Charles Maynes

A Kremlin spokesman — and a watch

Kremlin Watch: How does a Russian public servant afford a $620,000 watch?

Global Politics

Vladimir Putin’s press secretary just got married in the Russian resort, Sochi. And some opposition activists noticed one of the wedding photos showed him wearing a very expensive watch, estimated at more than $600,000. And it’s not the first time that a Russian authority has gotten into some trouble for an expensive timepiece.

The body of Boris Nemtsov moves through long lines of mourners in Moscow.

Lines snake through Moscow as thousands mourn Boris Nemtsov

Global Politics
A Russian court ruled on Tuesday to give Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny (right) a suspended sentence for embezzling money, but jailed his brother Oleg (left) for three and a half years in a case seen as part of a campaign to stifle dissent.

Russian dissident Alexei Navalny avoids jail, but his brother becomes a bargaining chip

Justice
A St. Petersburg shop advertises a sale as Russia's ruble crashes to unprecedented lows Tuesday.

A plunging Russian ruble generates nervousness and humor

Economics
Russia's President Vladimir Putin giving his State of the Nation speech.

Putin is defiant in his State of the Nation speech

Global Politics
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a signing ceremony in Mongolia at the national parliament building in Ulan Bator, September 3, 2014.

President Putin calling for peace is like an arsonist offering to put out a fire, a reporter says

Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled a seven-point peace plan with Ukraine, but only after his government helped cause the chaos and bloodshed.

According to a local newspaper in Pskov, Russia, this is the grave of a Russian soldier who died last week. The grave is close to the base of the 76th airborne division cited for heroism by President Putin last week.

Ukraine faces up to a Russian invasion, while Moscow keeps denying it

Conflict

Russia says its soldiers aren’t fighting in Ukraine, but evidence keeps piling up that Russia has invaded — even in Russia itself. That’s caused some protests in Russia and disappointment in Ukraine, where people are feeling abandoned by the outside world.

Atop the spire of a building in Moscow, a man takes a "selfie" as he stands with a Ukrainian flag on a Soviet-style star re-touched with blue paint to resemble the yellow-and-blue national colors of Ukraine.

32 stories above Moscow, an unusual protest unfurls

Global Politics

An unusual protest in took place 32 stories above Moscow on Wednesday. There, attached to the iconic Soviet star atop a famous apartment building, an unnamed protester unfurled the Ukrainian flag and gave a shot in the arm to Russians opposed to intervention in Ukraine.

A worker arranges cheese for sale at a grocery store in Moscow on August 7, 2014. Moscow imposed a total ban on imports of many Western foods on Thursday in retaliation against sanctions over Ukraine.

C’est it ain’t so! Russia bans French cheese and other European food imports

Global Politics

Russian President Vladimir Putin has banned most food imports from any country that has imposed sanctions on his country. That’s left Russians scrambling to buy products like French cheese before it’s all gone — and maybe asking bigger questions as well.

A worker arranges cheese for sale at a grocery store in Moscow on August 7, 2014. Moscow imposed a total ban on imports of many Western foods on Thursday in retaliation against sanctions over Ukraine.

C’est it ain’t so! Russia bans French cheese and other European food imports

Global Politics

Russian President Vladimir Putin has banned most food imports from any country that has imposed sanctions on his country. That’s left Russians scrambling to buy products like French cheese before it’s all gone — and maybe asking bigger questions as well.