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Banking regulation measures not designed to solve monetary policy tasks — Bank of Russia

However, the Central Bank takes into account decisions in the sphere of banking regulation when deciding on the monetary policy, regulator's chief Elvira Nabiullina noted

MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. The Bank of Russia does not see an instrument to solve monetary policy tasks in banking regulations and the key rate exists to do so, Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina said at the press conference after the regulator’s Board meeting.

"Measures of banking regulation are not intended for solving tasks of the monetary policy; the key rate is for them," she said.

However, the Central Bank takes into account decisions in the sphere of banking regulation when deciding on the monetary policy, Nabiullina noted. The Central Bank raises requirements to capital and liquidity of banks to avoid accumulation of risks, she said. "This policy will continue to increase stability of the banking sector and it will not depend on the key rate level," the official added.

PREVIEW: Putin expected to unveil several transport facilities

According to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin has several closed-door meetings slated for December 22

Russia has confidence in its weapons, senior diplomat says

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also stressed that the recent developments had shown that the US policy of establishing a system of increasingly layered missile defenses was wrong

Airborne troops from Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr wipe out enemy position in Kherson region

A Russian airborne crew hit the target by firing a 120-mm mortar gun on a Ukrainian temporary position

Russia-US dialogue on Ukraine can be conducted on different platforms — senior diplomat

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Ukraine to halt Russian gas transit on January 1, 2025 — Ukrainian PM

The restart of transit via the Ukrainian gas transportation system is possible at a request of the European Commission if this is not Russian gas, Denis Shmygal said

Putin agrees 'Russian world' now faces war

The Russian leader also agreed with Sergey Mironov, head of the "A Just Russia - For Truth" faction in the Duma, who said that "the birth rate is insufficient, because the matter concerns extinction"

Magnitude 5.3 earthquake rocks South Africa

No injuries or damage were reported

Baltic states threaten mass deportation of Russians, take lead in Russophobia — statement

The Foreign Ministry noted that the facts of discrimination and persecution of Russians are often ignored by the official leadership of countries and international human rights agencies, leading many victims to remain silent

Aleppo taken by 350 militants while 30,000 gov’t troops retreated without fight — Putin

The Russian president recalled that no Russian land troops had been deployed to Syria, with Russia having only an airbase and a naval base

CIA station in Kiev targeted in recent Russian attack, military expert reveals

According to Alexander Stepanov, strikes are systematic efforts to gradually wipe out the military capabilities of Ukraine

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All foreign personnel of international humanitarian organizations have also left, the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang said

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Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported the fires in Solomensky and Shevchenkovsky districts

Artyom military plant reportedly on fire after explosions in Kiev

The Artyom plant is known for producing air-to-air missiles, as well as equipment for aircraft

IN BRIEF: Magdeburg Christmas market attack kills 11, injuring roughly 80 others

TASS has compiled the key facts behind the deadly attack

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Vasily Nebenzya warned as he denounced the attack as yet another unambiguous step by the Kiev regime toward escalation

Putin responds to question about Russia's weakness by quoting Mark Twain

The president noted that Russia had become much stronger over the past two or three years as it became a truly sovereign country

Ship with sailors from Syria, Egypt sends distress signal in Kerch Strait

According to the trade union, there are 16 people on board: one Egyptian citizen and 15 Syrians

Trump wants NATO countries to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP — FT

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Acting Kursk Region Governor Alexander Khinshtein said earlier that the town of Rylsk, located some 120 kilometers west of Kursk, had come under Ukrainian fire

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The US Senate and House of Representatives approved the bill a day before

Musk believes Germany’s Scholz should step down after car drives into crowd in Magdeburg

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Putin declares 2025 year of defender of Fatherland

The Russian president made the announcement at a meeting of the State Council

Novak assumes price of US LNG at least 30-40% higher than of Russian pipeline gas for EU

Russia’s Energy Minister adding that the US LNG is "uncompetitive as of today"

Russian missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov to become world’s strongest warship after upgrade

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Damage to Portuguese Embassy in Kiev caused by Ukrainian air defense — Russian diplomats

Reporters are ramping up Russophobia, distorting the facts while writing on this matter, the Russian Embassy in Portugal said

Mourhaf Abu Qasra becomes top Syrian defense official in transitional government — TV

According to Al Watan newspaper, Abu Qasra was the commander of the military wing of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement

Oreshnik’s launch is sudden, undetectable by satellites — analyst

The range of the Oreshnik system is up to 5,500 kilometers

Civilian industrial complex supplies Russian army with over 65 types of units — top brass

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov praised the new mechanisms for accelerating the introduction of advanced weapons and equipment developed by the civilian defense industrial complex in the interests of the Russian army

Google’s fines in Russia reach stratospheric levels — lawyer

Google can return to the Russian market only if it complies with the court’s decision

Almost 20 drones downed over four Russian regions, Black Sea last night

According to Russia's Defence Ministry, attempts to conduct attacks against facilities on Russian soil were thwarted

Putin meets with Federation Council Speaker Matviyenko in Kremlin

The upper chamber of the parliament wrapped up its autumn session

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Assad allegedly hands list of military targets over to Israel before leaving Syria — media

According to the Turkish newspaper, the former Syrian president did it to ensure his own safety

Russia to retaliate against Ukrainian strikes, just as Putin said — Kremlin

"Russia’s position is well known, it was voiced by Putin back in St. Petersburg," Dmitry Peskov stressed

Drone attack triggers fire at fuel infrastructure facility in Russia’s Oryol Region

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German chancellor exasperated by idea of spending frozen Russian assets to help Kiev

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Hungarian PM highlights need to lift sanctions on Russia once Ukraine conflict is resolved

Viktor Obran added, however, that only a couple of EU countries shared Hungary’s position

Syria's new authorities appoint Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister

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Russia to invite World War II allies to next year’s Victory Day parade

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the comment following a statement on the subject by Vladimir Putin

Putin suggests Zelensky may flee abroad, says Russia would take him in

"But he will be taken care of by those people whose interests he is serving now," the Russian leader said

Zelensky actually flips the bird to Trump by insulting Putin, Medvedev says

The politician emphasized that "the president of a major country should be extremely polite and amiable"

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Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that the rhetoric about "inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia" is firmly rooted in the mentality of the NATO regimes not at all as hypothetical assumptions

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"The ongoing situation with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a gross violation of human rights, religious freedoms," the Russian President noted

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Russia is at war not only with Ukraine, but with collective West — Shoigu

Russian Defense Minister stressed that Ukraine had almost run out of its own weapons of Soviet manufacture

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Russia’s first two helicopter carriers to be laid down in Crimea in spring 2020 — sources

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TASS has gathered the main information about the incident

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According to Alexander Khinshtein, repair teams are working at the site

Ukraine's refusal to transit Russian gas will hit EU economies hard — French expert

According to Jacques Sapir, the decision not to extend transit contracts was no surprise given the political landscape

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"The enemy lost up to 285 troops, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, a D-30 122 mm howitzer, a US-made M119 105 mm howitzers and five field ammunition depots," the ministry added

Civilian manufacturers ramp up drone production to 40,000 units per month

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Trump appoints TV producer Burnett as special envoy to UK

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NATO prepares for war with Russia, Moscow takes these risks into account — senior diplomat

According to Alexander Grushko, NATO's general course poses a danger both to Russia and to the entire architecture of global and regional security

Russian forces control more than half of Chasov Yar in DPR — expert

Andrey Marochko noted that Russian forces had "slightly advanced" in the northern and southern parts of Chasov Yar

Banks find opportunity to work under sanctions — Central Bank chief

It does not mean there will be no such risks in the future but it is very important in this regard for the financial stable to remain stable, Elvira Nabiullina said

Kremlin mum on reports about Slovakian prime minister's plans to visit Moscow

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said earlier that the Slovak prime minister intended to hold talks with Putin on December 23 amid Vladimir Zelensky's refusal to extend gas transit through Ukraine

Kiev takes out its anger for military defeats on Russian people — diplomat

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also emphasized that Moscow is outraged by the hypocritical silence of the West and its media on the terrorist attacks in Russia

PREVIEW: Putin expected to unveil several transport facilities

According to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin has several closed-door meetings slated for December 22

Key rate, inflation and criticism of Central Bank: statements by regulator’s chief

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Ukrainian troops struggling to escape being trapped in Lozovaya in Kharkov region — expert

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Oreshnik test launch forces London to take a step back — Russian ambassador

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Russian troops liberate 10 communities in Donbass region over week — top brass

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 3,610 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed six enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the week

Turkish president calls on West to stop Israel in Syria before it’s too late

"All international mechanisms need to be effectively employed in order to prevent Israel from exploiting the situation in Syria," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said

Putin grants Russian citizenship to Italian opera icon Giancarlo del Monaco

Over the course of his career, del Monaco has directed more than 100 operas in major theaters around the world

Slovak PM to visit Moscow for talks with Putin, Serbian president says

"Robert Fico will travel to visit Putin as a European countries leader," Aleksandar Vucic said

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Admiral Alexander Moiseyev noted that the construction of nuclear submarines is Sevmash’s main purpose, which is performs successfully

Perm sub with Tsirkon hypersonic missiles to enter service with Russian Navy in 2026

Test launches of the Tsirkon missiles from the Project 885 Sverodvinsk submarine were conducted in the White Sea on October 4, 2022

Russia manages situation in Ukraine, while West in big trouble — US political scientist

According to John Mearsheimer, Russia has become much stronger over the past two to three years because it has managed to become "a truly sovereign country"

Yemeni capital city subjected to massive airstrike - TV channel

According to the Al Hadath TV channel, at least three strikes hit Ansar Allah military facilities located in Sanaa, including rebel locations

Maximal costs of Nord Stream pipeline repair to be 633 mln euro

This figure is indicated in an internal report prepared by the company, which assesses prospects of gas pipeline use in the future

Press review: South Korean president impeached as Ukraine turns to foreign mercenaries

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, December 16th

Series of explosions rock central Kiev — eyewitnesses

Earlier, Ukrainian media reported about explosions in the capital, and local authorities informed about the work of air defenses

Moscow lets US media freely work in Russia, despite opposite situation in US, Putin says

The Russian President stressed that, judging by the questions coming from the Western media as well as those who pay their salaries in the US, there is a clear desire to portray Russia as being in bad shape

Ukrainian shelling of Russia’s Rylsk damages 12 buildings — governor

Three of them are not subject to restoration, Alexander Khinshtein said

Three of eight drones that attacked Kazan targeted defense industry facilities — head

The Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov also noted that all operational services worked well when dealing with the aftermath of the drone attack

Russian cancer vaccine to be free of charge — top oncologist

It is planned to launch it in general circulation in early 2025

Yemen’s Houthis announce hypersonic missile strike at military facility near Tel Aviv

Israel’s Ynet media outlet reports that at least 30 people suffered injuries after a missile fired from Yemen fell in central Israel

Eight people killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza Strip — TV

According to Al Jazeera, Israeli forces shelled a residential building in Deir al-Balah and a downtown Khan Yunis

Russia set to establish naval logistics base in Sudan

The Russian Navy’s logistics base in Sudan is expected to embrace the coastal, water and mooring areas

Magdeburg attacker may be charged with murder of 5, attempted murder of 205 — prosecutor

The motive for committing the crime could have been dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany, Dr. Horst Nopens, Head of the Magdeburg Public Prosecutor’s office, said

Brazil unveils BRICS logo for 2025

The emblem is based on the kapok tree growing in the Amazon, painted in the colors of the national flags of the community's states

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

Press review: Putin outlines Russia's future goals and Tehran faces energy blackout riots

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, December 20th

Russia’s international reserves up by $3.8 bln to $618.2 bln over week — Central Bank

Russia’s international reserves are highly liquid foreign assets available with the Bank of Russia and the Russian government

Scholz, German Interior Minister booed during visit to terrorist attack site — newspaper

A protest broke out during the chancellor's and minister's visit, with demonstrators whistling and shouting "Get out!"

US defense companies capitalize the most on Ukraine conflict — Russia’s UN envoy

Vasily Nebenzya referred to data from the SIPRI which put last year’s revenues from sales of arms by the world’s top 100 largest businesses in the industry at $632 billion

Gaza peace deal closer than ever, Palestinian radicals say

The document pointed out that during the talks in Cairo, representatives of the radical groups "discussed with the mediators the development of indirect negotiations [with the Israeli side] on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage exchange agreement"

Four new Russian regions moving toward self-sufficiency at a rapid pace — Putin

According to the head of state, tax revenues have seen a consistent increase in absolute figures