The European Parliament’s biggest group has expressed concern over espionage risks emanating from Hungary’s recent decision to relax visa rules for Russian and Belarusian nationals, according to a letter seen by AFP on Tuesday. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban — the only EU leader to have maintained close ties with the Kremlin since Russia launched…
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday decided to pardon a German man facing the death penalty, the country’s state news agency reported. Lukashenko “took the decision to pardon the German citizen Rico Krieger… taking into account all the circumstances,” Belta news agency reported, citing the president’s press service. Krieger, 30, was shown on Belarusian public…
A large fire broke out on Tuesday at a production facility in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, local media reported, with photos and videos on social media showing a large column of black smoke billowing into the sky. According to local media reports, the blaze erupted late Tuesday afternoon at NPO Avtomatiki, a subsidiary…
The Kremlin is increasingly turning to creative measures to boost its troops without formally declaring another unpopular mobilization as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grinds on. From TV marathons promoting war recruitment to increasing payments, Russian regions are looking for ways to address the need for fresh troops on the front line. The Kremlin said last year…
Two more Russian political prisoners have been moved to unknown locations, lawyers and relatives said Tuesday, coming days after the transfer of four high-profile dissidents that has fueled speculation of a potential prisoner swap between Moscow and the West. Imprisoned activists Lilia Chanysheva, Ksenia Fadeyeva and Oleg Orlov were reportedly moved from their jail cells…
The Kremlin on Tuesday said Venezuela’s opposition must accept that it lost the presidential election after protestors took to the streets to challenge official results showing a victory for Nicolas Maduro. Several foreign countries including nine in Latin America have questioned Sunday’s election results, while Venezuela’s security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at…
Spanish authorities have granted an emergency request for the replica of an 18th-century Russian frigate to make a port call so that it can replenish provisions and replace broken parts, media reported Tuesday. The EU implemented a ban on Russian vessels docking at its ports as part of a broader sanctions package in response to…
Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank said Tuesday that it will continue to scale back its Russian business as it navigates a “very difficult” exit from the country, where it generated half of its post-tax profit in 2024 so far. In its semi-annual earnings report, Raiffeisen Bank International said its Russian division posted 705 million euros ($763.6 million) of the…
Authorities in southwestern Russia said Tuesday a fire that had broken out after a Ukrainian attack over the weekend had finally been extinguished. Acting Kursk region Governor Alexei Smirnov said that “emergency responders have extinguished a fire at an oil depot.” Three fuel tanks were hit in a Ukrainian drone attack in the early hours…
When a Russian lawmaker said late last week that the country would start throttling YouTube loading speeds on desktop browsers by up to 70%, it appeared to confirm many Russians’ fears that the country would gradually cut off access to the video platform. Over the past decade, YouTube has become a vital platform for dissenting viewpoints…