Category: another

A Russian nuclear submarine has surfaced near Alaska during navy exercises, spooking American commercial fishing vessels in the area, the U.S. military said early Friday. Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Thursday that its nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine Omsk and missile cruiser Varyag fired at targets in the Bering Sea as part of its “Ocean Shield 2020”…

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Russian prosecutors have asked their German colleagues to provide their evidence that allowed doctors in Berlin to diagnose prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny with poisoning. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement Thursday that Russia had opened a preliminary inquiry on the day of Navalny’s sudden illness last week. The de facto Russian…

The detention of 33 Russians described as members of the Wagner mercenary group on the eve of a disputed presidential election in Belarus was a joint U.S.-Ukrainian operation, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. Belarus has accused the men of seeking to destabilize the country by colluding with opposition leaders to orchestrate mass disorder. Belarus returned…

While Russia’s most prominent opposition politician Alexei Navalny lies in a coma in a Berlin hospital after suffering an apparent poisoning last week, the pressure on his activities continues back home.  On Wednesday, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a catering magnate nicknamed “Putin’s chef,” bought the 88 million rubles ($1.2 million) in debt Navalny, his ally Lyubov Sobol…

President Vladimir Putin has formed a reserve of Russian law enforcement officers standing by to be sent to Belarus, he said in a new interview that aired Thursday. Putin said he created the reserve at the request of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who faces mass demonstrations in his country weeks after a disputed election he claims…

Police in Siberia said Thursday they have launched a preliminary inquiry into the suspected poisoning of prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny last week. The Siberian transport police said it inspected Navalny’s hotel room, inspected security footage and scouted out his entire itinerary while he was in the city of Tomsk. They also seized more than…

President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has jumped to one of its highest levels since the start of the year as Russia continues its steady recovery from the coronavirus outbreak, the independent Levada Center polling agency said Wednesday. At 66% in August, Putin’s approval rating went up by six percentage points in a month and almost…

Alexei Navalny’s doctors in Germany have made contact with Bulgarian colleagues on suspicion that the prominent Kremlin critic may have been poisoned with a similar substance as a local arms dealer in 2015, the Der Spiegel news magazine reported. Doctors at Berlin’s Charité hospital said they believe Navalny was poisoned with an unknown substance belonging…

Russia on Thursday blamed the United States for a tense confrontation in Syria in which Russian military vehicles and helicopters surrounded U.S. armored vehicles, leaving U.S. troops injured. The White House National Security Council (NSC) said in a statement that a Russian vehicle struck a U.S. mine-resistant all-terrain vehicle, “causing injuries to the vehicle’s crew.”…

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

A resident of Siberia has unearthed an ancient grave that could be part of a burial ground dating back 7,000 years, Russia’s Academy of Sciences (RAS) said Wednesday. The unnamed man stumbled on the finding in May while digging his garden on the outskirts of Ulan-Ude, the capital of Russia’s republic of Buryatia some 5,600…

Thirty babies born to surrogate mothers are stranded in St. Petersburg, an official said on Wednesday, with foreign parents unable to travel to Russia’s second city due to coronavirus restrictions. The children’s rights ombudswoman in the city Anna Mitianina said on her website that the authorities had received calls from several medical facilities caring for children…

Russia has confirmed 970,865 cases of coronavirus and 16,683 deaths. Aug. 26: What you need to know today The head of a remote Siberian region has contracted the coronavirus a second time in what may be Russia’s first documented case of reinfection.  President Vladimir Putin has promised Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko the first export batch of Russia’s candidate coronavirus…

The head of a remote Siberian region has contracted the coronavirus a second time in what may be Russia’s first documented case of reinfection.  Sholban Kara-Ool, the governor of the republic of Tyva on the Mongolian border, was admitted to the hospital again this week three months after his first hospitalization. He said doctors diagnosed…

Belarusian Nobel Prize-winning author Svetlana Alexievich said Wednesday she refused to answer investigators’ questions after she was summoned as a witness in a criminal probe into the opposition. Opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko formed a Coordination Council to oversee a peaceful transition of power after they rejected his claim to have won a sixth term…

Russia’s per-capita pollution emissions hit 155 kilograms in 2019 due to transportation and industrial activity, according to an analysis cited by the RBC news website Wednesday. In total, the two sources of emissions released 22.7 million tons of pollutants into the atmosphere last year, RBC cited the Finexpertiza consulting firm as saying. Transportation including personal…

More than 20 countries have made requests to purchase over 1 billion doses of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus candidate vaccine despite safety concerns, according to Russia’s sovereign wealth fund which is bankrolling the project. Presidents of several countries, including Moldova, Mexico, the Philippines and Serbia, have volunteered to receive the shots themselves. Here’s a look…

Sweden has strengthened its military presence in the Baltic Sea, marking an unprecedented show of force directed at Russia over Moscow’s maneuvers in the region. Sweden said Tuesday that it lifted its military readiness for the first time since 1991 in reaction to levels of Russian and Western activity not seen in the Baltic Sea since…

The Kremlin-linked businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin has vowed to ruin Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is in a coma in a Berlin hospital, with a court-ordered penalty of around $1.2 million. Prigozhin is nicknamed “President Vladimir Putin’s chef” because his company Concord has done catering for the Kremlin. Media reports have said he funds Wagner,…

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

A top Russian lawmaker has ordered a probe into whether prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s suspected poisoning was a “provocation” by foreign countries aimed at fueling tensions inside Russia. State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said Monday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s statements urging investigations into the apparent poisoning…

Moscow’s trolleybuses, a staple of city-dwellers’ commutes for nearly a century, have taken their final journey into the sunset. The Russian capital announced Tuesday that it will be retiring all its trolleybuses and replacing them with regular buses and electric buses. “The decision to gradually abandon the trolleybus service was not easy for us, but…

Mammoth remains have been accidentally discovered near the Arctic Circle in Russia, the latest surprise archaeological find as climate change accelerates permafrost melt and exposes the long-buried skeletons of ancient animals. Gazprom Neft workers stumbled upon the elephant-sized animal’s skull and tusk earlier in August while working at its northernmost oil field on the remote…

It’s a long way to Tipperary from Belarus for opposition leader Svetlana Tikhonavskaya, who cultivated an independent streak and a flair for leadership during almost a decade of visits to rural Ireland. Tikhonavskaya, 37, was one of the “Chernobyl children,” whose health was directly or indirectly affected by the radioactive fallout of the 1986 nuclear disaster in neighboring Ukraine. She was…

Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told the EU parliament on Tuesday that a “peaceful revolution” was under way in Belarus after huge protests broke out over disputed presidential elections. The strongman leader of ex-Soviet Belarus Alexander Lukashenko claimed a sixth term in Aug. 9 elections that sparked historic street rallies and a violent police crackdown…

Russia sees no grounds to launch a criminal investigation into the circumstances of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s sudden illness that German doctors attribute to poisoning, the Kremlin said Tuesday. Navalny’s allies have criticized the Russian authorities for failing to open criminal proceedings after the anti-corruption campaigner and de facto Russian opposition leader fell into a…

Russian internet giant Yandex has pulled some of its employees out of its local office in Minsk after the Belarusian security services raided its premises amid the ongoing unrest in the country. Some of the company’s Minsk-based staff were moved to Russia last week, and others who could not leave Belarus were relocated to country…

Prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny remains in a medically induced coma in a German hospital almost a week after falling suddenly ill on a flight in Siberia due to what his aides said was poisoning. The anti-corruption campaigner was flown to Berlin after a standoff with the hospital treating him in the city of Omsk,…

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

President Vladimir Putin has promised Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko the first export batch of Russia’s candidate coronavirus vaccine, Minsk said Monday. Putin and Lukashenko spoke by phone the day after Sunday’s unprecedented protests against the Belarusian strongman’s contested re-election earlier this month. Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were among the first to congratulate Lukashenko for what Minsk…

Belarusian authorities stepped up arrests of political opponents and strike leaders Monday, after Sunday saw the latest unprecedented demonstration against President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election.  While the protest movement against Lukashenko’s 26-year reign entered its third week, the man known as “Europe’s last dictator” responded with fresh rhetoric and martial imagery. Most prominently, Nobel Literature…

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday praised “significant progress” in solving the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, as he met with his Ukrainian counterpart in Kiev. Germany is a key player in what is known as the Minsk peace process aimed at ending the longrunning conflict with Moscow-backed separatists in the east of the…

Updated to add Charité hospital statement. The German government believes that Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was likely poisoned, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said Monday. Steffen Seibert’s comments during a press briefing align with claims from Navalny’s aides, who say he was poisoned with a cup of tea at an airport cafe. Navalny, 44, has been…

Russia has moved swiftly to expel an Austrian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move following the expulsion of its own diplomat from Vienna on accusations of industrial espionage. Austria gave the unnamed Russian diplomat until Sept. 1 to leave the country, according to Austrian media, for allegedly engaging in economic espionage in a high-tech company for…

Doctors in Siberia who treated Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny for a suspected poisoning before he was airlifted to a hospital in Germany said Monday that their efforts had saved his life. The 44-year-old opposition politician went into a coma after falling suddenly ill Thursday on a flight to Moscow, forcing the plane to make an emergency…

Austria has for the first time in its relations with Russia declared a Russian diplomat persona non-grata on suspicion of industrial espionage. The unnamed diplomat has until Sept. 1 to leave the country, the tabloid Kronen Zeitung reported Monday. “The Russian diplomat had carried out economic espionage in a high-tech company for years with the support…

Leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny will survive his apparent poisoning but won’t return to politics for several months, the organizer of his medical evacuation to Germany told the German tabloid Bild. Jaka Bizilj’s comments came as Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said the opposition figure’s family has not authorized anyone other than his doctors or herself…

Russia has confirmed 961,493 cases of coronavirus and 16,448 deaths. Aug. 24: What you need to know today Mexico will receive at least 2,000 doses of Russia’s candidate coronavirus vaccine as part of the injection’s Phase 3 clinical trials, Mexico’s foreign minister said Thursday. Russia said Saturday that it has produced the first batch of its coronavirus vaccine, after…

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Tens of thousands of Lithuanians linked arms on Sunday in solidarity with the people of neighboring Belarus who have been holding mass protests against authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko since a disputed presidential election two weeks ago. The participants formed a human chain stretching 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Baltic EU state’s capital Vilnius to…

Tens of thousands of demonstrators massed in central Minsk on Sunday to demand the resignation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who flew over the scene of the banned protest in a helicopter and called the marchers “rats.” The authoritarian leader, shown later clutching an automatic rifle upon landing at his central Minsk residence, has ordered…

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny arrived in a stable condition for medical treatment in Germany Saturday after appeals by his team that included his wife writing directly to President Vladimir Putin.  Navalny, 44, fell violently ill and lost consciousness an hour into a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow on Thursday. After…

Russia has confirmed 951,897 cases of coronavirus and 16,310 deaths. Aug. 22: What you need to know today Mexico will receive at least 2,000 doses of Russia’s candidate coronavirus vaccine as part of the injection’s Phase 3 clinical trials, Mexico’s foreign minister said Thursday. Russia said Saturday that it has produced the first batch of its coronavirus vaccine,…

Russian doctors have given permission for opposition leader Alexei Navalny to be evacuated for medical treatment in Germany after appeals by his team that included his wife writing directly to President Vladimir Putin on Friday.  Navalny, 44, fell violently ill and lost consciousness an hour into a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to…

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the main challenger to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in this month’s disputed elections, has urged workers of state-owned factories to continue striking against state violence and in favor of new elections despite pressure to stop. Tikhanovskaya’s video address took aim at Lukashenko’s traditionally loyal support base in the wake of strikes at major plants…

A day after Alexei Navalny was hospitalized in an apparent poisoning attempt, doctors are barring his evacuation to Germany citing his unstable condition, while confusion surrounds the presence of poison in the prominent Russian opposition leader’s system. Navalny, 44, lost consciousness an hour into a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow on…

Mexico will receive at least 2,000 doses of Russia’s candidate coronavirus vaccine as part of the injection’s Phase 3 clinical trials, Mexico’s foreign minister said Thursday. Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told Russia’s ambassador Wednesday that Mexico wanted to conduct trials of Russia’s “Sputnik V” Covid-19 vaccine, which President Vladimir Putin says is the first in…

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is in a coma in a Siberian hospital after being poisoned by a toxic substance in his tea, his spokeswoman said Thursday.  Here are the latest updates: — Navalny’s lab results show no signs of heart attack, stroke or brain damage, the Omsk hospital’s deputy chief doctor told the RBC…

Rosneft head Igor Sechin has presented Vladimir Putin with a souvenir from the state oil giant’s latest Arctic drilling project: A small bottle of the oil itself. The oil extracted from the Zapadno-Irkinsky field contains only 0.02% of sulphur, Sechin said as he handed the bottle to Putin during their meeting Tuesday. It is the first…

Leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny remained in a coma in a Siberian hospital several hours after falling ill due to what was likely a toxic substance slipped in his tea, his spokeswoman said Thursday. The incident echoed several other cases of poisoning or suspected poisoning attacks involving Russian activists, journalists and former spies stretching back…

Belarus has opened a criminal investigation into attempts by the opposition to “seize power” after President Alexander Lukashenko’s opponents created a Coordination Council to oversee a peaceful transition following disputed elections. Strongman Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, claimed a sixth term in elections this month that sparked historic protests and a…

Popular British actor and writer Stephen Fry has joined a group of prominent foreign figures in speaking out in support of Belarusians protesting their country’s “rigged” presidential election. Tens of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets of Minsk and other cities to protest the Aug. 9 vote in which officials claimed President Alexander…