This article talks about groups of Russian nationalists who are protesting Putin for being authoritarian. The protests occurred on National Unity day which has been promoted by Russian officials since 2005 in order to push patriotism. The holiday replaced a previous holiday which commemorated the Bolshevik revolution.
Yelena Leuchanka, a Belarusian basketball player, was recently arrested and kept in the Okrestina detention center for her participation in protests opposing the Lukashenko regime. Her story speaks to the broader human effects of the continuing protests in Belarus, as well as the ways that the state cultivates strong complicity amongst its constituents.
This article talks about the recreation of a WWII era prison camp in Northern Russia as an educational experience for children. Issues of memory politics and Putin's disregard for the preservation of historical record are discussed.
Putin refuses to officially congratulate Joe Biden for his projected win in the 2020 U.S. Election, despite that several world leaders from France, England, etc. already have, and that he had congratulated Trump within an hour of his victory declaration 4 years prior. This is yet another clear indicator of Russia's bias towards a Trump presidency with the hope of softer anti-Russia rhetoric.
In comparison to the rest of Russia's underfunded and poorly staffed hospitals, the affluent Moscow is faring much better in response to the new surge of coronavirus cases. This difference reveals the problematic wealth disparity between Moscow and the rest of Russia.
This article talks about a Belarusian march protest that coincided with a Belarusian holiday remembering ancestors and a day of remembrance for the victims of Stalin's purges.
Nikolai Bulayevand other leading members of Russia's election panel are skeptical of this year's American Election's legitimacy, citing concerns regarding mail-in votes such as “people who are long dead are casting ballots and [] mailboxes are being broken into.” Though presented under the guise of non-bias (for example claiming that both candidates will commence lawsuits), these sentiments wholly echo Donald Trump's attempts to delegitimize the election's results in myriad swing states leaning in Biden's favor.
Poor methodology has been discovered to be giving false negative results for 30-40% of coronavirus testing. These incorrect results could lead to a greater spread of infection from those who falsely tested negative.
Crematorium records in St. Petersburg reveal that the city has been underreporting deaths due to coronavirus, thus reinforcing suspicions that Russian state officials have been underreporting the full extent of the pandemic.
The death of Irina Slavina, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the free journalism KozaPress, is the living evidence of media censorship and violation of free speech in Russia.
The Wall Street Journal has found the source of claims implicating Cyprus-registered firm Webzilla, run by a Russian-born Cyprus resident. Olga Galkina was behind this specific Steele dossier claim, and is now being sued by Webzilla for defamation. This article shows the continued American efforts to hold Russian sources accountable for the 2016 election meddling, and in many cases efforts to find evidence pertaining to Donald Trump's potential involvement through Michael Cohen and Rudy Giuliani.
Although Russia is finally prepared to agree to America's New START renewal terms, Russia is continuing to hold nuclear-powered missile tests, despite that new weapons would mean the Russian nuclear stockpile likely surpasses 1550 warheads. This implies that Russia doesn't have complete faith in the deal, and is making myriad preparations in advance in case the New START renewal falls through.
As protests against the Lukashenko regime continue in Minsk, President Vladimir Putin of Russia made the decisive choice to officially express Moscow's support for the maintenance of Alexander Lukashenko's power. Though Russia initially had a "wait-and-see" stance on the protests, it appears that Putin's position has changed due to Russia and Belarus' interdependence for military supplies, monetary support, and political outreach.
The article describes the protests that took place in Belarus on the 18th of October 2020 and their relation to previous statements by Belarusian government agencies and foreign countries
Russia and the US disagree on the conditions of a potential New START nuclear treaty extension. The US demands that both nations freeze their nuclear warhead stocks between now and the treaty's expiration on February 5, 2021, but Russia refused this condition among others proposed by the US. The US was surprised that Russia rejected this proposal (initially assuming they'd accept), but both sides do see a potential deal as a victory for both sides, so it's fair to assume negotiations will continue.
Due to a second wave of coronavirus, schools in Moscow, Sakhalin, and the Ulyanovsk Region have started traditional mid-autumn breaks earlier, and it is unclear whether schools will open again after the break.
This article explores the recently declassified phone conversations between Putin and President Clinton about Slobodan Milošević. The conversations reveal that Putin once supported the Bulldozer Revolution but since the opinion the state has been that it was misguided and not good for the people.
Russia refuses to share requested data behind coronavirus trial results for the medical journal The Lancet, which leads scientists worldwide to question the published results of Russia's vaccine, Sputnik V.
Germany, Britain, France, Estonia and Belgium, European members of the UN Security Council, all signed a letter demanding that Russia be transparent about the circumstances and details behind the attack on Navalny. They make this demand on the basis of Germany's discovery that Russia seemed to poison Navalny with a chemical nerve agent, and according to a council declaration in 2019, "any use of chemical weapons anywhere, at any time, by anyone, under any circumstance is unacceptable and a threat to international peace and security." On the other hand, Russia suggested that the signatory countries "cooperate with the Russian Authorities" as a response to the letter.