News

A court in Nalchik sentenced a nurse at a private sanatorium to four years in prison, finding her guilty of mass infecting patients with dangerous diseases. The sanatorium's general director and doctor escaped punishment.

The court remanded Vugar Gadirli, an activist with the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, in pretrial detention for three months. He is accused of illegal possession of weapons. The party claimed that security forces planted the weapons on him during a search.

A court in Krasnodar sentenced former Deputy Mayor Vsevolod Netreba to a prison term and a large fine for attempted fraud. The official pleaded guilty in court.

A pumping station in the Rostov region was knocked out after a drone attack, cutting off water supply to residents of a residential area in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, the Maslovka village, and the Pogorelovo station.

Residents of Krasnodar's Yubileyny microdistrict, protesting against embankment development, recorded a video message to Vladimir Putin. According to City Duma deputy Alexander Safronov, over a thousand people participated in the protest.

Azerbaijani analysts have questioned the veracity of claims of vandalism at monasteries in Karabakh. They argue that Christian monuments in Azerbaijan are protected by the state.

Demand for bookings in Anapa increased during the New Year holidays, but the prospects for the 2026 resort season depend on the authorities' decision to reopen the beaches, according to tour operators. The scientist believes it's too early to talk about a complete cleanup of the beaches.

The security officials involved in the beating of two young men in Tskhinvali in October have been dismissed; the boys' parents are not seeking a different punishment. The authorities' decision to dismiss those involved in the incident demonstrates a shift in attitudes toward violence in South Ossetia following the death of Inal Dzhabiev.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said during a live broadcast that he is fed up with power, but will run for the republic's presidency in 2026 if the president nominates him and the people support him.

The Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of Russia dismissed the appeals of former Dagestan Deputy Prime Minister Shamil Isayev, Magomed Khazamov, and the defense of Murad Shuaibov, who died in prison, against the verdict in the case of the murder of Chernovik editor-in-chief Khadzhimurad Kamalov. Isayev had signed a contract and was wounded in the SVO zone.

At least 4,051 soldiers from the North Caucasus Federal District and 4,199 from the Southern Federal District have been officially recognized as killed in the military operation in Ukraine.

A drone attack damaged five private homes in the village of Afipsky, where an oil refinery is located.

Austrian resident Indira Taisumova recorded a video message to the head of Chechnya asking for help in reclaiming her two daughters, who are being held by her ex-husband. She claims she faced violence and threats while attempting to retrieve the children.

People who have previously experienced wars and the associated losses and hardships are vulnerable, and drone attacks in Chechnya and even testing of warning systems are causing fear and anxiety among some residents. Psychologists noted that mobile internet shutdowns deprive them of access to reliable information and only exacerbate this situation.

The pretrial detention of Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, head of the Aragatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who is accused of obstructing the exercise of electoral rights and forcing participation in public meetings, has been extended by two months. His defense is appealing the decision.

More than 90% of the fuel oil spilled during the tanker disaster has been recovered, and fuel oil was removed from the bow of the Volgoneft-239 tanker in October and November, authorities reported. Volunteers noted that the fuel oil in the Temryuk district is hidden under a layer of sand.

At the first hearing in the Meydan TV case, a Baku court rejected the lawyers' requests to dismiss the criminal case and release the defendants. The Committee to Protect Journalists called for an end to the persecution of critics of the Azerbaijani government.

The court sentenced Viktor Spirichev and Sergei Dvurechensky, residents of the Kuban village, to suspended prison terms, finding them members of an extremist organization. Both Jehovah's Witnesses* denied the charges.

At the trial of Kurban Dalgatov, who died after being detained at the Sovietsky District Department of Internal Affairs in Makhachkala, two defendants testified, accusing their former colleague, Islam Atavov, of committing the crime.

Georgia's fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, attended a rally outside the parliament building on the 380th day of uninterrupted protests. Participants protested the Georgian prime minister's participation in the International Year of Peace and Trust forum in Ashgabat, where Irakli Kobakhidze posed for a photo next to Vladimir Putin.