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Bank of Russia lowers dollar rate to 86.63 rubles for February 26

The Central Bank said last June that it would fix official dollar and euro rates against the ruble on the basis of reports of banks on results of transactions in the over-the-counter currency market

MOSCOW, February 25. /TASS/. The Bank of Russia set the official dollar rate at 86.6318 rubles for February 26, down 1.57 rubles against the previous indicator.

The official euro rate was reduced by 1.58 rubles to 90.9403 rubles. The official yuan rate is fixed at 11.8002 rubles, down twenty-six kopecks.

The Central Bank said last June that it would fix official dollar and euro rates against the ruble on the basis of reports of banks on results of transactions in the over-the-counter currency market.

Anti-Russian sanctions

Fridman’s access to assets in EU remains limited despite removal of sanctions - Bloomberg

Mikhail Fridman’s main assets in the EU include a 37.9% stake in LetterOne, a Luxembourg-headquartered multinational investment firm, according to the agency

Putin shown unmanned tanks based on T-72 in Chelyabinsk Region

The tanks are equipped with two different combat modules – a tank-type module and a BMPT-type module

Putin meets with foreign military attaches

The Russian president visited the Chebarkul training ground in the Chelyabinsk Region, where he observed a phase of the Center-2026 strategic command-and-staff exercises

Over 2,000 soldiers with special op experience involved in Center-2026 drills

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov said the drills also involve more than 780 students of military academies who gained a vast expertise while deploying and commanding units

Russian strikes undermine production of military products in Ukraine — State Duma deputy

Leonid Ivlev said Russia had many times warned that retaliatory strikes would be launched against Ukraine's infrastructure facilities

Russian stocks close in the red on Friday

Freedom Global expects the MOEX Index to trade within the 2,250-2,350 point range on Monday

Japan sanctions Russian companies, individuals

Restrictive measures were for the first time introduced in respect of 35 ships that may be associated with Moscow, in the opinion of Tokyo

US Coast Guard reports seizing two vessels carrying fuel to Cuba

The US considers the vessels part of a shadow fleet but did not specify their ownership

Heavy duty: famous Russian Kamaz trucks

40 years ago, the first Kamaz truck was launched

Drones connection to ERA-GLONASS system may help to ease flight restrictions

"Such transparency is precisely what is needed for a gradual transition from case-by-case permits and restrictions to broader industrial applications of drones," Maxim Chizhov said

Robotic systems actively used in CSTO Echelon 2026 exercise

In one of the areas, service members used the Bogomol-7 ground robotic system, designed to deliver cargo and evacuate damaged all-terrain vehicles

Shnaider joins compatriot Andreeva in Round 3 of 2026 China Open

The 11th-seeded Russian, who is playing under a neutral status at the tournament, outpaced her unseeded Indonesian rival 6-0; 6-4

Su-30SM2 fighter jets, Su-24M bombers conduct exercise near Kaliningrad

The pilots surveyed the area, performed flights to the designated sector, and conducted precision bombing runs on full-scale targets using OFAB-250ShN high-explosive fragmentation bombs

G7 countries agree not to restrict energy exports

The decision comes amid a sharp rise in prices and high volatility in oil markets

Two-year boy injured after drone detonation in Belgorod Region

The child was taken to a hospital, the local crisis response center said

Bank of Russia raises dollar exchange rate to 83.48 rubles for October 3-5

The official euro exchange rate has been lowered by 20.51 kopecks to 94.3201 rubles

Ukrainian army reinforcing positions in Orekhov with Colombians — Russian defense source

The source noted that the heavy casualties among Latin American mercenaries in the Orekhov area are directly linked to this

Sanctions prevent Russian diesel fuel from flowing to global markets

The head of state assured that Russia has enough diesel fuel

Belarus’ refusal to stab Russians in the back, gratitude to Trump: Lukashenko’s statements

The Belarusian president stressed that Minsk will always remain committed to a common course with Moscow

Rada urges concessions on NATO, language, faith to secure peace with Russia

According to Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexey Goncharenko, Kiev should "send a signal" to Moscow that it is willing to discuss Ukraine’s neutral status to launch a peaceful dialogue

US extends deadline for MOL, NIS, Gazprom Neft talks by another month

MOL announced that the negotiation deadline has been extended until October 30

West views Ukraine as expendable in effort to harm Russia — Duma lawmaker

Brussels considers this strategy toward Ukraine an acceptable price for advancing its own interests, Alexander Boroday said

Zhanna Nemtsova added to Russian register of foreign agents

Rustam Khuazhev, a member of the presidium of the League of Free Nations, and the information resource Reanimation were also added to the register

Troop grouping completes main stage of Center-2026 drills by defeating enemy

The total number of troops at the Chebarkul training ground exceeds 6,000 military personnel

Russia’s grain harvest projected at 140 mln tons in 2026

Last year, Russia’s grain harvest amounted to over 144 mln tons

Russia rejects accusations in UN OHCHR report on violence in Ukraine — ambassador

Rodion Miroshnik noted that outrageous accusations are made based on interviews with alleged victims whose existence cannot be confirmed

Fire in 18th century mansion in St. Petersburg put out

Open fire was put out at 10:45 p.m. Thursday GMT

Russia may restart diesel fuel exports in case of overproduction — Novak

The deputy prime minister said that Russia will not accumulate too much fuel because it will lead to a decline in refining and output of other products

Situation in Europe so critical that it is being ‘eaten alive’ — Trump

The US president made the statement while addressing his supporters in Texas

Ukrainians tired of Zelensky’s PR built on their blood — former spokeswoman

According to Yulia Mendel, Ukrainians are also tired of the laundering of Western aid

Fridman’s access to assets in EU remains limited despite removal of sanctions - Bloomberg

Mikhail Fridman’s main assets in the EU include a 37.9% stake in LetterOne, a Luxembourg-headquartered multinational investment firm, according to the agency

Russia’s friendly nations are strong, while US allies show weakness, says Iranian expert

Amir Musawi noted that "Russia's allies should be proud to be friends with that country"

North Korea rejects military sovereignty talks with South — Kim Yo-Jong

The department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea slammed Seoul’s proposal to hold talks on establishing a military demarcation line as "an illusion unworthy of a response and unilateral whining"

Situation in CSTO’s area of responsibility currently deteriorating — secretary general

Taalatbek Masadykov added that conflict potential is rising in CSTO border regions

Putin estimates damage from strikes against Russian refineries at 1% of GDP

The Russian leader said the strikes were launched deliberately

Putin says Ukraine lost elements of statehood

The Russian president added that Ukraine is being controlled from outside

Russia welcomes US troop withdrawal from Iraq — diplomat

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Iraqi army and law enforcement can now strengthen the country’s defense capabilities and ensure national security on their own

Russia’s state demand for civilian UAV systems in 2026 worth 7 billion rubles — ministry

The Ministry of Industry and Trade added that the UAV-based services market in 2025 was worth over 26 billion rubles, with a demand for over 5,000 drones

TASS source refutes media allegations about prisoner riot in train car near Vladikavkaz

One of the convicts attacked an officer in a train car and killed him, the official explained

China’s resort city of Sanya develops new marine tourism system

Sanya’s tourism sector has started using its resources more efficiently thanks to the introduction of innovations and better service quality

Center-2026 drill being held at ten training grounds — deputy defense minister

Yunus-Bek Yevkurov noted that the distinctive features of operations at the Chebarkul training ground include the wide use of unmanned aerial vehicles

Putin says EU countries may 'collapse on their own' due to economic mistakes

The Russian president also pointed out that all problems stem from the economy and cited assessments of the economic conditions of Western countries

Flydubai suspends flights to Tel Aviv at authorities’ request — CEO

Ghaith Al Ghaith confirmed that all 172 passengers and crew members aboard flight FZ 1073, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, are safe

Iran considers banning Israeli, hostile nations’ ships from Strait of Hormuz

Vessels from other, non-hostile states would be required to obtain special transit permits from the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces under regulations set out in the proposed legislation

US military transport aircraft sends out distress signal over Canada

According to the source, the aircraft took off from Reykjavik

Service support for Mercedes cars in Russia continues without latest update

Shipments of parts will resume as soon as the dealer gets consent from the government commission for the deal and finalizes it, the Avtodom CEO Andrey Olkhovsky said

No one has weapons of destruction like Russia — Putin

The head of state stressed that it is Russia's competitive advantage

US-Russia relations may enter 'abnormal' phase after Trump — US journalist

Christopher Helali is not sure that the parties will be able to normalize relations

Prisoner killed while trying to escape from train near Vladikavkaz

A spokesman for the law enforcement agencies said that reports about a riot are not true

Finance ministry expects budget revenues from dividends at $10 bln in 2027

This year’s revenues from dividends are expected at $9.7 bln

China-US relations enter new historical stage — Xi Jinping

The Chinese president also said that China and the US should seek a new approach to building relations between the two great powers

Russia uses new domestic-made navigation systems in special military operation — expert

According to Dmitry Kuzyakin, the main advantage of Russian solutions is the software

Kiev sacrifices entire generations for illusion of victory — Zelensky’s former spokeswoman

According to Yulia Mendel, Ukrainians have grown "tired of militarization" and of "Ukraine’s autocratic system"

Russian-US economic cooperation to overcome Biden’s short-sightedness — envoy

Earlier, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev continues to discuss prospects for resuming bilateral economic cooperation

Russian forces disabling rather than fully destroying Ukrainian bridges — expert

According to Boris Rozhin, an expert at the Center for Information and Geopolitical Research, Ukrainian bridges have sufficient structural strength because they were built back in the Soviet era

FACTBOX: What we know about Russian strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure

Authorities in the Ukrainian capital closed three bridges across the Dnieper river to traffic

Heads of government of EAEU countries discuss trade, agriculture development

The Eurasian Intergovernmental Council greenlighted the forecast for the development of the agriculture sector

Russia prioritizes deeper allied ties with EAEU members — prime minister

According to Mikhail Mishustin, Moscow intends to continue doing everything possible to promote integration across the Eurasian space

Hungary will not supply arms to Ukraine to preserve peace at home — MFA

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar and Foreign Minister Anita Orban have repeatedly said that the country’s new government will neither supply weapons to Ukraine nor allow Hungarian trops to be sent there

Moscow format participants to discuss situation between Afghanistan, Pakistan

The meeting will bring together special representatives and senior officials from Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia

Troop strength at Center-2026 exercises totals 6,000 men — Russian defense minister

Representatives from nearly 60 countries, along with forces and equipment from the CSTO collective security system, are taking part in the exercises

EU fully rejects ban on diesel exports that would undermine trust in US

European Commission representative Anna-Kaisa Itkonen confirmed that the EC was coordinating a plan to use diesel from European strategic reserves with the International Energy Agency and the G7

Soviet Union’s collapse is tragedy for tens of millions — Putin

Russia has been through a complicated path of fundamental transformations and this process is ongoing, said russian leader

Live-fire exercise at naval target performed during Center-2026 drills

According to the drills’ scenario, a simulated enemy attempted to seize a section of the coastline and launch an offensive

Japan to purchase Ukrainian drones on trial basis — Kyodo

Tokyo plans to assess the capabilities of the UAVs

Gas pipeline from Russia through Mongolia to China project of millennium — PM

This refers to the 'western route' called Power of Siberia 2, which involves the construction of a gas pipeline to China from already developed and promising deposits in Western Siberia through the territory of Mongolia

Trans-Caspian Corridor sea freight exceeds 4.5 mln metric tons in seven months

According to Bakytzhan Sagintayev, the heads of government discussed the development of transport infrastructure along the east-west and north-south routes, including in conjunction with China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Center-2026 drills conducted in accordance with Russian military training plan — Putin

The Russian president noted that the drills are linked to the Interaction-2026 command-and-staff exercise, which is taking place within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization

G7 to release 100 mln barrels of diesel, other reserves

G7 countries also agreed to coordinate maintenance schedules across refineries to prevent simultaneous capacity shutdowns and temporarily increase utilization rates where feasible

Signal 2.0 perimeter surveillance system is deployed in Zaporozhye front of special op

"The Signal 2.0 mobile system is designed for the rapid deployment of security systems at technically unprepared front lines and temporary facilities," Igor Potapov said

Putin observes Center-2026 exercises

The exercises are aimed at improving the practical skills of the command staff and headquarters of the formations in managing troop groupings

German authorities launch re-privatization of former Gazprom subsidiary — newspaper

SEFE is valued at around 6 bln euro, Börsen-Zeitung said

Special military op’s experience used during Center-2026 drills — Putin

The Russian president said that new weapons and vehicles are used during the drills

US incursion in Iraq entailed decades of instability in entire region — Russian diplomat

The 12-year-long presence of the so-called anti-ISIS international coalition in Iraq ended on September 12, Maria Zakharova said

Russia open to dialogue on Black Sea security with all countries — Kremlin spokesman

Dmitry Peskov added that Moscow is not engaged in any concrete talks on bilateral agreements

Russia’s Wealth Fund to be replenished with additional oil and gas revenues in 2027-2029

In addition, setting the overall federal budget parameters and sources of deficit financing in accordance with the fiscal rules will help keep the debt burden at a sustainable level

Bank of Russia lowers dollar rate to 86.63 rubles for February 26

The Central Bank said last June that it would fix official dollar and euro rates against the ruble on the basis of reports of banks on results of transactions in the over-the-counter currency market

Russia tests several new ground robotic systems at Center-2026 drills

Chelnok ground-based drones of increased cross-country capability and carrying capacity were also involved in the drills

Investigative Committee holds senior Ukrainian officials responsible for attacks on Russia

According to the IC, their criminal actions caused mass civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure

Kismet Capital Group Holding acquires 100% of Avito from Naspers for $2.4 bln — company

Avito is the most visited classifieds platform globally

Russia’s Kub loitering munition tested in mountainous terrain — Kalashnikov

The munitions were launched at altitudes exceeding 1,500 meters

Damage to refineries decreasing — Novak

The government promptly took a wide range of measures to saturate the domestic market with fuel, the Russian deputy prime minister added

Merz accuses Russia of revisionism, not knowing meaning of word — diplomat

Russia stands "against Nazism, fascism, colonialism, racism, terrorism and dictatorship," Maria Zakharova stressed

Currently 7,000 US military personnel stationed in Poland — Polish Defense Ministry

Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk avoided giving a direct answer to the journalist’s question about whether the number of US troops in the country would return to 10,000

New world’s conflicts, chaos, West’s attempts to destroy Russia: Putin’s speech

The Russian president says the world needs to think about what should be done to avoid the most catastrophic scenarios, in which humanity could slide to the brink of survival

Western countries draw up plans to relocate embassies from Kiev — The Guardian

According to the sources, the diplomatic missions could relocate to Lvov or eastern Poland

Press review: NATO escalates Russia tensions as Putin's envoy, economy minister visit US

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, October 2nd

IN BRIEF: Japan introduces package of anti-Russian sanctions

Restrictive measures were for the first time introduced in respect of 35 ships

NATO to operate weapons slated for Kiev over lack of time to train Ukraine troops — LPR

On January 19, the White House released a memorandum signed by US President Joe Biden on the allocation of another $2.5 billion military aid package for Ukraine

Russia completes several projects for development of North-South corridor — prime minister

Mikhail Mishustin said that checkpoints along its western route had been reconstructed, and dredging works on the Volga-Caspian Canal had been carried out

Turkey has deferred $600 mln gas payment to Russia until 2024 — Reuters

"Officially a payment worth $600 million has been postponed to next year. The increase in energy prices had a huge impact on this," one of the sources told Reuters

Russian troops liberate 17 communities in Ukraine operation over week — top brass

Russia’s Battlegroup North thwarted all the Ukrainian army’s attempts during the past week to break out of the encirclement in the northeast of the Kharkov Region, the Defense Ministry reported

Active phase of CSTO drills over in Russia

All components of the CSTO’s Rapid Reaction Force demonstrated coordinated actions at the Chebarkul training ground during a joint operation to contain a border armed conflict

Kiev begins to close all bridges during air raid alerts — media report

Footage published by the outlet shows long traffic jams already forming on the bridges

Iskander-M, Tornado-S crews launch coordinated missile strike against 'enemy'

Orlan-30 drone crews provided target reconnaissance and strike adjustments, the Russian Defense Ministry reported

Attempts to turn Alyoshki into Bucha 2.0, military targets in Europe: new MFA briefing

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that European plants manufacturing weapons for Ukraine are potential military targets for Russia

Houthis report new Saudi strikes on Sana’a, other provinces

No information on casualties or damage is available at this point

Su-57 aircraft provides cover for helicopters during strike on UAV control post

The crews of Ka-52 helicopters launched a strike with light multi-purpose guided missiles against an enemy UAV control point exposed by reconnaissance means at the Chebarkul training ground as part of the Center-2026 exercises

Covert strike behind enemy lines with underground routes practiced at Center-2026 drills

The assault groups carried out a covert advance along the water supply line and through a pre-prepared underground passage to the rear of the enemy’s stronghold, the Russian Defense Ministry reported

Latest ground-based complex with LMUR missiles deployed during Center-2026 drills

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the ground-based missile system is designed for high-precision destruction of important stationary and moving targets at a range of up to 20 kilometers