The United States on Thursday finally joined a growing number of its NATO allies in allowing Ukraine to use weapons donated by the West to strike military targets on Russian territory. Officials said Ukraine would only be allowed to defend the embattled Kharkiv region, which is under bombardment by missiles and glide bombs launched inside…
Sting singing “I hope the Russians love their children too” from a Moscow TV studio. Appearances by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and interviews with Ukrainian politicians. Political satire on the country’s top comedy show. None of these things would appear on television in today’s Russia, which has been isolated from the West and under strict…
The European Union on Friday imposed sanctions against Primorye region Governor Oleg Kozhemyako in Russia’s Far East over what it said were arms supplies to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions. Kozhemyako was seen gifting kamikaze and reconnaissance drones, as well as a bulletproof vest, to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his…
G7 foreign ministers said Friday they were “gravely concerned” about deepening cooperation between Russia and North Korea, particularly arms transfers from Pyongyang to Moscow for use on the battlefield in Ukraine. “We are gravely concerned by the deepening DPRK-Russia cooperation in flagrant violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions,” they said in a statement…
Traffic along the Trans-Siberian Railway was partially disrupted on Friday after a cargo train flew off the tracks, crashing into trees and setting a nearby forest on fire, the local rail operator said. A total of 29 cars carrying coal were derailed at 2:30 p.m. local time in Far East Russia’s Amur region, causing damage…
A Russian court on Friday extended the pre-trial detention of U.S.-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva until August, nearly a year after she was first charged with spreading “false information” about the army. Kurmasheva, who works for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was arrested last year for failing to register as a “foreign agent.” She was subsequently charged with…
Moscow and Kyiv have traded 150 prisoners of war with the help of mediators from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Friday, the first such exchange after months of stalled talks between the two warring sides. “As a result of negotiations, 75 Russian servicemen, who were in mortal danger in captivity, were…
Dmitry Azarov announced Friday that he was stepping down as governor of southern Russia’s Samara region, making him the second regional head to resign this week ahead of gubernatorial elections later this year. “I’ve made a decision to complete my work in the governor’s post,” Azarov said in a video address to residents posted on…
Russia’s Finance Ministry submitted a major tax reform plan this week that seeks to introduce a progressive tax system and increase corporations’ contributions to the state budget. The reform, if passed, promises to generate nearly 3 trillion rubles ($33.2 billion) per year at a time when government spending on the war in Ukraine continues to…
Berlin has given Ukraine permission to fire German-delivered weapons at targets in Russia, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesman said Friday, matching a move by the United States. Kyiv has the “right under international law to defend itself” against attacks coming from inside Russia, Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement. Attacks from Russian territory have increased in…
Russian forces are advancing on all fronts in Ukraine and have seized some 880 square kilometers of territory this year alone, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said on Friday. If confirmed, Russia would have made more gains in the past five months than in all of 2023, when the front line remained largely static despite a…
An overnight Ukrainian drone strike in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region sparked a large fire and injured at least two workers at an oil depot, regional authorities said Friday. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems destroyed 29 Ukrainian drones and five missiles over the region. Krasnodar region Governor Venyamin Kondratyev said an aerial attack…
From June, Russian companies will be able to offset their carbon footprint with energy produced at the Leningrad NPP. Rosenergoatom (Electric Energy Division of ROSATOM) has passed certification for inclusion in the register of low-carbon generating facilities and received the right to sell “green” attributes of electricity – atomic certificates. The first nuclear power plant…