Russia's invasion, which began in February 2022, has also been a source of religious controversy within the Eastern Orthodox Church and has driven a split among believers in both Russia and Ukraine.Vi

The patriarch of Russia's Orthodox Church, celebrating Christmas alongside Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, said on Tuesday that the Western world despised Russia and its "alternative path of civilised development".

Sweeping Western sanctions against Russia have made AI chips a challenge to obtain.

Putin directs collaboration with China on AI, addressing hardware shortages amid U.S. sanctions, highlighting Russia's tech challenges.

President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian government and the country’s biggest bank, Sberbank, to build cooperation with China in AI, to limit Western dominance. The instructions were made public on Wednesday through the Kremlin’s website,