News From Russia: What You Missed Over the Weekend Updated: Infectious variant Russia on Sunday confirmed its first case of the new, more-contagious U.K. coronavirus strain despite an earlier move by officials to suspend flights from Britain to stop the mutation from reaching Russia’s borders. One person returning to Russia from Britain was found to have been infected with the new strain in late 2020, the head of national health regulator Rospotrebnadzor told state-run television Sunday. Stalin Doner A Stalin-themed shawarma shop in Moscow was forced to close the day after it opened and sparked public outcry over its provocative branding featuring the dictator’s portrait and employees dressed in Soviet security service uniforms.