Memorial, dissolved by Russia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, was the country’s most respected human rights organization whose closure signals the tightening authoritarian tendencies under President Vladimir Putin. The court ruling against Memorial International, the organization’s central structure, seals a swift judicial process to shut down the group, which emerged as a hopeful symbol during Russia’s chaotic transition…
Russia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the shuttering of Memorial, Russia’s oldest human rights watchdog, for repeatedly violating the country’s foreign agent law. The group’s closure rounds out a year in which Russian authorities have cracked down on nearly all forms of dissent, from Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s opposition groups to independent news outlets and…
At least two former coordinators of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s network have been detained in Siberia on charges of organizing an extremist group, media reported Tuesday. The raids and arrests in the cities of Tomsk and Irkutsk come one month after a court in central Russia jailed another ex-Navalny coordinator who faces up to…
Russia has conducted a third launch of its new heavy-class Angara rocket, the first developed after the fall of the Soviet Union 30 years ago this month. Space agency Roscosmos announced late Monday that the next-generation Angara-A5 rocket had been launched with a mock payload from Plesetsk in northern Russia. It was the third launch…
The United States and Russia will hold much-anticipated talks in January on European security and the Ukraine conflict after Moscow listed demands including to end NATO’s expansion. A spokesperson for the US National Security Council told AFP on condition of anonymity late Monday that the talks with Russia will take place on Jan. 10. Russian…
Russia’s top diplomat on Monday likened the European Union’s policy of “pushing back, constraining and engaging” with Moscow to “political Kama Sutra.” Brussels’ high representative Josep Borrell outlined the multilateral Russia strategy in June as the sides reached their “lowest level” in relations due to a litany of disagreements including Ukraine, Belarus and human rights. “I…
Rescuer Alexander Zakovryashin, injured in a search and rescue operation after the Listvyazhnaya coal mine accident, is transported to a miners’ healthcare center in the Kemerovo region of southwestern Siberia. On the morning of Nov. 25, coal dust caught on fire in a ventilation shaft some 250 meters underground, filling the mine with smoke. At…
A court in Belarus has sentenced a Russian national to 11 years in prison on charges of threatening national security and inciting hatred online, the Belarusian human rights news website Charter 97 reported Monday. Yegor Dudnikov, 21, was arrested in May for doing voice-over work for Belarusian opposition videos in the wake of mass protests…
A prominent Russian investigative journalist working for the BBC’s Russian service said on Monday he has left the country two months after being labeled a “foreign agent.” In a video published by BBC Russia, Andrei Zakharov said he moved to Britain after facing “unprecedented surveillance” following his designation as a “foreign agent” in October. Zakharov…
Turkey urged Russia on Monday to drop “one-sided” demands and adopt a more constructive approach in its standoff with Western powers and NATO over Ukraine. NATO member Turkey has irritated Moscow by supplying combat drones to Ukraine that Russia fears could be used by Kiev in its conflict with separatists in two eastern regions. But…
A court in northern Russia has sentenced prominent Gulag historian and human rights activist Yury Dmitriyev to 15 years in prison for the second time, media reported Monday. The latest conviction adds 2 years to Dmitriyev’s 13-year sentence last year on charges of sexually abusing his adopted daughter. Critics say his prosecution is politically motivated…
Russian energy giant Gazprom has rejected accusations that Moscow is limiting gas deliveries to Europe and denounced Germany’s resale of gas to Poland amid soaring prices. Poland this week accused Moscow of having stopped its deliveries via the Yamal-Europe pipeline that sends Russian gas to Western Europe, accusing Gazprom of “manipulation”. The pipeline was operating…
Russia announced Saturday that more than 10,000 troops had finished month-long drills near Ukraine, amid Western accusations that Moscow was plotting an invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbour. The defense ministry said in a statement that the drills for Southern Military District forces had taken place in a host of southern regions including Rostov, Krasnodar and…
Russia has blocked the website of a rights monitor tracking political persecution, saying it promoted terrorism and extremism, amid an unprecedented official crackdown on dissent. The move comes in a year that has seen the opposition dismantled and scores of independent media and rights groups branded as “foreign agents” or banned outright. OVD-Info, which tracks…
Russia started the year with fewer Covid restrictions than the West and the belief that its newly registered Sputnik V vaccine would put pandemic woes behind it. But a fresh coronavirus wave in the summer was followed by an even more devastating surge in the fall fueled by the Delta variant, which saw Russia registering…
Russia has blocked the website of a prominent human rights monitor tracking political persecution, the group said Saturday, as authorities press ahead with an unprecedented crackdown on dissent. The move against the monitor is the latest in a year that has seen Russia’s opposition dismantled and scores of independent media and rights organisations branded as…
President Vladimir Putin said Friday the Russian military successfully fired a simultaneous salvo of its Tsirkon hypersonic missiles, calling it “a big event” for the country. As world powers race to develop advanced weaponry, Russia has carried out a number of successful tests of its Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile. This was however the first time…
A new movie backed by Kremlin-linked catering magnate Yevgeny Prigozhin depicts a group of Russian “military instructors” invited to Mozambique to fight Islamic State-linked insurgents in the country’s north. “Granit,” set to premiere next Tuesday on the government-friendly NTV channel, is produced by Aurum, a company in which Prigozhin holds a major stake, according to…
Russia has slapped tech giants Google and Meta with record penalties totaling over $125 million for repeated failure to remove banned content, state media reported Friday. The fines mark the first time Russia has imposed a fine based on a company’s turnover and comes as Moscow amplifies pressure on foreign internet platforms, which it says…
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has obtained Portuguese citizenship through his Jewish ancestry following years of failed visa and residence bids elsewhere in Europe, media reported Thursday. Abramovich became a citizen of the EU member after he withdrew his residency application with non-EU member Switzerland in 2017 over Swiss concerns with reputational and public safety risks…
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said Friday that Washington grew “arrogant and self-confident” after the collapse of the Soviet Union, leading to the expansion of the NATO military alliance. In recent years President Vladimir Putin has grown increasingly insistent that NATO is encroaching close to Russia’s borders, and Moscow last week demanded “legal guarantees” that the…
In one of Russia’s boldest Eurovision entries in years, singer-songwriter Manizha took to the stage in Rotterdam in May to perform her female empowerment anthem “Russian Woman.” “Every Russian woman needs to know,” she rapped over a vibrant beat peppered with folk motifs. “You’re strong enough, you’re gonna break the wall.” Though the fiery performance…
Former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has joined the board of Russian petrochemicals giant Sibur, the company said on Thursday. Sibur published an updated list of its board of directors showing Fillon was appointed to the board as an independent director. The company is controlled by Leonid Mikhelson, one of Russia’s richest men, and Gennady Timchenko,…
Russia has in recent weeks deployed mercenaries to eastern Ukraine to help pro-Moscow separatists defend against Ukrainian government forces, Reuters reported Thursday, citing four unnamed fighters who had been recruited. President Vladimir Putin said earlier Thursday that Russia “must react” to what he alleged are Ukrainian plans to attack the pro-Moscow territories in eastern Ukraine…
The United States is preparing for talks with Russia that could start within weeks, a senior official said Thursday, as Western powers accuse Moscow of continuing a major troop build-up on the border with Ukraine. “The U.S. is ready to engage in diplomacy as soon as early January,” both bilaterally and through “multiple channels,” the…
Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow on Thursday as soaring tensions with the West over Ukraine have sparked fears of an all-out war. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, media outlets were not able to apply for accreditation to the event for the first time since it was first held in…
Vladimir Putin on Thursday thanked Father Frost — the Russian version of Santa Claus — for having helped him become president and urged the mythical figure to help carry out Moscow’s plans. Putin first became president on New Year’s Eve in 1999, when Russia’s first post-Soviet leader Boris Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned and Putin — who…
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused the West of lying to Russia on NATO’s expansion but noted “positive” developments with Washington over Moscow’s demands for security guarantees, with direct talks expected in Geneva next year. The West has for weeks accused Russia of massing troops near its border with Ukraine and planning an invasion against…
A Moscow court on Thursday heard a case against Memorial that could shut down Russia’s most prominent rights organization capping off a year marked by a historic crackdown on dissent. Prosecutors have asked the court to dissolve Memorial’s Human Rights Center, which campaigns for political prisoners and other disadvantaged groups, for alleged failures to use…
Russia announced large-scale “attack” and amphibious assault exercises in and around annexed Crimea on Thursday as Western governments continue to sound the alarm over Moscow’s possible invasion of Ukraine. More than 1,200 Russian airborne and artillery troops, as well as chemical and biological forces and 250 pieces of military hardware, will conduct combat firing exercises…
The United States on Wednesday accused Russia of continuing to escalate its troop build-up on the border with Ukraine, and renewed its warnings against any “aggression” by Moscow. “Russia continues escalating and has not reversed its troop buildup,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson told AFP. Washington and its allies were “closely” monitoring the situation, the…
Ukraine said Wednesday it had complained to the EU against Gazprom, accusing the Russian energy giant of creating “an artificial deficit of gas” in Europe which has resulted in a price surge. European gas prices rocketed Tuesday to all-time highs on strong winter demand and simmering geopolitical tensions between key supplier Russia and consumer nations.…
The German-language channel of Russian state broadcaster RT was taken off air Wednesday for not having a valid satellite license, German regulators said, in the latest escalation of a media spat between the two countries. Germany’s MABB media watchdog said RT DE had neither requested nor been granted a broadcasting license in the country. European…
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday he expects negotiations with the United States on Moscow’s security demands to begin in January, with concerns mounting over the Ukraine conflict. His comments come after the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried told reporters Tuesday she also understands talks with Russia…
Russian billionaire and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich has reached a settlement with journalist Catherine Belton in a defamation lawsuit brought against her and her publisher over claims in her 2020 book “Putin’s People.” In a statement issued Wednesday, publishers HarperCollins said they had “settled their dispute with Roman Abramovich over certain passages in…
Dutch prosecutors on Wednesday called for life in prison for four suspects on trial in absentia accused of downing Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine with a surface-to-air missile, killing 298 people. The ill-fated flight heading for Kuala Lumpur took off from Amsterdam’s Schipol airport in July 2014, and prosecutors this week launched closing arguments…
The United States could hamstring Russia’s smartphone and automobile imports if Moscow invades Ukraine, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed Biden administration official. The “unprecedented” U.S. export control measures are expected to be discussed at a White House meeting Tuesday. Washington will also reportedly closely coordinate its steps with key European and Asian partners that could…
Walking through a freezing market in Moscow earlier this month, 60-year-old Sergei Borisovich recalled that he rang in the last New Year at a table laden with festive delicacies. This year, the factory worker, who declined to give his last name, said a spike in prices meant he would have to forego caviar and other…
The U.S. government has approved the sale of anti-tank Javelin missiles to Lithuania, the Pentagon said Tuesday amid Western concerns of a Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s (DSCA) said it notified Congress of the $125 million sale of 230 Javelin missiles and 20 Javelin launchers to Lithuania, which shares a border…
Russia has passed legislation granting police the right to break into homes and cars without a search warrant. According to the law President Vladimir Putin signed on Tuesday, officers can now enter homes without a warrant even if persons inside are not officially classified as suspects. The latest law grants police officers the power to search personal…
European and U.K. gas prices rocketed Tuesday to all-time highs on strong winter demand and simmering geopolitical tensions between key supplier Russia and consumer nations. Europe’s reference Dutch TTF gas price hit 162.775 euros per megawatt hour in late morning deals, up more than ten percent from Monday, while UK prices leapt to 408.30 pence…
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed on Tuesday that U.S. private military companies have stationed troops in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine and are preparing a “provocation using unknown chemical components.” Shoigu’s statements came during a Defense Ministry meeting in Moscow amid growing fears that Russia could launch an invasion of Ukraine. “We have…
President Vladimir Putin threatened a “military-technical” response Tuesday to what Russia perceives as threatening moves from the West, marking a new escalation of rhetoric amid Moscow’s ongoing tensions with Western countries over Ukraine. The West has for weeks raised alarm over Russian military buildup near Ukraine and fears of a Russian invasion of its ally.…
Amnesty International on Monday accused Belarus and EU member Poland of subjecting migrants to “brutal violence” as they sought entry to the European Union. The human rights organization said it collected testimonies from 72 affected Iraqi, Syrian and Sudanese nationals who described being pepper-sprayed and beaten with batons. With several of them traveling with family and friends,…
A Russian businessman and Kremlin insider suspected of insider trading appeared in U.S. court Monday after being extradited from Switzerland over the weekend. The United States has accused Vladislav Klyushin, 41, of insider trading to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, alongside several accomplices. The other suspects are still on the run. According…
Russian lawmakers seek to declare the fall of the Soviet Union three decades ago “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century.” The proposal submitted Monday by the right-wing nationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) to the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, borrows from President Vladimir Putin’s famous 2005 remark about the Soviet collapse.…
Russia on Monday expelled two German diplomats in response to a spat with Berlin over a German court’s ruling that Moscow had ordered the 2019 assassination of an ex-Chechen commander in a Berlin park. “The German ambassador was informed that two diplomatic employees of the German embassy in Russia were declared ‘persona non grata’ as…
Belarus said Monday one of its diplomats was injured following an attack on its embassy in London, amid international backlash over a migrant crisis the West blames on the ex-Soviet country. Western countries accuse Belarus of engineering a migrant influx at its border with EU member Poland by letting thousands of people in and encouraging…
Russia demands immediate talks with the United States on security guarantees from NATO, a senior diplomat said Monday, while President Vladimir Putin’s chief arms control negotiator warned of a “military response” if the alliance continues to step on Moscow’s “sore spots.” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov spoke days after Moscow made public a list of demands that…
Dutch prosecutors said Monday that four suspects accused of downing a Malaysia Airlines flight with a surface-to-air missile were seeking to serve “their own military interests,” as they launched closing arguments in the closely-watched trial. Four suspects are being tried in absentia for launching a BUK missile that hit flight MH17 over war-torn eastern Ukraine…
Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom slashed its gas supplies to Europe over the weekend, sending prices surging as the continent prepares for a week of sub-zero temperatures. Shipments through the Yamal pipeline — which runs through Belarus and Poland to Germany — were at their lowest for at least a month over the weekend, Interfax reported, citing…
Kickbacks in Russia’s public procurement system amount to one-third of Russia’s budget revenue, according to a survey published by the RBC news website Monday. The Moscow Higher School of Economics’ (HSE) anonymous survey of 1,200 Russian companies found that 71% of them had encountered corruption during government procurement, according to RBC. Another 28% were unable to…
Russian authorities have forced several news organizations to delete their coverage of a blacklisted outlet’s investigative reports on President Vladimir Putin’s alleged extramarital daughter and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s alleged second wife. State media watchdog Roskomnadzor notified the independent Dozhd broadcaster that it must delete 30 articles and videos based on the Proekt investigative outlet’s reporting. “The…
Russia’s national hockey team donned Soviet jerseys in their overtime loss to Finland on Sunday. Finland defeated Russia 3:2 at the 2021 Channel One Cup in Moscow. The match was the second stage of the 2021/2022 Euro Hockey Tour, which typically serves as a warmup for the World Championship. The Russian side competed in red…
German Economic Affairs Minister Robert Habeck warned in an interview published on Saturday of “severe consequences” for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany if Moscow attacked Ukraine. The Baltic Sea pipeline is set to double supplies of cheap natural gas from Russia to Germany, which the European Union’s top economy says…
Moscow said Friday it will ban seven British “representatives” from entering its territory in retaliation over UK sanctions sparked by the near-fatal poisoning of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. In August, Britain sanctioned seven Russian officials on the first anniversary of the poisoning of President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal domestic critic. The individuals – all…
Moscow said Friday it will ban seven British “representatives” from entering its territory in retaliation over UK sanctions sparked by the near-fatal poisoning of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. In August, Britain sanctioned seven Russian officials on the first anniversary of the poisoning of President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal domestic critic. The individuals — all…
Russia has made public a list of demands for security guarantees from NATO that seek to limit the Western military bloc’s role in Ukraine and the former Soviet space. Weeks of Russian military buildup near the Ukrainian border have raised alarm in the West that Russia might invade Ukraine as early as January. Moscow, meanwhile,…
Russia claimed its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine provides “robust” long-term protection against the Omicron variant Friday, contradicting the findings of an independent study which found the Russian jab produced no antibody response whatsoever to the new, highly transmissible variant. Russia’s study, conducted by the state-run Gamaleya Institute which developed Sputnik V, said it had found…
The Kremlin on Friday defended new legislation requiring foreigners in Russia to undergo health checks every three months, after the law drew the ire of the business community. The legislation set to go into force at the end of the month will require foreigners present in Russia for more than three months to pass a…