Russia

Russia has denied any involvement in the 2014 crash of the Malaysian jetliner that killed nearly 300 people. Investigators say it was hit by a Russian-supplied surface-to-air missile.

Russian military intelligence, the GRU, is linked to the invasion of Ukraine and interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Now it's suspected of a bounty program to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

A bounty program on U.S. soldiers would constitute a "massive escalation" in Moscow's testy relations with Washington, says one Russia expert. A Russian lawmaker asks: "What would we get out of this?"

The president says no one told him about the threat to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Reports say the information was available in a detailed intelligence file called the President's Daily Briefing.

The vote approves constitutional changes, including a reset on presidential terms that will allow Putin to run twice more after his current six-year term expires in 2024.

"It is very important to him to have this popular endorsement, even if it is a farce, even if it is a travesty of popular will," analyst Masha Lipman says of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The "Secondary Infektion" campaign spread thousands of false stories, including forged documents and fake tweets. Still operating, the campaign may now target the November election, researchers say.

Russia's capital, the epicenter of the country's coronavirus pandemic, is lifting restrictions as the Kremlin prepares for a massive military parade and a referendum on term limits.

Russia has sent crews to assist in Dagestan, where the official number of COVID-19 deaths is 29. "It long ago became clear the official statistics have no basis in reality," a resident says.

The 34-nation agreement allows the U.S., Russia and other countries to fly their aircraft over each other's territory. The Trump administration says it will negotiate a new deal with Russia.

The U.S. government delivers 50 American-made ventilators on Thursday and will send another 150 next week.

An art project to shake the lockdown blues has become an online sensation as pent-up Russian speakers from across the globe reenact classic artwork to pass the time amid the pandemic.