The vote approves constitutional changes, including a reset on presidential terms that will allow Putin to run twice more after his current six-year term expires in 2024.
"It is very important to him to have this popular endorsement, even if it is a farce, even if it is a travesty of popular will," analyst Masha Lipman says of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The "Secondary Infektion" campaign spread thousands of false stories, including forged documents and fake tweets. Still operating, the campaign may now target the November election, researchers say.
Russia's capital, the epicenter of the country's coronavirus pandemic, is lifting restrictions as the Kremlin prepares for a massive military parade and a referendum on term limits.
Russia has sent crews to assist in Dagestan, where the official number of COVID-19 deaths is 29. "It long ago became clear the official statistics have no basis in reality," a resident says.
The 34-nation agreement allows the U.S., Russia and other countries to fly their aircraft over each other's territory. The Trump administration says it will negotiate a new deal with Russia.
An art project to shake the lockdown blues has become an online sensation as pent-up Russian speakers from across the globe reenact classic artwork to pass the time amid the pandemic.
Loosely (very loosely) based on the early life of Russia's Catherine the Great, Hulu's 10-episode historical comedy-drama is arch, witty, twisty and knowing.
Speaking during a videoconference with President Vladimir Putin that was broadcast on state-run TV, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced that he had tested positive for the virus.
Earlier this month, China — the original epicenter of the pandemic but which later saw daily new domestic cases fall to zero — has in recent weeks seen a wave of infections arriving from Russia.
The Russian president says his country is making progress in its battle against the novel coronavirus, even as the number of Russians infected continues to rise.
A month ago, Vladimir Putin said the outbreak in Russia was "under control," but in a teleconference with health officials on Monday he acknowledged the situation was changing "not for the better."
Officials said Thursday that the country had nearly 1,500 new cases in a single day with 13 new deaths from COVID-19. The news came as the Kremlin extended a national "non-working week."
"Especially during a pandemic, it is insanity for Russian-led forces and Ukrainians to be killing each other," write former U.S. envoys to Ukraine William B. Taylor, Steven Pifer and John E. Herbst.
Some Russians are miffed at seeing high-profile deliveries of lifesaving gear to other countries when they know their own health services are under-equipped to handle the COVID-19 outbreak.
Muscovites will have their movements followed through a program required on their smartphones. They will also have to carry a new QR code with their personal data.
Oil prices dropped as much as 30% following the unexpected Saudi decision to cut prices and boost production. The move reflects the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus and its economic effects.
Turkey and Russia agreed to the cease-fire after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Thursday in Moscow.
The annual survey of the state of global freedom includes the world's two biggest democracies — India and the U.S. — among nations where freedom is declining.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin loyalist, and other principal government ministers resigned in a move designed to ease a package of changes recently proposed by Russia's president.
In his new book, The New Yorker's Joshua Yaffa is as much an ethicist as he is a reporter, presenting a portrait of the Russian state through those who have decided to compromise with it.
Even after two decades in power, Russia's leader enjoys approval ratings around 70%. Supporters say he has returned the country to greatness. But a poll says over half of young adults want to leave.
