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Turkish astronaut will be able to fly aboard Russia’s Soyuz

The head of the Turkish Space Agency is attending a special event in the presidential palace where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will present the national space program Tuesday

ANKARA, February 9. /TASS/. Turkey is very likely to use Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft to send its astronaut to space, head of the Turkish Space Agency Serdar Huseyin Yildirim told TASS Tuesday.

"This is a strong possibility because Soyuz is a very reliable vehicle, we know already that, it has very good experience in space. So, it is strongly possible, but we must speak about it. But, of course, we are considering it," Yildirim said.

The head of the Turkish Space Agency is attending a special event in the presidential palace where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will present the national space program Tuesday.

In late May 2018, Azerbaijan’s Trend News Agency cited its sources in the Turkish cabinet to report that Ankara is planning to launch its own astronaut training program after 2023 and is willing to earmark $6 billion to this end. The legislative basis was already laid down in autumn 2016. If implemented, this will be one of the largest and most ambitious projects in modern Turkey.

In September 2018, Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, chief Dmitry Rogozin told Anadolu Agency that Turkey could join the joint project between Russia and Kazakhstan to use the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Rogozin also noted that Russia is ready to train a Turkish crew for the International Space Station flight in 2023 when Turkey will celebrate 100 years since it was founded.

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Rafael Grossi reminded the Security Council that last year he outlined the principles of ensuring safety at the ZNPP to avert the danger of a nuclear incident and called on Russian and Ukraine to observe them

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

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Over 80 Ukrainian drones suppressed, downed in Kherson Region over day

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CEC chairperson hands over presidential credentials to Putin

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Xi Jinping proposes four principles for resolving Ukrainian crisis

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US, Europe’s military force insufficient to fight Russia — expert

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Georgian protesters end rally in Tbilisi over foreign agents bill

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Dmitry Peskov stated that China "maintains quite high diplomatic activity" on the Ukrainian track

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Freshly mobilized Ukrainian soldiers holding first-line defense in Chasov Yar, says DPR

Igor Kimakovsky said that the Ukrainian combat group in Chasov Yar is suffering heavy casualties

Kremlin mum on reports about discussions of Black Sea maritime security pact

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Negotiations on safety of navigation in Black Sea continue — source

The talks are being held within the framework of a letter sent earlier by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine struggles to garner support for Swiss conference — Russian Foreign Ministry

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Iran has warned US that Israeli response would set off harsh retaliation — minister

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US, UK strikes harm Yemeni settlement prospects — Russian mission to UN

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Netanyahu a threat for Israel, opposition leader says

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Kiev recognizes Russia's tenfold superiority in artillery shells

Vladimir Zelensky admitted that Ukraine had no chance of winning victory without support from the West

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Police detain 14 people at rally in Georgia

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Israel postpones Rafah operation after Iranian attack — CNN

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Russia developing Start-1M carrier rocket as derivative of Topol-M ICBM — source

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France to invite Russia to events marking 80th anniversary of Normandy invasion

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet received an official invitation

FSB makes arrest in Ukrainian Security Service officer’s car bombing

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US House could consider separate bills on aid to Israel, Ukraine this week — report

US House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the plans in a private meeting with GOP lawmakers on Monday, Politico said

Ukrainian president signs law tightening mobilization rules

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The German chancellor is in China on an official visit from April 14-16

Iran’s possession of enriched uranium doesn’t mean it has nuclear bomb — Grossi

The IAEA director general said he plans to visit Tehran in the next few weeks

Ukraine suffered substantial power generation losses over recent weeks — minister

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Russian security chief urges measures against 'ethnic enclaves' in Russia

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"If Israel and its Western supporters want to further escalate the conflict, we are ready to take additional defensive measures to protect our legitimate interests," Hussein Maliki said

Macron draws distinction between Israeli, Russian Olympic participation

The French leader stressed that Israel was responding to a terrorist attack

New sanctions against Moscow to push supplies of Russian metal to China up — Bloomberg

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Ukrainian troops hunker down in abandoned apartments in Kherson — governor

Vladimir Saldo added that troops use at their discretion the possessions of the people who used to live in these apartments

Israel considering retaliatory steps following Iranian attack — top brass

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Ukraine offers to use neighbors' air defense systems to protect its gas storage facilities

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White House effectively rules out option for US forces to intercept Russian missiles

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Joe Biden had made it clear that the United States would not take on a combat role in Ukraine

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"Iran will face the consequences for its actions," IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said

Roscosmos committed to continued collaboration with NASA — CEO

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Guido Crosetto didn’t specify whether the currency he meant was dollars or euros

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Russia, Belarus sign aircraft production agreement

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Israel may strike Iranian territory to demonstrate its capabilities — TV

"We are continuing our efforts to prevent further escalation," the US official said

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Ukrainian paratroopers surrender in Avdeyevka area — Russian Defense Ministry

Nine Ukrainian paratroopers of the airborne platoon of the elite brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces seized the opportunity to surrender near Vodyanoye, turned to Russian soldiers and laid down their arms, the ministry said

Putin, Raisi set for expansion of cooperation between Russia, Iran — Kremlin

It is noted that the two leaders also discussed the latest escalation in the Middle East

Saudi Arabia, UAE did not open airspace to Israel, US to repel Iranian attack — newspaper

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Iran says it won’t prevent return of Russian sailor from seized ship — MFA

The Russian Embassy in Tehran keeps the issue under special control, Maria Zakharova said

Russia’s UN envoy says IAEA too cautious as it doesn’t name culprit behind attacks on ZNPP

Vasily Nebenzya said Russia was calling on the International Atomic Energy Agency to name the source of attacks

Russia’s UN envoy says statements by West expose Kiev’s responsibility for attacks on ZNPP

"They not only completely gave away Zelensky's regime, but also confessed to their own complicity in these irresponsible bombardments," said Vasily Nebenzya

Russian forces find coordinates of DPR churches at former Ukrainian positions in Avdeyevka

It was possible to establish that the Ukrainian servicemen were tasked with hitting Orthodox sites in the region aide to the head of the Donetsk People's Republic Igor Kimakovsky said

Slovakia to oppose Ukraine’s NATO membership bid — PM

Meanwhile, Slovakia supports Ukraine’s accession to the European Union

Hamas not to make any concessions on Israeli troops’ withdrawal from Gaza

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Putin expresses hope for restraint in Middle East in conversation with Raisi

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Ukrainian Baba Yaga drone found in Moscow office

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FSB prevents terror attack on Trans-Siberian Railway

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Russian paratroopers seize Ukrainian stronghold on tanks, combat vehicles

Russian troops suffered no casualties, the Russian Defense Ministry reported

Iranian military’s strike on Israel 'terminates taboo' — army chief

Kioumars Heydari said the Israeli Air Force's bombardment of the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1 was an "attack on the territory" of the republic, while "the mission of the armed forces is to defend the national territory, so the enemy was given a resolute response"

Iran has no need to buy Russia’s S-400 missile systems — defense minister

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Russia, Belarus boosting interaction despite sanctions

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin added that the record-high indicator of mutual trade turnover is $45.2 bln

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Ebrahim Raisi opined that the UN Security Council and the organization as a whole "failed to fulfill their minimum legal obligations to condemn the [Israeli] attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus"

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'Iron Dome' can't fully protect from UAV swarms — Chinese expert

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Russian forces pummel Ukrainian army, equipment in 133 areas over past day

Russian troops took better frontline positions in the Donetsk area over the past day, the ministry reported

Japan concerned over Russia-China military cooperation — Foreign Ministry

The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly emphasized previously that similar drills and patrols are held in strict compliance with international law

Moscow shooter identified as European boxing champion Nikita Ivanov

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Majority of Russians feel cool new tech out of reach for many

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Russia’s top brass reports destroying first Khmara jammer in Ukraine operation

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Israeli strikes on Iran to do disservice to US ahead of election — former Russian diplomat

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Zelensky irked by US’ request to stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure — media

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US-led coalition’s aircraft violate Syrian airspace eight times in past day

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Envoy reports dozens of Russians killed in Ukrainian attacks in past week

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Yerevan has no territorial claims to Baku — Armenian representative to UN court

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Russia supports priorities of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in SCO — Foreign Ministry

Andrey Rudenko emphasized that Russia is providing all necessary assistance in the meaningful preparation of the summit in Astana

IAEA chief slams attack on ZNPP dome as 'very dangerous precedent'

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Russian air defenses suppress up to 400 Ukrainian UAVs in DPR over week

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Senior Russian diplomat warns West against aggressive statements about Russia

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French mercenaries operate Caesar howitzers in Ukraine — French reporter

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Georgian parliament passes bill on foreign agents in first reading

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Russian finance ministry considering abolition of export duty on gold

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