Russia

MOSCOW (AP) — A former mayor of Russia’s fourth-largest city was detained on Thursday on charges that could land him behind bars, part of authorities’ efforts to muzzle dissent.

Yevgeny Roizman, a sharp critic of the Kremlin, is one of the most visible and charismatic opposition figures in Russia. He enjoyed broad popularity while serving as mayor of Yekaterinburg, a city of 1.5 million people in the Ural Mountains.

MOSCOW, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said the theory that Ukrainian activists were involved in the Nord Stream pipelines blast last year is "complete nonsense," alleging the United States is behind what he called a "terrorist attack."

15 Mar 2023; MEMO: Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad, arrived in Moscow on Tuesday on his first official visit outside the Middle East since last month's devastating earthquake, according to a statement from the Syrian Presidency via the Telegram messaging app, Reuters reports.

Assad will hold talks with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, during his visit, alongside a large Syrian ministerial delegation, the statement said.

13 Mar 2023; MEMO: A meeting on Syria at the level of deputy foreign ministers between Turkiye, Russia, Iran and Syria will be held in Russia's capital on 15-16 March, Turkish diplomatic sources said on Monday, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The meeting will be attended by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister, Burak Akcapar, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, their Syrian counterpart Ayman Susan and Ali Asghar Khaji, a senior adviser to Iran's Foreign Minister.

13 Mar 2023; MEMO: Russia does not object to another extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative "but only for 60 days", the deputy Foreign Minister said on Monday, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The deal was set to complete its second term on 18 March.

MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/: Russian air defense forces shot down 12 rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, a HARM anti-radiation missile and destroyed 16 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Monday.

MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/: Moscow welcomes any and all steps taken by Iran and Saudi Arabia to facilitate an easing of tensions in the region and revive a dialogue between the neighboring Gulf countries, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

"We welcome any steps that can and will help reduce tensions and reinvigorate dialogue in the region, in a very unstable region," Peskov told a news briefing. "Especially when it comes to such key regional players as Saudi Arabia and Iran."

VLADIVOSTOK, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia launched a Proton-M carrier rocket with a Breeze-M upper stage on Monday, sending the Luch-5X relay satellite into space.

The Proton-M rocket was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 02:13 a.m. Moscow time (2313 GMT Sunday), Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos said in a statement.

The upper stage has separated from the third stage of the Proton-M and is currently putting the satellite into the designated orbit.

Russia's Luch multifunctional space relay system was put into trial operation in February 2016.

MOSCOW (AP) — Western sanctions have hit Russian banks, wealthy individuals and technology imports. But after a year of far-reaching restrictions aimed at degrading Moscow’s war chest, economic life for ordinary Russians doesn’t look all that different than it did before the invasion of Ukraine.

There’s no mass unemployment, no plunging currency, no lines in front of failing banks. The assortment at the supermarket is little changed, with international brands still available or local substitutes taking their place.

MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 11,985 over the past day to 22,423,093, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Sunday.

A day earlier, 12,241 daily cases were recorded.

As many as 758 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 52.4% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in ten regions, while in 71 regions the figure decreased. The situation remained unchanged in four regions. A day earlier, 1,594 people were rushed to hospitals.