Crew in No Danger After ISS Issues Resolved – Russia

The International Space Station is now working normally with no danger to its occupants after the crew managed to resolve a series of technical issues overnight, Russia’s space agency said Tuesday. The crew aboard the ISS had reported issues with the oxygen production system, a toilet and the oven for preparing food. “The problems that occurred…

Ex-Vedomosti Journalists’ VTimes News Website Goes Live

A group of former Vedomosti business daily senior editors and journalists has launched a new Russian-language news website Tuesday in partnership with The Moscow Times.  The project came to life after the appointment of a pro-Kremlin editor-in-chief at Vedomosti sparked accusations of censorship and a mass resignation earlier this year.  VTimes, which aims to continue…

Belarus Moves Detained U.S. Analyst to House Arrest — Lawyer

The authorities in Belarus have moved to house arrest a high-profile American political analyst and strategist held for over two-and-a-half months in jail as President Alexander Lukashenko cracks down on opponents, his lawyer said on Monday. Vitali Shkliarov, a Harvard University fellow who has advised presidential candidates in the U.S., Russia and Ukraine, was detained…

Moscow Mayor: Return to Full Lockdown ‘Impossible’

Moscow will not return to a full coronavirus lockdown like it did in spring as long as residents abide by current restrictions, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Monday as new cases continued to rise. The epicenter of Russia’s Covid-19 outbreak, Moscow confirmed 5,376 new infections in the past 24 hours and almost 367,000 since the start…

Russia Sets One-Day Coronavirus Record With Nearly 16K Cases

Russia confirmed 15,982 new Covid-19 cases Monday, bringing its official number of cases to 1,415,316 and breaking the country’s record for new infections. The latest one-day record comes as Russia for the first time since the start of the pandemic confirmed more than 100,000 Covid-19 cases within a week. Russia’s national coronavirus information center said…

Mass Fish Die-Off in Southern Russia Sparks Probe

Thousands of dead fish washed up on the shores of a reservoir in southern Russia’s republic of Kalmykia this weekend, prompting fears of an environmental disaster. Witnesses filmed the fish carcasses lining the Arshan-Zelmen reservoir, describing an “absolutely terrible” smell and pointing to emissions from factories in nearby regions as a possible cause. Investigators have…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Oct. 18

Russia has confirmed 1,399,334 cases of coronavirus and 24,187 deaths. Oct. 18: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 15,099 new Covid-19 cases Sunday, bringing its official number of cases to 1,399,334. Russia resumed flights with Serbia and Cuba on Oct. 15 and will resume flights with Japan from Nov. 1, the RBC news website reported, citing Russia’s air transport…

East and West Meet Over Borshch Deliciously

I love soup season, and where I live, this lasts about nine months of the year.  As you may imagine, borshch is in heavy rotation in our household, but as I’ve written before, no two pots of borshch are ever the same. There is no hard and fast recipe for borshch; it varies depending on…

W. House Calls Putin Proposal on Nuclear Treaty ‘Non-Starter’

The United States on Friday rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to extend the New START nuclear treaty for one year unconditionally, countering that both nations must cap warheads during the period. “President Putin’s response today to extend New START without freezing nuclear warheads is a non-starter,” said Robert O’Brien, the national security advisor. O’Brien…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Oct. 16

Russia has confirmed 1,369,313 cases of coronavirus and 23,723 deaths. Oct. 16: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 15,150 new Covid-19 cases Friday, bringing its official number of cases to 1,369,313 and breaking the record for new infections. Russia resumed flights with Serbia and Cuba on Oct. 15 and will resume flights with Japan from Nov. 1, the RBC…

Kinotavr 2020 Festival: Better Late Than Never

In the era of Covid-19 Kinotavr, aka the Open Russian Film Festival, was postponed from June until September. It took place at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, and despite social distancing and other precautions, several directors, actors and film critics still got infected with the coronavirus. It’s just as well that we are watching…

Putin Proposes Closing Gay Marriage Loophole – Vedomosti

President Vladimir Putin wants to enact changes that would ban Russian authorities from recognizing gay marriages registered outside the country, the Vedomosti business daily reported Thursday.  A legal loophole in Russia’s family law recognizes same-sex couples who have tied the knot abroad as long as they’re not close relatives or are already married. This led…

Kyrgyzstan PM Claims Presidential Powers in Post-Vote Crisis

Kyrgyzstan’s new prime minister Sadyr Japarov claimed presidential powers on Thursday after the Central Asian country’s head of state Sooronbay Jeenbekov resigned amid a post-election crisis. “The powers of the president and the prime minister have been transferred to me,” Sadyr Japarov told cheering supporters on Thursday, after Jeenbekov resigned and the parliament speaker refused…

Russia Pulls Out of MH17 Talks With Australia, Netherlands

Russia has withdrawn from talks with Australia and the Netherlands launched nearly two years ago to establish responsibility for the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Moscow said the Dutch government’s “unfriendly” move this summer to take Russia to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for its role…

Russia Suspends Aid Until Kyrgyzstan ‘Stabilizes’ – RBC

Russia has suspended its financial assistance to the cash-strapped Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan until political stability is restored there, the RBC news website reported Wednesday, citing a Finance Ministry source and another federal official.  The Kyrgyz government, a Russian ally, has been paralyzed since protesters chased out its president following disputed parliamentary elections on…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Oct. 15

Russia has confirmed 1,354,163 cases of coronavirus and 23,491 deaths. Oct. 15: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 13,754 new Covid-19 cases Thursday, bringing its official number of cases to 1,354,163. A record 286 people have died from the virus in the past 24 hours. Starting Oct. 19, Muscovites will be required to register their phone numbers before they…

Kyrgyzstan President Resigns to End Post-Election Crisis

Kyrgyzstan’s President Sooronbay Jeenbekov resigned on Thursday, saying he wanted to bring an end to the crisis sparked by disputed parliamentary elections earlier this month. Protests had erupted after the election on Oct. 4 was won by parties loyal to Jeenbekov but opponents said was hit by vote-buying. The results were later annulled but this…

Soviet Icon Cheburashka to Appear in New Movie

Soviet film lovers rejoice! None other than the iconic Cheburashka will return to the big screen in 2022. Produced by the famous Soyuzmultfilm, the new movie will be a collaboration between Russian independent studio YBA and Disney, with production set to begin in 2021. Cheburashka made his on-screen debut in a 1969 film by Soviet…

Russia Approves 2nd Coronavirus Vaccine – Putin

Russia has approved its second coronavirus vaccine, President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday as the peptide-based shot developed by a Siberian biotech company readies for large-scale trials. “Novosibirsk’s Vektor [State Virology and Biotechnology Center] has registered the second Russian coronavirus vaccine today,” Putin said via televised video conference. Putin said that Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova…

Russia to Resume Flights With Japan, Cuba and Serbia

Russia plans to resume flights to Japan, Serbia and Cuba starting next month, the country’s coronavirus crisis center announced Wednesday. From Nov. 1, airports in Moscow will be able to operate two flights per week to Tokyo, Belgrade and the Cuban islands of Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa Maria. One weekly flight will operate from Russia’s…

New Crew Reaches ISS in Record Time

A three-person crew successfully reached the International Space Station on Wednesday aboard a Russian rocket after the fastest ever journey from Earth of just over three hours. The mission of the Soyuz space craft carrying two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut was of immense importance to Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, coming as the SpaceX…

EU Agrees Russia Sanctions Over Navalny Poisoning

The EU on Wednesday agreed to impose sanctions on six people and one entity over the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny with a Novichok nerve agent, diplomats told AFP. Ambassadors from the 27 EU countries approved sanctions after France and Germany proposed measures last week, saying Russia was responsible for the poisoning. In line with…

Russian Hospitals Near Capacity With Coronavirus Patients

Russian hospitals are near capacity with coronavirus patients as new infections break records and authorities attempt to slow the second wave of the virus, a top health official said Tuesday. “To date, hospital bed occupancy is almost 90%,” Deputy Health Minister Oleg Gridnev was quoted as saying at a conference by Interfax. Gridnev said one-fifth…

Norway Says Russia Behind Cyber Attack on Parliament

Norway’s government on Tuesday said that it believes Russia was behind an August cyber attack targeting the email system of the country’s parliament. Hackers gained access to some lawmakers’ messages in the attack. “Based on the information the government has, it is our view that Russia is responsible for these activities,” Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen…

Belarus Opposition Leader Gives Lukashenko Ultimatum to Resign

Belarus’s exiled opposition leader on Tuesday gave strongman President Alexander Lukashenko a deadline of two weeks to resign, halt violence and release political prisoners, warning he would otherwise face a crippling general strike. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who maintains she was the true winner of an Aug. 9 election, issued what she said was a “people’s ultimatum,”…

Moscow Confronts Second Coronavirus Wave, in Photos

As a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic hits Russia, Moscow is once again eyeing new restrictions to prevent the virus’ spread among the city’s 12.7 million people. As of Tuesday, Moscow has confirmed 339,431 cases of Covid-19, with 264,500 patients recovered. Here’s a look at life in Russia’s capital amid the second wave: