzej Kshetussky was one of hundreds of thousands of Belarusians who peacefully protested against the fraudulent re-election of their country’s longtime leader, Alexander Lukashenko, in 2020.  Three years after those protests were brutally repressed, he is now fighting alongside the Ukrainian army against invading Russian forces.  “We lost all protest infrastructure [and] oppositional organizations in…

Chechnya’s Grozny Establishes ‘Sister City’ Ties With Occupied Mariupol

Grozny, the capital of Russia’s majority-muslim republic of Chechnya, has established sister city ties with the occupied southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, over a year after it was devastated by invading Russian forces. “Grozny Mayor Khas-Magomed Kadyrov and head of Mariupol’s [Russian-installed] administration Oleg Morgun signed an agreement establishing twin city relations between the cities,”…

Two Drones Shot Down Near Moscow, Says Russia

Two Ukrainian drones headed toward Moscow were shot down Wednesday, Russian authorities said, the latest in a surge of drone attacks targeting the capital.  Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app that “both [drones] were shot down by air defense,” noting that one was downed in the Domodedovo area on the southern outskirts of…