Support The Moscow Times!

News From Russia: What You Missed Over the Weekend

Kirill Kukhmar / TASS

Shuttered Moscow

Moscow traffic police have been deployed at all city entry points to control movement and ask drivers why they’re entering the Russian capital during its coronavirus lockdown, according to state media. 


										 					Andrei Nikerichev / Moskva News Agency
Andrei Nikerichev / Moskva News Agency

Vehicles with license plates from outside Moscow are turned away at the Moscow Ring Road, a motorway known as MKAD that forms the de facto border around the city, other outlets noted.

Moscow introduced a system of digital passes for movement around the city starting this week.

‘Historic’ cut

President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the new OPEC+ oil deal Sunday which agreed a historic cut in oil production to boost plummeting prices.

The two leaders agreed on the "great importance of an agreement in the 'OPEC+' format during a phone conversation, said a statement from the Kremlin. Putin, Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman also held a joint phone call, the statement added.

Prison riot

An inmate was found dead Saturday after a riot and a blaze swept through a Russian prison under a coronavirus lockdown in eastern Siberia, authorities said.


										 					vafian.ru / Instagram
vafian.ru / Instagram

Trouble erupted at penal colony No. 15 in Angarsk on Thursday with authorities blaming prisoners, while human rights activists said inmates self-harmed en masse to protest systematic mistreatment.

On Friday, the colony’s work yard was engulfed in flames as riot police cordoned off roads leading to the prison, turning away independent observers. The fire was extinguished by Saturday morning.

Space wars

The head of Russia's space agency accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of predatory pricing for space launches, which is pushing Russia to cut its own prices.

Dmitry Rogozin said the Roscosmos space agency "is working to lower prices by more than 30% on launch services to increase our share on the international markets." The market price of a SpaceX launch is $60 million, but NASA pays up to four times that amount, he said.

Holy Week

The Russian Orthodox Church has urged worshippers to stay home in the wake of climbing coronavirus cases and ordered Moscow’s churches to restrict visits during the Holy Week of April 13-19.

This Orthodox Palm Sunday, footage across Russia showed worshippers congregating in churches. 

Includes reporting from AFP.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more