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Russian electoral system ready for March 4 at 100% - CEC

All the 15 members of the Central Elections Commission will be staying in Moscow on the day of the ballot

MOSCOW, March 2 (Itar-Tass) —— The Russian electoral system is fully prepared for the presidential election of March 4, Central Elections Commission Secretary Nikolai Konkin told reporters on Friday.

“The Central Elections Commission and the entire electoral system are practically 100% ready for the election,” he said.

There will be test transmissions from web cameras at polling stations, “and district election commissions will make the last checks of polling station equipment and evaluate the general readiness for the March 4 ballot,” Konkin said.

The Central Elections Commission may hold its meeting on Saturday if necessary, he said. All the 15 members of the Central Elections Commission will be staying in Moscow on the day of the ballot. “No regional trips are planned,” he 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

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

He also revealed that some weapon batches contained anti-armor systems whose service life had expired

Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

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

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

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

Bentley came to Donbass from the United States in 2014

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

Vladimir Saldo called on other Ukrainian servicemen to switch to the Russian side and request the corresponding assistance

Russian military closely monitors all Ukrainian 'novelties' — Kremlin on UAVs

Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine had developed a UAV with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers

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

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

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

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Water level of Ishim River in Russia’s Tyumen Region surpasses dangerous mark

It has reached 911 centimeters

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

Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

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Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post, two S-300 missile launchers over day

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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

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

The Security Service of Ukraine announced earlier that in a joint operation with law enforcement agencies in Ukraine and Poland it thwarted an attempt to assassinate Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

US agrees to withdraw troops from Niger — Washington Post

The decision was sealed in a meeting between US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Niger’s prime minister, Ali Lamine Zeine

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

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

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French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

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Chinese analyst sees US veto on Palestine as reflection of arrogance, double standards

Wang Wen stated that it’s still very hard to achieve a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Ukrainian drones continue to fly over Zaporozhye NPP — press service

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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

Ukraine’s new ethnic minorities law insufficient to protect Magyars — Hungarian president

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

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

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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.

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

Global economy’s condition improving — Russian Deputy PM

The process is largely driven by increasing contribution of developing countries, Alexey Overchuk said

KazMunayGas, Sibur, Sinopec sign protocol on plant construction in Kazakhstan

Construction of the plant in the Atyrau region is planned to be completed by 2029

Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian prosecutor general

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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According to Faustin-Archange Touadera, since becoming the president, his actions have been guided by the need "to modernize the army and take into account new challenges"

Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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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

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

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

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Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

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Blast rocks military base south of Baghdad — Reuters

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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

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

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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

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

Participation in ‘Columbine’ movement may result in life sentence — Prosecutor General

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

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

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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

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Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

Evacuation campaigns are regularly organized by the Kiev government, under the pretext of security issues

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

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Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

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

Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

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

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

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

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

Russia’s top diplomat noted that Josep Borrell may made the statement in a moment of weakness

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

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

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

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

Viktor Orban believes the first phase of the conflict, which included proposals on sending troops to Ukraine, is over

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

The geography of work in the culture sphere was wider before but "all the horizontal ties are kept," Olga Lyubimova noted

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

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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

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

It is reported that several drones had been intercepted by the national air defense forces over Isfahan

Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov, a celebrated Russian film director, declared the festival open, praising the bravery of foreign cultural figures who are visiting Russia at this time

Grossi ignores ‘elephant in the room’ in Zaporozhye nuke plant situation — Russian envoy

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Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

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Russian stock indices rising on Friday

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Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

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

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BRICS’ expansion makes it much stronger — senior Russian diplomat

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

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