Page 139 - Russia

21 dead from wildfire in Russia's Ural Mountains; death toll may rise

The death toll from wildfires in Russia's Ural Mountains rose to 21 on Tuesday, Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing local emergency service agencies. Wildfires have raged in the Kurgan region of the Urals and in Siberia all week. A resident of western Siberia's Tyumen province died while attempting to extinguish a fire. According to local authorities, most of the deaths occurred Sunday in the Kurgan province village of Yuldus, which is located on the border between the Ural Mountains and Siberia. The death toll may increase, regional emergency service officials said. A state of emergency was introduced in the province, where more than 5,000 buildings have burned down. Fires also have engulfed thousands of hectares (acres) in Sverdlovsk province, and in Siberia's Omsk and Tyumen provinces. During a Monday visit to Kurgan province, Russia's emergency situations minister of Emergency Situations said settlements were no longer at risk from the blazes, though local media ..

Putin address Red Square parade, says 'real war' unleashed on Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday told his country's Victory Day parade on Moscow's Red Square that a real war has been unleashed against Russia by the West's untamed ambitions, shortly after the Kremlin's forces rained cruise missiles on Ukrainian targets. Today civilisation is once again at a decisive turning point, Putin said at Moscow's annual commemorations celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. A real war has been unleashed against our Motherland. Since Russia invaded its neighbor more than 14 months ago, Putin has repeatedly framed the war in Ukraine as a proxy conflict with the West. The Kremlin's official narrative of the war has painted a picture of an existential conflict with the West, which in Moscow's view is merely using Ukraine as a tool to destroy Russia, re-write its history and crush its traditional values. That version of events has dominated Russian state media coverage of the war. In his speech, Putin insisted that the West's untamed

Russia enacts major security clampdown before WWII tributes; bans jet skis

Russia enacted a major security clampdown before Tuesday's annual commemorations marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, curbing the use of drones and ride-sharing services in its largest cities even jet skis on the canals of St. Petersburg amid its 14-month war with Ukraine. At least 21 Russian cities cancelled May 9 military parades the staple of Victory Day celebrations across Russia for the first time in years, Russian media said. Regional officials blamed unspecified security concerns or vaguely referred to the current situation for the restrictions and cancellations. It wasn't clear whether their decisions were taken in coordination with the Kremlin. Last week, Russia which hasn't witnessed the carnage endured by Ukraine during the invasion was rattled by ambiguous official reports that two Ukrainian drones flew into the heart of Moscow under the cover of darkness and reached the Kremlin before being shot down. Media and local officials have blamed other ...

Russia has again halted the Black sea grain deal, says Ukraine

Russia launches 'biggest' kamikaze drone attack

Expects Taliban to fulfil promise of inclusive government: Russian Minister

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said they expect "Taliban leaders" to fulfil their promises of forming an inclusive government

Freezing of Russian Cen bank assets a turning point for dollar's dominance

In the late 1970s, 85 per cent of world foreign exchange reserves was denominated in dollars

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India-Russia reaffirm commitment to strengthen cooperation on terrorism

The India-Russia bilateral consultations on UN-related issues were held on May 4 between Verma and Rusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Vershinin

Pakistan may pay for discounted Russian crude in Chinese currency: Report

Pakistan may use Chinese Yuan to pay for the 750,000 barrels of discounted Russian crude oil set to be imported in June, a media report said on Thursday, as the cash-strapped country struggles with high external debts. Pakistan placed its first order for discounted Russian crude oil last month, a decision expected to provide some relief to the people already hit by skyrocketing inflation. Pakistan will pay the price of crude most probably in China's currencyYuan and the Bank of China may play its role for transactions, a senior official of the Energy Ministry told The News International newspaper. However, the official refused to divulge the fine details about the mode of payment and the discount, stressing that it was not in the country's interest. Russia also does not want to disclose the details, fearing backlash from the other countries buying oil directly from Moscow, the official said. Russia will provide URAL crude in the test cargo, and most probably, Pakistan Refinery Limi

Russia's Wagner Group boss threatens Bakhmut pullout in Ukraine

The owner of Russia's Wagner Group military contractor threatened on Friday to pull his troops out of the protracted battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut next week, accusing Russia's military command of starving his forces of ammunition and causing them heavy losses. Yevgeny Prigozhin, a notorious millionaire with longtime links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed that Wagner had planned to capture Bakhmut by May 9. That day is a major Russian holiday marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. But, Prigozhin said, his force hasn't received enough artillery ammunition supplies from the Russian military since Monday. Known for his bluster, Prigozhin has previously made unverifiable claims and made threats he hasn't carried out. Hours before releasing the statement, Prigozhin's spokespeople published a video of him angrily demanding ammunition from Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov. In the video, Prigozhin s

Ukrainian delegate hits Russian at Black Sea summit in Turkey's Ankara

Ukrainian and Russian delegates have had to be separated after a scuffle during a meeting of Black Sea countries in the Turkish capital Ankara. Oleksandr Marikovski, a Ukrainian member of parliament, landed several blows to the head of a Russian official after his Ukrainian flag was ripped from his hands during a summit at the Turkish parliament building on Thursday. A video posted on Marikovski's Facebook page shows him waving the flag behind Russian delegate Ola Timofeeva as she records a video on her phone. A man approaches, grabs the flag and is chased by Marikovski. During a brief altercation in parliament's hallway, Marikovski grabs the flag back, pushing the man in the face. Others separate the men and plead please, no fighting. Marikovski replies: It's our flag. We're going to fight for this flag. In a caption to his Facebook video, Marikovski wrote: Paws off our flag, paws off Ukraine, Russian filth! The outburst happened at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea ...

Pakistan likely to pay for importing Russian crude in Chinese currency

The shipping cost of the Russian oil has also been estimated somewhere at $15 per barrel, but it will be finalised after it arrives at the Pakistan port

Ukraine's Zelenskyy wants Putin trial; Russia accuses US on drones

Ukraine and Russia pressed their wartime rhetoric Thursday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing confidence that Vladimir Putin would be convicted of war crimes, and the Kremlin alleging that the U.S. was behind what it called an assassination attempt against the Russian president. The countries' leaders have personally attacked each other multiple times during the war that Russia started by invading Ukraine in February 2022. The latest flare-up came Wednesday, with Russia's claim that Ukraine had attacked the Kremlin in Moscow with drones meant to assassinate Putin. Zelenskyy denied that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the purported drone attack. The Kremlin promised unspecified retaliation for what it termed a "terrorist" act, and pro-Kremlin figures called for the assassinations of senior Ukraine leaders. Uncertainty still surrounds exactly what happened in the purported attack. Putin's spokesman on Thursday accused the United States of involvement. To .

Zelenskyy wants Putin trial for war crimes, Russia accuses US on drones

Ukraine and Russia pressed their wartime rhetoric Thursday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing confidence that Vladimir Putin would be convicted of war crimes and the Kremlin alleging that the U.S. was behind an assassination attempt against the Russian president. The country's leaders have personally attacked each other multiple times during the war Russia started by invading Ukraine in February 2022. The latest flareup came Wednesday, with Russia's claim that Ukraine had attacked the Kremlin in Moscow with drones meant to assassinate Putin. Zelenskyy denied that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the purported drone attack. The Kremlin promised unspecified retaliation for what it termed a terrorist act, and pro-Kremlin figures called for the assassinations of senior Ukraine leaders. Uncertainty still surrounds exactly what happened in the purported attack. Putin's spokesman on Thursday accused the United States of involvement. To generate domestic support

Biden admin looks past India's rights record as China worries deepen

Rising concerns about China's growing assertiveness under Xi Jinping have helped drive the US and India even closer together

Jaishankar set to hold bilateral talks with Chinese, Russian on Thursday

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to hold separate bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang and Russia's Sergey Lavrov at a beach resort in Goa on Thursday on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) amid rapidly evolving regional security situation. In the talks with Qin, Jaishankar is once again expected to convey that India-China ties cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas, people familiar with the matter said. Qin, Lavrov, their Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and foreign ministers of other SCO countries are arriving in Goa on Thursday to attend a crucial conclave of the SCO that is taking place ahead of the annual summit of the grouping in the first week of July. India is the current chair of the grouping. The two-day SCO foreign ministerial meeting will begin with a gala reception at a luxury beach resort in Goa on Thursday while the main deliberations will take place on Friday. The ..

Downed drone that tried to attack Putin's residence, says Russia

The drones were disabled and crashed in the Kremlin without causing injuries or damage, the Kremlin said in a statement

Russian defense chief wants wartime missile output doubled against Ukraine

Russia's defence chief on Tuesday urged a state company to double its missile output, as a possible Ukrainian counteroffensive looms and both sides in the 14-month war reportedly experience an ammunition crunch. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, speaking at a meeting with top military brass, said the state-owned Tactical Missiles Corporation had been fulfilling its contracts in a timely manner. But, Shoigu added, "right now it is necessary to double the production of high-precision weapons in the shortest possible time." Analysts have been trying to figure out whether Russia is running low on high-precision ammunition, as its missile barrages against Ukraine have become less frequent and smaller in scale. The U.K. Defence Ministry noted in a Tuesday assessment that "logistics problems remain at the heart of Russia's struggling campaign in Ukraine." "Russia does not have enough munitions to achieve success on the offensive," it said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesda

Tinder owner Match Group swipes left on Russia, pledging exit by June 30

Many digital services providers with few staff in Russia, such as Spotify and Netflix, pulled out shortly after Moscow began its military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022

100,000 Russians killed in Ukraine war, 20,000 casualties since Dec: US

The White House said Monday it now estimates that just since December Russia has suffered 100,000 casualties, including 20,000 killed, as Ukraine has rebuffed a heavy-assault by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. In what has become a grinding war of attrition, the fiercest battles have been in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of dogged Ukrainian defense. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. estimate is based on newly declassified American intelligence. He did not detail how the intelligence community derived the number. Troops from Russia's Wagner mercenary group and other forces are fighting Ukrainian troops house-to-house to try to gain control of what has become known as the road of life the last remaining road west still in Ukrainian hands, which makes it critical for supplies and fresh troops. Both sides have cited gains in recent days. Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head o