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Rasht-Astara section to allow establishing service across North-South route — Putin

The Russian president noted that this marks the beginning of implementation of a large-scale project on creation of the International North-South Transport Corridor

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. The Rasht-Astara railroad section will allow establishing direct service across the North-South route, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the ceremony of signing the intergovernmental agreement between Moscow and Tehran on cooperation for financing designing, construction and supply of goods and services for the creation of this part of the railroad on Wednesday.

"A railway line 162 km long will be constructed between Iranian cities of Rasht and Astara. It would seem that this is a small section, though its commissioning will allow establishing direct uninterrupted, or as specialists put it seamless, railway service across the whole route North-South," he said. Putin joined the ceremony via video link.

The Russian president noted that this marks the beginning of implementation of a large-scale project on creation of the International North-South Transport Corridor. "We have said much on importance of building this through transport corridor that is designed to connect Russian ports in the Baltics and northern seas to Iranian ports on the coast of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. As a reminder the principal decision on joint work of Russia and Iran in this direction was taken during the top-level talks in Tehran in July 2022," he said.

The successful interaction between Moscow and Tehran within the framework of such a large project "reflects the high level, fruitful, mutually beneficial nature of Russian-Iranian relations," Putin pointed out. "Both Russia and Iran attribute really paramount importance to strengthening of trade-economic and other bilateral ties. Those ties are built on principles of friendliness, respect and consideration of each other’s interests," he added.

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Ukraine’s military fires 65 munitions at Russia’s borderline Belgorod Region over day

Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian army fired 44 munitions and launched four drones on the Graivoronsky district and attacked the Krasnoyaruzhsky district with 14 munitions and 10 drones, damaging two private homes, two cars, an infrastructure site and a social facility, Vyacheslav Gladkov specified

Kiev can only produce 'dirty bomb,' Russia to give appropriate response — Putin

"Of course, it’s possible to produce something dirty - the so-called 'dirty bomb' - using waste from nuclear power plants," the Russian leader emphasized

Oreshnik’s massive strike comparable to nuclear weapons — Putin

The Russian leader additionally stressed that "certainly, Oreshnik is not a weapon of mass destruction"

NATO spies study damage from Oreshnik at Yuzhmash — expert

Alexander Stepanov emphasized that both Kiev and its Western allies are closely scrutinizing the consequences of the strike on the plant

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Syrian forces begin counteroffensive near Aleppo — TV

According to the report, the government forces have already liberated the town of El Bakoum

Ukraine not South Korea's ally to demand weapons — newspaper

The author of the article recalled that in September the Ukrainian ambassador to Tokyo visited the Yasukuni Shrine, considered in East Asia as a symbol of Japanese militarism, of which the Korean Peninsula was a victim

Kiev opposes Washington's demand for lowering draft age — media

A representative of US President Joe Biden's administration had earlier stated that the Ukrainian military is facing a critical manpower shortage

Iran informs IAEA of plans to install more uranium enrichment units — report

Tehran informed the IAEA that eight recently added cascades of IR-6 machines would enrich uranium to up to 5% purity

Three dead, 21 poisoned in social center in Russia’s Altay Region

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Romania, Poland, Germany, UK plan to divide Ukraine — Russia's foreign intel

"A total of 100,000 so-called peacekeepers are planned to be sent to Ukraine," the SVR noted

Groundless attacks on Russian journalists become trend in West — TASS

"When you want to find a black cat in a dark room, but the cat is a myth, you can find fault with anything," First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman noted

Russian diplomat says West sought to misrepresent Oreshnik strike, cast it as aggression

Maria Zakharova pointed out that for some, this was obviously a sobering moment, while for others it came as an unexpected surprise

Unidentified UAVs continue to appear over US Air Force bases in UK — newspaper

On Tuesday, about 60 British military experts were stationed at US airbases across the UK to operate a counter-UAV system to operate a counter-UAV system designed to detect, track and destroy them

Design of super-heavy rocket to be finalized based on new technologies — Roscosmos

"The development of a super-heavy class rocket exposed a need for introducing innovative solutions, including new materials and engines," the press service said

Nuclear arms unable to protect Ukraine, likely to aggravate conflict — Chinese expert

"If Ukraine were to acquire nuclear weapons again, they would not only fail to enhance its security, but would escalate the Russia-Ukraine conflict into a potential nuclear war," Sun Qi said

Russia not going to leave strikes deep inside country unanswered — Putin

"As I have repeatedly said, we will always respond," the president emphasized

FACTBOX: Impact of UAV attack on Krasnodar Region

Air defense forces repelled a massive drone attack on the Slavyansk and Krasnoarmeysky districts of the Krasnodar Region overnight

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Russia’s SVR chief questions role of NATO membership for Finnish people

"History shows that cooperation with Russia benefited Finland more than its previous attempts to follow the lead of aggressive Russophobic and even neo-Nazi policies," Sergey Naryshkin noted

Western analysts describe Russia's Oreshnik as longest-range weapon ever used in Europe

The recent strike on the Yuzhmash missile-producing plant in Ukraine demonstrated Russia’s "real military capability", a nuclear nonproliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies said

Kremlin considers militants' attack on Aleppo encroachment on Syria's sovereignty

"We urge Syria’s authorities to reassert control and restore constitutional order as soon as possible," Dmitry Peskov stressed

FACTBOX: Ukraine faces explosions, blackouts

Explosions occurred in Kiev, Nikolayev, Vinnitsa, Kropivnitskoye, Odessa, Kharkov, Lutsk, Ivanovo-Frankovsk, and Rovno

Chad severs defense cooperation agreement with France — AFP

On April 18, the Chadian authorities sent a letter to the United States, in which they notified Washington about their intent to sever the military agreement

Iran challenges US, UK, France military capabilities, IRGC general says

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Japan's PM reiterates desire to sign peace treaty with Russia

Moscow and Tokyo have been negotiating a peace treaty to mark the end of World War II since the mid-20th century

Sending EU troops to Ukraine to make peace settlement impossible — Austrian lawmaker

Harald Vilimsky noted that the joint deployment of European troops will further escalate the security situation in Europe

Export duty on coking coal to be canceled from December 1 — Russian Energy Minister

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Russia’s top diplomat slams NATO for discussions of preemptive strikes on Russia

"These claims were made by some admiral. Absolutely reckless. They have a lot of high-ranking military officials who have never even seen real battle," Sergey Lavrov stated

Clashes between protesters, police break out in Georgian capital

Police officers are using tear gas, trying to push protesters back

Russia ready for talks with Ukraine on conditions proposed in June — Putin

The head of state held a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry in June, where he listed the conditions for talks with Ukraine

Over 400 terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra group wiped out in Aleppo, Idlib in past day

According to the Russian military, Jabhat al-Nusra’s units carried out 13 shelling attacks on the Syrian army’s positions in the Idlib de-escalation zone in the past day, with 12 attacks reported in the Idlib province and another one in the Aleppo Province

Russia strikes Ukrainian military airfields, manpower in 146 areas over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 330 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Russia winning in Ukrainian conflict, Polish national security chief says

"The Russian side unquestionably holds both the initiative and the advantage on the battlefield," Head of the Polish National Security Bureau Jacek Siewiera said

Georgia suspends consultations on launch of EU accession talks until 2028

According to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgia needs to make European bureaucrats understand that they should use decent language with the country rather than employ blackmail and insults

Georgian Police pushes protesters from entire Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi

Several people were apprehended

Paris grants Netanyahu immunity for Lebanon ceasefire role, French magazine says

The report indicates that shortly after the ICC issued its warrant, Macron had a phone conversation with Netanyahu, in which he acknowledged that Paris was obliged to respect the ICC and cooperate fully

Russia launches 100 missiles at Ukraine in past two days — Putin

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"Everything here is much deeper than a decision to send a peacekeeper mission," Dmitry Peskov said

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Several Oreshnik missiles equivalent to nuclear strike, do not harm environment — Putin

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"Regional and global peace cannot be achieved unless an urgent, just, lasting ceasefire is established in Gaza," the Turkish leader stressed

Stabilization in Afghanistan opens door for deeper relations — Putin

The Russian president pointed to a tense global situation

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Defense Minister notes active expansion of Russia-North Korea military cooperation

"We look forward to close and fruitful cooperation with our Korean comrades," Andrey Belousov said

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Lavrov clarifies Russia's position on Ukraine crisis to foreign diplomats — MFA

"Participants in the roundtable exchanged views on the conflict and other pressing international topics," the ministry stated

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Gergely Gulyas was commenting on the decision of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to go to the Russian capital to celebrate the anniversary of Victory at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin

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Erik Prince noted that it was necessary to end the Ukrainian conflict as soon as possible

Ukrainians facing critical battlefield situation amid manpower shortages — CNN

Earlier reports indicated that an official in the Biden administration had surmised that Ukrainian forces need more manpower

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"If the agreement is violated, we will proceed to an all-out war," Benjamin Netanyahu told

Ukrainian forces follow Russian troops’ example to use fiber optics drones, Putin says

The head of state is confident that there will be a quick response from the Russian side

Putin believes that US President-elect Trump’s life may be in danger

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Strike on NATO bases possible in case of escalation, Medvedev says

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Belarusian President Lukashenko points to 'NATOfication' of Europe, entire world

"The arms race is rapidly gaining momentum," Alexander Lukashenko underlined

Biden's decision on ATACMS 'not panacea', it will harm Kiev — Defense News columnists

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Russia designs Titan rifle for commandos

The rifle is reliable with precise and dense fire

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Oreshnik becomes serious problem for Ukraine — Polish general

According to Waldemar Skrzypczak, satellite reconnaissance failed to detect the launch and flight of this missile

US cutting aid to become death sentence for Ukraine — Russia’s mission to UN

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Before leaving, the Russian president was answering journalists’ questions on various subjects for almost an hour

Russia's opponents see Finland as springboard in case of open conflict — politician

Leonid Slutsky noted that the current and previous leadership of Finland has been and remains engaged "on the lower turn of the sine wave, which is now marked by a sharp cooling of bilateral relations"

Israel reports some violations of Lebanon ceasefire by Hezbollah

"The Israeli Air Force attacked the terrorists," IDF said

Up to 200,000 deserters in Ukrainian army, Verkhovna Rada MP says

Ukrainian troops are leaving their duties, as "bone-tired by the constancy of war, they are psychologically and emotionally scarred," the article reads

Situation with ruble rate under control — Putin

The Russian leader stressed that "there are definitely no grounds for panic"

No injuries in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Krasnodar Region

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that eight drones fired by Ukraine at the Krasnodar Region were destroyed

Ukraine demolishes buildings with soldiers inside as Russian forces advance — DPR leader

Amid the successful advance of Russian forces, Ukrainian troops have been indiscriminately attacking civilian neighborhoods in Gorlovka, which is adjacent to Dzerzhinsk, Denis Pushilin said

Zelensky shook up by Russia’s response to permission to attack it — Lavrov

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Ukrainian group of 22 servicemen surrenders in Kursk Region — law enforcement officials

Photos and videos of the surrender were also posted by military reporter and expert Boris Rozhin on his Telegram channel

Kiev 'experimented' with using NATO troops in Kursk hostilities — official

Igor Kimakovsky added that the addition of foreign troops didn't help the armed forces of Ukraine because of effective measures taken by Russian intelligence and Aerospace Defense Forces

Russia may block agenda of US Security Council presidency next month — mission to UN

First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Dmitry Polyansky said that the US may try to complicate life for the successors to the presidency

Decision-making centers in Kiev could be targeted in Oreshnik strikes — Putin

The Russian leader also mentioned military facilities and defense industry enterprises as possible targets

Executioner of Nazi war criminal Eichmann dies in Israel aged 86

The Israeli authorities have long kept his name secret

West beginning to realize only part of Ukraine will remain — Lavrov

According to the Russian foreign minister, this represents the "confrontational logic" of the West

NATO growing more inclined to freeze Ukraine conflict — Russia’s SVR

"NATO has been unfolding training centers in Ukraine in an effort to train at least 1 million mobilized Ukrainians," the SVR highlighted

Bilateral exchanges between Russia, North Korea their own business — Chinese MFA

Mao Ning also stated that she was not aware of the details of Belousov's visit and reiterated that China's position on the Ukrainian crisis remains consistent

Three countries express interest in BrahMos missiles

"Talks are being held with Indonesia, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates," Alexander Maksichev revealed

Russia works on transforming '3+3' platform into organization — senior diplomat

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Putin slams election mudslinging against Trump’s family as 'vile'

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Russia, North Korea remain good neighbors, longtime friends — Russian defense minister

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Putin apologizes to Merkel over labrador incident

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Russian forces wipe out five ATACMS launchers using Iskander missiles

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Russia developing echeloned system for air and missile defense — expert

Alexander Stepanov pointed out that "this also applies to intermediate-range high-precision systems such as the Tomahawk and other weapons that NATO countries may provide to Ukraine"

Ukrainian media reports plant in Lvov Region destroyed

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West should read Russia's transparent nuclear doctrine carefully — top security official

"In general, the doctrine is uncomplicated, clear, and transparent," Sergey Shoigu noted

One in three relocated individuals return to Russia from Ukraine — diplomat

Maria Zakharova pointed out that the Kiev regime itself brands these figures as "terrible"

Biden unlikely to dare to seriously increase military aid to Kiev — expert

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North Korean defense minister notes extensive exchanges with Russia

No Kwang Chol expressed confidence that the official visit of the Russian Defense Minister to North Korea "marks a key moment in the exchange of valuable and constructive proposals, contributing to strengthening the defense and security capabilities of both countries and fostering friendship, cooperation, and development between their armies"