Russian Court Postpones Navalny’s Court Hearings Until ‘Whereabouts Established’

A Russian court has postponed jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s hearings until “his whereabouts are established,” his team said Monday.  The announcement comes nearly two weeks after he first went missing in Russia’s prison system, sparking alarm from his aides and supporters that his life may be in danger. Navalny’s team said last week that the 47-year-old…

Russian Soldiers Convicted of Bribing Officer to Avoid Deployment – Kommersant

Five current and former Russian soldiers have received varying sentences for bribing a superior officer in exchange for avoiding a second deployment in Ukraine, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday, citing anonymous sources. The unidentified officer was reportedly investigated for accepting the bribes, but the newspaper said it was unclear whether he stood trial, adding…

Airport in Southern Russia’s Krasnodar Receives First Flight Since Start of War

An airport in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region on Friday received its first flight since closing down early last year as Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, the Russian civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said. Rosaviatsia banned flights to 11 airports in southern and western Russia on the day President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine, as fighting along…

In First, Russia Strips Citizenship From 2 Men Over Draft Dodging

A court in Russia’s Ural Mountains has stripped two naturalized citizens of their Russian passports for draft dodging, the Interior Ministry said Friday, marking the first such case since new legislation legalizing denaturalization came into force. The unidentified 21-year-old and 24-year-old men were required to report to a military enlistment office within 14 days after obtaining…

‘Why Is Your ‘Reality’ Different From Ours?’ – Viewers Challenge Putin at Press Conference

Several audience-submitted questions at President Vladimir Putin’s end-of-year press conference Thursday were unexpectedly critical of the president and the current state of affairs in Russia. The conference and public call-in, Putin’s first since the invasion of Ukraine, has been filled with questions from the public sent via text message, along with questions from journalists inside…

Russian Activist Fined for Anti-FSB Protest After Transfer From Kyrgyzstan – NGO

Russian left-wing activist and anarchist Lev Skoryakin was released from detention after being fined for staging a protest against Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the human rights watchdog OVD-Info reported Wednesday. Rights activists said Skoryakin was abducted from jail in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan in October and flown to Moscow, where he faced…

In First, Russia Strips Naturalized Citizens of Passports

Two naturalized Russians have been stripped of their citizenship, Russia’s Interior Ministry said Wednesday, marking the first such case since new legislation legalizing denaturalization went into force. The amendments to Russia’s citizenship laws, which came into effect in late October, list more than 60 crimes as grounds for losing citizenship, including spreading “fake news” about Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.…

100K Residents of Southern Russia’s Rostov Region Without Power – Governor

Around 100,000 residents of southern Russia’s Rostov region were hit by power outages in freezing weather, its governor said Wednesday. Images shared on social media showed icy roads, downed trees and power lines in the city of Rostov-on-Don 1,000 kilometers south of Moscow and 100 kilometers east of Ukraine. More than 300 residents including 71 children sought medical…

Russian Ex-Policeman Arrested on Suspicion of Unlawfully Granting 100K Migrants Legal Status

A former senior police officer in St. Petersburg has been arrested on suspicion of unlawfully granting more than 100,000 labor migrants legal status, state media reported Wednesday, citing anonymous law enforcement officials. Authorities uncovered the large-scale legalization scheme in October 2022 and detained St. Petersburg municipal deputy and regional MMA chief Viktor Danishevsky, as well as…

Two Germans Face Trial in Russian Spying Case

Two German men will face trial in Berlin on Wednesday for allegedly stealing intelligence secrets and passing them on to Russia’s security services. The pair, named by prosecutors as Carsten L. and Arthur E., are accused of working together with a Russian businessman to “procure sensitive information” from the portfolio of Germany’s BND foreign intelligence.…

5 Things Russia Said at COP28

Delegates at the COP28 climate conference on Tuesday raced to hammer out a final agreement as the event barreled into overtime. A draft agreement released the day before sparked outrage among countries that insist on a rapid phase-out of coal, oil, and gas, as the text called for reduced “consumption and production of fossil fuels…

Finland to Partially Reopen Border With Russia

Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said his government will reopen two of the eight shuttered border crossings with Russia, the Nordic country’s Yle broadcaster reported Tuesday. Finland closed its entire border with Russia in November after accusing Moscow of funneling asylum seekers toward the country, an EU member state that joined NATO after Russia invaded…