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Atlas rescue vessel joins search for missing oil rig crewmen

The Kamchatka dry cargo ship Yuri Tarapunov is already approaching the wreck area to join the search on Monday morning

VLADIVOSTOK, December 19 (Itar-Tass) —— The Atlas rescue vessel from the Sakhalin maritime rescue department joined the search for missing crewmen from the Kolskaya oilrig, which sank in the Sea of Okhotsk. The vessel arrived in the oilrig wreck area and works together with Magadan icebreaker, the Georgy Froyer tanker and the Smith Sakhalin supply vessel. The Kamchatka dry cargo ship Yuri Tarapunov is already approaching the wreck area to join the search on Monday morning.

A helicopter Mi-8, an airplane An-24 of the Far Eastern air rescue centre and two helicopters Mi-8 of the Sakhalin-based Aviashelf Company will go on air reconnaissance in the sea area, where the Kolskaya oilrig sank.

Only 14 crewmen were saved from 67 people onboard the Kolskaya oilrig. Four of them were hospitalized with strong overcooling symptoms on Sunday evening to the intensive therapy ward at the Nogliki central district hospital, where they were airlifted by a helicopter of the Aviashelf Company. The doctors said that their life is out of danger.

Three saved crewmen are staying onboard the Magadan icebreaker, seven people on the Neftegaz-55 tugboat, which had to leave the search area over some malfunction on Sunday. The tugboat heads for the port of Korsakov and can arrive at the port in two days.

Meanwhile, the winds subsided a little bit in the search area on Monday. According to the Sakhalin weather forecasters, the winds reach 12.16 meters per second in the centre of the Sea of Okhotsk, the waves are from two to three metres high. The weather will worsen again overnight to Tuesday, the weather forecaster said.

Bombs with power of 13 kilos of trotyle found in Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria

An active accomplice of bandits was detained in the search operation and gave confessing testimony

Number of flooded residential buildings in Russia drops to 16,200

According to the official, flood waters receded from 1,117 homes and households in the Urals region of Orenburg in the past day, which is the highest number recorded in the flooded regions

French president says creating Israeli-type air defense network for Ukraine impossible

Emmanuel Macron added that Europe’s resources are limited, and the European Union will continue helping Kiev keeping in mind its own reserves

Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

Russia urges the International Monetary Fund to resume the effort of improving the global monetary and financial system, Anton Siluanov noted

G7 leaders to decide on Russian assets use — Italian Deputy PM

Recommendations on opportunities of using frozen Russian assets in interests of Ukraine will be presented before the G7 summit in June 2024

Sites for practicing ways to counter drones to be set up at all Russian testing grounds

Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has visited a testing ground in the Moscow Military District where new models of small arms developed with the participation of snipers who carried out missions in the special military operation zone were presented

French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova described France’s decision to place its aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, directly under NATO control as a symbolic move marking the end of "the era of an independent Paris in the international arena"

West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

According to the top Russian diplomat, the leaders who rule countries where they claim to be from while holding foreign passports "will not enjoy support and authority for long"

Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

All the presented drones and payload were created from domestic composite materials and elements

North Korean leader arrives at public event in Aurus luxury car gifted by Putin

On April 10, the vehicle was also spotted when the North Korean leader visited Kim Jong Il Military and Political Academy

Senior Chinese official to take part in conference on security in Russia — diplomat

The conference will take place from April 23 to 25 in St. Petersburg

US House passes procedural vote on Ukraine aid bill

It cannot be ruled out that the House of Representatives may pass this package as early as Saturday

Russian government increases customs duties on beer from unfriendly countries

This measure is not a prohibitive one and will make it possible to make competitive conditions equal for Russian producers, the ministry said

Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

The IMF states that the restrictions led to the need to rebuild the economy

Israeli troops continue raids in West Bank — TV

According to Al Jazeera, Israeli security forces have killed at least five people over the past 24 hours

Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

Kiev lacks both troops and equipment near Chasov Yar in DPR, says retired general

Military commanders of Ukrainian army brigades "lack both personnel and the required amount of equipment" while Russian troops enjoy a considerable superiority, especially in artillery, Sergey Krivonos noted

CIA chief says Ukraine could lose by end of this year — Politico

William Burns said "there is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could at least put Putin in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement"

No foreign state attacks Iran — TV

Earlier, the media reported, citing a US official, that Israel had launched a missile strike on a site in Iranian territory

Polish premier refuses to hand over his country’s Patriot systems to Ukraine

Donald Tusk said that German Chancellor’s call to send more air defense systems to Kiev had no relation to Poland, provided the country's geographical position near the frontline

Iran has no plans to immediately retaliate to attack on its soil — agency

"We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," a senior Iranian official reported

Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

The minister also inspected the training process in Omsk Armor Engineering Institute

Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

Funding will be provided from the federal, regional and local budgets, as well as taxes from gambling transferred to the organizer

West close to sending military to Ukraine, this would 'drag Europe to bottom' — Orban

"This military whirlpool can drag Europe to the bottom. Brussels is playing with fire and angering God," the Hungarian prime minister said

Court arrests another man accused of blowing up car of former SBU officer in Moscow

Ivan Paskar is charged with illegally transporting explosive substances, but he does not recognize his guilt

Explosions reported in several Ukrainian regions

Blasts were also reported in the city of Dnepr and the Kiev-controlled city of Zaporozhye

Major Western investor accuses Zelensky's office of extorting millions of euros

Arnulf Damerau said that he provided details of the meeting, along with evidence and a list of names of those involved, to US and European intelligence agencies

Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

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According to the Russian Defense Ministry, an Aerospace Forces’ Tu-22M3 bomber crashed after completing a combat mission while returning to the airfield

US-led coalition’s aircraft violate Syrian airspace 13 times in past day

Two shelling attacks on the positions of Syrian government army by the Jabhat al-Nusra groups were reported in the Idlib de-escalation zone

Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed the mobilization law passed by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) in the second and final reading on April 11

Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

Infrastructure is required to implement the investment project, both power transmission lines and the railroad, Andrey Chibis noted

Nearly half of those present in UN Security Council hall walk out before Israel’s address

israeli Permanent Representative Gilad Erdan was to address the council after Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour

Russian LNG exports to China rise by 2% in first quarter of 2024 — Chinese customs

Russia was the fourth largest LNG supplier to China after Australia (6.3 mln tons)

BRICS’ expansion makes it much stronger — senior Russian diplomat

Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia, became full-fledged members of BRICS from January 1, 2024

Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

The group contains US finance and justice ministers, representatives of Australia, the UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Japan, as well as the European Commission

No plans for pauses in fighting if talks on Ukraine begin, Lavrov says

The Russian foreign minister emphasized that the situation on the ground had changed significantly

Air defenses repel Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Smolensk Region — governor

Vasily Anokhin urged local residents to remain calm and refrain from filming air defenses in operation.

US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

"In any case, whatever the modality of providing this aid, de facto it is about provoking Ukraine into further hostilities down to the last Ukrainian, putting guarantted money in the pockets of the US," Dmitry Peskov said

North Korea conducts new anti-aircraft missile test — KCNA

A power test of a super-large warhead designed for "Hwasal-1 Ra-3" strategic cruise missile was held as well

Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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Ukraine’s military loses positions near Avdeyevka, says DPR

Igor Kimakovsky said that Ukrainian forces suffered heavy casualties among personnel and military hardware, including Western equipment

BRICS looking at creating common digital payment platform

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that BRICS nations have already established a special channel for information exchange between their central banks

West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

"They would have been scared had anyone come down on them with similar ferocity," the Russian foreign minister added

Ukrainian shelling kills pregnant woman in Russia’s Belgorod Region — governor

Vyacheslav Gladkov added that the attack had shattered the windows of several houses and damaged their facades and roofs

Russia delivers 34 strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure over week — top brass

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According to the news agency, one PMF fighter was killed and six were wounded

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Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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North Korean agriculture committee’s delegation sets off on visit to Russia

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Lavrov says Borrell let it slip that Europe ‘fighting against Russia’

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Russian military base may appear in CAR’s eastern region — President Touadera

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Dmitry Polyansky noted that the IAEA chief is being very cautious about the issue of attacks on the nuclear facility

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Security guarantees on Ukraine did not apply to Crimea, Donbass — Lavrov

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UN secretary general urges Azerbaijan, Armenia to normalize relations

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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NATO discussing transfer of ‘deep precision strike capabilities’ to Ukraine — Stoltenberg

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Three Ukrainian soldiers swim across Dnieper to surrender to Russian troops — governor

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Kremlin declines to comment on alleged assassination attempt on Zelensky in Poland

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Hungarians in western Ukraine should get their rights back, Budapest says

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Russian Cabinet expands list of perfumery, cosmetic products subjected to import duty

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China’s Russian oil imports rise by 13% in first quarter of 2024 — customs

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Two people killed in borderline Belgorod Region in Ukrainian drone attack — governor

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Armenia’s relations with Russia not at their highest — top diplomat

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Moscow demands international organizations condemn killing of Russian war correspondent

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also expressed condolences to Eremin’s family and friends

Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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US volunteer Russel Bentley missing in Donetsk killed — RT editor-in-chief

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Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

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World’s anti-doping agency WADA still waits for Russia’s 2023 financial contribution

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Ukrainian POW exposes poor battlefield performance of NATO-supplied Javelins, NLAWs

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Russian investigators start inquiry into financing of terrorism by US, NATO officials

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US gives nod to Israeli operation in Rafah in exchange for canceling major attack on Iran

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Press review: Biden backs aid to Israel, Ukraine and Russia assets giving West legal fits

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 19th

Russian stock indices rising on Friday

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US agrees to withdraw troops from Niger — Washington Post

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Iran may target Israeli nuclear center in Dimona in case of Israel’s attack — TV

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Russia won’t allow NATO to move closer in Ukraine — Lavrov

There is still no full clarity regarding the future of Ukraine's western regions, the Russian foreign minister went on to say

Drones downed over Isfahan cause no damage, says Iranian foreign minister

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Israeli aviation strikes towns in Gaza Strip

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American Abrams tanks vulnerable even to Soviet-era weapons, says expert

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