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Russian Border Region Says Ukrainian 'Sabotage' Unit Carried Out Incursion

over the border Local authorities have introduced a “counterterrorism regime” throughout the entire region.  
4 Min read

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

Belarus 'Pardons' Dissident Blogger Protasevich

Roman Protasevich had been seized from an inter-EU flight when Belarusian authorities forced his flight to make an emergency landing in Minsk.
1 Min read
live

Ukraine War: Belgorod Governor Claims Ukrainian 'Sabotage' Group Crosses into Russia

Russian attack on eastern Ukraine's Kupiansk injures two
Two people seriously injured by shelling in Russia's western Belgorod region
Wagner Group forces depleted after taking Bakhmut
'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
'we're all held hostage'

Senior Russian Official Dies After Privately Bemoaning ‘Fascist’ Invasion

A journalist recalled hearing Deputy Science and Higher Education Minister Pyotr Kucherenko criticizing the invasion of Ukraine months earlier.
2 Min read
polluting fuel

Russia Increases Seaborne Coal Exports in 2023 – Kommersant

Russia shipped 69.9 million metric tons of coal from ports in January-April, or 18.3% more than the same period last year.
1 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
conflicting claims

Ukraine Denies Fall of Bakhmut, Says Advancing in Suburbs

Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar said Ukrainian troops "have semi-encircled the city."
3 Min read
opinion Arshak Makichyan

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

"Green peace" is impossible during a war.
4 Min read

TMT Weekly Newsletter

Our editors take you through the biggest Russia stories as featured in The Moscow Times. Preview
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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
'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
off the shelves

Famed Armenian Cognac Brand Halts Exports to Russia

The Russian market accounts for about 80% of all Ararat exports.
1 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