A Russian regional official has caused controversy for allegedly comparing victims of this summer’s historic Siberian floods to animals in a leaked audio file she claims was faked. The comments allegedly made by Irina Alashkevich, the Irkutsk regional administration’s spokeswoman, come a month after another regional official ignited backlash for insulting the victims of flood-hit areas. Over two dozen people have been killed in the

On August 16, the state-owned bus company Mosgortrans filed a 1.2-million-ruble ($18,050) lawsuit against several prominent opposition activists, in connection with service disruptions allegedly caused by protests on July 27. Mosgortrans is suing Georgy Alburov, Yulia Galyamina, Ivan Zhdanov, Vladimir Milov, Alexey Navalny, Lyubov Sobol, Alexander Solovyov, Oleg Stepanov, and Ilya Yashin. The municipal enterprise “Auto-Roads” has also filed a separate lawsuit for 11.5

The occupied Donbass should receive a full “special status”, and Ukraine will have quite limited sovereignty over it. This is how Russian political scientist Alexey Chesnakov sees the outcome of the Minsk agreements. In an interview with one of the Russian media, answering the question of how Russian curator of the Donbass war Vladislav Surkov sees the final of the

Ukraine can refuse nuclear fuel supplies from Russia – energy minister 21.08.2019 17:18Ukraine in the event of a cessation of nuclear fuel supplies from Russia will be able to ensure the functioning of nuclear energy. Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Ihor Nasalyk announced this at a briefing on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “If Russia completely blocks

A new General Director of Rustavi 2 Georgian TV channel Paata Salia, announced the dismissal of several journalists. Georgi Gabunia, who insulted Russian President Vladimir Putin during a broadcast, was among the dismissed employees. According to Salia, the reason for the dismissal was a conflict of interest. “The producer and host of analytical programs Eka Kvesitadze, the head of the

A member of a criminal group that has stolen nearly 100 yachts in the last two years has been arrested in Moscow. The most recently stolen ship was a $2 million Ghost 3 yacht. The thieves fled from the Turkish port in Marmaris. A Jeanneau 64 Ghost 3 yacht was hired from the Marmaris yacht club on July 13 by

The Russian rating agency ACRA will be the first of the national agencies to start publishing Russia’s sovereign rating, an informed source told Interfax. The information was later confirmed by ACRA’s press service. At present, the agency is consulting with officials and discussing issues that have arisen with experts in the rating process, the source told Interfax. Another source said that

In addition, a number of other Ukrainians, the Kremlin’s hostages, may return to Ukraine. Moscow and Kyiv have entered the final stage of negotiations on the swap of prisoners of war (POWs), including 24 Ukrainian sailors captured near the Kerch Strait on November 25, which may take place before the end of August. Read also Five Ukrainians convicted in Russia

Trump’s comments underscore the divide between the U.S., under his administration, and Washington’s traditional closest allies. REUTERS U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his support for reinstating Russia into the G7 days before the group of leading industrialized nations convenes for its annual summit in France. “I think it’s much more appropriate to have Russia in” the group, he said during