Russia Says 4 Ukrainian Drones Destroyed

Russia said early Wednesday it had destroyed four Ukrainian drones overnight in two western regions. In the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, an attack at around 9:00 pm by two drones had been “thwarted,” the Russian Defense said on the messaging app Telegram.  Another attack was reported in the Oryol region, which is located further…

As Nagorno-Karabakh Fighting Flares, Moscow’s Role as Security Guarantor Questioned

The outbreak of fresh hostilities between South Caucasus foes Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh marks the latest example of Moscow’s diminished sway in the region, experts have said. Azerbaijan on Tuesday launched a military operation in the majority-Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh nearly three years after fighting a brutal war with Yerevan…

Russia Defense Chief Shoigu Makes Iran Visit

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Iran Tuesday for meetings to deepen Moscow’s defense ties with Tehran, Russian news agencies reported. Moscow has sought to strengthen its alliances with other countries ostracised by the West, including Iran, which has supplied Moscow with attack drones for its offensive in Ukraine. “During the visit, the Russian…

EU’s Russian Car Ban Set to Hinder Fleeing Russian Dissidents, Ukrainian Refugees

A ban on Russian-registered vehicles by Moscow’s European Union neighbors appears set to hurt not only ordinary Russians but also political dissidents and Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia. Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland have implemented bans on passenger vehicles with Russian license plates in recent days amid intense debate over the enforcement of an EU directive…

Russian Court Rejects U.S. Reporter Gershkovich’s Appeal of Extended Detention

A Moscow court on Tuesday rejected U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich’s appeal against the three-month extension of his pre-trial detention on spying charges, media reported Tuesday.  Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and former Moscow Times journalist, had challenged the judge’s August decision to extend his custody until Nov. 30.  The Moscow City Court…

Kremlin Eyes Liberal Venediktov as Putin’s 2024 Rival – Vedomosti

The Kremlin is considering running media personality Alexei Venediktov as Vladimir Putin’s “liberal” rival in the 2024 presidential elections, the Vedomosti business daily reported Tuesday, citing four anonymous sources close to the presidential administration. Venediktov is the former editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy, a liberal-leaning radio station that was blocked by authorities days after Russia invaded Ukraine…

Kremlin Orders State Media to Stop Calling Zelensky ‘President’ – Holod

The Kremlin has instructed Russian state-run media outlets to stop referring to Volodymyr Zelensky as “president” of Ukraine, the independent news website Holod reported Monday, citing the recipients of the presidential administration’s directive.  Television broadcasters and online publications are instead advised to use the phrase “the Zelensky regime” or call the Ukrainian president by name…

Commander of Elite Russian Airborne Unit Killed in Ukraine

The commander of an elite Russian airborne unit has been killed in Ukraine, a Kremlin-backed military official in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region said Sunday. Alexander Khodakovsky, who serves as deputy national guard commander of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, announced the death of Russian Colonel Andrei Kondrashkin on the messaging app Telegram, adding that the killed colonel headed the 31st…

U.S.-Russia Trade Hits Two-Decade Low

Trade between Russia and the United States has hit a two-decade low, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, as Moscow faces unprecedented isolation from the West due to its invasion of Ukraine. Russian-U.S. trade turnover totaled $277.3 million in July 2023, the latest available month, marking an 11-fold drop from February 2022, according to analysis…

Two Russians, American Reach Space Station

Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut docked with the International Space Station on Friday after blasting off amid raging tensions between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine. Earlier Friday Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft. The…

Russian Civil Aviation Chief Dismissed

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has dismissed the head of state civil aviation agency Rosaviatsia, the government’s press service announced Friday. Alexander Neradko will leave his post as director of Rosaviatsia and will be replaced by his deputy, Dmitry Yadorov.   No official reason has been given for Neradko’s departure.  In May 2022, he was reprimanded…

Rich Russians Still Transferring Cash to Swiss Bank Accounts – Media

Wealthy Russians have continued to move cash through Swiss bank accounts even after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including family members of a tycoon publicly backing the war, a media investigation showed Thursday. Leaked documents analyzed by the Tamedia group showed that family members of Alexander Ponomarenko, the head of Moscow water company Mosvodokanal, had…

Moscow Expels U.S. Embassy Workers for ‘Liaising’ With Russian Citizen Accused of Spying

Updated with the U.S. State Department’s response. Moscow on Thursday said it was expelling two U.S. Embassy employees for allegedly “liaising” with a former U.S. consulate worker accused by Russian authorities of spying for Washington. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the two American diplomats, Jeffery Sillin and David Bernstein, were engaged in “illegal activities by liaising with a Russian citizen,…

Estonia, Lithuania Threaten Seizure of Russian Vehicles

Estonian and Lithuanian officials have warned that passenger vehicles with Russian license plates could soon be confiscated following a Baltics-wide entry ban.  Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia issued back-to-back entry bans this week for Russian-registered cars after the European Commission clarified that existing regulations prohibit the import or transfer of goods originating in Russia.  “These cars [with Russian…

American-Born MMA Fighter Elected to Russian Regional Parliament

American-born mixed martial artist Jeff Monson has been elected to office in the regional parliament of Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan, as the Central Election Commission on Wednesday officially recognized the results of this past weekend’s vote. Monson will now serve among the 87 ruling United Russia party members who were elected to  Bashkortostan’s 110-seat state assembly, known…

EU Parliament Calls Lukashenko ‘Accomplice’ to Russian War Crimes

The European Parliament has recognized Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as an “accomplice” to Russia’s military aggression and war crimes in Ukraine, according to a resolution adopted on Wednesday. The resolution condemns Minsk’s involvement in Russia’s “unjustified, illegal, and unprovoked war against Ukraine.”  This involvement includes stationing and training Russian troops in Belarus, which Moscow used…

Russian Warplane Intentionally Targeted British Spy Plane in ‘Near Shoot-Down’ – BBC

A Russian warplane intentionally fired at a British spy aircraft over the Black Sea last year, the BBC reported Thursday, citing three anonymous Western defense sources with knowledge of the incident. One of two Russian Su-27 fighters that shadowed an unarmed Royal Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane “released” a missile in international airspace off the…

Russian Proxy Court Jails 2 Ukrainian Soldiers

A Russian-installed court in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region jailed two Ukrainian soldiers for 29 years each, Russia’s Investigative Committee said Wednesday, after it accused them of killing three civilians. Moscow has repeatedly sentenced captured Ukrainian soldiers to long jail terms, in court proceedings that Kyiv does not recognize on Russian-occupied territory. Russia’s Investigative Committee named…