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Time-honored Orthodox Christmas customs: carolling and fortune telling

Russia celebrates the Twelve Days of Christmas

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Local residents dressed in costumes take part in traditional Christmas carolling (known as Kolyada) in the village of Ivanova Sloboda, Belarus

© Viktor Drachev/TASS

A local resident dressed in a goat costume in the village of Ivanova Sloboda, Belarus

© Viktor Drachev/TASS

Traditional Christmas carolling in the village of Ivanova Sloboda, Belarus

© Viktor Drachev/TASS

Uzorochye Theatre actors sing Christmas Carols while sliding down a tubing slope in Ryazan, Russia

© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

People singing Christmas carols in Ryazan, Russia

© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

Traditional Christmas carolling in Ryazan, Russia

© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

Traditional Christmas carolling in Ryazan, Russia

© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

Traditional Christmas carolling in the village of Naumovo, Russia

© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

People participate in Christmas carolling in the village of Storozhovtsy, Belarus

© Viktor Drachev/TASS

People dressed in costumes participate in Koniki carolling rite that emerged more than 100 years ago in Brest region, Belarus

© Viktor Drachev/TASS

Russia celebrates the Twelve Days of Christmas (Svyatki) from January 7 (Orthodox Christmas) to January 19 (Epiphany). In Russia, traditions and religion are combined. And these festive days filled with ancient rites and traditions. For example, one of the main traditions is guising. Guisers walk from house to house of friends or acquaintances singing Christmas carols in their honor and asking for a treat. Eastern Slavs also consider Christmas and Epiphany eves to be the best time for fortune-telling.

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

According to Daniel Davis authorizing US long-range weapons to be used against Russia is "foolhardy to the highest order," "especially because there is no military upside for doing so"

China urges restraint after Russia, Ukraine's exchange of attacks — foreign ministry

Lin Jian also reaffirmed Beijing's position on the Ukrainian issue

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Maria Zakharova quoted the US Senator, who called the ICC a "Kangaroo court" and ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan a "deranged fanatic"

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

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According to the Russian foreign minister, such behavior is "typical of the Democrats"

West builds up military presence near Russia’s Arctic borders — presidential aide

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Zelensky begs ‘for his country to be flattened’ — US journalist

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

West irrational, fails to understand it cannot intercept Russia's new missiles — Kneissl

The former Austrian foreign minister stressed that she "counted on rational Western decision-makers, but irrationality is unfortunately on the rise among them"

Soyuz rocket carrying Progress MS-29 cargo spaceship blasts off from Baikonur spaceport

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Russian ambassador says UK prime minister doesn’t understand situation in Ukraine

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"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

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"Our friends are living in the Arab world," the politician noted

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Russia encircles largest Ukrainian fortification in southern DPR — security services

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IN BRIEF: What Putin said about Russia’s new missile, and Moscow’s response to the West

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Lukashenko grants asylum to Schmidt persecuted on political grounds by Poland

The head of state also approved citizenship applications from foreign nationals and stateless persons residing in the country

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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"

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"

Illegal decisions on Russian property in Finland will not go unanswered — diplomat

Maria Zakharova noted that the Russian Embassy in Helsinki has sent requests to clarify the situation

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The company stated it would seek damages amounting to 230 million euro for failing to receive the contracted volume of gas from the Russian company for delivery to Germany

Kremlin confident Putin's statement got through to US administration

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Bank of Russia lifts official dollar rate to 102.58 rubles for November 23-25

The Central Bank said on June 13 that it would fix official dollar and euro rates against the ruble on the basis of reports of banks on results of transactions in the over-the-counter currency market

Turkey’s desire to be gas hub important for energy security — Russian official

Russia will continue developing pipe gas supplies and will "continue supplying competitive energy resources to partners and the whole world," Pavel Sorokin noted

Defense ministers of five European nations to meet in Berlin on November 25

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

Maria Zakharova stated that the US-NATO construction project, ongoing for nearly a decade with complete disregard to Russian security concerns, has consistently been a focus of Russia's attention

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Japanese government refrains from commenting on Russia’s latest hypersonic missile

At the same time, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi once again criticized Russia’s actions in Ukraine

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Russia entitled to use weapons against military sites of states attacking it — Duma

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Kremlin clarifies notification process for Oreshnik missile launch

"An automated warning was sent 30 minutes before the launch," Dmitry Peskov said

Enemy has no countermeasures for Russia’s Oreshnik missile — Putin

Speaking in a televised address, the head of state assured that Russia will issue notifications before using this type of missile

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

Col. (Ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson confirmed to TASS that the launch of ATACMS missiles would be impossible without "US/NATO satellite feeds and/or personnel"

Western countries should 'be afraid, tremble' after Putin's statement — lawmaker

Andrey Kartapolov added that the special military operation in Ukraine "will continue its course until all tasks are completed"

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

According to th statement, London is promoting new rounds of escalation

Commissioning of Oreshnik and new developments: Putin’s meeting with defense specialists

Here are the key statements, made during the meeting

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Putin’s position can be traced back to his 2007 address at the Munich Security Conference, Tiberio Graziani says

Weapons supplied to Ukraine cannot reach Russian territory, Spanish defense minister says

The New York Times reported on November 17 that US President Joe Biden had authorized the use of US-supplied ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia

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

Bundeswehr prepares plan for Operation Germany in case of war with Russia — newspaper

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Ukraine conflict entering decisive phase, Polish PM says

According to Donald Tusk, "no one knows how the conflict will end"

Eliminating best enemy units: Defense Minister visits special op area

Andrey Belousov stressed that Russian troops have accelerated their advance in the special military operation zone and have effectively disrupted Kiev's 2025 military campaign

Russia uses aerial bombs to destroy Ukrainian positions near DPR’s Konstantinovka — source

According to the report, at least 15 Ukrainian servicemen were killed as a result of the attack

Japanese lawmaker praises Putin's restraint amid decision to strike deep into Russia

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed that the US administration had lifted restrictions for US-supplied missiles to be used for strikes up to 300 kilometers inside Russia

Chinese pandas sent back home after years in Finland

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

Russian air defense deflects attacks with Western missiles — Putin

"As a result, the goals that the enemy apparently set have not been achieved," the Russian leader said