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
- Ukraine must defeat Russia to join NATO – Zelenskyby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 2, 2024
Kiev needs a victory over Russia to join NATO’s ranks, President Vladimir Zelensky said Read Full Article at RT.com
- WATCH protesters storm Georgia’s parliament buildingby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 1, 2024
The opponents of the “foreign agents” bill have attempted to storm the parliament complex in Tbilisi, Georgia Read Full Article at RT.com
- Drone captures scale of Western-supplied armor display in Moscow (VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 1, 2024
An exhibition featuring assorted NATO-supplied military hardware, seized by Russian troops has kicked off in Moscow Read Full Article at RT.com
- The Kremlin promised career growth in exchange for work in occupied Ukraine. That didn’t happen — and officials are catching on.by Meduza.io on May 1, 2024
Since the summer of 2022, the Putin administration has been enticing career officials to work in Ukraine’s occupied territories by promising them unbeatable salaries and promotions afterwards. Many bureaucrats have answered the call, happy to do the Kremlin’s bidding in a war zone if it means eventually getting a governorship back in Russia. But two […]
- Fight erupts in Georgian parliament (VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 1, 2024
Georgian lawmakers came to blows over the controversial “foreign agents” bill that sparked violent protests in the country’s capital Read Full Article at RT.com
- Donbass breakthrough, cluster munitions, and drone-proof tanks: The past week in the Ukrainian conflict (VIDEOS)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 1, 2024
Moscow has reported making new gains in Donbass, while both sides are increasingly using controversial cluster munitions in combat Read Full Article at RT.com
- F-16s could arrive in Ukraine this month – officialby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 1, 2024
Ukraine could receive US-made F-16 fighter jet as early as this spring, the Air Force spokesman says Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russia hits Ukrainian military HQ – MODby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 1, 2024
The Russian military has conducted a strike on the Ukrainian HQ commanding troops in the south, the Defense Ministry says Read Full Article at RT.com
- Western military hardware trophy show opens in Moscow (VIDEOS/PHOTOS)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 1, 2024
An exhibition of more than 30 Western armored vehicles, including a M1 Abrams tanks captured in the Ukraine conflict, has opened in Moscow Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russian defense chief inspects new anti-drone weaponry (VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 1, 2024
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has stressed the need for increased weapons supplies to support the ongoing offensive Read Full Article at RT.com
- Human rights chief reacts to call for ‘sexual orientation’ checks of officialsby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 1, 2024
The screening of state officials’ for homosexuality won’t work, Russia’s human rights chief says Read Full Article at RT.com
- ‘I tried to ensure those years weren’t lost’. How a Russian inmate sued Moscow, told off Yevgeny Prigozhin, and popularized Meduza in his prisonby Meduza.io on May 1, 2024
In 2014, Yekaterinburg native Alexander Paranuk was arrested on what he says were fabricated drug charges. He spent most of the next decade in prison. But that didn’t stop him from becoming a writer, producing his own prison news program, getting into a verbal tussle with Yevgeny Prigozhin, and disseminating more than a few Meduza articles among his […]
- Pro-Western party leader ‘beaten by police’ during Tbilisi protest – oppositionby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 30, 2024
Georgia’s chief opposition party has accused police of attacking its chairman Read Full Article at RT.com
- ‘These people are trapped’. How Ukrainian refugees are ending up homeless in Russia by Meduza.io on April 30, 2024
After the start of the full-scale war, tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees from Mariupol and other Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories ended up in St. Petersburg. Many hoped that in a big city, they’d have better chances of finding work and providing for their families. For some, however, this has proved impossible, and they’ve ended up on the […]
- Georgian police disperse ‘foreign agents’ bill protests (VIDEOS)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 30, 2024
Georgian riot police have moved in to disperse protests over the “foreign agents” bill outside the country’s parliament Read Full Article at RT.com
- YouTube failed to delete 60k requested videos – Russian watchdogby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 30, 2024
Russia’s media and digital watchdog Roscomnadzor said YouTube has failed to delete over 60,000 files in breach of Russian laws Read Full Article at RT.com
- ‘Nothing wrong’ with checking sexual orientation of state officials – Russian MPby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 30, 2024
There’s nothing wrong with checking the sexual orientation of officials with a view to protecting traditional values, a Russian MP has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Ukraine claims dozens of draft dodgers died fleeing the countryby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 30, 2024
Around 30 men have died while trying to illegally leave Ukraine to avoid military service, border guard spokesman Andrey Demchenko has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- US politicians ‘living in Wonderland’ – Moscowby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 30, 2024
US calls for Ukraine peace talks ignore Russia’s repeated efforts to resolve the crisis, Moscow says Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russia defends traditional values the West is abandoning – Dugin to Carlsonby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 30, 2024
Russia’s adherence to traditional values which the West is trying to destroy is the root cause of Russophobia, Aleksandr Dugin says Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russia allows hijabs for citizen application photosby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 30, 2024
Religious head coverings may be worn for document photographs as long as the face is not covered Read Full Article at RT.com
- Tucker Carlson releases interview with Russian philosopher Aleksandr Duginby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 29, 2024
American journalist Tucker Carlson has published an interview with Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin Read Full Article at RT.com
- European country tells people not to wear symbol of WWII victory over Nazisby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 29, 2024
Moldova’s police chief has warned citizens against wearing the St. George’s ribbon, a popular symbol to commemorate WWII in Russia Read Full Article at RT.com
- ‘Ethically ambiguous’. New law makes it harder for draft-age Ukrainian men to get passportsby Meduza.io on April 29, 2024
Ukrainian authorities passed a law banning passport renewals and limiting other consular services for draft-age Ukrainian men living outside of the country. The law comes just weeks ahead of new regulations set to tighten mobilization procedures in the country with the aim of drafting as many as 500,000 more people into Ukraine’s Armed Forces. The […]
- Ukraine no longer: How locals are coming together to rebuild Russia’s new Lugansk republicby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 29, 2024
An American journalist details her trip to a region which has been at the center of conflict for over a decade Read Full Article at RT.com
- On the brink. Ukraine’s line of defense under pressure as Russia gains footholds on the eastern frontby Meduza.io on April 29, 2024
Like our earlier reports on the combat situation in Ukraine, this article takes stock of the recent developments on the battlefield based on open-source information. Meduza has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the very start, and our detailed military analyses are part of our commitment to objective reporting on a war we firmly oppose.
- Russian drones strike Ukrainian positions in Donbass (VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 29, 2024
The Russian Defense Ministry has published fresh footage showing FPV drones hitting Ukrainian positions in Donbass Read Full Article at RT.com
- All male Ukrainians required to undergo health checks ahead of new draftby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 29, 2024
All male Ukrainians are required to undergo military readiness health checks before July 18, an official has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Tajikistan says hundreds of its citizens stranded in Moscow airports as Russia bars them from enteringby Meduza.io on April 29, 2024
Hundreds of Tajikistani citizens are currently stuck in Moscow airports, according to the country’s foreign ministry. As of Saturday night, the agency reported, 954 people from Tajikistan were being held “in unsanitary conditions” in Vnukovo Airport’s temporary detention zone, including people studying at Russian educational institutions under the […]
- EU should help Ukraine address manpower shortage – Baltic state PMby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on April 29, 2024
The EU should assist Ukraine in returning its military-age men living abroad, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has said Read Full Article at RT.com