Russia lost out Wednesday in its bid for re-election to the decision-making body of the OPCW chemical watchdog, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cheered Moscow’s “isolation” on the world stage. Four eastern European countries were competing for three seats on the OPCW Executive Council, warring neighbors Russia and Ukraine, plus Poland and Lithuania. Russia received…
Russian authorities in the Ural Mountains region of Chelyabinsk cut down a spruce tree growing on a local resident’s property so that it could be installed in a town square as a New Year decoration, the Telegram news channel Podyem reported Wednesday. Authorities in the town of Minyar, which has a population of around 8,500…
A 41-year-old Russian woman was detained in Moscow’s Red Square while recording an Instagram video in which she eats an unusually large caviar sandwich, local media reported Tuesday. Gulina Naumann and a friend recorded a video of her sitting in front of the Kremlin’s walls, wearing a large fur coat and eating a “huge sandwich” with…
The Russian ska-punk group Leningrad on Tuesday released a new song and music video praising the country’s state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec. “It’s a f****** no brainer — Rostec has the best weapons,” the band’s eccentric frontman and founder Sergei Shnurov sings in the new song, which is simply called “Rostec.” The music video accompanying the…
Russia on Wednesday leveled criminal charges against Jamala, the Ukrainian winner of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, arresting her in absentia for spreading “false information” about the Russian army. Shortly after launching its offensive in Ukraine last year, Moscow outlawed criticism of the conflict and has detained and charged thousands of people for speaking out and…
A man in Kazakhstan has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine, the Kazakhstan service for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported Tuesday. Alexei Shompolov, 34, was charged with “mercenarism” for joining the Wagner private military company, as well as with “committing a serious criminal offense against the…
Russia said on Wednesday its armed forces had taken control of Khromove, a small village on the outskirts of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. Moscow’s troops seized Bakhmut in May after one of the bloodiest battles of its 21-month military offensive. “Troops, supported by aviation and artillery fire, improved their positions along the front…
Moscow’s largest aquarium will send hundreds of fish to an aquarium in annexed Crimea that was badly damaged by flooding earlier this week, the Daily Storm news outlet reported Tuesday. Moskvarium, which is located at the VDNKh exposition center in the Russian capital, will send between 200 and 300 fish to the Sevastopol Aquarium, according…
Russian forces were ramping up attacks in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, Moscow and Kyiv said, as they vie to secure elusive territorial gains before the end of the year. Despite the frontlines having barely shifted in 2023, fighting has remained intense, with the nearly encircled industrial town of Avdiivka the latest major flashpoint. Russia launched…
Russia’s Interior Ministry has proposed requiring foreigners who visit Russia to adhere to an “agreement of loyalty,” the state-run TASS news agency reported Wednesday, citing a draft law prepared by the ministry. According to the draft law, foreigners staying in Russia would be prohibited from “hindering the activities of public authorities of the Russian Federation…
Former active duty U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges, was assaulted by a fellow inmate, his family said Tuesday, adding they fear he is a target because of his nationality. The 53-year-old has been behind bars since 2018 and is serving a 16-year sentence that the U.S. government argues is without…
Ukraine said Tuesday it believed Russia had poisoned the wife of its military intelligence chief in an apparent assassination attempt targeting the heart of Kyiv’s leadership. Marianna Budanova, who is an advisor to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, was hospitalized after a prolonged deterioration in her health, the Babel news outlet reported earlier. Ukrainian investigators’ “main…