Moldova claimed Wednesday that authorities in Russia were planning to undermine the country’s upcoming presidential election and a referendum on joining the EU by bussing in voters to polling stations at the Moldovan Embassy in Moscow. Moldova’s Foreign Ministry said it was alarmed by reports of Russia allegedly preparing to “artificially create the impression of…
A Russian official who resigned after a federal lawmaker accused him of being in a relationship with a man has fled the country and denounced Moscow’s war against Ukraine. In April, State Duma deputy Alexander Khinshtein outed Denis Leontovich, an ex-employee of the Samara region’s youth policy agency, as a member of what he claimed to…
Two Russian men arrested in Poland on espionage charges went on trial Wednesday for allegedly distributing leaflets and stickers promoting the Wagner mercenary group, a Polish court said. The pair, identified by Polish counterintelligence as Alexei T. and Andrei G., were detained in August 2023 for distributing leaflets about the Wagner Group in the cities…
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has declared a “blood feud” against three federal-level lawmakers hailing from the neighboring republics of Dagestan and Ingushetia. The statement was yet another twist in the months-long dispute between Tatiana Kim, the CEO of Russia’s largest online retailer Wildberries, and her estranged husband Vladislav Bakalchuk. The Moscow Times spoke to prominent…
A man who died in police custody amid a regionwide crackdown on protesters and activists in Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan earlier this year was beaten to death by police, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported Wednesday, citing an independent forensic analysis conducted at the request of his family. Rifat Dautov was among more than 80 people…
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that Berlin wants to explore ways of ending the war in Ukraine, hinting at possible talks with Moscow, but stressing that any efforts to bring a resolution to the conflict would need to happen in cooperation with authorities in Kyiv. “Alongside clear support for Ukraine, it is time for…
Russian pro-war singer Shaman filed to trademark the phrase “Ya Russky” (“I’m Russian”) for alcoholic beverages, various household products and even sex toys, the Moskva news agency reported Wednesday, citing documents it obtained. “Ya Russky” has become Shaman’s calling card after he emerged from relative obscurity with patriotic pop songs in the wake of Russia’s…
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that its forces captured two more villages in different parts of eastern Ukraine, with one of them lying just several kilometers away from the critical logistics hub of Pokrovsk. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have fled to Pokrovsk as Russia’s military wages a campaign to capture the whole of eastern Ukraine’s…
The Kremlin said Wednesday it had yet to see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “victory plan” to end the war, but urged authorities in Kyiv to “sober up” and admit what it called a futile effort to defeat Russia. Zelensky unveiled details of the plan earlier Wednesday, telling Ukrainian lawmakers it could help the country win…
Russia’s government approved plans to reduce the country’s temporary migrant worker quota by nearly half in 2025, the state-run TASS news agency reported Wednesday, citing a government document it obtained. According to the document, Russian authorities set next year’s quota at 5,500 migrants, roughly half of this year’s quota of 10,595. The quota determines the…