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Russia to work on permanent visa-free regime with China — foreign ministry

Maria Zakharova recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a visa-free regime through mid-September 2026 a year ago, an initiative supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which a reciprocal visa-free regime was introduced for Chinese citizens

YEKATERINBURG, September 15. /TASS/. Russia will work on introducing a permanent visa-free regime with China, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on the sidelines of the International Youth Festival.

She recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a visa-free regime through mid-September 2026 a year ago, an initiative supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which a reciprocal visa-free regime was introduced for Chinese citizens.

"We then agreed to extend it on a reciprocal basis, and now the Russian president has said that it could be made permanent. We will work on this," the diplomat said.

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Foreign policy China Tourism Maria Zakharova

Moscow vows response to Hungarian move to expel Russian diplomats — MFA

On September 8, Hungary’s top diplomat Anita Orban said Budapest was expelling 10 Russian diplomats, citing the need to protect national security

CSTO seeks to draw extensively on lessons of modern warfare — secretary general

According to Masadykov, the Collective Security Treaty Organization regularly takes measures to counter traditional challenges and threats, including consultations, exercises and joint operations

Russia successfully deploys new UAV communications system in special op zone

The developer company Sector said the Raduga communication system provides high resistance to interference thanks to both the developer’s engineering and software solutions

Russia never refused Europe to open communication channel on Ukraine — Lavrov

From time to time, certain European countries want to establish some kind of communication channel without publicly announcing it, Sergey Lavrov said

Italy’s deputy PM believes that weak politicians need Ukrainian conflict

In his view, rapprochement between the parties to the conflict should be in everyone’s interests

Russia to showcase nearly 500 defense industry products at South Africa exhibition

A total of 494 items are planned for the Russian exposition, including 30 samples of military-grade products

Ukrainian strikes on Russia kill 48 civilians, including three children, over week — MFA

Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large for the crimes of the Kiev regime Rodion Miroshnik said the Kiev regime carried out about 1,180 strikes on civilian targets every day during this period

IN BRIEF: Russian Armed Forces strike Ukrainian military, energy, transport facilities

As a result of strikes in the Velikaya Balka settlement in the Odessa Region, a logistics center for the storage and distribution of military cargo arriving in Ukraine from abroad was struck

Information warfare has no rules, creating them is our next step — GFCN president

Interview with Vladimir Tabak, president of the Global Fact-Checking Network

GFCN chief warns of frequent cyber fraud, 'calls from FSB'

Vladimir Tabak added that the situation with fake news today is "quite complicated, and cyber fraud is widespread"

Shipping in Red Sea remains stable, head of Houthi-controlled corporation says

About 85 vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the past 72 hours, al-Washli said, adding that this was almost 96% of the normal traffic level

Denmark’s provocative actions against Russian frigate raise concern — ambassador

Vladimir Barbin expressed regret over Denmark’s reluctance to prevent maritime escalation and push toward strengthening mutual confidence

North Korea, Russia strengthening solidarity amid complex global situation — Kim Jong Un

The North Korean leader also reiterated his country government’s unwavering resolve to expand and deepen cooperation with Russia

EU envoys fail to agree on extension of anti-Russia sanctions at first meeting — Politico

According to the report, Slovakia has demanded the removal of Russian businessmen Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov from the blacklist

CSTO says concerned about creation of NATO military infrastructure on its borders

According to Masadykov, a sober analysis of the situation clearly shows that this state of affairs does not serve the interests of any country or international association pursuing constructive goals

Vucic states plans to resign on September 27

On September 9, the Serbian president approved the dissolution of the National Assembly, the country’s unicameral parliament, and called a snap election for October 25

AI concerns, rising oil prices hit global markets — WSJ

Technology stocks declined worldwide, while Nasdaq 100 futures fell more than 1.5%, the newspaper noted

CSTO does not believe there are no prospects for dialogue with NATO — secretary general

Under the plan, it should function as a platform for specialized discussions, as well as for forming proposals for a further development of the organization and for strengthening peace and stability in its area of responsibility, Masadykov noted

US ramps up advanced weapons production, Trump says

The United States is producing more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in its History, the US president noted

PREVIEW: Beijing Xiangshan Forum opens with around 100 state delegations attending

The three-day event has brought together official representatives from around 100 countries

CSTO favors resuming cooperation with OSCE

Taalatbek Masadykov added that "the OSCE has considerable potential that could be used to fulfill its original purpose of strengthening security in Europe"

Belarus plans no offensive, exercise is just readiness check — chief of general staff

Pavel Muraveyko said that various speculations are completely groundless

Ukrainian PM reports government seriously low on funds

According to Sergey Koretsky, the government will officially send to all deputies and relevant committees a schedule with clear deadlines for each necessary vote

US reconnaissance drone flies over Persian Gulf for several hours

The source added that the drone could maintain an altitude of about 14.5 km, which is significantly higher than commercial planes typically fly

Kremlin briefing touches on Ukrainian attempt to strike energy site, Trump’s truce idea

It is possible to discuss the resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe only if they are beneficial for the country, Dmitry Peskov said

Oil shipments via Strait of Hormuz to rise in coming weeks — US Energy Secretary

On average, up to 10 million barrels of oil and oil products going on water through the Strait, Chris Wright said

Most UAVs flying deep into Russia downed by mobile armed units along border — expert

Oleg Ivanov said that mobile armed units had become an effective layered defense system in the Kursk Region

Houthis report seven strikes on Yemen’s Saada Province by Saudi warplanes

Ansar Allah Spokesman Yahya Saree said Houthi forces "confronted the Saudi aircraft using several domestically produced surface-to-air missiles"

Duma advises Kallas to seek treatment for her persecution complex regarding Russia

Andrey Kolesnik commented on a statement by the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas, who claimed that the purpose of a recent incident where a drone attacked a train near the border between Ukraine and Poland was allegedly to "intimidate" European countries

Italy could resume Russian gas imports after Ukraine conflict ends — Deputy PM

"We need to find a diplomatic solution – not by sending weapons, but by supporting the negotiation process," Matteo Salvini said

Any use of Russian assets would cause greater damage to Europe than to Russia — portal

Europe is forced to balance between aiding Ukraine and financial suicide, media outlet InsideOver said

Massive missile attack on Taganrog, 222 downed drones: Ukrainian strikes' aftermath

Warehouses belonging to the Ozon company and agricultural enterprises were damaged, as were the windows of residential buildings and an educational institution in Rostov Region’s Taganrog

Brazil and Russia ready to assist in organizing direct flights — ambassador

He said that establishing direct air service between the two countries "would bring many positive benefits to the interaction between the two nations

Ukraine, Britain wage information war against Russia, GFCN chief says

Vladimir Tabak specified that Kiev has a specialized Center for Information and Psychological Operations, which "is part of the regular armed forces and falls under military units," while London most often relies on "media outlets"

US Navy escorts oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz at night, energy secretary says

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that the United States had taken away Iran's leverage in negotiations by preventing it from holding shipping hostage like it wanted

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

Kiev rejects peace deal with Russia to avoid accountability for its decisions — senator

Alexander Voloshin added that "the hostilities had become a means for the Kiev regime to delay criminal prosecution"

NATO intelligence services find evidence linking Kiev to Leipzig incident — Russian SVR

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service noted that "many in the West are merely pretending to believe the German leadership"

Lavrov says Iran settlement progress should come from regional states

The Russian foreign minister noted that some states clearly oppose the process

Belgian State Council rules Treasury’s refusal to unblock BCS bank assets illegal

The EU and G7 countries froze about 300 billion euros’ worth of Russian assets

Medvedev assesses risks of AI destroying mankind

The Russian Security Council deputy chairman said the creators of various kinds of generative AI are not being sincere

Three fires break out after massive attack on Taganrog

Mayor Svetlana Kambulova said the missile attack had damaged windows in five apartment buildings and three private homes

IN BRIEF: Russian Foreign Minister on asset dispute, threats to freedom of navigation

The Russian foreign minister stressed that Western interference with freedom of navigation is a concern, as European states have detained 12 vessels since January of this year

Italy’s deputy PM says Rome could play role in Ukraine peace process

He said that the Italian government has always tried to be more cautious and restrained than other European capitals

Saudi airstrikes on Yemen’s Taiz Province cause casualties — agency

According to the news outlet, the strikes caused civilian casualties.

Sikorski's plans to restore Poland's greatness show 'unhealthy ambitions' — Kremlin aide

Nikolay Patrushev said he was previously surprised with the Polish foreign minister's lack of knowledge about history and Russia

Death toll from devastating Nepal landslide reaches 1,396 — TV

More than 5,100 people remain missing

Kiev deliberately turns its civilian facilities into military targets — Russian diplomat

Ukraine is now reaping the inevitable consequences, Rodion Miroshnik stated

Pentagon allows current, former personnel to disclose UFO information

The department stressed that current and former personnel now can provide such information to PURSUE representatives without facing penalties for breaching nondisclosure agreements.

Russian forces break through Ukrainian defenses in Orekhov area — expert

Andrey Marochko noted that Russian troops had made significant advances in this sector

BRICS opposes imposing its views on other countries, unlike EU — Brazilian diplomat

"Mutual respect is a core value of BRICS," Sergio Rodrigues dos Santos said

Putin welcomes Chinese, Indian leaders’ readiness to help resolve Ukraine issue — Kremlin

Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out that the Russian head of state had provided other leaders with "additional clarification of what the settlement situation is really like"

Russia to secure return of its foreign exchange reserves from West — Lavrov

The Russian Foreign Minister said the European Commission still wants to confiscate these assets

Ukrainian recruitment centers threaten women who refuse military contracts

The source added that "they were summoned to a recruitment center for a document check, held longer than usual and threatened with fines, employment problems or travel restrictions"

Not enough air defense assets in whole world to meet Kiev’s needs — former Estonian leader

The situation for Ukrainians has clearly worsened, Kersti Kaljulaid said

Russian forces encircling Ukrainian troops in Druzhkovka, DPR — expert

Andrey Marochko added that Russian forces had started urban combat in Dobropolye

Kalashnikov Group presents Kalitka-KA anti-drone system

The system is designed to protect strategic facilities from drone attacks at low and extremely low altitudes

Leaders of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland sign memorandum on right to leave UK

The signing ceremony took place in the Welsh capital of Cardiff

EU backs 7-day Russia sanctions extension to resolve rifts — portal

According to the portal, this was done to resolve disagreements over the restrictions

Kiev loses some 1,375 troops along engagement line in past day — Russia’s top brass

Russian airstrikes hit Ukrainian targets in Kharkov, Sumy Regions

Kremlin comments on Trump’s call, Finland's decision, situation on oil markets

Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia can only welcome calls on Kiev to stop attacking Russian civilian infrastructure

Rosatom to launch three more depleted uranium processing units

They will be based on Russian technology

Russian national pleads guilty to illegally exporting aircraft parts — Justice Department

Samuylovsky faces up to 20 years in prison

Approval numbers for Germany's AfD party hit record high — survey

The approval rating of the Alternative for Germany has reached 30% for the first time

Japan maintains its presence in oil and gas projects in Russia — diplomat

Maria Zakharova noted that Tokyo maintains and reaffirms the importance of its relations and energy cooperation with Moscow

British national eliminated in Russia’s special mil-op zone in Ukraine — top brass

The sources said that three more Ukrainian officers have been killed as well, including a senior lieutenant of the National Guard of Ukraine

Western Operational Command conducting command and staff exercise in Belarus

The drills are scheduled for September 15-18

Kiev loses some 1,225 troops along engagement line in past day — Defense Ministry

Overnight, the Russian Armed Forces struck a logistics center in Velikaya Balka in the Odessa Region

IN BRIEF: What we know about scandal surrounding firing of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General

Ruslan Kravchenko accused NABU and SAP of attempting to usurp power and called Ukraine "a country of distorted mirrors"

Record US refinery output fails to offset global diesel deficit — analyst

Concurrently, a decline in diesel exports from the top three suppliers – Russia, the US, and Saudi Arabia – will only widen crack spreads, Andrey Polishchuk noted

West’s interference with freedom of navigation causes concern — Lavrov

"European states have detained 12 vessels since January this year based on made-up categories unknown to international law, such as the so-called 'shadow fleet' and others," the Russian foreign minister said

Brazil tracks Russia's small modular reactor tech with interest — ambassador

"Such small-capacity modular reactor technology is of interest for providing electricity to remote regions that are currently not connected to the centralized power grid," Sergio Rodrigues dos Santos said

CSTO chief criticizes countries for choosing threats, bans over dialogue

Taalatbek Masadykov added that "the future of the world should be shaped not by missiles and sanctions, but by pragmatic thinkers"

Sikorski’s NATO drill remarks require opinion from "people in white coats" — MFA

Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko added that, as Poland’s foreign minister, Sikorski should "do everything possible to strengthen Poland’s security" instead of creating threats to the country

IRGC navy says Algaya supertanker hit naval mines in Strait of Hormuz

According to the Iranian side, the vessel is engulfed in flames

Kalashnikov unveils Zveroboy drone defense system at Moscow forum

Customers are offered two versions of the Zveroboy: a stationary version and a mobile version mounted on a pickup truck chassis

Estonia discusses joining French 'forward nuclear deterrence' project, prime minister says

Kristen Michal noted that France was also helping ensure Estonia’s independence by deploying its troops there

Russian ambassador says Italy begins to realize anti-Russia policy was mistake

Alexey Paramonov noted that sanctions had almost completely halted energy cooperation between Russia and Italy and seriously damaged bilateral trade

New requests from Kiev for supplies create "bombshell" effect in EU — WP

Brussels is demanding explanations from the Ukrainian authorities about the $27 billion deficit in the country’s Defense Ministry budget

US House committee advances Russia sanctions bill

Seven committee members voted to approve the rules governing consideration of the bill on the House floor, while three voted against

US blacklists VTB under Iran sanctions program — Treasury

Washington first began imposing sectoral sanctions against VTB back in 2014

West nervous about losing global leadership against backdrop of BRICS summit — LDPR leader

The adoption of a joint declaration served as a compelling argument regarding the viability and future prospects of BRICS

FACTBOX: Russian strikes hit Kievstar mobile provider building, railway facilities

Russian pilots used aerial bombs and X-39 missiles to hit temporary deployment sites and drone command posts in the communities of Fyodorovka in the Kharkov Region and Zemlyanoye in the Sumy Region, respectively

NATO exercises near Kaliningrad borders to escalate tensions — expert

The Russian president has repeatedly stated that any aggression by European Union countries would constitute a direct attack on Russia, Yevgeny Mishin reminded

Russia tests new concept for intercepting UAVs, unmanned surface vehicles

Alexey Chadayev emphasized that the tests demonstrated the concept’s effectiveness and feasibility

Russia to factor Finland’s nuclear deterrence move into military planning - MFA

Alexander Grushko added that "since this is now a new reality, we will take it into account in our military planning and force development"

US in contact with Houthis after their takeover of Perim Island, vice president says

Earlier, Yemeni government forces withdrew from Perim while the Houthis took the city of Dhubab on the Red Sea coast, which is located across from the island

Risks of large-scale conflicts with catastrophic consequences grow — CSTO

According to Masadykov, the ongoing transformation of the international relations system "is accompanied by a growing number of global contradictions and demonstrates the low capacity of existing political and legal mechanisms to effectively resolve emerging conflicts between countries and blocs."

Casualties in Sochi, 399 UAVs: aftermath of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian regions

Falling UAV debris injured five people, including a child, in Russia’s southern city of Sochi in the Krasnodar Region

Drone attacks fishing vessels near Iran’s Hormozgan province, IRIB reports

A search operation is currently underway

Ukrainian troops use chloropicrin, other prohibited chemical warfare agents — Russia’s FSB

The Russian Federal Security Service reported that channels for the delivery of chemical agents to Ukraine are currently being uncovered

Britain's time is up, last straw will break camel's back — politician Galloway

Workers Party of Britain leader said that nobody supports staying in Britain any longer

Western-supplied weapons from Ukraine reach drug cartels — Russia’s FSB

The Russian Federal Security Service stressed that these weapons enter the illicit market and criminal groups

UK Prime Minister’s office rejects possibility of referendums on countries leaving Britain

According to the statement, the prime minister is committed to delivering change across all four nations of the United Kingdom and believes strongly in the union

Chief prosecutor Kravchenko flees Ukraine

Ruslan Kravchenko earlier filed his resignation amid a new crackdown on anti-corruption agencies

Press review: EU eyes Russian assets as Ukraine corruption scandal erodes Western trust

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, September 15th

Zelensky’s position weaker with every passing day — opposition politician

Viktor Medvedchuk pointed to a renewed cooling of relations between Vladimir Zelensky and US President Donald Trump

'Whisky war' brewing between England, Scotland — newspaper

Scotch Whisky Association Chief Executive Mark Kent said the rules governing English whisky are "entirely inconsistent with the reputation of single malt whisky"

Italian Deputy PM points to importance of building 'bridges of dialogue'

Matteo Salvini said his goal is "to end" the Ukrainian conflict so that "weapons are laid down and diplomacy can play its role again"

Disarray at Pentagon under Hegseth hindering key missions — media

According to the New York Times, the war with Iran has compounded the Pentagon's problems, undermining sailors' morale and depleting its supply of interceptor missiles.

Ukrainian servicemen shot, tortured civilians in Kursk Region — human rights commissioner

Yana Lantratova said that many civilians were shot in their homes