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Ladies welcome: Roscosmos forming cosmonaut crew for outer space missions

The space corporation's chief hopes that the number of female cosmonauts will increase

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

PYATIGORSK /Stavropol Region/, August 20. /TASS/. Cosmonauts from the team that is being put together now will work in outer space, Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday at a meeting with the Mashuk forum participants.

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Rogozin noted that females are needed on the team. It is not about equality, he said, but about the difficulty of staying together in closed quarters for many months. "Of course, contact between the crew has to be close," he added.

Roscosmos’ chief hopes that the number of the crew’s female cosmonauts will increase.

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The changes were attributed to reconstruction works on the Russian side of the checkpoint Ivangorod

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Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine had developed a UAV with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers

Final statement by G7 top diplomats to call for supplying more air defenses to Kiev

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister said Kiev required US-made Patriot systems and Italian-French Samp-T theatre antimissile systems

Tehran’s two major airports cancel international flights — Mehr

Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad International Airport suspended their operations until 10:30 a.m. local time

Iran says drones downed over Isfahan launched from country's territory

"A failed attack with a few quadcopters that were shot down cannot be considered a real attack anywhere in the world," a spokesman for Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace said

Russia’s defense chief inspects production of tanks, flamethrowers at Siberian enterprise

Sergey Shoigu handed down an instruction for the defense enterprise to ramp up the production of T-80BVM tanks, the Defense Ministry said

Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

The plane crashed in a field in the Krasnogvardeysky district of southern Russia’s Stavropol Region

Founder of neo-Nazi cell in Crimea flees to Georgia — source

According to the official, the investigation established that Mikhail Maurov planned to travel to Ukraine to join the ranks of a right-wing Ukrainian organization called the Freedom of Russia Legion

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Nuclear sites in Iran’s Isfahan province are safe — Tasnim agency

Tasnim refuted foreign media reports about an incident at a nuclear site in Isfahan

Israel assesses effectiveness, consequences of strike on Iran — media

A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces declined to comment on the reports of the strike

Nearly half of those present in UN Security Council hall walk out before Israel’s address

israeli Permanent Representative Gilad Erdan was to address the council after Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour

Iran has no plans to immediately retaliate to attack on its soil — agency

"We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," a senior Iranian official reported

Ukraine’s military loses positions near Avdeyevka, says DPR

Igor Kimakovsky said that Ukrainian forces suffered heavy casualties among personnel and military hardware, including Western equipment

Russia’s advanced radar in Kaliningrad to monitor entire territory of Europe — source

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West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

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Maria Zakharova described France’s decision to place its aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, directly under NATO control as a symbolic move marking the end of "the era of an independent Paris in the international arena"

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According to the Al Hadath television, a military bus was ambushed by members of the Islamic State terrorist group

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"One should clearly support the need to seek solutions that take into account the balance of security interests and ensure the indivisibility of security," the top Russian diplomat underlined

Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

At the same time, the top Russian diplomat pointed out that "there is information that not only French mercenaries, but also instructors, maybe even together, but along with some other representatives of military and special services of European countries are working there [in Ukraine]"

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Three Ukrainian soldiers swim across Dnieper to surrender to Russian troops — governor

Vladimir Saldo called on other Ukrainian servicemen to switch to the Russian side and request the corresponding assistance

Military base near Iran’s Isfahan hit following attack — newspaper

The sources said that Iranian forces managed to destroy several small drones near the city of Tabriz, about 800 kilometers from Isfahan

Russia ready for Ukraine talks, but not with Zelensky — Lavrov

The first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine after the start of the special military operation took place in early March 2022 in Belarus, but they did not bring tangible results

Russia won’t allow NATO to move closer in Ukraine — Lavrov

There is still no full clarity regarding the future of Ukraine's western regions, the Russian foreign minister went on to say

Chinese analyst sees US veto on Palestine as reflection of arrogance, double standards

Wang Wen stated that it’s still very hard to achieve a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Ukraine turns from sovereign country into Western protectorate, Hungarian PM says

Viktor Orban noted that there should be a buffer zone between NATO and Russia and Ukraine could serve as one

G7 foreign ministers set to call on all sides to exercise restraint in Middle East

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Israel will "most likely" respond to the recent Iranian attack

Senior Chinese official to take part in conference on security in Russia — diplomat

The conference will take place from April 23 to 25 in St. Petersburg

MiG-31I fighters receive air refueling system

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Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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Romania tries to cancel Russian culture by banning films — diplomat

"The National Film Archive of Romania, for political reasons, broke the lease agreements for cinema halls with Russian embassy in Bucharest, which provided for the private screening of the Russian films "The Time of the First" and "The Challenge," Maria Zakharova said

Russian investigators start inquiry into financing of terrorism by US, NATO officials

Investigators have established that the funds that were received through commercial organizations, such as the oil and gas company Burisma Holdings operating in Ukraine, have been used to carry out terrorist acts in Russia and abroad

West, Kiev indulge in nuclear blackmail by demanding control of ZNPP — Russian MFA

"Without noticing it themselves, they spoke the language of an ultimatum," Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova underlined

Iran tells US about April 13 attack on Israel, it does not want escalation — top diplomat

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian added that prior to the attack, Tehran said that it would not target US military infrastructure in the Middle East "except in a situation where the United States wants to take military measures in support of Israel"

US blocks Security Council resolution granting full UN membership to Palestine

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Germany fails to present evidence in case of espionage suspects — Russian embassy

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Crimea, Donbass to forever remain within Russia, Slovak PM tells national parliament

Robert Fico believes Moscow will win in its confrontation with Kiev

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Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

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According to Iranian media reports, three drones were downed by air defenses in the skies over the city of Isfahan

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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Polish premier refuses to hand over his country’s Patriot systems to Ukraine

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Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, April 18th

EU plans to invest first profits from Russian assets in military aid to Kiev

"I think that the decision has been taken by the member-states - all 27 have agreed that we use the windfall profits following our proposal," Ursula von der Leyen said

Energy prices help US economy to develop better than Europe — IMF

It is reported that the US has benefited from more favorable conditions in terms of energy prices, something that has been quite a serious factor for Europe, not a positive factor for Europe

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US did not 'endorse' Israel’s retaliatory attack, but was warned about it — TV

According to Bloomberg, Israel informed the United States about its plans to strike Iran within the next 24-48 hours

Ukrainian front may collapse this summer — newspaper

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US names lack of reforms as reason to block Palestinian membership resolution

US deputy envoy Robert Wood also noted that "Hamas - a terrorist organization - is currently exerting power and influence in Gaza, an integral part of the state envisioned in this resolution"

North Korean leader arrives at public event in Aurus luxury car gifted by Putin

On April 10, the vehicle was also spotted when the North Korean leader visited Kim Jong Il Military and Political Academy

US blackmails other countries at United Nations — Russian mission

Dmitry Polyansky said "this shameful neocolonial tactics are fully exposed now in the context of Gaza War"

Argentina’s NATO partnership bid to let US tighten its grip — expert

According to Andrey Pyatakov, the Argentinian authorities' decision is both a declarative step and evidence of the wish to close economic gaps by expanding military-technical cooperation

Kiev lacks both troops and equipment near Chasov Yar in DPR, says retired general

Military commanders of Ukrainian army brigades "lack both personnel and the required amount of equipment" while Russian troops enjoy a considerable superiority, especially in artillery, Sergey Krivonos noted

Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post, two S-300 missile launchers over day

Russian forces improved their frontline positions and repelled a Ukrainian army counterattack in the Donetsk area where the enemy lost roughly 590 troops over the past day, the ministry reported

Kiev continues to openly announce terrorist attacks on Russia — diplomat

Maria Zakharova also pointed to the fact that Ukraine's special services do not give up attempts to "massacre their former compatriots"

French president says creating Israeli-type air defense network for Ukraine impossible

Emmanuel Macron added that Europe’s resources are limited, and the European Union will continue helping Kiev keeping in mind its own reserves

CIA chief says Ukraine could lose by end of this year — Politico

William Burns said "there is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could at least put Putin in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement"

Russia always prefers talks to fighting, wars, says Lavrov

The first Russian-Ukrainian negotiations after the launch of Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine took place in Belarus in early March 2022 but the talks yielded no tangible results

Water in Kurgan above dam, breaking records

More than 100 employees of the Russian Ministry of Emergencies are fencing the shores and filling the least reliable dam segments

US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

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Iran suspends flights above several cities amid reports of air attack — IRNA

Fox News said the Jewish state delivered a limited strike on Iran

Hezbollah warns Israel it will fight back if attacks on Lebanon continue

The Lebanese Shiite organization "would not accept that the Israelis transgress the rules of engagement that are currently set in the south" of Lebanon

Palestinian envoy says Israel plans to destroy Palestine

"This is a plan of extremist government", Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN Riyad Mansour said

Security guarantees on Ukraine did not apply to Crimea, Donbass — Lavrov

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Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

The minister also inspected the training process in Omsk Armor Engineering Institute

Agents in Ukrainian, Poland foil attempt to kill Zelensky, security officials in Kiev say

The agency said it and the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine informed their Polish counterparts about the alleged assassination attempt

Putin sees increasing life expectancy as key policy goal for Russia

The Russian leader stressed that "it’s crucial to continue paying great attention to the prevention and treatment of diseases, particularly through the most advanced and cutting-edge methods"

Ukraine convicts 12th world chess champion for recognizing Donetsk, Lugansk republics

The two other State Duma members mentioned in the verdict alongside Karpov are Viktor Kazakov and Georgy Karlov