Hotest News from Russia

Activists Mark Over 100 Potholes on Moscow Roads

2013/04/01

MOSCOW, April 1 (RIA Novosti) – Activists of the Angry Urbanites movement have found over 100 potholes on the roads of Moscow and spray-painted them at night, the movement’s spokeswoman Anastasia Borisevich said Monday.

The action took place the night of Friday to Saturday and involved some 50 participants who wore reflective vests. The activists painted all potholes and other road defects they could find.

“The action went very well,” Borisevich said. “The participants found more than 100 potholes. Everybody observed traffic regulations and wore vests.”

She said a report on the potholes would be submitted to a special website, Dorogi Moskvy (Moscow Roads), whose staff is supposed to take measures and oversee roadwork and repairs by relevant organizations.

About 30,000 people die in traffic accidents in Russia annually. The accidents are attributed to poor road conditions and traffic violations, including drunk driving, running red lights and crossing onto the oncoming lane.

Moscow Police Haul Over 23 Kg of Drugs

2013/04/01

MOSCOW, April 1 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow police have seized the largest haul of drugs they have seen in five years, including 2.5 kilograms of amphetamine and 21 kilograms of hashish, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.

A 25-year-old Muscovite was detained with 95.3 grams of hashish and over 40 grams of amphetamine, the ministry stated in a press release, without saying when he was detained.

Drugs: old and new threats

The man told the police where he had bought the drugs, and officers went to the address indicated, searched the premises and seized the drug cache. They are now looking for the drug dealers, the ministry said.

Russia Starts Spring Draft

2013/04/01

MOSCOW, April 1 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian armed forces are expecting to call up 153,200 conscripts for military service in the annual spring draft that started Monday and will last through July 15.

The draft target is 13,000 more than last fall.

The General Staff reported in mid-March that more than 244,000 draft-age men dodged conscription last year.

Some 8,794 Russian men received their call-up papers but did not show up at the recruitment office as required, which is a criminal offense that carries a prison term of up to two years under Russian law, General Staff senior official Maj. Gen. Viktor Glotov said last month.

In addition, some 235,800 men dodged the draft last year by avoiding being handed their call-up papers, which is an administrative offense in Russia.

Military officials are obliged to notify potential recruits that they are eligible for the draft as soon as they reach the age of 18. Many young men use falsified medical documents, notify the authorities they are still enrolled in higher education (those in higher education are exempt from the draft) or pay bribes to avoid the 12-month period of service. Potential draftees are eligible for conscription until the age of 27.

Russia is forecast to have a falling number of potential draftees due to the country's aging demographic profile, with the lowest number of available recruits expected between 2016 and 2020.

Moscow Police Hold Suspects in Property Scheme

2013/04/01

MOSCOW, April 1 (RIA Novosti) – Police have detained five people in Moscow suspected of illegally seizing apartments after their owners’ deaths, the Interior Ministry said Monday.

According to the police, the five people detained were members of a criminal group who managed to obtain the title deeds to over 20 Moscow apartments after the deaths of the property owners, using their connections to the city’s district authorities to do so.

The fraudsters then took out large loans using the property as security, before selling the apartments.

A criminal case has been opened on fraud charges, the police said.

No State Help to Russians Affected by Cyprus Crisis - Shuvalov

2013/03/31

MOSCOW, April 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russian authorities plan no support measures for citizens, who might partially lose their funds deposited in crisis-stricken Cypriot banks, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said late on Sunday.

"If there are people who lose their money deposited in these two largest banks, I’m sorry to say that the Russian government is not going to take any measures in connection with that,” he said during the Voskresny Vecher (Sunday Evening) TV show on the state Rossiya-1 TV.

“However, if a state-owned company suffers serious losses, we will be ready to consider any specific case publicly and transparently here in Russia,” he said.

A new deal between Cyprus and international lenders from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund will force the holders of accounts of over 100,000 euros in the country’s two largest banks - Bank of Cyprus and Cyprus Popular Bank - to take losses that may amount to 40-80 percent of their deposits.

Moscow has repeatedly expressed its concern over Cypriot authorities’ plans to force losses on the holders of accounts at local banks where Russian companies and individuals reportedly hold over $30 billion - about a third of all deposits.