Russian Authorities Storm Siberian Commune, Arrest Messianic Cult Leader

A Siberian messianic cult leader and his deputies have been detained at one of their communes on accusations of using followers’ money and psychological violence to inflict harm, Russia’s Investigative Committee said Tuesday. Armed agents were filmed storming the Church of the Last Testament’s compound in a southern district of the Krasnoyarsk region. The agents can…

Belarus Opposition Leader: We’re Not Anti-Russian

Belarus’ opposition is not anti-Russian despite its objections to recent Russian-Belarusian deals made amid mass post-election protests, exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said in an interview published Sunday. Tikhanovskaya had on the eve of last week’s meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko vowed to “reconsider” any newly reached agreements if she…

Russian Recruits Show ‘No Side Effects’ in Chinese Coronavirus Vaccine Trials

Recruits in Moscow have reported no side effects after taking China’s candidate coronavirus vaccine as part of large-scale clinical trials, the Russian pharmaceutical company working with the vaccine’s Chinese developers announced Monday. Russia approved Phase 3 trials of the Chinese vaccine developed by CanSino Biologics and the Chinese military’s research arm last month. Russia’s Petrovax pharmaceutical…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Sept. 21

Russia has confirmed 1,109,595 cases of coronavirus and 19,489 deaths. Sept 21: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 6,196 new Covid-19 cases Monday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 1,109,595 as the number of new infections across the country continues to rise. Authorities in China’s eastern Jilin province have discovered traces of coronavirus on packages of frozen…

Chinese Authorities Find Coronavirus on Frozen Squid From Russia

Authorities in China’s eastern Jilin province have discovered traces of coronavirus on packages of frozen squid imported from Russia, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported Sunday.  The regional capital Changchun’s Covid-19 prevention office detected the virus particles during a routine screening, Xinhua reported.  All individuals who came into contact with the packages in Changchun were…

Putin Allies Moved ‘Millions’ in Murky Deals, Massive Leak Says

Russian tycoons close to President Vladimir Putin have used some of the world’s largest banks to move massive sums of allegedly dirty money, according to an international journalism investigation published Sunday. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and BuzzFeed News said that big banks flagged $2 trillion worth of suspicious transactions between 1999-2017. The…

Russia Clears Two Coronavirus Drugs for Pharmacy Sale

Two Russian-made coronavirus treatment drugs have been cleared for pharmacy sale, allowing for widespread at-home treatment of the infection, the Health Ministry announced in a statement to the state-run RIA-Novosti news agency Thursday.  Both drugs are Russia-manufactured variants of favipiravir, the generic version of an anti-flu medication developed by Japan’s Fujifilm. Clinical trials of the…

Belarus Shuts Western Borders as Lukashenko Warns of ‘War’

Update: Belarus’ borders remained open Friday after President Alexander Lukashenko announced they would be closed. The country’s border guard service said on its Telegram channel that “checks have been stepped up” and “tactical reinforcements have been deployed,” but that “checkpoints are permitting people to enter and leave.” Belarus will close its borders with Poland and Lithuania…

Protest-Plagued Belarus Strongman Transfers Son to Moscow School – Reports

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has transferred his youngest son to an elite boarding school in Moscow amid ongoing protests against his disputed re-election, Russian tabloids reported Thursday.  Nikolai “Kolya” Lukashenko, 16, has become a social media sensation as he has grown from a pudgy kid to an apparent “successor” to the presidency who is frequently…

Chemical Weapons Watchdog Says Examining Navalny Samples

The global chemical weapons watchdog confirmed Thursday that it had sent experts to Germany to collect samples from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and that results of tests for Novichok poisoning were “forthcoming.” Berlin had formally requested its “technical assistance” over Navalny’s alleged poisoning, the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said.…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Sept. 17

Russia has confirmed 1,085,281 cases of coronavirus and 19,061 deaths. Sept 17: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 5,762 new coronavirus infections Thursday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 1,085,281. Russian health officials have proposed depriving medics of promised coronavirus payouts if they refuse to vaccinate against the infection, the Medvestnik medical news website has reported. …

Poland Seeks Russian Air Traffic Controllers’ Arrest Over Fatal 2010 Presidential Crash

Poland has taken the first steps to arrest three Russian air traffic controllers whom it accuses of provoking a fatal plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski in 2010, Polish media reported late Wednesday.  Polish prosecutors in 2017 accused the air traffic controllers of “deliberately provoking” the crash where 96 Polish officials including Kaczynski…

Belarus Opposition Leader Is U.S. Protege – Russia Spy Chief

Russia’s foreign intelligence chief on Wednesday accused the United States of protecting Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and allocating $20 million to promote anti-government protests that erupted after disputed presidential elections. Sergei Naryshkin, who heads the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), said Washington had taken the former presidential candidate Tikhanovskaya and other activists “firmly under…

Well-Preserved Cave Bear Discovered in Russia’s Melting Arctic Permafrost

Reindeer herders in Russia’s Arctic have discovered what scientists say is the first-ever cave bear carcass with soft tissues intact in the region’s rapidly thawing permafrost.  The Ice Age-era animal is believed to have lived between 22,000 and 39,500 years ago, Russia’s North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) said in a statement Monday. Previously, the university said…

Trump Ad Supporting U.S. Troops Shows Russian Fighter Jets, Rifles

A campaign fundraising ad for U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at rallying support for the country’s troops actually displays Russian-made military equipment, Politico reported Monday.  The digital “Support Our Troops” campaign that ran between Sept. 8-12 shows the silhouettes of three soldiers as fighter jets fly overhead.  “That’s definitely a [Russian] MiG-29,” defense analyst Pierre…

1 in 7 Russian Coronavirus Vaccine Volunteers Report Side Effects

One in seven volunteers have complained of side effects including weakness and muscle pain after taking Russia’s highly touted coronavirus vaccine, Russia’s health minister said Tuesday. Final clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine began in Moscow earlier this month amid questions over its long-term safety and effectiveness.  Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said more than…

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Sept. 15

Russia has confirmed 1,073,849 cases of coronavirus and 18,785 deaths. Sept 15: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 5,529 new coronavirus infections Tuesday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 1,073,849. Russian health officials have proposed depriving medics of promised coronavirus payouts if they refuse to vaccinate against the infection, the Medvestnik medical news website has reported. …

Russia Considers Stripping Coronavirus Bonuses From Medics Who Refuse Vaccine – Reports

Russian health officials have proposed depriving medics of promised coronavirus payouts if they refuse to vaccinate against the infection, the Medvestnik medical news website has reported.  President Vladimir Putin this spring promised monthly bonuses ranging from $300 to $1,000 for doctors and other medical professionals treating Covid-19 patients. Russian doctors have since reported being underpaid…

Belarus Opposition Leader Criticizes Putin’s Talks With ‘Usurper’ Lukashenko

Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskya has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to hold talks with “usurper” Alexander Lukashenko rather than the Belarusian people. Tikhanovskaya’s statement comes ahead of one-on-one talks between Putin and Lukashenko in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday. The talks follow a month of mass protests that broke out…

Putin Backs Lukashenko’s ‘Eventual Succession’ in Belarus – Bloomberg

Russian President Vladimir Putin will encourage steps toward an “eventual succession” in Belarus but will not accept the opposition coming to power through street protests, Bloomberg reported Sunday. Moscow doesn’t trust embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko but is “determined” not to see protesters topple his rule, Bloomberg cited five unnamed sources close to the Kremlin…