Governor resigns
President Vladimir Putin has accepted the resignation of Kemerovo region governor Aman Tuleyev, 73, after a deadly fire swept through a shopping mall killing at least 64 people in his region.
Tuleyev said in a filmed address that “with such a heavy burden, it’s impossible to work.”
Replacement and arrests
Tuleyev was replaced with his deputy Sergei Tsivilev, who made headlines last week for accusing a man who lost his family in the tragedy of “self-promotion,” before later getting on his knees to apologize in front of protesters in Kemerovo.
Two more people have been arrested as part of the criminal investigation into the Winter Cherry mall fire, including an executive at the firm that owned the shopping mall as well as a state inspection officer at the Gosstroynadzor construction watchdog.
Oligarch detained
Russian billionaire Ziyavudin Magomedov has been charged with embezzling more than $35 million and detained until May 30 in one of the highest-profile prosecutions of a Russian tycoon in years.
Magomedov, who has investments in U.S. tech ventures, including Uber and the Virgin One Hyperloop project, was detained along with his brother and the head of his Summa Group company, which was involved in the construction of a soccer venue for the World Cup in Russia.
British standoff
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has told Britain that it must cut over 50 more of its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia as a standoff deepened over the poisoning of a Russian former spy and his daughter in England.
Moscow also demanded an official explanation for the search of a Russian passenger plane in London and advised its citizens to think carefully before traveling to Britain, warning they could fall victim to official harassment.
Landfill protests
Up to 6,000 residents gathered again in the town of Volokolamsk, 100 kilometers outside of Moscow, to demand the closure of a toxic landfill whose gases poisoned scores of schoolchildren last month, and to call for the dismissal of the Moscow region governor.
Interfax reported that several more people were arrested after organizing a procession of vehicles from Volokolamsk to Moscow later on Sunday.
Hacker extradited
The Czech Republic has extradited Russian citizen Yevgeniy Nikulin to the United States, where he is accused of hacking social networks, after a battle over whether he would be sent to the United States or Russia.
Nikulin pleaded not guilty to charges of illegally accessing computers belonging to U.S.-based social media firms LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring in 2012, potentially compromising the personal details of more than 100 million users.
Reuters contributed reporting to this article.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
