An unseasonably rare forest fire has engulfed the Russian tundra as the country faces significant changes from climate change, Interfax reported Wednesday. Some 360 hectares are burning despite below-zero temperatures in the Magadan region some 10,000 kilometers east of Moscow. “The tundra is usually covered with snow at this time of year, so such fires…
Rosneft will report its Q3 2021 IFRS financial results on Friday, November 12, 2021.
Russian films and filmmakers had a banner year at international festivals, particularly the two European film festivals that remain the most prestigious venues for films and the film industry. At the Cannes Film Festival Russian filmmakers showed six films and left with three prizes. At the 78th Venice International Film Festival, Russia brought four films…
Moscow authorities have been cracking down on businesses staying open illegally during the city’s partial lockdown, as some company owners say they have no choice but to test the rules or risk going under. Officials posted clips of raids and searches of a number of premises that were reportedly violating Moscow’s shutdown earlier this week…
U.S. President Joe Biden has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping for not attending the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on Tuesday. Putin, citing coronavirus concerns in his decision to avoid traveling to the summit, recorded a video address that was delivered at COP26. Russia’s 270-person delegation was led by Putin’s climate…
Russia is calling on the United States to send embassy staff to Moscow in order to resume U.S. visa services, senior Russian diplomats said Tuesday. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov issued the invitation after the U.S. Embassy in Moscow stopped processing immigrant visas, requiring Russians to travel to the Embassy in Warsaw to apply. The U.S. State…
Background The Tambeyskoye field in the Yamal Peninsula is located within three licensed blocks that are currently owned by Gazprom Nedra: Severo-Tambeysky, Zapadno-Tambeysky, and Tasiysky. In May 2021, Gazprom and RusGazDobycha signed the Master Agreement on the implementation of a joint project for the development of the Tambeyskoye field. On November 1, 2021, the general meeting of the founding members of Gazprom Dobycha Tambey took place. During the…
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency director William Burns met the head of Russia’s powerful Security Council for talks in Moscow on Tuesday, the council’s press service said. Burns and Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev discussed “Russian-American relations,” it said in a terse statement. Burns’ visit to Moscow was not previously announced and the Security Council released…
Russia is not one of over 90 countries that promised at the COP26 summit Tuesday to slash their methane emissions, The New York Times reported. Experts say cutting methane, which can heat the atmosphere up to 80 times as fast as carbon dioxide, is the single most effective way of reducing short-term greenhouse gas emissions…
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday told his defense chiefs to work on further developing Russia’s arsenal of drones, especially through artificial intelligence. During a meeting with senior Defense Ministry officials, Putin said the military already had more than 2,000 drones at its disposal. “More work must be done on this… in particular through the use…
Russia’s Supreme Court will not hear the case of the surviving descendants of Stalin-era Gulag prisoners fighting for state compensation, according to a court database spotted by Russian media Tuesday. The dwindling group of so-called “Gulag Children” filed a class action lawsuit against Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, last week to demand the…
As world leaders gather in Glasgow for the COP26 climate summit in hopes of agreeing on a strategy to avoid catastrophic global warming, Russia stands to face significant changes from climate change in the coming decades. Here’s a look at some of the ways Russia, which is warming 2.5 times faster than the planet, is…
Prominent Russian ex-journalist Ivan Safronov faces new charges of treason, his former lawyer said Tuesday as reports indicated that authorities were wrapping up their investigation into his case. Though case materials are classified, investigators allege that NATO recruited Safronov in 2012 and that he passed secret information on Russia’s military activities in the Middle East…
Foreign tourists are canceling trips to Russia in droves over confusion surrounding digital coronavirus passes after current nationwide restrictions are lifted, the Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) said Tuesday. ATOR head Maya Lomidze said foreign visitors vaccinated with non-Russian jabs are not allowed to visit popular tourist destinations like museums and theaters in certain…
Ukraine has denied reports of a Russian military buildup near its eastern border that raised fears of a new escalation in fighting with pro-Moscow separatists. The statement came hours before a government official said Tuesday that Ukraine’s Defense Minister Andriy Taran had resigned — reportedly on health grounds. Taran, who had led the ministry since…
Ukraine has denied reports of a Russian military build-up near its eastern border that raised fears of a new escalation in fighting with pro-Moscow separatists. Social media videos in recent days showed Russian military trains and truck convoys moving tanks and missiles in the country’s southwest near the Ukrainian border. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told…
Muscovites were treated to a supernatural sight Monday evening as a thick white fog swiftly descended upon the city. Like a scene from a horror movie, the mist blanketed the Russian capital almost completely, significantly reducing visibility and transforming all light into an eerie glow. Under this mist, the Russian capital appears even more enigmatic…
Russia has joined over 100 countries in promising to end deforestation by 2030, in the first major deal of the COP26 climate summit taking place in Glasgow this week. The pledge, to be announced Tuesday, includes around $20 billion in funds for protection of woodlands worldwide, according to summit hosts the British government. Felling forests…
Russia will soon implement nationwide digital passes showing proof of vaccination or recent recovery from coronavirus to enter public areas and events, the state-run TASS news agency reported Monday. News of the digital pass system, which was first briefly used in Moscow this summer, comes amid a nationwide paid holiday aimed at reversing a record surge…
Half of Russians are unafraid of contracting the coronavirus, according to an independent Levada Center poll published Monday. While 50% of Russian respondents said they are unafraid of contracting the virus, the Levada poll found that 48% are afraid of it, an increase from 43% in August. The country with Europe’s highest Covid-19 death toll…
Message to the Media November 1, 2021, 15:00 According to preliminary data, Gazprom produced 422.6 billion cubic meters of gas in January–October of 2021, which is 15.8 per cent (or 57.7 billion cubic meters) more than in the same period of last year. Gazprom ramped up its domestic supplies from the gas transmission system by 17.2 per cent (or by 28.8 billion cubic meters) over said period of 2021. The Company…
Russian authorities said Monday that doctors were under “extraordinary” strain due to surging coronavirus cases in Europe’s worst-hit country, with Moscow shuttered during a nationwide holiday to curb infections. The capital was quiet on the first morning of the working week, with businesses mostly closed and non-essential services in the capital halted from Oct. 28…
Russia is cutting its greenhouse gas emissions faster than the G7 group of nations, President Vladimir Putin said in his video address to the G20 summit in Rome on Sunday. Russia is heating 2.5 times faster than the rest of the planet and its Arctic regions are warming especially fast, Putin told the meeting of…
A recent leak at a pipeline owned by Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom pumped a huge cloud of potent greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere, Bloomberg reported, citing satellite tracking data from geoanalytics firm Kayrros SAS. Some 164 metric tons of methane (CH4) leaked into the atmosphere during a single hour of repairs on a…
Solar energy in Russia might be on the verge of a major expansion, thanks to a government support program for renewable energy sources, industry experts told The Moscow Times. Russia, the world’s fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has historically relied on its vast oil and gas reserves to bolster its economy. But the Kremlin has…
Russian billionaire Oleg Tinkov was required to pay nearly $509 million to settle U.S. charges of tax evasion, the U.S. Justice Department said Friday. The banking and investment tycoon paid the back taxes and fine after pleading guilty on October 1 to felony charges of concealing more than $1 billion in assets to avoid paying…
Russia’s excess death toll since the start of the coronavirus pandemic climbed to 723,000 even before the latest and most deadly wave of the virus took hold across the country, analysis of official government data shows. The Rosstat government statistics office said Friday that 201,945 people died from all causes during the month of September…
While Halloween isn’t a widely celebrated holiday in Russia, there are plenty of scary, spellbinding and downright gruesome tales to be found in the country’s rich literary and cinematic canons. And with Russia on partial lockdown starting Saturday, there’s no better way to spend Halloween than revisiting some of these at home. We’ve compiled a…
Is it just me, or is there a distinct lack of urgency about Russia’s latest lockdown, or “non-working week,” as the authorities are billing it? The worrying rise in COVID cases suggests that a week (at least) is well warranted, but there is something about this time around that feels more like the frantic run…
Russia’s Federal Statistics Agency Rosstat said Friday that 44,265 people died of coronavirus in the country in September — double the official government figure. That brings the agency’s tally of Covid-19 deaths in Russia to nearly 450,000, the highest toll in Europe. Russian authorities have been accused of downplaying the effects of the Covid-19…
October 29, 2021, 21:10 Based on the results of the negotiations held by Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, with Andrei Spinu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development of the Republic of Moldova, and Vadim Ceban, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Moldovagaz, the protocol for the settlement of current issues in the gas sector was signed today in St. Petersburg.…
October 29, 2021, 19:25 Gazprom is committed to preserving the favorable environment for the benefit of the current and future generations. The results of the Company’s production activities have the lowest carbon footprint among the world’s oil & gas majors. Gazprom continues the work aiming specifically to further reduce its environmental impacts. The Company has made a decision to implement a 1.5-fold expansion of its fleet of mobile compressor…
Moscow is on a partial lockdown until Nov. 7, which means that the only cultural venues open are theaters and museums. Conditions vary, so be sure to check on the venue’s website before you register to attend an event. In most cases children under the age of 18 are freely admitted, but anyone older than…
A St. Petersburg blogger known for exploring abandoned urban and industrial sites has been sentenced to prison for spreading state secrets abroad. Investigators say Andrei Pyzh, 37, illegally obtained information relating to the design and technical features of classified facilities in the Moscow region from December 2018 until the time of his August 2020 detention. …
From an unprecedented fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic to a Nobel Peace Prize for a leading independent newspaper’s chief editor, Russia has had no shortage of major news events this month. But outside the global headlines, ordinary life still goes on for many Russians — as it does in many of these photos. Here’s…
Background Analysis of actual weather conditions in Russia and Europe over the past few years confirms that the winter period now includes the spring month of March. Therefore, efforts for ensuring the availability of sufficient reserves in underground gas storage (UGS) facilities and maintaining their high deliverability by the beginning of spring are among the key factors for successful operation in the season…
October 29, 2021, 16:30 A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Rovnag Abdullayev, President of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), took place today in St. Petersburg. The parties discussed the potential avenues for their cooperation in the energy sector. Alexey Miller Rovnag Abdullayev (center) Background SOCAR is Azerbaijan’s largest state-owned petroleum company engaged…
A Moscow court has sentenced two bloggers to nearly a year in prison for staging an X-rated photoshoot across from St. Basil’s Cathedral near the Kremlin, the state-run TASS news agency reported Friday. Ruslan Bobiyev, an internet prankster from ex-Soviet Tajikistan, stirred outrage last month with the photo of himself standing in front of St.…
Several Russian regions are facing medical oxygen shortages because of surging numbers of Covid-19 cases, doctors, oxygen suppliers and officials told The Moscow Times. Hospitals are struggling to find supplies of liquid oxygen to boost the lung function of patients as the country continues to see consecutive daily death records and has gone into partial…
Vogue Russia has featured a plus-size model on its cover for the first time in its 23-year history, drawing equal celebration and condemnation. The magazine’s November issue, which focuses on the upsides and downsides of the modeling industry, features Dutch model Jill Kortleve wrapped in a black Gucci jacket with feather trim, her unretouched backside…
When the Russian delegation touches down in Glasgow for the Cop26 climate summit this weekend, it will be representing a country with an increasingly split personality on environmental issues. Though still the world’s fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the Russia that will be on show in Scotland is one that has abandoned its previous refusal…
The United States and its allies on Thursday urged Russia to protect media freedom, condemning what they called a crackdown on independent outlets. In a joint statement, the United States and 17 other nations including France, Germany, and Britain said that Russia’s strenuous new requirements on media to label themselves as “foreign agents,” with fines…
A veteran Communist Party lawmaker has been detained on charges of illegal hunting in central Russia, police said Friday. Police in the Saratov region said they opened a criminal case into hunting without a license against Valery Rashkin and another man accompanying him in his vehicle. While responding to reports of gunfire in the area,…
29 October 2021, Ankara, Turkey – Turkey’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority’s Board has agreed to issue a construction license for Unit 4 of Akkuyu NPP to Akkuyu Nuclear JSC. The issuing of this license means that all construction and installation work pertaining to Unit 4, including that of nuclear safety facilities, can now be started. The…
Russia reported a record number of coronavirus deaths Friday as most of the country headed into its last day before a partial lockdown aimed at curbing soaring infections. According to government figures, 1,163 people died from Covid in the past 24 hours. That brings the official death toll to 236,220 — Europe’s highest — though…
The health of Georgia’s most famous prisoner, former president Mikheil Saakashvili, has deteriorated after nearly a month of a hunger strike. But the weaker he gets, the bigger problem he is becoming for the Georgian government. Saakashvili has been refusing food for nearly a month since he was detained following his dramatic, surreptitious return to Georgia at…
Last night in London, the 9th Pushkin House Book Prize was awarded to Archie Brown, Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Oxford, for “The Human Factor: Gorbachev, Reagan and Thatcher and the End of the Cold War,” published by Oxford University Press. In giving the award, Fiona Hill, chair of the judges, said…
An annual commemoration of victims of Stalinist repressions has resumed live in person Friday after going online due to the coronavirus pandemic last year. The Memorial human rights group organizes the “Returning the Names” ceremony, an annual gathering outside the former KGB headquarters in central Moscow that takes place every Oct. 29. Participants read the names,…
On October 26, 2021, the Transfighter vessel with shipload cargo for Kudankulam NPP that is under construction in Tamil Nadu State (Republic of India) left St. Petersburg for the port of Tuticorin in India. According to Alexander Kvasha, First Deputy Director for Projects in India – Technical Director of JSC ASE, “this batch of equipment…
The agreement will contribute to the creation of an international research center based on the MBIR reactor (IRC MBIR) and the formation of a competence center for the development of generation 4 reactor technologies. On October 27, in Dubna, Leader of IRC MBIR Consortium, LLC (subsidiary of ROSATOM) and Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR)…
A prominent Russian human rights lawyer who fled Russia to escape criminal charges has been placed on the country’s wanted list, he said Thursday. Ivan Pavlov left Russia for the Caucasus republic of Georgia in early September after authorities charged him with disclosing details of an investigation into his former client, jailed journalist Ivan Safronov. Russian…
Background In 2020, Gazprom supplied 3.05 billion cubic meters of gas to Moldova, an increase of 5.5 per cent against 2019 (2.89 billion cubic meters). Moldovagaz is a joint Russian-Moldovan company set up by Gazprom, the Moldovan Government, and the Ministry of Industry of Transnistria. On September 30, 2021, Gazprom and Moldovagaz signed the document to extend the existing contract for Russian gas supplies to the Republic of Moldova for one month from October…
October 28, 2021, 17:15 The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the provision of medical services and health & disease control measures at Gazprom, its subsidiaries and entities. It was highlighted that the protection of employee health is among the priorities of the Company’s social policy. The employees are provided with timely, easily accessible and high-quality medical services and undergo preventive…
October 28, 2021, 17:05 The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the progress of the projects for the production and supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). It was noted that the Company’s work in this promising direction will make it possible to strengthen the position of Gazprom in foreign markets and address in a more flexible manner the tasks related to providing reliable gas supplies to domestic consumers.…
President Vladimir Putin’s approval ratings are once again on the rise, according to an independent Levada Center poll published Thursday. The Russian president enjoys the approval of 67% of Russian respondents despite weeks of record Covid-19 infections and deaths that the authorities have largely pinned on slow vaccination uptake. Putin ordered a nationwide partial lockdown…
October 28, 2021, 16:55 The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the progress of the Company’s major investment projects. In the east of Russia, the Company continues pre-development operations at the Chayandinskoye field, which forms the basis for the Yakutia gas production center. Systematic development of gas producing wells is underway at the field, and the construction of auxiliary production facilities for the oil rim is nearing…
October 28, 2021, 16:45 The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the impact of the events of 2021 on the long-term outlook for the global energy market. This year’s most significant trends are economic recovery and growth in energy consumption. According to preliminary estimates, global gas consumption is going to rise by 150 billion cubic meters to 4.2 trillion cubic meters in 2021. The largest…
Russian authorities will probe whether a visitor who hung a portrait of himself at the famed Hermitage Museum broke the law against insulting veterans, St. Petersburg media reported Wednesday. According to the Fontanka.ru news website, Kirill Smorodin hung the portrait of himself wearing 19th-century military uniform at the museum’s Patriotic War of 1812 exhibit last…
Chief Executive Officer of Rosneft Igor Sechin has presented a keynote speech at the special session “Reliable energy and global energy transition” at the XIV Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona (Italy).
For years the Alexander Palace has been a lovely classical structure viewed in the distance at the Tsarskoye Selo complex outside St. Petersburg. Built in 1796 by Giacomo Quarenghi for Catherine the Great for her favorite grandson, Alexander (to become Emperor Alexander I), it became the unofficial summer residence for emperors-to-be: Nicholas I and Alexander…