Area Total | 17,098,242 sq km |
Climate | ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast |
Natural Resources | wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, bauxite, reserves of rare earth elements, timber |
Imports | China 21.2%, Germany 10.7%, US 5.6%, Belarus 5%, Italy 4.5%, France 4.2% (2017) – machinery, vehicles, pharmaceutical products, plastic, semi-finished metal products, meat, fruits and nuts, optical and medical instruments, iron, steel |
Government | semi-presidential federation |
Capital | Moscow |
Population | 142.1 million (July 2018 est.) |
Ethnicity | Russian 77.7%, Tatar 3.7%, Ukrainian 1.4%, Bashkir 1.1%, Chuvash 1%, Chechen 1%, other 10.2%, unspecified 3.9% (2010 est.) |
Language | Russian (official) 85.7%, Tatar 3.2%, Chechen 1%, other 10.1% (2010 est.) |
Exports | China 10.9%, Netherlands 10%, Germany 7.1%, Belarus 5.1%, Turkey 4.9% (2017) – petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, metals, wood and wood products, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures |
News about Russia
- Caught in Orwell’s pages. Meduza’s readers describe their battle with hopelessness as year four of Russia’s Ukraine invasion approachesby Meduza.io on November 21, 2024
Since day one of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Meduza has provided continuous, in-depth coverage of the war. In addition to our regular news reports and feature stories, we’ve maintained a Russian-language live blog. We’re now introducing another element to our war coverage: reader feedback.
- Russia launches first intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine, Kyiv saysby Meduza.io on November 21, 2024
Russian forces launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Ukraine on Thursday morning, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
- Russia’s tax on interest income from bank deposits expected to bring over $1.1 billion in 2024by Meduza.io on November 21, 2024
Russia’s Federal Tax Service (FNS) has assessed the total tax on interest income from bank deposits made by Russian residents at 114 billion rubles ($1.1 billion) for 2023, surpassing the Finance Ministry’s projections by 12.2 percent, the agency’s head, Daniil Egorov, told RBC.
- Man who climbed Moscow billboard with banner reading ‘Putin, where are you, bitch, make room for me’ jailed for 15 daysby Meduza.io on November 21, 2024
A man arrested last week in Moscow for climbing a billboard and displaying a banner that read, “Putin, where are you, bitch, make room for me,” has been sentenced to 15 days in jail on charges of disobeying police, according to the TV network RTVI.
- Unable to service engines due to sanctions, Russian airlines have reportedly now grounded half of their Airbus Neo planesby Meduza.io on November 21, 2024
As of mid-November, Russian airlines have grounded 34 out of the 66 Airbus A320neo and A321neo planes in their fleets, Kommersant reports.
- Russian court sentences history teacher to three years in prison for ‘justifying terrorism’ over Crimean bridge explosion remarks in classby Meduza.io on November 21, 2024
A Russian court has sentenced Alexey Pokazanyev, a 30-year-old history and social studies teacher, to three years in prison for “justifying terrorism,” according to the court’s press service.
- Ukrainian FM rules out conceding territoryby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 21, 2024
Andrey Sibiga has said Kiev can achieve peace only “through strength,” after Zelensky admitted that it cannot seize Crimea by force Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russian PR expert jailed for online post after accompanying Evan Gershkovich on reporting trip asks government to exclude him from prisoner swapsby Meduza.io on November 21, 2024
Russian activist and PR expert Yaroslav Shirshikov, who is serving a five-year prison sentence in Yekaterinburg on “justifying terrorism” charges for an online post, has asked the Russian authorities not to include him in any future prisoner change.
- Ukraine can’t afford to lose tens of thousands of lives to reclaim Crimea, says Zelenskyby Meduza.io on November 21, 2024
Ukraine can’t afford to lose tens of thousands of lives to reclaim Crimea, but the peninsula could be returned through diplomacy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Fox News published on Wednesday.
- Biden administration plans to forgive half of Ukraine’s $9 billion loan — Bloombergby Meduza.io on November 21, 2024
The Biden administration has informed Congress of plans to forgive $4.65 billion of Ukraine’s $9 billion loan, Bloomberg reported.
- Slovak villagers send aid to Russia’s Kursk Regionby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
Citizens of Slovakia and other countries have collected more than $52,000 for Russian civilians displaced by the Ukrainian incursion Read Full Article at RT.com
- ‘Democratic vote’ allows UK journalist to stay at Lavrov presserby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
A Sky News employee who snuck into Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s press event in Brazil was allowed to stay and listen Read Full Article at RT.com
- US-made armor destroyed by Russian suicide drone (MOD VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
A Russian drone hit a Ukrainian Bradley Fighting Vehicle near Kursk Region, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reports Read Full Article at RT.com
- Ukraine has fired UK-supplied ‘Storm Shadows’ at Russia – Bloombergby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
Kiev’s military has launched UK-supplied ‘Storm Shadow’ missiles at Russia, with reports of interceptions from Kursk and Krasnodar Regions Read Full Article at RT.com
- With Ukraine now firing Western-supplied long-range missiles, Russian borderland regions prepare for ‘harsh winter’ aheadby Meduza.io on November 20, 2024
The head of Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine and has sustained shelling and missile attacks for months, said on Wednesday that the area’s operational situation could deteriorate this winter, leading to possible power and heating outages.
- ‘Russian girl shows me her ass’. How foreigner vloggers who moved to Russia support Putin, promote ‘family values,’ and sexualize womenby Meduza.io on November 20, 2024
Over the past two years, stories of foreigners moving to Russia for ideological reasons have become a recurring theme in the country’s media. In October 2024, Russia’s Interior Ministry reported a surge in applications for temporary residence permits from citizens of “unfriendly nations.” Many of these expats, dissatisfied with so-called “LGBT […]
- Moscow’s most infamous prison now forbids inmates from writing the phrase ‘political prisoners’ in private correspondenceby Meduza.io on November 20, 2024
Guards at Moscow’s Matrosskaya Tishina prison have forbidden inmate Ilya Vasilyev, jailed for supposedly “false reports” about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, from writing the phrase “political prisoners” in his personal correspondence.
- Russia reveals retaliation for Western seizure of its assetsby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
Russia will use tit-for-tat measures in response to the seizure of its sovereign assets, says the finance minister Read Full Article at RT.com
- As embassies suspend operations in Kyiv, Ukraine urges West not to fall for Russian psychological warfareby Meduza.io on November 20, 2024
Ukrainian officials have criticized several foreign embassies for closing their offices in Kyiv amid fears of a potential Russian airstrike. On Wednesday, Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry faulted the “media frenzy” that led diplomats from the United States, Spain, Italy, and Greece to suspend operations. American embassy sources told the Ukrainian […]
- A day after Ukraine’s first ATACMS strike inside Russia, Kyiv reportedly fires British Storm Shadow missiles, tooby Meduza.io on November 20, 2024
The Ukrainian military has attacked targets inside Russia with British long-range Storm Shadow missiles, Western officials told The Guardian and Bloomberg. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declined to comment on the reports, though senior British officials have “hinted” that the U.S. government recently dropped previous objections to Ukraine’s use […]
- ‘A different type of threat’. More Russian regions prepare bomb shelters amid fears of Ukrainian ATACMS strikesby Meduza.io on November 20, 2024
The authorities in Russia’s Lipetsk region have decided to purchase outdoor bomb shelters for the major cities in the area, Governor Igor Artamonov announced on Wednesday.
- ‘The West has full control’. Ukraine has begun using American-made ATACMS missiles to hit Russian territory. Could it change the course of the war?by Meduza.io on November 20, 2024
On November 19, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Ukraine had fired six U.S.-made ATACMS missiles at Russia’s Bryansk region (Ukrainian media reported that the country’s General Staff “does not have information about this strike,” though the attack was first reported by the outlet RBC Ukraine). Two days earlier, The New York Times reported […]
- Russia plans new tax for selling crypto – mediaby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
Income derived from crypto transactions and mining activities will reportedly be subject to a tax of up to 15% Read Full Article at RT.com
- West using bot farms to spread fake information about Russia – RT correspondentby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
The CIA is funding online troll communities to tarnish Russia’s image, journalist Chay Bowes has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russian drone destroys Ukrainian bunker (MOD VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
The Russian Defense Ministry has published a clip of a drone striking a Ukrainian fortified firing position in Donbass Read Full Article at RT.com
- ‘Almost no chance of survival’ – Ukraine’s ex-top general tells troopsby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
Ukraine’s envoy to the UK, Valery Zaluzny, has advised Ukrainian soldiers training in Britain to kill or be killed when sent to fight Russia Read Full Article at RT.com
- Kremlin rules out ‘freezing’ Ukraine conflictby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
Russia intends on achieving its goals, but nevertheless remains open to dialogue, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Moscow accuses Meta and Google of distorting truthby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
The US social media giants are spreading disinformation and manipulating public opinion, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- ‘I have good news and bad news’. Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva speaks to Meduza about life as a political prisoner in Russia and why she’ll never be a cynicby Meduza.io on November 20, 2024
On Thursday, November 21, the Committee to Protect Journalists will honor four women who have courageously risked their lives to report the truth amid extraordinary danger. CPJ’s 2024 honorees are Shrouq Al Aila from the Gaza Strip, Quimy de León from Guatemala, Samira Sabou from Niger, and Alsu Kurmasheva, the dual U.S.-Russian citizen and Radio Free […]
- Bank of Russia names conditions for interest rate cutsby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on November 20, 2024
The Bank of Russia has said it would consider gradually easing monetary policy next year if no additional external shocks occur Read Full Article at RT.com