Month: August 2014

Fallacies in Support of Russia’s Ukraine Policies; RE: 2014-#176-Johnson’s Russia List/Stephen Cohen

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Ukraine Map and Flag

Subject: RE: 2014-#176-Johnson’s Russia List/Stephen Cohen Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 From: Keith Smith <keith.smith@cepa.org> Ambassador Keith C. Smith (Ret.) Center for European Policy Analysis 1225 19th Street NW, Suite 450 Washington, D.C. 20036 August 15, 2014 Fallacies in Support of Russia’s Ukraine Policies By Keith C. Smith Center for European Policy Analysis I read with considerable interest Stephen F. […]

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Russian NGOs Working to Fight AIDS Not ‘Foreign Agents’

Health, Epidemics, Substance Abuse, Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's
HIV Infection Microscopic Photo of Cells

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Allison Quinn – August 15, 2014) Non-governmental organizations working to fight HIV/AIDS in Russia will not be required to register as foreign agents if they receive funding from abroad, Kommersant reported Friday, citing the results of recent inspections by the Justice Ministry. The inspections, which began in June at the government’s request, covered dozens of […]

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Most Russians Don’t Know a Single NGO

Nonprofits, Activists, NGO's
Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – August 15, 2014) Most Russians cannot name a single nongovernmental organization, though public support for NGOs in Russia has greatly increased over the past decade, a recent poll shows. More than half of the people questioned by state-run pollster VTsIOM – 59 percent – could not provide an answer when asked to […]

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Russian Farmers Will Need Years to Fill Gaps Left by Food Ban

Agriculture, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of U.S. Dairy Cows

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Delphine d’Amora – August 15, 2014) Russian politicians have declared the recent bans on Western imports a golden opportunity for Russian agriculture – but farmers and economists warn that upping production is a question of years, not months, and closing the market will not be enough to solve its problems. Against a background of international […]

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Russia May Soon Return to Soviet-Style Price Controls

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Older Russian Woman Shopping in Grocery Store

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 15, 2014) After a 20-year hiatus, direct Soviet-style price controls on the retail sector may be coming back, as the government strives to fight price hikes in supermarkets following Moscow’s decision to ban swathes of Western food imports in retaliation for sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine. The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service – the government’s […]

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Interfax: Far-right groups threaten Kyiv region priest with reprisals

Religion, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Church Domes with Crosses file photo

MOSCOW. Aug 15 (Interfax) – Members of far-right groups disrupted a religious service being conducted by Priest Volodymyr Navozenko at the Church of the Holy Intercession in the village of Chervona Motovylivka outside of Kyiv. A video posted on YouTube shows several dozen people entering the church holding Ukrainian flags and symbols of the far-right party Svoboda (Freedom) and the […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2014-#178 table of contents with links :: Friday 15 August 2014

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's file photo

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2014-#178 :: Friday 15 August 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George  Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist  JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php  Ukraine 1. www.foreignpolicy.com: Sergeii Leshchenko, Ukraine’s Oligarchs Are Still Calling the Shots. […]

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Interfax: Russian emergencies ministry and Ukrainians discussing transfer of aid to eastern Ukraine

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Western CIS/FSU and European Environs

ROSTOV-ON-DON. Aug 15 (Interfax) – Officials of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry who are accompanying Russia’s humanitarian aid convoy and the Ukrainian authorities are discussing ways to transfer the cargo intended for people in eastern Ukraine, a source familiar with the situation told reporters on Friday. “At the moment, the main questions surrounding the transfer of this humanitarian aid depend […]

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RIA Novosti: No Fuel, Almost No Medicine in Luhansk – Local Authorities

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Ukraine Map and Flag

MOSCOW, August 15 (RIA Novosti) -The eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk has run out of fuel and is running out of medicine after being isolated from the outside world for 13 days, the Luhansk City Council said Friday. “There is a pressing issue of a lack of fuel supplies in the city, all the reserves have been emptied,” according to […]

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Business New Europe: Putin says we’ll do all we can to stop conflict in Ukraine

Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Kremlin and Moscow Environs Aerial View

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Tim Ash, Standard Bank – August 15, 2014) Putin speaking in Crimea, at session of Russia’s National Security Council. This is about as far as Putin gets to extending an olive branch and saying “lets talk”. Also noting that he does not want Russia to be isolated internationally. We had the Sochi summit over […]

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Interfax: Russia dealing with Crimean problems inherited from former authorities – Putin

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Desk

(Interfax – August 14, 2014) There are many problems in Crimea which had not been solved for decades, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. He made the statement at a meeting with members of Russian parliamentary parties in Yalta, as quoted by Russian privately-owned news Interfax agency on 14 August. “There is a lot to do here [in Crimea]. There […]

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Kremlin Mutes Putin’s Big Crimea Speech

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

(RFE/RL  – rferl.org – Carl Schreck and Luke Johnson – August 14, 2014) The speech was Putin’s first major speech on the peninsula since May, when he spoke in glowing, historical tones about the Crimea annexation during a visit to the city of Sevastopol.The absence of television coverage appeared all the more unusual given the fact that the Ukraine crisis has been […]

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RIA Novosti: Russia Deploys Mobile Border Guard Teams to Border With Ukraine – FSB

Spies, Spy Allegations, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Partial FSB Headquarters Building Facade

MOSCOW, August 15 (RIA Novosti) – Russia has deployed mobile teams of border guards to the vicinity of the border with Ukraine, but they are to operate strictly on the Russian side, a spokesman for Russia’s FSB Border Guard Service said Friday. The spokesman said that residents of the border territories are under threat due to increased numbers of Ukrainian […]

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RIA Novosti: Russian experts speculate on why prime minister’s Twitter account was hacked

Media, Internet, Social Media, Television, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo Dmitry Medvedev at Desk with Laptop Computer

(RIA Novosti – August 14, 2014) Moscow, 14 August: Russian Prime Minister Dmitriy Medvedev’s Twitter account [https://twitter.com/MedvedevRussia], which was hacked on Thursday [14 August], may have been hacked in response to the law that imposes stricter liability on bloggers and the partial ban on anonymous access to the Internet via [public] wi-fi networks, or because of the strained relations between […]

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Re: 2014-#177-JRL #24 Reuters: Putin’s Ukraine gamble hastens exodus of Russian money and talent.

Population Disaster, Demographics
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

Subject: Re: 2014-#177-JRL #24 Reuters: Putin’s Ukraine gamble hastens exodus of Russian money and talent. Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 From: Sergey Slobodyan <Sergey.Slobodyan@cerge-ei.cz> This isn’t the first time I’ve seen the utterly ridiculous claim that recent Rosstat migration data proves existence of “exodus of Russian talent”: “Russia’s statistics service data shows 186,382 moved abroad in 2013 and 122,751 in […]

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Interfax: EU ready to cancel Russia sanctions if situation in east Ukraine stabilizes – Usackas

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map

MOSCOW. Aug 15 (Interfax) – The European Union would not want to continue the sanctions policy regarding Russia and is not ruling out the possibility of canceling the existing measures if the situation in eastern Ukraine stabilizes. “When clear results in terms of stabilizing the situation in eastern Ukraine appear, of course, the EU will be ready to consider the […]

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Interfax: VTsIOM: Western sanctions unnoticed by over 90 percent of Russians

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Truck at Russian Border Crossing

(Interfax – August 15, 2014) Most Russians are aware of sanctions imposed on their country but the sanctions seem to have gone unnoticed by an overwhelming majority, sociologists told Interfax. Some 92 percent of the respondents said the Western sanctions had not harmed them, 4 percent spoke about a price rise and the others mentioned the freeze of accounts, the […]

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Russia Beyond the Headlines: Public opinion divided as aid convoy approaches Ukraine

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(Russia Beyond the Headlines Press Digest – rbth.ru – Ivan Konyukhov, special to RBTH – August 14, 2014) RBTH presents a selection of views from leading Russian media on the latest developments in Ukraine, including the controversial humanitarian aid convoy sent by Moscow to Ukraine, the election of the new head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and the fate of […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2014-#177 table of contents with links :: Thursday 14 August 2014

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News
St. Basil's file photo

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2014-#177 :: Thursday 14 August 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George  Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist  JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php  1. Reuters: Putin sounds conciliatory note on visit to annexed Ukraine […]

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Interfax: Election of Metropolitan Onurfy head of Ukrainian Orthodox Church indicates pro-Moscow tendencies among bishops – “Kyiv Patriarchate”

Religion, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Church Domes with Crosses file photo

MOSCOW. Aug 14 (Interfax) – The election of Metropolitan Onufry as head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church indicates that the majority of the bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate adhere to “Russian world” ideas and puts an end to the idea of creating a local Church of Ukraine, the self-proclaimed “Kyiv Patriarchate” said. “Despite the hopes for the furthering, especially in […]

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RIA Novosti: Red Cross Officials Meet Moscow’s Aid Convoy in South Russia

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

MOSCOW, August 14 (RIA Novosti) – Officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) met Moscow’s convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Ukraine in Russia’s southern Rostov Region, ICRC tweeted Thursday. “We’ve made initial contact with Russia-led aid convoy, Rostov region, Russia. Many practical details to be clarified,” ICRC wrote in Twitter. Russia sent a convoy of 280 white […]

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Business New Europe: The west has no plan for an end game in the Ukraine conflict

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Joe Biden at Podium with U.S. Seal, With Ukrainian and U.S. Flags in Background

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris MOSCOW BLOG – August 14, 2014) What does the west hope to achieve in its show down with Russia over the fate of Ukraine? An increasing number of articles have appeared recently arguing that the west has no long-term strategy to end this conflict and is being sucked into a destructive “sanctions […]

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RIA Novosti: Donetsk People’s Republic Defense Minister Strelkov Resigns – Official Website

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Ukraine Map and Flag

MOSCOW, August 14 (RIA Novosti) – The defense minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Igor Strelkov, resigned from the post Thursday, the republic’s official website said in a statement. “At today’s session, the Cabinet of Ministers approved DPR Defense Minister Strelkov’s resignation due to his appointment to a new position,” the statement reads. Alexander Zakharchenko, who heads the […]

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Russian Lawmaker: ‘Thin Line’ Keeps Russia, Ukraine From All-Out War

Military, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 14, 2014) Only a “thin line” separates Russia and Ukraine from going to war, a pro-Kremlin lawmaker said, arguing that Moscow has been careful in its policies to avoid tipping the scale and that Kiev should demonstrate more restraint. The head of the federal parliament’s International Affairs Committee, Alexei Pushkov, said Wednesday that the […]

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Crimean Boost For Putin’s Ratings Expected to Fade by Year’s End

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – August 14, 2014) As President Vladimir Putin touched down in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on Wednesday, a poll revealed that his support among voters has almost doubled since January, largely due to the Kremlin’s policies in Crimea and Ukraine, analysts said. The turmoil in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea in […]

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Interfax: Russia may theoretically withdraw from ECHR jurisdiction – Putin

Europe, EU, Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights Building file photo

YALTA. Aug 14 (Interfax) – Russia may theoretically withdraw from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) jurisdiction, but the matter is not under consideration now, President Vladimir Putin says. While Putin was meeting with members of State Duma factions in Yalta on Thursday, he was asked whether Russia may withdraw from the ECHR jurisdiction. “In principle, this is surely […]

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Interfax: Moscow stays committed to INF Treaty despite new security threats – Russian Defense Ministry

Nuclear, Missile Defense
File Photo of Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan at Table Signing Documents

(Interfax – August 14, 2014) Russia remains committed to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), although the situation has changed significantly in the world since this document was signed, and almost 30 countries hold such weapons today, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov has said. “One cannot fail to admit that the military and political situation in Europe and […]

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Interfax: Russian top MP says Ukraine to harm itself with sanctions against Moscow

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian State Duma Building file photo

(Interfax – Moscow, August 13, 2014) By shelling Russian territory, Ukraine would like to provoke a prolonged conflict with it and Russia’s response should be extremely careful, head of the Russian State Duma International Affairs Committee Aleksey Pushkov (One Russia faction) has said. “Our actions must be extremely level-headed. After all this could entail a prolonged conflict and Ukraine will […]

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Interfax: Pushkov not ruling out Russia’s pull-out from INF treaty

Nuclear, Missile Defense
Alexei Pushkov file photo

MOSCOW. Aug 14 (Interfax) – The head of the State Duma International Affairs Committee, Alexei Pushkov, has not ruled out the possibility that Russia could withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. “Russia is not planning a series of denunciations of international agreements but it could exit those which no longer meet its national interests, those such as the […]

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Interfax: Some 82 percent of Russians ready to support Putin in next election – poll

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Speaking At All-Russia Popular Front Gathering

(Interfax – August 13, 2014) The election rating of Vladimir Putin has practically doubled since the beginning of the year and he would have won a convincing victory if the next presidential election were held next Sunday, Levada Center sociologists told Interfax. Some 52 percent of the respondents who intend to cast their ballots mentioned Putin in the first turn […]

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Interfax: Russians certain Putin assisting in peaceful resolution in Ukraine – poll

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

MOSCOW. Aug 13 (Interfax) – A total of 63% of Russian citizens believe that actions and statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the situation in Ukraine assist in the peaceful resolution of the conflict, the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) said citing a poll held. This stance is mostly shared by residents of cities with populations of over […]

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Business New Europe: Sanctions “unbearable” for EU, will be cancelled in 3 months

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Danske Bank – August 13, 2014) We analyse the economic and financial impact of the Ukrainian crisis with a special focus on our footprint Nordic markets. We view the situation in Ukraine as far from de-escalating as fighting continues in Donetsk and Lugansk, which we expect to weigh on market sentiments near term. However, […]

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RIA Novosti: Nazi Symbolism Flourishes in Post-Maidan Ukraine

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Ukraine Map and Flag

[Photos here http://en.ria.ru/world/20140813/191975347/Nazi-Symbolism-Flourishes-in-Post-Maidan-Ukraine.html] MOSCOW, August 13 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian authorities have vehemently denied that Ukraine’s armed forces have slightest correlation with neo-fascists. However, open use of Neo-Nazi symbolism in their crusade against militia forces and civil population of eastern Ukraine explicitly suggests otherwise. The country’s special unit for protection of public order – the Azov Battalion, often referred to […]

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Moscow Times: Russian View: Ukraine Is Safe From a Moscow Invasion

Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexey Eremenko – August 13, 2014) Concerns voiced by Kiev and the West that Moscow’s humanitarian convoy to Ukraine’s battle-scarred east is nothing more than a Trojan Horse are – most likely – unfounded, Russian military analysts said. Pundits told The Moscow Times on Tuesday that the limited scope of a “peacekeeping” operation would be […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2014-#176 table of contents with links :: Wednesday 13 August 2014

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's file photo

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List JRL 2014-#176 :: Wednesday 13 August 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George  Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist  JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support JRL: russialist.org/funding.php  1. Reuters: Ukraine crisis death toll doubles in two weeks to […]

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Fewer Russians Worry About Inflation Despite Predictions of Higher Food Prices

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of U.S. Dairy Cows

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 13, 2014) Fewer Russians are concerned about inflation than they were a month ago, a new poll published Tuesday showed, even as analysts warned recession was inevitable and that a ban on many foreign food items would push up prices for consumers. The state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Center found that between June and […]

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RIA Novosti: No Grounds for Food Price Hikes in Russia – Deputy Prime Minister

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Arkady Dvorkovich file photo

MOSCOW, August 13 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said Wednesday that a possible food shortage and a resulting imbalance in food prices that could occur in the country’s westernmost exclave could easily be compensated by Belarus. “There is a case in particular [of price imbalance] and that’s the Kaliningrad region, which is extremely close to Belarus, […]

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Officials yet to agree upon terms of Russian humanitarian aid convoy

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Concorde Capital – August 13, 2014) The Russian government has agreed upon the route of the humanitarian convoy and hopes that the Ukrainian government will ensure its safety on its controlled territory, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in an Aug. 12 statement. The two governments agreed that the humanitarian aid will be delivered to […]

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Russia Beyond the Headlines: Humanitarian convoy to Ukraine: Trojan horse or genuine aid mission?

Military, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Ilya Slastenov, Nikolai Litovkin, RBTH – August 13, 2014) Moscow’s decision to send an aid convoy to eastern Ukraine has been received with mistrust by the U.S. and a number of European countries. RBTH interviewed a number of Russian experts on how the political scenario in relations between Russia and the West will […]

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People from the Donbass seen from other Ukrainians

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Ukraine Map and Flag

Subject: People from the Donbass seen from other Ukrainians Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 From: Antony Penaud <antonypenaud@yahoo.fr> Below is part of an email from a Ukrainian girl (she is a pretty 30yrs old girl from Zaporizhya and lives in London): “As for Donbass region – if you do some research you might understand a bit more about the population […]

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Ferapontov Monastery

Life in Russia, Culture, Arts, Religion
Ferapontov Monastery file photo, adapted from wikimedia commons image at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ferapontov_Monastery_020509.jpg, posted by Enotovidnii

Subject: Ferapontov Monastery Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 From: William Brumfield <william.brumfield@gmail.com> My current article for Russia beyond the Headlines is devoted to the radiant frescoes created at  in 1502 by the artist Dionisy and his two sons. The monastery and its frescoes are on the UNESCO World Heritage list: rbth.com/travel/2014/08/08/ferapontov_monastery_sublime _beauty_in_the_russian_north_38893.html For best results with the slide show (full […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2014-#175 table of contents with links :: Tuesday 12 August 2014

JRL Tables of Contents, Russian News, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
St. Basil's file photo

… 7. Wall Street Journal: Russian Aid Convoy Leaves for Ukraine. Kiev Had Demanded Aid be Coordinated Through Red Cross.
8. Business New Europe: Russian and Red Cross convoy leaves Moscow for Ukraine, bearing humanitarian aid.
9. Reuters: Kerry says hopeful Russia and Ukraine can work together. …

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In Russia, Iron Curtain Falls Not at the End of the Play But Much Earlier, Moscow Sociologist Says

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Sitting at Desk

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, August 12, 2014) Aleksey Levinson, a Levada Center sociologist, says that iron curtains like the one now being erected around Russia are a political strategy that reflects weakness rather than strength and that its appearance is not the end of the story but somewhere much earlier. In an interview published in this […]

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Russia’s Boom Business: Forced Labor In Prisons

Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Human Rights, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
File Photo of Pussy Riot Members in Courtroom Enclosure, With Man Showing Papers to One While Female Guard Looks On

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Vladimir Abarinov – August 11, 2014) When Nadezhda Tolokonnikova arrived at penal colony IK-14 in August 2012, a deputy warden proudly announced: “As far as my political convictions go, I am a Stalinist.” Tolokonnikova soon learned what that meant in practice. One year into her sentence for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred,” the Pussy Riot activist launched a hunger strike […]

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Hiding dual citizenship now a criminal offense in Russia

Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Population Disaster, Demographics
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Anastasia Vityazeva, special to RBTH – August 12, 2014) New legislation requires Russians with passports of two or more countries to inform the migration service on their own initiative, with those who intentionally conceal dual citizenship being criminally liable. A government representative claims that Russians who are a citizen of more than one […]

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Kremlin Undergoing Major Renovation to Lure Tourists

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – August 12, 2014) The Kremlin’s historic building complex in the heart of Moscow is undergoing a series of changes to make it more accessible to tourists, and the presidential administration’s unused offices may be torn down to restore the world heritage site’s “historic look.” Most of the presidential administration has already been […]

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RIA Novosti: Russia not planning to close air transit route across Siberia – minister

Aviation, Drones
File Photo of Airplane Approaching Runway About to Land

(RIA Novosti – August 11, 2014) Russia is not planning at present to stop western airlines from flying across Siberia, Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov has said. “Do not worry, there is no decision being taken on this just yet,” he replied when asked by journalists, RIA Novosti news agency reported on 11 August. The newspaper Vedomosti reported last week that […]

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One in Ten Russians Want to Leave Their Country

Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Population Disaster, Demographics
Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – August 12, 2014) About one in every 10 Russians wants to emigrate from the country, a recent poll has shown, and while few seem to be actively pursuing their wish, the number is significant because it represents mostly young and educated professionals. Among those who said they wanted to leave Russia, 47 percent were motivated […]

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Interfax: Ukraine military scoring successes near Horlivka – Security and Defense Council

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Ukraine Map and Flag

KYIV. Aug 12 (Interfax) – Ukrainian forces, pushing towards Donetsk, have seized control of a stretch of the motorway between Horlivka and Donetsk, the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman said. “Forces involved in the counterterrorism operation have captured a stretch of the motorway between Horlivka and Donetsk, cutting Horlivka from the main forces,” Andriy Lysenko said at a […]

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BNE: Russian and Red Cross convoy leaves Moscow for Ukraine, bearing humanitarian aid

Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Western CIS/FSU and European Environs

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – August 12, 2014) Russia in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will send a humanitarian convoy to Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said in a telephone conversation with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Monday. An enormous Russian convoy of about 280 trucks carrying humanitarian aid has left Moscow for […]

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