themoscowtimes--2020-02-12--Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Feb. 13

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 1,000 people continues to spread around the world , Russia has stepped up measures to tackle the health risk , including closing most entry points along its 4,200-kilometer border and suspending e-visas and work visas for Chinese nationals .
Russia has reported its first two cases of coronavirus and said the infected people were Chinese citizens who had been isolated .
Below are the latest updates on Russia ’ s response to the coronavirus — Russia discharged a Chinese national from the hospital in the Siberian city of Chita on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the second of Russia 's two confirmed cases of coronavirus to recover .
The other victim , also a Chinese national , was said by authorities on Tuesday to have recovered and been released from quarantine in Siberia 's Tyumen region .
— Russia 's Transport Ministry is proposing to offer airlines 1.6 billion rubles ( $ 25.05 million ) in compensation for the grounding of flights to China due to the coronavirus outbreak .
— The two people infected with coronavirus in Russia — both Chinese nationals — are being prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of being held in quarantine , the head of Russia 's consumer protection agency told the RBC news website .
— The coronavirus outbreak may delay Russia 's delivery of S-400 air defense systems to China , the state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport said .
— The number of payments made in Russia through the Chinese Alipay payment system was down 73 % in the first week of February compared to the same time last year .
— Russia 's Interior Ministry opened a criminal case of hooliganism after a Moscow man was filmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metro while his two accomplices shouted that he was infected with the coronavirus .
The man has been detained while his accomplices are wanted , the Interior Ministry said .
— Russian authorities have quarantined a top Chinese diplomat as a safety precaution against coronavirus shortly after he arrived in Russia to take up his new post , Interfax reported Monday .
— China ’ s Hainan Airlines and China Southern Airlines plan to lay off more than 100 Russian pilots amid wider cuts to foreign staff as the coronavirus outbreak has led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , the state-run TASS news agency reported .
— Authorities in the Chelyabinsk region 1,500 kilometers east of Moscow have walked back plans to set up a quarantine center after local residents formed a human shield to prevent entry to Chinese nationals .
— Prisoners in the Kursk region have begun making face masks to be used in correctional facilities after a spike in demand , Interfax cited the region 's penitentiary service as saying Friday .
`` The masks made at penitentiary production sites are in no way inferior to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penitentiary service was quoted as saying .
— The Kremlin has started checking the body temperatures of individuals attending events with President Vladimir Putin as a `` precautionary measure , '' spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday .

Russia has confirmed 18,315,292 cases of coronavirus and 378,784 deaths , according to the national coronavirus information center. Russia’s total excess fatality count since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is at least 995,000. Under half the population is fully vaccinated.
— QR codes will be issued to Russians who test positive for Covid-19 antibodies, regardless of their vaccination status.
— Russians will be able to take an antibody test to obtain a coronavirus health pass from Feb. 21, the Health Ministry said Tuesday.
— Russia reported more than 200,000 new Covid-19 infections for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
— After a three-day decline, Russia saw an an increase of Covid-19 infections with a total of 179,284 new infections and 748 deaths.
Russians and foreigners will be able to receive a coronavirus QR-code health pass based on the results of an antibody test from Monday.
Russia reported 137,642 new Covid-19 infections and 785 deaths over the last 24 hours.
Please donate today and support the only independent, English-language news outlet reporting within Russia. Your contribution helps ensure our reporting is free and open to all!
The Moscow Times is at the forefront of this coverage — and we need your support to do it.
As Russia faces a deadly pandemic, ongoing clampdowns on independent media and a swiftly warming climate, the need for free, independent and objective coverage of Russia has never been greater.
Feb. 10
— Russia reported a total of 197,076 new infections and 701 deaths.
Feb. 9
— Russia reported a total of 183,103 new infections and 669 deaths.
Feb. 8
— Russia reported a total of 165,643 new infections and 698 deaths.
— Almost 12,000 children with Covid-19 are currently being treated in hospitals, while children make up about 20% of the country's total number of coronavirus cases, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko announced.
Feb. 7
— Russia reported 171,905 new coronavirus infections and 609 deaths.
Feb. 6
— Russia reported a record 180,071 new coronavirus infections and 661 deaths.
Feb. 5
— Russia reported another record number of new coronavirus infections. A total of 177,282 new infections and 714 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours.
Feb. 4
— Russia reported another record number of new coronavirus infections. A total of 168,201 new infections and 682 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours.
— Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine has a 70.5% efficacy against the Delta variant of the coronavirus six months after vaccination, the jab’s developers said Friday. The findings were published as part of the results of Phase 3 medical trials into the vaccine. Omicron has displaced Delta as the dominant strain of the coronavirus in Moscow and is sweeping rapidly across the country.
Feb. 3
— Russia reported a new record number of new coronavirus infections. A total of 155,768 new infections and 667 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours.
— Russia plans to cancel mandatory isolation requirements for people who come into contact with somebody infected with Covid-19, Anna Popova, the head of the Rospotrebnadzor consumer health watchdog said Friday. She said the forced quarantine rules “have lost their reasoning” with the surge in Omicron cases.
Feb. 2
— Russia reported more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases for the fifth consecutive day. The country’s coronavirus task force confirmed 141,883 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours and 678 fatalities.
Feb. 1
— Russia reported more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases for the fourth consecutive day. The country’s coronavirus task force confirmed 125,836 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours and 663 fatalities.
— Russia's Labor Ministry has recommended that all enterprises send as many of their employees to remote work as possible due to the surge in Covid-19 cases.
— A growing number of Russian regions are re-introducing coronavirus lockdown measures due to the surging Omicron variant, even as the Kremlin on Monday repeated that there will be no nationwide lockdown due to the variant’s spread. Fifteen regions across the country have suspended routine medical care due to the overwhelming number of hospitalizations, while five regions have sent schoolchildren to remote learning and four regions banned mass gatherings. The Tula region south of Moscow took the most drastic step in the latest virus surge by announcing a 10-day regionwide holiday.
Jan. 31
— Russia reported more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day. The country’s coronavirus task force confirmed 124,070 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours and 621 fatalities.
— Russia’s excess fatalities reached 995,000 by the end of 2021, according to The Moscow Times’ analysis of official statistics. The country also saw its largest natural population decline since the end of the Soviet Union, registering a fall of more than one million in 2021, the Rosstat statistics service said Friday.
Jan. 30
— Russia reported more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day. The country’s coronavirus task force confirmed 121,228 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours and 617 fatalities.
Jan. 29
— Russia reported more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases for the first time ever. The country’s coronavirus task force confirmed 113,112 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours and 668 fatalities.
— Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "clear that the real number of people who have Covid-19 is slightly higher than the official statistics."
— Moscow does not plan to introduce new lockdown measures in response to the Omicron variant, the RBC news website reported, citing two sources close to the Mayor's Office.
Jan. 28
— Russia reported a record number of new coronavirus infections for the eighth day running. A total of 98,040 new infections and 673 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours. Case numbers have doubled in the span of a week.
Jan. 27
— Russia reported a record number of new coronavirus infections for the seventh day running. A total of 88,816 new infections and 665 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours. Case numbers have doubled in the span of a week.
— The number of Covid-19 patients admitted to hospital in the capital jumped 22% on Thursday and is now running close to peaks recorded during the two previous waves of the virus in 2021.
Jan. 26
— Russia reported a record number of new coronavirus infections for the sixth day running. A total of 74,692 new infections and 657 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours.
— Children in St. Petersburg will be barred from sporting, cultural and entertainment establishments from Jan. 28-Feb. 13, city authorities announced.
— Russia has cut the quarantine period for people infected with Covid-19 from 14 to seven days, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced Tuesday.
Jan. 25
— Russia reported a record number of new coronavirus infections for the fifth day running. A total of 67,809 new infections and 681 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours.
— Around 70% of people infected with the Omicron variant in Russia are unvaccinated, said Anna Popova, the head of Russia’s consumer health watchdog, in a televised meeting.
— Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the capital was likely to see growing coronavirus cases for at least two more weeks, as the Omicron variant fuels a record rise in infections.
Jan. 24
— Russia reported a record number of new coronavirus infections for the fourth day running. A total of 65,109 new infections and 655 deaths were recorded.
Jan. 23
— Russia reported a record number of new coronavirus infections for the third day running. A total of 63,205 new infections were recorded over the last 24 hours and 679 deaths.
Jan. 22
— Russia reported a record number of new coronavirus infections as the Omicron variant continued its rapid spread across the country. A total of 57,212 new infections were recorded over the last 24 hours and 681 deaths.
Jan. 21
— Amid rising cases, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on extended a requirement for businesses in the capital to ensure 30% of their employers were working from home.
— Russia plans to cut the isolation period from 14 to seven days for those infected with Covid-19, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said.
— Russian lawmakers have agreed to withdraw from consideration an unpopular bill for QR-code health passes to enter public spaces, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said.
Jan. 19
— Russia reported 33,899 new Covid-19 infections and 698 deaths.
— Cases in Russia’s second city of St. Petersburg set a new record high Wednesday with 4,382 new confirmed cases. In Moscow, where Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Omicron has become the dominant strain, new infections set their third-highest daily toll since the start of the pandemic on Wednesday of 8,795.
Jan. 18
— Russia reported 31,252 new Covid-19 infections and 688 deaths.
Jan. 17
— Russia reported 30,726 new Covid-19 infections and 670 deaths.
— The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is still awaiting additional documentation on Sputnik V before it can proceed with the vaccine approval process, the EU’s Ambassador to Moscow said Monday. The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Russia said Sunday the vaccine’s developers had submitted all the required information needed for its approval process, and further inspections will take place in February, though other WHO officials later appeared to contradict this, saying they were still waiting for a full data package from Russia.
Jan. 16
— Russia reported 29,230 new Covid-19 infections and 686 deaths.
Jan. 15
— Russia reported 27,179 new Covid-19 infections and 723 deaths.
Jan. 14
— Russia reported 23,820 new Covid-19 cases and 739 deaths
— Russia will delay controversial legislation over the use of coronavirus health passes for access to public spaces, officials said Friday, citing “new challenges” presented by the Omicron variant.
— Foreigners will be able to obtain a coronavirus health pass — QR code — in Russia by taking an antibody test, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said Friday. The passes will be valid for six months.
— Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Friday that Omicron had become the dominant coronavirus strain in the Russian capital, accounting for more than half of all new infections.
Jan. 13
— Russia reported 21,155 new Covid-19 infections — a 17.8% increase overnight — and 740 deaths.
Jan. 12
— Russia reported 17,946 new Covid-19 infections and 745 deaths.
— Russia has so far confirmed 698 official cases of the Omicron variant, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova announced at a meeting on Wednesday.
— President Vladimir Putin said health authorities only have “a couple of weeks” to prepare for the next wave of the pandemic.
— Russia delivered fewer than 80 million doses of its Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines to other countries in 2021, according to Unicef data cited by The Washington Post. The jab’s developers had initially planned to export doses for more than 500 million people, but have been beset by production and delivery delays. The vaccine has also yet to be approved by either the World Health Organization (WHO) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Jan. 11
— Russia reported 17,525 new Covid-19 infections and 783 deaths.
— The presence of the Omicron variant in the Russian capital is already “significant,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. He warned that the city would see a major increase in infections within 7-10 days, adding that “it is quite possible that we will face a worse situation than in previous waves.”
— Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered the military to limit vacations and trips abroad for servicemen and women due to the spread of the Omicron variant.
— Russia will be “covered” by the Omicron variant and should brace for a “very high” number of Covid-19 cases, Alexander Gintsburg, the head of the state-run Gamaleya Institute which developed the country’s Sputnik V vaccine, said.
Jan. 10
— Russia confirmed 15,830 Covid-19 infections and 741 deaths.
Jan. 9
— Russia confirmed 16,246 Covid-19 infections and 763 deaths.
Jan. 8
— Russia confirmed 16,568 Covid-19 infections and 796 deaths.
Jan. 7
— Russia confirmed 16,735 Covid-19 infections and 787 deaths.
Jan. 6
— Russia confirmed 15,316 Covid-19 infections and 802 deaths.
Jan.5
— Russia confirmed 15,772 Covid-19 infections and 828 deaths.
Jan. 4
— Russia confirmed 15,903 Covid-19 infections and 834 deaths.
Jan. 3
— Russia confirmed 16,343 Covid-19 infections and 835 deaths.
Jan. 2
— Russia confirmed 18,233 Covid-19 infections and 811 deaths.
Jan. 1
— Russia confirmed 19,751 Covid-19 infections and 847 deaths.
Dec. 31
— Russia confirmed 20,638 Covid-19 infections and 912 deaths.
— Russia recorded more than 115,000 excess deaths during November 2021, according to official statistics published Thursday — a new record high since the start of the pandemic.
— Russia's Health Ministry on Thursday advised Russians against traveling abroad for the New Year holiday due to the spread of the Omicron variant.
— Over 100 cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in Russia, Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova said Thursday.
Dec. 30
— Russia confirmed 21,073 Covid-19 infections and 926 deaths. Cases in Moscow rose from 1,798 on Wednesday to 2,661 on Thursday, a nearly 50% increase.
Dec. 29
— Russia confirmed 21,119 Covid-19 infections and 932 deaths.
Dec. 28
— Russia confirmed 21,922 Covid-19 infections and 935 deaths.
Dec. 27
— Russia confirmed 23,210 Covid-19 infections and 937 deaths.
Dec. 26
— Russia confirmed 23,721 Covid-19 infections and 968 deaths.
Dec. 25
— Russia confirmed 24,946 Covid-19 infections and 981 deaths.
Dec. 24
— Russia confirmed 24,703 Covid-19 infections and 998 deaths.
Dec. 23
— Russia confirmed 25,667 Covid-19 infections and 1,002 deaths.
— Moscow confirmed over 3,000 new Covid cases, a 60% jump compared to Wednesday.
Dec. 22
— Russia on Wednesday confirmed 25,264 Covid-19 infections and 1,020 deaths.
Dec. 21
— Russia on Tuesday confirmed 25,907 Covid-19 infections and 1,027 deaths.
— Russia has detected 41 cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 so far, health authorities said Tuesday.
Dec. 20
— Russia confirmed 27,022 Covid-19 infections and 1,019 deaths.
Dec. 19
— Russia confirmed 27,967 Covid-19 infections and 1,024 deaths.
— Russia could send free shipments of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to Africa in the future, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which finances and promotes the jab, has said.
Dec. 18
— Russia confirmed 27,434 Covid-19 infections and 1,076 deaths.
Dec. 17
— Russia confirmed 27,743 Covid-19 infections and 1,080 deaths.
— Russia claimed its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine provides “robust” long-term protection against the Omicron variant, disputing the findings of an independent study which found the Russian jab produced no antibody response whatsoever to the new highly transmissible variant.
Dec. 16
— Russia has detected the Omicron variant in 25 people so far, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said.
— Russia confirmed 28,486 Covid-19 infections and 1,133 deaths.
— Russian lawmakers approved legislation in a first reading that will require people to show health passes to access public places like bars and restaurants, as the country gears up for a winter Covid wave.
— Russia has not yet provided all the information requested by the WHO to certify the country’s flagship Sputnik V vaccine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. “It's true that some information needed for certification has not yet been submitted. We had a different understanding of what information was needed and how it has to be submitted, we have different standards, etc," Peskov told journalists, adding that the Kremlin is not worried by the lengthy approval process the vaccine has faced.
Dec. 15
—Russians with coronavirus antibodies from both foreign and domestic vaccines will be able to get a QR code valid for six months, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said Monday.
— Russia will scrap the proposed bill that would require QR codes to access public transport, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced on his Telegram channel on Sunday.
Dec. 6
— Russia has confirmed its first reported cases of the Omicron variant. The new strain was detected in two people who traveled into the country from South Africa, Russia’s consumer and health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said. Another 10 Russians who returned from South Africa have tested positive for the coronavirus and their samples are currently being analyzed to determine the variant, the agency added.
Dec. 3
— Russia said it recorded its deadliest month in decades in October, with the total number of excess deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic surpassing 810,000.
Dec. 2
— Russia will require citizens entering the country from South Africa or neighboring countries to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival due to the Omicron variant starting Dec. 2, Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova announced.
Nov. 30
— Russian President Vladimir Putin called for mutual recognition of vaccines against the coronavirus to help curtail the pandemic, as concern grows around the world about the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
— Russians returning from countries with which Moscow has not formally restored air travel will have to quarantine for 14 days, Anna Popova, the head of Russia’s Rospotrebnadzor consumer and health watchdog said. The validity of health passes obtained by a negative PCR test will also be reduced from 72 to 48 hours. Popova also advised Russians not to travel abroad for New Year holidays as part of a package of recommendations outlined in response to the Omicron variant.
— Putin has ordered the government to create an updated action plan for the Omicron strain by next week, he said at an investment forum.
Nov. 29
— As many as 1,500 Russian tourists have been left stranded in South Africa as countries scramble to ban flights from the region, media reported Monday.
— The backers of the Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V said Monday that the jab is effective against the new Omicron coronavirus variant but they were also developing an adapted booster.
Nov. 28
— The new Omicron variant may be spreading across Russia by tourists returning from Egypt, Senator and Honored Doctor of Russia Vladimir Krugly said Sunday. Russia’s consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, which leads the country’s Covid-19 response efforts, later denied Krugly’s claims.
Nov. 25
— St. Petersburg aims to vaccinate 80% of its population by mid-January through vaccination, its Governor Alexander Beglov said Thursday. He said 67% of the city is currently vaccinated.
— Russian lawmakers are seeking to recognize those vaccinated against the coronavirus with foreign jabs, the Izvestia daily reported Thursday.
Nov. 24
— President Vladimir Putin repeated his stance that Covid-19 vaccination should be voluntary as regions and cities tighten restrictions on the unvaccinated.
— He added that he has received a nasal Covid-19 vaccine, days after saying he received a Sputnik Light booster shot.
— Russia has registered a Covid-19 vaccine for children 12 to 17 years old, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova announced.
Nov. 23
— Russia and Hungary have agreed to mutually recognize each others' vaccination certificates, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, marking the first such agreement between Russia and another country.
Nov. 22
— A Siberian region of Russia has become the first in the country to impose self-isolation rules for residents who haven’t yet been vaccinated against Covid-19.
— The republic of Tatarstan became the first Russian province to enforce QR code passes on public transit earlier Monday.
Nov. 21
— President Vladimir Putin said he had had a third dose of a Covid vaccine. "I had it two hours ago," Putin said on state television channel Rossiya 24, assuring viewers that his booster injection of the Sputnik vaccine had been painless.
Nov. 19
— Russia's herd immunity has surpassed 50%, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said.
Nov. 17
— Two more Russian coronavirus vaccines are currently undergoing preclinical trials, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said. So far, Russia has authorized four vaccines: Sputnik V, the one-dose Sputnik Light, EpiVacCorona and CoviVak.
— There is "no end in sight" to the Covid-19 pandemic in Russia yet, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
— A Far East Russian region has become the first in the country to introduce vaccine passports for internal flights as federal lawmakers race to mandate health passes for public transport and other areas.
Nov. 16
— Russia will resume air travel with Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mongolia from Dec. 1, authorities announced. It will also lift all remaining restrictions on flights with Mexico, Cuba and Qatar starting that day. Starting Dec. 12, train connections to Finland will resume.
Nov. 16
— U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has received approval to conduct trials of Paxlovid, a novel oral antiviral treatment aimed at preventing and treating Covid-19. Ninety people in a handful of Russian cities will take part in the trials.
Nov. 12
— Russia will introduce health passes for access to public places, restaurants and intercity trains and planes in a radical move designed to boost Russia's sluggish vaccination campaign.
Nov. 9
— St. Petersburg mandated vaccination against Covid-19 for all residents over 60 years old as well as people with certain chronic illnesses.
— Russia is now the world leader in coronavirus deaths for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
— The developer of Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V has said Moscow should make jabs mandatory as inoculation rates remain low despite record deaths and campaigning by authorities.
Nov. 8
— Russia’s nationwide paid holiday aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus came to an end Monday. Some regions are keeping the restrictions in place and many others are implementing digital passes showing proof of vaccination or recent Covid-19 recovery.
— QR codes proving one's vaccination continue to be valid for one year after vaccination, Russia's Health Ministry and Digital Development Ministry said Monday following reports that the validity period had changed to 6 months.
Nov. 2
— Russia's single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine produces a strong antibody response among recipients, according to research published in leading medical journal The Lancet. Sputnik Light is the first dose of Russia's two-dose Sputnik V vaccine, which is the backbone of Russia's domestic vaccination campaign and is being sold around the world.
Nov. 1
— Russian authorities said that doctors were under "extraordinary" strain due to surging coronavirus cases in Europe's worst-hit country.
— The Novgorod region in northwestern Russia has become the first region to extend the non-working week. It will order all non-essential workers to take a mandated paid holiday for an additional week after Nov. 7.
Oct. 27
— The Kremlin cautioned Russians against traveling during the Oct. 30-Nov. 7 non-working period ordered by Moscow to stem a spike in coronavirus infections and deaths.
— The Israeli government will allow tourists vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to enter the country starting Nov. 15.
Oct. 26
— All of Russia's 85 regions across 11 time zones have now mandated vaccines for certain categories of workers, Anna Popova, who heads the federal health watchdog that is leading the country’s response to the virus, said.
— The European Union expects countries including Russia to investigate the sale of fake Covid-19 certificates online and take appropriate measures, an EU spokesperson told RBC. The cybersecurity company Kaspersky said last week that it uncovered counterfeit travel certificates made to look as if they were issued in France or Poland being sold for an average price of $300 on the Telegram messaging app.
— Authorities in annexed Crimea said they plan to purchase mobile refrigerators to store bodies in the city of Simferopol as Covid-19 deaths continue to rise and the city's morgues are overwhelmed.
Oct. 25
— Russian authorities were investigating nurses and a doctor in St. Petersburg accused of selling fake coronavirus vaccination certificates, as the country faces a deadly new wave. The Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said a doctor and three nurses are suspected of pocketing at least 100,000 rubles ($1,430) from 12 people after selling official certificates without having administered jabs.
— President Vladimir Putin instructed regional leaders to order restaurants to close between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. and to ban all entertainment events.
— Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin imposed a partial citywide lockdown between Oct. 28-Nov. 7 to stem the spread of the virus.
— The restrictions suspend businesses, services, catering, sports, recreation, entertainment and film screenings with the exception of the sale of essential goods like medicines and food. Mass events, except those authorized by health officials, will be banned, and theater and museum attendance will be capped at 50% with mask-wearing and digital-code rules in place. In-person public services will be suspended and kindergarteners and school students sent home between Oct. 28 and Nov. 7.
The Moscow region introduced identical restrictions shortly after Sobyanin’s announcement.
— President Vladimir Putin will not meet people face-to-face during Russia's nationwide week-long paid holiday starting on Oct. 30 designed to curb Covid infections amid record deaths, his spokesman said.
— The pace of vaccinations in Russia has accelerated following a string of regions imposing vaccine mandates for workers in certain sectors of the economy and vaccine passports for entry into indoor venues, according to the Gogov website which tracks vaccine uptake across the country. It estimates Russia is administering more than 300,000 first doses each day — up from around 120,000 a day earlier October.
Oct. 23
— Russia's second city St. Petersburg will impose a partial lockdown from Oct. 30-Nov. 7, authorities announced.
Oct. 21
— Sochi is bracing for an influx of tourists during public holidays starting Oct. 30 designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Occupancy rates in hotels are set to be at least 75%, the city’s mayor said — equivalent to peak summer months at the Black Sea resort. The city has introduced vaccine passports for entry into restaurants and bars in a bid to stop the spread of the virus despite the mass inflow of tourists.
— Russia has detected a new sub-variant of the Delta strain of the coronavirus, which risks compounding the country’s spiraling infections and deaths, a senior Russian government scientist warned.
— The European Union’s drug regulator will not approve Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine until at least the first months of 2022, Reuters reported.
Oct. 20
— President Vladimir Putin announced a non-working week in Russia from Oct. 30-Nov. 7. Putin pleaded with Russians to get vaccinated and said the public holidays could be extended further if cases do not start to fall.
— Nationwide, 87% of hospital beds reserved for coronavirus patients are occupied, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said in a televised meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
Oct. 19
— Some 1,100 medical staff died from Covid-19 in Russia during the first six months of 2021, the chair of the State Duma’s budget committee said. That is more than twice the number who succumbed to the virus in 2020, he added.
— Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has backed plans for a nationwide non-working week starting Oct. 30. The proposal was put forward by Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova during a televised government meeting. Mishustin said the strict measures — effectively a paid vacation or orders for workers at non-essential businesses to stop going into their place of work — were “now necessary” given increased numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Golikova said some regions should introduce the non-working week earlier, on Oct. 23 and also called for unvaccinated pensioners to start self-isolating at home.
Oct. 18
— Russia's second city, St. Petersburg, announced it would tighten restrictions to battle a surge in Covid-19 cases, introducing a health pass to regulate access to crowd events.
— Moscow authorities will start fining public transport passengers whose face masks do not cover their nose and mouth, a transit official said.
— South Africa's health products regulator said it would not approve Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine due to concerns it could increase the risk of HIV infection among men. The decision was based on earlier studies testing the safety of a modified form of adenovirus — a type of virus that causes respiratory infections — known as the Ad5 and contained in the Russian jab.
— Russia will allow family members of foreigners who live in Russia to enter the country, the Foreign Ministry said. The relaxation will allow people from countries not yet on Russia’s designated list of open countries to receive a special entry permit to come to Russia, provided they have a close relative living in Russia.
Oct. 16
— According to Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova, 38 of Russia’s 85 regions have introduced vaccine mandates for certain categories of citizens and employees working in designated sectors of the economy, such as retail and hospitality.
Oct. 15
— Russia will resume regular air travel with the Bahamas, Iran, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Slovenia, Tunisia, Sweden and Thailand starting Nov. 9, the national Covid-19 headquarters announced.
Oct. 14
— Health Minister Mikhail Murashko has called on doctors who are self-isolating or even retired due to the pandemic to get vaccinated and return to work due to record increases in Covid-19 infections and deaths.
Oct. 12
— The Moscow region that surrounds the capital has imposed vaccine mandates for sales, food, transport, public service, hair salon and fitness club employees.
— Roughly 235,000 of Russia's 255,000 Covid hospital beds nationwide are occupied, with 6,000 patients on ventilators, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said.
— Russia’s western exclave of Kaliningrad has suspended planned medical procedures as it battles an “extremely difficult” surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. The central Mari El region also canceled routine operations and medical treatment from Tuesday, warning that it had run out of free hospital beds and may soon have to start treating patients in corridors.
Oct. 11
— The Kremlin described Russia's Covid fatality toll as "high" and the country's vaccination rate as "unacceptably" low, even as it rejected new restrictions so as to protect the economy.
— Moscow launched free express coronavirus tests at 20 locations across the city, as the capital continues to battle with rising infection rates. The tests give a result in 15 minutes, but are less effective than the gold standard PCR tests. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said rapid testing would allow “socially responsible citizens” to ensure they are not spreading the virus.
— The Leningrad region that surrounds St. Petersburg will require residents to present QR codes proving their vaccination status or a negative PCR test in order to enter theaters, cinemas, swimming pools and gyms through Nov. 15.
Oct. 8
— Russia reported 65,000 excess fatalities in August in a 45% jump on pre-pandemic mortality rates, official data showed. The country's overall number of excess deaths since the start of the coronavirus stands at 660,000.
— EU Ambassador to Russia Markus Ederer said that the country "has repeatedly postponed" the timing of the inspection requested by the European Medicines Agency which has slowed down the approval process of the vaccine in the EU. The Russian Ministry of Health responded by saying that it presented the EU with all the necessary documents that the block requested.
Oct. 7
— A World Health Organization delegation will visit Russia this month as part of its approval procedure for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, Russian Direct Investment Fund head Kirill Dmitriyev said.
— The problem behind WHO's suspension of Sputnik V's approval process has been resolved, said Mariangela Simao, WHO's assistant director general for access to medicines, vaccines and pharmaceuticals.
— Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has announced that mass PCR testing will be introduced in Russia's capital in 1-2 weeks.
— Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said the federal government recommends Russian regions introduce QR-codes for attending mass events, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Oct. 4
— Russia’s top cabinet official on Monday criticized the country's stalling vaccination rates for failing to slow the spread of Covid-19 as Russians die in numbers not seen since the start of the pandemic.
AFP contributed reporting.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-13--'There Will Be Dad and Mum': Putin Rules out Russia Legalizing Gay Marriage

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia would not legalize gay marriage as long as he was in the Kremlin .
He made clear he would not allow the traditional notion of mother and father to be subverted by what he called `` parent number 1 '' and `` parent number 2 '' .
`` As far as 'parent number 1 ' and 'parent number 2 ' goes , I 've already spoken publicly about this and I 'll repeat it again : as long as I 'm president this will not happen .
There will be dad and mum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two decades in power , Putin has closely aligned himself with the Orthodox Church and sought to distance Russia from liberal Western values , including attitudes towards homosexuality and gender fluidity .
He made the comments as he met a state commission to discuss changes to Russia 's constitution .
The commission was set up last month after Putin announced sweeping changes to Russia 's political system that are widely seen as being designed to help him extend his grip on power after his scheduled departure from office in 2024 .
Other proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was asked to comment on a proposal to add a line in the constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman .
`` We need only to think in what phrases and where to do this , '' he replied .
In separate comments during the meeting , Putin said he backed an idea to make it unconstitutional for Russia to give away any part of its territory , a move likely to irritate Japan and Ukraine that have land disputes with Moscow .
Russia annexed the peninsula of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in a decades-long dispute with Tokyo over ownership of a chain of islands in the Pacific that Moscow seized from Japan at the end of World War Two .
Russia and Japan have been holding talks on the latter dispute which has prevented the countries formally signing a peace treaty after World War Two .
`` We have talks under way with our partners on certain questions , but I like the idea itself , '' Putin said .
`` So let 's instruct the lawyers , ask them to formulate this @ @ @ @ @ @

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia would not legalize gay marriage as long as he was in the Kremlin.
He made clear he would not allow the traditional notion of mother and father to be subverted by what he called "parent number 1" and "parent number 2".
"As far as 'parent number 1' and 'parent number 2' goes, I've already spoken publicly about this and I'll repeat it again: as long as I'm president this will not happen. There will be dad and mum," Putin said.
During his two decades in power, Putin has closely aligned himself with the Orthodox Church and sought to distance Russia from liberal Western values, including attitudes towards homosexuality and gender fluidity.
He made the comments as he met a state commission to discuss changes to Russia's constitution.
The commission was set up last month after Putin announced sweeping changes to Russia's political system that are widely seen as being designed to help him extend his grip on power after his scheduled departure from office in 2024.
Other proposals have since been put forward and Putin was asked to comment on a proposal to add a line in the constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
"We need only to think in what phrases and where to do this," he replied.
In separate comments during the meeting, Putin said he backed an idea to make it unconstitutional for Russia to give away any part of its territory, a move likely to irritate Japan and Ukraine that have land disputes with Moscow.
Russia annexed the peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has been in a decades-long dispute with Tokyo over ownership of a chain of islands in the Pacific that Moscow seized from Japan at the end of World War Two.
Russia and Japan have been holding talks on the latter dispute which has prevented the countries formally signing a peace treaty after World War Two.
"We have talks under way with our partners on certain questions, but I like the idea itself," Putin said. "So let's instruct the lawyers, ask them to formulate this in the right way."


themoscowtimes--2020-02-13--Protesters Twice as Likely to Be Jailed for Assaulting Police in Russia, Study Says

Novaya Gazeta compared nearly 12,000 assault sentences in 2016-2019 with the 57 sentences handed down to protesters over their role in the mass rallies that swept Moscow last summer .
Protesters in Russia are twice as likely to receive real prison time for violence against law enforcement authorities than those tried for the same crime under different circumstances , the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported Thursday .
It found that 40 % of defendants found guilty of assaulting authorities without aggravating circumstances had received prison sentences .
In contrast , 80 % of the Moscow demonstrators found guilty of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convicts with aggravating circumstances received seven months in prison on average , according to Novaya ’ s research .
Protesters received 10 months on average .
Every year , judges hand down 6,300 guilty verdicts under what Novaya referred to as one of the most popular articles under Russia ’ s Criminal Code .
Experts linked the disparity in sentencing between protesters and non-protesters to the authorities ’ tendency to administer stricter punishments to those who disagree with the authorities ’ official policy .
“ Any expression of opinion is interpreted as grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Svetlana Sidorkina told Novaya .
“ The courts approach sentencing with the interpretation that political prisoners are a source of increased danger to society , ” she said .
The newspaper ’ s research follows the biggest wave of protests to hit Moscow since the anti-Kremlin rallies of 2011-2013 .
Tens of thousands of people took to the capital ’ s streets last summer over what they said was the authorities ’ unfair exclusion of independent candidates in local elections .

Novaya Gazeta compared nearly 12,000 assault sentences in 2016-2019 with the 57 sentences handed down to protesters over their role in the mass rallies that swept Moscow last summer.
Protesters in Russia are twice as likely to receive real prison time for violence against law enforcement authorities than those tried for the same crime under different circumstances, the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported Thursday.
It found that 40% of defendants found guilty of assaulting authorities without aggravating circumstances had received prison sentences. In contrast, 80% of the Moscow demonstrators found guilty of the same crime received prison sentences.
Non-protesting convicts with aggravating circumstances received seven months in prison on average, according to Novaya’s research. Protesters received 10 months on average.
Every year, judges hand down 6,300 guilty verdicts under what Novaya referred to as one of the most popular articles under Russia’s Criminal Code.
Experts linked the disparity in sentencing between protesters and non-protesters to the authorities’ tendency to administer stricter punishments to those who disagree with the authorities’ official policy.
“Any expression of opinion is interpreted as grounds for greater public danger,” lawyer Svetlana Sidorkina told Novaya.
“The courts approach sentencing with the interpretation that political prisoners are a source of increased danger to society,” she said.
The newspaper’s research follows the biggest wave of protests to hit Moscow since the anti-Kremlin rallies of 2011-2013. Tens of thousands of people took to the capital’s streets last summer over what they said was the authorities’ unfair exclusion of independent candidates in local elections.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-14--Russia Asks Canada to Hand Over Files on Ex-Nazi Death Squad Member

Russia said on Friday it had asked Canada to hand over case files on a 95-year-old former Nazi death squad @ @ @ @ @ help Moscow with an investigation into the mass murder of children at a Soviet orphanage @ @ @ @ @ , who was born in Ukraine and became a German citizen during World War Two @ @ @ @ @ post-war Canadian citizenship when Ottawa learned of his wartime activities .
In December , Canada @ @ @ @ @ appeal to restore his citizenship that he obtained in 1960 .
Russia 's Investigation Committee @ @ @ @ @ serious crimes , said it wanted Canada 's case and legal files on Oberlander and @ @ @ @ @ possible involvement in a massacre at an orphanage in the then-Soviet town of Yeysk .

Russia said on Friday it had asked Canada to hand over case files on a 95-year-old former Nazi death squad member living in Canada to help Moscow with an investigation into the mass murder of children at a Soviet orphanage in 1942.
Helmut Oberlander, who was born in Ukraine and became a German citizen during World War Two, was stripped of his post-war Canadian citizenship when Ottawa learned of his wartime activities.
In December, Canada's Supreme Court rejected an appeal to restore his citizenship that he obtained in 1960.
Russia's Investigation Committee, which handles probes into serious crimes, said it wanted Canada's case and legal files on Oberlander and said it was checking his possible involvement in a massacre at an orphanage in the then-Soviet town of Yeysk.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-14--Jehovah’s Witness Says Russian Police Used Torture in Siberian Crackdown

Lawyer Artur Ganin told the outlet his client Vadim Kutsenko was taken to a local forest by police , where they beat his face and neck , suffocated him and used a taser on him to force him to admit to practicing the religion .
A Jehovah 's Witness from the Siberian city of Chita has claimed he was tortured by local police on Monday during a mass crackdown on believers in the region , Russian investigative news site The Insider reported Friday .
Russia ’ s Supreme Court declared the Jehovah ’ s Witnesses an “ extremist ” organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across Russia to shut down and at least 5,000 worshippers to flee the country , according to media reports .
The Jehovah ’ s Witnesses group estimates that it has about 170,000 followers in Russia .
Ganin told The Insider that when Kutsenko reported the torture to the authorities he was ignored and sent to a pre-detention center .
He said three other people were detained during the searches .
Human Rights Watch has said 2019 marked an escalation in the persecution of Jehovah ’ s Witnesses in Russia , with nearly 500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison sentences .
President Vladimir Putin called the persecution of Jehovah ’ s Witnesses under anti-extremism law “ complete nonsense ” in 2018 .

Lawyer Artur Ganin told the outlet his client Vadim Kutsenko was taken to a local forest by police, where they beat his face and neck, suffocated him and used a taser on him to force him to admit to practicing the religion.
A Jehovah's Witness from the Siberian city of Chita has claimed he was tortured by local police on Monday during a mass crackdown on believers in the region, Russian investigative news site The Insider reported Friday.
Russia’s Supreme Court declared the Jehovah’s Witnesses an “extremist” organization in April 2017, forcing 395 branches across Russia to shut down and at least 5,000 worshippers to flee the country, according to media reports. The Jehovah’s Witnesses group estimates that it has about 170,000 followers in Russia.
Ganin told The Insider that when Kutsenko reported the torture to the authorities he was ignored and sent to a pre-detention center. He said three other people were detained during the searches.
Human Rights Watch has said 2019 marked an escalation in the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, with nearly 500 raids and 18 convictions, including nine prison sentences.
President Vladimir Putin called the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses under anti-extremism law “complete nonsense” in 2018.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-14--Macron Ally Drops Out of Paris Mayor Race After Russian Artist Leaks Sex Tape

A close ally of French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday pulled out of next month ’ s race to become @ @ @ @ @ Russian dissident artist said the candidate had sent sexual images to a woman who was @ @ @ @ @ Pyotr Pavlensky published screenshots of an online chat between Benjamin Griveaux and the woman on @ @ @ @ @ Griveaux , 42 , said he had been subject to anonymous attacks and death threats @ @ @ @ @ , and that the latest incident was a new low in terms of “ websites @ @ @ @ @ attacks about my private life.
” The chat shared by Pavlensky included a video showing @ @ @ @ @ Griveaux has not disputed that he sent the messages .
Pavlensky accused Griveaux on social @ @ @ @ @ ” between what he said was the politician ’ s pro-family stance and the leaked @ @ @

A close ally of French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday pulled out of next month’s race to become mayor of Paris after a Russian dissident artist said the candidate had sent sexual images to a woman who was not his wife.
Artist Pyotr Pavlensky published screenshots of an online chat between Benjamin Griveaux and the woman on social media on Wednesday. Griveaux, 42, said he had been subject to anonymous attacks and death threats for more than a year, and that the latest incident was a new low in terms of “websites and social networks carrying ignoble attacks about my private life.”
The chat shared by Pavlensky included a video showing a man's genitals. Griveaux has not disputed that he sent the messages.
Pavlensky accused Griveaux on social media Wednesday of “contradictions” between what he said was the politician’s pro-family stance and the leaked sex tape.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-14--Russian Men Feel Discriminated Against on Retirement Grounds

Some 41 % of men in Russia consider the fact that they retire five years later than women to be @ @ @ @ @ % of female respondents share this opinion , according to a Superjob.ru survey .
Russia @ @ @ @ @ which started in 2019 , is gradually increasing the retirement age and indexing pensions .
@ @ @ @ @ could retire at the age of 55.5 and men at 60.5 .
When responses from @ @ @ @ @ 34 % of Russians think that men ’ s rights are being violated because of @ @ @ @ @ men and women pointed out that men have a lower average life expectancy than women @ @ @ @ @ on Feb. 13 among 1,600 respondents over 18 years old in 340 Russian cities and @ @

Some 41% of men in Russia consider the fact that they retire five years later than women to be discrimination, while only 28% of female respondents share this opinion, according to a Superjob.ru survey.
Russia’s pension reform, which started in 2019, is gradually increasing the retirement age and indexing pensions. Last year, Russian women could retire at the age of 55.5 and men at 60.5.
When responses from both sexes are combined, 34% of Russians think that men’s rights are being violated because of their later retirement. Both men and women pointed out that men have a lower average life expectancy than women.
The survey was conducted on Feb. 13 among 1,600 respondents over 18 years old in 340 Russian cities and towns.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-14--U.S. Says Billionaire Deripaska Laundered Putin’s Cash – FT

The United States believes that sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska laundered money for President Vladimir Putin , The Financial Times @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Treasury letter to Deripaska ’ s lawyers explaining the sanctions .
The Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ two dozen other tycoons and officials in April 2018 in retaliation for what it called @ @ @ @ @ activity around the globe.
” Deripaska sued the United States in 2019 , asking OFAC @ @ @ @ @ s office overseeing sanctions , to provide evidence of him profiting off his ties to @ @ @ @ @ to Deripaska ’ s lawyers cited by the FT states that , in 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ as one of the individuals holding assets and laundering funds on behalf of Russian President @ @ @ @

The United States believes that sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska laundered money for President Vladimir Putin, The Financial Times reported Friday, citing a U.S. Treasury letter to Deripaska’s lawyers explaining the sanctions.
The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Deripaska and two dozen other tycoons and officials in April 2018 in retaliation for what it called Russia’s “malign activity around the globe.” Deripaska sued the United States in 2019, asking OFAC, the Treasury Department’s office overseeing sanctions, to provide evidence of him profiting off his ties to Putin.
The OFAC letter to Deripaska’s lawyers cited by the FT states that, in 2016, Deripaska “was reportedly identified as one of the individuals holding assets and laundering funds on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”


themoscowtimes--2020-02-14--Share of Russians Who Believe Their Country Shot Down MH17 Rises Five-Fold

The number of Russians who believe Russia was responsible for the downing of the MH17 has increased five-fold to 10 @ @ @ @ @ 2015 , according to a new study from the independent Levada Center pollster .
The @ @ @ @ @ the Dutch University of Leiden , also showed that 60 % of Russians believe Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ the plane , while 26 % said they struggled to answer the question .
The @ @ @ @ @ into the shooting down of the MH17 on July 17 , 2014 , which killed @ @ @ @ @ .
Two-thirds of the passengers were Dutch .
The plane was flying over territory held @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine on a flight to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam .

The number of Russians who believe Russia was responsible for the downing of the MH17 has increased five-fold to 10% from 2% in 2015, according to a new study from the independent Levada Center pollster.
The poll, conducted together with the Dutch University of Leiden, also showed that 60% of Russians believe Ukraine was behind the shooting of the plane, while 26% said they struggled to answer the question.
The Netherlands is leading an investigation into the shooting down of the MH17 on July 17, 2014, which killed all 298 people on board. Two-thirds of the passengers were Dutch. The plane was flying over territory held by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine on a flight to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-14--Russia Probes BBC, Radio Liberty and Meduza for ‘Drug Propaganda’

Police in Russia are investigating news outlets BBC Russian , Radio Liberty and Meduza after lawmakers accused them of promoting @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
Ten foreign NGOs allegedly recruit activists to promote the decriminalization of drugs and @ @ @ @ @ cover ” their rallies , State Duma deputy Vasily Piskaryov said at a session on @ @ @ @ @ the mostly U.S.-based NGOs are blacklisted as “ undesirable ” under a 2015 law that @ @ @ @ @ or halt their work .
“ Foreign influence is aimed at increasing the number of @ @ @ @ @ tolerant attitude toward drug use in the public , especially among children , ” Piskaryov @ @ @ @ @ poses a direct threat to our country ’ s demographic growth and the Russian public @ @ @ @ @ moral values , ” Piskaryov , who chairs the anti-meddling commission , said .

Police in Russia are investigating news outlets BBC Russian, Radio Liberty and Meduza after lawmakers accused them of promoting drug use, Interfax reported Thursday.
Ten foreign NGOs allegedly recruit activists to promote the decriminalization of drugs and the three outlets “actively cover” their rallies, State Duma deputy Vasily Piskaryov said at a session on foreign meddling. All of the mostly U.S.-based NGOs are blacklisted as “undesirable” under a 2015 law that allows Russian prosecutors to limit or halt their work.
“Foreign influence is aimed at increasing the number of drug users by forming a tolerant attitude toward drug use in the public, especially among children,” Piskaryov said Thursday.
“This poses a direct threat to our country’s demographic growth and the Russian public’s preservation of traditional moral values,” Piskaryov, who chairs the anti-meddling commission, said.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-14--Russians and Ukrainians Turn Sour on Each Other – Poll

The latest survey showed 42 % of Russians having a “ good ” or “ very good ” opinion of Ukraine ; while 49 % of Ukrainians had a “ good ” or “ very good ” opinion of Russia , a double-digit drop from the last poll , conducted in September 2019 .
Russian and Ukrainian attitudes toward each other have worsened in less than half a year , a joint study by the independent Levada Center pollster and the Kiev International Institute of Sociology ( KIIS ) said Thursday .
The last study had shown that 56 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine , while 54 % of Ukrainian respondents had positive opinions of Russia .
Sociologists said at the time that attitudes had been gradually warming since the 2014 conflict between the government and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine that froze relations .
Negative attitudes among Russians and Ukrainians toward each others ’ countries have also gone up , according to Levada and KIIS .
The share of Russian respondents who viewed Ukraine negatively rose from 31 % in September to 47 % in the latest poll .
The share of Ukrainian respondents who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in September to 39 % .
Levada conducted the survey among 1,603 Russians from Jan. 23-29 .
In Ukraine , KIIS polled 2,043 people including in government-held territories in conflict-torn eastern Ukraine from Dec. 1-12 .

The latest survey showed 42% of Russians having a “good” or “very good” opinion of Ukraine; while 49% of Ukrainians had a “good” or “very good” opinion of Russia, a double-digit drop from the last poll, conducted in September 2019.
Russian and Ukrainian attitudes toward each other have worsened in less than half a year, a joint study by the independent Levada Center pollster and the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) said Thursday.
The last study had shown that 56% of Russian respondents had positive opinions of Ukraine, while 54% of Ukrainian respondents had positive opinions of Russia. Sociologists said at the time that attitudes had been gradually warming since the 2014 conflict between the government and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine that froze relations.
Negative attitudes among Russians and Ukrainians toward each others’ countries have also gone up, according to Levada and KIIS.
The share of Russian respondents who viewed Ukraine negatively rose from 31% in September to 47% in the latest poll. The share of Ukrainian respondents who viewed Russia negatively increased from 34% in September to 39%.
Levada conducted the survey among 1,603 Russians from Jan. 23-29. In Ukraine, KIIS polled 2,043 people including in government-held territories in conflict-torn eastern Ukraine from Dec. 1-12.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-14--Top Russian Diplomat in Turkey Says Faces Threats Over Syria

Yerkhov , in an interview cited by the state-run news agency RIA Novosti , drew comparisons between the current Russian-backed campaign to retake rebel-held Idlib and the 2016 recapture of the strategic city of Aleppo .
Yerkhov ’ s predecessor Andrei Karlov was shot dead by an off-duty policeman at the opening of an Ankara exhibition in December 2016 .
Russia and Turkey support opposing sides in Syria ’ s nine-year civil war , although they are allied in attempts to avoid escalation of the conflict .
Russia ’ s Ambassador to Turkey , Alexei Yerkhov , faces threats over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the envoy said in an interview Thursday , four years after his predecessor ’ s assassination .
“ What happened then ?
The ‘ airplane crisis ’ and the villainous murder of Ambassador Andrei Karlov , ” Yerkhov said , referring to Turkey ’ s downing of a Russian warplane in 2015 , leading to a brief freeze in ties .
Karlov ’ s assassin shouted slogans referring to the recapture of Aleppo before being shot dead himself .
“ I myself have been threatened directly , ” Yerkhov said .
“ Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeats their own ability to reason logically.
” “ I don ’ t want to , but I ’ ll quote some of the threats : ‘ Say goodbye to life , ’ ‘ no one will mourn you , ’ and ‘ it ’ s time for you to burn ’ , ” the Russian diplomat said .
Turkish authorities have stepped up security measures in connection with the threats , the Russian Embassy told the state-run news agency TASS on Friday .
Russia and Turkey traded accusations of breaking bilateral agreements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soldiers were killed in the Syrian regime forces ’ advance on Idlib .
Turkey ’ s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to strike Russian-backed Syrian forces if another Turkish soldier was hurt .
He flung a rare accusation at Russia , blaming Moscow for targeting civilians .
The UN says more than 800,000 people , mostly women and children , have fled Idlib and adjoining Syrian provinces during the Russian-backed campaign since Dec. 1 , 2019 .

Yerkhov, in an interview cited by the state-run news agency RIA Novosti, drew comparisons between the current Russian-backed campaign to retake rebel-held Idlib and the 2016 recapture of the strategic city of Aleppo.
Yerkhov’s predecessor Andrei Karlov was shot dead by an off-duty policeman at the opening of an Ankara exhibition in December 2016. Russia and Turkey support opposing sides in Syria’s nine-year civil war, although they are allied in attempts to avoid escalation of the conflict.
Russia’s Ambassador to Turkey, Alexei Yerkhov, faces threats over the Moscow-backed military campaign in Syria, the envoy said in an interview Thursday, four years after his predecessor’s assassination.
“What happened then? The ‘airplane crisis’ and the villainous murder of Ambassador Andrei Karlov,” Yerkhov said, referring to Turkey’s downing of a Russian warplane in 2015, leading to a brief freeze in ties.
Karlov’s assassin shouted slogans referring to the recapture of Aleppo before being shot dead himself.
“I myself have been threatened directly,” Yerkhov said. “Some of the authors’ bloodthirstiness at times defeats their own ability to reason logically.”
“I don’t want to, but I’ll quote some of the threats: ‘Say goodbye to life,’ ‘no one will mourn you,’ and ‘it’s time for you to burn’,” the Russian diplomat said.
Turkish authorities have stepped up security measures in connection with the threats, the Russian Embassy told the state-run news agency TASS on Friday.
Russia and Turkey traded accusations of breaking bilateral agreements this week after at least 13 Turkish soldiers were killed in the Syrian regime forces’ advance on Idlib.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to strike Russian-backed Syrian forces if another Turkish soldier was hurt. He flung a rare accusation at Russia, blaming Moscow for targeting civilians.
The UN says more than 800,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Idlib and adjoining Syrian provinces during the Russian-backed campaign since Dec. 1, 2019.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-12--Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Feb. 14


themoscowtimes--2020-02-14--Love in the Time of Coronavirus: Two Young Russians Start Dating in Quarantine

When Russia evacuated its citizens from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak this month , it flew more than 140 people from China to a quarantine clinic in the Siberian city of Tyumen .
Isolated from the rest of the world until they ’ re confirmed to be infection-free , these people have taken to social media to stay connected with friends , loved ones and other people held in quarantine around the world .
But Inna Savintseva and Daniil Parfenovich have found a new connection — each other .
In a story that sounds like the plot of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both 18 , met while waiting for their evacuation plane at the airport in Wuhan , the city at the center of the outbreak .
Savintseva was in China as a music journalist and Parfenovich was there as a student .
The two soon started talking , discovering a shared love of music and technology as well as their chemistry .
“ She spoke to me about music , I answered with talk of sculptures and beautiful plans for life , and our eyes lit up and our hearts began to beat faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Parfenovich told The Moscow Times .

When Russia evacuated its citizens from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak this month, it flew more than 140 people from China to a quarantine clinic in the Siberian city of Tyumen.
Isolated from the rest of the world until they’re confirmed to be infection-free, these people have taken to social media to stay connected with friends, loved ones and other people held in quarantine around the world.
But Inna Savintseva and Daniil Parfenovich have found a new connection — each other.
In a story that sounds like the plot of an indie movie, Savintseva and Parfenovich, both 18, met while waiting for their evacuation plane at the airport in Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak. Savintseva was in China as a music journalist and Parfenovich was there as a student.
The two soon started talking, discovering a shared love of music and technology as well as their chemistry.
“She spoke to me about music, I answered with talk of sculptures and beautiful plans for life, and our eyes lit up and our hearts began to beat faster at the sight of each other,” Parfenovich told The Moscow Times.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-16--Russian Artist Who Published Paris Mayor Candidate Kompromat Arrested

Benjamin Griveaux , one of Macron 's closest lieutenants , abandoned his bid to become mayor of Paris on Friday after it was alleged he sent sexual images of his genitals to a woman who is not his wife .
Griveaux has not disputed that he sent the messages .
A Russian dissident artist who published screenshots of sexual images that forced President Emmanuel Macron 's candidate for Paris City Hall to pull out of the race was arrested in the French capital on Saturday , the prosecutor 's office said .
Pyotr Pavlensky , who has lived in exile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sex video to expose Griveaux 's `` hypocrisy . ''
The Russian artist is best known for works of performance art including nailing his scrotum to the ground in Moscow 's Red Square and setting fire to a door at the headquarters of Russia 's state security agency or the Bank of France .
The prosecutor 's office said Pavlensky had been arrested and held for questioning at a police station in central Paris in connection with another case about violence perpetrated on New Year 's Eve .
It added that Griveaux @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for privacy violation and that an investigation had been opened .
Under French law , so-called `` revenge porn , '' or the publishing of pornographic material without a person 's content , can be punished by up to two years in prison and a 60,000-euro ( $ 65,000 ) fine .
Officials at Macron 's party on Saturday were still discussing who should replace Griveaux and run under the party 's banner in next month 's mayoral elections , and expected to have a name early next week , the party said @ @ @ @

Benjamin Griveaux, one of Macron's closest lieutenants, abandoned his bid to become mayor of Paris on Friday after it was alleged he sent sexual images of his genitals to a woman who is not his wife. Griveaux has not disputed that he sent the messages.
A Russian dissident artist who published screenshots of sexual images that forced President Emmanuel Macron's candidate for Paris City Hall to pull out of the race was arrested in the French capital on Saturday, the prosecutor's office said.
Pyotr Pavlensky, who has lived in exile in France, said he had posted the sex video to expose Griveaux's "hypocrisy."
The Russian artist is best known for works of performance art including nailing his scrotum to the ground in Moscow's Red Square and setting fire to a door at the headquarters of Russia's state security agency or the Bank of France.
The prosecutor's office said Pavlensky had been arrested and held for questioning at a police station in central Paris in connection with another case about violence perpetrated on New Year's Eve.
It added that Griveaux had filed a complaint on Saturday afternoon for privacy violation and that an investigation had been opened.
Under French law, so-called "revenge porn," or the publishing of pornographic material without a person's content, can be punished by up to two years in prison and a 60,000-euro ($65,000) fine.
Officials at Macron's party on Saturday were still discussing who should replace Griveaux and run under the party's banner in next month's mayoral elections, and expected to have a name early next week, the party said in a statement.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-15--Turkey Says It Met Responsibilities over Syria's Idlib in Russia Deal

Turkey has fulfilled its responsibilities in the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib in line with its de-escalation agreements with Russia and Iran , Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Saturday , after violence spiked in recent weeks .
Turkey and Russia , which back opposing sides in the conflict , agreed in 2018 to set up a de-escalation zone in the region .
But a Syrian government offensive has disrupted Ankara and Moscow 's fragile cooperation after 13 Turkish soldiers were killed by Syrian attacks in the past two weeks .
Ankara has said it will use military power to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withdraw by the end of February .
President Tayyip Erdogan threatened to strike Syrian government forces anywhere in Syria if another Turkish soldier was hurt .
Russia , which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad , says Turkey has flouted deals it made with Moscow and aggravated the situation in Idlib .
The Kremlin said Ankara had failed to neutralize militants there .
Oktay told broadcaster NTV that Turkey was determined to stop Syrian government advances in Idlib and Ankara had clearly conveyed its position on Idlib to Moscow during the talks .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our neighbor , '' Oktay said , adding that Turkey , which hosts more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees , can not handle a new migrant wave from Idlib where hundreds of thousands have been displaced .
`` Turkey has fulfilled its responsibilities in Idlib .
Some of our observation posts have now fallen into areas controlled by the ( Syrian ) regime , '' he said , referring to Turkey 's military observation posts established in Idlib under the 2018 deal .
In an apparent response to Russia 's criticism on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Turkey would use force against rebel groups violating a Jan. 12 ceasefire in Idlib and said Ankara was sending reinforcements to control Idlib .
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said later on Saturday that Turkey wants to resolve matters with Russia over Idlib through diplomacy , but will take other steps if necessary .
`` If it wo n't work through diplomatic channels , we will take the necessary steps , '' Cavusoglu told reporters at the Munich Security Conference .
He added that a Turkish delegation would go to Moscow on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov later in the day .
Iran , which also supports Assad , said last week it was ready to help Ankara and Damascus resolve their disputes .

Turkey has fulfilled its responsibilities in the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib in line with its de-escalation agreements with Russia and Iran, Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Saturday, after violence spiked in recent weeks.
Turkey and Russia, which back opposing sides in the conflict, agreed in 2018 to set up a de-escalation zone in the region. But a Syrian government offensive has disrupted Ankara and Moscow's fragile cooperation after 13 Turkish soldiers were killed by Syrian attacks in the past two weeks.
Ankara has said it will use military power to drive back the Syrian forces unless they withdraw by the end of February. President Tayyip Erdogan threatened to strike Syrian government forces anywhere in Syria if another Turkish soldier was hurt.
Russia, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, says Turkey has flouted deals it made with Moscow and aggravated the situation in Idlib. The Kremlin said Ankara had failed to neutralize militants there.
Oktay told broadcaster NTV that Turkey was determined to stop Syrian government advances in Idlib and Ankara had clearly conveyed its position on Idlib to Moscow during the talks.
"We cannot overlook the cruelty happening in our neighbor," Oktay said, adding that Turkey, which hosts more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees, cannot handle a new migrant wave from Idlib where hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
"Turkey has fulfilled its responsibilities in Idlib. Some of our observation posts have now fallen into areas controlled by the (Syrian) regime," he said, referring to Turkey's military observation posts established in Idlib under the 2018 deal.
In an apparent response to Russia's criticism on Thursday, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey would use force against rebel groups violating a Jan. 12 ceasefire in Idlib and said Ankara was sending reinforcements to control Idlib.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said later on Saturday that Turkey wants to resolve matters with Russia over Idlib through diplomacy, but will take other steps if necessary.
"If it won't work through diplomatic channels, we will take the necessary steps," Cavusoglu told reporters at the Munich Security Conference.
He added that a Turkish delegation would go to Moscow on Monday to hold talks over Idlib and that he would meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov later in the day.
Iran, which also supports Assad, said last week it was ready to help Ankara and Damascus resolve their disputes.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-17--More Than a Decade After Military Reform, Hazing Still Plagues the Russian Army

Having the Russian word for “ cock ” carved on his forehead with a razor blade as punishment for smoking an illicit cigarette in his barracks toilet was the last straw for Private Artyem Pakhotin .
Two weeks later , on April 19 , 2018 , he shot himself dead with an AK-74 during his platoon ’ s drill training session in the Urals region of Sverdlovsk .
“ Mom , don ’ t believe what anyone tells you .
They ’ re bullying me here , exhausting me psychologically and extorting money … I don ’ t see how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m already very tired .
I ’ m sorry it all turned out like this , ” said his last text message to his mother , shown on the local TVK television channel .
Pakhotin ’ s case isn ’ t unique .
Dedovshchina , Russian for hazing , has been part of life for conscripts in the Russian army since the end of the 17th century , when Russian Emperor Peter the Great first introduced compulsory military service .
In 2008 , the authorities introduced reforms that included cutting compulsory service from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military ’ s management structure and education system .
Extreme hazing persisted until 2012 , when the effects of the reforms became evident .
But today , conscripts nearing the end of their year-long stint still bully new arrivals through rape , beatings and humiliation , sometimes with tragic consequences .
In November 2019 , a 20-year-old conscript gunned down eight of his fellow soldiers in the town of Gorny in the country ’ s Far East , saying he had acted in retaliation to bullying and a rape threat .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I resorted to this extreme step , but I had no other way out .
I could n't take any more mistreatment , '' Shamsutdinov wrote in an open letter circulated by his lawyer on social media .
There are no official statistics on the number of hazing cases in the army , but a report from the RBC news website said that in 2018 more than 1,100 military personnel were convicted on charges of abuse of power , and 372 for violence .
Lawyer and ex-soldier Alexander Latynin , a supervisory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Mothers of Russia NGO , estimated that the reported number of convictions is just the tip of the iceberg .
“ We receive about 300 phone calls a day — 10 % of them reporting hazing incidents — along with 20 emails a day , one or two of which will be about hazing , ” Latynin told The Moscow Times , adding that the other complaints are about verbal abuse from officers , inadequate medical treatment and failure of the authorities to issue uniforms .
All able-bodied Russian men are obliged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service before they turn 27 , although thousands manage to avoid it by bribing recruiting officials and doctors .
According to official statistics there are 1.9 million Russian army personnel , about 80 % of whom are conscripts .
Another military NGO — Mother ’ s Right — estimates based on the requests for help it has received that only 4 % of military conscript deaths happen in the line of duty , while 44 % are suicides .
“ Conscripts face extortion , beatings , bullying , inducement to suicide and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
RBC estimated that convictions for abuse of power in the Russian army have halved in the past 10 years , while the number of convictions for violence has fallen fivefold since 2008 .
The Defense Ministry didn ’ t respond to requests for comment on the scale of hazing in the military .
Arseny Levinson , a lawyer with theCitizen and Army human rights group , said the level of hazing has fallen since the 2008 reforms .
“ The scales of violence based on the informal hierarchy , which was based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the term of service was reduced , ” said Levinson .
He added that technology has also helped , as smartphones and the internet make it more difficult to cover up hazing .
However , last year a law forbidding the usage of phones and any devices with access to the internet for serving military came into force .
Timur Ilyasov , a conscript who served in northwestern Russia from 2018-2019 , said that anyone ’ s experience with hazing and bullying depends on their personal traits , and that he believes some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military team .
“ If you allow yourself to be bullied , they will bully you and make you do what they want ...
It ’ s just a male environment , the interaction of 100 men in an enclosed space.
” He said there were frequent clashes in his platoon , although superior officers monitored proceedings closely .
“ Every evening they examine your body and , if you have bruises , both you and your supervisors will be penalized , ” he said , adding that this has made bullies adept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their hands , so as not to leave marks .
Commentators said that the nature of dedovshchina is also changing , with the extortion of money playing a more central role nowadays .
Latynin said that hazing represents a crisis in Russian society , and pointed out that educated and well-disciplined soldiers never haze others .
The closed nature of the army system , absence of normal leisure time for conscripts and poor officer training also contribute to creating the conditions for hazing , Levinson said .
“ Soldiers have almost no leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatives and public control , ” he said .
Latynin believes that up to 30 % of conscripts are unfit for military service and estimated that it takes them anywhere from six months to a year to adapt to army life .
Kashirtseva believes that dedovshchina still exists because , in most cases , nobody is held responsible for it because of the country ’ s lack of a legal culture .
“ Russians think that beatings , bullying and extortion in the army are a school of life for conscripts , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wants to become a real man , ” she said .

Having the Russian word for “cock” carved on his forehead with a razor blade as punishment for smoking an illicit cigarette in his barracks toilet was the last straw for Private Artyom Pakhotin. Two weeks later, on April 19, 2018, he shot himself dead with an AK-74 during his platoon’s drill training session in the Urals region of Sverdlovsk. “Mom, don’t believe what anyone tells you. They’re bullying me here, exhausting me psychologically and extorting money … I don’t see how I can go on. I’m already very tired. I’m sorry it all turned out like this,” said his last text message to his mother, shown on the local TVK television channel.
Pakhotin’s case isn’t unique. Dedovshchina, Russian for hazing, has been part of life for conscripts in the Russian army since the end of the 17th century, when Russian Emperor Peter the Great first introduced compulsory military service. In 2008, the authorities introduced reforms that included cutting compulsory service from two years to one and changing the military’s management structure and education system. Extreme hazing persisted until 2012, when the effects of the reforms became evident. But today, conscripts nearing the end of their year-long stint still bully new arrivals through rape, beatings and humiliation, sometimes with tragic consequences. In November 2019, a 20-year-old conscript gunned down eight of his fellow soldiers in the town of Gorny in the country’s Far East, saying he had acted in retaliation to bullying and a rape threat. "I regret I couldn't restrain myself and that I resorted to this extreme step, but I had no other way out. I couldn't take any more mistreatment," Shamsutdinov wrote in an open letter circulated by his lawyer on social media.
Conscripts serve for a year. Zamir Usmanov / TASS
There are no official statistics on the number of hazing cases in the army, but a report from the RBC news website said that in 2018 more than 1,100 military personnel were convicted on charges of abuse of power, and 372 for violence. Lawyer and ex-soldier Alexander Latynin, a supervisory board member of the Union of Soldiers’ Mothers of Russia NGO, estimated that the reported number of convictions is just the tip of the iceberg. “We receive about 300 phone calls a day — 10% of them reporting hazing incidents — along with 20 emails a day, one or two of which will be about hazing,” Latynin told The Moscow Times, adding that the other complaints are about verbal abuse from officers, inadequate medical treatment and failure of the authorities to issue uniforms. All able-bodied Russian men are obliged to complete a year of compulsory military service before they turn 27, although thousands manage to avoid it by bribing recruiting officials and doctors. According to official statistics there are 1.9 million Russian army personnel, about 80% of whom are conscripts. Another military NGO — Mother’s Right — estimates based on the requests for help it has received that only 4% of military conscript deaths happen in the line of duty, while 44% are suicides. “Conscripts face extortion, beatings, bullying, inducement to suicide and other crimes,” said spokeswoman Anna Kashirtseva.
The authorities introduced reforms in 2008. Sergei Vedyashkin / Moskva News Agency


themoscowtimes--2020-02-17--First Russian Citizen Infected With Coronavirus

The Diamond Princess cruise ship , owned by Carnival , has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama , Japan on Feb. 3 , after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong before it traveled to Japan was diagnosed with the virus .
A Russian passenger onboard the quarantined Diamond Princess ship has been diagnosed with the new coronavirus , marking the first infection of a Russian citizen , Russia ’ s Embassy in Japan said Monday .
The unnamed woman is among 24 Russian passengers confined on the luxury cruise vessel with more than 3,000 passengers .
The woman will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the embassy said in a post on Facebook .
The woman is thought to be the first Russian national to contract the virus after the two previous cases found in Russia were Chinese nationals .
More than 350 passengers onboard the Diamond Princess have tested positive for coronavirus , including Americans and Australians .
The United States evacuated about 400 of its citizens from the Diamond Princess on Sunday .
Australia , Canada , Italy , South Korea and Hong Kong have announced plans to repatriate passengers .
Across mainland China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases totaled 70,548 , with 1,770 deaths .
Outside China , more than 500 infections have been confirmed , mostly in people who traveled from Chinese cities .
Five deaths were recorded in Japan , the Philippines , Hong Kong , Taiwan and France .

The Diamond Princess cruise ship, owned by Carnival, has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama, Japan on Feb. 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong before it traveled to Japan was diagnosed with the virus.
A Russian passenger onboard the quarantined Diamond Princess ship has been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, marking the first infection of a Russian citizen, Russia’s Embassy in Japan said Monday.
The unnamed woman is among 24 Russian passengers confined on the luxury cruise vessel with more than 3,000 passengers.
The woman will be taken to a hospital and treated, the embassy said in a post on Facebook.
The woman is thought to be the first Russian national to contract the virus after the two previous cases found in Russia were Chinese nationals.
More than 350 passengers onboard the Diamond Princess have tested positive for coronavirus, including Americans and Australians.
The United States evacuated about 400 of its citizens from the Diamond Princess on Sunday. Australia, Canada, Italy, South Korea and Hong Kong have announced plans to repatriate passengers.
Across mainland China, officials said the total number of coronavirus cases totaled 70,548, with 1,770 deaths.
Outside China, more than 500 infections have been confirmed, mostly in people who traveled from Chinese cities. Five deaths were recorded in Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan and France.
Reuters contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-17--Russian Court Orders Escapee to Return to Coronavirus Quarantine

Ilyina , 32 , was placed under a 14-day quarantine in St. Petersburg ’ s Botkinskaya clinic earlier this month after returning from China ’ s Hainan resort island with symptoms of a possible coronavirus infection .
She escaped from the quarantine two days later after testing negative for the coronavirus , telling media that her forced solitary confinement was unconstitutional .
A Russian court has ordered Alla Ilyina to be placed back into coronavirus quarantine days after she escaped from a hospital in St. Petersburg .
A St. Petersburg court on Monday ordered Ilyina to be placed back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website reported .
Medical workers and ambulances were spotted outside the court building before the verdict was read , and she was taken from the court to the hospital following the order .
The chief sanitary doctor of the Botkinskaya clinic had filed a lawsuit against Ilyina following her widely publicized escape last week , arguing that she presented a public health risk because she had not sat out the required 14-day quarantine period .
Thousands of people have been quarantined in Russia over the coronavirus scare in recent weeks , though only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed so far within the country .
Experts say Monday ’ s court ruling may set a precedent for future quarantine cases in Russia .
Meanwhile , Russia ’ s Rospotrebnadzor consumer protection watchdog on Monday proposed stricter punishments for patients who violate quarantines , the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported .

Ilyina, 32, was placed under a 14-day quarantine in St. Petersburg’s Botkinskaya clinic earlier this month after returning from China’s Hainan resort island with symptoms of a possible coronavirus infection. She escaped from the quarantine two days later after testing negative for the coronavirus, telling media that her forced solitary confinement was unconstitutional.
A Russian court has ordered Alla Ilyina to be placed back into coronavirus quarantine days after she escaped from a hospital in St. Petersburg.
A St. Petersburg court on Monday ordered Ilyina to be placed back in the hospital, the local Fontanka.ru news website reported. Medical workers and ambulances were spotted outside the court building before the verdict was read, and she was taken from the court to the hospital following the order.
The chief sanitary doctor of the Botkinskaya clinic had filed a lawsuit against Ilyina following her widely publicized escape last week, arguing that she presented a public health risk because she had not sat out the required 14-day quarantine period.
Thousands of people have been quarantined in Russia over the coronavirus scare in recent weeks, though only two cases of the virus have been confirmed so far within the country.
Experts say Monday’s court ruling may set a precedent for future quarantine cases in Russia.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Rospotrebnadzor consumer protection watchdog on Monday proposed stricter punishments for patients who violate quarantines, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-17--‘Terrorizing Our Own Citizens’: Russian Society Condemns Anti-Fascist Prosecutions

A court in the central Russian city of Penza last Monday sentenced the seven members of an anti-fascist group called Set to prison terms between six and 18 years .
The defendants say they were tortured into giving incriminating testimony , and human rights activists say the evidence against them was fabricated .
Russian scientists , teachers and other groups of professionals have signed open letters in support of seven young men who were jailed last week on what they call fabricated charges of terrorism .
The open letters come amid single-person pickets in support of the convicted Set members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in Moscow , St. Petersburg and Penza .
They also mirror a similar series of open letters published by groups of Russian professionals following the prosecutions of anti-Kremlin protesters in Moscow last summer .
Here ’ s a look at the groups that have condemned the prosecutions so far : More than 2,700 Russian scientists signed an open letter calling on the authorities to drop the sentences and punish officials involved in the alleged fabrications of evidence .
“ The blatantly unjust verdict shows the complete paralysis of our country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In contrast to those fictional ‘ terrorist attacks ’ that the convicts were allegedly 'planning to plot , ’ the ruling in the Set case is a real act of terror that deals a cruel blow to the foundations of Russian statehood.
” “ Terror against our own citizens is incompatible with the normal course of development for our country and is destructive to its science , culture and education.
” More than 2,500 writers , publicists and journalists have signed an open letter in support of the Set convicts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we spread the truth about you , about the illegitimate and unjust charges brought against you , ” they wrote .
Some 500 teachers across the country signed an open letter condemning the jail sentences for “ contradicting the humanistic principles that guide us in educating the younger generation of Russian citizens.
” “ We believe the case is fabricated : the court is used to intimidate our own people , ” the teachers ’ union wrote .
“ The Set defendants are recent graduates , our former students and idealists .
Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of us , on our work and on our hopes for a bright future.
” More than 200 psychologists signed an open letter in support of the convicted Set members .
“ This situation is a shock for Russian citizens .
It creates the conditions for violence , oppression and the development of dangerous mental problems in our society , ” they wrote .
A dozen bookstores in Moscow , St. Petersburg , Penza and other cities declared plans to close on Monday and take part in single-person pickets in support of @ @ @ @

A court in the central Russian city of Penza last Monday sentenced the seven members of an anti-fascist group called Set to prison terms between six and 18 years. The defendants say they were tortured into giving incriminating testimony, and human rights activists say the evidence against them was fabricated.
Russian scientists, teachers and other groups of professionals have signed open letters in support of seven young men who were jailed last week on what they call fabricated charges of terrorism.
The open letters come amid single-person pickets in support of the convicted Set members, as well as detentions of picketers, in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Penza. They also mirror a similar series of open letters published by groups of Russian professionals following the prosecutions of anti-Kremlin protesters in Moscow last summer.
Here’s a look at the groups that have condemned the prosecutions so far:
Scientists
More than 2,700 Russian scientists signed an open letter calling on the authorities to drop the sentences and punish officials involved in the alleged fabrications of evidence.
“The blatantly unjust verdict shows the complete paralysis of our country’s independent judicial system,” they wrote.
“In contrast to those fictional ‘terrorist attacks’ that the convicts were allegedly 'planning to plot,’ the ruling in the Set case is a real act of terror that deals a cruel blow to the foundations of Russian statehood.”
“Terror against our own citizens is incompatible with the normal course of development for our country and is destructive to its science, culture and education.”
Writers
More than 2,500 writers, publicists and journalists have signed an open letter in support of the Set convicts.
“Every day on the internet, we spread the truth about you, about the illegitimate and unjust charges brought against you,” they wrote.
Teachers
Some 500 teachers across the country signed an open letter condemning the jail sentences for “contradicting the humanistic principles that guide us in educating the younger generation of Russian citizens.”
“We believe the case is fabricated: the court is used to intimidate our own people,” the teachers’ union wrote.
“The Set defendants are recent graduates, our former students and idealists. Their harassment and trial is a verdict on all of us, on our work and on our hopes for a bright future.”
Psychologists
More than 200 psychologists signed an open letter in support of the convicted Set members.
“This situation is a shock for Russian citizens. It creates the conditions for violence, oppression and the development of dangerous mental problems in our society,” they wrote.
Booksellers
A dozen bookstores in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Penza and other cities declared plans to close on Monday and take part in single-person pickets in support of the Set defendants.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-17--Russian Priest Under Fire for Calling Common-Law Wives ‘Prostitutes’

Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov , who has raised eyebrows in the past for calling abortions “ worse than the Holocaust ” and comparing today 's young men to “ scrawny chickens , ” said recently that Russian women “ don ’ t know what marriage is.
” An outspoken Russian priest has sparked public ire for comparing common-law wives to “ prostitutes.
” “ They don ’ t want to say ‘ I ’ m a free prostitute , ’ so they say ‘ I ’ m in a civil marriage ’ , ” Smirnov said .
“ No , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no one considers you a wife , ” he said at an Orthodox community meeting published online last week .
Irina Kirkora , the deputy head of President Vladimir Putin ’ s human rights commission , criticized Smirnov ’ s remarks as “ humiliating and offensive.
” “ Can we call men who live in a civil union something too ?
” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asked the Russian Orthodox Church facetiously .
Margarita Simonyan , the chief editor of the Kremlin-funded RT network , brought up her own common-law family as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments .
His remarks come amid proposals to add a line to Russia ’ s Constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman .
Commenting on the proposed changes , Putin vowed not to legalize gay marriage as long as he was in the Kremlin .
Putin has closely aligned himself with the Russian Orthodox Church and sought to distance Russia from liberal Western values during his two decades in power .

Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov, who has raised eyebrows in the past for calling abortions “worse than the Holocaust” and comparing today's young men to “scrawny chickens,” said recently that Russian women “don’t know what marriage is.”
An outspoken Russian priest has sparked public ire for comparing common-law wives to “prostitutes.”
“They don’t want to say ‘I’m a free prostitute,’ so they say ‘I’m in a civil marriage’,” Smirnov said.
“No, you just provide services for free, but no one considers you a wife,” he said at an Orthodox community meeting published online last week.
Irina Kirkora, the deputy head of President Vladimir Putin’s human rights commission, criticized Smirnov’s remarks as “humiliating and offensive.”
“Can we call men who live in a civil union something too?” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asked the Russian Orthodox Church facetiously.
Margarita Simonyan, the chief editor of the Kremlin-funded RT network, brought up her own common-law family as a counterexample to the archpriest’s comments.
The Russian Orthodox Church called Smirnov’s remarks “an unsuccessful trolling attempt.”
Smirnov heads a patriarchal commission for children’s and mothers’ rights.
His remarks come amid proposals to add a line to Russia’s Constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Commenting on the proposed changes, Putin vowed not to legalize gay marriage as long as he was in the Kremlin.
Putin has closely aligned himself with the Russian Orthodox Church and sought to distance Russia from liberal Western values during his two decades in power.


themoscowtimes--2020-02-17--News From Russia: What You Missed Over the Weekend

French authorities arrested Pyotr Pavlensky , a Russian dissident artist who published screenshots of sexual images that forced President Emmanuel @ @ @ @ @ mayor to pull out of the race .
Under French law , so-called `` revenge @ @ @ @ @ publishing of pornographic material without a person 's content , can be punished by up @ @ @ @ @ and a 60,000-euro ( $ 65,000 ) fine .
The United States is confident that @ @ @ @ @ Nord Stream 2 pipeline , which aims to deliver natural gas from Siberia to Germany @ @ @ @ @ Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said .
At the same time , a Russian pipe-laying ship @ @ @ @ @ week , in a sign that Gazprom is attempting to complete Nord Stream 2 , @ @ @ @ @ was 94 % constructed when U.S. sanctions halted work in December .
The International Biathlon @ @ @ @ @ it was stripping two Russian champions , Svetlana Sleptsova and Evgeny Ustyugov , of medals @ @ @ @ @ for doping violations .

Sexting scandal
French authorities arrested Pyotr Pavlensky, a Russian dissident artist who published screenshots of sexual images that forced President Emmanuel Macron's candidate for Paris mayor to pull out of the race.
Under French law, so-called "revenge porn," or the publishing of pornographic material without a person's content, can be punished by up to two years in prison and a 60,000-euro ($65,000) fine.
Pipeline politics
The United States is confident that Russia will not complete the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which aims to deliver natural gas from Siberia to Germany while circumventing Ukraine, U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said.
At the same time, a Russian pipe-laying ship left its Pacific port last week, in a sign that Gazprom is attempting to complete Nord Stream 2, Bloomberg reported. The pipeline was 94% constructed when U.S. sanctions halted work in December.
Lost gold
The International Biathlon Union (IBU) said it was stripping two Russian champions, Svetlana Sleptsova and Evgeny Ustyugov, of medals received between 2013 and 2014 for doping violations.