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Current account surplus down to $12.2 bln in January-March — Bank of Russia

Russia's foreign trade surplus in March 2026 increased by $1.7 billion compared to the same period last year

MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. The current account surplus in the first quarter of 2026 fell to $12.2 billion from $18.4 billion in the first quarter of 2025, according to a preliminary estimate from the Bank of Russia.

The current account surplus in March 2026 was $10.6 billion, compared to $8 billion in March 2025.

"The year-on-year increase is due equally to an increase in the trade surplus and a reduction in the primary and secondary income deficit," the regulator said in a statement.

The services balance deficit widened to $8.7 billion in February.

Russia's foreign trade surplus in March 2026 increased by $1.7 billion compared to the same period last year, reaching $14 billion, according to the Bank of Russia.

"The year-on-year increase is due to the outpacing increase in goods exports compared to imports," the Central Bank noted.

Bank of Russia purchases yuan worth $16 mln with settlements on May 15

The Central Bank also purchased yuan on the domestic market in the amount of 1.2 bln rubles with settlements on May 14

MV Hondius cruise ship arrives at port of Rotterdam — news website

Crew members and the remaining staff from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment disembarked under medical supervision

US ammunition stocks running low due to conflict with Iran — experts

Retired Major General John Ferrari did not specify which types of ammunition were running low, but he called the current situation in US arsenals "a strategic red flag"

Finland scrambles fighter jets over potential drone activity — media

According to Yle, defense forces officially confirmed that control in these areas had been tightened

Over 50 aircraft divert from Moscow airports to alternate airfields over restrictions

In addition, about 32 flights were reported to be delayed for departure by more than two hours

Six Ukrainian attacks on DPR recorded over past day

One person was reported killed and four civilians sustained wounds

International Gymnastics Federation lifts restrictions against Russian athletes

The decision applies to all five disciplines governed by the Russian Gymnastics Federation

Cuba has right to self-defense in case of US aggression — Cuban diplomat

Ernesto Soberon Guzman emphasized that Cuba has the right to legitimate self-defense, which is based on the principle of international law and the United Nations Charter

Ukraine attacking Energodar, Zaporozhye NPP site virtually continuously — plant

ZNPP Communications Director Yevgenia Yashina emphasized that there were no casualties as a result of the strikes over the weekend

Kiev actively pushing toward escalation of terrorist war — Russian Foreign Ministry

Ambassador-at-Large for the Kiev regime's crimes Rodion Miroshnik pointed to Ukraine's deliberate attacks on the civilian population and infrastructure

Russian MP warns of nuclear proliferation risk if Israel uses nukes against Iran

Alexey Pushkov noted that the question of whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will use nuclear weapons in Iran has been actively discussed on American television in recent days

Difficult to expect major peace talks under Zelensky, former Ukrainian PM says

Nikolai Azarov noted that the scenario of "Vladimir Zelensky stepping down and an interim government being formed at the helm for a transition period will be the best"

IN BRIEF: Drone attack on Moscow, surrounding region kills three people, leaves 18 injured

According to preliminary reports, three people were killed and another six suffered injuries in the Moscow Region

Drone attack on Moscow overnight into Sunday becomes largest in more than a year

Over the past 24 hours, more than 120 UAVs have been shot down

Russian forces moving in western part of Konstantinovka — DPR head

According to Denis Pushilin, fighting continues in the industrial zone and near the railway terminal

Finland to practice forcefully crossing Russian border during naval drills — expert

Alexander Stepanov warned that industrial facilities in northwestern Russia as well as taking control of Karelia may be priority objectives in the course of potential aggression against Russia

US sets Iran five conditions for continuing peace process — Fars news agency

According to the agency, the US refuses to pay any compensation for damage caused by the bombings of Iranian territory

Putin, Xi to discuss most sensitive issues of bilateral relations — Kremlin aide

Yury Ushakov said the Russian president will begin his meeting with Xi Jinping after the welcome ceremony in the Great Hall of the People

Iran believes attack on Namu ship could be false-flag operation

Esmaeil Baghaei said it is important to consider that "there are forces interested in instability in the region"

Court receives full bail amount paid for Yermak

Ukrainian journalist Mikhail Tkach said there were about 200 payments

Death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon nears 2,990 — health ministry

9,210 people being injured

Much global attention now paid to Russia-US relations — Lavrov

The Russian top diplomat briefed Equatorial Guinea’s Foreign Minister Simeon Oyono Esono Angue on the state of affairs in relations between Russia and the United States

Iranian diplomat calls on Middle East countries to learn from recent events

Esmaeil Baghaei emphasized that Iran strongly protests Middle Eastern states making their territory "available to aggressors"

Presidential Aide Ushakov to reveal details of Putin’s China visit later — Kremlin

Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that expectations from the Russian leader's upcoming visit to China are very serious

Ukrainian military drone found crashed in Lithuania — crisis management center

The drone fell near the village of Samane in Utena District Municipality in eastern Lithuania

No signal from Kiev regarding new round of talks, senior Russian diplomat says

Mikhail Galuzin noted that for successful negotiations Vladimir Zelensky will need to order the Ukrainian armed forces to cease fire and pull troops from Donbass

A 'no-money world' and things for free? Japanese billionaire views our future from space

Russia’s Battlegroup North artillery destroys over 500 Ukrainian troops in week

The platoon commander said that artillery crews of the Battlegroup North thwarted several attempts by the Ukrainian army to rotate personnel in the Sumy and Kharkov Regions, accomplishing over 350 firing missions

Yermak leaves pre-trial detention center after spending four nights there — TV

He reluctantly answered journalists’ questions and confirmed that he had been held in a paid cell

Russian air defense shoots down 1,054 Ukrainian drones, Flamingo, Neptune-MD missiles

The Black Sea Fleet destroyed six unmanned boats of Ukrainian armed forces

Leaders of Russia, China to discuss global, regional issues — Chinese diplomat

Guo Jiakun emphasized that Russia and China will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the strategic partnership and the 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation

36 Ukrainian drones taken down over Russian regions, Azov Sea in seven hours

Russian air defense systems intercepted and destroyer 36 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles over Crimea, the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Novgorod, Rostov, Smolensk, Moscow, and Krasnodar Regions, and the Azov Sea

Cuba to use its right to self-defense if attacked — Foreign Ministry

The New York Times reported on Saturday, citing sources, that the United States does not rule out capturing one of the leaders of the Cuban Revolution, Army General Raul Castro

Russia no longer looking for replacing Western products but introducing its own — PM

Mikhail Mishustin made this statement during the Digitalization of Industrial Russia conference

IN BRIEF: On consequences of Zaporozhye NPP shelling by Ukrainian military

According to Yevgenia Yashina, the Ukrainian armed forces are attempting to attack Energodar and the Zaporozhye NPP site not only to cause damage but also to exert psychological pressure on the plant's employees

China reassures US of not providing material support to Iran — official

According to Greer, the United States is not seeking "to have joint military options with the Chinese" in the Strait of Hormuz

Kremlin hopes Ukraine peace process will resume

Dmitry Peskov said the process is currently on hold

Kiev loses over 6,500 soldiers, mercenaries in special op zone over week — military expert

Ukrainian armed formations suffered the heaviest losses in the area of responsibility of Russia's Battlegroup Center

More than half of Russian companies already implementing AI — PM

The integration of AI-based components into automated design and manufacturing management platforms is becoming standard, Mikhail Mishustin noted

Sarmat needs no advertising, no one else has analogues — Russian deputy foreign minister

This system allows guaranteed penetration of both existing and any missile defense systems still in the development phase, Sergey Ryabkov said

US leader holds national security team meeting on Iran — CNN

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has prepared military target plans should the US leader decide to resume the hostilities against the Islamic Republic

US pushing forward bill imposing sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil

US Senator Lindsay Graham said this would give President Donald Trump another powerful tool to lead on the world stage

IOC should allow all world's athletes to compete — Russian lawmaker

The IOC press office said earlier in the day that the organization must take into account the present-day political context, but does not take sides in global conflicts, as that falls outside its intended mission

Drone attacks on Moscow leave 12 people injured — mayor

Sergey Sobyanin added that three residential buildings had been damaged

Press review: Russia not done building nuke triad and Trump taps Xi to help with Iran

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, May 14th

Russian troops deliver massive overnight strike on Ukrainian military-industrial sites

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,075 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hours

US Congress unlikely to approve more military aid for Kiev — lawmaker

Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Brian Mast also emphasized that Washington’s European allies should increase their support for Kiev

Kiev forces lost over 1,100 troops in 24 hours across all special military operation zone

In the Battlegroup North zone, the enemy lost up to 155 soldiers

German politics centered on image of Russia as an enemy — expert

According to Reiner Braun, Russia possesses the potential of a great power

Russian scientists peek into skull of Earth’s top predator from 250 million years ago

The Garjainia reptile genus that inhabited the Earth approximately 250 million years ago, was an archosaur - the ancestor of the dinosaurs

Iranian military ready to unveil 'new surprises' to the enemy — Foreign Ministry spokesman

Esmail Baghaei said that Tehran is fully prepared for any contingency

One civilian killed, four wounded in Ukraine’s attacks on DPR during day

Apart from that, according to Pushilin, two civilian infrastructure facilities, two cars, and two trucks were damaged

Iran wants to strike deal, but its proposals are irrelevant — Trump

The US president previously urged Iran to act quickly on the potential deal, noting that time is of the essence

Pakistan conveys Iran's revised proposal to US — media

According to the source, both sides "keep changing their goalposts"

Global energy crisis over Middle East conflict enters new phase

Around 80 countries have introduced emergency measures to shield their economies

Russian embassy receives many requests from Transnistria for citizenship

The admission procedure in accordance with the decree will be launched upon completion of the necessary technical approvals

Russia ready to send tourists into space

Russia's Glavkosmos provides orbital flights on board the Soyuz spacecraft, with docking at the International Space Station

Russian physicists divide magnetic vortices into collectivists and individualists

Studying the behavior of skyrmions will help to create unique quantum devices based on new physical principles

UAE reserves right to respond to attack on Barakah NPP’s generator — top diplomat

According to the WAM news agency, the top UAE diplomat "strongly condemned the terror attack" when a drone struck a generator outside the Barakah NPP’s inner perimeter causing fire to it

Zaporozhye NPP, Energodar see increased Ukrainian troop activity during weekend

According to ZNPP Communications Director Yevgenia Yashina, the Ukranian attacks continue around the clock, with both artillery threats and drone activity

Press review: US, Israel preparing new strikes against Iran as Ukraine mum on Russia talks

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, May 18th

Zaporozhye NPP, Energodar under repeated attack over past day — Rosatom CEO

According to Alexey Likhachev, the Ukrainian troops attack civilian buses used by the plant’s employees, and residential houses

Soyuz MS-18 landing scheduled for October 17 — cosmonaut

Two crew members will stay in the orbit longer than scheduled due to Russia’s plans to shoot the first movie in space aboard the statio

Naval blockade unlikely to undermine Iran’s economy, envoy says

Alireza Sanei noted that Iran shares borders with 15 countries, including Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Armenia

US agrees to suspend Iranian oil sanctions during talks — Tasnim

The source noted that Tehran, for its part, insists on lifting all the restrictions

Expectations from Putin’s visit to China and Zelensky’s remarks: Kremlin's briefing

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that any contacts between President Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping help create new momentum for the further development and expansion of relations between Moscow and Beijing

German expert sees EU weakening on a scale unimaginable five years ago

"In response to this weakening, there's a perceived need to fight adversaries like Russia and China, to regain lost ground," Reiner Braun said

Russia has completely switched to its own software in oil, gas sector — PM

Mikhail Mishustin added that domestic software accounts for more than 90% in transport sector

Iranian issue, Eurovision criteria and Anchorage’s six-month anniversary: Lavrov’s remarks

The Russian foreign minister stressed that Moscow is not trying to intrude into the negotiation process between Washington and Tehran, wishing this process every success

Israel stepping up fight against FPV drones, analyzing Ukraine conflict experience — PM

Touching upon the issue of the use of drones during a war cabinet meeting, he recalled that six year ago he had warned about this threat

Iran guarantees safe passage through Hormuz Strait for all vessels after end of war — MFA

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that complete cessation of hostilities is the only solution

Belarus kicks off military exercise to practice nuclear weapons use — top brass

According to the statement, a key feature of the exercise is to check the preparedness of troops for accomplishing the tasks of combat use from unprepared areas across the entire territory of the republic

Zaporozhye NPP’s Raduga substation attacked by Ukrainian drone

Apart from that, according to the ZNPP, Ukrainian troops also attacked the facility’s transport shop, damaging its roof and personnel buses

Political relations between Russia, China spearheaded by two leaders, senior official says

Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev also added that it is impossible not to say that these relations are built between specific people

Putin's test for Europe, Nazi revival, US-China relations: Lavrov's statements

Russia will not be drawn into any triangulation attempts by the US to pit Moscow and Beijing against one another, the Russian foreign minister said

Chinese embassy condemns planned trip by Canadian MP to Taiwan

A certain Canadian MP's visit to the Taiwan region and his meetings with officials of the Taiwan region authorities gravely contravene the one-China commitment Canada upholds and send a wrong message of support for 'Taiwan independence', the Chinese embassy said

Ukrainian attack on Belgorod Region leaves two dead, two wounded

According to the regional emergency response center, one man is currently in intensive care at Borisovsky Central District Hospital

Trump warns Iran of harder strikes than before if there is no deal

Earlie on Sunday, the US president urged urged Iran to act faster to move to a potential deal

US has no good options left to end Iran conflict — ex-ambassador to Israel

Dan Shapiro noted that the US leader continued to toggle back and forth between the same unappealing options

Ten-point plan for talks with US is 'red line' for Iran — lawmaker

Mohammad Saleh Jokar, Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Interior Affairs Committee, noted that Iran "never trusted the US," and his country has no other option but to "become stronger"

Sweatshirts with Putin's quotes turn into top sellers at Harbin expo

Besides clothing, high-quality Russian handicrafts are generating immense interest among Expo visitors

Senior Russian official sees prospects for cooperation in energy, agriculture with China

Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev highlighted tourism as yet another promising sphere

Iran ready to hand over enriched uranium to Russia instead of US — Al Hadath

The required conditions were not specified in the media report

Brent futures on ICE climb above $110 per barrel for first time since May 5

By 1:20 a.m. Moscow time, Brent pared gains to trade at $110.40 per barrel

Kremlin views discussions on dialogue with Russia in Europe as positive thing

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that "the shift in thinking that ‘at some point we’ll have to talk to the Russians,’ that’s a good thing"

Libya sends message to both friends, foes with major military exercise — general

According to the report, over 25,000 troops are participating in the exercises under the command of Marshal Khalifa Haftar

Bushehr NPP project concerns only Russia and Iran — Lavrov

Russia's position is that "the project is being implemented, and additional power units are being constructed," the foreign minister stressed

Iranian national football team to take part in 2026 FIFA World Cup — Foreign Ministry

According to the statement, the decision was made based on the evaluation of the Iranian Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Iranian Football Federation

Putin holds phone conversation with Kazakh President Tokayev — Kremlin

The two leaders discussed current matters pertaining to the preparations for Vladimir Putin's upcoming state visit to Astana and the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council to be held there

Iran continues dialogue with Oman on security in Hormuz Strait — Foreign Ministry

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stressed that Tehran was in constant contact other stakeholders to develop a mechanism to ensure safe passage for all nations

Iran to stand firm on its demands to US — president

Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized that Tehran is conducting negotiations with honor

Press review: Putin V-Day speech gives life to Ukraine peace and Iran's new superweapon

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, May 12th

Israel build two covert bases in Iraq for Iran war — media

According to The New York Times, Israel began preparations to build one of the bases in late 2024

New phase of crisis, oil price at $111 per barrel: situation on energy markets

The global energy crisis caused by the Middle East conflict is entering a new phase as the summer season approaches

UAE defense ministry investigating drone attack on generator near Barakah NPP

Abu Dhabi authorities reported earlier in the day that a fire broke out following a drone strike on a generator near the Barakah NPP

Cuban diplomat rejects allegations that Cuba poses threat to US national security

Earlier, the news portal said, citing classified intelligence data, that Cuba had allegedly purchased more than 300 combat drones and was looking at using them against the US base in Guantanamo

Kallas would face difficult time as negotiator with Russia, Kremlin spokesman says

EU foreign policy chief won't have an easy time, Dmitry Peskov said

US needs stability on Taiwan issue — trade representative

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the Kuomintang’s remaining forces headed by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) were defeated in the Chinese Civil War and took refuge on the island

Zelensky becomes ‘inconvenience’, setting stage for his removal — expert

Viktor Medvedchuk recalled that Vladimir Zelensky's name had repeatedly popped up in corruption investigations

Iran calls on Saudi Arabia to ‘eject’ US troops from region

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that Iran respects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and considers it a brotherly nation

Skydweller drone completes record 8-day flight before coming down in Gulf of Mexico

The solar-powered UAV performed reconnaissance and surveillance missions as part of the US Navy’s annual Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) 2026 exercise