Putin Says Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Failing 

Ukraine’s counteroffensive to recapture occupied territories is failing even with Western military support, President Vladimir Putin said Friday. “Today it’s clear that the Kyiv regime’s Western curators are disappointed with the results of the so-called counteroffensive,” Putin said at a meeting of Russia’s Security Council. “There are no results, at least not yet,” he told senior government…

U.S. Sanctions More Than 120 Russian, Kyrgyz Firms

The United States placed more than 120 companies from Russia as well as several Kyrgyzstan firms on its sanctions blacklist Thursday for what it said were their contributions to Russia’s war on Ukraine. The sanctions aimed at further choking off Russia’s access to critical raw and manufactured materials as well as financing in order to hinder its war machine,…

Russian Prosecutors Seek 20-Year Sentence for Navalny in ‘Extremism’ Trial

Russian prosecutors have requested a 20-year prison sentence for jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on a new string of “extremism” charges, his team reported Thursday. Navalny, 47, has been charged with creating an extremist community and an organization that infringes on the rights of citizens; financing extremism; making calls to extremism; and involving minors in dangerous acts…

Russia Slaps Domestic Travel Curbs on U.K. Diplomats

Moscow on Thursday announced that British diplomats working in Russia will need to notify authorities in advance about their movements around the country. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Britain’s charge d’affaires Tom Dodd to inform him of a “notification procedure for the movement of employees of British diplomatic missions on the territory of our country.”…

Russian, Belarusian Gymnasts to Return to International Competitions

Russian and Belarusian gymnasts will be allowed to compete in international competitions as “individual neutral athletes” from Jan. 1, the sport’s governing body said. In March 2022, gymnasts from both countries were banned from taking part in international competitions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said in a statement on…

10K Wagner Fighters Expected in Belarus

Russia’s Wagner mercenary outfit expects to deploy around 10,000 fighters in neighboring Belarus after its failed mutiny last month, a Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel said late Wednesday. Another 15,000 Wagner fighters “have already gone on vacation,” said the channel Razgruzka Vagnera (“Unloading Wagner”), citing a senior commander by only his call sign Marx. The channel previously…

Family of Russian Kamikaze Drones’ Creator Own Elite London Property – Investigation

The wife and son of Alexander Zakharov, the creator of Russia’s ZALA Lancet combat drone, are the owners of an upscale apartment in central London, the investigative outlet iStories reported Wednesday, citing Britain’s real estate registry. Zakharov’s firm, CST, was placed under British sanctions in February 2023 for its role in “providing military equipment such as drones…

As Kremlin Dismantles Wagner’s Empire, Foreign Asset Seizures More Likely Than Defense Ministry Takeover

The Wagner mercenary outfit’s short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the future of the private military group’s far-flung presence abroad, where it worked to covertly advance the Kremlin’s geopolitical interests.  While the Kremlin swiftly moved to dissolve Wagner’s structures in Russia and Ukraine by handing its military hardware…

S.Africa Confirms Putin Will Skip BRICS Summit

President Vladimir Putin will not attend a BRICS nations summit in South Africa in August, the country’s presidential office said Wednesday, ending months of speculation over whether the Russian leader would visit while under an international arrest warrant. “By mutual agreement, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will not attend the summit,” Vincent Magwenya, a spokesperson…

U.S. Preparing ‘Economic Measures’ Over Russia’s Sanctions Busting in Central Asia – WP

The United States may soon impose secondary sanctions on Kyrgyzstan for helping Russia procure sensitive technologies for its war effort in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing two anonymous U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The small Central Asian republic saw a “striking” expansion of import-export companies profiting from sales of Chinese and European…

Kremlin Loyalists Handed Seized Carlsberg, Danone Assets – Reports

Kremlin loyalists will take control of the seized assets of French food maker Danone and Danish brewer Carlsberg, media outlets reported late Tuesday. President Vladimir Putin ordered the seizure of Danone and Carlsberg’s Russian subsidiaries Sunday in retaliation to foreign moves against Russian companies abroad after Moscow invaded Ukraine last year. Russia’s state property agency…

Fire at Crimea Military Site Sparks Evacuations

Correction: An earlier version of this article cited a Telegram account claiming to be Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, which falsely stated that Kyiv was responsible for Wednesday’s fire.  A fire broke out Wednesday at a military training area in annexed Crimea, the Russian-installed governor said, prompting authorities to order the evacuation of more…

Russian Health Minister Slams Pursuing a Career Before Childbirth as ‘Improper Practice’ for Women

Russia’s health minister has criticized the trend of women prioritizing their education and careers over having children, labeling it an “improper practice.” Addressing a plenary session of the State Duma on Tuesday, Mikhail Murashko lamented the prevalent mindset in society that a woman should first pursue education, build a career, and secure her financial status before…

Kremlin Warns of Ukraine Export ‘Risks’ After Exiting Grain Deal

The Kremlin warned Tuesday that exporting grain from Ukraine’s Russia-blockaded ports carried “risks,” one day after Moscow pulled out of a landmark deal to allow wartime exports of Ukrainian grain. “Without appropriate security guarantees, certain risks arise here. If [a future agreement] is formalized without Russia, then these risks should be taken into account,” Kremlin spokesman…

Wagner Announces Closure of Russian Base

Members of the Wagner mercenary outfit have announced the closure of the group’s main base in southern Russia as it redeploys in neighboring Belarus following a failed mutiny against Russia’s military leadership. The Molkino military range in the Krasnodar region had served as Wagner’s main training grounds until mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin launched a short-lived…

Moscow-Installed Authorities in Occupied Ukraine Lift Martial Law as Crimea Tourists Flee

Russian-installed authorities in occupied southeastern Ukraine announced they would temporarily suspend President Vladimir Putin’s martial law order for those seeking alternative exit routes from Crimea after a deadly drone attack damaged a bridge connecting the annexed peninsula to mainland Russia early Monday. Putin declared martial law — which restricts movement and sets curfews — in…

Russian Tech Giant Yandex Seeks New ‘Middlemen’ Buyers for Kremlin Handover – Reports

The Kremlin is looking for buyers of Russia’s internet giant Yandex who would later sell the company to a Kremlin-linked oligarch sanctioned by the West, independent media reported, citing several anonymous sources familiar with the matter.  The Bell business outlet and the news website Meduza said the search follows a breakdown of Yandex’s Dutch-registered holding…

Ukrainian Filmmaker Oleg Sentsov Wounded in War

Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian filmmaker who has joined fighting against Russian forces, said Monday he has been treated for shrapnel wounds after coming under artillery fire on the southern front. The 47-year-old film director from Crimea spent several years imprisoned in Russia on a terrorism charge. He was freed in a prisoner swap and joined Ukrainian special…

‘Several Hundred’ Wagner Fighters Arrive to Belarus

Russia’s Wagner mercenary fighters have arrived in neighboring Belarus as part of an agreement with the Kremlin, Ukrainian and Polish officials confirmed over the weekend. Minsk said Friday that Wagner mercenaries were acting as military instructors for Belarusian territorial defense forces, three weeks after the group’s aborted mutiny in Russia. “As of now, available information…

Reported Explosions on Crimea Bridge Kill 2

Two people were killed in a reported explosion on the Crimea bridge, which links the annexed peninsula to southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, state-run media and Russian officials said Monday.  “Traffic was stopped on the Crimean bridge: an emergency occurred in the area of the 145th pillar from the Krasnodar Territory,” the Russia-installed governor of Crimea…

China and Russia to Hold Joint Naval drills

Chinese naval vessels set sail this weekend to participate in joint manoeuvres with the Russian military, Chinese defence authorities said Sunday. Ties between Moscow and Beijing have grown closer since Russia invaded Ukraine last year, a move China has not condemned. The two have ramped up defence contacts, including joint military drills in recent months.…

Azerbaijan Says Russia not Fulfilling Karabakh Ceasefire Deal obligations

Azerbaijan accused Russia on Sunday of failing to fulfil its obligations under a 2020 Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement to end fighting with Armenia for control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. “The Russian side did not ensure full implementation of the agreement within the framework of its obligations,” Baku’s foreign ministry said, adding that Moscow “did nothing to…

Russia Says Repelled Drone Attacks Over Crimea

Russia said Sunday it downed at least ten drones around Sevastopol on the Crimea peninsula, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014.  The Russian defence ministry said air defence shot down two unmanned aerial vehicles and electronically disabled five others.  The ministry also said its forces destroyed two naval drones and the thwarted attack resulted…

Activist’s Ordeal at Belgrade Airport Signals Trouble for Anti-War Russians in Serbia

A Russian anti-war activist’s lengthy ordeal at the Serbian border spells trouble for other Kremlin critics based in the Balkan country, independent Serbian and Russian analysts told The Moscow Times. Peter Nikitin, an anti-Kremlin activist who has organized protests against Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, was barred entry when returning to Serbia on Thursday, with his…

Wagner Fighters Training Territorial Defense Forces in Belarus – Ministry

Minsk said Friday that members of the Russian mercenary force Wagner were acting as military instructors for Belarusian territorial defense forces, three weeks after the group’s aborted mutiny in Russia. “Near Asipovichy, units of territorial defense troops are undergoing training,” the Belarusian defense ministry said.  The ministry said the forces were learning skills including tactical shooting, moving…