By MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was seen walking down the stairs in a photo posted on his Instagram feed on Saturday, five days after a Berlin hospital said he had been taken off a ventilator and could breathe independently.Navalny, the leading opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on a domestic flight in Siberia last month and was airlifted to Berlin while still in a coma.“Let me tell you how my recovery is going. It is already a clear path although a long one,” Navalny wrote.In the Instagram post he said he had difficulties using his...…By MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was seen walking down the stairs in a photo posted on his Instagram feed on Saturday, five days after a Berlin hospital said he had been taken off a ventilator and could breathe independently.Navalny, the leading opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on a domestic flight in Siberia last month and was airlifted to Berlin while still in a coma.“Let me tell you how my recovery is going. It is already a clear path although a long one,” Navalny wrote.In the Instagram post he said he had difficulties using his...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comVLADIVOSTOK/MOSCOW, April 21 (Reuters) - Police rounded up more than 1,700 protesters on Wednesday as Russians in dozens of cities took part in rallies organised by allies of hunger-striking Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny over his failing health in jail.His spokeswoman was jailed for 10 days, and another close ally detained, on the same day that President Vladimir Putin delivered a state-of-the-nation speech warning the West not to cross and pointedly made no mention of Navalny."This is one of the last gasps of a free Russia, as many are...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comVLADIVOSTOK/MOSCOW, April 21 (Reuters) - Police rounded up more than 1,700 protesters on Wednesday as Russians in dozens of cities took part in rallies organised by allies of hunger-striking Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny over his failing health in jail.His spokeswoman was jailed for 10 days, and another close ally detained, on the same day that President Vladimir Putin delivered a state-of-the-nation speech warning the West not to cross and pointedly made no mention of Navalny."This is one of the last gasps of a free Russia, as many are...WW…

By POKROV, Russia (Reuters) - Russian police detained nine people outside a prison holding Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Tuesday as a small group of his supporters came to the facility, and authorities turned away a doctor who tried to see him.Navalny, 44, an opponent of President Vladimir Putin, announced a hunger strike last week in protest at what he said was the refusal of prison authorities to treat him properly for acute back and leg pain.Some allies had said they would protest from Tuesday at the prison in the town of Pokrov, about 100 km (60 miles) east of Moscow, unless he saw a...…By POKROV, Russia (Reuters) - Russian police detained nine people outside a prison holding Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Tuesday as a small group of his supporters came to the facility, and authorities turned away a doctor who tried to see him.Navalny, 44, an opponent of President Vladimir Putin, announced a hunger strike last week in protest at what he said was the refusal of prison authorities to treat him properly for acute back and leg pain.Some allies had said they would protest from Tuesday at the prison in the town of Pokrov, about 100 km (60 miles) east of Moscow, unless he saw a...WW…

By MOSCOW (Reuters) - Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny asked for help from a public commission to get access to painkiller injections for severe pain in his leg, the head of the commission said in a statement published on late on Saturday.Slideshow Navalny was jailed last month for two and a half years on charges he called politically motivated. He was arrested as he returned to Russia from Germany in January, where he had been recovering from what doctors said was a nerve agent poisoning.The 44-year old opposition politician has said in a statement that his request for treatment by a...…By MOSCOW (Reuters) - Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny asked for help from a public commission to get access to painkiller injections for severe pain in his leg, the head of the commission said in a statement published on late on Saturday.Slideshow Navalny was jailed last month for two and a half years on charges he called politically motivated. He was arrested as he returned to Russia from Germany in January, where he had been recovering from what doctors said was a nerve agent poisoning.The 44-year old opposition politician has said in a statement that his request for treatment by a...WW…

By SAKHAROVO, Russia (Reuters) - Anti-Kremlin protesters freed from detention in Russia say they are ready to keep demonstrating and have lost their fear of the authorities.Police detained more than 11,000 people during three unsanctioned protests over the past weeks calling for the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, jailed for parole violations he denied.Navalny allies have put protests on hold for now until warmer weather and say they are focused on trying to achieve a breakthrough at a parliamentary election in the autumn.Some of those detained for taking part in the protests said...…By SAKHAROVO, Russia (Reuters) - Anti-Kremlin protesters freed from detention in Russia say they are ready to keep demonstrating and have lost their fear of the authorities.Police detained more than 11,000 people during three unsanctioned protests over the past weeks calling for the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, jailed for parole violations he denied.Navalny allies have put protests on hold for now until warmer weather and say they are focused on trying to achieve a breakthrough at a parliamentary election in the autumn.Some of those detained for taking part in the protests said...WW…

By , MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court on Thursday ordered Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to be kept in jail, rejecting an appeal against his detention and shrugging off calls by the West and tens of thousands of his Russian supporters for his release.Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was remanded in custody for 30 days on Jan. 18 after flying back to Russia from Germany for the first time since being poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent in August.A court at the time ordered him detained for alleged parole violations, which he denied. With various legal cases...…By , MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court on Thursday ordered Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to be kept in jail, rejecting an appeal against his detention and shrugging off calls by the West and tens of thousands of his Russian supporters for his release.Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was remanded in custody for 30 days on Jan. 18 after flying back to Russia from Germany for the first time since being poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent in August.A court at the time ordered him detained for alleged parole violations, which he denied. With various legal cases...WW…

By , MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court on Thursday ordered Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to be kept in jail, rejecting an appeal against his detention and shrugging off calls by the West and tens of thousands of his Russian supporters for his release.Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was remanded in custody for 30 days on Jan. 18 after flying back to Russia from Germany for the first time since being poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent in August.A court at the time ordered him detained for alleged parole violations, which he denied. With various legal cases...…By , MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court on Thursday ordered Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to be kept in jail, rejecting an appeal against his detention and shrugging off calls by the West and tens of thousands of his Russian supporters for his release.Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was remanded in custody for 30 days on Jan. 18 after flying back to Russia from Germany for the first time since being poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent in August.A court at the time ordered him detained for alleged parole violations, which he denied. With various legal cases...WW…

By , MOSCOW/TOMSK (Reuters) - The ruling United Russia party looked set for an array of local election wins on Sunday, but was also on course for some setbacks as stricken Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s supporters made rare gains in city politics in Siberia.Slideshow The local elections were closely watched for signs of protest voting against the ruling party that backs President Vladimir Putin amid frustrations over years of falling wages and the government’s handling of the pandemic.The votes also followed the suspected poisoning by a rare nerve agent of opposition politician Navalny who...…By , MOSCOW/TOMSK (Reuters) - The ruling United Russia party looked set for an array of local election wins on Sunday, but was also on course for some setbacks as stricken Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s supporters made rare gains in city politics in Siberia.Slideshow The local elections were closely watched for signs of protest voting against the ruling party that backs President Vladimir Putin amid frustrations over years of falling wages and the government’s handling of the pandemic.The votes also followed the suspected poisoning by a rare nerve agent of opposition politician Navalny who...WW…

By ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - A St. Petersburg clinic that is run and partly owned by people with ties to President Vladimir Putin has provided medical treatment to Russian mercenaries injured abroad, according to three people with knowledge of military contractors being treated, a clinic employee, a reporter’s witness account and company records.The previously unreported medical treatment for private military contractors wounded in combat overseas, including in Libya and Syria, shows fighters have received indirect support from the country’s elite even as the Kremlin denies they fight...…By ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - A St. Petersburg clinic that is run and partly owned by people with ties to President Vladimir Putin has provided medical treatment to Russian mercenaries injured abroad, according to three people with knowledge of military contractors being treated, a clinic employee, a reporter’s witness account and company records.The previously unreported medical treatment for private military contractors wounded in combat overseas, including in Libya and Syria, shows fighters have received indirect support from the country’s elite even as the Kremlin denies they fight...WW…

By , MOSCOW/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Russia is racing to reinforce its troops in Syria by sea and air before talks between the Russian and Turkish leaders in Moscow on Thursday, flight data and shipping movements show.The two presidents, Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan, agreed to meet after a surge in tensions between their countries over fighting in Syria’s Idlib province between Russian-backed Syrian government forces and rebels allied to Turkey.The fighting has raised the prospect of a direct clash between their armies, which operate in close proximity on opposing sides, and Erdogan hopes...…By , MOSCOW/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Russia is racing to reinforce its troops in Syria by sea and air before talks between the Russian and Turkish leaders in Moscow on Thursday, flight data and shipping movements show.The two presidents, Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan, agreed to meet after a surge in tensions between their countries over fighting in Syria’s Idlib province between Russian-backed Syrian government forces and rebels allied to Turkey.The fighting has raised the prospect of a direct clash between their armies, which operate in close proximity on opposing sides, and Erdogan hopes...WW…