A methane blast at a diamond mine in Russia's remote Sakha republic in Siberia killed three miners and injured two others, regional authorities said Monday.
Kazakh authorities this month arrested anti-war activist and musician Ayhal Ammosov, a Russian national hailing from the Far East republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Though Ammosov’s name might be known to few abroad and elsewhere in Russia, he is something of a local celebrity in his native Sakha, first rising to prominence as an eccentric punk frontman and later becoming one of the region’s most noticeable critics of the invasion of Ukraine. Ammosov whose legal name is Igor Ivanov fled Sakha for Kazakhstan at the end of last year after authorities opened a criminal investigation against him on suspicion of spreading “fake news” about the Russian army. Despite his physical absence from the country, he continued to face pressure from the Russian authorities.
Amsterdam’s bustling Red Light District has plenty to offer to visitors on a Saturday evening, but a showcase of art and music of Russia’s indigenous non-Slavic communities might just have been the most unique event that took place there last weekend. Held at a local Walloon Church and organized by Netherlands-based anti-war collective Free Russia NL, a charity event called [Mirrors]: Reflections of the Unseen attracted dozens of locals and members of the Russian diaspora.
A public row has erupted over the Russian government's decision to ban an ethnic Yakut film from online streaming platforms over claims of nationalism. "Ayta" became the highest-grossing film ever in the Far East republic of Sakha (Yakutia), raking in more than 26 million rubles ($275,000) at the box office after its premiere in March.