themoscowtimes--2020-07-21--Russia's Coronavirus Cases Pass 780K as New Infections Lowest Since Late April

The last time Russia reported fewer than 6,000 cases was on April 29 .
The highest number of new cases @ @ @ @ @ western Siberian region of Khanty-Mansiysk and Sverdlovsk in the Urals .
Russia 's fatality rate @ @ @ @ @ other badly-hit countries , raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures .
Russian authorities @ @ @ @ @ June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide @ @ @ @ @ now allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036 .
Both events were @ @ @ @ @ .
Moscow plans to open cinemas and theaters on Aug. 1 .
In the capital @ @ @ @ @ stores and on public transport but not in the streets .
Several institutes in Russia @ @ @ @ @ vaccine .
Last week the Russian Defense Ministry said it had developed a `` safe @ @ @ @ @ on a group of volunteers .
The trials are ongoing , and the Defense Ministry @ @ @ @ @ fully completed in the coming weeks .

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--2020-07-21--Russian Tech Exec Sues Steele Dossier Author in UK Court

Alexej Gubarev said in documents released in London 's High Court that former UK intelligence officer Christopher Steele was responsible for the U.S. news site 's January 2017 publication of his dossier .
A Russian tech entrepreneur on Monday began a defamation claim against the British author of a controversial report at the heart of 2016 U.S. election meddling allegations first leaked to BuzzFeed .
Some of its findings were used by special counsel Robert Mueller to conduct his own investigation that found evidence of Russian interference but no collusion with Donald Trump 's team .
Both Gubarev and Steele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give evidence on Monday .
Buzzfeed is not a defendant in the case .
The five-day hearing covers the tumultuous few months that followed Trump 's November 2016 U.S. presidential election victory .
Steele 's firm Orbis collected raw intelligence alleging that Kremlin officials had gathered compromising material on Trump during the years when he was still a New York property tycoon .
His dossier alleged that Russian intelligence agencies hacked into Democratic Party servers to collect damaging material on opponent Hillary Clinton .
It accused Gubarev 's tech company Webzilla of conducting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The report was published by BuzzFeed in January 2017 .
`` The central question for the court on liability , and the one to which the majority of material before the court is directed , is whether the defendants were responsible in law for the publication of the Steele Dossier by BuzzFeed , '' Gubarev 's lawyers said in a statement .
`` The claimant 's case is that the answer is demonstrably yes . ''
The claim said it expected the damages to be capped by the court at £325,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his company said they had nothing to do with Buzzfeed 's `` unauthorized online publication . ''
The defendants `` did not intend the December memorandum or its content to be made public ( and ) did not provide the December memorandum to BuzzFeed or any other media organization . ''
The court case is being held in London because Gubarev claims that he has friends and business connections in Britain that have been damaged by Steele .
Yet little is known about Gubarev and his Cyprus-registered firm .
A report by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year that the internet servers provided by Gubarev 's firm were used by Russian intelligence agencies to tap into the Democratic Party servers .
Gubarev 's court filings did not refute this but denied `` knowing involvement '' in the suspected hack .
The court documents said Gubarev was born in Russia but has been a resident of Cyprus for 18 years .
It did not provide his age but said `` his eldest daughter is pursuing higher education in the UK . ''
`` He is by no means a public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the technology sector , and his Cypriot community , '' Gubarev 's court papers said .

Alexej Gubarev said in documents released in London's High Court that former UK intelligence officer Christopher Steele was responsible for the U.S. news site's January 2017 publication of his dossier.
A Russian tech entrepreneur on Monday began a defamation claim against the British author of a controversial report at the heart of 2016 U.S. election meddling allegations first leaked to BuzzFeed.
Some of its findings were used by special counsel Robert Mueller to conduct his own investigation that found evidence of Russian interference but no collusion with Donald Trump's team.
Both Gubarev and Steele attended the opening hearing but did not give evidence on Monday. Buzzfeed is not a defendant in the case.
The five-day hearing covers the tumultuous few months that followed Trump's November 2016 U.S. presidential election victory.
Steele's firm Orbis collected raw intelligence alleging that Kremlin officials had gathered compromising material on Trump during the years when he was still a New York property tycoon.
His dossier alleged that Russian intelligence agencies hacked into Democratic Party servers to collect damaging material on opponent Hillary Clinton.
It accused Gubarev's tech company Webzilla of conducting "operations against the Democratic Party leadership."
The report was published by BuzzFeed in January 2017.
"The central question for the court on liability, and the one to which the majority of material before the court is directed, is whether the defendants were responsible in law for the publication of the Steele Dossier by BuzzFeed," Gubarev's lawyers said in a statement.
"The claimant's case is that the answer is demonstrably yes."
The claim said it expected the damages to be capped by the court at £325,000 ($410,000).
Steele and his company said they had nothing to do with Buzzfeed's "unauthorized online publication."
The defendants "did not intend the December memorandum or its content to be made public (and) did not provide the December memorandum to BuzzFeed or any other media organization."
'Not a public figure'
The court case is being held in London because Gubarev claims that he has friends and business connections in Britain that have been damaged by Steele.
Yet little is known about Gubarev and his Cyprus-registered firm.
A report by a former FBI cyber crime division official concluded last year that the internet servers provided by Gubarev's firm were used by Russian intelligence agencies to tap into the Democratic Party servers.
Gubarev's court filings did not refute this but denied "knowing involvement" in the suspected hack.
The court documents said Gubarev was born in Russia but has been a resident of Cyprus for 18 years.
It did not provide his age but said "his eldest daughter is pursuing higher education in the UK."
"He is by no means a public figure, but he is well known within the technology sector, and his Cypriot community," Gubarev's court papers said.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-21--Moscow Transgender Activist ‘Faces Rape’ in Men’s Prison

A Russian transgender activist jailed for protesting new anti-LGBT legislation faces humiliation and possible rape in the men ’ s cell she ’ s been placed in , activists said Monday .
A Moscow court found Polina Simonenko guilty of repeatedly violating protest rules and sentenced her to 14 days in jail .
Simonenko and around 30 activists had been detained over the weekend for staging solo pickets against a bill banning gay and transgender marriage and adoption in Russia .
The LGBT faction of Russia ’ s Grazhdanskoye Obshchestvo ( “ Civil Society ” ) activist movement said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bullying from guards and cellmates .
“ There could be rape .
It ’ s disgusting , ” the group said on its Telegram social media app channel .
Simonenko ’ s lawyer Konstantin Boykov said she was placed in a male cell because she has not yet changed her documents to reflect her gender .
The group said that police officers beat Simonenko and fellow activists during their detention and in court .
Russia classifies transgender people as mentally ill and requires them to obtain a psychiatric diagnosis of “ transsexualism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Russia is due in 2022 to change its classification to a sexual health issue in line with the World Health Organization ’ s global manual of diagnoses .
There are no official statistics on the number of transgender people in Russia , but experts have placed it at around 15,000 , or about 0.1 % of the population .
Russian lawmakers swiftly moved to ban same-sex marriage two weeks after voters approved a set of constitutional amendments that include language defining marriage as a “ union between a man and a woman.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the bill also bans transgender marriage .

A Russian transgender activist jailed for protesting new anti-LGBT legislation faces humiliation and possible rape in the men’s cell she’s been placed in, activists said Monday. A Moscow court found Polina Simonenko guilty of repeatedly violating protest rules and sentenced her to 14 days in jail. Simonenko and around 30 activists had been detained over the weekend for staging solo pickets against a bill banning gay and transgender marriage and adoption in Russia.
news Russia Moves to Ban Gay Marriage Read more
The LGBT faction of Russia’s Grazhdanskoye Obshchestvo (“Civil Society”) activist movement said that Simonenko is now under threat of intimidation and bullying from guards and cellmates. “There could be rape. It’s disgusting,” the group said on its Telegram social media app channel. Simonenko’s lawyer Konstantin Boykov said she was placed in a male cell because she has not yet changed her documents to reflect her gender. The group said that police officers beat Simonenko and fellow activists during their detention and in court.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-21--Madonna Says Russia Fined Her $1M for Gay Rights Speech

Pop icon Madonna said Monday that Russia had fined her for speaking in support of LGBT rights during her last concert there .
Russian courts , however , said there was no such ruling .
At her Aug. 8 , 2012 , show in St. Petersburg , Madonna told the cheering crowd that “ gay people here and all around the world have the same rights to be treated with dignity , with respect , with tolerance , with compassion , with love.
” The singer shared a video of the speech on her social media pages Monday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government for supporting the gay community .
I never paid… , ” she wrote .
At the time , Madonna was also actively campaigning in support of Pussy Riot , the punk band whose members were on trial for their anti-Putin “ punk prayer ” performance at a Moscow cathedral .
Following the singer 's social media post , the St. Petersburg court system said two Russian activist groups had filed a lawsuit against her for what they claimed to be homosexual and pedophilia propaganda .
However , “ the claim filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was denied , ” it told the Govorit Moskva radio station Tuesday .
The popular singer raised the issue a week after Russian lawmakers introduced legislation that would ban same-sex marriage in line with President Vladimir Putin ’ s recent changes to the Constitution .
Legal experts and rights groups have expressed concern that the constitutional ban on LGBT marriages will encourage anti-gay views across Russia .
In 2013 , 20 years after Russia decriminalized homosexuality , Putin signed legislation banning “ gay propaganda toward minors ” that has since been used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activists .
Madonna hasn ’ t returned to Russia since her 2012 world tour .
She said in 2015 that she would likely never perform in Moscow or St. Petersburg again due to Russia ’ s stance on gay rights .

Pop icon Madonna said Monday that Russia had fined her for speaking in support of LGBT rights during her last concert there. Russian courts, however, said there was no such ruling. At her Aug. 8, 2012, show in St. Petersburg, Madonna told the cheering crowd that “gay people here and all around the world have the same rights to be treated with dignity, with respect, with tolerance, with compassion, with love.”
The singer shared a video of the speech on her social media pages Monday. “I was fined $1 million by the government for supporting the gay community. I never paid…,” she wrote. At the time, Madonna was also actively campaigning in support of Pussy Riot, the punk band whose members were on trial for their anti-Putin “punk prayer” performance at a Moscow cathedral. Following the singer's social media post, the St. Petersburg court system said two Russian activist groups had filed a lawsuit against her for what they claimed to be homosexual and pedophilia propaganda.
news Madonna Is a Stage Prop in Pussy Riot Trial Read more


themoscowtimes--2020-07-21--Russian Priest Compares IVF to Nazi Experiments

Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov was granted the dubious title of “ Sexist of the Year ” by feminist bloggers this spring for comparing common-law wives to prostitutes , urging girls to prepare for childbirth instead of going to school and saying that women have “ weaker minds ” than men .
A senior Russian Orthodox Church official known for making controversial sexist remarks has compared in vitro fertilization ( IVF ) to notorious medical experiments that Nazi doctors conducted during World War II .
In his latest interview cited by Interfax , Smirnov called IVF and surrogate motherhood a “ quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the universe.
” “ This method of artificially creating people is naturally fascist , ” Smirnov told the Prikhozhanin ( “ Parishioner ” ) magazine .
“ As we remember , people were hanged for such experiments after the Nuremberg trials , ” he said .
The Nuremberg trials found 15 German doctors guilty of war crimes for experiments including artificially inseminating 300 inmates at Auschwitz , sterilizing men and women at various concentration camps and injecting twins with chloroform after experiments aimed at accelerating the birthrate of the German race .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ infertility where an egg is combined with sperm outside the body , cultivated for a few days and then implanted back into the same or a different uterus .
Studies have linked IVF to certain types of rare childhood cancers due in part to advanced maternal age .
Russia in recent years has been attempting to reverse its demographic decline by reimbursing private-clinic IVF through its national insurance program .

Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov was granted the dubious title of “ Sexist of the Year ” by feminist bloggers this spring for comparing common-law wives to prostitutes, urging girls to prepare for childbirth instead of going to school and saying that women have “weaker minds” than men.
A senior Russian Orthodox Church official known for making controversial sexist remarks has compared in vitro fertilization (IVF) to notorious medical experiments that Nazi doctors conducted during World War II.
In his latest interview cited by Interfax, Smirnov called IVF and surrogate motherhood a “quite dangerous and sinful game with the Creator of the universe.”
“This method of artificially creating people is naturally fascist,” Smirnov told the Prikhozhanin (“Parishioner”) magazine.
“As we remember, people were hanged for such experiments after the Nuremberg trials,” he said.
The Nuremberg trials found 15 German doctors guilty of war crimes for experiments including artificially inseminating 300 inmates at Auschwitz, sterilizing men and women at various concentration camps and injecting twins with chloroform after experiments aimed at accelerating the birthrate of the German race.
IVF is a technology used to treat infertility where an egg is combined with sperm outside the body, cultivated for a few days and then implanted back into the same or a different uterus. Studies have linked IVF to certain types of rare childhood cancers due in part to advanced maternal age.
Russia in recent years has been attempting to reverse its demographic decline by reimbursing private-clinic IVF through its national insurance program.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-21--Armed Man Holds 20 Bus Passengers Hostage in Ukraine

Ukrainian police were holding tense negotiations on Tuesday with a man armed with explosives who took 20 people hostage in a bus and claimed to have planted a remote-controlled device in the western city of Lutsk .
Police cordoned off the center of the city of over 200,000 , some 400 kilometers ( 250 miles ) from the capital Kiev , and asked residents not to leave their homes or places of work .
The hostage-taker also fired shots at a police drone that flew over the bus and threw an explosive package into the street , deputy interior minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacker threw a grenade from the bus , which , fortunately , did not detonate , '' a police statement said .
Video footage and pictures published by local media showed armed police around a blue and white bus with several windows shattered and its curtains drawn .
Police said the SBU security services , which combat terrorism and are involved in counterintelligence , were also on site .
The prosecutor general 's office said the attacker claimed there was a separate explosive device located in a public place in the city that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initially made contact with the police and identified himself as Maksym Plokhoy — a pseudonym which translates to `` Bad Maxim '' — Gerashchenko said .
Gerashchenko later identified the man as 44-year-old Maksym Kryvosh .
Kryvosh previously spent around 10 years in prison on charges including fraud and illegal handling of weapons , Gerashchenko said .
He was believed to have undergone psychiatric treatment , police said , but interior minister Arsen Avakov later denied this information .

Ukrainian police freed 13 hostages and arrested an armed man who held them on a bus for more than 12 hours on Tuesday, after the country's president agreed to his demand to post a movie recommendation on social media. The SBU security service said a joint operation had resulted in all the hostages being released unharmed after a police stand-off in the western city Lutsk with the man, who threatened to detonate an explosive device unless his strange requests were met. The tense hostage situation seemed to be resolved swiftly after the man spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who then recorded a short video, apparently meeting one of the man's demands. Three hostages were quickly let go, followed by the rest about an hour later.
With all hostages free and the hostage-taker in custody, President Zelensky has deleted the Facebook video of himself complying with the armed man's demand to promote the 2005 film Earthlings featuring narration by Joaquin Phoenix. But here it is for posterity. pic.twitter.com/lPcHB8XD3H — Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) July 21, 2020
Footage published by Ukrainian officials showed police escorting people as armed special forces stood over a man lying face down on the pavement near the bus with his hands behind his back. The hostage-taker had earlier fired shots and thrown an explosive package into the street in the center of Lutsk, a city of over 200,000 some 400 kilometers (250 miles) from capital Kiev. 'He convinced him' The man initially made contact with the police identifying himself as Maksym Plokhoy, a pseudonym which translates to "Bad Maxim," police said. He was identified as Maksym Kryvosh, 44, who had previously spent around 10 years in prison on various charges. An account which was later suspended by Twitter had posts under Kryvosh's name claiming he was armed, including with bombs, and demanding top Ukrainian personalities convey anti-establishment messages on social media.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-22--Gulag Historian Convicted for Sexual Assault Despite Outcry

Wednesday ’ s verdict is the second in two years against the outspoken historian who has called attention to one of the darkest chapters in Russia ’ s history .
Dmitriyev , 64 , was first arrested in late 2016 on child porn charges , then acquitted in 2018 , and then arrested again in a new sexual assault case .
Dmitriyev will be released in November as his time already served in pre-trial detention will count toward his sentence , his lawyer said .
A Russian court has sentenced respected Gulag historian Yury Dmitriyev to three and a half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assault in a case his allies say was trumped up to silence him .
The Petrozavodsk City Court in northwestern Russia found Dmitriyev guilty Wednesday of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter .
A court database showed that Dmitriyev was cleared of child pornography , indecent assault and weapons possession charges .
Russian prosecutors had demanded that he be convicted and sentenced to 15 years in a strict-regime penal colony .
Dmitriyev vehemently denies the charges against him .
“ What they ’ re trying to pass off as something approaching erotic touching is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Dmitriyev said in court earlier in July .
“ Everything invented here by our friendly investigator and zealously repeated by our beloved prosecutor is false , ” Dmitriyev said in his closing statement to the court published by the Meduza news website .
Dmitriyev is the head of the leading rights group Memorial 's branch in the republic of Karelia in northwestern Russia .
He is known for helping open the Sandarmokh memorial in a pine forest in Karelia in memory of thousands of victims — including many foreigners — murdered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stirred outcry among rights groups and cultural figures , who say the charges were trumped up as an effort to silence the historian who has spent decades locating and exhuming mass graves of people killed under Soviet leader Josef Stalin 's rule .
In an appeal to the Council of Europe this year , prominent writers including Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich and Jonathan Littell called the historian `` a bone in the authorities ' throat . ''
`` The Russian authorities are seeking to rewrite the history of Sandarmokh by slandering its discoverer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime , '' they said .
“ We are concerned that perfectly appropriate measures to protect the child during the trial may have been misused by the authorities to pursue a prosecution of a human rights defender to smear his reputation , ” said Hugh Williamson , who heads the Human Rights Watch NGO 's Europe and Central Asia chapter .
Dmitriyev was first arrested in late 2016 on child porn charges and spent more than a year in pre-trial detention before being released after calls from prominent figures for him to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges in April 2018 , but was detained and charged with sexual assault later that year after a higher court overturned in a stunning turnaround the `` not guilty '' verdict .

Wednesday’s verdict is the second in two years against the outspoken historian who has called attention to one of the darkest chapters in Russia’s history. Dmitriyev, 64, was first arrested in late 2016 on child porn charges, then acquitted in 2018, and then arrested again in a new sexual assault case.
Dmitriyev will be released in November as his time already served in pre-trial detention will count toward his sentence, his lawyer said .
A Russian court has sentenced respected Gulag historian Yury Dmitriyev to three and a half years in prison on charges of sexual assault in a case his allies say was trumped up to silence him.
The Petrozavodsk City Court in northwestern Russia found Dmitriyev guilty Wednesday of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter.
A court database showed that Dmitriyev was cleared of child pornography, indecent assault and weapons possession charges.
Russian prosecutors had demanded that he be convicted and sentenced to 15 years in a strict-regime penal colony.
Dmitriyev vehemently denies the charges against him.
“What they’re trying to pass off as something approaching erotic touching is just an interpretation of parental care,” Dmitriyev said in court earlier in July.
“Everything invented here by our friendly investigator and zealously repeated by our beloved prosecutor is false,” Dmitriyev said in his closing statement to the court published by the Meduza news website.
Dmitriyev is the head of the leading rights group Memorial's branch in the republic of Karelia in northwestern Russia. He is known for helping open the Sandarmokh memorial in a pine forest in Karelia in memory of thousands of victims — including many foreigners — murdered in 1937 and 1938.
His case has stirred outcry among rights groups and cultural figures, who say the charges were trumped up as an effort to silence the historian who has spent decades locating and exhuming mass graves of people killed under Soviet leader Josef Stalin's rule.
In an appeal to the Council of Europe this year, prominent writers including Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich and Jonathan Littell called the historian "a bone in the authorities' throat."
"The Russian authorities are seeking to rewrite the history of Sandarmokh by slandering its discoverer and groundlessly accusing Dmitriyev of an outrageous crime," they said.
“We are concerned that perfectly appropriate measures to protect the child during the trial may have been misused by the authorities to pursue a prosecution of a human rights defender to smear his reputation,” said Hugh Williamson, who heads the Human Rights Watch NGO's Europe and Central Asia chapter.
Dmitriyev was first arrested in late 2016 on child porn charges and spent more than a year in pre-trial detention before being released after calls from prominent figures for him to be freed.
He was acquitted of those charges in April 2018, but was detained and charged with sexual assault later that year after a higher court overturned in a stunning turnaround the "not guilty" verdict.
AFP contributed reporting to this article.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-22--Trump Nominee to Russia: Abandon ‘Flying Chernobyl’ Nuclear Missile

The Burevestnik , which NATO designates as SSC-X-9 Skyfall , is believed to have exploded during secret rocket engine tests at sea in northern Russia last August , killing five scientists .
Russian media have described the Burevestnik , which President Vladimir Putin has hailed as being unlimited in range and able to evade U.S. missile shields , as a “ small flying Chernobyl.
” U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s nominee for a top arms control post in the State Department has said Russia should stop developing what he believes is a dangerous nuclear-powered cruise missile .
Marshall Billingslea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arms control post , said he ’ s been “ very clear with my Russian counterpart that these are enormous wastes of funds ” and that Moscow should “ cease and desist and abandon these kinds of destabilizing ideas.
” “ We frankly don ’ t think these weapons should exist at all , ” Billingslea told U.S. senators during nomination hearings Tuesday .
He said Russian-U.S. arms control negotiations would cover some of the nuclear and hypersonic weapons that Putin unveiled ahead of his re-election in 2018 , but stressed that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on earth would you have a nuclear-powered , nuclear-tipped cruise missile ?
That is nothing more than a flying Chernobyl , ” Billingslea told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee .
“ Just think about the radioactive plume that it would generate as it circles .
There ’ s no good argument [ and ] logic for having these kinds of doomsday systems.
” Billingslea tweeted earlier in July that the U.S. views the Burevestnik and the Poseidon “ doomsday drone ” as “ terrible concepts ” that Russia should shelve .

The Burevestnik, which NATO designates as SSC-X-9 Skyfall, is believed to have exploded during secret rocket engine tests at sea in northern Russia last August, killing five scientists. Russian media have described the Burevestnik, which President Vladimir Putin has hailed as being unlimited in range and able to evade U.S. missile shields, as a “small flying Chernobyl.”
U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee for a top arms control post in the State Department has said Russia should stop developing what he believes is a dangerous nuclear-powered cruise missile.
Marshall Billingslea, Trump’s nominee for the arms control post, said he’s been “very clear with my Russian counterpart that these are enormous wastes of funds” and that Moscow should “cease and desist and abandon these kinds of destabilizing ideas.”
“We frankly don’t think these weapons should exist at all,” Billingslea told U.S. senators during nomination hearings Tuesday.
He said Russian-U.S. arms control negotiations would cover some of the nuclear and hypersonic weapons that Putin unveiled ahead of his re-election in 2018, but stressed that they should include the Burevestnik.
“Why on earth would you have a nuclear-powered, nuclear-tipped cruise missile? That is nothing more than a flying Chernobyl,” Billingslea told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“Just think about the radioactive plume that it would generate as it circles. There’s no good argument [and] logic for having these kinds of doomsday systems.”
Billingslea tweeted earlier in July that the U.S. views the Burevestnik and the Poseidon “doomsday drone” as “terrible concepts” that Russia should shelve.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-22--Russia to Subsidize Tourists on Domestic Vacations – PM

The push to boost domestic tourism comes after officials lifted most coronavirus restrictions in June .
Moscow will subsidize holidays taken by Russian tourists who vacation at home instead of the Mediterranean , Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Wednesday .
Yet Russians are still barred from holidaying abroad due to international travel controls imposed to slow the pandemic .
`` We have already provided subsidies in the amount of about 3.5 billion rubles ( $ 49.3 million ) to tour operators , '' Mishustin told parliament during a report on government work in 2019 .
`` The government has decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 211 million ) to develop domestic tourism , '' which will be used to partially compensate Russians who vacation at home .
Russians will receive between 5,000 ( $ 70 ) and 15,000 ( $ 211 ) rubles , depending on the tour , he said .
The Association of Russian Tour Operators said companies already received information about the cashback scheme meant to stimulate tour sales .
It said people would be eligible for the rebate if they buy a tour from a government-compiled list and use the Russian Mir bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mastercard heavily promoted by the government .
The tours would have to be at least five nights long and cost at least 25,000 rubles ( $ 352 ) , it said .
The promotion would begin in August and last through Dec. 20 .

The push to boost domestic tourism comes after officials lifted most coronavirus restrictions in June.
Moscow will subsidize holidays taken by Russian tourists who vacation at home instead of the Mediterranean, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Wednesday.
Yet Russians are still barred from holidaying abroad due to international travel controls imposed to slow the pandemic.
"We have already provided subsidies in the amount of about 3.5 billion rubles ($49.3 million) to tour operators," Mishustin told parliament during a report on government work in 2019.
"The government has decided to allocate an additional 15 billion ($211 million) to develop domestic tourism," which will be used to partially compensate Russians who vacation at home.
Russians will receive between 5,000 ($70) and 15,000 ($211) rubles, depending on the tour, he said.
The Association of Russian Tour Operators said companies already received information about the cashback scheme meant to stimulate tour sales.
It said people would be eligible for the rebate if they buy a tour from a government-compiled list and use the Russian Mir bank card — a would-be competitor of Visa and Mastercard heavily promoted by the government.
The tours would have to be at least five nights long and cost at least 25,000 rubles ($352), it said. The promotion would begin in August and last through Dec. 20.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-22--Russia's Crackdown on Free Expression in 5 Cases

Russia under President Vladimir Putin has grown increasingly intolerant of voices that challenge the conservative values championed by the Kremlin .
Putin has also empowered the security forces to crack down on anyone perceived to be a threat , leading to a spike in treason and espionage cases .
In one prominent trial , a verdict is expected Wednesday for leading Gulag historian Yury Dmitriyev accused of abusing his adopted daughter .
Allies say the authorities opened the probe to silence his work on Soviet-era mass killings .
Ahead of the ruling , here are five of the most high-profile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , activists and journalists who have challenged the authorities .
Dmitriyev , a historian in northwestern Russia who spent decades exhuming mass graves of people killed under Soviet leader Josef Stalin , was arrested on child pornography charges in 2016 .
A court acquitted him — a rarity in Russia — in 2018 but a higher court reversed the ruling and he was slapped with a charge of sexually assaulting a minor .
Prosecutors demanded that Dmitriyev , now 64 , be jailed for 15 years for abusing his adoptive daughter .
Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an attempt to muzzle Dmitriyev for calling attention to one of the country 's darkest periods .
The Federal Security Services ( FSB ) this month arrested on treason charges Ivan Safronov , a former journalist who had recently joined Russia 's space agency as an adviser .
The 30-year-old won accolades for breaking important political and defense stories .
He was forced to resign last year from the Kommersant newspaper over a story about a shakeup in parliament .
The FSB have accused him of passing state secrets to Czech intelligence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persecuted for his journalism .
The case , which will be held behind closed doors , could see Safronov jailed for two decades .
A Moscow court last month handed a suspended sentence to acclaimed film and theater director Kirill Serebrennikov accused of embezzling government funds in a case that sparked outrage at home and abroad .
Serebrennikov and several co-defendants were found guilty of defrauding the Culture Ministry out of 129 million rubles ( about $ 2 million ) designated for a project called Platforma .
Cultural figures like Cate Blanchett and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Serebrennikov said the trial was evidence of growing cultural censorship in Russia .
Observers linked the case to protests by conservative groups over the director 's treatment of Russian classics and productions that explored taboo themes like politics , sexuality and religious extremism .
A young LGBT activist in the Far East , Yulia Tsvetkova , is facing six years in prison on charges of distributing pornography to minors after posting colorful drawings of vaginas online .
Tsvetkova has been fined twice under a controversial law against spreading `` gay propaganda '' among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handed another penalty of more than $ 1000 for posting drawings of gay couples with children in an online group that she said was clearly marked for adults .
She has said authorities are using the propaganda and pornography charges to punish members of the LGBT community in Russia unfairly .
Her case has sparked an international campaign by artists and poets in her support .
Journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva this month was found guilty of `` justifying terrorism '' over a column she wrote about a 2018 bombing at the FSB headquarters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers injured .
In the article , she criticized the FSB 's growing influence as well as the increasingly oppressive political climate under Putin .
Police raided the 40-year-old 's flat , froze her accounts and confiscated her passport .

Russia under President Vladimir Putin has grown increasingly intolerant of voices that challenge the conservative values championed by the Kremlin. Putin has also empowered the security forces to crack down on anyone perceived to be a threat, leading to a spike in treason and espionage cases.
In one prominent trial, a verdict is expected Wednesday for leading Gulag historian Yury Dmitriyev accused of abusing his adopted daughter. Allies say the authorities opened the probe to silence his work on Soviet-era mass killings. Ahead of the ruling, here are five of the most high-profile cases being brought against prominent cultural figures, activists and journalists who have challenged the authorities. Gulag historian Dmitriyev, a historian in northwestern Russia who spent decades exhuming mass graves of people killed under Soviet leader Josef Stalin, was arrested on child pornography charges in 2016. A court acquitted him — a rarity in Russia — in 2018 but a higher court reversed the ruling and he was slapped with a charge of sexually assaulting a minor.
news Russia Seeks 15 Years Jail for Gulag Historian Read more
Prosecutors demanded that Dmitriyev, now 64, be jailed for 15 years for abusing his adoptive daughter. Rights campaigners and supporters say the case is an attempt to muzzle Dmitriyev for calling attention to one of the country's darkest periods. Leading ex-journalist The Federal Security Services (FSB) this month arrested on treason charges Ivan Safronov, a former journalist who had recently joined Russia's space agency as an adviser. The 30-year-old won accolades for breaking important political and defense stories. He was forced to resign last year from the Kommersant newspaper over a story about a shakeup in parliament. The FSB have accused him of passing state secrets to Czech intelligence, while former colleagues say he is being persecuted for his journalism. The case, which will be held behind closed doors, could see Safronov jailed for two decades. Progressive director A Moscow court last month handed a suspended sentence to acclaimed film and theater director Kirill Serebrennikov accused of embezzling government funds in a case that sparked outrage at home and abroad. Serebrennikov and several co-defendants were found guilty of defrauding the Culture Ministry out of 129 million rubles (about $2 million) designated for a project called Platforma.
Cultural figures like Cate Blanchett and Ian McKellen criticized the case, and Serebrennikov said the trial was evidence of growing cultural censorship in Russia. Observers linked the case to protests by conservative groups over the director's treatment of Russian classics and productions that explored taboo themes like politics, sexuality and religious extremism. LGBT activist A young LGBT activist in the Far East, Yulia Tsvetkova, is facing six years in prison on charges of distributing pornography to minors after posting colorful drawings of vaginas online.
Tsvetkova has been fined twice under a controversial law against spreading "gay propaganda" among minors. Earlier this month she was handed another penalty of more than $1000 for posting drawings of gay couples with children in an online group that she said was clearly marked for adults. She has said authorities are using the propaganda and pornography charges to punish members of the LGBT community in Russia unfairly. Her case has sparked an international campaign by artists and poets in her support. 'Justifying terrorism' Journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva this month was found guilty of "justifying terrorism" over a column she wrote about a 2018 bombing at the FSB headquarters in the northern Arkhangelsk region that left three officers injured. In the article, she criticized the FSB's growing influence as well as the increasingly oppressive political climate under Putin. Police raided the 40-year-old's flat, froze her accounts and confiscated her passport.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-22--Putin-Appointed Governor Defies Calls to Leave Protest-Hit Russian Region

The new head of Russia ’ s Far Eastern Khabarovsk region has refused calls by protesters to step down less than 48 hours after he replaced a popular governor who was arrested on murder charges .
President Vladimir Putin on Monday named Mikhail Degtyaryov , 39 , the Khabarovsk region ’ s acting governor after the sudden arrest of Sergei Furgal , 50 , brought tens of thousands to the streets .
Furgal ’ s supporters gathered for the 10th consecutive day Tuesday and demanded that Degtyaryov , who unlike Furgal does not hail from the Far East , leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who yell ‘ Leave , Degtyaryov ’ : I won ’ t leave , ” he responded on social media early Wednesday .
“ Yelling ‘ Come out Degtyaryov ’ under my windows is bad manners , ” he said in an Instagram live-stream .
On Tuesday , Degtyaryov urged protesters — who he said Wednesday were expressing “ justified anger ” over Furgal ’ s arrest — to avoid provoking the police .
Degtyaryov said in the Instagram broadcast that he had worked with Furgal for nine years .
The Kremlin decree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as acting governor until an election can be held next year .
Degtyaryov has promised to step down if the charges against Furgal are cleared .
The largest pro-Furgal demonstrations drew tens of thousands over the last two Saturdays , with some estimates putting the size of the crowds at more than 50,000 .
Khabarovsk is located on the Chinese border and has a population of 600,000 .
Investigators say Furgal organized the murders of several businessmen in the Far East in 2004 and 2005 .
Critics say the charges are politically motivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was flown to Moscow to stand trial , face the charges in Khabarovsk .
Both Degtyaryov and Furgal are from the Kremlin-friendly nationalist LDPR party .
Putin did not mention the protests in Khabarovsk when announcing Degtyaryov 's appointment .
He said Degtyaryov faced `` a very demanding , very important '' job in the region and needed to focus on helping the region 's `` very talented and active '' residents .

The new head of Russia’s Far Eastern Khabarovsk region has refused calls by protesters to step down less than 48 hours after he replaced a popular governor who was arrested on murder charges. President Vladimir Putin on Monday named Mikhail Degtyaryov, 39, the Khabarovsk region’s acting governor after the sudden arrest of Sergei Furgal, 50, brought tens of thousands to the streets. Furgal’s supporters gathered for the 10th consecutive day Tuesday and demanded that Degtyaryov, who unlike Furgal does not hail from the Far East, leave the region.
news Putin Names New Governor to Far East Region Hit by Protests Read more
“To all those who yell ‘Leave, Degtyaryov’: I won’t leave,” he responded on social media early Wednesday. “Yelling ‘Come out Degtyaryov’ under my windows is bad manners,” he said in an Instagram live-stream. On Tuesday, Degtyaryov urged protesters — who he said Wednesday were expressing “justified anger” over Furgal’s arrest — to avoid provoking the police. Degtyaryov said in the Instagram broadcast that he had worked with Furgal for nine years. The Kremlin decree appointing Degtyaryov states that he will serve as acting governor until an election can be held next year. Degtyaryov has promised to step down if the charges against Furgal are cleared.


themoscowtimes--2020-07-22--Russia's Coronavirus Cases Approach 790K