Ukraine Security Service Catches Alleged Russian Spy in Its Ranks

The Ukrainian security service said on Tuesday it has detained a high-ranking employee on suspicion of spying for Russia and planning terror attacks. The investigation has uncovered “indisputable evidence” including audio and video recordings which show that Major General Valery Shaytanov had planned terror attacks in Ukraine and collected intelligence for Russia’s FSB security service,…

Trump-Linked Contractor Offered Military Services to Russia’s Wagner in Africa – Intercept

Erik Prince, a security contractor with close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, offered military services to Russia’s Wagner mercenary group in Libya and Mozambique earlier this year, investigative website The Intercept reported Monday. The Wagner Group, a sanctioned outfit with links to the Kremlin through a sanctioned catering magnate, has been reported to…

Chechen Leader Threatens Journalist Who Investigated Region’s Harsh Virus Quarantine

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has threatened an investigative journalist Monday for a “provocative” story on the Russian region’s strict anti-coronavirus measures, the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported. The story, authored by Novaya Gazeta journalist Yelena Milashina, cited quarantined Chechens as saying Sunday that they stopped reporting coronavirus symptoms for fear of being labeled “terrorists.” Kadyrov…

‘There Will Be Mass Starvation,’ Moscow Opposition Warns Mayor as Coronavirus Slams Economy

A lack of aid for Moscow’s small and medium businesses hit by the coronavirus lockdown will lead to mass starvation and widespread protests, opposition lawmakers have reportedly warned Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Moscow and its 12.7 million residents have been under lockdown since March 30, with all nonessential businesses and activities suspended until at least May…

Italians Offered Cash to Film ‘Thank You Russia’ Videos for Coronavirus Aid – Reports

Russian nationals in Italy are offering Italians money to film themselves thanking Russia and President Vladimir Putin for recent coronavirus aid, Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper reported Sunday. Russia dispatched army medics in March to help disinfect hospitals and care facilities in a northern Italian region that has been hit hardest by the country’s coronavirus outbreak.…

China Tightens Security at Russian Border, Fearing New Coronavirus Wave

China’s northernmost province has tightened its border controls to prevent new coronavirus infections from neighboring Russia, Bloomberg reported Monday.  A growing number of Chinese nationals have returned from Russia with the virus, threatening a second wave after the country where the pandemic originated has largely brought its domestic outbreak under control. The estimated 250 coronavirus…

Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Rise By 2,558 in New Record Increase, Bringing Total to 18,328

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

Putin, Trump Hail OPEC+ Oil Deal: Kremlin

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

Riot, Fire Break Out at Siberian Prison

A prison in Siberia reported disturbances at a high-security penal colony Friday, while local campaigners called the incident a full-blown riot and posted images of fire on the premises. Russia’s penal service said inmates at the No 15 penal colony in Angarsk “attacked a guard” while others cut themselves with glass from broken surveillance cameras.…

Putin Speaks With Trump on Coronavirus, Oil

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Friday spoke with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump for the third time in two weeks, discussing the coronavirus pandemic and global oil prices. Putin earlier told the U.S.-Russian crew aboard the International Space Station that the ISS is “an example of an effective partnership of our countries” as the world fights…

Moscow’s Coronavirus Lockdown Leaves the Homeless Out in the Cold

Moscow’s indefinite coronavirus lockdown has left the city’s vulnerable homeless population with an impossible choice — find shelter or risk paying steep fines, while facing the danger of becoming infected with a potentially deadly disease.   In many European countries, where the coronavirus has hit hard, spaces including hotels, office buildings and gymnasiums have been converted…

Russian Investigators Probe Wartime Nazi Massacres

Russia on Thursday launched a probe into three World War II-era atrocities in areas occupied by Nazi forces. The investigation was opened following findings in historical archives about killings in several locations in southern Russia’s Rostov region, including Zmiyovskaya Balka, a village where “no less than 27,000 people” were shot by firing squad. The massacres…

ISS Crew Docks From Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome After Virus-Hit Build Up

A three-man crew docked successfully at the International Space Station Thursday, leaving behind a planet overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic. Russian space agency Roscosmos said the Soyuz MS-16 capsule “docked successfully” in a statement on its website. Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos and NASA’s Chris Cassidy reached the ISS at 1413 GMT, just over…

Moscow Plans Coronavirus Surveillance for Foreigners – Kommersant

Moscow is planning to track foreign tourists’ movements through smartphone geolocation for coronavirus prevention after Russia reopens its national borders, the Kommersant business daily reported Thursday. Russia shut its borders indefinitely last month as its number of Covid-19 cases began growing exponentially, with more than 10,000 confirmed infections and 76 deaths as of Thursday. Moscow,…

ISS Crew Blasts Off From Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome Despite Virus-Hit Build-Up

A three-man crew blasted off to the International Space Station on Thursday, leaving behind a planet overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic. Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency and NASA’s Chris Cassidy launched at 8:05 a.m. GMT from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, where Covid-19 has caused changes to pre-launch protocol.  The crew told…

4 Killed in Moscow Nursing Home Fire

A fire that tore through a Moscow home for the elderly late Wednesday has killed four and put at least six people in the hospital with injuries, authorities said. Russia’s Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes, said either an electrical short-circuit or a faulty boiler has likely caused the fire. Its Moscow branch opened a…