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Medvedev thanks Twitter readers for communication

“That’s how it all started. June 2010. At the Twitter office. Today I have 1,000,000 readers,” the president wrote

MOSCOW, February 18 (Itar-Tass) —— President Dmitry Medvedev thanked everyone who has read his Twitter page.

“That’s how it all started. June 2010. At the Twitter office. Today I have 1,000,000 readers. Thank you for communication!” the president wrote and posted a photograph capturing his visit to the Twitter Incorporated office in San Francisco, California, on June 23, 2010. On that day he created his own Twitter account.

His first message in the blog read as follows: “Hi everybody! I am on Twitter and this is my first message.”

Since then Medvedev has been actively using the network for communication with people. The Russian head of state, who is also known for his affection for the Internet, has his own video channel on YouTube, and accounts on LiveJournal, Facebook and VKontakte.

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

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

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

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Iran threatens to attack Israel's "nuclear centers" in case of aggression on its part

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Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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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

About 30 events in 26 countries to be held as part of Russian Film Festival — minister

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Russian instructors help train over 10,000 Central African troops — CAR president

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

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Russia, Turkey discuss safety of Russian tourists abroad

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

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Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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Lavrov speaks of West’s agony, Russia’s approach to any future talks with Kiev

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Russia’s defense chief inspects production of tanks, flamethrowers at Siberian enterprise

Sergey Shoigu handed down an instruction for the defense enterprise to ramp up the production of T-80BVM tanks, the Defense Ministry said

Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

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Ukraine’s military loses positions near Avdeyevka, says DPR

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EU ministers to discuss use of Russian assets for Ukraine on April 22 — EU official

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Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

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

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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

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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

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

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BRICS’ expansion makes it much stronger — senior Russian diplomat

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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

Russia’s advanced radar in Kaliningrad to monitor entire territory of Europe — source

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Death toll in Gaza Strip since tensions escalated exceeds 34,000 — Health Ministry

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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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"

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

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

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Armenia has to define CSTO’s zone of responsibility on its territory, says Lavrov

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Hungary to not intervene in Ukrainian conflict on any side, PM says

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

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Russia's revenues from oil exports remain high despite price ceiling — IMF

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Founder of neo-Nazi cell in Crimea flees to Georgia — source

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

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

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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

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

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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"

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

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

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

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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

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"

Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

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

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

Stoltenberg said NATO believes Ukraine has the right to strike "legitimate military targets" inside Russia

No foreign state attacks Iran — TV

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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

Russia not to go for settlement on Ukraine based on 'Zelensky formula' — Lavrov

The top Russian diplomat referred to a swindling trick used by a thimblerigger who puts a small round object, such as a ball or pea, under one of three thimbles or cups and asks the player to guess under which the object is, while unfairly manipulating this object

Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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Israeli troops continue raids in West Bank — TV

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

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

The Foreign Minister pointed to the fact that Switzerland is on board with all Western sanctions

Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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

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Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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S-500 system to be supplied to Armed Forces after 2015

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