The Moscow Times
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Independent news from Russia since 1992.
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https://linktr.ee/moscowtimes
Photo: Yaroslav Chingayev / Moskva News Agency
❗️ Russia has demanded the release of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife from U.S. custody.
Russia Demands Release of Maduro After U.S. Military Strikes Venezuela
- The Moscow Times
Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday called for the release of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife from U.S. custody after President Donald Trump announced that they were captured during mi...
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:47 PM
❗️ Russia has demanded the release of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife from U.S. custody.
In November, The Moscow Times spoke to former U.S. officials and analysts about how Russia might respond to a direct confrontation between Venezuela and the United States.
Moscow Risks Losing a Key Ally in Latin America as Trump Ramps Up Pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro - The Moscow Times
As the United States deployed warships and submarines to the Caribbean and escalated strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug-smuggling boats in recent months, President Nicolás Maduro appealed to a power...
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 11:40 AM
In November, The Moscow Times spoke to former U.S. officials and analysts about how Russia might respond to a direct confrontation between Venezuela and the United States.
The Foreign Ministry urged restraint and warned against further escalation following the attack on Caracas.
Russia Condemns U.S. Military Strikes Against Venezuela
- The Moscow Times
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called a U.S. act of “armed aggression” against Venezuela on Saturday, urging restraint and warning against further escalation. “The pretexts cited to justi...
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:18 AM
The Foreign Ministry urged restraint and warned against further escalation following the attack on Caracas.
Reposted by The Moscow Times
#OpEd Russia is used to being the dominant player in the region. While it remains an important economic partner, the political priorities of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are taking different paths, writes Nicholas Castillo.
Where Does Russia Stand After a Year of Recalibration in the Caucasus? - The Moscow Times
Opinion | That the Caucasus is a zone of diverging political interests is nothing new.
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:06 PM
#OpEd Russia is used to being the dominant player in the region. While it remains an important economic partner, the political priorities of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are taking different paths, writes Nicholas Castillo.
Russian forces captured more than 5,600 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory last year, according to an AFP analysis.
Russian Army Makes Biggest Territorial Gains in 2025 Since First Year of Full-Scale Invasion - The Moscow Times
Russia made its largest territorial gains in Ukraine last year since the early months of the full-scale invasion in 2022, according to an AFP analysis.
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 2, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Russian forces captured more than 5,600 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory last year, according to an AFP analysis.
Russia is likely to slide from a phase of “managed cooling” into outright stagnation in 2026, with any meaningful recovery unlikely before 2027.
Russia’s Economy in 2026: More War, Slower Growth and Higher Taxes - The Moscow Times
With Western sanctions tightening and military demands on the budget due to the war in Ukraine showing little sign of easing, Russia is likely to slide from a phase of “managed cooling” into outright ...
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Russia is likely to slide from a phase of “managed cooling” into outright stagnation in 2026, with any meaningful recovery unlikely before 2027.
For Russians who went abroad after the invasion of Ukraine, the classic Russian New Year’s traditions offer a way to feel connected to home from afar and to share a bit of their culture with their new communities.
For Russia’s Wartime Diaspora, New Year’s Traditions Become a Tether to Home - The Moscow Times
Ahead of New Year’s Eve, the biggest holiday in Russia, Sergei, 30, a Russian IT specialist based in Romania, said he would try to watch “The Irony of Fate,” the 1975 romantic comedy that is a New Yea...
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 1, 2026 at 4:53 PM
For Russians who went abroad after the invasion of Ukraine, the classic Russian New Year’s traditions offer a way to feel connected to home from afar and to share a bit of their culture with their new communities.
Ukrainian officials said they carried out a counterintelligence operation that thwarted an alleged Russian assassination plot against far-right nationalist Denis Kapustin.
Russian Volunteer Corps Leader Is Still Alive, Ukraine’s GUR Says - The Moscow Times
The founder and leader of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a far-right paramilitary group fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, is alive, Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency said Thursday, days afte...
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 1, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Ukrainian officials said they carried out a counterintelligence operation that thwarted an alleged Russian assassination plot against far-right nationalist Denis Kapustin.
Fourteen crew members from Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were detained for questioning, police said.
Finland Seizes Cargo Ship Suspected of Damaging Undersea Cable - The Moscow Times
Finnish police said Wednesday that they had seized a cargo vessel suspected of damaging a telecommunications cable linking Helsinki and Tallinn earlier in the Gulf of Finland.
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 1, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Fourteen crew members from Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were detained for questioning, police said.
“For Russia, I wish for a true miracle, because in my opinion, only that could help achieve peace or at least a pause [in fighting],” one Moscow resident said.
‘Hoping for an End to the War’: Russians Share Their New Year’s Wishes for 2026 - The Moscow Times
As 2025 draws to a close, many Russians are looking to the new year in the hope it might bring an end to the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, which has killed tens of thousands on both sides and displaced mi...
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 1, 2026 at 12:04 PM
“For Russia, I wish for a true miracle, because in my opinion, only that could help achieve peace or at least a pause [in fighting],” one Moscow resident said.
Trump also appeared to play down Moscow’s claims by sharing an editorial article that is critical of the Russian president.
U.S. Finds Ukraine Did Not Attack Putin’s Valdai Residence – WSJ - The Moscow Times
U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Ukraine did not attack one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 1, 2026 at 9:51 AM
Trump also appeared to play down Moscow’s claims by sharing an editorial article that is critical of the Russian president.
Moscow-backed officials accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians during New Year’s Eve celebrations at a hotel and restaurant.
Ukrainian Drones Killed 24 in Occupied Kherson Resort Town, Pro-Kremlin Governor Says - The Moscow Times
At least 24 people were killed and dozens more wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on a town in occupied southern Ukraine, Kremlin-installed authorities said early Thursday, accusing Kyiv of deliberat...
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 1, 2026 at 8:52 AM
Moscow-backed officials accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians during New Year’s Eve celebrations at a hotel and restaurant.
#OpEd Whoever succeeds Trump will struggle to undo the damage dealt to Washington's alliances and the advantages he has granted Russia, argues Ruth Deyermond.
2025 Saw the Biggest Change in U.S.–Russia Relations Since the October Revolution - The Moscow Times
Opinion | 2025 saw the greatest and fastest change in United States-Russia relations since the 1917 Russian Revolution.
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 3:29 PM
#OpEd Whoever succeeds Trump will struggle to undo the damage dealt to Washington's alliances and the advantages he has granted Russia, argues Ruth Deyermond.
Russians who spoke to The Moscow Times said they are holding onto hope for peace and an end to political repressions in the year ahead.
‘Hoping for an End to the War’: Russians Share Their New Year’s Wishes for 2026 - The Moscow Times
As 2025 draws to a close, many Russians are looking to the new year in the hope it might bring an end to the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, which has killed tens of thousands on both sides and displaced mi...
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Russians who spoke to The Moscow Times said they are holding onto hope for peace and an end to political repressions in the year ahead.
Addressing his soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine, the president said Russians “believe in you and in our victory.”
Vladimir Putin Uses New Year’s Address to Rally Russians Around War - The Moscow Times
President Vladimir Putin used his traditional New Year’s address on Wednesday to project an image of Russians as united behind the country’s armed forces and the war in Ukraine, vowing victory on the ...
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Addressing his soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine, the president said Russians “believe in you and in our victory.”
The Defense Ministry claimed that more than half of the drones involved in the Ukrainian attack were destroyed hundreds of kilometers from the Valdai residence.
Russian Military Reveals More Details of Alleged Drone Attack on Putin’s Residence - The Moscow Times
Russia’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday provided its first detailed account of an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s Valdai residence, saying that more than half of the drones...
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:29 AM
The Defense Ministry claimed that more than half of the drones involved in the Ukrainian attack were destroyed hundreds of kilometers from the Valdai residence.
Following the Soviet collapse, Russia’s Indigenous and minority communities made an effort to revive their ancestral traditions of greeting the new year, many of which fall outside the winter season.
See more photos of these New Year’s celebrations here: www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/12/31/i...
See more photos of these New Year’s celebrations here: www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/12/31/i...
December 31, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Following the Soviet collapse, Russia’s Indigenous and minority communities made an effort to revive their ancestral traditions of greeting the new year, many of which fall outside the winter season.
See more photos of these New Year’s celebrations here: www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/12/31/i...
See more photos of these New Year’s celebrations here: www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/12/31/i...
Authorities in several Russian regions have again canceled or scaled back New Year’s celebrations, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Russia’s Regions Scale Back New Year’s Celebrations, Citing War in Ukraine - The Moscow Times
Authorities in several Russian regions have again canceled or scaled back New Year’s celebrations, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Vedomosti business daily reported Monday.
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Authorities in several Russian regions have again canceled or scaled back New Year’s celebrations, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In the southern port city of Tuapse, authorities said an oil refinery briefly caught fire amid the overnight airstrikes.
Ukrainian Drones Strike Energy Sites and Homes Across Russia, Officials Say - The Moscow Times
Ukrainian drone attacks in southern Russia damaged energy infrastructure and several residential buildings, officials said Wednesday morning, as other regions across the country reported downing dozen...
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 9:07 AM
In the southern port city of Tuapse, authorities said an oil refinery briefly caught fire amid the overnight airstrikes.
While the front line moved more this year than in 2023 or 2024, Russia has yet to achieve anything approaching a decisive victory.
How Did Russia’s War Effort Change in 2025? - The Moscow Times
By 2025, Russia’s war against Ukraine had hardened into a grinding conflict of attrition, with neither side achieving a decisive strategic breakthrough. While the front line moved more this year than...
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 9:03 AM
While the front line moved more this year than in 2023 or 2024, Russia has yet to achieve anything approaching a decisive victory.
#OpEd Defeatist about social change but largely content with their material situation, expecting young Russians change the system is futile, argues Sergei Shelin.
Whether Supporters of the War or Not, Russia’s Youth Have More in Common Than They Think - The Moscow Times
Opinion | Young Russians are split between a majority that is content with the state and their place in it and a minority that suffers from isolation and dictatorship.
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:11 PM
#OpEd Defeatist about social change but largely content with their material situation, expecting young Russians change the system is futile, argues Sergei Shelin.
The military will summon members of its mobilization reserve next year for “special” assemblies aimed at protecting critical infrastructure.
Putin Authorizes Call-Up of Military Reservists to Guard Critical Infrastructure - The Moscow Times
President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order on Tuesday authorizing the military to summon members of its mobilization reserve next year for “special” assemblies aimed at protecting critical inf...
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 30, 2025 at 3:07 PM
The military will summon members of its mobilization reserve next year for “special” assemblies aimed at protecting critical infrastructure.
Once described by Ukrainian media as “Yanukovych’s dacha,” FBK says the sprawling property now belongs to the Russian president.
Navalny Team Claims Putin Owns Luxury Estate on Crimea’s Black Sea Coast - The Moscow Times
Allies of the late opposition activist Alexei Navalny on Tuesday released an investigation alleging that a luxury palace built along the Black Sea coast in annexed Crimea belongs to President Vladimir...
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 30, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Once described by Ukrainian media as “Yanukovych’s dacha,” FBK says the sprawling property now belongs to the Russian president.
The Memorial human rights group had designated Yevgeny Urlashov a political prisoner, arguing that the case against him followed his break with United Russia and plans to run for governor of Yaroslavl.
Former Opposition Mayor of Yaroslavl Freed From Prison After Serving Sentence for Corruption - The Moscow Times
The former mayor of the central Russian city of Yaroslavl was released from prison on Tuesday after spending more than 10 years in prison on corruption charges that he and his supporters long describe...
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 30, 2025 at 12:38 PM
The Memorial human rights group had designated Yevgeny Urlashov a political prisoner, arguing that the case against him followed his break with United Russia and plans to run for governor of Yaroslavl.
Russia in 2025 was defined by extremes of weather, war and political control as well as by moments of uneasy normality.
Here's a look at the photos that capture the past year in Russia:
Here's a look at the photos that capture the past year in Russia:
In Photos: The Images That Defined Russia in 2025 - The Moscow Times
Gallery |
www.themoscowtimes.com
December 30, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Russia in 2025 was defined by extremes of weather, war and political control as well as by moments of uneasy normality.
Here's a look at the photos that capture the past year in Russia:
Here's a look at the photos that capture the past year in Russia: