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Evgeni Plushenko: champion's path

Look through the outstanding figure skater’s career highlights in this gallery by Itar-Tass

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Evgeni Plushenko withdrew from men's singles Olympic tournament

© AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev

While warming up, Plushenko jumped, landed badly and injured his back, which was the reason for not performing

© AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Russian Figure Skating Championship, 2000

© ITAR-TASS/Oleg Buldakov

Russian Figure Skating Championship, 1997

© ITAR-TASS/Igor Utkin

Demonstration performances at Russian Figure Skating Championship, 2001

© ITAR-TASS/Alexander Yakovlev

Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, 2002

© ITAR-TASS/Alexander Yakovlev

Winter Olympics in Turin, 2006

© ITAR-TASS/Fedor Savintsev

Winter Olympics in Turin, 2006

© ITAR-TASS/Fedor Savintsev

Winter Olympics in Vancouver, 2010

© ITAR-TASS/Alexei Filippov

Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko (silver), an American figure skater Evan Lysacek (gold) and Japanese skater Daisuke Takahashi (bronze) (left to right) at the Vancouver Olympics

© ITAR-TASS/Vitaly Belousov

Short program at team competition, Sochi Olympics

© EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH

Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko and his coach Alexei Mishin (left to right) during the figure skating team competition in Sochi

© ITAR-TASS/Artyom Korotayev

Russian athletes Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitry Solovyov, Tatiana Volosozhar, Maxim Trankov, Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov, Yulia Lipnitskaya, Elena Ilyinykh, Nikita Katsalapov and Evgeni Plushenko (left to right), who won gold medals in team competition

© ITAR-TASS/Artyom Korotayev

Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko withdrew from the individual men’s tournament at Sochi Olympics. While warming up, Plushenko jumped, landed badly and injured his back, which was the reason for not performing.

Earlier, Evgeni Plushenko became Olympic champion in team figure skating competition. After this tournament, the athlete said he left open the possibility to continue his career. “I will be 35 by this time, nobody has done it before, so why not?” Plushenko said. “Maybe it’s worth a try. But I will need to relax, consort with physicians, maybe they will put another plate. However, I want to relax, to spend time with my family.”

However, on Thursday, after pulling out from men’s individuals, the athlete made a statement that he quits his sports career.

Look through the outstanding figure skater’s career highlights in this gallery by Itar-Tass.

France denies Olympic accreditation to volunteers from Russia

Paris 2024 volunteer program director Alexandre Morenon-Conde said on March 21, 2023 that the volunteer program was open for all, without any exclusions

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The head of the North Korean Defense Ministry’s Department of External Military Affairs slammed the US for pushing for an escalation of the conflict and trying to change the situation in Ukraine at any cost

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Dmitry Peskov stated that the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin "is well-known"

Lavrov informs Tajik counterpart about terrorism-prevention measures in Russia

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Russia’s response to West’s seizure of Russian frozen assets to be tough — diplomat

Maria Zakharova drew attention to The Wall Street Journal’s report that Germany allegedly wants to leave Russia’s frozen assets intact to used them as a tool during the conflict settlement talks to force Russia cede part of the Ukrainian territory it has taken control of

France preparing contingent of 2,000 troops to be sent to Ukraine — intelligence chief

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

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

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The parties agreed to continue dialogue and seek Palestinian unity as soon as possible

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DPR’s emergencies services told TASS earlier that tens of thousands of munitions had been disposed of in Avdeyevka

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The proposal consists of two phases, the first of which calls for 20 to 33 hostages to be released in exchange for the pause in hostilities

Medvedev vows Moscow's response to US law on seizing Russia's frozen assets will sting

The Russian Security Council deputy chairman suggested enacting legislation to allow Russia to confiscate assets belonging to the citizens of unfriendly countries

Netanyahu vows Israel will conduct operation in Rafah in any case

Israeli Prime Minister stressed that this will be done regardless of the potential agreement with the Palestinian radicals on the release of hostages

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

Blinken speaks in favor of immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip — Department of State

According to the spokesman, Blinken had a meeting with foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization

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Russia must support the current dynamics in the special military operation zone, Dmitry Peskov said

G7 agrees to work toward transitioning away from Russian gas imports

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NATO views Russian ‘invasion’ of neighboring member as unlikely in near future — WSJ

The bloc worries that Russia "might spark conflict" in neighboring NATO member countries in the shorter term though, the newspaper wrote

More children killed in Gaza over 6 months than in all world conflicts in 4 years — UNRWA

Philippe Lazzarini pointed out that it is very difficult to get precise figures under war situation

US bails Ukraine out after Moscow attack, covering Zelensky with ISIS — diplomat

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that a number of factors directly and indirectly indicate the US authorities’ involvement in sponsoring the Ukrainian terrorism

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During the July 2023 summit in Vilnius, NATO leaders called Russia "the most serious and direct threat to security"

Russia to grant asylum to Kyrgyz citizen convicted of participation in special military op

According to Interior Ministry Spokeswoman Irina Volk, the young man lived in Russia even before the start of the special military operation and worked in the film industry

Russia’s Battlegroup East improves frontline positions — top brass

The adversary lost up to 85 troops, four pickup trucks, two self-propelled artillery systems, an electronic warfare station and a field munitions depot

Russian troops recover first Abrams tank from special military operation zone

It will be put on public display at the Patriot Park on Poklonnaya Hill

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One woman killed, another one wounded in Ukraine’s shelling of Kursk Region village

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Press review: China to weather US storm and ATACMS not 'wonder weapons'

Top stories from the Russian press on Saturday, April 27th

Former US NSA employee sentenced for purported interaction with Russia

Jareh Sebastian admitted that "he used an encrypted email account to transmit excerpts of three classified documents to an individual he believed to be a Russian agent"

Involvement of US nuclear potential in drills around DRPK affects Russia’s interests

Vasily Nebenzya noted the militarization of the region with direct involvement of Washington and other NATO member states, "located tens of thousands of kilometers away from North Korea"

CTBTO chief highlights Russia’s commitment to ban on nuclear testing

Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization Robert Floyd stressed that it is pleased to see the Russian Federation state that its commitment to the CTBT and its nuclear test moratorium remains unchanged

Russia to launch missile ship Taifun, patrol ship Viktor Veliky in May

A solemn ceremony will be held at the Gorky Zelenodolsk shipyard

Press review: NATO flexes muscles near Russian border and South China Sea runs hot

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

Ukraine’s army chief acknowledges Russia’s successes in several frontline areas

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Xi Jinping to pay official visit to Serbia on May 7-8

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Russia’s Battlegroup East improves positions in DPR, hits roughly 100 Ukrainian troops

Ukrainians lost two pickup trucks and two US-made 155mm M777 howitzers

Russia’s Dnepr Battlegroup destroys 21 Ukrainian drone control centers in past day

The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 50 militants, an M777 howitzer, ten mortars, five boats, said Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo

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"There were three experts: on finance, general issues and the nuclear program", the source said

Russian drone operators destroy Ukrainian positions near Semyonovka, Spornoye

Troops of the combat group "South" destroyed Ukrainian positions near two settlements

Ukraine’s force in Donbass is estimated at 90,000 men — Donetsk militia

Most Ukrainian forces are on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Eduard Basurin noted

Press review: US tries to strong-arm China and Zelensky's bid to bring men home

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Netanyahu asks Biden to prevent issuing of ICC warrants against Israeli officials — report

A spokesperson of the US National Security Council refused to comment on the phone call between the two leaders, but pointed out Washington’s position, which says that the ICC jurisdiction does not cover the situation in Palestine

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Forces of Russia’s Battlegroups East and West have moved to more advantageous positions in the special military operation zone

First group of suspected coup plotters goes on trial in Germany

Federal prosecutors filed charges in the case against a total of 27 people

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Five missiles hit Dnepropetrovsk while a strong blow with the subsequent detonation was registered in Krivoi Rog, the spokesman specified

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One of the assault regiment commanders told that Ukrainian units frequently deliver erroneous artillery strikes on their own positions

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Two anti-tank missiles were fired toward Dovev on the border with Lebanon

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The Russian top defense official added that in order to achieve its goals, Washington is exerting unprecedented pressure, including on its partners

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Apty Alaudinov added that if the Ukrainian army received long-range weapons, it might try to attack Russia's civilian infrastructure due to its powerlessness on the front

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The Ukrainians used several ATACMS ballistic missiles in an attempt to attack civilians on the peninsula

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Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian pointed out that the US was supplying Ukraine with arms and ammunition and at the same time making unfounded accusations regarding trade between China and Russia

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Unaware of decline of its military industry US gets trapped in Ukraine — French historian

Emmanuel Todd believes that "one of Washington's goals is to prevent a rapprochement between Russia and Germany"

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

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Movement’s representative Yahya Saria said that the Ansar Allah delivered drone strikes on two US destroyers in the Red Sea. According to him, the hits "reached their targets"

Ukrainian command throws unfit soldiers to front line in Ocheretino, POW recounts

Alexander Vedernikov was mobilized for military service in the Rovno Region as "relatively fit" and had not received any special training

Ukrainian government allocates $392 million to buy more drones

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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"

France denies Olympic accreditation to volunteers from Russia

Paris 2024 volunteer program director Alexandre Morenon-Conde said on March 21, 2023 that the volunteer program was open for all, without any exclusions

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Only one pair of baseball gloves and one ball was sold over that year

Dollar, euro in the red as trading session kicks off

Yuan ticked up by 0.25 kopecks to 12.7 rubles

Tucker Carlson interviews Russian philosopher Dugin

The interview lasted over 20 minutes

Two civilians injured in Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Kursk region — governor

10 homes and a power transmission line were damaged

Number of flooded homes in Russia drops to 9,341

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Two police officers killed in militant attack in Russia’s North Caucasus

Several improvised explosive devices were found at the scene

Mortar gunners destroy about ten Ukrainian servicemen

Russian fighters occupied better positions owing to accurate mortar fire and concerted action

Kiev regime’s brutality: Ukrainian POWs open up about ruthless anti-retreat squads

According to one of them, a platoon, which refused to fight, left, and no one ever saw them again

Russian cutting-edge missile frigate holds artillery firings in Arctic drills

"The combat exercises were conducted in the Barents Sea waters closed for shipping," the Russian Defense Ministry reported

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

Milorad Dodik also touched upon the topic of sanctions mentioned by Patrushev earlier

Kiev openly flaunts involvement in murder of Russian journalists — Russian mission to UN

Dmitry Polyansky noted that Russian journalist Daria Dugina, military reporter Vladlen Tatarsky, Tavriya broadcasting company editor-in-chief Rostislav Zhuravlyov, Rossiya-24 TV reporter Boris Maksudov were killed by Ukrainian intelligence agencies and their agents

Russian forces liberate settlement of Semyonovka in Donetsk People’s Republic

Inflicting a defeat on forces of the 68th Infantry Brigade, the 23rd and 115th mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian armed forces, the 109 Territorial Defense Brigade and mercenaries from the International Legion near Novoalexandrovka, Arkhangelskoye, Tarasovka and Zavetonoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic

Russian envoy attends solemn event dedicated to liberation of Sachsenhausen death camp

Participants the mourning events laid flowers and wreaths to three memorials

Top security official advises West to keep door open for joint research work with Russia

Nikolay Patrushev cited recent research showing that a simulated eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera, which has shown increasing signs of active volcanic status over the years, and what consequences such a natural disaster could potentially leave in its wake

Russian envoy slams Israel’s smear campaign against UNRWA

"As of now, over 180 agency’s employees have been killed in the Gaza Strip which is an absolute record low for the UN," the Dmitry Polyansky noted

Dollar unchanged, euro up to 99.57 rubles on Moscow Exchange

The yuan remained at 12.74 rubles

Russian troops wipe out military train with Western armaments in DPR over past day

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

Musk sees plans for ten-year security agreement for Ukraine as ‘insane’

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said earlier that Ukrainian and US officials were discussing the amount of military, financial and other aid to Kiev for the next ten years as part of talks on a bilateral security agreement

Infrastructure facility suffers damage in Kiev-controlled part of Kherson Region

No details provided

Armenia still CSTO members, wants its mechanisms to operate duly — top diplomat

It is necessary to make efforts to ensure due operation of all mechanisms within it, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirziyan said

Armenia, Russia in dialogue to resolve problems in relations — top Armenian diplomat

Some issues require complete mutual understanding, but Isuch problems exist in any relations, said Armenian Foreign Minister Aarat Mirzoyan

UNRWA Chief: Number of child lives lost in Gaza is staggering

British maritime agency reports another incident off Yemen coast

According to the British maritime security company Ambrey, a Malta-flagged container ship came under attack while on route from Djibouti to the Saudi port of Jeddah

German minister highlights Soviet troops’ role in liberating Auschwitz-Birkenau camp

According to German Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, the lesson of National Socialism is that war must never happen again