Progress of Amur GPP construction project reaches 70.5 per cent

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December 17, 2020, 20:00 The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the progress of the Amur Gas Processing Plant (GPP) construction project. It was noted that the active phase of construction and installation operations is in full swing at the site of the future enterprise, with over 30,000 workers and engineers engaged in the operations. As of today, the project’s readiness is at 70.5 per cent. The recruitment process for…

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Putin Talks Coronavirus, Navalny Poisoning at Annual Marathon Press Conference

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President Vladimir Putin’s annual press conference on Thursday focused heavily on the coronavirus pandemic that has hit Russia hard. The event follows a tumultuous 12 months for the Kremlin that also included unrest across the post-Soviet world, ongoing protests in the Far East and the poisoning of opposition figure Alexei Navalny. Speaking to journalists via…

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Putin Says Will Get Vaccine When Possible for Age Range

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President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he will receive the Russian-developed Sputnik V coronavirus jab once it is approved for people his age, praising the vaccine as safe and effective.  The 68-year-old Russian president said at his annual end-of-year press conference that he had not been vaccinated yet, but “will definitely do so as soon as it becomes possible” according to expert…

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Russian Minister Gifted 300-Year-Old Ukrainian Icon in Bosnia — Reports

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov received a 300-year-old gilded icon from eastern Ukraine on his trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina, European media reported Wednesday. Bosnia’s Serb President Milorad Dodik gifted the Ukrainian Orthodox icon thought to be from the war-torn pro-Russian region of Luhansk, according to Ukraine’s Euromaidan Press news website. The Ukrainian Embassy in Sarajevo requested…

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Russian Nuclear-Powered Ship Turns Back After Emergency Repairs

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A Russian nuclear-powered cargo ship bound for Antarctica has been forced to turn back after sustaining damage, and will bypass Europe before undergoing repairs, state nuclear agency Rosatom said Wednesday. Green activists have expressed concern that the vessel will be sailing past several European countries on its way home during the winter storm season. The Sevmorput vessel…

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‘Funny to Read’: Russia Reacts to Navalny Poisoning Investigation

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Senior Russian diplomats and state television pundits have dismissed media investigations into leading opposition figure Alexei Navalny’s poisoning and accused their authors of illegal invasion of privacy. A joint investigation published by several media outlets this week claimed Federal Security Service (FSB) chemical weapons experts had tailed Navalny for years, including on the day he was…

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Negotiations continue on gas supply conditions for Belarus from January 1, 2021

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December 16, 2020, 16:30 A working meeting of Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, with Vladimir Semashko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Russian Federation, and Viktor Karankevich, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Belarus, took place today in St. Petersburg. The parties discussed the conditions of Russian gas supplies to and gas transportation across Belarus starting from January…

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Thailand Resumes Visa-Free Access for Russian Tourists

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Thailand has restored visa-free access to Russian tourists months after it first imposed coronavirus border restrictions, Interfax cited the royal kingdom’s tourism ministry as saying Wednesday. Thailand, a popular tourist destination that has escaped relatively unscathed from the Covid-19 pandemic, began reopening its borders in October to kick-start its battered tourism industry. All new arrivals…

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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Dec. 17

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Russia has confirmed 2,734,454 cases of coronavirus and 48,564 deaths. Dec. 17: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 26,509 coronavirus cases and 596 deaths Wednesday. Aeroflot will allocate special seating for passengers who refuse to wear face masks on flights, a spokeswoman for Russia’s flagship carrier said Tuesday. Moscow-based foreign nationals including doctors and educators with valid passports, certificates of…

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U.S. Investigated Kara-Murza Poisoning as ‘Intentional’ Act – RFE/RL

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United States investigators probed Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr.’s suspected poisonings as “intentional” acts, the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty news outlet reported Tuesday, citing newly obtained records.  Kara-Murza, 39, says he was deliberately poisoned in Moscow in 2015 and 2017 as retaliation for his lobbying efforts to impose U.S. and EU sanctions against…

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Putin’s Cousin Forms New ‘Russia Without Corruption’ Party

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President Vladimir Putin’s cousin has formed a new political party called “Russia Without Corruption,” the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.  Roman Putin is an entrepreneur, politician, former FSB officer and Putin’s first cousin, once removed. He previously headed the “People Against Corruption” party, which was dissolved last month by the Russian Supreme Court for…

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Russian Activist Convicted Under ‘Repeat Protest’ Law Walks Free From Prison

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Russian activist Konstantin Kotov was released from prison Wednesday after serving 18 months for “multiple breaches” of Russia’s protest law. Kotov, who was arrested during the summer 2019 Moscow election protests, was the second person ever to be prosecuted under the controversial law criminalizing “repeated” participation in unauthorized rallies. A Moscow court cut the 35-year-old…

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Smog-Choked Russian City Appeals to Biden for Aid

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Residents of Russia’s heavily polluted industrial city of Chelyabinsk are calling on U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to help them avoid “ecological genocide.” In a video appeal, residents said Russian authorities routinely ignore their complaints that industrial emissions are getting worse every year, causing rising cases of cancer and suffocating the city in smoke. “They’re taking…

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U.S. Accuses Russia of Sowing ‘Chaos’ in Mediterranean

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America’s top diplomat Mike Pompeo on Tuesday accused Russia of continuing to “threaten Mediterranean stability” and sowing “chaos, conflict and division” in countries around the region. In a statement on “Russian Influence in the Mediterranean,” the outgoing Secretary of State responded to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, who he said “accused the United States of…

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Foreigners in Moscow Eligible for Russia’s Coronavirus Vaccine

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Eligible Moscow-based foreigners can get vaccinated with Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine as part of the mass rollout currently underway, a representative from the Moscow Health Department told The Moscow Times. Russia kicked off its nationwide vaccination campaign among medics, teachers and other high-risk workers in recent days.  Foreign nationals including doctors and educators with…

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Russia’s MC-21 Passenger Aircraft Completes First Flight With Domestic-Made Engine

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Russia’s MC-21 medium-range passenger aircraft has made its first flight with a domestically made engine, state industrial conglomerate Rostec announced Tuesday. “Through the efforts of scientists, designers, engineers and workers, a next-generation airliner is being created that returns our country to the top league of world aviation,” Rostec head Sergei Chemezov said in a statement.…

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Putin Congratulates U.S. President-Elect Biden After Electoral College Confirmation

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a congratulatory telegram to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden after the Electoral College confirmed his win, the Kremlin announced Tuesday.   Putin is one of the last world leaders to congratulate the president-elect, with his message coming six weeks after the Nov. 3 vote in which Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump.…

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U.S. Slaps Sanctions on Turkey Over Russian Arms Purchase

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The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on Turkey’s military procurement agency after the NATO ally defiantly bought Russia’s S-400 air defense system. “Today’s action sends a clear signal that the United States will fully implement (U.S. law) and will not tolerate significant transactions with Russia’s defense and intelligence sectors,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo…

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St. Petersburg Restaurants Spar With Authorities Over New Year Virus Restrictions

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Restaurants and bars in Russia’s second city of St. Petersburg are at odds with authorities over New Year’s restrictions aimed at combating one of the country’s worst coronavirus outbreaks, saying the measures threaten their survival. Dozens of establishments have said they intend to remain open for Russia’s most festive holiday, while city authorities have clamped…

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Media Investigation Names FSB Agents Behind Navalny Poisoning

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An elite Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) chemical weapons unit shadowed opposition figure Alexei Navalny’s movements for the past three years up until his near-fatal poisoning, a joint media investigation said Monday. Navalny is recovering in Berlin after being poisoned with what Western governments say was the deadly Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok in August. The European…

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Gazprom promoting breakthrough ideas in energy sector

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December 14, 2020, 15:15 The Global Energy Association, an international organization co-founded by Gazprom, presented its first annual report “Ten Breakthrough Ideas in Energy for the Next 10 Years” written by academics from Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Iran. The report outlines the key ideas of studies aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of energy industries, including by developing energy efficiency and energy conservation practices.…

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Energy of Victories marks its 10th anniversary

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December 14, 2020, 12:45 The awarding of the winners and laureates of the 10thEnergy of Victories national sports journalism festival contest, organized by the Russian Olympic Committee and the Federation of Sports Journalists of Russia with the backing of Gazprom, took place on December 11 in Moscow. The winners of the 10th Energy of Victories national sports journalism festival contest are as follows: Best Article (federal media): 1st…

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U.S. Eyes Closing 2 Remaining Russian Consulates – Kommersant

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The United States is considering closing its two remaining consulates in Russia amid the coronavirus pandemic and continued bilateral tensions, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday, citing unnamed diplomatic sources. The U.S. in March temporarily suspended operations at its Vladivostok consulate and reduced services at the Yekaterinburg consulate due to the Covid-19 outbreak. According to…

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U.S. Government Confirms Cyberattack After Reports of Russia-Linked Hacking

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The U.S. government confirmed Sunday that its computer networks had been hit by a cyberattack, as The Washington Post reported at least two departments had been targeted by Russian state hackers. “We have been working closely with our agency partners regarding recently discovered activity on government networks,” a spokesperson for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency…

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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Dec. 15

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Russia has confirmed 2,681,256 cases of coronavirus and 47,391 deaths. Dec. 15: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 27,328 coronavirus cases and 450 deaths Monday. Moscow municipal workers as well as residents working in the culture and service sectors will be able to receive Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine starting Monday, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced. The new “risk groups”…

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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Dec. 14

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Russia has confirmed 2,653,928 cases of coronavirus and 46,453 deaths. Dec. 14: What you need to know today Russia confirmed 28,080 coronavirus cases and 488 deaths Sunday. Moscow municipal workers as well as residents working in the culture and service sectors will be able to receive Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine starting Monday, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced. The new “risk groups”…

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Kaliningrad Named Top Emerging Tourist Destination – Tripadvisor

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Tripadvisor has ranked Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad as the No. 1 emerging tourism destination in the world for 2020.  Sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland, the Kaliningrad region’s German heritage and influence make it unique from Russia’s mainland and its Baltic coastline draws surfers, swimmers and sunbathers in the summer.  The region’s capital, also named…

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Russia Probes Mystery Seal Die-Off

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Russian authorities said Friday they were investigating the mysterious death of nearly 300 endangered seals that had been discovered washed up on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Between Sunday and Thursday, 272 dead Caspian seals had been found at a number of locations in the southern region of Dagestan including its regional capital Makhachkala…

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