Social Media Platforms Delete Russian Posts Promoting Navalny Protests – State Censor

Social media platforms are taking down Russians’ calls to protest in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny over the government’s claims that they illegally incite minors to attend unauthorized rallies. Navalny was detained and jailed for a month shortly after returning to Russia from Germany, where he had been hospitalized with what Western scientists…

In Call, EU Chief Urges Putin to Release Navalny

European Council chief Charles Michel demanded the “immediate release” of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny in a call with President Vladimir Putin on Friday. The EU had already condemned an attempt to assassinate Navalny and his arrest on his return to Russia after treatment, but Michel has now expressed “grave concerns” directly to Putin. And Michel told…

3 Dead in Russian Mine Blast

Three people were killed Friday in a gas explosion at a mine in the Russian region of Siberia, prosecutors said. “During operations, there was a sudden release of gas, which resulted in three people being buried under rubble,” the Kemerovo region prosecutor’s office said. They said in a statement said that 44 people were working…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Jan. 22

Russia has confirmed 3,677,352 cases of coronavirus and 68,412 deaths. Jan. 22: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 21,513 new coronavirus cases and 580 deaths. The UAE’s Health Ministry has given emergency authorization to Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the shot’s developers confirmed Thursday. The UAE is the first Middle East nation to use Russia’s jab…

Albania Expels Russian Diplomat Over Covid Breaches

Albania’s foreign ministry said Thursday it had expelled a Russian diplomat over repeated failures to respect coronavirus infection control measures that “cannot be tolerated.” Declared “persona non grata,” the man named as Alexey Krivosheev “is required to leave the country within 72 hours,” Tirana said in a statement. Officials from the ministry had repeatedly asked…

Germany Offers Russia Support in Sputnik Vaccine Development – Merkel

Germany has offered Russia support in Moscow’s development of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday. Russian authorities said Wednesday they have applied for registration of Sputnik V in the European Union. “Beyond all the political differences that are currently large, we can nevertheless work together in a pandemic, in a humanitarian area,” Merkel…

Russia Threatens Arrests, Prosecutions for Promoting Navalny Protests

Russian police threatened to prosecute those who spread calls to join nationwide protests in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny amid the authorities’ campaign to discourage attendance, Interfax reported Thursday. Unauthorized rallies are scheduled in at least 50 Russian cities this Saturday, galvanized by Navalny’s arrest upon his return from treatment in Germany for…

Russia Cuts Funding for Domestic Violence Initiatives – Reports

Russia has drastically cut funding for anti-domestic violence initiatives following years of dwindling financing in favor of non-government organizations that promote conservative values, the Open Media investigative outlet reported Thursday. The outlet found that all but one out of an estimated dozen domestic violence crisis centers and legal aid organizations were rejected in 2021 as…

Moscow Announces ‘Significant’ Easing of Virus Restrictions

The mayor of Russia’s capital Moscow on Thursday announced a “significant” easing of coronavirus restrictions citing the success of the vaccination campaign. Starting Friday, Moscow will reopen its museums and libraries, while theaters and cinemas will be allowed to accommodate more visitors, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. He said colleges, sports schools and children’s clubs will resume…

Russia Bans ‘Death Note,’ ‘Inuyashiki,’ ‘Tokyo Ghoul’ Animes

A Russian court has banned several popular animes including “Death Note,” “Tokyo Ghoul” and “Inuyashiki” Wednesday over claims that Russian teens reenact violent scenes depicted in the cartoons. State prosecutors had also asked the court in St. Petersburg to ban “Naruto,” “Elfen Lied” and “Interspecies Reviewers” in December. “Every episode contains cruelty, murder, violence,” said the…

Russia Says Better Ties With U.S. Up to Biden

The Kremlin said Wednesday that any improvement in Moscow’s tense relationship with Washington would depend on Joe Biden when he enters the White House. The United States recently blamed Kremlin-backed hackers for a massive cyberattack that breached government institutions, adding to a long list of grievances plaguing ties between the former Cold War rivals. “Russia…

Kremlin Calls Navalny’s Viral Putin Palace Report ‘Nonsense’

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s viral video investigation into President Vladimir Putin’s alleged palace is “a bunch of nonsense,” the Kremlin said Wednesday. Navalny released an extensive exposé into a lavish $1.35 billion Black Sea estate Tuesday after Russian authorities jailed him upon his return from Germany, where he was hospitalized for what Western scientists…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Jan. 20

Russia has confirmed 3,633,952 cases of coronavirus and 67,220 deaths. Jan. 20: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 21,152 new coronavirus cases and 597 deaths. The Russian Direct Investment Fund has applied for authorization of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in the European Union, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported Wednesday. The European Medicines Agency (EMA)…

Gorbachev Urges Biden to Improve Relations With Russia, Extend Key Nuclear Pact

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, has urged Joe Biden’s administration to improve U.S.-Russia ties and extend a key nuclear pact ahead of the U.S. President-elect’s inauguration.  “The current condition of relations between Russia and the United States is of great concern,” Gorbachev said in an interview with the state-run TASS news agency published Wednesday,…

Navalny Targets ‘Billion-Dollar Putin Palace’ in New Investigation

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny accused President Vladimir Putin of using fraudulently obtained funds to build an opulent billion-dollar estate in an investigation published Tuesday, after authorities jailed him on charges he says are politically motivated. The Praskoveyevka estate on the Black Sea coast in southern Russia cost 100-billion rubles ($1.35 billion) to build and…

Russian Police Officer Suspected of Leaking Navalny Poisoners’ Data – RBC

A Russian police officer is under suspicion of leaking the travel data of security officers allegedly behind opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s poisoning, the RBC news website reported Tuesday. The arrest in the central city of Samara comes less than a month after a media investigation named several alleged Rusian Federal Security Service (FSB) chemical-weapons experts…