2025 in Russia

Events in the year 2025 in Russia.

Incumbents

President: Vladimir Putin
Prime Minister: Mikhail Mishustin

Ongoing

Russo-Ukrainian War
- Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022–present)
- Timeline of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (1 January 2025 – present)

Events

January

11 January – Ukraine announces the capture of two North Korean soldiers during fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
17 January – Iran and Russia sign a "comprehensive strategic partnership treaty".
23 January – The Russian spy vessel Kidin is reported to have caught fire off the coast of Syria.
29 January – An illegal logger opens fire at forest rangers trying to arrest him in Usokhi, Kaluga Oblast, killing three rangers and holding two others hostage before committing suicide.

February

6 February – Yury Borisov is dismissed as director-general of Roscosmos by President Putin and is replaced by Gonets head Dmitry Bakanov.
8 February –
- An underwater cable in the Baltic Sea owned by Rostelecom is damaged following an "external impact".
- At least eight people are injured in a fire at the former Elektrozavod building in Moscow.
9 February – A state of emergency is declared in Sakhalin Oblast after the Chinese cargo vessel An Ying 2 runs aground off the coast of Nevelsky District.
11 February –
- The European Court of Human Rights rules that the Russian government had engaged in "a coordinated effort to suppress dissent" over its invasion of Ukraine.
- Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia for drugs charges since 2021, is released and repatriated to the United States as part of a prisoner exchange.
12 February – US President Donald Trump announces the beginning of negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine following a phone call with President Putin.
13 February –
- The FSB says that it had killed several members of a terrorist group plotting an attack on the Pskov train station following a shootout.
- Two miners are killed in a collapse at a potash mine operated by Uralkali in Solikamsk, Perm Krai.
- Cryptocurrency exchange operator Alexander Vinnik, who had been imprisoned in the United States for a cybercrime conviction, is released and repatriated to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange.
17 February – Konstantin Rachalovsky, the deputy governor of Rostov Oblast, is arrested on suspicion of abuse of power over the provision of state subsidies amounting to 155.2 million rubles ($1.7 million) to financially distressed companies that eventually went bankrupt.
18 February – Russia and the United States began official discussions in Saudi Arabia on ending the war in Ukraine.
26 February – Denis Alexeyev, the deputy governor of Vologda Oblast, is arrested along with Kirill Bocharov, head of the Vologda Oblast representative office in Moscow, on suspicion of receiving part of a 100 million ruble ($1.1 million) bribe.
27 February – A man is arrested for throwing a grenade at the entrance to the regional administration office of Samara Oblast in Samara.
28 February – The FSB arrests two church officials on suspicion of plotting to kill Russian Orthodox bishop Tikhon Shevkunov, who is close to Putin.

March

3 March – The FSB says it shot and killed a man who planned "terrorist attacks" on the Moscow metro and a Jewish religious institution in Moscow.
4 March – Nikolai Onishchenko, the head of Zavyalovsky District, Altai Krai, is shot dead while leaving a cafe in Zavyalovo.
5 March – Four suspected Islamic State militants are killed in an "anti-terrorist operation" in Makhachkala, Dagestan.
10 March – Two British diplomats are expelled from Russia for alleged spying.
11 March – Two students are injured in a knife attack at a school in Nizhny Novgorod. The suspect, who is also a student, is arrested.
13 March – The Russian defence ministry says its forces had retaken Sudzha, Kursk Oblast from Ukraine.
18 March –
- The Ukrainian military launches a major incursion into Belgorod Oblast.
- Yury Bezdudny resigns as Governor of Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
- A Mil Mi-28 helicopter of the Russian military crashes in Leningrad Oblast, killing its entire crew.
31 March – Konstantin Rudnev, the founder of the Ashram Shambala sect, is arrested along with 13 of his followers in Argentina on human trafficking charges.

April

1 April – President Putin orders a ban on government, telecommunications and banking sector employees from using foreign messaging applications.
2 April – A Tu-22M3 bomber crashes in Usolsky District, Irkutsk Oblast, killing one of its four crew.
3 April – The State Duma expels Yury Napso as a deputy of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia for failing to attend its sessions without valid reason since 2023.
4 April – Three Moldovan diplomats are expelled from Russia in retaliation for Moldova expelling three Russian diplomats it accused of involvement in facilitating the escape of fugitive MP Alexandr Nesterovschi.
8 April – Dual US-Russian national Ksenia Karelina, who had been imprisoned in Russia for donating to a charity providing humanitarian aid for Ukraine, is released and repatriated to the United States following a prisoner exchange in the United Arab Emirates that sees the release of Arthur Petrov, a dual German-Russian citizen arrested on suspicion of supplying manufacturers linked to the Russian military with microelectronics.
9 April – The Romanian defense attaché and his deputy are expelled from Russia in retaliation for Romania expelling their Russian counterparts in March.

Holidays

Source:

1–7 January – New Year's Day and Holidays
7 January – Christmas (Orthodox)
23 February – Defender of the Fatherland Day
24 February – Defender of the Fatherland Holiday
8 March – International Women's Day
10 March – International Women's Day Holiday
1 May – Spring and Labour Day
17 May – Constitution Day
29 May – Ascension Day
9 May – Victory Day
12 June – Russia Day
4 November – Unity Day

Deaths

1 January:
- Viktor Alksnis, 74, politician, mayor of Tuchkovo (2013–2015), MP (2000–2007), and deputy of the Soviet Union (1989–1991).
- Vladimir Kosykh, 74, politician, MP (1993–1995).
10 January: Yevgenia Dobrovolskaya, 60, actress (Queen Margot, The Irony of Fate 2, Guys from Mars).
29 January:
- Vadim Naumov, 55, Olympic figure skater (1992, 1994), world champion (1994)
- Evgenia Shishkova, 52, Olympic figure skater (1992, 1994), world champion (1994)
27 February: Boris Spassky, 88, chess grandmaster, world champion (1969–1972).
13 March: Sofia Gubaidulina, 93, composer.
21 March: Oleg Gordievsky, 86, KGB double-agent.