A list of 79 “blacklisted” artists that includes Beyonce, Lana Del Rey and Metallica is circulating among Russian ad agencies and event organizers, the investigative news website Vyorstka reported Wednesday, citing two anonymous sources in the industry. The list’s recipients are strongly urged to exclude the artists’ songs from their ads and other promotional materials, as…
Russian law enforcement agencies have opened a criminal case against the creators of the Universal Anonymous Payment System (UAPS) and the cryptocurrency exchange Cryptex. UAPS and other anonymous payment systems are believed to provide money transfer and laundering services directly to cybercriminals, while Cryptex gives its users anonymity by allowing them to register without providing…
Donetsk region, UKRAINE — In a dusty sky, the last storks of Donbas fly off to other horizons for the winter. Their supple wings, in the evening light, glide over fields of dried sunflowers and disappear behind massive slag heaps that, from one valley to another, seem to rise out of nowhere. Philippe, 30, a…
President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed laws to allow defendants in criminal cases to sign military contracts and be deployed to fight in Ukraine, expanding the pool of potential recruits for Russia’s two-and-a-half-year war. Under the new amendments, defendants who sign military contracts can have their criminal cases suspended at the request of a military unit…
Four independent Russian journalists went on trial Wednesday for “extremism” charges related to their alleged work for late opposition activist Alexei Navalny’s team. Antonina Favorskaya, Konstantin Gabov, Sergei Karelin and Artyom Kriger, who have all reported on Navalny as journalists, were detained this spring and summer on charges of “participating in an extremist community.” They were accused of…
The European Union took a step towards sanctioning Russia on Wednesday for a string of recent hybrid attacks and acts of sabotage across Europe, diplomats said. The EU and NATO have accused Moscow of being behind a spate of incidents aimed at destabilizing the West, as the two sides are at loggerheads over the Kremlin’s…
Russia’s federal budget for 2025-2027 submitted by the government to the State Duma could contribute to higher-than-expected inflation, analysts at Renaissance Capital warned Tuesday. According to bne IntelliNews, the 2025 budget boosts military spending by 25%, with the Russian Central Bank warning of fiscal risks to inflation. In addition, the planned indexation of housing and utility…
The Kremlin on Wednesday expressed worry over the latest escalation in the Middle East, calling on “all sides” to show “restraint” after Israel vowed to make Iran “pay” for firing a barrage of missiles at its territory. “This situation is developing according to the most worrying scenario,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “We call all…
Ukraine’s army said Wednesday it was withdrawing from the eastern town of Vuhledar, facing intense Russian attacks and the risk of being encircled. “The High Command gave permission for a maneuver to withdraw units from Vuhledar in order to save personnel and military equipment and take up a position for further operations,” the Khortytsia group…
Russian soldiers allegedly shot dead 16 Ukrainian prisoners of war in eastern Ukraine, marking the largest known execution of POWs in the two-and-a-half-year war, Ukrainian prosecutors said Tuesday. Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said videos circulating on social media appeared to show Russian servicemen committing the war crime near the Donetsk region city of Pokrovsk, which Moscow…
Russia has opened a criminal case against opposition politician Lev Shlosberg for allegedly failing to comply with restrictions on “foreign agents.” Shlosberg, who chairs the Pskov regional branch of the liberal Yabloko party, was designated as a “foreign agent” last year for opposing the war in Ukraine as well as “spreading false information about the decisions…
A tight-knit family of hackers and intelligence operatives was the driving force behind Russia’s “Evil Corp” cybercrime syndicate, sanctions leveled by London, Washington and Canberra have revealed. Once considered the “most significant cybercrime threat in the world,” Evil Corp has been credited with spying on NATO allies at the behest of Russia’s intelligence services. It…
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday told Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin he was ready to “expand” cooperation, as the two leaders exchanged congratulations on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, state media said. Xi said China was “ready to join Putin to constantly expand all-round pragmatic cooperation between [our] two countries,” state news agency Xinhua…
A Russian court sentenced 13 young men to up to 23 years in prison each on Wednesday for acts of railway sabotage in Moscow and Siberia aimed at thwarting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The court’s press service said the men were part of an “organized criminal group” that aimed to “influence the Russian authorities to cease…