Rosneft Expanding Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Geography for Greenhouse Gas Monitoring
Rosneft is expanding the geography of its use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for greenhouse gas monitoring.
Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe, Russia’s Performance Artist Extraordinaire
The Here Gallery on Taganka has opened a show in memory of one of the most eccentric Moscow performance artists, Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe (1969-2013). The show is called “The Magic Rainbow Flower” after a children’s book by Valentin Katayev about a multicolored magical flower that grants wishes. The show, a memorial to this unique Russian performance…
Moscow Police Visit Navalny Supporters’ Leaked Addresses – Reports
Police in Moscow have begun visiting addresses of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s supporters that had been leaked online, Russian media reported late Tuesday. At least one Navalny supporter was reportedly asked to file a statement against the opposition leader over the illegal collection of personal data days after authorities filed a new criminal charge…
Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | August 18
Russia has confirmed 6,663,473 cases of coronavirus and 172,909 deaths, according to the national coronavirus information center. Russia’s total excess fatality count since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is around 531,000. August 18: What you need to know today Russia on Wednesday reported 20,914 new coronavirus cases and 799 pandemic deaths. Thailand will allow tourists vaccinated with Russia’s Sputnik V to…
3 Dead After Russian Military Transport Plane Prototype Crashes Near Moscow
A Russian military transport aircraft prototype has crashed during a test flight outside Moscow, killing all three crew members on board, the aircraft’s developers said. Videos of the incident broadcast on state media and shared on social media showed the aircraft tipping to one side and falling to the ground after its right engine caught fire.…
Russia’s 2021 Wildfires Now Largest in Its Recorded History
Russia’s 2021 wildfires are already its largest in the history of satellite observations, burning across 17.08 million hectares of land, the Greenpeace Russia environmental group has said. The new record beats the previous record set in 2012, when fires burned 17 million hectares of land across Russia, and comes with weeks left to go in…
Russia Hails ‘Positive Signal’ From Taliban
Russia said Tuesday that the Taliban’s initial assurances since completing their military takeover of Afghanistan have been a “positive signal” and that the militants are behaving in a “civilized manner.” Moscow has been cautiously optimistic of the new leadership in Kabul and is seeking contact with the militants in an effort to avoid instability spilling…
North Macedonia Expels Russian Diplomat
Newly minted NATO member North Macedonia has expelled its second Russian diplomat this year, Balkan media reported and Moscow confirmed Tuesday. Citing unnamed foreign ministry sources, the Almakos news website said Monday that the Russian diplomat, an unidentified deputy military attaché, was expelled last Wednesday. According to the Balkan Insight, North Macedonia’s foreign ministry said…
U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan Was a ‘Bad Idea’: Gorbachev
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev who ended the U.S.S.R.’s decade-long war in Afghanistan in 1989, on Tuesday warned against repeating the mistakes of the U.S. invasion of the country. “From the very start (the U.S. invasion) was a bad idea, although Russia initially supported it,” Gorbachev told the RIA Novosti news agency. “Failure should have…
Rosneft Using 3D Technology to Train Employees
Specialists from the Tyumen Petroleum Research Centre (Rosneft’s research and development institute) have developed software to conduct virtual tours across the Company’s Sorovskoye field.
Orenburgneft Cuts Water Consumption from Natural Sources
Orenburgneft, an enterprise of the upstream complex of Rosneft Oil Company, has reduced water intake from natural sources at the Lebyazhinskoye field by 28%.
Argentine Health Minister Visits Russia to Discuss Vaccine Supplies – TASS
Argentina’s health minister and presidential adviser are visiting Russia to discuss delays in the supplies of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the state-run TASS news agency reported Monday. Argentina was among the first countries to use Sputnik V but hit “critical” second-dose shortages in late spring. Argentine presidential adviser Cecilia Nicolini said in a leaked…
Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | August 17
Russia has confirmed 6,642,559 cases of coronavirus and 172,110 deaths, according to the national coronavirus information center. Russia’s total excess fatality count since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is around 531,000. August 17: What you need to know today Russia on Tuesday reported 20,958 new coronavirus cases and 805 pandemic deaths. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has cancelled rules requiring employers in…
Russia Sees Kabul ‘Stabilizing’, Taliban ‘Restoring Order’
The Russian foreign ministry said Monday the situation in Kabul was “stabilizing” after the Afghan capital fell to the Taliban who have started to “restore public order”. Russia’s ambassador was due to meet the Taliban on Tuesday and Moscow claimed the militants had vowed to “guarantee the safety of local people”, despite thousands of Afghans…
In Photos: Paying Tribute to Kino Frontman Viktor Tsoi
Viktor Tsoi, the founder and frontman of legendary Soviet rock band Kino, died in a car crash 31 years ago on Aug. 15, 1990. Today, his legacy lives on across the post-Soviet world. To honor his memory on the anniversary of his death, fans gathered on Old Arbat in central Moscow:
As Chaos Engulfs Kabul, Russia Says It’s Ready to Work With the Taliban
In the day since a Taliban offensive swept away the U.S.-backed Afghan government, Russian officials are taking satisfaction from their principle global adversary’s humiliation as they prepare to work with the Islamist militia, Russian Afghanistan experts told The Moscow Times on Monday. “You can’t blame Russia for feeling a little smug about what is happening…
Russia Jails 4 Crimean Tatars for Extremism
Russia on Monday sentenced four Crimean Tatars to between 12 and 18 years in prison for taking part in a banned Islamic group, the defendants’ lawyer said. A military court in southern Russia “has carried out a guilty verdict,” lawyer Ayder Azamatov told the Interfax news agency. The four Crimean Tatars — a predominantly Muslim…
Navalny Spokeswoman Sentenced for Mass Protest ‘Coronavirus Violations’
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh has been sentenced over her role in this winter’s protests calling for his release, Russian media reported Monday. Yarmysh is at least the fourth Navalny ally to be convicted for violating coronavirus restrictions on mass events by calling on supporters to take to the streets in January…
Gaddafi’s Son Wanted Over Russian Mercenary War Crimes in Libya – BBC
Libya’s UN-backed government has issued an arrest warrant for toppled dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s son on charges of war crimes allegedly committed by shadowy Russian mercenaries, the BBC reported Friday. The order for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s arrest was made public after the British broadcaster published an investigation into possible war crimes committed by the Russian private…
St. Petersburg Start-Ups Make It Easy to Go Green
Three enthusiasts and an old garage is all it took to make a plastic-processing machine and then launch 99recycle, a brand that is now renowned across St. Petersburg for its handbags, fashion accessories and items of home decor made from processed plastic and textiles. The story of how it happened told by the brand’s co-founder…
Russia Recovers Bodies From Far East Helicopter Crash
Eight bodies have been recovered or found on board a helicopter that crashed into a lake on a sightseeing trip in Russia’s Far East, authorities said Monday. The Mi-8 helicopter was carrying 16 tourists and crew when it crash-landed Thursday into the Kuril Lake in poor visibility in the Kamchatka peninsula 6,500 kilometers east of…
Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | August 16
Russia has confirmed 6,621,601 cases of coronavirus and 171,305 deaths, according to the national coronavirus information center. Russia’s total excess fatality count since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is around 531,000. August 16: What you need to know today Russia on Monday reported 20,765 new coronavirus cases and 806 pandemic deaths. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has cancelled rules requiring employers in…
Russia to Partially Evacuate Kabul Embassy Staff After Taliban Takeover
Russia plans to partially evacuate staff from its embassy in Kabul following the Taliban’s swift takeover of the Afghan capital, a Foreign Ministry official said Monday. The United States military evacuated its embassy staff and other foreigners Sunday as the insurgent group’s forces entered Kabul and the Afghan government collapsed. At least three people have…
Luxembourg denies licence for Russia’s RT German channel
Luxembourg has refused to grant a licence for Russian state-backed network RT to broadcast a German-language channel from the country, the authorities said. “The Luxembourg Department of Media, Telecommunications and Digital Policy concluded that Luxembourg is not the competent jurisdiction for ‘RT auf Deutsch’ as the technical criteria are not met,” the office of Luxembourg…
Luxembourg Denies License for Russia’s RT German Channel
Luxembourg has refused to grant a license for Russian state-backed network RT to broadcast a German-language channel from the country, the authorities said. “The Luxembourg Department of Media, Telecommunications and Digital Policy concluded that Luxembourg is not the competent jurisdiction for ‘RT auf Deutsch’ as the technical criteria are not met,” the office of Luxembourg…
Russia says no plan to evacuate Kabul embassy
Russia does not plan to evacuate its embassy in Kabul as Taliban fighters reached the outskirts of the Afghan capital in their blistering military takeover of the country, foreign ministry official Zamir Kabulov told Russian agencies Sunday. “No evacuation is planned,” Kabulov said, adding that he was “in direct contact” with Moscow’s ambassador in Kabul and…
Moscow Denies BBC Reporter’s Expulsion Is Media Crackdown
Russia on Saturday said the expulsion of BBC reporter Sarah Rainsford was “retaliation” for London denying accreditation to an unnamed Russian reporter and had nothing to do with Moscow’s alleged bid to muzzle the media. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said “the saga goes back” to summer 2019, when a Russian reporter had to leave…
Russia Says All 8 Die in Water-Bomber Plane Crash in Turkey
Turkey battled disaster on two fronts on Saturday with eight people dying when a fire-fighting aircraft crashed and rescuers racing to find survivors of flash floods in the north that have killed at least 55. Ankara and Moscow announced that all eight people on the Russian plane had perished on the fire-fighting mission. The air…
Putin Alarmed Over ‘Unprecedented’ Natural Disasters in Russia
President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said the scale of natural disasters that have hit Russia this year is “absolutely unprecedented” as local officials ask for Moscow’s help to tackle fires and floods. A former skeptic of man-made climate change, the Russian leader called on authorities to do everything possible to help Siberians affected by the…
BBC Journalist Says Won’t Be Allowed Back to Russia
The BBC’s Moscow correspondent said Saturday she was told by the Russian authorities that she “can’t ever come back to Russia” after her visa was not renewed and she was effectively expelled from the country. Moscow told veteran correspondent Sarah Rainsford that she would have to leave the country when her current visa expires in…
Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | August 14
Russia has confirmed 6,557,068 cases of coronavirus and 169,683 deaths, according to the national coronavirus information center. Russia’s total excess fatality count since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is around 531,000. August 14: What you need to know today Russia on Saturday reported 22,144 new coronavirus cases and a new pandemic record of 819 deaths. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has cancelled…
Keep Cool With Herby Adjika Cucumber Salad
Food-related news in Russia caused a chuckle this week thanks to the story of Ksenia Ovchinnikova, a devout Orthodox Christian who is suing McDonald’s in Omsk because, she alleges, their advertisements for mouthwatering hamburgers caused her to break the rigid Lenten Fast. Ovchinnikova is asking for compensation for moral damages and the afront to her…
BBC Attacks Russia’s Shock Move to Expel Journalist
The BBC blasted Russian authorities Friday for their shock move to expel veteran correspondent Sarah Rainsford from the country. The news organization called the move a “direct assault on media freedom,” and said it was urging Russia to “reconsider” its decision. Authorities in Moscow said they would not extend Rainsford’s visa when it expires at…
What’s On in Moscow Aug. 13-15
Food fest If you happen to be in the city center, or if you happen to like the idea of high-class street food, head over to Tverskaya Ploshchad — by the statue of Yuri Dolgoruky on Tverskaya Ulitsa — and bring your appetite. As part of the Summer in the City festival, more than 50…
In Photos: Life Amid Siberia’s Devastating Wildfires
Russia’s largest, coldest region is blanketed by thick smoke from wildfires that have torn across the Siberian taiga at an unprecedented scale. Authorities the republic of Sakha (Yakutia) have declared a state of emergency over the rapidly advancing fires and hazardous smoke. Here’s a closer look at the scene from the ground that locals have…
Russia Blames Azerbaijan for Breach of Karabakh Truce in Post-Ceasefire First
The Russian military has blamed Azerbaijan for breaching its volatile truce with Armenia for the first time since deploying its peacekeeping mission, South Caucasus media reported Friday. Moscow has deployed around 2,000 peacekeepers in and around the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh to observe the ceasefire between the arch-enemies reached last November. Deadly clashes continued around…
Russia to Expel BBC Journalist Sarah Rainsford – Bloomberg
Russia has given veteran BBC correspondent Sarah Rainsford until the end of the month to leave the country in retaliation for what it called discrimination against Russian media in Britain, Bloomberg reported Friday. Rainsford’s visa expires on Aug. 31 and will not be renewed, Bloomberg cited the Russian state-run Rossiya 24 broadcaster as saying late…
Russian Jehovah’s Witness Jailed for ‘Bible Talk’
A longtime Jehovah’s Witness has been sentenced to prison in southern Russia this week for taking part in Bible discussions, the religious organization said Friday. Vasily Meleshko, 60, and his wife Zoya had been practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses for more than 30 years when they were violently detained this spring. The Abinsk district court in the…
Russia Reports Record Virus Deaths Second Day in a Row
Russia on Friday recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll for a second day running, even as the country’s outbreak epicenter Moscow lifted some restrictions. A government tally showed 815 Covid-19 fatalities over the past 24 hours and 22,277 new cases. Russia, the fourth worst-hit country in the world in terms of cases, has since…
Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | August 13
Russia has confirmed 6,557,068 cases of coronavirus and 168,864 deaths, according to the national coronavirus information center. Russia’s total excess fatality count since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is around 531,000. August 13: What you need to know today Russia on Friday reported 22,277 new coronavirus cases and a new pandemic record of 815 deaths. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin…
2 Dead, 17 Injured After Explosion on Russian Bus
Two women have died following an explosion on a bus in western Russia that also left 17 people injured, local authorities said on Friday. The explosion went off overnight Thursday when the bus carrying 35 passengers was at a stop near a shopping center. “The number of injured has risen to 19,” the governor of Voronezh region…
As Coronavirus Fatalities Hit a Record High, Russia’s Vaccination Campaign Falters
The pace of vaccinations across Russia has dropped by 60% in recent weeks, just as the country breaks records for the number of daily fatalities as a result of the coronavirus, according to an independent monitoring group. Russia is administering around 235,000 first doses a day of its anti-coronavirus vaccines — significantly down from 600,000…
Bus Explosion Kills One, Injures at Least 15 in Russian City of Voronezh
An explosion on a bus in the Russian city of Voronezh has killed one woman and left another 15 hospitalized, the Interfax state-run news agency has reported. The explosion tore through the vehicle Thursday evening while it was stationary and passengers were embarking, blowing out the windows and spraying debris across the street. Around 35…
Two Opposition Activists Handed 10-Year Prison Sentences
Two Russian opposition activists have been sentenced to more than a decade in prison in a case critics say is politically motivated. Lia Milushkina, the former head of Open Russia, an activist movement associated with exiled oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, in Russia’s Pskov region, was handed a 10.5-year sentence Thursday for selling an illegal substance, the…
Ukraine Sends Barbed Wire to Lithuania for Belarus Border
Ukraine has sent more than 38 tons of barbed wire to Lithuania as “humanitarian aid” as the EU country struggles to stem an influx of illegal migrants from neighboring Belarus, authorities said on Thursday. In July, Lithuania’s military started to put up barbed wire on the Belarus border to deter asylum seekers, most of whom…
Russia Arrests Hypersonic Aircraft Chief on Treason Suspicion
The head of Russia’s long-running hypersonic aircraft program has been detained on charges of high treason, state media reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources. Alexander Kuranov, 73, is the latest in a string of Russian scientists, academics and more to be suspected of passing state secrets to foreign countries in recent years. Kuranov is the general director…
Iran Slams Russian-British Recreation of Iconic Tehran Conference Photo
Iranian officials have expressed outrage over the Russian and British ambassadors’ recreation of an iconic World War II photo taken during the Soviet-British occupation of the Islamic republic in 1943. Russia’s Embassy in Tehran posted a photo Wednesday at the site of the Tehran conference where Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt…
Siberian Wildfire Could Become Biggest in Recorded History – Greenpeace
A wildfire raging in northeastern Siberia could become the largest in recorded history, experts from Greenpeace Russia told The Moscow Times on Wednesday. The republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia’s largest and coldest region, has been devastated by unprecedented wildfires that are now larger than the rest of the world’s blazes combined. Residents have been under…
8 Feared Dead as Russia Tourist Helicopter Crashes Into Lake
A helicopter carrying 16 tourists and crew on a sightseeing trip in Russia’s far east crashed into a lake on Thursday, leaving eight people including a child feared dead and two others in serious condition. The Mi-8 helicopter crash-landed into the icy waters of Kuril Lake in the mountainous Kamchatka peninsula in poor visibility and…
8 Feared Dead as Tourist Helicopter Crashes in Russian Far East
A helicopter carrying 16 tourists and crew on a sightseeing trip in Russia’s Far East crashed into a lake on Thursday, leaving eight people including a child feared dead and two others in serious condition. The Mi-8 helicopter crash-landed into the icy waters of Kuril Lake in the mountainous Kamchatka peninsula in poor visibility and…
Russia Sets New Pandemic Record With Over 800 Coronavirus Deaths
Russia reported more than 800 coronavirus deaths for the first time since the start of the pandemic Thursday, following four record-tying fatalities in recent weeks. Russia’s Covid-19 task force said that 808 people died Thursday. The last pandemic mortality record of 799 deaths was recorded on four separate days in mid-July and early August, including…
Emissions from Russian Permafrost Could Spike Tenfold if Leaders Ignore UN Climate Report Warning
Russia’s permafrost could deteriorate fast and spark an accelerating loop of warming if world leaders don’t heed UN climate scientists’ call to drastically cut global carbon emissions, an expert told The Moscow Times. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published Monday shows unequivocally that climate change is progressing more quickly than feared —…
Rosneft Commencing Expedition to Study Red-Listed Arctic Animals
The expedition organised by Rosneft Oil Company’s Arctic Research Institute and Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences is departing from Arkhangelsk to the northern part of the Arctic Ocean.
Russia Bares Fangs Over Language in Kyrgyzstan
It began as a moment of nastiness between a sales assistant and a shopper at a games park in Kyrgyzstan’s capital. It has now escalated into an international incident. The brief episode was captured on August 2 by a surveillance camera: A beefy Kyrgyz man glares at the young Slavic woman behind the counter. Suddenly,…
Black Sea Oil Spill 400 Times Bigger Than Claimed, Russian Scientists Say
An oil spill off the coast of the Black Sea is at least 400 times larger than originally claimed, Russian scientists said Wednesday, citing satellite images. A Russian-Kazakh consortium said Monday that 12 cubic meters of oil had spread over 200 square meters on Saturday when a Greek-flagged tanker was taking on oil at a terminal…
Navalny Risks More Jail Time After New Charge
Russian investigators on Wednesday charged jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny with a new crime that could prolong his time behind bars by up to three years. President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal domestic critic is in prison serving two and a half years on old fraud charges after returning from Germany once he recovered from a…
World Kickboxing Championship Extradited From Russia Jailed in Belarus – Reports
World kickboxing champion and MMA fighter Alexei Kudin has been imprisoned on charges of assaulting a security officer during protests against last year’s disputed election in Belarus, media reported Wednesday. Belarus’ close ally Russia extradited Kudin last month in violation of a European Court of Human Rights ruling and despite warnings that he could face…
Briton Arrested in Germany for ‘Spying for Russia’
A British man suspected of spying for Russia in exchange for cash has been arrested in Germany, federal prosecutors said Wednesday, in a stunning case compared to a Cold War thriller. The suspect identified only as David S., who worked as local staff at the British embassy, “on at least one occasion passed on documents he acquired…
Belarus-EU Migrant Crisis Spreads to Russia With New Border Detentions – Reports
The Belarus-EU migrant crisis has spread to Minsk’s close ally Russia as border guards were reported to have detained several people from the Middle East attempting to illegally cross into the country Tuesday. The European Union has accused Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko of deliberately encouraging new unauthorized arrivals of mainly Iraqi migrants in retaliation for…
New Life for Abandoned Buildings in Russian Provinces
In 2021, the Russian Agency for Strategic Initiatives launched a program to turn old industrial zones and abandoned buildings into “creative clusters” — venues for a wide variety of cultural activities. There are plans to create 30 clusters in 10 regions by the end of the year. The program began after Vladimir Putin said how…