Russia Unveils Nuclear Icebreaker in Push For Arctic Dominance                                    

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday oversaw the launch of a new nuclear-powered icebreaker as Russia pushes to develop the Arctic and seeks new energy markets amid sanctions over Ukraine.  Addressing a St. Petersburg ceremony for the launch of the Yakutia icebreaker by video link, Putin spoke of the vessel’s “strategic” importance to Russia. In addition…

Anti-Gay Law to Push Russia’s LGBT Community ‘Into the Shadows,’ Activists Warn

Anti-gay legislation under consideration by the Russian parliament could drive the country’s embattled LGBT+ community entirely underground, activists and experts told The Moscow Times, as the Kremlin doubles-down on what it calls “traditional values” amid the Ukraine war.  Russian lawmakers last month backed a bill to expand an existing ban on LGBT “propaganda” in its…

Russian Lawmakers Urge West to Condemn Ukraine Over Soldiers’ ‘Massacre’

Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, adopted a resolution Tuesday condemning the alleged killings of captive Russian troops by Ukrainian forces and urging Western counterparts to drop their support for Kyiv. Russian military and civilian authorities, as well as influential state media figures and bloggers, accused Kyiv of committing war crimes after videos…

Russian Media Watchdog Denies Censoring ‘War,’ ‘Peace’ Lyrics in TV Performances

Russia’s state media watchdog has denied ordering state television to censor war-related words after several entertainment channels censored the lyrics “war” and “peace” in recent broadcasts, state media reported Monday. Vadim Subbotin, deputy head of the Roskomnadzor regulator, maintained that the agency does not keep a list of banned words apart from explicit language, according…

Putin Congratulates Tokayev on ‘Convincing Mandate’ in Kazakh Poll

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday congratulated Kazakhstan’s incumbent president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on his landslide victory in a snap presidential poll held months after deadly unrest in the oil-rich Central Asian country.   “You have received a convincing mandate of trust from fellow citizens, which opens up new opportunities for the implementation of the course…

Ukraine Denies its Forces Executed Russian Prisoners

The Ukrainian parliament’s commissioner for human rights on Sunday denied Kyiv’s forces had killed Russian prisoners of war, arguing that Ukraine’s soldiers were defending themselves against Russians who feigned surrender. Videos circulated on Russian social media this week purporting to show the bodies of Russian servicemen killed after surrendering to Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets…

Building Ablaze Near Moscow Train Stations

A warehouse caught fire in the center of Moscow near three railway stations linking the Russian capital to several major cities, the Emergency Situations Ministry said Sunday.  Thick plumes of black smoke rose above the city’s skyline in contrast with the snow-covered pavements just next to the Yaroslavsky, Leningradsky and Kazansky train stations, Russian television footage showed. …

Poland Barring Russia’s Lavrov From Regional Security Talks ‘Provocative’ – Ministry

Russia Saturday blasted Warsaw’s refusal to allow Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to attend a meeting next month of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as “unprecedented and provocative”. “The decision from Poland, which is the acting chairman of the OSCE, to refuse the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov in…

Russian Authorities in Crimea to Strengthen Defenses Amid Ukrainian Gains

Russian authorities in annexed Crimea are fortifying the peninsula’s defensive positions, its governor said Friday in a signal of Moscow’s growing concerns over Ukrainian forces’ push to reclaim captured territories in the south. Attacks on the Black Sea peninsula have increased in recent weeks as Kyiv presses on with a counteroffensive to retake territory in southern…

Russian Military Dismisses ‘Fake’ Soldiers’ Complaint of Chaotic Kherson Retreat

The Russian military has dismissed as “fake” a video address by mobilized soldiers who accuse commanders of endangering them during last week’s chaotic retreat from southern Ukraine’s city of Kherson, state media reported Thursday. In the video published Tuesday, the soldiers said they had suffered losses during two days of Ukrainian shelling while they were…

Civilians Suffering as a ‘Consequence’ of Kyiv’s Refusal to Negotiate – Kremlin

The Kremlin said Thursday that the reason civilians were suffering from blackouts in Ukraine was Kyiv’s refusal to negotiate with Moscow and not missile strikes launched by Russian forces. “The unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to settle the problem, to start negotiations, its refusal to seek common ground, this is their consequence,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry…

World Paralympic Body Suspends Russia, Belarus

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) voted late Wednesday to suspend the Russian and Belarusian national committees effective immediately as the war in Ukraine approaches the nine-month mark. The decision raises doubts over Russian and Belarusian Paralympic athletes’ participation at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. The IPC cited the Russian and Belarusian Paralympic committees’ “inability…

Russia Falls into Recession

Russia’s economy has entered a recession as gross domestic output fell by four percent in the third quarter, according to first estimates published Wednesday by the national statistics agency, Rosstat.  The drop in GDP follows a similar four percent contraction in the second quarter, as Western sanctions pummel Russia’s economy following Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine. …

Russia Bans Entry to Irish Leaders

Russia said on Wednesday it had banned entry to more than 50 Irish officials including premier Micheal Martin in response to Western sanctions over Ukraine. Among those listed was deputy premier Leo Varadkar, who is set to take back the premiership from Martin next month. It also included Simon Coveney, who is Ireland’s foreign and…