Maria Zakharova
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson since 2015
Photo: Council.gov.ru, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
- Oct 9
Montenegro detains Rybar blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk and orders five Russians expelled
Zvinchuk was held in the coastal town of Risan with his wife and other Russian nationals, and Montenegro's interior ministry ordered all five expelled on national security grounds.
- Oct 8
Italy mitigates foreign ministry cyberattack as Moscow dismisses election warning
Automated security systems successfully contained an assault targeting the Italian foreign ministry website on Thursday with zero service disruptions. The incident occurred as Moscow rejected Italian warnings regarding Russian interference in the 2027 parliamentary elections.
- Oct 5
Ukraine hits Russian refineries as strikes batter Kharkiv, Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia
Kyiv claimed long-range attacks knocked out 51% of Russian refining capacity, while Russian air raids struck residential districts in Kharkiv and bridged crossings in Kyiv.
- Oct 2
Putin admits Ukrainian refinery strikes cost Russia 1% of GDP and disrupted fuel output
Speaking at the Valdai forum, Vladimir Putin confirmed that Ukrainian drone strikes reduced Russian GDP by 1% while rejecting any reciprocal halt to attacks on energy infrastructure.
- Oct 1
EU defence chief warns Russian strikes on European arms plants will trigger NATO Article 5
Speaking at the European Parliament on Thursday, Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said NATO collective defence applies to European weapons plants, following Moscow's warnings targeting facilities supplying Ukraine.
- Sep 30
Kanye West cancels St Petersburg concerts following venue and permit dispute
Moscow promoter Say Agency called off two scheduled performances by Kanye West at the Gazprom Arena on 10 and 11 October, ending weeks of dispute over rental agreements and official approvals.
- Sep 26
Lavrov and Wadephul hold first German-Russian talks since 2022 at UN General Assembly
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met German counterpart Johann Wadephul for 20 minutes in New York as Donald Trump pushed for a peace deal before winter.
- Sep 26
Lavrov Accuses Europe of Blocking Ukraine Peace Talks in UN Assembly Speech
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the United Nations General Assembly that Moscow will achieve its military goals in Ukraine, accusing European governments of obstructing peace negotiations supported by the Trump administration.
- Sep 26
German foreign minister Wadephul meets Russian counterpart Lavrov in New York
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul held bilateral talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the United Nations in New York, their first direct meeting since 2022.
- Sep 24
Zelenskyy rejects Moscow summit invite, saying he would only visit on a missile
At the UN General Assembly in New York, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rebuffed Russian demands for bilateral talks in Moscow, while Kremlin officials asserted that he had not explicitly ruled out a visit.
- Sep 8
Hungary expels 10 Russian diplomats for unacceptable activities under Vienna Convention
Prime Minister Peter Magyar's administration ordered 10 Russian diplomats to leave Budapest on Tuesday, marking the country's first official expulsion of Russian embassy staff since 2018.
- Sep 2
Germany blames Russia for Leipzig airport drone attack and shuts Bonn consulate
German authorities identified two Russian-linked suspects behind an explosive drone plot targeting a Ukrainian Antonov transport plane at Leipzig/Halle airport, prompting Berlin to close Russian diplomatic offices.
- Sep 1
Germany blames Russia for Leipzig airport drone plot and shuts Bonn consulate
German authorities have formally attributed an August drone attack attempt targeting Ukrainian transport aircraft at Leipzig/Halle airport to Russian intelligence, ordering the closure of Russia's Bonn consulate and canceling the lease of the Russian House in Berlin.
- Aug 23
Putin attributes Tusk remarks on Nord Stream sabotage suspect to economic convenience
Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to Donald Tusk after the Polish prime minister defended a Ukrainian suspect detained in Croatia over the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline blasts.
- Aug 14
Putin makes first presidential visit to disputed Kuril Islands, triggering diplomatic protests from Japan and US backing
Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first presidential visit to the disputed Kuril Islands on August 13, drawing strong protests from Tokyo and a US endorsement of Japan's sovereignty claim over the archipelago.
- Aug 8
Poland fires back at Russia's Zakharova with economic data after Nawrocki 'Moskal' row
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and MFA spokesman Maciej Wewiór fired back at Russian diplomat Maria Zakharova on August 8 after she called President Nawrocki a rusophobe, citing economic data and a 2024 UN speech.
- Jul 9
Russia condemns 'irresponsible' NATO decisions on Ukraine after Ankara summit, warns of disaster
Russia has sharply criticised NATO's commitments to support Ukraine agreed at the alliance's summit in Ankara, with the Foreign Ministry calling the decisions 'irresponsible' and warning they could lead to catastrophe.
- Jun 16
Zelensky arrives at G7, offers to meet Putin as Russian strikes kill 11 across Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains on Tuesday, aiming to persuade Donald Trump that Russia is losing the war, while overnight Russian bombardments killed at least 11 people in Kyiv and other cities.
- May 29
Romania expels Russian consul and shuts Constanța mission after drone strike wounds two in Galați
President Nicușor Dan declared the Russian consul general persona non grata and ordered the closure of the Constanța consulate after a Russian Geran-2 drone struck a residential building in Galați, injuring two Romanian citizens.
