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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Moscow bewildered over Kiev negotiator’s claim Contact Group meeting is unnecessary

MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. Ukrainian negotiator Leonid Kuchma’s statement that a Contact Group meeting is not needed causes bewilderment, spokesman of Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.

“We see that militias are ready for a meeting,” he noted.

“There are many questions which should be settled in line with the Minsk peace deals. So, the main Ukrainian negotiator’s statement is bewildering,” Lukashevich added.

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Foreign policy Eastern Ukraine

Terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall

Afghan Foreign Ministry condemns terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall outside Moscow

The ministry’s Spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said, that considers it a blatant violation of all human standards

Iran suspends flights above several cities amid reports of air attack — IRNA

Fox News said the Jewish state delivered a limited strike on Iran

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

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Russian instructors help train over 10,000 Central African troops — CAR president

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Founder of neo-Nazi cell in Crimea flees to Georgia — source

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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

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The top Russian diplomat stressed that the Georgian bill on foreign agents suggested only the need to declare funds, if the organization in question received more than 20% of its funding from abroad

Kiev lacks both troops and equipment near Chasov Yar in DPR, says retired general

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West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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Situation in Iran’s Isfahan stabilizes after drone attack — media

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Ukrainian president admits Russian troops’ advancement

Vladimir Zelensky asked his country’s supporters to provide "everything that helps to hold the frontline," including shells, military vehicles and drones

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

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

Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

Infrastructure is required to implement the investment project, both power transmission lines and the railroad, Andrey Chibis noted

Major Western investor accuses Zelensky's office of extorting millions of euros

Arnulf Damerau said that he provided details of the meeting, along with evidence and a list of names of those involved, to US and European intelligence agencies

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US House passes procedural vote on Ukraine aid bill

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Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad International Airport suspended their operations until 10:30 a.m. local time

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Iran done with retaliation, calls for efforts to stop Israel from reckless steps — MFA

According to the minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in the event that Israel uses force against Tehran's interests, "the Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to use its right to give an immediate and decisive response that will make them regret"

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

William Burns said "there is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could at least put Putin in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement"

Syrian ministry says Israeli jets struck air defense facilities in country’s south

Earlier, the media reported that one of the strikes hit Tha'lah Military Airbase, with several explosions going off there

Russian Aerospace Forces strike five militant hideouts in Syria’s Homs

Yury Popov said that aircraft of the so-called international anti-terrorism coalition, led by the United States, continue to set dangerous precedents in skies above Syria

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

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

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

Israel assesses effectiveness, consequences of strike on Iran — media

A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces declined to comment on the reports of the strike

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

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French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova described France’s decision to place its aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, directly under NATO control as a symbolic move marking the end of "the era of an independent Paris in the international arena"

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

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Colombian president displays interest in country’s entry into BRICS

Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva welcomed Gustavo Petro’s initiative, "being committed to promotion of Colombia’s candidacy"

Lavrov views situation in Middle East as 'very bad'

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"One should clearly support the need to seek solutions that take into account the balance of security interests and ensure the indivisibility of security," the top Russian diplomat underlined

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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Vehicles, equipment participating in Victory Day parade depart for Moscow — ministry

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

Ahmad Haqtalab argued that Israel had been conducting "subversive and terrorist activities" against the Islamic republic's nuclear infrastructure for year

Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

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

Chinese car plant to start production at former Mercedes site in Moscow region in May

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Ukrainian front may collapse this summer — newspaper

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Iran has no plans to immediately retaliate to attack on its soil — agency

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EU border checkpoint closest to Russia’s St. Petersburg to cut its working hours

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

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At least 16 Syrian troops killed in terrorists’ ambush in east Syria — TV

According to the Al Hadath television, a military bus was ambushed by members of the Islamic State terrorist group

Russia always prefers talks to fighting, wars, says Lavrov

The first Russian-Ukrainian negotiations after the launch of Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine took place in Belarus in early March 2022 but the talks yielded no tangible results

Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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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

MiG-31I fighters receive air refueling system

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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

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

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Agents in Ukrainian, Poland foil attempt to kill Zelensky, security officials in Kiev say

The agency said it and the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine informed their Polish counterparts about the alleged assassination attempt

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

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

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

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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

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

Robert Fico believes Moscow will win in its confrontation with Kiev

Nuclear sites in Iran’s Isfahan province are safe — Tasnim agency

Tasnim refuted foreign media reports about an incident at a nuclear site in Isfahan

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

UN Security Council vote exposes practically full isolation of US — Russia’s UN mission

Vasily Nebenzya described the US veto as a "fruitless attempt to stop the inexorable course of history"

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

EU plans to invest first profits from Russian assets in military aid to Kiev

"I think that the decision has been taken by the member-states - all 27 have agreed that we use the windfall profits following our proposal," Ursula von der Leyen said

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

Hezbollah warns Israel it will fight back if attacks on Lebanon continue

The Lebanese Shiite organization "would not accept that the Israelis transgress the rules of engagement that are currently set in the south" of Lebanon

Ukraine’s military loses positions near Avdeyevka, says DPR

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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

Moscow-based embassies of NATO countries helped anti-government groups, Lavrov says

The top Russian diplomat also spoke about the detention in Germany of two people suspected of spying for Russia

Russia will not 'shake up' relations with Argentina due to its partnership with NATO — MFA

According to Sergey Ryabkov, Russia and Argentina maintain a good dialogue at various levels

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

Stoltenberg said NATO believes Ukraine has the right to strike "legitimate military targets" inside Russia

Military base near Iran’s Isfahan hit following attack — newspaper

The sources said that Iranian forces managed to destroy several small drones near the city of Tabriz, about 800 kilometers from Isfahan