The Dispatch

Russian vote on extending Putin’s rule until 2036 nears end

Russians with children received cash payments on Wednesday on the final day of a vote on constitutional changes that could allow Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036. State…

Read More Here

Russia reports 6,556 new coronavirus cases

Russia on Wednesday reported 6,556 new cases of the novel coronavirus, taking its nationwide tally to 654,405. The country's coronavirus response centre said 216 people had died of the virus…

Read More Here

Russia counts 6,700 new coronavirus cases on eve of referendum seeking extension to Putin’s term in power

Russia added just under 6,700 new coronavirus infections today, meaning the country’s official number of cases has risen to 647,849. The country's one-day increases in new cases have fallen to…

Read More Here

Fivefold growth of forest fires in Siberia

Russia’s forest fire aerial protection service says forest fires in Siberia have grown nearly fivefold over the past week. The fires come amid a notable heat wave in parts of…

Read More Here

Russian state exit polls show 76% have so far voted for reforms that could extend Putin’s rule

Russian state opinion pollster VTsIOM said on Monday that its exit polls showed that 76% of Russians had so far voted to support reforms that could allow President Vladimir Putin…

Read More Here

Russia reports lowest number of coronavirus infections since April 29

Russia on Monday reported 6,719 new cases of the novel coronavirus, the lowest one-day reported increase since April 29, pushing its nationwide tally to 641,156. The national coronavirus taskforce said…

Read More Here

Russia’s daily number of new coronavirus cases falls, death toll tops 9,000

Russia on Sunday reported 6,791 new coronavirus cases, a figure that keeps the daily rise below 7,000 for a third day in a row for the first time since…

Read More Here

Russia denies paying Afghan militants to kill NATO troops

Russia has rejected as "baseless" accusations that it offered Taliban-linked militants rewards to kill US and other NATO troops in Afghanistan. The New York Times and Washington Post cited US…

Read More Here

‘Slight’ radioactivity rise in Nordic countries

Russia's power operator Rosenergoatom has downplayed observations by Nordic nuclear safety agencies of slightly increased levels of radioactive isotopes across parts of Finland, southern Scandinavia and the Arctic in recent…

Read More Here

Photo Story: The ‘Scarlet Sails’ celebration in St. Petersburg

The frigate 'Rossiya' (Russia) with scarlet sails on the Neva River past Lakhta Centre in the background during the festivities marking school graduation in St. Petersburg, Russia. This year the…

Read More Here

Macron confident of progress in key areas with Russia, including Libya

French President Emmanuel Macron is confident of progress in key areas with Russia, notably the crisis in Libya, his office said on Friday after a video conference with Russia leader…

Read More Here

Russia reports lowest daily rise in coronavirus cases since late April

Russia on Friday reported 6,800 new coronavirus cases, the first daily rise below 7,000 since late April, taking its nationwide tally to 620,794. The country's coronavirus response centre said 176…

Read More Here

Russia quits U.N. system aimed at protecting hospitals, aid in Syria

Russia said on Thursday it has quit a voluntary United Nations arrangement that aimed to protect hospitals and humanitarian aid deliveries in Syria from being hit by the warring…

Read More Here

Russia reports more than 7,000 new coronavirus cases

Russia on Thursday confirmed 7,113 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing its tally to 613,994. Officials said 92 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official…

Read More Here

Marathon vote on extending Putin’s rule begins amid coronavirus epidemic

Russians on Thursday will begin casting their ballots in a seven-day vote on sweeping reforms that could clear the way for President Vladimir Putin to stay in the Kremlin until…

Read More Here

Ukraine to open more hospitals to coronavirus cases amid surge

Ukraine is opening more of its hospitals to coronavirus cases as the institutions initially chosen to accept patients no longer have enough beds to cope with a surge in infections,…

Read More Here

Russia holds World War Two victory parade

Russia is celebrating its biggest public holiday, Victory Day, with a military parade in Moscow that was meant to be held on 9 May. Holding the delayed event on 24…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Lavender field in Moldova

A girl walks in a lavender field in Cimisheni village, near Chisinau, Moldova. This field became a popular photo sessions location after Lavender Fest. Via EPA-EFE/DUMITRU DORU

Read More Here

Record high temperatures…in Siberia

Russia recorded an all-time heat record in the least place one would probably expect to find a heatwave: that's above the Artcic Circle in Siberia, as the region continues to…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Russia marks Nazi Germany attack on the Soviet Union

Patriarch Kirill (L) of Moscow and All Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) lay flowers at the sculptural composition 'Mothers of the Winners' during a visit to the Cathedral…

Read More Here

Russia reports 7,600 new coronavirus infections

Russia on Monday reported 7,600 new cases of the coronavirus, pushing its nationwide case total to 592,280, the world's third largest tally. The coronavirus taskforce response said 95 people had…

Read More Here

Russia’s Putin says he may seek another term

Vladimir Putin is considering running for a new term as Russia’s president if voters approve constitutional changes that would enable him to do so, Russian news agencies quoted him as…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Fatal gas blast rattles Kiev

Residents watch the place of a gas explosion in an apartment building in Kiev, Ukraine. The nine-stored residential building in Kyiv has been struck by what appears to be a…

Read More Here

Russia reports fewer than 8,000 new coronavirus cases

Russia reported 7,728 new cases of the novel coronavirus today pushing its nationwide case tally to 584,680 since the crisis began. The national coronavirus response centre said that 109 people…

Read More Here

Putin concerned about arrangements with U.S. amid protests

Russian President Vladimir Putin is concerned about how much he can trust arrangements with U.S. President Donald Trump amid protests in the United States, the Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin…

Read More Here

Photo Story: General rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow

Russian Army Mi-28 Attack Helicopters fly above the Moscow Kremlin during the general rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, 20 June 2020. The military parade marking the…

Read More Here

Russia reports just under 8,000 new coronavirus cases

Russia on Saturday reported 7,889 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing its nationwide case tally to 576,952 since the crisis began. The national coronavirus response centre said 161 people…

Read More Here

Belarus opposition protests end in arrests

Police in Belarus arrested demonstrators and journalists on Friday evening to break up new protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, hours after he blamed foreign plotters for fomenting unrest. For the…

Read More Here

Russia reports nearly 8,000 new coronavirus cases

Russia on Friday reported 7,972 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing its nationwide case tally to 569,063 since the crisis began. The national coronavirus response centre said 181 people…

Read More Here

Russia scrambles jets to escort U.S. bombers over Okhotsk Sea

Russia scrambled fighter jets to intercept two U.S. B-52 bombers flying over the Sea of Okhotsk, off Russia’s far eastern coast, the Interfax news agency cited the Defence Ministry in…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Russian military parade rehearsal in Moscow

A Russian T-14 Armata tank rolls along Tverskaya street prior to a night rehearsal of the Victory military parade in the Red Square, in Moscow, Russia, 17 June 2020. The…

Read More Here

Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev contracts COVID-19 as outbreak worsens in the country

Kazakhstan's influential former president Nursultan Nazarbayev has self-isolated after testing positive for COVID-19, his spokesman Aidos Ukibay wrote on Twitter. "There is no reason for concern," Ukibay wrote, referring to…

Read More Here

Russia’s new coronavirus cases rise at lowest in six weeks, Nearly 500 doctors died from coronavirus

Russia on Thursday reported 7,790 new cases of the novel coronavirus, its lowest daily rise in infections in six weeks, bringing the nationwide total to 561,091. Russia's coronavirus crisis response…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Russian passenger aircraft homage to health workers

A Boeing 737-800 plane of Russian budget carrier Pobeda Airlines displays images of a protective face mask, a heart and the inscription 'Thank you to the heroes in white robes'…

Read More Here

Russia says new coronavirus cases at lowest since April 30

Russia on Wednesday reported 7,843 new cases of the novel coronavirus, its lowest daily caseload registered since April 30, pushing the nationwide total to 553,301. Russia's virus response team said…

Read More Here

Russia to get $10 bln more from oil firms for budget spending in 2020

Russia will collect up to $10 billion more in revenue from oil companies this year because of the way they are taxed, a deputy finance minister told Reuters, money that with…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Consecration of the main army cathedral outside Moscow

A handout photo made available by Russia Orthodox Church Press Service shows Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (L) attends the consecrating the countryÕs new Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces in…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Some coronavirus related restrictions eased in Georgia

People have their temperature checked as they prepare to board a train at a railway station in Tbilisi, Georgia, 15 June 2020. The Georgian government has allowed the reopening of…

Read More Here

Russia’s coronavirus death toll passes 7,000

Russia on Monday reported 8,246 new cases of the coronavirus, taking the nationwide tally of infections to 537,210, the country's coronavirus crisis response centre said. It said 143 people had…

Read More Here

Russia sentences ex-U.S. marine Paul Whelan to 16 years in jail for espionage

A Russian court found ex-U.S. marine Paul Whelan guilty of spying for the United States on Monday and sentenced him to 16 years in jail after a closed trial which…

Read More Here

Turkish-Russian talks on Libya and Syria postponed

Russia and Turkey have postponed ministerial-level talks which were expected to focus on Libya and Syria, where the two countries support opposing sides in long-standing conflicts. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut…

Read More Here

Russia reports 8,835 new coronavirus cases, 119 deaths in last 24 hours

Russia reported 8,835 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, bringing the number of infections nationwide to 528,964. The authorities said 119 people had died from the virus in…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Solitary Bride

A bride poses for photographer on the embankment of the Neva river with the Peter and Paul fortress in the background, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic…

Read More Here

Armenia extends coronavirus state of emergency to July 13

Armenia said on Friday it had extended a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak until July 13 as the number of daily infections continues to rise. Despite the extension…

Read More Here

Russia reports 8,987 new coronavirus infection cases

Russia reported on Friday 8,987 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing its nationwide tally of infections to 511,423. Officials said 183 people had died in the last 24 hours,…

Read More Here

Foreigners allowed into Ukraine to get surrogate-born babies

Authorities have allowed foreign parents into Ukraine to collect babies who were born to surrogate mothers and stranded in the eastern European country due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ukraine’s human…

Read More Here

Russia rolls out first approved COVID-19 drug as infections pass 500,000

Russia on Thursday rolled out a drug approved to treat patients suffering from the novel coronavirus, its state financial backer said, as the number of infections there surpassed half a…

Read More Here

Malta and Russia pledge to improve relations between the countries

Evarist Bartolo, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation pledged to work together to improve relations between the two countries…

Read More Here

Russia’s coronavirus case tally approaches 500,000

Russia on Wednesday reported 8,404 new cases of the coronavirus, taking the nationwide tally of infections to 493,657. The country's coronavirus crisis response centre said 216 people had died from…

Read More Here

U.S. aircraft intercept Russian nuclear-capable bombers near Alaska

U.S. fighter jets intercepted and escorted four Russian nuclear-capable bombers during a routine flight over neutral waters near the United States, the RIA news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the…

Read More Here

Arctic oil spill in Russia pollutes big lake near Norilsk

Diesel oil from a huge spill in Russia's Arctic north has polluted a large freshwater lake and there is a risk it could spread into the Arctic Ocean, a senior…

Read More Here

Putin and Merkel discuss Syria, Libya, Ukraine in phone call

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed Syria's humanitarian aid needs in a telephone call, the Kremlin said in a statement on Tuesday. Putin and Merkel also…

Read More Here

Moscow authorities lift lockdown despite more than 1,000 new cases daily

Residents of Moscow began to resume their normal routines on Tuesday as a lockdown designed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus was lifted after more than two months…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Gradual reopening in Georgia

Information boards displaying currency exchange rates in Tbilisi, Georgia, 08 June 2020. The Georgian government has allowed the reopening of some types of hotels, domestic passenger traffic and exchange offices…

Read More Here

Russia reopens borders for its nationals to work as deaths near 6,000

Russians needing to work, study or care for relatives abroad are to be allowed to resume international travel for the first time since late March, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said…

Read More Here

Russia says it contained huge Arctic oil spill

Russia has managed to contain a massive diesel spill into a river in the Arctic, a spokeswoman for the emergencies ministry was quoted as saying. "We have stopped the spread…

Read More Here

Aftermath of diesel fuel spill in Siberia

A handout photo made available by the press service of the Russian State Space Corporation ROSCOSMOS on 05 June 2020 shows the view from space of the site of the…

Read More Here