Surprise drills of Russian army not related to situation in Ukraine – minister

Maria Zakharova quoted the US Senator, who called the ICC a "Kangaroo court" and ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan a "deranged fanatic"

"European politicians need to think twice about what they do next, especially since Donald Trump, who will take office in two months, replacing the current White House occupant, has already expressed his commitment to the policy of peace," Krasimir Karakachanov said

The New York Times reported earlier, citing sources, that US President Joe Biden had authorized the use of US-made ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia

Kim Jong Un added that negotiations with the US only confirmed the North Korean view that Washington’s hostile policy remains unchanged

According to the politician, Western nations need to understand that they are fighting on Ukraine’s side

Belarus faced widespread disruptions to mobile Internet access in 2020 due to the protests that erupted across the country

"The enemy positioned in the fortified area in Velikaya Novoselka in the south of the DPR is already trapped in a kill zone," the source said

At the same time, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi once again criticized Russia’s actions in Ukraine

Maria Zakharova noted that the Russian Embassy in Helsinki has sent requests to clarify the situation

Viktor Orban recalled that Russia has "one of the most powerful armies in the world, which boasts the most advanced, most powerful weapons"

According to it, the 1,000-page "Operation Germany" plan lists all infrastructure facilities that deserve special protection, and also contains a procedure for defense or "measures to deter Russia on NATO’s eastern flank"

According to the president, the missile is code-named Oreshnik, which can roughly be translated as hazel bush

Putin’s position can be traced back to his 2007 address at the Munich Security Conference, Tiberio Graziani says

According to the Russian president, it can install a nuclear warhead on this missile, if necessary, Deputy Chairman of Turkey’s Patriotic Party Hakan Topkurulu said

The humanitarian mission for the repatriation of Russian children from the Middle East began in 2018 and is coordinated by the Russian children’s ombudswoman’s office

According to Daniel Davis authorizing US long-range weapons to be used against Russia is "foolhardy to the highest order," "especially because there is no military upside for doing so"

According to Nikolay Patrushev, the "imposed sanctions restrictions are aimed at thwarting the implementation of Russia’s Arctic projects"

The Department of State and other US agencies "should continue to engage our competitors in real and substantive dialogue," Rear Admiral Thomas Buchanan said

The head of state also approved citizenship applications from foreign nationals and stateless persons residing in the country

The meeting was co-chaired by India’s Secretary (Defense Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar and Russia’s First Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation Andrey Boytsov

Earlier, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a precision strike on Ukraine’s Yuzhmash defense industry facility in retaliation for the use of US-and UK-made weapons for strikes on Russia

According to the French military source, Russia's recent use of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile should be taken in the context of possible negotiations regarding the ongoing Ukrainian conflict

Dmitry Suslov pointed to a crucial message in the President's speech: "Russia firmly believes that the West has moved from a proxy war to a direct war" and that the sides are already "in a state of global conflict"

Mira Rapp-Hooper mentioned the US administration’s version, according to which North Korea has allegedly sent troops to engage in active combat in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a televised address to the nation on November 21, announcing that in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia, Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile for the first time

According to Reuters, the Commerce Department plans to publish the new regulations "prior to the Thanksgiving break"

Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia

Col. (Ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson confirmed to TASS that the launch of ATACMS missiles would be impossible without "US/NATO satellite feeds and/or personnel"

"As a result, the goals that the enemy apparently set have not been achieved," the Russian leader said

The important message in Vladimir Putin’s speech was that "Russia does believe that the West has shifted from a proxy-war to direct war" and that the parties find themselves in "a global conflict" now, Dmitry Suslov said

According to the security services, Ukrainian troops still have access to several unpaved roads, which are also under Russian fire control

The French interior ministry said earlier that an emergency meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council will be held on November 26 following Russia using its new missile against a Ukrainian defense sector facility

Progress MS-29 will deliver 2,487 metric tons of cargo to the orbital outpost, including fuel, drinking water, compressed nitrogen, various equipment, food and clothing

"A large-scale investment program for expanding production capacities at defense sector organizations is being implemented", Vasily Tonkoshkurov said

The company stated it would seek damages amounting to 230 million euro for failing to receive the contracted volume of gas from the Russian company for delivery to Germany

"A diplomatic search for balance and mutual understanding should be the goal, instead of further escalation," Alice Weidel said

Foreign Policy pointed out that Western officials should stop insisting in public speeches on the need to achieve a strategic defeat for Russia

The former Austrian foreign minister stressed that she "counted on rational Western decision-makers, but irrationality is unfortunately on the rise among them"

According to the report, at least 15 Ukrainian servicemen were killed as a result of the attack

Russian forces liberated seven communities in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past week, the Defense Ministry reported

According to th statement, London is promoting new rounds of escalation

The measure is taken in response to the anti-Iran resolution adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors on Thursday

Nikolay Patrushev agreed that Trump, when he was still a candidate, "made many statements critical of the destructive foreign and domestic policies pursued by the current administration"

The Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday evening that it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen before it entered the Israeli airspace

The units of the Ukrainian armed forces have created "a very serious defense line" along the railroad and along one of the streets of the settlement, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS

Earlier, Putin stressed that the Ukrainian army is unable to fire the latest Western-made long-range missiles on its own without support from NATO satellite feeds and the involvement of the bloc’s military

According to the experts, Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s borderline Kursk Region turned out to be a "strategic catastrophe" amid "manpower shortages"

Over the day, the enemy lost more than 150 people, while five Ukrainian servicemen surrendered

Speaking in a televised address, the head of state assured that Russia will issue notifications before using this type of missile

According to military expert Andrey Marochko, 10% of the territory is the so-called grey zone

Angela Merkel added that another fallacy was the belief that the status "would act as a deterrent," and that Moscow "would accept these developments without taking action"

These missiles pose a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the entire Western world, including continental Europe and Great Britain, Abdullah Agar stressed

Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh gave no answer to the question of how could Ukraine prepare for this kind of attack

Spokesman Lin Jian highlighted Washington's use of double standards in handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within the United Nations

The treaty is aimed at harmonization of national and regional laws and at unification of formal requirements to designs registration

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 21 that the United States and its NATO allies had earlier announced that they would authorize Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons to hit inside Russia, after which American and British missiles struck Russian military facilities in the Kursk and Bryansk regions

US officials believe that ramping up weapons supplies to Ukraine is unlikely to change the situation in the combat zone short term, but it may help Kiev strengthen its stance in case a truce is reached

Janet Yellen currently holds the position

According to the Russian foreign minister, this represents the "confrontational logic" of the West

Turning to the Labour Party’s domestic policies, Andrey Kelin said Starmer’s plans to spur the economy were "not met with applause by the population

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said it in an interview

Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh also claimed that Washington, while helping Ukraine, is not attempting to turn the conflict into a large-scale regional confrontation that spills beyond the country’s borders

Units of the Russian battlegroup East continue fulfilling military tasks in the area of the special military operation

Earlier, Tucker Carlson said that Joe Biden's approval of long-range missile strikes by the Ukrainian army deep inside Russia could threaten US people

Russia got the support of 129 countries in a November 20 vote in New York at the 40th plenary session of the UN General Assembly

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed that the US administration had lifted restrictions for US-supplied missiles to be used for strikes up to 300 kilometers inside Russia

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, November 22nd

"An automated warning was sent 30 minutes before the launch," Dmitry Peskov said

The Russian president said that "all the goals we set for ourselves are being achieved"

"Those are very important logistical hubs and defence outposts for the Ukrainian armed forces, and losing them will give Russia the advantage to move forward to cities like Kramatorsk and Slovyansk," Marina Miron emphasized

"Russia has repeatedly stated that such actions will receive a response – and it will be a stronger one," Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stressed

China produced 81.9 mln metric tons in October, up 2.9% on an annualized basis

Robert Fico also rejected the belief that this escalation would not impact "those living far away, in Spain, England, or America"

Moscow and Beijing 'have maintained forward momentum in their bilateral relationship', Kurt Campbell said

The New York Times reported on November 17 that US President Joe Biden had authorized the use of US-supplied ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia

Alexander Lukashenko also emphasized that a real information war has been underway for a long time

Over the day, the enemy lost 150 troops, four motor vehicles, an artillery piece and two mortars

According to Belarusian Security Council State Secretary Alexander Volfovich, "the West does not support peace, it supports war"

"We know what kind of developments are being carried out there, but this will happen tomorrow or in a year or two, but we have such a system already today," the president said

Andrey Kartapolov added that the special military operation in Ukraine "will continue its course until all tasks are completed"

Robert Fico pointed out that "more and more evidence show that the West seeks to prolong the war in Ukraine for various reasons"

"No, there have been no notifications, for Russia has no such obligation with regard to intermediate-range missiles," Dmitry Peskov emphasized

"Based on the tasks and the range of this weapon, it can hit targets across entire Europe, which sets it apart from other high-precision long-range weapons," Sergey Karakayev said

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, November 21st

According to the Russian foreign minister, the West is directly involved in the use of long-range weapons against Russia, as not a single missile could be launched without its involvement

Andrey Belousov stressed that Russian troops have accelerated their advance in the special military operation zone and have effectively disrupted Kiev's 2025 military campaign

"Ukraine should be forever grateful that President Putin is calm, rational and kind - because Zelensky is practically begging for his country to be flattened," American political commentator Jackson Hinkle said

The president stressed that given the weapon’s special power, it "will be provided precisely to the Strategic Missile Forces"

According to Donald Tusk, "no one knows how the conflict will end"

Kurt Campbell said that it is important to 'keep attention on the horizon'

"Democratic institutions in the country have been destroyed, rendering dialogue between the government and the people impossible," Viktor Medvedchuk said

"There is more in the Russian arsenal than many believe," said Karin Kneissl, the former Foreign Minister of Austria

According to the Russian foreign minister, such behavior is "typical of the Democrats"

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Previously, Elon Musk said on the X social platform, commenting on Zelensky’s supposition that the United States cannot force Ukraine to "sit and listen" at the negotiating table because Ukraine is an independent country, that Zelensky has an "amazing sense of humor"

The Russian Defense Ministry announced earlier in the day that the country’s latest Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile hit all the targets at a major Ukrainian military-industrial enterprise in Dnepr (Dnepropetrovsk) with its MIRVed warheads

Here are the key statements, made during the meeting

"Our friends are living in the Arab world," the politician noted

Maria Zakharova stated that the US-NATO construction project, ongoing for nearly a decade with complete disregard to Russian security concerns, has consistently been a focus of Russia's attention

Trump’s inauguration will take place on January 20, 2025