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Oil refining depth in Russia reach 84.2% in 2025 — Energy Ministry

The light oil products yield gained 10 percentage points over that period and totaled 65.8%

MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. The oil refining depth in Russia gained 13.7 percentage points by the end of 2025 as compared to the year of 2011 and reached 84.2%, department director at the Russian Energy Ministry Anton Rubtsov said.

The light oil products yield gained 10 percentage points over that period and totaled 65.8%, the official said.

"The refining depth amounted to 84.2% as of 2025 year-end. This is plus 13.7 percentage points against 2011. This is a very good indicator. The light oil products yield was 65.8% in 2025. This is almost 10 percentage points of growth against 2011 actuals," Rubtsov noted.

Process underway in the industry are being implemented with consideration of import phaseout tasks, he added.

Air France extends suspension of flights to Israel, Lebanon by April 4

Flights to Dubai and Riyadh are suspended until April 1

Trump expects progress on halting hostilities with Iran within five days — TV

According to CNBC, the US leader also said that he considers a "regime change" in Iran to have already occurred

Slovenia’s opposition Democratic Party narrowly winning parliamentary elections

The ruling Freedom Movement of Prime Minister Robert Golob is coming second with 28.2% of votes

Gold price falls below $4,450 per troy ounce, first time since February 2, 2026

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Situation in Strait of Hormuz to normalize when conflict over Iran ends — Russian MFA

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said Everything that is happening in the Strait of Hormuz is a direct consequence of this illegal campaign

Iran accuses US of hiding true death toll from aggression against republic

According to the spokesman for the Iranian Khatam-al Anbiya headquarters, Washington is staging a media circus

Japan’s Nikkei index falls by 3.55% at Tokyo market open

Local analysts note that the continuing escalation in the Middle East remains the dominant factor behind the decline in stock prices

US military denies downing of F-15 fighter jet by Iran

The Iranian army said earlier in the day that an F-15 fighter jet had been attacked and shot down near Hormuz Island off Iran’s southern coast

Russia’s Battlegroup North destroys over 1,000 Ukrainian targets over past week

Troops carried out precision strikes on UAV control centers, ammunition and fuel and lubricant storage depots, river crossing sites, and command posts

Iran ready to allow Japanese ships to pass through Strait of Hormuz — foreign minister

Abbas Araghchi says that the strait is open

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Iran has no tankers at sea, no surplus of oil to export — ministry

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Russian air defenses down over 70 UAVs over Leningrad Region — governor

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Some NATO countries working on measures to ensure security in Strait of Hormuz — Rutte

He also said that he maintains contacts with US leader Donald Trump, despite his criticism of NATO

Ukrainian forces strike Miratorg facility in Bryansk Region, two employees injured

Operational and emergency services are working at the scene, regional Governor Alexander Bogomaz said

Iran in no talks with US — media

According to the source, US President Donald Trump decided not to strike Iranian infrastructure because "Iran's military threats have become more convincing"

US diplomat says Pentagon preparing scenarios of deploying troops to Iran

US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mike Waltz refuted medial allegations about failures in the Pentagon’s military planning as "fake CNN reports"

Russia prioritizes strengthening relations with India — Lavrov

According to the top Russian diplomat, "New Delhi deserves the deepest respect for pursuing an independent foreign policy as part of its course toward strategic autonomy, consistently prioritizing the national interest"

Russia, Vietnam sign agreement on nuclear plant construction

Prime Ministers of Russia and Vietnam Mikhail Mishustin and Pham Minh Chinh took part in the document signing ceremony, as well as CEO of the Russian state nuclear corporation Alexey Likhachev

Iranian authorities announce arrest of group cooperating with Israel

The police also said that the identification and arrest of agents and traitors is ongoing

US eyes taking over Strait of Hormuz as final Iran 'endgame' move — media

Such an operation may last "at least weeks," the newspaper reports

Situation at Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran difficult, but manageable — Likhachev

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The president said that Russia needs to return to a path of sustainable economic growth

Iran not to blame for Middle East conflict — Omani top diplomat

Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi said that Oman is working intensively to put in place safe passage arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz

More US troops dissatisfied with prospects of war with Iran — HuffPost

Military personnel, in particular, believe that a poorly planned operation exposes them to unnecessary danger without any visible strategic benefit

Number of people injured in shelling of Israel’s Arad increases to 88

Ten of them are in the grave condition

Strait of Hormuz closed only for those who violate Iran’s borders — president

The illusion of erasing Iran from the map shows desperation against the will of a history-making nation, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said

Moscow Military District receives new remote-controlled machine gun modules

The Trufel module is designed for remote operation of heavy machine guns and allows for real-time target observation and accurate fire at ranges of up to 2 km

Trump slams Democratic Party as America’s "greatest enemy"

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Israeli army shells southern Lebanon with phosphorus munitions — TV

According to the TV channel, phosphorus shells fell in nearby areas of Alma ash-Shaab and Ad-Doueir, sparking fires in rural areas

Fire in port of Primorsk, 249 UAVs: aftermath of attack on Russian regions

An apartment was damaged as a result of drone fragments hitting a multi-story building in the Tver Region

Israeli airbase on Mount Meron attacked by Hezbollah

The base on Mount Meron in Upper Galilee has been attacked by kamikaze drones at least four times

Ukrainian embassies recruit Latin American mercenaries for Kiev's army — ex-officer

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Iran retains drone production capacity despite US, Israeli strikes — expert

Gary Samore, however, doubts that Iran is still able to produce larger, longer-range ballistic missiles because the US and Israel have destroyed or disabled known production facilities

Proposals on Middle East de-escalation must be addressed to US — Iranian Foreign Ministry

According to the statement, Iran is not the side that started that war

Brent prices plummeting amid Trump’s statements on talks with Iran

Brent prices lost 14.43% to $96 per barrel first time since March 12, 2026

Russian envoy conveys Putin’s condolences at funeral of Georgian patriarch

Ilia II died on the evening of March 17 at a Tbilisi hospital at the age of 93

AfD leaders calls for ending conflict in Ukraine through diplomacy

According to the AfD leader, a realistic variant of a peace agreement should include security guarantees for both parties, as well as the lifting of sanctions, and the establishment of an international fund to restore territories affected by the conflict

Gold futures falls below $4,200 per troy ounce first time since December 9, 2025 — Comex

By 09:48 a.m. Moscow time, gold price was down 8.88%, trading at $4,168.6 per ounce

Sustainable economic growth in Russia must occur with slowing inflation — Putin

"It's not easy, of course, but we must strive for it," the Russian president added

Trump hopes for regime change in Iran

The American leader talked about Venezuela and stressed that the US were very successful there

Three people killed in fire in central Moscow

Four others were injured

Iran confirms attack on Diego Garcia island with ballistic missiles

According to its information, this launch demonstrates a "significant step" in the confrontation with the United States

Putin congratulates Kim Jong Un on his re-election

The Russian president stressed that Moscow highly values Kim’s personal contribution to strengthening bilateral ties

Iranian army delivers drone strike on Israel’s Ben Gurion airport — media

The Iranian attack largely involved Arash-2 drones that are an advanced and more destructive version of Kian and Arash-1 unmanned aerial vehicles

Russia hopes to resume cooperation within Russia-India-China framework — ambassador

Denis Alipov noted that the similarity of Russia and India’s approaches to the regional and international agenda, as well as their pursuit of foreign policy interests in mutual support, is underpinned by traditionally close bilateral cooperation

Tourist bus plunges off cliff in Peru, nine people killed

According to the report, 15 people were injured

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Ukraine loses 1,275 troops over past 24 hours — Russian Defense Ministry

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French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that the tanker was part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet

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Airspace of Bahrain and Kuwait to remain closed for 24th consecutive day

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Israeli top brass approves plan of ground operations in Lebanon — IDF

The operation against the Hezbollah terrorist organization has only begun, Eyal Zamir said

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US has no good options regarding Iran — The Economist

To almost everyone else it is clear that America entered this war with a "flawed strategy," the article said

Ukraine’s security chief Umerov says progress made in talks with United States

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One person killed in attack on Radio Center in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran

Another person was injured, Iranian state television reported

Consequences of US-Israeli aggression against Iran to last for long time — Lavrov

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Missile launched from Iran toward Israel may have landed in Lebanon — Ynet

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Top Hungarian diplomat’s phone tapped by Ukrainian intelligence — Orban

Peter Szijjarto said he was shocked to learn that his phone was bugged based on a tip from a Hungarian journalist

Fuel tank fire being extinguished at Primorsk port in Leningrad Region

Personnel have been evacuated, regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko said

Russia’s air defenses down 526 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over past 24 hours

The Defense Ministry reported that artillery units of Russia’s Battlegroup North destroyed over 1,000 Ukrainian targets in the Kharkov and Sumy Regions over the past week

Iran to respond asymmetrically to threats against energy infrastructure

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Iran denies possessing intercontinental ballistic missiles — diplomat

According to Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, the world has grown thoroughly exhausted with such tired and discredited ‘false flag’ storylines

Press review: Washington plans Iran ground move as oil surge adds $41.5B to Russia

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Ukraine’s population down to 20 mln people by 2025 — British journalist

Will Lloyd says that in 2014, the population was estimated at "just over 40 million"

Standoff with Israel enters new phase after attack against Dimona

Speaker of the Parliament of Iran Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also emphasized that the Israeli airspace is not protected

Many areas of Cuba remain without electricity for a second day after power grid failure

On March 21, Cuba’s national electric power system collapsed

Kremlin Spokesman’s words of energy crisis in Europe resonate with Europeans — news portal

Dmitry Peskov said on March 20 that the EU member-countries continue "shooting in the leg of their voters" by rejecting Russian energy resources

US administration starts discussing opportunity of peace talks with Iran — Axios

Washington expects that combat operations will last for two - three weeks more

Conflicting reports on talks, pause in strikes on energy sites: statements from Iran, US

TASS has compiled the main statements by the parties

Consultations between the US, Ukraine dedicated to settlement issues — special envoy

Steve Witkoff stressed that the delegations held constructive meetings

Preps for Putin’s visit to China, new Ukraine talks: MFA statements

According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, Moscow is ready for negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement, but no specific dates have been determined yet

Ukrainian forces shell DPR settlements four times over past day

Nine residential buildings and five civilian infrastructure facilities were damaged

Russia says silence on Arctic Metagaz attack makes Europe accomplice to Kiev's outrages

No European nation has condemned such actions of its Ukrainian wards, the statement says

Israel’s air defenses cannot withstand massive Iranian strikes — La Repubblica

Military observer Gianluca Di Feo said that eighty missiles were used to repel the first wave of Iran’s retaliatory strike, with another 50 or so used during the conflict last June

Russia sends signals to US about danger of strikes on Iran’s Bushehr NPP — Kremlin

On March 21, US President Trump announced that the United States would destroy a number of Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened to navigation within 48 hours

UAE fighter jets intercept cruise missiles launched by Iran — Defense Ministry

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Kiev needs to sign ‘capitulation documents’ to end Ukraine conflict — Russian MFA

Maria Zakharova stressed that any conflict was concluded by an agreement

Kiev loses 8,500 troops, mercenaries in special op zone over one week — military expert

Andrey Marochko added that during this period, Russian forces destroyed more than 720 enemy combat vehicles

Ukrainian people can emerge from geopolitical slaughter only with Russia — expert

Viktor Medvedchuk believes that Ukraine’s neutrality will not be tolerated in the West, and therefore all talk "of some kind of neutrality criminally delays this process"

Bosnian Serb leader says plans to attend Victory Parade in Moscow

Milorad Dodik attended celebrations of the 80th anniversary of VE-Day in Moscow in 2025

Russia’s carrier rocket with Progress MS-33 resupply ship launches to orbital outpost

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FACTBOX: Gasoline price surge, other key details on global market situation

Chinese authorities have announced a rise in retail prices for gasoline and diesel fuel within the country

Russia maintains constant contact with IAEA over Bushehr NPP situation — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov added that Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev has repeatedly made serious statements regarding the strikes that have already been carried out

Top Iranian diplomat demands US, Israel compensate for damage to Iranian nuclear sites

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EU last in line for Russian energy supplies — Putin’s envoy

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