Russia’s three-day State Duma election begins on September 18. Independent reporting says the vote takes place after authorities restricted opposition participation and banned independent election monitor Golos.
Russia said that Germany’s consulate general in St. Petersburg must close by September 18. The move followed Germany’s measures against Russian facilities after Berlin blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
Russia has allowed four major mobile operators to begin building 5G networks. The first networks are planned for large cities, but most users may not notice faster service immediately.
Kazakhstan’s pro-government Adilet Party won just over 71 percent of the preliminary vote in the August 23 parliamentary election. OSCE observers said political choice was limited and reported serious problems during the count.
A court in Pskov sentenced Yabloko politician Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in a penal colony. The charges concerned anti-war statements and a repost about Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Authorities in Russia’s Tatarstan region said a drone attack on Nizhnekamsk killed 13 people and injured at least 75 on August 10. Ukraine said it had targeted the TANECO oil refinery, but key details could not be independently verified.
Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin said he had left Russia and posted a video from Paris. His departure followed legal measures that prevented him from standing in Russia’s September parliamentary election.
Vladimir Putin signed a law creating rules and state-support categories for large AI models in Russia. The law also invokes undefined “traditional values” and introduces voluntary labeling of AI-generated material.
Russia’s State Duma passed legislation increasing from 22 to 45 the administrative offenses that may lead to a foreigner’s expulsion. A separate bill adds criminal-record documentation requirements for residence applications.
