Rosneft Joins ‘Methane Guiding Principles’ Round Table
Eric Liron, Rosneft’s Vice President for In-House Services, joined the annual round-table meeting of members of the international initiative the Methane Guiding Principles.
Warm Winter Wakes Moscow’s Bears Early
This unseasonably mild winter has caused the in Moscow Zoo bears to wake up earlier than usual, the city’s mayor’s office said Wednesday. Last year, the two Himalayan bears and one Kamchatka brown bear began coming out of hibernation in April. “Our zoologists were preparing for the bears to wake up earlier due to the…
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Putin, Erdogan Seek to Ease Syria Tensions at High-Stakes Talks
The leaders of Russia and Turkey meet in Moscow on Thursday in a bid to ease tensions that have threatened to bring their two countries into direct conflict in Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would be looking for Russia’s Vladimir Putin to agree to a rapid ceasefire in Idlib, the northwestern province…
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Rosneft Joins Russia’s Gene-Editing Tech Program
Russia’s oil giant Rosneft and the Russian government will join forces to develop gene-editing technology, according to a government decree published Wednesday. The deal, which President Vladimir Putin ordered in December, aims to accelerate Russia’s $1.6 billion program to create 30 new varieties of genetically modified crops and animals by 2027. Rosneft is tasked with…
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Putin Says Fake Coronavirus Rumors ‘Organized From Abroad’
False rumors about the new coronavirus circulating in Russia are being directed from abroad, President Vladimir Putin claimed Wednesday at a government meeting. He told ministers the country’s FSB security service had reported to him that false information was being planted to create panic, while in reality the situation is not critical. “As for these provocative fake…
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U.S. Witness to Implicate ‘Putin’s Chef’ Prigozhin in Election Meddling – Politico
A secret witness will implicate Kremlin-linked catering magnate Yevgeny Prigozhin in plans to influence elections abroad at a trial next month, Politico reported Wednesday, citing a U.S. prosecutor. The St. Petersburg-based Concord Management and Consulting firm goes on trial in the United States in April after it was charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S.…
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Celebrating Women: 5 Soviet and Russian Stars on the Ice
Although competitive figure skating is a relatively young sport, Russia is already well-established as a powerhouse of the icy stage. In the lead-up to International Women’s Day and as skater Adelina Sotnikova has just announced her retirement, we look back on some of the women who have defined Russian and Soviet skating in the past…
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Dozens of Moscow Football Fans Detained After Mass Brawl
At least 20 football fans have been detained in Moscow after mass brawls broke out over the weekend, the state-run TASS news agency reported Wednesday. Several clashes took place between fans of FC Spartak and FC Dynamo on the day of the Moscow derby Saturday. Footage showed scenes of violence on the Moscow metro and…
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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | March 4
As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 3,000 people continues to spread around the world, Russia has stepped up measures to tackle the health risk, including closing most entry points along its 4,200-kilometer border with China and temporarily banning Chinese citizens from entering the country. Russia reported its first two cases of coronavirus…
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Putin’s Spending Boost Won’t Be Enough To Lift Russians Out of Poverty, Audit Chamber Warns
President Vladimir Putin’s new package of social spending initiatives will not be enough to hit the country’s ambitious poverty-reduction targets, a government watchdog has said. In its assessment of the government’s spending plans for the next few years, the Audit Chamber said the package of new measures, such as higher allowances for new mothers to…
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Is Russia Finally Waking Up to Climate Change?
Even skeptics can no longer ignore the effects of climate change in Russia. First, there’s the weather. Last year was the hottest on record; the ice in the Arctic is melting at a dramatic pace, as is the permafrost; while forest fires and flash floods have ravaged swathes of Siberia, and methane is spewing from…
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Deadly Russian Plane Crash ‘Not Terrorism,’ Egypt Says
A Russian passenger plane crash in Egypt was not an act of terrorism and the identities of its victims are unknown, an Egyptian appeals court ruled recently, according to the Kommersant business daily. Metrojet Flight 9268 crashed minutes after takeoff from the Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg on Oct. 31, 2015, killing all…
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Russia Bans Export of Masks, Hazmat Suits to Fight Coronavirus
Russia has banned the export of masks, respirators and hazmat suits to ensure access to the items for medics treating coronavirus patients and the public, under a decree published Wednesday. The ban covers 17 types of equipment including face masks, plastic shoe covers, gloves, surgical scrubs, gas masks, hazmat suits and “reusable anti-plague” suits. The ban…
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‘We Treasure Our Lucid Dreams’ at Garage Museum
Garage Museum of Contemporary Art is almost just as famous for its architecture as its art; first housed in a disused public bus garage from the 1920s, now it is in a former Soviet café in the middle of Gorky Park, an iconic cuboid of steel, glass and sharp corners. This famously austere space, however,…
DetailsNew Research Projects Receives Support from Vostsibneftegaz
East Siberian Oil and Gas Company (Vostsibneftegaz), Rosneft’s subsidiary, started new grant scheme for the realization of the most important scientific projects in the Krasnoyarsk Region.
Russian Court Rules in Favor of Facial Recognition Over Privacy Claims
A Moscow court ruled on Tuesday that the city’s facial recognition system does not violate the privacy of its citizens, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs told Reuters — a blow to activists who had hoped to ban the technology’s use. Lawyer and activist Alena Popova and opposition politician Vladimir Milov of the Solidarnost…
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Russia’s Yandex.Taxi Admits to Sharing Riders’ Location With Police
Russian tech giant Yandex’s taxi service shares passengers’ ride history with law enforcement authorities, according to the testimony of an ex-policeman on trial for wrongfully detaining an investigative journalist. Igor Lyakhovets was among the several police officers who had arrested journalist Ivan Golunov on drug charges in June 2019. An unprecedented public outcry led to…
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Severstal discloses 2020 IT ad digital ivestmet
March 4, 2020 PAO Severstal, one of the world’s leading vertically integrated steel and steel-related mining companies, announces plans to invest 6.7 bn roubles in IT and digital projects, a 7% increase on 2019 investment levels. In 2020, the Company will work on developing new solutions for managing material flows and optimising the quality of…
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Russia Accuses BBC World News of Violating Broadcasting Requirements
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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Dutch Military Almost Sent 1,000 Troops to MH17 Crash Site – Telegraaf
An elite Dutch military unit was on hair-trigger alert to deploy to separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine to secure the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash site until a last-minute stand-down order in 2014, the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported Tuesday. The report comes one week ahead of the first hearing in a key trial of three Russian…
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Moscow Metro Launches Random Temperature Checks for Coronavirus
The Moscow metro has begun random checks of passengers’ temperatures at station entrances to check for the coronavirus, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Monday as he announced a slew of measures to prevent its spread. Russia has reported a total of six coronavirus cases, among them two Chinese citizens who have since recovered. The latest patient,…
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Moscow Scrambles to Contain the Coronavirus as First Case is Confirmed
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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Russian Jailed for 9 Years for Murdering Popular Instagram Influencer
A Russian man has been jailed for nine years for stabbing to death a popular Instagram influencer who modeled herself on Audrey Hepburn. A Moscow court on Monday convicted Maxim Gareyev for the murder of 25-year-old Yekaterina Karaglanova, a medical student whose naked body was found with more than 19 knife wounds in a suitcase…
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Putin Says Protesters Welcome to ‘Get Shaved’ in Jail
Russian President Vladimir Putin mockingly suggested on Tuesday that participants in unsanctioned protests were welcome to go to prison and “get shaved.” In the latest in a series of interviews with state-run news agency TASS, Putin said opposition supporters who take part in unapproved rallies should expect to be given jail time. “If you have…
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Opposition Leader Navalny Says Bank Accounts Frozen
Russia’s main opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Tuesday that authorities had frozen all of his bank accounts and those of his family, including his elderly parents. “All accounts have been blocked,” Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner who has emerged as President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic, said on Twitter. His spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh told AFP that…
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Russia Sends 4th Warship to Syria Amid Turkey Tensions
The Russian Navy has dispatched a fourth warship to Syria’s Mediterranean coast as tensions over the northwestern province of Idlib spiral with Turkey, amateur ship spotters reported Monday. The large landing ship Novocherkassk was photographed crossing Turkey’s busy Bosphorus strait days after Russia sent two warships equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles toward the Syrian coast.…
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Monika Sosnowska Shares ‘Exercises in Construction, Bending’
In the New Tretyakov Gallery, a boxy structure designed in the 1960s that is the epitome of Soviet modernist style, there is a small model of Vladimir Tatlin’s “Monument to the Third International.” Designed in 1919-20 but never built, the monument exists only in miniature form. Its double helixes spiral upward above girders and arches…
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Russian Police Turn to ‘Name Profiling’ to Spot Criminals
The Russian police force’s official gazette has interviewed an expert who claims to be able to identify criminals based on their name, birth date and other traits. Psychologist Boris Khigir claims his method, which he says is based on personal observations and statistics, has an 80% accuracy rate. Critics have questioned the reliability of criminal…
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Russia Sends Punk-Rave Sensations Little Big to Eurovision
Little Big, the self-described punk-pop-rave juggernaut behind the infectious Skibidi Challenge, will represent Russia at the Eurovision song contest this spring, organizers announced Monday. The choice represents a break with Russia’s reliance on more traditional pop stars to bring home the trophy and hosting rights for the first time in more than a decade. This…
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Severstal discloses 2020 evirometal ivestmet pla
March 3, 2020 PAO Severstal, one of the world’s leading vertically integrated steel and steel-related mining companies, announces its plans to invest plan approximately 1.1 billion roubles in environmental projects in 2020. The investment will cover a full environmental refurbishment programme at Severstal’s main assets to further reduce the Group’s environmental impact. 671 million roubles…
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Coronavirus Alert: Russian Cossacks Told Not to Kiss Orthodox Icons
Russian Cossacks have been told by one of their leaders not to kiss icons or clerics’ hands to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The order was issued by Gennadiy Kovalev, head of the Council of Cossack Hetmans (leaders) of Russia which represents several thousand Cossacks, traditional militia units that once protected Russia‘s borderlands. Kissing icons…
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Putin Proposes to Enshrine God, Heterosexual Marriage in Constitution
Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted to parliament a number of constitutional changes, including amendments that mention God and stipulate that marriage is a union of a man and woman. Putin in January unleashed a political storm by proposing an overhaul of the Constitution, the first changes to the basic law since 1993. Shortly afterward,…
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Latvia Arrests Spy Working for Russia
Latvia said Monday a citizen thought to be working for Russia has been arrested for trying to recruit a secret service officer to spy for Moscow. “The agent… contacted the Latvian officer to try to recruit him into handing over classified material that could then be used by Russia’s secret services against Latvia but the agent has been…
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Russia Orders New Trial in Activist’s ‘Repeat Protest’ Conviction
A Moscow court has ordered a lower court to review the four-year prison sentence of activist Konstantin Kotov, who was convicted of “multiple breaches” of Russia’s protest law, Interfax reported Monday. Kotov, 34, in September became the second person ever to be found guilty of taking part in multiple unsanctioned protests. The Moscow City Court…
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Trial of Austrian Army Officer Accused of Spying for Russia Opens
The trial of a retired Austrian army colonel accused of spying for Russia for decades opened on Monday and was ordered to be held behind closed doors on national security grounds. The 71-year-old defendant, who has not been named, is accused of having provided “comprehensive information” on a range of military aspects to Moscow, above…
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On This Day in 1931 Mikhail Gorbachev Was Born
Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the U.S.S.R., celebrates his 89th birthday today. He is best-known for his policy of reforming the Soviet political and economic system (“perestroika”), as well as for his expansions of freedom of speech and press (“glasnost”). Abroad, he is remembered for his efforts to withdraw the Soviet Union from its…
DetailsElectric power of the first wind farm of ROSATOM have entered the wholesale market
2 March, 2020 – The largest wind farm in Russia began supplying electric power and capacity to the Wholesale Electricity and Capacity Market. The Adygea Wind Warm is the first completed project of NovaWind JSC (the ROSATOM division responsible for wind energy projects). The Adygea Wind Farm with a total capacity of 150 MW consists…
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March Art and Culture in the Russian Capitals
The two capitals, Moscow and St. Petersburg, are hosting some must-see events in March that should appeal to every taste, be it a predeliction for contemporary feminist body decoration or fin de siècle sensibilities. Here are our picks for Moscow. Golden Mask: Feb.-April Golden Mask is Russia’s largest festival devoted to theater, which plays an…
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Russia May Have Committed War Crimes in Syria – U.N.
Russia killed civilians in air strikes in Syria last year while rebels allied to Turkey carried out murder and pillage in Kurdish areas, U.N. investigators said on Monday — actions it said could amount to war crimes by both Moscow and Ankara. A report by a U.N. commission found that Russia — the Syrian government’s main ally against rebels…
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Russian Billionaire Banker Tinkov Faces Extradition to U.S. Over Taxes
Russian billionaire banker Oleg Tinkov has posted bail in London to avoid extradition to the United States on allegations of underreporting his income on his tax returns, the TCS financial group that he founded confirmed Monday. TCS said Friday that Tinkov is attending February-April court hearings in London initiated by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.…
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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | March 2
As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 3,000 people continues to spread around the world, Russia has stepped up measures to tackle the health risk, including closing most entry points along its 4,200-kilometer border with China and temporarily banning Chinese citizens from entering the country. Russia reported its first two cases of coronavirus…
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Litany of Blunders: Treatment of Coronavirus Patient Highlights Russia’s Shortcomings
A Russian national who is quarantined in a Moscow hospital after recently returning from northern Italy, a hub for the coronavirus outbreak, has the coronavirus, the state-run RIA Novosti reported. The man is the first known Russian national to test positive for coronavirus while in the country. The patient, 29-year-old Moscow resident David Berov, traveled…
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Russian Olympic Figure Skating Champion Sotnikova Retires
Russian Olympic figure skating champion Adelina Sotnikova has announced her retirement over health concerns, the state-run TASS news agency reported Monday. Sotnikova clinched Russia’s first-ever ladies singles gold at the Sochi Games at the age of 17 in 2014. The 23-year-old hasn’t competed since the 2015 Russian Championships. “I’m done with professional sport… because I…
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For Ballet Shoes, Russian Company Is on Pointe
Craftsman Sergei Murza runs his fingers over the pink satin of a pointe shoe he has just finished making. Then he gives it the final test: the ballet slipper balances perfectly on its tip. Murza produces the shoes in the Moscow workshop of Grishko, a company born in the chaos of the collapse of the…
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Russia’s Sputnik Says Turkey Editor-in-Chief Released
Istanbul police on Sunday released the editor-in-chief of the Turkish edition of Sputnik, the Russian news website said, as tensions escalated between Ankara and Moscow. Sputnik Turkey’s editor-in-chief Mahir Boztepe was detained and taken to the Istanbul police headquarters but released a couple of hours later, the website said. The Ankara public prosecutor’s office launched…
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Russian, Turkish Foreign Ministers Discuss Improving Working Relations
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Chavushoglu agreed on the need to create a “favorable atmosphere” to improve working relations between their countries, the Russian foreign ministry said on Sunday. “The ministers have declared in favour of the adoption of measures to create a favourable atmosphere that will facilitate the effectiveness of…
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Turkey Destroys Scores of Syrian Army Targets, Says Turkish Defense Minister
Turkey said on Sunday it had destroyed air defense systems, more than 100 tanks and downed two planes belonging to the Syrian army as part of an operation it launched after an airstrike killed dozens of its soldiers last week. Tensions in northwest Syria have escalated sharply as fighting between Turkey-backed rebels and Russian-backed Syrian government…
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Kiev Says Russia and Ukraine in Talks for Next Prisoner Swap in March
Ukraine said on Sunday it had held talks with the Kremlin on swapping all remaining prisoners from the conflict in east Ukraine, and the next exchange might take place later this month. Russia‘s President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy agreed in December to send prisoners home, and scores were handed over just before…
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Putin Says Current Oil Prices Acceptable, Hints at OPEC Cooperation
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that current oil prices were acceptable and that Russia had the tools to react to any negative effects of the spread of the coronavirus on the global economy, but offered a chink of light to OPEC as the producer group pushes for deeper supply cuts. Putin added that he sees the…
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OPEC Could Deepen Oil Supply Cuts With or Without Russia
OPEC could agree on deeper oil supply cuts this week, with or without Russia‘s support, to halt the slide in crude prices triggered by the global spread of the coronavirus, said two sources familiar with the talks. Moscow is resisting further output curbs, arguing that reduced production by the Saudi Arabia-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting…
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France’s Macron Urges Turkey and Russia to Agree Ceasefire in Syria
French President Emmanuel Macron urged his Russian and Turkish counterparts on Saturday to halt hostilities in Syria and agree to a lasting ceasefire, his office said. Macron told the Russian and Turkish leaders in separate phone calls that he was “deeply concerned about the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe” caused by the Syrian offensive and its allies…
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Fires Blaze Across Russia for Maslenitsa
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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‘United Dissatisfaction’: Tens of Thousands Across Russia Rally for Slain Opposition Leader
In what has become an annual Russian tradition, thousands rallied across the country on Saturday to march for Boris Nemtsov, a key opposition figure shot and killed five years ago this month on a Moscow bridge just steps from the Kremlin. While the killer has been found guilty and sentenced to prison, Nemtsov’s family and…
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Russia Opens Fairy-Tale Theme Park
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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Three Die at Moscow Party After Dry Ice Thrown Into Pool
Three people have died at a Moscow birthday party after around 30 kilograms of dry ice meant to create special effects was tipped into a pool, investigators and reports said Saturday. The party at the Moscow pool complex late Friday was to mark the birthday of Ekaterina Didenko, a popular Instagram influencer focusing on pharmaceutical…
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Russian Film ‘DAU’ Shocks Berlin 18 Months After Failed Wall Project
In 2018, the controversial Russian art project “DAU” scandalised Germany with its plans to rebuild the Berlin Wall and offer visitors an immersive experience of daily life behind the Iron Curtain. Eighteen months later, “DAU” has again caused shock and outrage in the German capital with the world premiere of its film “DAU: Natasha” at…
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Could Russia Go to War With Turkey in Syria?
But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin of Russia were quick to hold telephone talks and plan a summit as soon as next week in Moscow, with Russian officials striking a conciliatory tone. The two men — both leading post-imperial societies they took over in the wake of economic crises — have since 2016 forged…
DetailsGazprom stepping up cost optimization measures for Group’s companies
Release February 28, 2020, 18:10 Cost reduction is ensured in planning Gazprom’s budget for 2020. Budget preparation and implementation procedures continue to be enhanced in the Group’s companies. Management of the Group’s financial resources has been consistently improved. The Gazprom Board of Directors took note of the information about the Gazprom Group’s cost optimization (reduction) efforts in 2019 and its priorities in this area for 2020. Gazprom is taking…
DetailsBoard of Directors reviews ongoing implementation of digital technologies within Gazprom
Release February 28, 2020, 18:05 The Gazprom Board of Directors took note of the information about the ongoing implementation of advanced digital technologies within the Gazprom Group. It was highlighted at the Board Meeting that the use of digital technologies within Gazprom is aimed at further improving the flexibility and effectiveness of the Company’s corporate governance and contributes to achieving its strategic goals. Work continues on the integration…
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Russia Reports Dramatic Rise in Rape Cases
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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