RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 31, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 31, 2020

Today in Russia: Belarus protests and the IT sector – at risk?; Kremlin weighs in on Belarus, downplays any Russian direct involvement; Mass deliveries of COVID-19 vaccine coming next month; Navalny poisoning: Why no protests?; FT says EU needs tougher Belarus response; Latvia joins Lithuania in banning Belorussian officials; Lukashenko says his country is “somewhat authoritarian” and maybe, just possibly, tied up in one-man rule; Big losses for Aeroflot first half of 2020

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 24, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 24, 2020

Today in Russia: Belarus protests continue to draw enormous crowds, Lukashenko defiant; Tens of thousands of Lithuanians form human chain in solidarity with neighboring Belarus, Belarus thwarts the the threat of incoming anti-government balloons; Navalny in Germany receiving treatment, under 24 hour security as a “guest of the Chancellor;” Omsk doctors claim no poisonous substance found in Navalny; “Russia’s murderous Adhocracy”; Austria expels Russian diplomat

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 20, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 20, 2020

Today in Russia: Navalny spokeswoman says he is poisoned and in critical condition in hospital; EU rejects Belarus election result; Russia furious about “foreign meddling” in Belarus, but even state media seems confused about the official line on Belarus – maybe there isn’t one?; Kiev denies reports that it had hand in Russian mercenaries being in Minsk; In 2020, oil and gas less than a third of state revenues; Khabarovsk update; FSB says Ukrainian intelligence tried to kidnap Donbass militia leader from Russia; Quarantine punishment for activists

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 19, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 19, 2020

Today in Russia: Belarus opposition “Coordination Council” meets for first time; Tikhanovskaya urges EU not to recognize election results; Putin warns Merkel, other EU leaders not to interfere in Belarus; Trump says he will talk to Putin about Belarus; Gorbachev identifies Lukashenko’s mistakes in interview; Russia’s opposition eyes events next door in Minsk; Khabarovsk Transport Minister from Furgal administration detained; US Senate GOP-led report says Russia interfered in 2016 elections; Russian general killed in Syria; Russian offshore may be more appealing than Cyprus after tax agreement renegotiation

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 18, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 18, 2020

Today in Russia: “Tikhanovskaya had six times more votes than Lukashenko”; Lukashenko makes vague promise for more elections after he faces booing factory workers; Energy minister Novak contracts coronavirus; Vaccine chief in Russia says West trying to steal Russian scientists; Moscow exchange to open trading to 19 American companies; Norway arrests suspected Russian spy; Dmitry Trenin: Game over for Lukashenko and Moscow’s next move

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 17, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 17, 2020

Today in Russia: Largest protest in Belarus’ history as 200k march on Minsk, Lukashenko defiant and says he asked Russia for help; Tikhanovskaya says she is ready to be “national leader” in Belarus; How Russia could be drawn into Belarus; Payments for doctors may be extended; WeWork will sell offices in Moscow; The fight against sanctioned products to be ramped up

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 13, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 13, 2020

Today in Russia: Crackdown continues in Belarus; Renowned Russian violinist Spivakov writes blistering open letter and returns award from Lukashenko; Duterte changes his mind on being Russian vaccine “guinea pig”; Yandex shares reach a record high; Armed men at Minsk offices of Yandex and Uber; Russian Youtuber detained for exposing state secrets; Record low arrests […]

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 5, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published: August 5, 2020

Today in Russia: Devastating blast in Beirut believed to be caused by ammonium nitrate seized from a Russian-owned ship in 2014; Fires rage in Siberia during heat wave; Stranded Central Asian migrants pushed back at border; LDPR head Zhirinovsky says Ukraine and Belarus are getting global attention while Khabarovsk is falling by the wayside; Woolly mammoth skeleton found in Siberian lake; Lukashenko says Russia lying about mercenaries in Belarus, says more are found as country gears up for election

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How suddenly a tiny, invisible thing changed our lives?

By Merve Şebnem Oruç | Published: August 4, 2020

COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has drastically changed the routines of our lives. For instance, as a columnist closely following the Middle East, I still cannot focus entirely on my beat because the world’s top agenda is still the pandemic. The coronavirus continues to infect people and claim lives across the world, and […]

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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 4, 2020

By Matt Richard | Published:

Today in Russia: Novosibirsk as electoral testing ground; Clear cutting forests around Baikal to modernize railway?; Montenegro opens to Russian tourists; Database of referendum voters appears on darknet; New Great Game in Central Asia post-COVID?; Dagestan recount and Russia’s COVID numbers; Lowest number of COVID cases since April; Polish PM blasts Nord Stream 2; Former US Amb. John Tefft on the succession process in Russia

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