Vladimir Rozanskij

The metropolitan was the Moscow patriarch's "foreign minister". He did not directly support Kirill's pro-Putin positions on the attack on Ukraine. He also tried to keep dialogue with other Churches open, starting with the Vatican. Moved (exiled) to Budapest.

77.1% of voters in favour. Numerous objections from independent observers. As many as 33 changes were proposed to democratise the country and overcome the current super-presidentialism. President Tokaev is trying to get rid of the shadow of Nazarbaev, the former "father of the fatherland".

There are now only a few thousand people. The definition of territories and the integration of peoples continues to Russias' priority. Moscow would like to reduce all its ethnic groups - Ukrainians included - to the tame folklore of the Khanty and Mansi.

Even before the invasion, the separatist authorities in Lugansk and Donetsk had imposed general recruitment. The men are trying hard to avoid conscription. The subsidies promised to them by Putin never arrived. In the event of death in combat, the families receive less than 200 euros in compensation.

Official documents hacked from the Chinese authorities' servers have been published: 3,000 photographs of detainees, several videos, 20,000 arrest reports and over 300,000 personal details. They confirm that those in the Chinese region are concentration camps for Turkish-speaking minorities of the Islamic faith.

Along with the issue of internal freedom of movement, the problem is raised forcefully by the Kyrgyz. Member countries accuse Russia of favouring partners outside the economic bloc. Kazakhs on Moscow's side: 80% opening of internal trade routes.

The Moscow Patriarchate downplays the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's decision to break ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. Russian Metropolitan Ilarion: enemies of the true Church would like to get their hands on property and the canonical name itself. A union between the new independent Ukrainian Church and the autocephalous Church of Kiev is difficult.

The Russian parliament is studying responses to Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. At stake are measures against the ownership of foreign firms and foreign media. Surrogacy is also in the spotlight. The Russian deputies' "war" against the country's enemies has more symbolic than practical value: Putin decides everything.

Rumors mount of a change in leadership in the Kremlin. Health problems for the Russian president, criticized for the course of the war in Ukraine by "hawks" and "doves." Fears over the effects of Western sanctions. Patrušev, however, would be in continuity with the Putin line.

In Chechnya, the population mourns those killed in the conflict in Ukraine. Instead, leader Kadyrov authorises a lavish wedding for martial arts champion Chimaev. In the ongoing war, local youth are used as "cannon fodder".

After the invasion of Ukraine, all "non-aligned" professors kicked out of college. Many of them spontaneously resigned and left the country. In Soviet times, university life in Russia was much freer and more open than it is now.

Protests over opposition journalist Nika Gvaramia's prison sentence. His ideas unwelcome to the Georgian Dream government. EU critical of authorities in Tbilisi. Opposition calls on executive to enforce Western sanctions on Russia. Ukraine feels betrayed by Georgian "friends."