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TAMPING DOWN TENSIONS

Ukraine Leader Urges West Not to Stir 'Panic' Over Russia Tensions

Volodymyr Zelenskiy pointed to the need to "stabilise" Ukraine's already battered economy.

Russia Sees Record Population Decline As Excess Deaths Hit 1M

Russia experienced its largest population decline in 2021 since the end of the Soviet Union.

fundamental concerns

Putin Says U.S. Ignored Russia’s Demands – Kremlin

The Russian leader hasn't commented publicly on the Ukraine crisis in over a month.

russia's response

LIVE | Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Jan. 28

Omicron surge. Vaccination push. New restrictions.

more news

11,502,657 Total Confirmed Cases

1,014,017 Total Active Cases

98,040 Today's Cases

10,159,197 Total Recovered

2,300 Total Critical

673 Today's Deaths

329,443 Total Deaths

78,768 Cases per Million

2,256 Deaths per Million

API: Open Disease Data API

Russia Not to Blame if War Breaks Out, Lavrov Says

"We don’t want a war. But we won’t allow [the West] to rudely ignore and trample on our interests," the Russian foreign minister said.

'DEFEND OUR LAND'

Belarus Strongman Says Will Go to War if Russia Attacked

Belarus and Russia are set to hold military drills that will focus on a scenario in which Belarus is forced to resist an attack from the West.

from the headlines

What Are Russian State Media Saying About Ukraine?

Negotiations and a Ukrainian "attack" on Donetsk.

hollywood lawsuit

Georgian Chess Champion’s ‘Queen’s Gambit’ Lawsuit Against Netflix Upheld in Court

Nona Gaprindashvili filed the $5 million defamation lawsuit against the streaming giant in September 2021.

Call it a comeback

Russian Markets Rebound Despite U.S. Rejection of Moscow’s Demands

Russia's stock market and the ruble jumped in trading Thursday after weeks of heavy losses.

Combatting the contagion

Russia Fights Coronavirus

Russia Sees Record Population Decline As Excess Deaths Hit 1M

Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Jan. 28

Russia Halts Orders for Second Covid Vaccine – Vedomosti

Russia Reports Record Covid-19 Cases as Omicron Gains Momentum

opinion Igor Ivanov

Is War Inevitable?

opinion Michele A. Berdy

Getting a Bright Idea in Russian

opinion Maxim Trudolyubov

A War That Is Both Impossible and Imminent

opinion Andrei Kortunov

Is There a Way Out of the Russia-NATO Talks Impasse?

opinion Mark Galeotti

London’s Ukraine Coup Claims Strain Both Belief and Consensus

opinion Michele A. Berdy

A Russian Fig is Not a Fig

more opinion

prehistoric party

Bronze Age Tubes Found in Russia May Be Earliest Beer-Drinking Straws – Researchers

Moscow Zoo Welcomes Baby Yak

curb your enthusiasm

No Laughing at Weddings, Russian Region Says

four-legged firefighter

Stray Cat Joins Russian Fire Department

More meanwhile in russia

increasing debts

Russian Banks Post Record Profits in 2021

A post-pandemic borrowing binge by Russian companies and households has unsettled the Central Bank.

Call it a comeback

Russian Markets Rebound Despite U.S. Rejection of Moscow’s Demands

Russia's stock market and the ruble jumped in trading Thursday after weeks of heavy losses.

Business cooperation

Putin Hails Economic Relationship with Italy in Controversial CEO Meeting

The Russian leader spoke to leading Italian executives despite ratcheting tensions with Europe over Ukraine.

SHRINKING FORTUNES

Russian Billionaires Lost $28Bln in Market Sell-Off

Russian assets have been under heavy pressure amid the ongoing standoff over Ukraine.

read more

hollywood lawsuit

Georgian Chess Champion’s ‘Queen’s Gambit’ Lawsuit Against Netflix Upheld in Court

Nona Gaprindashvili filed the $5 million defamation lawsuit against the streaming giant in September 2021.

What's On in Moscow Jan. 28-30

A new museum, Vivaldi in a mansion, a pub crawl and more await this weekend in the Russian capital.

'Totally unbelievable'

Thriller-Documentary 'Navalny' Opens Online at Sundance

Fast-paced drama chronicles Alexei Navalny's investigation into the men behind the 2020 Novichok poisoning attack that almost killed him.

Pushkin House Gets Ready for Its 10th Anniversary Book Prize

The Pushkin House Book Prize showcases the best non-fiction about and from Russian.

fashion forward

St. Petersburg Fashion Concierge Makes Dreams Come True

Need a new image? Need a wardrobe overhaul? Or do you just love haute couture? We've got the fashion guide for you.

More Arts and Life

hi-tech agriculture

In the World’s Biggest Country, Vertical Farming Gains Ground

Despite Russia’s status as an agricultural superpower, hi-tech, intensive, indoor farming is gaining a foothold.

Major Disaster Averted in Icy Kara Sea After Two Oil Barges Ran Aground

Russia’s Marine Rescue Service have described an unprecedented salvage operation as "extremely difficult" after two oil barges ran aground in the Kara...

SLOWLY DISAPPEARING

As Caucasian Glaciers Melt, Locals Face the Future With Stoicism

Caucasian glaciers have lost a quarter of their surface area to climate change since the millennium.

Russia’s Climate Epiphany May Be Greenwashing

Russia’s about-face toward climate change in 2021 may be little more than window dressing to protect its industrial giants, experts fear.

read more

opinion Dmitry Trenin

What a Week of Talks Between Russia and the West Revealed

If Russia cannot achieve its strategic goals by diplomatic means, it will resort to other methods.

opinion Alexander Gabuev

Turmoil in Kazakhstan Heralds the End of the Nazarbayev Era

The protests in Kazakhstan have shown that the current model of governance has angered millions of people who missed out when the resources pie was shared...

2022 Look Ahead

Foreign Policy Experts Map Russia's Plans for 2022

The Moscow Times asked 10 commentators for their predictions for the coming year.

opinion Mark Kramer

The Derailment of Memorial’s Goals – for Now

Putin’s efforts to curtail scrutiny of the Stalin era may succeed in the short term, but Memorial's work can't be erased from the historical record.