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Europarliament members to discuss results of Russia-EU summit in Strasbourg

STRASBOURG, February 03, 7:53 /ITAR-TASS/. A plenary session of the Europarliament (EP) opens here on Monday. The EP members are to sum up the results of the Russia-European Union 32nd summit, held in January, and discuss the situation in Ukraine.

"The parliamentarians, with the participation of the European Commissionan and the European Council, will hold a debate Wednesday on the political crisis in Ukraine and the latest EU-Russia summit," an EP press service official told ltar-Tass, recalling that a parliamentary delegation visited Kiev on Jan 28-29. "The parliament will pass a resolution on the two subjects a day before the opening of the Olympic Games in Sochi".

Those present at the EP session are expected to raise the question of application of sanctions with regard to Ukrainian officials. However, whether such proposals are included in a draft resolution on Ukraine is unknown so far.

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It has reached 911 centimeters

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Kremlin spokesman offers condolences over death of Izvestia war correspondent

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

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Units of Battlegroup Center have improved their tactical positions

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

Stoltenberg said NATO believes Ukraine has the right to strike "legitimate military targets" inside Russia

US House passes procedural vote on Ukraine aid bill

It cannot be ruled out that the House of Representatives may pass this package as early as Saturday

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Vladimir Saldo called on other Ukrainian servicemen to switch to the Russian side and request the corresponding assistance

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

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Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

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Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian prosecutor general

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Israeli aviation strikes towns in Gaza Strip

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Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

There are no casualties, Governor Vladislav Shapsha said

Sweden’s Duplantis breaks own pole vault world record

Armand Duplantis bettered his previous world record of 6.23 meters

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Russia’s defense chief inspects production of tanks, flamethrowers at Siberian enterprise

Sergey Shoigu handed down an instruction for the defense enterprise to ramp up the production of T-80BVM tanks, the Defense Ministry said

No plans for pauses in fighting if talks on Ukraine begin, Lavrov says

The Russian foreign minister emphasized that the situation on the ground had changed significantly

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"

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

Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov, a celebrated Russian film director, declared the festival open, praising the bravery of foreign cultural figures who are visiting Russia at this time

Russian government increases customs duties on beer from unfriendly countries

This measure is not a prohibitive one and will make it possible to make competitive conditions equal for Russian producers, the ministry said

Iran may target Israeli nuclear center in Dimona in case of Israel’s attack — TV

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North Korea conducts new anti-aircraft missile test — KCNA

A power test of a super-large warhead designed for "Hwasal-1 Ra-3" strategic cruise missile was held as well

Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

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

Russia’s advanced radar in Kaliningrad to monitor entire territory of Europe — source

The first Konteiner radar went on combat duty in the Volga area region of Mordovia on December 1, 2019

Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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Grossi ignores ‘elephant in the room’ in Zaporozhye nuke plant situation — Russian envoy

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

In chemicals production, prices edged up by 26.8% for ethers, organic peroxides, epoxides, acetals and semiacetals and their derivatives

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

"We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," a senior Iranian official reported

China’s Russian oil imports rise by 13% in first quarter of 2024 — customs

In monetary terms, Russian oil exports to China increased by 17.9% to $13.858 bln in the first quarter of the year

S-500 system to be supplied to Armed Forces after 2015

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

CIA chief says Ukraine could lose by end of this year — Politico

William Burns said "there is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could at least put Putin in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement"

Ukrainian shelling kills pregnant woman in Russia’s Belgorod Region — governor

Vyacheslav Gladkov added that the attack had shattered the windows of several houses and damaged their facades and roofs

Polish premier refuses to hand over his country’s Patriot systems to Ukraine

Donald Tusk said that German Chancellor’s call to send more air defense systems to Kiev had no relation to Poland, provided the country's geographical position near the frontline

Russia ready for Ukraine talks, but not with Zelensky — Lavrov

The first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine after the start of the special military operation took place in early March 2022 in Belarus, but they did not bring tangible results

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

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 19th

French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova described France’s decision to place its aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, directly under NATO control as a symbolic move marking the end of "the era of an independent Paris in the international arena"

Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

Infrastructure is required to implement the investment project, both power transmission lines and the railroad, Andrey Chibis noted

Court arrests another man accused of blowing up car of former SBU officer in Moscow

Ivan Paskar is charged with illegally transporting explosive substances, but he does not recognize his guilt

Ukrainian national detained at Russian-Georgian border for suspected espionage

He may face up to 20 years in jail

Nearly half of those present in UN Security Council hall walk out before Israel’s address

israeli Permanent Representative Gilad Erdan was to address the council after Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour

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

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Air defenses repel Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Smolensk Region — governor

Vasily Anokhin urged local residents to remain calm and refrain from filming air defenses in operation.

Russian air defenses down Ukrainian drone over Belgorod Region

An attempt by the Kiev regime to use a fixed-wing drone to carry out a terrorist attack on targets in Russia was foiled at about 1:00 p.m. Moscow time

US agrees to withdraw troops from Niger — Washington Post

The decision was sealed in a meeting between US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Niger’s prime minister, Ali Lamine Zeine

Founder of neo-Nazi cell in Crimea flees to Georgia — source

According to the official, the investigation established that Mikhail Maurov planned to travel to Ukraine to join the ranks of a right-wing Ukrainian organization called the Freedom of Russia Legion

Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

The IMF states that the restrictions led to the need to rebuild the economy

Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed the mobilization law passed by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) in the second and final reading on April 11