Support The Moscow Times!
Contribute today

Russia Extends Arrest of U.S. Journalist Gershkovich By 3 Months

espionage case The hearing was held behind closed doors.  
2 Min read

Russia Says Air Force, Artillery Wipe Out Border Attackers

The announcement represents an unprecedented use of force domestically since the military campaign in Ukraine began last year.
3 Min read

Activists Map Deported Ukrainian Children in Russia

“The more transparent the situation with the children, their location and conditions for their return, the sooner they will return home.”
2 Min read
live

Ukraine War: Russia's Belgorod Region Lifts 'Counterterrorism' Regime Following Border Incursion

Two injured in missile strike in eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiika
Hungary's Viktor Orban calls on Washington to end conflict in Ukraine
Russia claims to have beaten back incursion in the Belgorod region
caught off guard

How Are Pro-Kremlin Figures Responding to the Belgorod Incursion?

The lack of unified response signals that the attack caught both Russian officials and propagandists off guard, analysts said.
3 Min read
wartime primaries

Pro-Putin Party Fields 100 Ukraine War Participants for Office

Fifty-one of United Russia's primary candidates have directly taken part in fighting, with many currently on the battlefield.
1 Min read
strategic partnership

Russian PM in China for Talks With Xi, Business Forum

The two countries are set to ink a series of trade deals during the Russian delegation's visit.
3 Min read
Travel restrictions

Russian Lawmakers Greenlight Expansions for Border Guards to Seize Passports

If signed into law, border officials will be able to confiscate the passports of those restricted from leaving the country.
1 Min read
multi-layered defense

‘Dragon’s Teeth,’ Hedgehogs and Minefields: How Russia Is Preparing to Defend Occupied Ukrainian Areas

Analysts warn that the effectiveness of these defenses will largely depend on Russian troops' ability to repel the Ukrainian armed forces' assault.
3 Min read
level of risk

Explainer: How Dangerous Are Power Cuts at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant?

Experts warn that such power cuts, which have become more frequent due to shelling, elevate the level of risk at the plant.
3 Min read

TMT Weekly Newsletter

Our editors take you through the biggest Russia stories as featured in The Moscow Times. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

Editor's Pick

opinion

Opposition Activist Mikhail Krieger's Final Statement to Russian Court

"This war is, in my view, the rare conflict in which the truth is one hundred percent on one side. And that is the Ukrainian side."
7 Min read

Editor's Pick

News Analysis

Lifting of Russia Flight, Visa Restrictions Deepens Georgia’s Geopolitical Dilemma

Analysts say Russia may be seeking to further drive a wedge between Georgia and the West — putting Tbilisi’s delicate balancing act to the test.
5 Min read

Editor's Pick

News Analysis

Attacks on Russian Oil Facilities Deal a Military, Psychological Blow to Moscow

Drone strikes create logistical problems for the Russian military and puncture a sense of security felt by Russians far from the frontlines.
4 Min read

Editor's Pick

In depth

Russian Confectioner Fined for Anti-War Cakes Vows to Keep Baking

If convicted a second time under draconian wartime censorship laws, Anastasia Chernysheva could be sent to prison for up to seven years.
3 Min read

Editor's Pick

In depth

Tension and Worry as Russia’s Kursk Marks Downbeat Victory Day

Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, was one of 10 Russian regions to cancel traditional May 9 military parades. 
4 Min read

Editor's Pick

opinion

Ukraine’s Fate Rests on Its Imminent Counteroffensive

At stake for Ukraine in its looming counteroffensive is nothing less than its national survival.
4 Min read

Editor's Pick

In depth

The Torture of Isolation: Inside the Russian Prison Housing U.S. Journalist Evan Gershkovich

Its impenetrable walls once muffled the cries of Soviet-era political prisoners tortured and executed by security officers during Stalin’s purges. 
5 Min read

opinion
Arshak Makichyan

I Called for Greenpeace to Close in Russia. Putin Did It For Them.

4 Min read

Opposition Activist Mikhail Krieger's Final Statement to Russian Court

7 Min read
Galiya Ibragimova

How Russia Torpedoed Its Own Influence in Moldova

6 Min read
Alexandra Prokopenko

How Sanctions Have Changed Russian Economic Policy

5 Min read
Andrey Pertsev

For Ambitious Russian Officials, the War Has Failed to Become a Career Elevator

4 Min read
Jade McGlynn

The Great Patriotic Special Military Operation

4 Min read
more opinion

Photos and Videos

TMT Lecture Series

Inside Putin’s Propaganda Mirror Chamber: How Has Russia Lost the Free Press? – Mikhail Fishman

domestic defense

In Photos: Russia's Military Recruitment Efforts for Home and the Frontlines

Deadly Blazes

In Photos: Russia's Western Siberian, Urals Regions Gripped by Wildfires

Historical Celebration

In Photos: Moscow Celebrates Victory Day with Slimmed-Down Military Parade

In depth
historical parallel

Russia’s Arrest of Evan Gershkovich Echoes Soviet Spy Scandal

Nicholas Daniloff was working as a journalist in the Soviet Union when he was detained in 1986 and accused of espionage.
4 Min read
conservative mores

Hush Descends on St. Petersburg Party Zone as Nightclubs Shuttered

The venues likely fell victim to Russia’s encroaching conservatism and the state’s eagerness to take a greater role in day-to-day life. 
4 Min read
risky sweets

Russian Confectioner Fined for Anti-War Cakes Vows to Keep Baking

If convicted a second time under draconian wartime censorship laws, Anastasia Chernysheva could be sent to prison for up to seven years.
3 Min read
unusual anniversary

Tension and Worry as Russia’s Kursk Marks Downbeat Victory Day

Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, was one of 10 Russian regions to cancel traditional May 9 military parades. 
4 Min read
security concerns

Russia Set for Muted Victory Day as Ukrainian Counteroffensive Looms

This year’s events will be marked by cancellations, enhanced security and little interest in attending from foreign leaders. 
5 Min read
More in depth

Business
strategic partnership

Russian PM in China for Talks With Xi, Business Forum

The two countries are set to ink a series of trade deals during the Russian delegation's visit.
3 Min read
'consortium of billionaires'

Putin Signs Off on Sanctioned Tycoons’ Shared Yandex Stake – Reports

Russia’s richest man Vladimir Potanin, oil tycoon Vagit Alekperov, steel magnate Alexei Mordashov and VTB Bank will take on the majority stake.
2 Min read
supply chain blockage

Russian Economy Pressured as Hundreds More Added to U.S. Blacklist

The new sanctions took particular aim at the firms and research institutes involved in Moscow's investments into future energy production.
2 Min read
More business

arts and life
Long Read

Serhii Plokhy Chronicles the Russo-Ukrainian War

"The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History" is essential reading to understand the origins of the war.
6 Min read
weekend kitchen

The Trick With Trout? Hold the Sauce

A delicious way to prepare the delicious Gatchina trout.
6 Min read
In depth

Hush Descends on St. Petersburg Party Zone as Nightclubs Shuttered

The venues likely fell victim to Russia’s encroaching conservatism and the state’s eagerness to take a greater role in day-to-day life. 
4 Min read
conservative tilt

Russia Halts Release of Iranian Film on Prostitution – Distributor

Authorities said "Holy Spider," an award-winning film about a serial killer who targets sex workers in Iran, contained materials prohibited by Russian...
1 Min read
More Arts and Life

the new diaspora
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Stop Victim-Blaming Russian Refugees

Telling Russian refugees they are not victims is like telling a woman who has been beaten up by her husband: “It’s OK, he didn’t kill you.”
4 Min read
'foreign agent' law

While Some Russian Exiles Join Georgia Protests, Others Keep Away

When thousands of Georgians protested this week, some Russian exiles joined rallies that would have been unthinkable in their homeland.
3 Min read
opinion Michele A. Berdy

A Family History of Not Looking Back

Reflecting on the year since I left Russia — and a century since my grandparents emigrated from the Russian Empire.
7 Min read
emigration challenges

To Reach Russian Audiences, Emigre Activists and Media Forced to Innovate

Exiled Russian activists are working hard to remain one step ahead of the Kremlin and relevant to their audiences.
4 Min read
More the new diaspora