This week, we've got some nice, alliterative shawarma shutdowns, approved apps, and coughing Kadyrov.

This week, stealing a ridiculous amount of butter leads to punishment; Chechen nepotism knows no bounds; and Russians hope for an end of the pandemic (don't we all?).

This week, we mark the end of 2020 with transportation stats, social media monitoring, and preparations for wild celebrations.

This week, your mother turns out to be right all along; Aeroflot adapts to COVID; and the European Commission says you can get good, free movies from Russian social media.

This week, politicians are caught red-handed; surrogate motherhood and gambling are (apparently) the same; and Putin isn't as hip with the youth as you'd think.

This week, Lada outdoes itself; emergency services fall short; and cows (and men) finally get the appreciation they're due.

This week, the Russian army gets new toys; a university administrator doesn't quit while he's ahead; and Lukashenko keeps doing his thing, much to our chagrin.

This week, we've got brand-new guns, poachers from an unlikely place, and the frozen north gets an internet connection.

This week is full of surprises: Moscow schools train future journalists; cars branch out into new materials; and vodka exports decline, which is maybe less surprising than you'd think.

This week, puddles get the spotlight, weapons become instruments, and the life of a sausage tycoon ends abruptly at the business end of a crossbow.

This week, boats take to land; dogs get the recognition they deserve; and human bones are found in an unlikely place.

This week, officials make outrageous demands, maps cost a man his job, and science meets geopolitics.