The Dispatch

Russian doctors, nurses face more risks as virus cases near 100,000

Reports of infected medical workers are emerging almost daily as Russia copes with the virus. Last week alone, more than 200 doctors in Moscow and St. Petersburg were reported to…

Read More Here

Putin plans extending lockdown by another two weeks

President Vladimir Putin extended coronavirus lockdown measures for another two weeks on Tuesday, while ordering his government to begin preparations for a gradual lifting of the curbs from mid-May. Although…

Read More Here

Russia now has more confirmed coronavirus cases than China

Russia now has more confirmed coronavirus cases than China, the news agency Tass reports. Russia has confirmed 6,198 new coronavirus cases over the past day, bringing the total number in…

Read More Here

Russia at risk of spike in coronavirus cases during May holidays

Russia could experience a spike in cases of the new coronavirus if people flout lockdown measures during public holidays scheduled for early May, a top health official said on Sunday.…

Read More Here

US and Russian President issue rare joint statement

The U.S. and Russian Presidents issued a rare joint statement on Saturday commemorating a 1945 World War Two link-up of U.S. and Soviet troops on their way to defeat Nazi…

Read More Here

Up to one in 10 residents of Moscow maybe infected

Tests in the wider Moscow region to see if people are carrying coronavirus antibodies suggest that as many as one in 10 residents may have been infected, a government project…

Read More Here

Ukraine extends coronavirus quarantine till May 11

Ukraine extended strong quarantine measures till May 11, hoping then to ease restrictions if there is a reduction in coronavirus cases, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on Wednesday. Ukraine…

Read More Here

Cases in Russia fall for the third day

Russia recorded 4,774 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, a fall in the number of daily new cases for the third day running, bringing its nationwide tally to…

Read More Here

Russian pilots intercept US Navy aircraft over Mediterranean

Russian pilots intercepted a US Navy aircraft in an "unsafe and unprofessional manner" on Sunday for the second time within four days, claimed the US Naval Forces Sixth Fleet. A…

Read More Here

Russia reports over 6,000 new cases

Russia has reported 6,060 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, compared to 4,785 on the previous day. So far, 313 people in the country are confirmed to have…

Read More Here

Russia postpones Victory Day military parade over coronavirus

President Vladimir Putin, citing the deepening coronavirus crisis, said Russia would postpone its May 9 celebrations including a huge military parade across Red Square to mark 75 years since…

Read More Here

Coronavirus cases in Russia near 25,000

Russia on Wednesday reported 3,388 new cases of the coronavirus, a record daily rise, bringing its overall nationwide tally to 24,490, the country's coronavirus response center said. It said 198…

Read More Here

Russian investigative journalist insulted by Chechen leader for reporting on strict anti-coronavirus measures

Russian investigative journalist Elena Milashina has come under a scathing attack by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov for reporting on the region’s strict anti-coronavirus measures. In her story, published in the…

Read More Here

Ukraine forest fire reaches Chernobyl site, raising radiation concerns

A substantial forest fire in Ukraine that has been raging for the past eight days has worryingly reached the former nuclear power plant in Chernobyl. Greenpeace Russia warned that the…

Read More Here

Prepare for extraordinary scenarios – Vladimir Putin

The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to exert a heavy toll on the Russian Federation with 2,558 cases reported yesterday, the highest daily figure so far. The country’s tally has now…

Read More Here

Russian coronavirus cases mount

Russia on Monday reported 2,558 new cases of the novel coronavirus, a record daily rise, bringing its overall nationwide tally to 18,328. Russia’s coronavirus crisis response centre said that…

Read More Here

Russia reports 1,667 new coronavirus cases in last day

Russia reported 1,667 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the national tally of confirmed cases to 13,584. The number of coronavirus-related deaths in the country rose by 12 to 106,…

Read More Here

Russia reports record increase in cases

Russia has reported a record one-day rise of 1,459 new cases of Covid-19, bringing its national total to 10,131. The number of reported related deaths also increased by 13 to…

Read More Here

Forest fire at exclusion zone around Chernobyl nuclear power plant

A man holds a dosimeter close to an abandoned house burning in the middle of a forest fire near the village of Volodymyrivka, in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl…

Read More Here

Russia reports over 1,000 new cases

The number of coronavirus cases in Russia rose by more than 1,000 for the second day running, taking the total to 8,672, the crisis response centre said on Wednesday.…

Read More Here

New restrictive measures adopted in the Ukraine

Ukraine's Cabinet provides the new norms of restrictive measures adopted to suppress the spread of COVID-19 acute respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in Ukraine since 06 March. People…

Read More Here

Russia defies calls to halt Victory Day parade rehearsals

Russia is holding rehearsals for its Victory Day parade, scheduled for 9 May despite the coronavirus crisis, as the Kremlin resists cancelling a patriotic holiday with major political significance. The…

Read More Here

Russia’s coronavirus cases increase to almost 1,000 in 24 hours

Russia’s coronavirus case tally has risen to 6,343 in the past 24 hours, a record daily increase of 954, the country’s crisis response centre said on Monday. Cases have been…

Read More Here

Russia sending 11 military planes to Serbia with medical equipment

Russia says it is sending 11 military planes to Serbia carrying medical equipment to help in the fight against COVID-19. The Russian Defense Ministry said the aid commitment to the…

Read More Here

Russia records largest single-day rise in coronavirus cases

Russia posted its largest single-day rise in identified cases of coronavirus as the country has passed tougher measures to enforce shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of the disease. Officials…

Read More Here

Putin takes coronavirus precautions

President Vladimir Putin is taking precautions to protect himself against coronavirus, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, as Moscow authorities launched a smartphone app designed to track people who have…

Read More Here

Russian doctor who met Putin last week diagnosed with coronavirus

A doctor who gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a tour of Moscow’s main coronavirus hospital last week said on Tuesday he had himself been diagnosed with the virus. Putin visited…

Read More Here

Putin sending medical supplies to help U.S. fight coronavirus

Russia is sending the United States medical equipment to help fight the coronavirus outbreak, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. President Vladimir Putin made the…

Read More Here

Belarus president in denial over coronavirus pandemic

Few measures have been enforced to curb coronavirus in Belarus - instead, people are being urged to drink vodka and go to saunas. The country - specifically its president -…

Read More Here

Moscow tightens coronavirus rules

Moscow authorities will on Monday impose tighter restrictions on residents in an attempt to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Muscovites will only be allowed…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Putin hopes Russia will defeat coronavirus in 2 to 3 months

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he hoped Russia would defeat coronavirus in 2 to 3 months if it imposed tough measures, as authorities suspended international flights, ordered most shops…

Read More Here

Russia grounds international flights, Moscow to close all shops

The Russian government has ordered the civil aviation authority to suspend all regular and charter flights to and from Russia from March 27, the government said on its website. Russian…

Read More Here

Russia ramps up measures against coronavirus as cases increase

The number of coronavirus cases in Russia has surged to 658, with new daily cases at a record 163, the government’s official coronavirus website showed on Wednesday. An earlier report…

Read More Here

Tsunami warnings withdrawn after magnitude 7.8 quake off Russia’s Kuril islands

U.S. authorities put out tsunami warnings on Wednesday after an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck off Russia’s Kuril Islands, but meteorological officials in Japan issued no alerts, although they said…

Read More Here

Photo Story: From Russia with love

A handout still image made available 22 March 2020 by the Russian Defense Ministry shows Russian specialists prepare an Ilyushin IL-76 transport aircraft of Russian Defense Ministry for depart to…

Read More Here

Russia’s Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Jump to 438

Russia confirmed 71 new coronavirus infections on Monday, bringing the country’s official number of cases up to 438. Russia’s officially reported numbers — which are still far below those in European…

Read More Here

Russian army to help Italy in war against coronavirus

The Russian military will start sending medical help to Italy from Sunday in order to help it battle the new coronavirus after receiving an order from President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s…

Read More Here

Ukraine announces nationwide quarantine measures

Ukrainians wait at a bus stop in Kiev, Ukraine, 20 March 2020. The limitations with municipal transport are some problems for people, who obligate to reach their job, especially medical…

Read More Here

First coronavirus death reported in Russia

Russia said on Thursday a 79-year-old woman with underlying health issues who tested positive for the new coronavirus had died from pneumonia, the country's first confirmed death resulting from the…

Read More Here

Georgia bans all foreigners from entering country over coronavirus

Georgia on Monday banned all foreigners from entering the country over coronavirus concerns the prime minister’s spokesman, Irakli Chikovani, told a briefing. Georgia has reported 33 confirmed cases of…

Read More Here

Moscow makes school attendance optional

Moscow will make school attendance optional starting on Monday in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus, its mayor said on Saturday. Russia has recorded 45 cases of…

Read More Here

34 cases of coronavirus in Russia

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 4,000 people continues to spread around the world, Russia has stepped up measures to tackle the pandemic, including closing most entry…

Read More Here

Photo Story: The ISS expedition attends final exams at cosmonaut training centre outside Moscow

A member of the International Space Station (ISS) expedition Ivan Vagner attends his final exams at the Russian cosmonaut training center in Star City outside Moscow, Russia, 12 March 2019.…

Read More Here

Ukrainian capital shuts schools, mass events to prevent spread of virus

Ukraine’s capital Kyiv will close schools and universities from March 12 until the end of March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, city mayor Vitali Klitschko announced. He said…

Read More Here

Putin approves changes allowing him to stay in power until 2036

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday opened the door to constitutional changes that would allow him to remain in power until 2036, but said he favored term limits once the…

Read More Here

Erdogan flies to Moscow for Syria ceasefire talks with Putin

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan flew to Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin over a potential ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib, where their militaries are facing off in a…

Read More Here

Putin submits plans to ban same-sex marriages in Russia

Vladimir Putin has submitted a draft amendment to Russia’s constitution that would enshrine marriage as between a man and a woman in a conservative update to the country’s founding document.…

Read More Here

Russia and Turkey Agree to Reduce Tensions in Syria’s Idlib

Russia and Turkey have agreed to reduce tensions on the ground in Syria’s Idlib province while continuing military action there, the Russian foreign ministry said on Saturday following several days…

Read More Here

Ukraine’s prime minister submits resignation . . . again

Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk submitted his resignation for a second time after reports that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy might be gearing up to sack him, the Ukrainian news outlet…

Read More Here

Russia Sends Warships to Syria

Russia on Friday said it was sending two warships armed with cruise missiles to waters off the Syrian coast and blamed Ankara for the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers in…

Read More Here

Boeing lands in Moscow after cracked window emergency

A Boeing-777 passenger plane en route to Bangkok with more than 200 people on board has been forced to fly back to Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport because of a cracked cockpit…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Amusement park Dream Island inaugurated in Russia

An employee polishes a Smurf figure in the Dream Island amusement park ahead of its upcoming inauguration in Moscow, Russia, 27 February 2020. The amusement park is scheduled to open…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Anniversary of killing of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov commemorated

A man lays flowers at the site where Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov died during an event marking the fifth anniversary of his assassination, in Moscow, Russia, 27 February 2020.…

Read More Here

Russia relaxes visa rules for EU citizens

Russia is to relax its draconian visa rules from 2021. The 16-day e-visas will go into effect Jan. 1, 2021, for citizens of the European Union and different countries in…

Read More Here

Ukraine president convenes country’s security council after Russian forces shelling in Donbass region

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will convene a Ukrainian security council meeting on Tuesday after one soldier was killed and four wounded in what Kiev said was heavy shelling by Russian…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Tribute to victims of Ukraine International Airlines crash in Iran

The ceremony of the founding a memorial square to the memory of victims of the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) Flight PS752 that crashed in Iran, at Boryspil International Airport in…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Book dominoes world record attempt in Russia

People install a domino books titled 'Just do it! Do it easy!' by German-Russian businessman Oskar Hartmann prior to attempt to set the book dominoes world record in Moscow, Russia.…

Read More Here