Kremlin Says U.S. Abrams Tanks Will ‘Burn’ in Ukraine

The Kremlin said Tuesday that U.S. Abrams tanks supplied to Ukraine would not change the outcome of its offensive and would “burn,” after Kyiv received shipments of the vehicles. Kyiv announced Monday it had received deliveries of the U.S. Abrams battle tank, boosting its forces as they seek to break through heavily fortified Russian defensive lines.…

WhatsApp Drops Channels Launch in Russia Over Ban Threat

U.S. tech company Meta will not launch its WhatsApp Channels service in Russia following threats that it could be blocked for allowing the public dissemination of information, The Moscow Times’ Russian service reported Monday.  “The product will not be available to users inside Russia in the near future,” an anonymous Meta representative told the outlet.…

Russia’s Rights Chief Issues Lukewarm Rebuke After Kadyrov’s Son Filmed Beating Detainee

Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova has expressed restrained disapproval of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov after he shared a video on social media of his son beating a Russian teenager accused of burning the Koran. Kadyrov on Monday evening posted the graphic video of his son Adam, 15, kicking and punching Nikita Zhuravel, 19, who was detained in May on suspicion…

Russian Villages Lose Power After Ukraine Drone Strike

Several villages in Russia’s Kursk region bordering Ukraine lost power Tuesday morning after a Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on an electricity substation, the region’s governor said. Since Russia launched hostilities against Ukraine last year, Russian regions bordering Ukraine have repeatedly accused Kyiv’s forces of attacking civilian infrastructure, including the power grid. “In the morning, a…

Moscow Rebuffs Armenian PM’s Claims of Betrayal

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that it rejects Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s accusation that his country was abandoned by Moscow after Azerbaijan last week launched a military operation in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinyan on Sunday blasted the Russian-Armenian strategic partnership as “insufficient,” signaling a major foreign policy shift away from its traditional…

ROSATOM and Algerian Commission of Atomic Energy have agreed to develop non-energy nuclear technologies

Rosatom State Atomiс Energy Corporation ROSATOM global leader in nuclear technologies nuclear energy On 25 September 2023 in Vienna, Austria, Rosatom State Corporation and Algerian Commission of Atomic Energy (COMENA) signed a memorandum of understanding. The memorandum was signed on sidelines of 67th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference by Boris Arseev, Division Deputy…

Russia Puts ICC President on Wanted List

Russia said Monday it had placed Piotr Hofmanski, the president of the International Criminal Court, on its wanted list. In March the Hague-based court announced an arrest warrant for Putin for allegedly unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children, which is a war crime. The ICC also issued a warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s…

Russian Feminist Activist Killed in Turkey

Russian feminist and anti-war activist Anastasia Yemelyanova was found dead in Turkey, her colleagues said late Sunday. Yemelyanova’s fiancé was detained on charges of murder in the eastern Turkish city of Erzurum, fellow activist Anastasia Polozkova wrote on Instagram. “Nastya [Yemelyanova] was killed three days ago,” Polozkova said, adding that she had gone missing on…

Armenia PM Signals Foreign Policy Shift Away From Russia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday signalled a major foreign policy shift away from Russia following Moscow’s refusal to enter the latest conflict over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinyan told the nation in a major television address that his former Soviet republic’s current foreign security alliances were “ineffective” and “insufficient.” He added that Armenia should join…

Putin Critic Kara-Murza Brought To Siberian Penal Colony

Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, jailed for 25 years on treason charges and for denouncing Moscow’s Ukraine offensive, has arrived to serve his sentence at a maximum-security Siberian prison, his lawyer said Sunday. Kara-Murza — a dual Russian-British citizen — was handed the unprecedentedly long sentence in April, with international leaders and supporters calling for…

Ukrainian Drone Strikes Russia’s Kursk – Official

A Ukrainian drone strike hit an administrative building in the center of Russia’s southern Kursk city, authorities said Sunday. Kyiv has targeted Russian cities with almost daily attacks in recent months of Moscow’s offensive, ongoing for 19 months. Kursk is around 90 kilometres from the border with Ukraine. “In Kursk, a Ukrainian drone attacked an…

Russia Says Armenians Added ‘Fuel to Fire’ in Azerbaijan Conflict

Russia’s top diplomat on Saturday accused Armenian leaders of worsening tensions but voiced hope the country would stay in Moscow’s orbit following furor over Azerbaijan’s recapture of the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Speaking at the United Nations, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov charged that Western powers were “pulling the strings” to undermine Russian influence but added, “unfortunately,…

Russia Accuses West of ‘De Facto’ Fighting in Ukraine

Western powers through their support for Ukraine are “de facto” fighting against Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday, as Kyiv claimed fresh advances on the ground. “You can call it anything you want, but they are fighting with us, they are straight-up fighting with us,” Lavrov told journalists at the United Nations. “We…

The Sweet Heart of a Black Radish

“Greetings, Katerinushka, my dearest beloved. I’m sending you a local radish and a bottle of Hungarian.” In January 1720 Peter I sent his beloved wife Ekaterina not only a bottle of precious wine but also… an ordinary radish. The sovereign loved this humble vegetable — and with good reason. There is an old Russian saying:…

Moscow ‘Outraged’ as Bulgaria Expels Orthodox Church Head

Russia on Thursday slammed Bulgaria after it expelled the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in the southern Balkans nation. Bulgarian authorities ordered the Russian Orthodox Church representative in Sofia, Archimandrite Vassian, to leave Bulgaria alongside two Belarusian priests following accusations that they acted in the interests of the Kremlin. Bulgaria’s National Security Agency said the three…

Let It Be and Let It Go

Пусть: let, permit, request, threaten, concede Among the many useful little words in Russian, there is one that tends to be overlooked: пусть. Пусть is a very handy word that can be used to express everything from an order to a wish to exasperated acceptance to a threat. Time to polish your пусть and be…

Missile Strike Hits Russia’s Black Sea Fleet HQ

Updated with Defense Ministry’s statement that one soldier went missing. The headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in annexed Crimea was targeted by a missile strike on Friday, state media and Kremlin-installed officials said. Russia’s Defense Ministry had said earlier that one serviceman was killed in the strike on Sevastopol, where the Black Sea Fleet is based,…

Russia Hopes to Rejoin ‘Olympic Family’

The Kremlin said on Friday it hopes Russia could once again become part of the Olympic community despite sanctions against Russian athletes over Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suggested allowing athletes from Russia and Moscow’s ally Belarus to compete as individuals under a neutral flag at the 2024 Olympics in…

The installation of the outer containment dome is completed at Rooppur NPP Unit 2 in record time

At the Rooppur NPP construction site in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (with the Rosatom State Corporation Engineering Division being the general designer and general contractor), installation of steel structures of the outer containment dome has been completed in the reactor building of Unit 2. Specialists of the Engineering Division have set a record –…

The installation of the outer containment dome is completed at Rooppur NPP Unit 2 in record rime

At the Rooppur NPP construction site in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (with the Rosatom State Corporation Engineering Division being the general designer and general contractor), installation of steel structures of the outer containment dome has been completed in the reactor building of Unit 2. Specialists of the Engineering Division have set a record –…

Russian Media Regulator Slammed After Yakut Film Ban

A public row has erupted over the Russian government’s decision to ban an ethnic Yakut film from online streaming platforms over claims of nationalism.  “Ayta” became the highest-grossing film ever in the Far East republic of Sakha (Yakutia), raking in more than 26 million rubles ($275,000) at the box office after its premiere in March. The award-winning…

Russia’s Oscar Committee Suspends Operations

Russia’s Oscar committee has suspended its operations and will not nominate a film to compete in next year’s Academy Awards, state media reported Friday. Last year, the head of the committee resigned after Russia’s film academy opted out of nominating a movie for the 95th Oscars. At the time there was disagreement among the Russian…

Russia Curbs Gas, Diesel Exports to Stabilize Fuel Prices

Russia has imposed “temporary restrictions” on the export of gasoline and diesel in order to stabilize domestic fuel prices, the government said Thursday. “Temporary restrictions will help saturate the fuel market, which will in turn reduce prices for consumers,” Russia’s cabinet of ministers said in a statement. A decree signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin…

Belarus Free Theatre’s ‘King Stakh’s Wild Hunt’ Trots on the London Stage

Expectations were high for the new staging of Uladzimir Karatkievich’s classic 20th century Belarusian novel, “King Stakh’s Wild Hunt,” brought to London’s Barbican by the Belarus Free Theatre. The directors, Natalia Kaliada and Nicolai Khalezin, fled persecution in Belarus, and the performers hail from Belarus and occupied Ukraine. Tom Stoppard and Cate Blanchett are both…

Azerbaijan’s Aliyev Apologizes for Russian Peacekeeper Deaths in Karabakh

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has apologized for the deaths of Russian peacekeepers killed during Baku’s military campaign this week to regain control of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Kremlin said Thursday. “[Aliyev] emphasized that the most thorough investigation into the incident will be carried out and all those responsible will be duly punished,” the…

Kremlin Orders Media, Lawmakers to Blame Armenia for Karabakh Conflict – Reports

The Kremlin has ordered media and lawmakers to blame Armenia for Azerbaijan’s latest attack on the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia’s independent news outlets Meduza and Vyorstka reported Wednesday, citing anonymous sources. The circulated instructions to media and officials follow Armenia’s frustration over what it sees as Russia’s failure to guarantee its security amid escalating…

Moscow’s Last European Neighbor to Ban Russian Cars

Norway will be the last European nation that borders Russia to ban Russian-registered vehicles amid an uproar over an EU directive on import restrictions. Over the past week, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland have implemented bans on passenger vehicles with Russian license plates. “Norway will introduce restrictions on importing and using Russian-registered cars in…

Residents, Rescuers Killed in Gas Blast Outside Moscow

Several residents and rescue workers were killed when a gas explosion ripped through a late Soviet-era apartment building outside Moscow, authorities and state media reported Wednesday. Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said first responders arrived soon after being alerted in the early morning of an incident in the suburb of Balashikha, northeast of Moscow. Footage shared by…

Russia Says 4 Ukrainian Drones Destroyed

Russia said early Wednesday it had destroyed four Ukrainian drones overnight in two western regions. In the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, an attack at around 9:00 pm by two drones had been “thwarted,” the Russian Defense said on the messaging app Telegram.  Another attack was reported in the Oryol region, which is located further…

As Nagorno-Karabakh Fighting Flares, Moscow’s Role as Security Guarantor Questioned

The outbreak of fresh hostilities between South Caucasus foes Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh marks the latest example of Moscow’s diminished sway in the region, experts have said. Azerbaijan on Tuesday launched a military operation in the majority-Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh nearly three years after fighting a brutal war with Yerevan…

Russia Defense Chief Shoigu Makes Iran Visit

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Iran Tuesday for meetings to deepen Moscow’s defense ties with Tehran, Russian news agencies reported. Moscow has sought to strengthen its alliances with other countries ostracised by the West, including Iran, which has supplied Moscow with attack drones for its offensive in Ukraine. “During the visit, the Russian…

EU’s Russian Car Ban Set to Hinder Fleeing Russian Dissidents, Ukrainian Refugees

A ban on Russian-registered vehicles by Moscow’s European Union neighbors appears set to hurt not only ordinary Russians but also political dissidents and Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia. Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland have implemented bans on passenger vehicles with Russian license plates in recent days amid intense debate over the enforcement of an EU directive…

Seoul Summons Russian Ambassador After Kim-Putin Summit

South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said, to warn Moscow over military cooperation with North Korea the country’s leader Kim Jong Un met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia. Kim spent nearly a week touring Russia’s Far East before returning home Monday, visiting a space centre and weapons factories. The…

Azerbaijan Launches Military Operation Against Karabakh

Azerbaijan on Tuesday launched a military operation against the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region and demanded the total withdrawal of Armenian forces from the disputed mountainous territory as a precondition for peace. Fears of a fresh war have been growing in recent months, with Armenia accusing Azerbaijan of a troop build-up and decrying a blockade of its…