Latest news with #SverdlovskRegion
Russia Today
09-07-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
A million Indians could immigrate to Russia — business leader
Up to one million Indian nationals could immigrate to Russia by the end of 2025 to help address a severe shortage of skilled labor, according to Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI) President Andrey Besedin. In an interview with the Eurasian News Agency (EAN), he stated that Indian officials told him the figure during a meeting earlier this year, adding that a new Indian consulate is set to open in the city of Yekaterinburg to manage the expected arrivals. 'As far as I've heard from my Indian colleagues, up to one million specialists from India will arrive in Russia, including the Sverdlovsk Region, by the end of the year,' he said. Besedin said Russia's industrial enterprises are under pressure to expand production, both due to state policies on import substitution and the demands of the ongoing military operation in Ukraine. However, he noted that the region lacks a sufficient number of qualified personnel. 'Part of the workforce has been sent to the special military operation, and the youth are not going to factories,' he said. According to Besedin, Indian migrants are expected to work in metallurgy and mechanical engineering. Talks are also underway with Sri Lanka and North Korea about potential labor cooperation, Besedin said. He acknowledged that Russia lacks experience working with migrants from these countries but described the initiative as a 'new level of international labor cooperation.' Russia's Ministry of Labor has forecast a shortage of 3.1 million workers by 2030, and reported that in 2024, companies hired only 47,000 qualified migrants from countries whose citizens require a visa for entry. Following the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in March 2024, Russia has implemented stricter migration controls. More than 190,000 foreign nationals were expelled from the country that year, according to the Interior Ministry. A new federal agency was established in April 2025 to enforce immigration rules and reduce violations. Despite the increased restrictions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that reducing the number of labor migrants would not be in Russia's interests. He noted that the country is facing a shortage of workers and warned that lowering immigration levels could render development goals 'less realistic.' At the same time, he emphasized the need to ensure that immigrants obey the law.
Russia Today
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Azerbaijan accuses Russian law enforcement of killing detainees
The authorities in Baku have accused Russian law enforcement of fatally beating two detainees after a raid on an alleged ethnic Azerbaijani gang. The incident has triggered a diplomatic dispute between the two countries. The Prosecutor General's Office in the capital on Tuesday announced a criminal investigation into what it described as a double homicide. The agency challenged Russian statements that one detainee died of heart failure and that the second death remained under investigation. Azerbaijani officials claim their medical examinations showed both men died from severe blunt force trauma. The accusations follow a raid by law enforcement in Yekaterinburg, the capital of Russia's Sverdlovsk Region, targeting alleged members of an ethnic Azerbaijani criminal group believed to have operated in the city since at least 2001. Russian authorities claim the gang has been involved in extortion schemes and a series of targeted killings and attempted murders of members of the Azerbaijani diaspora in the country. The two men who died after the raid were identified as brothers Gusein and Zieddin Safarov. Their bodies were flown to Baku on Monday and reportedly buried shortly afterward in their home village. Azerbaijani officials allege they were intentionally murdered while in Russian custody. Russian authorities said six other suspects – all Russian citizens – remain in detention, with additional charges pending. Azerbaijani media has framed the deaths as part of what it called a pattern of persecution of ethnic minorities by Russian authorities. Baku has taken several actions since the incident in apparent retaliation. Last week, the Ministry of Culture canceled multiple events involving Russian performers. On Monday, the national food safety agency reported the destruction of 639 kilograms of onion rings imported from Russia, citing bacterial contamination. The Russian supplier denied the charge, saying its own lab results showed the products were safe. Also on Monday, Azerbaijani police raided the Baku office of the Russian media outlet Sputnik, detaining three staff members. Moscow responded by summoning Azerbaijan's ambassador for an explanation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Azerbaijan's reaction was 'overly emotional' and that direct dialogue would help defuse the situation, leading to the release of the Sputnik journalists.
