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
- Russia sanctions world’s largest truck maker by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on July 1, 2025
Moscow has blacklisted Daimler Truck, a key supplier to the German military, banning transactions and contracts with the manufacturer Read Full Article at RT.com
- Moscow responds to arrest of Russian journalists in Azerbaijanby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on July 1, 2025
The Kremlin is closely monitoring the situation and hopes to secure the release of the detained reporters, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Azerbaijan opens torture investigation after autopsy shows brothers arrested in Russia died from severe injuriesby Meduza.io on July 1, 2025
The deaths of brothers Huseyn and Ziyaddin Safarov, two Azerbaijani nationals who died during a police raid in Russia’s Yekaterinburg over the weekend, were caused by severe post-traumatic shock resulting from extensive bodily injuries, according to Azerbaijani Health Ministry official Adalyat Hasanov.
- Russian drones detonate Ukrainian roadside bombs – MOD (VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on July 1, 2025
Engineers are using air-dropped charges to disable explosives, military footage shows Read Full Article at RT.com
- Ukrainian drone strike kills workers at Russian factory – governorby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on July 1, 2025
Udmurtia governor Aleksandr Brechalov confirms fatalities in drone strike on Izhevsk factory Read Full Article at RT.com
- Hunted in Kherson. What Russia’s deliberate drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians say about the future of war crimesby Meduza.io on July 1, 2025
After Russian forces seized the city of Kherson in March 2022, occupation authorities put up billboards that said, “Russia is here forever.” Eight months later, in November 2022, the Ukrainian military liberated the city, driving Russian troops back across the Dnipro River. To this day, the river marks the front line in the region. And the Russian […]
- Russia to begin cutting mobile service for foreigners not registered in biometric databaseby Meduza.io on July 1, 2025
Russia’s Digital Development Ministry announced that, starting July 1, foreign nationals who are not registered in the country’s Unified Biometric System will begin to have their mobile service disconnected.
- Russia to raise utility rates starting July 1, with hikes nearing 40 percent in some citiesby Meduza.io on July 1, 2025
Starting July 1, Russia will implement a scheduled increase in utility and municipal service rates, in line with a government directive approved in November 2024, according to the website Garant.ru.
- Trump envoy calls Kremlin statement blaming U.S. and Ukraine for stalled peace talks ‘Orwellian’by Meduza.io on July 1, 2025
U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg on Monday dismissed recent Russian claims that Washington and Kyiv are delaying peace talks, calling them “unfounded.”
- Russian forces discover cache of Ukrainian chemical drone munitions – FSBby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on July 1, 2025
Russian troops have discovered vials containing banned toxins at a Ukrainian hideout in the Donetsk People’s Republic, according to the FSB Read Full Article at RT.com
- Civilian killed in Ukrainian attack on Donetsk – governor (VIDEOS)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
Ukrainian forces launched a series of missile and drone attacks on Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on Monday evening Read Full Article at RT.com
- St. Petersburg child services now require proof of ‘no sex change’ for adoptionby Meduza.io on June 30, 2025
People applying to become adoptive parents or guardians in St. Petersburg are now required to provide documentation proving that they have not undergone any gender-affirming transition. The city’s social policy committee confirmed to journalists at Fontanka that this paperwork — typically, a birth certificate — is now necessary for adoptions and […]
- Lugansk People’s Republic liberated: How it happenedby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
Russian forces have taken complete control of the Lugansk People’s Republic after over a decade of hostilities in the contested region Read Full Article at RT.com
- Azerbaijani ambassador summoned by Moscowby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
On Monday, authorities in Baku detained three Russian journalists, after a police operation against suspected Azerbaijani gangs in Russia Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russia places US mercenary chief on terror listby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
Russia has placed Ryan O’Leary, a US mercenary who fought for Ukraine, on its terror list Read Full Article at RT.com
- ‘You can’t deny people living through hell a chance to be happy’. Three queer Russians on finding love after the Kremlin branded LGBTQ+ people ‘extremists’by Meduza.io on June 30, 2025
While Pride Month is being celebrated around the world, LGBTQ+ people in Russia can’t safely meet, let alone live openly. The Russian government’s crackdown on queer people has been escalating for years. Even so, those inside the country are still finding ways to connect and build relationships. Meduza spoke with three LGBTQ+ Russians who have carved […]
- Bidding ‘No’ farewell. Meduza’s anniversary exhibition ends this week with last-chance tours, a Navalny figurine drop, and so much more. Here’s what you need to know. by Meduza.io on June 30, 2025
Meduza’s “No” art exhibition, which opened in Berlin on April 26, is drawing to a close this weekend. Over the past two and a half months, more than 400 people took part in our curatorial tours and we received 2,000 handwritten notes from visitors in exchange for just as many Navalny figurines. We’ve hosted panel discussions, meet-and-greets with […]
- Russia has full control of Lugansk republic – governorby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
The Lugansk People’s Republic has been “100%” liberated, Leonid Pasechnik has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Third Russian journalist detained in Azerbaijanby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
An editor with video news agency Ruptly has been detained while filming a police raid on Russia’s Sputnik outlet Read Full Article at RT.com
- Make Lugansk Russian Again: Moscow delivers on key objective of Ukraine conflictby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
From the uprising of 2014 to the total liberation of 2025, Lugansk’s return to Russia traces a long arc of defiance, war, and statehood Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russian prosecutors open case against famous YouTuber – mediaby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
Yury Dud has repeatedly failed to identify as a foreign agent in his content, authorities have said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russian journalists detained in Azerbaijanby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
Baku has arrested the chief editors of Sputnik Azerbaijan news agency Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russia opens ‘rehabilitating Nazism’ case over video of teenagers singing Ukrainian anthem and song about Banderaby Meduza.io on June 30, 2025
The Samara regional branch of Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on charges of “rehabilitating Nazism” based on “information from social media.”
- Kadyrov’s teenage son arrives at wedding in limited-edition Mercedes-Benz, despite E.U. export banby Meduza.io on June 30, 2025
Adam Kadyrov, the son of Chechnya Governor Ramzan Kadyrov, showed up at his wedding on June 28 in a limited-edition Mercedes-Benz G-Class “STRONGER THAN THE 1980s,” according to an investigation by The Insider and the reporting project All Exclusive.
- ‘Russia’s approach hasn’t changed: they strike where people are likely to be’. Moscow’s latest attacks in Ukraine kill civilians in Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, and beyondby Meduza.io on June 30, 2025
Over the past week, Russian forces have carried out large-scale strikes on Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kherson, and other Ukrainian cities. On June 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that since the start of the month, Russia had launched 2,736 drones of various types (including decoy drones) at Ukrainian territory. Russian troops have also […]
- Apple Music partially restores sanctioned Russian artistsby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
The platform has brought back the profiles of the likes of Shaman and Polina Gagarina Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russian news outlet in Azerbaijan raided amid diplomatic rowby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
Sputnik’s branch in Baku has been targeted by the Interior Ministry Read Full Article at RT.com
- ‘Unacceptable violence’. Sudden mass arrests in decades-old murder case spark diplomatic row between Russia and Azerbaijanby Meduza.io on June 30, 2025
A court in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg has jailed seven people pending trial on charges of murder and attempted murder targeting members of the Azerbaijani community between 2001 and 2011. According to local media, the arrests followed an extensive police operation during which residents with Azerbaijani roots were violently detained. Two suspects […]
- Police raid Baku office of Russian state media agency Sputnik Azerbaijanby Meduza.io on June 30, 2025
Police raided the Baku office of the Russian media agency Sputnik Azerbaijan on Monday, according to local media reports citing the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry.
- Conflict between government and church in Armenia stirred by same forces as in Ukraine – ex-diplomatby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on June 30, 2025
The conflict between Armenia’s government and church is being fueled by the same groups as in Ukraine, according to Andrey Telizhenko Read Full Article at RT.com