themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Fighter Nurmagomedov’s Father and Coach Dies From Coronavirus Complications

Russian Mixed Martial Arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov ’ s father has died at 57 after contracting the coronavirus , Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov announced Friday .
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was flown to Moscow from Chechnya after catching Covid-19 in mid-May , at one point being placed in a medically induced coma .
Nurmagomedov said last week that his father remained in intensive care with kidney and heart complications despite recovering from Covid-19 .
“ Sad news has reached me , friends , that Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov has left this world , ” Kadyrov said on his Telegram social media page .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name and having raised a worthy generation.
” Khabib Nurmagomedov , 31 , is the reigning UFC lightweight champion and has the longest active undefeated streak in MMA .
His father trained him from an early age .
Nurmagomedov has not yet confirmed the news of his father ’ s death .
Dagestan , a small region in Russia ’ s mountainous Caucasus region neighboring Chechnya , has faced what officials have called a “ catastrophic ” outbreak of Covid-19 .
President Vladimir Putin has sent additional equipment and dispatched Moscow health workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak .
Nurmagomedov ’ s funeral will be held on Friday or Saturday in the village of Kirovaul where he lived , the village head told the state-run TASS news agency .

Russian Mixed Martial Arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father has died at 57 after contracting the coronavirus, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov announced Friday.
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was flown to Moscow from Chechnya after catching Covid-19 in mid-May, at one point being placed in a medically induced coma. Nurmagomedov said last week that his father remained in intensive care with kidney and heart complications despite recovering from Covid-19.
“Sad news has reached me, friends, that Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov has left this world,” Kadyrov said on his Telegram social media page.
“He left us leaving behind a good name and having raised a worthy generation.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov, 31, is the reigning UFC lightweight champion and has the longest active undefeated streak in MMA. His father trained him from an early age.
Nurmagomedov has not yet confirmed the news of his father’s death.
Dagestan, a small region in Russia’s mountainous Caucasus region neighboring Chechnya, has faced what officials have called a “catastrophic” outbreak of Covid-19. President Vladimir Putin has sent additional equipment and dispatched Moscow health workers to help their Dagestani colleagues deal with the outbreak.
Nurmagomedov’s funeral will be held on Friday or Saturday in the village of Kirovaul where he lived, the village head told the state-run TASS news agency.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Russia’s Sole Region to Oppose Putin’s Reforms Spurns Merger With Neighbor

The only Russian region to have voted against President Vladimir Putin ’ s constitutional reforms this week will not merge with its larger neighbor , its pro-Kremlin leader has said .
The Nenets autonomous district in the Arctic , Russia ’ s least populous subject with 44,000 residents , voted 55 % to 44 % against the reforms that allow President Vladimir Putin to extend his rule until 2036 .
Nationwide , election officials said that Russians backed the constitutional changes in a 78 % to 21 % vote .
Governor Yury Bezdudny linked his constituents ' protest vote to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region to merge with the Arkhangelsk region .
“ These sentiments were very serious among [ our ] residents .
They played a crucial role in voting on amendments to the Constitution , ” Bezdudny told the RBC news website Thursday .
His statement echoes the Kremlin ’ s earlier explanation of the Nenets autonomous district ’ s “ no ” vote as a protest against the merger .
Russia ’ s election chief said the region 's result proved that the vote was democratic and transparent , a claim disputed by Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud .
Bezdudny and his colleague in the Arkhangelsk region , members of a pro-Kremlin ruling party who were both named acting governors amid the coronavirus outbreak , had signed a memorandum on the merger in May .
If approved by a referendum , the Arkhangelsk-Nenets union would have been the first merger between two federal subjects in more than a decade .
“ There are no plans to hold a referendum .
The unification issue was closed in late May , ” Bezdudny told RBC .
While the Nenets autonomous district is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is also under the Arkhangelsk region 's administrative jurisdiction , lending them the title “ matryoshka regions .
”

The only Russian region to have voted against President Vladimir Putin’s constitutional reforms this week will not merge with its larger neighbor, its pro-Kremlin leader has said. The Nenets autonomous district in the Arctic, Russia’s least populous subject with 44,000 residents, voted 55% to 44% against the reforms that allow President Vladimir Putin to extend his rule until 2036. Nationwide, election officials said that Russians backed the constitutional changes in a 78% to 21% vote.
Governor Yury Bezdudny linked his constituents' protest vote to their opposition against a proposal for the region to merge with the Arkhangelsk region. “These sentiments were very serious among [our] residents. They played a crucial role in voting on amendments to the Constitution,” Bezdudny told the RBC news website Thursday. His statement echoes the Kremlin’s earlier explanation of the Nenets autonomous district’s “no” vote as a protest against the merger. Russia’s election chief said the region's result proved that the vote was democratic and transparent, a claim disputed by Kremlin critics and independent statisticians who claim widespread fraud.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Russian Prosecutors Demand 6 Years in Jail for Journalist

Svetlana Prokopyeva , who is based in the northwestern city of Pskov and works for RFE/RL 's Russian Service , has been charged with publicly justifying terrorism after she wrote a piece about a bomb attack in 2018 .
Russian prosecutors on Friday demanded six years in prison for a journalist for allegedly justifying terrorism in a case that has drawn outrage from supporters and rights groups .
In November 2018 , a 17-year-old anarchist blew himself up in the lobby of a Federal Security Service ( FSB ) building in Arkhangelsk in northern Russia , injuring three service members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Pskov affiliate of the Echo of Moscow radio station , Prokopyeva , 40 , linked the teenager 's suicide bombing to the political climate under President Vladimir Putin .
She has denied the charges , calling them punishment for her work .
Speaking from the court , Prokopyeva said Friday that the prosecution demanded that she be sentenced to six years in prison and banned from working as a journalist for four years .
`` This is revenge for harsh — and apparently — spot-on criticism , '' she told AFP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its verdict in the hugely controversial trial on Monday .
Media watchdogs and rights groups have denounced the pressure against Prokopyeva .
Journalist and political activist Ilya Azar urged supporters to protest against `` this insane case '' by staging pickets near the Moscow headquarters of the FSB security service later Friday .

Svetlana Prokopyeva, who is based in the northwestern city of Pskov and works for RFE/RL's Russian Service as a freelance contributor, was charged with publicly justifying terrorism after she wrote a commentary about a bombing attack in 2018.
Russian prosecutors on Friday demanded that a journalist be sentenced to six years in prison for allegedly justifying terrorism in a case that has drawn outrage from supporters and rights groups.
She was charged with publicly justifying terrorism after she wrote a commentary about a bombing attack in 2018.
Speaking from the court, a defiant Prokopyeva said the prosecution had demanded that she be sentenced to six years in prison and banned from working as a journalist for a further four years.
"This is revenge for hard-hitting — and apparently — spot-on criticism," she told AFP.
The court case has its origins in November 2018, when a 17-year-old anarchist blew himself up in the lobby of a Federal Security Service (FSB) building in Arkhangelsk in northern Russia, injuring three service members.
In her opinion piece, published by the Pskov affiliate of the Echo of Moscow radio station, Prokopyeva, 40, linked the teenager's suicide bombing to the political climate under President Vladimir Putin.
Nearly half a year after her commentary was published gun-toting police commandos broke into her apartment and seized her computers during a search, she said.
Prokopyeva was also placed on Russia's official list of "terrorists and extremists."
The journalist has denied the charges, calling them punishment for her work.
'Cynical and cruel people'
Prokopyeva said in court she was not afraid of criticizing the state.
"State power that has ended up in the hands of cynical and cruel people becomes the most serious threat to people's security," she said.
Without freedom of speech a crackdown on dissenting voices could get even worse, she added.
"Repression is unfolding gradually," she said. "It's impossible to predict when limits on freedoms and persecution of dissent will turn into concentration camps and executions."
On Monday, the court is expected to announce its verdict in the hugely controversial trial.
Prokopyeva's employer said she had done the opposite of what prosecutors allege.
"Svetlana's commentary was an effort to explain a tragedy," RFE/RL acting president Daisy Sindelar said in a statement.
"The portrayal of her words as 'promoting terrorism' is a deliberate and politically motivated distortion aimed at silencing her critical voice, and recalls the worst show trials of one of Russia's darkest periods."
'Dangerous precedent'
Reporters Without Borders urged Russia to throw out the case.
"Svetlana Prokopyeva just did her job," said Jeanne Cavelier, head of the watchdog's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.
"That would be a dangerous precedent for all the Russian journalists."
In June, Human Rights Watch said that with Russian acquittal rates below 1 percent, "there is a real risk that the court could convict Prokopyeva."
Journalist and activist Ilya Azar, who had urged supporters to protest against "this insane case," wrote Friday evening that he had been detained while staging a picket outside the Moscow FSB headquarters.
He wrote on Telegram messenger that he was in a police van with 15 others detained at the protest, most of them journalists.
Two groups that monitor detentions at protests gave a slightly higher figure of 17 detainees.
Over the past few years authorities have unleashed a crackdown on critics including journalists who are increasingly squeezed by curbs on press freedoms.
This week Putin, who has been in power for two decades, oversaw a controversial nationwide vote which allows him to extend his grip on power until 2036.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Shadowy Russian Clergyman Stripped of Priesthood After Virus Denials, Monastery Capture

Father Sergei seized the Sredneuralsk women ’ s monastery near Yekaterinburg after religious authorities barred him from preaching in April for refusing to follow health guidelines due to the Covid-19 outbreak , calling the restrictions a “ satanic plot.
” An ultraconservative , coronavirus-denying priest who captured a women ’ s monastery in central Russia last month has been defrocked by an ecclesiastical court , Interfax reported Friday .
The Yekaterinburg diocese found Father Sergei guilty of violating his monastic vows and ruled to defrock him , Interfax quoted Archpriest Nikolai Maleta as saying to reporters .
The ruling is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be able to regain his status , diocese spokesman Maxim Minyailo was quoted as saying .
The diocese has sent its ruling to Patriarch Kirill , the leader of Russia ’ s Orthodox Church .
Father Sergei did not attend the last two of the diocese ’ s three trials .
During the court 's first session , Father Sergei accused Patriarch Kirill of betraying the faith for closing churches during the coronavirus pandemic .
The priest 's supporters gathered outside the church where the trial took place , saying they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A former policeman , Father Sergei changed his secular name to Nikolai Romanov in honor of Russia ’ s last emperor and previously spent 13 years in prison for murder .
He is known as the former confessor of several public figures including Russian lawmaker and former Crimean prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya .
Following the monastery capture , Poklonskaya denied that Father Sergei is her current confessor and declined to comment on the incident further .
A BBC Russia report published earlier Friday described the abusive treatment of children living in the monastery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 cases amid Russia ’ s outbreak .

Father Sergei seized the Sredneuralsk women’s monastery near Yekaterinburg after religious authorities barred him from preaching in April for refusing to follow health guidelines due to the Covid-19 outbreak, calling the restrictions a “satanic plot.”
An ultraconservative, coronavirus-denying priest who captured a women’s monastery in central Russia last month has been defrocked by an ecclesiastical court, Interfax reported Friday.
The Yekaterinburg diocese found Father Sergei guilty of violating his monastic vows and ruled to defrock him, Interfax quoted Archpriest Nikolai Maleta as saying to reporters.
The ruling is irreversible and means that Father Sergei will not be able to regain his status, diocese spokesman Maxim Minyailo was quoted as saying.
The diocese has sent its ruling to Patriarch Kirill, the leader of Russia’s Orthodox Church.
Father Sergei did not attend the last two of the diocese’s three trials. During the court's first session, Father Sergei accused Patriarch Kirill of betraying the faith for closing churches during the coronavirus pandemic.
The priest's supporters gathered outside the church where the trial took place, saying they will not give up the captured monastery.
A former policeman, Father Sergei changed his secular name to Nikolai Romanov in honor of Russia’s last emperor and previously spent 13 years in prison for murder.
He is known as the former confessor of several public figures including Russian lawmaker and former Crimean prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya. Following the monastery capture, Poklonskaya denied that Father Sergei is her current confessor and declined to comment on the incident further.
A BBC Russia report published earlier Friday described the abusive treatment of children living in the monastery.
Monasteries across Russia have been beset by Covid-19 cases amid Russia’s outbreak.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Data Scientist Claims ‘Staggering’ Fraud at Russia’s Constitution Vote

About 78 % of voters cast ballots in favor of the package of amendments with a 68 % turnout , a result the Kremlin hailed as a “ triumph ” and critics derided as illegitimate .
In addition to adding populist and conservative tenets to the Constitution , the changes also allow Putin to seek re-election twice after 2024 by resetting sitting or former presidents ’ existing term limits .
An unprecedented amount of fraud may have occurred during Russia ’ s weeklong vote to change the Constitution and give President Vladimir Putin the option to extend his rule until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There was a lot of fraud in # Russia 's 2018 presidential # election ( indicated by pink area on the right ) - but the dimension of fraud in the 2020 constitutional vote ( pink area on the left ) is simply staggering .
pic.twitter.com/YK4klUM2au Prominent physicist Sergei Shpilkin published statistical evidence Thursday of widespread voter fraud at the June 25-July 1 plebiscite .
Shpilkin ’ s graphs of 88 million votes show shares of “ yes ” votes approaching 100 % in precincts that reported similarly abnormally high turnouts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes may have been cast fraudulently , Shpilkin told Forbes Russia .
“ There was no manipulation of votes in Russia ’ s elections on this scale in the recent past .
In absolute terms , this is an unprecedented case , ” he said .
“ In relative terms , a similar situation was seen at the 2016 State Duma elections , ” Shpilkin said , referring to elections for Russia ’ s lower house of parliament where the ruling party officially gained 54 % of votes versus the 40 % in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2011 State Duma elections and the 2018 presidential elections that handed Putin his fourth term .
His calculations of the 2020 constitutional reform vote place the results at 65 % approval for the amendments and 35 % disapproval , with a 42 % -43 % turnout .
“ It ’ s a significant minority , but the official result is apt to marginalize this minority , ” Shpilkin told Forbes Russia .
The Golos election monitoring group said Thursday it had received more than 2,100 complaints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees being forced to vote by their employers .
The NGO said that up to 58 million votes could be subject to legal dispute because Russia ’ s election law on constitutional reforms doesn ’ t spell out an early voting mechanism .
Leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny also condemned the poll , tweeting that it set `` a record in faking votes '' and the result had `` nothing in common with people 's views . ''
The vote 's result drew criticism in the United States , which raised concerns over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while the EU called on Russia to probe reports of voting `` irregularities . ''

About 78% of voters cast ballots in favor of the package of amendments with a 68% turnout, a result the Kremlin hailed as a “triumph” and critics derided as illegitimate. In addition to adding populist and conservative tenets to the Constitution, the changes also allow Putin to seek re-election twice after 2024 by resetting sitting or former presidents’ existing term limits.
An unprecedented amount of fraud may have occurred during Russia’s weeklong vote to change the Constitution and give President Vladimir Putin the option to extend his rule until 2036, researchers and election observers say.
There was a lot of fraud in #Russia 's 2018 presidential #election (indicated by pink area on the right) - but the dimension of fraud in the 2020 constitutional vote (pink area on the left) is simply staggering. pic.twitter.com/YK4klUM2au
Prominent physicist Sergei Shpilkin published statistical evidence Thursday of widespread voter fraud at the June 25-July 1 plebiscite.
Shpilkin’s graphs of 88 million votes show shares of “yes” votes approaching 100% in precincts that reported similarly abnormally high turnouts. This suggests that up to 22 million votes may have been cast fraudulently, Shpilkin told Forbes Russia.
“There was no manipulation of votes in Russia’s elections on this scale in the recent past. In absolute terms, this is an unprecedented case,” he said.
“In relative terms, a similar situation was seen at the 2016 State Duma elections,” Shpilkin said, referring to elections for Russia’s lower house of parliament where the ruling party officially gained 54% of votes versus the 40% in his tally.
Shpilkin previously published statistical evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2011 State Duma elections and the 2018 presidential elections that handed Putin his fourth term.
His calculations of the 2020 constitutional reform vote place the results at 65% approval for the amendments and 35% disapproval, with a 42%-43% turnout.
“It’s a significant minority, but the official result is apt to marginalize this minority,” Shpilkin told Forbes Russia.
The Golos election monitoring group said Thursday it had received more than 2,100 complaints over possible violations, including reports of employees being forced to vote by their employers. The NGO said that up to 58 million votes could be subject to legal dispute because Russia’s election law on constitutional reforms doesn’t spell out an early voting mechanism.
Leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny also condemned the poll, tweeting that it set "a record in faking votes" and the result had "nothing in common with people's views."
The vote's result drew criticism in the United States, which raised concerns over efforts to "manipulate" the ballot, while the EU called on Russia to probe reports of voting "irregularities."
AFP contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--As Russians Went to the Polls to Extend Putin’s Rule, Yekaterinburg’s Hospitals Were Overflowing

On June 26 , the day after the start of a week-long vote on constitutional reforms that have since passed and will allow President Vladimir Putin to rule until 2036 , Russia ’ s fourth largest city of Yekaterinburg lifted most of its coronavirus lockdown restrictions .
Over the previous week , the Sverdlovsk region , of which the city is the capital , had managed to stabilize daily new infections to the level Russia ’ s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor deems acceptable for reopening .
The watchdog advises using the effective transmission rate for the virus , also known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of new infections over the past four days by those from the previous four days .
If the result is 1 or lower , a lockdown is considered no longer necessary .
Although new cases in the Urals region had dropped to 180 by June 24 , they were soon climbing again .
By June 29 , the Rt had shot up past 1 .
Nonetheless , that day the region ’ s governor Yevgeny Kuvyashev allowed summer bar and restaurant terraces to reopen in Yekaterinburg despite Rospotrebnadzor guidance saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that to happen .
“ We will all be able to feel like we did in the time before the coronavirus , ” he said .
At the same time , however , Kuvyashev extended self-isolation restrictions for residents 65 and over through July 6 .
That move proved wise .
The next day , on June 30 , Sverdlovsk recorded 276 cases — the fourth most that day nationwide — as the region ’ s Rt rose to 1.22 .
But if that wasn ’ t enough to raise questions over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another of Rospotrebnadzor ’ s guidelines recommends that more than half of the region ’ s ICU beds should be free for coronavirus patients .
In Yekaterinburg , that appears to be far from the case .
“ We don ’ t have any free beds , ” a nurse at Central City Clinical Hospital no .
24 , one of 18 hospitals in the Urals city treating coronavirus patients , told The Moscow Times this week .
“ Many patients are lying in the corridors.
” Interviews with three medical workers from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as testimonies from medical professionals and patients published by regional media outlets , paint a picture of a healthcare system under increasingly severe strain .
Not only has the city ’ s so-called first wave of the virus yet to subside , but in recent days it appears to be resurging .
On June 30 , the penultimate day of voting on Russia ’ s constitutional reforms , the nurse at Central City Clinical Hospital no .
24 said that her wing of the hospital alone was treating 87 patients , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hallways because there was no more room in wards .
As soon as patients are released , she said , new ones take their place .
Central City Clinical Hospital no .
24 did not respond to a request for comment .
All three medical professionals who spoke with The Moscow Times asked for anonymity because their employers had prohibited them from speaking publicly on the subject .
The state of affairs the nurse at Central City Clinical Hospital no .
24 described tracked with the experience of one patient who told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent eight days in one of the hospital ’ s corridors earlier in June .
In a sign of the gravity of Yekaterinburg ’ s battle against the coronavirus over the past week , on June 26 a local news agency reported that patients were having to find their own places in hospitals because the ambulance system was unable to keep up with demand .
The next day , a coronavirus patient in Central City Clinical Hospital no .
24 counted a line of 20 ambulances outside the clinic as they waited to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported long lines for CT scans — Russia ’ s method of quickly determining whether a patient may be infected — while testing centers turn them away .
On Thursday , local deputy Dmitry Ionin questioned whether health officials were undercounting infections following media reports that hospitals were ordered to scale back CT scans in private clinics to lower case numbers .
The virus ’ s resurgence has not left the authorities themselves untouched .
As votes were still being counted early Thursday , a local deputy suspected of having been infected with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s not getting any better , ” a doctor treating coronavirus patients in the ICU ward of Yekaterinburg ’ s City Clinical Hospital no .
14 told The Moscow Times .
“ We don ’ t have enough beds .
New hospitals need to be re-profiled for coronavirus patients urgently.
” “ We are clearly facing more work now than in April and May , ” the doctor added .
Another doctor in the same ICU ward estimated that the hospital is currently “ 98-99 % ” full with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in perspective , city officials in mid-May said that 30 % of Yekaterinburg ’ s hospital beds were free for coronavirus patients .
On Monday , city officials ordered another hospital to begin taking in patients .
For much of Russia ’ s pandemic , Moscow — the country ’ s largest city — has been the epicenter of the outbreak .
But as its peak passed in mid-May , many other regions followed the capital ’ s lead in reopening .
At the time , Putin urged the country to get back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason was to ensure a good mood ahead of the vote that would extend the president ’ s rule .
Yet the virus is only now beginning to surge in some regions .
On Wednesday , the final day of voting on constitutional reforms , Russia saw a record daily death tally — excluding Moscow — with the city ’ s new infections representing just 9 % of total cases nationwide .
At its peak , Moscow accounted for as many as two-thirds of all cases on any given day .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been hit later .
Others , including Yekaterinburg , don ’ t appear to have beaten back the virus at all before they began to reopen .
In the United States , where lockdown restrictions were similarly lifted in many states while caseloads were still high , the coronavirus has returned with a vengeance .
The country ’ s experience could be a warning for Russia , which has mostly returned to regular life although new daily infections remain in the thousands .
On Friday , CNN published an analysis showing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Brazil , India , the United States and Russia — all lifted their lockdowns relatively early .

On June 26, the day after the start of a week-long vote on constitutional reforms that have since passed and will allow President Vladimir Putin to rule until 2036, Russia’s fourth largest city of Yekaterinburg lifted most of its coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Over the previous week, the Sverdlovsk region, of which the city is the capital, had managed to stabilize daily new infections to the level Russia’s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor deems acceptable for reopening. The watchdog advises using the effective transmission rate for the virus, also known as Rt, which is calculated by dividing the number of new infections over the past four days by those from the previous four days. If the result is 1 or lower, a lockdown is considered no longer necessary. Although new cases in the Urals region had dropped to 180 by June 24, they were soon climbing again. By June 29, the Rt had shot up past 1. Nonetheless, that day the region’s governor Yevgeny Kuvyashev allowed summer bar and restaurant terraces to reopen in Yekaterinburg despite Rospotrebnadzor guidance saying that the Rt must be 0.8 or lower for that to happen. “We will all be able to feel like we did in the time before the coronavirus,” he said. At the same time, however, Kuvyashev extended self-isolation restrictions for residents 65 and over through July 6. That move proved wise. The next day, on June 30, Sverdlovsk recorded 276 cases — the fourth most that day nationwide — as the region’s Rt rose to 1.22. But if that wasn’t enough to raise questions over whether Yekaterinburg should reinstitute lockdown restrictions, another of Rospotrebnadzor’s guidelines recommends that more than half of the region’s ICU beds should be free for coronavirus patients. In Yekaterinburg, that appears to be far from the case. “We don’t have any free beds,” a nurse at Central City Clinical Hospital no. 24, one of 18 hospitals in the Urals city treating coronavirus patients, told The Moscow Times this week. “Many patients are lying in the corridors.”
Interviews with three medical workers from two coronavirus hospitals in Yekaterinburg, as well as testimonies from medical professionals and patients published by regional media outlets, paint a picture of a healthcare system under increasingly severe strain. Not only has the city’s so-called first wave of the virus yet to subside, but in recent days it appears to be resurging. On June 30, the penultimate day of voting on Russia’s constitutional reforms, the nurse at Central City Clinical Hospital no. 24 said that her wing of the hospital alone was treating 87 patients, while another 18 were lying on makeshift beds in hallways because there was no more room in wards. As soon as patients are released, she said, new ones take their place. Central City Clinical Hospital no. 24 did not respond to a request for comment. All three medical professionals who spoke with The Moscow Times asked for anonymity because their employers had prohibited them from speaking publicly on the subject. The state of affairs the nurse at Central City Clinical Hospital no. 24 described tracked with the experience of one patient who told a local news outlet that she had spent eight days in one of the hospital’s corridors earlier in June. In a sign of the gravity of Yekaterinburg’s battle against the coronavirus over the past week, on June 26 a local news agency reported that patients were having to find their own places in hospitals because the ambulance system was unable to keep up with demand. The next day, a coronavirus patient in Central City Clinical Hospital no. 24 counted a line of 20 ambulances outside the clinic as they waited to drop off patients. Patients have also reported long lines for CT scans — Russia’s method of quickly determining whether a patient may be infected — while testing centers turn them away. On Thursday, local deputy Dmitry Ionin questioned whether health officials were undercounting infections following media reports that hospitals were ordered to scale back CT scans in private clinics to lower case numbers.
The virus’s resurgence has not left the authorities themselves untouched. As votes were still being counted early Thursday, a local deputy suspected of having been infected with the virus died in a coronavirus ward. “It’s not getting any better,” a doctor treating coronavirus patients in the ICU ward of Yekaterinburg’s City Clinical Hospital no. 14 told The Moscow Times. “We don’t have enough beds. New hospitals need to be re-profiled for coronavirus patients urgently.” “We are clearly facing more work now than in April and May,” the doctor added. Another doctor in the same ICU ward estimated that the hospital is currently “98-99%” full with coronavirus patients. To put the situation in perspective, city officials in mid-May said that 30% of Yekaterinburg’s hospital beds were free for coronavirus patients. On Monday, city officials ordered another hospital to begin taking in patients. Shifting outbreak For much of Russia’s pandemic, Moscow — the country’s largest city — has been the epicenter of the outbreak. But as its peak passed in mid-May, many other regions followed the capital’s lead in reopening. At the time, Putin urged the country to get back to work, while critics said the reason was to ensure a good mood ahead of the vote that would extend the president’s rule. Yet the virus is only now beginning to surge in some regions. On Wednesday, the final day of voting on constitutional reforms, Russia saw a record daily death tally — excluding Moscow — with the city’s new infections representing just 9% of total cases nationwide. At its peak, Moscow accounted for as many as two-thirds of all cases on any given day. But it’s not just that some places have been hit later. Others, including Yekaterinburg, don’t appear to have beaten back the virus at all before they began to reopen. In the United States, where lockdown restrictions were similarly lifted in many states while caseloads were still high, the coronavirus has returned with a vengeance. The country’s experience could be a warning for Russia, which has mostly returned to regular life although new daily infections remain in the thousands. On Friday, CNN published an analysis showing that the world’s four worst-hit countries — Brazil, India, the United States and Russia — all lifted their lockdowns relatively early.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Crusading Ex-Cop's Arrest Sparks Police Pushback in Russia

When police moved in to arrest Vladimir Vorontsov in May , they did n't bother to knock .
Instead , two commando teams stormed the former policeman 's top-floor apartment in southeast Moscow at around 7:00 a.m. , one abseiling down the high-rise while the other broke down the door .
`` Our daughter thinks that bandits came and took daddy away , '' Aleksandra Vorontsova told AFP , describing the swoop on her husband , an activist for police labor rights .
During a five-hour search , investigators even combed through their four-year-old 's toys , socks and underwear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quit the Moscow police force in 2017 after 13 years , has been charged with extortion .
Supporters of the stocky , blue-eyed 35-year-old say that the real reason for his arrest is his Police Ombudsman project , a series of linked social media accounts dedicated to protecting police officers ' rights and exposing abuse by their superiors .
His case has sparked a rare public outcry among police , a key pillar of President Vladimir Putin 's rule , that could eventually spell trouble for the Kremlin , observers say .
Vorontsov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and on Thursday a Moscow court extended his arrest until early August .
With no genuinely independent police trade unions in Russia , Vorontsov 's initiative has become popular , attracting more than half a million followers .
It has exposed allegations of corruption within law enforcement and denounced pressure on officers to fulfil quotas for fines and arrests .
It has also drawn attention to long working hours and suicides in the police force , for which precise figures are not publicly available .
Vorontsov has criticized excessive use of force by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court cases .
For the first time , members of Russia 's 750,000-strong police force have openly challenged the authorities over Vorontsov 's treatment but also on the functioning and methods of the police , at a time when policing in the United States is under intense scrutiny following the death of George Floyd .
Dozens of serving and former police staff in Russia have taken to social media to call for Vorontsov 's release .
Some posted photos of themselves , others released anonymous pictures of their police hats and protest signs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was important to support Vorontsov despite possible repercussions .
Two days after his arrest , former neighborhood police inspector Georgy Zarya marched to Moscow police HQ for a one-person demonstration — the only kind allowed in Russia without prior permission — and held up a sign urging the city 's police chief to resign .
He was detained for two hours .
`` If we do n't stand up for Vorontsov now , things will only become worse , '' the 36-year-old said .
Zarya quit in late 2018 , citing 10- to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights violations .
While on the job , he 'd made no secret of his disdain for the notorious system of quota-based policing , in which staff are often required to issue a predetermined number of fines or make a certain number of arrests .
`` The quota system is the bane of the Interior Ministry , '' Zarya said .
`` If you do n't expose an administrative offense , you may not be able to hand in your service weapon in the evening .
And how can you go home with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview .
After more than 12 years on the force , Zarya now has nowhere to live as he has not received a housing grant to which he is entitled .
Vorontsov has helped him file a lawsuit against the Interior Ministry .
Mikhail Tsaplin also spoke out in support of Vorontsov , two weeks before retiring from the police in the town of Gus-Khrustalny , 250 kilometers ( 155 miles ) east of Moscow , after 20 years .
Dressed in uniform , he posted a picture of himself on VKontakte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the words : `` I am/We are Vorontsov .
I am not afraid . ''
The 39-year-old criticized Vorontsov 's arrest by the Grom ( Thunder ) police special forces as heavy-handed .
`` He is neither a terrorist , nor an extremist , nor a murderer , nor a child molester , '' he told AFP in a phone interview .
Tsaplin retired , he said , because he no longer wanted to be part of a flawed system .
`` I can no longer wear a uniform , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what 's happening .
The system is crumbling from within . ''
Tsaplin , who was paid a monthly salary of 43,000 rubles ( $ 620 ) — above the average for his region — said that while ordinary police lived modestly , some senior officers were deeply corrupt and gave the force a bad name .
A police investigator from a major Russian city said that he and a colleague had become targets of an internal probe after posting pictures of themselves supporting the activist .
He fears he could be fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The investigator , who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity , said that Vorontsov was a hate figure for the authorities because he encouraged police to stand up for their rights .
`` The government has taken away everything from us , '' he complained , stressing that police officers can be sacked for taking part in demonstrations and that election results in Russia were largely predetermined .
He also said that officers had to obey what he called `` criminal orders '' to break up peaceful rallies , accusing authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Have you ever seen protesting police ?
No .
Are we happy with everything ?
No , '' he added .
All three men said they believed that Vorontsov 's arrest was retribution for his work .
They and other critics say police staff often have to buy their own uniforms and office equipment and are forced to accept unpaid overtime and unfair dismissals .
Conditions for many are so hard , they say , that dozens of police in Russia commit suicide every year .
The Interior Ministry did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Vorontsov 's activities and detention .
But Mikhail Pashkin , head of the Moscow Police Trade Union , seen by some as close to the interior ministry , accused Vorontsov of seeking to make `` big money '' by helping policemen and interfering in politics .
`` There are problems in the Interior Ministry system , '' he acknowledged .
`` On the whole , Interior Ministry employees are treated very badly .
Many superiors consider them slaves rather than humans , '' he told AFP .
`` Smart bosses understand that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Supporters believe that Vorontsov has made enemies in the upper echelons of the police force and several senior officers have lost their jobs due to his activism .
In a well-publicized case , the top policeman in the Siberian region of Novosibirsk , Yury Sterlikov , resigned in April after the Police Ombudsman published a recording in which a senior policewoman was heard ordering her subordinates to issue mass fines for coronavirus lockdown violations to meet a quota .
The policewoman also lost her job after the uproar .
Since being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probes , including for distributing and producing pornography .
Igor Khudyakov , an ally who helped run the online project , has also been arrested .
For some , Vorontsov 's project was also an unusual opportunity to express anti-Kremlin views , said a former police major , who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity .
`` There are plenty of those '' who oppose Putin among the police , he said .
The president , a 67-year-old ex-KGB officer , has ruled Russia for two decades and could remain in power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amend the constitution .
The police , together with the army and security services , form the backbone of his regime .
`` It is critically important for the authorities to retain the loyalty of law enforcement , '' said Sergei Davidis , head of a political prisoners ' support program at rights group Memorial .
But the pro-Vorontsov campaign , Davidis added , could signal a change in `` public conscience , '' as some polls indicate record low approval ratings for Putin in the coronavirus economic slump .
His cause has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including prominent Moscow journalist and opposition activist Ilya Azar , who was jailed for 10 days after picketing .
Though smaller in scope , the drive in support has drawn comparisons with last year 's campaign over investigative journalist Ivan Golunov 's detention .
Golunov was arrested on trumped-up drugs charges but released after demonstrations .
While Vorontsov has received many plaudits , he has been criticized too , with some police claiming his `` rock-star '' fame has gone to his head .
However , even some opponents acknowledge the importance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once a member of the interior ministry 's anti-extremism unit , known for harassing anti-Kremlin campaigners .
He set up his Ombudsman project in 2017 while still in the police , driven by a desire to highlight allegations of injustice and violations .
In recent months , he has established close contacts with opposition activists and following his arrest , chief Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny 's team urged police officers to keep up the pressure .
`` This man was on your side , '' Moscow campaigner and Navalny ally Lyubov Sobol said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFP that some police thanked her for sticking up for Vorontsov .
In a terse Instagram reaction , Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk wrote `` here it comes , '' appearing to suggest that the opposition — whose members often suffer police brutality — was beginning to flirt with disgruntled officers .
Aleksandra Vorontsova said that her husband had anticipated government pressure but had n't expected it to be so harsh .
`` He now understands that they can come for anyone , '' she said .

Supporters of the stocky, blue-eyed 35-year-old say that the real reason for his arrest is his Police Ombudsman project, a series of linked social media accounts dedicated to protecting police officers' rights and exposing abuse by their superiors.
Vorontsov, who quit the Moscow police force in 2017 after 13 years, has been charged with extortion.
During a five-hour search, investigators even combed through their four-year-old's toys, socks and underwear, she said.
"Our daughter thinks that bandits came and took daddy away," Aleksandra Vorontsova told AFP, describing the swoop on her husband, an activist for police labor rights.
Instead, two commando teams stormed the former policeman's top-floor apartment in southeast Moscow at around 7:00 a.m., one abseiling down the high-rise while the other broke down the door.
When police moved in to arrest Vladimir Vorontsov in May, they didn't bother to knock.
His case has sparked a rare public outcry among police, a key pillar of President Vladimir Putin's rule, that could eventually spell trouble for the Kremlin, observers say.
Vorontsov has spent two months in pre-trial detention and on Thursday a Moscow court extended his arrest until early August.
He denies any wrongdoing.
With no genuinely independent police trade unions in Russia, Vorontsov's initiative has become popular, attracting more than half a million followers.
It has exposed allegations of corruption within law enforcement and denounced pressure on officers to fulfil quotas for fines and arrests.
It has also drawn attention to long working hours and suicides in the police force, for which precise figures are not publicly available.
Vorontsov has criticized excessive use of force by police and supported claimants' successful legal court cases.
For the first time, members of Russia's 750,000-strong police force have openly challenged the authorities over Vorontsov's treatment but also on the functioning and methods of the police, at a time when policing in the United States is under intense scrutiny following the death of George Floyd.
Dozens of serving and former police staff in Russia have taken to social media to call for Vorontsov's release.
Some posted photos of themselves, others released anonymous pictures of their police hats and protest signs.
'Crumbling from within'
Several have told AFP that it was important to support Vorontsov despite possible repercussions.
Two days after his arrest, former neighborhood police inspector Georgy Zarya marched to Moscow police HQ for a one-person demonstration — the only kind allowed in Russia without prior permission — and held up a sign urging the city's police chief to resign.
He was detained for two hours.
"If we don't stand up for Vorontsov now, things will only become worse," the 36-year-old said.
Zarya quit in late 2018, citing 10- to 12-hour shifts, meager pay and labor rights violations.
While on the job, he'd made no secret of his disdain for the notorious system of quota-based policing, in which staff are often required to issue a predetermined number of fines or make a certain number of arrests.
"The quota system is the bane of the Interior Ministry," Zarya said.
"If you don't expose an administrative offense, you may not be able to hand in your service weapon in the evening. And how can you go home with a gun?" he said in an interview.
After more than 12 years on the force, Zarya now has nowhere to live as he has not received a housing grant to which he is entitled.
Vorontsov has helped him file a lawsuit against the Interior Ministry.
'We are Vorontsov'
Mikhail Tsaplin also spoke out in support of Vorontsov, two weeks before retiring from the police in the town of Gus-Khrustalny, 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Moscow, after 20 years.
Dressed in uniform, he posted a picture of himself on VKontakte, the Russian equivalent of Facebook, with the words: "I am/We are Vorontsov. I am not afraid."
The 39-year-old criticized Vorontsov's arrest by the Grom (Thunder) police special forces as heavy-handed.
"He is neither a terrorist, nor an extremist, nor a murderer, nor a child molester," he told AFP in a phone interview.
Tsaplin retired, he said, because he no longer wanted to be part of a flawed system.
"I can no longer wear a uniform," he said. "I don't like what's happening. The system is crumbling from within."
Tsaplin, who was paid a monthly salary of 43,000 rubles ($620) — above the average for his region — said that while ordinary police lived modestly, some senior officers were deeply corrupt and gave the force a bad name.
'Considered slaves'
A police investigator from a major Russian city said that he and a colleague had become targets of an internal probe after posting pictures of themselves supporting the activist.
He fears he could be fired from the job he "loves."
The investigator, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said that Vorontsov was a hate figure for the authorities because he encouraged police to stand up for their rights.
"The government has taken away everything from us," he complained, stressing that police officers can be sacked for taking part in demonstrations and that election results in Russia were largely predetermined.
He also said that officers had to obey what he called "criminal orders" to break up peaceful rallies, accusing authorities of purposefully pitting police against ordinary citizens.
"Have you ever seen protesting police? No. Are we happy with everything? No," he added.
All three men said they believed that Vorontsov's arrest was retribution for his work.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Russia's Coronavirus Cases Near 670K as Virus Spreads Outside Moscow

Moscow lifted restrictions including compulsory travel passes on June 8 , a move welcomed by residents who rushed out to enjoy the streets and parks .
Many other regions lifted lockdown restrictions ahead of a July 1 national vote despite the pandemic .
Critics have cast doubt on Russia 's low official mortality rate and accused authorities of under-reporting to play down the scale of the crisis .
Russia attributes its lower virus death figures to mass testing which has identified many cases with mild or no coronavirus symptoms .
The Health Ministry is now adjusting how it reports numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to the virus even if the direct cause of death was another condition or the patient tested negative .
Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin , a liberal politician known for his outspoken comments , said Russia 's health system requires more funds and modernization in many regions .
`` Medicine is significantly underfunded even according to the current norms and also it needs a serious overhaul , '' Kudrin , who heads the Audit Chamber that examines government spending , said in an interview with the state-run TASS state news agency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and show these figures , '' he added .
Nevertheless the economist said Russia `` is not doing a bad job with the pandemic , '' crediting the role of the military , which has built emergency facilities .

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--2020-07-03--Russia Expects Expedited Fighter Jet Deal With India – Interfax

India ’ s defense ministry said it has approved procurement of 21 Mig-29 for nearly $ 1 billion and 12 Su-30MKI for $ 1.4 billion .
It has also approved an upgrade to its existing fleet of 59 MiG-29s .
Russia and India could sign contracts for the sale of 33 fighter jets soon as New Delhi deals with heightened tensions with China and Pakistan , Interfax reported Thursday .
“ The signing may take place in the near future , considering the the Indian side ’ s urgent need , ” Interfax quoted an informed source as saying .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ applications , ” the source added .
The beefing up of New Delhi 's defense capabilities was taken due to `` the need to strengthen the armed forces to protect our borders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's call for 'Self-reliant India , ' '' the Indian defense ministry added in a statement .
The announcement followed Modi 's phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin , where he `` warmly congratulated '' the president after a nationwide vote on constitutional reforms that could allow him to extend his rule until 2026 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other for a June 15 battle which resulted in at least 20 deaths .
India also ordered Pakistan to cut its embassy staff by half last week , a month after New Delhi expelled two diplomats over spying claims .
The standoff has reportedly prompted Russia to move up deliveries of its S-400 air defense system to India to 2020 following the Indian defense minister ’ s visit to Moscow for last week ’ s Victory Day parade .
Russia had first offered the Su-30MKIs to India in 2015 after New Delhi was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion contract with France for Rafale warplanes .
The MiG-29 was first fielded in the 1970s to counter U.S. fighter jets such as the F-15 and F-16 , and has been continuously upgraded by Russia 's MiG aircraft company over the years .
The Su-30MKI , the backbone of India 's fighter jet fleet , is a heavily upgraded version of the 1990s-era Su-30 and is produced locally by India 's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ( HAL ) in partnership with Russia .
India is the largest buyer of Russian military hardware despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracts totaling $ 14.5 billion in 2018-19 .

India’s defense ministry said it has approved procurement of 21 Mig-29 for nearly $1 billion and 12 Su-30MKI for $1.4 billion. It has also approved an upgrade to its existing fleet of 59 MiG-29s.
Russia and India could sign contracts for the sale of 33 fighter jets soon as New Delhi deals with heightened tensions with China and Pakistan, Interfax reported Thursday.
“The signing may take place in the near future, considering the the Indian side’s urgent need,” Interfax quoted an informed source as saying.
“Russia is waiting to receive official applications,” the source added.
The beefing up of New Delhi's defense capabilities was taken due to "the need to strengthen the armed forces to protect our borders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'Self-reliant India,'" the Indian defense ministry added in a statement.
The announcement followed Modi's phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, where he "warmly congratulated" the president after a nationwide vote on constitutional reforms that could allow him to extend his rule until 2026.
India and China have blamed each other for a June 15 battle which resulted in at least 20 deaths. India also ordered Pakistan to cut its embassy staff by half last week, a month after New Delhi expelled two diplomats over spying claims.
The standoff has reportedly prompted Russia to move up deliveries of its S-400 air defense system to India to 2020 following the Indian defense minister’s visit to Moscow for last week’s Victory Day parade.
Russia had first offered the Su-30MKIs to India in 2015 after New Delhi was reported to have scrapped a $20 billion contract with France for Rafale warplanes.
The MiG-29 was first fielded in the 1970s to counter U.S. fighter jets such as the F-15 and F-16, and has been continuously upgraded by Russia's MiG aircraft company over the years.
The Su-30MKI, the backbone of India's fighter jet fleet, is a heavily upgraded version of the 1990s-era Su-30 and is produced locally by India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in partnership with Russia.
India is the largest buyer of Russian military hardware despite the threat of U.S. sanctions, with contracts totaling $14.5 billion in 2018-19.
AFP contributed reporting.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Defense Lawyers Allowed to Examine MH17 Wreckage

The judges granted the request after lawyers for Oleg Pulatov , the only suspect out of four with legal representation , said they wanted to probe alternative theories for the 2014 shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines plane .
Defense lawyers for a Russian suspect on trial over the downing of flight MH17 will be allowed to inspect the partially recovered wreck of the passenger jet , Dutch judges ruled Friday .
Prosecutors and international investigators say the Boeing 777 was hit by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile , killing all 298 people on board .
`` The defense has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scenario chosen by the Public Prosecution Service in the indictment that MH17 was shot down by a BUK , '' Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said .
He ordered prosecutors to `` give the defense the opportunity to visit the reconstruction of MH17 ... with an expert they have chosen . ''
Investigators in 2015 painstakingly put together a partial reconstruction at a Dutch military air base , using parts of the plane 's wreckage recovered from war-torn eastern Ukraine .
Pulatov 's lawyers mentioned `` a number of people who said the damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more other weapons , '' Steenhuis said .
Russian officials have previously publicly supported similar theories that a Ukrainian jet downed MH17 in the immediate aftermath of the crash .
Steenhuis said once the wreck has been examined the expert would then be allowed to submit a report which could be scrutinized by Dutch military aviation experts and prosecutors .
Prosecutors last month addressed the fighter jet theory , saying investigators examined radar data that showed no military aircraft in the area at the time .
They also said Russia had backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radar details appearing to show other planes nearby were given in error .
Prosecutors argue the four men on trial were instrumental in bringing a BUK surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine from its original base in Russia — even if they did not pull the trigger .
Pulatov together with fellow Russians Igor Girkin and Sergei Dubinsky and Ukrainian citizen Leonid Kharchenko have been charged by Dutch prosecutors with murder and causing the crash .
The case was adjourned for the summer and will resume on August 31 .

The judges granted the request after lawyers for Oleg Pulatov, the only suspect out of four with legal representation, said they wanted to probe alternative theories for the 2014 shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines plane.
Defense lawyers for a Russian suspect on trial over the downing of flight MH17 will be allowed to inspect the partially recovered wreck of the passenger jet, Dutch judges ruled Friday.
Prosecutors and international investigators say the Boeing 777 was hit by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people on board.
"The defense has an interest in being able to test the scenario chosen by the Public Prosecution Service in the indictment that MH17 was shot down by a BUK," Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said.
He ordered prosecutors to "give the defense the opportunity to visit the reconstruction of MH17... with an expert they have chosen."
Investigators in 2015 painstakingly put together a partial reconstruction at a Dutch military air base, using parts of the plane's wreckage recovered from war-torn eastern Ukraine.
Pulatov's lawyers mentioned "a number of people who said the damage pattern of MH17 shows traces of one of more other weapons," Steenhuis said.
Russian officials have previously publicly supported similar theories that a Ukrainian jet downed MH17 in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
Steenhuis said once the wreck has been examined the expert would then be allowed to submit a report which could be scrutinized by Dutch military aviation experts and prosecutors.
Prosecutors last month addressed the fighter jet theory, saying investigators examined radar data that showed no military aircraft in the area at the time.
They also said Russia had backed away from the theory after admitting that radar details appearing to show other planes nearby were given in error.
Prosecutors argue the four men on trial were instrumental in bringing a BUK surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine from its original base in Russia — even if they did not pull the trigger.
Pulatov together with fellow Russians Igor Girkin and Sergei Dubinsky and Ukrainian citizen Leonid Kharchenko have been charged by Dutch prosecutors with murder and causing the crash.
The case was adjourned for the summer and will resume on August 31.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Putin Mocks U.S. Embassy Rainbow Flag

Putin Mocks U.S. Embassy Rainbow Flag

During a televised video conference , a lawmaker told Putin that the U.S. Embassy had hung a rainbow flag on its facade for the first time to celebrate Pride month in June .
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday mocked a rainbow LGBT pride flag hung from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow , suggesting it reflected on the orientation of the diplomats .
`` Who works in this building ? ''
Putin asked the speaker , Senator Alexei Pushkov , to be told `` Americans . ''
`` Let them celebrate .
They 've shown a certain something about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added with a smile .
Putin on Friday signed amendments to the Constitution backed by a national vote that include a clause on marriage being between a man and a woman , aimed at preventing legalization of gay unions .
The president said Friday however that Russia does not discriminate against people on the basis of sexual orientation .
He said a law banning promotion of homosexual relationships to minors , which he signed in 2013 to a storm of international condemnation aimed simply to prevent the `` foisting '' of such relationships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used as a pretext to ban gay pride events .
`` Let a person grow up , become an adult and decide his own path himself .
You just should n't impose anything , '' Putin insisted .
He said that `` those who attack us on this basis are just trying to break down an open door . ''
A conservative politician who heads the Union of Women of Russia warned Putin that billboards were using rainbow imagery to sell ice-cream .
`` It 's indirect but all the same it forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colours , to the flag that everyone is hanging up , even on that embassy , '' said Yekaterina Lakhova .

During a televised video conference, a lawmaker told Putin that the U.S. Embassy had hung a rainbow flag on its facade for the first time to celebrate Pride month in June.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday mocked a rainbow LGBT pride flag hung from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, suggesting it reflected on the orientation of the diplomats.
"Who works in this building?" Putin asked the speaker, Senator Alexei Pushkov, to be told "Americans."
"Let them celebrate. They've shown a certain something about the people who work there," he added with a smile.
Putin on Friday signed amendments to the Constitution backed by a national vote that include a clause on marriage being between a man and a woman, aimed at preventing legalization of gay unions.
The president said Friday however that Russia does not discriminate against people on the basis of sexual orientation.
He said a law banning promotion of homosexual relationships to minors, which he signed in 2013 to a storm of international condemnation aimed simply to prevent the "foisting" of such relationships on children.
The law has been used as a pretext to ban gay pride events.
"Let a person grow up, become an adult and decide his own path himself. You just shouldn't impose anything," Putin insisted.
He said that "those who attack us on this basis are just trying to break down an open door."
A conservative politician who heads the Union of Women of Russia warned Putin that billboards were using rainbow imagery to sell ice-cream.
"It's indirect but all the same it forces our children to get used to the colours, to the flag that everyone is hanging up, even on that embassy," said Yekaterina Lakhova.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Russia Jails North Korean Poacher

Russia Jails North Korean Poacher

In one of several flare-ups between the allies , 18 North Korean poachers were alleged to have attacked 11 Russian border guards with “ improvised items ” in the Sea of Japan in September 2019 .
A Russian court has sentenced to four years in prison one of several North Korean poachers detained on charges of attacking Russian border guards last year , authorities said Friday .
“ Three of the defendants struck the troops with sticks in various parts of the ship , using violence harmful to life and health , ” the prosecutor ’ s office in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
The Nakhodka city court found one of the unnamed fishermen guilty on charges of using violence against an authority figure , the prosecution said in a statement .
The cases of the other two defendants are now awaiting trial in the same court .
The state-run TASS news agency reported that the verdicts are expected on Sept. 15 and Sept. 16 .
Russian guards detained hundreds of North Korean fishermen in at least four roundups last fall , one of which resulted in a North Korean man ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rare confrontation between Pyongyang and Moscow , which sees itself as an important player in defusing international tensions around the reclusive state ’ s missile program .
Russia has previously taken a tolerant stance toward North Korean explanations that its poachers were forced into Russian waters by storms or technical malfunctions , often releasing the ships and crews it detained only after seizing their catch and fishing gear .
North Korea , which is reeling under sanctions over its weapons program , has for years struggled with food shortages and a dysfunctional state @ @ @

In one of several flare-ups between the allies, 18 North Korean poachers were alleged to have attacked 11 Russian border guards with “improvised items” in the Sea of Japan in September 2019.
A Russian court has sentenced to four years in prison one of several North Korean poachers detained on charges of attacking Russian border guards last year, authorities said Friday.
“Three of the defendants struck the troops with sticks in various parts of the ship, using violence harmful to life and health,” the prosecutor’s office in the Primorye region 6,500 kilometers east of Moscow said in a statement.
The Nakhodka city court found one of the unnamed fishermen guilty on charges of using violence against an authority figure, the prosecution said in a statement.
The cases of the other two defendants are now awaiting trial in the same court. The state-run TASS news agency reported that the verdicts are expected on Sept. 15 and Sept. 16.
Russian guards detained hundreds of North Korean fishermen in at least four roundups last fall, one of which resulted in a North Korean man’s death. The detentions mark a rare confrontation between Pyongyang and Moscow, which sees itself as an important player in defusing international tensions around the reclusive state’s missile program.
Russia has previously taken a tolerant stance toward North Korean explanations that its poachers were forced into Russian waters by storms or technical malfunctions, often releasing the ships and crews it detained only after seizing their catch and fishing gear.
North Korea, which is reeling under sanctions over its weapons program, has for years struggled with food shortages and a dysfunctional state rationing system.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Russia Touts S-500’s Ability to Destroy Hypersonic Weapons in Space

The S-500 Prometheus , which Russian defense officials say could enter service as soon as 2020 , is touted as being capable of intercepting stealth warplanes .
President Vladimir Putin has said that the S-500 is capable of operating in “ ultra-high altitudes including near space.
” Russia ’ s advanced S-500 air defense system is capable of destroying hypersonic weapons and satellites in near space , the head of Russia ’ s air and space forces has said .
Sergei Surovikin , the head of Russia ’ s Aerospace Forces , said this capability will allow the S-500 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hypersonic and space weapons , in addition to its primary targets intermediate-range ballistic missiles .
“ The characteristics inherent in the S-500 surface-to-air missile make it possible to destroy ... hypersonic weapons of all modifications , including in near space , ” Surovikin told the Defense Ministry ’ s Red Star publication Friday .
“ The S-500 can be classified as the first generation of space defense systems , since in the future it will be able to destroy low-orbit satellites and space weapons , ” Surovikin said .
The surface-to-air missile was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s longest missile test in 2018 .
Russia and the United States have developed hypersonic missiles in recent years as the countries trade blame over arms control treaty violations and attempt to restart nuclear talks .
The S-500 was initially scheduled for delivery in 2025 after preliminary tests in 2020 .
Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko noted in February that air defense troops tested the S-500 using “ new and unparalleled missiles ” in 2019 .
“ We ’ re confident that the new system will be ready for delivery to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies ’ ( KRET ) monthly magazine at the time .

The S-500 Prometheus, which Russian defense officials say could enter service as soon as 2020, is touted as being capable of intercepting stealth warplanes. President Vladimir Putin has said that the S-500 is capable of operating in “ultra-high altitudes including near space.”
Russia’s advanced S-500 air defense system is capable of destroying hypersonic weapons and satellites in near space, the head of Russia’s air and space forces has said .
Sergei Surovikin, the head of Russia’s Aerospace Forces, said this capability will allow the S-500 to destroy low-orbit satellites, as well as hypersonic and space weapons, in addition to its primary targets intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
“The characteristics inherent in the S-500 surface-to-air missile make it possible to destroy... hypersonic weapons of all modifications, including in near space,” Surovikin told the Defense Ministry’s Red Star publication Friday.
“The S-500 can be classified as the first generation of space defense systems, since in the future it will be able to destroy low-orbit satellites and space weapons,” Surovikin said.
The surface-to-air missile was reported to have carried out the world’s longest missile test in 2018.
Russia and the United States have developed hypersonic missiles in recent years as the countries trade blame over arms control treaty violations and attempt to restart nuclear talks.
The S-500 was initially scheduled for delivery in 2025 after preliminary tests in 2020. Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko noted in February that air defense troops tested the S-500 using “new and unparalleled missiles” in 2019.
“We’re confident that the new system will be ready for delivery to the armed forces in 2020,” Krivoruchko told the Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies’ (KRET) monthly magazine at the time.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-03--Russia Seeks 6 Years Jail for Journalist in 'Terror Case'

Svetlana Prokopyeva , who is based in the northwestern city of Pskov and works for RFE/RL 's Russian Service as a freelance contributor , was charged with publicly justifying terrorism after she wrote a commentary about a bombing attack in 2018 .
Russian prosecutors on Friday demanded that a journalist be sentenced to six years in prison for allegedly justifying terrorism in a case that has drawn outrage from supporters and rights groups .
She was charged with publicly justifying terrorism after she wrote a commentary about a bombing attack in 2018 .
Speaking from the court , a defiant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she be sentenced to six years in prison and banned from working as a journalist for a further four years .
`` This is revenge for hard-hitting — and apparently — spot-on criticism , '' she told AFP .
The court case has its origins in November 2018 , when a 17-year-old anarchist blew himself up in the lobby of a Federal Security Service ( FSB ) building in Arkhangelsk in northern Russia , injuring three service members .
In her opinion piece , published by the Pskov affiliate of the Echo of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , linked the teenager 's suicide bombing to the political climate under President Vladimir Putin .
Nearly half a year after her commentary was published gun-toting police commandos broke into her apartment and seized her computers during a search , she said .
Prokopyeva was also placed on Russia 's official list of `` terrorists and extremists . ''
The journalist has denied the charges , calling them punishment for her work .
Prokopyeva said in court she was not afraid of criticizing the state .
`` State power that has ended up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people becomes the most serious threat to people 's security , '' she said .
Without freedom of speech a crackdown on dissenting voices could get even worse , she added .
`` Repression is unfolding gradually , '' she said .
`` It 's impossible to predict when limits on freedoms and persecution of dissent will turn into concentration camps and executions . ''
On Monday , the court is expected to announce its verdict in the hugely controversial trial .
Prokopyeva 's employer said she had done the opposite of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an effort to explain a tragedy , '' RFE/RL acting president Daisy Sindelar said in a statement .
`` The portrayal of her words as 'promoting terrorism ' is a deliberate and politically motivated distortion aimed at silencing her critical voice , and recalls the worst show trials of one of Russia 's darkest periods . ''
Reporters Without Borders urged Russia to throw out the case .
`` Svetlana Prokopyeva just did her job , '' said Jeanne Cavelier , head of the watchdog 's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precedent for all the Russian journalists . ''
In June , Human Rights Watch said that with Russian acquittal rates below 1 percent , `` there is a real risk that the court could convict Prokopyeva . ''
Journalist and activist Ilya Azar , who had urged supporters to protest against `` this insane case , '' wrote Friday evening that he had been detained while staging a picket outside the Moscow FSB headquarters .
He wrote on Telegram messenger that he was in a police van with 15 others detained at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two groups that monitor detentions at protests gave a slightly higher figure of 17 detainees .
Over the past few years authorities have unleashed a crackdown on critics including journalists who are increasingly squeezed by curbs on press freedoms .
This week Putin , who has been in power for two decades , oversaw a controversial nationwide vote which allows him to extend his grip on power until 2036 .