themoscowtimes--2020-12-02--Russia Will Remain 'Chief Threat' to NATO Through 2030, Report Says

“ While Russia is by economic and social measures a declining power , it has proven itself capable of territorial aggression and is likely to remain a chief threat facing NATO over the coming decade , ” it noted .
Russia will continue to pose one of the main threats to NATO in the next decade , a high-level report for the Western military alliance said Tuesday .
“ Russia maintains a powerful conventional military and robust nuclear arsenal that poses a threat across NATO territory , but is particularly acute on the eastern flank , ” the report said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATO 2030 : United for a New Era ” report , which was presented to NATO ’ s foreign ministers and will be submitted to its leaders at a 2021 summit , from a group of experts led by former U.S. State Secretary Madeleine Albright .
NATO suspended relations with Russia following its 2014 annexation of Crimea , while Moscow views the alliance ’ s eastward expansion as a threat to national security .
Continued Russian aggression in Ukraine and Georgia has been accompanied by air and naval build-ups in and around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the report said .
In the Mediterranean Sea and Africa , it said Russia has been using proxies and private military companies to establish footholds .
NATO allies ’ sovereignty is also threatened by Russia ’ s “ broader hybrid toolkit including offensive cyber , state-sanctioned assassinations and poisonings — using chemical weapons , political coercion and other methods , ” the report said .
The experts urged NATO to continue pursuing “ the dual-track approach of deterrence and dialogue , ” evolving it to “ raise the costs ” of conventional and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and risk reduction talks .
The report also urged NATO to “ play a larger part in an international order ” by tackling climate change , future pandemics and terrorism with an eye on security threats from China and Russia .
“ NATO must adapt to meet the needs of a more demanding strategic environment marked by the return of systemic rivalry , persistently aggressive Russia , the rise of China ” and emerging or disruptive technology , it said .

“While Russia is by economic and social measures a declining power, it has proven itself capable of territorial aggression and is likely to remain a chief threat facing NATO over the coming decade,” it noted.
Russia will continue to pose one of the main threats to NATO in the next decade, a high-level report for the Western military alliance said Tuesday.
“Russia maintains a powerful conventional military and robust nuclear arsenal that poses a threat across NATO territory, but is particularly acute on the eastern flank,” the report said.
The U.S.-led alliance commissioned the “NATO 2030: United for a New Era” report, which was presented to NATO’s foreign ministers and will be submitted to its leaders at a 2021 summit, from a group of experts led by former U.S. State Secretary Madeleine Albright. NATO suspended relations with Russia following its 2014 annexation of Crimea, while Moscow views the alliance’s eastward expansion as a threat to national security.
Continued Russian aggression in Ukraine and Georgia has been accompanied by air and naval build-ups in and around the Barents, Baltic and Black seas, the report said. In the Mediterranean Sea and Africa, it said Russia has been using proxies and private military companies to establish footholds.
NATO allies’ sovereignty is also threatened by Russia’s “broader hybrid toolkit including offensive cyber, state-sanctioned assassinations and poisonings — using chemical weapons, political coercion and other methods,” the report said.
The experts urged NATO to continue pursuing “the dual-track approach of deterrence and dialogue,” evolving it to “raise the costs” of conventional and hybrid Russian aggression while supporting arms control and risk reduction talks.
The report also urged NATO to “play a larger part in an international order” by tackling climate change, future pandemics and terrorism with an eye on security threats from China and Russia.
“NATO must adapt to meet the needs of a more demanding strategic environment marked by the return of systemic rivalry, persistently aggressive Russia, the rise of China” and emerging or disruptive technology, it said.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-02--Sberbank’s Big Plan to Become Russia’s Consumer Goliath Takes Shape

Not satisfied with just being Russia ’ s largest financial institution and most valuable company , Sberbank is now going all in on its ultra-ambitious technology transformation , aiming to become the country ’ s biggest e-commerce player .
That was the plan at the core of the bank ’ s new strategy — unveiled this week in a glitzy two-day online event for investors — that will see Sberbank invest billions of dollars in an aggressive drive into practically every corner of Russia ’ s consumer economy .
If successful , it will see the 179-year old institution become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives than it already is — making it the most popular bank and the equivalent of Amazon , Uber , Netflix and Deliveroo all rolled into one company .
“ We don ’ t want to just be boring bankers , ” said Sberbank CEO German Gref , the former Economy Minister who is now guiding the lender through its third economic crisis since he took over in 2007 .
“ We are playing in a new league .
We have become a technology company.
” The bank ’ s technology ambitions have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made no secret of his goal to transform the historic financial services giant .
But this is the first time the bank ’ s management team has outlined the scale and depth of its plans to investors — adding a strategic narrative , investment plans and financial targets to the previous rebrand .
The aim is to become no less than an e-commerce goliath — “ one of Russia ’ s top-three online retailers by 2023 , ” Gref said .
And it has its sights set on the top spot within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very , very ambitious goal , ” Lev Khasis , the bank ’ s first deputy chairman responsible for all non-financial products added .
Analysts don ’ t disagree .
“ Ambitious ” was the word of the day in the smattering of research notes published shortly after the presentation analyzing Gref ’ s new strategy for the bank , which runs until 2023 when his term as CEO ends .
Sberbank is targeting 500 billion rubles ( $ 6.6 billion ) of gross merchandise value ( GMV ) — the leading e-commerce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goods sold through a merchant ’ s platform — for its yet-to-be launched online marketplace .
No Russian online retailer has ever notched up that amount .
Market leader Wildberries might become the first this year .
But second-placed Ozon , which has just raised more than $ 1 billion in a hugely-successful initial public offering ( IPO ) in New York and is growing exponentially , isn ’ t forecast to pass the 500-billion ruble mark until 2022 — just 12 months before Sberbank hopes to get there .
After false starts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology giant Yandex and an attempt to buy a chunk of Ozon , Sberbank now plans to launch its own online marketplace sometime in 2021 , Khasis said .
It has already lined up significant warehouse space , he added , though refused to give specific details , citing the watchful eyes of competitors .
SberLogistics , which will form the backbone of the e-commerce delivery network , is set to handle seven million orders this year .
For Gref , the decision to move into the space is now or never — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few players .
“ In the American or Chinese markets , we would never be able to do this , ” he said , saying the barriers to entry would be too high to compete with a dominant player like Amazon or Alibaba .
While e-commerce is set to be at the center of Sber ’ s non-financial empire , it will complement a sprawling network of other initiatives , Gref outlined .
In many , Sberbank is already a market leader thanks to a fast-paced expansion drive over recent years .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s top online streaming services , the country ’ s largest fast food delivery app , a ride-hailing and taxi firm , two rapidly-growing express grocery delivery outfits , a logistics arm , mapping and GPS services , a headhunting service , a host of popular online media outlets and an online education service being used by half a million Russian schoolchildren .
Sberbank ’ s dominance in its home sector gives it some huge competitive advantages as it embarks on its transformation , analysts say .
At the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic , corporate and political landscape could also be its biggest drawback .
The scale of Sberbank ’ s quasi-monopoly status is bewildering .
It has some 98 million clients — representing more than 80 % of all Russian adults .
It issues more mortgages than every other Russian bank combined , and oversees almost half of the country ’ s entire bank deposits and retail loan portfolio .
It has more than 14,000 branches across the country , and there are only two apps more popular in Russia than Sberbank ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily users — WhatsApp and YouTube .
That banking stronghold gives Sberbank plenty of cash to invest .
Over the next three years , analysts expect the bank to clear $ 30 billion worth of profits .
Even after its obligation to pay half in dividends , that comfortably leaves enough for a well-funded technology expansion .
Investments in non-finance will account for 4 % of the bank ’ s equity by 2023 , Khasis said — equivalent to around $ 3 billion at current share prices .
But the banking dominance — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy — has raised a twin set of questions .
Will management be diverting too much attention away from its primary profit center ?
And does it have the energy and time to devote to non-financial products ?
The numbers presented in the online conference underlined this developing dichotomy .
Sberbank will double the proportion of its workforce in its technology and non-finance departments over the next three years , it said .
But banking staff will still account for 77 % of the headcount .
Earnings from its plethora of non-finance products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three years .
But even that will only see them contribute 5 % of the bank ’ s total profits .
Meanwhile , Sberbank ’ s “ net interest income ” — the core banking metric which measures the difference between the amount a lender earns from interest paid on loans and what it pays out to depositors and savers — will still account for 68 % of profits in 2023 , down slightly from 75 % today .
Gref insisted that the new strategy does not divide up the financial and non-financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two are complementary .
Moreover , he said the transformation should be seen over a much longer horizon than this three-year strategy .
By the end of the decade , non-banking profits could contribute a significant 20-30 % of the group ’ s total income .
The bank also wants its non-finance operations to be worth the same , in terms of market capitalization , as its core banking arm .
At its current share price , Sberbank is worth $ 76 billion — making it Russia ’ s most valuable company .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ only factor in Sberbank ’ s aggressive technology pivot .
The lender is also acting in its role as a state-owned organization with a considerable responsibility to help implement Russia ’ s socio-economic policies — which have taken on even more significance this year .
“ Our main goal is to be a trusted navigator in a changing world , for businesses , people and the government , ” Gref said Monday .
“ Sber is a support for the government to develop the economy .
We help the population , develop small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industries and prompt digitization.
” Russia ’ s fast-growing , high-potential online space is an area of Russia ’ s centralized economy where the Kremlin has less direct ownership of the main players .
A commanding role for Sberbank would go some way to addressing that .
Gref himself acknowledged the importance of boosting the competitiveness of “ home-grown ecosystems ” in comments to reporters Monday .
“ Foreign ecosystems are a serious competitor , ” he said , citing Google , China ’ s Alibaba and Facebook ’ s plans for financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone to acknowledge the likes of Apple , Samsung and Huawei .
With its position in Russia ’ s banking market secure , it is these companies that Sberbank — and Russia — see as competition .
“ Either Russia can feed foreign ecosystems or we can develop domestic ones , ” Gref said .
He also took aim at the idea that Sberbank ’ s tech ambitions are just a tool to retain its banking clients in the face of new competition from tech firms — a consensus that has started to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not defensive , we are offensive , ” he said .
“ We are wading onto somebody else 's turf , and we are being successful on somebody else ’ s turf.
” The new approach , he said Monday , is simply an opportunity too good to ignore .
“ If I was a shareholder , and we didn ’ t do this — with all our talent and experience — I ’ d be asking why .
… You can ’ t always measure it , but sometimes you just have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right thing .
”

Not satisfied with just being Russia’s largest financial institution and most valuable company, Sberbank is now going all in on its ultra-ambitious technology transformation, aiming to become the country’s biggest e-commerce player. That was the plan at the core of the bank’s new strategy — unveiled this week in a glitzy two-day online event for investors — that will see Sberbank invest billions of dollars in an aggressive drive into practically every corner of Russia’s consumer economy. If successful, it will see the 179-year old institution become even more central to Russians’ everyday lives than it already is — making it the most popular bank and the equivalent of Amazon, Uber, Netflix and Deliveroo all rolled into one company. “We don’t want to just be boring bankers,” said Sberbank CEO German Gref, the former Economy Minister who is now guiding the lender through its third economic crisis since he took over in 2007. “We are playing in a new league. We have become a technology company.” ‘Very Very Ambitious’ The bank’s technology ambitions have long been clear, and Gref has made no secret of his goal to transform the historic financial services giant. But this is the first time the bank’s management team has outlined the scale and depth of its plans to investors — adding a strategic narrative, investment plans and financial targets to the previous rebrand. The aim is to become no less than an e-commerce goliath — “one of Russia’s top-three online retailers by 2023,” Gref said. And it has its sights set on the top spot within the next decade. “This is a very, very ambitious goal,” Lev Khasis, the bank’s first deputy chairman responsible for all non-financial products added. Analysts don’t disagree. “Ambitious” was the word of the day in the smattering of research notes published shortly after the presentation analyzing Gref’s new strategy for the bank, which runs until 2023 when his term as CEO ends.
Sberbank is targeting 500 billion rubles ($6.6 billion) of gross merchandise value (GMV) — the leading e-commerce metric which measures the total value of goods sold through a merchant’s platform — for its yet-to-be launched online marketplace. No Russian online retailer has ever notched up that amount. Market leader Wildberries might become the first this year. But second-placed Ozon, which has just raised more than $1 billion in a hugely-successful initial public offering (IPO) in New York and is growing exponentially, isn’t forecast to pass the 500-billion ruble mark until 2022 — just 12 months before Sberbank hopes to get there. After false starts, including a failed partnership with Russian technology giant Yandex and an attempt to buy a chunk of Ozon, Sberbank now plans to launch its own online marketplace sometime in 2021, Khasis said. It has already lined up significant warehouse space, he added, though refused to give specific details, citing the watchful eyes of competitors. SberLogistics, which will form the backbone of the e-commerce delivery network, is set to handle seven million orders this year. For Gref, the decision to move into the space is now or never — before the market consolidates around only a few players. “In the American or Chinese markets, we would never be able to do this,” he said, saying the barriers to entry would be too high to compete with a dominant player like Amazon or Alibaba. While e-commerce is set to be at the center of Sber’s non-financial empire, it will complement a sprawling network of other initiatives, Gref outlined. In many, Sberbank is already a market leader thanks to a fast-paced expansion drive over recent years. It already has stakes in one of Russia’s top online streaming services, the country’s largest fast food delivery app, a ride-hailing and taxi firm, two rapidly-growing express grocery delivery outfits, a logistics arm, mapping and GPS services, a headhunting service, a host of popular online media outlets and an online education service being used by half a million Russian schoolchildren. Banking stronghold Sberbank’s dominance in its home sector gives it some huge competitive advantages as it embarks on its transformation, analysts say. At the same time, its unique position in Russia’s economic, corporate and political landscape could also be its biggest drawback. The scale of Sberbank’s quasi-monopoly status is bewildering. It has some 98 million clients — representing more than 80% of all Russian adults. It issues more mortgages than every other Russian bank combined, and oversees almost half of the country’s entire bank deposits and retail loan portfolio. It has more than 14,000 branches across the country, and there are only two apps more popular in Russia than Sberbank’s mobile banking service with its 30 million daily users — WhatsApp and YouTube. That banking stronghold gives Sberbank plenty of cash to invest. Over the next three years, analysts expect the bank to clear $30 billion worth of profits. Even after its obligation to pay half in dividends, that comfortably leaves enough for a well-funded technology expansion. Investments in non-finance will account for 4% of the bank’s equity by 2023, Khasis said — equivalent to around $3 billion at current share prices.
But the banking dominance — which will remain entrenched under the new strategy — has raised a twin set of questions. Will management be diverting too much attention away from its primary profit center? And does it have the energy and time to devote to non-financial products? The numbers presented in the online conference underlined this developing dichotomy. Sberbank will double the proportion of its workforce in its technology and non-finance departments over the next three years, it said. But banking staff will still account for 77% of the headcount. Earnings from its plethora of non-finance products should double in each of the next three years. But even that will only see them contribute 5% of the bank’s total profits. Meanwhile, Sberbank’s “net interest income” — the core banking metric which measures the difference between the amount a lender earns from interest paid on loans and what it pays out to depositors and savers — will still account for 68% of profits in 2023, down slightly from 75% today. Gref insisted that the new strategy does not divide up the financial and non-financial parts of the empire and said the two are complementary. Moreover, he said the transformation should be seen over a much longer horizon than this three-year strategy. By the end of the decade, non-banking profits could contribute a significant 20-30% of the group’s total income. The bank also wants its non-finance operations to be worth the same, in terms of market capitalization, as its core banking arm. At its current share price, Sberbank is worth $76 billion — making it Russia’s most valuable company. Social obligations But the bottom line is not the only factor in Sberbank’s aggressive technology pivot. The lender is also acting in its role as a state-owned organization with a considerable responsibility to help implement Russia’s socio-economic policies — which have taken on even more significance this year. “Our main goal is to be a trusted navigator in a changing world, for businesses, people and the government,” Gref said Monday. “Sber is a support for the government to develop the economy. We help the population, develop small businesses, share our technologies, transform industries and prompt digitization.” Russia’s fast-growing, high-potential online space is an area of Russia’s centralized economy where the Kremlin has less direct ownership of the main players. A commanding role for Sberbank would go some way to addressing that.
German Gref has been head of Sberbank since 2007. Seen as a member of Russia's liberal economic bloc of politicians, he was Economy Minister for President Vladimir Putin's first seven years in the Kremlin. Kremlin.Ru


themoscowtimes--2020-12-02--Moscow Inaugurates Male Version of Feminist Festival

Gender.Team , a group of activists , psychologists , political scientists and journalists , established the Moscow FemFest in 2017 to promote gender literacy in a society not used to openly talking about women ’ s issues .
Over the years , it has addressed day-to-day issues like domestic violence , victim-blaming and police dismissals of rape reports .
The team behind Moscow ’ s annual feminist festival has launched a male equivalent to field discussions on modern-day masculinity , reverse sexism and other issues men face today .
In 2020 , the team said the time was ripe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Three years after the launch of Moscow FemFest , we saw that society is ready to talk about masculinity , ” Gender.Team has said .
“ This requires an independent platform , which will include men who are scared off by feminist rhetoric.
” Its inaugural Moscow MaleFest , with support from the Goethe-Institut cultural nonprofit and the Heinrich Böll Foundation think tank , takes place online this Saturday .
The all-day event features talks on gender privileges , consent , homophobia , modern parenthood and sex education .
Gender.Team recruited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masculinity researchers , sexologists and psychotherapists from Russia and around the world for the event .

Gender.Team, a group of activists, psychologists, political scientists and journalists, established the Moscow FemFest in 2017 to promote gender literacy in a society not used to openly talking about women’s issues. Over the years, it has addressed day-to-day issues like domestic violence, victim-blaming and police dismissals of rape reports.
The team behind Moscow’s annual feminist festival has launched a male equivalent to field discussions on modern-day masculinity, reverse sexism and other issues men face today.
In 2020, the team said the time was ripe to tackle gender issues from a male perspective.
“Three years after the launch of Moscow FemFest, we saw that society is ready to talk about masculinity,” Gender.Team has said.
“This requires an independent platform, which will include men who are scared off by feminist rhetoric.”
Its inaugural Moscow MaleFest, with support from the Goethe-Institut cultural nonprofit and the Heinrich Böll Foundation think tank, takes place online this Saturday.
The all-day event features talks on gender privileges, consent, homophobia, modern parenthood and sex education.
Gender.Team recruited a diverse roster of speakers, including masculinity researchers, sexologists and psychotherapists from Russia and around the world for the event.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-02--Japan Protests Russia’s Missile System Deployment on Disputed Islands

The Russian Defense Ministry said its S-300V4 large air defense system went on combat duty on Iturup , one of four Russian-held Kuril Islands , Reuters reported earlier .
Japan has rebuked Russia ’ s deployment of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems on a chain of islands in the Far East that Tokyo claims as its own , media reported Tuesday .
Japan ’ s government called Russia ’ s S-300 deployment on what it refers to as the Northern Territories “ unacceptable.
” “ This is not in line with Japan ’ s position on the Northern Territories and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TASS news agency quoted the cabinet as saying .
Tokyo has repeatedly lodged similar protests against Russian military drills and internet expansion , which Moscow has rejected .
The S-300 is a mobile , long-range air defense system developed in the 1970s that can detect , track and destroy ballistic missiles , cruise missiles and aircraft .
Its radar can destroy targets as far away as 150 kilometers , launching one missile every three seconds .
The United States expects Russia to step up its military activities near Japan under new Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forces Japan Kevin Schneider was also quoted as saying Tuesday .
The dispute over the Kurils , which Soviet troops captured in the final days of World War II , has kept Russia and Japan from signing a formal peace treaty to end the war .
A set of constitutional changes that President Vladimir Putin enacted in this summer includes a clause banning territorial concessions , which is viewed as being designed to allow Russia to keep the Kurils and Crimea .
A Russian state-funded poll in early 2019 said that 96 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceding the islands to Japan .

The Russian Defense Ministry said its S-300V4 large air defense system went on combat duty on Iturup, one of four Russian-held Kuril Islands, Reuters reported earlier.
Japan has rebuked Russia’s deployment of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems on a chain of islands in the Far East that Tokyo claims as its own, media reported Tuesday.
Japan’s government called Russia’s S-300 deployment on what it refers to as the Northern Territories “unacceptable.”
“This is not in line with Japan’s position on the Northern Territories and is unacceptable,” Russia’s state-run TASS news agency quoted the cabinet as saying.
Tokyo has repeatedly lodged similar protests against Russian military drills and internet expansion, which Moscow has rejected.
The S-300 is a mobile, long-range air defense system developed in the 1970s that can detect, track and destroy ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft. Its radar can destroy targets as far away as 150 kilometers, launching one missile every three seconds.
The United States expects Russia to step up its military activities near Japan under new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Commander of U.S. Forces Japan Kevin Schneider was also quoted as saying Tuesday.
The dispute over the Kurils, which Soviet troops captured in the final days of World War II, has kept Russia and Japan from signing a formal peace treaty to end the war.
A set of constitutional changes that President Vladimir Putin enacted in this summer includes a clause banning territorial concessions, which is viewed as being designed to allow Russia to keep the Kurils and Crimea.
A Russian state-funded poll in early 2019 said that 96% of the islands’ adult population opposed ceding the islands to Japan.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-02--St. Petersburg to Tighten Coronavirus Restrictions Over New Year Holiday

St. Petersburg authorities have ordered the city ’ s cafes , restaurants , museums , theaters and concert halls to shut down during the New Year holiday , the most festive time of the year in Russia , due to the coronavirus .
The stricter restrictions will be in place from Dec. 30 until Jan. 10 , according to the decree signed by St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov on Wednesday .
A number of the restrictions will go into effect starting this week , however .
Starting Friday , the city ’ s water parks , aquariums , shopping malls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performing arts organizations will close their doors to visitors .
All indoor and outdoor events featuring more than 50 people will be suspended as well .
`` From Dec. 30 until Jan. 3 , the work of public dining establishments is completely suspended , '' the document says .
From Dec. 25 to Dec. 29 and from Jan. 4 to Jan. 10 , cafes and restaurants will not be able to receive visitors from 7:00 p.m. until 6.00 a.m .
The restrictions will not apply to workplace cafeterias , food delivery and take-away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , airports and gas stations , the document said .
St. Petersburg has had the second-highest rate of new coronavirus infections in Russia in recent weeks , with 3,684 new cases confirmed Wednesday .

St. Petersburg authorities have ordered the city’s cafes, restaurants, museums, theaters and concert halls to shut down during the New Year holiday, the most festive time of the year in Russia, due to the coronavirus.
The stricter restrictions will be in place from Dec. 30 until Jan. 10, according to the decree signed by St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov on Wednesday.
A number of the restrictions will go into effect starting this week, however.
Starting Friday, the city’s water parks, aquariums, shopping malls, museums, exhibitions, theaters and performing arts organizations will close their doors to visitors. All indoor and outdoor events featuring more than 50 people will be suspended as well.
"From Dec. 30 until Jan. 3, the work of public dining establishments is completely suspended," the document says.
From Dec. 25 to Dec. 29 and from Jan. 4 to Jan. 10, cafes and restaurants will not be able to receive visitors from 7:00 p.m. until 6.00 a.m.
The restrictions will not apply to workplace cafeterias, food delivery and take-away services or dining establishments at train stations, airports and gas stations, the document said.
St. Petersburg has had the second-highest rate of new coronavirus infections in Russia in recent weeks, with 3,684 new cases confirmed Wednesday.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-02--Russia Summons Veterans to Help Drive Its New Nazi War Crime Investigations

It said he had to attend a hearing on Dec. 1 to be questioned as a witness in the murders of at least 1,700 Soviet citizens committed by Nazi invaders and their accomplices during the occupation of the Stalingrad region between July 17 , 1942 , and Feb. 2 , 1943 .
When 94-year-old World War II veteran Vasily ’ s family made their regular check of his mailbox on Saturday they found a formal summons from the prosecutor ’ s office in Volgograd , a city in southern Russia previously known as Stalingrad .
“ We just couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a frail old man to their offices during the coronavirus outbreak using such a strict tone , ” the veteran ’ s grandson Denis Chistyakov told The Moscow Times .
“ Why not just come to his house for a chat ?
” While Russia has in recent years launched a series of new archive probes into World War II , reports are now starting to emerge of veterans being summoned to recount their experiences .
The shift comes against a background of what observers say is a newfound interest — spearheaded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how the world remembers it .
The family ignored the summons and decided not to mention it to Vasily — who fought in the Battle of Stalingrad and was later taken prisoner and sent to eastern Germany — fearing the investigation would damage his health .
The document said Vasily would be forced to attend another hearing if he didn ’ t show up , but there has been no follow up regarding his non-appearance yet .
“ He doesn ’ t really like talking about those war days , ” Chistyakov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Volgograd told The Moscow Times that such summons had been sent to at least 80 veterans in the region ; the independent Novaya Gazeta outlet reported that they were also being sent to veterans throughout the country .
The new investigations focus on World War II-era atrocities committed by Nazi forces across Russia , including in Volgograd .
Last month , in what appears to be the first ruling of its kind , a court in the northwestern region of Novgorod said mass killings of Soviet citizens in the village of Zhestyanaya Gorka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nazi army .
In a July interview with the state-run RIA Novosti news agency , the head of Russia ’ s Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrikin said that the aim of these new investigations was to “ establish , identify and name all the guilty Nazis , whether they are alive or not….Nuremberg did not convict all those responsible.
” Bastrinik added that the investigations were also aimed at challenging those who are trying to rewrite history .
While Bastrikin previously said historians were using archive materials for these investigations , the case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who witnessed the events are also being called in for questioning .

It said he had to attend a hearing on Dec. 1 to be questioned as a witness in the murders of at least 1,700 Soviet citizens committed by Nazi invaders and their accomplices during the occupation of the Stalingrad region between July 17, 1942, and Feb. 2, 1943.
When 94-year-old World War II veteran Vasily’s family made their regular check of his mailbox on Saturday they found a formal summons from the prosecutor’s office in Volgograd, a city in southern Russia previously known as Stalingrad.
“We just couldn’t believe that the prosecutors would summon a frail old man to their offices during the coronavirus outbreak using such a strict tone,” the veteran’s grandson Denis Chistyakov told The Moscow Times. “Why not just come to his house for a chat?”
While Russia has in recent years launched a series of new archive probes into World War II, reports are now starting to emerge of veterans being summoned to recount their experiences. The shift comes against a background of what observers say is a newfound interest — spearheaded by President Vladimir Putin — in the conflict and how the world remembers it.
The family ignored the summons and decided not to mention it to Vasily — who fought in the Battle of Stalingrad and was later taken prisoner and sent to eastern Germany — fearing the investigation would damage his health. The document said Vasily would be forced to attend another hearing if he didn’t show up, but there has been no follow up regarding his non-appearance yet.
“He doesn’t really like talking about those war days,” Chistyakov said.
The prosecutors’ office in Volgograd told The Moscow Times that such summons had been sent to at least 80 veterans in the region; the independent Novaya Gazeta outlet reported that they were also being sent to veterans throughout the country.
The new investigations focus on World War II-era atrocities committed by Nazi forces across Russia, including in Volgograd. Last month, in what appears to be the first ruling of its kind, a court in the northwestern region of Novgorod said mass killings of Soviet citizens in the village of Zhestyanaya Gorka were an act of genocide by the Nazi army.
In a July interview with the state-run RIA Novosti news agency, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrikin said that the aim of these new investigations was to “establish, identify and name all the guilty Nazis, whether they are alive or not….Nuremberg did not convict all those responsible.”
Bastrinik added that the investigations were also aimed at challenging those who are trying to rewrite history.
While Bastrikin previously said historians were using archive materials for these investigations, the case of Vasily and the others show that veterans who witnessed the events are also being called in for questioning.


themoscowtimes--2020-12-02--Siberian Ex-Police Chief Convicted for Khinkali Bribes

Alexander Grashchenkov was accused of extending criminal patronage to three local entrepreneurs in exchange for free meals , the Kommersant business daily reported earlier this fall .
Between 2015-18 , Grashchenkov had racked up $ 700 worth of meals from a local cafe in exchange for turning a blind eye to the entrepreneurs ’ rent violations .
A former police chief in Russia ’ s third-largest city of Novosibirsk has been convicted for accepting bribes in the form of the popular Georgian dumpling khinkali , authorities and media said Wednesday .
“ The hot lunches were delivered on request .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ simple cucumber salad from a variety of dishes on the menu , ” Kommersant had reported at the time .
A Novosibirsk court found Grashchenkov guilty and handed him a suspended sentence of three years and four years ' probation , the Investigative Committee which probes major crimes announced .
The Investigative Committee did not identify the convicted former district police chief by name , but the Tayga.info news website said it confirmed that it was Grashchenkov .
Grashchenkov had pleaded guilty , investigators said .
The bribe-givers are being tried separately .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grashchenkov of eating 200,000 rubles ( $ 2,600 ) worth of khinkali .
The bribe amount was subsequently lowered to 53,000 rubles ( $ 700 ) .

Alexander Grashchenkov was accused of extending criminal patronage to three local entrepreneurs in exchange for free meals, the Kommersant business daily reported earlier this fall. Between 2015-18, Grashchenkov had racked up $700 worth of meals from a local cafe in exchange for turning a blind eye to the entrepreneurs’ rent violations.
A former police chief in Russia’s third-largest city of Novosibirsk has been convicted for accepting bribes in the form of the popular Georgian dumpling khinkali, authorities and media said Wednesday.
“The hot lunches were delivered on request. The police officer chose khinkali and a simple cucumber salad from a variety of dishes on the menu,” Kommersant had reported at the time.
A Novosibirsk court found Grashchenkov guilty and handed him a suspended sentence of three years and four years' probation, the Investigative Committee which probes major crimes announced.
The Investigative Committee did not identify the convicted former district police chief by name, but the Tayga.info news website said it confirmed that it was Grashchenkov.
Grashchenkov had pleaded guilty, investigators said. The bribe-givers are being tried separately.
According to Kommersant, investigators initially suspected Grashchenkov of eating 200,000 rubles ($2,600) worth of khinkali. The bribe amount was subsequently lowered to 53,000 rubles ($700).


themoscowtimes--2020-12-03--Russian Activists Condemn New 'Foreign Agent' Bill

Lawmakers in Russia 's lower-house State Duma last month proposed a series of bills that would give authorities sweeping powers to designate individuals as foreign agents and further limit public gatherings and content posted online .
Russian rights activists on Thursday condemned draft legislation including a significant expansion of who can be labelled a `` foreign agent '' as a new clampdown on dissent .
Critics say the new legislation is meant to further limit Russia 's opposition ahead of next year 's elections for the Duma .
`` It 's an unprecedented restriction of our civil political rights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on President Vladimir Putin 's human rights council , said during an online press conference hosted by several of Russia 's top rights groups .
`` This is all a rather serious restriction on free speech , '' he said .
`` And this is of course a clear restriction on the right to be elected . ''
A law was first passed in 2012 giving authorities the power to brand NGOs and media organizations as foreign agents , a term that has Soviet-era undertones .
If they receive money from abroad these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , label publications with the tag and submit detailed paperwork or face fines .
The law has widened in scope in the years since , most significantly last year when it was expanded to include individual journalists and bloggers .
Under the proposed changes , any individual could be deemed a foreign agent if they receive any material or monetary support from abroad , or from organizations already deemed foreign agents .
The law would also ban those individuals from holding municipal government positions .
Verkhovsky said the language of the legislation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean simply attending an event organized by a group with foreign funding .
The other bills criticized by the rights group include one that would ban consecutive single-person pickets , the workaround that activists have used for Russia 's requirement on approval for public gatherings .
Another would give authorities the right to regulate educational material under legislation activists said was so broad that it could include social media posts .
The bills must still pass three readings by the Duma and an upper house Federation Council vote , as well as obtaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become law .
Lawmakers have proposed next Tuesday as the date for the first reading of the foreign agents bill , while the others are still pending .

Lawmakers in Russia's lower-house State Duma last month proposed a series of bills that would give authorities sweeping powers to designate individuals as foreign agents and further limit public gatherings and content posted online.
Russian rights activists on Thursday condemned draft legislation including a significant expansion of who can be labelled a "foreign agent" as a new clampdown on dissent.
Critics say the new legislation is meant to further limit Russia's opposition ahead of next year's elections for the Duma.
"It's an unprecedented restriction of our civil political rights," activist Alexander Verkhovsky, who sits on President Vladimir Putin's human rights council, said during an online press conference hosted by several of Russia's top rights groups.
"This is all a rather serious restriction on free speech," he said. "And this is of course a clear restriction on the right to be elected."
A law was first passed in 2012 giving authorities the power to brand NGOs and media organizations as foreign agents, a term that has Soviet-era undertones.
If they receive money from abroad these groups must register with the Justice Ministry, label publications with the tag and submit detailed paperwork or face fines.
The law has widened in scope in the years since, most significantly last year when it was expanded to include individual journalists and bloggers.
Under the proposed changes, any individual could be deemed a foreign agent if they receive any material or monetary support from abroad, or from organizations already deemed foreign agents.
The law would also ban those individuals from holding municipal government positions.
Verkhovsky said the language of the legislation is so broad that support from overseas could mean simply attending an event organized by a group with foreign funding.
The other bills criticized by the rights group include one that would ban consecutive single-person pickets, the workaround that activists have used for Russia's requirement on approval for public gatherings.
Another would give authorities the right to regulate educational material under legislation activists said was so broad that it could include social media posts.
The bills must still pass three readings by the Duma and an upper house Federation Council vote, as well as obtaining President Vladimir Putin's signature, to become law.
Lawmakers have proposed next Tuesday as the date for the first reading of the foreign agents bill, while the others are still pending.