Prosecutors ordered the National Security Committee to conduct an internal investigation into the videos, said Nurdaulet Suindykov, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office.

A recent survey reveals that Russia ranks 24th in terms of quality of life for foreigners among the 26 countries surveyed, but it places fourth in terms of making new friends, especially among locals.

Women frequently face domestic violence and sexual abuse in Russia, but the problem is widely ignored in society, experts say.

The sharp-tongued columnist called for her readers to protest about how many hours of their lives are stolen by waiting for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s motorcade to zoom along Kutuzovsky Prospekt.

A senior United Russia deputy suggests disbanding the Interior Ministry.

There are indeed some misunderstandings in the West about what modern Russia is today, said Stephen Weber, a professor of management at Skolkovo School of Management.

A native of the Kharkiv region, which borders Russia, was shot dead by a patrolmen in the early hours of Thursday morning as he tried to race across the border in a car with a trailer attached, Interfax reported.

Babayev’s lawyer, Jacques Barillon, said no race had taken place and that coverage of the accident had become “complete madness.”

Alexei Dymovsky garnered well above a million clicks for his videos on YouTube alone, prompting even pro-Kremlin politicians like State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov to demand an inquiry into his claims.

Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze's visit to Paris coincides with the public display in St. Petersburg of the Mistral amphibious assault vessel, which has worried the country's neighbors who fear Russia may use such ships to bully them.