Russia Upholds Prison Sentence for Nationalist Girkin

A Moscow court on Wednesday ruled to uphold the four-year prison sentence for Russian nationalist and ex-rebel commander Igor Girkin. Girkin, a convicted war criminal in the West better known by his pseudonym Igor Strelkov, was arrested last summer after criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin for his handling of the war against Ukraine. In January,…

‘If We Talk About It, These People Might Survive’: Exhibition of Kremlin’s Political Prisoners Opens in Amsterdam

AMSTERDAM — An exhibition dedicated to political prisoners in Russia opened in the heart of the Dutch capital on Tuesday. “Faces of Russian Resistance” displays 16 stories of politicians, activists, artists and public figures designated as political prisoners by human rights groups.  “We understand that hundreds of people are now in prison based on political…

Russia Upholds ‘Foreign Agent’ Status for Jailed Dissident Orlov

A Moscow court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by imprisoned dissident Oleg Orlov to be removed from the Russian Justice Ministry’s “foreign agent” list. Orlov, 71, who is serving a two-and-a-half-year prison term for criticizing the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was designated a “foreign agent” ahead of his sentencing in February. Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky court upheld…

Home Appliances Made for Ukraine Sold in Russia – Kommersant

Major online retailers in Russia have started selling foreign-made household appliances destined for the Ukrainian market, the business newspaper Kommersant reported Wednesday, citing local distributors. Among the e-commerce sites offering products intended for Ukrainian consumers are Ozon and Wildberries, which have been found to sell Bosch washing machines and LG Smart TVs that bear Ukrainian…

New Searches at EU Parliament in Russia Meddling Probe

Investigators on Wednesday searched the home and offices of an EU parliament staffer as part of an investigation into suspected Russian interference and corruption, the Belgian state prosecutor’s office said. According to a source close to the investigation, the target of the raids is Guillaume Pradoura, a former assistant to embattled EU lawmaker Maximilian Krah…

Outrage in Amsterdam as Russian TV Celebrities Take the Stage

AMSTERDAM — A live event headlined by two Russian television celebrities has sparked controversy in the Netherlands, with critics decrying the presence of what they call Russian propagandists on European stages during Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Veteran Channel One host Vladimir Pozner and late-night talk show host Ivan Urgant’s European tour, called “The Travels of…

Raiffeisen’s Russian Division to End Outgoing U.S. Dollar Payments

The Russian division of Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank will stop processing outgoing payments in U.S. dollars starting on June 10, the bank announced Wednesday, citing “changed requirements of correspondent banks.” “This change affects all bank clients… All payments in dollars correctly completed and sent before 16:00 on June 7 will be carried out taking into account…

Moscow Blames Ukraine for Blocking POW Exchanges

Russia’s human rights commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova has blamed the authorities in Kyiv for roadblocking efforts to secure the further release of prisoners of war, the state-run Interfax news agency reported Wednesday. “Unfortunately, exchanges have been suspended for several months due to Ukraine constantly making new and far-fetched demands,” Moskalkova was quoted as saying by Interfax…

Türkiye is taking over the Russian experience of healthcare organization in the Novovoronezh NPP region

Mersin Province (Türkiye) Regional Healthcare Department representatives visited the region to adopt the best practices of Russian healthcare system at industrial facilities. 31 May 2024, Novovoronezh, Voronezh region, Russia. A delegation of state healthcare organization of Mersin Province of the Republic of Türkiye and specialists of AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC visited Novovoronezh, a satellite city of…

Putin Taps Ex-Bodyguard Dyumin to Head Russia’s State Council

President Vladimir Putin’s former personal security guard and newly appointed presidential aide Alexei Dyumin was tapped to head Russia’s State Council on Wednesday. “Aide to the president Alexei Dyumin has been appointed Secretary of the State Council of the Russian Federation by presidential executive order,” an announcement on the Kremlin’s website read. Russia’s State Council is…