Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Further Reading

• Orban Aide Says Hungary Won't Use Russia's Sputnik-V Vaccine RFE/RL 31 Dec 2020 -- A senior aide to Prime Minister Viktor Orban says Hungary won't use Russia's Sputnik-V vaccine despite bilateral cooperation on Russian testing of the controversial serum against COVID-19.
• Russia's RDIF Continues to Work With Hungary on Approval of Coronavirus Vaccine Sputnik V Sputnik 31 Dec 2020 -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) told Sputnik on Thursday it continued to work with Hungarian regulators on the approval of coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, and is ready to supply the vaccine in the required amount in January-March 2021.
• Azerbaijan Kicks Off Gas Exports To Russia-Dominated European Market RFE/RL 31 Dec 2020 -- Azerbaijan has started commercial natural-gas supplies to the European Union via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), as the region seeks to diversify energy supplies away from Russia.
• China, Russia military to maintain relationship cooperation PLA Daily 31 Dec 2020 -- China and Russia will maintain close communication, enhance pragmatic cooperation, promote military-to-military relations to new heights, and contribute more to world peace and stability in the new year, the Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday.
• Russia warns against escalation of tensions in Libya Press TV 31 Dec 2020 -- Russia has warned against the resumption of hostilities in conflict-ridden Libya, after rebel commander Khalifa Haftar called for the continuation of fighting, which has been halted thanks to a United Nations (UN)-brokered truce.
• The Week In Russia: New Year, New Era, New Exile? RFE/RL 31 Dec 2020 -- In the Soviet era, and particularly during dictator Josef Stalin's purges, one of the many fears was of a knock on the door when no guests were expected. Night or day, it could mean that agents of the state had come for you -- and that you could be arrested, condemned in a cursory trial, and sent to the gulag.
• Putin Says Goodbye To 2020, Which 'Carried The Burden Of Several Years' RFE/RL 31 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said goodbye to 2020, which he said "carried the burden of several years."
• Russia confirms 27,002 new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 30 Dec 2020 -- Russia registered 27,002 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, the country's COVID-19 response center said Tuesday.
• Putin Signs Amendments To 'Foreign Agents' Law That Critics Say Undermine Democracy RFE/RL 30 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a raft of legislation that human rights watchdogs and opposition politicians have said will undermine democratic processes.
• 'They Want To Shut Me Up': Russian Artist Vows To Fight 'Foreign Agent' Label RFE/RL 30 Dec 2020 -- Daria Apakhonchich is a former Red Cross volunteer. She has given Russian lessons to migrant and refugee women. And she has used her position as a performance artist to organize events to protect the environment, defend feminist causes, and protest Russian military adventurism.
• Moscow extends blacklist of UK officials banned from Russia Press TV 30 Dec 2020 -- Russia has imposed sanctions against a number of UK officials in response to recent restrictive measures taken by the British government against Russian citizens over the case of opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
• Russia Bars More British Officials From Entry Over Navalny Sanctions RFE/RL 30 Dec 2020 -- Russia says it has expanded its list of British citizens barred from entering the country in response to London's "unconstructive and unfriendly" decision to sanction Russian officials over the poisoning of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny.
• Moscow Extends Blacklist of UK Citizens Denied Entry to Russia as Tit-for-Tat for Navalny Sanctions Sputnik 30 Dec 2020 -- Britain's Ambassador to Russia Deborah Bronnert arrived earlier in the day at Russia's Foreign Ministry to hear an announcement on Moscow's response to the UK sanctions.
• Hospital Scandal Highlights Health Woes In Russia's Remote Kamchatka Region RFE/RL 30 Dec 2020 -- Back in 2012, Valery Karpenko had good news for the more than 300,000 residents of Kamchatka, one of Russia's remotest regions, famous for its pristine nature, active volcanoes, and poor government services, including health care.
• Russian Foreign Minister and His Libyan GNA Counterpart Hold Joint Press Conference Sputnik 30 Dec 2020 -- The day before, the Russian foreign minister held talks with his Turkish counterpart, during which the two sides agreed to continue facilitating normalisation of the situation in Libya in every possible way.
• Venezuela's Maduro Expresses Gratitude to Russian President After Sputnik V Deal Reached Sputnik 29 Dec 2020 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expressed his gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin after Moscow and Caracas came to a purchase agreement for 10 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19.
• Belarus Starts Vaccinating Citizens Against COVID-19 With Russia's Sputnik V, RDIF Says Sputnik 29 Dec 2020 -- Belarus has become the first country in the world, apart from Russia, to start vaccinating its population against COVID-19 with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Tuesday.
• Moscow Extends School Holidays To Limit Spread Of Coronavirus RFE/RL 29 Dec 2020 -- Moscow authorities say they will extend the winter school holidays by one week until January 17 to limit the spread of the coronavirus and avoid new restrictions.
• Deliveries of Russian Vaccine Sputnik V to US, EU Will Be Limited Due to Politics, RDIF Head Says Sputnik 29 Dec 2020 -- The supply of Russian vaccine Sputnik V to the United States and Europe will be limited due to geopolitics, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev said on Tuesday.
• Production of COVID-19 Vaccines in Russia Exceeds Planned Volumes, Public Health Chief Says Sputnik 29 Dec 2020 -- The production of vaccines against the coronavirus in Russia exceeds the planned volumes, Anna Popova, the head of Russia's public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said on Tuesday.
• Russia's FSB, US Justice Dept. Conduct Joint Operation to Prevent Cocaine Smuggling Sputnik 29 Dec 2020 -- Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced it had conducted a joint operation with the US Department of Justice to prevent cocaine smuggling from South America to Europe; it had seized 330 kilograms (727 pounds) of cocaine, mostly in the Moscow region.
• Russia, U.S. Collaboration Cracks Drug Network In Rare Show Of Cooperation RFE/RL 29 Dec 2020 -- Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) says it has cut off an international drug-smuggling network through a collaboration with the United States, culminating in the seizure of about 1 billion rubles ($13.6 million) worth of cocaine.
• Russia Sentences Fugitive Kazakh Banker Ablyazov In Absentia To 15 Years RFE/RL 29 Dec 2020 -- A Russian court has sentenced Mukhtar Ablyazov, the fugitive former head of Kazakhstan's BTA Bank and an opposition politician, to 15 years in prison in absentia on embezzlement charges he has denied.
• Russia observes international law, regional security in defense cooperation with Iran: FM Lavrov Press TV 29 Dec 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has defended his country's defense ties with Iran, saying Moscow respects international law and gives priority to regional peace in its military cooperation with Tehran.
• Lavrov: Extended New START Will Help Int'l Security Unless Biden Makes Deal Hostage to US Ambitions Sputnik 29 Dec 2020 -- The extension of the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty for a maximum possible period serves the interests of both Russia, the United States and the global community, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Sputnik.
• Russia blacklists Germany's top security, intelligence officials Press TV 29 Dec 2020 -- Russia has blacklisted Germany's top security and intelligence officials and barred them from entering the country in response to recent restrictive measures imposed by the European Union (EU) over an alleged cyber attack and the purported poisoning of a Russian opposition figure.
• Russia Blacklists Germany's Top Security, Intelligence Officials Over Bundestag "Hacking" Sanctions Sputnik 29 Dec 2020 -- The officials' entry ban was introduced in relation to Germany's claims of "Russian trace" in the cyberattack on the German federal parliament in 2015.
• Russia Adds German Officials Barred From Entry In Tit-For-Tat Over 2015 Cyberattack RFE/RL 29 Dec 2020 -- Moscow says it has added several senior German security officials to its list of those barred from the country in response to the European Union's decision to place travel bans on Russian officials over a 2015 hacking attack on the German parliament.
• Former Russian Energy Executive Given 15 Years On 'Absurd' Spying Charge RFE/RL 29 Dec 2020 -- The Moscow City Court has found Karina Tsurkan, an executive with energy holding company Inter RAO, guilty on charges of spying for Moldova, which she denies, and sentenced her to 15 years in prison.
• Russian prison service asks opp. figure Navalny to return to avoid jail Press TV 29 Dec 2020 -- Russia's prison service has called on opposition figure Alexei Navalny to return from Germany and abide by the terms of a suspended prison sentence he received five years ago or face its transformation to a real jail term.
• Poisoned Kremlin Critic Navalny Told To Return To Russia Or Face Jail RFE/RL 29 Dec 2020 -- Russia's Federal Prison Service has told Kremlin critic and anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny to return immediately from Germany - where he is recovering from a near-fatal poisoning by a Soviet-era nerve agent - or face jail in Russia.
• Russia Launches Criminal Case Against Kremlin Critic Navalny RFE/RL 29 Dec 2020 -- Russia's Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case against Aleksei Navalny, accusing the Kremlin critic of stealing hundreds of millions of rubles donated to his anti-corruption organization.
• 'A Postimperial Transformation': With Its Neighborhood In Turmoil, Russia Reassesses The Costs Of Hegemony RFE/RL 29 Dec 2020 -- A season of upheaval in the post-Soviet space may have the Kremlin hoping for a calmer 2021 – and rethinking ways to maintain its clout with limited resources.
• Kremlin Refutes Claims About Putin's Potential Successors as Unsubstantiated Sputnik 29 Dec 2020 -- Politicians' reflections about a successor for Russian President Vladimir Putin are most often absolutely unsubstantiated, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
• Russian Coronavirus Fatalities Much Higher Than Initially Reported RFE/RL 28 Dec 2020 -- Russia has confirmed that it has been underreporting its coronavirus death toll, announcing that the actual number of fatalities related to the pandemic is more than three times higher than previously released figures.
• Individuals Named To Russia's 'Foreign-Agent' Registry For First Time RFE/RL 28 Dec 2020 -- Russia has for the first time branded individuals as "foreign agents," including three who contribute to RFE/RL.
• Russia Orders Bulgarian Diplomat To Leave In Tit-For-Tat Move RFE/RL 28 Dec 2020 -- Russia says it has given a Bulgarian diplomat 72 hours to leave the country following the expulsion of its military attache in Sofia.
• NATO Says 90 Percent Of Air Intercepts In 2020 Involved Russian Planes RFE/RL 28 Dec 2020 -- NATO says it scrambled its air forces across Europe more than 400 times this year to intercept unknown aircraft -- mainly from Russia -- approaching the alliance's airspace.
• NATO intercepts hundreds of Russian military jets in 2020 NATO 28 Dec 2020 -- NATO air forces across Europe scrambled more than 400 times in 2020 to intercept unknown aircraft approaching Alliance airspace. Almost 90 percent of these missions - around 350 - were in response to flights by Russian military aircraft. This is a moderate increase from 2019. Russian military aircraft often do not transmit a transponder code indicating their position and altitude, do not file a flight plan, or do not communicate with air traffic controllers, posing a potential risk to civilian airliners.
• Zambia Considering Russian Proposal to Use Its COVID-19 Vaccine, Envoy Says Sputnik 28 Dec 2020 -- Zambia is currently considering the proposal by Russia for the use of its domestically produced Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19, Russian Ambassador to Zambia Alexander Boldyrev told Sputnik.
• Russia expands military reinforcements in Syria's flashpoint north Press TV 28 Dec 2020 -- Russia says it has sent reinforcements to an area in northern Syria where militants supported by the Turkish government and Kurdish fighters patronized by Washington have been engaged in clashes in the vicinity of a strategic highway.
• Russia Declares Bulgarian Diplomat Persona Non Grata in Response to Expulsion of Envoy From Sofia Sputnik 28 Dec 2020 -- Bulgaria declared a Russian attache at the embassy in Sofia persona non grata earlier this month on suspicion he had been gathering military information. Moscow stated it retained the right to retaliate.
• Russia vows retaliatory moves if US deploys missiles in Europe Press TV 28 Dec 2020 -- Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin has criticized US refusal to extend the New START arms control treaty as well as its plans to deploy missiles in Europe, vowing to take "proportionate retaliatory measures."
• Doping Whistle-Blowers Have No Plans To Return To Russia RFE/RL 28 Dec 2020 -- The Russian couple who played a major role in exposing the nation's sports doping scandal said in an interview published on December 27 that they no longer consider Russia their home and have no plans to return to the country.
• NATO Sabre-Rattling Near Russian Borders Runs Risk of 'Serious Incidents,' Defence Ministry Warns Sputnik 28 Dec 2020 -- In 2020, NATO reconnaissance flights in the Black Sea region increased by 40 percent compared to last year, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.
• Navalny Associate Sobol Says Criminal Charges Against Her Are Kremlin's 'Revenge' RFE/RL 27 Dec 2020 -- Lyubov Sobol, a prominent lawyer for outspoken Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), has said upon her release from detention that charges filed against her are "revenge" for Navalny's survival of a recent assassination attempt.
• Kremlin Spokesman: Putin Decided to Take COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik 27 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to take a vaccine against the coronavirus, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday.
• Kremlin Says Putin To Get Coronavirus Vaccine Soon RFE/RL 27 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to receive his country's Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine in the near future.
• Russia Reports 28,284 New Coronavirus Cases SPA 27 Dec 2020 -- Russia reported 28,284 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 3,050,248 after it crossed the 3 million mark on the previous day, Reuters reported.
• Kremlin decries US sanctions on Russia-German gas pipeline as 'cowboy' attack Press TV 27 Dec 2020 -- The Kremlin says US sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will carry natural gas from Russia to Germany, are a blatant "cowboy-like" attack on the project jointly developed by Russian and European companies.
• Kremlin Cancels Putin's Traditional Meeting With Business Leaders RFE/RL 27 Dec 2020 -- The Kremlin has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not participate in the traditional end-of-the-year meeting with business leaders.
• Kremlin: US Sanctions Against Nord Stream 2 Blatant 'Cowboy-Like Raid' on Pipeline Sputnik 27 Dec 2020 -- The US Congress previously passed a Defence Authorisation Bill that included sanctions against the joint project by Russia's Gazprom and European energy giants. President Donald Trump, however, refused to sign it, dismissing the bill for lacking pandemic relief efforts and being a "gift" to Russia, China, and Big Tech.
• Russian 'Okhotnik' Combat Drone to Perform First Weapon Tests Next Year, Source Says Sputnik 27 Dec 2020 -- Russia's stealth heavy combat drone Okhotnik ("Hunter") will carry out flight tests involving the use of weapons next year, a source in the aircraft industry told Sputnik.
• Russia Approves COVID-19 Vaccine For Use By The Elderly RFE/RL 26 Dec 2020 -- Russia's Health Ministry has approved the country's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for use by people over the age of 60.
• Russia's total number of COVID-19 cases crosses 3 million mark SPA 26 Dec 2020 -- The total number of cases of coronavirus infections in Russia crossed the 3 million mark for the first time on Saturday after officials recorded 29,258 new cases in the preceding 24 hours and 567 deaths, Reuters reported.
• Russia Approves Sputnik V Vaccine Use for People Over 60 Sputnik 26 Dec 2020 -- Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Saturday that the use of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine had been approved for people aged 60 and older.
• Russia defends envoy amid Israel's ire over criticism of Tel Aviv Press TV 26 Dec 2020 -- Russia has defended its envoy to Tel Aviv, who was summoned to the Israeli foreign ministry over an interview critical of the occupying entity, saying his remarks are perfectly in line with Moscow's well-known position on Middle East issues.
• 19 Detained As Long-Running Khabarovsk Protests Continue RFE/RL 26 Dec 2020 -- Police in the Russian Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk have detained at least 19 people who were participating in a demonstration in support of the region's jailed former governor, activists say.
• Russian Justice Ministry Expands 'Foreign Agents' List To Include Navalny Foundation RFE/RL 26 Dec 2020 -- The Russian Justice Ministry has expanded the list of so-called "foreign agents" to include a foundation of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny and other human rights and health-care organizations, the head of the international human rights group Agora said on December 25.
• Russian 'Doomsday' Plane Theft: Details of Equipment Heist Emerge Sputnik 26 Dec 2020 -- Over 30 radio station units were nicked earlier this month from one of the hatches of a Russian Il-80 – one of the four jets currently in service in the country, which can serve as an airborne command point should such a necessity arise.
• Cold War-Era Double Agent George Blake Dies In Russia, Age 98 RFE/RL 26 Dec 2020 -- Prominent Cold War-era double agent George Blake has died in Moscow at the age of 98, Russian authorities have reported.
• Legendary Soviet Double Agent George Blake Dies Aged 98, Russian Intelligence Service Confirms Sputnik 26 Dec 2020 -- Legendary British spy and Soviet double agent working in MI-6, George Blake, has died aged 98, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Spokesman Sergey Ivanov told Sputnik.
• Russia Opens Criminal Probe Into Navalny Lawyer Who Tried To Meet With FSB Agent RFE/RL 25 Dec 2020 -- Russian law enforcement agencies have opened a criminal case against Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer for the outspoken Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and took her in for questioning, the head of the foundation said on December 25.
• Russia revives Soviet-era lab to test weapons in Arctic climate Press TV 25 Dec 2020 -- Russia has revived a Soviet-era research facility to test weapons in severe Arctic conditions amid a drive by the Kremlin to boost its defenses in the resource-rich region in the face of growing military provocations along its western borders.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, December 24, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24 Dec 2020
• Russia Reopens Secret Soviet-Era Lab for Testing of Equipment for Use in the Arctic Sputnik 24 Dec 2020 -- Competition for the Arctic has heated up in recent years, with Russia allocating vast resources to shore up control over its northern territories as they promise to become a major driver for economic growth, both through the exploration of untapped natural wealth, and as a new major transportation route to ease trade between Europe and Asia.
• Russia to Increase Sputnik V Vaccine Output to 30Mln Doses by June, Industry Minister Says Sputnik 24 Dec 2020 -- Russia is expected to ramp up the production of the Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus by 30 million doses by June, Russian Minister of Trade and Industry Denis Manturov said Thursday.
• Russia Criticizes Threatened U.S. Sanctions Against Nord Stream 2 RFE/RL 24 Dec 2020 -- The Kremlin has said it does not rule out delays to the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in light of the threat of new U.S. sanctions.
• Russia's Kalashnikov Completes Tests of Surface-to-Air Missile for Strela-10M System Sputnik 24 Dec 2020 -- Russian arms manufacturer Kalashnikov has completed tests of a surface-to-air missile for the Strela-10M anti-aircraft missile system.
• Russian Couple Jailed For Wedding Photo Treason RFE/RL 24 Dec 2020 -- A Russian court has sentenced a married couple in Kaliningrad to lengthy jail terms after finding them guilty of spying for Latvia and state treason.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following his talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Moscow, December 23, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 Dec 2020
• Malaysia in Talks With Russia on Purchasing 6.4Mln Doses of Sputnik V Vaccine, Reports Say Sputnik 23 Dec 2020 -- Malaysia is negotiating with Moscow the potential purchase of 6.4 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19, Reuters news agency reported on Wednesday, citing Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin.
• New Russian Base in Syunik Province Can Help Ensure Armenia's Security, Politician Says Sputnik 23 Dec 2020 -- Opposition politician Edmon Marukyan says Armenia won't be able to ensure security on its borders without help.
• Russia Plans to Supply US with 10 Engines for Atlas V, Antares Carrier Rockets in 2021 Sputnik 23 Dec 2020 -- Russia's Energomash research and production association (part of Roscosmos state space corporation), a major rocket engine manufacturer, plans to supply the US with six engines for Atlas V carrier rockets and four engines for Antares launch vehicles in 2021, according to information posted on the state procurement website.
• Russian fighter intercepts Japanese military plane People's Daily 23 Dec 2020 -- A Russian fighter jet intercepted a Japanese military aircraft over Far Eastern seas, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
• Russia urges US to renew New START, expects no good from Biden Press TV 23 Dec 2020 -- Russia has called on the outgoing administration of US President Donald Trump to extend the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Moscow, as a senior Russian diplomat says Moscow does not expect "anything good" from the incoming administration of US President-elect Joe Biden.
• Interview: Russia Blocking Visas For U.S. Diplomatic Staff, Forcing Closure Of Consulates, U.S. Ambassador Says RFE/RL 23 Dec 2020 -- Russian visa restrictions for U.S. diplomatic personnel forced the closure of two consulates, the U.S. ambassador said, blaming Moscow for shutdowns that will leave Russians and American citizens living in Russia with a single diplomatic outpost to turn to in the sprawling country.
• Russia Sees Relations With U.S. Going 'From Bad To Worse' RFE/RL 23 Dec 2020 -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has accused the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden of "Russophobia" and says he expects relations with the United States to go "from bad to worse."
• Russian Lawmakers Expand Scope Of 'Foreign Agents' Law Limiting Press Freedom, Work Of NGOs RFE/RL 23 Dec 2020 -- The Russian parliament's lower chamber has approved several controversial bills that human rights watchdogs and the opposition have said undermine democratic processes.
• Moscow Court Hands Two-Year Suspended Sentence To Opposition Politician Galyamina RFE/RL 23 Dec 2020 -- A court in Moscow has handed local opposition politician Yulia Galyamina a two-year suspended sentence for her involvement in anti-Kremlin rallies.
• German Hospital's Final Statement Says Navalny Poisoned With Novichok Nerve Agent RFE/RL 23 Dec 2020 -- The German hospital that treated Aleksei Navalny has posted its final statement on the case of the Russian dissident's acute illness, saying he was poisoned with the chemical nerve agent Novichok.
• Volunteers in Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine Trials Will No Longer Receive Placebos, Developer Says Sputnik 23 Dec 2020 -- Russia's health ministry has approved changing the format of post-registration clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID: volunteers will no longer get a placebo, only the real vaccine since it has already proven safe, Alexander Gintsburg, the head of the Gamaleya research institute, said.
• Russia expels two Colombian diplomats in tit-for-tat move Press TV 23 Dec 2020 -- Russia has expelled two Colombian diplomats in response to the expulsion of two of its diplomats from the South American country.
• Russia Expels Two Colombian Embassy Employees In Tit-For-Tat Move RFE/RL 23 Dec 2020 -- Russia's government has declared two employees of the Colombian Embassy in Moscow diplomats "personae non gratae" following the expulsion of two Russian diplomats from the South American country due to what local media reported was espionage.
• Russian Foreign Ministry Declares Two Colombian Diplomats Persona Non Grata Sputnik 23 Dec 2020 -- Earlier, the Colombian Foreign Ministry said that two Russian diplomats had to leave Colombia due to non-compliance with the Vienna Convention, but the Latin American country was determined to maintain good relations with Moscow.
• China, Russia hold 2nd joint aerial strategic patrol in Asia-Pacific PLA Daily 23 Dec 2020 -- The air forces of China and Russia have held their 2nd joint aerial strategic patrol in the Asia-Pacific region on December 22, according to an announcement jointly released on Tuesday night by the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
• China-Russia strategic ties to be strengthened, sending strong signal to new US govt Global Times 23 Dec 2020 -- China and Russia recently sent strong messages, through moves such as having joint aerial strategic patrols and criticizing US unilateralism together, to the US when the Trump administration is setting obstacles for the incoming Biden government to repair US relations with other countries.
• Chinese Defence Ministry Says Joint Air Patrol With Russia No Threat to Other States Sputnik 23 Dec 2020 -- The recent joint Russian-Chinese air patrol in the Asia-Pacific region is part of the annual military cooperation plan between Moscow and Beijing aimed at strengthening bilateral strategic cooperation and global security, and does not target any other state, the Chinese Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.
• Russian Peacekeepers Cleared 25 Acres in Nagorno-Karabakh of Mines, Defence Ministry Says Sputnik 22 Dec 2020 -- Engineering units of the Russian peacekeeping forces have cleared another 10 hectares (about 25 acres) of territory in unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh of mines, the Russian Defenсe Ministry said in a statement.
• Russia Sends 300 Military Instructors to Central African Republic Sputnik 22 Dec 2020 -- Russia has sent 300 instructors to the Central African Republic to train national armed forces and help boost the country's defence capabilities, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
• Russia Concerned By Attempts to Undermine Election in Central Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Says Sputnik 22 Dec 2020 -- Earlier, the UN Security Council expressed its strong condemnation of the violations of the peace agreement in the Central African Republic (CAR) and called on all actors to urgently end hostilities.
• Russia confirms single-day record of 29,350 new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 22 Dec 2020 -- Russia registered 29,350 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the highest number of daily infections to date, the country's COVID-19 response center said Monday.
• Russia's aerospace forces to receive 22 fifth-generation Su-57 fighters by 2025 People's Daily 22 Dec 2020 -- Russia's aerospace forces will receive 22 fifth-generation Su-57 fighters by 2025, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday.
• Russia must ensure rapid response to Western missile deployment near its borders: Putin People's Daily 22 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that the country must respond promptly to Western missile deployment near its borders.
• Russian, Chinese strategic bombers conduct joint air patrol in Asia-Pacific region Press TV 22 Dec 2020 -- Russian and Chinese strategic bombers have carried out a joint air patrol over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, the second such operation in Asia-Pacific region over the past year.
• Russia slaps retaliatory sanctions on EU officials over Navalny case Press TV 22 Dec 2020 -- Russia has imposed retaliatory sanctions against a number of European officials in response to punitive measures issued by the European Union (EU) against Moscow over the case of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
• Russia Hits EU Officials, Entities With Tit-For-Tat Navalny Sanctions RFE/RL 22 Dec 2020 -- Russia says it has expanded its list of European Union officials barred from the country in response to the bloc's "unacceptable" decision to place travel bans on Russian officials over the poisoning of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny.
• 'Russian Watergate': Russian Social Media Reacts After Navalny Dupes FSB Agent On His Poisoning RFE/RL 22 Dec 2020 -- Within 24 hours of being posted, Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny's video report of a conversation in which a Federal Security Agency (FSB) chemist confesses to participating in Navalny's poisoning with a deadly nerve agent in August racked up nearly 12 million views.
• Moscow Police Briefly Detain Navalny Foundation Lawyer Who Tried To Meet Duped FSB Agent RFE/RL 22 Dec 2020 -- Moscow police briefly detained Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer for Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, after she tried to meet an agent who has implicated the Federal Security Service (FSB) in the poisoning of the 44-year-old Kremlin critic.
• Ex-Minister's Pretrial Detention Extended Again In Russian Embezzlement Case RFE/RL 22 Dec 2020 -- A Moscow court has again extended the pretrial detention of Mikhail Abyzov -- a former Russian government minister waiting for trial on embezzlement charges since he was arrested in March 2019.
• U.S. Adds Russian, Chinese Companies To List Of Firms With Military Ties RFE/RL 22 Dec 2020 -- The U.S. Commerce Department has added more than 100 Russian and Chinese companies to a new list of entities with alleged ties to the countries' militaries, in a move that will restrict access to U.S. goods and technologies.
• Foreign Ministry statement regarding OPCW response to Russia's request for technical assistance to clarify the situation around Alexey Navalny Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 21 Dec 2020 -- On October 1, we sent a request to Fernando Arias, Director-General of the OPCW and head of its Technical Secretariat, for technical assistance under Clause 38 (е) of Article VIII of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
• Expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board President of Russia 21 Dec 2020 -- Vladimir Putin visited the National Defence Control Centre where he took part in an annual expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board.
• Putin signs decree to transform Northern Fleet into military district TASS 21 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree equaling the Northern Fleet to a military district from 2021, according to the document posted on the government's legal information web portal on Monday.
• Kazakhstan Starts Production Of Russia's Sputnik-V, Announces Mass Vaccination Program RFE/RL 21 Dec 2020 -- Kazakhstan says it has started producing the Russian-developed Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine ahead of a mass vaccination project planned for early next year.
• Kazakhstan Starts Production of Sputnik V Coronavirus Vaccine Sputnik 21 Dec 2020 -- Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin attended the pharmaceutical complex in Karagandy on Monday to officially launch production of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19, the Kazakh government said.
• Belarus First Country Outside Russia to Register Sputnik V Vaccine Against COVID-19 Sputnik 21 Dec 2020 -- Belarus has become the first foreign country to register Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said Monday.
• Russia, Rwanda deploy troops to CAR amid pre-election tensions Press TV 21 Dec 2020 -- The Central African Republic (CAR) has declared that Russia and Rwanda have deployed hundreds of troops to the nation following an alleged military coup plot ahead of this week's key presidential and legislative elections.
• Central African Republic Says Russia Deploys Troops In Face Of Coup Threat RFE/RL 21 Dec 2020 -- The Central African Republic says Russia and Rwanda have deployed hundreds of troops in the deeply unstable country amid an alleged coup bid ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections.
• Commerce Department Will Publish the First Military End User List Naming More Than 100 Chinese and Russian Companies US Dept. of Commerce 21 Dec 2020 -- The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) will amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding a new 'Military End User' (MEU) List, as well as the first tranche of 103 entities, which includes 58 Chinese and 45 Russian companies. The U.S. Government has determined that these companies are 'military end users' for purposes of the 'military end user' control in the EAR that applies to specified items for exports, reexports, or transfers (in-country) to the China, Russia, and Venezuela when such items are destined for a prohibited 'military end user.'
• President Vladimir Putin Calls for Urgent Response to Western Missiles Deployment at Russian Borders Sputnik 21 Dec 2020 -- Russia has repeatedly detected the presence of NATO warships, including vessels with cruise missiles, in close proximity to Russia's territorial waters which has soured the already tense relations between Moscow and the bloc.
• Navalny Says He Duped Russian Agent Into Confessing Poison Plot RFE/RL 21 Dec 2020 -- Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny says he duped a Russian agent into revealing how the country's Federal Security Service (FSB) poisoned him with Novichok.
• Navalny's Underpants Smeared With Poison, Would-Be Assassin Reveals VOA 21 Dec 2020 -- A Russian agent involved in the cleanup of the near-fatal nerve-agent poisoning of Alexei Navalny in August has revealed in an inadvertent confession how the Russian activist's underpants were smeared with the toxin Novichok by an intelligence unit from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
• Russia says US starting 'hybrid war' with pipeline sanctions, denies role in cyberattacks Press TV 21 Dec 2020 -- Moscow has denounced US sanctions targeting a pipeline project for the transfer of Russian gas to Western Europe as "a hybrid war."
• Kremlin Sees US Sanctions on Nord Stream 2 as Start of Hybrid War Sputnik 21 Dec 2020 -- The Kremlin sees US sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, expected to pump gas from Russia to Europe, as a sign of a hybrid war, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
• President Putin to Head Russia's New State Council Sputnik 21 Dec 2020 -- The powers and role of the State Council, the advisory body to the Russian head of state, have been increased following this summer's national vote on amendments to the Russian Constitution.
• Putin orders special services to better protect Russian security Global Times 21 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday demanded the country's intelligence agencies better safeguard national security.
• Congratulations on Security Agency Worker's Day President of Russia 20 Dec 2020 -- Vladimir Putin visited Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service headquarters on Security Agency Worker's Day.
• Russia Reports 28,948 New Coronavirus Cases, 511 Deaths SPA 20 Dec 2020 -- Russia reported 28,948 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, including 7,263 in Moscow, taking the national toll to 2,848,377, Reuters reported.
• U.S. Senators Urge Response To Cyberattack Blamed On Russian Hackers RFE/RL 20 Dec 2020 -- Two U.S. senators say the United States must respond to a widespread cyberattack that U.S. officials say was carried out by Russian hackers who managed to break into the computer networks of multiple U.S. government agencies.
• Biden Team Reportedly Considers Sanctions, Cyberattacks to 'Punish' Russia Over 'Hack Attack' on US Sputnik 20 Dec 2020 -- While Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Russia of being behind a recent major hacking attack on the US, President Donald Trump was not that sure, instead suspecting China's involvement in the intrusion.
• Trump discounts impact of huge hack, alleged Russia role, blames China Press TV 20 Dec 2020 -- Outgoing US President Donald Trump has downplayed the seriousness and impact of a massive cyber attack on the government's military, intelligence and financial institutions as well as the alleged Russian role in it, instead pointing to China as the possible source.
• Sputnik V Developer Expects Up to 80% of Russians to Be Inoculated Against COVID-19 By Autumn Sputnik 19 Dec 2020 -- Up to 80 percent of the Russian population may be inoculated against COVID-19 by autumn 2021, Gamaleya research centre head Alexander Gintsburg said in a television programme Saturday.
• Trump Downplays Suspected Russia-led Hack VOA 19 Dec 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump is downplaying the severity of a massive cybersecurity breach by suspected Russian operatives that has exposed the networks of government agencies and private sector companies, contradicting the assertions of his secretary of state and lawmakers briefed on the matter.
• Trump Downplays Cyberattack, Doubts Russian Involvement RFE/RL 19 Dec 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has downplayed the seriousness and impact of a widespread cyberattack and cast doubt on whether Russia was to blame in his first public comments on the incident.
• Trump Says Hacking Attack on US Blown Out of Proportion, Points Finger at China Sputnik 19 Dec 2020 -- Earlier this week, reports emerged that hundreds of US federal government entities and companies had been targeted in a massive hacking attack, which was instantly blamed on a foreign actor by US media. The Washington Post, in particular, claimed a hacking group with links to Moscow was behind it, but provided no evidence to back the allegation.
• US to shutter its two remaining consulates in Russia Press TV 19 Dec 2020 -- The Trump administration has informed Congress of its plan to shut down the two remaining US consulates in Russia amid heighted tensions with Moscow.
• U.S. Will Shut Last Two Consulates In Russia RFE/RL 19 Dec 2020 -- The United States plans to close its last two consulates in Russia, leaving only an embassy in Moscow as relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate.
• Bulgaria Expels Russian Diplomat on Spying Charges VOA 19 Dec 2020 -- Bulgaria accuses a Russian diplomat of spying and is expelling him from the country.
• China confident in boosting ties with Russia: FM spokesperson Global Times 19 Dec 2020 -- China has the confidence and determination to maintain the positive development momentum of cooperation with Russia, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday.
• Argentina Hopes to Start Producing Russian Sputnik V in Near Future, Presidential Adviser Says Sputnik 18 Dec 2020 -- Argentina hopes to receive Russia's technology for the production of Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19, acquiring the capacity to self-produce the vaccine in the near future, Cecilia Nicolini, an adviser to the Argentine president, told Sputnik in an interview.
• No Special Anti-COVID-19 Vaccine Will Be Developed for President Putin, Kremlin Says Sputnik 18 Dec 2020 -- During his most recent press conference dedicated to the most burning issues of the outgoing year, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that he has not personally been vaccinated against the highly contagious COVID-19 infection yet, but stressing that he won't hesitate to do so as soon as possible.
• Notorious 'Thieves-In-Law' Crime Boss Escapes From Russian Court Building RFE/RL 18 Dec 2020 -- Notorious organized crime boss Levan Abuladze - known in the criminal underworld by the nickname Levan Sukhumsky - has reportedly escaped from a Russian court building where he had been brought for a pretrial hearing.
• CIS Virtual Summit Focuses On COVID, Nagorno-Karabakh, Cooperation RFE/RL 18 Dec 2020 -- Leaders of former Soviet republics in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have met online for a virtual summit to discuss issues ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to the situation the South Caucasus region following the war over Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• US Navy Threatens to Take 'More Assertive Posture' Against Russian, Chinese Warships Sputnik 18 Dec 2020 -- In early September, a Pentagon report mentioned China as the country with the world's largest navy, enhancing the Chinese military's capability to conduct operations all across the globe.
• In Response To Kremlin, U.S. Reiterates Proposed Extension Of New START Treaty RFE/RL 18 Dec 2020 -- The United States has responded to Russia's call to continue negotiations on the New START arms-control treaty by reiterating a U.S. proposal and saying the Russians have "rejected" attempts to restart the talks.
• One And Only Satellite Launch This Year From Russia's Far Eastern Cosmodrome RFE/RL 18 Dec 2020 -- Russia has hailed what it says was the first and only commercial launch this year from a space center in the country's Far East that has been plagued by cost overruns and delays.
• International Trio Indicted in Austin for Illegal Exports to Russia US Dept. of Justice 18 Dec 2020 -- A four–count federal grand jury indictment returned in Austin and unsealed today charges three foreign nationals – a Russian citizen and two Bulgarian citizens – with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), and a money laundering statute in a scheme to procure sensitive radiation-hardened circuits from the U.S. and ship those components to Russia through Bulgaria without required licenses.
• The Week In Russia: Something Old, Something New, Something Not So Fluffy RFE/RL 18 Dec 2020 -- As he does, Russian President Vladimir Putin turned to a Soviet-era pop culture reference to get his message across at one point in his 4 1/2-hour annual press conference on December 17, when responding to the only reporter from a Western country that is not Iceland who got to ask a question.
• Tomsk Lawmakers Demand Investigation Into Navalny's Poisoning RFE/RL 18 Dec 2020 -- Seven local lawmakers of the Siberian city of Tomsk have called on Russia's Investigative Committee to launch a probe into the nerve-agent poisoning in August of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.
• Swedish Prosecutors Seek Long Prison Terms For Russians Accused Of Attacking Chechen Blogger RFE/RL 18 Dec 2020 -- Prosecutors in Sweden are said to be seeking lengthy prison terms for two Russians on trial for allegedly trying to kill an exiled Chechen blogger with a hammer as he slept.
• Russia vows response to Bulgaria's expulsion of diplomat Press TV 18 Dec 2020 -- Russia has pledged to respond to Bulgaria's expulsion of a Russian military attaché after Bulgarian prosecutors accused the diplomat of spying.
• Bulgaria Expels Another Russian Diplomat For Spying On U.S. Troops RFE/RL 18 Dec 2020 -- Bulgarian authorities have given a Russian diplomat 72 hours to leave Bulgaria, alleging involvement in espionage in the EU and NATO member state.
• Russian Diplomat Expelled From Bulgaria Over Espionage Allegations Sputnik 18 Dec 2020 -- Previously, Sofia expelled two staffers at the Russian trade mission. Moscow criticised the move, stating that Bulgaria had provided no proof that the staffers were engaged in any improper activities.
• Russian, Belarusian Officials Agree On New Level Of Cross-Border Security Cooperation RFE/RL 18 Dec 2020 -- Russian and Belarusian authorities last month signed a new cooperation agreement that allows for police and security operations in Belarus by troops from the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia), which is controlled directly by the Kremlin, according to a copy of the deal just made public.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Faisal Mekdad, Moscow, December 17, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 17 Dec 2020
• Russia Running Trials of Sputnik V on People Over 60 to Enable Vaccination of Most Vulnerable Group Sputnik 17 Dec 2020 -- The elderly are one of the groups at increased risks of suffering from severe symptoms or dying from contracting the coronavirus. While a vaccine could save them, one needs to be tested first, since its efficacy might be impaired due to seniors' weaker immune system.
• Russia 'Used Bulgarian Airspace' To Deliver Military Equipment To Serbia RFE/RL 17 Dec 2020 -- Russian aircraft have repeatedly used the airspace of NATO-member Bulgaria to deliver military equipment to Serbia, a joint investigation by RFE/RL's Bulgarian and Balkan services shows.
• Lavrov: West's sanctions on Syria contravene UN Security Council resolutions Press TV 17 Dec 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says sanctions imposed by the West on Syria contravene UN Security Council resolutions, adding certain countries continue to hinder finding a solution to the years-long crisis in the Arab country.
• Russia has sent 100,000 tonnes of wheat to Syria since start of 2020: Lavrov Press TV 17 Dec 2020 -- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia has sent 100,000 tonnes of wheat in humanitarian aid to Syria since the beginning of this year and plans to ship more wheat to the war-stricken country.
• Putin: US went in for new arms race, forced Russia to develop weapons Press TV 17 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says it was the United States that started a new arms race, forcing Russia to develop hypersonic weapons in response.
• UK Space Directorate Expresses Concern About Alleged Anti-Satellite Missile Test by Russia Sputnik 17 Dec 2020 -- The head of the UK Space Directorate, Air Vice-Marshal Harv Smyth, on Thursday accused Russia of conducting a new space test of anti-satellite weapons and expressed concern in this regard, following a similar statement by the US Air Force Space Command.
• Vladimir Putin's annual news conference President of Russia 17 Dec 2020 -- The President of Russia held his annual news conference.
• Putin's Press Conference: What He Said And Didn't Quite Say RFE/RL 17 Dec 2020 -- At his year-end press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin repeated long-standing complaints about the West and avoided direct answers to several questions, steering clear of even uttering the name of poisoned Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny.
• Putin Uses Annual Press Event To Deny Russian Role In Navalny Poisoning, Allege U.S. Conspiracies RFE/RL 17 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed a fresh investigative report pointing to involvement by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the poisoning of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny and alleged, without evidence, that the Russian opposition leader was working for U.S. intelligence.
• Russia's Putin Denies Involvement in Poisoning of Opposition Leader VOA 17 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed an international media investigation that alleges his government was behind the poisoning of a leading Kremlin critic last August— maintaining that opposition politician Alexey Navalny was working in tandem with the United States as part of a "trick" to tarnish Russia's image.
• Russian Billionaire 'Continues To Control Companies' In Violation Of Sanctions RFE/RL 17 Dec 2020 -- European officials have concluded that Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska continues to control aluminum producer Rusal in violation of a U.S. sanctions agreement, Bloomberg News reported, citing unidentified officials.
• Moscow Court Upholds Scientist's Detention To Await 'High Treason' Trial RFE/RL 17 Dec 2020 -- A court in Moscow on December 17 upheld pretrial detention for a Russian physicist specializing in hypersonic aircraft who was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of high treason.
• U.S. Senator Confident Nord Stream 2 Will Be Stopped As Russia Hurries To Complete Pipeline RFE/RL 17 Dec 2020 -- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has expressed confidence that new U.S. sanctions will prevent the completion of a controversial Russian natural gas pipeline to Europe even as the Kremlin hurries to finish the undersea project.
• Russia To Miss Olympics, World Cup After Doping Ban Halved RFE/RL 17 Dec 2020 -- The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld doping sanctions that will prevent Russian athletes from competing at major sporting events under the country's flag, but halved the period of the ban to two from four years.
• Russia's Four-year Ban from World Athletic Events Cut to Two Years VOA 17 Dec 2020 -- The four-year ban on Russia competing in international athletic competition because of its state-sponsored doping program was cut to two years Thursday by a court in Switzerland. The country will still be banned from next year's delayed Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics in China.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, December 16, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 Dec 2020
• Russia records 26,689 new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 16 Dec 2020 -- Russia confirmed 26,689 coronavirus cases over the past day, taking the total number of infections to 2,707,945, the country's official COVID-19 monitoring and response center said Tuesday.
• Russia tests direct-ascent anti-satellite missile USSPACECOM 16 Dec 2020 -- Russia has conducted a test of a direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile.
• US Space Command Claims Russia Conducted Anti-Satellite Missile Test Sputnik 16 Dec 2020 -- The United States' Space Command on Wednesday accused Russia of testing a missile intended to target satellites in orbit.
• 'Funny To Read': Russia's Lavrov Dismisses FSB Involvement In Navalny Poisoning RFE/RL 16 Dec 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on December 16 dismissed a joint investigation between Bellingcat and several media outlets that revealed evidence they say shows that the recent poisoning of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny was carried out by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
• At Putin's Annual Press Conference, What Will -- And Won't -- Get Asked Or Answered RFE/RL 16 Dec 2020 -- In past years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has spent the bulk of his multi-hour annual news conference embracing friendly questions, deflecting problematic ones, trying to show empathy for average Russians, extolling new weapons, and lambasting the West, among other things.
• The Bishop's Gambit: What's Behind The FSB's Case Against A Russian Orthodox Clergyman? RFE/RL 16 Dec 2020 -- In March, a strange story swept through Russian online media: Police and agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB) had raided the St. Petersburg apartment of the bishop of Cherepovets and Belozersk.
• Russia Backs UN Security Council Call For Withdrawal Of Foreign Fighters From Libya RFE/RL 16 Dec 2020 -- The UN Security Council reiterated a call for all foreign fighters to leave Libya in a unanimous statement on December 15 that included the backing of Russia, which has been accused of helping a military contractor send mercenaries into the country.
• An Old Refrain: Russian Lawmakers Question Kazakhstan's Territorial Integrity, Statehood RFE/RL 16 Dec 2020 -- Many Kazakhs are likely upset and perhaps a bit worried by some of the comments and actions heard in Russia recently that have questioned Kazakhstan's existence as a country.
• Russia: JCPAO parties voice readiness for its full implementation IRNA 16 Dec 2020 -- Russian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said on Wednesday that participants in the 17th meeting of JCPOA Joint Commission voiced readiness for intensive diplomatic efforts to fully implement the agreement.
• Congratulations to Joseph R. Biden on winning US presidential election President of Russia 15 Dec 2020 -- Vladimir Putin sent a message to Joseph R. Biden congratulating him on his victory in the presidential election in the United States of America.
• Putin congratulates Biden after US Electoral College win Press TV 15 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Joe Biden over his victory in the disputed 2020 presidential election.
• Putin Congratulates Biden After President-Elect's Victory Affirmed By Electoral College RFE/RL 15 Dec 2020 -- Six weeks after the U.S. presidential election, Russian President Vladimir Putin has broken his silence on the outcome and congratulated Joe Biden on his victory in the vote following the Electoral College confirming that the Democratic challenger was the winner.
• Lavrov Snubbed By Croat, Muslim Members Of Bosnian Presidency After Dayton Comments RFE/RL 15 Dec 2020 -- The Muslim and Croat members of Bosnia-Herzegovina's tripartite presidency on December 15 refused to meet with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov following his comments about the peace agreement that ended the Bosnian War in the mid-1990s.
• Russia Sees No Need to Revise Dayton Agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lavrov Says Sputnik 15 Dec 2020 -- Russia sees no need to revise the Dayton Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially if such attempts are made from abroad, Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
• Russian Influence in the Mediterranean US Dept. of State 15 Dec 2020 -- "Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in comments at the MED Dialogue, accused the United States of playing political games in the Mediterranean and stalling the appointment of a new UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Libya. It's unfortunate and unhelpful that Mr. Lavrov again gets the facts wrong and attempts to rewrite history."
• Russia causing chaos, conflict, and division: Pompeo Press TV 15 Dec 2020 -- Outgoing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused Russia of sowing "chaos, conflict, and division within countries throughout the region."
• Pompeo Slams Russia For Sowing 'Chaos' In The Mediterranean RFE/RL 15 Dec 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blasted Russia for continuing to "threaten Mediterranean stability" and sowing "chaos, conflict, and division" in countries around the region.
• Russian Officials, State Media Tight-Lipped On Report FSB Agents Poisoned Navalny RFE/RL 15 Dec 2020 -- Russian state media has been slow to react to a detailed investigation reportedly showing that Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny was poisoned by members of the Federal Security Service (FSB), raising questions about whether authorities have been caught off guard.
• 'Intentional Poisoning': New FBI Records, New Clues To Kremlin Critic's Sudden Illnesses RFE/RL 15 Dec 2020 -- U.S. authorities investigated a Russian opposition activist's two near-fatal illnesses as "intentional" poisonings, according to newly obtained government records that also show U.S. doctors and scientists mulled the possibility that he was targeted with a biotoxin or a radioactive substance.
• OSCE Minsk Group Reaffirms Commitment to Constructive Cooperation on Nagorno-Karabakh Sputnik 15 Dec 2020 -- The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, France and the United States), after their visits to Baku and Yerevan, reaffirmed their commitment to constructive cooperation with the sides on Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, the Co-Chairs said in a joint statement.
• China, Russia extend missile launch notification agreement to maintain global strategic stability Global Times 15 Dec 2020 -- China and Russia on Tuesday extended their agreement on launch notification of both countries' ballistic missiles and space rockets, which was first signed in October 2009.
• China, Russia extend agreement on notifications of launches of ballistic missiles and space missile carriers PLA Daily 15 Dec 2020 -- Approved by the heads of state of China and Russia, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held a video conference and signed a Protocol on the extension of the agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Russian Federation on notifications of launches of ballistic missiles and space missile carriers on December 15, 2020. Both sides stressed that the two militaries would like to strengthen practical cooperation on this basis and further enrich the connotation of bilateral relations.
• Reports: U.S. Department Of Homeland Security Targeted By Russian Hackers RFE/RL 15 Dec 2020 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been added to a growing list of targets in a major cyberattack by suspected Russian hackers, according to U.S. media reports on December 14.
• US Homeland Security Acknowledges Cyber Breaches Across Federal Govt - Assistant Secretary Sputnik 15 Dec 2020 -- The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking into cyber breaches that have occurred across the federal government, according to DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Alexei Woltornist in a Monday statement.
• Massive espionage attack reportedly targets US Departments of Defense, State Press TV 15 Dec 2020 -- The US Defense and State departments have reportedly been hacked as part of an alleged espionage attack.
• CISA Issues Emergency Directive to Mitigate the Compromise of Solarwinds Orion Network Management Products CISA 14 Dec 2020 -- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) tonight issued Emergency Directive 21-01, in response to a known compromise involving SolarWinds Orion products that are currently being exploited by malicious actors. This Emergency Directive calls on all federal civilian agencies to review their networks for indicators of compromise and disconnect or power down SolarWinds Orion products immediately.
• Statement by DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Alexei Woltornist on Federal Government Cyber Breaches DHS 14 Dec 2020 -- "The Department of Homeland Security is aware of cyber breaches across the federal government and working closely with our partners in the public and private sector on the federal response."
• Suspected Russian Hackers Breach U.S. Treasury, Other Government Agencies RFE/RL 14 Dec 2020 -- Suspected Russian hackers broke into U.S. government networks, including the Treasury and Commerce departments, as part of a monthslong global cyberespionage campaign believed to have also targeted other governments and major corporations.
• British Cyber Spies Unaware of Any UK Impact from US Hacking, Says Downing Street Spokesman Sputnik 14 Dec 2020 -- US government agencies have been ordered to look for malware and disconnect potentially compromised servers after authorities learnt that the Treasury and Commerce departments had been hacked in an extensive global cyber-espionage campaign.
• Suspected Russian hackers allegedly broke into federal agencies: Sources Press TV 14 Dec 2020 -- Email systems at the US Treasury and Commerce Departments were breached by hackers who are allegedly part of a Russian intelligence campaign, sources familiar with the matter say.
• Russia reports 28,080 new coronavirus cases, 488 deaths SPA 14 Dec 2020 -- Russia confirmed 28,080 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours on Sunday, including 6,425 in Moscow, pushing the national tally to 2,653,928 since the pandemic began.
• Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine Against COVID More Than 90% Effective After 3 Control Points Sputnik 14 Dec 2020 -- The World's First Registered Coronavirus Vaccine
• Russia's Angara A5 'eco-space rocket' successfully fires payload into orbit for first time in 6 years RT 14 Dec 2020 -- The Russian Space Forces have conducted a successful second test launch of the Angara A5 heavy-lift space launch vehicle, six years after the first test flight in 2014.
• Russia Successfully Test-Launches Angara A-5 Heavy Carrier Sputnik 14 Dec 2020 -- Russia's Angara-A5 heavy-class carrier rocket with a payload simulator was successfully test-launched from the Plesetsk spaceport in the country's north, the defence ministry said on Monday.
• Russia Asks Parties to Open Skies Treaty to Guarantee Secrecy of Observation Flights Data Sputnik 14 Dec 2020 -- With the United States withdrawn from the Treaty on Open Skies, Russia demands that the remaining parties to the agreement guarantee the confidentiality of data received during observation flights, the Russian Arms Control Delegation in Vienna said Monday.
• Bellingcat Joint Report Alleges Russia's FSB Behind Navalny Poisoning RFE/RL 14 Dec 2020 -- A new joint investigation between Bellingcat and several media outlets has revealed evidence they say shows that the recent poisoning of Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny was carried out by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
• Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Trailed for Years Before Poisoning, Report Says VOA 14 Dec 2020 -- An elite Russian intelligence chemical weapons unit trailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny for the past three years, right up until his near-fatal poisoning in August, according to the investigative website Bellingcat.
• Russia Detects Its COVID-19 Patient Zero, Health Chief Says Sputnik 13 Dec 2020 -- The COVID-19 patient zero, who launched the infection dissemination in Russia, has been detected, he emerged on March 1, and by March 17, Russia already registered 100 cases, Russian public health chief Anna Popova said on Sunday.
• Kremlin Refutes Rumors on Presidential Bunker, Says Putin Lives in Novo-Ogaryovo Residence Sputnik 13 Dec 2020 -- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Sunday refuted rumours alleging that Russian President Vladimir Putin was staying inside some kind of a bunker, adding that the president lived in his Novo-Ogaryovo suburban residence west of the city of Moscow.
• Russian nuclear submarine test-fires 4 ballistic missiles Press TV 13 Dec 2020 -- A Russian nuclear submarine has successfully test-fired four intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Defense Ministry said.
• Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the new round of British anti-Russia sanctions Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 12 Dec 2020
• Russia Reports Successful Test Of Submarine-Launched Bulava ICBMs RFE/RL 12 Dec 2020 -- Russia has successfully conducted a test-firing of four intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), the country's Defense Ministry has said.
• Russia resumes Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, defying US sanctions Press TV 12 Dec 2020 -- Russia has restarted construction of the politically-delicate Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, laying pipes after a one-year interruption driven by US sanctions, the pipeline operator said.
• Russia 'Looking To Counter' U.S. Sanctions Against Iran RFE/RL 12 Dec 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow continues to reject U.S. sanctions against Iran, has put its money where its mouth is by increasing trade with Tehran, and that Moscow will continue to look for new ways to counter the punitive measures.
• Russia opposes JCPOA revision, inclusion of non-nuclear issues: FM Lavrov Press TV 12 Dec 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the United States is the root cause of the ongoing challenges pertaining to Iran's nuclear program, expressing Moscow's opposition to any possible plan aimed at reviewing a landmark 2015 nuclear deal or including non-nuclear issues in it.
• Russian FM dismisses suggestions of JCPOA revision IRNA 12 Dec 2020 -- The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blamed the US for the current situation the world is facing in regards to the Iranian nuclear deal and held Washington responsible for it, stressing that the July 2015 nuclear document should not be revised.
• Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on a new set of US sanctions Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 11 Dec 2020 -- Regrettably, the US authorities have decided to celebrate Human Rights Day, which is marked on December 10, by adopting new sanctions against Russian individuals and entities.
• AstraZeneca to Cooperate With Sputnik V Developer on Vaccine Combinations Sputnik 11 Dec 2020 -- AstraZeneca previously applied for the approval of its vaccine in Britain, however, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is still researching the data on the drug. The company additionally noted that it will be running more clinical trials of the vaccine to validate its high efficacy rate.
• Six Russian Law Enforcement Agents Wounded as Criminal Blows Himself Up During Detention Sputnik 11 Dec 2020 -- A criminal set off an explosion in Russia's Karachay-Cherkess Republic while being detained, and was subsequently killed by the blast. He also left six security staffers injured in the wake of the incident, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said on Friday.
• Suicide Bomber Injures Six People In Russia's North Caucasus RFE/RL 11 Dec 2020 -- Officials say a suicide bomber has set off a device in the North Caucasus region of Karachai-Cherkessia, killing himself and injuring six police officers.
• Russia rejects US decision on Western Sahara Press TV 11 Dec 2020 -- Russia has rejected US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Moroccan "sovereignty" over Western Sahara — as part of a normalization deal between Morocco and the Israeli regime — as a violation of international law.
• Russian Fighter MiG-31 Intercepts US Spy Plane Over Bering Sea, Defense Ministry Says Sputnik 11 Dec 2020 -- Russia's MiG-31 intercepted US RC-135 reconnaissance plane over the Bering Sea, the national defense control center said Friday.
• Work Resumes On Controversial Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, Gazprom Says RFE/RL 11 Dec 2020 -- Work has resumed in Baltic Sea waters off the German coast on the controversial Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline, project managers said in a statement on December 11.
• One Year After Pipeline Dispute, Russia Resumes Construction VOA 11 Dec 2020 -- Russia resumed construction on a gas pipeline to Germany on Friday, one year after the United States opposed the joint international project because of possible threats to Europe's energy security, project managers said.
• The Week In Russia: (Not) Denials And (Not) The '90s RFE/RL 11 Dec 2020 -- The Kremlin issued a strenuous nondenial of a report linking lucrative sweetheart deals to President Vladimir Putin's purported former son-in-law, drawing comparisons with a decade he disdains. A top-secret "doomsday plane" was stripped of equipment by thieves. And new sanctions underscored the cost, in terms of image at least, of Putin's reliance on Ramzan Kadyrov.
• Top Chinese Diplomat Says Beijing Will Focus on Deepening Ties With Russia in 2021 Sputnik 11 Dec 2020 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced Friday that a stronger strategic partnership with Russia would be his country's foreign policy priority next year.
• Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in connection with statements by US special presidential envoy for arms control Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 10 Dec 2020 -- We have noted remarks by US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea, published on December 8 by the US NGO, the National Institute for Public Policy.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, December 10, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 10 Dec 2020
• Russia in Talks on Sputnik V Vaccine Deliveries With Turkey, Many Other Nations Sputnik 10 Dec 2020 -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is discussing coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V deliveries and production with many foreign nations, including Turkey, Alexander Gintsburg, the head of the Gamaleya research institute that developed the vaccine, said on Thursday.
• Russia conducts large exercise of its strategic nuclear forces People's Daily 10 Dec 2020 -- An exercise of Russia's strategic nuclear forces was held Wednesday under the leadership of the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces, Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
• Russia to take part in joint military drills with NATO off Pakistan Press TV 10 Dec 2020 -- Russia says it will send its Navy to join drills by members of the Western military alliance of NATO, in a rare move for the first time in a decade.
• Russian Navy to Take Part in 1st Drills With NATO Ships in a Decade Sputnik 10 Dec 2020 -- The Russian Navy last participated in joint drills with NATO back in 2011, when the Bold Monarch exercise was held off the coast of southern Spain.
• EU Leaders Back Extension Of Economic Sanctions Against Russia RFE/RL 10 Dec 2020 -- European Union leaders on December 10 gave the green light for a six-month extension of the economic sanctions that were imposed against Russia over its role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
• U.S. Imposes Additional Sanctions Against Chechen Leader Kadyrov RFE/RL 10 Dec 2020 -- The United States has imposed another set of sanctions targeting Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya and a loyal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Two Employees Of Foundation Linked To Russian Troll Farm Released From Libyan Custody RFE/RL 10 Dec 2020 -- Two employees of the Moscow-based Foundation for the Protection of Traditional Values with links to a notorious Russian "troll farm" have been released from Libyan custody where they had been held since May 2019.
• Netherlands Orders Expulsion Of Two Alleged Russian Spies Who Targeted Tech Sector RFE/RL 10 Dec 2020 -- The Netherlands has ordered the expulsion of two Russians with diplomatic accreditation after a Dutch intelligence agency accused them of espionage targeting the country's science and technology sectors.
• Peskov After Turkey's Refusal to Buy Sputnik V: Trials Showed Vaccine's Effectiveness Sputnik 09 Dec 2020 -- The results of trials of the Russian vaccine against coronavirus Sputnik V indicate its effectiveness and reliability, it can and will certainly play an important role in the fight against the pandemic, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik amid Turkey's refusal to purchase Sputnik V.
• Russia Deployed Ground-Based Laser to Blind American Space Sensors, US Intelligence Chief Says Sputnik 09 Dec 2020 -- Russia has already deployed a ground-based laser weapon which could disable or blind US space-based sensors on orbiting surveillance satellites, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday.
• Russia Opens Criminal Case Into 'Doomsday' Plane Theft RFE/RL 09 Dec 2020 -- Russian authorities say they have opened a criminal case into the theft of equipment from a military aircraft dubbed the "doomsday plane" that was designed to shield top officials from the effects of a nuclear explosion.
• Russia's State Duma Approves Bill Giving Ex-Presidents And Their Families Lifetime Immunity RFE/RL 09 Dec 2020 -- Russia’s lower house of parliament has approved the final reading of a bill that would grant sweeping lifetime immunity to former presidents.
• Putin signs law on imprisonment for attempts to split Russia Global Times 09 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Tuesday in a move that provides imprisonment for those that attempt to alienate Russian territories or incite the public to such acts.
• Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the Russian citizen detained in Denmark Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 09 Dec 2020 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry is monitoring the situation concerning the Russian citizen who was detained in Denmark in July of this year and charged with working for the Russian security services. He has been provided with a lawyer. He pleads not guilty.
• Moscow decries Denmark’s ‘groundless’ spy charges against Russian citizen Press TV 09 Dec 2020 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry has denounced the detention and investigation of a Russian citizen in Denmark over espionage charges as "anti-Russian hysteria" on the part of Copenhagen.
• Denmark Charges Russian Citizen With Espionage RFE/RL 09 Dec 2020 -- Authorities in Denmark say they have charged a Russian citizen living in the Scandinavian country with espionage for allegedly providing information about Danish energy technology to Russia.
• Russia seeks prompt solution to humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh: FM People's Daily 08 Dec 2020 -- Russia is interested in resolving urgent humanitarian issues in Nagorno-Karabakh as soon as possible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday in a press conference following talks with the newly appointed Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan.
• UN General Assembly Passes Nonbinding Resolution Urging Russia To Withdraw From Crimea RFE/RL 08 Dec 2020 -- The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution urging Russia to end its "temporary occupation" of Crimea and immediately stop transferring weapons to Ukraine.
• Russian fighter jet intercepts U.S., French planes over Black Sea People's Daily 08 Dec 2020 -- A Russian Su-30 fighter jet of the Southern Military District was scrambled Monday to intercept U.S. and French aircraft over the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
• The Great Plane Robbery: Thieves Steal Radio Equipment From Russian 'Doomsday' Plane Sputnik 08 Dec 2020 -- Russia and the US are the only two nations in the world to possess 'Doomsday' planes, which earn their nickname from the fact they're designed to survive a nuclear war while acting as an airborne command post for top brass.
• Russia, China will not succumb to US-led world order: Lavrov Press TV 08 Dec 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says his country and China will not yield to Western pressure or accept a world order that is being led by the United States and its close allies.
• Western Sanctions Have Had 'Outsized Impact' On Russian Companies, Economist Says RFE/RL 08 Dec 2020 -- Western sanctions have had an "outsized impact" on targeted Russian companies but may have actually strengthened President Vladimir Putin's grip on the country's tycoons, an economist and former State Department official says.
• Report: Putin Has Been Secretly Working From Identical Office In Sochi At Times RFE/RL 08 Dec 2020 -- A report from a Russian news outlet claims that the Kremlin has built an office for President Vladimir Putin in Sochi that is identical to his office outside Moscow, and that Putin has frequently -- and secretly -- worked in the Black Sea resort city in recent months.
• Leaked Emails Unearth Russian 'Wedding Gift' of $380 Million VOA 08 Dec 2020 -- The wedding ceremony and reception in February 2013 was a glitzy three-day affair at a ski resort near St. Petersburg, Russia.
• Russia reports record daily new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 07 Dec 2020 -- Russia registered 29,039 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the highest number of daily infections to date, the country's COVID-19 response center said Sunday.
• Russian Computer Expert Wanted In U.S. Sentenced In France For Money Laundering RFE/RL 07 Dec 2020 -- A Russian man wanted by the United States for a massive bitcoin theft scheme has been sentenced by a French court to five years in prison for money laundering.
• Russia waiting for Turkey to work out second S-400 missile system deal: Official Press TV 07 Dec 2020 -- Russia's state-owned hi-tech conglomerate, Rostec Corporation, says the country is waiting for Turkey to negotiate the acquisition of another batch of advanced S-400 missile defense system.
• Royal Navy warships monitor significant Russian presence close to UK waters UK MOD 07 Dec 2020 -- The Royal Navy has monitored nine Russian vessels around the UK in recent weeks.
• Russia's Su-30 Intercepts US, French Spy Planes Over Black Sea Sputnik 07 Dec 2020 -- Russian fighter Su-30 intercepted the US and French reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea on Monday, the Russian Defence Ministry's National Defence Control Centre (NDCC) told reporters.
• Mercenary Says Kremlin's Wagner Group Recruiting Inexperienced Fighters VOA 07 Dec 2020 -- A war memoir written by a former Russian paratrooper who fought in Syria for the Kremlin-backed mercenary Wagner Group, owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a plutocrat nicknamed "Putin's chef," had been eagerly awaited.
• Russian Businessman Received Flood Of Billion-Dollar Deals After Marrying 'Putin's Daughter,' Report Shows RFE/RL 07 Dec 2020 -- A young Russian businessman received a host of proposals to buy stakes in some of the nation's largest companies shortly after marrying a woman reported to be President Vladimir Putin's youngest daughter, a new investigative report shows.
• Ukrainian National Gets 12 Years In Prison In Moscow On Espionage Charges RFE/RL 07 Dec 2020 -- A Ukrainian national and former professional soccer player has received 12 years in prison in Russia on espionage charges.
• Russia Reports Record 29,039 New COVID-19 Cases SPA 06 Dec 2020 -- Russia reported a record high of 29,039 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, taking the national total to 2,460,770 since the pandemic began, according to Reuters.
• Russian Police Detain Kremlin Critic Near Opposition Gathering RFE/RL 06 Dec 2020 -- Russian police have detained prominent political scientist and Kremlin critic Valery Solovei.
• Russian Ships Move To Baltic Sea Areas To Resume Construction Of Controversial Pipeline RFE/RL 06 Dec 2020 -- A Russian pipe-laying ship has moved into position to resume construction of a natural-gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea that the United States, Ukraine, and other countries have vehemently opposed.
• Moscow: All Russia's regions will join vaccination campaign against COVID-19 by end of next week Press TV 05 Dec 2020 -- Russia says all of its regions will join the vaccination campaign against the COVID-19 disease by the end of next week, as infected cases have surged in the country since September but Moscow has resisted imposing a touch lockdown.
• Russia Begins Coronavirus Vaccination Program VOA 05 Dec 2020 -- Russia launched its coronavirus vaccine initiative Saturday to contain the disease that is spreading at a record pace.
• Russian Health Ministry Sets Maximum Wholesale Price for Sputnik V at $26 for 2 Doses Sputnik 05 Dec 2020 -- The Russian Health Ministry has registered the maximum wholesale price for the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 at 1,942 rubles ($26) for two doses, Alexey Kuznetsov, an aide to the Russian health minister, said on Saturday.
• Moscow Begins Mass COVID-19 Vaccination, With Doctors, Teachers First In Line RFE/RL 05 Dec 2020 -- Moscow has begun distributing the domestically developed vaccine Sputnik V via 70 clinics across the city, authorities said, marking Russia's first mass immunization against COVID-19.
• UK Navy Reports 'Significant Russian Presence' Near Territorial Waters Over Past 2 Weeks Sputnik 05 Dec 2020 -- UK warships have monitored a "significant Russian presence" close to the territorial waters of the United Kingdom over the past two weeks, the UK navy said in a press release.
• US encouraging separatism in Syria, hindering restoration of its unity: Russia FM Press TV 05 Dec 2020 -- Russia has censured the illegal presence of US troops in Syria and said the deployment of the American forces there is meant to hinder the restoration of unity in the Arab country.
• Several Detained As Monthslong Protests In Khabarovsk Continue RFE/RL 05 Dec 2020 -- Several protesters have been detained at a rally in Khabarovsk in Russia's Far East as locals continued for a 148th day to voice opposition to the arrest of the regional governor.
• U.S. Bill Targeting International Sports Doping Becomes Law RFE/RL 05 Dec 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has signed into law a bill giving U.S. authorities the power to prosecute individuals responsible for doping at international sporting competitions involving American athletes, sponsors, or broadcasters.
• Russia to 'Accrete' Arctic, Northern Regions Over Coming Decades, Putin Says Sputnik 05 Dec 2020 -- Russia will look to "accrete" the country's Arctic and northern regions over the coming decades, particularly in terms of mining activity, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday.
• Mass Vaccination Can Start Soon as Sputnik V Production is Growing to 2Mln Doses Sputnik 04 Dec 2020 -- The total number of produced doses of Russia's coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, will reach 2 million soon, making the mass immunisation of Russian citizens possible, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said on Friday.
• US Congress Targets Nord Stream 2, Turkey S-400 Purchase in New Defense Bill Sputnik 04 Dec 2020 -- The US Congress is taking aim at Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline and Turkey over its acquisition of the S-400 air defense system in the new National Defense Authorization Act for 2021 that has been finalized and is expected to pass in both houses as early as next week.
• Turkey's Space Strategy: Trilateral Cooperation With Russia, Kazakhstan is Logical, Agency Head Says Sputnik 04 Dec 2020 -- Independent access to space has become one of Turkey's national priorities under the Recep Tayyip Erdogan government. Turkey's Space Agency head, Serdar Hüseyin Yildirim, has shed light on the agency's priorities, plans, aspirations, and joint projects underway.
• The Week In Russia: Fear, Racism, Normalcy, And Numbers RFE/RL 04 Dec 2020 -- A remark in Barack Obama's memoir and a racist TV sketch targeting the former U.S. president play into persistent questions about Russia's image in the world. The country's official COVID-19 numbers also face questions as the toll rises and the Kremlin seeks to ramp up availability of a vaccine that was rushed to approval in August.
• Passage Exercise (PASSEX) between Russian Federation Navy and Indian Navy in Eastern Indian Ocean Region India PIB 04 Dec 2020 -- The Indian Navy (IN) is undertaking a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR) from 4 to 5 December 2020.
• Russia detains physicist for passing info abroad Press TV 04 Dec 2020 -- Russian authorities detain a physicist on suspicion of treason for passing classified information about the country's aviation industry to foreign governments.
• Russia Arrests Hypersonic Aircraft Scientist For High Treason RFE/RL 04 Dec 2020 -- A Russian court has ordered the arrest of a physicist specializing in hypersonic aircraft on suspicion of high treason.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, December 3, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 03 Dec 2020
• Russia to begin mass COVID-19 vaccinations next week People's Daily 03 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday instructed the government to begin large-scale vaccinations against the coronavirus next week.
• Serbia Receives First Batch of Russia's Sputnik V Coronavirus Vaccine for Study - Vucic Sputnik 03 Dec 2020 -- Serbia has received the first batch of Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus that will be studied by the national health bodies, President Aleksandar Vucic said.
• NATO Addresses Russian 'Military Buildup,' Situation In Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 03 Dec 2020 -- NATO foreign ministers concluded a two-day meeting on December 2 that paves the path for reforms within the transatlantic alliance as it faces twin challenges from Russia and China, as well as key decisions about the situation Afghanistan.
• At OSCE Meeting, Russia Blasted For Undermining Europe's Security RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun has used a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to slam Russia for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, of seeking to undermine the democratic processes in the region, and of committing human rights abuses against its own people.
• Russia's Next Economic 'Shock' Likely To Come From Impoverished Regions, Experts Say RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- The Russian economy's next shock is more likely to come from its struggling regions than from external factors such as Western sanctions or low oil prices, according to a panel of experts.
• US Lawmakers Include Expanded Nord Stream-2 Sanctions in 2021 Defense Bill Sputnik 03 Dec 2020 -- Negotiating teams from both chambers of the US Congress said in a joint statement that they had included expanded sanctions against Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the final version of the 2021 US defense spending bill.
• EU Executive Plan Proposes Sanctions On Spreaders Of Fake News, Such As Russia RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova says the EU's executive arm will propose sanctioning entities who spread disinformation -- especially "foreign actors" from such countries as Russia and China -- in an effort to "impose a cost" on those putting out fake news.
• Russian President Orders 'Large-Scale' Coronavirus Vaccinations Beginning Next Week RFE/RL 02 Dec 2020 -- President Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to start "large-scale" coronavirus vaccinations next week, as Russia tries to ramp up availability, and attention, for its Sputnik-V vaccine.
• Putin Asks Russian Government to Start Mass Vaccination Against COVID Next Week Sputnik 02 Dec 2020 -- Moscow previously planned to start mass vaccinations against COVID-19 in 2021 and make it voluntary. Last week, Russia began mass coronavirus vaccinations among its armed forces personnel, planning to vaccinate over 400,000 servicemen in total.
• A New White House Spokeswoman, An Old Photo, And A Message About Russian Propaganda RFE/RL 02 Dec 2020 -- Six years ago, the woman who was the face of the U.S. State Department was subjected to constant trolling on the Russian-language Internet, not to mention derision from the state-controlled satellite channel that used to be known as Russia Today.
• Putin Calls On Leaders Of CSTO Member States To Support Armenia's Prime Minister RFE/RL 02 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on the leaders of member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to support Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, who has been under pressure in Yerevan for signing a Russian-brokered agreement that stopped a war in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region last month.
• Russia deploys advanced S-300 missile system to island disputed with Japan Press TV 02 Dec 2020 -- Russia says it has deployed its advanced S-300V4 air defense missile system for combat duty on one of four islands in the Kuril chain disputed with Japan.
• Russia Deploys Air-Defense Missiles To Disputed Kurile Islands RFE/RL 02 Dec 2020 -- The Russian military has announced the deployment of advanced air-defense missiles to the Kurile Islands claimed by Japan.
• European Rights Court Finds Russia Denied Physicist Fair Trial In Treason Case RFE/RL 02 Dec 2020 -- The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on December 1 ruled that Russia violated a top physicist's right to a fair trial in a 2014 trial on treason and fraud charges.
• 'People With Initiative': Across Russia, Opposition Elected Officials Say Ruling Party Is Playing Hardball RFE/RL 02 Dec 2020 -- "Those in power don't like people with initiative - particularly if they are honest and independent," said Vyacheslav Galinov, an independent member of the local council in Guryevsk, a city of some 25,000 people in southwestern Siberia.
• Fears over supply chain from COVID-19 cases in imported Russian seafood Global Times 01 Dec 2020 -- The rising number of coronavirus cases in cold chain imported aquatic products from Russia, China's largest source of aquatic imports, has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the seafood industry both domestically and globally, with industry insiders calling for further cooperation in cross-border cold chains in a bid to ensure smoother supply in the post-pandemic era.
• NATO Welcomes US-Russia Dialogue on Extension of New START Treaty, Secretary General Says Sputnik 01 Dec 2020 -- NATO believes it is crucial to have a Russian-US agreement regulating the number of nuclear warheads and thus welcomes the dialogue between Moscow and Washington on extension of the New START treaty, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.
• Russian Investigative Committee Denies Probe Into Navalny Interview RFE/RL 01 Dec 2020 -- Russia's Investigative Committee has rejected reports saying a probe has been launched into opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station.