Seven drones destroyed in Leningrad Region — governor

Combat operations continued at the time of the report

ST. PETERSBURG, April 5. /TASS/. Five more drones were shot down in the Leningrad Region, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said.

"Air defenses downed five more drones over the Leningrad Region. Combat operations continue," the governor wrote on Max.

Two drones were destroyed earlier in the region, the governor said.

Roof of Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School goes on fire

About 100 people have been evacuated from the military school

BRICS mulls creating form of mutual settlements similar to early EU — Sherpa

According to Sergey Ryabkov, BRICS should not create a financial and monetary alliance, but work hard to create payment and settlement systems that do not depend upon whims of the West

Lavrov slams West’s plans to send F-16s to Kiev as unacceptable escalation

The head of the Foreign Ministry drew attention to the fact that "in the political science circles of the West, there is already talk about decolonizing Russia"

Trump confirms rescue of second crewmember of fighter jet in Iran

According to the US president, the serviceman was injured

US military aircraft struck by Iran makes it to Kuwait — TV

Iran also fired at two US UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters conducting a search and rescue operation

Russia’s Kursk Region governor says measures underway to stabilize situation

According to Alexey Smirnov, additional forces and capabilities were arriving in the region

Two power plants in Kuwait damaged in Iranian attack — energy ministry

According to the ministry, desalination units have also sustained damage

Roof of Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School goes on fire

About 100 people have been evacuated from the military school

Mobilization in Russia is not on the agenda — Kremlin spokesman

Earlier, State Duma member Mikhail Sheremet had said Russia should declare mobilization for achieving the goals of the special operation in Ukraine

Russia’s Novaya Zemlya nuclear test site ready to resume tests if need be, says official

The Novaya Zemlya nuclear test site is maintained by the Russian Defense Ministry’s 12th Main Department

Main evacuation of Rosatom staff from Iran begins today — Rosatom CEO

Likhachev added that the Iranian side is doing a great deal to ensure the safety of the Rosatom staff evacuation route, and cooperation with the Armenian government is proceeding smoothly

Russian-Chinese naval exercises finish in Sea of Japan

During the maneuvers, about 20 combat exercises were performed, including joint artillery firing at various types of targets, the information support department of the Pacific Fleet reported

Explosions rock Isfahan in Central Iran — TV

According to Al Hadath, the strikes are delivered by US and Israeli forces

Russia presents at UN vast evidence of crimes by Ukrainian military

At an informal "Arria formula" meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday Russian diplomats showed video interviews of Ukrainian civilians who had managed to escape from the zone of hostilities

EU MP’s remark on Nord Stream 2 can be viewed as statement on terror attack — diplomat

Former Polish Foreign Minister thanked the United States for damaging gas pipelines

OPEC+ monitoring committee to discuss oil market situation

The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee will also discuss the level of compliance with OPEC+ agreement terms

Russia’s envoy suggests EU fuel stocks may run out around April 20

Earlier, Dmitriev suggested that further growth in energy and commodity prices would have a significant impact on the economy and accelerate inflation

US fighter jet downed over Iran likely conducted strikes on ground targets — media

According to CBS News national security analyst Aaron MacLean, the pilots of the downed fighter had sidearms

Turkey to continue supporting Ukraine settlement talks — Erdogan

Diplomatic sources told TASS that the talks held at the Dolmabahce presidential office on the Bosphorus lasted about two hours

Persian Gulf countries running out of interceptor missiles - Bloomberg

Iran has fired almost 1,200 ballistic missiles and 4,000 Shahed drones at the Gulf states since the start of the war

EU foreign ministers approve decision to transfer profits from Russian assets to Ukraine

According to Josep Borrell, this money will be used to purchase air defense systems and ammunition for Ukraine, as well as support the defense industry of the country

Kremlin preparing for Victory Day celebrations — Peskov

The Kremlin press secretary thus rejected claims that the Victory Day Parade on Moscow’s Red Square on May 9 had been cancelled

Battlegroup West downed 99 Ukrainian drones

Six loitering munitions of the enemy were also shot down

US ambassador visits WSJ reporter Gershkovich in Moscow prison

It was Lynne Tracy’s third visit to the reporter

Referendum in LPR valid, complied with requirements — observers

It was specified that the international observers worked in the LPR and DPR, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions

Seven drones destroyed in Leningrad Region — governor

Combat operations continued at the time of the report

Referendum on joining Russia may be held in LPR in near future — LPR head

"I am sure that this is exactly how it will be," Leonid Pasechnik said

Russia unveils Internet traffic backup plan if exchange points in Europe get cutoff

According to Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Maksut Shadayev, Russia’s main telecom provider has the necessary capabilities

Spektr-M space observatory to search for life signs in the Universe

The process will involve seeking for water traces and radiation from complex molecules and organic compounds

Russia almost completed transition to national currencies in payments to CIS, China

Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said the issue of creating a system of payments and settlements not depending on the banking service and currencies of Western countries is the critical area of Eurasian cooperation

Catholic Easter service held in Moscow cathedral

The service was headed by Latin Archbishop of Moscow Paolo Pezzi

Ukraine’s demilitarization settings are yet to be agreed on — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister also emphasized the need to ensure Ukraine’s denazification the way it had been done in Nazi Germany

At least three people killed in missile attack in southwest Iran

The governor of the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province says that the exact number of dead and injured people can be significantly higher

Ukrainian refugees to be offered to settle down in Siberia, Far East — media

The ministry noted that more than 50,000 jobs would be created in Russia’s Far East until 2020, which could be taken by Ukrainians

Zelensky’s office head says Witkoff, Kushner to visit Kiev after April 12

According to Kirill Budanov, Kiev may receive security guarantees as a result of the visit by the US delegation

EU slaps sanctions on 351 Duma MPs, 27 Russian individuals and entities

So, the EU’s Russia blacklist will apply to a total of 555 individuals and 52 entities

Supplies of Russian grain to world market require removal of sanctions — Kremlin

These are sanctions related to ship insurance, to impossibility of entering European ports for ships carrying grain

Iran says it struck UAE aluminum industry facilities

According to the statement, the United States and Israel "have significant investments in the UAE aluminum industry and use it to produce military equipment"

Tanker with Iranian oil change course, heading to China — PTI

The change in the destination of Pin Shun appears to be payment-related, Sumit Ritolia, Lead Research Analyst at Kpler, noted

Oil storages at Buzurgan field in Iraq attacked by drones — ministry

There have been no reports of casualties or damage

Russian Orthodox Church labels Quran burning in Sweden as 'unacceptable vandalism'

The head of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media of the Moscow Patriarchate, Vladimir Legoyda, noted that in the political struggle one cannot "cross the boundaries of humanity and offend religious shrines"

Ukraine sending S-300 battalion to Donbass to gear up for offensive, says DPR brass

In addition, according to Eduard Basurin, troops from the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade are being deployed to Donbass from the Kharkov Region under the guise of drills

Creating cancer vaccine for specific patient takes about 3 months

The first patient in Russia received a domestically made personalized cancer vaccine April 1

Nineteen drones destroyed in Leningrad Region — governor

Alexander Drozdenko says that drone fragments damaged a segment of an oil pipeline near the port of Primorsk

Ukrainian losses exceed 40,260 troops: situation in Russia’s Kursk Region

According to the report, Russian operational/tactical and army aircraft, missile forces hit enemy manpower and equipment in the Kursk and Sumy regions

Iran offers agreement on use of Strait of Hormuz

Tehran is ready to reach agreements with European, Asian, and Arab countries on this issue, Head of the Government Information Council Elias Hazrati said

Venezuela discussing Mir cards use in country — Minister

The sides are also discussing various methods of restoring the tourist traffic

Timoshenko reveals huge election rigging plot by Poroshenko’s team to EU envoy

Ambassador Hugues Mingarelli emphasized that the Ukrainian elections must be "fair, free and conducted in accordance with global democratic standards"

Google fined nearly $300,000 for promoting VPN services

A Google representative did not appear in court, the case was heard without him

UNHRC discredited itself long before developments around Ukraine, says Lavrov

We withdrew from the Human Rights Council on our own, Russian Foreign Minister said

Lavrov tells Blinken that it is up to court to decide about Gershkovich’s future

The Russian top diplomat also told his US counterparts that it is inadmissible to fan hysteria around the journalist’s arrest

Lavrov slams situation in Bucha as fake attack staged by West and Ukraine

The Russian Foreign Minister stressed that Russian troops completely withdrew from the city on March 30

Ukrainian drone attack kills five people in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region

Another two members of the family were taken to the Rylsky District Hospital in serious condition

Russia strongly condemns new shelling of Bushehr NPP — Foreign Ministry

Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev said earlier that the global community reacted with concern to the strike near the Bushehr NPP

Air Defense Forces down Ukrainian attack drones over Kaluga, Moscow regions, says mayor

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin added that there were no reports about injured people or damages to infrastructure

EU ambassadors agree 11th package of anti-Russian sanctions — Swedish presidency

The previous package was adopted on February 25 of this year

US-Israeli strike on humanitarian aid aircraft in western Iran reported

The Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic called on all international bodies to take appropriate measures in response to this incident

Russia slams US’ words about plans to justify alleged invasion of Ukraine as nonsense

Sergey Lavrov said that the craziness of such ideas was obvious to any more or less experienced political scientist

Iran divides countries into three categories based on use of Strait of Hormuz — TV

According to the TV channel, all states are divided into three categories — "hostile," "neutral," and "friendly"

Critics label Elon Musk US 'shadow president' — media

The report says that "Musk’s rapid-fire messages - which included numerous false claims about the contents of the spending bill - ricocheted" across Washington

Chinese companies started trading intelligence about US troops — newspaper

According to The Washington Post, private firms are combining AI technology with data from open sources to expose the actions of US troops

Russia can’t guarantee that captured Americans won’t face death penalty — Kremlin

It depends on the investigation, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

Stock markets on record-hitting spree around the world — Bloomberg

As the agency says, of the world’s 20 largest stock markets, 14 have hit all-time highs recently

EU to keep sanctions if peace in Ukraine signed on Russia’s terms — Germany’s Scholz

The part of the new reality is that the EU has also consolidated, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said

World’s largest nuclear-powered sub takes part in Russia’s Northern Fleet drills

Its notional enemies were small missile ships Onega and Naryan-Mar

Russia must be able to defend itself — Erdogan on revised nuclear doctrine

The Turkish leader reiterated that "both Russia and Ukraine are Turkey’s neighbors"

Russia fights on three fronts now — Foreign Ministry

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says that Russia is fighting on military, economic, and information fronts

Russia warned Turkey of imminent army coup, says Iran’s FNA

The news agency referred to several Arab media outlets quoting diplomats from Ankara

IN BRIEF: Downed F-35 in Iran, failure of the US rescue operation

Axios reported that US forces are actively seeking to recover the two pilots of the downed aircraft

Greenland dispute stems from colonial era legacy — Lavrov

The Russian Foreign Minister noted that in the mid-20th century an agreement was signed, making it part of Denmark

IRGC says it hits several US military sites in Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain

The strikes also targeted the headquarters of the American company Oracle in the UAE

Flora 1 tanker allowed to leave Sweden — coast guard

The authority says that no environmental violations could be proven

Russia ‘defaults’ on Eurobonds — Moody’s

On 27 June, holders of Russia's sovereign debt had not received coupon payments on two eurobonds worth $100 million by the time the 30-calendar-day grace period expired, the statement said

West to replace Zelensky with someone else in 2025, Putin predicts

"The blame for all unpopular decisions, including the lowering of the conscription age, will be put on him [Zelensky]", the Russian president said

Talks with Ukraine amid its ban on negotiations with Russia will be illegitimate — Putin

"If we engage in talks now, they will be illegitimate," the Russian president said

NATO aims to contain Russia, sacrifices Ukraine’s people — Kremlin spokesman

"We understand this perfectly well and are building our further policy precisely in accordance with these realities," Dmitry Peskov pointed out

Hungary, Slovakia to push EU to lift sanctions on Russian energy supplies — Hungarian PM

Viktor Orban said Budapest and Bratislava see it as necessary to urgently take steps to help EU countries avoid shortages of raw materials and fuel, as well as rising energy prices

Lavrov views latest NATO drills as unprecedented since Cold War era

The Russian foreign minister has stressed that "irresponsible politicians" are obsessed with their own impunity amid what he said was a total lack of the basic sense of self-preservation

Iran does not refuse talks with US in Pakistan — foreign minister

Tehran is concerned about the terms for ending the war, Abbas Araghchi said

Ambassador summoned to Russian Foreign Ministry over arrests of Russians in Norway

Moscow also urged Oslo to stop persecuting Russians on ethnic grounds

Russian military to take note of Blinken’s remarks on Ukrainian counteroffensive — Kremlin

It was reported earlier that the US Secretary of State said Ukraine could start a counteroffensive in the next few weeks

Russian forces wipe out two Ukrainian subversive groups in Kupyansk area

The forces of the battlegroup West in the Kupyansk area used UAVs, Msta-S self-propelled howitzers as well as D-20 and D-30 howitzers to detect and then eliminate two subversive/reconnaissance groups, Western Battlegroup Spokesman Sergey Zybinsky said

Five killed in attack on petrochemical complex in Iran’s Mahshahr

According to the agency, at least five people were killed in an airstrike on the petrochemical complex

Zelensky says he agreed with Erdogan on new steps in security cooperation

According to Zelensky, bilateral relations between Ukraine and Turkey, and the situation in Europe and the Middle East were also discussed

Iraq exempted from restrictions on passage through Strait of Hormuz — Iranian military

The headquarters stressed that "the restrictions apply only to hostile countries."

Obstacles to supplies of Russian products will have grave consequences worldwide — Putin

The head of state supported the position of Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov, who said that if logistics problems continued, Russia was ready to redirect exports to other countries

Iran uses new air defense system to intercept hostile targets — military official

The IRGC’s ground-based air defense, in turn, intercepted an A-10 fighter jet and two Black Hawk helicopters, Ebrahim Zolfaghari said

No talks between Russia, US on nuclear arms control — senior Russian diplomat

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov added that it was the Americans who "unilaterally cut off dialogue"

Press review: NATO launches operation Eastern Sentry while US deploys missiles in Germany

Turkey not to join anti-Russian sanctions — presidential spokesman

The country is conducting a well-balanced policy in respect of Russia, Ibrahim Kalin said

Kiev sends film crew to stage false flag ‘Russian strike’ on civilian homes in Nikolayev

According to Mizintsev, the video is expected to be released later by the Western and Ukrainian media in order to blame the Russian armed forces for indiscriminate strikes against civilian targets

Foreign ministers of Russia, Iran hold talks at UN headquarters

Earlier, Sergey Lavrov also met with Foreign Minister of Indonesia Retno Marsudi and Foreign Minister of Lebanon Abdallah Bou Habib on the UN sidelines

Situation at Bushehr NPP is nearing a dangerous line — Zakharova

According to the diplomat, Moscow has taken note of the deep concern expressed by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi over the attack

Trump says Iran has 48 hours to make deal or open strait

Time is running out: 48 hours remain before all hell rains down on them, US President said

US troop buildup near Iran not sign of any new decisions — White House

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28

Car ran into crowd during Lao New Year celebrations

Fifteen people were injured

Another strike hits area near Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran

One of the facility’s security guards was killed, Iran’s AEOI said

Russian shipbuilders to lay down two cutting-edge corvettes for Pacific Fleet

Project 20385 corvettes displace 2,200 tonnes, have an operating range of 3,500 miles and their sea endurance is 15 days

Witkoff influences selection of US ambassador to Russia — The Daily Mail

A former ambassador told the newspaper that Witkoff felt comfortable with personally conducting the dialogue with the Russian authorities

Russian Consulate General in Dubai has no reports of Russians injured in Iran strikes

Earlier, the UAE Defense Ministry said in its daily report that a total of 217 people had been injured as a result of the strikes

Bank of Russia considers feasible to convert state companies’ funds from dollars and euro