Bank of Russia sets dollar rate at 103.95 rubles for December 13

The global prestige of Washington is steadily declining, Sergey Naryshkin emphasized

According to the source, the Ukrainian battlegroup is unsuccessfully trying to leave the power station’s premises

Blinken was then asked whether he saw any connection between the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the start of Russia’s special military operation

The politician went on to say that the topics of Ukraine and Syria were raised during his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping

Russia is ready to deal a new blow to terrorists if they again try to break peace in Syria, the president said

To celebrate the unveiling of the cover, Trump will ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday morning, according to people familiar with the plans

The politician noted that Russia had provided substantial support to the administration and government of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, recognizing the global threats posed by the potential fragmentation or disintegration of Syria, similar to what occurred in other Middle Eastern countries

Air defenses destroyed 16 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight across Russian regions, the Defense Ministry reported

According to Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, the potential strike will not make a strategic impact on the conflict in Ukraine

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, December 12th

The married couple, Artyom Dultsev and Anna Dultseva, returned home as a result of an exchange

The operation to capture Damascus had been prepared for a long time, Ahmad al-Sharaa said

Dmitry Peskov added that "now, we need to proceed based on the realities on the ground"

These countries pursue anti-Russian policies, act aggressively, and supply our enemies with weapons, Sergey Ryabkov said

Turkish President also said that he respects Germany’s former Chancellor Gerhard Schroder

It is unclear whether the Chinese leader accepted the invitation, CBS News reported

The Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated the Russian side’s commitment to a realistic resolution to the conflict, as outlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 14

First Deputy Defense Minister of Belarus Pavel Muraveiko added that only the president of Russia knows the number of Oreshnik missile systems that are supposed to be deployed in Belarus

The ceremony will take place on January 20, 2025

This is why, in President Putin’s words, Russia behaves with caution and even restraint in all areas

Petr Maresh is to "maintain close contact with the Ukrainian authorities"

According to Robert Fico, he opposes the emergence of a new "iron curtain" between Russia and Europe

Cross-party cooperation between the United Russia Party and the Communist Party of China is developing intensively, the Russian senior official pointed out

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed out that the scale of corruption between the US and Ukraine is truly astonishing

Maria Zakharova commented on reports of Chisinau signing a defense and security partnership agreement with London

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his net worth was most recently driven up by a share sale of his privately held SpaceX, which boosted his wealth by $50 billion to $439.2 billion

Peter Szijjarto added that the Russian president also clarified his position on the matter, pointing to "obstacles hindering the process" of a peaceful settlement

The delegation plans to discuss "the process of Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap negotiations"

The politician is currently having a two-day working visit to China

According to the US president-elect, such actions just escalate the conflict

The move would not affect the European portion of the loan

According to the publication, Reynders and his wife purchased pre-paid cards to top up their National Lottery player's electronic account all in cash, spending 25,000 euros per year

"The issue of military bases is a sovereign decision of the Syrian state," Mohammed Alloush stated

Sergey Ryabkov referred "not only to the authorities in Ukraine but also to those located thousands of kilometers away who are heavily involved in shaping Kiev's political agenda"

Robert Fico also emphasized that the conflict's repercussions would significantly impact Ukraine's internal stability

"There is fighting near the town hall building but Ukrainian forces still control it," the official said

In late November, armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on positions held by Syrian government forces in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 410 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and six artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported

The transfer of American-made B-61 nuclear bombs appears to be the most likely scenario, the report said

"Those who expect Russia to make concessions are either poorly informed or have a short memory," Maria Zakharova noted

The US Department of the Treasury said earlier that a $20 bln loan would be provided to Ukraine and paid in tranches

Assad’s government has lost the support of its people, and, therefore, "fell faster than expected," Syria’s new transitional Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir said

Ukraine "misuses" the agency which seeks to provide technical support to member countries, so the agency also gets engaged in issues that are outside its expertise, Mikhail Ulyanov said

Robert Fico added that the real actions of the Trump administration will differ from what the politician has previously said

According to the ministry, the Polish envoy was warned that "Belarus reserves the right to take any response measures it deems necessary."

Robert Fico pledged to support Ukraine’s move to join the European Union upon resolving the conflict

According to AFP, seven more were wounded

According to the city’s rescue service, no damage was reported in the city, and its airspace is being monitored for threats

By claiming Time’s person of the year title, Trump left behind such other contenders as billionaire Elon Musk, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Meta Corporation (banned in Russia as an extremist organization)

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also emphasized that inter-parliamentary diplomacy and the work of the countries' lawmakers greatly contribute to the growth of cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan

"Theft of Russian assets will ricochet the United States and its satellites," the Russian Foreign Ministry said

Prior, OMV received approximately 7,400 MWh per hour, corresponding to approximately 5 TWh per month, at the Austrian Slovakian border, the company added

According to Olaf Scholz, such conversations are also needed to urge the Russian leader to "withdraw troops so that a foundation for peaceful development can be established"

Russia also called on the US, the United Kingdom, and their allies to take measures to bring those responsible for the act of provocation to justice

Over the day, Ukraine lost more than 200 troops, a tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, two armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles and three mortars

The party’s ruling body said in a statement, published in its official newspaper, that "party work and activities in all forms and aspects should be paused until further notice"

Over the day, Ukraine lost more than 200 troops, a tank, three Bradley infantry fighting vehicles of US manufacture, seven motor vehicles and six mortars, with one Ukrainian serviceman surrendering as a prisoner of war

Maria Zakharova compared Maresh to an environmentalist who "claimed he would pour oil refinery waste into the sea" and to a firefighter who "promised not to stop setting fires"

Syrian armed opposition leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said he is working to "dissolve the security forces of the previous regime and close the notorious prisons"

According to Vasily Prozorov, the Orthodox Church may lose these relics permanently

In March, Bulgaria and Romania joined the Schengen area partially, as passport control was lifted at air and sea borders

Ukraine developed a major multi-phase operation to carry out the attack, Vasily Prozorov went on to say

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 515 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy ammunition depot in its area of responsibility over the past day

According to Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the response will come when and how Russia thinks fit

Travis Timmerman said that he came to Syria "for spiritual purposes" as a pilgrim

According to Robert Fico, Slovakia has no complaints with the authorities in Kiev, but Bratislava recognizes that Ukraine has fallen victim to Western ambitions to weaken Russia

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky admitted that nobody among his allies had discussed this matter in detail

The Hungarian prime minister did not specify how the peace proposal was sent to Vladimir Zelensky and, accordingly, how the response was received

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the attack as another Israeli violation of the 60-day ceasefire agreement brokered by the US and France

Mark Rutte also made it clear that military spending by NATO member states should exceed 3% of GDP

Admiral Alexander Moiseyev emphasized that the condition and combat readiness of Russia's modernized naval strategic nuclear forces are at an exceptional level

According to the captives, they were tasked with entering the outskirts of the settlement, gaining a foothold, and awaiting assault groups

According to Dmitry Medvedev, Trump’s pledges to resolve the Ukraine crisis "in a day" should be taken as election rhetoric, given the complexity of the given crisis

According to Maria Zakharova, the United States has also exacerbated the situation in Syria, deliberately imposing sanctions against the country and its people for many years

Robert Fico also expressed regret that other European Union countries were reluctant to take note of Bratislava’s stance about the need to launch negotiations

He will also visit the monument of the Communist Party of China, which opened in 2021 to commemorate the party’s 100th anniversary

"There is nothing left in the foreign policy arsenal of this group except sanctions," Sergey Ryabkov noted

The US president-elect added that if he had been still in office in 2022, the special military operation would not have started "for numerous reasons"

The junior world record holder in the 100-meter backstroke clocked the distance in 48.76 seconds to win the gold

The ATACMS missile fragments that fell on the Taganrog military airfield caused injuries among the personnel and no destruction on the ground, the Russian Defense Ministry said

Vitaly Ganchev added that Russian troops were conducting active operations across the entire Kharkov frontline

The new package adds more persons and entities to the already existing sanctions list, as well as constrains the activity of additional vessels of third states operating to contribute or support actions or policies supporting Russia’s actions against Ukraine

The US President-elect believes that even though the situation in the Middle East is also important

"This exchange is expected to take place in December on the Russian-Belarusian border or elsewhere," Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said

It is noted that Europe should play the main role in defending and supporting Ukraine

"More and more experts and scientists say that the development of the ability to reason will lead to the emergence of strong artificial intelligence," the Russian leader noted

The Senate is expected to approve the budget next week, and the document will go to US President Joe Biden for signing

The prime minister’s office stressed that Israel’s actions in the Golan Heights area were defensive in nature and stemmed from a government change in Syria

Moscow has solid evidence of the West’s aggression against Russia, which is "an extremely disturbing sign for NATO," the SVR said

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, December 10th

The Ukrainian General Staff also reported that the "situation on the frontline remains challenging," highlighting the Krasnoarmeysk, Kurakhovo, and Vremevsky areas

"It was also a signal to their European clients, who have completely lost it as well, that Russia means business," the Russian deputy foreign minister added

"We are currently witnessing the true decolonization of the Global South, which has come to see itself as a full-fledged political actor rather than a subordinate ‘backyard,’" Sergey Naryshkin noted

Hafez Assad was handed his diploma by the rector of the university, Viktor Sadovnichy, along with other Syrian students who also graduated from MSU

Slovnaft, one of the largest oil refineries in Central European countries, is located in Bratislava

Earlier, it was reported that, on Monday morning, Kiev attempted to strike the two airstrips with Soviet-made jet drones in order to disable Russian long-range aviation planes

In recent weeks, officials in the US administration have openly suggested that Ukraine should lower the draft age to bolster the frontlines

According to the sources, to this end, RFK is advocating for his daughter-in-law Amaryllis Fox Kennedy to be appointed First Deputy Director of the CIA. Axios notes that Trump feels like he owes Kennedy Jr. for helping him win the election and wants to pay him back

Viktor Orban wants to play the role of a man "who can resolve something, to make comments on something," an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, Mikhail Podolyak, said

Current Democratic US President Joe Biden will transfer power to Trump, a Republican, on January 20, 2025