Page 96 - Russia

Gunmen who raided hall tried to escape to Ukraine, says Putin; Kyiv denies

The suburban Moscow music hall where gunmen opened fire on concertgoers was a blackened, smoldering ruin Saturday as the death toll in the attack surpassed 130 and Russian authorities arrested four suspects. President Vladimir Putin claimed they were captured while fleeing to Ukraine. Kyiv strongly denied any involvement in Friday's assault on the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, and the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate claimed responsibility. Putin did not mention IS in his speech to the nation, and Kyiv accused him and other Russian politicians of falsely linking Ukraine to the assault to stoke fervor for Russia's war in Ukraine, which recently entered its third year. US intelligence officials confirmed the claim by the IS affiliate. "ISIS bears sole responsibility for this attack. There was no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement. The US shared information with Russia in early March ab

Russia points finger at Ukraine as death toll in Moscow terror attack rises

They planned to cross the border into Ukraine where they 'had contacts,' the service known as the FSB said in a statement without giving more detail, the Interfax news service reported

Russian Soyuz rocket with 3 astronauts blasts off to Intl Space Station

A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying three astronauts to the International Space Station blasted off Saturday, two days after its launch was aborted at the last minute. The spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Russian Oleg Novitsky and Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus launched smoothly from the Russian-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan. The launch had been planned for Thursday but was halted by an automatic safety system about 20 seconds before the scheduled liftoff. The head of the Russian space agency, Yuri Borisov, said the launch abort was triggered by a voltage drop in a power source. The space capsule atop the rocket separated and went into orbit eight minutes after the launch and began a two-day, 34-orbit trip to the space station. If the launch had gone as scheduled on Thursday, the journey would have been much shorter, requiring only two orbits. Docking is now expected at 1510 GMT Monday. The three astronauts were to join the station's crew consisting of NA

Death toll in Moscow attack reaches 133; Isis claims responsibility

Several assailants burst into a large concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing at least 40 people, injuring more than 100 and setting fire to the venue in a brazen attack just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on power in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on affiliated channels on social media, which couldn't be independently verified. It wasn't immediately clear what happened to the attackers after the raid, which Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described as a huge tragedy" and state authorities were investigating as terrorism. The attack, which left the concert hall in flames with a collapsing roof, was the deadliest in Russia in years and came as the country's war in Ukraine dragged into a third year. The Kremlin said that Putin was informed about the raid minutes after the assailants burst into the Crocus City Hall, a large music venue

Moscow concert hall terrorist attack: Death toll rises to 115; 11 detained

Russian officials say 93 people have been killed by assailants who burst into a concert hall in western Moscow and sprayed the crowd with gunfire. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on affiliated channels on social media. The attack was the deadliest in Russia in years and left the concert hall in flames and with a collapsing roof. The head of Russia's Federal Security Service told Putin Saturday that four people directly involved in the attack were among 11 people detained, Russian state news agency Tass said. Eleven people have been detained after gunmen stormed a concert hall in Moscow and opened fire on the crowd, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service told President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

Russia's oil-exporting machine finally getting snarled by sanctions

State-run Sovcomflot transported about a fifth of all Russia's crude deliveries to India last year

Prez Putin rejected terror alert before deadliest attack in decades

The US Embassy in Moscow had issued a public warning on March 7 that "extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts

Russia terror attack: Key details of the Moscow concert hall massacre

A tragic shooting in the outskirts of Russian capital resulted in the deaths of over 60 people and injuries to around 150, the Islamic State group ISIS-K, has claimed responsibility for the attack

Deadliest terror attack in decade shakes Russia after Putin's vote triumph

Some Russian state-media commentators suggested Kyiv may be to blame, but Ukraine denied any role, calling it a false-flag operation by the Kremlin

Russian agency investigating assault on concert hall as terrorist attack

Russia's top investigative agency is investigating the shootings, explosions and fire at a Moscow concert hall as a terrorist attack. The Investigative Committee said it has opened a criminal probe into the charges, though it didn't say who might be behind the attack. Several gunmen burst into a big concert hall on the edge of Moscow on Friday and sprayed visitors with automatic gunfire, killing and injuring an unspecified number of people and starting a massive blaze. The attack happened just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on the country in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide.

Gunmen with automatic weapons fire at crowds at Moscow concert hall

Several gunmen in combat fatigues burst into a big concert hall in Moscow on Friday and fired automatic weapons at the crowd, injuring an unspecified number of people, Russian media said. Russian news reports said that the assailants also used explosives, causing a massive blaze at the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow. Video posted on social media showed huge plumes of black smoke rising over the building. Russia's state RIA Novosti news agency reported that at least three people in combat fatigues fired weapons. The state Tass news agency also reported the shooting. Extended rounds of gunfire could be heard on multiple videos posted by Russian media and Telegram channels. One showed two men with rifles moving through the mall. Another one showed a man inside the auditorium, saying the assailants set it on fire, with incessant gunshots ringing out in the background. Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said he was heading to the area and set up a task .

Indian refiners refuse to take Russian oil delivered on Sovcomflot tankers

Private and state-run processors including the biggest - Indian Oil Corp. - have stopped taking cargoes if they're on Sovcomflot tankers

EU Commission proposes to impose tariffs on grain imports from Russia

The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, is proposing to member countries to impose tariffs on grain imports from Russia and Belarus, commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday. Speaking at the end of the opening day of a summit of EU leaders in Brussels, Von der Leyen said the move would prevent Russia from destabilizing the EU market with its imports of cereals, oilseeds and derived products. It will stop Russia from using the revenues from the export of these goods to the European Union, and it will ensure that illegal Russian exports of stolen Ukrainian grain do not enter the EU market, she said. Von der Leyen did not give any details about the value of the proposed tariffs. Russia was one of the main trade partners of the European Union before it invaded Ukraine. In support to Ukraine in the war against Russia, the EU has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia. The measures have targeted the energy sector, banks, the world's bigges

EU leaders debating fresh ways to get more arms to help war-torn Ukraine

European Union leaders on Thursday debated fresh ways to help boost arms and ammunition production for Ukraine amid a new sense of urgency about the future of the war-torn country. Ukraine's munition stocks are desperately low, while Russia has more and better-armed troops. There is also a growing awareness that the EU must provide for its own security, with election campaigning in the US raising questions about Washington's commitment to its allies. At the same time, political rhetoric is at fever pitch as the campaign for Europe-wide elections on June 6-9 gathers pace, with security a major issue. As they talk up the need to fund the defense industry, both at home and in Ukraine, many leaders are also trying to convince citizens that budgets could be tightened elsewhere. Ahead of the summit in Brussels, EU Council President Charles Michel said the Europeans face a pivotal moment." He said that with Europe "facing the biggest security threat since the Second World War, it is high .

'Govt trying to bring back Kerala men stranded in Ukraine-Russia conflict'

Three young men from Kerala are stranded in war-torn Ukraine after being lured with promise of a lucrative job in the Russian army and then being allegedly forced to fight in the ongoing conflict there, with Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan saying all efforts are being made to bring them back. According to the families of the three men, they were taken to Russia by a recruitment agency with the promise of a huge salary of Rs 2.5 lakh and on reaching there, their passports and mobile phones were taken away. Thereafter, they were made to fight for the Russian forces in Ukraine, they alleged. The mothers of the men told a TV channel that they came to know what had happened when one of their sons got injured in the war there and managed to call back home. "We just want our sons to be brought back home safe as soon as possible," they said. Reacting to the reports about the three men being stranded in Ukraine, Muraleedharan said the Indian government had been aware

PM Modi has open invitation to visit Russia: Kremlin spokesperson Peskov

"While discussing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, PM reiterated India's consistent position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch," it added

Russia fires 31 missiles at Kyiv in first attack in 44 days, 13 people hurt

Russia fired 31 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv before dawn on Thursday in the first attack on the Ukrainian capital in 44 days, officials said. Air defenses shot down all the incoming missiles, though 13 people including a child were injured by falling wreckage, they said. Residents of Kyiv were woken up by loud explosions around 5 am as the missiles arrived at roughly the same time from different directions, said Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Administration. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles against the capital. An 11-year-old girl and a 38-year-old man were hospitalised, the city administration said. Eight other people sustained light injuries, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Ukraine's Emergency Service said around 80 people were evacuated from their homes. Falling wreckage from the intercepted missiles set fire to at least one apartment building, burned parked cars and left craters in streets and a small par

We support efforts for peaceful conflict resolution: PM Modi to Zelenskyy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and asserted that India supports all efforts for an early and peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. While discussing the ongoing conflict with him in a telephonic conversation, Modi reiterated India's people-centric approach and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward, a stand he conveyed to Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day as well. "Had a good conversation with President @ZelenskyyUa on strengthening the India-Ukraine partnership. Conveyed India's consistent support for all efforts for peace and bringing an early end to the ongoing conflict. India will continue to provide humanitarian assistance guided by our people-centric approach," Modi said on X. He spoke to Putin on Wednesday and also congratulated him on his re-election. Zelenskyy appreciated India's continued humanitarian assistance for the people of Ukraine, a statement said, as the two .

Paris Olympics: IOC excludes Russian and Belarusian from opening ceremony

Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be allowed to take part in the traditional parade at the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics, the IOC said on Tuesday. The opening ceremony on July 26 will see thousands of athletes travel on boats down the River Seine for several kilometres toward the Eiffel Tower, instead of the normal parade of teams inside a stadium. The IOC said athletes from Russia and Belarus who are approved to compete at the Olympics as neutrals will have a chance only to experience the event likely watching from near the river. The IOC has laid out a vetting procedure for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be granted neutral status, with requirements including that they must not have publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine, or be affiliated with military or state security agencies. The IOC said it expects about 36 neutral athletes with Russian passports and 22 with Belarus passports to qualify for the Paris Games. A decision on whether those athletes will b

February crude oil imports from Russia edged up from January trade

The world's third biggest oil importer and consumer, India has been gorging on Russian oil since the West imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion on Ukraine in February 2022