Contents tagged with Russia
-
Estonia expels Russian-backed Orthodox church leader over security concerns
Estonia has decided not to renew the residency permit of the head of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Yevgeny (secular name Valery Reshetnikov). The cleric, who holds Russian citizenship, is required to leave the country by February 6 when his current residence permit expires, according to reporting by Delfi, citing the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board.
The Ministry of Interior officials have repeatedly spoken with the Metropolitan, urging him to …
-
Turkish banks suspend transactions with Russian counterparts amid US sanctions threats
Turkish banks are universally halting operations with Russian counterparts, reported the newspaper Kommersant, citing financial market sources and foreign trade participants.
According to the newspaper, Turkish banks have severed correspondent relationships with nearly all Russian financial institutions as well as suspended payment processing without formally terminating the contracts. The only exception has been made for the subsidiaries of foreign banks in Russia.
Kommersant sources say the …
-
Mass protests erupt in Bashkiria as local activist Fail Alsinov receives jail sentence
Thousands of people in Bashkiria have protested in support of local activist Fail Alsinov following his conviction on accusations of inciting ethnic discord, reports Telegram channel Astra. Alsinov, who last year protested against gold mining in the region, was accused by Russian authirities for negative remarks about migrant workers at the mines and for using the phrase "kara halik," translated as "black folks."Alsinov’s supports claim that he was speaking in Bashkir and his words were …
-
Unconfirmed reports: 12 crew members killed as Russian A-50 aircraft downed over Sea of Azov
Twelve Russian military pilots were lost when an A-50 long-range early warning and control aircraft was downed and sank in the Sea of Azov, reports the Russian military aviation channel Fighterbomber linked to the command of the Russian airforce.
"We will try to address the question of the attack on three of our aircraft in the Sea of Azov. Eleven (other sources say twelve) members of the crew died," the channel wrote. The report insists that the planes were purportedly shot down by the …
-
Drones attack Russian airbase in Voronezh region
On the night of January 16, eight drones attempted an attack on the Baltimore military airbase located in the Voronezh region of Russia. Two of the eight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were shot down over the airfield, as reported by ASTRA news outlet.
The Russian Defense Ministry, however, reported that air defense forces destroyed five and intercepted three UAVs over Voronezh region, and four more over the neighbouring Belgorod region. "During the night, attempts by the Kyiv regime to carry …
-
Russia instructs pension fund to conceal payments to Ukraine war participants amid efforts to hide military losses
Russia's Pension Fund has sent a letter to its regional branches instructing their employees not to disclose information about social payments to participants of the war in Ukraine, a move that could reveal the extent of the Russian military's losses, according to the Ukrainian Centre for National Resistance.
In particular, branches in the Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions have been directed to stop uploading data regarding financial support and social measures for participants of the so- …
-
Ukrainian Armed Forces confirm downing of Russian A-50 and Il-22 aircraft over the Sea of Azov
The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhny, has confirmed the destruction of Russian A-50 and Il-22 aircraft. According to him, the Ukrainian Air Force downed an A-50 long-range radar detection and control aircraft, as well as an Il-22 airborne command post. "Thank you to the Air Force for a perfectly planned and conducted operation in the Azov region," Valeriy Zaluzhny wrote on his Telegram channel on Monday, January 15.
Ukrainian media had earlier reported the …
-
St. Petersburg governor: after Russian soldiers saw gender-neutral toilets in Ukrainian schools they ‘understood well what they are fighting against’
St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov has claimed that Russian soldiers allegedly saw "gender-neutral toilets" in Ukrainian schools, saying it gave them a clear understanding of "what we are fighting for."
"I visited our guys in the hospital, wished them a happy Old New Year. My heart was warmed by the interaction, where understanding came with half a word. It's easiest to discuss political topics with the soldiers. Those who, with a rifle in hand, have gone through the Ukrainian version of …
-
As Putin channels billions into the war, Russia plunges into critical municipal services crisis
In the winter of 2024, Russia is facing a severe municipal services crisis that affected heating, electricity, and also waste management across the country.
Social media abounds with Russians raising the alarm about the "garbage collapse" plaguing their cities.
Issues with waste collection have been happening in several Russian regions, including the Moscow region, where dumpsites are overflowing, and authorities appear unresponsive to complaints.
In the Chelyabinsk and Kemerovo regions, …
-
Russian prisons allegedly cut heat to coerce inmates into fighting in Ukraine
In sub-zero temperatures across many Russian penal colonies, administrators are reportedly shutting off heating, creating "unbearable" conditions to pressure inmates to go to war in Ukraine, reports Bild, citing Olga Romanova, founder of the human rights project "Russia Behind Bars".
"In Russia, there are three groups of people whose deaths at the front do not draw much sympathy from the majority: prisoners, national minorities living in impoverished regions far from Moscow, and new citizens. …