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Russian space agency expects Vostochny to start operating at full capacity next year

The plans for 2021 include launching the Nauka multifunctional lab module to the International Space Station and sending the Luna-25 automated mission to the Earth’s natural satellite, the space official said

The Vostochny space center Valery Sharifulin/TASS

The Vostochny space center

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, December 30. /TASS/. The Russian state-run space corporation Roscosmos expects the Vostochny space center in Russia’s Far East to start operating at full capacity next year, the company’s Director General Dmitry Rogozin said in his New Year congratulations.

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"We are saying goodbye to this year and greeting New Year 2021 with high hopes. We hope that the Vostochny space center will start working at full capacity," he said in a video address published on the Roscosmos website.

The space agency’s plans for 2021 include launching the Nauka multifunctional lab module to the International Space Station and sending the Luna-25 automated mission to the Earth’s natural satellite.

"We have many other plans, and we are ready to put them into practice," the space official said.

According to Rogozin, 2020 was a difficult year for the rocket and space industry due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions in Russia and worldwide.

"Nevertheless, the rocket and space industry of Russia worked without disruptions. We have carried out all the launches that we had scheduled, including manned missions from the Baikonur space center," he added.

Overall, Roscosmos carried out 17 space launches from Baikonur (Kazakhstan), Plesetsk (northwestern Russia), Vostochny (Russia’s Far East) and Kourou (French Guiana) in 2020. About 120 satellites were taken to various orbits, including 104 OneWeb satellites, two navigational satellites - Glonass-M and Glonass-K, two Express telecoms satellites and six Gonets satellites. Russia also sent two manned Soyuz-MS spacecraft and two Progress-MS space freighters to the Internaitonal Space Station this year.

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Diplomat mocks US Senator for talking about invading Netherlands

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

US expects Russia-North Korea cooperation to be formidable challenge in coming years

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US admiral says Washington should be ready for talks with Russia, China

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

US journalist calls US President Joe Biden’s government 'the fascist state'

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Russia not obliged to notify anyone about launch of intermediate-range missile — Kremlin

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

North Korean leader warns of growing risk of nuclear war — KCNA

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

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US, European officials suggest returning nukes to Ukraine — NYT

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

China against double standards in international law — Foreign Ministry

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

Internet shutdown possible in Belarus if events of August 2020 recur, Lukashenko says

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

Zelensky’s actions make Ukraine vulnerable to coup, says politician

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

India, Russia discuss defense industry within military cooperation commission

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

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

Ukrainian frontline may 'collapse' under onslaught of Russian forces — BBC

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Russia fires ballistic, non-nuclear-tipped missile at Ukrainian aerospace plant — Putin

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Soyuz rocket carrying Progress MS-29 cargo spaceship blasts off from Baikonur spaceport

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Ukraine should consider territorial concessions to Russia in return for peace — magazine

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Russia will continue developing pipe gas supplies and will "continue supplying competitive energy resources to partners and the whole world," Pavel Sorokin noted

Ukrainian defense line in Donbass may soon collapse — expert

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Apart from that, one violation of the deconfliction protocols of December 9, 2019 linked with the flights by the US-led coalition unmanned aerial vehicles was reported

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

US not seeking confrontation with Russia, but will continue assistance to Kiev — Pentagon

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

Lukashenko grants asylum to Schmidt persecuted on political grounds by Poland

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Russia encircles largest Ukrainian fortification in southern DPR — security services

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"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

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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

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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

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Russian stock market indices mixed on Friday — market data

The MOEX Russia Index surged by 0.48% to 2,581.05 points

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

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

Kremlin confident Putin's statement got through to US administration

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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"

Russia entitled to use weapons against military sites of states attacking it — Duma

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Biden’s actions on Ukraine meant to 'muck things up' for Trump — Lavrov

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Lukashenko tells Putin situation is "starting to get tense with Wagner"

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Bank of Russia lifts official dollar rate to 102.58 rubles for November 23-25

The Central Bank said on June 13 that it would fix official dollar and euro rates against the ruble on the basis of reports of banks on results of transactions in the over-the-counter currency market

Oreshnik can reach targets across entire Europe — missile troops commander

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IN BRIEF: What Putin said about Russia’s new missile, and Moscow’s response to the West

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

West builds up military presence near Russia’s Arctic borders — presidential aide

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Zelensky to have no input if Russia, US negotiate, ex-Prime Minister says

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Chinese pandas sent back home after years in Finland

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Russia hammers Ukrainian military-industrial facilities, energy sites over week

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Eliminating best enemy units: Defense Minister visits special op area

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Belarusian president believes humanity is on the brink of World War III

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Russia forced to roll out new weapons as West fuels conflict, Minsk says

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US missile defense base in Poland long among Russian army’s targets — Foreign Ministry

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

Defense ministers of five European nations to meet in Berlin on November 25

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Bulgarian politician sees Oreshnik missile strike as wake-up call for peace

"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

Western air defense systems unlikely to intercept Russian missiles — France’s Le Monde

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