All News, Russia and former Soviet Union

Investigators seize documents from Sukhoi Civil Aircraft MOSCOW - Investigators from the Russian Investigative Committee have confiscated flight documents from Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, the developer and manufacturer of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) passenger plane that crashed in Indonesia on May 9, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin told Interfax.
May 15 at 17:21 | Interfax-Ukraine
Official: Obama's refusal to attend APEC forum not linked with Putin's absence from G8 summit MOSCOW - Russia's acting Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has cautioned against speculation surrounding the opinion that U.S. President Barack Obama's refusal to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vladivostok could be linked with Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision not to attend the G8 summit.
May 15 at 16:47 | Interfax-Ukraine
Minsk, Astana to cooperate against use of human rights issues for political pressure Minsk - Belarusian and Kazakhstan have agreed to jointly counter attempts to use human rights issues for exerting political pressure, the Belarusian president's press office told Interfax, summing up the results of the talks between the two countries' leaders.
May 15 at 11:20 | Interfax-Ukraine
Three-man Soyuz crew departs for space station ALMATY — A three-man crew blasted off from a space center in southern Kazakhstan on board a Russian-made Soyuz craft for a half-year stay at the International Space Station.
May 15 at 07:55 | Associated Press
Quiet protest a new tactic for Russian opposition MOSCOW — There are no posters, no tents, no insistent drummers, and no looming police — but the small throng in one of Moscow's most sylvan parks is a remarkable protest gathering all the same.
May 14 at 20:06 | Associated Press
White House: Obama skipping APEC in Russia ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — The White House is confirming that President Barack Obama will not attend a major summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Russia.
May 14 at 19:58 | Associated Press
Sochi tests ice at 2014 Olympic arena SOCHI, Russia — The organizing committee for the 2014 Sochi Olympics says testing of the ice at one of the skating arenas has begun.
May 14 at 18:45 | Associated Press
CIS informal summit to address key development priorities MOSCOW - At a session of the CIS Council of the heads of state in Moscow on May 15 the CIS leaders will discuss cooperation expansion within the organization, a Kremlin source said.
May 14 at 16:02 | Interfax-Ukraine
Chizhov: Sochi Games could become Russia-EU visa-free travel threshold Moscow - Russia and the European Union may enact visa-free travel by 2014, Russian Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said at the State Duma on Monday.
May 14 at 11:25 | Interfax-Ukraine
Thousands take civic action in Russia MOSCOW (AP) — Prominent Russian novelists and poets led a rare unsanctioned gathering of around 10,000 people along central boulevards in Russia's capital on Sunday.
May 13 at 15:18 | Associated Press
Four die as river bursts banks in Georgia's capital TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Emergency services say at least four people died in a flood in Georgia's capital overnight after torrential rain caused the local river to burst its banks.
May 13 at 13:12 | Associated Press
Punk band arrest at heart of Russia church feud MOSCOW (AP) — The skinny dissident is thrown headfirst into a police van by camouflage-clad officers. Nearby, a dozen bearded men bearing Russian Orthodox crosses and wearing skull-and-crossbones T-shirts cheer on the cops.
May 13 at 12:02 | Associated Press
Russian Gazprom monopolizes Belarusian market Moscow, May 12. (Interfax) - Russian gas major Gazprom, against the backdrop of continuing liberalization of the Russian market, completely monopolizes the Belarusian market, which amounts to more than 20 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year.
May 12 at 14:33 | Interfax-Ukraine
Remains retrieved from Indonesian plane crash MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia (AP) — Clearer weather finally allowed Indonesian helicopters to land Saturday and retrieve some remains of the 45 people aboard a Russian-made plane that crashed into a volcano during a demonstration flight.
May 12 at 11:33 | Associated Press
Putin's first week sees wave of challenges MOSCOW (AP) — Vladimir Putin appeared to shed tears of joy the night he won back the presidency in March. After less than a week in office, he may be tempted to shed some in frustration.
May 12 at 11:25 | Associated Press