The Moscow Times
February 2026
Moscow Urges Russians to Leave Iran, Warning of Regional ‘Catastrophe’
Russia on Saturday condemned United States and Israeli strikes on Iran as a "dangerous adventure" that could spark "catastrophe" in the region
Washington and Tel-Aviv have once again embarked on a dangerous adventure that is rapidly bringing the region to the brink of a humanitarian, economic, and — this cannot be ruled out — radiological catastrophe,
The aggressors' intentions are clear and openly declared: to destroy the constitutional order and overthrow the government of a state they find undesirable, which has refused to submit to the diktat of force and hegemonism,
Gazprom Neft Senior Manager Arrested in St. Petersburg for Bribery
Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect… repeatedly received illegal payments from executives of commercial organizations,
Founder of Pro-Kremlin News Outlet Readovka Arrested on Fraud Charges, Sources Say
Kostylev is disabled… We make an earnest request to choose a lenient measure for Alexei Kostylev that would allow him to receive the necessary medical care,
Kremlin Rejects Swedish Claim It Launched Drone Near French Aircraft Carrier
Ukrainian Drone Strike on Kursk Region Auto Repair Shop Kills 1
Another employee and two customers were hospitalized with shrapnel wounds
Irkutsk Police Arrest Mayor of Town Where Residents Have Gone Weeks Without Heating and Water
Given the low outdoor temperatures, the loss of heating, water supply and sewage services in these residential buildings and children’s public facilities posed a threat to the life and health of at least 1,321 residents of Bodaybo,
Zelensky Says Next Round of Peace Talks With Russia Expected in March
We worked out a document on the restoration of Ukraine in detail,
As a result of today's meetings, there is already more readiness for the next trilateral format,
We need to finalize everything that has been achieved in terms of real security guarantees and prepare for a meeting at the leadership level,
This format can solve a lot,
Have you heard anything from us about deadlines? We have no deadlines. We have tasks. We are working on them,
Russia Linked to 151 Hybrid Warfare Operations in Europe Since 2022, Dutch Think Tank Says
Russian special services recruit collaborators at the border and on their own territory, and use these people against Estonia and the West in general,
As such, it is reasonable to assume that the actual number of incidents, particularly in the most recent period investigated, is likely higher,
This distribution strongly suggests that support for Ukraine is the single most important factor shaping target selection. Some of the most pronounced supporters of Ukraine, such as Poland, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, together account for more than half of all identified incidents,
Russia Plans to Block Telegram in April, Sources Say
Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor neither confirmed nor denied the reports, which were published just days after it was revealed that the FSB security service is investigating Telegram founder Pavel Durov on allegations of aiding and abetting terrorism
Things could still change over the next month and a half — there are differing views within the government on this issue. But for now, the information we have is that there will be a full block beginning on April 1,
Kenyan Police Arrest Man Suspected of Tricking People Into Joining Russian Army
Omwamba founded a recruitment agency, Global Face Human Resources, which he used to send Kenyans to Russia
Tver Police Detain Rassvet Founder Yekaterina Duntsova at Political Prisoner Event
Tver Police Briefly Detain Rassvet Founder Yekaterina Duntsova at Political Prisoner Event
Apparently, some ill-wishers are unhappy that I continue to engage in politics and frequently travel to my home region,
State Duma Passes Bill Protecting Foreign Fighters From Criminal Prosecution Back Home
The bill, which by most accounts is aimed at attracting foreign nationals to join the army for deployment in Ukraine, would make it illegal for authorities in Russia to extradite foreigners at the request of other governments if they signed military contracts and served in combat
Sberbank Reports Record $22Bln Profit in 2025
Sberbank posted a record net profit of 1.7 trillion rubles ($22 billion) in 2025, its third consecutive year of growth despite sweeping Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Organic integration of artificial intelligence into processes and the daily lives of people has become a key driver of our growth,
Belgorod Governor Says Locals Hold a Grudge Toward Authorities Amid Ongoing Outages
After disembarking, he approached a local driver and asked the man to drive him to a nearby railway crossing where an official car was waiting
Russia’s Regions Post Largest-Ever Budget Deficit in 2025
Russia’s regions went on a splurge last year, running a record combined budget deficit of around 1.48 trillion rubles ($19.22 billion) as spending continued to outpace revenue growth, the Kommersant business newspaper reported Thursday
The negative trajectory of the past year, as regional expenditures grew, as federal transfers stalled and corporate taxes dwindled, is clear. The war is an obvious source of pressure,
It’s no surprise that the regions are struggling to balance their budgets. In 2025, they spent much more on the war than in previous years,
Regions are also paying compensation for injuries and payouts to families of deceased soldiers,
The situation looks much worse than it was originally expected,
If the Kremlin wants the regions to contribute as much to the war effort as they did last year, it will have to increase budget transfers,
Russia and Ukraine Exchange Bodies of Soldiers
Russia and Ukraine have returned the bodies of thousands of their soldiers since President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion more than four years ago
2 Killed in Ukrainian Drone Strikes on Western Russia
The victim and his father were standing beside a house when the enemy launched a vile attack,
Russia’s Exiled Anti-War Movements Are Learning to Play the Long Game
Our task is to preserve the voices of those inside who are against the war because only through us can they express their anti-war position, to support compatriots abroad and to lay the groundwork for the future when civil society in our Tyva can act openly again,
We won’t stop the war with our performances, Instagram posts, and so on. But no one ever really had that illusion from the start,
It looks like those who wanted to leave have more or less already left, and those who wanted to avoid mobilization have already found ways to do so,
Some of our members had taken part in protests before 2022...But it wasn’t any kind of organized group, so to speak. So yes, we consider the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the day when our group was created,
We stay in touch with most of our volunteers, with others, our paths have diverged, but that’s also normal — it happens,
Our movement faced difficulties… especially due to intensifying repression and the inability to lawfully help people inside Russia,
In the West, many people think that once Putin leaves, everything will be fine,
After that, I felt it myself as well, because our local cell also went through a rather difficult period. There was some kind of internal conflict. Several people left, and then new ones came,
Many activists experienced emotional burnout, the team kept changing and the work became increasingly challenging,
There is a very large segment of immigrants here who have completely different views on what is happening,
Sverdlovsk Man Jailed 15 Years in 1992 Cold-Case Murders
Heavy Losses Make Russia Unlikely to Launch Major New Offensive
We’ve seen a casualty uptick which is disproportionate in scale and some of the economic situation in Russia is starting to become quite precarious, especially as we move into summer,
They do have the option of scaling back on some of their offensive activity to counterbalance that,
Ukrainian Drone Attack on Smolensk Region Fertilizer Plant Kills 4
Russian Scholar of North Korea Says He Was Detained and Expelled From Latvia
Lankov, who holds dual Russian and Australian citizenship, was due to give a presentation on North Korean politics in Riga when police showed up at the lecture venue and detained him
They said I had been placed on the foreign ministry’s list of people who are banned from entering Latvia, and I must now be immediately deported,
While Russia Says It Is ‘Denazifying’ Ukraine, Far-Right Groups Are Fighting for Moscow
They were fighters from Rusich, a neo-Nazi paramilitary unit battling alongside Russian troops in Ukraine that has earned a reputation for brutality
The Russian state has always been multinational and multiethnic. Those who advocate for ethnic division are its enemies,
I am a Nazi. I won’t go into details — nationalist, patriot, imperial direction and so on. I can raise my arm,
The war itself has not made such views, the Nazi ones in particular, more widespread, but it has made people feel more like expressing them publicly,
When you kill a person, you feel a hunter’s thrill. If you've never gone hunting, try it,
I think they’ve already removed their [swastika] tattoos and no longer give the Nazi salute,
The state is generally willing to tolerate almost any view, as long as a person actively supports the war,