Vladimir Rozanskij

The president's United Russia is in decline, but has managed to retain a constitutional majority in the Duma. Rise of the Communists, helped by the useful vote of the navalnists. Oppositions: online vote rigged. Claims of fraud through "Lukashenko method" in the provinces. Putin's civic list may create problems for the Tsar.

Patriarch Kirill claims there are those who are determined to destroy the traditions of Orthodoxy and accuses the Ecumenical Patriarchate of wanting to create a rift between the Greek and Slavic Orthodox worlds. The next Synod of Bishops in Moscow will condemn the "canonical innovations" of the Greeks.

Mgr Iosif Staneuski, former auxiliary bishop of Grodno and secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Belarus, replaces Archbishop Kandrusievich, exiled by President Lukashenko for urging the authorities to engage in dialogue with anti-government protesters. State media attack the Belarusian Catholic Church.

Aleksej Naval'nyj's supporters are betting on candidates from other parties to defeat Putin's United Russia. The main collaborators of the first opponent to the regime are in prison or banned by the authorities. "Chinese" tactics are used to control the internet.

Economic aid and commercial opening in exchange for the fight against the network of Fethullah Gülen, Erdogan's arch-enemy. The "Gulenists" have a strong presence in Central Asia. The goal is to bring trade to the billion dollar mark. Expert: the Turks act like masters in Kyrgyzstan.

The 800th anniversary of the birth of the "protector" prince of Orthodox Russia was celebrated. Speaker of the Senate: "A figure that unifies the epochs of Russian and Soviet history". 80 years since the beginning of the Nazi siege of St. Petersburg also commemorated. History exploited to preserve the Putin power system.

Siberian entrepreneurs seeking investment from China. Moscow needs to boost energy supplies between Lake Bajkal and the Amur River. The Chinese want control of the new facilities. Russian critics say opening the doors to Beijing's money goes against the national interest.

Moscow sets condition of an end to the political and social crisis that has hit Minsk over the past year. The aim is a common gas market and fiscal harmonization. Belarusians will fall further into debt with the Kremlin. Migration crisis: Russian leader distances himself from Lukašenko.

Tajikistan is among the most concerned and is preparing itself militarily, asking the international community to intervene. Uzbekistan is more open to dialogue, but has the best armed army in the region. The Taliban speak of good relations with Tashkent.

Kremlin and Chinese have invested heavily in Guinean mines, supporting deposed President Alpha Condé. The role of the Russians in the international traffic of cocaine, which also passes through Guinea. Suspicions that the US and Europe favored the coup to weaken Russia and China.

Russian security services accuse Ukrainians of sabotaging gas pipelines near Simferopolis. Tatar activists arrested. Russians launch plans to desalinate water and guarantee water supplies to the population. Kiev wants to take back the peninsula.

Two figures close to Putin's regime present themselves at the St. Petersburg elections with the same name and face of an opposition candidate: Boris Višnevskij. The original is a supporter of Aleksej Naval'nyj. The "fake" candidates are nothing new in Russia: the aim is to confuse the electorate.