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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Total of 374 arrested by Kiev on suspicion of involvement with militia in Donetsk Region

Another 1,016 people are wanted

© EPA/TASS/ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO

KIEV, May 12. /TASS/. Kiev authorities have arrested 374 residents of east Ukraine's Donetsk Region on suspicion of involvement with militia of the self-proclaimed republics since April 2014, interior minister of the region Vyacheslav Abroskin said on Tuesday.

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"Since April last year, criminal activity of 1,409 participants of armed groups was registered on the territory of the Donetsk Region, they will sooner or later be arrested," Abroskin wrote on his Facebook page.

"A total of 374 people have been arrested, while 1,016 people are wanted," he added.

DPR human rights ombudsperson Daria Morozova said earlier that Ukrainian forces detain people aged 40-65 to present them as prisoners of war. Donetsk has already handed over to Kiev all prisoners, she noted.

Prisoner exchange on "all for all" basis is one of the key point of the Minsk agreements on the Ukrainian settlement. Other points include ceasefire, heavy weaponry withdrawal, local elections in Donbass and constitutional reform in Ukraine.

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Military operation in eastern Ukraine: first anniversary

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Eastern Ukraine

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

Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

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Ukraine’s military loses positions near Avdeyevka, says DPR

Igor Kimakovsky said that Ukrainian forces suffered heavy casualties among personnel and military hardware, including Western equipment

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

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Final statement by G7 top diplomats to call for supplying more air defenses to Kiev

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister said Kiev required US-made Patriot systems and Italian-French Samp-T theatre antimissile systems

About 30 events in 26 countries to be held as part of Russian Film Festival — minister

The geography of work in the culture sphere was wider before but "all the horizontal ties are kept," Olga Lyubimova noted

Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post, two S-300 missile launchers over day

Russian forces improved their frontline positions and repelled a Ukrainian army counterattack in the Donetsk area where the enemy lost roughly 590 troops over the past day, the ministry reported

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

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Death toll in Gaza Strip since tensions escalated exceeds 34,000 — Health Ministry

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US assured Israel that Iranian drones will be intercepted — US journalist Hersh

He also said that the US military contacted Russia and the United Kingdom while evaluating the potential of the Iranian attack

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"

Security guarantees on Ukraine did not apply to Crimea, Donbass — Lavrov

The Russian Foreign Minister noted that "Ukrainian negotiators came and said that, for example, on the issue of maneuvers with the participation of third countries, let's replace the wording 'if all guarantor countries agree' with 'unless the majority agrees'"

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

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

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

Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

Russia views the West’s encroachment on its assets as "a blatant and shameless theft for the purpose of lining its pockets," Maria Zakharova noted

Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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Russian military base may appear in CAR’s eastern region — President Touadera

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World’s anti-doping agency WADA still waits for Russia’s 2023 financial contribution

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said in February that the Russian side had agreed with WADA to pay the membership fee for the year of 2023

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

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]"

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

Bentley came to Donbass from the United States in 2014

One crew member of jet crashed in Stavropol Region killed, search for another continues

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, an Aerospace Forces’ Tu-22M3 bomber crashed after completing a combat mission while returning to the airfield

Russia’s export duty on wheat to be $37.42 per metric ton from April 24

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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Chinese analyst sees US veto on Palestine as reflection of arrogance, double standards

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

North Korean leader arrives at public event in Aurus luxury car gifted by Putin

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Armenia’s relations with Russia not at their highest — top diplomat

Ararat Mirzoyan also said that Yerevan is currently making efforts to expand cooperation with the European Union and the United States

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

The law enforcement employees exert efforts to identify the instigators of this crime, Igor Krasnov said

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

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

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

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"

Russia not to go for settlement on Ukraine based on 'Zelensky formula' — Lavrov

The top Russian diplomat referred to a swindling trick used by a thimblerigger who puts a small round object, such as a ball or pea, under one of three thimbles or cups and asks the player to guess under which the object is, while unfairly manipulating this object

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Kiev lacks both troops and equipment near Chasov Yar in DPR, says retired general

Military commanders of Ukrainian army brigades "lack both personnel and the required amount of equipment" while Russian troops enjoy a considerable superiority, especially in artillery, Sergey Krivonos noted

Crimea, Donbass to forever remain within Russia, Slovak PM tells national parliament

Robert Fico believes Moscow will win in its confrontation with Kiev

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

Dmitry Polyansky noted that the IAEA chief is being very cautious about the issue of attacks on the nuclear facility

Three Ukrainian soldiers swim across Dnieper to surrender to Russian troops — governor

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

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 stock indices rising on Friday

The MOEX Russia Index edged up by 0.44%, the RTS Index surged by 1.13%

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

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

Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine had developed a UAV with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers

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

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Earlier, the "Columbine" movement was recognized a terror group

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

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

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Russia won’t allow NATO to move closer in Ukraine — Lavrov

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Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

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Major Western investor accuses Zelensky's office of extorting millions of euros

Arnulf Damerau said that he provided details of the meeting, along with evidence and a list of names of those involved, to US and European intelligence agencies

Ukrainian drones continue to fly over Zaporozhye NPP — press service

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Lavrov speaks of West’s agony, Russia’s approach to any future talks with Kiev

The Russian foreign minister also described Armenia and Russia as more than formal allies

Two people killed in borderline Belgorod Region in Ukrainian drone attack — governor

According to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, a private residence in the village of Poroz caught fire when the unmanned aerial vehicles dropped two explosive devices

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

According to Katalin Novak, Hungary’s call for the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia to be respected should be viewed as a common European demand

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

The Ukrainian army lost more than 3,550 troops, four tanks and five armored combat vehicles in battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk area over the past week, the ministry reported

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

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

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Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

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Senior Chinese official to take part in conference on security in Russia — diplomat

The conference will take place from April 23 to 25 in St. Petersburg

Kremlin declines to comment on alleged assassination attempt on Zelensky in Poland

The Security Service of Ukraine announced earlier that in a joint operation with law enforcement agencies in Ukraine and Poland it thwarted an attempt to assassinate Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

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

Blast rocks military base south of Baghdad — Reuters

According to the news agency, one PMF fighter was killed and six were wounded

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

Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

The minister also inspected the training process in Omsk Armor Engineering Institute

Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

The Foreign Minister pointed to the fact that Switzerland is on board with all Western sanctions

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

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

According to Faustin-Archange Touadera, since becoming the president, his actions have been guided by the need "to modernize the army and take into account new challenges"

Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

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

EU ministers to discuss use of Russian assets for Ukraine on April 22 — EU official

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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

Russia to scrap moratorium on intermediate missiles if US deploys them anywhere — MFA

Sergey Ryabkov said the US seeks to maintain military superiority in a great variety of areas

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

US President Joe Biden announced on January 25 that Washington would hand over 31 M1 Abrams tanks to the Kiev regime

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

US-led coalition’s aircraft violate Syrian airspace 13 times in past day

Two shelling attacks on the positions of Syrian government army by the Jabhat al-Nusra groups were reported in the Idlib de-escalation zone

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

Language policy of Moldovan government is Russophobic — head of Gagauzia region

Evgenia Gutsul was referring to the demand the People's Assembly of Gagauzia made for Moldovan legislators to uphold the status of Russian as the language of interethnic communication in the region

US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

"In any case, whatever the modality of providing this aid, de facto it is about provoking Ukraine into further hostilities down to the last Ukrainian, putting guarantted money in the pockets of the US," Dmitry Peskov said

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

G7 leaders to decide on Russian assets use — Italian Deputy PM

Recommendations on opportunities of using frozen Russian assets in interests of Ukraine will be presented before the G7 summit in June 2024

Military base near Iran’s Isfahan hit following attack — newspaper

The sources said that Iranian forces managed to destroy several small drones near the city of Tabriz, about 800 kilometers from Isfahan

Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

Funding will be provided from the federal, regional and local budgets, as well as taxes from gambling transferred to the organizer