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
- ‘EU warmongers sabotaging’ Trump’s Ukraine peace efforts – Putin envoyby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 31, 2025
Kremlin aide Kirill Dmitriev has accused the EU of deliberately undermining US-led peace efforts in Ukraine with “impossible demands” Read Full Article at RT.com
- Could Russia have joined NATO?by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 30, 2025
Why Moscow and Washington-led military bloc were never destined to merge Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russia’s top general gives update on territorial advancesby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 30, 2025
General Valery Gerasimov has given an update on Russia’s territorial gains during the spring-summer campaign Read Full Article at RT.com
- Assassinated Ukrainian MP ‘directly ordered’ shelling of Donbass civilians – ex-diplomat (VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 30, 2025
Andrey Parubiy helped stoke the “civil war” that eventually led to the Ukraine conflict, Andrey Telizhenko has told RT Read Full Article at RT.com
- Ukraine operation will continue – top Russian generalby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 30, 2025
Kiev’s forces are retreating and being forced to “plug holes” in their front line, Valery Gerasimov has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Staunch neo-Nazi and Maidan kingpin assassinated: Who was prominent Ukrainian MP Andrey Parubiy?by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 30, 2025
Former parliament speaker Andrey Parubiy, long linked to Ukraine’s far-right, was shot dead in Lviv on Saturday Read Full Article at RT.com
- Surveillance footage shows moment Ukrainian far-right MP is shot (VIDEO, PHOTOS)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 30, 2025
Andrey Parubiy, who played a key role in the 2014 Maidan coup, was killed in Lviv after being shot eight times by an unknown gunman Read Full Article at RT.com
- Prominent Ukrainian far-right MP shot dead in Lviv (VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 30, 2025
Andrey Parubiy, a former parliament speaker, once praised Adolf Hitler as the “greatest man who practiced direct democracy” Read Full Article at RT.com
- Putin’s interview ahead of China visit (FULL TEXT)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
President Vladimir Putin has outlined the deepening alliance between Russia and China, highlighting their shared legacy and common vision Read Full Article at RT.com
- How EU elites hijacked this little country’s independenceby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
Macron, Merz, and Tusk flew into Chisinau not to celebrate but to draw the battle lines: Europe or Russia, no middle ground Read Full Article at RT.com
- What happens when you try to beat Russia with the best military tech of your timeby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
Eighty-two years ago, the Soviet Red Army broke the back of Nazi Germany at Kursk – and changed the course of World War II Read Full Article at RT.com
- Ukraine takes new step towards banning its largest Christian churchby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
The government in Kiev has been increasingly cracking down on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Read Full Article at RT.com
- Kremlin updates on possible Putin-Zelensky meetingby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
Moscow maintains both “interest and readiness” to continue peace negotiations, Dmitry Peskov has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russia ready to assist Taliban – Shoiguby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
Moscow is prepared to help the Afghan government in the fight against drugs and terrorism, the security council secretary has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff meet in New Yorkby Meduza.io on August 29, 2025
Ukrainian Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak met with U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff in New York, Yermak said on Friday.
- All school group chats in Moscow to move to Russia’s domestic messaging app on September 1by Meduza.io on August 29, 2025
All school and parents’ group chats in Moscow schools will be required to move to Russia’s domestic messaging platform Max at the start of the upcoming school year, Deputy Mayor for Social Development Anastasia Rakova announced on Friday.
- Trump administration approves sale of more than 3,000 extended range missiles to Ukraineby Meduza.io on August 29, 2025
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of up to 3,350 Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles and related equipment to Ukraine for $825 million, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on Friday.
- Ukraine security guarantees only after peace deal – Moscowby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
Western proposals only serve to destabilize the region, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russian gas giant ramps up China exportsby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
Gazprom supplies soared nearly 30% in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period a year ago, its CEO says Read Full Article at RT.com
- Ukrainian missile launcher destroyed in Russian strike – MOD (VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
An Iskander was reportedly used to take out a ground-based Neptun system Read Full Article at RT.com
- Kremlin considering moving deputy chief of staff who is reportedly critical of the war to presidential envoy postby Meduza.io on August 29, 2025
One of the candidates for the post of presidential envoy to Russia’s Northwestern Federal District is reportedly Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak, whom the New York Times has described as the “only senior official close to Mr. Putin known to speak openly about his disagreement with the war.”
- Dispatch from Dobropillia . As peace talks stall and Russia closes in, civilians flee another town in Ukraine’s Donetsk regionby Meduza.io on August 29, 2025
The frontline in Ukraine’s Donetsk region has been creeping towards Dobropillia for the past 18 months. Located not far from the hotspot of Pokrovsk, this coal mining town has served as a refuge for thousands of displaced people throughout the full-scale war. But in recent weeks, even they have begun to flee. The exodus began after Russia struck the […]
- The deadliest year yet. A new investigation from Meduza and Mediazona shows Russia has lost more than 200,000 soldiers in its war against Ukraineby Meduza.io on August 29, 2025
Earlier this summer, Russia’s Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat) stopped publishing overall mortality figures, leaving inheritance case data as the only reliable and sufficiently detailed source for estimating Russian combat deaths in Ukraine. Meduza and Mediazona have been tracking and analyzing the National Probate Registry’s data since 2023. […]
- Zelensky claims Ukraine ‘security guarantees’ will be ready next weekby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
Moscow has said it opposes “one-sided” options aimed solely at containing Russia Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russia condemns revival of Iran sanctions by UK, France, and Germanyby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
Russia and Iran have denounced the Western European move to reinstate UN sanctions over Tehran’s alleged failure to comply with nuclear deal Read Full Article at RT.com
- Kiev restricts mass gatherings after anti-government protestsby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 29, 2025
Mass events in Ukraine now require approval from the military, local news outlets report Read Full Article at RT.com
- European leaders considering 25-mile buffer zone in Ukraine as part of peace deal — Politicoby Meduza.io on August 29, 2025
European leaders are discussing the creation of a 40-kilometer (25-mile) buffer zone along the front line in Ukraine as part of a future ceasefire deal or an element of Ukraine’s post-war security framework, Politico reported on Thursday, citing five European diplomats.
- Big Brother beta. Russian lawmakers consider requiring DNA samples from foreigners as Moscow gets ready to roll out migrant-tracking appby Meduza.io on August 29, 2025
Russia is days away from launching an experimental program to track migrants. Initially limited to the Moscow region, the initiative will require foreign workers to download a mobile app that shares their location with the authorities. But there’s a catch: the app barely works. Meduza explains how the new program is supposed to function and how […]
- WATCH Russian naval drone take out Ukrainian warshipby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 28, 2025
The Defense Ministry in Moscow reported sinking the vessel earlier on Thursday Read Full Article at RT.com
- Young Ukrainians rushing to leave the country – border official (VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on August 28, 2025
The exodus comes after Kiev lifted its wartime travel ban on men under 23 earlier this month Read Full Article at RT.com