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75TH ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY OVER NAZI GERMANY

Kremlin says Putin made difficult decision to put off Victory Day parade

The health of people is a priority for him, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin made a difficult decision on delaying the Victory Day parade, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" program.

"Certainly, it was probably hard for the president to make such a decision but <...> the health of people is a priority for him," Peskov said.

According to Peskov, May 9 is a holy day for Putin. The Kremlin spokesman expressed confidence that "everyone will still celebrate" the 75th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that both the Victory Day parade and the Immortal Regiment’s march would not be held on May 9, but would take place later this year as soon as the coronavirus threat subsides.

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Vladimir Putin Victory Day

Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov, a celebrated Russian film director, declared the festival open, praising the bravery of foreign cultural figures who are visiting Russia at this time

Russia to scrap moratorium on intermediate missiles if US deploys them anywhere — MFA

Sergey Ryabkov said the US seeks to maintain military superiority in a great variety of areas

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

Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

Bank of Russia supports accelerating bill on international cryptocurrency payments

Elvira Nabiullina also noted that more than 98% of financial transactions inside Russia are routed through the Russian equivalent of SWIFT, the Financial Messaging System of the Bank of Russia

Ukrainian president admits Russian troops’ advancement

Vladimir Zelensky asked his country’s supporters to provide "everything that helps to hold the frontline," including shells, military vehicles and drones

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

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

Press review: Ukraine, Israel vie for EU’s attention and Georgia passes controversial bill

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

Ukrainian POW exposes poor battlefield performance of NATO-supplied Javelins, NLAWs

He also revealed that some weapon batches contained anti-armor systems whose service life had expired

Iran may target Israeli nuclear center in Dimona in case of Israel’s attack — TV

Ahmad Haghtalab said on April 18 that Tehran has identified the location of Israel's "nuclear centers" and will be ready to destroy them in case the Jewish state responds to the recent Iranian attack on Israeli military facilities

American Abrams tanks vulnerable even to Soviet-era weapons, says expert

US President Joe Biden announced on January 25 that Washington would hand over 31 M1 Abrams tanks to the Kiev regime

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

G7 leaders to decide on Russian assets use — Italian Deputy PM

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Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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Over 40 nations want to join BRICS — Russian lawmaker

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US gives nod to Israeli operation in Rafah in exchange for canceling major attack on Iran

According to the media outlet, "the US administration will support the plan for a military operation in Rafah put forward earlier," which provides for dividing the city into numbered sectors that will be mopped up one by one

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

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

Ukraine’s new ethnic minorities law insufficient to protect Magyars — Hungarian president

According to Katalin Novak, Hungary’s call for the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia to be respected should be viewed as a common European demand

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

"In any case, whatever the modality of providing this aid, de facto it is about provoking Ukraine into further hostilities down to the last Ukrainian, putting guarantted money in the pockets of the US," Dmitry Peskov said

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

Hungarians in western Ukraine should get their rights back, Budapest says

"The Hungarian community’s opportunities to use its native language in the fields of education, culture, media and self-governance have been significantly limited," Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto specified

US volunteer Russel Bentley missing in Donetsk killed — RT editor-in-chief

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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

BRICS’ expansion makes it much stronger — senior Russian diplomat

Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia, became full-fledged members of BRICS from January 1, 2024

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

Donald Tusk said that German Chancellor’s call to send more air defense systems to Kiev had no relation to Poland, provided the country's geographical position near the frontline

Russia’s sanitary watchdog trains African colleagues on using mobile labs

The exercise involved two mobile laboratories based on Kamaz vehicles, which Russian President Vladimir Putin presented to his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni as a gift at the Russia-Africa summit

West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

According to the top Russian diplomat, the leaders who rule countries where they claim to be from while holding foreign passports "will not enjoy support and authority for long"

Russia not to go for settlement on Ukraine based on 'Zelensky formula' — Lavrov

The top Russian diplomat referred to a swindling trick used by a thimblerigger who puts a small round object, such as a ball or pea, under one of three thimbles or cups and asks the player to guess under which the object is, while unfairly manipulating this object

Russian stock indices rising on Friday

The MOEX Russia Index edged up by 0.44%, the RTS Index surged by 1.13%

Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

The group contains US finance and justice ministers, representatives of Australia, the UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Japan, as well as the European Commission

S-500 system to be supplied to Armed Forces after 2015

Victor Gumenny said the advanced systems may solve the tasks of air-space defence and may fight hypersonic weapons

Kremlin declines to comment on alleged assassination attempt on Zelensky in Poland

The Security Service of Ukraine announced earlier that in a joint operation with law enforcement agencies in Ukraine and Poland it thwarted an attempt to assassinate Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

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

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

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

Drones downed over Isfahan cause no damage, says Iranian foreign minister

It is reported that several drones had been intercepted by the national air defense forces over Isfahan

UK imposes sanctions against leading Iranian military figures — Foreign Office

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Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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Armenia’s relations with Russia not at their highest — top diplomat

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Musk says he will not vote for Biden in presidential election

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West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

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US blocks Security Council resolution granting full UN membership to Palestine

A total of 12 countries, including Russia and China, voted in favor of the document

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Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

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

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

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Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

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

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Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian prosecutor general

The law enforcement employees exert efforts to identify the instigators of this crime, Igor Krasnov said

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Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

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Israel may have used banned white phosphorus munitions while shelling Lebanon — TV

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Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

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FSB declassifies archival evidence on Nazi executions of Poles, Katyn case

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Press review: Biden backs aid to Israel, Ukraine and Russia assets giving West legal fits

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 19th

US House passes procedural vote on Ukraine aid bill

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Major Western investor accuses Zelensky's office of extorting millions of euros

Arnulf Damerau said that he provided details of the meeting, along with evidence and a list of names of those involved, to US and European intelligence agencies

Russian instructors help train over 10,000 Central African troops — CAR president

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

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

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Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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US-led coalition’s aircraft violate Syrian airspace 13 times in past day

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MFA says Kiev legalizes capture of country by making agreements with Warsaw

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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

FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

One crew member of jet crashed in Stavropol Region killed, search for another continues

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, an Aerospace Forces’ Tu-22M3 bomber crashed after completing a combat mission while returning to the airfield

Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

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Russian military base may appear in CAR’s eastern region — President Touadera

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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

NATO discussing transfer of ‘deep precision strike capabilities’ to Ukraine — Stoltenberg

Stoltenberg said NATO believes Ukraine has the right to strike "legitimate military targets" inside Russia

Russia to begin next week clinical trials of anti-COVID-19 vaccine for children

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BRICS looking at creating common digital payment platform

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that BRICS nations have already established a special channel for information exchange between their central banks

Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

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West frightens voters by 'Russian threat' to win elections — Lavrov

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Russian military closely monitors all Ukrainian 'novelties' — Kremlin on UAVs

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