{{dayPoint.date | date : 'd MMMM yyyy'}}

{{newsPoint.title}}

{{newsPoint.title+ ' '}}

{{newsPoint.subtitle}}

An-26 crash site discovered, 29 passengers, crew members died

Contact with the plane was lost during a routine flight over Crimea on March 31

© Sergey Malgavko/TASS

MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/. The crash site of the An-26 military transport aircraft has been found with 29 people dead, including 23 passengers and six crew members, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

Contact with the An-26 military transport aircraft was lost during a routine flight over Crimea at about 6:00 p.m. Moscow time (3:00 p.m. GMT) on March 31.

"A search and rescue team has located the crash site of the An-26 aircraft. According to reports from the scene, six crew members and 23 passengers on board died," the ministry said.

Missing An-26 aircraft crashes into cliff — source

Technical malfunction is the preliminary cause of the crash

US armed forces destroy Iranian weapons depots in Isfahan — Pentagon chief

Pete Hegseth also added that over the past night, the US Air Force carried out about 200 so-called dynamic strikes, where the pilots "get a new target set based on real time intel given to them"

Russia needs lasting peace in Ukraine instead of ceasefire — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov also said that Vladimir Zelensky’s Easter ceasefire proposal did not actually represent a clear initiative

About 417,000 Russians have signed military service contracts — Medvedev

Additionally, more than 36,000 have voluntarily joined units dispatched to the zone of the special military operation, the politician stated

Press review: US nears Iran ground invasion as Ukraine hits Russia with Flamingo missiles

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, March 30th

Japan deploys new weapons, gaining retaliatory strike capability for first time

According to the Japanese Defense Ministry, the country has deployed Type 12 land-based cruise missiles with a range of over 1,000 kilometers at two bases of its Ground Self-Defense Force

US intends to create global energy crisis with attacks on Iran — expert

Dmitry Kuzyakin noted that earlier media reports indicated that the Pentagon had begun preparations for the operation dubbed "Final Blow"

Russia alarmed by Trump's 'military adventures' — deputy foreign minister

Mikhail Galuzin noted that international relations keep turning more chaotic and less stable

Russia, China, other BRICS, SCO members facing aggressive opposition — Lavrov

The top Russian diplomat emphasized that what is currently happening on the world stage "shows signs of developing into an increasingly large-scale conflict"

Russian citizens wishing to return home via Azerbaijan leave Iran — envoy

Alexey Dedov noted that foreign nationals need a special code to cross Azerbaijan’s border

Iranian filmmaker Majidi suggests that MFA demand US extradite Pahlavi

Majid Majidi is considered one of the most authoritative and well-known filmmakers in Iran

US Secretary of State asks G7 to participate in international mission in Strait of Hormuz

According to the source, Marco Rubio still indicated that the US does not need G7 assistance in opening the strait

Pentagon says US military begins flying B-52 bomber missions over Iran

According to Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, the use of this type of aircraft allows to switch towards more dynamic targets

Iran seeks complete end to Middle East war rather than ceasefire — top diplomat

Abbas Araghchi added that Iran’s conditions include guarantees that aggression will not recur

Saudi Arabia has two weeks to avoid cutting oil output — FT

According to the publication, major producing countries in the Gulf must resume exports before their oil storage facilities are full

War with Iran ‘coming to an end,’ Trump says

The US president added: "We’re doing great"

Russia open to dialogue with West but refuses to 'chase anyone' — top diplomat

As Sergey Lavrov stressed, "the door is open to those willing to set aside their whims and clearly state what they propose"

US Navy aircraft carriers withdraw 1,000 km from Iranian shores — IRGC Deputy Commander

The most vulnerable point for the US is its ships, Major General Ali Fadavi stressed

Wintershall Dea CEO: Oil prices may fall if OPEC+ countries restore production

In general, Mehren agreed that the market is under pressure due to geopolitical disputes

Moscow sees record-breakingly hot and sunny, yet unusually dry March — scientists

According to data from the Moscow State University Meteorological Observatory, the average monthly air temperature was 5.7 degrees last month

Cuba thanks Russia for valuable cargo amid energy difficulties — minister

Earlier, Russia’s Transport Ministry said the Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin carrying 100,000 tonnes of oil as humanitarian cargo had arrived in Cuba

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threaten to attack US tech firms in Mideast

According to the statement, the US companies in the sphere of information technology and artificial intelligence are a key element in working out and tracking targets for the attacks

Netanyahu says Iran spent nearly $1 trillion on military programs

The Israeli prime minister reiterated that Tehran planned to destroy Israel, "take over the Middle East, and threaten the entire world"

Oil supplies to Europe, Asia fell by 40% due to Iranian crisis — Russian Security Council

According to Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council Alexander Venediktov, the consequences of the crisis in the Middle East have already been felt in virtually every country in the world

Old world order coming apart, ceasefire in Iran: Lavrov’s statements

Russia’s top diplomat stressed that Moscow calls for an immediate end to US and Israeli aggression against Iran, described the use of military force against civilians and civilian infrastructure as unacceptable

Ukraine plans to build nuclear fuel production facility

The plant will use technologies developed by US Westinghouse

France, Romania take up duty in Lithuania as part of NATO’s Baltic air security mission

The French contingent arrived with four Dassault Rafale fighter jets, while the Romanian contingent brought six F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters

India boosts imports of Russian oil including spot orders — Russian MFA

As Andrey Rudenko noted, "many countries need oil right now"

Russian troops liberate Malaya Korchakovka community in Sumy Region over past day

According to the latest figures, the Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,260 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hours

IN BRIEF: Putin urges to use modern digital solutions for transport

The Russian leader launched the robotic trucks traffic over the M-12 route linking Moscow and Kazan

Russia ready to facilitate resolution of Middle East conflict — ambassador to Iran

Alexey Dedov said that Moscow advocates an immediate cessation of hostilities by the parties to the conflict and the adoption of comprehensive measures to ensure the safety of civilians and civilian infrastructure in all Middle Eastern countries

Russia’s MiG-31 fighter scrambled to intercept Norwegian spy plane over Barents Sea

The Russian fighter’s crew identified the air target as a Norwegian Air Force Falcon 20 radio-technical reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft

Russia demands investigation into Israeli strike that injured RT crew in Lebanon

Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said the deliberate strike hit right next to where they were filming, with no military facilities anywhere in the vicinity, which can be seen clearly from the footage of ammunition explosions shot by the crew’s cameraman

Musk claims Trump would not have won presidency without him

The world's richest man couldn't contain his animus in responding to Trump's remarks that he was "disappointed" in him

Russian stock market closes in the red on Tuesday

The yuan edged down by one kopeck to 11.74 rubles

Hezbollah launches over 50 projectiles, drones at northern Israel

According to the movement, the targets were attacked with "a barrage of advanced missiles and a swarm of attack drones"

Russia will continue to upgrade transport infrastructure — Putin

The President noted that Russia possessed colossal logistics and transit potential

Iraq detains one of suspects in kidnapping of US journalist — Interior Ministry

The suspect carried an ID card of an employee of a private security firm

King of Jordan refuses to meet with Netanyahu — media

The purpose of the meeting was to make it clear to the United States that Israel and Jordan are on good terms, especially after the ceasefire in Gaza

Robotic transport proved its cost efficiency — Putin

The Russia robotic truck fleet will total over 4,000 units by the end of 2030, the president said

IRGC says about 200 US troops killed, wounded in attack on airbase in Saudi Arabia

According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the majority of those killed and wounded are fighter pilots

Kremlin sees intel agency’s report of France’s plans to send troops to Ukraine as alarming

Dmitry Peskov said that Russia's troops keep hearing foreign speech over the radio along the line of contact

Russia discovered new lithium reserves first time in more than two decades — Deputy PM

Booked reserves amount to 3.5 mln metric tons of lithium oxide, which is sufficient to meet needs of the Russian economy, the Ministry of Natural Resources said

Russian embassy looks into possible departure of nonessential staff from Ukraine

Earlier, the US, Australia, the UK, Germany, Canada, and Japan said they were evacuating some of their envoys and their families from Ukraine

Attacks damage WHO office in Tehran, leaving no casualties — WHO chief

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that such attacks "cannot be tolerated and must be avoided at all costs"

Russian ambassador says which countries work hard for resolving Iranian crisis

Alexey Dedov stressed that Russia welcomes the efforts of third countries to end destructive military actions

Lukoil discovers seven new oil and gas fields in Russia

The success rate of exploration drilling increased from 81% to 85%

Brent prices in the red on ICE — market data

WTI futures for May 2026 delivery lost 0.55%

Russian embassy in Tehran operating as usual, undamaged — ambassador

However, Alexey Dedov added that the Russian Consulate General in Isfahan was damaged

Over 20 countries refuse to support UN Human Rights Council’s resolution on Ukraine

Four countries voted against the document and 18 abstained from voting

Negotiations on Ukraine "on pause" — Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Galuzin

The official says that Russia has always been and remains open to political and diplomatic resolution of the Ukrainian conflict

Israel, US carry out strikes on 24 pharmaceutical industry facilities — Iranian minister

The official said that medical equipment production and supply chains have been seriously damaged

Iranian Interior Minister Momeni thanks Russia, other allies for humanitarian aid

Eskandar Momeni called these actions a manifestation of solidarity and cooperation between friendly countries

IRGC deputy commander blames US for blocking global access to Strait of Hormuz

General Ali Fadavi said that Washington miscalculated and set goals that were supposed to be achieved within three to five days, but it failed to achieve any of them

Donbass Dome system now covers DPR areas liberated from Ukrainian forces

The system neutralized over 50,000 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles

Gulf states urge US to continue war with Iran, AP says

According to the news agency, UAE, Saudi Arabian, Kuwaiti and Bahraini officials said that they would like to continue the American-Israeli military operation until radical changes take place in the leadership of the Islamic Republic

Russia may ban import of fish products from Faroe Islands — watchdog

It is reported that the growing potential of production capacity indicates that there are no prerequisites for a decrease in the production of frozen fish

Russian expert warns of 'underwater front' as Ukraine deploys submersible drones

According to Alexander Stepanov, the Black Sea could serve as a primary testing ground for such systems, "with the subsequent implementation of this sabotage tactic against both the fleet and underwater infrastructure"

US sends third aircraft carrier strike group to Middle East — newspaper

The redeployment is taking place as US President Donald Trump is mulling further military options against Iran

Iranian military urges US to abandon plans to control Strait of Hormuz

This strategic mistake by the American and Zionist enemies of Islamic Iran has humiliated them and set them on a path to destruction, Ibrahim Zolfaghari, representative of the Iranian Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said

An-26 crash site discovered, 29 passengers, crew members died

Contact with the plane was lost during a routine flight over Crimea on March 31

Trump does not link end of war with Iran with opening of Hormuz — WSJ

The American authorities believe that restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz will mean a six-week operation against Iran, the newspaper said

Gold futures top $4,650 per troy ounce for first time since March 20, 2026

Silver futures for delivery in May 2026 were at $74.23 per troy ounce

Moscow Military District to receive TOS-1A, TOS-2 heavy flamethrower systems in 2026

According to the military district’s press office, formations and military units of the Moscow Military District are currently equipped with up-to-date weaponry

Russia not going to tolerate interception of its tankers by France — OSCE envoy

Commenting on the incident, Dmitry Polyansky noted that "all this falls in line with blatant broader lawlessness currently unfolding"

Strait of Hormuz closure halts 50% of global fertilizer exports — Russian Security Council

Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council Alexander Venediktov said the logistics and trade-economic architecture, as well as global energy and food security, are on the brink of collapse

Mojtaba Khamenei currently in Iran — Russian ambassador to Tehran

Alexey Dedov reported that he has not yet talked with the new Supreme Leader of Iran

Kherson governor says it’s Russia, not Ukraine, that controls skies in the region

Vladimir Saldo noted that the situation in Kherson remains dire for residents

Russian troops liberate two communities in Ukraine operation over past day — top brass

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 190 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported

Zelensky offers Easter ceasefire to rotate Ukrainian troops on front lines — expert

"As experience has shown, such initiatives from the Ukrainian side are primarily aimed at addressing their own local military and logistical needs," Alexander Mikhailov said

Missing An-26 aircraft crashes into cliff — source

Technical malfunction is the preliminary cause of the crash

Houthis threaten to block Bab el-Mandeb Strait, bring oil prices to $200 per barrel

According to Mohammed Mansour, deputy information minister in the Houthi government, it will strangle the European economy

Former NATO AF personnel incur losses in Russian strikes on Ukrainian airfields — expert

Boris Rozhin said that strikes on airfields like Starokonstantinov or Knatovo are carried out quite regularly

Skorlupa uncrewed boats deployed to special military op zone — Ushkuynik Center

Scenarios for the new reserve system’s use are currently being developed

Russian envoy describes strikes on Iranian nuke plant as 'playing with fire'

Alexey Dedov pointed out that three such incidents had taken place

Venezuelan politician praises delivery of humanitarian aid from Russia to Cuba

Vice president of the We Can party Willian Rodríguez emphasized that "Russia is again giving the world a lesson in solidarity by risking sending a tanker with oil as humanitarian aid to Cuba during the blockade of the island"

Contact with An-26 aircraft lost over Crimea

Search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the scene of a potential incident

US not even considering operation to seize Iran’s nuclear materials — Trump

Previously, the US government had not ruled out attempting to seize these materials

Russia says not to supply oil to countries that support price cap

Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko stressed that official appeals from foreign countries will be subjected to careful consideration

Press review: Espionage scandals strain Russia-UK ties as G7 moves to curb oil prices

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, March 31st

Japan’s newly deployed missiles primarily aim to threaten China — expert

Alexander Stepanov said that Tokyo is gradually transitioning from self-defense forces to a tool for military power projection

US, Israel launch second strike on Iranian steel plant — news agency

According to Tasnim, the plant is owned by Mobarakeh Steel

Two Russian women freed from scam call centers in Myanmar — embassy

Both women are currently under the protection of embassy staff and are awaiting deportation to Thailand for further repatriation, the statement reads

First flight of Russia's heavy UAV Okhotnik planned for July-August — source

A source in the aircraft manufacturing industry said that the first flight of the Okhotnik UAV will be performed at the aerodrome of the Novosibirsk Aircraft Plant

Russia responds to Western hostility in challenging circumstances — Patrushev

According to the Russian presidential aide, the aggressive actions of the United States seeking to maintain its dominance in strategically important areas of the World Ocean had a serious destabilizing effect on the global agenda

UK announces shortlist for International Booker Prize

The books are Shida Bazar’s 'The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran' and Daniel Kehlmann’s 'The Director'

Russian security services analyzing Ukrainian drones shot down over DPR

Arina Klepanova, spokesperson for the regional Federal Security Service Directorate, emphasized that most of the drones launched over the region were produced in NATO countries

Iran urges Caspian nations to take clear stance on Israeli attacks on coastal areas

The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued the statement following Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s phone call with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov

Errol Musk says he believes Lavrov’s explanation of special military op reasons

Errol Musk mentioned that he had spoken with Sergey Lavrov about Donbass

NATO short on air defense systems — Russian law enforcement agencies

The source reported that the US asked Poland to supply Patriot air defense systems, but Polish National Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Warsaw does not intend to transfer its weapons to the US side

US, Israeli strikes damage over 39,500 civilian facilities in Tehran, says official

Fatemeh Mohajerani said that 105,325 civilian sites were attacked, including 83,351 residential buildings and 21,059 commercial properties

Bank of Russia set dollar rate at 81.25 rubles for April 1

The official euro rate was lowered by 16.3 kopecks to 93.2739 rubles

Russia, Mali football teams play to scoreless draw in St. Petersburg

A failed penalty by Russia’s Ivan Oblyakov was the highlight of the match

RDIF CEO derides EU for infighting, says focus should be on solving energy problems

Kirill Dmitriev said that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk "will soon be busy explaining to his people why his Russophobic policies ensured that they have no fuel, no gas"

Death toll from fire in Russia’s Tatarstan Republic rises to three

Emergency services said that search operations are being conducted for six people who are missing in connection with the fire at the Nizhnekamskneftekhim enterprise

Russia ready to supply fertilizers, agricultural products to Global South and East

Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Alexander Venediktov added that Moscow is prepared "to stand for the right to multilateral interaction," developing such formats as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the CIS and others

Special operation rapidly drives Russia’s Geran UAVs upgrade — expert

Earlier, media reports indicated that a new version of the Geran-class drones is capable of dropping mines deep behind the Ukrainian lines

EU calls Ukraine’s move to hold up inspection of Druzhba 'an enigma'

The EU diplomats dismissed Kiev’s attempts to block an inspection as "not smart" enough and "unclear"

Fire in Nizhnekamsk became one of the largest in many years

According to the latest data, 72 people were injured

Ukraine sends Israel extradition request for Mindich, Tsukerman

The text of the request was prepared by the Prosecutor General’s Office, together with Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau

Brent prices soar by more than 40% in March 2026

WTI futures with the settlement in May 2026 rose to $101.38 per barrel in the period