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Ukrainian depositors switch to foreign currency from last November

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Ukrainian corporate stocks in continued plunge

MOSCOW, February 19. /ITAR-TASS/. Last November Ukrainians started switching their deposits to foreign currency, President of VTB24 Mikhail Zadornov told journalists on Wednesday.

Before November, he added, Ukrainian people actively saved their earnings in hryvnias, as the rate was 20-22% per annum, but in November changed their choice in favor of dollars and euros.

According to Zadornov, the trend was observed not only in the Ukrainian subsidiary but the system as a whole. In late 2013 mortgaging almost ceased, car lending was very weak as well, he added.

Instability of the Ukrainian banking sector is a long observed trend and sees no changes at the moment. “Ukraine's hryvnia devaluation is two years late,” Zadornov believes.

As reported earlier, clashes of protesters and the police on Independence Square in Kiev led to a collapse of the hryvnia and Ukrainian corporate stocks. On Wednesday, the dollar went 2.02% up to 9.08 hryvnias in the interbank market.

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Maria Zakharova pointed out that Russia reaffirms its "strict commitment" to the international legal obligations under space law

Ukraine’s EU accession to require 20% increase in union’s budget — European Commissioner

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US spends millions of dollars on studying UFOs, 'covers up' information — congressman

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Russia to submit its own resolution on nuclear weapons in outer space to UNSC

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Modern weapons make up 82% in Russian air defense troops — Shoigu

"The Kiev regime has failed to achieve the goals of its counteroffensive prepared by NATO instructors," the defense minister said

Lukashenko says US rues giving rise to Russia-China alliance

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US shifted conflict in Europe onto EU, NATO shoulders to weaken Russia, says Lukashenko

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US military aid for Kiev cannot stop Russian army’s advance — North Korean diplomat

The US Congress House of Representatives earlier passed bills on military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

Attempts are made to turn Moldova into ‘second Ukraine’, Lavrov warns

The Russian foreign minister also said that Chisinau's behavior resembles role-playing

Ukraine’s draft dodger makes attempt to cross Dniester into Moldova on air mattress

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Kremlin vows to resolve situation with Turkish Airlines refusing service to Russians

Russia has "very constructive and friendly relations" with Turkey, Dmitry Peskov stressed

Four women killed in Zaporozhye Region in Ukrainian drone attack

The local emergencies services stressed that the car was targeted deliberately

EU may sanction 10 firms for allegedly shipping weapons tech to Russia — Bloomberg

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ATACMS shipment proves ‘Zelensky’s formula’ needed in US as ‘smoke and mirrors’ — diplomat

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Iran denies reports it pulled some military advisers from Syria — Al Mayadeen

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Ukrainian army strikes own surrendering soldiers — POW

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Ukraine turns into testing ground for future world order, says Belarus president

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The Russian war correspondent died of wounds suffered from a strike by a Ukrainian FPV drone on April 19

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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko emphasized the importance of creating a new architecture of Eurasian security as one of the elements of a multipolar world

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Yury Chikhanchin pointed out that the perpetrators of the attack were provided with money, weapons, transportation and ammunition

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The tactics employed by these criminals are becoming increasingly complex and barbaric, the Russian leader pointed out

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Top US diplomat Blinken arrives in Shanghai

A State Department spokesperson told a special briefing previewing Blinken’s trip earlier that the Secretary of State would visit Shanghai and Beijing to "build on our intensive diplomacy [with China] over the past year"

Russian deputy defense minister detained on suspicion of bribe-taking

"Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Vladimirovich Ivanov was detained on suspicion of committing a crime under part 6, article 290 of the Russian Criminal Code," the Russian Investigative Committee said

West balancing on edge of direct military confrontation between nuclear powers — Lavrov

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Anti-Russian measures prove world cannot exist in unipolar diktat, envoy says

According to Anatoly Antonov, "the further it goes, the more America corners itself into a zugzwang"

Russia’s new Supreme Court chief justice doesn’t plan drastic changes

Irina Podnosova said courts have been receiving an increasing number of complaints, attributing it to the rising trust that people have to the judicial system

Post-Soviet security bloc holds arms control consultations in Moscow

The participants in the consultations "stressed the importance of stepping up efforts to prevent further erosion of the relevant international legal framework"

Russians not let to Turkish Airlines flights to Mexico due to US pressure on it — diplomat

Sergey Ryabkov noted that such problems exist for Russians using Turkish Airlines flights to other Latin American countries

Musk concurs that civil war looming in West

The US businessman commented on remarks by Gad Saad, a Canadian professor of Lebanese origin, who insisted that "the path that the West is taking will result in civil war"

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Mikhail Bogdanov noted that "the African continent is a dynamically developing part of the world with an enormous growth potential, attractive domestic market and expanding export prospects"

Moscow slams NATO drills near Russian borders as inflammatory

"It is obvious that the upcoming combat training on the territory of Finland is part of a hybrid war against our country," Maria Zakharova said

Russian troops wipe out Ukrainian UAV production workshop over past day

The Russian forces improved their frontline positions and inflicted casualties on five Ukrainian army brigades in the Donetsk area over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

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Ukrainian forces refuse to obey Commander-in-Chief Syrsky — CIA ex-analyst

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Alexander Pankin noted that during his visit to New York he did not have any talks with UN officials on the Russian-UN memorandum

Stockmann company to buy Russian business of Hugo Boss — Industry Ministry

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German defense minister says Russia making more arms than it needs for its op in Ukraine

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Top Russian security official meets with counterparts at international security meeting

Nikolay Patrushev met with the heads of delegations from BRICS states

Continued threats to Pyongyang to put US, allies in danger, Kim Jong Un’s sister warns

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Central African Republic expects Russia to supply weapons, munitions — defense minister

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Ukraine says Western systems ineffective against Russia's electronic warfare

Maria Berlinskaya emphasized that the real effectiveness was determined in real combat conditions, and not at "some training ground in Texas"

US has no idea what to do about Zelensky — Seymour Hersh

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Bolivarian Alliance countries stand for multipolar world — Maduro

"ALBA can be among the founders of a new world, a new international multipolar order," Venezuelan President stressed

Radioactive cloud from Ukraine’s eliminated munitions drifts to Europe — Security Council

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Russia’s top brass reports destroying US-made Hawk air defense system in Ukraine operation

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted casualties on personnel and equipment of two Ukrainian army brigades and improved its tactical position over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Putin proclaims Odessa Russian city, challenges Ukraine's historical narrative

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Russia to retaliate immediately if Kiev gets ATACMS missiles — diplomat

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Russia tasked with 'building new world' — Putin

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Russian children’s commissioner holds first face-to-face talks with Ukrainian counterparts

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Russia presents world’s first hydrogen-fueled luxury car at Innoprom exhibition

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IAEA chief to have working contacts with Rosatom, no meeting with Putin is planned

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Dust from Sahara turns rain in Ukraine yellow

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Putin stays in daily contact with Sergey Shoigu, Kremlin spokesman says

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Gagauzia against Chisinau’s policy of severing ties with Russia

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US waging hybrid war against Serbs to snuff them out for good — Republika Srpska head

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Transfer of US ATACMS missiles to Ukraine cannot be justified — Russian ambassador

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