1 January – The presidential decree on dissolving of Russian Federal Space Agency and transforming it into the Roscosmos Space Corporation has come into force.
16–20 February – 2016 Russian Figure Skating Championships Final in Saransk, Mordovia.
25–29 February – Vorkuta mine disaster: Ignition of leaking methane gas caused a series of explosions that caused the deaths of 36 people, including 31 miners and five rescue workers, in a coal mine near the city of Vorkuta, Komi Republic, Russia.
March
14 March – Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War: Putin announced that the mission which he set for the Russian military in Syria "has been accomplished" and he ordered the withdrawal of the "main part" of the Russian forces from Syria.
19 March – Flydubai Flight 981 with Boeing 737-800 made two unsuccessful landing attempts at Rostov-on-Don Airport in inclement weather. It reached an altitude of 4,000 feet (1,200 m) (during its second go-around), but then suddenly went down and crashed into the ground at a high speed. All 62 people on board the aircraft were killed in the crash.
3 October – President Putin suspends the 2000 nuclear pact with the United States on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium.[7]
5 October – Vladimir Putin suspends the 2013 nuclear pact with the United States on uranium research.[8]
9 October – Eight militants, who planned attacks in Chechnya, were killed in a shootout with police. Four officers were injured as well.[citation needed]
8 October – Russia deploys the nuclear-capable Iskander mobile short-range ballistic missile system to the Kaliningrad Oblast.[9]
23 October – A gas explosion in the Russian city of Ryazan kills at least 3 people and injures 13 others[10]