Page 8 - Moscow

Russia strikes attacks in Ukraine as bombardments gather pace: Kyiv

Russian forces unleashed a barrage of missile and drone strikes against targets in eastern and southern Ukraine early Friday, as a Moscow offensive that has been brewing for days appeared to pick up pace ahead of the one-year anniversary of its invasion. The Kremlin's forces focused their bombardments on Ukraine's industrial east, especially the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, the Ukrainian military said. Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces there since 2014. The barrage struck critical infrastructure in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the northeast, and hit energy infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia in the southeast. Air raid sirens went off across much of the country. Zaporizhzhia City Council Secretary Anatolii Kurtiev said the city had been hit 17 times in one hour, which he said made it the most intense period of attacks since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on February 24 2022. The bombardments could be an effort by Russia to soften up ..

Iranian drone maker sanctioned by US for allegedly supplying to Moscow

The US on Friday hit six executives and board members of an Iranian drone manufacturer with sanctions after the firm allegedly supplied Moscow with drones that Russian forces have been using to attack Ukraine. Qods Aviation Industries, a previously sanctioned Iranian defence manufacturer, is alleged to be responsible for the design and production of unmanned aerial vehicles used to conduct strikes on civilians during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Treasury Department says the firm changed its name to Light Airplanes Design and Manufacturing Industries in mid-2020 to evade sanctions. The financial penalties imposed by Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control highlight the growing tension between the US and Iran over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal as well as US allegations of Russia and Iran deepening cooperation through shared military assistance as the war rages on. Iran has now become Russia's top military backer, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. Iran m

India helped in grain deal between Moscow and Kyiv, says EAM Jaishankar

India tried to defuse the situation around Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and quietly helped in the grain deal between Moscow and Kyiv, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said even as he vehemently rejected charges of New Delhi being a war profiteer over its procurement of discounted Russian oil. The external affairs minister also described the cap on the price of Russian crude oil as a Western decision that was taken without any consultations with India, asserting that New Delhi will never automatically sign into what others have cooked up. In an interview to 'Die Press' newspaper of Austria, Jaishankar while replying to a question on the Ukraine conflict, indicated India's readiness to contribute towards defusing the situation. "If we can help, we stand ready. And we have already helped -- very quietly on the grain deal, for example. We also tried to defuse the situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," he said. Jaishankar was asked whether he see

French defence chief vsists Ukraine, pledges army equipment, $212 million

France's defence minister on Wednesday pledged further military support for Ukraine insisting his government's backing is unflagging while efforts are also being made with Moscow to reach an eventual negotiated end to Russia's invasion. French Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu said his trip to Kyiv was important to identify the priorities of the Ukrainian defence ministry. France's support will include a 200 million euro (US$212 million) fund that would allow Ukraine to purchase weapons, Lecornu said. Lecornu travelled to Ukraine's capital after a trip to Poland, where he announced a deal Tuesday to sell Poland two French-made military satellites. While France has been less vocal about its military support for Ukraine than the United States and Britain, the country has sent a steady supply of weapons to Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. France hosted two aid conferences for Ukraine this month. But many in Ukraine remain critical of Paris' response to the war

US 'containing' others, world should be multi-polar: Russian leader

The world should be multi-polar, but the US attempts to restrain the development of other countries to maintain its hegemony, said Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the Russian State Duma

Russia unleashes missile attacks but Ukraine says most shot down

Russia on Monday unleashed what Ukrainian authorities called the latest massive missile attack across their country, striking homes and buildings, killing civilians, and disrupting electrical power and water supplies in areas notably in the Black Sea port city of Odesa. Ukraine's air force claimed it shot down more than 60 of the 70 missiles fired. Hours earlier, explosions rocked two air bases deep inside Russia, and the Defense Ministry in Moscow said it had shot down two Ukrainian drones attacking the sites, and that three Russian servicemen were killed by falling debris and four others were wounded. The attacks at the bases in the Saratov region on the Volga River and the Dyagilevo base in the Ryazan region in western Russia raised the threat of a dangerous escalation in the war. Kyiv had not commented on the explosions at the Russian bases. Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, drove a car across a bridge linking his country to the Crimean Peninsula following its repai

India's existing deep discounts on Russian crude oil will stay: Officials

A record 24.8 percent of India's crude oil imports came from Russia in the April-September period

What's the effect of Russian oil price cap, ban for western govts?

Western governments are aiming to cap the price of Russia's oil exports in an attempt to limit the fossil fuel earnings that support Moscow's budget, its military and the invasion of Ukraine. The cap is supposed to take effect Monday, the same day the European Union will impose a boycott on most Russian oil its crude that is shipped by sea. The EU was moving closer to a USD 60-per-barrel threshold, but negotiations were still underway on Friday. The twin measures could have an uncertain effect on the price of oil as worries over lost supply through the boycott compete with fears about lower demand from a slowing global economy. Here is what to know about the price cap, the EU embargo and what they could mean for consumers and the global economy: WHAT IS THE PRICE CAP AND HOW WOULD IT WORK? US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has proposed the cap with other Group of 7 allies as a way to limit Russia's earnings while keeping Russian oil flowing to the global economy. The aim: hurt

Russian shelling cuts off power again in liberated Ukrainian city

Russian shelling cut off power in much of the recently liberated Ukrainian city of Kherson on Thursday, just days after it was restored amid Moscow's ongoing drive to destroy key civilian infrastructure as freezing weather sets in. In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned the capital's millions of residents that they should stock up on water and preserved food to see them through a winter that could prove miserable if more energy infrastructure is damaged. He also urged people to consider leaving the city to stay with friends or family elsewhere, if possible. Trying months lie ahead. The enemy still possesses substantial resources, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said. He added, however, that "signs are accumulating that (Russia) needs a pause at all costs. Ukraine has faced a blistering onslaught of Russian artillery fire and drone attacks since early October. The shelling has been especially intense in Kherson since Russian forces withdrew and Ukraine's army reclaimed t

India asked by sanctions-hit Russia for parts for key sectors: Report

Moscow has sent India a list of more than 500 products for potential delivery including parts for cars, aircraft, and trains

Russia bears responsibility, says Nato as missile strike kills 2 in Poland

The incident roiled financial markets early in the day amid fears that geopolitical tensions may flare up further

EAM S Jaishankar arrives in Moscow for two-day visit, to meet Sergey Lavrov

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Moscow on Monday as a part of his two-day visit to Russia

Moscow may get new client as Russian cargo sits off UAE coast for 3 days

An oil tanker hauling a cargo of Russian crude has been sitting off the coast of the United Arab Emirates for three days, raising the prospect that the gulf state might become customer for Moscow

Russia blinks, says will resume participation in Ukraine grain deal

Moscow calls vote on unfounded Ukraine bio weapons claims

Aeroflot to launch flight services to Goa from Moscow, starting Nov 2

Russian flag carrier Aeroflot on Monday said it is set to launch its flight services to Goa from Moscow, starting November 2. The airline currently operates its air services on the Moscow-Delhi-Moscow route twice-a-week with an Airbus A330 aircraft. Aeroflot will fly its Airbus A330 aircraft every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from Moscow to Goa, offering 268 seats in the business class and 28 in the economy, the statement said. Besides, the new services will also offer a weekly cargo capacity of 30 tons from India for Russia and the CIS countries, it added. "Goa is a popular tourist destination among Russians. We are starting our three-times-a-week flights on the Moscow-Goa-Moscow route. It marks the expansion of our Indian services in response to customer demand," said Korolev Oleg K, head of cargo at Aeroflot. Goa-Moscow route is another high-demand route between India and Russia. These flights will boost the recovering tourist market in both countries, said Delmos Aviation, w

Why India may have to rework Russian oil purchase if a price cap is imposed

India will have to follow a delicate balancing act if the West imposes a pricing limit on supplies from Moscow

US, allies say no biological weapons in Ukraine; Russia disagrees

The US and its Western allies on Thursday dismissed Russia's claims that banned biological weapons activities are taking place in Ukraine with American support, calling the allegation disinformation and fabrications. Russia's UN ambassador said Moscow will pursue a UN investigation of its allegations that both countries are violating the convention prohibiting the use of biological weapons. The dispute came in the third UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine-related issues that Russia has called since Tuesday. This one focused on a 310-page document that Russia circulated to council members this week alleging there is military biological activity in Ukraine with support of the US Defence Department. The document includes an official complaint to the council, allowed under Article VI of the 1972 biological weapons convention, and a draft resolution that would authorize the Security Council to set up a commission to address Russia's claims. Russia's allegation of secret American ...

Russia's chaotic draft leaves some reservists out in cold, without gear

The mobilised reservists that Russian President Vladimir Putin visited last week at a firing range southeast of Moscow looked picture-perfect. Kremlin video of the young men headed for the war in Ukraine showed them in mint-condition uniforms, equipped with all the gear needed for combat: helmets, bulletproof vests and sleeping bags. When Putin asked if they had any problems, they shook their heads. That stands in stark contrast with the complaints circulating widely on Russian news outlets and social media of equipment shortages, poor living conditions and scant training for the new recruits. Since Putin announced the mobilisation on September 21, independent media, human rights activists and those called up have painted a bleak picture of a haphazard, chaotic and ethnically biased effort to round up as many men as possible and push them quickly to the front lines, regardless of skill, training and equipment. Videos on Russian social networks showed conscripted men complaining of

Moscow bans more EU figures from entering nation for anti-Russian actions

The Russian Foreign Ministry barred more persons of the European Union member states from entering Russia in response to their "anti-Russian" actions

Vladimir Putin scrambles to boost weapons production for Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin, facing bureaucratic delays and mounting losses, urged his government Tuesday to cut through bureaucracy to crank out enough weapons and supplies to feed the war in Ukraine, where a Western-armed Ukrainian counteroffensive has set back Russia's forces. In other developments, Ukrainian authorities asked citizens not to return home and further tax the country's battered energy infrastructure, and Western countries mulled how to rebuild Ukraine when the war ends. The Russian military's shortfalls in the eight-month war have been so pronounced that Putin had to create a structure to try to address them. On Tuesday, he chaired a new committee designed to accelerate the production and delivery of weapons and supplies for Russian troops, stressing the need to gain higher tempo in all areas. Russian news reports have acknowledged that many of those called up under a mobilisation of 300,000 reservists Putin ordered haven't been provided with basic equipment .