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US may sign new deal with Russia on astronauts’ delivery to space station

Earlier, NASA publicly announced its intention to ask Russia to extend some missions to the ISS

© Piotr Kovalev/TASS

WASHINGTON, April 19. /TASS/. The United States and Russia may sign a new commercial deal stipulating the delivery of US astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), Executive Director for Piloted Space Programs at Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos Sergei Krikalyov told TASS on Thursday.

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Krikalyov is on a visit to the United States where he is winding up his participation in the 34th American annual space symposium in Colorado Springs (Colorado).

When asked about whether a possibility existed for Moscow and Washington to conclude a new commercial deal, considering that NASA recently publicly announced its intention to ask Russia to extend some missions to the ISS, the high-placed specialist answered: "Yes, this is possible."

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As preliminary data suggest, the ISS orbit was raised by 2.3 km to 416.43 km above the Earth’s surface

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The range of the Oreshnik system is up to 5,500 kilometers

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Ukrainian forces have been shifting significant reserves to this settlement, including fresh recruits with little to no training, to retain Kupyansk

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According to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin has several closed-door meetings slated for December 22

Russian troops liberate two communities in Donbass area, Kharkov Region over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 480 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russian forces control more than half of Chasov Yar in DPR — expert

Andrey Marochko noted that Russian forces had "slightly advanced" in the northern and southern parts of Chasov Yar

Russia to retaliate against Ukrainian strikes, just as Putin said — Kremlin

"Russia’s position is well known, it was voiced by Putin back in St. Petersburg," Dmitry Peskov stressed

IN BRIEF: What is known about drone attack on residential buildings in Kazan

TASS has gathered the main information about the incident

NATO spies study damage from Oreshnik at Yuzhmash — expert

Alexander Stepanov emphasized that both Kiev and its Western allies are closely scrutinizing the consequences of the strike on the plant

Russia’s Battlegroup South liberates settlement of Ostrovskogo in DPR — Defense Ministry

"The enemy lost up to 285 troops, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, a D-30 122 mm howitzer, a US-made M119 105 mm howitzers and five field ammunition depots," the ministry added

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According to Russia's Defence Ministry, attempts to conduct attacks against facilities on Russian soil were thwarted

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Both freight trains loaded with coal collided at the Bushulei-Zhireken railway section

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Project 885M nuclear-powered submarines carry Oniks and Kalibr-PL cruise missiles as their basic strike weapons

Putin responds to question about Russia's weakness by quoting Mark Twain

The president noted that Russia had become much stronger over the past two or three years as it became a truly sovereign country

Trump appoints TV producer Burnett as special envoy to UK

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ISS orbit raised ahead of launching Soyuz manned spacecraft

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Slovak PM to visit Moscow for talks with Putin, Serbian president says

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Top Turkish diplomat calls for listing anti-Syrian sanctions

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According to Jacques Sapir, the decision not to extend transit contracts was no surprise given the political landscape

Eight people killed in Israeli strike on school in Gaza Strip

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US Navy cruiser mistakenly downs F/A-18 fighter over Red Sea

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Putin holding talks with visiting Slovak PM

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Hungarian PM highlights need to lift sanctions on Russia once Ukraine conflict is resolved

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Baltic states threaten mass deportation of Russians, take lead in Russophobia — statement

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The Russian president will not congratulate leaders of unfriendly countries, but he will congratulate some individuals and people of several ones, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

Putin’s talks with visiting Slovak PM over — Kremlin spokesman

Dmitry Peskov added that it is not planned to issue any joint statements

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Russia has confidence in its weapons, senior diplomat says

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also stressed that the recent developments had shown that the US policy of establishing a system of increasingly layered missile defenses was wrong

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Reuters reported earlier that oil supplies to Belarus and EU countries via Druzhba had been suspended on December 19 due to technical problems

US wants to destabilize whole region using terrorists in Afghanistan — Shoigu

The defebse minister noted that "instead of working for the reconstruction of Afghanistan after the hasty withdrawal from it, the NATO countries are trying in various ways to restore their military presence in the Central Asian region"

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Ahmed аl-Sharaa expressed hope for building strategic relations with Lebanon

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The motive for committing the crime could have been dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany, Dr. Horst Nopens, Head of the Magdeburg Public Prosecutor’s office, said

Ukraine may cease to exist by 2034 — Russian security official

Dmitry Medvedev noted that Ukraine will never join NATO

Hungary wants to maintain ties with Russia under its economic neutrality policy — PM

Victor Orban also said that hopes for the development of economic cooperation with the United States after President-elect Donald Trump takes office

Civilian industrial complex supplies Russian army with over 65 types of units — top brass

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov praised the new mechanisms for accelerating the introduction of advanced weapons and equipment developed by the civilian defense industrial complex in the interests of the Russian army

Russia currently holds upper hand in Ukraine conflict, Indian expert says

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Strike on SBU control center response to Russian general’s assassination, expert says

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Vasily Nebenzya warned as he denounced the attack as yet another unambiguous step by the Kiev regime toward escalation

Israeli minister’s suggestion of nuclear strike on Gaza raises questions — Russian MFA

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Roman Starovoyt noted that Russia is holding negotiations with many airlines from friendly countries

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Turkish president calls on West to stop Israel in Syria before it’s too late

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Putin calls Oreshnik missile development ‘an historic event’ for space rocket industry

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West should consider Putin's words on Oreshnik missile duel — diplomat

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that the rhetoric about "inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia" is firmly rooted in the mentality of the NATO regimes not at all as hypothetical assumptions

Father of conscript who killed 8 in Siberia asks son to cooperate with investigators

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Proposal to duel with West response to claims of Oreshnik missile vulnerability — Kremlin

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin thus meant that the Oreshnik missile is a generation ahead of all existing weapons, while not being a nuclear weapon itself

Gazprom to replace European sales market with new export destinations, says Italian expert

Demostenes Floros also drew attention to the growing potential of the ever-expanding domestic market and mentioned new ways of using natural gas in the future - for example, for the production of hydrogen and ammonia, necessary for the energy transition and agriculture (in production of fertilizers)

Putin agrees 'Russian world' now faces war

The Russian leader also agreed with Sergey Mironov, head of the "A Just Russia - For Truth" faction in the Duma, who said that "the birth rate is insufficient, because the matter concerns extinction"

Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger take armies to maximum alert — declaration

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Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger reaffirm withdrawal from ECOWAS irreversible

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Key rate, inflation and criticism of Central Bank: statements by regulator’s chief

The Bank of Russia has taken a pause in raising the key rate, though a long period of tough monetary policy will be required to bring inflation back to the target

Ukrainian troops struggling to escape being trapped in Lozovaya in Kharkov region — expert

In general, "quite active hostilities" are taking place near Dvurechnaya and Lozovaya in the Kupyansk sector of the line of engagement, Andrey Marochko noted

Syria’s new government wants to build strategic relations with Turkey

Ahmed al-Sharaa also said he will not "tolerate uncontrolled arms trafficking" across the country

Press review: South Korean president impeached as Ukraine turns to foreign mercenaries

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, December 16th

Is Gaddafi's gloom prophecy in regard to Europe bound to be fulfilled?

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Death toll from Israeli strikes on Gaza Strip exceeds 45,200 — health ministry

More than 107,600 people received wounds

Trump to rely on forces that brought him to power — Russian presidential aide

Nikolay Patrushev agreed that Trump, when he was still a candidate, "made many statements critical of the destructive foreign and domestic policies pursued by the current administration"

Aleppo taken by 350 militants while 30,000 gov’t troops retreated without fight — Putin

The Russian president recalled that no Russian land troops had been deployed to Syria, with Russia having only an airbase and a naval base

An-2 plane missing in Kamchatka located, survivors found — regional emergencies ministry

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No real impulses for organization of Putin-Trump meeting so far — Kremlin spokesman

Russian leader said during the press conference that he is ready for a conversation with US president-elect and is ready to meet with him at any moment

Ukraine loses over 300 troops, two Bradley vehicles in Kursk Region in past day

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Georgian president demands appointing snap elections within week

Salome Zourabichvili also promised to announce her further plans on Monday

Russia ready to normalize relations with US without detriment to its interests — Putin

The previous generation of Russian politicians chose the course towards the country’s destruction for the sake of joining the so-called civilized world but this was what the West wanted, President Vladimir Putin