Andrew Osborn

Tesco was reportedly considering entering Russia’s rapidly expanding food-retail market through a partnership or possible future stake in X5 Retail Group, which operates more than 1,200 stores across Russia and the former USSR. X5 denied plans to sell its business but said it was open to partnerships, while Tesco declined to respond to speculation but did not rule out Russian expansion. Wal-Mart and Carrefour were also reportedly exploring opportunities, including a potential controlling stake after X5’s planned acquisition of a Russian hypermarket chain.

Rosprirodnadzor reportedly found that TNK-BP's RUSIA Petroleum extracted only 33.8 million cubic metres from Siberia's Kovykta gas field last year, far below the licence requirement of 9 billion cubic metres. The finding could allow Russian authorities to revoke the licence and transfer it to another operator. Analysts viewed the breach as leverage for the Kremlin to push BP's joint venture toward ceding control of the project to Gazprom; TNK-BP sought to retain a 33 percent stake, while Gazprom reportedly demanded a 74.4 percent holding. CEO Robert Dudley acknowledged that Gazprom was likely to assume a majority role but argued for TNK-BP to remain involved.

A Panama-flagged cargo ship, the Geroi Arsenala, sank during a severe storm about 14 nautical miles off Crimea while traveling from Russia to Turkey. Eleven of the 12 crew members were missing, while one had been rescued. The crew consisted of nine Ukrainians, two Russians and one Georgian, and multiple ships and a helicopter were searching in difficult weather conditions.

A homemade bomb exploded near the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant in central Moscow after an unidentified woman was reportedly stopped from entering by a security guard. Three people—the woman, the guard and another visitor—were killed, while at least 21 others were injured. Authorities sealed off the scene and investigated the cause, while an initially reported gas-canister theory was abandoned. No perpetrator or motive had been identified, and officials had not linked the blast to the war in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin has warned Armenia that pursuing European Union membership could cost it access to cheap Russian oil and gas. The warning comes before an election expected to strengthen Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, whose government has deepened ties with the United States and Europe, signed a U.S. partnership agreement and established a legal framework for possible EU membership. Russia has already restricted Armenian imports, threatened further energy and trade measures, raised the prospect of Armenia leaving the Eurasian Economic Union and recalled its ambassador. The pressure reflects Moscow's wider concern that the war in Ukraine is weakening its ability to maintain influence over traditional partners in the South Caucasus, Europe, Central Asia, Latin America and Africa as Western powers cultivate closer relationships with them.

Russian universities are offering students large payments, academic leave, fee exemptions, accommodation and equipment to join the country’s newly established unmanned-systems forces as drone warfare becomes increasingly important in Ukraine. Officials including Dmitry Medvedev and Dmitry Peskov say recruitment remains voluntary and deny a shortage of personnel, while unverified reports allege that some students have faced pressure. Separately, Ryazan governor Pavel Malkov has ordered companies to meet quotas for recruiting workers into the army, indicating that Moscow is broadening efforts to replenish its forces without declaring general mobilisation.

Russia is offering students substantial salaries, one-time payments, academic leave and tuition exemptions to join drone units fighting in Ukraine. The recruitment campaign is aimed at expanding military manpower, while companies in the Ryazan region have reportedly been given enlistment quotas for workers. Although officials describe service as voluntary, unconfirmed reports allege that some universities have pressured students to enlist by threatening expulsion.

Cucumber prices in Russia have doubled since December to more than 300 roubles per kilogram, with some retailers charging two or three times that amount. The surge has angered consumers, prompted the anti-monopoly regulator to question producers and retailers, and led opposition parties to call for caps on food mark-ups. Officials and producers blame seasonal conditions and expect prices to fall as the weather warms, while the episode adds to broader concerns about inflation, higher taxes and slowing economic growth after four years of war in Ukraine.

Russia faces an immediate shortage of at least 2.3 million workers, worsened by the war in Ukraine, declining migration from Central Asia and tougher anti-immigrant policies. Moscow is therefore expanding recruitment from India: work permits for Indian nationals rose from about 5,000 in 2021 to nearly 72,000 last year. Indian workers are filling jobs in textiles, agriculture, waste disposal, manufacturing, services and construction, supported by stronger agreements between Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi. The strategy could be affected by U.S. pressure on India to reduce purchases of Russian oil, but Russia currently expects demand for Indian labor to continue.

Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, deputy head of Russia’s GRU and a figure sanctioned over the 2018 Salisbury poisoning, was shot several times outside his Moscow apartment. Russia accused Ukraine of ordering the attack without presenting evidence, while Ukraine did not immediately comment. The shooting has prompted questions about security for senior Russian officers and comes amid peace negotiations with Ukraine and a series of attacks on Russian military figures. Alexeyev was also involved in relations with the Wagner Group during its 2023 mutiny.

Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence, was reportedly shot several times at his Moscow apartment and hospitalized in serious condition. Russian authorities are investigating, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of orchestrating the attack to undermine peace talks without providing immediate evidence. The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin had been briefed, and Alexeyev’s prior US and EU sanctions were noted.

Russian stand-up comedian Artemy Ostanin was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison and fined 300,000 roubles after being convicted of inciting hatred. The case followed jokes about a legless war veteran and Jesus that provoked outrage among nationalists, military bloggers and Orthodox groups. His conviction reflects Russia’s increasingly harsh enforcement of censorship laws introduced after 2022 against criticism of the army.

Russian comedian Artemy Ostanin was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison and fined 300,000 roubles after being convicted of inciting hatred and offending Christians through jokes about a disabled war veteran and Jesus. The joke about the veteran spread on Telegram after being amplified by Russian war bloggers and nationalist groups, prompting accusations that Ostanin had mocked soldiers. He attempted to flee to Belarus but was arrested and returned to Moscow. His conviction reflects Russia’s broader crackdown on speech concerning the army since sweeping censorship laws were introduced after the invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Security Service is treating Russia’s second reported use of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range missile as a possible war crime after an overnight strike in western Lviv near the EU border. Russia said the attack was retaliation for an alleged drone strike on Vladimir Putin’s residence, a claim denied by Kyiv. The broader offensive involved 278 missiles and drones, reportedly killing at least four people in Kyiv and leaving about half a million residents without power.

Vladimir Putin used his televised New Year’s address to praise Russian troops and declare confidence in victory in Ukraine, framing the war as an existential struggle with the West. His remarks came as Donald Trump pursued negotiations to end the conflict, though Russian and Ukrainian positions remained far apart. Russia also released footage it said showed a Ukrainian drone attack on a presidential residence, a claim Volodymyr Zelensky called fabricated and potentially intended to justify strikes on Kyiv. Russia’s military reported rapid advances in Sumy and Kharkiv regions, but the battlefield assertion could not be independently verified.

A Moscow court has designated the Russian feminist punk collective Pussy Riot an extremist organisation, effectively banning its activities in Russia after a request from the General Prosecutor’s Office. The ruling follows a September conviction in absentia of five members, sentenced to up to 13 years for allegedly spreading false information about the Russian army. Founder Nadya Tolokonnikova rejected the designation, while the group’s members remain outside Russia.

A Moscow court has designated Pussy Riot an extremist organisation at the request of Russia’s General Prosecutor’s Office, effectively banning its activities in the country. The ruling follows the in-absentia convictions of five members, who received prison sentences of up to 13 years for allegedly spreading false information about the Russian army. Pussy Riot members, including founder Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and activist Maria Alyokhina, reject the charges as politically motivated and have continued their opposition to Vladimir Putin and Russia’s war in Ukraine from abroad.

Russian forces are advancing into Pokrovsk, a strategic road and rail hub in Donetsk that Ukraine has defended for more than a year. Moscow seeks the city as a platform for further attacks on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk and as a major territorial gain in its campaign to seize the Donbas, although analysts say capturing Pokrovsk alone would not secure the region. Russia has used gradual encirclement, small assault units and drones rather than large frontal attacks, while Ukrainian forces have suffered from difficult logistics and battlefield pressure. Ukrainian mapping indicates the situation is deteriorating, but control of much of the city remains contested and battlefield claims cannot be independently verified.

Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev has proposed an approximately $8 billion, 70-mile rail and cargo tunnel beneath the Bering Strait linking Russia and the United States. He said the eight-year project could support joint natural-resource exploration and symbolize closer ties, and suggested Elon Musk’s The Boring Company as a possible builder. The proposal followed a phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, who reportedly agreed to meet in Budapest.

Russia is launching the Intervision international song contest after being banned from Eurovision in 2022. Singers from 23 countries, including China, India, Brazil, Belarus and Saudi Arabia, will compete for a 30 million-rouble prize, with national professional juries determining the winner. Backed by Vladimir Putin and promoted by Sergei Lavrov as an alternative emphasizing national cultures and traditional family values, the event has been criticized by Kyiv as an instrument of hostile propaganda.

Russia is launching Intervision, a 23-country international song contest created by Vladimir Putin after Russia was excluded from Eurovision following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The event promotes what organisers call traditional family values, offers a 30 million rouble prize and will feature performers from countries including China, India, Brazil, Belarus, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Ukraine has condemned it as hostile propaganda, while Russian officials present it as an alternative that protects national, religious and moral traditions. The contest will be judged by professional juries and broadcast from Russia, with Yaroslav Dronov representing the host country.

Russia ordered two British diplomats to leave within two weeks after the Federal Security Service accused them of entering the country using false information and conducting intelligence and subversive activities. Britain rejected the allegations as baseless. The expulsions come as Moscow and Washington discuss restoring embassy staffing levels, while UK–Russia relations remain severely strained by Britain's support for Ukraine, sanctions on Russia and Keir Starmer's proposal for a possible peacekeeping role. The dispute follows reciprocal expulsions and a Russian investigation into an alleged assault involving a British embassy employee, which London described as an intimidation operation.

Lieutenant-General Vadim Shamarin, deputy head of Russia’s General Staff and chief of the army’s Signal Corps, has been arrested and placed in pre-trial detention over allegations that he accepted at least 36 million roubles in bribes from a communications-equipment manufacturer. His arrest is the fourth detention of a senior Russian defence figure in a month, following cases involving Timur Ivanov, Yuri Kuznetsov and Ivan Popov. The crackdown comes after Andrei Belousov replaced Sergei Shoigu as defence minister and is widely viewed as an effort to curb corruption and waste in military procurement while improving supplies for the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin describes the investigations as routine anti-corruption work, while commentators see them as a broader shake-up of Russia’s military leadership.

Drones struck two non-residential buildings in central Moscow, including near Defence Ministry facilities, while a third drone fell outside the city and a separate swarm targeted Crimea. Russia said it intercepted the drones and accused Ukraine of terrorism, while Ukrainian officials warned that further attacks would follow. At the same time, Russian drones hit grain warehouses and port infrastructure along Ukraine’s Danube, intensifying attacks on export routes after Moscow withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal. The strikes pushed wheat and corn prices higher and prompted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urge Russia to restore the agreement over concerns for global food security.

Former FSB agent and Russian battlefield commander Igor Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov, was detained in Moscow and faces extremism charges carrying up to five years in prison. Girkin had become an increasingly outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin’s handling of the war in Ukraine, urging the president to transfer power to a more capable leader. His detention follows Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed Wagner mutiny and may signal that Russian authorities are moving to suppress nationalist critics who previously enjoyed considerable latitude. Girkin is also serving a Dutch life sentence in absentia for his alleged role in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

Senior Russian commanders Sergei Surovikin and Valery Gerasimov disappeared from public view after the failed Wagner mutiny, prompting reports that Surovikin had been detained or questioned over possible prior knowledge of the rebellion. The Kremlin dismissed the speculation but offered no clarification, while Russian military commentators described a possible purge of officers judged insufficiently loyal. The upheaval could affect Russia’s conduct of the war in Ukraine, even as it may strengthen Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov, despite criticism of Shoigu’s wartime performance.

Russia has launched a video and poster campaign to recruit up to 400,000 volunteer professional soldiers for its war in Ukraine. The campaign uses appeals to masculinity and promises starting pay of 204,000 roubles a month, portraying civilian workers transforming into soldiers. The effort follows Russia’s unpopular partial mobilisation in September, which drove many men abroad, and comes amid estimates of heavy Russian casualties and official attempts to avoid announcing another mobilisation.

A Moscow court rejected Evan Gershkovich’s appeal against pre-trial detention on espionage charges. The Wall Street Journal reporter, arrested by Russia’s FSB in Yekaterinburg, denies the allegations and his lawyers plan to appeal; the US has declared him wrongfully detained, while Russia claims he was caught “red-handed.” The case comes amid a broader Kremlin crackdown, including Vladimir Kara-Murza’s 25-year sentence, tougher treason and terrorism penalties, and possible new charges against Alexei Navalny. The article also reports Ukraine’s battlefield preparations, Vladimir Putin’s visits to occupied regions, and G7 condemnation of Russia’s plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Alexei Navalny marked two years since his arrest after returning to Russia from Germany, vowing through his lawyers to continue opposing the Kremlin despite his imprisonment. He has been sentenced to 11 and a half years in cases he says were fabricated to silence him, while his anti-corruption organization has been banned as extremist. His daughter, Dasha Navalnaya, launched an international campaign for his release, arguing that he is being repeatedly placed in solitary confinement because of his opposition to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russian authorities maintain that his detention and prison conditions are lawful.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping presented a united position in Beijing, calling for NATO to stop expanding and abandon what they described as Cold War-era approaches. Their joint statement backed Russia’s demands for legally binding European security guarantees, criticized US missile-defense plans, and reaffirmed China’s position that Taiwan is part of China. The meeting also produced a major Russia-China gas agreement and discussion of reducing reliance on the US dollar. The talks came as more than 100,000 Russian troops gathered near Ukraine, prompting Western fears of an invasion, while Russia denied planning an offensive and the United States remained open to negotiations on issues such as arms control.

The Moscow City Court ordered the closure of the Memorial Human Rights Centre, one day after Russia’s Supreme Court revoked the legal status of its sister organization, Memorial. Prosecutors accused both groups of violating regulations requiring foreign-agent labeling, while the organizations rejected the allegations as politically motivated. The closures form part of a broader campaign against Russian rights groups, independent media and opposition supporters, including website blocking, undesirable-organization designations and evictions. Both Memorial organizations said they would appeal and continue their work, while British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss condemned the liquidation as a serious blow to freedom of expression.

A Russian-brokered humanitarian ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan quickly came under severe strain, with both sides accusing each other of violations and attacks on civilians. Azerbaijan said Armenian shelling killed five people and wounded 28 in Ganja, while Armenia rejected the claim and accused Azerbaijan of shelling Stepanakert and other populated areas in Nagorno-Karabakh. The exchange of prisoners and war dead had not begun, the frontline remained tense, and renewed fighting raised concerns about a broader conflict involving Turkey and Russia as well as threats to regional oil and gas pipelines.

Thousands of people marched in Khabarovsk for a fourth consecutive weekend to protest the detention of popular regional governor Sergei Furgal on murder charges, which he denies. Supporters argue that the arrest was politically motivated because Furgal defeated a United Russia candidate in 2018, while the Kremlin says he faces serious charges. The demonstrations, driven by regional resentment toward Moscow and economic hardship, continued despite sporadic rain and unusually limited intervention by authorities; attendance estimates ranged from about 3,500 to more than 10,000.

Thousands of people marched in Khabarovsk for a third consecutive weekend to protest the detention of popular regional governor Sergei Furgal on murder charges, which he denies. Supporters believe the arrest was politically motivated because Furgal defeated a United Russia candidate in 2018, while the Kremlin says he faces serious charges. Protesters also oppose President Vladimir Putin and the appointment of Mikhail Degtyaryov, an outsider, as acting governor. The sustained demonstrations are unusual for a Russian region and pose a challenge for the Kremlin amid economic strain and the coronavirus pandemic.

Russia will send Italy military medical teams, mobile disinfection vehicles and other equipment after Vladimir Putin offered assistance to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Eight brigades and about 100 specialists in virology and epidemics are expected to arrive as Italy’s coronavirus death toll approaches 5,000, while Russia has reported 306 cases and one death.

Russia’s Central Election Commission voted overwhelmingly to bar opposition leader Alexei Navalny from the 2018 presidential election because of a suspended prison sentence from an embezzlement case. Navalny called the case politically motivated, said he would appeal, and urged supporters to boycott the vote, arguing that the contest was not a genuine election. Incumbent Vladimir Putin was widely expected to win comfortably, while election officials defended the decision as legally required.

Vladimir Putin said Edward Snowden was wrong to leak classified U.S. surveillance information but should not be considered a traitor because he did not transfer intelligence to another country or harm the American people. Putin argued that Snowden should have resigned instead, while acknowledging that U.S. surveillance had become excessively intrusive and criticizing American spying on allies such as Germany. Snowden, who received asylum in Russia in 2013, has also criticized Russian communications-surveillance laws.

Russia is undertaking its largest Arctic military expansion since the Soviet Union's collapse, reopening Soviet-era bases, constructing new installations, deploying missile systems and forming specialized Arctic brigades. The country is also building nuclear icebreakers and upgrading ports, roads and railways to support military operations and expand the Northern Sea Route. The build-up is driven by territorial claims, energy resources and commercial ambitions, but Western officials and analysts warn that it could provoke an Arctic arms race. The United States, NATO, Norway and China are responding with increased attention or activity, while Russia presents the modernization as defensive and necessary to operate across its northern territory.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Donald Trump's foreign-policy principles were remarkably similar to Vladimir Putin's, creating cautious Russian optimism about reopening dialogue with Washington. He emphasized that rebuilding relations, strained by disputes over Syria, Ukraine and NATO, would take years and require restored mutual trust. Peskov added that Putin was willing to be flexible but expected reciprocal concessions from the United States, while Russian officials acknowledged contact with members of Trump's campaign team.

Russia signaled that it might support Free Syrian Army rebels in Syria if their locations could be identified, while accusing the United States of withholding that information. Moscow maintains that its air campaign targets Islamic State positions, but the US and rebel groups say Russian strikes have hit areas without an Islamic State presence. The Kremlin continues to back Bashar al-Assad and insists he must participate in any political transition, whereas Washington accepts his role only temporarily. Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry discussed organizing talks between the Syrian government and opposition.

Britain was preparing to expand its military training mission in Iraq and increase personnel supporting the moderate Syrian opposition in Turkey as ISIS gained ground in both countries. Nearly 800 UK personnel were already deployed in training and support roles across the region, including instruction for Iraqi forces on dealing with roadside bombs. The Ministry of Defence said Britain’s contribution was under regular review, while sources emphasized that no final or immediate decision had been made.

Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain did not want a new Cold War with Russia and would tell Vladimir Putin that the outcome was not inevitable. He warned that Russia posed a grave danger to Europe, backed continued European Union sanctions and threatened further pressure if Moscow continued supporting separatists and violating Ukraine's territorial integrity. Cameron rejected a military solution to the conflict as renewed shelling and reports of Russian troop and tank deployments raised tensions ahead of the G20 summit in Australia.

The United Kingdom and Iran have begun talks to restore diplomatic relations, two years after an angry mob ransacked the British embassy in Tehran. Foreign Secretary William Hague said both countries would appoint non-resident chargé d’affaires to oversee confidence-building steps toward reopening their embassies. The initiative follows what Hague called a marked improvement in Iran’s approach since the election of President Hassan Rouhani, amid continued Western sanctions.

After Russian forces stormed a school in Beslan at the end of a 53-hour hostage siege, hundreds of hostages were killed or injured, many of them children. The report describes the chaotic assault, explosions, gunfire, rescue efforts and the devastating scenes outside the overcrowded morgue, where relatives searched for and identified victims. At least 556 people were hospitalized, including 332 children, while the final death toll remained uncertain.

The Aral Sea, devastated after Soviet planners diverted its feeder rivers to irrigate cotton and rice fields, suffered dramatic shrinkage, salinization, pollution, collapsing fisheries and severe public-health consequences. A World Bank-funded dam project in Kazakhstan is restoring the Northern Aral Sea: water levels and surface area have increased, salinity has fallen, vegetation is returning and fishing communities are recovering. The larger southern section in Uzbekistan remains in danger, as its government appears more interested in oil and gas exploration than ecological restoration.

Socialites Ksenia Sobchak and Oksana Robsky have published a tongue-in-cheek manual advising women how to attract and profit from marriages to Russian oligarchs. The book acknowledges that such marriages often end in bitter divorces and recommends financial precautions, including accumulating jewellery and starting a business during the marriage. It also suggests that women seeking security rather than romance may be better off marrying affluent middle-class men, reflecting Russia’s widening divide between the wealthy and everyone else.

Russia has begun enforcing a law that bars people without Russian passports from working in large food and clothing markets and roadside kiosks, putting hundreds of thousands of migrants from former Soviet states and China at risk of losing their jobs. Officials say the measure protects ethnic Russian workers, improves market conditions and regulates migration, while human-rights groups describe it as discriminatory and state-sponsored racism. Raids have already led to migrant detentions, and critics warn of labor shortages, higher prices and rising nationalism ahead of elections.

Vladimir Putin’s government reshuffle elevated Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov to first deputy prime minister, positioning him alongside Dmitri Medvedev as a potential successor ahead of Russia’s 2008 presidential election. The move was widely interpreted as a controlled campaign to prepare the public for a post-Putin leadership while preserving Putin’s policies and political legacy. Ivanov represents a nationalist, security-focused continuity candidate, whereas Medvedev offers a softer and more European-oriented version of the same system. Putin also promoted Ramzan Kadyrov to acting president of Chechnya, prompting human-rights concerns because forces loyal to Kadyrov were accused of serious abuses.

Vladimir Putin promoted Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov to Deputy First Prime Minister, placing him in charge of the military-industrial complex and freeing him to prepare a possible presidential campaign. The move, together with Putin’s public praise, intensified speculation that Ivanov is the Kremlin’s preferred successor, putting him on an equal footing with rival Dmitri Medvedev. Anatoly Serdyukov, formerly head of Russia’s tax service, was appointed defence minister. Separately, Putin dismissed Chechen President Alu Alkhanov and named Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov acting president despite allegations linking Kadyrov to abductions.

Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov was sworn in as Turkmenistan’s president after an election criticized by international observers as neither free nor fair. His accession raised hopes that the gas-rich country might end its reclusive and highly authoritarian past, but his inauguration also emphasized continuity: he praised former president Saparmurat Niyazov and publicly honored Niyazov’s personality-cult book, the Ruhnama. Human-rights abuses, political repression, restricted communications and the legacy of Niyazov’s rule remain major concerns, while foreign governments watched closely because of Turkmenistan’s strategic natural-gas reserves.

British explorer Karl Bushby is preparing to resume his attempt to walk 36,000 miles around the world after Russian authorities arrested him and a court in Chukotka ordered his deportation for lacking the correct passport stamp. The ruling was overturned on appeal, his paperwork is being finalized, and he plans to continue from the point where he crossed the Bering Strait. The delay has added nearly a year to an expedition that has already covered about 17,000 miles, while the next stage will involve severe Arctic conditions, including temperatures of minus 40C and strong winds.

Russia's environmental regulator gave TNK-BP three months to raise production at the Kovykta gas field from 33 million to 9 billion cubic metres annually or risk losing its operating licence. The target is described as technically and commercially impractical because local demand is low and Russian law prevents TNK-BP from exporting the gas. The pressure appears intended to force BP and its Russian partners to sell a stake to state-controlled Gazprom, amid broader Kremlin efforts to expand state control over strategic energy assets. British lobbying by Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling appears unlikely to prevent a sale.

Oleg Deripaska has overtaken Roman Abramovich as Russia's richest person, according to Finans magazine, with an estimated fortune of $21.2 billion compared with Abramovich's $21 billion. Deripaska's wealth stems largely from his control of the aluminium industry and his role in consolidating Russia's industrial assets after the violent aluminium conflicts of the 1990s. His company Rusal is preparing to merge with two other firms to create the world's largest aluminium producer. Deripaska is also portrayed as having stronger Kremlin ties and a greater commitment to living and investing in Russia, while Abramovich is criticized for spending more time in London and focusing more on speculation. Deripaska has faced allegations of using force, bribery and extortion, which he denies, and has been linked to a possible bid for Arsenal FC.

UK Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling protested to the Kremlin over Shell being pressured to relinquish its controlling stake in the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project. He warned that British companies would be reluctant to invest in Russia unless contracts and legal rules were reliably upheld, while emphasizing the importance of continued UK-Russia investment ties.

Russian prosecutors have brought new charges accusing jailed former Yukos owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his associates of embezzling and laundering up to $25 billion, potentially extending his sentence by 15 years. Prosecutors allege that Yukos used offshore companies and internal price differences to conceal illicit profits. Khodorkovsky's lawyers reject the accusations as absurd and politically motivated, arguing that the Kremlin wants to prevent his parole and remove any possibility of future political activity while potentially seizing hidden assets. The case deepens the longstanding divide between official claims that Khodorkovsky was a corrupt oligarch and supporters' view that he is being persecuted for challenging Putin.

Russia's largest steel mill, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), plans to list up to 25% of its shares in London and may raise at least $1 billion, with a simultaneous Moscow placement also possible. The IPO is intended partly to establish a Western valuation ahead of potential industry mergers. MMK is thought to be controlled by Viktor Rashnikov and allied managers through opaque Cyprus-registered entities. The company is a major Russian steel producer, supplying domestic demand and export markets, and is expected to benefit from pipeline construction linked to Russia's energy ambitions, including projects in the Baltic, Arctic and China.

Vladimir Putin publicly dismissed Alexander Litvinenko as an insignificant former security officer who had no access to state secrets, while denying that the Kremlin had any role in his radioactive-polonium poisoning. Litvinenko's friends and former accusations continued to implicate Russian security structures, and the UK Crown Prosecution Service was assessing whether evidence justified charges. During the same press conference, Putin defended Russia's demand that former Soviet republics pay market prices for gas, expressed interest in an Iranian proposal for a gas Opec, and criticized planned US missile-defense installations in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Polymetal, Russia’s largest silver producer and the world’s fifth-largest silver miner, plans to sell 30% of its shares in simultaneous London and Moscow offerings, seeking to raise more than $800 million and potentially achieving a valuation of nearly $3 billion. The flotation faces scrutiny because billionaire politician Suleiman Kerimov, believed to control almost all of the company, has been absent from public view since a serious car crash. Investors have also questioned Polymetal’s high debt, ownership structure and forward sales agreements. Separately, Russia’s VTB announced plans for a London flotation in May.

Members of Nashi, a pro-Vladimir Putin ultra-nationalist youth movement, have conducted months of harassment against British ambassador Anthony Brenton after he attended a Russian opposition conference despite Kremlin objections. Two activists now allege they were assaulted by embassy security personnel at Brenton’s behest, claims the embassy categorically denies. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has urged the activists to moderate their campaign, but Nashi says it will continue.

Former KGB officer Oleg Gordievsky claims that the person who administered the polonium-210 that killed Alexander Litvinenko will die from radiation poisoning within three years, while Russian businessmen Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun will allegedly die of leukemia within five years. The claims add to the mystery surrounding the politically sensitive poisoning as the Crown Prosecution Service considers whether Scotland Yard has enough evidence to prosecute Lugovoi, who denies involvement.

The Kremlin’s legal campaign against human rights groups working on Chechnya is portrayed as an effort to suppress reporting of alleged torture, kidnapping and murder and to restrict victims’ access to international justice. Russia’s Supreme Court closed the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society after labeling it extremist, while the Russian Justice Initiative faced suspension and repeated rejection of its registration application despite winning five cases for Chechen victims at the European Court of Human Rights. Rights organizations condemned the measures as attacks on civil society and international accountability, while Russian prosecutors accused the Friendship Society of promoting racial hatred and giving publicity to Chechen separatists.

Kremlin environmental officials are preparing an aggressive audit of the Kovykta gas field, alleging that BP's Anglo-Russian venture TNK-BP is failing to meet production commitments. The review could threaten TNK-BP's 62.4% stake and support Gazprom's long-standing effort to acquire control of the project. TNK-BP's inability to export gas independently, because Gazprom holds the export monopoly, strengthens Gazprom's position. The pressure follows Shell's sale of control of the Sakhalin-2 project to Gazprom and reflects Moscow's broader push to bring Russia's oil and gas resources under state-aligned control.

Yevgeny Kushnaryov, a senior figure in Ukraine's pro-Russian Party of the Regions and a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, died after being shot during a wild-boar hunting trip in eastern Ukraine. Police are investigating whether the shooting resulted from careless gun handling, a ricochet, or murder, with conflicting reports about how it occurred and how many times he was shot. The death caused shock in Ukraine's volatile political environment and prompted Yanukovych to return early from Turkey.

Two films about the 2006 poisoning of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London were reportedly being developed, with Warner Bros. adapting Alan Cowell’s forthcoming book and a second project based on Litvinenko’s Blowing Up Russia potentially involving John Malkovich. Publishers were also competing for accounts from Litvinenko’s widow Marina and family friend Alex Goldfarb. The story notes the commercial exploitation of the case and growing diplomatic pressure from Russian officials for access to UK-based witnesses and the ability to investigate in Britain.

Russia shut down the Druzhba pipeline through Belarus after accusing Minsk of illegally tapping Russian oil and imposing an unauthorized transit fee. The stoppage interrupted supplies to Germany, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, though the European Commission said strategic reserves meant there was no immediate risk. The dispute followed Moscow’s sharp increases in Belarusian gas and oil prices, which threatened Belarus’s refining industry and ended major Russian subsidies. President Alexander Lukashenko accused the Kremlin of using energy to pressure Belarus politically, while emergency talks and the prospect of a wider trade war raised renewed European concerns about dependence on Russian energy.