themoscowtimes--2020-09-29--Russian Ruble Drops to Almost 5-Year Low Against Euro

The ruble shed more than 1 % against the euro to fall as low as 93.3 , its weakest since @ @ @ @ @ ruble has hit an almost five-year low against the euro Tuesday as coronavirus cases surged @ @ @ @ @ on Russian assets .
The ruble also fell by 1 % to 79.8 against the @ @ @ @ @ since March 2020 , when oil prices crashed on weak demand .
The Russian currency @ @ @ @ @ from last week , when markets were on edge over a surge in coronavirus cases @ @ @ @ @ the ruble previously plunged following anti-government protests in neighboring Belarus and the poisoning of Russian @ @ @ @ @ Both events raise the prospects of new sanctions against Russia .
Analysts also say that @ @ @ @ @ bay by the prospect of sanctions over the upcoming U.S. presidential elections .
The Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ ’ s drop to market volatility and expressed confidence in its recovery .

The ruble shed more than 1% against the euro to fall as low as 93.3, its weakest since January 2016.
The Russian ruble has hit an almost five-year low against the euro Tuesday as coronavirus cases surged and geopolitical risks weighed down on Russian assets.
The ruble also fell by 1% to 79.8 against the U.S. dollar, its weakest since March 2020, when oil prices crashed on weak demand.
The Russian currency’s poor performance continues from last week, when markets were on edge over a surge in coronavirus cases across Europe.
Appetite for the ruble previously plunged following anti-government protests in neighboring Belarus and the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Both events raise the prospects of new sanctions against Russia.
Analysts also say that investors are being kept at bay by the prospect of sanctions over the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.
The Kremlin on Monday attributed the ruble’s drop to market volatility and expressed confidence in its recovery.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-29--Putin Says Belarus Facing 'Unprecedented External Pressure'

Belarus is in a `` difficult situation '' and facing `` unprecedented external pressure , '' Putin said in televised remarks , after a presidential vote last month sparked ongoing protests against authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko .
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that neighboring Belarus was under unprecedented external pressure , as the Kremlin 's ex-Soviet ally faces a deep political crisis over a disputed election .
Protesters have taken to the streets of Belarusian cities since Lukashenko claimed a sixth term with 80 % of the vote in the Aug. 9 election .
Putin has promised to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political crisis worsens and gave Belarus a loan of $ 1.5 billion .
Lukashenko has accused various Western countries and NATO of attempting to destabilize his country or support the protest movement .
Addressing a forum on the Belarusian and Russian regions , the Kremlin chief said that Moscow was ready to stand by Minsk , describing ties as `` timeless and all-weather . ''
Lukashenko 's relationship with Putin was strained ahead of the vote last month with Minsk accusing Russia of dispatching mercenaries to plot unrest with the opposition .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer integration between the two countries , whose `` union state '' alliance guarantees close military and economic ties .
European leaders have refused to recognize Lukashenko 's relection and have promised sanctions on Belarus for vote rigging and a fierce crackdown on post-election protests .
Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya who claimed victory over Lukashenko in the August vote has rallied Western support for demonstrators since fleeing to neighboring Lithuania .

Belarus is in a "difficult situation" and facing "unprecedented external pressure," Putin said in televised remarks, after a presidential vote last month sparked ongoing protests against authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that neighboring Belarus was under unprecedented external pressure, as the Kremlin's ex-Soviet ally faces a deep political crisis over a disputed election.
Protesters have taken to the streets of Belarusian cities since Lukashenko claimed a sixth term with 80% of the vote in the Aug. 9 election.
Putin has promised to provide the 66-year-old strongman with security assistance if the political crisis worsens and gave Belarus a loan of $1.5 billion.
Lukashenko has accused various Western countries and NATO of attempting to destabilize his country or support the protest movement.
Addressing a forum on the Belarusian and Russian regions, the Kremlin chief said that Moscow was ready to stand by Minsk, describing ties as "timeless and all-weather."
Lukashenko's relationship with Putin was strained ahead of the vote last month with Minsk accusing Russia of dispatching mercenaries to plot unrest with the opposition.
Putin has long been pushing for even closer integration between the two countries, whose "union state" alliance guarantees close military and economic ties.
European leaders have refused to recognize Lukashenko's relection and have promised sanctions on Belarus for vote rigging and a fierce crackdown on post-election protests.
Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya who claimed victory over Lukashenko in the August vote has rallied Western support for demonstrators since fleeing to neighboring Lithuania.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-29--Macron Promises Help in Talks With Belarus Opposition Leader

`` We will do our best as Europeans to help mediate , '' Macron told reporters after the talks during @ @ @ @ @ French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday promised to help mediate in the Belarusian political crisis @ @ @ @ @ leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya .
Tikhanovskaya said : `` He promised us to do everything just @ @ @ @ @ this political crisis in our country . ''
The meeting was Tikhanovskaya 's most high-profile @ @ @ @ @ on Aug. 9 in which she has claimed victory against strongman president Alexander Lukashenko .
@ @ @ @ @ foreign ministers and leaders of Poland and Lithuania , two EU states that border Belarus @ @ @ @ @ in opposition Lukashenko 's 26-year rule .
Mass protests that have continued since the election @ @ @ @ @ violent crackdown .
Tikhanovskaya , who fled to Lithuania after the vote , said Macron @ @ @ @ @ he can to release all the political prisoners . ''

"We will do our best as Europeans to help mediate," Macron told reporters after the talks during his visit to Lithuania.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday promised to help mediate in the Belarusian political crisis during a meeting with opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
Tikhanovskaya said: "He promised us to do everything just to help with mediation for this political crisis in our country."
The meeting was Tikhanovskaya's most high-profile meeting since a presidential election on Aug. 9 in which she has claimed victory against strongman president Alexander Lukashenko.
She has previously met EU foreign ministers and leaders of Poland and Lithuania, two EU states that border Belarus and have taken a lead in opposition Lukashenko's 26-year rule.
Mass protests that have continued since the election have been met with a violent crackdown.
Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania after the vote, said Macron promised to "do everything he can to release all the political prisoners."


themoscowtimes--2020-09-29--Moscow Announces Two-Week School Break to Contain Coronavirus

The measures come as the Russian capital 's daily Covid-19 caseload has risen from 625 to 2,300 since the beginning of September , stoking fears of a second wave .
Officials have linked the rise to lax compliance with health guidelines layered onto the seasonal flu outbreak , but maintained that Russia was still in the middle of its first wave .
Moscow schoolchildren will stay home for an extra week this fall break in order to slow the renewed spread of the coronavirus , Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced Tuesday .
“ On the recommendation of health officers , considering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise of detected Covid [ -19 ] infections , I have decided to extend the fall holidays , ” Sobyanin said , ordering all Moscow schools to go on holiday between Oct. 5-18 .
The usual weeklong fall break was extended “ in order to avoid unnecessary contacts during this period and not expose children to the risk of disease , ” the mayor wrote on his website .
Kindergartens will remain open during that period .
Russian schools resumed in-person classes for the new school year on Sept. 1 .
Since then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone into quarantine over local Covid-19 outbreaks .
The head of Russia ’ s consumer protection watchdog said Monday that “ there are no sick students ” in the country , but noted that around 2 % of the “ absolutely healthy ” tested children are carriers of the virus .
In his blog , Sobyanin urged children to stay home and to avoid shopping malls and public transport during the extended holiday .
“ When they come home , they very easily transmit the virus to adults and elderly family members who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
“ Let ’ s use the holidays as an opportunity to slow the disease rate and preserve our health.
” Russian education authorities have maintained that they will not return to remote learning , which was introduced at the start of the pandemic in the spring , despite the rise in Covid-19 cases .
Russia has the world ’ s fourth-highest number of coronavirus infections at 1.16 million .

The measures come as the Russian capital's daily Covid-19 caseload has risen from 625 to 2,300 since the beginning of September, stoking fears of a second wave. Officials have linked the rise to lax compliance with health guidelines layered onto the seasonal flu outbreak, but maintained that Russia was still in the middle of its first wave.
Moscow schoolchildren will stay home for an extra week this fall break in order to slow the renewed spread of the coronavirus, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced Tuesday.
“On the recommendation of health officers, considering the fall increase in colds and the rise of detected Covid[-19] infections, I have decided to extend the fall holidays,” Sobyanin said, ordering all Moscow schools to go on holiday between Oct. 5-18.
The usual weeklong fall break was extended “in order to avoid unnecessary contacts during this period and not expose children to the risk of disease,” the mayor wrote on his website.
Kindergartens will remain open during that period.
Russian schools resumed in-person classes for the new school year on Sept. 1. Since then, several schools across the country have gone into quarantine over local Covid-19 outbreaks.
The head of Russia’s consumer protection watchdog said Monday that “there are no sick students” in the country, but noted that around 2% of the “absolutely healthy” tested children are carriers of the virus.
In his blog, Sobyanin urged children to stay home and to avoid shopping malls and public transport during the extended holiday.
“When they come home, they very easily transmit the virus to adults and elderly family members who get more seriously ill,” he wrote.
“Let’s use the holidays as an opportunity to slow the disease rate and preserve our health.”
Russian education authorities have maintained that they will not return to remote learning, which was introduced at the start of the pandemic in the spring, despite the rise in Covid-19 cases.
Russia has the world’s fourth-highest number of coronavirus infections at 1.16 million.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-29--Moscow Azerbaijanis Slam Armenian Recruitment Drive in Karabakh Clashes

At least 95 troops and civilians have been killed since Sunday in the worst clashes between the South Caucasus foes over the ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 2016 .
The fighting threatens to embroil Russia , which has post-Soviet ties to both countries , and Turkey , a staunch ally of Azerbaijan .
The Azerbaijani diaspora in Moscow has condemned its Armenian counterparts for recruiting volunteers to join ongoing fighting between the ex-Soviet countries over disputed territory , the group 's leader told the independent Dozhd television channel Monday .
The Union of Armenians in Russia said earlier Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20,000 volunteers willing to join the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh .
The Azerbaijani Community of Moscow countered that the list of Armenian volunteers violates Russia ’ s law against illegal armed groups .
Violations of this law are punishable by up to two years in prison under Russia ’ s Criminal Code .
The Azerbaijani diaspora 's head Shamil Tagiyev told Dozhd that the group plans to file a criminal complaint with Russia ’ s Investigative Committee and Federal Security Service ( FSB ) in connection with Armenians in Russia leader Ara Abramyan ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow has said “ there ’ s currently no need ” for the involvement of Russia-based Armenians in the conflict .
Around 2.5 million Armenians are estimated to be living in Russia , roughly the population of Armenia itself .
Both the Armenian and Azerbaijani diasporas in Russia have called on their members to steer clear of unauthorized public demonstrations and avoid provocations from either side .
In July , similar spontaneous gatherings following an escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh led to mass violence , destruction of property and arrests .

At least 95 troops and civilians have been killed since Sunday in the worst clashes between the South Caucasus foes over the ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 2016. The fighting threatens to embroil Russia, which has post-Soviet ties to both countries, and Turkey, a staunch ally of Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani diaspora in Moscow has condemned its Armenian counterparts for recruiting volunteers to join ongoing fighting between the ex-Soviet countries over disputed territory, the group's leader told the independent Dozhd television channel Monday.
The Union of Armenians in Russia said earlier Monday that it had compiled a list of 20,000 volunteers willing to join the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Azerbaijani Community of Moscow countered that the list of Armenian volunteers violates Russia’s law against illegal armed groups. Violations of this law are punishable by up to two years in prison under Russia’s Criminal Code.
The Azerbaijani diaspora's head Shamil Tagiyev told Dozhd that the group plans to file a criminal complaint with Russia’s Investigative Committee and Federal Security Service (FSB) in connection with Armenians in Russia leader Ara Abramyan’s words.
The Armenian Embassy in Moscow has said “there’s currently no need” for the involvement of Russia-based Armenians in the conflict. Around 2.5 million Armenians are estimated to be living in Russia, roughly the population of Armenia itself.
Both the Armenian and Azerbaijani diasporas in Russia have called on their members to steer clear of unauthorized public demonstrations and avoid provocations from either side.
In July, similar spontaneous gatherings following an escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh led to mass violence, destruction of property and arrests.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-29--Armenia Accuses Turkey of Downing Warplane During Azerbaijan Clashes

Direct Turkish military action against Armenia would mark a major escalation after three days of heavy fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh .
Armenia said Tuesday that a Turkish fighter jet had shot down one of its warplanes during heavy fighting with Turkey 's ally Azerbaijan , but Ankara fiercely denied the claim .
The two sides have defied calls for a ceasefire over Karabakh — an ethnic Armenian enclave that broke from Azerbaijan in the 1990s — and are both claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on opposing forces .
Ankara has backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Armenian defense ministry said a Turkish F-16 flying in support of Baku 's forces downed an Armenian SU-25 warplane .
Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said the Turkish jet was supporting Azerbaijani aviation bombing civilian settlements in Armenia when it shot down the Armenian plane , killing the pilot .
`` Armenia should withdraw from the territories under its occupation instead of resorting to cheap propaganda tricks , '' said the aide , Fahrettin Altun .
Azerbaijani defense ministry spokesman Vagif Dyargahly also called the claim `` yet another lie of Armenian propaganda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locked for decades in a territorial dispute over Karabakh and have blamed each other for sparking fierce clashes that erupted on Sunday and have since caused nearly 100 confirmed deaths .
Foreign powers including the United States and Russia have called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations over the future of Karabakh that have been stalled for years .
The UN Security Council was scheduled to meet Tuesday for an emergency meeting on the escalation , but neither side showed any signs of standing down .
Both Azerbaijani President Ilham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vowed to continue fighting on Tuesday , while their militaries claimed to dealt heavy blows to enemy forces .
The Armenian defense ministry said separatist forces in Karabakh had repelled Azerbaijani attacks along the frontline and that `` the enemy suffered serious losses in manpower . ''
It claimed Azerbaijan 's military had lost nearly 50 drones , six helicopters and 80 tanks .
In Baku , officials denied that Armenian-backed separatists had regained control of territory they lost in Sunday 's fighting .
Azerbaijan said its military had repelled an Armenian counterattack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artillery unit and , later , an entire motorized infantry regiment .
The fighting between majority-Muslim Azerbaijan and Christian Armenia has raised fears of a wider conflict involving regional powers Turkey and Russia .
Armenia is part of a military alliance of former Soviet states led by Moscow and the Kremlin on Tuesday urged Turkey and the warring sides to pursue `` a peaceful settlement of this conflict using political and diplomatic means . ''
But Erdogan 's aide Altun said Ankara was `` fully committed to helping Azerbaijan take back its occupied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military casualties , but the Armenian separatist government has released footage from the battlefield showing what it said were the remains of Azerbaijani soldiers .
Shaddin Rustamov , a 25-year-old Azerbaijani conscript departing for training in Baku , told AFP he was proud to serve his country 's military .
Reclaiming Karabakh is `` something we 've been waiting 25 years for .
Hopefully this year will be the last , '' he said .
Armenian officials confirmed Tuesday the deaths of three more civilians , while Baku said civilian casualties on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total confirmed deaths in the fighting to 96 — including 80 separatist fighters , who reduced an earlier death toll by four , and 16 civilians .
Observers to the conflict have urged the international community to ramp up efforts at finding a political solution .
The UN Security Council meeting , which was formally requested by Belgium after France and Germany led a push for it to be added to the agenda , was to be held at 9:00 p.m. GMT , diplomats told AFP .
Ahead of the meeting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an end to fighting and a return to negotiations `` as quickly as possible . ''
Karabakh 's declaration of independence from Azerbaijan sparked a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives , but it is still not recognized as independent by any country , including Armenia .
Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilization Sunday , while Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities .
Talks to resolve the conflict — which emerged amid the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union — have largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France , Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the `` Minsk Group , '' but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010 .

Direct Turkish military action against Armenia would mark a major escalation after three days of heavy fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia said Tuesday that a Turkish fighter jet had shot down one of its warplanes during heavy fighting with Turkey's ally Azerbaijan, but Ankara fiercely denied the claim.
The two sides have defied calls for a ceasefire over Karabakh — an ethnic Armenian enclave that broke from Azerbaijan in the 1990s — and are both claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on opposing forces.
Ankara has backed Azerbaijan in the conflict and on Tuesday the Armenian defense ministry said a Turkish F-16 flying in support of Baku's forces downed an Armenian SU-25 warplane.
Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanyan said the Turkish jet was supporting Azerbaijani aviation bombing civilian settlements in Armenia when it shot down the Armenian plane, killing the pilot.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's top press aide called the claim "absolutely untrue."
"Armenia should withdraw from the territories under its occupation instead of resorting to cheap propaganda tricks," said the aide, Fahrettin Altun.
Azerbaijani defense ministry spokesman Vagif Dyargahly also called the claim "yet another lie of Armenian propaganda."
'Serious losses'
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked for decades in a territorial dispute over Karabakh and have blamed each other for sparking fierce clashes that erupted on Sunday and have since caused nearly 100 confirmed deaths.
Foreign powers including the United States and Russia have called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations over the future of Karabakh that have been stalled for years.
The UN Security Council was scheduled to meet Tuesday for an emergency meeting on the escalation, but neither side showed any signs of standing down.
Both Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan vowed to continue fighting on Tuesday, while their militaries claimed to dealt heavy blows to enemy forces.
The Armenian defense ministry said separatist forces in Karabakh had repelled Azerbaijani attacks along the frontline and that "the enemy suffered serious losses in manpower."
It claimed Azerbaijan's military had lost nearly 50 drones, six helicopters and 80 tanks.
In Baku, officials denied that Armenian-backed separatists had regained control of territory they lost in Sunday's fighting.
Azerbaijan said its military had repelled an Armenian counterattack and destroyed a motorized column and an artillery unit and, later, an entire motorized infantry regiment.
'Waiting for 25 years'
The fighting between majority-Muslim Azerbaijan and Christian Armenia has raised fears of a wider conflict involving regional powers Turkey and Russia.
Armenia is part of a military alliance of former Soviet states led by Moscow and the Kremlin on Tuesday urged Turkey and the warring sides to pursue "a peaceful settlement of this conflict using political and diplomatic means."
But Erdogan's aide Altun said Ankara was "fully committed to helping Azerbaijan take back its occupied lands."
Azerbaijan has not reported military casualties, but the Armenian separatist government has released footage from the battlefield showing what it said were the remains of Azerbaijani soldiers.
Shaddin Rustamov, a 25-year-old Azerbaijani conscript departing for training in Baku, told AFP he was proud to serve his country's military.
Reclaiming Karabakh is "something we've been waiting 25 years for. Hopefully this year will be the last," he said.
Armenian officials confirmed Tuesday the deaths of three more civilians, while Baku said civilian casualties on the Azerbaijani side reached 11.
That brings the total confirmed deaths in the fighting to 96 — including 80 separatist fighters, who reduced an earlier death toll by four, and 16 civilians.
Observers to the conflict have urged the international community to ramp up efforts at finding a political solution.
U.S. urges return to talks
The UN Security Council meeting, which was formally requested by Belgium after France and Germany led a push for it to be added to the agenda, was to be held at 9:00 p.m. GMT, diplomats told AFP.
Ahead of the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for an end to fighting and a return to negotiations "as quickly as possible."
Karabakh's declaration of independence from Azerbaijan sparked a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives, but it is still not recognized as independent by any country, including Armenia.
Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilization Sunday, while Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities.
Talks to resolve the conflict — which emerged amid the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union — have largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement.
France, Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the "Minsk Group," but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-29--Prominent Gulag Historian's 3.5-Year Prison Sentence Lengthened to 13 Years

Dmitriyev was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in July after a city court in northwestern Russia found him guilty @ @ @ @ @ daughter , a ruling his supporters viewed as a victory given the 15 years requested @ @ @ @ @ court has lengthened the term prominent Gulag historian Yury Dmitriyev must serve in prison to @ @ @ @ @ news website reported Tuesday , a surprise increase of a lenient sentence for charges his @ @ @ @ @ to silence him .
The Supreme Court of the republic of Karelia overturned that ruling @ @ @ @ @ years in a maximum-security penal colony , Mediazona reported , citing the lawyer of Dmitriyev @ @ @ @ @ Under his previous sentence , Dmitriyev , 64 , would have been released in November @ @ @ @ @ in pre-trial detention counted toward his sentence .
Dmitriyev has vehemently denied the charges against @ @ @ @ @ the Memorial human rights group 's Karelia branch , Dmitriyev is known for helping open @ @ @ @ @ thousands of victims murdered there during Stalin-era political repressions in 1937 and 1938 .

Dmitriyev was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in July after a city court in northwestern Russia found him guilty of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter, a ruling his supporters viewed as a victory given the 15 years requested by prosecutors.
A Russian court has lengthened the term prominent Gulag historian Yury Dmitriyev must serve in prison to 13 years, the Mediazona news website reported Tuesday, a surprise increase of a lenient sentence for charges his allies say were trumped up to silence him.
The Supreme Court of the republic of Karelia overturned that ruling and sentenced him to 13 years in a maximum-security penal colony, Mediazona reported, citing the lawyer of Dmitriyev’s adopted daughter.
Under his previous sentence, Dmitriyev, 64, would have been released in November as his time already served in pre-trial detention counted toward his sentence.
Human rights advocates condemned the Karelia Supreme Court’s ruling, calling it a “shame.”
Dmitriyev has vehemently denied the charges against him.
The head of the Memorial human rights group's Karelia branch, Dmitriyev is known for helping open the Sandarmokh memorial to the thousands of victims murdered there during Stalin-era political repressions in 1937 and 1938.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-29--Turkey Backs Azerbaijan Fight for 'Occupied Lands': Erdogan Aide

Turkey is `` fully ready '' to help Azerbaijan take back its separatist region of Nagorny Karabakh , President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 's top press aide said Tuesday ahead of a UN Security Council debate on the crisis .
The comments followed a call from Russia for Turkey , which views Azerbaijan as its close ally and Armenia as its historic foe , to stop proclaiming support for Azerbaijan and to work toward a diplomatic solution to the escalation , the deadliest since 2016 .
`` Turkey will be fully committed to helping Azerbaijan take back its occupied lands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international law , '' Fahrettin Altun tweeted .
Turkey hoped the UN meeting `` will establish a strong foundation for a solution '' , he added .
Altun said Turkey stood by Azerbaijan `` completely '' , adding : `` Let there be no doubt that the world will hear our roar if Azerbaijan were to suffer from the slightest injustice under international law . ''
Armenia has accused Turkey of sending mercenaries to back Azerbaijani forces in the ethnically Armenian region , which Ankara has officially denied .
Altun in turn accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the border region , praising Azerbaijan for `` observing international law to the letter '' .
`` We call on global players to approach this matter from the perspective of fairness , '' he said .
`` The world can not afford to equate the aggressor with the aggrieved party in the name of the so-called principle of neutrality or to preserve the political balance of power , '' Altun said .

Turkey is "fully ready" to help Azerbaijan take back its separatist region of Nagorny Karabakh, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's top press aide said Tuesday ahead of a UN Security Council debate on the crisis.
The comments followed a call from Russia for Turkey, which views Azerbaijan as its close ally and Armenia as its historic foe, to stop proclaiming support for Azerbaijan and to work toward a diplomatic solution to the escalation, the deadliest since 2016.
"Turkey will be fully committed to helping Azerbaijan take back its occupied lands and to defending their rights and interests under international law," Fahrettin Altun tweeted.
Turkey hoped the UN meeting "will establish a strong foundation for a solution", he added.
Altun said Turkey stood by Azerbaijan "completely", adding: "Let there be no doubt that the world will hear our roar if Azerbaijan were to suffer from the slightest injustice under international law."
Armenia has accused Turkey of sending mercenaries to back Azerbaijani forces in the ethnically Armenian region, which Ankara has officially denied.
Altun in turn accused Armenia of violating the Geneva Conventions in the border region, praising Azerbaijan for "observing international law to the letter".
"We call on global players to approach this matter from the perspective of fairness," he said.
"The world cannot afford to equate the aggressor with the aggrieved party in the name of the so-called principle of neutrality or to preserve the political balance of power," Altun said.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-29--How Will a Second Wave Affect Russia’s Economy?

Russia ’ s economy should be able to weather the ravages of a second wave of the coronavirus better than the first , economists say , but uncertainty and volatility will remain for the foreseeable future .
As Russia records a sharp spike in new infections and Moscow starts to roll out new restrictions — advising businesses to close their offices again and introducing extended school holidays — the economy has already started to slow down , and fears are growing among businesses of a second , potentially devastating , protracted shutdown .
However , authorities insist a tough quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economists are also not expecting Russia to issue wide stay-at-home orders or shutter shops , factories , construction sites and restaurants .
“ There is broad perception that lockdown downsides outweigh the upsides , hence we believe that a recurrence is unlikely , ” said Sofya Donets , an economist at Renaissance Capital .
Since stricter mobility restrictions mean a deeper economic hit , the measures Russia chooses to roll out to contain the spread of the virus are the main factor that will affect the economic trajectory over the next few months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be as severe as in the spring , ” Dmitry Babin , market analyst at BCS Broker told The Moscow Times , adding that “ the impact on the economy will not be as strong as during the first wave.
” Analysts expect Russia to follow a so-called “ Swedish model ” as it deals with the second wave — imposing social restrictions on mass gatherings alongside warnings from politicians to observe social distancing and mask requirements or face tougher restrictions .
That could avoid the need for mass shutdowns , although commentators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distrust and disregard in society for official diktats , meaning a more widespread lockdown could yet be an option .
From an economic perspective , Russia dealt with the first wave of the crisis better than some analysts expected .
Despite a crash in oil prices and a new OPEC+ deal which drastically cut oil production — Russia ’ s main money-spinner — along with a nationwide quarantine that was one of the strictest on paper anywhere in the world , the economy only fell 8.5 % in the second quarter .
Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economists were predicting a 4 % contraction for 2020 — much better than most advanced economies and many emerging markets .
Inflation has stayed below the Central Bank ’ s 4 % target even as it has slashed interest rates to their lowest ever level .
Unemployment has increased , but only by around two percentage points .
At the same time , the government has held on to what Fitch Ratings ’ Erich Arispe describes as “ strong buffers ” — Russia ’ s sovereign wealth fund was over $ 175 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international reserves to cover almost two years of imports and public debt levels are extremely low at under 20 % of GDP .
Russian households have also accumulated an “ income overhang , ” Donets noted , adding that this could support spending throughout the Russian economy during the recovery .
Checking accounts are up 45 % and cash holdings have also grown by 27 % since the pandemic started .
That this money is stored in liquid easy-to-access form , rather than longer-term investments or accounts , suggests a potential willingness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crucial in determining how the economy fares over the next few months , said Heli Simola , senior economist at the Bank of Finland ’ s Institute for Economies in Transition ( BOFIT ) .
“ Domestic consumption is the key .
If there are restrictions , then that would hit the economy very hard again , ” she said .
BCS Broker ’ s Babin fears that even a round of softer restrictions would still have a significant impact on the Russian economy due to a potentially permanent shift in consumer behavior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the future .
“ Even the removal of restrictions and the likely spread of an effective vaccine is unlikely to see the level of nature consumption return to pre-crisis levels , ” he said .
“ Uncertainty about future earnings and fear of a possible new pandemic will lead many to limit their spending , shifting the balance in favor of spending.
” Payments data from Sberbank shows spending on services is still down 14 % compared to last year , with income at restaurants and cafes down 18 % despite reopenings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic tourism .
Uncertainty over spending also extends to how policymakers might respond to a second wave .
“ The state has the resources , the only question is whether it wants to use them , ” Natalia Volchkova , assistant professor at Moscow ’ s New Economic School , told Forbes .
The government proved reluctant to dip into its reserves for a stimulus package the first time round , and will need to decide what to do about measures such as cheap business loans , extra payments for families with young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay for medical workers and a bankruptcy moratorium that are expiring soon .
The Central Bank also faces another dilemma , according to Babin .
The recent sharp fall in the value of the ruble and market volatility could lead to higher inflation and give policymakers reason to hold off from further cuts to interest rates , which have already been cut from 6.25 % to 4.25 % this year .
“ The potential for further rate cuts is almost exhausted , ” he said .
“ There are even risks of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deterioration in internal and external conditions.
” Russia ’ s traditional reliance on oil is another vulnerability .
An unprecedented agreement with OPEC+ that initially cut production by 10 million barrels a day — 10 % of world output — helped stabilize the market in the spring .
But given the difficulties around negotiating that deal , “ it would be very difficult for the countries to make even stronger cuts , ” said Simola , leaving Russia exposed to the possibility of another lurch lower in oil prices should other countries around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
While the near-term outlook is fraught with uncertainty , economists are also starting to think about the more permanent effects of the virus , or so-called “ economic scarring.
” “ One area where we see long-term scarring is clearly in the area of human capital , ” said Apurva Sanghi , lead Russia economist at the World Bank at an online conference on the Russian economy hosted by ratings agency Fitch .
A particular concern is the effect of prolonged school closures on a generation of young people , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in collaborative problem-solving skills.
” Russia reopened its schools at the beginning of September , but after a spike in cases , Moscow said it will again close them for an extended two-week midterm break .
Even with the shift to remote education , the World Bank estimates a third of the school year could have been lost — which could “ reduce marginal future earnings by about 2.5 % a year over a student ’ s working life.
” Economists also expect Russia ’ s pre-coronavirus battle with perennially low growth to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
Indeed , many of the factors which helped save Russia from a deeper recession — a low share of small entrepreneurial businesses , domination of state-owned companies , the government ’ s conservative economic policy and risk aversion — will resume their usual role as drags on economic development .
Deutsche Bank found that while Russia was the third-best performer from eight major emerging market economies in terms of GDP , it will slide back to sixth place over the next 18 months .
There are other signs that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Russia , already one of the world ’ s most unequal countries .
An additional 1.4 million Russians have slipped into poverty — calculated by the Russian government ’ s definition — since the start of the pandemic , the Audit Chamber watchdog pointed out in a recent report .
Besides asking firms in the capital to send their staff back to working from home , Russia has not yet rolled out any hard additional economic restrictions .
But with so many potential problems — the imposition of new lockdowns in Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel restrictions , prolonged ruble volatility , uncertainty over oil prices , the possibility of new government stimulus , whether the Central Bank will cut interest rates , whether consumers will prefer to spend or save — “ uncertainty ” is analysts ’ favorite word .
“ Most importantly , we don ’ t know if we ’ re in the first mile , second mile or last mile of the pandemic , ” said Sanghi .
“ The pandemic is in charge right now .
And we ’ re just adapting to @ @ @

Russia’s economy should be able to weather the ravages of a second wave of the coronavirus better than the first, economists say, but uncertainty and volatility will remain for the foreseeable future. As Russia records a sharp spike in new infections and Moscow starts to roll out new restrictions — advising businesses to close their offices again and introducing extended school holidays — the economy has already started to slow down, and fears are growing among businesses of a second, potentially devastating, protracted shutdown. However, authorities insist a tough quarantine is not on the cards, and economists are also not expecting Russia to issue wide stay-at-home orders or shutter shops, factories, construction sites and restaurants. “There is broad perception that lockdown downsides outweigh the upsides, hence we believe that a recurrence is unlikely,” said Sofya Donets, an economist at Renaissance Capital. Since stricter mobility restrictions mean a deeper economic hit, the measures Russia chooses to roll out to contain the spread of the virus are the main factor that will affect the economic trajectory over the next few months.
“The restrictions are unlikely to be as severe as in the spring,” Dmitry Babin, market analyst at BCS Broker told The Moscow Times, adding that “the impact on the economy will not be as strong as during the first wave.” Analysts expect Russia to follow a so-called “Swedish model” as it deals with the second wave — imposing social restrictions on mass gatherings alongside warnings from politicians to observe social distancing and mask requirements or face tougher restrictions. That could avoid the need for mass shutdowns, although commentators routinely point to a high degree of distrust and disregard in society for official diktats, meaning a more widespread lockdown could yet be an option. From an economic perspective, Russia dealt with the first wave of the crisis better than some analysts expected. Despite a crash in oil prices and a new OPEC+ deal which drastically cut oil production — Russia’s main money-spinner — along with a nationwide quarantine that was one of the strictest on paper anywhere in the world, the economy only fell 8.5% in the second quarter. Before fears of a second wave intensified, economists were predicting a 4% contraction for 2020 — much better than most advanced economies and many emerging markets. Inflation has stayed below the Central Bank’s 4% target even as it has slashed interest rates to their lowest ever level. Unemployment has increased, but only by around two percentage points. At the same time, the government has held on to what Fitch Ratings’ Erich Arispe describes as “strong buffers” — Russia’s sovereign wealth fund was over $175 billion at last count, it has enough international reserves to cover almost two years of imports and public debt levels are extremely low at under 20% of GDP. To spend or save? Russian households have also accumulated an “income overhang,” Donets noted, adding that this could support spending throughout the Russian economy during the recovery. Checking accounts are up 45% and cash holdings have also grown by 27% since the pandemic started. That this money is stored in liquid easy-to-access form, rather than longer-term investments or accounts, suggests a potential willingness to spend. Whether they do will be crucial in determining how the economy fares over the next few months, said Heli Simola, senior economist at the Bank of Finland’s Institute for Economies in Transition (BOFIT). “Domestic consumption is the key. If there are restrictions, then that would hit the economy very hard again,” she said. BCS Broker’s Babin fears that even a round of softer restrictions would still have a significant impact on the Russian economy due to a potentially permanent shift in consumer behavior — a mindset which could last well into the future. “Even the removal of restrictions and the likely spread of an effective vaccine is unlikely to see the level and nature of consumption return to pre-crisis levels,” he said. “Uncertainty about future earnings and fear of a possible new pandemic will lead many to limit their spending, shifting the balance in favor of saving.”
Payments data from Sberbank shows spending on services is still down 14% compared to last year, with income at restaurants and cafes down 18% despite reopenings across the country and border closures boosting domestic tourism. Uncertainty over spending also extends to how policymakers might respond to a second wave. “The state has the resources, the only question is whether it wants to use them,” Natalia Volchkova, assistant professor at Moscow’s New Economic School, told Forbes. The government proved reluctant to dip into its reserves for a stimulus package the first time round, and will need to decide what to do about measures such as cheap business loans, extra payments for families with young children, higher unemployment benefits, extra pay for medical workers and a bankruptcy moratorium that are expiring soon. The Central Bank also faces another dilemma, according to Babin. The recent sharp fall in the value of the ruble and market volatility could lead to higher inflation and give policymakers reason to hold off from further cuts to interest rates, which have already been cut from 6.25% to 4.25% this year. “The potential for further rate cuts is almost exhausted,” he said. “There are even risks of an increase in the event of a significant deterioration in internal and external conditions.” Russia’s traditional reliance on oil is another vulnerability. An unprecedented agreement with OPEC+ that initially cut production by 10 million barrels a day — 10% of world output — helped stabilize the market in the spring. But given the difficulties around negotiating that deal, “it would be very difficult for the countries to make even stronger cuts,” said Simola, leaving Russia exposed to the possibility of another lurch lower in oil prices should other countries around the world impose new lockdowns, she said. Economic scars While the near-term outlook is fraught with uncertainty, economists are also starting to think about the more permanent effects of the virus, or so-called “economic scarring.” “One area where we see long-term scarring is clearly in the area of human capital,” said Apurva Sanghi, lead Russia economist at the World Bank at an online conference on the Russian economy hosted by ratings agency Fitch. A particular concern is the effect of prolonged school closures on a generation of young people, especially given that Russian students “fare poorly in collaborative problem-solving skills.” Russia reopened its schools at the beginning of September, but after a spike in cases, Moscow said it will again close them for an extended two-week midterm break. Even with the shift to remote education, the World Bank estimates a third of the school year could have been lost — which could “reduce marginal future earnings by about 2.5% a year over a student’s working life.” Economists also expect Russia’s pre-coronavirus battle with perennially low growth to restart as the world economy recovers from the pandemic. Indeed, many of the factors which helped save Russia from a deeper recession — a low share of small entrepreneurial businesses, domination of state-owned companies, the government’s conservative economic policy and risk aversion — will resume their usual role as drags on economic development.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-29--Russian State Duma Goes Partially Remote After 18 Deputies Hospitalized With Virus

The decision was made after eight deputies were hospitalized with coronavirus in the past week , bringing the total number of hospitalized deputies to 18 , Interfax quoted Volodin as saying at Tuesday 's State Duma meeting .
Russia ’ s lower house of parliament , the State Duma , will partially return to remote work to limit the spread of the coronavirus , its speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced Tuesday .
All committee meetings and roundtables will now be held via videoconference , Volodin said .
He also called on faction and committee heads to limit the number of visitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier this month , Volodin asked deputies at higher risk of a severe coronavirus infection to work remotely from their offices .
“ [ European ] parliaments don ’ t have the first woman in space or explorers of the Arctic wilderness and ocean depths among their members .
That ’ s why they are all quietly locked away in their villas , and you are rushing to the frontlines , ” Volodin said at a Sept. 15 plenary session .
“ Please , fulfill the instructions of the State Duma ... [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take part in discussions from there , ” he said .
Overall , 60 State Duma deputies have been infected and recovered from the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic .
Last week , Vakha Agayev , a 67-year-old Communist Party deputy from the republic of Chechnya , died from complications caused by Covid-19 , marking the first coronavirus-related death in the State Duma .
Most Russian officials returned to work as usual after the number of new coronavirus infections began to decrease in June , though President Vladimir Putin continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with limited public appearances .
Russia confirmed 8,232 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday , the highest one-day increase since mid-June .

The decision was made after eight deputies were hospitalized with coronavirus in the past week, bringing the total number of hospitalized deputies to 18, Interfax quoted Volodin as saying at Tuesday's State Duma meeting.
Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, will partially return to remote work to limit the spread of the coronavirus, its speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced Tuesday.
All committee meetings and roundtables will now be held via videoconference, Volodin said. He also called on faction and committee heads to limit the number of visitors they bring into the Duma building.
Earlier this month, Volodin asked deputies at higher risk of a severe coronavirus infection to work remotely from their offices.
“[European] parliaments don’t have the first woman in space or explorers of the Arctic wilderness and ocean depths among their members. That’s why they are all quietly locked away in their villas, and you are rushing to the frontlines,” Volodin said at a Sept. 15 plenary session. “Please, fulfill the instructions of the State Duma ... [return] to your office, and take part in discussions from there,” he said.
Overall, 60 State Duma deputies have been infected and recovered from the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.
Last week, Vakha Agayev, a 67-year-old Communist Party deputy from the republic of Chechnya, died from complications caused by Covid-19, marking the first coronavirus-related death in the State Duma.
Most Russian officials returned to work as usual after the number of new coronavirus infections began to decrease in June, though President Vladimir Putin continues to work from his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow with limited public appearances.
Russia confirmed 8,232 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the highest one-day increase since mid-June.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-29--U.S., European Oil Majors Could Create Supply Crisis With Renewables Push – Russia’s Rosneft

BP , Chevron , Eni , Equinor , ExxonMobil , Repsol , Shell and Total have to varying degrees laid out strategies they say are compatible with the Paris climate treaty .
They have announced measures over the past year that include reducing the carbon intensity of their products , transitioning into renewable energy , storing `` captured '' CO2 underground and offsetting emissions through reforestation .
U.S. and European oil majors ’ commitment to moving away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy threatens oil supplies and prices , Russia ’ s state-run oil giant Rosneft has said , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these moves in a sign of what the FT described as “ a growing divide ” between state-backed oil companies and the energy companies that helped shape today ’ s oil industry .
“ It is an existential threat for supply .
It is an existential threat for price volatility , ” it quoted Rosneft first vice president Didier Casimiro as saying at the newspaper ’ s commodities summit .
“ We will have a [ supply ] crunch , price volatility and , yes , higher prices , ” Casimiro said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their core business , he added , means other players “ will need to step in ” and “ take that responsibility.
” Meanwhile , Rosneft is looking to double down on hydrocarbons and extract up to 5 billion tons of light-quality oil in the Arctic through its Vostok Oil project .
Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin has described the project as the biggest in the history of the modern global oil industry .
The U.S. Treasury earlier this year sanctioned Casimiro and Rosneft ’ s Geneva-based trading arm , where he is chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegedly propping up Venezuela ’ s oil sector .

BP, Chevron, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Repsol, Shell and Total have to varying degrees laid out strategies they say are compatible with the Paris climate treaty. They have announced measures over the past year that include reducing the carbon intensity of their products, transitioning into renewable energy, storing "captured" CO2 underground and offsetting emissions through reforestation.
U.S. and European oil majors’ commitment to moving away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy threatens oil supplies and prices, Russia’s state-run oil giant Rosneft has said , according to the Financial Times.
Rosneft criticized these moves in a sign of what the FT described as “a growing divide” between state-backed oil companies and the energy companies that helped shape today’s oil industry.
“It is an existential threat for supply. It is an existential threat for price volatility,” it quoted Rosneft first vice president Didier Casimiro as saying at the newspaper’s commodities summit.
“We will have a [supply] crunch, price volatility and, yes, higher prices,” Casimiro said.
The oil majors’ move away from their core business, he added, means other players “will need to step in” and “take that responsibility.”
Meanwhile, Rosneft is looking to double down on hydrocarbons and extract up to 5 billion tons of light-quality oil in the Arctic through its Vostok Oil project. Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin has described the project as the biggest in the history of the modern global oil industry.
The U.S. Treasury earlier this year sanctioned Casimiro and Rosneft’s Geneva-based trading arm, where he is chairman of the board and president, for allegedly propping up Venezuela’s oil sector.
AFP contributed reporting.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-30--‘We’re Out of Beds’: Russia’s Resurgent Coronavirus Outbreak Is Approaching First Peak

When Anastasia Protopopova finished her Sept. 19 shift in the intensive care ward of one of Moscow ’ s key coronavirus clinics , Hospital no .
52 , the workflow was more or less under control .
But by the time the 25-year-old nurse returned to work last Friday , just six days later , she found herself working in the same conditions she experienced during the first wave of the pandemic this spring .
“ All hell had broken loose , ” Protopopova said .
“ Every available bed was occupied.
” In interviews with The Moscow Times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus wards — Kommunarka and Hospital no .
15 , in addition to Hospital no .
52 — described a similar state of affairs .
One nurse said that in Hospital no .
15 the number of patients arriving each day doubled between Sept. 21 and Sept. 22 then tripled between Sept. 22 and Sept. 23 , with the hospital completely filling up by last Wednesday .
Moscow , the epicenter of Russia ’ s initial outbreak and now its resurgence , has seen daily infections increase rapidly this month , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of September , the numbers were hovering in the 600s .
By Sept. 24 , new infections had jumped to 1,050 , then 1,792 two days later , before reaching 2,217 on Sept. 28 — four times as many as just two weeks earlier .
As the first wave ebbed over the summer , Russia ’ s most populous city returned most of the dozens of clinics earmarked for coronavirus patients to their regular duties .
For most of the summer , the workload of even those left was manageable , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases is challenging the hospitals that have continued to treat Covid-19 patients .
“ Right now I ’ m working twice as hard as I did in the spring , ” said Milena Berulava , a 22-year-old nurse at Kommunarka .
She added that if two nurses had 12-15 patients to take care of between them in the summer , now the figure has jumped to 40 .
To cope with the growing outbreak , city officials have prepped additional hospitals .
According to a Moscow Health Department order dated last Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday , seven more city hospitals began admitting Covid-19 patients .
An eighth is slated to begin work on Oct. 5 , bringing the total number of hospitals in the city receiving patients to 23 , according to the document .
At the peak of Moscow ’ s outbreak in the spring at least 30 clinics were dealing with the coronavirus .
But the 23 clinics do not account for all the beds that have been prepared .
A source in Moscow City Hall told Interfax that , in addition to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reactivated ” three temporary field hospitals .
Two students who were drafted to the frontlines during the first wave of the pandemic told The Moscow Times that First Moscow State Medical University ’ s clinical hospitals no .
3 and no .
4 would also begin taking in Covid-19 patients again from Thursday .
The university put out a call for students to return to work last Friday and medics told The Moscow Times that they are expecting student volunteers to return to their hospitals from Thursday .
As the city scrambles to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not let up on those already on the frontlines .
“ All 900 spots are taken in our ward , ” Alexander Vanyukov , a surgeon at Hospital no .
52 , said on Monday night .
“ We ’ re out of beds.
” The resurgent outbreak has prompted the Russian authorities over the past week to prepare the public for the possibility of reintroduced lockdown restrictions after a summer when life had all but returned to normal .
During a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his cabinet Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask-wearing , social distancing and other protective measures to be “ strictly enforced.
” Moscow has begun cracking down on shops for not enforcing mask-wearing and the city ’ s mayor Sergei Sobyanin has introduced a host of new restrictions .
He has recommended that over 5,000 companies return to home working and reinstated mandatory stay-at-home restrictions for people aged 65 and over , as well as those suffering from chronic diseases .
On Tuesday , Sobyanin also announced that Moscow ’ s schools will take a two-week vacation from Oct. 5-18 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large number of asymptomatic coronavirus cases have been found among children .
The new wave of cases coincided with schools reopening on Sept. 1 .
For his part , Putin called for the regions to be prepared as well , describing the situation in Moscow as similar to “ what happened in the spring.
” “ This means that in the regions , realizing this , they must be ready for any situation and development , ” he said .
The fresh outbreak is not just limited to Moscow .
After available beds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % earlier this month , St. Petersburg , Russia ’ s second-largest city , opened a new temporary coronavirus clinic .
On Tuesday , the Health Ministry said that 90 % of the country ’ s 129,000 beds for coronavirus patients were taken .
During the first wave , the ministry said , the country had 184,000 beds for Covid-19 patients .
On Wednesday morning , Russia announced 8,481 new infections nationwide over the past 24 hours .
During its two-week peak in May , Russia recorded about 10,000 cases a day with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has 1.18 million total cases , placing it fourth worldwide , though its statistics have long been questioned for undercounting .
So far , Rospotrebnadzor , the consumer protection agency at the forefront of Russia ’ s coronavirus fight , has said it does not see a need for a new quarantine .
According to two sources in the Kremlin , quarantine will be considered if Russia hits 10,000 cases a day , the Open Media news website reported .
In Moscow , the spring lockdown was introduced when cases had reached 1,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemiologist at the Higher School of Economics , said that Russia needs to reintroduce “ very severe restrictions.
” “ The infection levels that were recorded in the summer were only half of that at the peak in May and now we ’ re already approaching those levels again , ” he said .
Underscoring that the outbreak never fully receded in Russia , the number of excess deaths between May and July was three times higher than the official coronavirus toll .
Vlassov also noted that , in some countries like Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been much larger than the first waves , and that Russia should be wary of that scenario .
Introducing lockdown once again , however , could irritate the public and hurt the economy .
Only 16 % of Russians want quarantine this time around compared to 40 % in March , according to a poll published Friday , and Putin himself acknowledged Tuesday that Russians are “ fed up ” with restrictions .
Russian medics who have treated coronavirus patients for six months and counting are fed up too .
“ We had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now we have this situation once again like in April and May , ” said Protopopova of Hospital no .
52 .
“ It ’ s this feeling that you just don ’ t want to do anything anymore.
” As cases rise , some clinics are finding themselves short-handed as some Russian medical workers have also declared a nationwide strike that will run through Oct. 4 over not receiving bonuses for working with Covid-19 patients that Putin promised back in April .
On Tuesday , he extended that program through October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things are getting tough for medics once again , ” said Alexander Zolotaryov of the independent medical labor union Destviye — or Action — and one of the strike organizers .
“ Many are falling ill , so it ’ s very important we make sure the Health Ministry recognizes that many haven ’ t been paid.
” Russian medical workers have been hit particularly hard by the virus .
According to an unofficial count kept by Russian doctors , 703 of their colleagues have been killed by Covid-19 since the pandemic took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tatiana Likhodid , a 43-year-old paramedic in the republic of Udmurtia 1,100 kilometers east of Moscow , told The Moscow Times that she is protesting for two reasons .
She has not received any of the extra payment promised on top of her regular 18,000 rubles ( $ 230 ) monthly salary , and the Health Ministry does not count her as working with Covid-19 patients because her ambulance carries suspected cases that have not yet tested positive .
That means the state won ’ t cover the costs of her care if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The outbreak is growing again , I ’ m once again working 12-hour shifts , and I ’ m angry , ” she said .

When Anastasia Protopopova finished her Sept. 19 shift in the intensive care ward of one of Moscow’s key coronavirus clinics, Hospital no. 52, the workflow was more or less under control. But by the time the 25-year-old nurse returned to work last Friday, just six days later, she found herself working in the same conditions she experienced during the first wave of the pandemic this spring. “All hell had broken loose,” Protopopova said. “Every available bed was occupied.” In interviews with The Moscow Times, medics working in Moscow’s primary coronavirus wards — Kommunarka and Hospital no. 15, in addition to Hospital no. 52 — described a similar state of affairs. One nurse said that in Hospital no. 15 the number of patients arriving each day doubled between Sept. 21 and Sept. 22 then tripled between Sept. 22 and Sept. 23, with the hospital completely filling up by last Wednesday.
Moscow, the epicenter of Russia’s initial outbreak and now its resurgence, has seen daily infections increase rapidly this month, according to official statistics. In the first half of September, the numbers were hovering in the 600s. By Sept. 24, new infections had jumped to 1,050, then 1,792 two days later, before reaching 2,217 on Sept. 28 — four times as many as just two weeks earlier. As the first wave ebbed over the summer, Russia’s most populous city returned most of the dozens of clinics earmarked for coronavirus patients to their regular duties. For most of the summer, the workload of even those left was manageable, according to medics. But the sudden recent crush of cases is challenging the hospitals that have continued to treat Covid-19 patients. “Right now I’m working twice as hard as I did in the spring,” said Milena Berulava, a 22-year-old nurse at Kommunarka. She added that if two nurses had 12-15 patients to take care of between them in the summer, now the figure has jumped to 40. To cope with the growing outbreak, city officials have prepped additional hospitals. According to a Moscow Health Department order dated last Wednesday and seen by The Moscow Times, on Tuesday, seven more city hospitals began admitting Covid-19 patients. An eighth is slated to begin work on Oct. 5, bringing the total number of hospitals in the city receiving patients to 23, according to the document. At the peak of Moscow’s outbreak in the spring at least 30 clinics were dealing with the coronavirus.
news Russian Schools Reopen as Coronavirus Cases Climb Read more
But the 23 clinics do not account for all the beds that have been prepared. A source in Moscow City Hall told Interfax that, in addition to the eight hospitals, the city has “reactivated” three temporary field hospitals. Two students who were drafted to the frontlines during the first wave of the pandemic told The Moscow Times that First Moscow State Medical University’s clinical hospitals no. 3 and no. 4 would also begin taking in Covid-19 patients again from Thursday. The university put out a call for students to return to work last Friday and medics told The Moscow Times that they are expecting student volunteers to return to their hospitals from Thursday. As the city scrambles to handle a second outbreak, the pressure has not let up on those already on the frontlines. “All 900 spots are taken in our ward,” Alexander Vanyukov, a surgeon at Hospital no. 52, said on Monday night. “We’re out of beds.” Approaching first peak The resurgent outbreak has prompted the Russian authorities over the past week to prepare the public for the possibility of reintroduced lockdown restrictions after a summer when life had all but returned to normal. During a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his cabinet Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova called for mask-wearing, social distancing and other protective measures to be “strictly enforced.” Moscow has begun cracking down on shops for not enforcing mask-wearing and the city’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin has introduced a host of new restrictions. He has recommended that over 5,000 companies return to home working and reinstated mandatory stay-at-home restrictions for people aged 65 and over, as well as those suffering from chronic diseases. On Tuesday, Sobyanin also announced that Moscow’s schools will take a two-week vacation from Oct. 5-18 to stem the outbreak, explaining that a large number of asymptomatic coronavirus cases have been found among children. The new wave of cases coincided with schools reopening on Sept. 1. For his part, Putin called for the regions to be prepared as well, describing the situation in Moscow as similar to “what happened in the spring.” “This means that in the regions, realizing this, they must be ready for any situation and development,” he said.
The fresh outbreak is not just limited to Moscow. After available beds for coronavirus patients fell to just 8% earlier this month, St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, opened a new temporary coronavirus clinic. On Tuesday, the Health Ministry said that 90% of the country’s 129,000 beds for coronavirus patients were taken. During the first wave, the ministry said, the country had 184,000 beds for Covid-19 patients. On Wednesday morning, Russia announced 8,481 new infections nationwide over the past 24 hours. During its two-week peak in May, Russia recorded about 10,000 cases a day with a record high of 11,656. Russia has 1.18 million total cases, placing it fourth worldwide, though its statistics have long been questioned for undercounting. So far, Rospotrebnadzor, the consumer protection agency at the forefront of Russia’s coronavirus fight, has said it does not see a need for a new quarantine. According to two sources in the Kremlin, quarantine will be considered if Russia hits 10,000 cases a day, the Open Media news website reported. In Moscow, the spring lockdown was introduced when cases had reached 1,000 per day. Vasily Vlassov, an epidemiologist at the Higher School of Economics, said that Russia needs to reintroduce “very severe restrictions.” “The infection levels that were recorded in the summer were only half of that at the peak in May and now we’re already approaching those levels again,” he said.
Underscoring that the outbreak never fully receded in Russia, the number of excess deaths between May and July was three times higher than the official coronavirus toll. Vlassov also noted that, in some countries like Australia and Israel, the resurgent outbreaks have been much larger than the first waves, and that Russia should be wary of that scenario. Introducing lockdown once again, however, could irritate the public and hurt the economy. Only 16% of Russians want quarantine this time around compared to 40% in March, according to a poll published Friday, and Putin himself acknowledged Tuesday that Russians are “fed up” with restrictions. Exhausted medical workers Russian medics who have treated coronavirus patients for six months and counting are fed up too. “We had really hoped we would get a break and now we have this situation once again like in April and May,” said Protopopova of Hospital no. 52. “It’s this feeling that you just don’t want to do anything anymore.” As cases rise, some clinics are finding themselves short-handed as some Russian medical workers have also declared a nationwide strike that will run through Oct. 4 over not receiving bonuses for working with Covid-19 patients that Putin promised back in April. On Tuesday, he extended that program through October. “Covid-19 numbers are rising and things are getting tough for medics once again,” said Alexander Zolotaryov of the independent medical labor union Destviye — or Action — and one of the strike organizers. “Many are falling ill, so it’s very important we make sure the Health Ministry recognizes that many haven’t been paid.”


themoscowtimes--2020-09-30--Kremlin Orders 2-Week Virus Quarantine for All Putin Visitors – Reports

The Kremlin has imposed a mandatory two-week quarantine for anyone scheduled to meet President Vladimir Putin in person , the Proekt investigative website reported Wednesday .
Putin , 67 , has held most of his meetings via videoconference since the start of the pandemic , which has affected several high-ranking government officials including his spokesman and prime minister .
As restrictions have been gradually lifted this summer , Putin met a growing number of officials in person and has at least once ventured out of his residence near Moscow .
“ Everyone , regardless of regalia or age , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get close to the head of state , ” Proekt wrote , citing unnamed sources .
The subjects are reportedly required to await Covid-19 test results in strict isolation at either a Sochi resort or a government dacha in Moscow .
If the test comes back negative , Proekt reports they are allowed to roam the premises outside their rooms .
The outlet listed some Kremlin officials , journalists and photographers covering Putin ’ s day-to-day activities and 30 key nuclear industry employees who quarantined in Sochi .
The CEO of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state aerospace and defense corporation who met Putin in early August and many others were reportedly offered a choice of location to quarantine .
Those who don ’ t quarantine either interact with Putin at a considerable distance or via videoconference , Proekt reported .
“ No other Western country has reported the need to quarantine the visitors of heads of state , let alone close off top officials from journalists , ” Proekt wrote .
The Kremlin said in response to the report that quarantine requirements depend on the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Proekt also reported that well-connected members of Russia ’ s elite were able to receive the country 's highly touted coronavirus vaccine long before it received official registration last month .
It also reported that several state company managers allegedly coerced their employees to vaccinate while the adenoviral vector-based shots underwent clinical trials .
Putin was reported to have promised South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a recent phone call that he would visit Seoul as soon as he receives the Sputnik V vaccine .
Russia has officially confirmed more than 1.17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fourth-highest number of cases , with the daily caseload hitting three-month highs in recent days .

The Kremlin has imposed a mandatory two-week quarantine for anyone scheduled to meet President Vladimir Putin in person, the Proekt investigative website reported Wednesday. Putin, 67, has held most of his meetings via videoconference since the start of the pandemic, which has affected several high-ranking government officials including his spokesman and prime minister. As restrictions have been gradually lifted this summer, Putin met a growing number of officials in person and has at least once ventured out of his residence near Moscow.
“Everyone, regardless of regalia or age, has to serve a very strict two-week quarantine to get close to the head of state,” Proekt wrote, citing unnamed sources. The subjects are reportedly required to await Covid-19 test results in strict isolation at either a Sochi resort or a government dacha in Moscow. If the test comes back negative, Proekt reports they are allowed to roam the premises outside their rooms. The outlet listed some Kremlin officials, journalists and photographers covering Putin’s day-to-day activities and 30 key nuclear industry employees who quarantined in Sochi. The CEO of the state-owned Gazprom gas giant, the chairman of the state aerospace and defense corporation who met Putin in early August and many others were reportedly offered a choice of location to quarantine. Those who don’t quarantine either interact with Putin at a considerable distance or via videoconference, Proekt reported. “No other Western country has reported the need to quarantine the visitors of heads of state, let alone close off top officials from journalists,” Proekt wrote.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-30--Armenia, Azerbaijan Reject Russia-Mediated Talks as Fighting Rages Over Karabakh

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are engaged in the heaviest fighting in years over Karabakh , an ethnic Armenian province that broke away from Azerbaijan in the 1990s during the collapse of the Soviet Union .
Armenia and Azerbaijan rejected international calls for negotiations and a halt to fighting as fierce clashes over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh spilled over into a fourth day on Wednesday .
The long-simmering conflict erupted on Sunday with the two sides trading heavy fire and blaming each other for the outbreak of violence .
Nearly 100 people are confirmed to have died in the flare-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflicted heavy losses on opposing forces .
Azerbaijan has not admitted any military deaths but an AFP journalist in the southern Beylagan region saw dozens of women wailing over the coffin of a soldier killed in the clashes , before men with Azerbaijan flags recited prayers at a burial .
There has been increasing international pressure for a ceasefire , as fears grow that the conflict could escalate into a devastating all-out war and draw in regional powers like Turkey and Russia .
Defense officials in Yerevan on Wednesday accused Turkish jets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared border and of violating Armenia airspace , a day after Yerevan said a Turkish jet had downed one of its warplanes .
Moscow , which has a military pact with Armenia but also good ties with Azerbaijan , has repeatedly called for an end to the fighting and offered to help with negotiations .
But Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Wednesday that talks with Azerbaijan were not yet on the table .
`` It is n't very appropriate to speak of a summit between Armenia , Azerbaijan and Russia at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` A suitable atmosphere and conditions are needed for negotiations . ''
He said that Yerevan `` at this point '' is not planning to ask for intervention in the conflict by a Russia-led military alliance , the Collective Security Treaty Organization that comprises several former Soviet republics including Armenia .
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also rejected negotiations during an interview with Russian TV on Tuesday .
`` The Armenian prime minister publicly declares that Karabakh is Armenia , period .
In this case , what kind of negotiation process can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been no let-up in the fighting since the weekend , with both sides reporting new clashes on Wednesday .
Officials in both countries have made claims of huge losses for the other side , but these have not been possible to verify .
Azerbaijan has released no information on its military casualties , while the Armenian side has registered 81 deaths .
A total of 17 civilians have been reported dead .
Azerbaijan 's defense ministry said Wednesday that `` intense fighting was continuing , '' claiming that its forces have killed 2,300 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The ministry said its troops had `` destroyed 130 tanks , 200 artillery units , 25 anti-aircraft units , five ammunition depots , 50 anti-tank units , 55 military vehicles . ''
It said Karabakh 's separatist forces had `` shelled the city of Terter , targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure . ''
Karabakh 's defense ministry , for its part , said Azerbaijani forces `` continued artillery shelling '' of separatist positions along the frontline on Wednesday morning .
The two sides have accused each other of targeting civilian areas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yerevan is claiming that Turkey , a longstanding ally of Azerbaijan , is providing direct military support , including mercenaries , for Baku .
It said on Tuesday that a Turkish F-16 flying in support of Baku 's forces had downed an Armenian SU-25 warplane , but Ankara and Baku denied the claim .
`` We are definitely very close to seeing a large-scale war , possibly even on a regional scale , '' Olesya Vartanyan of the International Crisis Group told AFP .
`` If we see mass civilian casualties ... that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any regional power — no matter Russia or Turkey — to intervene , '' she said .
Karabakh 's declaration of independence from Azerbaijan sparked a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives , but it is still not recognized as independent by any country , including Armenia .
Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilization Sunday , while Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities .
Talks to resolve the conflict have largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement .
France , Russia and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the `` Minsk Group , '' but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010 .
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday condemned what he called Turkey 's `` reckless and dangerous '' statements backing Baku , saying they `` remove any inhibitions from Azerbaijan . ''

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are engaged in the heaviest fighting in years over Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian province that broke away from Azerbaijan in the 1990s during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Armenia and Azerbaijan rejected international calls for negotiations and a halt to fighting as fierce clashes over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh spilled over into a fourth day on Wednesday.
The long-simmering conflict erupted on Sunday with the two sides trading heavy fire and blaming each other for the outbreak of violence.
Nearly 100 people are confirmed to have died in the flare-up and both sides are claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on opposing forces.
Azerbaijan has not admitted any military deaths but an AFP journalist in the southern Beylagan region saw dozens of women wailing over the coffin of a soldier killed in the clashes, before men with Azerbaijan flags recited prayers at a burial.
There has been increasing international pressure for a ceasefire, as fears grow that the conflict could escalate into a devastating all-out war and draw in regional powers like Turkey and Russia.
Defense officials in Yerevan on Wednesday accused Turkish jets of performing "provocative flights" along their shared border and of violating Armenia airspace, a day after Yerevan said a Turkish jet had downed one of its warplanes.
Military pact with Russia
Moscow, which has a military pact with Armenia but also good ties with Azerbaijan, has repeatedly called for an end to the fighting and offered to help with negotiations.
But Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Wednesday that talks with Azerbaijan were not yet on the table.
"It isn't very appropriate to speak of a summit between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia at a time of intensive hostilities," Pashinyan said.
"A suitable atmosphere and conditions are needed for negotiations."
He said that Yerevan "at this point" is not planning to ask for intervention in the conflict by a Russia-led military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization that comprises several former Soviet republics including Armenia.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also rejected negotiations during an interview with Russian TV on Tuesday.
"The Armenian prime minister publicly declares that Karabakh is Armenia, period. In this case, what kind of negotiation process can we talk about?"
There has been no let-up in the fighting since the weekend, with both sides reporting new clashes on Wednesday.
Officials in both countries have made claims of huge losses for the other side, but these have not been possible to verify.
'Intense fighting continuing'
Azerbaijan has released no information on its military casualties, while the Armenian side has registered 81 deaths. A total of 17 civilians have been reported dead.
Azerbaijan's defense ministry said Wednesday that "intense fighting was continuing," claiming that its forces have killed 2,300 Karabakh separatist troops since hostilities broke out.
The ministry said its troops had "destroyed 130 tanks, 200 artillery units, 25 anti-aircraft units, five ammunition depots, 50 anti-tank units, 55 military vehicles."
It said Karabakh's separatist forces had "shelled the city of Terter, targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure."
Karabakh's defense ministry, for its part, said Azerbaijani forces "continued artillery shelling" of separatist positions along the frontline on Wednesday morning.
The two sides have accused each other of targeting civilian areas, including in areas away from Karabakh.
Yerevan is claiming that Turkey, a longstanding ally of Azerbaijan, is providing direct military support, including mercenaries, for Baku.
It said on Tuesday that a Turkish F-16 flying in support of Baku's forces had downed an Armenian SU-25 warplane, but Ankara and Baku denied the claim.
'Close to large-scale war'
"We are definitely very close to seeing a large-scale war, possibly even on a regional scale," Olesya Vartanyan of the International Crisis Group told AFP.
"If we see mass civilian casualties... that will be a very strong pretext for any regional power — no matter Russia or Turkey — to intervene," she said.
Karabakh's declaration of independence from Azerbaijan sparked a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives, but it is still not recognized as independent by any country, including Armenia.
Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilization Sunday, while Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities.
Talks to resolve the conflict have largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement.
France, Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the "Minsk Group," but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday condemned what he called Turkey's "reckless and dangerous" statements backing Baku, saying they "remove any inhibitions from Azerbaijan."


themoscowtimes--2020-09-30--U.S. Jails Russian for Linkedin, Dropbox Login Hacks

Yevgeny Nikulin , 32 , is accused of stealing some 117 million LinkedIn and Dropbox login codes in one of the country ’ s largest data breaches in 2012 .
He was arrested by the FBI in the Czech Republic in 2016 and extradited to the United States two years later .
A Russian national has been sentenced to seven years and four months in U.S. prison on charges of hacking LinkedIn and Dropbox , the Courthouse News Service website reported Tuesday .
The District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday sentenced Nikulin to 88 months in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him in July of intrusion , identity theft , trafficking and conspiracy .
The nearly four years Nikulin has spent in pre-trial detention will count toward his sentence .
“ I want to impose a sentence that would take into account that the time imposed is harder on him than anyone in his position , ” Judge William Alsup said , pointing to the fact that Nikulin has a young daughter in Russia and that his mother is in poor health .
One of Nikulin ’ s lawyers , Arkady Bukh , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentence .
The state prosecutor , Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Kane , warned that “ it is incredibly important for the hackers of the world to know that they can not act with impunity.
” “ The United States economy is not their playground , ” Kane was quoted by Courthouse News as saying .
“ We may not catch all of them , but we will catch some of them and when they come here , the punishment is real.
” According to the U.S. news site RFE/RL ’ s citation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleagues had referred to him as the “ ‘ Putin ’ of the hacking world.
” The revelation was part of a multiyear U.S. law enforcement campaign to arrest suspected Russian cybercriminals , which also revealed that Russian agencies like the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) had allegedly directed some of the hackers ’ efforts .
U.S. intelligence officials also accuse Russia of hacking the Democratic National Committee ’ s email server to interfere in the 2016 presidential election .

Yevgeny Nikulin, 32, is accused of stealing some 117 million LinkedIn and Dropbox login codes in one of the country’s largest data breaches in 2012. He was arrested by the FBI in the Czech Republic in 2016 and extradited to the United States two years later.
A Russian national has been sentenced to seven years and four months in U.S. prison on charges of hacking LinkedIn and Dropbox, the Courthouse News Service website reported Tuesday.
The District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday sentenced Nikulin to 88 months in prison after a jury found him guilty him in July of intrusion, identity theft, trafficking and conspiracy.
The nearly four years Nikulin has spent in pre-trial detention will count toward his sentence.
Prosecutors sought a nearly 12-year jail term for Nikulin.
“I want to impose a sentence that would take into account that the time imposed is harder on him than anyone in his position,” Judge William Alsup said, pointing to the fact that Nikulin has a young daughter in Russia and that his mother is in poor health.
One of Nikulin’s lawyers, Arkady Bukh, has said the defense is considering appealing the sentence.
The state prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Kane, warned that “it is incredibly important for the hackers of the world to know that they cannot act with impunity.”
“The United States economy is not their playground,” Kane was quoted by Courthouse News as saying. “We may not catch all of them, but we will catch some of them and when they come here, the punishment is real.”
According to the U.S. news site RFE/RL’s citation of court filings, Nikulin’s hacking colleagues had referred to him as the “‘Putin’ of the hacking world.”
The revelation was part of a multiyear U.S. law enforcement campaign to arrest suspected Russian cybercriminals, which also revealed that Russian agencies like the Federal Security Service (FSB) had allegedly directed some of the hackers’ efforts.
U.S. intelligence officials also accuse Russia of hacking the Democratic National Committee’s email server to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.