themoscowtimes--2020-05-18--Lies and Disinformation Cover Up Russia's Environmental Assault on the Baltic Sea

Sergei Gribalev ’ s rubber boots sank into the open field ’ s thick , foul-smelling mud .
As he prepared to take water samples and examine a nearby stream , seagulls landed atop swimming pool-sized basins , filled with brown manure .
“ This is just the tip of the iceberg , ” he said , through a respirator mask that covered the lower half of his face .
Gribalev is a leading figure in an environmental group named the Green Alliance .
We stood on the outskirts of Pobeda in the Leningrad region .
Located 50 miles northwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. Petersburg , and home to 2,000 people , Pobeda ’ s name translates as “ victory.
” The stench in the village was appalling .
Four lagoons overflowed with thousands of tons of animal waste .
Some were dotted with rotting chicken carcasses .
These lakes of excrement , containing hazardous amounts of phosphorus , have been created by Udarnik , one of the biggest poultry farms in the area .
The facility has been dumping manure onto nearby land since it first began operations in the 1970s .
The contents of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and polluted nearby rivers , discharging between 10 and 20 tons of phosphorus annually , according to estimates from the Finnish Environment Institute .
Half of it ends up in the Baltic Sea and flows into the Gulf of Finland , which also takes in the coast of Estonia .
The contaminated waters then head south towards Sweden and Poland .
Phosphorus pollution contributes to a process known as eutrophication .
This occurs when a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients , which promote excessive algae growth .
Such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the consequent devastation of marine life .
In the Baltic Sea , eutrophication has led to expanses of dead seabed that adds up to an area roughly the size of Denmark .
Much of the pollution responsible comes from the Leningrad region in northwestern Russia .
Several countries around the Baltic have pressured the Russia ’ s government to reduce its discharge of phosphorus , Finland chief among them .
Over the years , Russia has presented itself as a partner in this endeavor ; a concerned nation , keen to help solve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have even trumpeted their own cooperation with other countries around the Baltic .
But a deeper look into Russia ’ s role reveals a whole ecosystem of disinformation and denialism .
This toxic environment has been created by lobbyists , corporations and politicians , who refuse to entertain the possibility that the dumping of vast amounts of untreated animal waste on Russian soil could possibly lead to pollution and ecological disruption elsewhere .
Far from working to address the issue , they have instead dismissed and attempted to discredit the work of independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own interests .
For years , Udarnik has denied violating environmental laws relating to the dumping of manure to local media , prosecutors and activists .
The company also declined to answer questions for this article .
Udarnik is only part of the problem .
The area around St. Petersburg is home to at least 145 large-scale cattle , pig and poultry farms , each with about 172,000 animals .
There are more than 10 active poultry farms left in the region .
According to researchers , every year a single poultry farm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the Baltic sea .
Seppo Knuuttila , a leading researcher from the Finnish Environment Institute , has witnessed the conditions in Pobeda first-hand .
He describes them as the worst he has ever seen .
“ Manure lay spread in the countryside , not in such a way that it served as fertilizer .
Huge quantities completely covered the ground , ” he said .
Knuuttila has been monitoring pollution in the Baltic since the 1980s and first began surveying possible sources in the area surrounding Saint Petersburg in 2008 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because no one had information on emissions from large animal production plants , ” he said .
When he first identified several large polluters , the Russian reaction was openly hostile .
Knuuttila found himself attacked in the Russian media and referred to as a “ hooligan and a provocateur ” by the state-run news agency RIA Novosti .
“ There was an urgent need for preventative measures , but our results were not received enthusiastically , ” he said .
In the spring of 2011 , as Knuuttila was working on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his research revealed a massive spillage of manure into the Ladoga River after a dam broke at the Nevskaya poultry farm in the Leningrad region .
The Nevskaya spill first made the news in Finland , but it also received coverage in Russia .
“ Once it became known to the Russian media , the authorities could no longer hide the company ’ s problems .
This may explain the irritation towards me , ” said Knuuttila .
Knuuttila said the local environmental chief of the Leningrad region accused him of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had revealed the details of the accident .
The official told Knuuttila that she had been in contact with the management of the poultry farm and had been assured that nothing had happened .
After the incident , Knuuttila analyzed water samples and monitored satellite images of the site .
He estimated that between 40 and 50 tons of phosphorus had been released , much of it into nearby waters .
Neither representatives from Nevskaya nor local government officials replied to interview requests for this article .
Despite the negative attention , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pollution from Russia .
The worst was yet to come .
At the start of 2012 , Knuuttila discovered what would later be known as the biggest ever phosphorus leak into the Baltic Sea – a massive 1,000 tons a year , according to his calculations .
It emanated from the Russian fertilizer company Eurochem ’ s Fosforit plant , along the River Luga in Kingisepp , an ancient town located 85 miles southwest of St. Petersburg .
Knuuttila ’ s efforts to trace the leak back to the source and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russian Federal Security Service ( FSB ) in April 2012 .
Knuuttila says he was on an official data-collection trip , taking samples from the river .
Eurochem , however , said he had trespassed on factory owned land .
While detained , Knuuttila was interrogated by the police .
Upon his release the following morning , his computer was confiscated by the FSB .
His arrest escalated into a confrontation between the Finnish and Russian officials .
In a sharply worded statement , the Russian Foreign Ministry ’ s press officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ unacceptable ” and called upon Finland to explain his activities .
Now , fearing arrest , Knuuttila says he can no longer work in Russia .
This has effectively ended his research in the region – at great potential cost to the environment of the Leningrad region and the Baltic Sea .
“ Something nasty can happen to me in Russia , ” he said .
“ My work was not completed , even though the results achieved were very significant .
If I ’ d try to take samples or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would almost certainly be re-arrested.
” Farms such as Udarnik have been dumping manure on the land of the Leningrad region since the Soviet era , causing environmental devastation there and in the Baltic sea .
It appears to be more convenient and cost effective for them to continue to do so , facing only occasional fines from the local environmental authorities , than to invest in expensive new waste treatment technology .
“ There are no systems for managing the manure .
While local supervising authorities impose fines and penalties , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems , which get worse year after year , worsen year after year , ” said Gribalev .
In 2010 , Udarnik formally changed its management and its new owners expressed their wishes to do things differently .
The company made some promising moves to address the pollution .
In 2013 , it joined forces with the Finnish environmental organization the John Nurminen Foundation , which focuses on protecting the Baltic Sea , to investigate options for minimizing the risk of runoff from the manure lagoons to the environment .
A joint Finnish-Swedish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filter system with the ability to rinse the manure and reduce the phosphorus leaking into the Gulf of Finland .
But , according to Marjukka Porvari from the foundation , Udarnik could not afford to fully implement the system .
“ We had a project ongoing up until June 2017 , but manure has been leaking for over 40 years , and it has gotten worse since we were there , ” she said .
Some continue to flat-out deny that untreated manure is harmful to the environment .
“ They are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Melnikov , the billionaire former owner of Sinyavskaya , Russia ’ s largest egg producer .
“ It ’ s more important to handle the municipal sewage systems than to talk about chicken farms.
” The facilities at Sinyavskaya , also in the Leningrad region , house around 3.58 million egg-laying birds and the farm produces over two billion eggs per year .
In 2017 , more than 3.2 billion eggs were produced in total around the Leningrad region .
Local ecologist Gribalev spends much of his time monitoring the pollution around Pobeda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set up in a van that looks like something from the movie Ghostbusters .
After returning from the manure dumping site outside the poultry farm Udarnik , where he was taking water samples , Gribalev returned to his van where he analyzes the tests .
“ Many people fear they will become ill or poisoned , ” he said , while analyzing data in the village of Pobeda .
According to the Vyborg district´s City prosecutor ’ s office , which has filed a lawsuit against Udarnik , the company has repeatedly violated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pobeda and will be obliged to build sewage treatment plants .
According to the prosecutor ’ s office , the damage caused to the environment is estimated at approximately $ 68,700 .
In 2018 , Grigory Chistyakov , director general of Udarnik , was issued several fines for dumping untreated sewage .
The sums ranged from $ 45 to $ 450 .
The prosecutor ’ s office declined to comment on the action .
Chistyakov , also refused several requests for an interview and did not respond to written questions .
Last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wastewater treatment plant in Pobeda , but the project has not yet seen the light of day , owing to local bureaucracy .
The reconstruction costs are estimated at up to $ 5 million .
Now , residents say officials are no longer even responding to their complaints , regarding the stench of leaking manure and the lack of wastewater treatment in the village .
The project has now been postponed until the end of 2021 .
“ They do not want to cooperate with representatives from other organizations or with us villagers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s convenient for those in power .
The corrupt poultry farm is the city ’ s source of income , they work together — the authorities and the farm owners.
” Melnikov now works as a lobbyist , shuttling between farm owners and local politicians .
As such , he prefers to blame Finland for the pollution of the Baltic Sea .
“ The poultry farms have no negative impact on the environment .
Why is Russia to blame ?
Finland is responsible too , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ security forces targeting researchers like Seppo Knuuttila are grave .
The total amount of pollutants discharged from agricultural and industrial facilities into the nearby rivers and the Gulf of Finland is unknown .
“ The only existing data has been gathered during international projects , and there have been no such studies carried out since 2012 , ” said Knuuttila .
He is not surprised to find out that the situation in the area surrounding Udarnik has deteriorated .
“ When nobody monitors such things , there is no risk of being caught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or are bribed and there is simply no incentive for these companies to take better care of the environment , ” he said .
Meanwhile , the Baltic Sea continues to be flooded with phosphorus , fragile marine ecosystems perish and the residents of Pobeda and other places like it suffer .
As Oporova explained , “ I moved here to breathe fresh air .
But now I have brown tap water , I can ’ t drink it and I ’ m worried about my children ’ s health .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farm owners ’ indifference .
”

Sergei Gribalev’s rubber boots sank into the open field’s thick, foul-smelling mud. As he prepared to take water samples and examine a nearby stream, seagulls landed atop swimming pool-sized basins, filled with brown manure. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said, through a respirator mask that covered the lower half of his face. Gribalev is a leading figure in an environmental group named the Green Alliance. We stood on the outskirts of Pobeda in the Leningrad region. Located 50 miles northwest of Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, and home to 2,000 people, Pobeda’s name translates as “victory.” The stench in the village was appalling. Four lagoons overflowed with thousands of tons of animal waste. Some were dotted with rotting chicken carcasses. These lakes of excrement, containing hazardous amounts of phosphorus, have been created by Udarnik, one of the biggest poultry farms in the area. The facility has been dumping manure onto nearby land since it first began operations in the 1970s. The contents of the lagoons have leached into the soil and polluted nearby rivers, discharging between 10 and 20 tons of phosphorus annually, according to estimates from the Finnish Environment Institute. Half of it ends up in the Baltic Sea and flows into the Gulf of Finland, which also takes in the coast of Estonia. The contaminated waters then head south towards Sweden and Poland. Phosphorus pollution contributes to a process known as eutrophication. This occurs when a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients, which promote excessive algae growth. Such growth can result in oxygen depletion and the consequent devastation of marine life. In the Baltic Sea, eutrophication has led to expanses of dead seabed that adds up to an area roughly the size of Denmark. Much of the pollution responsible comes from the Leningrad region in northwestern Russia. Several countries around the Baltic have pressured the Russia’s government to reduce its discharge of phosphorus, Finland chief among them. Over the years, Russia has presented itself as a partner in this endeavor; a concerned nation, keen to help solve ecological problems. Officials in St. Petersburg have even trumpeted their own cooperation with other countries around the Baltic.
But a deeper look into Russia’s role reveals a whole ecosystem of disinformation and denialism. This toxic environment has been created by lobbyists, corporations and politicians, who refuse to entertain the possibility that the dumping of vast amounts of untreated animal waste on Russian soil could possibly lead to pollution and ecological disruption elsewhere. Far from working to address the issue, they have instead dismissed and attempted to discredit the work of independent researchers whose findings run contrary to their own interests. For years, Udarnik has denied violating environmental laws relating to the dumping of manure to local media, prosecutors and activists. The company also declined to answer questions for this article. Udarnik is only part of the problem. The area around St. Petersburg is home to at least 145 large-scale cattle, pig and poultry farms, each with about 172,000 animals. There are more than 10 active poultry farms left in the region. According to researchers, every year a single poultry farm can deposit around 10 tons of phosphorus into the Baltic sea. Denying the facts Seppo Knuuttila, a leading researcher from the Finnish Environment Institute, has witnessed the conditions in Pobeda first-hand. He describes them as the worst he has ever seen. “Manure lay spread in the countryside, not in such a way that it served as fertilizer. Huge quantities completely covered the ground,” he said. Knuuttila has been monitoring pollution in the Baltic since the 1980s and first began surveying possible sources in the area surrounding Saint Petersburg in 2008. “It was pioneering work in Russia, because no one had information on emissions from large animal production plants,” he said. When he first identified several large polluters, the Russian reaction was openly hostile. Knuuttila found himself attacked in the Russian media and referred to as a “hooligan and a provocateur” by the state-run news agency RIA Novosti. “There was an urgent need for preventative measures, but our results were not received enthusiastically,” he said. In the spring of 2011, as Knuuttila was working on a project to document emissions in the area, his research revealed a massive spillage of manure into the Ladoga River after a dam broke at the Nevskaya poultry farm in the Leningrad region. The Nevskaya spill first made the news in Finland, but it also received coverage in Russia. “Once it became known to the Russian media, the authorities could no longer hide the company’s problems. This may explain the irritation towards me,” said Knuuttila. Knuuttila said the local environmental chief of the Leningrad region accused him of “lying and slandering Russia,” after he had revealed the details of the accident. The official told Knuuttila that she had been in contact with the management of the poultry farm and had been assured that nothing had happened. After the incident, Knuuttila analyzed water samples and monitored satellite images of the site. He estimated that between 40 and 50 tons of phosphorus had been released, much of it into nearby waters. Neither representatives from Nevskaya nor local government officials replied to interview requests for this article. Despite the negative attention, Knuuttila continued his research investigating the source of the pollution from Russia. The worst was yet to come. At the start of 2012, Knuuttila discovered what would later be known as the biggest ever phosphorus leak into the Baltic Sea – a massive 1,000 tons a year, according to his calculations. It emanated from the Russian fertilizer company Eurochem’s Fosforit plant, along the River Luga in Kingisepp, an ancient town located 85 miles southwest of St. Petersburg.
Knuuttila’s efforts to trace the leak back to the source and investigate it led to his arrest by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in April 2012. Knuuttila says he was on an official data-collection trip, taking samples from the river. Eurochem, however, said he had trespassed on factory owned land. While detained, Knuuttila was interrogated by the police. Upon his release the following morning, his computer was confiscated by the FSB. His arrest escalated into a confrontation between the Finnish and Russian officials. In a sharply worded statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s press officer Alexander Lukashevich described Knuuttila’s actions as “unacceptable” and called upon Finland to explain his activities. Now, fearing arrest, Knuuttila says he can no longer work in Russia. This has effectively ended his research in the region – at great potential cost to the environment of the Leningrad region and the Baltic Sea. “Something nasty can happen to me in Russia,” he said. “My work was not completed, even though the results achieved were very significant. If I’d try to take samples or to approach a pollution source, I would almost certainly be re-arrested.”
Denials and fines Farms such as Udarnik have been dumping manure on the land of the Leningrad region since the Soviet era, causing environmental devastation there and in the Baltic sea. It appears to be more convenient and cost effective for them to continue to do so, facing only occasional fines from the local environmental authorities, than to invest in expensive new waste treatment technology. “There are no systems for managing the manure. While local supervising authorities impose fines and penalties, they turn a blind eye to the ecological problems, which get worse year after year, worsen year after year,” said Gribalev. In 2010, Udarnik formally changed its management and its new owners expressed their wishes to do things differently. The company made some promising moves to address the pollution. In 2013, it joined forces with the Finnish environmental organization the John Nurminen Foundation, which focuses on protecting the Baltic Sea, to investigate options for minimizing the risk of runoff from the manure lagoons to the environment. A joint Finnish-Swedish project was launched to install a large filter system with the ability to rinse the manure and reduce the phosphorus leaking into the Gulf of Finland. But, according to Marjukka Porvari from the foundation, Udarnik could not afford to fully implement the system. “We had a project ongoing up until June 2017, but manure has been leaking for over 40 years, and it has gotten worse since we were there,” she said. Some continue to flat-out deny that untreated manure is harmful to the environment. “They are not doing anything wrong,” said Nikita Melnikov, the billionaire former owner of Sinyavskaya, Russia’s largest egg producer. “It’s more important to handle the municipal sewage systems than to talk about chicken farms.” The facilities at Sinyavskaya, also in the Leningrad region, house around 3.58 million egg-laying birds and the farm produces over two billion eggs per year. In 2017, more than 3.2 billion eggs were produced in total around the Leningrad region. 'I’m worried about my children’s health' Local ecologist Gribalev spends much of his time monitoring the pollution around Pobeda. He uses a DIY laboratory, set up in a van that looks like something from the movie Ghostbusters. After returning from the manure dumping site outside the poultry farm Udarnik, where he was taking water samples, Gribalev returned to his van where he analyzes the tests. “Many people fear they will become ill or poisoned,” he said, while analyzing data in the village of Pobeda. According to the Vyborg district´s City prosecutor’s office, which has filed a lawsuit against Udarnik, the company has repeatedly violated environmental standards related to untreated wastewater in Pobeda and will be obliged to build sewage treatment plants. According to the prosecutor’s office, the damage caused to the environment is estimated at approximately $68,700. In 2018, Grigory Chistyakov, director general of Udarnik, was issued several fines for dumping untreated sewage. The sums ranged from $45 to $450. The prosecutor’s office declined to comment on the action. Chistyakov, also refused several requests for an interview and did not respond to written questions. Last year, local authorities promised to rebuild a wastewater treatment plant in Pobeda, but the project has not yet seen the light of day, owing to local bureaucracy. The reconstruction costs are estimated at up to $5 million. Now, residents say officials are no longer even responding to their complaints, regarding the stench of leaking manure and the lack of wastewater treatment in the village. The project has now been postponed until the end of 2021. “They do not want to cooperate with representatives from other organizations or with us villagers,” said local activist Nadezhda Oporova. “It’s convenient for those in power. The corrupt poultry farm is the city’s source of income, they work together — the authorities and the farm owners.” Melnikov now works as a lobbyist, shuttling between farm owners and local politicians. As such, he prefers to blame Finland for the pollution of the Baltic Sea. “The poultry farms have no negative impact on the environment. Why is Russia to blame? Finland is responsible too,” he said.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-18--Russia's Coronavirus Cases Surpass 290K as New Infections Slow Down

Russia confirmed 8,926 new coronavirus infections Monday , bringing the country ’ s official number of cases to 290,678 .
@ @ @ @ @ of new virus cases since May 1 , when Russia announced 7,933 cases .
On @ @ @ @ @ Russia 's public health watchdog , Anna Popova , said the growth of new coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ .
Russia is the second most-affected country in terms of infections .
Over the past @ @ @ @ @ have died , bringing the total toll to 2,722 — a rate considerably lower than @ @ @ @ @ hard by the pandemic .

The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Russia's fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures.
Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on constitutional reforms that now allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036.
Both events were initially postponed due the epidemic.
Moscow opened cinemas and theaters on Aug. 1. In the capital, masks are mandatory in stores and on public transport but not in the streets.
Several institutes in Russia are working on a coronavirus vaccine.
The Russian Defense Ministry has said it developed a "safe" vaccine following clinical trials on a group of volunteers.
The trials are ongoing, and the Defense Ministry expects clinical trials to be fully completed in the coming weeks.
AFP contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-18--News From Russia: What You Missed Over the Weekend

The growth of new coronavirus cases in Russia is stabilizing , the head of Russia 's public health watchdog , @ @ @ @ @ as the daily tally fell under 10,000 for the third time last week .
Popova @ @ @ @ @ to say if Russians can make plans for summer travel , saying `` we need @ @ @ @ @ two or three weeks . ''
Russia on Saturday announced its highest daily death rate @ @ @ @ @ has confirmed a total of 2,631 deaths .
More than 13,000 people in the North @ @ @ @ @ contracted the coronavirus or community-acquired pneumonia ( CAP ) , the region ’ s top @ @ @ @ @ total of 657 people have died from either Covid-19 or CAP , including 40 doctors @ @ @ @ @ to official statistics , there have been 3,371 coronavirus infections and just 29 deaths from @ @ @ @ @

Stable contagion
The growth of new coronavirus cases in Russia is stabilizing, the head of Russia's public health watchdog, Anna Popova, said Sunday as the daily tally fell under 10,000 for the third time last week.
Popova said it was too early to say if Russians can make plans for summer travel, saying "we need to look at the next two or three weeks." Russia on Saturday announced its highest daily death rate at 119, while it has confirmed a total of 2,631 deaths.
Excess mortality
More than 13,000 people in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan have contracted the coronavirus or community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), the region’s top health official said.
A total of 657 people have died from either Covid-19 or CAP, including 40 doctors, he added. According to official statistics, there have been 3,371 coronavirus infections and just 29 deaths from Covid-19 in the region.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-19--Russia Doubles Naturalizations Amid Relaxed Migration Rules

Authorities issued 161,170 Russian passports to foreigners between January and March compared with 63,249 in January-March 2019 , the Interior Ministry ’ s immigration data said .
Russia has granted citizenship to more than twice as many foreigners in early 2020 than it did in the same period last year as the country moves to ease citizenship laws and boost its flagging population numbers .
Two-thirds of the new recipients , 108,500 people , were Ukrainian nationals , the RBC news website cited the Finexpertiza consulting firm as saying Tuesday .
From 2016-2019 , Ukrainians had accounted for fewer than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last year , President Vladimir Putin simplified the Russian citizenship process for residents of separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine and later expanded it to neighboring areas under Kiev ’ s control .
The overall number of naturalizations in Russia has been on the rise since 2017 and nearly doubled between 2018 and 2019 to 497,800 , the Interior Ministry data said .
This April , Putin further relaxed migration rules with a dual citizenship law that is estimated to attract 10 million new citizens , mainly from Russian-speaking populations in the former Soviet republics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 with the highest number of naturalizations on record , according to Nikita Mkrtchyan , an associate professor of demography at Moscow ’ s Higher School of Economics .
“ Everything ’ s being done to simplify the naturalization process for citizens of countries culturally close to Russia , ” RBC quoted Mkrtchyan as saying .
“ In the near future , fewer people could come from Central Asian countries and Transcaucasia and more from Ukraine , ” he forecast .
The increase comes as Russia works to solve its ongoing demographic crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its population could halve to fewer than 84 million people by 2100 .

Authorities issued 161,170 Russian passports to foreigners between January and March compared with 63,249 in January-March 2019, the Interior Ministry’s immigration data said .
Russia has granted citizenship to more than twice as many foreigners in early 2020 than it did in the same period last year as the country moves to ease citizenship laws and boost its flagging population numbers.
Two-thirds of the new recipients, 108,500 people, were Ukrainian nationals, the RBC news website cited the Finexpertiza consulting firm as saying Tuesday. From 2016-2019, Ukrainians had accounted for fewer than 50% of newly naturalized Russian citizens.
Last year, President Vladimir Putin simplified the Russian citizenship process for residents of separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine and later expanded it to neighboring areas under Kiev’s control.
The overall number of naturalizations in Russia has been on the rise since 2017 and nearly doubled between 2018 and 2019 to 497,800, the Interior Ministry data said.
This April, Putin further relaxed migration rules with a dual citizenship law that is estimated to attract 10 million new citizens, mainly from Russian-speaking populations in the former Soviet republics.
Russia is on track to finish 2020 with the highest number of naturalizations on record, according to Nikita Mkrtchyan, an associate professor of demography at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics.
“Everything’s being done to simplify the naturalization process for citizens of countries culturally close to Russia,” RBC quoted Mkrtchyan as saying.
“In the near future, fewer people could come from Central Asian countries and Transcaucasia and more from Ukraine,” he forecast.
The increase comes as Russia works to solve its ongoing demographic crisis, with the United Nations predicting that its population could halve to fewer than 84 million people by 2100.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-19--‘Kinky Russia’ Throws Zoom Orgies to Overcome Coronavirus Quarantine

Hundreds of people have gathered to watch a live performance online on a Saturday night in Moscow .
That ’ s become normal under the city ’ s strict coronavirus lockdown rules , but this is no Swan Lake .
Four women have tied a man to a plastic-covered mattress in a sparsely decorated room .
He wears nothing but a black face mask , a leather collar , underwear and suspender tights .
As industrial techno music intensifies in the background , the lingerie-clad women take turns pouring hot candle wax onto his chest as he writhes in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the women then pulls and rubs the wax off his chest with black-latex-gloved hands .
This is one of Russia ’ s first Zoom orgies , organized by the capital ’ s Kinky Russia movement .
In pre-coronavirus times , the group organized themed kinky sex parties that encouraged sexual exploration in a judgment-free , consent-driven environment .
But with large gatherings prohibited across Russia due to the pandemic , Kinky Russia has embraced the now-ubiquitous video conferencing platform to give its community a way to stay connected and explore sexuality while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine started ] there was a party scheduled , so we decided to rethink it rather than cancel , ” Kinky Russia co-founder Tanya Dmitriyeva told The Moscow Times .
“ We organized a live virtual reality transmission of a party rehearsal that we managed to hold literally a day before the quarantine .
Participants had a real performance to watch , plus there were different options to connect online , chat , flirt , etc.
” Since then , the group has been organizing Zoom orgies every one or two weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each event .
Much like the in-person Kinky Party experience , guests can visit several “ rooms ” featuring different people and performers .
Saturday ’ s event , which began with the hot wax “ ritual , ” also featured a performance from a Maxim Kalahari — an artist specializing in Shibari Japanese rope torture — as well as a burlesque show by Kinky Russia co-creator Blanche de Moscou .
Other frames showed individuals , couples or groups performing different kink or BDSM acts , dancing to the live DJ set or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fellow guests in Zoom chat .
Party guests are asked to wear a “ sexy and extravagant ” costume , typically lingerie or BDSM gear .
Many also wear masks , either of the Venetian carnival variety or the medical type that has become pervasive these days .
Most guests choose to participate without their video on .
If multiple guests or groups decide they want to explore their desires together , they can ask to use one of several private “ rooms ” within the Zoom call .
“ I really like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a first-time participant who wore a black lace mask over her eyes .
“ Sex and everything connected with it is an integral part of my personality .
I ’ ve finally found like-minded people.
” Longtime Kinky Party-goer Kirill , who wears a carnival mask that covers the left half of his face , echoed her feelings .
“ I like the online experience , especially today , ” he said .
“ The main thing is there ’ s more beauty .
Kinky is such a comfortable carnival space , here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Whether in-person or online , Kinky Russia ’ s events are based on the group ’ s core principles of consent , openness , equality and respect for each other ’ s boundaries .
A “ Kinky Police ” moderator both enforces the rules and banters with guests in the chat box to maintain a lively atmosphere .
To attend a Zoom orgy , guests must provide their names , ages and a brief description of why they want to attend so organizers can ensure the party will be made up of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Admission costs 1,000 rubles , or about $ 13 .
Controls for Kinky Party ’ s less frequent themed Zoom parties — recent ones have focused on animals and “ Eyes Wide Shut ” — are tighter , with guests required to provide a social media link so organizers can conduct a digital “ face control.
” Trust is another key element at the group 's online sex parties .
While taking screenshots or recordings is strictly forbidden , there ’ s no way for organizers to completely prevent this from happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like audio issues and lagging video quality that can be common in large Zoom events , Dmitriyeva says Kinky Party ’ s community is coming back for more .
“ The community takes virtual parties surprisingly well , ” she said .
“ People are active and playful online while still following our ethical rules , which is extremely important since [ being ] online gives even more privacy on one hand , and even more freedom on another.
” Kinky Russia has also moved its Kinky Practice courses and workshops about sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to learn how to safely explore their kinks without requiring them to leave their homes .
The use of video platforms like Zoom and Skype for sex parties has gained momentum since the coronavirus pandemic first forced millions into self-isolation .
Private sex clubs in New York and London pioneered digital orgies , and Russia has followed their lead .
While Zoom technically bans “ displays of nudity ... pornography and sexually explicit material ” in its Acceptable Use Policy and has said it uses tools including machine learning to root out violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have managed to take place without any crackdowns .
Kinky Party ’ s organizers say its Zoom orgies are unique in that they ’ re not just about the sex , but about supporting its community during an uncertain era and giving them something to look forward to on weekends in lockdown .
“ The worst thing that quarantine has done to people is separation , dissociation , ” Dmitriyeva said .
“ It ’ s depressing , especially when you 're not able to keep your normal life routine .
We care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything we can to keep them busy and entertained during these harsh times .
”

Hundreds of people have gathered to watch a live performance online on a Saturday night in Moscow. That’s become normal under the city’s strict coronavirus lockdown rules, but this is no Swan Lake. Four women have tied a man to a plastic-covered mattress in a sparsely decorated room. He wears nothing but a black face mask, a leather collar, underwear and suspender tights. As industrial techno music intensifies in the background, the lingerie-clad women take turns pouring hot candle wax onto his chest as he writhes in a mix of pain and pleasure. One of the women then pulls and rubs the wax off his chest with black-latex-gloved hands. This is one of Russia’s first Zoom orgies, organized by the capital’s Kinky Russia movement.
In pre-coronavirus times, the group organized themed kinky sex parties that encouraged sexual exploration in a judgment-free, consent-driven environment. But with large gatherings prohibited across Russia due to the pandemic, Kinky Russia has embraced the now-ubiquitous video conferencing platform to give its community a way to stay connected and explore sexuality while respecting social distancing. “[Before quarantine started] there was a party scheduled, so we decided to rethink it rather than cancel,” Kinky Russia co-founder Tanya Dmitriyeva told The Moscow Times. “We organized a live virtual reality transmission of a party rehearsal that we managed to hold literally a day before the quarantine. Participants had a real performance to watch, plus there were different options to connect online, chat, flirt, etc.” Since then, the group has been organizing Zoom orgies every one or two weeks, with hundreds of people showing up to each event.
Participants can visit "rooms" featuring different performers. Kinky Party
Much like the in-person Kinky Party experience, guests can visit several “rooms” featuring different people and performers. Saturday’s event, which began with the hot wax “ritual,” also featured a performance from Maxim Kalahari — an artist specializing in Shibari Japanese rope torture — as well as a burlesque show by Kinky Russia co-creator Blanche de Moscou. Other frames showed individuals, couples or groups performing different kink or BDSM acts, dancing to the live DJ set or just watching the performances and talking to fellow guests in Zoom chat. Party guests are asked to wear a “sexy and extravagant” costume, typically lingerie or BDSM gear. Many also wear masks, either of the Venetian carnival variety or the medical type that has become pervasive these days. Most guests choose to participate without their video on. If multiple guests or groups decide they want to explore their desires together, they can ask to use one of several private “rooms” within the Zoom call. “I really like it here,” said Yekaterina, a first-time participant who wore a black lace mask over her eyes. “Sex and everything connected with it is an integral part of my personality. I’ve finally found like-minded people.” Longtime Kinky Party-goer Kirill, who wears a carnival mask that covers the left half of his face, echoed her feelings. “I like the online experience, especially today,” he said. “The main thing is there’s more beauty. Kinky is such a comfortable carnival space, here you can be anything and feel free.” Whether in-person or online, Kinky Russia’s events are based on the group’s core principles of consent, openness, equality and respect for each other’s boundaries. A “Kinky Police” moderator both enforces the rules and banters with guests in the chat box to maintain a lively atmosphere.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-19--Russian MMA Star Khabib Urges 'Discipline' Amid Dagestan Virus Outbreak

Russian Mixed Martial Arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov has appealed to residents of his native Dagestan to follow containment rules as his father was put on a ventilator after catching the novel coronavirus .
The undefeated UFC lightweight champion took to Instagram late Monday to urge people in the southern Russian region to be `` disciplined '' and to `` listen to our doctors '' during the epidemic .
Nurmagomedov enjoys celebrity status in Dagestan , where the coronavirus situation has been described as a `` catastrophe '' by officials , forcing President Vladimir Putin to intervene .
The government promised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where over 600 people died of `` pneumonia , '' according to health officials .
The 31-year-old told his 20 million followers in a video that doctors are `` pleading '' for people to stay at home , even as the majority-Muslim region gears up to celebrate the end of Ramadan this weekend .
`` It 's a very difficult situation .
I personally have over 20 relatives ... who were in intensive care .
Many of them are not with us anymore .
Many of my acquaintances are dead , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in `` very serious condition . ''
`` On top of this virus he started having heart problems , '' he added .
News agencies reported Monday that his father , Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov , who trained his son from an early age , was put on a ventilator in a hospital in Moscow .

Russian Mixed Martial Arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov has appealed to residents of his native Dagestan to follow containment rules as his father was put on a ventilator after catching the novel coronavirus. The undefeated UFC lightweight champion took to Instagram late Monday to urge people in the southern Russian region to be "disciplined" and to "listen to our doctors" during the epidemic.
Nurmagomedov enjoys celebrity status in Dagestan, where the coronavirus situation has been described as a "catastrophe" by officials, forcing President Vladimir Putin to intervene. The government promised to send additional equipment to the region, where over 600 people died of "pneumonia," according to health officials. The 31-year-old told his 20 million followers in a video that doctors are "pleading" for people to stay at home, even as the majority-Muslim region gears up to celebrate the end of Ramadan this weekend.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-19--Affluent Central Moscow Residents Most Likely to Ignore Stay-Home Orders: Research

Its authors attribute the violations to the residents ’ relative affluence and their ability to go out of town or visit the many small squares near their residences during the outbreak .
Residents of central Moscow are more likely than other Muscovites to violate the city ’ s self-isolation orders , according to an analysis of population clusters inside apartment buildings cited by Interfax on Monday .
Russian data analytics company Habidatum measured the concentration of people inside apartments a week before and some time after Moscow authorities ordered the city ’ s 12.7 million residents to self-isolate indefinitely in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 central districts including the affluent Arbat and Tverskoy districts saw a “ sharp decrease in the number of people staying home , ” Interfax reported .
Muscovites inside the Third Ring Road “ showed the least overall concentration of people ” inside their apartments , according to Habidatum .
Northern Moscow ’ s Zapadnoye Degunino district was named the leading self-quarantine violator among districts outside the city center .
Thirteen districts outside the central beltway led all others in complying with the self-quarantine orders , Intefax cited Habidatum as saying .
Overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders has doubled from 8.5 % in April to 17 % in mid-May , said Sergei Kapkov , the former head of Moscow ’ s culture department and the architect of Moscow ’ s face-lift in the early 2010s .
President Vladimir Putin announced the end of Russia ’ s “ non-working ” period to slow the outbreak last Tuesday , allowing regional leaders to start easing restrictions .
Moscow , the epicenter of Russia ’ s coronavirus outbreak with roughly half of its nearly 300,000 total cases , extended its lockdown until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass system enforcing the rules .
Under the lockdown , Muscovites can only leave their homes to buy groceries or medicine at the nearest shop , take out the trash , walk dogs within 100 meters of their buildings , go to work if they have essential jobs or seek emergency medical care .
Starting May 12 , the city allowed construction and industrial enterprises to resume their work .
“ A number of Moscow factories came out of self-isolation this week so we expect a doubling of Muscovites ’ activity in May @ @ @ @ @ @

Its authors attribute the violations to the residents’ relative affluence and their ability to go out of town or visit the many small squares near their residences during the outbreak.
Residents of central Moscow are more likely than other Muscovites to violate the city’s self-isolation orders, according to an analysis of population clusters inside apartment buildings cited by Interfax on Monday.
Russian data analytics company Habidatum measured the concentration of people inside apartments a week before and some time after Moscow authorities ordered the city’s 12.7 million residents to self-isolate indefinitely in late March.
The analysis found that 10 central districts including the affluent Arbat and Tverskoy districts saw a “sharp decrease in the number of people staying home,” Interfax reported.
Muscovites inside the Third Ring Road “showed the least overall concentration of people” inside their apartments, according to Habidatum.
Northern Moscow’s Zapadnoye Degunino district was named the leading self-quarantine violator among districts outside the city center.
Thirteen districts outside the central beltway led all others in complying with the self-quarantine orders, Intefax cited Habidatum as saying.
Overall, the share of Muscovites ignoring the orders has doubled from 8.5% in April to 17% in mid-May, said Sergei Kapkov, the former head of Moscow’s culture department and the architect of Moscow’s face-lift in the early 2010s.
President Vladimir Putin announced the end of Russia’s “non-working” period to slow the outbreak last Tuesday, allowing regional leaders to start easing restrictions. Moscow, the epicenter of Russia’s coronavirus outbreak with roughly half of its nearly 300,000 total cases, extended its lockdown until at least May 31 with a digital pass system enforcing the rules.
Under the lockdown, Muscovites can only leave their homes to buy groceries or medicine at the nearest shop, take out the trash, walk dogs within 100 meters of their buildings, go to work if they have essential jobs or seek emergency medical care. Starting May 12, the city allowed construction and industrial enterprises to resume their work.
“A number of Moscow factories came out of self-isolation this week so we expect a doubling of Muscovites’ activity in May,” Kapkov told Interfax.


themoscowtimes--2020-05-19--Russian PM Recovers From Virus as Infection Rates Slow

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree reinstating Mishustin as the head of government , nearly three weeks after the prime minister announced on television he had tested positive for coronavirus .
Russia 's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin returned to his duties on Tuesday after recovering from the coronavirus , as total infections approached 300,000 and officials said new cases were dropping off .
Mishustin checked himself into hospital and his deputy was named interim prime minister , but he continued to participate in meetings via video-link wearing a suit and tie .
The 54-year-old former tax chief was appointed prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year but had little time to make an impact before the coronavirus pandemic hit .
His reinstatement came after health officials reported 9,263 new infections in Russia over the last 24 hours , bringing the total to 299,941 , the second-highest in the world after the United States .
Mishustin was just one of several high-ranking Russian officials to have been infected , including the ministers of culture , education and construction , as well as Putin 's spokesman Dmitry Peskov .
The prime minister said Monday that Russia had stopped the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the situation remained `` difficult . ''
He credited a nationwide lockdown and `` systematic work '' over the past two months for slowing the rate of new infections .
The Kremlin last week eased nationwide anti-virus measures imposed in March and Mishustin said Monday that dozens of regions throughout the country were ready to gradually lift lockdown orders .
Tuesday 's tally saw new cases fall below 10,000 for the fourth day in a row , after Monday 's count saw new infections under 9,000 for the first time since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections in Russia are centralised in the capital , which has extended its lockdown until the end of May , with residents only allowed to leave their homes for brief trips to a shop , to walk dogs or to travel to essential jobs with a permit .
Yet Putin this week said the emerging hotspot of Dagestan in Russia 's North Caucasus required urgent attention after a top official this weekend said hundreds of people in the region might have died from the virus .
`` All of Russia will be with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressing residents of the region after a local health official said nearly 700 may have died from the virus including 40 medics .
The region 's biggest celebrity , Mixed Martial Arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov , appealed to residents to follow containment rules as his father was put on a ventilator after catching the coronavirus .
The undefeated UFC lightweight champion took to Instagram late Monday to urge people in the southern Russian region to be `` disciplined '' and to `` listen to our doctors '' during the epidemic .
A nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus fatalities since the last update , bringing Russia 's total to 2,837 .
Critics have cast doubt on Russia 's low official mortality rate , accusing authorities of under-reporting in order to play down the scale of the crisis .
Russian health officials say one of the reasons the count is lower than in the United States and parts of western Europe is that only deaths directly caused by the virus are being included .
Authorities also say that since the virus came later to Russia , there was more time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to slow the spread .

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree reinstating Mishustin as the head of government, nearly three weeks after the prime minister announced on television he had tested positive for coronavirus.
Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin returned to his duties on Tuesday after recovering from the coronavirus, as total infections approached 300,000 and officials said new cases were dropping off.
Mishustin checked himself into hospital and his deputy was named interim prime minister, but he continued to participate in meetings via video-link wearing a suit and tie.
The 54-year-old former tax chief was appointed prime minister in a surprise government shake-up earlier this year but had little time to make an impact before the coronavirus pandemic hit.
His reinstatement came after health officials reported 9,263 new infections in Russia over the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 299,941, the second-highest in the world after the United States.
Mishustin was just one of several high-ranking Russian officials to have been infected, including the ministers of culture, education and construction, as well as Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
The prime minister said Monday that Russia had stopped the growth of new infections, but cautioned that the situation remained "difficult."
He credited a nationwide lockdown and "systematic work" over the past two months for slowing the rate of new infections.
The Kremlin last week eased nationwide anti-virus measures imposed in March and Mishustin said Monday that dozens of regions throughout the country were ready to gradually lift lockdown orders.
Tuesday's tally saw new cases fall below 10,000 for the fourth day in a row, after Monday's count saw new infections under 9,000 for the first time since the beginning of May.
A majority of infections in Russia are centralised in the capital, which has extended its lockdown until the end of May, with residents only allowed to leave their homes for brief trips to a shop, to walk dogs or to travel to essential jobs with a permit.
Dagestan emerges as hotspot
Yet Putin this week said the emerging hotspot of Dagestan in Russia's North Caucasus required urgent attention after a top official this weekend said hundreds of people in the region might have died from the virus.
"All of Russia will be with Dagestan now," Putin said, addressing residents of the region after a local health official said nearly 700 may have died from the virus including 40 medics.
The region's biggest celebrity, Mixed Martial Arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov, appealed to residents to follow containment rules as his father was put on a ventilator after catching the coronavirus.
The undefeated UFC lightweight champion took to Instagram late Monday to urge people in the southern Russian region to be "disciplined" and to "listen to our doctors" during the epidemic.
A nationwide government tally on Tuesday reported 115 new coronavirus fatalities since the last update, bringing Russia's total to 2,837.
Critics have cast doubt on Russia's low official mortality rate, accusing authorities of under-reporting in order to play down the scale of the crisis.
Russian health officials say one of the reasons the count is lower than in the United States and parts of western Europe is that only deaths directly caused by the virus are being included.
Authorities also say that since the virus came later to Russia, there was more time to prepare hospital beds and launch wide-scale testing to slow the spread.