Page 133 - Russia

Russia accuses Wagner Group chief Prigozhin of mounting an armed uprising

President Vladimir Putin was getting round-the-clock updates from security officials on their efforts to counter "the attempt at an armed mutiny" by Yevgeny Prigozhin

Carlsen's SG Alpine Warriors beat Balan Alaskan Knights in Global Chess

World number one Magnus Carlsen's team SG Alpine Warriors emerged 9-7 victorious over Balan Alaskan Knights on the second day of the Global Chess League here on Friday. Norwegian Carlsen played his first game against Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi, a two-time challenger for the world crown. The match saw the two strongest players of the event making their first appearance in the Global Chess League. Carlsen is the reigning world champion in rapid and blitz while Nepomniachtchi is the two-time world champion candidate. The game was largely calm, ending in a draw relatively quickly, which was not the case for the rest of the matches. Balan Alaskan Knights gained a significant advantage as Teimour Radjabov won with black, earning them four crucial points. Fortunately for the SG Alpine Warriors, they made a comeback with two victories, securing six points. After draws on two other boards, SG Alpine Warriors were leading 8-6. Everything was hanging on the last game between Indian chess ho

Zelenskyy tells other countries to act before Russia attacks nuclear plant

Ukraine wants other countries to heed its warning that Russia may be planning to attack an occupied nuclear power plant to cause a radiation disaster, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Members of his government briefed international representatives on Thursday on the possible threat to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said he expected other nations to give appropriate signals and exert pressure on Moscow. Our principle is simple: The world must know what the occupier is preparing. Everyone who knows must act, Zelenskyy said. The world has enough power to prevent any radiation incidents, let alone a radiation catastrophe. The potential for a life-threatening release of radiation has been a concern since Russian troops invaded Ukraine last year and seized the plant, which is Europe's largest nuclear power station. The head of the UN's atomic energy agency spent months unsuccessfully trying to negotiate for a safety perimeter to protect the .

Infighting among Putin's lieutenants reveals signs of 'deep dysfunction'

The video was shocking not just for what it showed but also for what was said. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the outspoken millionaire head of the private military contractor Wagner, stood in front of the bloodied bodies of his slain troops in Ukraine and yelled expletive-riddled insults at Russian military leaders, blaming them for the carnage. They came here as volunteers and they died to let you lounge in your red wood offices, Prigozhin shouted. You are sitting in your expensive clubs, your children are enjoying good living and filming videos on YouTube. Those who don't give us ammunition will be eaten alive in hell! It was a disquieting display for Russians used to more than two decades of rigidly controlled rule by President Vladimir Putin years with little sign of infighting among his top lieutenants. Prigozhin's video in May and his other rants against the military leadership have been met with silence from Putin, as well as the brass. Some see Putin's failure to squelch the infig

Russian oil import scales new high of 1.95 mn barrels per day in May

India, the world's third biggest oil consumer and importer, buys more than 80% of its oil from overseas markets

India's position on Russia understood in entire world: PM ahead of US visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India stands on the side of peace in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported

Russia sought to kill high-ranking intelligence official in Florida

A failed plot to assassinate a C.I.A. spy in 2020 in part led to expulsions of the agency's chief in Moscow and his Russian counterpart in Washington

UN complains Russia won't let aid workers into area of Ukraine dam collapse

The Kremlin's spokesman said on Monday that UN aid workers who want to visit areas ravaged by the recent Kakhova dam collapse in southern Ukraine can't go there because fighting in the war makes it unsafe. The United Nations rebuked Moscow on Sunday for allegedly denying aid workers access to Russia-occupied areas where residents are stranded amid devastating destruction. The UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, said in a statement that her staff were engaging with both Kyiv and Moscow, which control different parts of the area, in a bid to reach civilians in need. They face a shortage of drinking water and food and a lack of power. Brown urged Russian authorities to act in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law and let them in. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov didn't explicitly admit that Russia had blocked UN access, but told a conference call with reporters that Ukrainian attacks made a visit too risky. There has been constant ..

ONGC chief expects Russian oil to make up 30% of India's imports: Interfax

Russia has been redirecting its energy supplies from Western countries which have imposed restrictions and sanctions on trade with Moscow

African leaders visit Russia to discuss peace plan, after Ukraine trip

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday is set to host a group of African leaders who travelled to Russia on a self-styled peace mission after their trip to Ukraine. Seven African leaders presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypt's prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end their nearly 16-month-old war. The African leaders travelled to St. Petersburg on Saturday to meet with Putin who attended a business forum in Russia's second-largest city. The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives such as one by China and carried particular importance for Africa that relies on food and fertiliser deliveries from Russia and Ukraine. The war has impeded exports from one of the world's most important breadbaskets. This conflict is affecting Africa negatively, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news confer

Russia maintains economic stability despite challenges: Vladimir Putin

Russia's GDP could achieve a growth rate of about 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent this year, which will enable the country to retain its place among the world's leading economies, he said

NATO moves to protect undersea pipelines amid Russian sabotage threat

NATO launched a new center Friday for protecting undersea pipelines and cables following the still-unsolved apparent attack on the Nord Stream pipelines and amid concern Russia is mapping vital Western infrastructure for energy and the internet in waters around Europe. The threat is developing, Lt. Gen. Hans-Werner Wiermann, who heads a special cell focused on the challenge, said after NATO defense ministers gave the greenlight for the new center, located in Northwood, northwest London. Russian ships have actively mapped our critical undersea infrastructure. There are heightened concerns that Russia may target undersea cables and other critical infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Western life, he told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels. NATO was spurred into action after an apparent attack on two Baltic Sea gas pipelines in September. The suspected attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany, are stil

Putin touts Russian economy, says Ukraine's president is 'shame to Jews'

President Vladimir Putin on Friday touted Russia's prospects at the country's main international economic forum despite heavy international sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine. Western officials and investors steered clear of this year's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that for decades has been Russia's premier event for attracting foreign capital and is sometimes likened to the Davos World Economic Forum. The Kremlin earlier also banned journalists from countries that Russia regards as unfriendly from covering the proceedings that began Wednesday and continue through Saturday. Moscow has imposed that designation on scores of countries including the United States, Canada, European Union members and Australia in connection with sanctions imposed over the fighting in Ukraine. Nonetheless, Putin said at the forum's plenary session, "We haven't turned onto the self-isolation path. Quite the opposite we have widened contacts with reliable and responsible partner

NATO to protect undersea pipelines, cables amid Russian sabotage threat

NATO launched a new centre Friday for protecting undersea pipelines and cables following the still-unsolved apparent attack on the Nord Stream pipelines and amid concern Russia is mapping vital Western infrastructure for energy and the internet in waters around Europe. The threat is developing, Lt. Gen. Hans-Werner Wiermann, who heads a special cell focused on the challenge, said after NATO defence ministers gave the greenlight for the new centre, located in Northwood, northwest London. Russian ships have actively mapped our critical undersea infrastructure.There are heightened concerns that Russia may target undersea cables and other critical infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Western life, he told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels. NATO was spurred into action after an apparent attack on two Baltic Sea gas pipelines in September. The suspected attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany, are still

India, China bought 80% of Russia's heavily discounted oil in May: IEA

India and China, the world's top oil users, continued to lap up heavily discounted Russian crude oil, buying as much as 80 per cent of the oil that Moscow exported in May, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report. "Heavily discounted Russian crude oil has found new buyers primarily in Asia. India has increased purchases from almost nothing to close to 2 million barrels per day, while China has raised liftings by 500,000 barrels per day to 2.2 million barrels per day," the Paris-based energy agency said in its latest Oil Market Report. Russia-origin seaborne crude exports averaged 3.87 million barrels per day in May, the highest since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. "In May 2023, India and China accounted for almost 80 per cent of Russian crude oil exports," IEA said. "In turn, Russia made up 45 per cent and 20 per cent of crude imports in India and China, respectively. With Russia's formerly main crude export markets in Europe banning import and G7 imposing .

Price caps on Russia's oil cutting revenue nearly in half, says US official

A top Treasury Department official said Thursday that the cap on the price of Russia's oil is severely curtailing its greatest source of revenue as it wages war in Ukraine. When the United States and other economic powers in the Group of Seven, along with the European Union and Australia, last year announced an ambitious plan to cap the price of Russian oil, U.S. officials said it would deliver a crippling blow to Russia's economy. In just six months, the price cap has contributed to a significant decline in Russian revenue at a key juncture in the war, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in remarks Thursday at the Center for a New American Security, pointing to a nearly 50% drop in Russian oil revenues compared with a year prior. The price cap was rolled out to equal parts skepticism and hopefulness that the policy would stave off Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. In addition to the price cap, the allied nations have hit Russia with thousands of ...

NATO sees no change in Russia's nuclear posture despite Belarus' claims

NATO sees no sign that Russia has changed its nuclear posture, the head of the military alliance said Thursday, after President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that Belarus has already received some tactical nuclear weapons from Moscow. In an interview on state television on Tuesday, Lukashenko brashly warned that he wouldn't hesitate to order their use if Belarus faced an act of aggression. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the weapons will be deployed to Belarus next month and will remain under Moscow's exclusive control. We are, of course, closely monitoring what Russia is doing. So far, we haven't seen any changes in the nuclear posture that requires any changes in our posture, Stoltenberg told reporters before chairing a meeting of NATO defence ministers at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels. NATO's secretive nuclear defence planning group is set to meet on Friday. The meeting has long been planned and is not a reaction to recent developments, but the alliance is ...

India-Russia aim for bilateral trade of $50 bn in 2023: Indian Embassy

TV BRICS covers the economic agenda of the five countries. The list of partners includes the media of all BRICS states, including India

Russian lawmakers weigh bill banning gender transitioning procedures

Russian lawmakers gave initial approval on Wednesday to a bill that would outlaw gender transitioning procedures in yet another blow to the country's beleaguered LGBTQ+ community. Senior lawmaker Pyotr Tolstoy, who is among the bill's sponsors, has said it is intended to protect Russia with its cultural and family values and traditions and to stop the infiltration of the Western anti-family ideology. Russia's LGBTQ+ community has been under growing pressure for a decade as President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church embarked on a campaign to preserve what they deem the country's traditional values. The bill bans any medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person, as well as changing one's gender in official documents and public records. Russian transgender people and LGBTQ+ rights advocates contacted by The Associated Press described the measure as a grim development. We knew that they didn't like us here, but to go absolutely against human rights, agains

Belarus starts taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons

Deployment is Moscow's first move of such warheads - shorter-range less powerful nuclear weapons that could potentially be used on the battlefield - outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union