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Eleven Russian cities were selected to host the matches of the FIFA World Cup in 2018

Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Sochi, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Volgograd and Saransk are on the list of these cities

Last Saturday eleven Russian cities were selected to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Sochi, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Volgograd and Saransk are on the list of these cities. The media reported that this tournament may break a record for the expenses spent for the preparations to it, as at least 600 billion roubles will be invested in the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

The Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily reported that in the course of the past year the special committee had evaluated the potential of 13 cities claimed to host the FIFA World Cup matches on the following criteria: the provision with the relevant infrastructure, socio-economic development of the region, an investment program for the run-up to the competition and the efficient use of the heritage of the World Cups. The compliance with a concept, which was taken as a basis for a World Cup in Russia, rather than the foresaid requirements, turned out to be a decisive factor.

The Komsomolskaya Pravda daily quoted President Vladimir Putin as saying in an interview with Channel One, “This is a very good reason to attract a large number of young people in sports. This is to encourage them to go in for sports, discourage them from alcohol drinking and smoking. Recently we pay a closer attention to the sport programs and this is grounded, as I refer to our demographic programs...”

The Kommersant daily noted that the FIFA World Cup in Russia has all the chances to break a record of the expenses for holding the competition. According to Vitaly Mutko, the run-up to the World Cup will cost a total of 600 billion roubles (over 19 billion dollars). A half of these investments will be private, and another half of them will be made by the state authorities with two thirds of which allocated from the federal budget and the rest of the sum from Russian constituent territories. Just for comparison, a next World Cup in Brazil, which still breaks the record for its expenses, will cost 11.2 billion dollars. However, no one will be surprised that the figure, which Vitaly Mutko made public, will grow. At least the example of the Sochi Olympics shows that no matter what forecasts members of the government give to this effect they can hardly be considered final.

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Ukrainian troops fleeing Ocheretino in small groups, says DPR

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WADA explains difference between Valieva’s case and Chinese swimmers’ violations

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Romanian rescuers find Ukrainian deserters who spent four days in mountains

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Russia recovers black boxes from crashed Tu-22M3 bomber

According to the law enforcement, the search for the fourth crew member is ongoing

North Korea presumably launches ballistic missile — Japan Coast Guard

This is North Korea’s fourth ballistic missile launch this year

Assad says sure Russia will win conflict in Ukraine, re-unite brotherly peoples

Russia, in his words, is "correcting what others have done"

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

According to the journalist, the decision to conduct the operation was made by US President Joe Biden personally, following nine months of discussions with White House national security advisers

Knauf to transfer its Russian business to local management — company

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

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Value of frozen Russian assets in Switzerland drops to $6.36 bln over the year

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Russian cabinet to discuss macroeconomic forecast

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Russian missile cruiser Varyag enters Mediterranean Sea

The ship's crew continues to fulfill the mission it was given for the long-range voyage

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Senior lawmaker threatens US with retaliation for 'stealing' Russian assets

"Now, our country has every reason to make symmetrical decisions against foreign assets," Vyacheslav Volodin said

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Belarusian air defense registers increased number of NATO aviation sorties

"This is dozens of sorties, carried out along the same routes, more or less", said Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Deputy Commander Colonel Lieutenant Eduard Zhmakin

Liberation of Novomikhailovka brings closer encirclement of Ugledar, says DPR official

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Ukraine 'not in a position to win' against Russia — Spanish reserve colonel

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Repaired strategic bomber Tu-22M3 re-enters service with Russia’s Aerospace Force

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Top Hungarian diplomat warns US-NATO-EU competition in Ukraine could spark WWIII

"Preparations for a world war are intensifying in Brussels," Peter Szijjarto warned

Scholz says era of fossil fuel will be over soon

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Pobeda bloc expects global community to respond to struggle against opposition in Moldova

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Republika Srpska president praises Moscow-Banja Luka relations, favors strengthening them

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Russian economy to see serious structural changes — presidential aide

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Almaz-Antey adapts air defense launchers for various missiles

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Russia's eyes open to nature of US sanctions — Kremlin

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Destroyed TV tower in Kharkov carried Ukrainian air defense coordination device — official

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Qiwi projects $247 mln loss over sale of Russian assets

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Moldovan authorities try to present Gagauz as separatists — official

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Russian diplomat slams US State Department report on human rights as 'actual segregation'

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Russia ready to offer access to Asian markets to partners in BAM upgrade — Putin

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Kremlin vows legal action against US bill on seizing Russian assets

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EU reacts to worsening of situation for Ukraine by preparing for new world war — Szijjarto

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

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Development of Baikal-Amur, Trans-Siberian railways important for Russia, CIS — Putin

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Russian troops liberate Novomikhailovka community in DPR — top brass

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Russian troops destroy four boats with Ukrainian assault force on Dnieper River

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Lavrov slams West for promoting 'dishonest schemes' for restrictions on nuclear weapons

The top Russian diplomat stressed that "striving to attain decisive military superiority, Washington and its allies are enlarging the network of alliances directed against third countries"

London grants agrement to Zaluzhny as ambassador to UK — Ukrainian parliamentarian

This must be followed by a decree of the Ukrainian president on the appointment

International meeting of security representatives opening in St. Petersburg

Moreover, discussions within two theme-based roundtables will be held

Eleven Russians dead, 48 injured in Ukrainian strikes over week

Rodion Miroshnik pointed out that over the past week, Ukrainian forces fired "at least 1,278 rounds of ammunition" at the civilian facilities in the border regions

North Korea stages first combined tactical drill simulating nuclear counterattack — KCNA

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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

Involvement of NATO states prolongs Ukrainian conflict — Russian ambassador to Germany

"Ukraine today is fully dependent on supplies of Western weapons, military hardware, ammunition, financing, intelligence, and assistance from military advisers," Sergey Nechayev said

Ukraine’s military intelligence chief recognizes Russia’s success in Avdeyevka

Ukrainian troops suffered significant losses in the fighting for the control of this town

Armenians block highway to Georgia in protest of border delimitation with Baku

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New anti-Russian sanctions to include ban on LNG supplies — Swedish Foreign Minister

Tobias Billstrom deemed adopting the 14th sanctions package "one of the most important things"

Dollar almost completely gone from Russia-China trade relations — Lavrov

"The supply of our agricultural products to the Chinese market is growing," the top Russian diplomat noted

US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

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Moscow Zoo delegation arrives in North Korean capital — media

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Ukraine turns from sovereign country into Western protectorate, Hungarian PM says

Viktor Orban noted that there should be a buffer zone between NATO and Russia and Ukraine could serve as one

Russian peacekeepers heading for temporary deployment centers in Armenia

The Armenian government provided Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh with places for temporary deployment in Goris and Sisian

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"