| 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
- Moscow orders media blackout on drone-strike and terrorist-attack aftermath photosby Meduza.io on May 13, 2026
Moscow has banned the publication of photos and videos showing the aftermath of terrorist attacks and drone strikes, according to a press release from the city government.
- Two Russian governors near Ukraine border step down in Kremlin shake-upby Meduza.io on May 13, 2026
Vyacheslav Gladkov has resigned as governor of the Belgorod region for personal reasons, the Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing the Kremlin’s press service.
- Russia takes hantavirus precautionsby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 13, 2026
Russia’s public health watchdog says it has tightened border controls over concerns about the rare Andes hantavirus strain Read Full Article at RT.com
- Two Estonians who crossed into Russia seeking asylum reportedly sent to psychiatric hospitals for evaluationby Meduza.io on May 13, 2026
Two Estonian citizens who crossed into Russia last winter seeking asylum have undergone inpatient psychiatric evaluations, one of them — 25-year-old Danil — said in a letter to the independent Russian news outlet Mediazona.
- Ex-Zelensky aide consulted mystic on key decisions – investigatorsby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 13, 2026
Former Zelensky chief of staff Andrey Yermak sought mystical guidance on Ukrainian government appointments, according to court proceedings Read Full Article at RT.com
- Latvia moves to ban all bus service to Russia and Belarus, citing recruitment risksby Meduza.io on May 13, 2026
Latvia is moving to ban all bus service to Russia and Belarus.
- Commuter train derails in Russia after 2 meters of track go missing; governor walks back initial suggestion of explosionby Meduza.io on May 13, 2026
A commuter train on the Razumnoye–Tomarovka route derailed in the Yakovlevsky district of Russia’s Belgorod region, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
- Russia’s Central Bank records highest-ever cash demand during May holidays amid internet outagesby Meduza.io on May 13, 2026
Russia’s central bank recorded its highest-ever demand for cash during the May holidays in 2026, the Russian business news outlet RBC reported on May 13.
- Ukrainian drones strike port in southern Russia, injuring 2 and sparking fireby Meduza.io on May 13, 2026
Ukrainian drones struck the port of Taman in Krasnodar Krai overnight on May 13, the regional operational headquarters reported. Debris from a downed drone, it said, “fell on the grounds of one of the facilities in the village of Volna in the Temryuk district” — where the port is located — starting a fire at the facility, which the […]
- Russia charges former deputy natural resources minister with large-scale fraud after he left the countryby Meduza.io on May 13, 2026
Denis Butsaev, Russia’s former deputy natural resources minister, faces charges of large-scale fraud, the Russian state news agency TASS reported on May 13, citing law enforcement.
- Complaints over Ukrainian press gangs skyrocketby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 12, 2026
Ukrainian draft officers are often accused of abuse of power amid the ‘bussification’ campaign in which men are snatched off the streets Read Full Article at RT.com
- Former Anti-Corruption Foundation director denies ex-deputy prime minister’s allegations, defends Navalny’s return to Russiaby Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
Vladimir Ashurkov, a financier and ally of Alexei Navalny, gave a three-hour interview to journalist Yury Dud. In the 2000s, Ashurkov served as chief financial officer of the Port of St. Petersburg and as a top manager at Alfa Group. From 2010 onward he took part in Alexei Navalny’s investigations and later became executive director of the […]
- Russia’s happiness index falls to 15-year low in April, state pollster reportsby Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
Russia’s happiness index, as measured by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM), fell to 52 points in April 2026 — its lowest reading in 15 years.
- Talks with Russia ‘inevitable’ for Europe – Kremlin envoyby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 12, 2026
The looming energy crisis will inevitably force the EU and UK to resume talks with Russia, Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev has said Read Full Article at RT.com
- Ukrainian drones crashing in Latvia trigger a government crisis as the nation’s defense minister resignsby Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
On Sunday, May 10, Latvia’s Defense Minister Andris Spruds announced his resignation — three days after Ukrainian drones that had crossed into Latvian airspace from Russia crashed near the Latvian city of Rezekne. The drones damaged empty fuel storage tanks at an oil depot. No one was injured, but the political damage has proved more serious. The […]
- Zelensky’s ex-spokeswoman added to state-linked ‘kill list’by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 12, 2026
Ukraine’s state-backed Mirotvorets website has added Vladimir Zelensky’s former press secretary, Yulia Mendel, to its “kill list” Read Full Article at RT.com
- Remember how the West laughed at Russia’s ‘biolabs’ claims? Here are the factsby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 12, 2026
What you need to know about the Ukrainian biolab conspiracy that the US tried to deny Read Full Article at RT.com
- Zelensky’s former chief of staff denies money laundering chargesby Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
Andriy Yermak, the former chief of staff to Ukraine’s president, denied the charges against him in a money laundering case.
- Russian strike kills 6 in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, wounds infant who loses legby Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
Russian forces struck Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, the regional military administration reported.
- Moscow mocks UK over sanctioning psychiatric hospitalby RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 12, 2026
Russia has ridiculed the UK for including a psychiatric hospital, orphanages, and children’s camps in latest sanctions Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russia’s presidential human rights council head says banning VPNs is impossible, warns shutdown could break the internetby Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
Valery Fadeev, head of the Human Rights Council under Russia’s president, said banning or “switching off” VPN services is impossible. He told the Russian business news outlet RBC that any additional legislative regulation of such services would be futile.
- Russia says Sarmat missile system successfully tested, to be placed on combat duty by year’s endby Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
Russia has successfully tested the Sarmat missile system, Strategic Missile Forces commander Sergei Karakayev reported to President Vladimir Putin, the Russian state news agency TASS reported.
- Russian e-book platforms add drug-use warnings to classic books, including ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Peter Pan’by Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
Major Russian digital platforms have begun slapping drug-use warnings on beloved children’s books, the independent Russian news outlet Verstka reported. Litres, the e-commerce platform Ozon, the publisher AST, and several other companies added the labels.
- Who is the ‘mystery partner’ in ex-Zelensky aide’s alleged money laundering scheme?by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 12, 2026
The NABU indictment of former Zelensky chief of staff Andrey Yermak marks a major blow to the Ukrainian leader’s grip on power Read Full Article at RT.com
- BBC Russia reports student recruited into Russia’s drone forces killed in Ukraineby Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
BBC Russia has obtained information about the death in the war in Ukraine of Valery Averin, a 23-year-old student from Buryatia who had signed a contract to serve in Russia’s unmanned systems forces — the first confirmed case of a student being killed after being recruited through a large-scale campaign that Russia’s Defense Ministry has […]
- Russia test-fires state-of-the-art ICBM (VIDEO)by RT (RT Russia & Former Soviet Union) on May 12, 2026
Russia has test-fired the Sarmat ballistic missile, which Moscow says is capable of penetrating any existing missile defenses Read Full Article at RT.com
- Russia plans chatbot platform for teenagers’ ‘moral and spiritual development,’ experts say it won’t workby Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
Russia’s Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, known as Rosmolodezh, has put out a tender to build a unified platform for guiding young people through “life situations” and ensuring the “comprehensive moral and spiritual development” of teenagers, the Russian business daily Vedomosti reports.
- Palantir CEO visits Kyiv; Ukraine’s defense minister says company’s technology helps plan deep strikes inside Russiaby Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
Palantir CEO Alex Karp has visited Ukraine, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
- Ukraine designates 6 more suspects in $10.5 million money-laundering case tied to Zelensky’s former chief of staffby Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine (SAPO) say they have identified six more suspects in a money-laundering case tied to elite residential construction outside Kyiv, involving 460 million hryvnias (approximately $10.5 million).
- Student opens fire at school in Russia, wounding 2by Meduza.io on May 12, 2026
A ninth-grader opened fire at a school in Gulkevichi, a city in Krasnodar Krai, reports the Krasnodar-based news outlet 93.ru.


