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The Moscow Times (EN) (English)

The Moscow Times (EN) is your go-to source for independent news from Russia since 1992. With a focus on delivering accurate, unbiased, and timely news and analysis, The Moscow Times keeps you informed about the latest developments in Russia and beyond. Whether you're interested in politics, business, culture, or society, The Moscow Times covers it all with in-depth reporting and expert commentary. Stay up to date with the most important news stories coming out of Russia and get a unique perspective on the country's current events. Join our Telegram channel @moscowtimes_en now to stay informed and engaged with Russian news like never before. Don't forget to also follow our Russian service at t.me/moscowtimes_ru for additional content in Russian. Join our community of informed readers and be part of the conversation on the latest news and events in Russia.

The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 16:22

Wildberries Co-Founders Finalize Divorce Amid Corporate Power Struggle

The co-founders of Russia’s largest online retailer Wildberries, Tatiana Kim and Vladislav Bakalchuk, officially ended their 22-year marriage on Monday as their split deepened an ongoing corporate dispute.

Kim first announced plans to divorce Bakalchuk last summer after he sought help from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in fighting what he described as a “hostile takeover” of Wildberries by the outdoor advertising firm Russ Group.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 15:38

Russian Soldier Convicted of Killing 4 Fellow Servicemen Sentenced to Life in Prison – Mediazona

A Russian soldier was sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting four of his fellow soldiers, the independent news website Mediazona reported Monday, citing the press service of the military court that handed down the sentence.

A court in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don found Corporal Nikita Posmetukhov guilty of murder and violence against military authorities during an armed conflict.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 15:12

Russia Eyes Banning Officials From Using Foreign Messaging Apps

Russia is considering banning government employees from using foreign messaging apps for official communications or contacting citizens, the RBC news website reported Monday.

The proposed ban — one of dozens of planned legal and regulatory amendments ostensibly aimed at combatting phone and internet scammers — would tighten control over officials’ communications with independent and foreign journalists.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 15:01

Azerbaijan Bans Entry to Russian Lawmaker Over ‘Offensive’ Remarks

Azerbaijan banned Russian State Duma lawmaker Nikolai Valuev from entering the country, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry announced Monday, a move that comes after he suggested the South Caucasian country uses diaspora groups to engage in criminal activities.

“The offensive statements against Azerbaijan and our people made by Nikolai Valuev... and his threatening remarks against our country are absolutely unacceptable,” the ministry said. “Due to the statements made by this deputy against Azerbaijan, his name has been added to the list of individuals banned from entering the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 13:57

Russia Sending ‘Hundreds’ of Wounded Soldiers to North Korean Hospitals, Ambassador Says

Hundreds of Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine are undergoing rehabilitation in North Korean hospitals, Russia’s ambassador in Pyongyang said in an interview published Sunday.

“The treatment, the care, the food — everything related to staying in North Korea was absolutely free,” Ambassador Alexander Matsegora told the government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 13:11

EU Eyes Legal Loopholes to Seize Russian Oil Tankers in Baltic Sea – Politico

EU member states are exploring legal avenues to seize Russian oil tankers in the Baltic Sea, Politico Europe reported Monday, citing anonymous EU diplomats and government officials familiar with the matter.

The private discussions reflect growing frustration over Russia’s ability to circumvent oil sanctions, which continue to generate revenue for its war in Ukraine. However, the proposals face significant legal, logistical and financial hurdles.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 11:35

Russia's Financial Flows Surge in January, Indicating Robust Economic Growth – Central Bank

Surging financial flows in January 2025 suggest Russia’s economy is growing more strongly than recently indicated, the Russian Central Bank said Friday.

The volume of incoming payments processed through the Central Bank's payment system rose by 8.8% compared to the average level of the fourth quarter of 2024. When excluding sectors such as mining, petroleum products and public administration, the increase was even more pronounced at 11.4%.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 11:13

Emergency Crews Mobilize as Chinese Cargo Ship Runs Aground in Russia’s Far East

Authorities in Far East Russia’s Sakhalin region are preparing to pump fuel from a Chinese cargo ship that ran aground off its coast overnight Sunday.

Sakhalin region Governor Valery Limarenko declared a high alert in the Nevelsky district, where the bulk carrier An Yang 2 with 20 crew members became stranded 200 meters (650 feet) offshore.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 10:42

Transnistria Rejects EU Energy Aid Over ‘Russian Blackmail,’ Moldova Says

Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria rejected 60 million euros ($61 million) in conditional aid from the European Union due to pressure from Russia, Moldova’s Prime Minister Dorin Recean said Monday.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 10:40

Russian Prison Authorities Approved Widespread Brutality Against Ukrainian POWs – WSJ

Russian prison authorities approved the use of brutality and torture against Ukrainian prisoners of war weeks after the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Moscow planned and carried out “what United Nations investigators have described as widespread and systematic torture,” the WSJ reported, citing three former prison officials who have entered witness protection after giving testimony to International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 09:46

Russian FDI Falls to 15-Year Low as Russia Faces 'Wrong Kind of Growth'

Russia's foreign direct investment (FDI) has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years, with the total volume having decreased to $235 billion by October 2024, according to data from the Russian Central Bank, Ukrainska Pravda reported Saturday.

Pre-war Russia was attracting nearly $500 billion of FDI a year, which was still a low result compared to other emerging markets.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 09:44

Xi Jinping to Attend 80th Victory Day Celebrations in Moscow

Chinese President Xi Jinping accepted an invitation to attend Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Kremlin said Monday.

“Such contacts and visits are being prepared, and we attach great mutual importance to the symbolism of these dates,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

10 Feb, 09:23

Finland Braces for Potential Oil Spill After Tanker Explosion in Northwestern Russia

Authorities in Finland said they are preparing for a potential oil spill in the Gulf of Finland after Russian officials reported an explosion aboard an oil tanker in the northwestern Leningrad region.

“We’re closely following the news about the oil tanker damaged in the port of Laukaansuu,” Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo wrote on social media Sunday, using the Finnish name of Russia’s port of Ust-Luga on the Gulf of Finland.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

09 Feb, 13:33

Russia Probes Explosion on Oil Tanker

An explosion Sunday on an oil tanker at a port in northwest Russia forced the crew to evacuate and was being investigated, the country's Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport (Rosmorrechflot) said.

The Rosmorrechflot wrote on Telegram that "an explosion took place in the engine room" of the Koala ship in Ust-Luga port west of St. Petersburg on Sunday morning.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

09 Feb, 11:06

Russia Claims East Ukraine Village Near Strategic Town

Russia said Sunday that its forces had captured the eastern Ukrainian village of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, near the strategic military hub of Chasiv Yar that Moscow is attempting to seize.

There is intensive fighting in the frontline town of Chasiv Yar, one of the last remaining urban areas blocking Russia from advancing further into the region, according to Russian military bloggers.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

09 Feb, 09:26

Kremlin Says Cannot ‘Confirm or Deny’ Trump-Putin Call

The Kremlin on Sunday declined to confirm or deny a U.S. report of a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Washington and Moscow have not officially confirmed any communication between the leaders since Trump took office on a pledge to swiftly end the Ukraine fighting.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

08 Feb, 16:32

Russia Says Baltic Sea Cable Damaged by ‘External Impact'

Russia's state-controlled telecoms giant Rostelecom said Saturday that its underwater cable in the Baltic Sea had been damaged by an "external impact."

Several undersea telecom and power cables have been severed in the Baltic Sea in recent months, with experts and politicians accusing Russia of orchestrating a hybrid war against Western countries supporting Ukraine.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

08 Feb, 09:49

Arts and Life | Delicious, Nourishing and Beautiful: The Three Corners of a Tatar Pie
By Russian Culinary Historians

Anyone who visits Kazan cannot resist Tatar pastries — in fact, when in Tatarstan it is truly impossible not to try the national treat, a small triangle pie called echpochmak. How famous is this pie? There is even a monument to it.

Tatar names are not easy for foreigners. For example, the word “balesh” means “pie” in Tatar. This is the name of a large baked pie filled with potatoes or (less often) grains and ground meat. What Russians know and love as belyash is actually a Tatar pie called peremyach. There is a great deal of inter-cultural and linguistic confusion.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

08 Feb, 09:19

Baltics Begin Decoupling From Russian Power Grid

The Baltic states on Saturday began cutting ties with Russia's power grid in order to integrate with Europe's system, a years-long process that gained urgency with Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — all former Soviet republics now in the European Union and NATO — are leaving Russia's grid to prevent Moscow from weaponizing it against them.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

07 Feb, 20:33

Zelensky Says North Korean Troops Back on Russian Front Line

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that North Korean troops were back on the front line in Russia's Kursk region, after reports Moscow had withdrawn them due to heavy losses.

More than 10,000 soldiers from the reclusive state were sent to Russia last year to help it fight back a shock Ukrainian offensive into the border region, according to South Korean and Western intelligence.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 17:54

Rosneft Employs Dozens of Escorts, Team Navalny Says

Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft employs dozens of young women who provide escort services, paying them high salaries from the company budget, late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s team said in an investigation published Thursday.

“Any woman has the right to make her own choices, to earn money and to control her own body as she sees fit. But the line between personal privacy and public accountability is erased the moment that you enter the civil service. And this is exactly what is happening here. The girls we're going to talk about today are paid from the budget of a state-owned company,” Team Navalny wrote.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 16:11

Deputies of Former Putin Aide Chubais Arrested in Moscow

Moscow police arrested “several” former deputies of exiled former Kremlin aide and veteran reformer Anatoly Chubais, Russian media reported Thursday, citing anonymous law enforcement sources.

The arrested individuals face charges of abuse of power, sources told the state-run news agency TASS.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 16:01

Kyrgyzstan Says It Arrested Suspected Russia-U.S. Arms Trafficker

Law enforcement authorities in Kyrgyzstan said Thursday that they arrested a suspected arms trafficker who is part of a criminal group that has shipped more than 300 weapons from the United States to Russia since April 2022.

The Central Asian nation's police said they caught the suspect "red-handed" receiving a package of parts for a rifle and handgun earlier this month.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 15:23

Taking Cue From Trump, Russian Historian Suggests Renaming Gulf of Finland

A researcher from Russia’s presidential historical society has proposed renaming the Gulf of Finland to the “Gulf of St. Petersburg,” citing U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as precedent.

“Why do we call it the Gulf of Finland?” Mikhail Myagkov, research director at the Russian Military History Society, asked reporters Thursday. “St. Petersburg is the largest city on this gulf. A logical name for it would be the Gulf of St. Petersburg.”

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 14:57

Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze Throws Russian Civil Society Into Crisis

The Trump administration’s abrupt freeze on foreign aid has plunged exiled Russian NGOs and media outlets into uncertainty, jeopardizing their funding and posing what some describe as the greatest challenge to Russian civil society since the Kremlin enacted its “undesirable” organization law a decade ago.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a sweeping directive last Friday, pausing all foreign aid for 90 days. The move aims to give the Trump administration time to review which programs align with the president’s “America First” agenda and determine which should continue receiving U.S. funding. Organizations have been issued stop-work notices on existing projects, along with a suspension of further disbursements.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 14:23

Friend of Abducted Chechen Woman Goes Missing After Arrest in St. Petersburg

An activist who picketed in support of her missing Chechen friend has disappeared after being detained by police in St. Petersburg, the human rights group NC SOS said Thursday.

Lena Patyayeva staged a protest on Wednesday, criticizing what she described as authorities’ sluggish investigation into the disappearance of Seda Suleimanova. Patyayeva befriended Suleimanova while the young woman was fleeing her conservative Chechen family.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 13:45

Germany’s Russian LNG Imports Surge Over 500% in 2024

Germany’s imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) soared by 500% in 2024 year-on-year, reaching a total value of 7.32 billion euros, the Financial Times reported, citing a report by Belgian, German and Ukrainian NGOs.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 12:46

Russian Senator Held Stake in SpaceX While He Was Sanctioned – Bloomberg

A U.S. trust linked to sanctioned Russian senator and billionaire Suleiman Kerimov held a 1% stake in Elon Musk’s SpaceX before authorities blocked the trust, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

Delaware-based Heritage Trust reportedly acquired the SpaceX stake in 2017, a year before the Trump administration’s Treasury Department sanctioned Kerimov along with dozens of other Kremlin-linked oligarchs.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 12:37

Feature | Russians Claiming U.S. Asylum Face Prolonged Detention and Uncertainty

When Galina Kaplunova, a 26-year-old opposition activist from St. Petersburg, fled Russia with her four-year-old child and mother last summer, she hoped to find safety and a fresh start in the United States. 

Instead, she found herself caught in the harsh realities of the U.S. immigration system.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 11:21

Moscow Warns Against ‘Chaos’ in Serbia Amid Protests

Moscow on Thursday warned that there is a risk of "chaos" in Serbia following months of anti-corruption protests that led to the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic.

"It is extremely important that the demonstrators... show reason and do not follow the lead of those who stir up emotions," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "Chaos must be avoided in Serbia."

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 10:17

Russian Citizens Were on Board Crashed U.S. Plane, Kremlin Says

Russian nationals were among the 64 people on board the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Potomac River in Washington after colliding with a military helicopter, the Kremlin said Thursday.

The confirmation came after the state-run TASS news agency reported, citing anonymous sources, that the champion skating couple Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the 1994 world pairs title, were on board the plane. Former Soviet pairs skater Inna Volyanskaya was also reportedly on board.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 09:43

EU Weighs Resuming Russian Pipeline Gas Imports to Spur Ukraine Peace Talks – FT

EU officials are debating whether to restart Russian pipeline gas imports as a potential incentive for Moscow to negotiate peace with Ukraine, the Financial Times reported Thursday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the discussions.

Some German and Hungarian officials and counterparts in other unnamed European capitals have reportedly backed the idea also as a way to lower the bloc’s rising energy costs. According to FT, the proposal could “encourage Moscow to the negotiating table and give both sides a reason to implement and maintain a ceasefire.”

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The Moscow Times (EN)

30 Jan, 09:08

Russian Overnight Attack Kills At Least 4 in Ukraine’s Sumy Region

An overnight Russian drone attack on Ukraine killed at least four people in the northeastern city of Sumy, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said.

Images shared by emergency services showed a gaping hole ripped into the side of an apartment building in Sumy and rescue workers digging through debris as they searched for survivors.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

29 Jan, 19:06

Sanctioned Russian Billionaires Exploit Dutch Legal Loophole to Conceal Finances – NOS

Companies tied to sanctioned Russian billionaires are taking advantage of a loophole in Dutch legislation to evade financial oversight, the Dutch public broadcaster NOS has reported.

According to NOS, these billionaires exploit a provision in Dutch law that allows their companies to be classified as micro-enterprises, enabling them to conceal cash flows and avoid strict reporting requirements even as they remain under international sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

29 Jan, 16:45

Ukraine Seizes $50M of Russian Aluminum Tycoon Deripaska’s Raw Materials

Ukraine has confiscated 2.11 billion hryvnia ($50.3 million) worth of Russian aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska’s raw material assets two years after blocking their shipment, the SBU security service said Wednesday.

The SBU said it seized almost 500,000 metric tons of bauxite and alumina that were stored at the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant, which Ukraine nationalized alongside other Deripaska-owned factories following Russia’s full-scale invasion.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

29 Jan, 16:31

Pro-Kremlin Italian Journalist Granted Russian Citizenship

Italian journalist Andrea Lucidi, known for his support of Moscow’s war against Ukraine, told state media Wednesday that he was granted Russian citizenship.

Lucidi, 34, who describes himself as an independent journalist, said in November that he had requested citizenship from President Vladimir Putin, citing fears of criminal prosecution and economic sanctions in Italy.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

29 Jan, 16:03

EU Threatens Russia With Sanctions Over Possible Hostilities in Space

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Wednesday that the bloc could impose sanctions in response to hostile actions in space, citing increasing threats from Russia.

"We are already the targets of hybrid warfare, including in space, with systematic jamming of satellite navigation signals," Kallas told a conference in Brussels. "There are risks to our satellites, the ground infrastructure and our space industries from kinetic, electronic and high-energy weapons."

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The Moscow Times (EN)

29 Jan, 15:25

Australia Says Citizen Reported Killed After Capture in Ukraine Is Alive

An Australian national who was reportedly killed after his capture by Russian forces in Ukraine is alive, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Wednesday.

“The Australian government has received confirmation from Russia that Oscar Jenkins is alive and in custody,” she said in a statement.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

29 Jan, 15:09

Kursk Region Officials Meet With Families of Missing Residents

Russian officials met this week with the families of those trapped behind Ukrainian lines in the embattled Kursk region, coming amid mounting criticism of the government's efforts to secure their return.

Dozens of villages, as well as the regional hub of Sudzha, have been under Ukrainian control since Kyiv launched its surprise ground assault in early August. Hundreds of people remain cut off behind the front line, with frustration growing over the lack of information from local authorities.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

29 Jan, 15:08

Opinion | The Power of Russia's Black Sea Clean-Up Volunteers
By Angelina Davydova

The oil spill in the Black Sea, caused by damage to two Russian tankers in mid-December, also brought thousands of volunteers from all over the country to come and help address the aftermath of the disaster. Many of the volunteers spoke critically of the authorities to tackle the oil spill, while also trying to bring public and political attention to the problem and call for action.

Grassroots environmental movements are one of the few remaining civil society initiatives still present in today's Russia. However, if the volunteers want to have a bigger impact they will need to transform from an emergency-response group to a more professionally operating civic or political structure, which can be challenging at the moment. Such a task will be extremely difficult.

The views expressed in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the position of The Moscow Times.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 19:38

Trump Tells Putin to Make Ukraine Deal 'Now' or Face Tougher Sanctions

US President Donald Trump stepped up the pressure on Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to make a peace deal with Ukraine Wednesday, threatening tougher economic measures if Moscow does not agree to end the war.

Trump's warning in a Truth Social post came as the Republican seeks a quick solution to a grinding conflict that he had promised to end before even starting his second term.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 17:01

Russians Launch Campaign To Find Loved Ones Behind Front Line

Residents of Russia's Kursk region have made coordinated social media posts appealing for help to find relatives trapped by a Ukrainian border offensive launched last August, Russian media reported Wednesday.

Kyiv seized dozens of small towns and villages in the incursion, more than two years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 16:42

Opinion | Don’t Pressure Ukraine To Feed Its Youth Into the Mouths of Russia’s War Machine
By Elena Davlikanova

By urging Ukraine to conscript 18-year-olds, the West risks a tragic gamble: sacrificing a generation to buy time for Europe's awakening and NATO's hesitation. 

Mike Waltz, Donald Trump’s pick for National Security Advisor, recently suggested that Ukraine should lower the draft age from 26 to 18. Framing this as a call for Ukraine to "be all in for democracy," he neglected the obvious irony: while Washington asks Kyiv for its youngest, it sends just enough weapons to prolong the fight but never enough to end it decisively. 

The views expressed in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the position of The Moscow Times.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 16:38

U.K. Minister Warns Putin as Royal Navy Tracks Russian ‘Spy Ship'

British Defense Secretary John Healey told parliament Wednesday the Royal Navy tracked a "Russian spy ship" that passed through U.K. waters, warning Russia's President Vladimir Putin: "We know what you're doing."

Healey said the Yantar (Amber) vessel was being "used for gathering intelligence and mapping the U.K.'s critical underwater infrastructure."

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 16:30

Jailed Gulag Historian Yury Dmitriyev Sent to Punishment Cell, Rights Group Says

Russian prison authorities moved the jailed Gulag historian Yury Dmitriyev to a punishment cell for allegedly breaching exercise rules at the penal colony where he is being held, the rights group Memorial said late Tuesday.

Dmitriyev was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2021 on a controversial child sex charge his supporters say was punishment for his life's work.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 16:07

Son of Key Putin Aide Holds Western Investments Despite Sanctions

The son of a top Kremlin official continues to hold investments in the West despite being sanctioned by the U.S., EU and Britain over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, The Moscow Times has learned.

VK CEO Vladimir Kiriyenko — whose father is President Vladimir Putin’s domestic policy chief Sergei Kiriyenko — maintains links with Titanium VC, a venture capital fund he co-founded that he has previously used to invest in tech startups.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 15:39

Russia Adds Exiled Politician Gozman to ‘Terrorists and Extremists’ List

Russia’s state financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring added exiled politician Leonid Gozman to the country’s list of “terrorists and extremists.”

A Moscow court sentenced Gozman, 74, to eight and a half years in prison in absentia last year for criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He was added to the “terrorists and extremists” list alongside several others, including Azerbaijani journalist Rovshan Askerov, who fled Russia after controversial remarks about Soviet World War II General Georgy Zhukov.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 15:07

Around 1K North Korean Soldiers Killed Fighting for Russia – BBC

Around 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed and 3,000 wounded while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine, the BBC’s Russian service reported Wednesday, citing unnamed Western officials.

North Korea is believed to have sent thousands of troops last fall to help the Russian military drive out Ukrainian forces that are occupying the southwestern Kursk region.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 14:26

Russian Court Upholds Life Sentence in Zakhar Prilepin Car Bombing Case

A Russian court on Wednesday upheld the life sentence of Alexander Permyakov, who was convicted of injuring pro-Kremlin writer Zakhar Prilepin and killing his driver in a car bombing in May 2023.

Prilepin, a prominent Russian author and outspoken supporter of the war against Ukraine, was injured in the attack, which killed his driver. Permyakov was sentenced in September on charges that included committing a "terrorist act," the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 13:25

Russia’s First and Only Black Politician Dies at 65

Jean Gregoire Sagbo, Russia’s first and only Black politician, has died at the age of 65, his colleague said on social media Tuesday.

Originally from Benin, Sagbo came to the Soviet Union in the early 1980s to study economics. He later settled in the village of Zavidovo in the Tver region, around 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Moscow, after marrying a local woman.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 12:11

Russian Lawmaker Calls for Cold Case Investigation Into Lermontov’s Death

A Russian lawmaker has called on police investigators to reopen the case of celebrated writer Mikhail Lermontov’s death in a duel nearly two centuries ago, state media reported Wednesday.

Lermontov, renowned for works like “Death of the Poet” and the novel “A Hero of Our Time,” was fatally shot by his military classmate during a duel in July 1841 at the age of 26. Thousands of admirers attended his funeral, cementing his legacy as one of Russia’s literary greats.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 12:07

Feature | ‘They Destroyed Everything’: With Russia Gone, Syrians Begin a Long, Painful Process of Rebuilding

Damascus Governorate, SYRIA — The central alley souk in Arbin, a neighborhood in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta, is bustling with people. Among the ruined buildings, vendors have set up their stalls and shout out the day's prices at the top of their lungs.

One month ago, HTS, a movement formed from the merger of rebel and jihadist groups based in the northwestern Idlib governorate, overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime following a lightning offensive, ending five decades of dictatorship in less than two weeks. Assad’s ally Russia, which had propped up the regime with military force, was forced to retreat to its bases at Tartus and Khmeimim.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 11:02

Russian Troops Capture Kharkiv Region Village Amid Westward Advance

Russia's military said Wednesday that its forces took control of a village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region as they continue to advance toward the west.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement that Russian soldiers seized the village of Zapadne on the western bank of the Oskil River, which used to form the front line between the Ukrainian and Russian armies.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 10:14

Russia and Uzbekistan Sign Military Strategic Partnership Plan

Russia and Uzbekistan adopted a military strategic partnership program set to run through 2030, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday, as Moscow looks to deepen ties with traditional allies amid isolation from the West.

The plan outlines 50 unspecified “joint military activities” scheduled for 2025, followed by broader strategic initiatives between 2026 and 2030, according to the ministry’s statement.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 09:32

Syria Terminates Russian Naval Base Deal – Reports

Syria’s new government terminated a treaty granting Russia a long-term military presence in the Mediterranean, a deal brokered under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, Syrian media reported Tuesday.

The agreement, signed in 2017, extended the Russian Navy’s lease on the port of Tartus for 49 years. However, its future became uncertain after Assad was overthrown by Islamist rebels last month.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

22 Jan, 09:16

Feature | ‘Did Not Push Hard Enough’: Navalny Lawyer Speaks of Regrets

The top lawyer of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian prison in February last year, told AFP she regretted not finding the right words to stop him returning to Moscow in 2021.

Olga Mikhailova, who defended Navalny for 16 years, said his return to Russia sparked a "tragic" chain of events leading to his death — and to the jailing last week of three of his legal team on extremism charges.

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21 Jan, 17:46

Russia Blasts U.S. Reinstatement of Cuba on Terror List

Russia on Tuesday slammed U.S. President Donald Trump for reinstating its ally Cuba on a list of state sponsors of terrorism, saying the measure was aimed at destabilizing the island and prompting regime change.

Trump on Monday reversed his predecessor Joe Biden's decision to remove Cuba from a blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

21 Jan, 17:13

Gallery | In Photos: New Tatar State Academic Theater Building Opens in Kazan

The Galiasgar Kamal Tatar State Academic Theater's new building opened in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s central republic of Tatarstan, on Monday.

The Kamal Theater's origin dates back to Dec. 22, 1906, when the first Tatar-language performance was held. However, the movement to establish a Tatar theater dates back to the late 19th century. In 1887, Gabdrakhman Ilyasi wrote the first Tatar-language play, after which many more works were written and translated into the language.

Wowhaus Bureau and Kengo Kuma & Associates designed the new building after winning an international competition for the job in 2022. The firm's “Soaring Sails” design incorporates elements of nature, Kazan, and Tatar national symbols.

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The Moscow Times (EN)

21 Jan, 16:43

‘It Feels Like the Government Doesn’t Need Us’: Displaced Kursk Residents Accuse Governor of Ignoring Their Pleas

A group of displaced residents from Russia’s southwestern Kursk region held a protest on Tuesday over what they claimed was the local governor’s refusal to meet with them and offer more comprehensive support amid ongoing clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

More than 150,000 residents of border towns and villages in the Kursk region were forced to evacuate their homes after Ukrainian troops launched a surprise incursion in early August. Since then, displaced residents have staged multiple protests, describing poor temporary accommodations and a lack of government compensation for lost and damaged property.

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21 Jan, 16:08

Opinion | India and Russia Are Finding New Ways of Cooperation
By Rajoli Siddharth Jayaprakash

After a five-year hiatus, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, visited Russia twice in 2024, reaffirming that both countries see their relationship as important. President Vladimir Putin’s imminent visit to New Delhi, scheduled to take place early this year, reflects the trajectory of India-Russia relations, whose drivers have been undergoing a re-calibration over the last decade. 

Since the invasion of Ukraine, New Delhi’s relations with Moscow have come under considerable flak from the West, as India abstained from condemning Russia’s invasion and refused to join international sanctions.

The views expressed in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the position of The Moscow Times.

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