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Military operation in Ukraine

Future prospects of prisoner swap between Russia, Ukraine unclear so far — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the prisoner swap should be held in absolute silence

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Sergey Bobylev/TASS Host Photo Agency

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov

© Sergey Bobylev/TASS Host Photo Agency

MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/. The future prospects of prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine are unclear so far, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

When asked whether the swap has been put on hold by now, he said that "nothing can be said" regarding the future prospects of this process so far.

Speaking about the consequences of the elimination of Russia’s Il-76 military transport plane by the Ukrainian armed forces, Peskov said that "no one can tell how this will affect the prospects of the continuation of this process (prisoner swap - TASS)." "But I should repeat that this is a process (prisoner swap - TASS) that should be held in absolute silence," he added.

On January 24, the Ukrainian armed forces shot down a Russian Il-76 military transport plane over the Belgorod Region that was carrying captured Ukrainian troops selected to be included in the exchange. There were 74 people on board, including 65 Ukrainian military personnel, all of whom were killed. The Russian Defense Ministry called what happened a terrorist act and stressed that Kiev knew about the transportation of prisoners for the exchange, which was to take place at the Kolotilovka checkpoint, and purposely attacked the plane in order to accuse Moscow of destroying Ukrainian military personnel.

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Foreign policy Military operation in Ukraine

Military drills

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Protests in Iran after president's death possible, but system will endure — expert

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The Russain leader "stressed that he knew Ebrahim Raisi well and thought highly of him as a reliable partner who made an invaluable personal contribution to expansion of friendly relations between Russia and Iran"

Russia urges US to abandon destructive policy course on CTBT — Zakharova

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The IRGC Commander Lieutenant General Hossein Salami confirmed it

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Negotiations being held with several countries

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The prosecutor also requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant

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European, US strategy on Ukraine fails completely — top Hungarian diplomat

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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized that "much more US military assistance" is on its way to Ukraine

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US Congress considers sanctions against ICC — House Speaker Johnson

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Russia’s envoy to UN exposes Western lies in UNSC after Blinken’s visit to Kiev

Vasily Nebenzya said that this was not the only example of lies or understatements by Western representatives

One civilian killed, three others wounded in Ukrainian drone attack in Belgorod Region

According to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, the incident occurred close to the checkpoint of the settlement of Oktyabrsky in the Belgorodsky district

Medvedev sees no chance of Kiev winning even it fights until 'last Ukrainian'

Dmitry Medvedev believes that "the population of a broken Ukraine realizes this only too well," noting that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky canceled the country’s presidential election knowing that he would likely "lose spectacularly"

China appreciates Putin's position on Taiwan — Foreign Ministry

As Wang Yi clarified, Putin reaffirmed his commitment to the "One China" principle in a speech after his election victory

Russia keeping tabs on US nuclear activity in Nevada, senior diplomat says

According to Sergey Ryabkov, Moscow has been registering "all public signals coming from the US administration regarding this"

Indian Army receives 27,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles — newspaper

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of a joint Indian-Russian venture to produce Kalashnikov assault rifles in the country in March 2019

Slovak PM conscious, capable of communicating — hospital administration

An armed attack on Robert Fico took place in the western Slovak town of Handlova on May 15

Zelensky may be target of assassination a la Hitler in 1944 — Medvedev

"However, it will change nothing either for the Ukrainians or for us," Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council stressed

Third of Ukrainian troops surrender near Lisichansk, LPR’s envoy to Russia says

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Press review: Kiev eyes expanded strikes on Russia and takeaways from Putin's China visit

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, May 20th

Polish PM says nine people arrested over alleged sabotage attacks at Russia’s request

"This concerns beatings, arson and attempted arson," Donald Tusk said

Russia to rely not on 'Western guarantees' but on its army — Medvedev

"Any newly-minted Fuhrer' of the Ukrainian Reich is capable of tearing it up at any moment for opportunistic reasons," the politician noted

Russian troops destroy Ukrainian Baba Yaga drones more effectively with thermal imagers

According to CEO of Laboratory PPSh Denis Oslomenko, the Baba Yaga drone flies through Starlink and cannot be supressed

Ukrainian troops leave positions in eastern Paraskoviyevka near Ugledar, says DPR

According to adviser to the DPR head Igor Kimakovsky, the Ukrainian military abandoned most of the bodies of dead soldiers in the combat area

Russian forces cut off ammunition supplies to Ukrainian forces in Volchansk — lawmaker

Viktor Vodolatsky also said the liberation of Staritsa would make it possible to reduce to a minimum and later completely remove the threat of bombardments for the Belgorod Region

Russia creates sanitary zone to protect its cities from Ukrainian shelling — Kremlin

On May 17, Putin explained the Russian military's offensive in the direction of Kharkov by the Ukrainian military’s continued shelling of residential areas in the border regions, including Belgorod

FACTBOX: Iran confirms death of President Raisi in helicopter crash

All passengers and crew of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi were killed in the crash, according to Iranian Red Crescent Society head Pir Hossein Kolivand

Int’l presence at funeral ceremony for late Iranian President Raisi not envisioned

It is reported that several thousand people are taking part in the procession

Raisi's helicopter equipped with full navigation, foreign minister boarded last minute

The helicopter was piloted by Army pilots, not the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Borrell reacts to call to arrest Israeli PM

"All states that have ratified the ICC statutes are bound to execute the Court’s decisions," the top EU diplomat said

Ukraine’s 2014 coup was CIA’s political mistake — Putin

The Russian president noted that the US agency had achieved its goal of changing the government but failed to see what it would evolve into

Ukrainians have long lived in unlawful state — Medvedev

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Iranian President’s funeral will be held in Mashhad on May 23 — Vice President

The Mausoleum of Imam Reza is located in Mashhad, the hometown of Raisi, a center of pilgrimage and one of the main shrines of the Shiites

Medvedev says Kissinger ‘completely wrong’ about main threat to humanity

Dmitry Medvedev stressed that "subtle considerations about preventing existential threats do not work during bloody conflicts"

Helicopter carrying Iranian president crashes due to technical failure — news agency

On May 19, a helicopter carrying the Iranian president crashed in Iran's Eastern Azerbaijan Province

DPRK forced to take measures to increase nuclear deterrence after US test — statement

The US carried out a subcritical nuclear test at the proving ground in Nevada

EU intends to launch membership negotiations with Moldova, Ukraine on June 25 — media

The association's member states were ready to do this back in December, but the decision was postponed amid Hungary's disagreement and fears that the issue of EU enlargement could muddy the waters in the European Parliament elections to be held on June 6-9

Russian forces reach Gulyapole’s suburbs in Zaporozhye Region

Russian force have advanced to about 1.5 kilometers and are now in Gulaypole’s suburb

Russia says Pletenevka before liberation was used for shelling Belgorod Region

Ukrainian forces are now trying to destroy the settlement by occasionally shelling houses there with artillery, the Russian Defense Ministry said

Kiev deems dead fighters missing to avoid removing bodies from battlefield — Ukrainian POW

According to Andrey Lazarkevich, in the current situation Ukrainian servicemen prefer to surrender as prisoners of war

DPR’s head calls for eliminating Western combat vehicles supplied to Ukraine

Denis Pushilin noted that the exhibition presents only a small part of what has been destroyed by Russian troops

Swiss 'pseudo-conference' on Ukraine peace settlement has no 'added value' — UN envoy

According to Vasily Nebenzya, the conference will be focused on "the [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky peace formula, which was supported by a representative of the Kiev regime during one of the Security Council meetings last week"

Any regulatory acts in Ukraine are illegal, as those in Hitler's Germany — Medvedev

"In this case regulatory acts adopted by a criminal state cannot be considered law in its true sense," the Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council explained

Ukrainian official suggests turning Soviet monument into LGBT symbol

The Peoples' Friendship Arch in Kiev was unveiled in 1982 to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Soviet Union and the reunification of Ukraine with Russia in 1654

China ready to closely cooperate with Russia to develop SCO — top Chinese diplomat

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for joint efforts in the interests of "fairer and more reasonable global governance"

Two powerful explosions rocks Kharkov

An air raid alert has been in effect in the Kharkov Region for almost eight hours

Kronshtadt submarine joins Russian Navy

The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Viktor Yevtukhov, Northern fleet Commander Alexander Moiseyev, and representatives of the United Shipbuilding Corporation and the shipyard

Sending NATO instructors to Ukraine without Russia’s consent dangerous — expert

As Mark Episkopos notes, sending NATO instructors to Ukraine "without a larger strategy for ending" the fighting would be "a recipe for disaster" and would "bring NATO and Russia within a hair’s breadth of open conflict"

Russian troops leveling out frontline in Kharkov area — local administration

Volchansk is strategically important and that it why the Ukrainian army is bringing in "very serious forces" and "trying to counterattack," Vitaly Ganchev said

Kremlin finds US reaction to ICC’s demand for Netanyahu arrest warrant 'curious'

"On the one hand, we [Russia] do not support it, but on the other hand, of course, we are monitoring the situation," Dmitry Peskov highlighted

Kiev insists on unattainable demands for settlement — expert

According to Peter Kuznick, Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University, Zelensky’s approval rating has dropped to approximately 60%, because "the Ukrainians are tired of war"