Russian Tech Giant Yandex Sees 2022 Revenues Jump Despite Sanctions

Russian tech giant Yandex announced on Wednesday that its revenues climbed 46% last year following a corporate restructuring amid unprecedented Western sanctions over Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine. Often dubbed “Russia’s Google”, Yandex is the country’s top internet company and most popular search engine. The firm also provides taxi and food delivery services. Yandex said its…

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Ministry Says Seizing Russian Assets ‘Not Permissible Under Swiss Law’

Switzerland’s government announced Wednesday that confiscating private Russian assets in the country to help rebuild Ukraine would be contrary to Swiss law. Traditionally neutral Switzerland decided four days after Russia invaded a year ago to align itself with European Union sanctions against Moscow, since when it has frozen billions in Russian assets.  Faced with international…

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Viagra Maker Halts Russia Deliveries

Viagra’s brand owner has suspended deliveries of the erectile dysfunction pill to Russia, the country’s Industry and Trade Ministry said Wednesday. The U.S. pharmaceutical corporation Viatris had notified Russia of the suspension as far back as early 2022 following Moscow’s initial invasion of Ukraine, the ministry told Interfax. Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry said domestic…

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Viagra Maker Halts Russia Deliveries

Viagra’s brand owner has suspended deliveries of the erectile dysfunction pill to Russia, the country’s Industry and Trade Ministry said Wednesday. The U.S. pharmaceutical corporation Viatris had notified Russia of the suspension as far back as early 2022 following Moscow’s initial invasion of Ukraine, the ministry told Interfax. Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry said domestic…

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Viagra Maker Halts Russia Deliveries

Viagra’s brand owner has suspended deliveries of the erectile dysfunction pill to Russia, the country’s Industry and Trade Ministry said Wednesday. The U.S. pharmaceutical corporation Viatris had notified Russia of the suspension as far back as early 2022 following Moscow’s initial invasion of Ukraine, the ministry told Interfax. Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry said domestic…

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Russian Publishers to ‘Retell’ Western Bestsellers After Losing Licensing

Russian publishers plan to “retell” foreign bestsellers that will not hit bookstores due to Western companies halting work with their Russian counterparts over the war in Ukraine, the Kommersant business daily reported Wednesday. Russia’s largest publisher, Eksmo-AST, will release 3,000 copies of Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” on Thursday as a “summary, which involves the retelling of…

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Russia Denies Plotting Coup in Moldova

Russia on Tuesday slapped down as “completely unfounded” accusations from Moldova that Moscow was plotting to violently overthrow the country’s pro-European leadership with the help of saboteurs. “Such claims are completely unfounded and unsubstantiated,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Moldova’s President Maia Sandu on Monday accused Russia of plotting her government’s overthrow. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr…

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Putin Uses Armored Train, Private Stations for Personal Trips – Reports

Russian President Vladimir Putin has traveled to and from his residences on special armored trains using exclusively built stations since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine, according to new investigations by independent media. The reports’ authors link Putin’s choice of transportation to his apparent wish to avoid tracking services and his distrust of the presidential air…

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Putin Uses Armored Train, Private Stations for Personal Trips – Reports

Russian President Vladimir Putin has traveled to and from his residences on special armored trains using exclusively built stations since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine, according to new investigations by independent media. The reports’ authors link Putin’s choice of transportation to his apparent wish to avoid tracking services and his distrust of the presidential air…

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Putin Uses Armored Train, Private Stations for Personal Trips – Reports

Russian President Vladimir Putin has traveled to and from his residences on special armored trains using exclusively built stations since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine, according to new investigations by independent media. The reports’ authors link Putin’s choice of transportation to his apparent wish to avoid tracking services and his distrust of the presidential air…

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Moldovan President Accuses Russia of Plotting Her Overthrow

Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Monday accused Russia of plotting to violently overthrow the country’s pro-European leadership with the help of saboteurs disguised as anti-government protesters. Moscow’s alleged plan would involve “saboteurs with military background, camouflaged in civilian clothes, to undertake violent actions, attacks on state institutions and taking hostages,” Sandu told journalists. Under the…

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Russia Launches Web Crawler for Anti-Putin Memes, Banned Content

Russia’s state media watchdog has launched a tool to scrape the internet for banned content, the Vedomosti business daily reported Monday as the country presses onward with its wartime censorship efforts. The web crawler, dubbed Oculus, can detect videos and images of protesters, “positive depictions” of LGBTQ+ culture and memes criticizing President Vladimir Putin, according to…

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Wagner Shows Prison Recruit Alive Following Alleged Sledgehammer Killing Video

A Wagner Group fighter who deserted in Ukraine was kidnapped and executed by fellow fighters, a Telegram channel with links to the Russian mercenary outfit claimed Monday, sharing video of the alleged killing.  This is the second publicly shared video of a Wagner recruit’s apparent death by sledgehammer in recent months after its leader threatened extrajudicial…

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When Rabbits Were Golden

“The rabbit is Stalin’s bull.” This ridiculous slogan of the early 1930s is almost forgotten today. But at the time it was emblazoned on the front pages of newspapers, on posters and enormous street banners. Like the poems of Vladimir Mayakovsky and “Red Square” by Kazimir Malevich, this slogan encapsulated the mood and ideology of…

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Consultations held between the Russian delegation and the IAEA delegation

On February 9 this year, Director General of ROSATOM Alexey Likhachev had a regular meeting with Director General of IAEA Rafael Grossi in Moscow. From the Russian side, the meeting was also attended by Alexander  Trembitsky, Head of Rostekhnadzor (Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia), Igor Kirillov, Chief of Radiation, Chemical, and…

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Documentary on Jailed Kremlin Critic Alexei Navalny Nominated for Oscar

The U.S.-produced fly-on-the-wall documentary “Navalny,” which followed the now-jailed Russian anti-corruption campaigner and Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny during the aftermath of a poisoning attempt in 2020, was nominated for an Academy Award on Tuesday. The film, directed by Daniel Roher, shows Navalny during his recuperation in Berlin from poisoning with nerve agent Novichok and as…

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