Author: Vladimir Isachenkov
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Putin says U.S. and U.K. were behind Black Sea ‘provocation’
MOSCOW • Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that an incident involving a British destroyer in the Black Sea couldn’t have triggered a global conflict even if Russia had sunk the warship because the West knows it can’t win such a war. The tough statement appeared to indicate his resolve to raise the stakes should…
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Russia says warning shots deter U.K. warship; London denies it
MOSCOW • Russia said one of its warships in the Black Sea fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs Wednesday to force a British destroyer out of an area near Crimea that Moscow claims as its territorial waters, but Britain denied that account and insisted its ship wasn’t fired upon. It was the first…
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Russian court outlaws opposition leader Navalny’s groups
MOSCOW • A Moscow court Wednesday night outlawed the organizations founded by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny by labeling them extremist, the latest move in a campaign to silence dissent and bar Kremlin critics from running for parliament in September. The Moscow City Court’s ruling, effective immediately, prevents people associated with Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting…
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Russia slows down Twitter, part of social media clampdown
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities said Wednesday they are slowing down the speed of uploading photos and videos to Twitter over its failure to remove banned content — part of growing efforts to curb social media platforms that have played a major role in amplifying dissent. The state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, said it began the…
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Moscow court orders Kremlin foe Navalny to prison
MOSCOW • A Moscow court on Tuesday ordered Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to prison for more than 2 1/2 years, finding that he violated the terms of his probation while recuperating in Germany from nerve-agent poisoning. The ruling ignited protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Navalny, who is the most prominent critic of President…
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Putin: Russia is ready to provide security help to Belarus
MINSK, Belarus • Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that he stands ready to send police to Belarus if protests there turn violent but sees no such need yet, while Belarusian police dispersed a protest in the capital with renewed vigor Thursday, detaining about 180 people and raising pressure on the opposition. Belarus’ authoritarian president of…
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Scientists uneasy as Russia approves 1st coronavirus vaccine
MOSCOW • Russia on Tuesday became the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine, a move that was met with international skepticism and unease because the shots have only been studied in dozens of people. President Vladimir Putin announced the Health Ministry’s approval and said one of his two adult daughters was inoculated. He said…
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Russian voters agree to let Putin seek 2 more terms
MOSCOW • Russian voters approved changes to the constitution that will allow President Vladimir Putin to hold power until 2036, but the weeklong plebiscite that concluded Wednesday was tarnished by widespread reports of pressure on voters and other irregularities. With the nation’s polls closed and 30% of all precincts counted, 74% voted for the constitutional…
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Putin backs term limit freeze allowing him to stay in office
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed his tightly guarded political plans Tuesday and supported a constitutional amendment that would allow him to seek reelection in 2024 by restarting the term count. The constitutional change would pave the way for the 67-year-old Putin to stay in office until 2036, if he desires. A lawmaker…
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Russia, Turkey reach cease-fire deal in northwestern Syria
MOSCOW • The presidents of Russia and Turkey said they reached agreement on a cease-fire to begin at midnight Thursday in northwestern Syria, where escalating fighting had threatened to put forces from the two countries into direct conflict. The deal struck by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also would set…