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The developer of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine said Wednesday its jab did not cause blood clots, a potential side effect that has disrupted rollouts in several Western countries. The United States has recommended pausing its rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after one person out of nearly 7 million Americans died from a…

Russia Says U.S. Troop Pullout from Afghanistan Risks ‘Escalation’

Russia said Wednesday that Washington’s plan to pull out troops from Afghanistan by September could lead to an escalation of the long-running conflict and derail peace talks. U.S. President Joe Biden announced earlier this week that all American forces would withdraw from Afghanistan by this year’s 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The Russian Foreign…

Armenia Says Wants More Russian Troops on Its Soil

Armenia said Wednesday it will seek to expand the presence of Russian troops on its soil in a move that would further strengthen Moscow’s role as the tiny Caucasus country’s security guarantor. Russia helped broker a peace deal between Armenia and its arch-foe Azerbaijan in November which ended six weeks of fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh…

Russian Warships Stage Black Sea Drills Ahead of U.S. Arrivals

The Russian Navy has launched drills in the Black Sea ahead of two U.S. warships’ reported arrival in the area amid tensions over Russia’s massive troop buildup near Ukraine, state media reported Wednesday. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet deployed a frigate, minesweeper, three corvettes and an unspecified number of landing ships to navigate simulated minefields, according…

Russian Police Raid Independent Student Outlet Over Navalny Video

BusinessBy admin April 14, 2021 Leave a comment

Russian police have raided independent student-run publication DOXA’s Moscow offices and charged leading staffers with inciting minors to illegally protest, the outlet said Wednesday. Russian authorities demanded earlier this year that DOXA take down its video explaining that students shouldn’t be afraid to voice their opinions at the Jan. 23 pro-Navalny protest and that it was unlawful…

Management Committee proposes dividend amount of RUB 12.55 per share for 2020

April 14, 2021, 15:20 The Gazprom Management Committee reviewed the proposals to the Board of Directors regarding the distribution of Gazprom’s profit and the dividend payout based on the Company’s operating results for 2020. The Management Committee endorsed the proposal to allocate a portion of Gazprom’s undistributed profits from the previous years for the dividend payout. The dividends will make up RUB 297.1 billion, or RUB 12.55 per share. The overall amount of dividends…

Putin Aide’s Assistant Jailed 12.5 Years for Treason – RBC

A former assistant to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regional aide has been sentenced to 12.5 years in prison after being found guilty of state treason, the RBC news website reported Wednesday. Alexander Vorobyov, who had spent one year as an assistant to Putin’s then-envoy in the Urals Federal District, was arrested in 2019. Few details…

Putin Receives Second Coronavirus Vaccine Dose

President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday that he has received his second Covid-19 vaccine shot with one of Russia’s domestically developed jabs and that he hoped Russians would follow his example. Putin, 68, received his first dose on March 23. “I want to inform you that right now, before entering this room, I also received the second…

Biden Summit Offer Hailed in Moscow as Win for Putin

U.S. President Joe Biden’s invitation to Vladimir Putin to hold a summit was being hailed in Moscow Wednesday as a sign that Washington had blinked first in the showdown with Russia over Ukraine. With indications that work was already underway for a potential meeting in Finland, Russian officials were crowing that Moscow was finally being…

Crimea, Expecting Tourist Surge After Turkey Ban, Sees Rising Covid-19 Cases

New coronavirus cases in Russian-annexed Crimea have nearly doubled in recent days as the Black Sea peninsula anticipates a tourist influx caused by flight restrictions to Turkey, health authorities said Wednesday. Crimean tourism officials are bracing for the new arrivals after over 500,000 Russians were shut out of Turkey by Moscow’s flight reductions from April…

Chechnya’s Kadyrov Tells Navalny to Keep ‘Dirty Hands’ Away From Koran

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has accused Alexei Navalny of “cheap” political pandering by demanding to read the Koran in prison and said the jailed Kremlin critic shouldn’t be allowed to touch it with his “dirty hands.” Navalny said Tuesday that he plans to sue prison officials for denying him access to the Muslim holy book. The opposition…

Biden Warns Putin on Ukraine, Proposes U.S.-Russia Summit

U.S. President Joe Biden told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to ease mounting tensions with neighboring Ukraine on Tuesday, joining a pushback against a buildup of troops along their border which has raised alarm among NATO allies. As a new report from American intelligence said Russia was not seeking direct conflict with the United States,…

Patriarch Kirill Spotted Wearing Mask at Church Synod

Russian Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill wore a mask during the first synod meeting of the year in Moscow’s Danilov Monastery on Tuesday, video posted on the Church’s YouTube channel showed. The Open Media news website reported that this is the first time the Patriarch has been spotted wearing a mask in public. At the start…

Belarus Leader’s Ex-Spokesman, Veteran Opposition Leader Detained – State Media

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s former spokesman-turned-critic who was reported missing in Russia has been detained alongside a veteran opposition leader on unspecified charges, state media said Tuesday. Political analyst Alexander Feduta, 56, served as Lukashenko’s first press secretary in 1994 before falling out with him the next year and defecting to the opposition. Amnesty International…

Navalny’s Wife ‘Worried’ For Kremlin Critic After Prison Visit

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, said on Tuesday she was increasingly concerned for her hunger-striking husband’s health after visiting him at his penal colony outside Moscow. Navalny, who is serving a two-and-a-half year sentence on old embezzlement charges, was jailed in February after returning to Russia from Germany where he was receiving…

Moscow Takes Measures in Response to ‘Threatening’ NATO Actions

Moscow has sent troops to its Western borders for “training exercises” in response to “threatening” NATO actions, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday. The statement comes as Kiev and its Western allies have accused Russia in recent weeks of massing tens of thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine, while NATO told Moscow to end…

Raided Investigative Journalist Says Russian Independent Media Is Under Threat

Prominent Russian investigative journalist Roman Anin has told The Moscow Times he is worried about the future of independent media in the country after his latest questioning by the Investigative Committee on Monday. His lawyer and editorial team have linked Monday’s questioning — as well as a seven-hour raid on his home and questioning Friday…

Russia Arrests Physicist for Sharing Secrets With West – Reports

A Russian academic who worked in aviation has been arrested for allegedly passing secrets to NATO, state media reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed source. A Moscow court placed Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) professor and Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) employee Valery Golubkin until June 12, according to Interfax. “This criminal case is not…

Russia Detains 2 After Huge St. Petersburg Fire

MoscowBy admin April 13, 2021 Leave a comment

Russia on Tuesday detained two people after a huge fire gutted a historic factory in St. Petersburg, as firefighters continued putting out the blaze. On Monday, a fire broke out over several floors of the red-brick Nevskaya Manufaktura building in Russia’s second city. The inferno killed one firefighter and left two more hospitalized with serious…

In Photos: Prince Philip’s Russia Visits

Prince Phillip, the late husband of Queen Elizabeth II, died last Friday at 99. The Duke of Edinburgh became the first member of the Royal Family to visit the U.S.S.R. when he flew to Kiev, Ukraine as president of the International Equestrian Federation in September 1973. The visit took place just years after he infamously…

Half a Million Russians Shut Out of Turkey After Virus Restricts Travel Again

BusinessBy admin April 13, 2021 Leave a comment

Russia restricted travel to Turkey this week, leaving more than half a million Russians scrambling to reimburse tickets to the popular tourist destination and find alternative vacation spots. Flights to and from Turkey will be drastically reduced from April 15-June 1 due to rising coronavirus cases in Turkey, a senior Russian government official announced Monday.…

Delo Group and ROSATOM switch port terminals in Novorossiysk to green wind power

On April 13, 2021, during International exhibition TransRussia-2021, Delo Group, the largest transport and logistics holding in Russia, and JSC Atomenergoprom, a company consolidating ROSATOM civil assets, signed an agreement for joint actions to promote switching of logistics terminals to low-carbon green energy sources. The agreement was signed by CEO of Delo Management Company (parent…

U.S. Is Russia’s ‘Adversary,’ Leading Diplomat Says

BusinessBy admin April 12, 2021 Leave a comment

Russia sees the United States as its “adversary,” a top Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday amid heightened tensions with Washington over the eastern Ukraine conflict. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov’s words mark a departure from Russia’s usual description of the U.S. as a “partner.” They follow U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s warning that Moscow…

Severstal becomes worldsteel Steel Sustaiability Champio

April 13, 2021 PAO Severstal, one of the world’s leading vertically integrated steel and steel-related mining companies, has been recognised as a Steel Sustainability Champion by The World Steel Association (worldsteel). Every year, the Steel Sustainability Champions Programme commends those steel companies that are most clearly demonstrating their commitment to sustainable development. This is the…

On Gagarin Anniversary, Putin Says Russia Must Remain ‘Space Power’

President Vladimir Putin called on Monday for Russia to remain a great power in space, as the country celebrated the 60th anniversary of the legendary flight that made Yuri Gagarin the first person in orbit. Russia’s space industry has struggled in recent years and been hit by a series of mishaps, but the sending of…

Russia Claims Continental Shelf in Arctic Ocean

Russia has claimed new slices of the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean in two fresh submissions to the United Nations. According to its March 31 submissions, Russia is seeking to define the outer limits of its continental shelf to include the Gakkel Ridge, the Lomonosov Ridge and the Canadian Basin. The new claims overlap…

Russian ‘Thief-in-Law’ Shot Dead in Moscow Gym

Ali Heydarov, a Russian “thief-in-law” known as Albert Ryzhiy, was shot dead in a northwest Moscow gym Monday afternoon, Interfax reported. “Thief-in-law” is a Russian term referring to powerful members of the criminal underworld. Security camera footage published by the 47news.ru news website shows Heydarov using an elliptical as an unknown man enters the gym,…

Drones, Lasers and More: How Russians Celebrated 60th Anniversary of Gagarin Spaceflight

The diamond jubilee of Yuri Gagarin’s historic space flight was marked by celebratory events across Russia on Monday, the sheer spectacle of some nearly matching that of the landmark launch itself. On April 12, 1961, then 27-year-old Gagarin embarked on a 108-minute journey orbiting Earth, becoming the first man in space. Sixty years later, his…

Navalny Threatened With Force-Feeding in Prison, Team Says

Russian prison guards are threatening to force-feed jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny nearly two weeks into his hunger strike, his team said Monday via his official Twitter account. Navalny, 44, announced he was going on hunger strike on March 31 to demand proper medical treatment for severe back pain and leg numbness. The opposition figure’s…

2 Ukrainian Soldiers Killed in War-Torn Separatist East

BusinessBy admin April 12, 2021 Leave a comment

Two Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in clashes with pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine’s war-torn east, its military said Monday, as Kiev again accused Moscow of massing tens of thousands of soldiers on its border. Clashes have regularly broken out in the east in recent weeks, undermining a ceasefire brokered last year that had raised hopes of…

Feasibility analysis approved for Soyuz Vostok gas pipeline construction project

April 12, 2021, 15:55 The feasibility analysis regarding the construction project for the Soyuz Vostok gas trunkline was approved today. The analysis was performed by Gazprom within the framework of the comprehensive feasibility analysis regarding the project for pipeline supplies of Russian gas across Mongolia to China. The Soyuz Vostok gas pipeline will become an extension of Russia’s Power of Siberia 2 gas…

In Leaked Tapes, MH17 Suspects Discussed Buk Transfer Hours Before and After Plane Downing

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine frequently discussed the movements of the Buk missile system that investigators believe was used to down Flight MH17 in July 2014, the Dutch Nieuwsuur current affairs program reported Sunday, citing leaked recordings of their phone calls. Nieuwsuur obtained tapes of thousands of phone calls made by MH17 suspect Sergei Dubinsky…

Firefighter Killed in Massive Blaze at Historic St. Petersburg Factory

A historic St. Petersburg factory building has caught fire and is on the brink of collapse, with at least one firefighter dead and two others gravely injured, state media reported Monday. The six-story Nevskaya Manufaktura building, located on the right bank of the Neva River in Russia’s second city, was engulfed in flames around 12:30…

Russian Feminist Activist Goes on Trial for ‘Body-Positive’ Drawings

A Russian feminist and LGBT activist accused of distributing pornography for posting what supporters call “body-positive” drawings on social media went on trial Monday. Yulia Tsvetkova, 27, faces up to six years behind bars in a case that has prompted nationwide pickets and online flashmobs in her support. The trial is taking place in the…

Late Oligarch Berezovsky’s Aide Likely Strangled to Death in London – BBC

MoscowBy admin April 12, 2021 Leave a comment

An associate of the late Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky was likely strangled to death at his London home three years ago, the BBC reported Saturday, citing a U.K. coroner ruling. Nikolai Glushkov, who was granted political asylum in Britain in 2010 after he was accused of defrauding Russia’s Aeroflot airline during his time as its…

In Photos: 60 Years of Yuri Gagarin’s Historic Space Journey

On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin blasted off onboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft, becoming the first human to journey into outer space. A major milestone for humanity and a triumph for Moscow in the U.S.-Soviet space race, the event’s anniversary is celebrated annually as Cosmonautics Day in Russia. Special events are being held…

Kremlin Says Not Moving Toward War With Ukraine

anotherBy admin April 11, 2021 Leave a comment

The Kremlin on Sunday said it was not moving toward war with Ukraine as Russia increased its military presence on the border with Ukraine’s eastern breakaway territories. In recent weeks fighting has intensified between Ukraine’s army and pro-Russian separatists controlling two regions in the country’s east, raising concerns of major escalation in the long-running conflict. …

Maria Kuznetsova’s Second Novel is ‘Something Unbelievable’

MoscowBy admin April 11, 2021 Leave a comment

At the beginning of Maria Kuznetsova’s second novel, Natasha, a young mother in New York, chats with her grandmother Larissa in Ukraine via Skype. Larissa has the following advice for her granddaughter who is struggling to adapt to her new parental responsibilities: If you train that girl to sleep in your arms, she will become…

Ukraine-Russia Crisis Must be Resolved Peacefully – Erdogan

anotherBy admin April 11, 2021 Leave a comment

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Saturday for a peaceful resolution of Ukraine’s tensions with Russia based on respect of its territorial integrity. Flanked by his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul that Turkey aims “to ensure the Black Sea remains a sea of peace and cooperation” as U.S. warships were due to…

The Seductive Charms of Chopped Liver

MoscowBy admin April 10, 2021 Leave a comment

“What am I, chopped liver?” Such a marvelous phrase with so many applications. Tyrion, our black lab bounds towards my husband nine times out of ten, even though I’m the one with a full pocket of treats. “What I am I, Tyrion? Chopped liver?” I ask him. It turns out that Tyrion actually loves chopped…

Russian Agents Raid Home of Investigative Journalist

anotherBy admin April 10, 2021 Leave a comment

Russian security agents on Friday raided the home of the editor of an online investigative journal that recently published articles on the security services, his editorial team said. Operatives of the FSB security agency searched the apartment of Roman Anine, his Vajnye istorii investigative news website colleagues said. They cited his lawyer saying that Anine…

Russia Reshuffles Regional Heads Ahead of Fall Elections

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to remove Vyacheslav Bitarov from his post as head of the republic of North Ossetia, replacing him with former Sevastopol governor Sergei Menyailo, the Kremlin said Friday. Bitarov becomes the latest regional head to lose his post this week, joining the republic of Tuva’s head Sholban Kara-ool and Ulyanovsk…

Ukraine Rules Out Offensive Against Pro-Russia Separatists

Ukraine said on Friday it would not launch an offensive against pro-Russia separatists controlling two regions in the east, as fears grow of a major escalation in a long-running conflict. The statement came after fighting between the Ukrainian army and separatists intensified in recent weeks and Russia massed troops on the border. “The liberation of the temporarily occupied…

Putin Sends Queen Elizabeth II Condolences Following Prince Philip’s Death

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences to Queen Elizabeth II following the death of her husband, Prince Philip, the Kremlin said Friday. The Duke of Edinburgh, the longest serving royal consort in British history, died Friday at age 99. He was discharged from hospital in March a month after treatment for an infection and…

U.S. to Send 2 Warships to Black Sea Amid Russia-Ukraine Tension, Turkey Says

The United States plans to send two warships to the Black Sea in a show of its support for Ukraine amid Russian militarization along its border, Turkey’s foreign ministry was reported as saying Friday. Turkey’s statement confirms reporting that the U.S. Navy was considering Black Sea deployments to send a message to Moscow. The White…

Rosneft Shows Record Positive Dynamics in Sustainalytics ESG Rating

MoscowBy admin April 9, 2021 Leave a comment

Rosneft Oil Company continues to strengthen its position in leading international ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) ratings

In Photos: Long-Awaited Spring Arrives in Moscow

Following weeks of bitter winter weather that held its grip on Russia’s capital despite the start of calendar spring, Muscovites finally have a chance to enjoy some warmer temperatures and sunshine. This winter season was marked by record-setting snowfalls and some of the coldest temperatures Moscow has seen in recent years, making the springtime’s arrival…

Rosneft Assesses Opportunities for Production Carbon-Neutral Hydrogen

By the end of 2020, the volume of hydrogen production at Rosneft’s facilities, including foreign assets, was about 400,000 tonnes

Polar Bear Research Expedition Launched Featuring Rosneft

Employees of the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Arctic Research Centre of Rosneft have commenced a study of the polar bear population on Alexandra Land in the Franz Josef Land archipelago within the territory of the Russian Arctic National Park

Russian Court Orders Tighter Laws to Stem Domestic Violence

Russia’s Constitutional Court on Friday ordered stronger laws to punish repeat domestic violence offenders, saying both the penalties as well as protection for victims were insufficient. Activists have been lobbying for stricter legislation and measures to prevent domestic violence, which has been rampant in Russia for years. The ruling follows an appeal filed by a…

Russia Moves Ground Troops, Ballistic Missile Systems Near Ukraine Border – British Analysts

British defense analysts said Thursday they have identified Russian ballistic missile systems deployed alongside over a dozen tank and rocket launcher units on the Ukrainian border amid concerns of renewed hostilities. Military monitors and the White House say Russia has amassed the largest concentration of forces near eastern Ukraine since the conflict between Ukrainian forces…

3-Man Crew Docks at ISS After Flight Honoring Gagarin

BusinessBy admin April 9, 2021 Leave a comment

A three-man crew docked at the international Space Station Friday after a flight honouring the 60th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becoming the first person in space. A Soyuz capsule carrying Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky and Pyotr Dubrov and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei docked at 11:05 GMT, footage broadcasted by NASA TV showed. …

Core Melt Localization Device Installed at Unit 4 of Kudankulam NPP (India)

The case of the core melt localization device or the so-called core catcher has been installed in the design position under the reactor pit of power unit No.4 of Kudankulam NPP which is under construction in India under VVER-1000 Russian design. “The installation of the core catcher in the design position is an important step…

The Nail Tech to LA’s Hottest Influencers Is From Small-Town Russia

MoscowBy admin April 9, 2021 Leave a comment

With clients like Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber, Olesya Kondratyeva is one of the most in-demand nail technicians among LA’s countless bloggers and influencers. With its glitzy celebrity culture, laid-back pace, palm trees and sunshine, Los Angeles is a far cry from her birthplace Tver, a Russian city of 400,000 northwest of Moscow. Kondratyeva, 28,…

U.S. Won’t Confirm Plans to Send Warships to Black Sea Amid Russia-Ukraine Escalation

The U.S. Defense Department will not confirm reported plans to send warships to the Black Sea in support of Ukraine amid Russia’s militarization along its border, Russian state media reported Friday. CNN reported Thursday that the U.S. Navy was considering Black Sea deployments in the next few weeks to “send a specific message to Moscow…

Sputnik V Developer Confirms Jab Is Less Effective Against South African Variant

The developer of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine has confirmed the jab is less effective against the South African variant of the virus, but claimed that the Russian-made vaccine still offers better protection against virus mutations than its rivals. In an interview with state-run news agency Interfax, Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya Institute which…

Notorious Russian Pranksters Foiled in Latest Hoax — Navalny Aide