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Military operation in Ukraine

Russia reports no drug trafficking from Ukraine amid special military operation — official

Acting head of the Russian Interior Ministry’s Main Directorate for Narcotics Control Kirill Smurov recalled that the law enforcement agency had witnessed targeted drug trafficking from Ukraine to Russia at the turn of 2020

MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. There have been no direct or targeted narcotics supplies from Ukraine to Russia since the special military operation, even as the enemy still pursues such goals, Kirill Smurov, acting head of the Russian Interior Ministry’s Main Directorate for Narcotics Control, said.

"At the turn of 2020, we witnessed targeted drug trafficking from Ukraine to Russia. Now given quite a vast gray zone over there, among other things, no such direct [drug trafficking] has been reported. But that our adversaries at least cherish these goals is a fact," he said at a presidium meeting of the ministry’s Public Council when asked to comment on how Western special services and Ukraine may be contributing to the active spread of drugs amid Russian youths.

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Military operation in Ukraine

FACTBOX: Russia’s sanitary watchdog says no epidemic risks in Irkutsk Region

Rospotrebnadzor has provided the WHO with information about the situation in the region

Second reconnaissance aircraft detected over Black Sea

The source described the situation as a rare occurrence, pointing to the similarity in the flight paths of both planes

Trade turnover between Russia, CIS countries above $110 bln in 2025 — Kremlin aide

Large-scale industrial and infrastructural projects are being implemented within the CIS framework, Yury Ushakov noted

Russia to take retaliatory measures if Canada confiscates Russian assets — ambassador

Oleg Stepanov said Ottawa should consider the legal, investment and reputational consequences "of such ‘lawmaking’"

Russian troops liberate Golubkovo community in Zaporozhye Region over past day — top brass

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 240 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy armored combat vehicle in its area of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Putin to hold series of international calls on his birthday — aide

Yury Ushakov added that all information about the talks will be available on the Kremlin’s official website

US warned Riyadh about growing Houthi threat for several months — media

Sources cited by The New York Times added that Washington made it clear that the US would not carry out airstrikes against Houthi positions

Mexico halts fuel shipments to Cuba due to threat of US sanctions — newspaper

In the first half of the year, the shipments averaged just 900 barrels per day

Motor vessel crash into waterfront mansion on Bosphorus — news agency

The vessel with passengers on board initially collided with a boat when touring

Russian troops use flamethrower system against Ukrainian forces Near Krasny Liman

The flamethrower system’s primary targets are temporary deployment sites, UAV control posts, and enemy troops concentrations

Trump says Los Angeles, San Diego could be destroyed amid Iran war

The US president did not explain his remarks

Kim Jong Un assures Putin of unwavering support for Russia — KCNA

The North Korean leader congratulated the Russian president on his birthday

Brazil to stay in BRICS after elections — Russian Federation Council speaker

According to Valentina Matviyenko, BRICS is a benefit for all its members, including Brazil

Explosion heard near Iranian island of Qeshm — IRNA

There is no information about the explosion on the island itself so far

Overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow among largest in two years

650 UAVs headed toward the Moscow Region

Trump claims to be in procces of mulling whether to end conflict with Iran 'the nice way'

The US president added he believes the problem is that "nobody knows who the hell is running the country"

Captain killed in attack on ship in Black Sea — Azerbaijan’s MFA

Another Azerbaijani citizen, born in 2002, went missing

Kiev’s urban logistics crumbling due to destroyed bridges, sources say

The source noted that a full-fledged bridge restoration is not yet in sight, and the logistics situation will "only get worse"

EU braces for 'nightmare scenario' of hybrid attack — media

According to Politico, "discussions have ramped up since the discovery of an explosives-laden drone at Leipzig airport in August"

Iran should reduce uranium enrichment capacity to end war with US — vice president

JD Vance expressed concern over Iran's possession of highly enriched fuel and added that the US would demand concrete concessions from Iran in the nuclear sphere

What we know about attack on oil tanker in Black Sea with unmanned surface vehicles

The tanker's crew of 23 Indian nationals has been rescued

Russian stock indices up as main trading session opens on Moscow Exchange

The benchmark MOEX and RTS indices rose by 0.27% each to 2,334.88 and 856.16 points, respectively

Liberation of Golubkovo broadens Russian army’s opportunities in Zaporozhye area

During tense and lengthy battles, the Russian fighters crushed the militants’ resistance and established control of the community, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported

Lavrov to take part in CIS Council of Foreign Ministers on October 7 — Kremlin aide

Yury Ushakov said that two more events will be held on October 7, in which Russia's upper house speaker Valentina Matviyenko will take part

United States does not need Iranian oil, President Donald Trump declares

The US leader separately stated that Washington had prevented Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons

No excessive pollution recorded in Sirius area amid tanker fire

According to air quality monitoring data, pollutant concentrations remain multiple times below maximum permissible concentrations and pose no health threat

Team of Ecuadorian mercenaries arrived in Kharkov

According to law enforcement agencies, they will be engaged in counterattacks in the area of Kazachya Lopan and Goptovka

Russia, Africa committed to building multipolar world — Russian diplomat

Vasily Nebenzya said Russia would continue supporting African states in their efforts to strengthen their anti-crisis capabilities, resolve conflicts, and consolidate their sovereignty

Omani military evacuate 10 seafarers from attacked commercial ship

The attack caused a fire onboard the vessel

No Black Sea pollution resulting from tanker fire

The environmental watchdog said the coastline and the Black Sea waters are being monitored

Russian Cabinet to consider bill on preventing spread of infections

Other items on the agenda include reimbursing airports for expenses during temporary flight restrictions

Press review: Black Sea ceasefire efforts gain momentum as Houthi advances raise war risk

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, October 7th

Insurers stop covering risks related to Ukraine port calls — Ambrey

Higher navigation threat is currently recorded for the Black Sea as a result of the military campaign initiated by Ukraine and Russian involuntary tit-for-tat action

Houthis say they shot down Saudi drone over Yemen

The target was destroyed in the airspace of Al Jawf Governorate, spokesman Yahya Saree said

Russia on guard amid European Union’s militarization plans — Kremlin

Earlier, France test-fired a new nuclear-capable missile

FACTBOX: Russian forces hit enterprises producing Flamingo missiles in Ukraine

Russian troops struck the Kiev Cardboard and Paper Mill plant that served as a production and storage facility for FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles and their components

Trump says he plans to speak by phone with Putin very soon

The US president explained that he has a call scheduled with his Russian counterpart

UN should clarify criteria for neutral state status — Russian Federation Council speaker

Valentina Matviyenko said that Switzerland, which has traditionally been considered a neutral state, is moving away from this status because it follows EU directives and supports illegal sanctions

Lavrov to attend CIS Foreign Ministers Council meeting

The ministers will take stock of 2026 activities, discuss cooperation prospects, and mark the CIS's 35th anniversary

Russia faces one of largest drone attacks of 2026 — TASS calculations

Ukrainian UAVs were intercepted and destroyed over 12 Russian regions

Putin to visit Turkmenistan on October 8-9 — Kremlin aide

During his visit, the Russian leader will take part in the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State and the Caspian Environmental Summit

More than 220,000 Ukrainians left country in first half of 2026

A total of about 7.130 million departures and about 6.907 million entries into the country were recorded, according to data from the State Border Guard Service

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 awarded for discovery in asymmetric organic synthesis

France’s Henri Kagan and Japan’s Kenso Soai have received the award

Diplomat says Russian Foreign Ministry’s message to foreigners in Kiev was 'crystal clear'

According to Maria Zakharova, foreigners "should be aware of the risk and understand its source"

Kiev complains to the West about Russia to wheedle more billions — Crimean legislator

The main thing is not to slow down or stop pushing Ukraine toward peace, Vladimir Konstantinov emphasized

Paramount finalizes deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery — newspaper

The combined entity has been named Skydance Corporation and should immediately challenge Netflix and YouTube in the streaming market

Russian forces strike enemy radars in Poltava, Odessa regions, data centers across Ukraine

The Russian military continued to carry out strikes targeting Ukrainian logistics hubs, transport facilities and port infrastructure as well as sea vessels, the Russian Defense ministry reported

Christa Pike faces lengthy recovery after botched execution attempt — lawyers

According to their statement, Pike's prognosis remains unclear

New batches of Su-34 aircraft are already being manufactured — Rostec

Based on combat experience, the aircraft continues to be improved, enabling crews to carry out their assigned missions more effectively, the state corporation noted

NATO’s statements on potential war with Russia, West’s responsibility: Lavrov’s remarks

The Russian Foreign Minister says he is "taking a philosophical view" of reports about NATO's "defensive" plan for its eastern flank

Georgia doubts EU’s commitment to expansion plans — parliament speaker

Shalva Papuashvili recalled plans to divide the European Union into first-and second-class members

CIS summit, meeting with Pezeshkian, Caspian ecology: on Putin’s visit to Turkmenistan

The Russian president will pay a working visit to Turkmenistan on October 8 and 9

Russian aircraft strike Ukrainian temporary deployment sites in DPR, Zaporozhye

The Russian Air Force used FAB-500 and FAB-3000 high-explosive aerial bombs equipped with universal gliding and correction modules

Iran boosts arms production capacities by 2.5 times — defense ministry

Reza Talaei-Nik highlighted that production of separate types of weapons more than tripled in the reported period

Putin, Pezeshkian to discuss Middle East crisis, bilateral cooperation — Kremlin aide

Yury Ushakov recalled that the two presidents had last met in early September

Liberian-flagged tanker attacked off Black Sea coast

Crew of the Aframax Rio tanker was rescued, with no casualties, the Russian transport ministry said

Putin to spend 74th birthday attending to official duties

The Russian president has public events scheduled, though details were not disclosed

Russia plays to 3-3 draw with Nigeria in football friendly

With this game, the Russian national football team snapped a four-game shutout streak

EU now sliding toward becoming military bloc — Russian Federation Council speaker

Valentina Matviyenko added that people in EU countries are dissatisfied with this

Turkey to send limited contingent to Saudi Arabia — newspaper

According to the report, Turkey does not plan directly intervene in the situation in Yemen

US actress Eva Marie Saint dies at age 102 — Variety

Saint was born in 1924 in Newark, New Jersey, and began her television and film career in the 1940s

Western countries have their oil reserves depleted — Vitol CEO

The crisis situation in the fuel market will continue for several months more, Russel Hardy noted

NATO’s eastern flank plan is preparation for aggression against Russia, says Duma member

Leonid Ivlev noted that NATO’s new strategy draws on lessons from the Ukrainian conflict and combines conventional weapons with advanced technologies

Putin clearly stated Russia’s response in case of an attack on Kaliningrad — Lavrov

There will be one answer to the Kaliningrad Region, to any other region, the Russian foreign minister stressed

Ukraine’s attempts at agricultural intervention in EU market to hinder accession — envoy

Rodion Miroshnik said that Ukraine's neighboring countries "will most likely fight tooth and nail against Ukrainian agricultural products entering the European market and effectively suffocating farms"

Caspian Sea level drop to be discussed at environmental summit — Kremlin aide

"The water level is characterized by cyclicity," Yury Ushakov said

Massive drone attack damages seven houses, archive building in LPR — authorities

Sergey Kolyagin said there were no casualties in the attack

Russian forces approach Novoukrainka in Zaporozhye Region — military expert

Andrey Marochko said that Russian servicemen are advancing near liberated Golubkovo

Rostelecom launches trans-Eurasian communication line

Rostelecom calls this project a "super-speed digital mainline" and the largest infrastructural projects in the field of communications in Russia over the past years

EU ambassadors endorse 22nd sanction package — source

Over 1,500 companies and individuals have been blacklisted

Tanker catches fire in Black Sea, beaches closed

According to the publications, the burning took place opposite central Sochi

Putin could speak on Ukraine at news conference after Belarus talks on Thursday — Kremlin

The Russian president is scheduled to take questions jointly with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko

Trump announces construction of largest US shipyard since World War II

The shipbuilding complex will be located in Maryland

Disappointment in AI profitability risks major market shock, IMF’s Georgieva warns

The IMF managing director stressed the necessity of regulation and supervision in this sphere

UAC hands over batch of Su-34 fighter-bombers to Russian Defense Ministry

The aircraft have completed the full cycle of required ground and flight factory tests and have been sent to their permanent duty locations

Battlegroup North artillery eliminates 64 Ukrainian troops, 10 UAV control posts overnight

The battlegroup's artillery crews conducted more than 200 fire missions overnight

Press review: Slovakia blocks Russian asset seizure as Europe youth protests spread

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, October 6th

Russian think-tank publishes list of major arms buyers in 2025

Poland took first place, according to the National Defense magazine

Russia will be forced to retaliate to deployment of nukes in Lithuania — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov emphasized that NATO's military buildup near Russia's borders "cannot be perceived as anything other than a step toward escalating tensions"

Yemen’s Houthis say they struck airport, air base in Saudi Arabia

Ballistic missiles and drones were used in the attack, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said

Over 100 Ukrainian drones taken down over Russian regions during day

From 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Moscow time Russian air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 110 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles over Crimea, Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Tula, Ryazan, Oryol, Lipetsk, Rostov, and Moscow Regions

EU politicians’ statements about Kaliningrad run beyond all bounds — Russian MP

Alexander Shenderyuk-Zhidkov added that Russia has every right to use force in case of escalation

Ukraine possibly used latest US drones in attacks on Alyoshki

The Russian UAV operators reported that Ukrainian drone crews, responsible for attacks on civilians in the town of Alyoshki, could have been destroyed by recent strikes

Draconid meteors to look red on night of October 9 — expert

Astronomers expect up to 15 "falling stars" per hour

Irkutsk Region records about 16,000 ARVI cases weekly

There was no upward trend in case numbers over the past 14 days

FACTBOX: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s biography

Russia’s anti-plague institute employee diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown etiology

The watchdog clarified that expanded testing of samples from the patient found no microorganisms associated with her professional activities

Mobile fire teams of BARS-Kursk train to shoot down drones using real UAVs

Company Commander and Senior Training Group Instructor with the call sign Magellan said that anti-aircraft machine gunners are being trained for air surveillance posts and mobile fire teams

Two commercial ships hit with drones in Black Sea off Bulgaria

The Togo-flagged Alfa Watan suffered severe damage before sinking

Migration runs out of control in France — Trump

The US president said that Islam wants to take over France

Kremlin comments on preparations for Putin’s Q&A, Lithuania’s plans to host NATO base

According to Dmitry Peskov, Russia’s sanitary watchdog releases detailed updates about the epidemiological situation the Irkutsk Region

US may never reinstate its military presence in Middle East — portal

The Intercept reported that a number of key US bases in the region were damaged to the point where their "operations have been radically disrupted"

Trump believes Iran involved in Flydubai incident

The US president also pointed out that Washington knew who was behind the threat that prompted the US to withdraw all its B-1 strategic bombers from the UK’s RAF Fairford

Lukashenko highlights Putin's selfless service to Fatherland in birthday message

The Belarusian president said he highly values his Russian counterpart's commitment to strengthening fraternal ties between Minsk and Moscow

Impeachment motion for top diplomat Araghchi registered with Iranian parliament — agency

The procedure was initiated by Amir-Hossein Sabeti, a member of parliament from Tehran

Houthis report striking coalition forces near Bab el-Mandeb Strait with 10 missiles

At the same time, the Yemeni government said its troops were successfully advancing and delivering strikes on Houthi targets

Russia to focus on cutting-edge battery technologies — Putin

The support for the output of such innovative products and its components is provided in particular as part of the New Nuclear and Energy Technologies National Project, the Russian leader stressed

Nobel Prize in physics awarded for ‘ghostly’ cosmic particles

US scientist Francis Halzen was also awarded for his "decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory"

Trump believes conflict in Ukraine nearing its end

The US president admitted that he thought this conflict "would be the easiest one for me"

World leaders congratulate Putin on his birthday

In a telephone conversation, Putin and Lukashenko agreed to continue discussing bilateral cooperation and the international situation on the sidelines of the CIS summit in Turkmenistan

Qatar puts forward initiatives to be relayed to Iranian president — Iranian minister

Eskandar Momeni said that "the sides held a fruitful and constructive dialogue on issues of bilateral concern"