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Coronavirus pandemic

German president points out mistakes made during COVID-19 pandemic

Frank-Walter Steinmeier recalled that a third wave of COVID-19 had reached Germany, and that required efforts by all population groups

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier EPA-EFE/Sandra Steins/BPA

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier

© EPA-EFE/Sandra Steins/BPA

BERLIN, April 3. /TASS/. Coronavirus restrictions in Germany will remain in place in the coming weeks, there have been both accomplishments and failures during the pandemic, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in his address to the nation on Saturday.

"For some people, lockdown has long become not just a question of income, but a question of banal existence. I understand the loss of patience and disappointment because of the failures of recent months all the more. Much has been done, and we have succeeded in doing a lot. Nevertheless, there have been mistakes - during testing, during vaccination and with digital solutions," the president said.

He recalled that a third wave of COVID-19 had reached Germany, and that required efforts by all population groups. "The coming weeks will require tight restrictions once again, and you realize that as well as I do," Steinmeier stressed.

Lockdown restrictions are currently in place in Germany. At the same time, schools, kindergartens, hairdressing salons, flower shops and bookstores are open. The number of new COVID-19 cases dropped in January and February, but it began to grow again in March. Lockdown restrictions have been extended until April 18, and they could be tightened.

According to the latest polls, only 19% of almost 1,500 respondents are satisfied with the German government’s performance. 79% of those polled said they were dissatisfied with its work, and 2% were undecided on the issue.

Over 1,200 children from Dagestan remain in refugee camps in Middle East

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Russian ambassador says UK prime minister doesn’t understand situation in Ukraine

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

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Bundeswehr prepares plan for Operation Germany in case of war with Russia — newspaper

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Press review: US lets Kiev use anti-personnel mines and Iran may halt uranium enrichment

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, November 21st

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

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

Foreign Policy pointed out that Western officials should stop insisting in public speeches on the need to achieve a strategic defeat for Russia

Over 1,200 children from Dagestan remain in refugee camps in Middle East

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Zelensky begs ‘for his country to be flattened’ — US journalist

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

"Russia has repeatedly stated that such actions will receive a response – and it will be a stronger one," Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stressed

Turkey’s desire to be gas hub important for energy security — Russian official

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

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Lukashenko grants asylum to Schmidt persecuted on political grounds by Poland

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Western countries should 'be afraid, tremble' after Putin's statement — lawmaker

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

Tehran to launch new centrifuges in response to IAEA anti-Iran resolution — statement

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

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

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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

Commissioning of Oreshnik and new developments: Putin’s meeting with defense specialists

Here are the key statements, made during the meeting

Putin stays open to contacts to reach 'peaceful track' — Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a televised address to the nation on November 21, announcing that in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia, Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile for the first time

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

According to the French military source, Russia's recent use of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile should be taken in the context of possible negotiations regarding the ongoing Ukrainian conflict

Russia’s re-election to UNCITRAL confirms its global reputation — Foreign Ministry

Russia got the support of 129 countries in a November 20 vote in New York at the 40th plenary session of the UN General Assembly

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

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

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Japanese government refrains from commenting on Russia’s latest hypersonic missile

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

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

Good relations between Moscow, Riyadh helping oil market stability — Medvedev

"Our friends are living in the Arab world," the politician noted

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

The French interior ministry said earlier that an emergency meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council will be held on November 26 following Russia using its new missile against a Ukrainian defense sector facility

Russia’s Oreshnik has no analogues worldwide — Putin

"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

Western nations should take Putin's statement seriously, warns Hungarian PM

Viktor Orban recalled that Russia has "one of the most powerful armies in the world, which boasts the most advanced, most powerful weapons"

Enemy losses, mercenary intrigue, humanitarian aid: situation in Kursk Region

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

Alexander Lukashenko also emphasized that a real information war has been underway for a long time

Enemy has no countermeasures for Russia’s Oreshnik missile — Putin

Speaking in a televised address, the head of state assured that Russia will issue notifications before using this type of missile

West irrational, fails to understand it cannot intercept Russia's new missiles — Kneissl

The former Austrian foreign minister stressed that she "counted on rational Western decision-makers, but irrationality is unfortunately on the rise among them"

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Maria Zakharova noted that the Russian Embassy in Helsinki has sent requests to clarify the situation

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

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Zelensky shook up by Russia’s response to permission to attack it — Lavrov

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Kremlin clarifies notification process for Oreshnik missile launch

"An automated warning was sent 30 minutes before the launch," Dmitry Peskov said

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Japanese lawmaker praises Putin's restraint amid decision to strike deep into Russia

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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Lin Jian also reaffirmed Beijing's position on the Ukrainian issue

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Andrey Belousov stressed that Russian troops have accelerated their advance in the special military operation zone and have effectively disrupted Kiev's 2025 military campaign

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Russian air defense deflects attacks with Western missiles — Putin

"As a result, the goals that the enemy apparently set have not been achieved," the Russian leader said

US administration chooses to escalate Ukraine conflict — Kremlin

Earlier, Putin stressed that the Ukrainian army is unable to fire the latest Western-made long-range missiles on its own without support from NATO satellite feeds and the involvement of the bloc’s military

US decision to allow missile strikes deep into Russia fuels global escalation — Slovak PM

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

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Putin says Oreshnik missile system cutting-edge innovation by Russia, not Soviet byproduct

The Russian Defense Ministry announced earlier in the day that the country’s latest Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile hit all the targets at a major Ukrainian military-industrial enterprise in Dnepr (Dnepropetrovsk) with its MIRVed warheads

India, Russia discuss defense industry within military cooperation commission

The meeting was co-chaired by India’s Secretary (Defense Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar and Russia’s First Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation Andrey Boytsov

Ukraine was warned about possible missile strike — Pentagon

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

Oreshnik missile to go into serial production, Putin says

The president stressed that given the weapon’s special power, it "will be provided precisely to the Strategic Missile Forces"

Russia’s reaction to Austrian OMV’s failure to pay for gas justified — MFA

The company stated it would seek damages amounting to 230 million euro for failing to receive the contracted volume of gas from the Russian company for delivery to Germany

Any escalation scenario possible in Ukraine conflict — Medvedev

According to the politician, Western nations need to understand that they are fighting on Ukraine’s side

Zelensky fine with conflict continuing due to Western help — Slovak PM

Robert Fico pointed out that "more and more evidence show that the West seeks to prolong the war in Ukraine for various reasons"

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

Captives, Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, the enemy lost more than 150 people, while five Ukrainian servicemen surrendered

Decision on strikes inside Russia seals US puppet Zelensky’s fate — commentator

The New York Times reported earlier, citing sources, that US President Joe Biden had authorized the use of US-made ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia

Ex-German chancellor never expected Russia to tolerate Ukraine’s NATO membership — memoir

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"

Putin’s remarks on hypersonic missiles send serious warning to West — Turkish politician

According to the Russian president, it can install a nuclear warhead on this missile, if necessary, Deputy Chairman of Turkey’s Patriotic Party Hakan Topkurulu said

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

Earlier, Tucker Carlson said that Joe Biden's approval of long-range missile strikes by the Ukrainian army deep inside Russia could threaten US people

Russia encircles largest Ukrainian fortification in southern DPR — security services

"The enemy positioned in the fortified area in Velikaya Novoselka in the south of the DPR is already trapped in a kill zone," the source said

US, West have no capabilities to intercept new Russian hypersonic missile — expert

"There is more in the Russian arsenal than many believe," said Karin Kneissl, the former Foreign Minister of Austria

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

Russian forces liberated seven communities in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past week, the Defense Ministry reported

Daily death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon nears 60 — health ministry

The overall death toll from Israeli bombardments and artillery attacks since the outbreak of the current escalation in October 2023 has reached 3,642, with 15,356 people being wounded

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"

Biden’s decision to use ATACMS against Russia may 'blow up in America’s face' — US expert

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

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Russian military to warn Ukrainian civilians of future Oreshnik attacks — Kremlin

Earlier, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a precision strike on Ukraine’s Yuzhmash defense industry facility in retaliation for the use of US-and UK-made weapons for strikes on Russia

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

According to Belarusian Security Council State Secretary Alexander Volfovich, "the West does not support peace, it supports war"

Signal to West and 'red card': experts weigh in on Putin’s missile launch statements

The important message in Vladimir Putin’s speech was that "Russia does believe that the West has shifted from a proxy-war to direct war" and that the parties find themselves in "a global conflict" now, Dmitry Suslov said

Weapons supplied to Ukraine cannot reach Russian territory, Spanish defense minister says

The New York Times reported on November 17 that US President Joe Biden had authorized the use of US-supplied ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia

Press review: Russia fires missile at Ukraine plant and Biden forgives Kiev $4.65 bln debt

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, November 22nd

Russian forces cut off key Ukrainian supply route in Velikaya Novoselka, DPR

According to the security services, Ukrainian troops still have access to several unpaved roads, which are also under Russian fire control

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

Kim Jong Un added that negotiations with the US only confirmed the North Korean view that Washington’s hostile policy remains unchanged

Russian strategic missile forces to be equipped with advanced weapon by 95%

"A large-scale investment program for expanding production capacities at defense sector organizations is being implemented", Vasily Tonkoshkurov said

Russia uses aerial bombs to destroy Ukrainian positions near DPR’s Konstantinovka — source

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

Russia's Oreshnik missile poses significant threat to West, Turkish expert warns

These missiles pose a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the entire Western world, including continental Europe and Great Britain, Abdullah Agar stressed

Oreshnik can reach targets across entire Europe — missile troops commander

"Based on the tasks and the range of this weapon, it can hit targets across entire Europe, which sets it apart from other high-precision long-range weapons," Sergey Karakayev said

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

Putin’s recent statements reflect long-standing policy, expert says

Putin’s position can be traced back to his 2007 address at the Munich Security Conference, Tiberio Graziani says