An Apple for the Tsar

Apples are not at all as simple as they seem. Although they seem ordinary, no other fruit has left such a large trace in world history. In Russia, cultivated varieties of apples appeared in the 11th century during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise. It is believed that the first apple orchard was planted on…

5 Killed, Dozens Injured in Attack on Russia’s Belgorod Region

At least five people were killed and 37 others injured in Ukrainian airstrikes on Russia’s Belgorod region Friday evening, local authorities said. Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov accused Ukrainian forces of using “Vampir” multiple-launch rocket systems with cluster munitions in the attack on the city of Belgorod and its surrounding areas. Among the dead were…

Russia Labels Meduza CEO Timchenko ‘Foreign Agent’

Russian authorities designated Galina Timchenko, the exiled founder and CEO of the independent news website Meduza, as a “foreign agent” on Friday. The Russian Justice Ministry accused Timchenko of opposing the country’s “special military operation” in Ukraine and spreading “inaccurate information aimed at forming a negative image of the Russian armed forces.” Timchenko served as…

Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and Nikolay Spassky, Deputy Director General of ROSATOM, held consultations with the IAEA delegation

Delegation of the Agency also visited some events of ROSATOM. The delegation from the IAEA Department of Safeguards led by its head Massimo Aparo, Deputy Director General of the Agency, visited Russia on August, 26-29, 2024. Consultations with Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and Nikolay Spassky, Deputy Director General…

Russia Claims Capture of 3 More Villages in Eastern Ukraine

Russia’s military said Friday that it captured three more villages in eastern Ukraine, where its forces continue to advance even as Kyiv mounts a major cross-border incursion into Russian territory. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces gained control of towns and villages in Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions. Among the settlements captured…

Siberian Museum Revives Stalin-Era Youth Group

A cultural center dedicated to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin announced the creation of a new Komsomol, the Communist Party’s youth wing, as Soviet-era symbolism continues to resurface in Russia. The Stalin Center, located in the Altai region city of Byisk, launched the Stalin Young Communist League, aiming to attract members aged 14-20 who share the…

Putin to Visit ICC Signatory Mongolia Despite Arrest Warrant

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Mongolia next week, the Kremlin announced Thursday, marking his first trip to a country that is legally obligated to arrest and hand him over to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Last March, the ICC issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest over accusations that Moscow unlawfully deported Ukrainian children amid…

Ex-Deputy Defense Minister Arrested for Fraud in Russian Military Theme Park Scandal

Former Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov was arrested on fraud charges related to a sprawling military theme park outside Moscow, federal investigators announced Thursday. Popov is accused of misusing Patriot Park resources for personal gain, allegedly coercing the park’s contract workers into performing unpaid construction work at his private property in the Moscow region between…

Russia’s Media Regulator Tells Internet Providers to Stop Speeding Up YouTube – Reports

Russia’s media regulator has warned internet providers to stop efforts that speed up YouTube loading speeds, an apparent acknowledgment of government attempts to throttle the popular video streaming platform, the independent news outlet Sotavision reported late Wednesday. Roskomnadzor’s control and regulatory arm, the main radio frequency center GRChTs, sent out the warning message following reports…

Alexey Likhachev, the Head of ROSATOM, and Mostafa Madbouly, the Prime Minister of Egypt, have discussed the progress of El-Dabaa NPP project implementation

They noted a fast pace of construction of the power units. Alexey Likhachev, ROSATOM Director General, and Mostafa Kamal Madbouly, the Prime Minister of Egypt, held negotiations on August 28. A fast pace of construction of the power units was noted. The meeting was also attended by Mahmoud Esmat, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy…

1 Killed, 2 Injured in Strikes on Russia’s Belgorod Region

Ukrainian strikes on the southwestern Belgorod region killed one person and injured two others, regional authorities said early Thursday. “The town of Shebekino was targeted by Ukrainian forces” and “unfortunately, one person was killed,” Belgorod region Governor Vyachelsav Gladkov wrote on Telegram. Two other people were hospitalized with shrapnel wounds, he said, while the airstrikes…

Russia to Restrict Entry to Kursk Nuclear Plant Town

Russian authorities will restrict entry to Kurchatov, the town where the Kursk nuclear plant is located, amid Ukraine’s ongoing incursion in the Kursk border region, the region’s acting governor said Wednesday. “Despite the fact that the security of the Kursk nuclear power plant is maximized, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are not abandoning their attempts to penetrate…

Russia Bans 92 U.S. Citizens Over ‘Russophobic’ Policies

Russia has permanently banned 92 U.S. citizens from entering the country in response to the Biden administration’s “Russophobic” policies, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. The ministry said that the move was a response “to the Russophobic course pursued by Joe Biden’s administration with the declared aim of delivering a strategic defeat to Moscow, which includes…

Activist Alleges Cover-Up After Discovery of Russian Soldiers’ Graves in Murmansk

At least 165 graves of Russian soldiers have been uncovered in the Arctic city of Murmansk, a significantly higher death figure than local authorities have publicly acknowledged, opposition activist Violetta Grudina said Wednesday. Grudina, an exiled former regional coordinator for Alexei Navalny’s now-banned political network, said the graves were found in a separate section of…

In First, Ukrainian Drones Target Russia’s Kirov Region

Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot in Russia’s Kirov region, located some 700 kilometers east of Moscow, regional authorities said Wednesday, marking the first such attack on the region since Moscow’s full-scale invasion. “Two drones were shot down, and three fell on the grounds of the Zenit plant in the town of Kotelnich, where they…

Russian Attacks Kill 6 in Eastern Ukraine

Russian attacks on eastern Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk region killed six people, the governor of the region said Wednesday, as Moscow announced the capture of another village in the area. The industrial region has suffered some of the heaviest fighting since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, as well as going back to 2014.…

Russian Internet Providers Work to Speed Up YouTube – Kommersant

Russian internet providers have started implementing workarounds to speed up YouTube amid what appears to be a government effort to throttle the video streaming platform, the Kommersant business daily reported Wednesday, citing industry insiders. The move comes nearly a month after online users in Russia started experiencing sharp declines in YouTube loading speeds. These disruptions coincided…

France, UAE Hacked Telegram Founder Durov’s Phone in 2017 – WSJ

French and Emirati spies hacked Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s iPhone in 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. The joint spy operation code-named “Purple Music” reportedly stemmed from concerns about the Islamic State’s use of Telegram, a private messaging app, for recruitment and plotting attacks — and came years…

How Anti-Kremlin Artists Are Diagnosing a Sick Regime

Читайте русскую версию здесь. Artists Against the Kremlin is an exhibition of Russian-speaking artists organized by All Rights Reversed gallery with the support of The Moscow Times at De Balie arts center in Amsterdam.The more than 100 paintings, installations, photographs and sculptures — most of them new — on display were created by artists who,…

Russian TV to Premiere Joe Biden Comedy Series in 2025

The Russian television channel TNT has begun production on a comedy series about U.S. President Joe Biden that is set to premiere next year, the network announced Tuesday. The show, called “Goodbye,” revolves around the American leader traveling to Russia “incognito” to find out “why his sanctions aren’t working against Russians,” TNT said in a press release.…

Indian PM Modi Tells Putin He Supports End to Ukraine War

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that he supports a swift end to the grinding conflict in Ukraine after visiting the war-torn country last week. Modi has pursued a delicate balance between maintaining India’s historically warm ties with Russia while courting closer security partnerships with Western nations as a…

Russia Revokes Goldman Sachs’ Brokerage License

Russia’s Central Bank has revoked the broker and dealer licenses of Goldman Sachs as the U.S. investment bank continues to scale back its presence in the country in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, the Central Bank said it canceled the bank’s brokerage and dealer licenses on July 9, acting “based on Goldman Sachs’…

Deadly Russian Strikes Pound Ukraine for 2nd Day

Russia fired a wave of attack drones and missiles at Ukraine that killed at least four people, authorities said Tuesday after the second night of heavy strikes across the war-battered nation. The overnight barrage came a day after the Kremlin launched one of its largest-ever aerial attacks on Ukraine, which targeted energy facilities and killed…

Ukraine Launches Attack on Belgorod Region, Pro-Kremlin Sources Say

Ukrainian forces launched an attack on border posts in the southwestern Belgorod region, Telegram channels linked to Russian security services said Tuesday, as regional officials reported an attempt “to break through the border.” The Mash Telegram channel reported that around 200 Ukrainian soldiers were deployed near the Nekhoteyevka checkpoint and another 300 near the Shebekino checkpoint,…

Torrential Rain Floods Streets of Sochi

Heavy rain overnight Monday triggered partial flooding in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi and its surrounding areas, local authorities said.  Sochi Mayor Andrey Proshunin said the Khostinsky district, located on the foothills of the western Caucasus mountains, received around 12.5 centimeters (4.9 inches) of rain between Monday night and Tuesday morning. “After midnight,…

Russia Charges Deutsche Welle Journalist Over Kursk Reporting

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Tuesday that it has filed criminal charges against a Deutsche Welle reporter and a Ukrainian television journalist for illegally crossing the border into the Kursk region during a reporting assignment. “The FSB of Russia has pressed criminal charges and an investigation is underway,” the law enforcement agency was quoted…