Zvezda Shipyard Launches Steel Cutting for Liquified Gas Tankers of Ice-Class Arc7 New Ship Series
The Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex has commenced steel cutting for a liquefied gas tanker of ice-class Arc7, the flagship in the new series.
Belarus Adds Opposition Telegram Channel Founders to Terror List
Belarusian authorities on Wednesday added the creators of the Nexta Live opposition Telegram channel, which mobilized protesters during the country’s ongoing post-election rallies, to a list of terrorists. Protests in the ex-Soviet country broke out in early August after strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko won a disputed reelection for a sixth term. The opposition believe political…
Russia Threatens to Block YouTube for ‘Censoring’ State Media
Russia could block YouTube and other major U.S. social media platforms for “censoring” content from Russian state media, according to draft legislation submitted to parliament Thursday. The draft bill explains that the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Foreign Ministry would be able to identify foreign platforms they view as violating Russians’ rights by restricting content.…
St. Petersburg Opposition Official Questioned By Police After Ripping Putin Portrait
St. Petersburg police have questioned an opposition official after he tore up a portrait of President Vladimir Putin that replaced one of poet Alexander Pushkin, Russian media reported Thursday. Five officers arrived at the Smolninskoye municipal district session Wednesday to investigate reports that deputy Nikita Yuferev ripped Putin’s portrait, according to the St. Petersburg-based Fontanka.ru…
RN-Uvatneftegaz Plants 600,000 Saplings of Siberian Pine
RN-Uvatneftegaz Company, part of Rosneft Oil Company’s upstream complex, planted 600,000 saplings of Siberian pine in the south Tyumen region in autumn 2020.
Russia Starts Building $850M High-Speed Arctic Internet
Russia has started building high-speed internet infrastructure in the Arctic to be used by large ports and oil and gas companies, the Federal Sea and River Transportation Agency announced Wednesday. The trans-Arctic underwater fiber optic cable will stretch across 10,000 kilometers from the northwestern port of Murmansk to the Pacific port of Vladivostok. The Sea…
New University Laboratories Opened in Samara State Technical University with Syzran Refinery’s Support
With support from the Syzran Refinery, an enterprise of Rosneft Oil Company’s refining complex, three new university laboratories were opened in a branch campus of the Samara State Technical University.
Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Top 2 Million
Russia’s coronavirus cases crossed the 2 million mark Thursday, according to an official tally of single-day infections and deaths, as officials acknowledge the deteriorating crisis but resist reinstating lockdown measures. The national coronavirus caseload reached 2,015,608 after Russia confirmed more than 23,000 coronavirus infections in a single day for the first time since the start…
Bolsonaro Beams as Putin Praises His ‘Masculinity’
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was beaming Wednesday after his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin praised his “masculinity” in a speech, triggering a flood of jokes online about a budding “bromance.” Putin lavished praise on Bolsonaro Tuesday in an address to a virtual summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South…
Picketing ‘Slavic Santa’ Arrested on Red Square
A man dressed in a Santa suit was detained on Red Square late Wednesday for staging a single-person picket against the scrapping of Moscow’s New Year celebrations due to the coronavirus, the Apologia Protesta legal aid group said. Two “elves” accompanying the protester were also reportedly detained. A photo posted by Apologia Protesta showed the…
Oxygen Pipe Explodes at Moscow’s Main Coronavirus Hospital
An oxygen line has exploded at Kommunarka, Moscow’s main coronavirus treatment center, on Wednesday, city authorities said. Video posted to social media showed clouds of white steam rising from the hospital, which is currently treating 733 coronavirus patients. The RBC news website quoted eyewitnesses as saying that they saw the smoke following a loud bang. In…
Putin ‘Alarmed’ by Russia’s Spike in Virus Deaths
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday voiced concern over the country’s rising coronavirus fatality rate but said the outbreak was under control. Russia has recently registered a sharp rise in new infections but has stopped short of introducing strict measures like some European countries. Health officials reported a total of 1.99 million infections Wednesday, which…
‘Uighur Jail’ Note Found in St. Petersburg Shoe Alarms Human Right Experts
Arslan Gibadullin was eager to try on an expensive pair of The North Face slippers he’d treated himself to in an online shopping spree after collecting them from a pick-up point in St. Petersburg last Thursday. “I got home and started putting the shoes on. As soon as I shoved my hand in one of…
Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Nov. 18
Russia has confirmed 1,991,998 cases of coronavirus and 34,387 deaths. Nov. 18: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 20,985 new coronavirus cases and 456 deaths. A total of 221,000 patients with confirmed coronavirus infections are currently undergoing treatment across Russia’s hospitals and approximately 5,000 of them require mechanical ventilation, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Wednesday. Coronavirus patients currently occupy…
Moscow Medics Battle Coronavirus On Converted Ice Rink
As Russia continues to grapple with the second wave of the coronavirus that has seen record-setting surges in new infections and deaths in recent weeks, Moscow, the pandemic’s epicenter within Russia, is on the front lines. On Wednesday, Russia reported 20,985 new coronavirus infections — the first time in five days that cases fell below…
Injured Humpback Whale Migrates From Russia to Southern California
A humpback whale with a mangled tail first spotted in Russia five years ago has re-appeared more than 6,000 kilometers west in Southern California, the Orange County Register reported Tuesday. Whale watchers in the U.S. first documented the distinctive humpback off the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 2019, then earlier this November off Catalina Island, the…
Coronavirus-Hit Region’s Governor Treated in Moscow Out of ‘Altruism’
The governor of a coronavirus-hit Russian region is seeking treatment in a private Moscow clinic out of concern for his own residents, he explained on social media following news of his evacuation. Vladimir Sipyagin of the Vladimir region 180 kilometers east of Moscow is at least the 22nd regional leader to contract the coronavirus since…
Ozon Sets Price for Blockbuster $5Bln Share Sale in Quest to Be Russia’s Amazon
Russian e-commerce giant Ozon is eyeing a $5 billion valuation in one of the most hotly anticipated Russian stock market debuts in years, papers filed by the company in New York on Tuesday laid out. The company said it would price shares in its upcoming initial public offering (IPO) in the range of $22.50-$27.50 each,…
Bill to Give Putin Lifetime Immunity Passes First Reading
Russia’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday passed in its first reading a bill that would grant former presidents immunity once they leave office. The legislation, published on the lower house State Duma website, is among constitutional amendments that were approved this summer in a nationwide vote and will allow President Vladimir Putin to again…
Russia to Upgrade ‘Outdated’ Multiple Rocket Launchers
Russia plans to rearm its outdated multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) with lightweight and more mobile versions by the end of the decade, Lieutenant-General Mikhail Matveyevskyi, the head of the Armed Forces’ Missile Troops and Artillery, said. The next-generation family of Tornado MLRS is a “high-precision complex equipped with guided missiles that can hit individual…
France Urges Russia to Resolve Karabakh Ceasefire ‘Ambiguities’
France on Tuesday urged Russia to clear up “ambiguities” over the ceasefire it brokered between Armenia and Azerbaijan to end fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, notably regarding the role of Turkey and foreign fighters. “We must remove the ambiguities over refugees, the delimitation of the ceasefire, the presence of Turkey, the return of fighters and on the…
Kremlin Slams Brutality, Provocations in Belarus After Protester’s Death
The Belarus security services’ unprovoked violence against anti-government protesters is unacceptable, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday while also criticizing protesters for “provocations” against officers. Peskov spoke after thousands of Belarusians took to the streets Sunday to protest the death of arts teacher and former soldier Roman Bondarenko in police custody last week. Bondarenko, 31,…
Putin Urges BRICS to Mass Produce Russian Covid-19 Vaccines
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called on fellow members of the BRICS alliance of major emerging countries to mass produce Russian-made coronavirus vaccines. Speaking during an online summit of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Putin encouraged the other four BRICS members to manufacture and distribute coronavirus vaccines developed by Russia. “There are Russian vaccines, they…
‘A Ward Boss With Nukes’: Obama Unloads on Putin in New Memoir
Russian President Vladimir Putin resembles a local “ward boss” with nuclear weapons and a UN Security Council veto, former U.S. President Barack Obama wrote in the first volume of his memoirs that hit bookstore shelves Tuesday. Obama and Putin were often at odds during the U.S. president’s eight years in office despite his attempts at…
Russia Develops Coronavirus Contact-Tracing App
Russia has developed a smartphone app that alerts users of possible exposure to the coronavirus, the country’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media has said. The app, with the working title “Stopcoronavirus. My Contacts,” scans the user’s surroundings in a 10-meter radius and measures how close and for how long they interact with…
Rosneft’s Young Professionals Present 330 Projects at XV Interregional Scientific and Technical Conference
Rosneft opened the XV Interregional Scientific and Technical Conference, which is attended by 411 young professionals from 77 Rosneft Group subsidiaries – the winners of Regional and Cluster Scientific and Technical Conferences in 2020.
Russia Breaks 16-Year Air Pollution Record – Analysis
Russia has measured its highest levels of air pollution in 16 years, according to expert analysis cited by the RBC news website Tuesday. Experts found three times as many “high” and “extremely high” air pollution instances in the first nine months of 2020 than in all of 2019, the outlet cited the Finexpertiza consulting firm…
Russia Sees Record Daily Virus Deaths as Regions Struggle
Russia reported Tuesday a record high 442 new coronavirus-related deaths as the country’s regions struggled to cope with overflowing morgues and medicine shortages. While Europe has reintroduced new restrictions in response to a second wave of coronavirus infections sweeping across the world, Russia has refused to enforce a new nationwide lockdown. Health authorities on Tuesday recorded 22,410 new infections…
Now Comes a Karabakh War Over Cultural Heritage
Azerbaijan’s military success confirmed by a Russian-brokered ceasefire has rapidly changed the map of the South Caucasus. Attention has now turned to the rich cultural heritage, in particular the Armenian churches falling under Azerbaijani control. Beyond preserving these precious monuments for future generations and as places of worship, this is a test of goodwill. Armenia…
Mutating Coronavirus Discovered in Siberia
A mutated version of the coronavirus strain that causes Covid-19 has been discovered in Siberia, the head of Russia’s consumer safety watchdog said Tuesday. “We’re seeing certain changes in the proteins, and these changes detected in Siberia allow us to assume that this region is forming its own version [of coronavirus] with certain mutations,” Rospotrebnadzor…
Russia to Freeze-Dry Coronavirus Vaccine to Avoid Distribution Challenges – Reuters
Russia will transition to primarily freeze-dried doses of its coronavirus vaccine by spring as a workaround to the logistical challenges of transporting liquid doses at controlled temperatures, Reuters reported Monday. The Sputnik V vaccine’s liquid form must be stored at minus 18 degrees Celsius or below to maintain its stated 92% efficacy. Vaccine storage and…
Russia Pulls ‘Transgender Ban’ Bill
A group of conservative lawmakers has pulled for consolidation two overlapping child custody bills, one of which would have also banned transgender people from legally changing their gender, Russian media reported Monday. Lawyers, activists and President Vladimir Putin’s human rights council have criticized the transgender ban bill, co-authored by Senator Yelena Mizulina, who also spearheaded…
In Photos: Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh Burn Down Homes Ahead of Azerbaijan Handover
A Russia-brokered peace deal signed last week has ended six weeks of fierce fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh — but this peace hasn’t come without a price. As part of the deal, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh must return the Aghdam, Kalbajar and Lachin districts to Azerbaijan starting on Nov. 20,…
After Military Defeat, What’s Next for Nagorno-Karabakh?
Fighting has come to an end in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region a week after Armenia agreed to sign a Russian-brokered peace accord sealing its defeat to longtime rival Azerbaijan. But despite Armenia ceding swaths of territory and the deployment of a Russian peacekeeping mission, a lasting solution to the decades-long conflict remains elusive. Return of…
Over 1,000 Belarus Protesters Detained Amid Ongoing Protests
On Nov. 15, Belarusian security forces detained over 1,200 protesters across the country in the latest weekly demonstration calling for President Alexander Lukashenko to step down and hold a new presidential election. Security forces also reportedly used tear gas and stun grenades on the protesters, and 23 journalists were reportedly among those detained. With Sunday…
Siberian Environmentalist Detained for Poaching World’s Largest Sheep – Reports
A Siberian environmentalist has been detained on suspicion of poaching the world’s largest sheep, the argali, media outlets reported Monday. The Saylyugemsky National Park on the Russian-Kazakh-Mongolian border, which oversees the protection of the argali and snow leopards, said a group of hunters was caught Saturday and charged with administrative offenses. “They said they arrived…
Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Nov. 16
Russia has confirmed 1,948,603 cases of coronavirus and 33,489 deaths. Nov. 16: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 22,778 new coronavirus cases and 303 deaths. The eastern Siberian republic of Buryatia became the first Russian region to impose a second coronavirus lockdown. Restaurants, malls and other places of mass gathering will be shut down for two weeks starting…
Moldova Vote Winner Promises ‘Balanced’ Ties With West, Russia
Moldova’s pro-European election winner Maia Sandu on Monday vowed balanced ties with the West and Russia as Moscow-backed incumbent Igor Dodon conceded defeat and asked his supporters to refrain from violence. Sandu’s election is seen by analysts as a major blow to the Kremlin, which had pinned hopes on Dodon winning a new term. Russia had wanted polarized…
Nagorno-Karabakh Briefing | Nov. 16
Almost a week into the latest truce between Armenia and Azerbaijan and there remains no flare-up of fighting. Russian peacekeeping deployments continue to establish their positions, while the exact role Turkey will play remains unclear. Political unrest heightens in Armenia with an alleged assassination plot against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Nov. 16: what you need…
‘Welcome to Chechnya’ Gay Purge Documentary Now Streaming for Russian-Speaking Audiences
The BBC’s Russian service has made a critically acclaimed documentary on the anti-gay crackdown in the republic of Chechnya available to Russian-speaking audiences. Oscar-nominated American filmmaker David France’s “Welcome to Chechnya” traces a Moscow-based LGBT association’s attempts to exfiltrate gay Chechens to safety. The film pioneers deepfake face-swapping technology to disguise the identities of his…
Orenburgneft Sets Power Generation Centre at Garshinskoye Field
Specialists of Orenburgneft, a part of Rosneft, finished the creation of the power generation centre at Garshinskoye field.
5 Things You Need to Know About Moldova’s Presidential Elections
Moldova held its presidential election Sunday in a vote that could push the ex-Soviet eastern European nation further away from Moscow’s orbit. Here’s all you need to know: Where is Moldova and why is it important? Wedged between Ukraine and Romania, Moldova is one of Europe’s smallest and poorest countries. With a population of almost…
Ryazan Oil Refining Company Introduces Unified Information System for Product Quality Control
Ryazan Oil Refining Company, a subsidiary of Rosneft Oil Company, increased the enterprise’s safety level by introducing a unified information system for product quality control.
Russia Finds No Criminal Influence on Journalist’s Self-Immolation Death – Kommersant
Russian investigators do not believe that independent journalist Irina Slavina was driven to suicide by external factors that could carry criminal punishment, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday. Slavina, the editor-in-chief of the independent KozaPress news outlet, set herself on fire outside the Nizhny Novgorod police headquarters on Oct. 2 the day after security forces raided…
First Russian Region Returns to Full Lockdown as Coronavirus Surges
The eastern Siberian republic of Buryatia has become the first Russian region to impose a second coronavirus lockdown, shutting down restaurants, malls and other places of mass gathering for two weeks starting Monday. “We need to separate people as much as possible, to relieve the healthcare and testing systems,” Buryatia governor Alexei Tsydenov told reporters,…
Azerbaijan Extends Armenian Pullout Deadline From Disputed Area
Azerbaijan said Sunday it had agreed to extend a deadline for Armenia to withdraw from a disputed district as part of a peace accord that ended six weeks of fierce fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Residents of the Kalbajar district in Azerbaijan, which has been controlled by Armenian separatists since a 1990s post-Soviet war, began…
Moldova Torn Between Russia and West in Presidential Runoff
Moldova heads to the polls on Sunday for the second round of a tightly-contested presidential election pitting a pro-European challenger against the country’s Moscow-backed incumbent. The tiny ex-Soviet nation votes under the watchful eye of Russia, which wants polarised Moldova to remain in its sphere of influence as several Kremlin-aligned governments are rocked by political…
Russia Breaks One-Day Coronavirus Record With 22K Infections
Russia confirmed more than 22,000 coronavirus infections in a single day for the first time since the start of the pandemic as the authorities continue to hold off on widespread lockdown measures. Saturday’s increase of 22,702 Covid-19 cases brings the country’s official total to 1,903,253, the world’s fifth-highest count behind France, Brazil, India and the United States.…
Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Nov. 14
Russia has confirmed 1,903,253 cases of coronavirus and 32,834 deaths. Nov. 14: What you need to know today Russia confirmed a new one-day record of 22,702 coronavirus cases and 391 deaths. Russia’s flagship air carrier Aeroflot will resume flights with Cyprus starting Nov. 22, the Russian Embassy in Nicosia said. The flights will not immediately be open to Russian…
Thousands Rally in Armenia Against Disputed Peace Deal
Thousands of furious protesters rallied in the Armenian capital for a fourth day running on Friday demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resign over a controversial peace agreement with Azerbaijan. Pashinyan announced the Moscow-brokered agreement Tuesday, ending more than six weeks of intense fighting over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh that left at least 1,400 dead…
Siberian Student Climbs Tree for Internet Signal to Attend Remote Classes
Alexei may have the coolest Zoom background in the world, but he’d rather not have to climb a tree for it. Alexei Dudoladov goes by “Omskiy Kolkhoznik” (Farmer from Omsk) on TikTok, where his videos of village life have racked up millions of views and likes in a year. But because his remote Siberian village…
St. Petersburg Authorities Disrupt LGBT Film Fest Opening
St. Petersburg police and officials from Russia’s consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor disrupted the opening night of Russia’s only annual LGBT film festival, its organizers said. The Side By Side film festival has been subjected to numerous disruptions, bomb threats and protests in its 13-year history. Last year, the film festival’s opening was disrupted by bomb…
More Countries Line Up for Russia’s Sputnik V Coronavirus Vaccine
More than 50 countries have requested to buy or localize production of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine as the race for a safe and effective vaccine that could end the deadly pandemic heats up across the globe. In recent weeks, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) that is marketing Sputnik V has announced plans to…
Russian Mayor of City Targeted in Navalny Probe Arrested
The mayor of a Siberian city that was at the center of a corruption expose by opposition leader Alexei Navalny was arrested Friday for abuse of power, regional officials and Russian media said. The arrest comes two months after Kremlin critic Navalny published the investigation alleging corruption by local officials in Tomsk. Navalny, 44, fell…
Belarus Briefing | Nov. 17
Belarus has seen weekly mass protests against the disputed presidential re-election of Alexander Lukashenko for nearly three months. Here’s more of the latest news from Russia’s ex-Soviet neighbor: Nov. 17: What you need to know today The Belarusian Association of Journalists has won the Media Freedom Award, a prize awarded by the governments of Britain and…
A Russian Town Gets Rid of Its Lenin Street and Emotions Run High
In a cramped office decorated with posters of Stalin, a veteran Communist Party member addresses a group of concerned citizens, banging his fist on a desk.“Friends, we are at war,” Alexander Golovanov declares. “They want to take away our history and pride.” The ancient town of Tarusa, 140 kilometers south of Moscow, still has a…
Nagorno-Karabakh Briefing | Nov. 13
Nov. 13: what you need to know today The ceasefire continued to hold with no reports of fighting flaring up in Nagorno-Karabakh or the surrounding territory. A delegation from Moscow is in Ankara on Friday to discuss the details of a joint Russian-Turkish ceasefire monitoring center. The deployment of almost 2,000 Russian peacekeepers continues. The…
Putin ‘Physically Unremarkable,’ Obama Writes in Memoir
Russian President Vladimir Putin was a “tough” but “physically unremarkable” man, former U.S. President Barack Obama said in the first volume of his upcoming memoir. According to a New York Times review of “A Promised Land,” Obama likened Putin to “the tough, street-smart ward bosses who used to run the Chicago machine.” Obama’s personal relationship…
Russia Nears 22K Coronavirus Infections in New Daily Record
Russia has broken its daily coronavirus record, confirming nearly 22,000 new infections Friday as the latest restrictions on clubs and restaurants are taking effect later in the day. The 21,983 new Covid-19 infections bring the total caseload to 1,880,551, the world’s fifth-highest count behind France, Brazil, India and the United States. A quarter of those…
Russia Suspects Aeroflot’s Britain Rep of Treason
A Russian court has ordered the arrest on treason charges of a representative of the Aeroflot flagship airline’s office in Britain, state media reported Thursday. Dmitry Fedotkin has been placed in pre-trial detention until Jan. 10, 2021, according to the state-run TASS news agency. A court database shows that Moscow’s Lefortovo District Court registered the…