Twenty-four members of the Russian crew aboard a Greek-owned oil tanker have been seized by pirates in Togo's territorial waters.

The Czech Security Information Service has said Russian “special services” are the most active foreign espionage organizations in the Czech Republic.

Odessa has become the first Ukrainian city to officially recognize the Russian language on a regional level, leading a host of other regions with a substantial Russian-speaking population.

Russia's Federal Migration Service (FMS) has fined the performers of the Chinese Emperor Circus over the lack of work permits, the Service's officials report.

The Russian media widely report about an unsuccessful attempt by a Finnish professor and his students to repeat the Pussy Riot's "punk mass" at the Assumption Cathedral in Helsinki. Prof. Teivo Teivainen published an explanation on his Facebook page.