Page 95 - Russia

Two tankers with Russia's Urals oil idle for weeks off West Coast of India

It remains unclear why they have been idling but there are growing signs that western sanctions are disrupting the fleet of tankers moving Russian oil

Highlights of the day: India, Cabo Verde hold Foreign Office consultations

Latest news updates: Catch all the news updates from around the world here

North Korea supplied 7,000 containers of munitions to Russia, says Seoul

North Korea has shipped around 7,000 containers filled with munitions and other military equipment to Russia since last year to help support its war in Ukraine, South Korea's defense minister said Monday. Shin Won-sik shared the assessment at a news conference hours after the South Korean and Japanese militaries said the North fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern waters, adding to a streak of weapons displays amid growing tensions with rivals. Since the start of 2022, North Korea has used Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a distraction to ramp up its weapons tests and has also aligned with Moscow over the conflict, as leader Kim Jong Un tries to break out of diplomatic isolation and join a united front against the United States. U.S. and South Korean officials have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with artillery shells, missiles and other equipment in recent months to help fuel its war on Ukraine, saying that such arms transfers accelerated after a rar

Putin mentions Navalny, says he supported prisoner swap for his opponent

Russian President Vladimir Putin said early Monday that he supported an idea to release late opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prisoner exchange just days before the man who was his biggest foe died. In his first comments to address Navalny's death, Putin said of the dissident's demise: "It happens. There is nothing you can do about it. It's life." The remarks were unusual in that he repeatedly referenced Navalny by his name for the first time in years and that they came at a late-night news conference as results poured in from a presidential election that is certain to extend his rule. Early returns showed him leading with over 87 per cent of the votes in a race with no competition, after years of ruthlessly suppressing the opposition and crippling independent media. Navalny's allies last month also said that talks with Russian and Western officials about a prisoner swap involving Navalny were underway. The politician's longtime associate Maria Pevchikh said the talks were in

'Noon against Putin': Russians rally to fulfil Navalny's last wish

Navalny's allies broadcast videos on YouTube of lines of people queuing up at different polling stations across Russia at midday who they said were there to peacefully protest

Ukraine launches far-ranging drone attacks on last day of Russia's election

Ukraine launched a new massive wave of drone attacks Sunday as Russians cast ballots on the final day of a presidential vote set to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule for another six years. The Russian Defence Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four in the Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no casualties or damage. According to the Defence Ministry, another two drones were shot over the Kaluga region just south of the Russian capital and the Yaroslavl region northeast of Moscow. The attacks on the Yaroslavl region, which is located about 800 kilometres (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border, were some of the farthest launched by Ukraine so far. More Ukrainian drones were downed over the Belgorod, Kursk and Rostov regions that border Ukraine and the southern Krasnodar region, the Defence Ministry said. The attacks followed a series of other Ukrainian drone raids and other attacks over the past few days that Putin describe

Putin poised to rule Russia following election with no other real choices

Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to extend nearly a quarter century of rule for six more years on Sunday after wrapping up an election that gave voters no real alternatives to an autocrat who has ruthlessly cracked down on dissent. The three-day election that began Friday has taken place in a tightly controlled environment where no public criticism of Putin or his war in Ukraine is allowed. Putin's fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison last month, and other critics are either in jail or in exile. The 71-year-old Russian leader faces three token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties who have refrained from any criticism of his 24-year rule or his full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. Putin has boasted of Russian battlefield successes in the run-up to the vote, but a massive Ukrainian drone attack across Russia early Sunday sent a reminder of challenges faced by Moscow. The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones ...

Russians vote on Day 2 of an election preordained to extend Putin's rule

Voters across Russia cast ballots Saturday on the second day of an election set to formalise six more years of power for President Vladimir Putin, who faces no serious challengers after crushing political dissent over his nearly 25 years of rule. The election comes against the backdrop of a ruthless crackdown that has stifled independent media and prominent rights groups. Putin's fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison in February, and other critics are either in jail or in exile. The 71-year-old Putin faces three token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties, who have refrained from any criticism of him or his invasion of Ukraine. Putin has cast his war in Ukraine, now in its third year, as an existential battle against the US and other Western powers bent on destroying Russia. Russia's wartime economy has proven to be resilient, expanding despite bruising Western sanctions. The Russian defence industry has served as a key growth engine, working around the clo

Russian missile hits civilians in Odesa, 20 dead in deadliest attack yet

In a televised address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes as a "despicable act of cowardice," vowing a resolute response against the perpetrators

Kim Jong Un enjoys limousine gifted by Putin as two countries move closer

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used a Russian luxury limousine gifted by President Vladimir Putin recently, Kim's sister said on Saturday, praising the car's special function and the two countries' deepening bilateral ties. In February, Putin sent Kim a high-end Aurus Senat limousine, which he had shown to the North Korean leader when they met for a summit in Russia in September. Observers said the shipment violated a United Nations resolution aimed at pressuring the North to give up its nuclear weapons program by banning the supply of luxury items to North Korea. In a statement carried on Saturday by state media, Kim's sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, said that her brother used that limousine for the first time during an open event the previous day. The special function of the private car is perfect and can be thoroughly trusted, Kim Yo Jong said. Kim Jong Un's using of the private car sent by the president of the Russian Federation as a gift is a clear proof of (North ..

Setting up nuclear power unit in space is priority for Russia: Prez Putin

Russia has good competencies and, moreover, even has such reserves that we can be proud of, which we can count on in the future, Putin said

Russia to vote to extend Putin's rule. His foes are in jail, exile or dead

Voters headed to the polls in Russia on Friday for a three-day presidential election that is all but certain to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule by six more years after he stifled dissent. The election takes place against the backdrop of a ruthless crackdown that has crippled independent media and prominent rights groups and given Putin full control of the political system. It also comes as Moscow's war in Ukraine enters its third year. Russia has the advantage on the battlefield, where it is making small, if slow, gains. Ukraine, meanwhile, has made Moscow look vulnerable behind the front line: Long-range drone attacks have struck deep inside Russia, while high-tech drones have put its Black Sea fleet on the defensive. Voters will be casting their ballots Friday through Sunday at polling stations across the vast country's 11 time zones, as well as in illegally annexed regions of Ukraine. But the election holds little suspense since Putin, 71, is running for his fifth term ...

Why is Kerala holding polls for the Russian Presidential Elections

Russians in Kerala cast votes for Russian Presidential elections at designated booths as Presidential elections in Russia are underway. Watch the video to know more.

Russian passports become universal in Ukraine's occupied territories

He and his parents were among the last in their village to take a Russian passport, but the pressure was becoming unbearable. By his third beating at the hands of the Russian soldiers occupying Ukraine's Kherson region, Vyacheslav Ryabkov caved. The soldiers broke two of his ribs, but his face was not bruised for his unsmiling passport photo, taken in September 2023. It wasn't enough. In December, they caught the welder on his way home from work. Then one slammed his rifle butt down on Ryabkov's face, smashing the bridge of his nose. Why don't you fight for us? You already have a Russian passport, they demanded. The beating continued as the 42-year-old fell unconscious. Let's finish this off, one soldier said. A friend ran for Ryabok's mother. Russia has successfully imposed its passports on nearly the entire population of occupied Ukraine by making it impossible to survive without them, coercing hundreds of thousands of people into citizenship ahead of elections Vladimir Putin h

Plane carrying UK minister gets its GPS jammed as it flew near Russia

A plane carrying British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps had its satellite signal jammed as it flew near Russian territory, the government said on Thursday. The government said the Royal Air Force jet carrying Shapps, officials and journalists temporarily experienced GPS jamming when they flew close to Kaliningrad on a flight from Poland to the UK. The Times of London, whose reporter was onboard, said that for about 30 minutes mobile phones couldn't connect to the internet and the aircraft was forced to use alternative methods to determine its location. Shapps visited Poland on Wednesday to see UK troops participating in a large NATO exercise, Steadfast Defender. Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave bordered by Poland and Lithuania, home to the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman, Dave Pares, said the jamming didn't threaten the safety of the aircraft at any point. He said it was not unusual for aircraft to experience electronic jamming near ...

Despite shrinking discounts, Russian crude flow to India may continue

Russia's share of Indian crude imports rose to 32 percent in February after recent dips

Russia goes to presidential polls with war economy lifting living standards

Wages have soared by double digits, the ruble has stabilized, and poverty and unemployment are at record lows

'Seven more Nepalese citizens serving Russian Army killed, toll touches 19'

Seven more Nepalese citizens serving the Russian Army in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war have died in the last week, taking the total number of deaths to 19, the foreign ministry said on Thursday. Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs latest update on the toll came two days after Deputy Prime Minister Kaji Shrestha asked Russia to share a list of Nepalese citizens serving the Russian Army in the ongoing Russian--Ukraine war but stressed that complications remained in bringing them back from the war zone. He also met the Russian Ambassador to Nepal Aleksei Novikov on Tuesday over the matter when the latter called on him. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the deaths of seven more Nepali nationals who were fighting from the Russian side in the Russia-Ukraine war. "With the deaths of 7 more Nepalese citizens with the Russian Army, the total number of such cases have touched 19," said the statement. The ministry said that the deaths of Nepali ...

Houthis may have hypersonic missile, raising stakes in Red Sea crisis

Yemen's Houthi rebels claim to have a new, hypersonic missile in their arsenal, Russia's state media reported on Thursday, potentially raising the stakes in their ongoing attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways against the backdrop of Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The report by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency cited an unnamed official but provided no evidence for the claim. It comes as Moscow maintains an aggressively counter-Western foreign policy amid its grinding war on Ukraine. However, the Houthis have for weeks hinted about surprises they plan for the battles at sea to counter the United States and its allies, which have so far been able to down any missile or bomb-carrying drone that comes near their warships in Mideast waters. The Houthis' main benefactor, Iran, claims to have a hypersonic missile and has widely armed the rebels with the missiles they now use. Adding a hypersonic missile to their arsenal could pose a more-formidable ...

Drama in Russia's poll all about what Putin will do with another term

As Vladimir Putin heads for another six-year term as Russia's president, there's little electoral drama in the race. What he does after he crosses the finish line is what's drawing attention and, for many observers, provoking anxiety. The voting that concludes on Sunday is all but certain to allow Putin to remain in office until 2030, giving him a full three decades of leading Russia as either president or prime minister. The heft of that long tenure and the thorough suppression of effective domestic opposition voices gives Putin a very strong and perhaps unrestrained hand. That position is bolstered by the Russian economy's surprising resilience despite wide-ranging Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine. It's also strengthened by Moscow's incremental but consistent battlefield advances in recent months, flagging support for military aid to Kyiv from the United States and other quarters, and growing skepticism in some Western countries over more progressive social .