Putin orders military to boost troop numbers by 180,000 to 1.5 million as Ukraine fighting continues
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country’s military to increase its number of troops by 180,000 to a total of 1.5 million, as Moscow’s military action in Ukraine drags on for more than 2 ½ years.
Man charged with killing 4 university students in Idaho is jailed in Boise after his trial is moved
The man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students has been booked into jail in Boise after a court moved his trial.
In Belarus, the native language is vanishing as Russian takes prominence
Belarusians are experiencing a new wave of Russification as Moscow expands its economic, political and cultural dominance to overtake the identity of its neighbor.
Freight forwarder admits to illegal Miami-Moscow shipments
A 49-year-old freight forwarder is awaiting sentencing in Miami federal court after recently admitting to violating U.S. laws — while doing business in Miami-Dade County.
Trump cited Hungary's Orbán as an example of foreign support during debate
Former President Donald Trump has praised Hungary's autocratic leader, further fanning concerns that Trump embraces anti-democratic forces around the world.
A woman is killed near Moscow as over 140 Ukrainian drones target Russia, officials say
Officials say over 140 Ukrainian drones targeted multiple Russian regions overnight, including Moscow and surrounding areas, in one of the biggest Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian soil in the 2 1/2-year war.
A judge agrees to move the trial of a man charged with killing 4 University of Idaho students
A judge has agreed to move the trial of a man charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students out of the city where the crimes occurred.
With charges and sanctions, US takes aim at Russian disinformation ahead of November election
The Biden administration has announced criminal charges, the seizure of internet domains and sanctions related to Russian disinformation efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election.
A former Russian defense official is detained in a fraud case, part of an ongoing military probe
Russian news reports say a former Defense Ministry official has been detained in a fraud case, the latest high-profile arrest of a senior military official.
Idaho judge considers whether to hold quadruple murder trial in small university town or elsewhere
Attorneys for the man charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students had experts outline widespread media coverage of the case and explain the effects on potential jurors during a hearing Thursday.
India's Modi visits Ukraine this week, after a recent trip to Moscow. Here's what it could mean
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a historic visit Friday to Ukraine.
Ukraine's parliament approves ban on Moscow-linked religious groups. One church is seen as a target
Ukraine’s parliament has banned the activities of religious groups tied to the Russian Orthodox Church or any other faith group supporting Russia’s invasion.
Ukrainian president says the push into Russia's Kursk region is to create a buffer zone there
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the daring military incursion into Russia’s Kursk region aims to create a buffer zone.
Ukraine’s swift push into the Kursk region shocked Russia and exposed its vulnerabilities
A daring Ukrainian military push into Russia’s Kursk region has seen Kyiv’s forces seize scores of villages, attack air bases and force the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians in what has become the largest attack on the country since World War II.
Ukraine's president acknowledges military incursion onto Russian soil
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has indirectly acknowledged ongoing military actions in Russia's Kursk border region to “push the war out into the aggressor’s territory.”.
The head of Russia's military park and a top Defense Ministry official are arrested for fraud
The director of a park showcasing Russia's military might was arrested on fraud charges, along with a top Defense Ministry official, part of a sweeping investigation into abuse of office in the top echelons of the military leadership.
At least 4 dead in apartment block collapse following gas explosion in Russia's Ural Mountains
Emergency officials say at least four people have died and dozens are feared buried under rubble after an apartment block in Russia's Ural Mountains collapsed following a gas explosion.
Russia releases US journalist and other Americans and dissidents in massive 24-person prisoner swap
The United States and Russia have made their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history.
Ukraine says it struck an oil depot in Russia, as Moscow claims new gains in Donetsk region
Ukraine says it has struck an oil depot in southern Russia that supplies the Kremlin’s troops as Russian strikes in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where Moscow has claimed further gains, have left five civilians dead and 15 others wounded.
In a show of growing ties, Russian warships make a new visit to Cuban waters
Three Russian warships have arrived in Cuban waters, Moscow’s second such maritime voyage in as many months in a reflection of deepening ties between Russia and Cuba.
How Russia’s espionage case against Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich unfolded
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was convicted on Friday of espionage charges in an unusually rapid trial in the country’s highly politicized legal system.
Long before his arrest, US reporter lamented that many friends in Russia were being locked up
In early 2022, Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal wrote on social media that “reporting on Russia is now also a regular practice of watching people you know get locked away for years.”.
Russia holds a UN meeting about global cooperation. US calls it 'hypocrisy' after Ukraine invasion
Russia’s foreign minister has accused the United States of holding the entire West “at gunpoint” and impeding international cooperation at a U.N. event.
Kaspersky will shutter US operations after software is banned by Commerce Department, citing risk
Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky says it’s shutting down all of its operations in the United States, just weeks after the Commerce Department banned the use of the company’s software in the country.
Russian passenger jet crashes flying empty near Moscow, killing its crew of 3
Russian authorities say that a Russian passenger jet has crashed near Moscow while flying without passengers, killing its crew of three.
Russia declares newspaper The Moscow Times 'undesirable' amid crackdown on criticism
The Russian prosecutor general’s office has declared The Moscow Times newspaper to be an “undesirable organization.”.
In a diplomatic quirk, Russia chairs a UN meeting decrying its strike on a Ukraine kids' hospital
U.N. Security Council members are confronting Russia over a missile strike that destroyed part of Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital.
Putin hosts India's prime minister to deepen ties, but Ukraine looms over their relationship
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, seeking to deepen the two nuclear powers’ relationship as NATO leaders gathered in Washington and Russia and launched deadly missile strikes in Ukraine that destroyed a children's hospital.
A Russian playwright and a theater director sentenced to prison on charges of advocating terrorism
A Russian court has convicted a theater director and a playwright of terrorism charges and sentenced them to six years each in prison.
Putin sees no need for nuclear weapons to win in Ukraine. But he's also keeping his options open
Russian President Vladimir Putin's message to NATO was simple and stark: Don’t go too far in providing military support for Ukraine, or you’ll risk a conflict that could quickly turn into a nuclear one.
Hungary's Orbán meets Putin for talks in Moscow in a rare visit by a European leader
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has visited Moscow for a rare meeting by a European leader with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed peace proposals for Ukraine.
US citizen Woodland convicted of drug-related charges by Moscow court. He's sentenced to 12.5 years
Robert Woodland, a Russia-born U.S. citizen, has been convicted of drug-related charges by a Moscow court and sentenced to 12 1/2 years in a maximum security prison.
Hungary's Russia-friendly leader is in Ukraine. It's his first visit since the war began
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has made his first visit to neighboring Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Trump says he can end the Russia-Ukraine war in one day. Russia's UN ambassador says he can't
Donald Trump has repeatedly said he can settle the war between Russia and Ukraine in one day if he’s elected president again.
Feds accuse Hallandale Beach man of shipping prohibited scientific equipment to Russia
Federal authorities arrested a Belarusian national living in South Florida over the weekend after they said he illegally arranged the shipment of a sensitive piece of scientific equipment to Russia.
Russia presses its offensive in Ukraine and issues new threats as the West tries to blunt the push
Slowly but steadily this summer, Russian troops are forging through Ukraine’s outgunned and undermanned defenses along the front line of the battlefield in a relentless onslaught, prompting the West to push for new weapons and strategies to shore up Kyiv.
Putin calls for resuming production of intermediate missiles after scrapping of treaty with US
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for resuming production of intermediate-range missiles that were banned under a now-scrapped treaty with the United States.
Russia warns it can take unspecified measures in response to US drone flights over Black Sea
Russia’s Defense Ministry says officials have been ordered to prepare a response to U.S. drone flights over the Black Sea, in an apparent warning that Moscow may take forceful action to ward off the American reconnaissance aircraft.
Who are some of the Americans behind bars in Russia, and what are the prospects for their release?
Arrests of Americans in Russia have become increasingly common with relations sinking to Cold War lows.
With its new pact with North Korea, Russia raises the stakes with the West over Ukraine
Behind the pageantry of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea, a strong signal came through: In the spiraling confrontation with the U.S. and its allies over Ukraine, the Russian leader is willing to challenge Western interests like never before.
Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky denies it's a hazard after the US Commerce Dept bans its software
The cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has denied it is a security threat after the U.S. Commerce Department banned the use of its software in the United States.
South Korea summons Russian ambassador as tensions rise with North Korea
South Korea has summoned the Russian ambassador to protest a defense pact with North Korea, two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement vowing mutual defense with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on a state visit to Pyongyang.
Putin signs deals with Vietnam in bid to shore up ties in Asia to offset Moscow's growing isolation
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a series of deals with his Vietnamese counterpart during a state visit that comes as Moscow is seeking to bolster ties in Asia to offset its growing international isolation over its military actions in Ukraine.
South Korea will consider supplying arms to Ukraine after Russia and North Korea sign strategic pact
South Korea says it will consider sending arms to Ukraine after Russia and North Korea rattled the region and beyond by signing a pact to come to each other’s defense in the event of war.
US soldier convicted of theft in Russia and sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison
A court in Russia’s far eastern city of Vladivostok has convicted a visiting American soldier of stealing and making threats of murder, and it sentenced him to three years and nine months in prison.
Divers find remains of Finnish WWII plane that was shot down by Moscow with a US diplomat aboard
The World War II mystery of what happened to a Finnish passenger plane after it was shot down over the Baltic Sea by Soviet bombers appears to finally be solved more than eight decades later.
World leaders meet in Switzerland to discuss a Ukraine peace roadmap. Russia is notably absent
Dozens of world leaders have converged on a Swiss resort to discuss how to bring peace to war-ravaged Ukraine, though any hopes of a real breakthrough are muted by the absence of Russia.
Putin offers truce if Ukraine exits Russian-claimed areas and drops NATO bid. Kyiv rejects it
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine and to begin negotiations if Kyiv started withdrawing troops from the four regions annexed by Moscow in 2022 and renounced plans to join NATO.
Jailed US reporter Evan Gershkovich to stand trial in Russia on espionage charges, officials say
Russian officials say U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich, jailed in Russia for over a year on espionage charges, will stand trial in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg.
Putin says he sees no threat warranting use of nuclear arms but warns Russia could arm Western foes
President Vladimir Putin says that he sees no current threat to Russia’s sovereignty that would warrant the use of nuclear weapons but has again warned that Moscow could send arms to countries or groups to strike Western targets.
French citizen arrested in Moscow on charges of collecting military data
Russia’s top state criminal investigation agency says a French citizen has been arrested on charges of collecting information on military issues.
Putin warns that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets
President Vladimir Putin is warning that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets elsewhere in the world in response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to launch attacks on Russian territory.
Energy shutdowns hit Ukraine after Russian attacks target infrastructure
Ukraine has imposed emergency power shutdowns in most of the country a day after Russia unleashed large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure and claimed it made gains in the eastern Donetsk province.
Russian court extends the detention of a Russian-US journalist
A Russian court has ordered a detained Russian American journalist to be held in jail until Aug. 5 pending her trial on charges of failing to register as a foreign agent.
Hungary's Orbán pushes back on EU and NATO proposals to further assist Ukraine
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is pushing back against some NATO proposals that would allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike targets within Russia.
Berlin lets Ukraine use German weapons against targets in Russia after the US also eases its stance
Germany has joined the United States in authorizing Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying.
Ukraine's army chief says Russia is augmenting its troops presence in the Kharkiv region
Ukraine’s air force says that Russia has conducted an array of aerial attacks on Ukraine with cruise missiles, drones and ballistic missiles.
US pledges $135 million in aid to Western-leaning Moldova to counter Russian influence
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pledged $135 million in aid to Moldova for energy security and to counter Russian disinformation.
Georgian parliament overrides presidential veto of the divisive foreign influence bill
The Georgian parliament has overridden a presidential veto of the “foreign agents” legislation that has fueled Western concerns and sparked massive protests for weeks.
European Union criticizes Russia for removing Estonian buoys, demand an explanation from Moscow
The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says the removal of 25 Estonian buoys by Russian border guards on a river separating the Baltic country from Russia was “unacceptable.”.
Russian theater director and playwright go on trial over a play authorities say justifies terrorism
A Russian court has started the trial of a theater director and a playwright facing charges of justifying terrorism over a play they staged, the latest step in the unrelenting crackdown on dissent in Russia that has reached unprecedented levels during Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Thousands of protesters in Armenia demand the prime minister's resignation over Azerbaijan dispute
Thousands of protesters angered by the government’s decision to hand over control of some border villages to Azerbaijan have demonstrated in the center of the Armenian capital for a second day to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Russia celebrates victory in World War II as Putin accuses the West of fueling global conflicts
Russia wrapped itself in patriotic pageantry for Victory Day, as President Vladimir Putin celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II by hailing his forces in Ukraine and blasting the West for fueling conflicts around the world.
Russia defends veto of UN resolution to prohibit nukes in outer space, urges vote to ban all weapons
Russia has defended its veto of a U.N. resolution calling on all nations to prevent a nuclear arms race in outer space.
Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West's possible deepening role in Ukraine
Russia is threatening to strike British military facilities and says it plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons.
Ukrainian officials urge Western partners to speed up military aid deliveries amid Russian onslaught
Ukraine’s president and foreign minister say they have pressed British Foreign Secretary David Cameron to accelerate the delivery of promised military aid to Kyiv.
Why did bill to stem ‘foreign influence’ trigger protests in Georgia over country's media freedom?
Georgia has been engulfed by huge protests triggered by a proposed law that critics see as a threat to media freedom and the country’s aspirations to join the European Union.
For decades, Moscow has sought to silence its critics abroad
From its earliest days, the Soviet Union’s intelligence services — whether known as the Cheka or the names of any of its successor agencies like the KGB — kept the government in power by pursuing its opponents no matter where they lived.
Kremlin parades Western equipment captured from Ukrainian army at Moscow exhibition
An exhibition of Western military equipment captured from Kyiv forces during the fighting in Ukraine has opened in the Russian capital.
Putin likely didn’t order death of Russian opposition leader Navalny, US official says
U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn’t order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February.
A US citizen facing drug charges in Russia appears in court. His case was adjourned until mid-May
A U.S. citizen arrested on drug charges in Moscow amid soaring Russia-U.S. tensions has appeared in court and had his case adjourned until mid-May.
A Russian actress who called for peace was fined for hosting an 'almost naked' party
A Moscow court has imposed a 50,000-ruble ($560) fine on a TV presenter and actress who gained notoriety for hosting an “almost naked” party, saying her social media posts calling for peace discredited the military.
Third man is detained in a major bribery case that involves Russia's deputy defense minister
Moscow's court service says a third man has been detained in a major bribery case involving one of Russian's most senior defense officials.
A Russian Orthodox priest who took part in services for Navalny is suspended by the patriarch
The patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Chuch has suspended a priest who participated in services for the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
A Russian deputy defense minister is ordered jailed pending trial on bribery charges
A Russian deputy defense minister in charge of military construction projects and known for a lavish lifestyle was ordered jailed pending trial on charges of bribery, Timur Ivanov, one of 12 deputy defense ministers, appeared in Moscow’s Basmany court Wednesday wearing his military uniform.
Moscow court rejects Evan Gershkovich's appeal, keeping him in jail until at least June 30
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will remain in jail on espionage charges until at least late June.
Biden will send Ukraine air defense weapons, artillery once Senate approves, Zelenskyy says
President Joe Biden has told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the U.S. will send badly needed air defense weaponry once the Senate approves a massive national security aid package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine.
Man charged with 4 University of Idaho deaths was out for a drive that night, his attorneys say
Bryan Kohberger, the man charged in the deaths of four University of Idaho students in late 2022, was out for a drive the night they were killed.
Envoy says US is determined to monitor North Korean nukes, through UN or otherwise
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says America and its allies are discussing options “both inside and outside the U.
Ukraine's military chief warns of 'significantly' worsening battlefield situation in the east
Ukraine's military chief on Saturday warned that the battlefield situation in the country's industrial east has “significantly worsened in recent days,” as warming weather has allowed Russian forces to launch a fresh push along several stretches of the more than 1,000-km long frontline.
Correction: United States-Russia-China story
In a story published April 12, 2024, about Chinese sales to Russia of technology that has been used in its war against Ukraine, The Associated Press, citing information from two senior administration officials, misidentified the name of one of the companies involved in the sales as Chinese firm iRay Technology.
Kremlin says 2022 draft document could serve as starting point for future Ukraine peace talks
The Kremlin says that a draft agreement between Russia and Ukraine negotiated in 2022 could serve as a starting point for prospective talks to end the fighting that has dragged into a third year.
Putin mocks planned Ukraine conference and says Russia won't accept any enforced peace plans
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has mocked a planned round of Ukraine peace talks in Switzerland, warning that Moscow will not accept any enforced agreements ignoring its interests.
In Russia's Far East, a new heavy-lift rocket blasts off into space after two aborted launches
Russia has successfully test-launched a new heavy-lift rocket from its Far Eastern space complex, a lift-off that comes after two aborted attempts earlier this week.
Russian officials again try to link the Moscow concert attack with Ukraine despite Kyiv's denials
Russian authorities have again tried to link the deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall to Ukraine, saying one of the detained suspects had photos on his phone depicting troops in camouflage uniforms with the Ukrainian flag.
Russian minister casts prospective Ukraine peace talks as Western plot to win hesitant Global South
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that prospective negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine could be successful only if they take Moscow’s interests in the account.