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Face-to-face summit of Astana process members on the agenda but no dates yet

The senior diplomat pointed out that the current epidemiological situation in the world made it impossible to hold such a meeting at the moment

MOSCOW, September 25. /TASS/. There are plans to hold a face-to-face summit of the guarantors of the Astana process (Russia, Iran and Turkey) but no dates have been set yet, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said in an online interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman on Friday.

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Nebenzya: Astana format remains essential despite some Western countries’ wishes

According to Vershinin, the Astana process remains important. "The three countries held a virtual summit on July 1," he noted. "I can say that there are plans to hold a face-to-face meeting. It will take place in Iran, but no dates have been set yet," the senior Russian diplomat added.

Vershinin also pointed out that the current epidemiological situation in the world made it impossible to hold such a meeting at the moment. "But the process will go on. We will make sure that it is effective," he concluded.

Military operation in Ukraine

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Kiev lacks both troops and equipment near Chasov Yar in DPR, says retired general

Military commanders of Ukrainian army brigades "lack both personnel and the required amount of equipment" while Russian troops enjoy a considerable superiority, especially in artillery, Sergey Krivonos noted

Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

In 2023 the Russian economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth, Alexey Overchuk said

BRICS’ expansion makes it much stronger — senior Russian diplomat

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Chinese analyst sees US veto on Palestine as reflection of arrogance, double standards

Wang Wen stated that it’s still very hard to achieve a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Participation in ‘Columbine’ movement may result in life sentence — Prosecutor General

Earlier, the "Columbine" movement was recognized a terror group

Court arrests another man accused of blowing up car of former SBU officer in Moscow

Ivan Paskar is charged with illegally transporting explosive substances, but he does not recognize his guilt

US House passes procedural vote on Ukraine aid bill

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NATO discussing transfer of ‘deep precision strike capabilities’ to Ukraine — Stoltenberg

Stoltenberg said NATO believes Ukraine has the right to strike "legitimate military targets" inside Russia

Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

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Russia delivers 34 strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure over week — top brass

The Ukrainian army lost more than 3,550 troops, four tanks and five armored combat vehicles in battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk area over the past week, the ministry reported

North Korea conducts new anti-aircraft missile test — KCNA

A power test of a super-large warhead designed for "Hwasal-1 Ra-3" strategic cruise missile was held as well

Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

Russia urges the International Monetary Fund to resume the effort of improving the global monetary and financial system, Anton Siluanov noted

Russia's revenues from oil exports remain high despite price ceiling — IMF

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Armenia’s relations with Russia not at their highest — top diplomat

Ararat Mirzoyan also said that Yerevan is currently making efforts to expand cooperation with the European Union and the United States

Armenia has to define CSTO’s zone of responsibility on its territory, says Lavrov

On March 12, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Yerevan asked its CSTO partners to answer where the CSTO's zone of responsibility in the republic was

Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

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One crew member of jet crashed in Stavropol Region killed, search for another continues

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, an Aerospace Forces’ Tu-22M3 bomber crashed after completing a combat mission while returning to the airfield

Russia won’t allow NATO to move closer in Ukraine — Lavrov

There is still no full clarity regarding the future of Ukraine's western regions, the Russian foreign minister went on to say

World’s anti-doping agency WADA still waits for Russia’s 2023 financial contribution

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said in February that the Russian side had agreed with WADA to pay the membership fee for the year of 2023

Iran suspends flights above several cities amid reports of air attack — IRNA

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Founder of neo-Nazi cell in Crimea flees to Georgia — source

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Major Western investor accuses Zelensky's office of extorting millions of euros

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Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

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EU ministers to discuss use of Russian assets for Ukraine on April 22 — EU official

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Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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Lavrov speaks of West’s agony, Russia’s approach to any future talks with Kiev

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Two people killed in borderline Belgorod Region in Ukrainian drone attack — governor

According to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, a private residence in the village of Poroz caught fire when the unmanned aerial vehicles dropped two explosive devices

Russia bans 235 Australian local government officials from entering country — MFA

"Taking into account the fact that Canberra does not intend to give up its anti-Russian course and continues to introduce new sanctions, work on updating the Russian stop list will continue," the ministry said

Russian instructors help train over 10,000 Central African troops — CAR president

According to Faustin-Archange Touadera, since becoming the president, his actions have been guided by the need "to modernize the army and take into account new challenges"

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israeli Permanent Representative Gilad Erdan was to address the council after Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour

Ukraine’s new ethnic minorities law insufficient to protect Magyars — Hungarian president

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Russia’s advanced radar in Kaliningrad to monitor entire territory of Europe — source

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Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov, a celebrated Russian film director, declared the festival open, praising the bravery of foreign cultural figures who are visiting Russia at this time

Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

Infrastructure is required to implement the investment project, both power transmission lines and the railroad, Andrey Chibis noted

Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian prosecutor general

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Russia’s defense chief inspects production of tanks, flamethrowers at Siberian enterprise

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Global economy’s condition improving — Russian Deputy PM

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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The sources said that Iranian forces managed to destroy several small drones near the city of Tabriz, about 800 kilometers from Isfahan

French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

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West frightens voters by 'Russian threat' to win elections — Lavrov

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Three Ukrainian soldiers swim across Dnieper to surrender to Russian troops — governor

Vladimir Saldo called on other Ukrainian servicemen to switch to the Russian side and request the corresponding assistance

West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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Russian military base may appear in CAR’s eastern region — President Touadera

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

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Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

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The top Russian diplomat referred to a swindling trick used by a thimblerigger who puts a small round object, such as a ball or pea, under one of three thimbles or cups and asks the player to guess under which the object is, while unfairly manipulating this object

US-led coalition’s aircraft violate Syrian airspace 13 times in past day

Two shelling attacks on the positions of Syrian government army by the Jabhat al-Nusra groups were reported in the Idlib de-escalation zone

North Korean leader arrives at public event in Aurus luxury car gifted by Putin

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Russian investigators start inquiry into financing of terrorism by US, NATO officials

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Iran may target Israeli nuclear center in Dimona in case of Israel’s attack — TV

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Russian industrial producers’ prices up 2.4% in March — statistics

In chemicals production, prices edged up by 26.8% for ethers, organic peroxides, epoxides, acetals and semiacetals and their derivatives

Crimea, Donbass to forever remain within Russia, Slovak PM tells national parliament

Robert Fico believes Moscow will win in its confrontation with Kiev

Russian stock indices rising on Friday

The MOEX Russia Index edged up by 0.44%, the RTS Index surged by 1.13%

Ukraine’s military loses positions near Avdeyevka, says DPR

Igor Kimakovsky said that Ukrainian forces suffered heavy casualties among personnel and military hardware, including Western equipment

Russia to scrap moratorium on intermediate missiles if US deploys them anywhere — MFA

Sergey Ryabkov said the US seeks to maintain military superiority in a great variety of areas

French president says creating Israeli-type air defense network for Ukraine impossible

Emmanuel Macron added that Europe’s resources are limited, and the European Union will continue helping Kiev keeping in mind its own reserves

Ukrainian POW exposes poor battlefield performance of NATO-supplied Javelins, NLAWs

He also revealed that some weapon batches contained anti-armor systems whose service life had expired

Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post, two S-300 missile launchers over day

Russian forces improved their frontline positions and repelled a Ukrainian army counterattack in the Donetsk area where the enemy lost roughly 590 troops over the past day, the ministry reported

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Blast rocks military base south of Baghdad — Reuters

According to the news agency, one PMF fighter was killed and six were wounded

Kremlin declines to comment on alleged assassination attempt on Zelensky in Poland

The Security Service of Ukraine announced earlier that in a joint operation with law enforcement agencies in Ukraine and Poland it thwarted an attempt to assassinate Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

Press review: Biden backs aid to Israel, Ukraine and Russia assets giving West legal fits

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 19th

American Abrams tanks vulnerable even to Soviet-era weapons, says expert

US President Joe Biden announced on January 25 that Washington would hand over 31 M1 Abrams tanks to the Kiev regime

Hungarians in western Ukraine should get their rights back, Budapest says

"The Hungarian community’s opportunities to use its native language in the fields of education, culture, media and self-governance have been significantly limited," Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto specified

No plans for pauses in fighting if talks on Ukraine begin, Lavrov says

The Russian foreign minister emphasized that the situation on the ground had changed significantly

US volunteer Russel Bentley missing in Donetsk killed — RT editor-in-chief

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Russia ready for Ukraine talks, but not with Zelensky — Lavrov

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West close to sending military to Ukraine, this would 'drag Europe to bottom' — Orban

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Polish premier refuses to hand over his country’s Patriot systems to Ukraine

Donald Tusk said that German Chancellor’s call to send more air defense systems to Kiev had no relation to Poland, provided the country's geographical position near the frontline

Drones downed over Isfahan cause no damage, says Iranian foreign minister

It is reported that several drones had been intercepted by the national air defense forces over Isfahan

Over 40 nations want to join BRICS — Russian lawmaker

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

Death toll in Gaza Strip since tensions escalated exceeds 34,000 — Health Ministry

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West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

"They would have been scared had anyone come down on them with similar ferocity," the Russian foreign minister added

Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

The tragedy occurred near the village of Priyutnoye located on the border of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Zaporozhye Region

G7 leaders to decide on Russian assets use — Italian Deputy PM

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Iran has no plans to immediately retaliate to attack on its soil — agency

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Language policy of Moldovan government is Russophobic — head of Gagauzia region

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