The South Ossetian Supreme Court has dramatically and controversially annulled the results of its Presidential election. In announcing its verdict, it also banned Alla Dzhioyeva – the opposition candidate who...
Category - Blog
AndyBritish court: “Zatuliveter not a Russian spy”
In an embarrassing setback for the British Government, a British court has today ruled that Ekaterina Zatuliveter is not a Russian spy, and that she should be allowed to remain in the UK. The British Government had been...
Russia sends aircraft carrier to Syria
The Russian Navy has confirmed that its aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, will visit the Syrian port of Tartus, where Russia has its only Mediterranean naval base. The Kuznetsov and its small supporting battle...
South Ossetia election descends into chaos
The South Ossetian Presidential election looks like it will descend into bitter recrimination as both candidates have claimed victory. With more than 85% of the votes counted, opposition candidate Alla Dzhioyeva is...
Opposition to Russia’s ‘Anti-Gay’ bill gathers pace
Opposition to legislation designed to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality to minors is gathering pace, both around the world and in Russia itself. The bill, which would punish any “public activities promoting sodomy...
Tupolev Bear – Linchpin of Russia’s Air Force
Outside of Russia and the former Soviet Union, the name Tupolev is probably more widely connected with commercial, passenger aircraft. However, the company has always played a vital role in Russia’s overall defence...
Transnistria leader’s daughter in law barred from standing in Russian Duma election
In an odd piece of news, Marina Smirnova, a candidate for the A Just Russia party, has been barred from standing as a candidate in this year’s Russian Duma elections. The story is notable because Smirnova is the...
The going rate to bribe your way into a Russian Government job is…
I was amused to see RIA Novosti reporting the arrest of a con-man who had attempted to sell government posts to gullible businessmen. In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that: “the suspect...
Russia is Europe’s largest internet market
After a slow start, Russia has now officially got the largest number of web users in Europe. According to the latest Comscore report, 50.8 million Russians have access to the internet through either a home or work...
Post-Soviet Elections Roundup
While everyone’s focus is on the Russian Duma elections (due in December 2011) and the Russian Presidential election (due in March 2012), I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of the other...