No sanctions or preferences to follow when Kiev ratifies EU association agreement — Lavrov

The king, 75, and queen will host their majesties the emperor and empress of Japan for a state visit in June, according to the palace

According to Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya, the Russian draft was "very balanced"

The Russian defense chief is certain that "this is an important moment in strengthening security in the SCO space"

Funding will be provided from the federal, regional and local budgets, as well as taxes from gambling transferred to the organizer

The Russian leader expressed confidence that the the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues "will bolster cooperation for the mutual benefit of our countries and peoples"

"It’s not about any mythical aspirations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, but about banal opportunistic and predatory ambitions," Anatoly Antonov said

"Battlegroup Dnepr units conducted active counterbattery warfare and destroyed enemy drones, manpower and equipment on the right bank of the Dnieper River," Governor Vladimir Saldo said

The exercise under the classified Orsha plan involves 1,500 military personnel from Lithuania's Zemaitija Motorized Infantry Brigade, Poland's 15th Mechanized Brigade, allied US and Portuguese units, as well as about 200 pieces of military equipment

In this regard, Sergey Shoigu mentioned the operation that Tehran carried out "in retaliation for a blatant attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus"

Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said the brigades had completely or partially destroyed 135 units of Israeli military equipment over the past three days

Andrzej Duda slammed the reported instances of Russian missiles entering Poland's airspace as "a Russian provocation"

The head of state accused Washington of preparing a "Belarusian liberation army" and reiterated Minsk's readiness to "defend its country"

Russian troops improved their tactical position and repelled eight Ukrainian army counterattacks in the Avdeyevka area over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

"The impression is that Warsaw is maniacally seeking to attract even more attention from military planners in the Russian General Staff," Maria Zakharova added

According to the report, Israel is willing to acceprt the release of women, men over 50 years old and those seriously ill

The strike was conducted by Israel Air Force’s aircraft in the area of Meidoun in Lebanon

Dmitry Peskov noted that, "according to some parameters, companies in Europe and other regions can hardly maintain their competitiveness if they completely abandon our products"

"It is very difficult to negotiate with those who are unable to make decisions, even if they want, they can’t, and only act as a side to a difficult conflict," Vladimir Medinsky explained

"All options are on the table, we will be guided by common sense and Russia’s interests," Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov said

The Bank of Russia also does not rule out raising the estimate of the neutral key rate in the near future

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

Exports of goods are expected to drop to $419.7 bln this year. Imports are forecast to grow to $315.7 bln in 2024

Vasily Nebenzya said that he has "good personal relations" with the secretary general

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu underlined that this is being done by strengthening "military-political structures such as QUAD, AUKUS and the US-Japan-Philippines triad"

Previously, the media reported that the Russian Health Ministry registered the first treatment for the Bekhterev’s disease in the world

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council added that the European Union’s financial system is not very stable and people are losing confidence

According to the French leader, when building relations with Russia, Europe needs to rely upon its own strong security system

Dmitry Peskov added that the EP "has turned into a machine brimming with internal contradictions that keeps generating boorish statements"

According to preliminary information, the average altitude of the orbital outpost was increased to 414.8 km above the Earth’s surface

Ingrida Simonyte called for getting ready for such a turn of events right away, and not just watch and wait

The Russian Investigative Committee added that measures are underway to locate their whereabouts and bring them to criminal liability

Russian military will do its utmost to repel such attacks, Apty Alaudinov said

Flights will be carried out on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays

According to the commander, the unit has already recruited 55,000 members and has 33,000 small vessels that are equipped with 107mm missiles

Germany is the second largest arms supplier to Ukraine after the US

Russia and Europe are geographically close anyway, Dmitry Peskov noted

According to the news agency Tasnim, when speaking about NATO eastward expansion, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani emphasized that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states should utilize the SCO potential in order to neutralize common threats

Timur Ivanov was removed from the office of deputy defense minister of the Russian Federation of the federal government’s civil service

The deal still looks advantageous even after two years of war, Welt am Sonntag said

There is confirmed evidence of his connections with French secret services

Tensions in the area of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and in Energodar, where the nuclear power plant is located, escalated at the beginning of the month

The capital city has the highest number of coronavirus cases nationwide, according to official statistics

The company tops the list of foreign investment banks in Russia in terms of the asset size

On April 25, US police said at least 127 people were arrested during large-scale protests on American university campuses against Israeli actions in the Palestinian enclave

The goal "is to put more pressure on Crimea," The New York Times said

The German chancellor emphasized that Berlin's "offer to lend support in finding a long-term and acceptable solution remains valid"

The date and location will be announced later

The film is focused on two teenagers Pedro and Lucio, who are forced to fight each other to the death in order to survive after being abducted

The Russian embassy has not yet commented on the situation

Ivan Zhelokhovtsev said that the agreements that were reached during the DPRK leader's visit to Russia represent "evidence of the mutual desire of the sides to consistently implement and expand the rich heritage" that was passed down from previous generations

Alexander Dubinsky argues that the only situation where the president can continue to fulfill his duties after the expiration of his term is the period until the president-elected takes office

Pipeline gas exports are forecast to edge up by 7% to 108 bln cubic meters

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, April 24th

"The American aid won’t save Zelensky. New weapons will be destroyed, and the special military operation goals will be achieved," Anatoly Antonov stressed

"If the UN did not exist, it should have been created," Vasily Nebenzya said

According to Vladimir Rogov, expected changes in Poland’s legislation may highlight the country’s interests in Ukraine and its possible territorial claims to parts of western Ukraine

In February, the Khabarovsk regional court recognized the movement as an extremist organization

The countries will jointly announce the time of this trip, Dmitry Peskov said

"I think that Beijing understands this perfectly well and will not even pretend being ready to reach any agreements with the Americans to the detriment of Russia’s interests," Sergey Ryabkov said

Patrick Pouyanne expressed confidence that the European leaders understood that security of gas supplies depended on LNG and would not like to see a price crisis in Europe again until 2027

The law, introducing an extra coefficient to the mineral extraction tax for gold totaling 78,000 rubles ($848.8) per kilogram, will become effective at the same day

The Ukrainian military has suffered heavy casualties among personnel and military hardware in that community, Igor Kimakovsky said

The company has two contracts for LNG supplies to Europe from the Yamal LNG project and one for Asia that requires closer consideration, CEO of the French energy company Patrick Pouyanne said

"The largest nuclear powers, albeit indirectly, are actually fighting on Ukrainian territory. And not indirectly," the president of Belarus noted

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan added that the his country had doubled artillery production in order to help Kiev

Labor productivity requires a significant increase in all sectors of the economy, the President stressed

According to Dmitry Kuzyakin, "as long as there is a lack of direct communication between those who make the tanks and who use them, the Abrams will not evolve to meet modern warfare requirements"

According to Russian Permanent Representative to the OPCW Vladimir Tarabrin, Russian troops have repeatedly recorded incidents where the Ukrainian army’s used chemical weapons, including riot control agents as means of warfare

TASS has put together the highlights of Shoigu's speech

According to the diplomat, Russia is engaged in "fierce battles on this issue in different committees of the General Assembly"

Beijing sticks to the principle of non-alignment with any blocs, the Chinese leader said and called on Washington "to refrain from teaming up in small groups"

Spokesman Wang Wenbin stressed that China was not providing weapons to the conflicting parties and strictly controlled dual-use goods, including the export of drones

Moscow hopes that Brussels will pay attention to its vital interests in the end, Russia's top diplomat said

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

Yury Popov, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, also said that one shelling attack on the positions of government forces was reported in the Idlid de-escalation zone from positions of the Jabhat al-Nusra

"The high-level dialogue between Turkey and the US will continue," the spokesman Oncu Keceli said

The sides supported the early launch of the green corridor project aimed at the simplification of customs operations

Israel’s military upcoming operation in Rafah will also be on agenda, the New York Times reported

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, April 25th

The detention was reported earlier by the media, which said that police had captured Tajik national Djumokhon Kurbonov

The Master has reported two attacks

Maria Zakharova stressed that "the level of nuclear risks have risen dramatically as a result of the West’s destructive policy, which is fraught with a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers"

Dmitry Polyansky said that some of the weapons supplied to Kiev are "in the darknet, which means that it is available to anyone"

According to the US version of events, a pair of Russian Su-27 aircraft intercepted the MQ-9 while it was on a recon mission and dumped their fuel several times toward the drone

According to Nikolay Patrushev, these countries "understand perfectly well who is financing" the Kiev regime

The ceremonial lighting of the Olympic flame for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris took place in Ancient Olympia on April 16

The trade turnover between Russia and Belarus reached 4 trillion rubles ($43.8 bln)

The Russian leader pointed out that it is important to ensure stability and transparency in the Russian socio-political system

Vasily Nebenzya stressed that insurers conclude on their own that the "explosion at the gas pipelines was made using an explosive devices, willfully and due to political motives," thereby confirming its terroristic nature

According to Nebenzya, the real goal of the West, which is seeking to persuade the world of the futility of international efforts, is "to keep on telling the tale of lost time" as long as possible in a hope that "international community will forget about this terrorist attack"

"Those may be right who, instead of playing this geopolitical game which NATO views as a zero-sum game, prefer to handle their domestic affairs," the Russian foreign minister noted

In Maxim Buyakevich words, neither the talks nor their outcome can change the existing political and territorial realities

57% of companies replaced at least one foreign service with a Russian one over the past few years, the analysts noted

The report hasn’t been officially confirmed

The Russian foreign minister said that the sides would exchange opinions on how to develop bilateral relations along the path outlined by Bolivian President Luis Arce and Russian President Vladimir Putin

According to the minister Gergely Gulyas, the North Atlantic Alliance "wants to provide financial assistance, as well as supply weapons and train Ukrainian soldiers"

According to Vasily Nebenzya, the situation is as though a year-long probe into a murder yielded a conclusion that "the victim was murdered"

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"

The Federal Statistics Service noted that mortality in the eight months of 2023 decreased by 9.8%, and the birth rate dropped by 2.5%

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 26th