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Russian defense minister arrives in Dushanbe to meet with CIS counterparts

The CIS defense ministers will meet on October 12

DUSHANBE, October 11. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has arrived in Dushanbe to take part in a meeting of the Council of the CIS defense ministers scheduled for Thursday.

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"Participants in the meeting will exchange views on the situation on the CIS south borders and its effect on security in the Central Asia region," Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told reporters on Wednesday.

In his words, military delegations from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will consider and discuss more than 20 issues of defense interaction sphere.

"Series of bilateral meetings are expected to be held in the format of the Council. Topical aspects of interaction in the military, defense and technical spheres are to be discussed, while the CIS defense ministries are to approve cooperation plans for 2018," Konashenkov said.

In addition, the sides plan to sum up results and coordinate joint steps for the next year, including those devoted to celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II, the Russian Defense Ministry official said.

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Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

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

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Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

At the same time, the top Russian diplomat pointed out that "there is information that not only French mercenaries, but also instructors, maybe even together, but along with some other representatives of military and special services of European countries are working there [in Ukraine]"

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

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

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

"The Hungarian community’s opportunities to use its native language in the fields of education, culture, media and self-governance have been significantly limited," Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto specified

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

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

Russian forces improved their frontline positions and repelled a Ukrainian army counterattack in the Donetsk area where the enemy lost roughly 590 troops over the past day, the ministry reported

West frightens voters by 'Russian threat' to win elections — Lavrov

The top Russian diplomat pointed out that the anti-Russian rhetoric of Western politicians in power intensifies as the elections approach

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

Bentley came to Donbass from the United States in 2014

Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

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Iran says drones downed over Isfahan launched from country's territory

"A failed attack with a few quadcopters that were shot down cannot be considered a real attack anywhere in the world," a spokesman for Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace said

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

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UK imposes sanctions against leading Iranian military figures — Foreign Office

Restrictions have been imposed on Sayyed Javad Musavi, commercial director of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), which is responsible for the Iranian ballistics program

Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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MFA says Kiev legalizes capture of country by making agreements with Warsaw

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

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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

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

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

The law enforcement employees exert efforts to identify the instigators of this crime, Igor Krasnov said

Final statement by G7 top diplomats to call for supplying more air defenses to Kiev

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister said Kiev required US-made Patriot systems and Italian-French Samp-T theatre antimissile systems

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Russian forces destroy Ukrainian army’s aircraft park near Nikolayev — defense ministry

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Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

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Bank of Russia supports accelerating bill on international cryptocurrency payments

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Ukraine turns from sovereign country into Western protectorate, Hungarian PM 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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Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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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

West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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

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Sergey Ryabkov said the US seeks to maintain military superiority in a great variety of areas

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

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

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One crew member of jet crashed in Stavropol Region killed, search for another continues

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

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

Ararat Mirzoyan also said that Yerevan is currently making efforts to expand cooperation with the European Union and the United States

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 ready for Ukraine talks, but not with Zelensky — Lavrov

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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

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

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

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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

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

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

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

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

Victor Gumenny said the advanced systems may solve the tasks of air-space defence and may fight hypersonic weapons

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

According to Katalin Novak, Hungary’s call for the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia to be respected should be viewed as a common European demand

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

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

The Russian Foreign Minister noted that "Ukrainian negotiators came and said that, for example, on the issue of maneuvers with the participation of third countries, let's replace the wording 'if all guarantor countries agree' with 'unless the majority agrees'"

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

No plans to ‘get involved in combat role’ in Ukraine, White House official says

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Crimea, Donbass to forever remain within Russia, Slovak PM tells national parliament

Robert Fico believes Moscow will win in its confrontation with Kiev

Musk says he will not vote for Biden in presidential election

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Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

The tragedy occurred near the village of Priyutnoye located on the border of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Zaporozhye Region

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

Russia views the West’s encroachment on its assets as "a blatant and shameless theft for the purpose of lining its pockets," Maria Zakharova noted

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

The Russian foreign minister also described Armenia and Russia as more than formal allies

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

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

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

Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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

Earlier, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the European Union intends to invest the first 2.5-3 billion euros of profits raised from seized Russian assets in military assistance for Ukraine