Page 137 - Russia

Russian hypersonic scientist accused of 'betraying secrets to China'

"He is convinced of the fact that the information was not secret, and of his own innocence," one of the people said

Pressure from West is strengthening ties with China, says Russian PM

Pressure from the West is strengthening Russia's ties with China, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing Wednesday. Mishustin's visit comes as Russia is increasingly turning to China for diplomatic and economic support amid growing isolation over its invasion of Ukraine. In opening remarks at his meeting Wednesday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Mishustin did not mention the 15-month-old war that China, in deference to Moscow, has refused to criticise, focusing instead on economic cooperation between the neighbours that have partnered in challenging the U.S. lead in global affairs. Relations between the two countries are at an unprecedented high level, influenced by the increased turbulence in the international arena and the pattern of sensational pressure from the collective West, Mishustin said. China says it is a neutral party between Russia and Ukraine and wants to help broker an end to the conflict. But it has blamed t

Russia claims victory over 'Ukrainian nationalists' who broke into Belgorod

"A Ukrainian nationalist formation" that broke into Russia's Belgorod region has been defeated, the Russian Defence Ministry said

Russia extends arrest of US journalist Evan Gershkovich by 3 months

A Russian court on Tuesday extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months in a closed-door hearing emblematic of the secrecy that has marked the case against the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges. Gershkovich, a 31-year-old American citizen, was ordered held until Aug. 30. He had been arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges. Tuesday's pre-trial hearing wasn't announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy. Russian authorities haven't detailed what if any evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges. Various legal proceedings have been closed to the media. No details immediately emerged about whether Gershkovich attended Tuesday's hearing or what was said. Tass said the session was closed because the reporter was accused of possession of secret materials.

Russia pushes India for help to avert its global financial isolation

Many countries in the so-called Global South including India have stayed mostly neutral over Russia's aggression against Ukraine. That balancing act was on display at a Group of Seven summit in Japan

Zelenskyy seeks support from leaders of G7 countries on Ukraine conflict

All the allies and partners have achieved a level of cooperation which ensures that democracy, international law, and freedom are respected, Zelenskyy said adding that "Democracy needs more"

Crippling heatwaves deepen Asia's reliance on Russian coal, natural gas

Russian exports to Asia of thermal coal and natural gas, the two fuels most often used for electricity generation, have grown markedly this year, figures from data intelligence firm Kpler show

G7 urges China to press Russia to end Ukraine war, respect Taiwan's status

The Group of Seven wealthy democracies united in urging China to pressure its strategic partner Russia to end its war on Ukraine and resolve territorial disputes peacefully, and China lashed back. In a joint statement, the G7 leaders emphasized they did not want to harm China and were seeking "constructive and stable relations" with Beijing, "recognizing the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China". "We call on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression, and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine," said the statement Saturday. "We encourage China to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on territorial integrity and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter", including in direct talks with Ukraine. Cooperation with China is needed given its global role and economic size, the group said, in appealing for working together on challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, .

Russia warns of 'enormous risks' if West supplies F-16 jets to Ukraine

Western countries are sticking to an escalation which carries "enormous risks" for them if they supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said

Engineering exports to Russia jumps 11 times to $133.6 mn in April: EEPC

Exports of engineering goods to Russia jumped 11 times in April this year to USD 133.6 million as compared to year-ago month while the US and China markets continued to soften, the engineering export promotion council said on Saturday. Engineering exports to the CIS country were USD 11.7 million in April 2022. The value of engineering exports to the US was USD 1.4 billion in April 2023, down 24.9 per cent compared to USD 1.86 billion in the year-ago month. Shipments to China too continued with the declining trend and fell 15.5 per cent to USD 183.3 million in April 2023 as compared to USD 216.9 million in the same month last year. However, exports to Oman more than doubled during the month to USD 153.9 million over the corresponding month of April 2022. Out of 25 top destinations for Indian engineering goods, as many as 15 saw positive year-on-year growth during the month under review while 10 countries witnessed a regrowth. The top 25 countries, including the US, Germany, the UK

Share of Russia's grain exports settled in rubles to reach 30%: Official

Russia is also negotiating with importing countries on the creation of grain hubs in them, and on the creation of joint ventures in Russia for grain processing

China to use Russian port as hub for inter-provincial transfer of goods

China will make use of the Russian port Vladivostok near the border as a transit hub for domestic shipments of goods from its northeast Jilin Province to the eastern parts of the country to bring down the transport costs. China has approved Vladivostok in Russia as a cross-border transit port for domestic trade shipments, the move aimed at implementing the national strategic plan to revitalise Northeast China's industrial base and facilitate the cross-border transport of domestic trade goods with the use of overseas ports, official media quoted Chinese customs announcement. The agreement which will take effect in June, provides China a shorter and cheaper route to transport goods from its northeastern region to its eastern economic powerhouse, of Zhejiang province, the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post reported. The agreement will make the Russian port, in essence, a domestic Chinese port for Jilin, from where the goods will be shipped by rail or truck to the port with no ...

Flight between Russia, Georgia resumes despite protests, strained ties

Direct flights resumed on Friday between Russia and Georgia amid protests and sharp criticism from the South Caucasus nation's president, just over a week after the Kremlin unexpectedly lifted a four-year-old ban despite rocky relations. Georgian police on Friday afternoon dispersed protesters who had gathered at Tbilisi airport to meet an Azimuth Airlines flight from Moscow, the first to arrive from Russia since July 2019, with signs and slogans criticizing the Kremlin and what they described as the current Georgian government's pro-Russia course. Georgia's pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili, who has previously clashed with the government over mending ties with Moscow, also voiced her opposition in a tweet posted on Friday. Despite the opposition of the Georgian people, Russia has landed its unwelcome flight in Tbilisi. No to flights to Russia!, Zourabichvili said. Russian President Vladimir Putin last Wednesday unexpectedly abolished visas for Georgian nationals and lift

Russian PM to visit China amid criticism of Western arms sales to Ukraine

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will visit Beijing next week for talks, China's Foreign Ministry said Friday, marking the latest exchange in a relationship in which Russia is becoming increasingly reliant on China for economic and diplomatic support. During the visit, the two sides will have an in-depth exchange of views on practical cooperation in bilateral relations and issues of common concern, ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily briefing. We look forward to further strengthening cooperation between the two sides, deepening people-to-people and local exchanges (and) injecting strong momentum into the recovery of the world economy, Wang added. Mishustin's visit is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Meanwhile, China's Deputy Permanent U.N. Representative Geng Shuang again criticised Western arms sales to Ukraine, saying it would only lead to escalation, more civilian casualties and displacement, and make it harder to obtain a ceasefire and start peace ...

UK announces ban on Russian diamonds in fresh sanctions ahead of G7

In a fresh round of sanctions, the UK has announced a ban on Russian diamonds, alongside the military-industrial complex and metals amid the ongoing Ukraine war

Former Russian unit resumes LNG supplies to GAIL, 6 US firms offer stake

A former unit of Russian energy giant Gazprom has resumed supplying LNG to Indian state gas utility GAIL a year after it halted supplies due to the Ukraine war, GAIL chairman Sandeep Kumar Gupta said Thursday. The resumption of supplies, which came to a halt in June last year, has shored up gas availability in the country. Separately, six US companies have offered GAIL a stake in their liquefied natural gas export facility. Sefe Marketing and Trading Singapore Pte Ltd (SMTS), erstwhile Gazprom Marketing and Trading Singapore Pte Ltd supplied two liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes each in March and April and has committed 4 shiploads each in May and June, Gupta said. "Hopefully, similar volumes will renominated for future months also," he said. Sefe will decide on volumes on a month-to-month basis. GAIL had in 2012 signed a 20-year deal with Gazprom Marketing and Singapore (GMTS) to buy 2.85 million tonnes per annum of LNG. Supplies started in 2018 and the full volume was to reac

Ukraine says it shot down 29 of 30 Russia cruise missiles fired today

Russia fired 30 cruise missiles against different parts of Ukraine early Thursday in the latest nighttime test of Ukrainian air defences, which shot down 29 of them, officials said. One person died and two were wounded by a Russian missile that got through and struck an industrial building in the southern region of Odesa, according to Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the region's military administration. Loud explosions were heard in Kyiv as the Kremlin's forces targeted the capital for the ninth time this month in a clear escalation after weeks of lull and ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive using newly supplied advanced Western weapons. Debris fell on two Kyiv districts, starting a fire at a garage complex. There was no immediate word about any victims, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv Military Administration, said in a Telegram post. Ukraine also shot down two Russian exploding drones and two reconnaissance drones, according to authorities. The bombardment .

China asks embassies to avoid 'propaganda' in pro-Ukrainian displays

Foreign embassies in Beijing were asked by the Chinese government to avoid displaying what it calls propaganda in an apparent response to shows of support for Ukraine. Chinese leader Xi Jinping's government says it is neutral in Moscow's 15-month-old invasion of Ukraine but has repeated Russian justifications, accusing Washington and the US-European military alliance NATO of provoking Moscow. A Chinese envoy visited Ukraine this week and was due to go to Russia to discuss a possible political settlement, but little progress is expected. The Chinese Foreign Ministry asked diplomatic missions last week not to use their exterior walls to display political propaganda, according to a European Union spokesperson and a diplomat from a European government. The May 8 request cites a need to avoid causing disputes between countries, but doesn't define propaganda or give other details, EU spokesperson Nabila Massrali wrote in a statement. Massrali said the EU Delegation in Beijing has not ..

NATO's 'reckless' expansion harms talks on European security: Russian FM

"The situation in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe is "deplorable" and "continues to worsen due to the unwillingness of NATO members to moderate their ambitions," he added

Russia confirms 2-month extension of Black Sea grain deal with Istanbul

"Our fundamental assessment of the 2022 Istanbul agreement has not changed and the discrepancies in its implementation must be corrected as quickly as possible"