What appears to be a Russian antiwar blog has posted a video that purports to show sexual shenanigans in the White House, which houses the Russian government. There are numberous reasons to doubt the authenticity of the video, which zooms in on two shadowy figures on a middle floor of the building at night. It looks like it is mostly being used to promote a web tome on "Sex in the U.S.S.R."
Volunteers in Russian-annexed Crimea turned out in Simferopol to redecorate a highway overpass with more Russia-friendly images.
Our newsroom quotes Russian news agencies as saying the president of Belarus, a traditional Russian ally who has been hosting multilateral talks on the Ukraine conflict, will join Western leaders in boycotting an upcoming military parade in Moscow:
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka says he will travel to Moscow to participate in events marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe on May 7 and 8, but he will not attend a Victory Day military parade in the Russian capital on May 9.
In an interview with Russia's ITAR-TASS on April 18, Lukashenka said he will preside over a Victory Day parade in Minsk on May 9 instead.
Belarus has traditionally been one of Russia's closest allies, but Lukashenka has been critical of Moscow's policies regarding Ukraine.
The Belarusian president, however, criticized politicians who have refused to travel to Moscow because of the conflict in Ukraine, saying that it is "an incorrect move" against "the Soviet people and the people of Eastern Europe, who we at that time liberated."
Representatives of about 25 countries -- including India, China, Serbia, and North Korea -- have confirmed that they will attend the May 9 parade in Moscow.
Based on reporting by ITAR-TASS and Sputnik News
More from the Zakharchenko interview:
Zakharchenko insisted it must be legally recognised as an independent territory.
He said: "Ukraine has stopped paying welfare, pensions and other payments that are obligatory for a state to pay its citizens.
"They don't do it, so they've de facto recognised us."