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Russia’s energy consumption rises by 5.78% in 2024

According to Evgeny Grabchak, the forecast for energy consumption growth at the end of the year remains at 1.5%

MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. Electricity consumption in Russia since the beginning of March 2024 increased by 4.27% excluding the temperature factor and by 5.78% - since the beginning of the year, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Energy Evgeny Grabchak told reporters.

"From the beginning of the month the it is 4.27%, from the beginning of the year - 5.78%, we are seeing positive figures [without taking into account the temperature factor]," he said.

According to the deputy minister, the forecast for energy consumption growth at the end of the year remains at 1.5%.

Grabchak said earlier that this year an additional increase in energy consumption could come from launching large industrial projects, especially in the Far East, but most of the launches are planned for the second half of the year.

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"Certain communication is maintained between the defense ministers, in the four-lateral format," Alexander Lavrentyev said

Attempts being made to drag Syria into armed confrontation in Middle East — diplomat

According to Alexander Lavrentyev, the top priority today is to prevent such attempts

Bank of Russia sets dollar rate at 98.37 rubles for November 14

The official yuan rate is fixed at 13.60 rubles

Russian forces strike Ukrainian military airfields, energy sites over past day

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Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, the enemy lost more than 450 troops, two tanks, three IFVs, two M113 armored personnel carriers, 33 armored combat vehicles, five artillery pieces, including a Krab self-propelled howitzer, a Crotale multiple rocket launcher, and 49 motor vehicles

Chancellor Scholz opposes assistance to Ukraine at expense of Germany’s future

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US State Department insists DPRK troops engaged in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region

Patel also insisted that "Russian forces have trained the DPRK soldiers in artillery, in UAV, and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, which are critical skills for frontline operations"

Iraqi Shiites say they attacked ‘vital targets’ in Israel

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Venues for intra-Syrian talks offered by Oman, Egypt, Iraq — Russian diplomat

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Bulgarian president calls for using all diplomatic opportunities to end Ukraine conflict

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Scholz calls for doing everything to prevent escalation of Ukraine conflict

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DPR head Pushilin visits Ugledar, says town badly destroyed

Denis Pushilin added that "it is almost impossible to find an undamaged building"

Russian delegation at COP29 in Baku is first carbon-neutral

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There is chance to stop war in Middle East under Trump — Russian diplomat

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Baltic Sea will never turn into 'NATO lake' — Russian MFA

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Detentions, blocking of roads: what is known about situation in Abkhazia

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Ukrainian forces ready to withdraw from Kurakhovo, but no order yet — serviceman

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54 countries vote against resolution on combating ne-Nazism

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US missile defense base in Poland to defend US, Europe alike — Polish foreign minister

Radoslaw Sikorski also expressed hope that the base will never go into action

Medvedev characterizes Great Britain as eternal adversary of Russia

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Russia to ensure parity in response to US missile defense system in Poland — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov emphasized that by placing the missile defense system in Poland, the United States is bringing its military infrastructure closer to Russia in an attempt to curb its potential

Russia elected to UN Committee for Program and Coordination

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Russia keeps positive dynamics of agricultural production — ministry

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Russian Battlegroup North artillery units hit Ukrainian weapons, manpower in Kursk Region

"Crews of D-30 122mm howitzers of the Battlegroup North’s artillery unit struck Ukrainian artillery and mortar systems and manpower in a Kursk Region’s border area," the Russian defense ministry said

Finnish government requests EU sanctions exemption for Russian owners of sports arena

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Russia has written off $20 bln worth of African debts — MFA

Mikhail Bogdanov added that it allows using those debts "to implement socio-economic projects directly in the country"

Borrell calls on EU to play ‘military role’

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Nearly 4,000 people cross into Syria from Lebanon in past day — Russian military

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ISS orbit raised by almost 5 km before launch of Progress MS-29 spacecraft — Roscosmos

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Trump 'demonstrates affinity' for Russian President Vladimir Putin — newspaper

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Man who died in blast in Brasilia tried to carry bomb into court building

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Russian Su-34 bomber strikes Ukrainian troops in borderline Kursk area

Russian tactical aircraft pilots conduct sorties at any time of day or night in any weather conditions, using various armament

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At least ten Ukrainian troops were killed

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Russia open for contacts with Trumps’ team on Syria — Russian diplomat

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Kiev's Western allies begin to acknowledge need for territorial concessions — report

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Russia keeps building defense capacity despite conflict in Ukraine — Polish general

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Ukrainian artillery attack on Energodar, home to Zaporozhye nuke plant, kills one

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Russian troops liberate Rovnopol community in Donbass region over past day

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Trump’s return to power unlikely to change US approach to Ukraine crisis — Lavrov

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Russia supports new UNSC draft resolution on Gaza — envoy

Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya noted that Resolution 2735 was only a tool to gain time for Israel

Trump to rely on forces that brought him to power — Russian presidential aide

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People evacuated from Brazil’s Supreme Court after blast nearby — agency

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Israel delivering strikes on refugee camps in Gaza — TV

At least ten people have been killed, Al Jazeera reported

US plans to remove 'arrogant' Zelensky and stage 2025 elections in Ukraine — SVR

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Scholz promises to transfer sixth IRIS-T system to Kiev by yearend

Ukraine and Germany also discussed further defense cooperation

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Lukashenko tells Putin situation is "starting to get tense with Wagner"

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Russian diplomat hails Odessa woman as defender of truth after flag protest

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Trump plans to appoint special envoy on Ukraine to hold peace talks with Russia — TV

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US views Russia as present-day threat, Trump may prioritize containing China — Lavrov

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Russia set to deepen cooperation with China in law enforcement — top security official

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First S-550 air defense systems enter service in Russia — source

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Russian citizenship approvals down 44% since January — ministry

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Ukraine moves medics, non-combat personnel to infantry to counter Russian advance

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Next-gen Su-57 shows strength of Russia’s defense sector — diplomat

Maria Zakharova pointed out that military experts had praised the "unmatched capabilities" the plane displayed at the Airshow China in Zhuhai

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Russia says its FPV drones disrupted Ukrainian troops rotation in Sumy Region

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