themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--Arctic Mayor Claims Coronavirus Cases 200% Higher Than Official Count

Mayor Rinat Akhmetchin painted the dire picture in a letter to the governor of the Krasnoyarsk region where Norilsk is located and the chairman of the regional legislature .
He claims that Norilsk has 832 coronavirus cases instead of the officially reported 293 , a nearly 200 % difference , as well as a fivefold increase in community-acquired pneumonia where patients don ’ t get tested for Covid-19 .
The mayor of Russia ’ s Arctic city of Norilsk has accused regional authorities of dramatically underreporting coronavirus cases and ignoring the scale of its outbreak , the Tayga.info news website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discrepancy between regional and city data indicates an inadequate evaluation of the scale of the infection in the region ’ s north , ” Tayga.info quoted Akhmetchin as saying .
He added that the inconsistency “ hides real information about the rate of infection from federal authorities and creates a favorable picture , allowing regional authorities to ignore the unfolding epidemiological situation in Norilsk.
” The mayor ’ s allegations follow Russia ’ s state statistics agency doubling the country 's Covid-19 death counts for earlier months than previously reported by health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by differing methodologies and the statistics office ’ s use of more accurate demographic data .
Health officials in the Krasnoyarsk region countered Akhmetchin ’ s claims , saying that Norilsk hospitals are operating at 70 % of capacity and there ’ s “ currently no urgent need ” to send medics from Moscow and St. Petersburg .
Boris Nemik , the region ’ s health chief , said a total of 364 residents of Norilsk have been diagnosed with coronavirus and four people have died from it .
He acknowledged that Norilsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krasnoyarsk itself have seen a rise in Covid-19 infections in the past two weeks .
At the same time , Nemik said that Covid-19 cases have stabilized and have decreased over the past week .
The Krasnoyarsk region has registered a total of 11,020 coronavirus cases and 251 deaths , according to Russia ’ s Covid-19 crisis center .
Russia has gradually lifted most of its coronavirus restrictions as it began reporting fewer infections and the outbreak appeared to shift from the initial epicenter of Moscow to other regions .

Mayor Rinat Akhmetchin painted the dire picture in a letter to the governor of the Krasnoyarsk region where Norilsk is located and the chairman of the regional legislature. He claims that Norilsk has 832 coronavirus cases instead of the officially reported 293, a nearly 200% difference, as well as a fivefold increase in community-acquired pneumonia where patients don’t get tested for Covid-19.
The mayor of Russia’s Arctic city of Norilsk has accused regional authorities of dramatically underreporting coronavirus cases and ignoring the scale of its outbreak, the Tayga.info news website reported Thursday.
“We believe the discrepancy between regional and city data indicates an inadequate evaluation of the scale of the infection in the region’s north,” Tayga.info quoted Akhmetchin as saying.
He added that the inconsistency “hides real information about the rate of infection from federal authorities and creates a favorable picture, allowing regional authorities to ignore the unfolding epidemiological situation in Norilsk.”
The mayor’s allegations follow Russia’s state statistics agency doubling the country's Covid-19 death counts for earlier months than previously reported by health officials. Officials said the increase was explained by differing methodologies and the statistics office’s use of more accurate demographic data.
Health officials in the Krasnoyarsk region countered Akhmetchin’s claims, saying that Norilsk hospitals are operating at 70% of capacity and there’s “currently no urgent need” to send medics from Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Boris Nemik, the region’s health chief, said a total of 364 residents of Norilsk have been diagnosed with coronavirus and four people have died from it.
He acknowledged that Norilsk and other localities outside the city of Krasnoyarsk itself have seen a rise in Covid-19 infections in the past two weeks. At the same time, Nemik said that Covid-19 cases have stabilized and have decreased over the past week.
The Krasnoyarsk region has registered a total of 11,020 coronavirus cases and 251 deaths, according to Russia’s Covid-19 crisis center.
Russia has gradually lifted most of its coronavirus restrictions as it began reporting fewer infections and the outbreak appeared to shift from the initial epicenter of Moscow to other regions.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--Russian Hackers Trying to Steal Coronavirus Research, UK Says

The National Cyber Security Centre said the attacks by the group APT29 were ongoing but targets have so far included UK , U.S. and Canadian vaccine research and development organizations .
Britain 's cybersecurity agency on Thursday accused a hacking group it said `` almost certainly '' operates as part of Russian intelligence services of trying to steal research into potential coronavirus vaccines .
`` The NCSC assesses that APT29 , also named the Dukes or Cozy Bear , almost certainly operate as part of Russian Intelligence Services , '' it said , adding that the United States and Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raab expressed outrage at the findings , which were published alongside an advisory on how organizations can help protect themselves from cyber attacks .
`` It is completely unacceptable that the Russian Intelligence Services are targeting those working to combat the coronavirus pandemic , '' he said .
`` While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behaviour , the UK and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health .
`` The UK will continue to counter those conducting such cyber attacks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perpetrators to account . ''
The NCSC said that government , diplomatic , think-tank , healthcare and energy groups were mainly being targeted , in a bid `` to steal valuable intellectual property . ''

The three governments pointed the finger at the Kremlin, saying that a hacking group called APT29 was "almost certainly" linked to Russian intelligence.
Britain, the United States and Canada on Thursday risked worsening fraught diplomatic ties with Russia by accusing Moscow-linked hackers of targeting labs in their countries conducting coronavirus vaccine research.
In a separate claim, London said "Russian actors" sought to disrupt last year's UK general election by circulating leaked trade documents between Britain and the United States.
Both accusations came even before the publication in the coming days of a long-awaited British parliamentary report into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit vote.
Russia quickly rejected the accusations as "groundless."
The United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) said Thursday that APT29 was "a cyber espionage group, almost certainly part of the Russian intelligence services," adding their the assessment was endorsed by their U.S. counterpart.
"Throughout 2020, APT29 has targeted various organizations involved in COVID-19 vaccine development in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, highly likely with the intention of stealing information and intellectual property relating to the development and testing of COVID-19 vaccines," it said.
The group was "likely to continue to target organizations involved in COVID-19 vaccine research and development, as they seek to answer additional intelligence questions relating to the pandemic."
In a separate statement, the U.S. National Security Agency repeated the accusations and said that APT29 "uses a variety of tools and techniques to predominantly target governmental, diplomatic, think-tank, healthcare and energy targets for intelligence gain."
Russia and Britain have been at loggerheads since Moscow was accused of trying to kill double agent Sergei Skripal with a powerful military-grade nerve agent in 2018.
The attack in Salisbury, southwest England, came 12 years after the radiation poisoning of former spy Alexander Litvinenko in London. Again, Russia denied involvement.
'Completely unacceptable'
Britain is one of a number of countries conducting human vaccine trials for COVID-19. One, at the University of Oxford, showed potential positive results, media reports said on Thursday.
But the National Cyber Security Centre, part of Britain's GCHQ electronic eavesdropping agency, said labs were among those targeted "to steal valuable intellectual property."
NCSC director of operations Paul Chichester said known targets included UK, US and Canadian vaccine research and development organisations using techniques including malware.
APT29 — also known as "The Dukes" or "Cozy Bear" — had also tried to hack government, diplomatic, think-tank and energy groups, it added.
Nearly 600,000 people have died and more than 13.5 million infected in the coronavirus outbreak this year.
Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that targeting those working to find a vaccine was "completely unacceptable."
"While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behavior, the UK and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health," he added.
Election meddling
Earlier, the government said there were strong suspicions of a Russian link to the leak of classified documents about a possible post-Brexit trade deal with the United States.
An investigation was launched after files were published on the social media site Reddit and were later picked up by the main opposition Labour party.
The party used them in its campaign for the December 12 election, claiming they proved Prime Minister Boris Johnson would "sell-out" the state-run health sector to US President Donald Trump.
Health funding was a key campaign issue, and Johnson was repeatedly forced to deny the claim.
Labour's then leader Jeremy Corbyn dismissed claims the leak was put online by Russia as a "conspiracy theory."
Raab stopped short of accusing Moscow of direct involvement.
But he said it was "almost certain... that Russian actors" were involved by putting the leaked documents online.
Johnson and his ruling Conservative party won a huge majority in the election, allowing him to push through his Brexit deal to take Britain out of the European Union.
Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee launched a probe into suspicions of Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit vote after concerns sparked by claims of meddling in the US presidential election won by Trump.
It completed the report last year but publication was delayed first by the election, and then Johnson's failure to nominate new members to the committee.
This finally happened last week and members had their first meeting on Thursday, where they agreed to publish the Russia report before next Wednesday.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--UK Says 'Russian Actors' Likely Tried to Disrupt 2019 Election

The government launched an investigation into the source of the leak , after details of talks with the United States on a possible post-Brexit trade deal were published on social media site Reddit .
Britain on Thursday accused `` Russian actors '' of seeking to disrupt last year 's general election by circulating leaked trade documents between London and Washington .
The main opposition Labour party said the files proved the government would `` sell-out '' the state-run National Health Service ( NHS ) to US companies .
Funding for the NHS was a key campaign issue before the December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corbyn dismissed as a `` conspiracy theory '' claims the leak used in his campaign was put online by Russia , but did not say where the party obtained them .
But Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Thursday said the government had concluded after `` extensive analysis '' that there was strong suspicion of a Russian link .
`` On the basis of extensive analysis , the government has concluded that it is almost certain that Russian actors sought to interfere with the 2019 general election through the online amplification of illicitly acquired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a written statement to parliament .
The accusation , although not directly aimed at the Kremlin , is likely to worsen already fraught relations between London and Moscow .
Ties were strained after Britain pointed the finger at Russia for trying to kill double agent Sergei Skripal in the southwest English city of Salisbury in 2018 .
A long-awaited report into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit vote , due to be published by parliament 's intelligence and security committee in the coming days , could also heighten diplomatic tensions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Sensitive government documents relating to the UK-U.S. Free Trade Agreement were illicitly acquired before the 2019 general election and disseminated online via the social media platform Reddit .
`` When these gained no traction , further attempts were made to promote the illicitly acquired material online in the run up to the general election .
`` Whilst there is no evidence of a broad spectrum Russian campaign against the general election , any attempt to interfere in our democratic processes is completely unacceptable . ''
Raab added there was an ongoing criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further details .
But he promised Britain would `` call out and respond to malign activity , '' and backed recent action taken by Berlin against an alleged Russian hack of the German parliament in 2015 .
He also supported recent German moves to slap sanctions on Russia because of suggestions a Russian military spy targeted leading politicians , including Chancellor Angela Merkel .

The government launched an investigation into the source of the leak, after details of talks with the United States on a possible post-Brexit trade deal were published on social media site Reddit.
Britain on Thursday accused "Russian actors" of seeking to disrupt last year's general election by circulating leaked trade documents between London and Washington.
The main opposition Labour party said the files proved the government would "sell-out" the state-run National Health Service (NHS) to US companies.
Funding for the NHS was a key campaign issue before the December 12 vote.
Labour's then-leader Jeremy Corbyn dismissed as a "conspiracy theory" claims the leak used in his campaign was put online by Russia, but did not say where the party obtained them.
But Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Thursday said the government had concluded after "extensive analysis" that there was strong suspicion of a Russian link.
"On the basis of extensive analysis, the government has concluded that it is almost certain that Russian actors sought to interfere with the 2019 general election through the online amplification of illicitly acquired and leaked government documents," he said in a written statement to parliament.
The accusation, although not directly aimed at the Kremlin, is likely to worsen already fraught relations between London and Moscow.
Ties were strained after Britain pointed the finger at Russia for trying to kill double agent Sergei Skripal in the southwest English city of Salisbury in 2018.
A long-awaited report into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit vote, due to be published by parliament's intelligence and security committee in the coming days, could also heighten diplomatic tensions.
Raab said of the leak: "Sensitive government documents relating to the UK-U.S. Free Trade Agreement were illicitly acquired before the 2019 general election and disseminated online via the social media platform Reddit.
"When these gained no traction, further attempts were made to promote the illicitly acquired material online in the run up to the general election.
"Whilst there is no evidence of a broad spectrum Russian campaign against the general election, any attempt to interfere in our democratic processes is completely unacceptable."
Raab added there was an ongoing criminal investigation, which prevented him for giving further details.
But he promised Britain would "call out and respond to malign activity," and backed recent action taken by Berlin against an alleged Russian hack of the German parliament in 2015.
He also supported recent German moves to slap sanctions on Russia because of suggestions a Russian military spy targeted leading politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--Russia to Outsource Coronavirus Vaccine Testing to Mideast

Russian Direct Investment Fund ( RDIF ) head Kirill Dmitriev said he expects Phase III trials involving several thousand people to begin after a 100-person Phase II trial ends Aug. 3 .
Two parallel Phase I trials involving 38 paid volunteers ended this week , with officials playing up the vaccine ’ s safety but not saying whether it was effective .
Russia plans to conduct Phase III trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in the Middle East as well as at home , the head of Russia ’ s sovereign fund told Reuters on Thursday .
The Phase III @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in two unnamed Middle Eastern countries , Dmitriev told Reuters .
He told a separate news conference that Russia was discussing opening a trial site and setting up a manufacturing partnership with Saudi Arabia .
Dmitriev forecast that Russia could sell up to 170 million doses to five countries with which it has manufacturing deals and reach herd immunity through nationwide vaccination by 2021 .
“ There ’ s a general sense that for so-called herd immunity in Russia you need to vaccinate between 40 million and 50 million people , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we believe we will be in good shape producing around 30 million [ doses domestically ] this year and then we can finalize vaccination next year , ” he added .
The candidate vaccine ’ s developer previously expressed hopes that it would “ enter civil circulation ” in mid-August and companies would begin mass production by September .
The World Health Organization says at least two out of more than 100 potential vaccines under development are in final Phase III human trials .
The Kremlin has previously said the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine projects , while Russian scientists have said developing a vaccine is `` a question of national prestige .
”

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) head Kirill Dmitriev said he expects Phase III trials involving several thousand people to begin after a 100-person Phase II trial ends Aug. 3. Two parallel Phase I trials involving 38 paid volunteers ended this week, with officials playing up the vaccine’s safety but not saying whether it was effective.
Russia plans to conduct Phase III trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in the Middle East as well as at home, the head of Russia’s sovereign fund told Reuters on Thursday.
The Phase III trial will be conducted in Russia and in two unnamed Middle Eastern countries, Dmitriev told Reuters. He told a separate news conference that Russia was discussing opening a trial site and setting up a manufacturing partnership with Saudi Arabia.
Dmitriev forecast that Russia could sell up to 170 million doses to five countries with which it has manufacturing deals and reach herd immunity through nationwide vaccination by 2021.
“There’s a general sense that for so-called herd immunity in Russia you need to vaccinate between 40 million and 50 million people,” he was quoted as saying.
“So we believe we will be in good shape producing around 30 million [doses domestically] this year and then we can finalize vaccination next year,” he added.
The candidate vaccine’s developer previously expressed hopes that it would “enter civil circulation” in mid-August and companies would begin mass production by September.
The World Health Organization says at least two out of more than 100 potential vaccines under development are in final Phase III human trials.
The Kremlin has previously said the nation’s scientists are working on almost 50 different vaccine projects, while Russian scientists have said developing a vaccine is "a question of national prestige.”


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--Russia Violates Women’s Rights During Childbirth Amid Coronavirus – Report

Women in at least 45 countries faced treatment that defied World Health Organization ( WHO ) guidelines this spring and summer , Open Democracy 's investigation said .
These include forcibly separating mothers from newborns , performing C-sections without consent and blocking access to critical care because of restrictions .
Russia is among dozens of countries that have violated women ’ s rights during childbirth amid restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic , the Open Democracy advocacy group said Thursday .
“ There is no reason ... that women should be denied respectful care , ” Quazi Monirul Islam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 2005 childbirth guidelines , told Open Democracy .
In Russia , Open Democracy said maternity hospitals banned companions of choice to would-be mothers in at least three Siberian and Far Eastern cities between February and April .
In Moscow and three other cities , women ’ s health facilities have been either closed or repurposed during the Covid-19 outbreak , it said .
“ [ The ] research clearly reveals how unnecessary restrictions constitute an alarming pattern of women 's health and rights being deprioritized during the crisis , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gynecologist and president of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights ( EPF ) .
Open Democracy ’ s investigation follows warnings by Russian women ’ s rights activists in April that Covid-19 restrictions in Moscow put more than 100,000 pregnant women at risk of unwanted pregnancies or botched abortions .
Only three out of 44 Moscow clinics were said to have continued to provide abortions through Russia ’ s compulsory medical insurance program .
The mayor ’ s office denied the claim , saying that only one facility was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the outbreak .

Women in at least 45 countries faced treatment that defied World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines this spring and summer, Open Democracy's investigation said. These include forcibly separating mothers from newborns, performing C-sections without consent and blocking access to critical care because of restrictions.
Russia is among dozens of countries that have violated women’s rights during childbirth amid restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Open Democracy advocacy group said Thursday.
“There is no reason... that women should be denied respectful care,” Quazi Monirul Islam, a doctor involved in drafting WHO’s 2005 childbirth guidelines, told Open Democracy.
In Russia, Open Democracy said maternity hospitals banned companions of choice to would-be mothers in at least three Siberian and Far Eastern cities between February and April.
In Moscow and three other cities, women’s health facilities have been either closed or repurposed during the Covid-19 outbreak, it said.
“[The] research clearly reveals how unnecessary restrictions constitute an alarming pattern of women's health and rights being deprioritized during the crisis,” said Petra De Sutter, a Belgian lawmaker, gynecologist and president of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF).
Open Democracy’s investigation follows warnings by Russian women’s rights activists in April that Covid-19 restrictions in Moscow put more than 100,000 pregnant women at risk of unwanted pregnancies or botched abortions.
Only three out of 44 Moscow clinics were said to have continued to provide abortions through Russia’s compulsory medical insurance program. The mayor’s office denied the claim, saying that only one facility was repurposed for Covid-19 patients at the height of the outbreak.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--Russian Wildfire Smoke Choking Siberian Cities

More than 100 firefighters and volunteers were trying to douse the flames of a fire outside the city of Yugorsk in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District , just one of several areas affected .
Smoke from raging forest fires in Siberia was filling cities Thursday as officials scrambled to prevent the flames from reaching homes .
`` A fire line has been plowed around it , so the fire is not a threat , but when the wind turns , the smoke goes into the city , '' the chief of Yugorsk administration 's emergencies department , Alexei Maksimenyuk , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities showed residential buildings fuzzy under a blanket of white smog .
Yakutsk , a city of more than 300,000 , has been seriously affected , according to images shot by local cameraman Ivan Semyonov , who posted them on Instagram Wednesday .
`` Every year this problem gets worse , '' he wrote on his account .
`` Will this issue be resolved in the coming years ? ''
The Yakutia region 's environment ministry said Wednesday that the smoke is from large wildfires raging in remote areas , while the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refrain from physical exercise .
A heatwave caused by changing climate in northern Siberia has contributed to the severity of fires this year , but environmentalists also point the finger at poor forest management and lack of funding for fire prevention .
Russia 's aerial forest protection service , the agency that specializes in forest fires , said Wednesday that more than 5,000 people are working on 197 fires across Russia in an area of over 40,000 hectares , including eight in nature reserves .
However the biggest wildfires , over an area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to under the policy in Russia that allows remote wilderness to be only `` monitored '' from space .
The policy was subject to major criticism last summer , when smoke enveloped some of Siberia 's largest cities , and over 1.2 million people signed a petition demanding the crisis be dealt with .

More than 100 firefighters and volunteers were trying to douse the flames of a fire outside the city of Yugorsk in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District, just one of several areas affected.
Smoke from raging forest fires in Siberia was filling cities Thursday as officials scrambled to prevent the flames from reaching homes.
"A fire line has been plowed around it, so the fire is not a threat, but when the wind turns, the smoke goes into the city," the chief of Yugorsk administration's emergencies department, Alexei Maksimenyuk, told AFP.
Photos of Yugorsk and other cities showed residential buildings fuzzy under a blanket of white smog.
Yakutsk, a city of more than 300,000, has been seriously affected, according to images shot by local cameraman Ivan Semyonov, who posted them on Instagram Wednesday.
"Every year this problem gets worse," he wrote on his account. "Will this issue be resolved in the coming years?"
The Yakutia region's environment ministry said Wednesday that the smoke is from large wildfires raging in remote areas, while the health watchdog told residents to stay indoors and refrain from physical exercise.
A heatwave caused by changing climate in northern Siberia has contributed to the severity of fires this year, but environmentalists also point the finger at poor forest management and lack of funding for fire prevention.
Russia's aerial forest protection service, the agency that specializes in forest fires, said Wednesday that more than 5,000 people are working on 197 fires across Russia in an area of over 40,000 hectares, including eight in nature reserves.
However the biggest wildfires, over an area of 382,436 hectares, are not attended to under the policy in Russia that allows remote wilderness to be only "monitored" from space.
The policy was subject to major criticism last summer, when smoke enveloped some of Siberia's largest cities, and over 1.2 million people signed a petition demanding the crisis be dealt with.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--Russian Police Major Falls From Window After Testifying Against Boss — Reports

Security cameras reportedly captured the lifeless body of criminal investigation officer Yekaterina Mishkina , 37 , near a nine-floor apartment building in the city of Khabarovsk more than 8,000 kilometers east of Moscow .
A police major in Far Eastern Russia has fallen to her death from a window after testifying against her boss in a criminal extortion case , news outlets reported Thursday .
It was unclear who or what Mishkina , who was in plainclothes according to the Dvnovosti.ru news website , had been pursuing before plunging to her death from the fifth-floor window .
Dvnovosti and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed Mishkina unsuccessfully attempting to gain access to the building ’ s rooftop , then descending a few flights .
Unconfirmed reports citing anonymous sources in law enforcement agencies say that Mishkina was a witness in a criminal case against her former boss , who ’ s suspected of extorting from subordinates .
She was reported to have testified against him some time before her death .
Gubernia reported that authorities opened the criminal extortion case after Mishkina ’ s former boss retired .
The Khabarovsk regional police launched an internal inspection into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tarasova told Gubernia , adding that the investigator was “ on yet another vacation ” at the time .
The Todaykhv.ru outlet reported , citing an unnamed source close to the investigation , that officials found a note in Mishkina ’ s purse listing a set of key tasks she had to complete “ until a certain point.
” “ This indicates that what happened wasn ’ t spontaneous , ” the source was quoted as saying .
Mishkina was divorced and is survived by a 14-year-old daughter , according to Todaykhv ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follows at least five incidents of Russian healthcare workers falling from windows at the height of the coronavirus outbreak this spring as well as two young journalists in 2018-19 .

Security cameras reportedly captured the lifeless body of criminal investigation officer Yekaterina Mishkina, 37, near a nine-floor apartment building in the city of Khabarovsk more than 8,000 kilometers east of Moscow.
A police major in Far Eastern Russia has fallen to her death from a window after testifying against her boss in a criminal extortion case, news outlets reported Thursday.
It was unclear who or what Mishkina, who was in plainclothes according to the Dvnovosti.ru news website, had been pursuing before plunging to her death from the fifth-floor window.
Dvnovosti and the Gubernia.com news website reported that security cameras showed Mishkina unsuccessfully attempting to gain access to the building’s rooftop, then descending a few flights.
Unconfirmed reports citing anonymous sources in law enforcement agencies say that Mishkina was a witness in a criminal case against her former boss, who’s suspected of extorting from subordinates. She was reported to have testified against him some time before her death.
Gubernia reported that authorities opened the criminal extortion case after Mishkina’s former boss retired.
The Khabarovsk regional police launched an internal inspection into Mishkina’s death, spokeswoman Yekaterina Tarasova told Gubernia, adding that the investigator was “on yet another vacation” at the time.
The Todaykhv.ru outlet reported, citing an unnamed source close to the investigation, that officials found a note in Mishkina’s purse listing a set of key tasks she had to complete “until a certain point.”
“This indicates that what happened wasn’t spontaneous,” the source was quoted as saying.
Mishkina was divorced and is survived by a 14-year-old daughter, according to Todaykhv’s source.
Mishkina’s death follows at least five incidents of Russian healthcare workers falling from windows at the height of the coronavirus outbreak this spring as well as two young journalists in 2018-19.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--Fighting Between Armenia and Azerbaijan Widens

Fierce fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan continued for a fifth day on Thursday , with at least 16 soldiers on both sides killed .
Both sides also reported the other attacking civilian settlements in what appears to be a widening conflict .
The Azerbaijani authorities said that Armenian artillery fire killed one civilian , Aziz Azizov of the village Aghdam in the Tovuz district of western Azerbaijan , on July 14 .
Houses also were hit in the nearby village of Dondar Gushchu and the village of Alibeyli was targeted , the authorities said .
Across the border in Armenia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure ” in the village of Berd on July 14 , the Armenian side reported .
The day before , the villages of Chinari and Aygepar were targeted , Yerevan said .
Seven Azerbaijani soldiers , including a two-star general , were killed in the fighting on July 14 , the Azerbaijani authorities reported .
The Armenian side reported two soldiers killed early in the day , and then two more later in the afternoon .
That death toll followed the deaths of three Azerbaijani soldiers the day before .
The fighting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now the deadliest since the “ April War ” of 2016 , when more than 200 on both sides were killed .
But that conflict took place on the line of conflict between the Armenian-controlled de facto republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan proper , where clashes have been more common .
The more recent battles have been on the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan , where there have been occasional exchanges of fire in recent years , but not fighting this serious since the 1990s .
Calls to stop the fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , European Union , and the OSCE Minsk Group , the U.S. , France- , and Russia-led diplomatic body brokering peace talks between the two sides .
All issued similar appeals to “ both sides ” to stop the fighting , which rankled those on ( yes ) both sides , each of which blames the other for starting the fighting .
Five days in , it still remains unclear which side fired first .
The border remains largely unmonitored , with no independent sources of information or verification .
When the ceasefire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azerbaijan , as Armenia has little to gain from disturbing the status quo : its forces control the territory at the heart of the conflict , Nagorno-Karabakh , as well as several surrounding districts of internationally recognized Azerbaijani territory .
But given that this fighting started on the border with Armenia , not the line of contact with Karabakh , that logic is less applicable : Azerbaijan has less to gain by fighting in Armenia proper .
Emil Sanamyan , an analyst at the USC Institute of Armenian Studies , suggested that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constructed by the Armenian armed forces , which would have given Armenia a tactical advantage in the area and which Azerbaijani forces tried to destroy .
Laurence Broers , a longtime scholar of the conflict , suggested by contrast that Azerbaijan might have had geopolitical motivations to probe the international border , to test the treaty arrangement that Armenia has with Russia .
Indeed , perhaps the most consequential “ both sides ” statement came from the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization ( CSTO ) , of which Armenia also is a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Armenian officials began to publicly call for the CSTO to get involved .
“ The issue is that this is effectively an attack on a CSTO member state , ” Armenia ’ s ambassador to Moscow , Vardan Toganyan , told Russia 's Govorit Moskva radio station on July 13 .
But the CSTO ’ s response , from Yerevan ’ s point of view , was lacking .
It first called , and then abruptly canceled , an emergency session of the organization ’ s security council , putting it off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then issued a statement on July 14 that took an even-handed approach : “ The situation that has developed does not contribute to the normalization of the situation on the border of the two neighboring states , one of which – Armenia – is a member state of the CSTO , and is evidence of the violation of the ceasefire agreed by the leaderships of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
” What action the CSTO might actually take in a serious conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has always been up for speculation ; the organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Kyrgyzstan , experienced serious violence in 2010 and has since suffered from a credibility problem .
Those speculations have been heightened since 2018 , when Armenia ’ s “ Velvet Revolution ” brought in a new government including many pro-Western and anti-Russia officials .
Moscow ’ s concerns were exacerbated when the new authorities ’ anti-corruption campaign took aim at Yuri Khachaturov , a former senior Armenian military officer who then became the CSTO ’ s secretary general .
All that has raised questions about the extent to which Russia ( which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be interested in sticking its neck out should Armenia need meaningful support .
“ Armenia is a member of the CSTO .
Azerbaijan is NOT a CSTO member .
That ’ s exactly why the CSTO should condemn Azerbaijan ’ s provocation and call only the Azerbaijani side to a ceasefire , without any pointless statements aimed at both sides , ” wrote Edmon Marukyan , the head of the opposition Bright Armenia party , on Twitter .
Whether or not all this was Azerbaijan ’ s intention , there has indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s failure to get much support from Moscow .
But this must not come as a huge surprise to Armenians , either , few of whom have many illusions about the depth of Russia ’ s support for them .
And pro-Western Armenians , too , may be taking some satisfaction in the vivid illustration that Moscow is an unreliable ally .

Fierce fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan continued for a fifth day on Thursday, with at least 16 soldiers on both sides killed. Both sides also reported the other attacking civilian settlements in what appears to be a widening conflict. The Azerbaijani authorities said that Armenian artillery fire killed one civilian, Aziz Azizov of the village Aghdam in the Tovuz district of western Azerbaijan, on July 14. Houses also were hit in the nearby village of Dondar Gushchu and the village of Alibeyli was targeted, the authorities said. Across the border in Armenia, Azerbaijani drone fire hit “civilian infrastructure” in the village of Berd on July 14, the Armenian side reported. The day before, the villages of Chinari and Aygepar were targeted, Yerevan said.
Armenian forces targeted civilians living in the villages of #Tovuz district along the state border of #Azerbaijan & #Armenia. Aggressive &terrorist nature of Armenia is again revealed.The leadership of Armenia shouldn’t think that their actions will go unpunished! #EndAggression pic.twitter.com/36kMMRGsun — Leyla Abdullayeva (@LAbdullayevaMFA) July 14, 2020
Seven Azerbaijani soldiers, including a two-star general, were killed in the fighting on July 14, the Azerbaijani authorities reported. The Armenian side reported two soldiers killed early in the day, and then two more later in the afternoon. That death toll followed the deaths of three Azerbaijani soldiers the day before. The fighting, which broke out on July 12, is now the deadliest since the “April War” of 2016, when more than 200 on both sides were killed. But that conflict took place on the line of conflict between the Armenian-controlled de facto republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan proper, where clashes have been more common. The more recent battles have been on the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where there have been occasional exchanges of fire in recent years, but not fighting this serious since the 1990s.
Calls to stop the fighting have poured in from the United States, European Union, and the OSCE Minsk Group, the U.S., France-, and Russia-led diplomatic body brokering peace talks between the two sides. All issued similar appeals to “both sides” to stop the fighting, which rankled those on (yes) both sides, each of which blames the other for starting the fighting. Five days in, it still remains unclear which side fired first. The border remains largely unmonitored, with no independent sources of information or verification. When the ceasefire is violated, suspicion typically falls on Azerbaijan, as Armenia has little to gain from disturbing the status quo: its forces control the territory at the heart of the conflict, Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as several surrounding districts of internationally recognized Azerbaijani territory. But given that this fighting started on the border with Armenia, not the line of contact with Karabakh, that logic is less applicable: Azerbaijan has less to gain by fighting in Armenia proper. Emil Sanamyan, an analyst at the USC Institute of Armenian Studies, suggested that the trigger may have been a new outpost constructed by the Armenian armed forces, which would have given Armenia a tactical advantage in the area and which Azerbaijani forces tried to destroy. Laurence Broers, a longtime scholar of the conflict, suggested by contrast that Azerbaijan might have had geopolitical motivations to probe the international border, to test the treaty arrangement that Armenia has with Russia.
Indeed, perhaps the most consequential “both sides” statement came from the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), of which Armenia also is a member. Quickly after the fighting broke out, Armenian officials began to publicly call for the CSTO to get involved. “The issue is that this is effectively an attack on a CSTO member state,” Armenia’s ambassador to Moscow, Vardan Toganyan, told Russia's Govorit Moskva radio station on July 13. But the CSTO’s response, from Yerevan’s point of view, was lacking. It first called, and then abruptly canceled, an emergency session of the organization’s security council, putting it off until an undetermined date. The CSTO then issued a statement on July 14 that took an even-handed approach: “The situation that has developed does not contribute to the normalization of the situation on the border of the two neighboring states, one of which – Armenia – is a member state of the CSTO, and is evidence of the violation of the ceasefire agreed by the leaderships of Armenia and Azerbaijan.” What action the CSTO might actually take in a serious conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has always been up for speculation; the organization failed to intervene when another member state, Kyrgyzstan, experienced serious violence in 2010 and has since suffered from a credibility problem. Those speculations have been heightened since 2018, when Armenia’s “Velvet Revolution” brought in a new government including many pro-Western and anti-Russia officials. Moscow’s concerns were exacerbated when the new authorities’ anti-corruption campaign took aim at Yuri Khachaturov, a former senior Armenian military officer who then became the CSTO’s secretary general. All that has raised questions about the extent to which Russia (which pulls the strings in the CSTO) will be interested in sticking its neck out should Armenia need meaningful support. “Armenia is a member of the CSTO. Azerbaijan is NOT a CSTO member. That’s exactly why the CSTO should condemn Azerbaijan’s provocation and call only the Azerbaijani side to a ceasefire, without any pointless statements aimed at both sides,” wrote Edmon Marukyan, the head of the opposition Bright Armenia party, on Twitter.
After two days of fighting on Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the Russia-led CSTO security bloc drags its feet and all but ignores Armenia's claims it was attacked—unlike Turkey, passionately supporting Azerbaijan. Intl community's vague calls for restraint mean fighting can continue. — Grigor Atanesian (@atanessi) July 14, 2020


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--Can I Travel to Russia Now That Quarantine Is Over?

This week , authorities said they will lift self-quarantine requirements for arriving citizens and foreigners alike .
Starting Wednesday , Russia has also started negotiations with other countries to resume international flights .
But does it mean that Russia has opened its doors to foreigners seeking entry into the country ?
As Russia has begun reporting fewer coronavirus infections in the past month , its authorities have made several announcements that appeared to suggest it was reopening its borders to foreigners .
Here ’ s a look at which foreigners are currently allowed to enter Russia now that most quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Russia ’ s consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor told The Moscow Times that the following categories of foreign citizens can travel to Russia : — Relatives of a deceased person , provided that they have documents confirming their relations , — Foreigners who have job offers in professions that fall under the “ highly qualified specialists ” category .
What documents do I need ?
— Starting July 15 , those arriving in Russia will need to present English or Russian-language proof that they have tested negative for the coronavirus in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Like Russian citizens returning home , foreigners without test results will be required to submit a PCR test for Covid-19 within 72 hours of arrival .
If the test comes back positive , visitors will be required to self-isolate for 14 days .
Which countries has Russia opened its borders to ?
— Russia has not yet reopened its borders to all foreigners despite reports indicating that Belarus , Croatia and Turkey were in talks to restart travel .
— Rospotrebnadzor has compiled a list of 13 countries which it recommends restarting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first phase of reopening : Britain , Germany , China , the Netherlands , Denmark , Finland , Hungary , Italy , Norway , Poland , Mongolia , Sri Lanka and Vietnam .
— Reopening flight routes would be based on the principle of reciprocity — meaning Russia will need to strike an agreement with each government to resume air travel , authorities say .
Can Russians travel to other countries ?
— Authorities began allowing Russians to go abroad for work , study , medical treatment or to take care of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flights on March 27 , with only a handful of special repatriation flights and other government-approved flights bringing passengers to and from Russia over the past three months .

This week, authorities said they will lift self-quarantine requirements for arriving citizens and foreigners alike. Starting Wednesday, Russia has also started negotiations with other countries to resume international flights. But does it mean that Russia has opened its doors to foreigners seeking entry into the country?
As Russia has begun reporting fewer coronavirus infections in the past month, its authorities have made several announcements that appeared to suggest it was reopening its borders to foreigners.
Here’s a look at which foreigners are currently allowed to enter Russia now that most quarantine rules have been relaxed:
Who can visit Russia?
A representative for Russia’s consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor told The Moscow Times that the following categories of foreign citizens can travel to Russia:
— Diplomats and their family members,
— Members of intergovernmental commissions, committees or special delegations,
— Relatives of a deceased person, provided that they have documents confirming their relations,
— Foreigners seeking medical treatment,
— Foreigners studying in Russia,
— Foreigners who have job offers in professions that fall under the “highly qualified specialists” category.
What documents do I need?
— Starting July 15, those arriving in Russia will need to present English or Russian-language proof that they have tested negative for the coronavirus in the past 72 hours to be allowed entry.
— Like Russian citizens returning home, foreigners without test results will be required to submit a PCR test for Covid-19 within 72 hours of arrival. If the test comes back positive, visitors will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Which countries has Russia opened its borders to?
— Russia has not yet reopened its borders to all foreigners despite reports indicating that Belarus, Croatia and Turkey were in talks to restart travel.
— Rospotrebnadzor has compiled a list of 13 countries which it recommends restarting flights to as part of Russia’s first phase of reopening: Britain, Germany, China, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
— Reopening flight routes would be based on the principle of reciprocity — meaning Russia will need to strike an agreement with each government to resume air travel, authorities say.
Can Russians travel to other countries?
— Authorities began allowing Russians to go abroad for work, study, medical treatment or to take care of relatives.
— Russia grounded most international flights on March 27, with only a handful of special repatriation flights and other government-approved flights bringing passengers to and from Russia over the past three months.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--U.S. Targets Russia Group Over Libya Mines, Sudan Suppression

The Pentagon 's Africa Command said it had `` verified photographic evidence '' that the Wagner Group , a private security operation allegedly sponsored by the Russian government , planted mines `` indiscriminately '' around Tripoli and toward Sirte east of the capital since mid-June .
The United States on Wednesday accused a Russian mercenary group of laying landmines in and around Tripoli and imposed sanctions over its alleged cooperation with Sudan 's ousted dictator .
`` The Russian state-sponsored Wagner Group is demonstrating a total disregard for the safety and security of Libyans , '' Africom operations director Major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The Wagner Group 's irresponsible tactics are prolonging conflict and are responsible for the needless suffering and the deaths of innocent civilians .
Russia has the power to stop them , just not the will . ''
The U.S. has repeatedly accused Russia of introducing military weaponry , including at least 14 MIG-29 fighter jets with their Russian markings covered up , into the Libyan conflict , contravening the UN arms embargo .
Russia , mainly through the Wagner Group , and the United Arab Emirates and Egypt , have backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in his fight to seize power from the UN-recognized Government of National Accord in Tripoli .
Turkey 's military support for the GNA has recently tipped the balance and allowed its forces in June to repel Haftar 's 14-month advance on Tripoli and launch a counteroffensive .
Links seen to U.S. election , Sudan The United States says the Wagner Group functions through support of Yevgeniy Prigozhin , a wealthy financier close to President Vladimir Putin .
The United States has previously accused Prigozhin of funding the Internet Research Agency , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Petersburg accused of running online manipulation to back then-candidate Donald Trump in the 2016 election .
While Prigozhin is already under U.S. sanctions , the Treasury Department on Wednesday took action against entities in Sudan , Hong Kong and Thailand that it said had allowed the financier to maintain operations .
In Sudan , Prigozhin is accused of running M Invest , which the Treasury Department said was a front for the Wagner Group and was awarded concessions in gold mining by longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir .
It charged that M Invest developed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried out social media manipulation to discredit youth-led demonstrators , who started taking to the streets in December 2018 in frustration over economic conditions .

The Pentagon's Africa Command said it had "verified photographic evidence" that the Wagner Group, a private security operation allegedly sponsored by the Russian government, planted mines "indiscriminately" around Tripoli and toward Sirte east of the capital since mid-June.
The United States on Wednesday accused a Russian mercenary group of laying landmines in and around Tripoli and imposed sanctions over its alleged cooperation with Sudan's ousted dictator.
"The Russian state-sponsored Wagner Group is demonstrating a total disregard for the safety and security of Libyans," Africom operations director Major General Bradford Gering said in a statement.
"The Wagner Group's irresponsible tactics are prolonging conflict and are responsible for the needless suffering and the deaths of innocent civilians. Russia has the power to stop them, just not the will."
The U.S. has repeatedly accused Russia of introducing military weaponry, including at least 14 MIG-29 fighter jets with their Russian markings covered up, into the Libyan conflict, contravening the UN arms embargo.
Russia, mainly through the Wagner Group, and the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, have backed the strongman of eastern Libya Khalifa Haftar, in his fight to seize power from the UN-recognized Government of National Accord in Tripoli.
Turkey's military support for the GNA has recently tipped the balance and allowed its forces in June to repel Haftar's 14-month advance on Tripoli and launch a counteroffensive.
Links seen to U.S. election, Sudan
The United States says the Wagner Group functions through support of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a wealthy financier close to President Vladimir Putin.
The United States has previously accused Prigozhin of funding the Internet Research Agency, a mysterious "troll farm" in St. Petersburg accused of running online manipulation to back then-candidate Donald Trump in the 2016 election.
While Prigozhin is already under U.S. sanctions, the Treasury Department on Wednesday took action against entities in Sudan, Hong Kong and Thailand that it said had allowed the financier to maintain operations.
In Sudan, Prigozhin is accused of running M Invest, which the Treasury Department said was a front for the Wagner Group and was awarded concessions in gold mining by longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir.
It charged that M Invest developed plans for Bashir to suppress protests and carried out social media manipulation to discredit youth-led demonstrators, who started taking to the streets in December 2018 in frustration over economic conditions.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--Russian Pranksters Trick Newly Re-Elected Polish President

A pair of notorious Russian pranksters known for posing as foreign officials in prank calls with European politicians have hoodwinked Poland ’ s newly re-elected president this week .
Vladimir Kuznetsov , one half of the duo known as Vovan and Lexus , poses as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the English-language call , where he congratulates Polish President Andrzej Duda on eking out a second presidential term .
The 11-minute conversation ranged from Poland ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic to tensions with Russia over who started World War II and the Soviet occupation of Polish territory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a friendly presence and we call it occupation , ” Duda told Kuznetsov and Alexei Solyarov , who goes by Lexus .
Duda told the pair that Poland “ had discussions about history ” with President Vladimir Putin and denied the prank Guterres ’ suggestions that Warsaw might seek the return of the Ukrainian city of Lviv that was part of Poland before the war .
“ Excellency , there ’ s no discussion about it in Poland .
[ Lviv ] is part of Ukraine and that ’ s the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Duda ’ s office has since confirmed the authenticity of the prank call .
“ During the conversation , I realized that something was probably wrong , ” Duda tweeted Wednesday , saying his suspicions were sparked when the caller pronounced the name of Polish vodka brand Żubrówka better than the real Guterres .
“ The voice was very similar , ” he conceded , adding a tears-of-laughter emoji .
Poland is investigating how Kuznetsov got through to Duda and whether Russia ’ s secret services were involved , The Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it was investigating the actions of an official with Poland ’ s mission to the United Nations who had allegedly authorized the call .
The prank call has been viewed more than 2 million times in the 48 hours since it was posted .
Vovan and Lexus ' previous targets include French President Emmanuel Macron , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson when he was foreign secretary .
Several U.S. lawmakers have also fallen victim to the prank calls .
Their level of access to high-profile figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervention by Russian security services — has led observers to suggest that Vovan and Lexus are working under an arrangement with the Kremlin .

A pair of notorious Russian pranksters known for posing as foreign officials in prank calls with European politicians have hoodwinked Poland’s newly re-elected president this week. Vladimir Kuznetsov, one half of the duo known as Vovan and Lexus, poses as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the English-language call, where he congratulates Polish President Andrzej Duda on eking out a second presidential term.
The 11-minute conversation ranged from Poland’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic to tensions with Russia over who started World War II and the Soviet occupation of Polish territory. “The Russians [view] that as a friendly presence and we call it occupation,” Duda told Kuznetsov and Alexei Solyarov, who goes by Lexus. Duda told the pair that Poland “had discussions about history” with President Vladimir Putin and denied the prank Guterres’ suggestions that Warsaw might seek the return of the Ukrainian city of Lviv that was part of Poland before the war. “Excellency, there’s no discussion about it in Poland. [Lviv] is part of Ukraine and that’s the end,” the audibly exasperated Duda said. Duda’s office has since confirmed the authenticity of the prank call. “During the conversation, I realized that something was probably wrong,” Duda tweeted Wednesday, saying his suspicions were sparked when the caller pronounced the name of Polish vodka brand Żubrówka better than the real Guterres. “The voice was very similar,” he conceded, adding a tears-of-laughter emoji.
W trakcie rozmowy zorientowałem się, że coś chyba jest nie tak. Sekretarz Generalny nie wymawia aż tak dobrze słowa „żubrówka”, choć głos był bardzo podobny. 😂 — Andrzej Duda (@AndrzejDuda) July 15, 2020


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--Russia's Coronavirus Infections Pass 750K as Country Eyes Re-Opening

Starting July 13 , Moscow will no longer require people to wear masks outdoors as the number of new coronavirus cases has dwindled in the Russian capital in recent weeks .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass testing which has identified many cases with mild or no coronavirus symptoms .
The Health Ministry is now adjusting how it reports numbers to include all deaths believed to be 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kudrin , who heads the Audit Chamber that examines government spending , said in an interview with the state-run TASS state news agency .
`` We will carry out a check 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--2020-07-16--Siberia Heat 'Almost Impossible' Without Climate Change

An international team of researchers found that the record-breaking warm period was more than 2 C hotter than it would have been if humans had not warmed the planet through decades of greenhouse gas emissions .
A recent heatwave in Siberia that saw temperature records tumble as the region sweltered in 38-degrees-Celsius highs was `` almost impossible '' without the influence of manmade climate change , leading scientists said Wednesday .
The five hottest years in history have occurred in the last five years and there 's a better-than-even chance that 2020 will be the hottest ever recorded .
Earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the planet , and temperatures in Siberia — home to much of the world 's carbon-rich permafrost — were more than 5 C hotter than average between January and June .
One town , Verkhoyansk , recorded a temperature of 38 C — smashing previous records .
Andrew Ciavarella , senior detection and attribution scientist at Britain 's Met Office , described the findings as `` staggering . ''
`` This is further evidence of the extreme temperatures we can expect to see more frequently around the world in a warming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact of climate change on extreme weather events such as super storms and droughts is now well-established , but until fairly recently scientists have been unable to definitively link an individual event to global warming .
As part of a growing area of climate research known as attribution science , the team ran computer simulations of temperatures with the climate as it is today — around 1 C hotter than the pre-Industrial era baseline .
They then compared this to a model generating temperatures over Siberia this year without human influence — that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ C. They found that the prolonged heat would happen less than once every 80,000 years without human induced climate change .
This makes the heatwave `` almost impossible in a climate that had not been warmed by greenhouse gas emissions , '' the team said , adding that carbon pollution had made the extreme event at least 600 times more likely to occur .
The team behind the calculations stressed that the Siberian heatwave was a problem for the entire globe .
Some 1.15 million hectares of forest going up in flames released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ atmosphere .
At the same time , the wildfires and sustained heatwaves accelerated the region 's permafrost melt .

An international team of researchers found that the record-breaking warm period was more than 2 C hotter than it would have been if humans had not warmed the planet through decades of greenhouse gas emissions.
A recent heatwave in Siberia that saw temperature records tumble as the region sweltered in 38-degrees-Celsius highs was "almost impossible" without the influence of manmade climate change, leading scientists said Wednesday.
The five hottest years in history have occurred in the last five years and there's a better-than-even chance that 2020 will be the hottest ever recorded.
Earth's poles are warming faster than the rest of the planet, and temperatures in Siberia — home to much of the world's carbon-rich permafrost — were more than 5 C hotter than average between January and June.
One town, Verkhoyansk, recorded a temperature of 38 C — smashing previous records.
Andrew Ciavarella, senior detection and attribution scientist at Britain's Met Office, described the findings as "staggering."
"This is further evidence of the extreme temperatures we can expect to see more frequently around the world in a warming climate," he said.
The impact of climate change on extreme weather events such as super storms and droughts is now well-established, but until fairly recently scientists have been unable to definitively link an individual event to global warming.
As part of a growing area of climate research known as attribution science, the team ran computer simulations of temperatures with the climate as it is today — around 1 C hotter than the pre-Industrial era baseline.
They then compared this to a model generating temperatures over Siberia this year without human influence — that is, without the additional manmade 1 C.
They found that the prolonged heat would happen less than once every 80,000 years without human induced climate change.
This makes the heatwave "almost impossible in a climate that had not been warmed by greenhouse gas emissions," the team said, adding that carbon pollution had made the extreme event at least 600 times more likely to occur.
'Important for everyone'
The team behind the calculations stressed that the Siberian heatwave was a problem for the entire globe.
Some 1.15 million hectares of forest going up in flames released millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. At the same time, the wildfires and sustained heatwaves accelerated the region's permafrost melt.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-16--Over 140 Detained After Anti-Putin Protest in Moscow

Russian police detained over 140 people including a high-profile Moscow deputy after Kremlin critics protested Wednesday against changes to the constitution , the OVD-Info monitor said .
The group , which tracks arrests at political protests , said 142 people were detained Wednesday evening .
Many people including journalists were put in police vehicles , AFP correspondents said from the scene .
An AFP journalist was also briefly detained .
Yulia Galyamina , a prominent Moscow city councillor who has spearheaded a campaign against President Vladimir Putin 's controversial changes to the constitution , was among those detained together with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The constitutional changes could see Putin stay in power for another 16 years .
Earlier Wednesday , Galyamina and her allies gathered in Moscow 's central Pushkin Square despite rainy weather to collect signatures from hundreds of supporters against this month 's constitutional reforms , to contest them in court .
`` We are lodging a class action lawsuit , '' activist Andrei Pivovarov told AFP as he gathered the signatures on the steps of a statue of national poet Alexander Pushkin dominating the square .
`` We are collecting signatures from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Russian police detained over 140 people including a high-profile Moscow deputy after Kremlin critics protested Wednesday against changes to the constitution, the OVD-Info monitor said. The group, which tracks arrests at political protests, said 142 people were detained Wednesday evening. Many people including journalists were put in police vehicles, AFP correspondents said from the scene. An AFP journalist was also briefly detained. Yulia Galyamina, a prominent Moscow city councillor who has spearheaded a campaign against President Vladimir Putin's controversial changes to the constitution, was among those detained together with her daughter, she said on Facebook. The constitutional changes could see Putin stay in power for another 16 years. Earlier Wednesday, Galyamina and her allies gathered in Moscow's central Pushkin Square despite rainy weather to collect signatures from hundreds of supporters against this month's constitutional reforms, to contest them in court. "We are lodging a class action lawsuit," activist Andrei Pivovarov told AFP as he gathered the signatures on the steps of a statue of national poet Alexander Pushkin dominating the square. "We are collecting signatures from across the country," he said.
'Russia without Putin'
Writing later on Twitter, Galyamina said they had gathered 5,000 signatures. "This is an excellent result," she said. At one point the campaigners had to pause because they quickly ran out of paper, they said. Some protesters brandished placards, while others chanted "Russia without Putin" and "Russia will be free." Activist Maria Alyokhina of Pussy Riot fame also turned up, calling the amendments a "constitutional coup." Earlier this month Putin, 67, oversaw a deeply controversial seven-day vote that amended the constitution and now allows him to serve two more six-year terms after his mandate expires in 2024. The amendments also included populist measures such as an effective ban on gay marriage. Leading opposition politician Alexei Navalny has said the poll had set "a record in faking votes" and the result had "nothing in common with people's views." Many in Pushkin Square said they had turned up to protest the changes championed by Putin who can now potentially stay in the Kremlin until 2036. "I voted against," Inna Golovina, a 46-year-old accountant, told AFP. "People say the results were rigged." Pavel Tarasov, a young Moscow city councillor representing the Communist Party, said he would like to leave his signature but the crowd was too big. "The results of the vote do not suit anyone," he said. A large group of mostly young activists later split off and marched along central Moscow streets before many were roughly detained. Galyamina was detained in Pushkin Square after the signature-collecting event was over.
'Putin like pharaoh'


themoscowtimes--2020-07-15--U.S. Opens Way for Tougher Sanctions on Russia-Germany Gas Pipeline

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday opened the way for tougher sanctions to stop the Nord Stream 2 @ @ @ @ @ building to U.S. ally Germany .
`` Our expectation is that those who participate in @ @ @ @ @ subject to review for potential consequences , '' Pompeo told a news conference .
President @ @ @ @ @ legislation that targets contractors working on the 10-billion-euro ( $ 11 billion ) project as @ @ @ @ @ project , TurkStream .
But while those sanctions focused on technical assistance , the separate @ @ @ @ @ Sanctions Act lays out harsh measures that can include severing access to the U.S. financial @ @ @ @ @ Trump reluctantly signed the act in 2017 , then secretary of state Rex Tillerson exempted @ @ @ @ @ work on the project had begun before the law was passed .
Pompeo announced revised @ @ @ @ @ , allowing Nord Stream 2 participants to be hit by the broader sanctions .
His @ @ @ @ @ authorize any action , which still needs to be determined by the administration .

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday opened the way for tougher sanctions to stop the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that Russia is building to U.S. ally Germany.
"Our expectation is that those who participate in the continued project will be subject to review for potential consequences," Pompeo told a news conference.
President Donald Trump last year signed legislation that targets contractors working on the 10-billion-euro ($11 billion) project as well as another Russian gas project, TurkStream.
But while those sanctions focused on technical assistance, the separate Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act lays out harsh measures that can include severing access to the U.S. financial system.
After President Donald Trump reluctantly signed the act in 2017, then secretary of state Rex Tillerson exempted Nord Stream 2 as the work on the project had begun before the law was passed.
Pompeo announced revised guidelines to lift that exemption, allowing Nord Stream 2 participants to be hit by the broader sanctions.
His decision does not in itself authorize any action, which still needs to be determined by the administration.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-15--Belarus Protests Turn Violent as Opposition Candidates Barred from Elections

Hundreds of protesters rallied and scuffled with police in Belarus on Tuesday with more than 100 people detained after officials barred President Alexander Lukashenko 's main rivals from running in an election in August .
Hundreds of people took to the streets of the capital Minsk on Tuesday evening , walking peacefully and clapping as passing drivers honked their horns in support .
But in scenes previously unseen during a recent wave of protests , some also scuffled with police and others cried out `` Shame ! ''
and whistled .
Rallies also took place in a number of provincial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights group Viasna said more than 100 people including over 70 in Minsk were detained .
Those arrested included around 10 journalists .
Lukashenko , a former collective farm chief , has been president for 26 years and will seek his sixth term in the Aug. 9 election .
He will stand against four candidates including a woman opposition activist .
Earlier Tuesday the central electoral commission rejected two major opposition candidates , citing alleged violations including incorrect income declarations and a failure to gather required signatures .
It voted against Lukashenko 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 56-year-old former banker who was arrested last month over suspected financial crimes .
It also rejected the candidacy of Valery Tsepkalo , 55 , a former ambassador to Washington and another popular opposition figure .
The poll is going ahead despite the country of 9 million people confirming more than 65,000 coronavirus cases .
Lukashenko has refused to impose a strict lockdown .
Belarus has seen a turbulent summer of protests and arrests of would-be opposition candidates , with Babaryko seen as the strongest potential opponent .
`` It 's a clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said his spokeswoman Maria Kolesnikova .
`` The authorities removed the strongest candidates and left the weakest , '' Radio Free Europe political analyst Valery Karbalevich told AFP .
He said a genuine fight was possible only if the remaining opposition candidates chose a single one of them to stand , to avoid dividing the vote .
Central electoral commission head Lidiya Yermoshina read out a letter from the state control committee , an audit body , alleging that Babaryko was part of an `` organized criminal group '' and failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 .
A lawyer representing Babaryko told the commission the accusations were part of a criminal case that has not yet been heard .
The electoral chief also said Babaryko had used foreign financing for his campaign , referring to the use of staff and resources from his former workplace , the Belarusian subsidiary of Russian state bank Gazprombank .
Babaryko is incarcerated in the prison of the KGB security service .
His team told reporters they would contest the decision on his candidacy at the Supreme Court .
The commission also rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who took part in the summer protests .
It cited a lack of valid signatures and an allegedly incorrectly filled-out earnings declaration .
Tsepkalo also said he would appeal the decision .
The commission registered five candidates including Lukashenko .
He said he will not campaign as a candidate on state media , which already cover his activities in detail .

Hundreds of protesters rallied and scuffled with police in Belarus on Tuesday with more than 100 people detained after officials barred President Alexander Lukashenko's main rivals from running in an election in August. Hundreds of people took to the streets of the capital Minsk on Tuesday evening, walking peacefully and clapping as passing drivers honked their horns in support.
news Belarus Bars Jailed Lukashenko Rival From Contesting Vote Read more
But in scenes previously unseen during a recent wave of protests, some also scuffled with police and others cried out "Shame!" and whistled. Rallies also took place in a number of provincial cities including Brest and Gomel. Human rights group Viasna said more than 100 people including over 70 in Minsk were detained. Those arrested included around 10 journalists. Lukashenko, a former collective farm chief, has been president for 26 years and will seek his sixth term in the Aug. 9 election. He will stand against four candidates including a woman opposition activist. Earlier Tuesday the central electoral commission rejected two major opposition candidates, citing alleged violations including incorrect income declarations and a failure to gather required signatures. It voted against Lukashenko's strongest election rival, Viktor Babaryko, a 56-year-old former banker who was arrested last month over suspected financial crimes. It also rejected the candidacy of Valery Tsepkalo, 55, a former ambassador to Washington and another popular opposition figure. The poll is going ahead despite the country of 9 million people confirming more than 65,000 coronavirus cases. Lukashenko has refused to impose a strict lockdown.
'The Authorities are Afraid'
Belarus has seen a turbulent summer of protests and arrests of would-be opposition candidates, with Babaryko seen as the strongest potential opponent. "It's a clear sign that the authorities are afraid," said his spokeswoman Maria Kolesnikova. "The authorities removed the strongest candidates and left the weakest," Radio Free Europe political analyst Valery Karbalevich told AFP. He said a genuine fight was possible only if the remaining opposition candidates chose a single one of them to stand, to avoid dividing the vote. Central electoral commission head Lidiya Yermoshina read out a letter from the state control committee, an audit body, alleging that Babaryko was part of an "organized criminal group" and failed to declare all his money and assets in 2019. A lawyer representing Babaryko told the commission the accusations were part of a criminal case that has not yet been heard. The electoral chief also said Babaryko had used foreign financing for his campaign, referring to the use of staff and resources from his former workplace, the Belarusian subsidiary of Russian state bank Gazprombank. Babaryko is incarcerated in the prison of the KGB security service. His team told reporters they would contest the decision on his candidacy at the Supreme Court. The commission also rejected the other main opposition candidate, Tsepkalo, who took part in the summer protests. It cited a lack of valid signatures and an allegedly incorrectly filled-out earnings declaration. Tsepkalo also said he would appeal the decision. The commission registered five candidates including Lukashenko. He said he will not campaign as a candidate on state media, which already cover his activities in detail.
'Stop the Cockroach!'


themoscowtimes--2020-07-15--Russian MPs Back Bill to Hold Polls Over 3 Days

A bill that allows elections to be held over `` several but no more than three days '' was adopted by parliament 's lower house , the State Duma , in a key second reading .
Russia 's parliament on Wednesday approved legislation that allows elections to be held over three days , in a move the opposition said was aimed at hollowing out democratic polls .
The amendments allow elections to be held outside polling stations and enable voters to cast ballots in various `` public spaces , '' said the State Duma .
The changes came after President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote that amended the constitution and allowed him to potentially stay in the Kremlin until 2036 .
During the June 25-July 1 plebiscite makeshift polling stations were set up at unlikely locations including buses , tents and street benches .
The voting process , which was not monitored by proper election observers , was ridiculed on social media and criticized by Kremlin critics .
Leading opposition politician Alexei Navalny said the referendum had set `` a record in faking votes '' and the result had `` nothing in common with people 's views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held over several days would be more difficult to monitor and easier to rig .
`` They are trying to finish off the institution of elections without realizing that they are digging a grave for themselves , '' Moscow city councilor Yulia Galyamina said on Facebook , referring to the authorities .
Even the Kremlin-friendly leader of A Just Russia party , Sergei Mironov , criticized the bill .
`` From now on people will doubt and ask just how legitimate this or that vote is , '' the party quoted Mironov as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take place next year but some observers say they could actually be held this year .
Regional elections will take place across Russia in September .

A bill that allows elections to be held over "several but no more than three days" was adopted by parliament's lower house, the State Duma, in a key second reading.
Russia's parliament on Wednesday approved legislation that allows elections to be held over three days, in a move the opposition said was aimed at hollowing out democratic polls.
The amendments allow elections to be held outside polling stations and enable voters to cast ballots in various "public spaces," said the State Duma.
The changes came after President Vladimir Putin oversaw a deeply controversial seven-day vote that amended the constitution and allowed him to potentially stay in the Kremlin until 2036.
During the June 25-July 1 plebiscite makeshift polling stations were set up at unlikely locations including buses, tents and street benches.
The voting process, which was not monitored by proper election observers, was ridiculed on social media and criticized by Kremlin critics.
Leading opposition politician Alexei Navalny said the referendum had set "a record in faking votes" and the result had "nothing in common with people's views."
Putin's critics said elections held over several days would be more difficult to monitor and easier to rig.
"They are trying to finish off the institution of elections without realizing that they are digging a grave for themselves," Moscow city councilor Yulia Galyamina said on Facebook, referring to the authorities.
Even the Kremlin-friendly leader of A Just Russia party, Sergei Mironov, criticized the bill.
"From now on people will doubt and ask just how legitimate this or that vote is," the party quoted Mironov as saying.
Parliamentary elections are set to take place next year but some observers say they could actually be held this year.
Regional elections will take place across Russia in September.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-15--Russia Military Says Virus Vaccine Is Tested and Safe

The ministry said 18 people had participated in the research and were discharged without `` serious adverse events , health complaints , complications or side effects . ''
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday it had developed a `` safe '' coronavirus vaccine following clinical trials on a group of volunteers .
The results of the trials `` allow us to speak with confidence about the safety and good tolerability of the vaccine , '' it said in a statement .
The Defense Ministry did not say whether the vaccine was in fact effective but a doctor working on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protected against the coronavirus .
`` Their immunity is working well , antibodies are being created , they are protected against the coronavirus , '' researcher Svetlana Volchikhina said in a video released by the Defense Ministry .
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin during the height of the epidemic in Russia in late May that military researchers were developing a vaccine with scientists at the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow .
The volunteers were isolated in the Burdenko military hospital in Moscow on June 18 when the trial vaccine was administered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ministry reported that `` for 28 days after vaccination , the vital signs of the volunteers remained within normal limits . ''
`` We now know that we are 100 % protected , '' Yury , a member of the army who participated in the tests , said on leaving the hospital .
A second group of participants who were vaccinated on June 23 are currently in isolation in hospital under medical supervision .
The Defense Ministry has said it expects clinical trials to be fully completed by the end of July .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus infections in the world with 746,369 cases and nearly 12,000 deaths , health officials said on Wednesday .

The ministry said 18 people had participated in the research and were discharged without "serious adverse events, health complaints, complications or side effects."
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday it had developed a "safe" coronavirus vaccine following clinical trials on a group of volunteers.
The results of the trials "allow us to speak with confidence about the safety and good tolerability of the vaccine," it said in a statement.
The Defense Ministry did not say whether the vaccine was in fact effective but a doctor working on the trials said the volunteers were now protected against the coronavirus.
"Their immunity is working well, antibodies are being created, they are protected against the coronavirus," researcher Svetlana Volchikhina said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin during the height of the epidemic in Russia in late May that military researchers were developing a vaccine with scientists at the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow.
The volunteers were isolated in the Burdenko military hospital in Moscow on June 18 when the trial vaccine was administered and underwent daily check-ups.
The Defense Ministry reported that "for 28 days after vaccination, the vital signs of the volunteers remained within normal limits."
"We now know that we are 100% protected," Yury, a member of the army who participated in the tests, said on leaving the hospital.
A second group of participants who were vaccinated on June 23 are currently in isolation in hospital under medical supervision.
The Defense Ministry has said it expects clinical trials to be fully completed by the end of July.
Russia has recorded the fourth-highest number of coronavirus infections in the world with 746,369 cases and nearly 12,000 deaths, health officials said on Wednesday.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-15--Alaskan Town to Relocate Russian Founder’s Statue Over ‘Racial Division’

A petition calling for the removal of Russian America governor Alexander Baranov ’ s monument cites the “ armed assault ” he led on the local Tinglit people in the early 1800s .
Protesters across the West have called for the removal of statues depicting Confederate or colonialist figures since the May killing of an African-American man at the hands of police sparked a wave of Black Lives Matter rallies .
The remote Alaskan town of Sitka has voted to relocate the statue of its Russian founder as anti-racism protests worldwide seek to topple statues of historical figures linked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and borough assembly said late Tuesday that the Baranov statue ’ s location at a central gathering spot incites divisions within the community .
“ The monument to Baranov continues to normalize a figure steeped in racial division , violence and injustice , ” it said in a resolution approving the statue ’ s relocation .
It ordered the relocation of Baranov ’ s statue to the Sitka Historical Society Museum “ as soon as possible , ” according to the resolution published on the assembly ’ s website .
Three assembly members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Tribal Council will coordinate the relocation and “ provide important historical background and context ” about the figure in its new spot .
Russian billionaire Andrei Filatov ’ s foundation that collects Soviet-era art previously offered to buy the statue of Baranov and another statue of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and bring them to St. Petersburg , citing the `` positive mark '' left by both men on Russia .
Roosevelt ’ s statue is set to be removed from the American Museum of Natural History because it explicitly depicts black and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the mayor of New York City said last month .
Baranov ’ s statue has been vandalized several times before and after its unveiling in 1989 .
Russians are speculated to have first reached Alaska in the 1600s .
Regular commercial fur trapping expeditions between Siberia and Alaska began in the 1740s , at which time Russian settlements began appearing on the Alaskan coast .
Historians note many instances of subjugation of the Aleut people at the hands of Russian settlers in the century following the normal establishment of the Russian-Alaskan fur @ @

A petition calling for the removal of Russian America governor Alexander Baranov’s monument cites the “armed assault” he led on the local Tinglit people in the early 1800s. Protesters across the West have called for the removal of statues depicting Confederate or colonialist figures since the May killing of an African-American man at the hands of police sparked a wave of Black Lives Matter rallies.
The remote Alaskan town of Sitka has voted to relocate the statue of its Russian founder as anti-racism protests worldwide seek to topple statues of historical figures linked to racism and colonialism.
The Sitka city and borough assembly said late Tuesday that the Baranov statue’s location at a central gathering spot incites divisions within the community.
“The monument to Baranov continues to normalize a figure steeped in racial division, violence and injustice,” it said in a resolution approving the statue’s relocation.
It ordered the relocation of Baranov’s statue to the Sitka Historical Society Museum “as soon as possible,” according to the resolution published on the assembly’s website.
Three assembly members and the Sitka Tribe of Alaska’s Tribal Council will coordinate the relocation and “provide important historical background and context” about the figure in its new spot.
Russian billionaire Andrei Filatov’s foundation that collects Soviet-era art previously offered to buy the statue of Baranov and another statue of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and bring them to St. Petersburg, citing the "positive mark" left by both men on Russia.
Roosevelt’s statue is set to be removed from the American Museum of Natural History because it explicitly depicts black and indigenous people as subjugated and racially inferior, the mayor of New York City said last month.
Baranov’s statue has been vandalized several times before and after its unveiling in 1989.
Russians are speculated to have first reached Alaska in the 1600s. Regular commercial fur trapping expeditions between Siberia and Alaska began in the 1740s, at which time Russian settlements began appearing on the Alaskan coast.
Historians note many instances of subjugation of the Aleut people at the hands of Russian settlers in the century following the normal establishment of the Russian-Alaskan fur trade.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-15--Russia Arrests Disabled ‘Soviet Citizen’ Suspected of Plotting Coup

Vladimir Beskhlebnyi , 72 , was placed under house arrest in the Omsk region Saturday on charges of creating an extremist group and plotting a criminal act , the Soviet Citizens group to which he belongs said .
The charges carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years .
A disabled Russian pensioner who denies the collapse of the Soviet Union is suspected by the authorities of plotting to overthrow the government , according to the local chapter of the organization that believes the U.S.S.R. still legally exists .
Beskhlebnyi is among thousands of self-declared Soviet citizens who believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cease to exist three decades ago .
“ He walks with a cane after getting in a car accident several years ago .
Don ’ t our own agencies find it absurd to suspect him of seizing power ?
” one of Beskhlebnyi ’ s supporters Vladimir Zhigalin told the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper Tuesday .
Authorities suspect Zhigalin of “ coordinating ” an extremist organization in a remote Siberian village , the newspaper reported .
“ We 're peaceful people and not the opposition , just adherents of the U.S.S.R. , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Zhigalin and Khrustakaya were among five Beskhlebnyi associates who were subjected to raids by armed and masked Federal Security Service ( FSB ) agents around the time of his detention .
The agents handed Beskhlebnyi ’ s wife a search warrant , according to Novaya Gazeta , claiming that her husband was plotting an “ armed seizure of power.
” They confiscated his personal belongings , including a Soviet passport that he never traded for a Russian ID .
Since 2018 , Russian authorities have charged several high-profile figures in the movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the charges are believed to have resulted in convictions .

Vladimir Beskhlebnyi, 72, was placed under house arrest in the Omsk region Saturday on charges of creating an extremist group and plotting a criminal act, the Soviet Citizens group to which he belongs said . The charges carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
A disabled Russian pensioner who denies the collapse of the Soviet Union is suspected by the authorities of plotting to overthrow the government, according to the local chapter of the organization that believes the U.S.S.R. still legally exists.
Beskhlebnyi is among thousands of self-declared Soviet citizens who believe that the Soviet Union did not legally cease to exist three decades ago.
“He walks with a cane after getting in a car accident several years ago. Don’t our own agencies find it absurd to suspect him of seizing power?” one of Beskhlebnyi’s supporters Vladimir Zhigalin told the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper Tuesday.
Authorities suspect Zhigalin of “coordinating” an extremist organization in a remote Siberian village, the newspaper reported.
“We're peaceful people and not the opposition, just adherents of the U.S.S.R.,” Larisa Khrutskaya, another supporter, said.
Zhigalin and Khrustakaya were among five Beskhlebnyi associates who were subjected to raids by armed and masked Federal Security Service (FSB) agents around the time of his detention.
The agents handed Beskhlebnyi’s wife a search warrant, according to Novaya Gazeta, claiming that her husband was plotting an “armed seizure of power.” They confiscated his personal belongings, including a Soviet passport that he never traded for a Russian ID.
Since 2018, Russian authorities have charged several high-profile figures in the movement denying the Soviet collapse. None of the charges are believed to have resulted in convictions.