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New U.S. Sanctions Target Putin's Allies

The U.S. on Monday expanded its blacklist of Russian officials and companies to face sanctions over Moscow's “illegitimate and unlawful actions” in...

Separatists in Donetsk Give Khodorkovsky the Boot

Insurgents in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk occupying the local city hall on Sunday denied entry to former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky...

Vkontakte Founder Flees Russia, Claims Persecution

Pavel Durov, the founder of Russia’s largest social networking website, fled the country on Tuesday, a day after he said he was forced out as the company’s...

Putin Signs Law Easing Citizenship Procedure

President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday simplifying procedures for obtaining citizenship for Russian speakers living outside the country and those...

Fatal Shootout Torpedoes Geneva Deal

The killing of at least one man at a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian separatists outside the eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk on Sunday has...

West and Russia Agree on Steps to Ease Ukraine Tensions

After seven hours of talks in Geneva on Thursday, Russia, the U.S., the European Union and Ukraine reached a deal on a joint plan to ease tensions...

Russia's Top Diplomatic School in Turmoil Over Crimea Annexation

Russia's top university for aspiring diplomats, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, makes a show of being a worldly place.

Crimea Annexation Spurs Some Russians to Emigrate

National polls appear to show widespread support among Russians for the government's seizure and annexation of the Crimean peninsula last month. But...

Observers Say Russia Had Crimea Plan for Years

As fallout from Russia's annexation of Crimea continues to build with economic sanctions and diplomatic spats, speculation has grown over whether the Kremlin's...

Putin's Crimea Move Cripples Opposition

During his triumphant speech on Crimea's annexation earlier this week, President Vladimir Putin stressed that his policy was supported by an "absolute...

Lavrov and Kerry Fail to Reach Agreement on Ukraine

Two days before Crimea is set to vote on whether to split from Ukraine and join Russia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his U.S. and British...

Crimea Vote Galvanizes Separatists in Russia

For separatist groups in Dagestan, Tatarstan and other regions of Russia, the Kremlin's support of a referendum on independence in Ukraine's Crimea...

Muscovites Rally For and Against Kremlin Actions in Ukraine

As temperatures in Moscow reached a record high on Monday, hundreds of people rushed to one of the city's central squares to express clashing opinions...

Avalanche Warnings and Red Tape Threaten Sochi's Legacy Ski Resorts

As the most expensive Winter Olympics in history fade into memory, the Kremlin hopes that the ski resorts of Krasnaya Polyana will live on as a lasting...

Activists Say No Flood of Refugees Observed

The Federal Migration Service's recent announcement that an unprecedented number of Ukrainian citizens have rushed to Russia to seek asylum amid an escalating...

Sochi Ready for Tourists After Games End

With the end of the Olympics, the number of volunteers and Russian sports fans in Sochi has fallen, but crowds of foreign visitors still flooded...

Sochi Notebook: Russian Fans Marvel at New Facilities

Even with the tens of thousands of sports fans who have come to Sochi for the Winter Games from around the world, Russian visitors predominate at the...

Sochi Notebook: Ticket Scalpers Given Free Rein Outside Olympic Park

Olympic Park admission tickets cost 200 rubles ($5.60), but with all tickets for the last three days already sold, scalpers have gained an opportunity...

Former Anarchists Make Sochi Environment Their Cause

On a hill covered by blooming mimosa bushes in the small village of Verkhneye Vesyoloye, residents enjoy a splendid view of the Olympic Park and its...

Sochi Notebook: Medal-Flavored Champagne Anyone?

SOCHI — After the official medals ceremony each night, Russian athletes tend to celebrate their victories in a narrow circle — but in accordance...

Sochi Notebook: Medal-Flavored Champagne Anyone?

SOCHI — After the official medals ceremony each night, Russian athletes tend to celebrate their victories in a narrow circle — but in accordance...

Olympic Games Putting Strain on Sochi Museum

With the Winter Olympic Games under way in Sochi, sports have taken over the city completely, and even the Fine Arts Museum is hosting exhibitions...

Sochi Notebook: 'Tolerance House' Offers No Solace for Gays

Walking one day through central Sochi I saw a sign for "Tolerance House." My first thought was that it was a place for gay Olympic visitors. But gays...

Sochi's 'Tolerance House' Offers no Solace for Gays

Walking one day through central Sochi I saw a sign for "Tolerance House." My first thought was that it was a place for gay Olympic visitors. But gays...

Sochi Notebook: Want to Ski? Only One Resort Is Open

If you are inspired by the Winter Games and want to try skiing or snowboarding yourself in Sochi, you have only one choice: the Mountain Carousel, or Gornaya...

Sochi Security Gets High Marks

Security concerns over terrorist attacks have declined since the Sochi Winter Olympics kicked off over the weekend, and visitors say they have not been...

Want to Ski? Only One Resort Is Open

If you are inspired by the Winter Games and want to try skiing or snowboarding yourself in Sochi, you have only one choice: the Mountain Carousel...

Cheers and Jeers From Sochi Residents for Opening Ceremony

The Olympic opening ceremony marked a particularly special occasion for Sochi residents, who have spent the past 6 1/2 years experiencing the excitement...

What to Do If You Get Sick in Sochi

More than 1,000 doctors from Russia's regions have been sent to Sochi for the Olympic period, with more than 250 million rubles allocated for providing...

Sochi Notebook: The Old Man and the Hill

One particularly picturesque hill in central Sochi is being transformed into the new Svetlana district, an area being built up with prestigious apartment...

The Old Man and the Hill

One particularly picturesque hill in central Sochi is being transformed into the new Svetlana district, an area being built up with prestigious apartment...

An Unexpected Irish Pub

Tucked among a variety of places offering Caucasus food and drinking traditions is an unexpected find: an Irish pub. Harat's, part of a chain of 24...

With Sochi Locked Down, Worries Arise of an Attack Elsewhere

Amid unprecedented security measures by the authorities to secure Sochi for the Winter Olympics, observers have expressed concerns that other cities...

Flying to the Games, With a Few Snags Along the Way

While fastening my seatbelt on a plane to Sochi, with the pilot announcing that he would be getting us there in two hours and that it is 30 degrees...

Putin Rebukes EU Actions in Ukraine

At the EU-Russia summit in Brussels on Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin promised that Russia would not interfere in the political conflict raging...

Navalny Publishes Sochi Corruption Report

Whistleblower and opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Monday published an investigation into the construction of Olympic facilities in Sochi that...

Follow Yekaterina's Sochi Notebook Starting Feb. 3

You can follow Yekaterina Kravtsova's Sochi notebook starting Feb. 3. In the meantime, read some of her previous articles on Sochi.

Lebedev to Walk Free After 10 Years

The Supreme Court has reduce the sentence of former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky's business partner Platon Lebedev and immediately release him, but critics...

Olympic Teams Prepare for Possible Security Crisis in Sochi

Amid heightened concerns about security at the upcoming Sochi Winter Games, Russia has introduced extensive safeguards that observers say are close to those...

U.S.-Russian Sochi Cooperation 'Subject to Mistrust'

As the U.S. expressed concern over the safety of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and offered to send its own warships to assist in case...

EU Links Easing of Visas to Russia's Rights Record

An official from the European Union spoke out about several concerns over Russia during a visit to Moscow on Friday, warning that plans for a visa-free...

'Not a Single Complaint' About Sochi Preparations

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak has said that there had been no misuse of funds allocated for the upcoming 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, with only...

Putin Appoints Belykh Acting Kirov Governor

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday appointed Nikita Belykh acting governor of the Kirov region until the next elections in September, thereby renewing...

Lavrov and Kerry Meet Ahead of Syria Talks

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Paris on Monday with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss the long-awaited Syrian peace conference...

7 Greenpeace Activists Allowed to Leave Russia

As the last Greenpeace activist detained in the Arctic 30 protest received notification Thursday that he was cleared of all charges under a recently passed...

Russia Builds Up Arctic Forces as Resource Fight Intensifies

As nations around the world begin to clamor for territory in the resource-rich Arctic, Russia is rapidly building up its military presence in the...

New Suspect in Bolotnoye Case Pleads Guilty

The Zamoskvoretsky District Court began hearings Tuesday against a previously unheard-of suspect in the so-called Bolotnoye case who pleaded guilty...

German Role Seen as Pivotal in Khodorkovsky Release

After former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky walked free on Friday after more than 10 years in prison, he spent less than 24 hours in his home country...

Putin Says He Has Never Met Snowden

During his annual press conference on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said he had never met former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden...

Moscow's Largest Gay Club Comes Under Attack, Director Says

The head of Moscow's biggest gay club has asked President Vladimir Putin to take measures to protect the club from repeated attacks, which he says...

Putin's Speech Omits Anticipated Bombshell

Perhaps the biggest surprise about President Vladimir Putin's speech was that it contained no surprises. Expectations were high in the hours before the annual...

Putin Lays Out Illegal Migration Agenda During Annual Address

President Vladimir Putin touched upon the burning topic of illegal migration and Russia's relations with former Soviet republics during his State of the...

Russia-EU Tug of War Over Ukraine Escalates

As pro-European protesters continue to face off against riot police on Kiev's central square, a related confrontation between Western governments and Russia...

Prosecutor General's Office Hints at New Charges for Khodorkovsky

Jailed oil tycoon and former Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who is set to be freed next year, may face new criminal charges, the Deputy Prosecutor...

Q&A: Discipline Brings Healthy Success to MDMG Head

As any woman and some men know, giving birth is a traumatic experience. Which is why patients checking into one of MD Medical Group's 14 clinics for prenatal...

Lavrov Slams NATO Response to Ukraine

At a meeting with NATO counterparts on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov slammed NATO's response to recent protests in Ukraine and said...

European Bodies Express Support for Ukraine Protesters

NATO and European politicians have expressed their support for Ukrainian anti-government protesters, disputing a statement by President Vladimir Putin...

Greenpeace Ship Photographer Says He Has No Regrets

Freelance photographer Denis Sinyakov has worked in war zones around the world, from Afghanistan to South Ossetia to Israel. He never expected that...

Delays Beset Politkovskaya Case

Seven years and 51 days have passed since journalist Anna Politkovskaya was killed in her apartment building in central Moscow, but so far only one...

Greenpeace Rebuffs Talk of Arctic Protest Conspiracy

In early October, Rosneft head Igor Sechin made a brief, enigmatic comment suggesting that there was more than meets the eye behind a Greenpeace protest...

Skolkovo Warned Over Potential $4Bln in Misspending

Fraudulent schemes used during the creation of state-owned innovation hub Skolkovo have created the potential for misspending almost $4 billion in state...

Putin Pledges $1.5Bln Energy Investment in Ecuador

Russia will invest up to $1.5 billion into energy projects in Ecuador, President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday, with oil and gas exploitation and power...

Russians See Greenpeace Protest as a Foreign Plot

State pollster VTsIOM released survey results Monday regarding last month's Greenpeace protest in the Arctic that indicate more than a third of Russians...

10 Years on, Khodorkovsky's Arrest Called a Turning Point in History

When Vladimir Pereverzin woke up Oct. 25, 2003, he had no reason to suspect that there would be anything unusual about the day. But when he clicked...

Gazprom's Bric-a-Brac Rig Called a Risk to the Arctic

Gazprom's Prirazlomnaya platform, the advance guard of the coming expansion of Russia's state energy corporations into the Arctic, is a cobbled together...

11 Nobel Peace Prize Winners Urge Putin to Free Greenpeace Activists

International pressure on Russia over the arrest of Greenpeace activists mounts as the Nobel Peace Prize winners press President Vladimir Putin to drop...

Ex-Convicts Regain Right to Run in Elections

The Constitutional Court has ruled to allow people previously convicted of "serious and very serious crimes" to run for public office, in a move...

Russia's Syria Ties Boost Humanitarian Aid, Red Cross Says

Russia's close relations with the Syrian government are helping to boost humanitarian aid to the country's residents and refugees by establishing...

Russian Diplomats Evacuated From Libya (Video)

Russia evacuated its diplomats from Libya on Thursday after an armed group stormed the Russian Embassy in Tripoli and clashed with government security...

14 Greenpeace Activists Face Piracy Charges

At least 14 crew members of a Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise, who took part in a protest near a Russian oil platform in the Arctic were hit...

Naryshkin Challenges PACE Criticism of Russia's Laws

After the Council of Europe issued a damning report calling Russia's legislation repressive and its justice system politically motivated, the Russian...

Dutch Journalist Says Denied Entry for Sochi Reporting

An award-winning Dutch photojournalist who has been working in Russia's turbulent North Caucasus region for five years, has been refused a Russian...

Greenpeace Vows to Appeal Activists' Detention

Lawyers for the more than 20 detained Greenpeace activists who took part in a protest near a Russian oil platform in the Arctic earlier this month have...

Russia Pushes for Further Arctic Exploitation

The time for an industrial breakthrough has come in the Arctic, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday at the International Arctic Forum in Salekhard...

Merkel's Re-Election Called Good for Russia

The victory of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party in the country's general elections Sunday is expected to secure the stability...

U.S.-Visa Applicants Bury iPads, Hide Belongings Due to New Embassy Rules

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has introduced new safety rules for its visitors, and they seem to have taken many visa applicants by surprise.

McCain Slams Putin in Pravda Op-Ed

U.S. Senator John McCain responded Thursday to President Vladimir Putin's op-ed in The New York Times by publishing a sharp rebuke of the Russian leader...

Business Ombudsman Proposes Amnesty for Migrants

Amid rising anti-migrant sentiment and calls to introduce strict rules for migrants from Central Asian countries, business ombudsman Boris Titov has...

U.S.-Russia Deal on Syria Gets Off to Wobbly Start

Two days after reaching a lauded agreement on resolving the Syria conflict, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry...

Sobyanin Wins, Vote Count Contested

The acting head of Moscow is declared the victor in the mayoral vote, but leading challenger Alexei Navalny demands a recount.

Navalny Confident in 2nd Round of Election

Opposition leader and mayoral candidate Alexei Navalny responded to the news of his defeat in the elections on Sunday with reassurances that there...

Gay Rights Issue Winds Up on G20 Agenda

President Vladimir Putin will likely find himself responding to Western criticism of Russia's anti-gay propaganda law at the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg...

Syria Expected to Hijack G20 Agenda

Six leaders of guest countries and eight heads of the largest international financial bodies will join them. As part of the official agenda approved by...

Gay Expats Experience Hardships, and Joys, of Russia

John, a 31-year-old American lawyer, said that when his family and friends first found out he was coming to live in Russia, they immediately assumed...

Russia to Send Ships to Mediterranean

Russia announced Thursday plans to increase its Navy presence in the Mediterranean as ships from the U.S., Britain and France stood by to await...

Syria Peace Talks Derailed as Talk of Intervention Intensifies

The Syrian opposition on Monday ruled out any chance of peace talks next month as President Vladimir Putin and UK Prime Minister David Cameron discussed...

Navalny Faces New Pressure as Mayoral Race Heats Up

The mayoral campaign of opposition leader Alexei Navalny faced a new wave of pressure by authorities Thursday as the Moscow Elections Commission...

Navalny's Campaign Relies on Innovation

Widely considered the one contender adding intrigue to the mayoral race, the activist's campaign does things a bit differently.

Golos Reborn in Time for Election Day

Sitting in a tiny room that serves as a temporary office for elections watchdog Golos, Grigory Melkonyants, a senior member of the now defunct organization...

As Mayoral Vote Approaches, Parties 'Imitate' Political Activity

The Communist Party has filed a request to several government agencies asking them to check whether ruling party United Russia had received foreign...

Apartment Raid Leaves Navalny Supporters Baffled

Supporters of mayoral hopeful Alexei Navalny on Wednesday were struggling to find answers over an incident that took place Tuesday evening that saw...

Seliger Urges Patriotism, Not Politics

When the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi announced its closure last year, it seemed the days were numbered for the Seliger camp, where the gathering...

Little Progress Expected at U.S.-Russia Talks

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu are set to meet Friday with their U.S. counterparts in Washington to discuss arms...

Top Cops 'Protected' Traffickers, Interior Ministry Says

Two high-ranking police officers and a Federal Migration Service official were involved in a criminal scheme that brought illegal immigrants to Russia...

Sentence Reduced In Yukos Case

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday to cut the sentence of former oil tycoon and Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev by...

'Migrant Camp' Inspires New Facilities

The human rights council calls conditions at a camp with hundreds of immigrants "inhumane" as authorities promise to set up more.

Sochi Athletes Not Exempt From Gay Law

Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said Thursday that Russia's legislation against "gay propaganda" would apply to athletes and visitors of the Olympic Games...

Urlashov Faces More Charges

Investigators said Wednesday that they were preparing a new criminal case against former Yaroslavl Mayor Yevgeny Urlashov, who was arrested on attempted...

Group Debate Irks Mayoral Candidates

Moscow's election committee announced Tuesday that debates for the Sept. 8 mayoral election will be held with the participation of all six candidates...

Court Finds Violations in Khodorkovsky Case

The European Court of Human Rights issued a ruling Thursday saying the prosecution of former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon...