Russia to ‘Develop’ Its Military Facilities in Kyrgyzstan

Russia will “develop” its military installations in Central Asian ally Kyrgyzstan, the Kremlin said Monday, following talks between the two countries’ leaders in Moscow. “The heads of state emphasized the importance of strengthening the Kyrgyz Republic’s armed forces and developing Russian military facilities on its territory,” the Kremlin said in a statement. Kyrgyzstan, a majority-Muslim…

Russia Set for Muted Victory Day as Ukrainian Counteroffensive Looms

Updated with leaders of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan planning to attend Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.  Russia is due to hold drastically scaled-back Victory Day celebrations Tuesday amid heightened security concerns following last week’s drone attack on the Kremlin and an imminent Ukrainian counteroffensive. The 78th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of…

Deadly Forest Fires Engulf Central, Eastern Russia

Several people have been killed, more than 300 homes destroyed and states of emergency declared in two Russian regions as forest fires raged across western Siberia, news agencies reported Monday. The governors of the Tyumen and Kurgan regions issued back-to-back emergency declarations Sunday as residents were evacuated and efforts to contain the fast-moving flames proved unsuccessful. Siberia’s…

How the Muppets Came to Moscow

In 1993 Natasha Lance, a television producer with excellent Russian who had made documentaries in the Soviet Union and the newly formed Russian Federation, was hired to be the executive producer of a Russian Sesame Street. This was not as crazy as it perhaps sounds today: the Children’s Television Workshop behind Sesame Street were working…

Russia Blames Ukraine for Car Blast That Wounded Pro-Kremlin Writer

Investigators said Ukraine was behind a car explosion on Saturday that killed one person and wounded pro-Kremlin writer Zakhar Prilepin, one of Russia’s best-known novelists.  Investigators said they were “probing Alexander Permyakov’s involvement in the assassination attempt on Zakhar Prilepin”. “During the interrogation [the suspect] testified that he acted on the instructions from the Ukrainian…

Under the Mighty Oak I Sit, Stupidly

Задубеть: to be frozen stiff In the part of the world where I’m now living, oaks are protected. They have little green oak leaf badges on their trunks to remind everyone that they may not be cut down or harmed in any way. And so there are some truly mighty oaks around, including one that…

Russia Expands GPS Signal Jamming to 15 Regions

Russian authorities have ramped up their GPS suppression measures following a slew of drone attacks in recent weeks. Since April, “strong” interference has been observed in at least 15 regions across Russia, according to data from gpsjam.org, which tracks satellite communication based on radio messages from civilian aircraft. Interference is considered “strong” if more than…

Lavrov Says Drone Attack on Kremlin Impossible Without U.S. Knowledge

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday said the alleged drone attack on the Kremlin could not have happened without Washington’s awareness and warned Russia would respond with “concrete actions.” “It’s clear that without the knowledge of their minders, the terrorists from Kyiv could not have carried out (the attack),” Lavrov said during a visit to India, referring…

Wagner Chief Says Pulling Out of Bakhmut After Blasting Russian Military Top Brass

Updated to add Prigozhin’s withdrawal announcement. Russia’s Wagner mercenary group will exit eastern Ukraine’s Bakhmut next week after suffering losses due to critical ammunition shortages, the private military contractor’s founder Yevgeny Prigozhin announced Friday. Wagner fighters, many of whom are convicts recruited from Russian prisons, have been at the forefront of Russia’s efforts to capture…

Russia Opens ‘Justifying Terrorism’ Case Over Play About ISIS Brides

Updates with Berkovich’s arrest.  Russian authorities have opened a criminal “justifying terrorism” case over theatre director Yevgeniya (Zhenya) Berkovich’s award-winning play about Russian Islamic State brides, her mother said Thursday.   Berkovich’s mother, activist Yelena Efros, said the case was opened in connection with the play, “Tiercel the Brave Falcon,” which tells the stories of real…

Russian Billionaires Line Up to Buy Yandex – Reports

Several Russian billionaires are vying to buy the majority stake in the domestic entity of splintered tech giant Yandex, independent media reported Thursday, citing five unnamed sources familiar with negotiations. Sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine have forced Yandex, once the crown jewel of Russia’s tech sector, to split into two new companies: one overseeing its…

Head of ROSATOM Alexei Likhachev and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan discussed cooperation in the field of atomic energy use

On May 2, a meeting was held in Yerevan between Alexei Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom State Corporation, and Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. The main issues of comprehensive cooperation between Russia and Armenia were discussed with the participation of Rosatom State Corporation. The task of re-extension of operation life of…

Russian Gas Production Down 10% in 2023

Gas production in Russia decreased by 10% to 180 billion cubic meters this year mostly from Gazprom’s declining capacities, the Kommersant business daily reported Wednesday, citing an unnamed source familiar with the data. State-owned gas giant Gazprom has classified its production statistics since the start of 2023. Kommersant’s source said Gazprom and Gazprom Neft each…

Russian Billionaire Seeking Sanctions Relief Insures Moscow’s Battle Equipment – Investigation

Companies linked to Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman have supplied uniforms and equipment to the Russian military and insured equipment used by Russia’s National Guard to fight in Ukraine, according to a joint investigation by U.S.-funded media outlets Current Time and Radio Svoboda Ukraine. The report comes as Fridman continues to appeal to the European Union…

Russia Summons Polish Envoy Over Embassy School Closure

Russia on Tuesday summoned the Polish embassy’s charge d’affaires after Poland closed a school run by the Russian Embassy in Warsaw, domestic news agencies reported.  Poland and Russia have historically had tense relations, which have plummeted even further since the Ukraine offensive.  Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency published a video of diplomat Jacek Sladewski entering…

ROSATOM took part in the international MDEP conference

ROSATOM has taken part in the 5th international MDEP conference (The Multinational Design Evaluation Programme) that was held in Turkey. The event was organized by OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. The conference was attended by over 100 representatives of regulatory authorities and large companies from 19 countries. Russia was represented by Rostechnadzor, Rosenergoatom JSC, Rusatom Energy…