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Kremlin spokesman doubts possibility of separating Russia and Central Asia economies

Dmitry Peskov said it in reply to a request to comment on the US desire to disunite the economies of Russia and Central Asian countries

MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed doubts on Sunday that it would be possible to separate the economies of Russia and Central Asia.

"This is hardly possible," the Kremlin spokesman said in the Rossiya-1 TV channel’s Moscow. Kremlin. Putin. program, in reply to a request from journalist Pavel Zarubin to comment on the US desire to disunite the economies of Russia and Central Asian countries.

Russia was telling truth about US biolabs in Ukraine — Putin’s envoy

Kirill Dmitriev called on Wikipedia to revise its article on biological laboratories in Ukraine, which describes the issue as a conspiracy theory

Putin increases Russian army’s staffing strength by almost 7,400 servicemen

The staffing strength of the Russian Armed Forces is hereby established at 2,399,130, including 1,510,000 servicemen

Trump capable of breakthrough decisions in Russia-US relations — Ambassador Darchiev

The Russian diplomat called the US president "a man and a politician who knows how to surprise"

US hopes for constructive relationship with Moscow, top US diplomat says

The United States remains committed to advancing a peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine war, Marco Rubio said

Armenian PM congratulates Putin on Russia Day, calls for constructive dialogue

Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory message to Russian President on Russia Day

Taylor Swift tops UK chart for seventh time

This time, the song "I Knew It, I Knew You" from the soundtrack of the animated film "Toy Story 5" took first place

US forces down several Iranian drones heading toward Strait of Hormuz — media

A source told Reuters that the intercepted drones posed a threat to commercial shipping

Israel seeks to derail signing of agreement between Iran, US — top Iranian diplomat

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added that he would provide the details later

One civilian killed, five others injured in Ukrainian attacks on Kherson Region

The Ukrainian military also attacked communities in eight districts of the Kherson Region, Governor Vladimir Saldo said

NATO forces intercept missile presumably launched from Iran — Turkish Defense Ministry

According to the ministry, "all necessary measures are being taken decisively and without hesitation against any threat directed at Turkey's territory and airspace"

Magyar states plans to disclose info on ‘major fraud’ in Orban government

Hungary’s prime minister said he thinks that the details set to be disclosed would undermine the decisions of the Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Alliance congress scheduled for June 13

Russian air defense forces down 4,776 Ukrainian fixed-wing UAVs over past week

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, since the beginning of the special military operation, a total of 671 aircraft, 284 helicopters, 161,178 unmanned aerial vehicles

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

Indian An-32 military-transport plane crashes in country’s northeast

The Indian Air Force reported that a special commission would be set up to investigate the causes of the crash

Canada avoids defeat at FIFA World Cup for first time

The match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina ended in a 1-1 draw

US entrepreneur Elon Musk is world’s first trillionaire after SpaceX IPO venture — agency

The company offered 555,555,555 stocks at a price of $135 per share

EU unwilling to send Schroder to negotiate with Russia — Dodik

The chairman of the leading political party in Republika Srpska also said that Europe is in a poor position as it refuses relations with China and Russia

Europe's security crisis caused by ignoring Russia's interests — envoy to UK

Russia, for its part, defends what is non-negotiable: the right to security, sovereignty, and one's own path of development, Andrey Kelin said

IRGC calls for US Air Force chief to resign after aircraft downed in Iran

The IRGC Navy also congratulated the air defense forces of the Islamic republic’s army on intercepting an US F-15E fighter jet and an A-10 attack aircraft in the skies over Iran

Fidesz congress to re-elect Orban as party leader

According to party spokesman Bertalan Havasi, Orban is expected to be the only candidate for the leadership post

Pezeshkian asks global community to judge which side, Iran or US, actually favors dialogue

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian invited the world to judge which side engages in terrorism

Duration of stay on Russian prospective orbital station limited to about 3 years — expert

In Vyacheslav Shurshakov' estimates, typical length of space missions to ROSS would be about 10-11 months

Russia moves to cancel MAKS 2026 Air Show, postpone Hydro Aviation Exhibition to 2027

The MAKS Air Show was last held in July 2021, and the previous Hydro Aviation Exhibition was held in 2018

Neymar to miss Brazil's opening World Cup match

The athlete is yet to regain full fitness after a calf injury, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti says

Ukraine’s military shells Russia’s Kursk Region nearly 140 times in past day

The Ukrainian attacks damaged windows and fences of two private homes and a truck in the settlement of Rybinskiye Budy in the Oboyansky district

Armenia applied to Eurasian Economic Commission due to export restrictions

Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said that there are procedures there

Increased military activity in Arctic to trigger Russian retaliation — envoy to Canada

The efforts of certain countries to militarize the High North are regrettable, Oleg Stepanov said

Memorandum obliges US to avoid interference in Tehran’s affairs — top Iranian diplomat

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that an end to Israel’s aggression against Lebanon will also be an integral part of the deal

Russia still waits for US to appoint its ambassador to Moscow — Ambassador Darchiev

The diplomat added that Moscow hopes this will happen "sooner or later"

Zelensky calls for expanding foreign mercenary recruitment options for army

More recruitment mechanisms will be established for that purpose, Vladimir Zelensky said

Russia to continue opposing neocolonialism, unilateral sanctions — ambassador to Canada

Despite unprecedented challenges, Russia continues to develop dynamically, Oleg Stepanov said

Another strike hits area near Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran

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

Russia was telling truth about US biolabs in Ukraine — Putin’s envoy

Kirill Dmitriev called on Wikipedia to revise its article on biological laboratories in Ukraine, which describes the issue as a conspiracy theory

Russia, Iran emphasize need to stop reckless attacks on Bushehr NPP — Foreign Ministry

The ministry noted that the conversation "emphasized the inadmissibility of creating threats to the lives and health" of the plant’s personnel and "the risks of a radioactive disaster for the entire region"

Anthropic cuts off access to its most advanced AI models following US government order

US authorities earlier ordered to block foreign users from accessing the models

EU aid to Ukraine frozen — Borrell

The ex-chief of EU diplomacy said the situation is similar with the approval of new sanctions against Russia

US president threatens strikes on Iran’s energy, civilian infrastructure

Donald Trump called on Iranian leaders to open the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that otherwise the country "will be living in hell

EU preparing for possible energy supply crisis due to conflict in Iran — Spanish newspaper

The EC assures that there is currently no risk to supplies, though markets are feeling the impact of rising Brent crude oil prices, which has led to higher gas and oil prices in Europe

Kiev troops bombard Donetsk People’s Republic ten times over past day

Two civilians were wounded

Brent crude price drops below $86 per barrel for first time since March 10

As of 11:22 a.m. Moscow time (8:22 a.m. GMT), Brent was down 4.89%, trading at $85.96 per barrel

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 165 casualties on Ukrainian army in past 24 hours

The battlegroup also destroyed two enemy armored combat vehicles and two multiple rocket launchers

Kalashnikov working on hovercraft carrying capacity increase

The designers modernized the Haska-10 vessel without changing the dimensions, only making changes to the propulsion system

Global political 'tectonic shifts' serve Russia's interests, says ambassador to Canada

Before our eyes, a more complex, diverse and, one would like to believe, more just international order is taking shape, Oleg Stepanov said

Bank of Russia set dollar rate at 71.9 rubles for June 12-15

The official euro rate was lowered by 10.73 kopecks to 82.9743 rubles

Trump claims draft deal published in Iranian media is incorrect

US President also accused Iran of trying to attack Indian ships in the Strait of Hormuz

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

Iran will not get funds ‘for simply signing a deal’ — US vice president

JD Vance says the deal is structured to prioritize the concerns of the US and its allies

DR Congo Ebola death toll rises to 139 — authorities

Confirmed Ebola cases currently stand at 689

Israeli army storms Palestinian town of Tubas in West Bank

Earlier, the IDF press service reported the completion of a 60-hour raid in the city of Jenin

Putin presents Hero of Labor stars and state prizes in Kremlin on Russia Day

The 2025 State Prize for outstanding achievements in human rights activities was awarded to former Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova

Ukraine reinforces army units with fighters from Aidar battalion — expert

According to Andrey Marochko, this is done to strengthen conscript-based units that are not combat-ready

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

US state attorneys general launch probe into OpenAI — media

According to the report by The Wall Street Journal, the company received a broad legal request seeking documents related to its policies, advertising practices, consumer data handling, deep learning models, and activities involving minors and elderly users

IN BRIEF: Putin speaks on retaliatory strikes, development of AI-powered drones

The Russian president Vladimir Putin has held a Kremlin meeting with participants in the special military operation on Russia Day

Washington backed biolabs in Ukraine, dozens of others countries — US intelligence

According to the statement, a US-funded biolab in Ukraine "likely housed dangerous pathogens"

Russia restricts imports of quarantinable products from Armenia

The ban will be in effect until a specific algorithm is developed to ensure the safety and traceability of shipped goods

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

Kremlin closely following developments after US airstrikes in Syria

Earlier on February 26, the US carried out airstrikes near the Syrian-Iraqi border

Europe demands Bosnia and Herzegovina impose visas on Russians — Dodik

The leader of Republika Srpska's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats said his party would not allow such a decision to be made

Ukraine’s economics ministry expects 2014 inflation at 19%

Presidents Putin, Trump set to restore normal US-Russia ties — Ambassador Darchiev

The official added that Russia welcomes the constructive and pragmatic approach of the current US administration to restoring relations

Draft agreement with US under consideration by Iranian authorities — MFA

None of the draft agreements published in the media was correct, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said

West trying to minimize Serbs’ communication with Russia — Dodik

The Serbs are emotionally bound with Russia, beyond any doubt, he said

Iran, US may sign memorandum in coming days — top diplomat

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi specified that at the initial stage, the signing will take place in digital form

Russian forces liberate five settlements over past week, including Priyut in DPR

Last week, units of the Battlegroup South advanced deep into enemy defenses and liberated the settlements of Khimik and Roskoshnoye in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry reported

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

Ukraine’s public debt rises by more than $110 bln since 2022

The external debt increased nearly three times

Hungary views China as pillar of multipolar world — Orban

Hungarian prime minister recalled that Hungary has always adhered to the ‘one China’ principle

US records first emphatic World Cup victory in 96 years

The Americans opened their home campaign with a 4-1 win over Paraguay

Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina draw in World Cup match

The match ended in a 1-1 draw

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

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 205 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and a US-made armored vehicle in its areas of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Russia set record volume of LNG supplies to Europe in January 2026

EU imports of Russian LNG amounted to 2.276 billion cubic meters, according to TASS calculations based on data from the European analytical center Bruegel

General HQ of Iranian army warns of potentially larger strikes on Tel Aviv

The Iranian military also advised "host countries of US military bases to force the Americans to leave their territory, if they want to avoid damage"

Nuclear powers continue to modernize their arsenals — report

In January 2024, there were some 12,121 nuclear warheads in the world, of which 9,585 were on alert

Russian troops wipe out Ukrainian army’s deployment sites by glide bombs in DPR

Live-recording images confirm the successful destruction of the targets: the temporary deployment site of a unit of the Ukrainian National Guard’s 4th separate rapid reaction brigade in the area of the settlement of Belitskoye and the temporary deployment site of a formation of the Ukrainian army’s 63rd separate mobile brigade in the area of the settlement of Shchurovo

Roscosmos invites NASA chief to Russia

The US Senate unanimously voted to appoint Nelson to the post of NASA chief in late April

Trump says US forces killed leader of Tren de Aragua criminal group

According to the US president, the strike was carried out in coordination with the Venezuelan side

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"

Italian MPs vote for resolution gradually lifting anti-Russia sanctions post conflict

A proposal was made to use sanctions as leverage in talks on peace in Ukraine

Iran closes Strait of Hormuz until further notice — government agency

"Applicants who have already obtained transit permits are kindly requested to remain patient and await further notice by the PGSA," the agency said

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

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

Russia sought for eight years to stop war in Ukraine — Putin

"They were carrying airstrikes on Donetsk," the Russian president noted

Ukrainian forces lose over 1,460 troops in Battlegroup West responsibility area in a week

Nine electronic and counter-battery warfare stations were destroyed, the Russian Defense Ministry reported

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

One civilian injured in DPR over past 24 hours — authorities

Damage to two residential buildings and one civilian infrastructure facility was also reported

Russia to increase retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure facilities — Putin

President pointed out that Russia should "respond properly" to Ukrainian attacks

Work underway on satellite consternation for operating heavy drones — Putin

President added that Russia was also actively working to develop FPV drones and AI-powered drones

Europeans clearly trying to turn EU into military alliance — Dodik

According to the leader of Republika Srpska's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, the EU wants to establish strategic footholds for exerting pressure on Russia

London steps up confrontation with Moscow — ambassador Kelin

Andrey Kelin noted that Russia and the UK are connected by a common past, mutual interests, and a rich potential for normal cooperation

Ukraine evacuating factories from Kramatorsk to western areas — The Economist

According to the British magazine, the city’s industrial base is being transplanted to Perechin in the Uzhgorod District of Transcarpathia

Kiev forces lose over 2,135 troops in a week in Battlegroup Center responsibility zone

The Russian Defense ministry noted that troops of the Battlegroup Center defeated formations of four mechanized, a jaeger, an assault, an airmobile, and an airborne brigade

Kiev forces lose over 2,850 troops in a week in Battlegroup East responsibility zone

The Russian Defense Ministry clarified that during the week, units of the Battlegroup East continued active offensive operations

British PM says has no plans to step down following Defense Ministry resignations

Analysts say that Defense Ministry resignations have dealt a serious blow to Keir Starmer's authority

EU countries greenlight Ukraine, Moldova accession talks — European Parliament head

The move will make it possible to start talks on June 15

Over 700,000 Russian troops deployed in special military operation zone — Putin

According to the president, the Russian government is considering education programs for participants in the special military operation

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

Iran publishes 14-point conflict settlement memorandum with US — Mehr

The agreed provisions include lifting the naval blockade within 30 days and withdrawing US forces from areas bordering the Islamic Republic

Iran to hit more targets if US attacks Kharg Island — ambassador

Tehran’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Amir Hossein Hosseini also expressed hope that the conflict would be resolved diplomatically

Israel, US attack amusement park in central Iran

No information on casualties or damage has been reported yet

Upper house speaker slams US-Israeli operation against Iran as geopolitical mistake

Valentina Matviyenko emphasized that this intervention has destabilized the Middle East, triggering an energy crisis, yet it ultimately changes nothing