Stories from Russia

Russian athletes are participating in competitions under a unified flag. The context of this unified flag, whether it's a national symbol or an international designation, is not specified. The decision was reported by Dmitry Kolugin. This follows previous restrictions on athletes from these nations. Athletes must submit applications for this status to the World Boxing Federation's sports department. The federation stated it will cooperate with an independent third party regarding these decisions. These competitions include qualifying events and the 2028 Olympic tournament in Los Angeles. The Russian Judo Federation press service announced that 18 athletes will represent Russia at an upcoming Grand Slam tournament. The competition is scheduled to take place from May 8 to May 10.

The 2026 AI Awards will take place in Moscow on April 29. The event will use neural networks to determine winners among companies, universities, and individuals involved in artificial intelligence development and implementation. The event will feature a technological demonstration, an AI spotlight session, and presentations by industry visionaries. Beeline is the organizer of the awards, which will be held at the Central Business Space. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced a city graduation ball will take place at the VDNKh exhibition center on the night of June 27. The event is expected to last from the evening until 6:00 AM. Approximately 40,000 people are expected to attend the celebration. The festivities will include interactive, musical, dance, and sports areas, along with concerts featuring popular domestic artists and DJs.

Ukrainian strikes have reportedly destroyed 60% of the capacity at the Russian port of Ush-Luga, a critical Baltic hub for oil, gas, and fertilizer exports. The attack comes as Russia struggles to use oil revenues to offset its fiscal deficit. This escalation targets key Russian energy infrastructure to disrupt economic stability and export capabilities.

Despite rising global oil prices and partial relief from US sanctions, Russia's oil revenue may not alleviate its fiscal problems. While the situation initially seemed beneficial for Moscow, China's significant impact from price escalations due to the Hormuz Strait closure suggests a more complex economic reality.

Leila Izobokarova, an artist, jeweler, and goldsmith from the Caucasus region, is featured for her exceptional craftsmanship. Her work has garnered disbelief, with many assuming she has a workshop rather than creating pieces herself.

Russian travel operators are lifting restrictions on flights to Israel, despite the ongoing conflict in the region. The current Russian airline fleet consists of 1,089 aircraft, approximately two-thirds of which are of foreign manufacture. Nikitin noted that biometric data submission will be required for these operations. A Mahan Air flight from Iran is scheduled to arrive in Moscow today, marking the first flight on this route in two months. Previous flights were suspended following the closure of Iranian airspace due to regional escalation in late February. The arrival follows a two-month hiatus in direct air travel between the two nations. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have lifted restrictions on flights within the country's airspace. This announcement was made by the Emirates state news agency WAM.

Problems with internet and mobile service have been reported in major Russian cities. The Russian Ministry of Digital Development stated that Russian services remain available to users abroad in their standard mode. The Ministry recommended that users outside Russia access domestic sites and applications via local mobile internet if standard methods fail. Russian platforms may temporarily reduce international traffic due to large-scale DDoS attacks. Green Party MP Konstantin von Notz stated that digital attacks are exposing weaknesses in Germany's communication infrastructure protection. The FBI and Dutch intelligence services have attributed recent sabotage and espionage actions to Russia. Von Notz noted that identifying the exact origins of these digital attacks remains difficult. The German government cannot rule out further impacts on signal users.

A commentator suggested that football players sometimes arrange illegal agreements, potentially influencing match outcomes.

An imperial decree that prohibited ordinary houses from being built higher than the Winter Palace has significantly shaped St. Petersburg's architecture for decades. This historical regulation dictated the city's urban development and aesthetic for a considerable period.

A Russian man, Marchenkov, has been sentenced to five years in prison for defrauding elderly residents, many of whom were women, out of their money. The investigation follows the February 2026 conviction of Andrey Marchenko, who received a fine for bribery. Prosecutors are currently appealing that sentence, arguing it was too lenient. The prosecutor has appealed the bribery conviction of Andrei Marchenko, arguing the sentence was too lenient. The mother of official Medovik has reportedly ceased her pursuit of justice in the case. Russian forces launched 47 ballistic missiles and over 600 drones toward Ukrainian territory. Petro Viskov, head of the Dnipro regional military administration, reported 4 deaths and 27 injuries following strikes on a residential building in Dnipro. A separate Russian raid also targeted two buildings in the same city.