Vodka sales have reached record highs in three regions of the North Caucasus

According to official data, the largest increases in alcohol sales in Russia in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 were recorded in North Ossetia (+16.4%), Karachay-Cherkessia (+14%), and Ingushetia (+10.6%).

Social media accounts attribute the sales growth in the North Caucasus republics to a "low base effect" rather than actual growth in consumption.

Analysts note a decline in demand in regions where authorities have imposed additional restrictions on the times and locations of alcohol sales. In the Vologda Oblast, for example, where alcohol sales are permitted for only two hours on weekdays, demand for vodka has fallen by almost 13%.

Последние новости
Two Crimean Tatars have been arrested in connection with the Hizb ut-Tahrir case
Human rights
Two Crimean Tatars have been arrested in connection with the Hizb ut-Tahrir case
2 March 2026

Yunus Suleimanov, a 40-year-old cook from Bakhchisaray, who was detained on February 12, has been remanded in custody in Simferopol's Pretrial Detention Center No. 2. According to Crimean Solidarity, he is accused of participating in the activities of the Hizb ut-Tahrir party, which is designated a terrorist organization in Russia.

A memorial plaque to Anna Politkovskaya has been reinstalled in Moscow after another act of vandalism
Human rights
A memorial plaque to Anna Politkovskaya has been reinstalled in Moscow after another act of vandalism
2 March 2026

A new memorial plaque has been installed on the building where Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya lived and was murdered. This follows more than twenty previous instances of the plaque being destroyed by unknown assailants. Activists intend to continue their work until it is permanently preserved.

Media: Umar Dzhabrailov committed suicide
News
Media: Umar Dzhabrailov committed suicide
2 March 2026

According to Kremlin media, including RBC, prominent businessman and former senator from Chechnya, 67-year-old Umar Dzhabrailov died by suicide in a hotel on Tverskaya Street in Moscow. A pistol was found near his body.

Aliyev sent condolences to Iran over the assassination of Ayatollah Khomeini
Politics
Aliyev sent condolences to Iran over the assassination of Ayatollah Khomeini
1 March 2026

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent an official message to his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing condolences over the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The message, published on the head of state's website, called the death of Iran's spiritual and political leader a grave loss.