Russia’s Easy-to-Reach Mineral Deposits Nearly Depleted, Minister Says

Large and easily accessible mineral deposits in Russia are nearly depleted, the head of Russia’s Natural Resources Ministry said Wednesday. “Geologists are forced to move further and further into the Arctic and difficult-to-reach regions of the Far East and Siberia,” Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov said during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. “Only 35%…

Cleaning Supplies Company CEO Accused of Defrauding Russian Military

Russian law enforcement authorities said Thursday that they arrested the head of a cleaning supplies company on suspicion of defrauding the Russian Defense Ministry through government contracts. Federal investigators accused Lenbytkhim CEO Denis Mikhailov of misappropriating over 20 million rubles ($218,600) from a contract with Voentorg, the military’s clothing and food supplier, which was valued…

Russian Spy Agency Accuses U.S. of Plotting Election Unrest in Georgia

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused the United States of weaponizing European election observers to discredit next month’s elections in Georgia and spark pro-Western street demonstrations. “The U.S. State Department intends to use a new tool to interfere in Georgia’s parliamentary elections on Oct. 26 in order to prevent the victory of Georgian Dream,” the…

Kremlin Believes U.S. Has Authorized Long-Range Ukrainian Strikes on Russia

The Kremlin said Wednesday it believes Washington has already given Ukraine approval to strike targets inside Russia using U.S.-supplied long-range rockets. “All these decisions have most likely already been made, it can be assumed with a high degree of probability,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.  “At this point, media outlets are simply carrying out…

Russia Says ‘Terrorist Act’ Caused Freight Train Derailment in Belgorod Region

A freight train derailed overnight in southwestern Russia’s Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine, law enforcement authorities said early Wednesday, claiming it was caused by an “act of terrorism.” A locomotive and several wagons derailed in the Novooskolsky district shortly before midnight due to unspecified “interference,” according to the regional branch of state-owned Russian…

Russian Streaming Website Kinopoisk Fined $110K for ‘LGBT Propaganda’

A Moscow court fined the popular Russian movie streaming website Kinopoisk 10 million rubles ($110,000) on Tuesday for charges related to “propaganda” of LGBTQ+ lifestyles and pedophilia. The Tagansky District Court imposed a 3 million ruble ($33,000) fine on Kinopoisk for “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations and preferences, as well as sex changes.” The same court…

Ukraine Blames Russian General Wanted by ICC for Deadly Children’s Hospital Strike

Ukrainian authorities on Tuesday accused a Russian air force commander wanted by the International Criminal Court of being behind a missile attack on a children’s hospital in Kyiv this summer. “Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash held the post of long-range aviation commander for the Russian aerospace forces at the time, and after delivering this strike, was…

1 Killed, Several Injured in Major Ukrainian Drone Attack Near Moscow

Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Russia since the full-scale invasion, targeting regions across the country, including near Moscow where one woman was killed after a drone smashed into an apartment complex, Russian authorities said early Tuesday. The overnight attacks, which saw 144 drones destroyed over Russian territory, disrupted air traffic at several major…

The Biggest Surprises and Non-Surprises of Russia’s Regional and Municipal Elections

Russia’s 2024 regional and municipal elections ended in few surprises, with the ruling, pro-Kremlin United Russia party solidifying its control in over 4,000 races nationwide, including in occupied Ukrainian territories. With the invasion of Ukraine in its third year, the Kremlin effectively banned any independent opposition candidates and thinned out the list of Kremlin-approved candidates…

Kursk Evacuees Say Still Awaiting $100 Payment Promised By Putin

Many of the evacuated residents of southwestern Russia’s Kursk region have not yet received payments promised by President Vladimir Putin over one month into Ukraine’s surprise incursion, the independent news outlet Agentstvo reported Monday, citing regional volunteers.  On Aug. 8, two days after Ukrainian forces crossed into the region and captured settlements there, Putin promised one-time…

Plane Crashes Near Moscow, Killing 2 Pilots

A small propeller-powered plane crashed during a training flight at an airfield in the Moscow region, killing the two pilots on board, authorities said Monday. The Aviatik Alliance Aleks-251 twin-engine aircraft crashed near the Vatulino airfield in the town of Ruza, around 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Moscow. The transportation arm of Russia’s Investigative Committee,…

Russian Official Wanted by ICC Marries U.S.-Sanctioned Media Mogul – Reports

Russian children’s rights ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova married U.S.-sanctioned media tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev, Russian media reported Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The couple wed on Sunday at a restaurant in the elite Moscow region village of Deauville, according to the Telegram news channel Baza, which has ties to Russia’s security services. The independent news…

Germany Accuses Russia’s GRU Military Intelligence of Cyberattacks on NATO, EU

German authorities warned Monday that a notorious Russian military intelligence unit carried out cyberattacks against targets in Europe and around the world. The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said unit 29155 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) “carried out cyberattacks and other reconnaissance activities against targets in NATO and EU…

Romania Condemns Fresh Airspace Breach by Russian Drone Attack on Ukraine

Romania on Sunday said a Russian attack drone targeting civilian infrastructure in neighboring Ukraine overnight had entered its airspace, strongly condemning the “renewed violation” brought on by Moscow’s “illegal attacks.” Since launching its invasion in February 2022, Russia has repeatedly carried out nightly attacks on cities across Ukraine, frequently targeting ports in the southern Odesa…

Anti-War Professor Arrested, Fined in Russia’s Volgograd

A university professor fired for sharing anti-war videos has been arrested for disobeying police orders and fined under Russia’s wartime censorship laws, local media in the city of Volgograd reported Thursday, citing anonymous law enforcement sources. Roman Melnichenko, who previously taught constitutional and municipal law at Volgograd State University, was fired in April 2022 and subsequently…

U.S. Urges Big Tech to Boost Anti-Censorship Tools for Russians – Reuters

The White House urged Google, Microsoft and other major U.S. tech companies to increase access to state-funded software that helps Russians bypass online censorship, Reuters reported Thursday. In response to Moscow’s growing crackdown on wartime dissent, the U.S. government-backed Open Technology Fund (OTF) has been financing several American firms to offer free virtual private networks…

Russia Charges Singer Monetochka for Breaking ‘Foreign Agents’ Law

Russian law enforcement authorities pressed criminal charges against exiled singer Monetochka for breaking the country’s law on “foreign agents,” Moscow’s Prosectuor’s Office announced Friday. Monetochka, whose real name is Elizaveta Gyrdymova, fled Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine due to her opposition to the war. She was designated a “foreign agent” last year. Authorities…

Court Freezes Shares of Raiffeisen’s Russian Division, Delaying Sale

A Russian court froze the shares of Raiffeisenbank’s Russian subsidiary, further stalling the sale of the largest Western bank still operating in the country, the lender’s Austrian parent company said Thursday. “A Russian court has today issued a preliminary injunction, by which shares of AO Raiffeisenbank are subject to a transfer ban with immediate effect,” Raiffeisen Bank…

‘The West, Like Russia, Is Trying to Pressure Him’: What Do Russians Think About Pavel Durov’s Legal Battle in France?

France’s criminal case against Telegram founder Pavel Durov has raised fears among Russian users about their digital privacy and in some cases deepened distrust toward Western authorities. The Russian-French billionaire was detained at a Paris airport last month on charges of enabling criminal activity on Telegram. He was later released pending an investigation but is…