Russia Is ‘Ready’ to Disconnect from Global Internet, Medvedev Says

Russia is “legally and technologically” ready to disconnect from the global internet if needed, former President Dmitry Medvedev told Interfax Monday. Russian authorities have long flirted with the notion of tougher restrictions and control over the internet on Russian territory. While the country’s “sovereign internet” law passed in 2019 gives Russia the ability to cut…

Navalny Fund’s Calls for U.S. Sanctions Confirms ‘Foreign Agent’ Status, Kremlin Says

Calls for targeted U.S. sanctions against several dozen Russian business and political elites by jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) confirms its status as a foreign agent, the Kremlin said Monday.   On Jan. 30, FBK executive director Vladimir Ashurkov shared a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden listing individuals — many of whom…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Feb. 1

Russia has confirmed 3,868,087 cases of coronavirus and 73,619 deaths. Feb. 1: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 17,648 new coronavirus cases and 437 deaths. Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev got vaccinated against the coronavirus two months ago, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted Medvedev as saying. Russia’s former Prime Minister did…

As It Happened: Thousands Detained as Russians Stage Fresh Navalny Protests

Russians nationwide staged a second round of protests calling for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s release despite a growing crackdown and threats of prosecution by the authorities. Navalny’s allies called for new protests to demand his release after tens of thousands took to the streets nationwide last Saturday in rallies that also protested Russia’s elite,…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Jan. 30

Russia has confirmed 3,832,080 cases of coronavirus and 72,697 deaths. Jan. 30: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 19,032 new coronavirus cases and 512 deaths. All Russian universities will be allowed to resume in-person classes starting Feb. 8, according to the decree issued by Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education Friday.   Russia resumed flights with…

Putin Signs New START Extension

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed off on legislation extending a key nuclear pact between Russia and the United States by five years, the Kremlin said Friday. “Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the federal law ‘on the ratification of the extension of the agreement between Russia and the U.S.’,” the Kremlin said in a statement,…

Moscow Police Warn Against Second Pro-Navalny Protest

Moscow police Thursday warned Russians supporting jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny against staging protests this weekend, saying demonstrators could face criminal responsibility. Tens of thousands of people across Russia rallied last weekend in support of the 44-year-old opposition leader, who urged supporters to protest against President Vladimir Putin’s 20-year rule. The opposition plans to hold…

Soldiers Practice Military Drills Across Russia

Over 3500 military personnel have started martial exercises across six regions in Russia, the state-run TASS news agency reported Thursday.  “The exercise involves army control structures, communications brigades, tank, infantry, artillery, missile, air defense units,” TASS quoted the Western Military District press service as saying, adding that nuclear, chemical and biological protection troops; reconnaissance and…

Russia Fines RFE/RL for ‘Foreign Agent’ Breaches

A Russian court has fined Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and its Russian-language services for violating the country’s “foreign agent” law, the U.S.-funded news organization said Wednesday. Russia labeled RFE/RL and its regional affiliates as “foreign agents” in 2017 in retaliation to the U.S. requiring Kremlin-funded media to register under anti-propaganda laws. This year, RFE/RL said it…

Navalny’s Family Members, Allies Detained for Virus Violations at Protests

Jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s family members and allies have been detained on charges of violating coronavirus restrictions following widespread raids on their homes and offices, the head of Navalny’s anti-corruption outfit Ivan Zhdanov said early Thursday. The raids and detentions in more than 30 Moscow locations follow last weekend’s nationwide rallies demanding Navalny’s release…

Navalny’s Alleged FSB Poisoners Linked to Deaths of Journalists, Activists – Investigation

An elite Russian chemical weapons squad that tailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny for years before allegedly poisoning him with Novichok was involved with at least three other killings, according to a joint investigation published Wednesday. In December, CNN, the Bellingcat investigative outlet, Russia’s The Insider and Germany’s Der Spiegel used phone records, flight logs and…

Russia to Fine Social Media Giants For Keeping Up Pro-Navalny Videos

Russia will fine seven social media companies for not removing pro-Navalny videos ahead of last Saturday’s nationwide protests, the country’s communications regulator said Wednesday. “Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki and YouTube will be fined for non-compliance with requirements to prevent the dissemination of calls to minors to participate in unauthorized rallies,” Roskomnadzor said in…

Russian Police Search Navalny’s Apartment, HQ – Aides

Russian law enforcement officers have searched Alexei Navalny’s Moscow apartment, his team’s headquarters and the apartments of his allies, the jailed opposition leader’s aides said Wednesday. The searches come ahead of a second round of nationwide unauthorized rallies calling for Navalny’s release planned for Jan. 31. Last Saturday, tens of thousands of Russians in over 120 towns…

Twitter, Facebook Block ‘Putin’s Chef’ Over Transphobic Comments

Twitter and Facebook have blocked the accounts of powerful Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, his Concord catering company said Wednesday. The accounts belonging to Prigozhin, who is known as “Putin’s chef” because of his close ties to the Russian president, were blocked “without explanation,” Concord’s press service wrote on VKontakte. The company said it believed Prigozhin’s…

Anti-Putin Snowman Protest Leads to Russian Activist’s Detention

An activist in northern Russia has been detained for organizing a “mass rally” against President Vladimir Putin using snowmen she built, a fellow activist said Wednesday. A photo shared by Arkhangelsk activist Andrei Borovikov shows four snowmen holding up anti-Putin placards. One of them references the billion-dollar palace that jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny claimed belongs…

Russia’s FSB Says Protects ‘Putin’s Palace’ From NATO Intelligence

Russia’s security forces only established a no-fly zone around President Vladimir Putin’s alleged palace due to increased intelligence collection activity by NATO members, the security services told the RBC news website Wednesday. Jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s recent viral investigative video alleges that the high-security Black Sea estate enjoys presidential-level protection from the Federal Security Service…

G7 Foreign Ministers Condemn Navalny Arrest

The G7 group of nations Tuesday condemned the arrest of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, calling his detention “politically motivated” in a statement. The foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the U.S. said Navalny’s detention was “deplorable” and called for his “immediate and unconditional release.”  “Russia is bound by its…

Iran Approves Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine

Iran has approved Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday, in a win for Moscow as it aims to bolster its geopolitical clout. Iran, which is fighting the Middle East’s deadliest outbreak, has said it will only rely on vaccines made by Russia, India or China, while also working to produce…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Jan. 26

Russia has confirmed 3,756,931 cases of coronavirus and 70,482 deaths. Jan. 26: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 18,241 new coronavirus cases and 564 deaths. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) will supply Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to Malaysia, the state-run TASS news agency reported Tuesday citing Russian ambassador to Malaysia Nail Latypov.  Mexico agreed…

Putin Seeks to Ban Nazi-Soviet Comparisons

President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia’s lower-house speaker to draft a legal ban on comparisons between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, according to a Kremlin statement published Saturday. Putin instructed State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin to draft by July 1 amendments to Russia’s law cementing Soviet victory over Nazi Germany that would “prohibit publicly…