The large-scale tests of the reactor plant have been completed at start-up power unit No.1 of Belarus NPP

April 15, 2020 – The important and large-scale stage of the nuclear facility preparation program  for commissioning – hot run testing of the reactor plant (RP) – was successfully completed at the first power unit of Belarus NPP (the General Designer and the General Contractor – ROSATOM Engineering Division). During the hot run being held from…

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Coronavirus Outbreak Hits Novatek’s Arctic LNG Construction Site

The Murmansk region’s coronavirus outbreak is largely concentrated at a construction site run by one of Russia’s biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producers, the investigative Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported Wednesday. The region in Russia’s Arctic recorded 137 new infections on Wednesday, most of which were among employees at Novatek’s construction site in the village of…

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Traffic Jams, Large Queues Mark First Day of Moscow’s Coronavirus Travel Passes

Muscovites complained of large queues outside metro stations and severe traffic jams on the first day of the city’s mandatory digital lockdown passes, prompting concern that the coronavirus could spread further. Moscow’s digital pass system, created to monitor and enforce residents’ movements around the city during its coronavirus lockdown, was first introduced on Monday and…

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Management Committee proposes dividend amount of RUB 15.24 per share for 2019

Background The decisions on the profit distribution and dividend payout, dividend size, payout method and dates, as well as the date on which the list of persons entitled to receive dividends is drawn up, will be made by the annual General Shareholders Meeting of Gazprom as recommended by the Board of Directors. In December 2019, the Gazprom Board of Directors approved the new revision of the Company’s Dividend Policy. The target level of dividend payouts…

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Ukraine Security Service Catches Alleged Russian Spy in Its Ranks

The Ukrainian security service said on Tuesday it has detained a high-ranking employee on suspicion of spying for Russia and planning terror attacks. The investigation has uncovered “indisputable evidence” including audio and video recordings which show that Major General Valery Shaytanov had planned terror attacks in Ukraine and collected intelligence for Russia’s FSB security service,…

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Trump-Linked Contractor Offered Military Services to Russia’s Wagner in Africa – Intercept

Erik Prince, a security contractor with close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, offered military services to Russia’s Wagner mercenary group in Libya and Mozambique earlier this year, investigative website The Intercept reported Monday. The Wagner Group, a sanctioned outfit with links to the Kremlin through a sanctioned catering magnate, has been reported to…

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Chechen Leader Threatens Journalist Who Investigated Region’s Harsh Virus Quarantine

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has threatened an investigative journalist Monday for a “provocative” story on the Russian region’s strict anti-coronavirus measures, the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported. The story, authored by Novaya Gazeta journalist Yelena Milashina, cited quarantined Chechens as saying Sunday that they stopped reporting coronavirus symptoms for fear of being labeled “terrorists.” Kadyrov…

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‘There Will Be Mass Starvation,’ Moscow Opposition Warns Mayor as Coronavirus Slams Economy

A lack of aid for Moscow’s small and medium businesses hit by the coronavirus lockdown will lead to mass starvation and widespread protests, opposition lawmakers have reportedly warned Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Moscow and its 12.7 million residents have been under lockdown since March 30, with all nonessential businesses and activities suspended until at least May…

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Italians Offered Cash to Film ‘Thank You Russia’ Videos for Coronavirus Aid – Reports

Russian nationals in Italy are offering Italians money to film themselves thanking Russia and President Vladimir Putin for recent coronavirus aid, Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper reported Sunday. Russia dispatched army medics in March to help disinfect hospitals and care facilities in a northern Italian region that has been hit hardest by the country’s coronavirus outbreak.…

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Kiev Says Huge Forest Fire ‘No Threat’ to Chernobyl Nuclear Zone

Hundreds of firefighters on Monday battled a forest blaze in Ukraine’s Chernobyl exclusion zone while officials insisted there was no risk to the ruined reactor and nearby storage facilities for nuclear waste. “There is no threat to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the storage facilities,” Volodymyr Demchuk, a senior official from Ukraine’s emergency service, said…

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Russia’s Coronavirus Outbreak Is ‘Changing for the Worse,’ Putin Warns

Russia’s coronavirus outbreak is deteriorating and its new cases are getting more severe, President Vladimir Putin warned Monday as the country reported its highest day-to-day spike in infections to date. Russia has reported 18,328 overall coronavirus cases and 148 total deaths, making it the world’s 15th most-affected country as of Monday.  “We see that the…

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China Tightens Security at Russian Border, Fearing New Coronavirus Wave

China’s northernmost province has tightened its border controls to prevent new coronavirus infections from neighboring Russia, Bloomberg reported Monday.  A growing number of Chinese nationals have returned from Russia with the virus, threatening a second wave after the country where the pandemic originated has largely brought its domestic outbreak under control. The estimated 250 coronavirus…

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ROSATOM facility awarded to design the new Russian megascience installation that would be used for anti-virus research

The Central Design and Technological Institute, an enterprise of ROSATOM’s TVEL Fuel Company, has signed the government awarded contract for design of the Center of Common Use – the Siberian Circular Photon Source (the SKIF project). SKIF, a megascience class project, refers to the latest generation of synchrotron radiation sources 4+ with an energy of…

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Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Rise By 2,558 in New Record Increase, Bringing Total to 18,328

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

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Putin, Trump Hail OPEC+ Oil Deal: Kremlin

As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

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Riot, Fire Break Out at Siberian Prison

A prison in Siberia reported disturbances at a high-security penal colony Friday, while local campaigners called the incident a full-blown riot and posted images of fire on the premises. Russia’s penal service said inmates at the No 15 penal colony in Angarsk “attacked a guard” while others cut themselves with glass from broken surveillance cameras.…

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Maximum daily deliverability of Russian UGS facilities to exceed 1 billion cubic meters

April 10, 2020, 14:55 Construction of UGS facility in Kurgan Region slated to start in near future. Exploration underway for construction of new UGS facilities in three federal districts. The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the program for underground gas storage (UGS) facility development in Russia for 2020–2030. It was highlighted that the Company ensures a high level of reliability of its gas supplies to consumers. Consistent increases…

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Gazprom carrying on with major investment projects

April 10, 2020, 14:25 The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the status of the Company’s major investment projects. Within the Eastern Gas Program, Gazprom continues to ramp up its production and gas transmission capacities. At the Chayandinskoye field in Yakutia, the Company is setting up the facilities required to bring the field to its design annual output of 25 billion cubic meters of gas. Specifically, efforts are underway to expand the…

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