themoscowtimes--2020-12-25--$1M of Iranian Cash Stashed in Vodka Box Stolen From Russian Foreign Ministry

Russia had received the $ 1.5 million stashed in an Absolut vodka box and two bags via diplomatic pouch in November 2019 as a payment for consular services , the Ren TV broadcaster said .
U.S. sanctions on Iran ’ s banking and financial sectors effectively cut Iranian banks off from the international financial system .
A vodka box stuffed with more than $ 1 million of Iranian cash was stolen from the Russian Foreign Ministry building last year , the government confirmed Thursday following media reports .
A follow-up audit showed all but $ 400,000 going missing by mid-December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee who had allegedly stored the money in her Foreign Ministry office .
The Foreign Ministry confirmed the heist to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency Thursday , more than a year later .
An unnamed spokesperson said a criminal case against an unnamed rogue accountant has been sent to court .
Ren TV said the accountant , whom it identified as the ministry ’ s top currency and finance expert Natalya Agaltsova , had been moved from pre-trial detention to house arrest in August .
Her partner is being held as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The suspect , Ren TV said , panicked when she claimed to have discovered the vodka box full of one-dollar bills covered by a top layer of hundred-dollar bills .
The report went on to say that the employee attempted to commit suicide after allegedly failing to make up for the discovered discrepancy with her own savings .
A lie detector test was reported to show that she knows where the stash is kept , Ren TV said .
“ They say Natalya is telling everyone she expects to receive a suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unnamed former colleague as saying .

Russia had received the $1.5 million stashed in an Absolut vodka box and two bags via diplomatic pouch in November 2019 as a payment for consular services, the Ren TV broadcaster said . U.S. sanctions on Iran’s banking and financial sectors effectively cut Iranian banks off from the international financial system.
A vodka box stuffed with more than $1 million of Iranian cash was stolen from the Russian Foreign Ministry building last year, the government confirmed Thursday following media reports.
A follow-up audit showed all but $400,000 going missing by mid-December 2019 and suspicion immediately falling on the employee who had allegedly stored the money in her Foreign Ministry office.
The Foreign Ministry confirmed the heist to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency Thursday, more than a year later. An unnamed spokesperson said a criminal case against an unnamed rogue accountant has been sent to court.
Ren TV said the accountant, whom it identified as the ministry’s top currency and finance expert Natalya Agaltsova, had been moved from pre-trial detention to house arrest in August. Her partner is being held as a witness in the case, it added.
The suspect, Ren TV said, panicked when she claimed to have discovered the vodka box full of one-dollar bills covered by a top layer of hundred-dollar bills.
The report went on to say that the employee attempted to commit suicide after allegedly failing to make up for the discovered discrepancy with her own savings.
A lie detector test was reported to show that she knows where the stash is kept, Ren TV said.
“They say Natalya is telling everyone she expects to receive a suspended sentence,” the broadcaster quoted an unnamed former colleague as saying.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-26--Russia Tops 3 Million Covid-19 Infections

Official figures showed that a total of 3,021,964 cases have been detected , with 54,226 deaths .
Russia on Saturday passed 3 million confirmed coronavirus infections , as authorities hold out against reimposing a national lockdown while the country is battered by a second wave .
In the past 24 hours , 29,258 new infections and 567 deaths were registered in Russia , fourth on the list of hardest-hit countries worldwide .
Since winter began , each week has brought new records for new cases and deaths , with epicenters in capital Moscow and second-largest city St. Petersburg .
Poorer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-equipped with medical facilities , also report a troubling picture .
Nevertheless , official figures point to a lower death rate from the virus in Russia than in western Europe or the United States , something President Vladimir Putin has boasted about for months .
Putin said last week at an annual press conference that Russia had done a `` better '' job managing the pandemic than western countries .
But Russian authorities only count as Covid deaths those where an autopsy confirms the virus was the main cause .
Statistics agency Rosstat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the same month last year .
And between March and October , there were 165,000 excess deaths compared with the same period in 2019 , suggesting the true toll of the pandemic is far higher than authorities will admit .
Looking to protect a suffering economy , Moscow has so far refused to order a new nationwide lockdown , aiming instead to protect people with mass vaccinations using its homegrown Sputnik V shot .
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on public TV Saturday that the vaccine is `` safe and effective '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be given to the over-60s .

Official figures showed that a total of 3,021,964 cases have been detected, with 54,226 deaths.
Russia on Saturday passed 3 million confirmed coronavirus infections, as authorities hold out against reimposing a national lockdown while the country is battered by a second wave.
In the past 24 hours, 29,258 new infections and 567 deaths were registered in Russia, fourth on the list of hardest-hit countries worldwide.
Since winter began, each week has brought new records for new cases and deaths, with epicenters in capital Moscow and second-largest city St. Petersburg.
Poorer regions of the country, often less well-equipped with medical facilities, also report a troubling picture.
Nevertheless, official figures point to a lower death rate from the virus in Russia than in western Europe or the United States, something President Vladimir Putin has boasted about for months.
Putin said last week at an annual press conference that Russia had done a "better" job managing the pandemic than western countries.
But Russian authorities only count as Covid deaths those where an autopsy confirms the virus was the main cause.
Statistics agency Rosstat in October recorded 50,000 more deaths than in the same month last year.
And between March and October, there were 165,000 excess deaths compared with the same period in 2019, suggesting the true toll of the pandemic is far higher than authorities will admit.
Looking to protect a suffering economy, Moscow has so far refused to order a new nationwide lockdown, aiming instead to protect people with mass vaccinations using its homegrown Sputnik V shot.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on public TV Saturday that the vaccine is "safe and effective" for general use, authorizing it to be given to the over-60s.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-26--British Cold War Double Agent George Blake Dies in Moscow

`` The legendary intelligence officer George Blake has passed away today , '' the spokesman for Russia 's SVR foreign intelligence service Sergei Ivanov told the TASS state news agency .
George Blake , a famous `` mole '' in British intelligence who spied for the Soviet KGB during the 1950s before fleeing across the Iron Curtain , has died aged 98 , Russian news agencies reported Saturday .
`` He sincerely loved our country and admired our people 's achievements during World War II , '' Ivanov added .
Russian President Vladimir Putin , himself an ex-KGB agent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to Blake 's family and friends .
In a message published on the Kremlin website , the Russian leader noted Blake 's `` invaluable contribution to ensuring strategic parity and maintaining peace on the planet . ''
A former member of the Dutch resistance during World War II then an agent of the British foreign intelligence service MI6 , Blake offered his services to the Soviets in the 1950s after witnessing U.S. bombings against the civilian population during the Korean War .
He provided the names of hundreds of MI6 agents to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a secret tunnel in East Berlin that was used to spy on the Soviets .
In 1961 , Blake was discovered as a double agent and was sentenced to a record 42 years of imprisonment in England .
Five years later , he broke out of prison using a rope ladder with the help of three cell mates .
After the escape , Blake was smuggled across the Iron Curtain into East Germany and traveled to the Soviet Union where he lived until his death .
Blake received a hero 's welcome in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colonel by the Russian intelligence service .
After the fall of the Soviet Union , the country to which he dedicated his life , he said he never regretted his actions .
Blake was among the last living British double agents that the U.S.S.R. recruited during the Cold War .

"The legendary intelligence officer George Blake has passed away today," the spokesman for Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service Sergei Ivanov told the TASS state news agency.
George Blake, a famous "mole" in British intelligence who spied for the Soviet KGB during the 1950s before fleeing across the Iron Curtain, has died aged 98, Russian news agencies reported Saturday.
"He sincerely loved our country and admired our people's achievements during World War II," Ivanov added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself an ex-KGB agent, on Saturday expressed his "deep condolences" to Blake's family and friends.
In a message published on the Kremlin website, the Russian leader noted Blake's "invaluable contribution to ensuring strategic parity and maintaining peace on the planet."
A former member of the Dutch resistance during World War II then an agent of the British foreign intelligence service MI6, Blake offered his services to the Soviets in the 1950s after witnessing U.S. bombings against the civilian population during the Korean War.
He provided the names of hundreds of MI6 agents to the KGB and revealed the existence of a secret tunnel in East Berlin that was used to spy on the Soviets.
In 1961, Blake was discovered as a double agent and was sentenced to a record 42 years of imprisonment in England.
Five years later, he broke out of prison using a rope ladder with the help of three cell mates.
After the escape, Blake was smuggled across the Iron Curtain into East Germany and traveled to the Soviet Union where he lived until his death.
Blake received a hero's welcome in Moscow and was awarded the rank of colonel by the Russian intelligence service.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the country to which he dedicated his life, he said he never regretted his actions.
Blake was among the last living British double agents that the U.S.S.R. recruited during the Cold War.