What We Know About Russian Mercenary Losses in Mali

Russian mercenaries have suffered heavy losses in two-day fighting against Tuareg rebels near Mali’s border with Algeria, Russia’s Wagner mercenary group confirmed on Monday in a rare statement. A mainly Tuareg separatist coalition claimed earlier on Sunday it took a major victory over Mali’s army and its Russian allies. In its statement, Wagner detailed “fierce…

Passenger Train Derails in Southern Russia, Injuring Dozens

A passenger train derailed on Monday in southern Russia, injuring dozens of people, the country’s state-owned railway company said. Russian Railways said the train — which was traveling through the Volgograd region — collided with a truck that drove into a railroad crossing at 12:35 local time. Eight passenger cars were thrown from the tracks, it added. “The…

Putin Congratulates Venezuela’s Maduro on Election Victory

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday congratulated Nicolas Maduro on his victory in Venezuela’s presidential race, as the election results were rejected by the opposition and several foreign countries. “I am confident that your role as head of state will continue to enhance the progressive development of [Russian-Venezuelan relations],” Putin was quoted as saying in…

Wagner Group Confirms Fighters Killed Battling Mali Rebels

The Wagner mercenary group confirmed Monday that some of its fighters were killed alongside soldiers from Mali’s army as they battled against rebel forces in recent days. The rebel movement, the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), said in a statement on Saturday that its troops “decisively obliterated” the Wagner-backed Malian army…

Russia Says Journalists Stripped of Olympic Accreditation

Russia’s TASS state news agency said Sunday the Paris Olympics organizing committee had stripped four of its journalists of accreditation to cover the Games after they attended initial events. TASS said that the removal of the reporters’ accreditation, essential to cover the Games, was “completely unexpected” after the journalists had entered France, received passes and…

Putin Threatens To Restart Production of Mid-Range Nuclear Weapons

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday threatened to relaunch production of intermediate-range nuclear weapons if the United States confirmed its intention to deploy missiles to Germany or elsewhere in Europe. “If the United States carries out such plans, we will consider ourselves liberated from the unilateral moratorium previously adopted on the deployment of medium- and…

Russian Navy Ship Arrives in Cuba for Three-Day Visit

A Russian navy ship arrived in Cuba on Saturday for a three-day stay, six weeks after Moscow sent a submarine and other naval vessels to visit the communist state off Florida’s coast. The Smolny training ship was greeted with salvos from Cuban artillery before it anchored in Havana’s harbor, where residents and tourists gathered to…

Russia Slams Olympic Opening as ‘Massive Failure’

Russia on Saturday slammed the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games as a “massive failure”. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova gave a long list of shortcomings at Friday’s ceremony, which was not broadcast live on Russian television. “I wasn’t planning to watch the opening. But after seeing the photos, I couldn’t believe it wasn’t…

Russia Claims Capture of Another Village in East Ukraine

Russia on Saturday claimed the capture of another village in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region where there is heavy fighting as Moscow’s forces advance towards the city of Pokrovsk. The Defense ministry said Russian troops “liberated” the village of Lozuvatske, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) east of Pokrovsk and near the Russian-occupied small town of Ocheretnye.…

Russia Says Kyiv’s Statements on Peace Talks Contradictory

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday he “does not listen” to what he called Ukraine’s contradictory statements on peace talks. Lavrov spoke after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited China for talks this week. President Volodymyr Zelensky then said Beijing sent a “clear signal” it supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Answering questions from Russian journalists…

Man Sets Himself Ablaze on Red Square – Reports

The head of a research institute that supplies communication systems to the Russian military set himself ablaze on Red Square Friday, media outlets reported, citing anonymous sources. Mash, a Telegram news channel with purported links to Russian law enforcement, said eyewitnesses saw a man douse himself with a flammable liquid and then ignite in flames.…

Who Are the Russian Athletes Competing in the Paris Olympics?

Only 15 Russian athletes will take part in the Paris Olympics after the International Olympic Committee banned athletes from Russia and Belarus from competing under their own flag. These athletes will be allowed to compete as “individual neutral athletes.” The IOC says there are strict conditions for Russian or Belarusian athletes to be eligible to…

Anti-War Store Owner Released From St. Petersburg Prison

A store owner in St. Petersburg who was jailed last year for publicly opposing the war in Ukraine was released from prison on Friday, local media reported. In August 2023, Dmitry Skurikhin was ordered to spend one year and six months in prison for “discrediting” the Russian military after he painted his store in pacifist slogans. He was arrested after…

Moscow Labels Dozens of Indigenous Groups, Free Russia Foundation as ‘Extremist’

Authorities in Moscow have added an unprecedented 54 Indigenous groups and the U.S.-based Free Russia Foundation to the country’s growing list of “extremist” organizations. Russia’s Justice Ministry labeled the 55 seemingly unrelated organizations as “structural divisions” of the vaguely defined “Anti-Russian Separatist Movement,” which Russia’s Supreme Court banned as an “extremist” organization last month. Rights groups…

Russian Defense Minister Inspects Troops’ Combat Readiness

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov oversaw combat readiness exercises at a military training facility in northwestern Russia, the defense ministry said on Friday. “Belousov reviewed the organization of combat training of military personnel at one of the training grounds of the Leningrad Military District,” the army said in a statement. The statement added that the training…

A Timeline of Russia’s Defense Ministry Purge

Since at least April, the Russian military has been in upheaval, punctuated by arrests of senior Defense Ministry officials on charges including bribery and abuse of power. This turmoil appears to have peaked in May with the dismissal of longtime Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who faced accusations of mishandling the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While…

Russia, China Conduct Strategic Bomber Patrol Near Alaska

Russian and Chinese strategic bombers carried out a joint patrol of Far East Russia and the Bering Sea near Alaska, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday. “An aviation group of Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers and the Chinese air force’s Xian H-6 strategic bombers performed an aerial patrol over the Chukchi and Bering Seas…

Ukrainian Shelling of Russia’s Belgorod Region Kills Man

One man was killed and two others were injured in a Ukrainian attack on the town of Shebekino in southwestern Russia’s Belgorod region, officials said Thursday. “A tragedy happened,” Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. “A man died from his injuries before an ambulance could arrive.” Gladkov said regional defense fighters transported the two wounded…

Russian Attack Helicopter Crashes Southwest of Moscow, Killing Crew

A military attack helicopter crashed in an uninhabited area of central Russia, killing the entire crew, authorities said early Thursday. “A Mi–28 helicopter crashed in the Zhizdrinsky district,” Kaluga region Governor Vladislav Shapsha said. “A task force and rescuers are working at the crash site.” The Zhizdrinsky district, located in the central Kaluga region, is around…

Putin Meets With Syrian President Assad in Moscow

President Vladimir Putin met with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad in Moscow to discuss what the Russian leader described as continued “escalation” in the Middle East, state media reported on Thursday. The meeting, held late Wednesday, comes at a time when Russia — which saved Assad’s government through its military intervention in 2015 during a…

Russian Fighter Jet Intercept British Warplanes Over Black Sea

Russia’s military said Wednesday that it scrambled a Su-27 fighter jet to prevent three British warplanes from entering Russian airspace over the Black Sea. A Su-27 identified the “three air targets” as a U.K. Royal Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and two Typhoon fighter planes, Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. “As the Russian…

Russian Fighter Jet Intercepts British Warplanes Over Black Sea

Russia’s military said Wednesday that it scrambled a Su-27 fighter jet to prevent three British warplanes from entering Russian airspace over the Black Sea. A Su-27 identified the “three air targets” as a U.K. Royal Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and two Typhoon fighter planes, Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. “As the Russian…

Russian Chef Behind Alleged Olympics Games Plot – Le Monde

A Russian man arrested this week for allegedly planning to “destabilize” the Paris Olympics is an intelligence officer for Moscow who worked undercover as a chef in France for over a decade, Le Monde reported late Tuesday, citing anonymous European security and intelligence officials. French prosecutors said the 40-year-old Russian national was arrested Tuesday for…

Russian Chef Behind Alleged Olympic Games Plot – Le Monde

A Russian man arrested this week for allegedly planning to “destabilize” the Paris Olympics is an intelligence officer for Moscow who worked undercover as a chef in France for over a decade, Le Monde reported late Tuesday, citing anonymous European security and intelligence officials. French prosecutors said the 40-year-old Russian national was arrested Tuesday for…

Russia, Kyrgyzstan Sign Radioactive Decontamination Deal

Kyrgyzstan ratified an agreement with Russia on Wednesday for the mass decontamination of radioactive areas that pose a threat to the local population. The mountainous central Asian country, a former Soviet republic, is still suffering the environmental consequences of uranium and other heavy metals mining during the Soviet era. Ninety-two sites contain more than 300…

3 Russians Killed After Fishing Boat Sinks in South Atlantic

At least three Russian citizens were killed after a fishing boat carrying 27 people sank around 320 kilometers off the Falkland Islands, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. The 54-meter Argos Georgia sank on Monday afternoon after being suddenly flooded with water in the South Atlantic, authorities in the Falkland Islands said in a statement. Rescuers…

Wildberries Founder Announces Divorce as Husband Enlists Kadyrov to Fight ‘Hostile Takeover’

Russia’s wealthiest woman Tatiana Bakalchuk has announced that she is divorcing her husband and business partner Vladislav Bakalchuk, who is seeking the help of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov to fight what he characterized as a “hostile takeover” of the leading online retailer Wildberries. “I confirm the start of divorce proceedings,” Tatiana Bakalchuk, who founded Wildberries in…

Russia Bans Entry of Top Japanese Business Execs

Russia has banned the head of Toyota and 12 other senior Japanese business figures from entering the country, prompting a protest from authorities in Tokyo on Wednesday. The list, published by Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, includes Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, Rakuten chief Hiroshi Mikitani and Akihiko Tanaka, president of the government-backed Japan International Cooperation…

Russian-German Citizen Held in Moscow on Treason Charges

A Moscow court on Tuesday extended the pre-trial detention of a dual Russian-German citizen accused of treason in an ultra-secret criminal case. Russia has arrested a spate of Western citizens amid its offensive on Ukraine, drawing accusations that it is taking “hostages” to use as bargaining chips for prisoner exchanges. According to state-run news agency…