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Russia’s Gerasimov, US’ Milley discuss international security — Defense Ministry

Previously, Valery Gerasimov and Mark Milley had a phone call on November 23

MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Russian General Staff head Valery Gerasimov discussed issues of international security with US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, Russian Defense Ministry announced Wednesday.

According to the Ministry, "the two military commanders discussed ongoing issues of international security" during their phone call.

Earlier, the Pentagon informed that the two military officials discussed concerning issues of regional security as well. The US Defense Ministry underscored that the phone call became yet another part of the communication between the two officials that seeks to reduce risks and prevent conflicts. The sides agreed not to disclose the details of the conversation.

Previously, Gerasimov and Milley had a phone call on November 23.

BRICS looking at creating common digital payment platform

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that BRICS nations have already established a special channel for information exchange between their central banks

Nearly half of those present in UN Security Council hall walk out before Israel’s address

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

S-500 system to be supplied to Armed Forces after 2015

Victor Gumenny said the advanced systems may solve the tasks of air-space defence and may fight hypersonic weapons

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

Bentley came to Donbass from the United States in 2014

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

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

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

Russia to begin next week clinical trials of anti-COVID-19 vaccine for children

This is for the age group of 6 to 11 years old

Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed the mobilization law passed by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) in the second and final reading on April 11

FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

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Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

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

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Russian stock indices rising on Friday

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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

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

Robert Fico believes Moscow will win in its confrontation with Kiev

French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova described France’s decision to place its aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, directly under NATO control as a symbolic move marking the end of "the era of an independent Paris in the international arena"

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

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US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

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

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

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

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Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

The plane crashed in a field in the Krasnogvardeysky district of southern Russia’s Stavropol Region

Russia not to go for settlement on Ukraine based on 'Zelensky formula' — Lavrov

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

Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

The minister also inspected the training process in Omsk Armor Engineering Institute

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

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Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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

According to the president, this step will help strengthen his country’s defense potential and contribute to bolstering the national armed forces’ capabilities

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

Russia views the West’s encroachment on its assets as "a blatant and shameless theft for the purpose of lining its pockets," Maria Zakharova noted

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

Earlier in its report on the development of the world economy, the IMF noted that Russian oil is sold on the world market mainly above the price ceiling that the West tried to set

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

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

The law enforcement employees exert efforts to identify the instigators of this crime, Igor Krasnov said

US House passes procedural vote on Ukraine aid bill

It cannot be ruled out that the House of Representatives may pass this package as early as Saturday

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 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

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

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

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

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

The Foreign Minister pointed to the fact that Switzerland is on board with all Western sanctions

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

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

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

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

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Russian Cabinet expands list of perfumery, cosmetic products subjected to import duty

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Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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Indonesia cancels forty flights due to volcano eruption — Internet portal

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Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

There are no casualties, Governor Vladislav Shapsha said

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

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

The group contains US finance and justice ministers, representatives of Australia, the UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Japan, as well as the European Commission

Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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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

Senior Chinese official to take part in conference on security in Russia — diplomat

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Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

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

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Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

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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

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

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

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

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

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Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

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

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

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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

Ukrainian drones continue to fly over Zaporozhye NPP — press service

On April 19, the Ukrainian military attacked the training center of Zaporozhye NPP again, but the drone was neutralized over the roof of the building

Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

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

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

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

BRICS looking at creating common digital payment platform

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that BRICS nations have already established a special channel for information exchange between their central banks

Lavrov says Borrell let it slip that Europe ‘fighting against Russia’

Russia’s top diplomat noted that Josep Borrell may made the statement in a moment of weakness

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

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

No foreign state attacks Iran — TV

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Russian military closely monitors all Ukrainian 'novelties' — Kremlin on UAVs

Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine had developed a UAV with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers

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

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

US blocks Security Council resolution granting full UN membership to Palestine

A total of 12 countries, including Russia and China, voted in favor of the document

Russian government increases customs duties on beer from unfriendly countries

This measure is not a prohibitive one and will make it possible to make competitive conditions equal for Russian producers, the ministry said

Blast rocks military base south of Baghdad — Reuters

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West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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

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

"We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," a senior Iranian official reported

Security guarantees on Ukraine did not apply to Crimea, Donbass — Lavrov

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

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BRICS’ expansion makes it much stronger — senior Russian diplomat

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