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Some 3,000 tons of toxic chemicals were stored at China’s Tianjin warehouse

The chemicals included 700 tons of sodium cyanide, 800 tons of ammonium nitrate and 500 tons of potassium nitrate

BEIJING, August 18. /TASS/. Around 3,000 tons of hazardous chemicals were stored in the warehouse in northern China’s port city Tianjin rocked by a series of explosions last week, the Sina news portal has reported.

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Around 5,000 new cars burnt down in Wednesday’s major explosions in China’s Tianjin

"The chemicals included 700 tons of sodium cyanide, 800 tons of ammonium nitrate and 500 tons of potassium nitrate," the news portal reported citing Niu Yueguang, deputy director of the fire department of the Ministry of Public Security.

He Shushan, deputy mayor of Tianjin in charge of the municipality's work safety, said the Chinese authorities were expected to collect the rest of the chemicals by Monday night.

A series of explosions hit a warehouse storing chemicals, owned by Ruihai Logistics, at around midnight on August 12. Eyewitnesses claimed that the blast shattered windows in buildings within a two-kilometer perimeter, while more than 1,000 cars burned down.

Shortly after the explosion, which was equal to 3 tons of TNT, a massive fire broke out. Several other blasts occurred later, with the strongest of them equal to about 21 tons of TNT.

The death toll in the series of explosions has already reached 114 people and 70 others have gone missing, according to the latest reports. Almost 700 other people remain in hospitals.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram to Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressing condolences over the tragedy in Tianjin. Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov offered assistance to China’s social security minister in dealing with the aftermath of the explosions.

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Ukraine says Western systems ineffective against Russia's electronic warfare

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Belarus responds to threats with preventive deterrence measures — defense minister

Viktor Khrenin emphasized that provocations by Western countries could become a catalyst for unleashing a military conflict

Iran denies reports it pulled some military advisers from Syria — Al Mayadeen

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Russian troops wipe out Ukrainian UAV production workshop over past day

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Russia to retaliate immediately if Kiev gets ATACMS missiles — diplomat

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Russian tourists flock to North Korea — embassy

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US stops hiding true purpose of sanctions on Moscow, Russian envoy says

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Sergey Ryabkov noted that such problems exist for Russians using Turkish Airlines flights to other Latin American countries

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Mongolia to enter into free trade agreement with EAEU by year-end

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Blinken’s visit to China meant to shatter Russian-Chinese ties — senior Russian diplomat

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Over 330 bodies recovered from mass grave at hospital in Khan Yunis — TV

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Ukrainian forces refuse to obey Commander-in-Chief Syrsky — CIA ex-analyst

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Russia discourages use of UN sanctions for interference in African affairs — envoy

Vasily Nebenzya underscored that Russia continues to "make an important contribution to strengthening of African countries’ potential, including UN Security Council and General Assembly"

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West prepares puppet structures in case of coup in Belarus — KGB

Ivan Tertel said various methods were being considered, up to "instigating a forceful seizure by illegal armed groups" being trained in the West and Ukraine

Ukraine exhausted, needs constant money flow from outside — defense official

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

US draft on nukes in space seeks to go beyond legal framework Russia adheres to — MFA

Maria Zakharova pointed out that Russia reaffirms its "strict commitment" to the international legal obligations under space law

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Russia, Africa united by common vision on global issues — senior diplomat

Mikhail Bogdanov noted that "the African continent is a dynamically developing part of the world with an enormous growth potential, attractive domestic market and expanding export prospects"

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US arms supplies unable to change situation in Kiev's favor — Kremlin

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Russia to submit its own resolution on nuclear weapons in outer space to UNSC

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Potential nuclear facilities in Poland to be military target for Russia — senior diplomat

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Armenian police arrests people protesting against demarcation with Azerbaijan

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Moscow slams NATO drills near Russian borders as inflammatory

"It is obvious that the upcoming combat training on the territory of Finland is part of a hybrid war against our country," Maria Zakharova said

Ukraine could send special forces to capture Zaporozhye NPP — politician

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Kiev may use ATACMS missiles to hit Crimean Bridge — Russian defense ministry official

Russian military will do its utmost to repel such attacks, Apty Alaudinov said

Russia’s top brass reports destroying US-made Hawk air defense system in Ukraine operation

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted casualties on personnel and equipment of two Ukrainian army brigades and improved its tactical position over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

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

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Release of new tranche for war to Ukraine by US escalation factor — Lukashenko

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US State Department confirms secret shipments of long-range ATACMS missiles to Kiev

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Ukrainian army short about 150,000-200,000 troops, says Polish general

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US shifted conflict in Europe onto EU, NATO shoulders to weaken Russia, says Lukashenko

The Belarusian leader specified that the US had organized the conflict in Europe, in this case in Ukraine, and "shifted it onto the shoulders of the European Union and NATO, promising to help with money"