themoscowtimes--2020-11-19--Bolsonaro Beams as Putin Praises His 'Masculinity'

Putin lavished praise on Bolsonaro Tuesday in an address to a virtual summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies ( Brazil , Russia , India , China and South Africa ) , saying the far-right president was an example of `` courage '' for his management of the coronavirus pandemic .
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was beaming Wednesday after his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin praised his `` masculinity '' in a speech , triggering a flood of jokes online about a budding `` bromance . ''
- Palavras do Presidente da Rússia , Vladimir Putin , ao término do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YouTube : https : //t.co/DR60KPr7CJ pic.twitter.com/DmQ3SbLAML '' You were even infected personally by this disease , and withstood the ordeal with great courage , '' Putin said of Bolsonaro 's July illness , according to a transcript that the Brazilian himself posted on Facebook .
`` I know that moment must not have been easy , but you faced it like a real man and showed the best qualities of masculinity , such as strength and willpower , '' he added .
Besides posting the video and transcript online , Bolsonaro proudly brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters outside the presidential palace .
`` Anyone see the Russian president 's speech yesterday ?
Did anyone catch that ? ''
he asked .
The episode gave birth to a flood of memes poking fun at the Russian strongman and the Brazilian populist .
In one , a bare-chested Bolsonaro sits behind an also-shirtless Putin atop his horse .

Putin lavished praise on Bolsonaro Tuesday in an address to a virtual summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), saying the far-right president was an example of "courage" for his management of the coronavirus pandemic.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was beaming Wednesday after his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin praised his "masculinity" in a speech, triggering a flood of jokes online about a budding "bromance."
- Palavras do Presidente da Rússia, Vladimir Putin, ao término do encontro do BRICS. . Link no YouTube: https://t.co/DR60KPr7CJ pic.twitter.com/DmQ3SbLAML
"You were even infected personally by this disease, and withstood the ordeal with great courage," Putin said of Bolsonaro's July illness, according to a transcript that the Brazilian himself posted on Facebook.
"I know that moment must not have been easy, but you faced it like a real man and showed the best qualities of masculinity, such as strength and willpower," he added.
Besides posting the video and transcript online, Bolsonaro proudly brought up the speech with a group of supporters outside the presidential palace.
"Anyone see the Russian president's speech yesterday? Did anyone catch that?" he asked.
The episode gave birth to a flood of memes poking fun at the Russian strongman and the Brazilian populist.
In one, a bare-chested Bolsonaro sits behind an also-shirtless Putin atop his horse.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-19--Picketing 'Slavic Santa' Arrested on Red Square

A man dressed in a Santa suit was detained on Red Square late Wednesday for staging a single-person picket against the scrapping of Moscow 's New Year celebrations due to the coronavirus , the Apologia Protesta legal aid group said .
Two “ elves ” accompanying the protester were also reportedly detained .
A photo posted by Apologia Protesta showed the man dressed in a dark blue Santa Claus costume holding the sign “ Ded Moroz [ Grandfather Frost ] Is Against Shutting Down Christmas Trees.
” Ded Moroz , the Slavic equivalent of Santa Claus , is a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrations .
Moscow ’ s mayor called off this year 's New Year ’ s Eve and Christmas celebrations and suspended mass events as part of the city ’ s latest restrictions to try to stop the spread of Covid-19 .
The Russian capital will also not hold its annual monthlong “ Journey to Christmas ” festival , though municipal authorities will still put up New Year decorations and lights around the city for the holidays .
A record-breaking number of Russians have been infected and killed by the virus in recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m really worried about the New Year , ” the man , flanked by the two young women in elf suits , said in a video shared by Apologia Protesta as a police officer approached him .
“ I really want the New Year to take place .
I ’ m against its cancelation.
” Closer to midnight , Apologia Protesta posted an update saying the “ elves ” were released while the unnamed Santa faced up to 40 hours of community service and a $ 250 fine for @ @ @ @

A man dressed in a Santa suit was detained on Red Square late Wednesday for staging a single-person picket against the scrapping of Moscow's New Year celebrations due to the coronavirus, the Apologia Protesta legal aid group said. Two “elves” accompanying the protester were also reportedly detained.
A photo posted by Apologia Protesta showed the man dressed in a dark blue Santa Claus costume holding the sign “Ded Moroz [Grandfather Frost] Is Against Shutting Down Christmas Trees.” Ded Moroz, the Slavic equivalent of Santa Claus, is a key figure in Russia’s New Year celebrations. Moscow’s mayor called off this year's New Year’s Eve and Christmas celebrations and suspended mass events as part of the city’s latest restrictions to try to stop the spread of Covid-19. The Russian capital will also not hold its annual monthlong “Journey to Christmas” festival, though municipal authorities will still put up New Year decorations and lights around the city for the holidays.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-20--Moscow, St. Petersburg Residents Least Likely to Catch Coronavirus – Study

Residents of Perm and Voronezh , on the other hand , are among those most likely to contract the virus , with the risk of getting infected 15 % higher than the national average , according to the research arm of Russia ’ s dominant lender Sber .
While Moscow and St. Petersburg are the epicenters of Russia ’ s coronavirus outbreak , a new analysis claims that its residents are among those with the lowest risk of getting coronavirus within the country .
The Siberian cities of Irkutsk and Novosibirsk followed with 7 % higher risk of contracting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the RBC news website .
Using a so-called symptom checker service , SberIndex named Moscow and St. Petersburg among the cities where residents are least at risk of Covid-19 infection .
Both cities set single-day records for new coronavirus infections Friday as the second wave of the pandemic that has affected more than 2 million Russians shows no sign of slowing down .
Other low-risk cities include the Pacific port of Vladivostok , southern Russia ’ s Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don , as well as Kazan , Nizhny Novgorod , Samara , Ufa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Krasnoyarsk , Chelyabinsk , Omsk and Saratov had risk levels on par with the national average .
The analysis is part of SberIndex ’ s large-scale study into how the Russian economy is handling the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic .
It found that year-on-year consumer spending has fallen by 2.7 % , with tourism and entertainment the hardest-hit industries while spending on medicine increased .
A record number of Russians have been infected and killed by Covid-19 in recent weeks as the second wave shifted from the capital to far-flung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed on their healthcare systems .

Residents of Perm and Voronezh, on the other hand, are among those most likely to contract the virus, with the risk of getting infected 15% higher than the national average, according to the research arm of Russia’s dominant lender Sber.
While Moscow and St. Petersburg are the epicenters of Russia’s coronavirus outbreak, a new analysis claims that its residents are among those with the lowest risk of getting coronavirus within the country.
The Siberian cities of Irkutsk and Novosibirsk followed with 7% higher risk of contracting the virus, according to SberIndex research cited by the RBC news website.
Using a so-called symptom checker service, SberIndex named Moscow and St. Petersburg among the cities where residents are least at risk of Covid-19 infection.
Both cities set single-day records for new coronavirus infections Friday as the second wave of the pandemic that has affected more than 2 million Russians shows no sign of slowing down.
Other low-risk cities include the Pacific port of Vladivostok, southern Russia’s Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don, as well as Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Ufa and Tyumen.
The cities of Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Chelyabinsk, Omsk and Saratov had risk levels on par with the national average.
The analysis is part of SberIndex’s large-scale study into how the Russian economy is handling the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It found that year-on-year consumer spending has fallen by 2.7%, with tourism and entertainment the hardest-hit industries while spending on medicine increased.
A record number of Russians have been infected and killed by Covid-19 in recent weeks as the second wave shifted from the capital to far-flung regions less equipped to manage the strain placed on their healthcare systems.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-20--Macron Accuses Russia, Turkey of Promoting Anti-French Sentiment in Africa

`` We must not be naive on this subject : many of those who speak , who make videos , who are present in the French-speaking media are funded by Russia or Turkey , '' he told Jeune Afrique magazine , accusing Moscow and Ankara of trying `` to play on post-colonial resentment . ''
President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia and Turkey of seeking to promote anti-French sentiment in Africa by funding people who whip up resentment against France in the media , in an interview published Friday .
He also said Turkey was contributing to misunderstandings over his defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wake of last month 's beheading outside Paris of a teacher who had shown his class cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed .
`` When I decided to attack radical Islam ... my words were distorted .
By the Muslim Brotherhood — quite widely — but also by Turkey , which has the ability to influence a lot of public opinion , including in sub-Saharan Africa , '' he said .
Reiterating a position that has caused immense controversy in France and beyond over the last months , he added : `` I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islamist terrorism . ''
Tensions between France and Turkey have risen to new levels over a range of disputes in recent months , including Syria , Libya , the eastern Mediterranean and now France 's crackdown on radical Islam .
France has called for a total rethink of the European Union 's relations with Turkey , which under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the last years has significantly built up its presence and influence in Africa .
Russia has also played an increasingly active role in Africa , with analysts pointing to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mercenary group Wagner .
In a wide-ranging interview , Macron also ruled out negotiating with jihadist groups in the Sahel region of Africa , where France has a thousands-strong force deployed .
`` We do n't talk with terrorists .
We fight , '' Macron said , as debates intensify in France and Africa over the long-term strategy of its Barkhane force .

"We must not be naive on this subject: many of those who speak, who make videos, who are present in the French-speaking media are funded by Russia or Turkey," he told Jeune Afrique magazine, accusing Moscow and Ankara of trying "to play on post-colonial resentment."
President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia and Turkey of seeking to promote anti-French sentiment in Africa by funding people who whip up resentment against France in the media, in an interview published Friday.
He also said Turkey was contributing to misunderstandings over his defense of the right to caricature in the wake of last month's beheading outside Paris of a teacher who had shown his class cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
"When I decided to attack radical Islam... my words were distorted. By the Muslim Brotherhood — quite widely — but also by Turkey, which has the ability to influence a lot of public opinion, including in sub-Saharan Africa," he said.
Reiterating a position that has caused immense controversy in France and beyond over the last months, he added: "I am not attacking Islam, I am attacking Islamist terrorism."
Tensions between France and Turkey have risen to new levels over a range of disputes in recent months, including Syria, Libya, the eastern Mediterranean and now France's crackdown on radical Islam.
France has called for a total rethink of the European Union's relations with Turkey, which under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the last years has significantly built up its presence and influence in Africa.
Russia has also played an increasingly active role in Africa, with analysts pointing to the presence in several countries of the pro-Kremlin mercenary group Wagner.
In a wide-ranging interview, Macron also ruled out negotiating with jihadist groups in the Sahel region of Africa, where France has a thousands-strong force deployed.
"We don't talk with terrorists. We fight," Macron said, as debates intensify in France and Africa over the long-term strategy of its Barkhane force.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-20--Ice Storms in Russia's Far East Prompt State of Emergency

The exceptional weather brought down cables and trees with the government of the Primorye region declaring a state of emergency .
Freak ice storms following an abnormal weather phenomenon have left 150,000 people without water and electricity in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok and prompted a state of emergency .
Aftermath of a snow and ice storm in Vladivostok , Russia .
Around 148,000 homes were without power .
pic.twitter.com/i4LLDstISb '' The situation with the electricity supply remains very difficult — the destruction is widespread , '' the regional administration 's deputy head Elena Parkhamenko said .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to restore power .
Freezing rain began pummelling the city of some 600,000 people overnight Thursday after a cyclone carrying hot air met an anticyclone carrying cold air , Boris Kubay , a local weather service official said .
He said in some places the resulting ice was 12 millimeters thick — something not observed in the region in 30 years .
Photos and videos published by local authorities and on social media showed everything from apartment buildings to road signs to public transport covered in ice .
Video footage from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his car at the last second as he was cleaning ice from its windshield before a block came crashing down from the side of a building .

The exceptional weather brought down cables and trees with the government of the Primorye region declaring a state of emergency.
Freak ice storms following an abnormal weather phenomenon have left 150,000 people without water and electricity in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok and prompted a state of emergency.
Aftermath of a snow and ice storm in Vladivostok, Russia. Around 148,000 homes were without power. pic.twitter.com/i4LLDstISb
"The situation with the electricity supply remains very difficult — the destruction is widespread," the regional administration's deputy head Elena Parkhamenko said.
She said it could take "several days" to restore power.
Freezing rain began pummelling the city of some 600,000 people overnight Thursday after a cyclone carrying hot air met an anticyclone carrying cold air, Boris Kubay, a local weather service official said.
He said in some places the resulting ice was 12 millimeters thick — something not observed in the region in 30 years.
Photos and videos published by local authorities and on social media showed everything from apartment buildings to road signs to public transport covered in ice.
Video footage from a security camera showed a man moving away from his car at the last second as he was cleaning ice from its windshield before a block came crashing down from the side of a building.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-20--In a Poor Russian City, Coronavirus Hits Hard

IVANOVO — In this hardscrabble city in central Russia , the morgues are full and well-paid jobs are scarce .
Though many of Russia ’ s outlying regions are struggling with the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic , Ivanovo — a working-class city of 400,000 located 300 kilometers northeast of Moscow — is coping worse than most .
“ It ’ s impossible to see a doctor , ” Alexei Kucherov , a 33-year-old IT specialist , told The Moscow Times .
“ You have to wait hours or even days for an ambulance to come .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there just aren ’ t enough of them.
” Despite its location just four hours by train from Moscow , Ivanovo is one of Russia ’ s poorest cities , with average monthly salaries around a third of those in the capital .
That has left its healthcare system teetering during the coronavirus pandemic as doctors have traditionally sought higher-paying employment elsewhere .
With the surge in Covid-19 cases in Russia ’ s regions in recent weeks , Ivanovo ’ s already beleaguered health system has been placed under acute strain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital capacity to cope with the emergency , many locals report long waits for coronavirus testing and treatment .
Official figures put the Ivanovo region ’ s daily death tolls in single figures , with 155 new cases and three deaths on Nov. 20 , but local media reports suggest that Russia ’ s classification method means the real figure may be substantially higher .
Local healthcare authorities have stated that up to 15 people in the region are dying of coronavirus every day .
At a recent meeting of the State Duma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Tatyana Golikova described the situation in Ivanovo as “ critical , ” with the region ’ s hospitals having exceeded 95 % capacity .
On Monday , Ivanovo region ’ s healthcare chief Artur Fokin made it clear that the things are getting worse , saying that the region ’ s Covid-19 caseload had substantially increased .
“ Because of this , we are now looking for additional refrigerators , because the morgues are already unable to store the bodies , ” he said .
Ivanovo ranks 81st out of 85 Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a 2019 analysis by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency .
The region ’ s GDP per capita is Russia ’ s sixth lowest , weighing in at around $ 3,000 — comparable with that of Tajikistan .
A particular casualty of Ivanovo ’ s poverty has been its healthcare system .
According to data compiled by the state statistics agency Rosstat , an Ivanovo doctor can expect to earn the equivalent of $ 627 a month , with other medics like nurses and ambulance drivers making around $ 321 — both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for healthcare professionals , and nationwide ahead only of the impoverished republics of the North Caucasus .
Meanwhile , Moscow-based medical staff on average earn over three times as much .
According to several Ivanovo healthcare professionals who spoke to The Moscow Times on condition of anonymity , the prospect of higher salaries in other regions has led to colleagues resigning in pursuit of more lucrative employment elsewhere , despite government bonuses for healthcare personnel working on the frontlines of the pandemic .
Even so , many were reluctant to blame the local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crisis in Ivanovo as the natural result of many years of stretched resources .
“ It ’ s not really anyone ’ s fault .
People can just get more money working privately , or in other regions , ” said Alexei , an Ivanovo region ambulance driver interviewed by The Moscow Times by phone .
A century ago , Ivanovo was an industrial powerhouse .
Then the center of Russia ’ s booming textile industry , it was popularly known as “ The Russian Manchester ” — a reference to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ’ s cotton trade — and “ The City of Brides , ” on account of its mostly female garment workers .
But the collapse of the Soviet Union hit Ivanovo harder than most provincial Russian cities .
The loss of the Central Asian cotton fields that had supplied the city ’ s mills and the arrival in Russia of cheaper Chinese fabrics sent the city ’ s signature industry into a downward spiral from which it has never recovered .
Though many Russian cities outside Moscow and St. Petersburg have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collapse of Soviet-era industries , Ivanovo stands out for the extreme depth of its slump .
“ Ivanovo is just so much poorer even than the neighboring regions , ” said Mikhail , a 27-year-old teacher who declined to give his last name .
“ We just don ’ t have the sort of big IT sector you see in other cities .
All the jobs are in construction , security or shop work , so most people can ’ t afford to stay at home to control the virus.
” Today ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grandeur .
On the city ’ s central Lenin Avenue , the crumbling mansions of 19th-century textile barons jostle for space with Soviet-era apartment blocks .
The vast mills that once employed most of the population either stand empty , or have been converted into budget shopping centers .
In cafes and restaurants , and on the marshrutka minibuses that rattle up and down the streets , mask-wearing and social distancing is observed patchily , despite the threat of a 15,000 ruble ( $ 196 ) fine — equivalent to half an average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mikhail said he sees Ivanovo ’ s extreme coronavirus crisis as a reflection of the city ’ s underlying difficulties .
“ It ’ s not as though we have people lying in the streets , dying from Covid here .
The situation is bad , but it ’ s because of our economic problems , which are much more deep-rooted than just the pandemic.
” Ivanovo also suffers from its proximity to Moscow .
With a new high-speed train taking just four hours to reach the capital , it is easier than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the median monthly salary of $ 866 is more than three times that of Ivanovo .
As such , many locals seek temporary security and construction work in the capital , rotating between the cities .
With the pandemic , however , much of that work has vanished .
Pandemic or no pandemic , in Ivanovo everyday life must go on .
“ This is just a depressed region , ” said Roman Golov , a 41-year-old self-employed carpenter who has had to take on poorly-paid security work to make ends meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s just very little work here .
We ’ re not Moscow .
What can we do ?
”

IVANOVO — In this hardscrabble city in central Russia, the morgues are full and well-paid jobs are scarce. Though many of Russia’s outlying regions are struggling with the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Ivanovo — a working-class city of 400,000 located 300 kilometers northeast of Moscow — is coping worse than most. “It’s impossible to see a doctor,” Alexei Kucherov, a 33-year-old IT specialist, told The Moscow Times. “You have to wait hours or even days for an ambulance to come. But it’s not the doctors’ fault, there just aren’t enough of them.” Despite its location just four hours by train from Moscow, Ivanovo is one of Russia’s poorest cities, with average monthly salaries around a third of those in the capital. That has left its healthcare system teetering during the coronavirus pandemic as doctors have traditionally sought higher-paying employment elsewhere. With the surge in Covid-19 cases in Russia’s regions in recent weeks, Ivanovo’s already beleaguered health system has been placed under acute strain. While authorities have announced an increase in hospital capacity to cope with the emergency, many locals report long waits for coronavirus testing and treatment.
Official figures put the Ivanovo region’s daily death tolls in single figures, with 155 new cases and three deaths on Nov. 20, but local media reports suggest that Russia’s classification method means the real figure may be substantially higher. Local healthcare authorities have stated that up to 15 people in the region are dying of coronavirus every day. At a recent meeting of the State Duma’s healthcare committee, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova described the situation in Ivanovo as “critical,” with the region’s hospitals having exceeded 95% capacity. On Monday, Ivanovo region’s healthcare chief Artur Fokin made it clear that the things are getting worse, saying that the region’s Covid-19 caseload had substantially increased. “Because of this, we are now looking for additional refrigerators, because the morgues are already unable to store the bodies,” he said. Ivanovo ranks 81st out of 85 Russian regions by average monthly salary, according to a 2019 analysis by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency. The region’s GDP per capita is Russia’s sixth lowest, weighing in at around $3,000 — comparable with that of Tajikistan.
A century ago, Ivanovo was a wealthy industrial powerhouse. Felix Light / MT
A particular casualty of Ivanovo’s poverty has been its healthcare system. According to data compiled by the state statistics agency Rosstat, an Ivanovo doctor can expect to earn the equivalent of $627 a month, with other medics like nurses and ambulance drivers making around $321 — both the lowest average salaries in central Russia for healthcare professionals, and nationwide ahead only of the impoverished republics of the North Caucasus. Meanwhile, Moscow-based medical staff on average earn over three times as much. According to several Ivanovo healthcare professionals who spoke to The Moscow Times on condition of anonymity, the prospect of higher salaries in other regions has led to colleagues resigning in pursuit of more lucrative employment elsewhere, despite government bonuses for healthcare personnel working on the frontlines of the pandemic. Even so, many were reluctant to blame the local authorities, or healthcare professionals, seeing the crisis in Ivanovo as the natural result of many years of stretched resources. “It’s not really anyone’s fault. People can just get more money working privately, or in other regions,” said Alexei, an Ivanovo region ambulance driver interviewed by The Moscow Times by phone. ‘City of Brides’ A century ago, Ivanovo was an industrial powerhouse. Then the center of Russia’s booming textile industry, it was popularly known as “The Russian Manchester” — a reference to the English city that was the hub of the world’s cotton trade — and “The City of Brides,” on account of its mostly female garment workers. But the collapse of the Soviet Union hit Ivanovo harder than most provincial Russian cities. The loss of the Central Asian cotton fields that had supplied the city’s mills and the arrival in Russia of cheaper Chinese fabrics sent the city’s signature industry into a downward spiral from which it has never recovered.
The Ivanovo region's hospitals are over 95% full. Felix Light / MT


themoscowtimes--2020-11-20--Russian Jailed for Sharing Military Secrets With CIA – TASS

Yury Yeshchenko is accused of trying to share confidential information about advanced weaponry of the Russian Navy ’ s Northern Fleet .
According to the report , Yeshchenko worked at a radioelectronic maintenance systems provider for the Northern Fleet 's warships in its headquarters of Severomorsk , a closed town in the Arctic .
A Russian citizen who worked on naval ships has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for attempting to pass military secrets to the CIA , the state-run TASS news agency reported Friday .
“ He purposely copied secret documentation for Northern Fleet weapons systems in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Security Service ( FSB ) ’ s public relations center as saying .
Yeshchenko established contact with the CIA in 2019 , the FSB told TASS .
He was reportedly detained in the western region of Bryansk while trying to pass state secrets to an unnamed foreign intelligence service in July 2019 .
A Bryansk court found Yeshchenko guilty of committing high treason and sentenced him Tuesday to 13 years in a high-security colony , it added .
News of the conviction comes one day after the U.S. Justice Department said a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guilty to charges of spying for Russia .
Prosecutors said U.S.-born Green Beret Peter Rafael Dzibinsk Debbins , 45 , was recruited by Russia as early as 1996 .
Debbins was alleged to have provided Russian intelligence information about his U.S. Army chemical and Special Forces units in 2008 .

Yury Yeshchenko is accused of trying to share confidential information about advanced weaponry of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet. According to the report, Yeshchenko worked at a radioelectronic maintenance systems provider for the Northern Fleet's warships in its headquarters of Severomorsk, a closed town in the Arctic.
A Russian citizen who worked on naval ships has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for attempting to pass military secrets to the CIA, the state-run TASS news agency reported Friday.
“He purposely copied secret documentation for Northern Fleet weapons systems in 2015-17,” TASS quoted the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB)’s public relations center as saying.
Yeshchenko established contact with the CIA in 2019, the FSB told TASS. He was reportedly detained in the western region of Bryansk while trying to pass state secrets to an unnamed foreign intelligence service in July 2019.
A Bryansk court found Yeshchenko guilty of committing high treason and sentenced him Tuesday to 13 years in a high-security colony, it added.
Yeshchenko reportedly pleaded guilty in court.
News of the conviction comes one day after the U.S. Justice Department said a former U.S. Army Special Forces officer pleaded guilty to charges of spying for Russia.
Prosecutors said U.S.-born Green Beret Peter Rafael Dzibinsk Debbins, 45, was recruited by Russia as early as 1996. Debbins was alleged to have provided Russian intelligence information about his U.S. Army chemical and Special Forces units in 2008.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-20--Russia Preparing Golden Visa Scheme – Reports

Russia is planning to introduce a golden visa scheme , offering foreigners a permanent residency permit in exchange for investing in the Russian economy , the Izvestia news site reported Friday .
Draft legislation drawn up by the country ’ s Economy Ministry would seek to woo foreign investors by offering residency rights for investments in the Russian economy starting at 10 million rubles ( $ 130,000 ) .
Russia hopes the scheme will attract investors from “ problematic ” jurisdictions in Africa , the Middle East and across Asia .
Russian permanent residency permits give holders a range of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exception of full voting rights or being conscripted for military service .
Permanent residents are taxed at the same level as Russian citizens — which can be significantly lower than for foreigners .
They can also enter and leave Russia without a visa , use Russia ’ s visa-free schemes with other countries , work without the need for a work permit , access social services and start businesses and buy property with less bureaucracy .
However , some experts told Izvestia the proposed costs of the Russian program were relatively high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more sought-after jurisdictions , such as some EU countries and Caribbean islands .

Russia is planning to introduce a golden visa scheme, offering foreigners a permanent residency permit in exchange for investing in the Russian economy, the Izvestia news site reported Friday.
Draft legislation drawn up by the country’s Economy Ministry would seek to woo foreign investors by offering residency rights for investments in the Russian economy starting at 10 million rubles ($130,000). Russia hopes the scheme will attract investors from “problematic” jurisdictions in Africa, the Middle East and across Asia.
Russian permanent residency permits give holders a range of rights similar to Russian citizens, with the exception of full voting rights or being conscripted for military service. Permanent residents are taxed at the same level as Russian citizens — which can be significantly lower than for foreigners. They can also enter and leave Russia without a visa, use Russia’s visa-free schemes with other countries, work without the need for a work permit, access social services and start businesses and buy property with less bureaucracy.
However, some experts told Izvestia the proposed costs of the Russian program were relatively high compared to many other investment-for-residency schemes in more sought-after jurisdictions, such as some EU countries and Caribbean islands.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-20--Russia Confirms Record 24K Coronavirus Cases

Russia ’ s coronavirus information center confirmed a new record of 24,318 infections across all 85 regions Friday .
Moscow , the epicenter of Russia ’ s outbreak , recorded a new daily high of 6,902 cases as did St. Petersburg with 2,394 .
Russia has confirmed more than 24,000 new infections for the first time since the pandemic hit the country eight months ago .
Almost a quarter of all those infected did not exhibit symptoms , the information center said .
Officials say infection rates per 100,000 people have more than doubled from 6.1 in October to 15.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached 2,039,926 one day after Russia became the fifth country to report 2 million Covid-19 diagnoses .
Russia ’ s coronavirus death toll rose to 35,311 , a figure widely believed to be undercounted due to tallying methods , after 461 people died in the past 24 hours .
The virus has increasingly strained hospitals in the regions as the second wave has intensified , with severe shortages of hospital beds , staff and medicine reported across the country .
In recent weeks Russia has re-imposed a nationwide mask mandate and advised regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nightclubs and other late-night establishments but has held off on wider lockdown measures , citing the need to keep businesses open .

Russia’s coronavirus information center confirmed a new record of 24,318 infections across all 85 regions Friday. Moscow, the epicenter of Russia’s outbreak, recorded a new daily high of 6,902 cases as did St. Petersburg with 2,394.
Russia has confirmed more than 24,000 new infections for the first time since the pandemic hit the country eight months ago.
Almost a quarter of all those infected did not exhibit symptoms, the information center said.
Officials say infection rates per 100,000 people have more than doubled from 6.1 in October to 15.3 in November.
The national coronavirus caseload reached 2,039,926 one day after Russia became the fifth country to report 2 million Covid-19 diagnoses.
Russia’s coronavirus death toll rose to 35,311, a figure widely believed to be undercounted due to tallying methods, after 461 people died in the past 24 hours.
The virus has increasingly strained hospitals in the regions as the second wave has intensified, with severe shortages of hospital beds, staff and medicine reported across the country.
In recent weeks Russia has re-imposed a nationwide mask mandate and advised regional leaders to restrict hours for bars, nightclubs and other late-night establishments but has held off on wider lockdown measures, citing the need to keep businesses open.