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Contact Group’s sub-groups meet in Minsk — Belarusian Foreign Ministry

The Contact Group is also expected to hold a meeting in Minsk today

© Viktor Drachev/TASS

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Contact Group for settlement in Ukraine meets in Minsk amid hope of progress

MINSK, January 27. /TASS/. The meetings of four sub-groups of the Contact Group on settlement in Ukraine have kicked off in the Belarusian capital on Wednesday.

"The meetings of all four working sub-groups on different aspects of settlement in Ukraine’s east are underway in Minsk," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry wrote on its Twitter microblog.

The Contact Group is also expected to hold a meeting in Minsk today.

Eastblishing working sub-groups groups on security, political, economy and humanitarian components of Ukrainian settlement are envisaged by the Minsk accords signed on 12 February 2015, after negotiations in the so-called "Normandy format" in the Belarusian capital Minsk, bringing together Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

The Minsk accords also envisage ceasefire, weaponry withdrawal, prisoner exchange, local election in Donbas, and constitutional reform in Ukraine.

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Kremlin vows legal action against US bill on seizing Russian assets

Dmitry Peskov noted that the trial will be "very complex," but will cause severe damage to US economic interests if the US authorities finally approve the bill regarding Russian assets

Russia to incorporate US nuke scenario in Poland in its military planning — diplomat

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West battlegroup destroys two Ukrainian drones, hit over 170 Ukrainian army’s facilities

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Rosatom denies reports about flooding of uranium deposit wells in Kurgan region

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Russia invites all countries to develop North - South transport corridor — Putin

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EU reacts to worsening of situation for Ukraine by preparing for new world war — Szijjarto

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North Korea presumably launches ballistic missile — Japan Coast Guard

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Russian peacekeepers heading for temporary deployment centers in Armenia

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Modern weapons make up 82% in Russian air defense troops — Shoigu

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Ukraine 'not in a position to win' against Russia — Spanish reserve colonel

"The Western world cannot accept Ukraine's defeat, because from the point of view of our security, a Russian victory in the war would be a failure," Francisco Rubio pointed out

Armenians block highway to Georgia in protest of border delimitation with Baku

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Polish President pointed out that this issue is being raised during his meetings with NATO partners from time to time

Russia ready to offer access to Asian markets to partners in BAM upgrade — Putin

"To this end we intend to implement plans of expedited upgrade of BAM, the Trans-Siberian Railway, development of the entire eastern range of railroads on the basis of advanced technologies," the Russian President said

South Korea threatens to end North Korean 'regime' in case it uses nuclear weapons

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Russian troops liberate Novomikhailovka community in DPR — top brass

Russia’s Battlegroup West repulsed four Ukrainian army counterattacks over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Army officer some media point to as Nord Stream blasts coordinator goes missing in Ukraine

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Chinese diplomat cautions US against 'demonizing' China-Russia relationship

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Conflict in Ukraine can be over by end of 2025, Hungary’s Orban believes

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Gagauzian leader on unity of Moldova’s opposition, ability to watch Russian TV channels

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Russia looking to open diplomatic missions in South Sudan, Niger, Sierra Leone — diplomat

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Assad says sure Russia will win conflict in Ukraine, re-unite brotherly peoples

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Units of South battlegroup fully free Bogdanovka in Donetsk People’s Republic — top brass

The enemy lost up to 440 troops, three cars and an Osa-AKM air defense system, a 152mm D-20 weapon

London grants agrement to Zaluzhny as ambassador to UK — Ukrainian parliamentarian

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US has no idea what to do about Zelensky — Seymour Hersh

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Duda's Kaliningrad nuke rhetoric political stunt — Russian senator

Alexander Shenderyuk-Zhidkov emphasized that Russia would decide for itself what was required to ensure the safety of its citizens

Almaz-Antey adapts air defense launchers for various missiles

Russian air defense launchers have a bigger range than US Patriot in Ukraine, Sergey Druzin said

Knauf to transfer its Russian business to local management — company

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Russia’s UN envoy, Serbian leader discuss coordination on Kosovo at UN

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Moscow Zoo delegation arrives in North Korean capital — media

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Ukrainian army strikes own surrendering soldiers — POW

Andrey Babenko said that after a crash course in Britain he had been sent to the frontline near Liman

Ukraine says Western systems ineffective against Russia's electronic warfare

Maria Berlinskaya emphasized that the real effectiveness was determined in real combat conditions, and not at "some training ground in Texas"

Value of frozen Russian assets in Switzerland drops to $6.36 bln over the year

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Senior lawmaker threatens US with retaliation for 'stealing' Russian assets

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Most agents at Security Service of Ukraine set on war with Russia — former officer

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Moldovan authorities try to present Gagauz as separatists — official

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"Ukraine today is fully dependent on supplies of Western weapons, military hardware, ammunition, financing, intelligence, and assistance from military advisers," Sergey Nechayev said

Romanian rescuers find Ukrainian deserters who spent four days in mountains

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Russian missile cruiser Varyag enters Mediterranean Sea

The ship's crew continues to fulfill the mission it was given for the long-range voyage

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

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

Ukraine lost best fighters near Artyomovsk, retired general says

Sergey Krivonos added that relocation of troops from one direction to another will not solve Ukrainian forces’ problems, and that each fighter should be used according to their specialization