Russian News From Russia…

A 23 year-old soldier has been killed after tripping an explosive device in the Russian North Caucasus Republic of Ingushetia, a regional investigation committee reported on Thursday. The incident occurred in the evening on May 23 in a forest near the village of Nizhny Alkun, in the Sunzha district in Ingushetia. A soldier from the [...]

An opposition parliamentarian announced on Thursday plans to derail a lower house debate on a bill which massively increases the size of fines for unapproved rallies. “When the opposition does not have enough seats to block the passage of a bill, it begins to delay it,” said Dmitry Gudkov, a A Just Russia party lawmaker [...]

Russia’s second Gepard class frigate has successfully test-fired missiles from the new Kalibr-NK missile system during the first stage of sea trials in the Black Sea, a spokesman for Russia’s Southern military district said on Thursday. The Dagestan is the Russian Navy’s first warship equipped with the Kalibr-NK missile system that is capable of using [...]

Russia’s Justice Ministry has applied for the transfer of Russian ex-pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, jailed in the U.S. for drug trafficking, to Russia, the minister said on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Yaroshenko, who is serving a 20-year sentence in the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix near New York, complained of racial and religious discrimination [...]

Almost third of Russians approve of the closure of the Occupy-style camp at Moscow’s downtown Chistoprudny Boulevard where people were protesting against Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency, a poll held by the Public Opinion Foundation has revealed. On May 15, a Moscow district court ordered the closure of the camp at Chistoprudny Boulevard, accusing [...]

The U.S. Department of State traditionally criticized Russia for continuing violation of human rights and democratic freedoms in an annual report published on Thursday. Among the major fields of concern in Russia, the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011 identifies violations of democratic processes, a weak justice system and suppression of the freedom [...]

A Tyumen court has backed the claim of a 107 year-old veteran of the Great Patriotic War to funds to buy his own home.  A disabled veteran of Great Patriotic War, 107 year-old Kapken Suleimanov who still does not have his own apartment appealed to the Omutinsky district prosecutor’s office. Under the current legislation veterans of [...]

A regional court in Russia’s southern Stavropol territory on Thursday sentenced radical Islamist, Viktor Dvorakovsky, to 23 years in a high-security prison, a court official told RIA Novosti. Dvorakovsky, 24, has been convicted of plotting a terrorist attack, an attempt on the life of a police officer, of making of improvised explosive devices, inciting racial [...]

The areas of responsibility for all seven deputy prime ministers of Russia have been finalized, the Cabinet of Ministers announced on Thursday. Dmitry Kozak will continue to oversee sports, preparations for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games, regional policy, construction, housing and utilities. Dmitry Rogozin will retain supervision of the defense industry, the nuclear and space [...]

A Talwar class frigate being built for the Indian Navy at the Yantar Shipyard in Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad departed on Thursday for sea trials, the shipyard said. The Tarkash is the second in a series of three frigates built under a $1.6-billion contract with India. The first frigate, the Teg, was delivered to India [...]

A downtown Moscow roundtable ordered by President Vladimir Putin to discuss a controversial new law that could see a massive increase in fines for participants of illegal protests saw a walk-out by a number of opposition figures on Thursday.   “There is no discussion here at the Discussion of the Law on Protests,” wrote protest [...]

Russia will soon start producing four new sets of sniper equipment, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Thursday. “We will produce four sets for snipers,” Rogozin, who oversees Russia’s defense industry, told reporters in Moscow. “The weaponry is going to be a part of a set of equipment, which also includes surveillance and detection [...]

More than 300 people, including 200 bikers, gathered near the Iraqi Embassy in Moscow, protesting against the arrest of four Russian nationals who were held in Iraq on May 20 on espionage charges. The bikers gathered near the embassy building and signed a petition to the diplomatic mission demanding an explanation of what the Russians [...]

A Karelian blogger charged with inciting hatred for criticizing the Russian Orthodox Church has gone missing, after a court ordered he be sent to a psychiatric hospital for an examination, vesti.karelia.ru said on Thursday. Blogger Maxim Yefimov, also the chair of Youth Human Rights Group Karelia, has not been answering his phone or mail since [...]