Russia and Ukraine Trade Blame in Deadly POW Jail Strike

Russia and Ukraine accused one another over the shelling of a prison in separatist-held eastern Ukraine that killed at least 40 Ukrainian prisoners of war.   “Ukrainian security forces fired [U.S.-supplied long-range missile systems] HIMARS rockets at a pre-trial detention center near Olenivka tonight,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement carried by state news agencies. …

Russia’s Population Decline Hits Record Rate

Russia’s population shrank by a record average of 86,000 people a month between January and May, state statistics agency Rosstat has said.   The decline surpasses the previous record contraction of 57,000 people a month in 2002, when Russia’s population shrank to 145.3 million from nearly 146 million the previous year.  Russia’s population has fallen to…

8 Foreigners Dead in Moscow Hostel Fire

Eight foreigners have been killed and four injured in a fire at a Moscow hostel, news agencies reported early Friday. The flames broke out on the first floor of the building in southwestern Moscow due to likely equipment failure or a power grid emergency, the state-run TASS news agency cited an unnamed emergency services source…

Estonia Blocks Russian Student Visas

Estonia said Thursday it would block Russian nationals from obtaining temporary residence permits or visas to study in Estonia. “The continuation of sanctions against Russia is essential to ensuring relentless pressure on the country,” Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said in a statement. “If the sanctions help in stopping Russian aggression, a positive effect on our own security…

Deadly Russian Strikes Target Military Bases in Central Ukraine

Russian strikes on military facilities and residential buildings across war-scarred Ukraine Thursday left several dead in attacks President Volodymyr Zelensky described as “missile terrorism.” The deadliest attacks, which struck the central Kirovohrad region, came as the country was marking its first Day Of Ukraine Statehood that was announced by Zelensky earlier. Russia’s invasion has morphed…

Samsung Smartphones Disappear From Russian Stores

Samsung smartphones have disappeared from store shelves in some areas of Russia, media outlet RBC reported Thursday, as overall smartphone sales reached a decade low.  Customers in some major Russian cities are being asked to wait up to five days for deliveries, according to RBC.  Western electronics manufacturers Samsung and Apple suspended shipments to Russia…

Jailed Kremlin Critic Kara-Murza Facing New Criminal Charges – Lawyers

Jailed Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza faces a second criminal case, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported Wednesday.   Kara-Murza, 40, has been in pre-trial detention since his April 12 return to Russia on charges of spreading “false” information about the Russian military and faces 10 years in prison.  Authorities now accuse him of cooperating with an “undesirable” foreign…

Parallel Imports Cut Russian Keyboard Supplies – Kommersant

Laptops and computer keyboards with Russian-language layouts are increasingly reaching Russia under a government scheme to maintain imports despite Western sanctions and an exodus of international businesses over the war in Ukraine, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday. Russia’s “parallel import” scheme allows the supply of keyboards and laptops originally intended for foreign markets without approval…

Russia FM Reassures Egypt on Grain Deliveries

Russia’s top diplomat reassured Egyptian leaders Sunday that their orders for Russian grain would be met as he began a tour of African countries dependent on imports for their food supply. “We confirmed the commitment of Russian exporters of cereal products to meet their orders in full,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference…

New Novaya Gazeta Site Blocked in Russia

Russia on Sunday blocked the website of a new editorial project by independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which was forced to suspend publication in March amid repression of critics of the offensive in Ukraine. On July 15, its staff launched a paper magazine that can be seen online via a new website called “Novaya Rasskaz-Gazeta.” This…

Russia Says Odesa Strikes Hit Western Arms

Russia said Sunday that its missile barrage on a Ukrainian port central to a freshly-inked grain export deal had destroyed Western-supplied weapons, after the attack sparked an outcry from Ukraine’s allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced Saturday’s strike on the Odesa port — which came just one day after the warring sides struck a deal…

Russia Expands List of ‘Unfriendly’ Countries

Russia has expanded its short list of so-called “unfriendly” nations, adding five European states that Moscow says have taken “hostile” actions. The list of “unfriendly” countries, first established in May 2021 to include the United States and the Czech Republic, restricts the number of local staff that can be hired at designated nations’ diplomatic missions…

Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Talk Oil

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke about the oil market in a telephone conversation on Thursday, the Kremlin said. The call comes less than a week after Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler met visiting U.S. President Joe Biden. Putin and Prince Mohammed discussed “in detail the situation on…

‘Everything is Fine’: Kremlin Dismisses Rumors of Putin’s Declining Health

The Kremlin said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in good health, dismissing rumors that the leader was unwell as completely unfounded. “Everything is fine with his health,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Scrutiny over the 69-year-old Putin’s health has intensified since he launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. “Ukrainian, American…