Two Dead in Gas Explosion Outside Moscow

Two people were killed and six injured when a gas explosion ripped through a five-storey residential building outside Moscow on Saturday, with rescue workers still looking for survivors.  The blast took place in the town of Orekhovo-Zuyevo during stay-at-home orders aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The emergencies ministry said two people were…

St. Petersburg Medics Appeal for Protective Gear as Coronavirus Spreads

Doctors at one of St. Petersburg’s top hospitals have filmed a video appeal asking the public for protective gear as they prepare to admit coronavirus patients. Pokrovskaya Hospital in Russia’s second-biggest city has been repurposed alongside two other existing facilities to accommodate a potential influx of coronavirus patients this week. St. Petersburg is Russia’s third-most…

‘A City That Could Be the Russian Bergamo.’ How Ulyanovsk Is Preparing for the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Читайте русскую версию здесь. “Oh, come on! Virus? What virus?” Olga, a 35-year-old businesswoman waved her hand dismissively. “It’s a conspiracy, not a virus. Whose conspiracy? The Chinese, who do you think?! They released it so they could get ahead of Europe and Russia and rule the world. They’ve got a vaccine for it.” Olga,…

Moscow Won’t Require QR Code Coronavirus Lockdown Passes, for Now

Moscow will not enforce its coronavirus quarantine with scannable QR codes, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced Thursday, leaving room for a reversal if residents stop following self-isolation orders during the pandemic. Sobyanin extended citywide lockdown measures until May 1 immediately after President Vladimir Putin announced a month-long extension of the nationwide paid “non-working” period to encourage…

Russia Restricts Grain Exports Amid Pandemic

Russia on Thursday published a government decree establishing an export quota for certain grains until the end of June as its virus cases spiked. The measures came after the heads of three global agencies including the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organisation on Wednesday warned countries against imposing export restrictions that could interrupt…

Kremlin Denies Putin Spoke to Saudi Crown Prince

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 Extends Nationwide Paid Holiday as Coronavirus Numbers See Sharpest Rise Yet

President Vladimir Putin announced the extension of Russia’s nationwide “non-working week” until April 30 after the country registered a sharp increase in coronavirus cases on Thursday.  Confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia spiked overnight with 771 new cases registered across the country, bringing official totals to 3,548 infections and 30 deaths. Speaking in a televised address,…

Young Russian Journalist Dies From Coronavirus

A 36-year-old Russian journalist died from the coronavirus this week, authorities said on Thursday two days after her passing, drawing criticism for allegedly withholding the news. Anastasia Petrova, chief editor of the Delovoy Interes business weekly in the city of Perm 1,400 kilometers east of Moscow, was hospitalized with pneumonia on March 24. Regional health…

Who Paid for Russia’s Coronavirus Aid to the U.S.?

Russia sent a military plane carrying protective gear and ventilators to the United States on Wednesday to help the country battle the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Shortly after, the U.S. said it purchased the medical supplies from Russia, the State Department said Wednesday, contradicting the Kremlin’s initial description of the shipment as humanitarian aid. Who really paid…

Russians Risk Fines, Jail Time for Dodging Coronavirus Quarantine

Both houses of Russia’s parliament swiftly approved legislation Tuesday imposing severe punishments for spreading false information about the coronavirus and breaking quarantine rules as most regions have gone into lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed the bills — which include provisions for more accessible medication — into law,…

Russia Reserves $18B to Counter Coronavirus Crisis

Russia has earmarked almost $18 billion to battle the coronavirus pandemic, the prime minister said Wednesday as Moscow imposed a strict lockdown. The finance ministry “has reserved 1.4 trillion rubles ($17.8 billion) in all for fighting the spread of the coronavirus and carrying out anti-crisis measures,” Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told President Vladimir Putin during…

Campaigners Urge Russia to Release Prisoners as Coronavirus Spreads

Rights campaigners are urging the Russian government to consider releasing some pre-trial detainees and prisoners held in the country’s packed jails, warning of the “devastating consequences” of the coronavirus pandemic. More than half a million people are held in Russia’s notoriously crowded prisons in what is the European continent’s largest prison population. In a letter Tuesday…

As Virus Looms, Russian Arctic Brigade Tests Chemical Weapons Defense

This week more than 80 units of military hardware rolled out of their compounds in the Kola Peninsula to participate in exercises, the Northern Fleet informs. The exercises involved motorized infantry units of the Northern Fleet’s Arctic Brigade, and included military equipment such as self-propelled Gvozdika howitzers, the Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system, and MTLB armored transport…