Russian stock market rising in early trading hours

The MOEX Russia Index added 0.04% to 2,750.03 points, while the RTS Index edged up by 0.05% to 1,090.4 points

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. The Russian stock market opens in the green, according to Moscow Exchange data.

The MOEX Russia Index added 0.04% to 2,750.03 points. The RTS Index edged up by 0.05% to 1,090.4 points.

The yuan lost 3.6 kopecks against the ruble to 11.246 rubles.

Slovakia has sufficient oil reserves after suspension of deliveries via Druzhba pipeline

Bratislava is actively monitoring developments related to the Druzhba pipeline, which has been suspended since early February

Shaidorov wins Kazakhstan’s first winter Olympic gold since 1994

Mikhail Shaidorov won the Olympic gold in men’s singles with 291.58 points

Press review: Putin and Lukashenko miss Board of Peace meeting as EU pushes nuclear talks

China’s drills off Taiwan could be reaction to passage of US, Canadian warships — report

In April 2023, China’s People’s Liberation Army staged similar live-fire exercises near the Pingtan Island following a meeting between Tsai Ing-wen, who then headed Taiwan’s administration, and then-US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California, Su Tzu-yun said

Iran to remove barriers to North-South corridor by late March — president

As part of this project, Tehran and Moscow are jointly building the Rasht-Astara railway section

Europe moves to build its own 'Oreshnik' missile

According to Vincent Pery, ArianeGroup's director of defense programs, the aerospace company is holding "preliminary discussions with several countries" about how the weapon would fit into the geopolitical context

Italian journalist says Russian citizenship will give him peace of mind

Vincenzo Lorusso clarified that his primary goal as a journalist working in Donbass is "to maintain a bridge of friendship between Italy and Russia, promoting people-to-people diplomacy"

Russia, China help create political environment for Iran-US talks — diplomat

"The focus is now on the talks that Iran is currently conducting with its partners, on the work with the Americans, which Iran is carrying out indirectly, primarily through Arab mediators," Sergey Ryabkov said

More than 650 tests made in preparations for Sarmat’s first launch

More than 20 mock-ups and 500 experimental units were developed and manufactured for testing systems

Europe should overcome reliance on US in defense — British PM

The British prime minister believes Europe should replace excessive dependence on its transatlantic partner with greater regional cooperation

Hosting nuclear weapons would be Finland's second biggest mistake — politician

A member of the Finnish national-conservative party, the Freedom Alliance, Armando Mema noted that normalizing conversations about nuclear issues in the country is becoming the new norm

German authorities must stop ‘feeding’ the Ukrainian regime — AfD leader

Alice Weidel argued that Germany should stop "feeding" the Ukrainian regime and instead pressure it into negotiations

Epstein’s files mention Zelensky in connection with human trafficking from Ukraine

Vladimir Zelensky appears in Epstein's files several dozen times, most prominently in connection with the Jean-Luc Brunel case

T-90S tanks contract with India boosts Russian tank industry revival — Rosoboronexport

The company added that India, for its part, has received advanced technologies and mastered the assembly of Russian tanks at domestic facilities

Demonstrations against security conference and arms supplies to Kiev have begun in Munich

One protest is underway at Odeonsplatz, with another scheduled to begin later at Karlsplatz

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

Russian troops also deliver seven strikes on Ukrainian military sites over week

Ukrainian vessel detained in Crimea over illegal fishing, Russia’s FSB says

The crew were fishing in Russia’s exclusive economic zone

US used Claude AI tool to capture Maduro, violating developer’s terms — WSJ

The developer Anthropic’s user guidelines prohibit the use of the technology to facilitate violence, the newspaper said

France plans to cooperate with Germany on nuclear deterrence — Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that "this dialogue is important by itself"

Russia’s T-90 tank beat out Ukraine’s T-84 for 2001 India contract — expert

According to Alexander Nozdrachev, Russia's key advantage was that it offered not just to supply tanks, but also to transfer technology

Trump says Iran not ready to practical actions for striking deal

The US leader stressed that Tehran "does a lot of talking and no action"

Dmitriev calls for cooperation to reduce risk of World War III

Thus Russian presidential envoy commented on the results of a poll among residents of the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and France who believe that World War III could begin within the next five years

Top US diplomat skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders in Munich — newspaper

One European official said that without American participation, the talks "lacked substance"

Yandex Turkiye released AI service to Turkish market

CEO of Yandex Turkiye Alexander Popovsky said that creation of local super-apps is the trend of 2026 and the largest global Big Tech companies are already experimenting in this sphere

FACTBOX: What is known about growth of Russia's foreign debt to over $60 bln

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said earlier that Russia's national debt is one of the lowest among major developed countries

So far, only Russia has allocated $1 billion to Palestine — Kremlin

"This fact is of great significance and should not be overlooked," Dmitry Peskov said

Germany’s economic losses from recent years’ crises reach nearly €1 trillion

Total losses in real GDP from 2020-2026 amount to €940 billion, the Cologne Institute for Economic Research reported

BRICS working to create precious metals exchange — Russian diplomat

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov noted that there is also an idea to create a platform designed to work in special economic zones

Putin to meet with Kameron Aug 2, to visit some Olympic events

Putin will also visit some Olympic sports events

Europe to escalate tensions if it sends troops to Ukraine — Macron

The French leader pointed out that there is no consensus on this issue

Von der Leyen sidesteps question about Rubio missing meeting with Zelensky

During a panel discussion at the conference, the moderator asked her to comment on reports of Rubio’s absence from the meeting

Press review: Ukraine seeks EU accession in 2027 and Germany urges Russian energy return

US, China, India among top three countries in AI competitiveness — Indian envoy to Russia

Stanford University's Global AI Vibrancy Tool has ranked India third in the world for AI competitiveness, behind only the US and China, and ahead of established technology leaders such as South Korea, Japan, and the UK, Vinay Kumar said

Russian envoy had ‘serious meetings’ in White House, Department of State on Il-76 tragedy

The envoy disclosed that he presented US officials with evidence confirming that the plane was downed by a US-made Patriot missile defense system

Russia’s National Wealth Fund totals $177 bln as of February 1 — Finance Ministry

The volume of the fund's liquid assets as of February 1 was $55.1 bln

Claims of Navalny's poisoning are Western propaganda hoax — Russian MFA

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has dismissed claims that blogger Alexey Navalny was poisoned with frog-derived poison

Russian embassy calls Western claims about Navalny's poisoning circus act, propaganda

The embassy further criticized the coordinated efforts of Western media outlets, political figures, and intelligence agencies, describing them as servile and complicit

Rubio reveals US negotiating lineup for talks on Ukraine in Geneva

Earlier, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that a new round of talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine would take place in Geneva on February 17-18

FACTBOX: What is known about situation around oil supplies via Druzhba pipeline

Ukraine blocked supplies of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary to create difficulties for the Hungarian government ahead of parliamentary elections, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Economic Relations Peter Szijjarto said

Press review: Epstein files hit UK government as Russia seeks role in Trump peace route

Large Flamingo missile production line destroyed in Ukraine, Zelensky admits

Vladimir Zelensky added that he could speak about this because the incident occurred some time ago

Trade growth among BRICS nations outpaces global average — senior Russian diplomat

According to Ryabkov, "this is simply an indication that BRICS - without being some kind of ‘magic wand’ - can truly help address challenges"

Russia bewildered by Baku claims of 'deliberate' Russian attacks on embassy in Kiev — MFA

The Russian Foreign Ministry reminded that the Azerbaijani side was promptly provided with necessary clarifications

US reluctant to extend New START to advance its nuclear forces — expert

According to Nikolay Shabaltas, the US insists that the treaty "must be comprehensive – not limited to Russia and the US, but include all nuclear powers"

US seeks settlement terms acceptable to both Russia, Ukraine — Rubio

We're going to continue to do everything we can to play this role of bringing this war to the end, Rubio added

MEP believes Germany ‘needs peace’ with Russia, sanctions must go

In her opinion, "sanctions should be lifted immediately"

Night Hunters and Alligators: Russian military helicopters

Best Russian military helicopters - in this photo gallery by TASS

Orban, in response to Zelensky's insult, declares that Ukraine will not join EU

At the Munich Security Conference, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Hungarian Prime Minister was "growing a belly" instead of building up his army

LPR could take up to 50 years to demine — military expert

Despite the serious and difficult situation, 100 years is too long for demining, noted Marochko

Poroshenko faction slams committee’s decision to break diplomatic relations with Russia

On March 30, the Verkhovna Rada Foreign Affairs Committee decided to support the resolution on terminating diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation

INTERVIEW: BRICS proposes alternative to systems dependent on US

BRICS was established to create, if you will, an alternative for anything that could be shut down with the push of a button, as we’ve already seen, the diplomat said

Rubio comments on statements about end of Western dominance era

Rubio added that Washington needs strong allies who are proud of their culture and heritage and are prepared to defend a shared civilization

Indonesia has vested interest in developing military cooperation with Russia — expert

"In this regard, the military training track mentioned by President Putin is of particular importance," Nikita Kuklin said

Slovakia has sufficient oil reserves after suspension of deliveries via Druzhba pipeline

Bratislava is actively monitoring developments related to the Druzhba pipeline, which has been suspended since early February

Ex-director of Kalashnikov Concern detained on power abuse charges in Moscow

According to the source, Ksenia Grashchenkova has been placed under arrest and is now in custody in a pretrial detention facility in Moscow

Ukraine may agree to withdraw from Donbass — The Atlantic

Vladimir Zelensky says basic questions in the security guarantee deal with the US "remain unsolved"

Europe forfeited seat at Ukraine talks — Russian deputy foreign minister

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin noted that this happened because of its "ideological rigidity and outright incompetence"

US prioritizes diplomatic agreement on Iran’s nuclear program — Rubio

According to him, the United States must maintain sufficient military capabilities in the Middle East to ensure that Tehran does not "come after" Washington

Zelensky's statements have long been ravings of sick person — Russian MFA

First he's urging everyone to organize the electoral process, and then in a split second he either changes his mind or postpones them, Maria Zakharova has told the media

Bank of Russia not taking part in talks on return to dollar payments for exports

Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina added that the regulator is not expecting a new inflation wave in Russia

The New Finnish Doctrine: Stupidity, Lies, Ingratitude

Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev finds historical parallels in the behavior of the current leaders of Finland and their predecessors from almost a century ago and recalls the aftermath of their aggressive attacks on Russia

At least 20 Ukrainian drones downed over Russian regions overnight

13 of them were destroyed over the Republic of Crimea

Kremlin spokesman believes world entered new era in 2014

This is when a new reality began, which necessitated "decisive measures" from Moscow, Dmitry Peskov said

Russian troops liberate Doroshovka community in Kharkov Region over past day

Russia’s Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet over the past day

With Europe’s trust in US undermined, Washington seeks to ease tensions — NYT

According to the publication, at the conference that kicked off on February 13 in Munich, the US has been making efforts at de-escalation

Massive Ukrainian drone strike on LPR causes 19 casualties

Ukrainian drones struck the village of Tsentralny in the Perevalsk Municipal District

Kremlin explains why Geneva was chosen to host next round of talks on Ukraine

Dmitry Peskov noted that everybody found it reasonable and convenient

Chisinau will continue course toward 'Romanianization' — Russian deputy foreign minister

Mikhail Galuzin expressed hope that the Moldovan people will be able to defend their identity

Most beautiful curlers at Sochi Winter Olympics

Canadian team has grabbed gold in women's curling

NATO chief says drawing down American troops in Europe to take time

In 2025, the Pentagon redeployed a brigade from the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army from Romania back to its home base

Expert calls meeting on interception Russia-related tankers piracy conspiracy

Britain is currently the headliner of this initiative, noted a military specialist at the Institute of Law and National Security of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration

Hungary refuses to give up its EU veto rights — PM

Viktor Orban emphasized that Hungary will maintain its independent position on these issues despite pressure from Brussels

Russian diplomat urges to condemn Zelensky over remarks on Russian athletes

"The moment when a supposed president of a country says something like this, thousands of international officials should shout ‘catch the nazi’ in unison, and millions of human rights advocates organize protests against neo-Nazism," Maria Zakharova said

EU countries should fear officials in Brussels, not eastern neighbors — Hungarian PM

Viktor Orban noted that the previous US administration under President Joe Biden interfered in Hungary’s internal affairs in a manner similar to the EU leadership today

Top Saudi diplomat points to breakdown of Eurocentric rules-based world order

According to Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, many countries have long been convinced that the current system of international relations "isn’t working"

No plans to transform BRICS into military bloc — Russian diplomat

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov emphasized that BRICS is not a military union and not a collective security organization and has never been planned as such

US secretary of state says India willing to halt Russian oil imports

Europe has taken its set of steps moving forward, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said

Russia pushes Ukrainian troops out of two towns in Zaporozhye Region — military expert

Andrey Marochko says that the servicemen are clearing the territories of the towns

Musk says encounter with aliens could occur during space exploration

According to the US billionaire, this will require building factories on the Moon and launching AI space exploration satellites using mass drivers

Russian figure skater Gumennik finishes sixth at Olympics

Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov won the gold

Trump calls on Zelensky to act not to miss opportunity for settlement

"Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelensky is going to have to get moving, otherwise he's going to miss a great opportunity," the US leader stated

Obama turns media into tool of left-wing propaganda — Russian envoy

Epstein was detained by New York State law enforcement on July 6, 2019

Zelensky's calls for harassing Russian athletes highlight his Nazi essence — MFA

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recalled Vladimir Zelensky's words, expressing horror at the large number of Russians at the Winter Olympics in Italy and demanding the same from other countries

Zelensky’s office confirms meeting with top US diplomat in Munich on February 14

The spokesman of the Ukrainian President Sergey Nikiforov noted that the meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference

Zaporozhye authorities welcome UN nuclear watchdog’s plans to visit NPP in Energodar

The Zaporozhye NPP is the largest in Europe and has a capacity of about 6,000 MW

US plans to introduce 133% tax on palladium imports from Russia — company

According to the statement, the US Department of Commerce has issued "a preliminary affirmative determination"

The Alexander Otrakovsky large lading ship sets Northern Fleet record in voyage duration

Destruction of Lasar Group plant deals serious blow to Ukraine's war effort — expert

According to Alexander Stepanov, the higher-ups within Lasar's Group, which has a broad network of industrial sites, has until now been "greatly favored by Kiev’s leadership, not least due to corruption-related interests"

US wants to prevent European bureaucrats from ruining Western civilization — Russian envoy

Kirill Dmitriev said that EU bureaucrats are highly focused and skilled at destroying it through false narratives, migration, warmongering, and economic decline

Russia calls to put an end to murder of Palestinians with US-made weapons — Lavrov

The Russian Foreign Minister also said that a group of countries is trying to embroil Iran into a conflict in the Middle East in an attempt to provoke a major war in the region

Number of victims of the collapse of a residential building in Mumbai ups to 10

Among them two children – a 2-month-old girl and a 6-year-old boy

Audience praises Russian figure skater Gumennik’s program at Olympics

Pyotr Gumennik scored 184.49 points for the free skate

Chinese defense official warns of hellish consequences for US’ Taiwan drone plans

"Those who are clamoring about turning other people's homes into hell should first prepare to be sent to a hell of their own," Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesman Wu Qian said

US refuses to provide security guarantees to Ukraine before peace is signed — Zelensky

Washington is opening up the red Volodymyr Zelensky to Kyiv, which wants to change the world as quickly as possible

China to become Washington’s strategic rival in this century — envoy to NATO

Matthew Whitaker also added that "it's an incredibly dangerous world right now"

US pressure on Hungary, Slovakia goes against ‘Anchorage spirit’ — Russian senator

According to Konstantin Basyuk, the energy sector is a matter of sovereign choice for states and their economic security

Russia’s inexpensive drones prove effective against Baba-Yaga copters — security source

The drones are often destroyed in such attacks, but their cost is incomparable, differing by dozens of times

Militarization to entail Japan’s crushing defeat, Chinese foreign minister warns

This will happen if Tokyo decides to use military force in the situation around Taiwan, clarified the ministry's official representative Jiang Bin

US military prepares for lengthy military operation against Iran — Reuters

Washington expects Iran’s retaliation, which may increase the risk of a regional conflict, the news agency said

Zelensky devises election manipulations in Ukraine — Russian deputy foreign minister

Mikhail Galuzin noted that Vladimir Zelensky has begun speculating about a willingness to organize elections and even a referendum on territorial issues

Expert blasts Sweden’s plans to host UK, French nukes on its soil

This reckless and largely suicidal policy course may lead to unpredictable escalation scenarios, Alexander Stepanov noted