Page 4 - Moscow

Russia and Ukraine exchange hundreds of war prisoners in biggest release

Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in the biggest single release of captives since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian authorities said that 230 Ukrainian prisoners of war returned home in the first exchange in almost five months. Russia's Defence Ministry said that 248 Russian servicemen have been freed under the deal sponsored by the United Arab Emirates. There was no immediate acknowledgment from the UAE, which has maintained close business ties to Moscow throughout Russia's war on Ukraine. Ukraine's Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said it was the 49th prisoner exchange during the war. Some of the Ukrainians had been held since 2022. Among them were some of those who fought in milestone battles for Ukraine's Snake Island and the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Russian officials offered no other details of the exchange. Also Wednesday, Russia said it shot down 12 missiles fired at one of its southern regions borderin

21 killed in Russia's Belgorod following aerial attacks across Ukraine

Shelling in the centre of the Russian border city of Belgorod Saturday killed 21 people, including three children, local officials reported. A further 110 people were wounded in the strike, said regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, making it one of the deadliest attacks on Russian soil since the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine 22 months ago. Russian authorities accused Kyiv of carrying out the attack, which took place the day after an 18-hour aerial bombardment across Ukraine killed at least 41 civilians. Images of Belgorod on social media showed burning cars and plumes of black smoke rising among damaged buildings as air raid sirens sounded. One strike hit close to a public ice rink in the very heart of the city, which lies 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of the Ukrainian border and 415 miles (670 kilometers) south of Moscow. While previous attacks have hit the city, they have rarely taken place in daylight and have claimed fewer lives. Russia's Defence Ministry said it ...

Russian poet receives 7-year prison sentence for reciting anti-war verses

A Russian poet was given a 7-year prison sentence Thursday for reciting verses against Russia's war in Ukraine, a tough punishment that comes during a relentless Kremlin crackdown on dissent. Moscow's Tverskoi District Court convicted Artyom Kamardin on charges of making calls undermining national security and inciting hatred, which related to him reading his anti-war poems during a street performance in downtown Moscow in September 2022. Yegor Shtovba, who participated in the event and recited Kamardin's verses, was sentenced to 5 1/2 years on the same charges. The gathering next to the monument to poet Vladimir Mayakovsky was held days after President Vladimir Putin ordered a mobilization of 300,000 reservists amid Moscow's military setbacks in Ukraine. The widely unpopular move prompted hundreds of thousands to flee Russia to avoid being recruited into the military. Police swiftly dispersed the performance and soon arrested Kamardin and several other participants. Russian media

Jaishankar discusses multilateralism, regional conflicts during Russia trip

Jaishankar arrived in Moscow for a four-day visit to Russia from December 25-29. After he arrived in Moscow, Jaishankar said he looked forward to his engagements in Russia

Jailed Russian opposition leader Navalny located 3 weeks after contact lost

Associates of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said on Monday that he has been located at a prison colony above the Arctic Circle, nearly three weeks after contact with him was lost. Navalny, the most prominent foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism. He had been imprisoned in the Vladimir region of central Russia, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) east of Moscow, but his lawyers said they had not been able to reach him since December 6. His spokesperson Kira Yarmysh said on X, formerly Twitter, that he was located in a prison colony in the town of Kharp, in the Yamalo-Nenetsk region about 1,900 kilometers (1,200 miles) northeast of Moscow.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar arrives in Russia on five-day visit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday arrived in Moscow on a five-day visit to Russia during which he will hold talks with his counterpart and discuss various bilateral and global issues. "Arrived in Moscow. Look forward to my engagements," Jaishankar said in a post on X. During his visit, he will also travel to St. Petersburg. "The time-tested India-Russia partnership has remained stable and resilient and continues to be characterized by the spirit of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in New Delhi on Sunday. The minister will meet Russia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov to discuss matters related to economic engagement. He will also hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov for discussion on bilateral, multilateral and international issues. "Focusing on the strong people-to-people and cultural ties between our two countries, the external affairs minister's

Russian volunteers join Ukrainian ranks to fight against Putin's forces

When Russia's invasion of Ukraine ignited into war, back in Moscow, a young Russian who now goes by the name of Karabas was plunged into despair. Shocked by images of what was happening to Ukrainians in Russian-occupied areas, he decided to act against Russia, his home and country. Karabas said he knew that what he was doing was drastic. He packed his bags and decided to find a way to get to Ukraine to join the ranks of Kyiv's troops fighting Russian forces. It took him almost a year to make it happen. Today, he is part of the Siberian Battalion, a unit made up of Russians who have joined Ukrainian military ranks to fight against their homeland, hoping someday to help oust Russian President Vladimir Putin. Its members hail mostly from ethnic minorities from Russia's far east. I was disillusioned with my own people," recounted Karabas, who like other fighters in the battalion spoke to The Associated Press on condition that only his military call sign be used. "That is why I wanted

Vladimir Putin announces he'll run for 5th Russian presidential term

Vladimir Putin has moved to prolong his repressive and unyielding grip on Russia for another six years. State media say he has announced his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election -- which he is all but certain to win. Putin still commands wide support after nearly a quarter-century in power, despite starting an immensely costly war in Ukraine that has taken thousands of his countrymen's lives, provoked repeated attacks inside Russia - including one on the Kremlin itself - and corroded its aura of invincibility. A short-lived rebellion in June by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin raised widespread speculation that Putin could be losing his grip, but he emerged from it with no permanent scars.

Russia brings new charges against jailed opposition leader Navalny

Imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been handed new charges by Russian prosecutors. The 47-year-old is already serving more than 30 years in prison after being found guilty of crimes including extremism charges that his supporters characterise as politically motivated. In comments passed to his associates, Navalny said he had been charged under article 214 of Russia's penal code, which covers crimes of vandalism. I don't even know whether to describe my latest news as sad, funny or absurd, he wrote in comments on social media Friday via his team. I have no idea what Article 214 is, and there's nowhere to look. You'll know before I do. He said that the charges were part of the Kremlin's desire to initiate a new criminal case against me every three months. Never before has a convict in solitary confinement for more than a year had such a rich social and political life, he joked. Navalny is one of President Vladimir Putin's most ardent opponents, best known for campaignin

Moscow gay bars raided after Russian SC labels LGBTQ+ movement 'extremist'

Russian security forces raided gay clubs and bars across Moscow on Friday night, less than 48 hours after the country's top court banned what it called the global LGBTQ+ movement as an extremist organisation. Police searched venues across the Russian capital, including a nightclub, a male sauna, and a bar that hosted LGBTQ+ parties, under the pretext of a drug raid, local media reported. Eyewitnesses told journalists that clubgoers' documents were checked and photographed by the security services. They also said that managers had been able to warn patrons before police arrived. The raids follow a decision by Russia's Supreme Court to label the country's LGBTQ+ movement as an extremist organisation. The ruling, which was made in response to a lawsuit filed by the Justice Ministry, is the latest step in a decadelong crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights under President Vladimir Putin, who has emphasised traditional family values during his 24 years in power. Activists have noted the lawsuit wa

Ukraine war: Russia rebuts West's human rights violations charge at UN meet

Western countries on Monday repeatedly called on Russia to end domestic repression of dissident voices and end its war in Ukraine and human rights violations related to it as Russia came under a regular review at the UN's top rights body. A delegation from Moscow, led by State Secretary and Deputy Justice Minister Andrei Loginov, defended Russia's right to ensure law and order by restricting some forms of protest or voices that might threaten domestic security. He also said Russia's special military operation in Ukraine had no relation to the subject matter" at issue in the review. Monday's three-and-half-hour hearing in Geneva was part of an exercise known as the universal periodic review, or UPR, which all UN member states face about every four or five years in connection with the UN-backed Human Rights Council. Russia came under widespread international condemnation after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Two separate teams of ...

Kremlin rejects speculation that Putin is ill and uses body doubles

The spokesman laughed in response to a further question about body doubles, and denied that Putin had any

Russia's diesel exports ban risky for Moscow, world alike as winter nears

On the face of it, the ban won't have a big impact on the Western nations that lined up to support Ukraine after Russian troops crossed the border in February 2022

China's foreign minister Wang Yi heads to Moscow after meeting US NSA

China's top foreign policy official is heading to Russia for security talks after two days of meetings with US President Joe Biden's national security adviser over the weekend in Malta. Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who simultaneously holds the ruling Communist Party's top foreign policy post, will be in Russia from Monday to Thursday for a round of China-Russia strategic security consultations, the Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement. The US and China are at odds over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China has refrained from taking sides in the war, saying that while a country's territory must be respected, the West needs to consider Russia's security concerns about NATO expansion. It has accused the US of prolonging the fighting by providing arms to Ukraine, weaponry that the US says is needed to defend against Russian aggression. China and Russia have grown closer in recent years as relations with the West have deteriorated for both. China is looking for support as it seeks to .

Moscow ready to welcome Indian travellers with improved infrastructure

Russia is making an active bid to attract Indian travellers to visit Moscow -- a huge megalopolis and the historical, political and spiritual heart of the Russian Federation. The Moscow City Tourism Committee is promoting the city not only as a cultural capital but also as a business hub as it plans to onboard trade partners, tourists and vacationers. Moscow has also strengthened cooperation with the tourism sectors of allied nations, hosting familiarization tours for delegates and arranging business trips to showcase the city's tourism potential. To accommodate visitors, Moscow is improving its infrastructure: signs are now available in English and Chinese, all announcements on public transport are repeated in English, and hotels are also adapting to cater to the needs of guests from various countries and ensure a comfortable stay. "We are still on our way to restore the flow of Indian tourists in Moscow like it used to be before the pandemic," said Bulat Nurmukhanov, Head of ...

Moscow makes bid to woo tourists, Foreign Tourist Card in the works

To woo tourists from across the world, the Moscow City Tourism Committee is taking several measures and to address payment-related issues the Russian government is planning to come out with a virtual 'Foreign Tourist Card', that will enable cashless payments for various services. During the Covid pandemic the tourist flow to Moscow had dropped significantly. However, the number of Indian tourists visiting Moscow is slowly witnessing an uptrend and with tourist-friendly measures like e-visa this number is likely to grow in the coming months. "We are still on our way to restore the flow of Indian tourists in Moscow like it used to be before the pandemic. Before the pandemic, there was very steady growth like 12-15 per cent on a y-o-y basis," said Bulat Nurmukhanov, Head of International Cooperation Division of Moscow City Tourism Committee. Travelling to Moscow has now become easier as tourists from India and 54 other countries can apply for an electronic visa to enter Russia from ...

Moscow airports suspend flights following latest reported drone strike

A new drone attack on Moscow early Saturday forced a temporary shutdown of all three major airports serving the city, Russian state media reported. Officials blamed Ukraine for what appeared to be the latest of near-daily strikes on the Russian capital and the surrounding region. Kyiv has since early this year sought to take the 18-month-war into the heart of Russia, also saying recently that it was behind strikes on Russian military assets far behind the front lines. Russia's defense ministry and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that a drone was shot down over the Istra district of the Moscow region, some 50 kilometres west of Red Square. Sobyanin said in a Telegram post that there were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage. According to Russia's state Tass agency, the Sheremetevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports all suspended flights for over an hour early on Saturday. Russian Telegram channels on Saturday posted videos, some of them apparently from home security ...

Moscow demands bigger discounts from foreign companies exiting Russia

Companies still in the process of negotiating exits include telecoms group Veon, Nasdaq-listed tech group Yandex and Italian lender Intesa.

Moscow court extends arrest of jailed WSJ reporter Gershkovich: Report

The arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges has been extended to November 30, Russian state news agency Tass said. Gershkovich arrived at the Moscow court Thursday in a white prison van and was led out handcuffed, wearing jeans, sneakers and a shirt. Journalists outside the court were not allowed to witness the proceedings. Tass said they were held behind closed doors because details of the criminal case are classified. The prosecution had asked to extend his arrest from August 30. He has appealed against the extensions to his detention. A 31-year-old US citizen, Gershkovich was arrested Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip in late March. Russia's Federal Security Service said Gershkovich, acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. Gershkovich and his employer deny the allegations, and the US ...

Plane crashes near Moscow, mercenary chief Prigozhin on passenger list

Earlier TASS had reported that ten people had died after a private jet crashed in Russia's Tver region north of Moscow. The jet, en route from Moscow to St Petersburg, was carrying seven passengers an