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Russia, Japan discussing visa waiver

Moscow and Tokyo also discussed humanitarian and educational contacts

TOKYO, March 21. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Japanese top diplomat Taro Kono have discussed the possibility of a visa waiver between the two countries.

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Russia tourist flows to Japan reach record high in 2017

"We have discussed humanitarian and educational contacts, as well as visa-free travels for Russian and Japanese citizens, including trips by the former residents of the [South Kuril] Islands who wish to visit the graves of their family members," Lavrov said on Wednesday at a press conference following talks with Taro Kono.

"Last year, visa restrictions were eased for such travelers in accordance with an agreements reached by our leaders," Lavrov noted. According to him, Japan has requested that the same practice continue in 2018. "We have promised to consider this request," Lavrov said.

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Sergey Lavrov Japan

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Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said it in an interview

US missile defense base in Poland long among Russian army’s targets — Foreign Ministry

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Russian embassy warns UK about dangers of calling for Moscow’s ‘defeat’

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Putin says Oreshnik missile system cutting-edge innovation by Russia, not Soviet byproduct

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Death toll from Israeli strike on Beirut climbs to 11, with 33 people injured

According to the television channel, the attack was aimed at eliminating Muhammad Haydar

Russian military to warn Ukrainian civilians of future Oreshnik attacks — Kremlin

Earlier, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a precision strike on Ukraine’s Yuzhmash defense industry facility in retaliation for the use of US-and UK-made weapons for strikes on Russia

Lukashenko tells Putin situation is "starting to get tense with Wagner"

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Zelensky shook up by Russia’s response to permission to attack it — Lavrov

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State Department says Russia, China maintain forward momentum in bilateral relationship

Moscow and Beijing 'have maintained forward momentum in their bilateral relationship', Kurt Campbell said

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US admiral says Washington should be ready for talks with Russia, China

The Department of State and other US agencies "should continue to engage our competitors in real and substantive dialogue," Rear Admiral Thomas Buchanan said

Russian strategic missile forces to be equipped with advanced weapon by 95%

"A large-scale investment program for expanding production capacities at defense sector organizations is being implemented", Vasily Tonkoshkurov said

Internet shutdown possible in Belarus if events of August 2020 recur, Lukashenko says

Belarus faced widespread disruptions to mobile Internet access in 2020 due to the protests that erupted across the country

Russia's Oreshnik missile poses significant threat to West, Turkish expert warns

These missiles pose a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the entire Western world, including continental Europe and Great Britain, Abdullah Agar stressed

Ukraine was warned about possible missile strike — Pentagon

Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh gave no answer to the question of how could Ukraine prepare for this kind of attack

Russia hammers Ukrainian military-industrial facilities, energy sites over week

Russian forces liberated seven communities in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past week, the Defense Ministry reported

Ukrainian frontline may 'collapse' under onslaught of Russian forces — BBC

According to the experts, Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s borderline Kursk Region turned out to be a "strategic catastrophe" amid "manpower shortages"

Putin’s remarks on hypersonic missiles send serious warning to West — Turkish politician

According to the Russian president, it can install a nuclear warhead on this missile, if necessary, Deputy Chairman of Turkey’s Patriotic Party Hakan Topkurulu said

Zelensky’s actions make Ukraine vulnerable to coup, says politician

"Democratic institutions in the country have been destroyed, rendering dialogue between the government and the people impossible," Viktor Medvedchuk said

Ukraine loses up to 160 troops in battlegroup East’s responsibility area — top brass

Units of the Russian battlegroup East continue fulfilling military tasks in the area of the special military operation

Putin stays open to contacts to reach 'peaceful track' — Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a televised address to the nation on November 21, announcing that in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia, Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile for the first time

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 21 that the United States and its NATO allies had earlier announced that they would authorize Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons to hit inside Russia, after which American and British missiles struck Russian military facilities in the Kursk and Bryansk regions

Russia fires ballistic, non-nuclear-tipped missile at Ukrainian aerospace plant — Putin

According to the president, the missile is code-named Oreshnik, which can roughly be translated as hazel bush

Oreshnik can reach targets across entire Europe — missile troops commander

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Robert Fico pointed out that "more and more evidence show that the West seeks to prolong the war in Ukraine for various reasons"

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Spokesman Lin Jian highlighted Washington's use of double standards in handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within the United Nations

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"I am sure that neither of us is even aware right now of any new future developments.", Peskov said

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Russia’s Oreshnik has no analogues worldwide — Putin

"We know what kind of developments are being carried out there, but this will happen tomorrow or in a year or two, but we have such a system already today," the president said

BRICS partnership format in UNESCO sparks interest of other countries — Russian envoy

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Kremlin clarifies notification process for Oreshnik missile launch

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German politician slams Ukraine’s ‘irresponsible’ strike on Russia with UK-made missiles

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Belarusian president believes humanity is on the brink of World War III

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Houthis say they attacked Israeli military base with hypersonic missile

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Trump to tap Richard Grenell as US special envoy on Ukraine — agency

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US, Europe openly side with Kiev by supplying it with weapons — top Turkish diplomat

He stressed that today "it is vital prevent economic and political confrontation in certain regions of the world from growing into a real war."

US decision to allow missile strikes deep into Russia fuels global escalation — Slovak PM

Robert Fico also rejected the belief that this escalation would not impact "those living far away, in Spain, England, or America"

Russia not obliged to notify anyone about launch of intermediate-range missile — Kremlin

"No, there have been no notifications, for Russia has no such obligation with regard to intermediate-range missiles," Dmitry Peskov emphasized

Gazprombank’s UnionPay cards no longer serviced in several countries

Zelensky to have no input if Russia, US negotiate, ex-Prime Minister says

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Putin to address parliament next year, preparations underway — Kremlin

"Certainly, it is being prepared in advance, this is a lengthy process," the Kremlin official said

North Korean leader warns of growing risk of nuclear war — KCNA

Kim Jong Un added that negotiations with the US only confirmed the North Korean view that Washington’s hostile policy remains unchanged

Ex-German chancellor never expected Russia to tolerate Ukraine’s NATO membership — memoir

Angela Merkel added that another fallacy was the belief that the status "would act as a deterrent," and that Moscow "would accept these developments without taking action"

Biden’s decision to use ATACMS against Russia may 'blow up in America’s face' — US expert

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Russian forces eliminate Ukrainian MiG-29 on ground

Additionally, Russian units eliminated one munitions depot

Press review: Russia fires missile at Ukraine plant and Biden forgives Kiev $4.65 bln debt

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, November 22nd

NATO enters conflict, Russia has every right to attack its targets now — expert

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US not seeking confrontation with Russia, but will continue assistance to Kiev — Pentagon

Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh also claimed that Washington, while helping Ukraine, is not attempting to turn the conflict into a large-scale regional confrontation that spills beyond the country’s borders

Russia encircles largest Ukrainian fortification in southern DPR — security services

"The enemy positioned in the fortified area in Velikaya Novoselka in the south of the DPR is already trapped in a kill zone," the source said

US to impose export restrictions against up to 200 Chinese firms — agency

According to Reuters, the Commerce Department plans to publish the new regulations "prior to the Thanksgiving break"

Progress cargo spaceship docks to ISS

The process was controlled by specialists on the Mission Control Center on Earth and by Roscosmos cosmonauts Ivan Vagner

Russia forced to roll out new weapons as West fuels conflict, Minsk says

According to Belarusian Security Council State Secretary Alexander Volfovich, "the West does not support peace, it supports war"

Russian forces gain foothold in Chasov Yar’s industrial zone — expert

The units of the Ukrainian armed forces have created "a very serious defense line" along the railroad and along one of the streets of the settlement, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS