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Norwegian convicted of espionage in Russia handed over to Norway’s officials in Lithuania

He was indicted for collecting information about Russia’s nuclear submarines from a defense company’s staff member, who was under intelligence surveillance

Frode Berg Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

Frode Berg

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

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Lithuanian president pardons two Russians convicted of spying

MOSCOW, November 15. /TASS/. Norwegian national Frode Berg, convicted of espionage in Russia, has been handed over to Norwegian officials in Lithuania, the Norwegian Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement.

Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg pointed out that Oslo had been working on Frode Berg’s return since the day of his arrest.

Berg is expected to return home in the near future.

In October, Lithuanian media outlets said that Vilnius and Moscow were getting ready to conduct a spy swap, while Norwegian media informed that Berg had been included in the swap list. On Friday morning, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda pardoned Russian nationals Nikolai Filipchenko and Sergei Moiseyenko, convicted of spying for Russia. A few hours later he announced that Lithuania and Russia had carried out a spy swap.

Berg case

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Kremlin says Norwegian Frode Berg’s petition for pardon will be considered

Berg was detained in Moscow in December 2017 in a special operation carried out by the Federal Security Service (FSB). He was charged with espionage under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code.

Investigators figured out that the Norwegian had collected information about Russia’s nuclear submarines from a defense company’s staff member, who was under intelligence surveillance. According to investigators, Berg cooperated with the Norwegian Intelligence Service. The Moscow City Court found Berg guilty on April 16, sentencing him to 14 years in a high security prison.

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West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

According to the top Russian diplomat, the leaders who rule countries where they claim to be from while holding foreign passports "will not enjoy support and authority for long"

Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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Hungary to not intervene in Ukrainian conflict on any side, PM says

Viktor Orban believes the first phase of the conflict, which included proposals on sending troops to Ukraine, is over

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

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

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Russian industrial producers’ prices up 2.4% in March — statistics

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Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

At the same time, the top Russian diplomat pointed out that "there is information that not only French mercenaries, but also instructors, maybe even together, but along with some other representatives of military and special services of European countries are working there [in Ukraine]"

Lavrov says Borrell let it slip that Europe ‘fighting against Russia’

Russia’s top diplomat noted that Josep Borrell may made the statement in a moment of weakness

Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

Russia urges the International Monetary Fund to resume the effort of improving the global monetary and financial system, Anton Siluanov noted

Russian government increases customs duties on beer from unfriendly countries

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

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Russian Cabinet expands list of perfumery, cosmetic products subjected to import duty

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

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American Abrams tanks vulnerable even to Soviet-era weapons, says expert

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Global economy’s condition improving — Russian Deputy PM

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Hungarians in western Ukraine should get their rights back, Budapest says

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BRICS looking at creating common digital payment platform

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that BRICS nations have already established a special channel for information exchange between their central banks

Ukrainian POW exposes poor battlefield performance of NATO-supplied Javelins, NLAWs

He also revealed that some weapon batches contained anti-armor systems whose service life had expired

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

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Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

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

According to the media outlet, "the US administration will support the plan for a military operation in Rafah put forward earlier," which provides for dividing the city into numbered sectors that will be mopped up one by one

West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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Russia bans 235 Australian local government officials from entering country — MFA

"Taking into account the fact that Canberra does not intend to give up its anti-Russian course and continues to introduce new sanctions, work on updating the Russian stop list will continue," the ministry said

West close to sending military to Ukraine, this would 'drag Europe to bottom' — Orban

"This military whirlpool can drag Europe to the bottom. Brussels is playing with fire and angering God," the Hungarian prime minister said

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Victor Gumenny said the advanced systems may solve the tasks of air-space defence and may fight hypersonic weapons

Russia to begin next week clinical trials of anti-COVID-19 vaccine for children

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Andrey Chernovol recalled that the Russian embassy is currently located in the temporary capital of Sudan, Port Sudan, and diplomats are in contact with the country's official authorities

Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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Press review: Ukraine, Israel vie for EU’s attention and Georgia passes controversial bill

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Wang Wen stated that it’s still very hard to achieve a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

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

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Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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Russian military closely monitors all Ukrainian 'novelties' — Kremlin on UAVs

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Russian investigators start inquiry into financing of terrorism by US, NATO officials

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West frightens voters by 'Russian threat' to win elections — Lavrov

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Press review: Biden backs aid to Israel, Ukraine and Russia assets giving West legal fits

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Ukraine’s new ethnic minorities law insufficient to protect Magyars — Hungarian president

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US volunteer Russel Bentley missing in Donetsk killed — RT editor-in-chief

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Armenia has to define CSTO’s zone of responsibility on its territory, says Lavrov

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