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Putin, Merkel express satisfaction over coordination of OSCE mission mandate

“The two sides discussed the situation after Crimea’s reunification with Russia,” the Kremlin press service said

© ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Klimentyev

MOSCOW, March 23, 22:36 /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and Germany’s Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel have voiced satisfaction over the arrangement on a mandate of the monitoring mission, which the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will send to Ukraine, the Kremlin press service said Sunday.

“The two sides discussed the situation after Crimea’s reunification with Russia and reaffirmed readiness for dialogue, including the one at the level of experts,” the press service said.

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Ukraine crisis Foreign policy

Georgian foreign ministry condemns pressure on its diplomats abroad

According to earlier reports, Georgia’s ambassadors to Bulgaria, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States tendered their resignation amid protests in Tbilisi

Iran informs Russia about ratification of free trade zone agreement with EAEU

Alexey Overchuk noted that the parties discussed Iran's participation in the Eurasian Economic Union as an observer

Ten dead dolphins found in Russia’s Krasnodar region following oil spill

Additionally, mass beaching of Azov Sea harbor porpoises has been reported in Novorossiysk, some 60-70 km (32-42 nautical miles) from Anapa, where the oil spill occurred, Tatyana Belei highlighted

Kiev takes out its anger for military defeats on Russian people — diplomat

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also emphasized that Moscow is outraged by the hypocritical silence of the West and its media on the terrorist attacks in Russia

Senior Russian MP hopes that Trump really wants peace in Ukraine

"Such an achievement would serve his interests as the incoming US president," Leonid Slutsky noted

IN BRIEF: What is known about drone attack on residential buildings in Kazan

TASS has gathered the main information about the incident

Russian forces take control of Severny neighborhood in Chasov Yar — Donbass region head

According to Denis Pushilin, Russian forces have been advancing almost along the entire line of engagement in the region

Strike on SBU control center response to Russian general’s assassination, expert says

The ministry clarified that Ukraine launched a missile strike against the Kamensky Integrated Plant in the Rostov Region using six US-made ATACMS missiles and four Storm Shadow cruise missiles

Kalashnikov improves combat capabilities of Vikhr-1 aviation missile

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Moldovan president plans military operation in Transnistria — Russian intel agency

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Mineral fertilizer export duty in Russia to be 7% by end of December

"The measure will provide for lowering of the fiscal burden of mineral fertilizer producers, which paid export duties at a higher rate since last fall," the Russian Ministry of Economic Development stated

Russia’s prominent figure skating coach Tarasova lauds ISU’s recent decision

Last week, the International Skating Union (ISU) announced a decision to clear Russian and Belarusian athletes for the Olympic qualifiers

Germany fails to admit its policy of support to Ukraine falters — Russian envoy

"The ambition to impose a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia has fallen out of favor, even among hardline political figures, given the unfeasibility of such an outcome," Sergey Nechayev said

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Kiev’s shelling kills 61 civilians in Russia-controlled part of Kharkov Region in 2024

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Slovak PM thanks Putin in Russian for meeting with him

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Germany does not keep substantive contacts with Russia on Nord Stream case — envoy

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Russian Defense Ministry names those who worked on bioweapons in Ukraine

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Ukraine shells city hosting Zaporozhye NPP — politician

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Russian drone operators use air ramming to down 4 Ukrainian copters in Kharkov Region

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Russian 'soldier of the future' combat gear tested in Syria

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Assad allegedly hands list of military targets over to Israel before leaving Syria — media

According to the Turkish newspaper, the former Syrian president did it to ensure his own safety

Greenland PM tells Trump island not for sale

Mute Egede stressed that Denmark should continue to be open to cooperation and trade with the whole world, especially with its neighbors

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Putin travels to St. Petersburg for informal CIS summit

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Netanyahu says ordered IDF to attack Houthi strategic targets

Israel, according to Netanyahu, adheres to a "very simple principle" that "those seeking to do harm to Israel receives harm in response

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The Czech Republic is receiving Russian pipe gas indirectly via Slovakia and Hungary

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Roman Starovoyt noted that Russia is holding negotiations with many airlines from friendly countries

Former Mossad agents disclose details of pager operation against Hezbollah

Mossad used dummies to test how much explosive is required to be just enough to hurt the pager’s owner, but not the person next to him

US reconnaissance drone flies over Poland near Russian border

According to Polish radio station RMF FM, the flight was carried out as part of a NATO mission

Group of foreign mercenaries taken out in Velikaya Novosyolka in Donbass region

The military said that a conversation in a foreign language was intercepted by radio intelligence before visual control over the group was established

More than 20 countries show interest in BRICS — Kremlin aide

Yury Ushakov noted that uncontrolled expansion of the association would break its backbone

IDF eliminates chief of Hamas Security Mechanism directorate

Prior to the strike measures had been taken to mitigate risks for civilians, the IDF said

Ukraine's refusal to transit Russian gas will hit EU economies hard — French expert

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Ukraine may cease to exist by 2034 — Russian security official

Dmitry Medvedev noted that Ukraine will never join NATO

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Israeli Defense Minister admits his country's involvement in assassination of Hamas Leader

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Ukrainian troops attempt counterattacks on Vasilyevka direction in Zaporozhye Region

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Finland plans to open three crossings on border with Russia — paper

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Iraqi militias suspend military operations against Israel

A field leader from Iraq’s Al-Nujaba Shia militia told the newspaper that "the [resistance] units have decided not to intervene in Syrian affairs and to monitor the situation from a distance," until US President-elect "Donald Trump’s stance on the Middle East, particularly with regard to Iran, becomes clear”"

Press review: Kiev escalates attacks as payments ease for Russian raw material buyers

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Ukrainian army launches long-range missiles at Donetsk

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Fico’s visit to Russia perfect slap in Zelensky’s face, Slovak politician says

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Putin to attend meeting of Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on December 26 — Kremlin

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Iranian president invited to visit Russia in early 2025

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Two-thirds of Russians dissatisfied with 2024, survey reveals

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Biden refuses to commute Boston Marathon terrorist's death sentence — media

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Scientists discover 400 dead seals along Dagestan's coastline

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Contracts worth over $286 million signed at Vietnam Defense Expo 2024

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Kremlin announces countries to become BRICS partners from January 1

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Russian Olympic champ Nagorny welcomes ISU’s decision to clear Russian athletes

"It's great when athletes, who devoted their lives to what they chose to do, get the chance once again of competing internationally, to win medals that they can bring home," he said

Direct flights between Pakistan and Russia expected soon — Energy Minister

First such flights could start in 2025, Pakistani Energy Minister Awais Leghari said

Russia evacuates 4,000 Iranian fighters from Syria at their request — Putin

Russian forces evacuated them from the Hmeimim base to Tehran

Greenland's parliament reminds Trump that island not for sale

However, Greenlandic MP Aaja Chemnitz is not averse to enhanced cooperation with the US

Russia to continue helping Sahel countries boost their armies’ combat capacities

According to Russian Ambassador to Mali Igor Gromyko, Moscow considers the establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States as a major step toward consolidating efforts against Islamist groups in the Sahara-Sahel zone

Russia and Pakistan to be connected by direct railway line — minister

"By the end of March, we are planning the first train - the first cargo train to leave Russia for Pakistan," Awais Leghari said

Russian forces liberate one more settlement in Donetsk People’s Republic

According to the report, battlegroup Center made Ukraine suffer roughly 610 casualties and lose two tanks in the Donetsk People’s Republic

Skoda, Volkswagen to recall over 55,000 cars in Russia — regulator

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Russia no threat to Finland, Sweden, but ready to counter threats from them — diplomat

Addressing a news conference after the BRICS summit in Kazan earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of seeking to expand unfairly and warned that Russia would spare no effort to reverse the situation

Global mpox incidence exceeds 117,000 cases — WHO

A global public health emergency over mpox was effective from July 2022 through May 11, 2023

Lukashenko announces upcoming meeting with Putin and official visit to China

The Belarusian president pointed out that the coming year is expected to be difficult for a number of reasons

CIS must enhance anti-terror measures amid Syrian developments — senior Russian lawmaker

According to Leonid Slutsky, the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar Assad and the armed opposition's assumption of power could have repercussions far beyond the region

Kiev considers negotiations with Russia inevitable, Ukrainian official says

At the same time, Sergey Leshchenko clarified that "there will be no repeat of Minsk or Istanbul agreements," meaning there would be no agreements resembling the Minsk accords of 2015 or the Istanbul talks of spring 2022

Berlin’s any aggressive action will not remain unanswered — Russian ambassador

"This concerns both the potential use of Taurus and plans for stationing US mid-range and short-range missiles on German soil," Sergey Nechayev stressed

NATO spies study damage from Oreshnik at Yuzhmash — expert

Alexander Stepanov emphasized that both Kiev and its Western allies are closely scrutinizing the consequences of the strike on the plant

Georgian president demands appointing snap elections within week

Salome Zourabichvili also promised to announce her further plans on Monday

Russian cancer vaccine to be free of charge — top oncologist

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Ukrainian conflict will end when Kiev’s sponsors see need for peace — Russian diplomat

In a mid-June meeting with senior officials from Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined key prerequisites for resolving the situation in Ukraine