Page 2 - Moscow

Russia's Victory Day Parade: MEA backs multilateralism, flags terrorism

MoS Defence Sanjay Seth represented Russia's Victory Day in Moscow. The MEA statement highlighted India's WWII contributions, backed multilateralism, and flagged terrorism as a shared global threat

Xi Jinping arrives in Moscow on 4-day visit, attend V-Day celebrations

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here on Wednesday on a four-day official visit during which he will hold talks with President Vladimir Putin and take part in the 80th anniversary celebrations on the occasion of victory over Nazi Germany in WWII culminating with the V-Day parade at the Red Square. This will be his 11th visit to Russia since 2013, Russian news agency TASS reported. According to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, in a tete-a-tete over tea on Thursday, Putin and Xi are scheduled to discuss sensitive international issues such as Russia's relations with the United States, including Ukraine, before joining their delegations. Xi is accompanied by Foreign Minister Wang Yi who earlier today had a telephonic conversation with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on India's Operation Sindoor. India launched Operation Sindoor early Wednesday hitting nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Punjab in retaliation for the terror attack in Pahalgam on April

Moscow, Washington narrow Ukraine peace deal gaps in high-level talks

Moscow and Washington have managed to narrow differences on not only the Ukraine peace deal but also on many other issues after three hours of talk with the visiting US special envoy Steve Whitkoff on Friday, a top Kremlin aide said. Whitkoff had his fourth round of negotiations with President Vladimir Putin assisted by Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov and foreign investments chief Kiril Dmitreyev. Three hours long talks between special envoy Steve Whitkoff with President Vladimir Putin made it possible to further bring Moscow and Washington's positions closer together not only on Ukraine, but also on other international issues, Ushkov said. Describing the Putin-Whitkoff meeting as constructive and useful, Ushakov said the possibility of direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations was also discussed. The US and Russia have agreed to carry forward their productive dialogue in the most active mode, local media reported.

Russian general killed in car bomb outside Moscow; Kremlin blames Kyiv

A Russian general was killed by a car bomb on Friday, Russia's top criminal investigation agency said, in the second such attack on a top Russian military officer in four months. The Investigative Committee said that Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car in Balashikha, just outside Moscow. The committee's spokesperson, Svetlana Petrenko, said the explosive device was rigged with shrapnel. She said that investigators were at the scene. Russian media ran videos of a vehicle burning in the courtyard of an apartment building. The committee did not mention possible suspects. The attack follows the killing of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who died on December 17 when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter parked outside his apartment building exploded as he left for his office. The Russian authorities blamed Ukraine for the killing of Kirillov, and Ukrain

Russia to hold events in Indian cities for 80th Great Victory anniversary

Russia has planned programmes in Delhi and several Indian cities, alongside mega celebrations in Moscow, to mark Victory Day on May 9, the country's envoy Denis Alipov said on Saturday. Russia has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the celebrations in Moscow that will mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II. "This year is very special. This year, we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. We call it the Great Victory in Russia... We will have big celebrations in Moscow on May 9 and we will be happy to welcome a high-level Indian delegation, whoever goes, we will welcome the defence minister And, if the prime minister decides to go, we will certainly welcome the prime minister," Alipov, the Russian ambassador to India, told reporters on the sidelines of an event. There will be many top-level foreign guests in Moscow on that day, he added. Russia has invited leaders of several friendly nations to attend this .

US envoy in Moscow for ceasefire talks as Russia claims truce aids Kyiv

The diplomatic effort coincided with a Russian claim that its troops have driven the Ukrainian army out of a key town in Russia's Kursk border region

Deeper look at talks between US, Russian officials and what comes next

Top US and Russian officials had their most extensive high-level engagement since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine almost three years ago, meeting for nearly four hours on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia as President Donald Trump sought to advance his goal of ending the fighting in Ukraine and mending ties with Moscow. The delegations led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the discussions were a good first step. They agreed to set up teams to look into restoring staffing at the US and Russian embassies in Moscow and Washington that have been decimated by a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions. The effort is aimed at using those channels to support Ukraine peace negotiations and to explore ways to restart economic and global cooperation. However, the rapprochement may come at a cost to the transatlantic alliance of the US and Europe and significantly damage Washington's standing with Ukraine as well as with other nations counting on US

Zelenskyy confirms new Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk region

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed a new Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk region and said that North Korean troops were fighting alongside Russian forces there. In the areas of the Kursk operation, new assaults have taken place, Zelenskyy said during his Friday address, adding, Russia has once again deployed North Korean soldiers alongside its troops. According to Zelenskyy, a significant number of enemy troops were destroyed. He gave no details but said the losses were in the hundreds. Russia's Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that it had repelled a Ukrainian counterattack in the Kursk region. Russia said Friday its forces had captured the mining town of Toretsk in their latest breakthrough in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, where Ukrainian defences are creaking. Ukrainian officials did not confirm the report. South Korea's military said last month that it suspected North Korea was preparing to send additional troops to Russia after its soldiers suffered

Moscow City in talks with India for 'group-free visa regime' travel

The Moscow City Tourism Committee is in discussions with the Indian government for a 'group-free visa regime,' allowing a specified number of tourists travelling together in a group to enter Russia without a visa. "When there is a group of tourists travelling together to Russia, the particular number should be mentioned in the document for the visit to become visa free. For example, in the Chinese document, the group should be 10-20 people. We are in talks with the Indian External Affairs Ministry for a final agreement on the number of people comprising a group from India to avail this facility," Moscow City Tourism Committee Chairman Evgeny Kozlov told PTI on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday evening. Kozlov further said India is an important country and ranks second in terms of source market among far abroad countries after China. "India is a priority market for us. For us among the far abroad countries, China ranks at the number one position, followed by India. Indians are .

Russian missiles target Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Christmas day

Russia launched a massive missile barrage targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Wednesday, striking a thermal power plant and prompting Ukrainians to take shelter in metro stations on Christmas morning. In a Facebook statement, Ukrainian energy minister, Herman Halushchenko, said Russia again massively attacks energy infrastructure." Ukraine's Air Force alerted multiple missiles fired at Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Poltava regions east of the country. The (electricity) distribution system operator takes the necessary measures to limit consumption to minimise negative consequences for the power system, he said. As soon as the security situation allows, energy workers will establish the damage caused. Ukraine's biggest private energy company, DTEK, said Russia struck one of their thermal power plants Wednesday morning, making it the 13th attack on Ukraine's power grid this year. Denying light and warmth to millions of peace-loving people as they celebrate Christmas is a depraved and

Russia says it detains suspect over the murder of top general in Moscow

The statement said he had described how he had placed the device on an electric scooter which he had parked outside the entrance of the apartment block where Kirillov lived

Bomb kills chief of Russian nuclear protection forces in Moscow; probe on

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who is chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed outside an apartment building

Ukraine's drone hits Chechnya as Kyiv retaliates after Moscow attack

A Ukrainian drone struck a campus belonging to Russia's National Guard Sunday in the Russian region of Chechnya, as Kyiv continues to strike back after a mass air attack from Moscow. Footage on social media showed a drone swooping low over the Chechen capital, Grozny, some 800 km southeast of the front line in Ukraine, before exploding. No casualties were reported. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov confirmed that the drone had hit a site belonging to the Akhmat Grozny riot police battalion, and said that two other drones had been shot down by air defences. Kadyrov pledged revenge on Ukrainian forces and said he had ordered a missile strike against military facilities in Kharkiv in retaliation for the attack. The claim could not be independently verified. Russia's Defence Ministry said Sunday that it had shot down 15 Ukrainian drones overnight in the country's Kursk and Belgorod regions, as well as over the Black Sea. It did not mention the Grozny attack. An official in Ukraine's secur

Rajnath Singh attends commissioning ceremony of INS Tushil in Russia

The ships construction was closely monitored by an Indian team of specialists from the Warship Overseeing Team stationed at Kaliningrad, under the aegis of the Indian Embassy in Moscow

Rajnath Singh reaches Moscow to participate in INS Tushil's commissioning

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Moscow on an official visit during which he will witness the commissioning of a stealth warship into the Indian Navy and attend the 21st meeting of India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military Technical Cooperation.Singh received a warm welcome on late Sunday night by Indian Ambassador to Russia, Venkatesh Kumar, and Russian Deputy Minister of Defence, Alexander Fomin.During his visit, Singh will also pay tributes at 'The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier' in Moscow to honour the Soviet soldiers killed during the Second World War. He will also interact with the members of the Indian community, a release said.During his visit, Singh is set to hold crucial discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and co-chair the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC M & MTC) alongside Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov.Sharing a post on X, the Embassy of India in Russia wrote,

Syrian leader Assad given asylum in Moscow: Russian state news agencies

Russian state news agencies are reporting that ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad has arrived in Moscow with his family and given asylum. The agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but has contacted the Kremlin for comment. RIA also cited an anonymous Kremlin source that Moscow had received guarantees from Syrian insurgents of the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria. The report did not give further details. Assad reportedly left Syria early Sunday. Syrians have been pouring into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule.

Putin praises India's support for SMEs through 'Make In India' initiative

Addressing the VTB Investment Forum in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin drew similarities between Russia's import substitution program to India's "Make in India" initiative

UK dismantles massive money laundering operations tied to Russian oligarchs

British authorities have dismantled two massive money laundering operations linked to Russia that were used by oligarchs, organised crime groups, cybercriminals and drug dealers, the National Crime Agency said Wednesday. The international sting, known as Operation Destabilize, seized 20 million pounds (USD 25.4 million) in cash and cryptocurrency and arrested 84 suspects. It was revealed on the same day the US announced new sanctions against several people at the top of the money laundering networks. For the first time, we have been able to map out a link between Russian elites, crypto-rich cybercriminals and drug gangs on the streets of the UK," said Rob Jones, NCA director general of operations. We have identified and acted against the Russians pulling the strings at the very top, removing the air of legitimacy that enabled them to weave illicit funds into our economy. Networks known as Smart Group and TGR Group allowed criminals and wealthy Russians to convert cash to ...

Desertion a major issue with Ukraine's forces in its war with Russia

Desertion is starving the Ukrainian army of desperately needed manpower and crippling its battle plans at a crucial time in its war with Russia, which could put Kyiv at a clear disadvantage in future ceasefire talks. Facing every imaginable shortage, tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops, tired and bereft, have walked away from combat and front-line positions to slide into anonymity, according to soldiers, lawyers and Ukrainian officials. Entire units have abandoned their posts, leaving defensive lines vulnerable and accelerating territorial losses, according to military commanders and soldiers. Some take medical leave and never return, haunted by the traumas of war and demoralized by bleak prospects for victory. Others clash with commanders and refuse to carry out orders, sometimes in the middle of firefights. This problem is critical, said Oleksandr Kovalenko, a Kyiv-based military analyst. This is the third year of war, and this problem will only grow. Although Moscow has also b

Russian military claims it shot down two British-made Storm Shadow missiles

The Russian Defence Ministry said Thursday its air defence systems shot down two British-made Storm Shadow missiles, six HIMARS rockets and 67 drones. The announcement came in the ministry's daily roundup of the special military operation in Ukraine. It didn't say when or where exactly it happened or what the missiles were targeting. This is not Moscow's first public announcement of the downing of Storm Shadow missiles. Russia earlier reported shooting some down over the annexed Crimean Peninsula.