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Belarusian presented with flat in Moscow for carrying Russian flag at Rio Paralympics

Andrey Fomochkin carried the Russian national flag alongside his country’s at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympics to express solidarity with the Russian Paralympic team barred from the Games

Andrey Fomochkin Oksana Manchuk/BelTA/TASS

Andrey Fomochkin

© Oksana Manchuk/BelTA/TASS

MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS/. Sergey Shmakov, the president of the Sapsan group of companies, presented keys from the apartment in Moscow to Representative of the Belarusian Ministry of Sports and Tourism Andrey Fomochkin, who carried the Russian flag at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games.

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Belarusian athletes carry Russian flags at Paralympics opening ceremony

"I want to express my gratitude to Andrey Fomochkin for his action and our country needs taking an example from such people as he is," Shmakov said as he was handing over a certificate for the apartment to Fomochkin.

"The idea of giving an apartment as a gift did not come to me at once, while it was a fantastic gesture. It was a gesture and about ten days ago it appeared to me that I cannot leave everything like this," Shmakov said adding that "it is personally from me and I am very pleased now."

Fomochkin carried the Russian national flag alongside his country’s at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Paralympics last month in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro.

In an interview with TASS earlier in the day, Fomochkin said he did not know anything that somebody was planning to give him an apartment as a gift.

"I have no information at all," he told TASS. "As soon as somebody tells me anything, I will be thinking what to do next."

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During a news conference in Moscow on Monday, Fomochkin presented the Russian flag he carried in Rio to Lidiya Abramova, the vice president of the Russian Paralympic Committee.

President of the Belarusian Paralympic Committee Oleg Shepel earlier said that the Russian flag gesture at the opening ceremony at the Maracana Stadium was to express solidarity with the entire Russian Paralympic team, which was barred by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) from taking part in the 2016 Rio Games. The next day after the opening ceremony the IPC announced that the Paralympic accreditation of Fomochkin had been revoked following his defiant gesture.

On August 7, the IPC decided to bar the whole Russian Paralympic team from taking part in the 2016 Summer Paralympics. The ruling came on the heels of a report delivered earlier in the summer by the Independent Commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

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Doping scandal in Russian sports Olympics 2016

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Kremlin confident Putin's statement got through to US administration

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 21 that the United States and its NATO allies had earlier announced that they would authorize Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons to hit inside Russia, after which American and British missiles struck Russian military facilities in the Kursk and Bryansk regions

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

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

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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

German chancellor reiterates decision not to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine

Olaf Scholz stated that only the Social Democratic Party of Germany could maintain a balance between caution and clear support for Ukraine

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

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

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

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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

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

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

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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

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 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

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

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Russian troops destroy Ukrainian fortification in LPR’s Makeyevka, strengthen positions

Andrey Marochko noted that the Russian forces' advances along this stretch of the front are facilitated by their control over an earlier seized strategic position, as "the activities of the assault groups are provided with cover," and "the Russian Armed Forces outnumber Ukrainian units"

Trump seeks to restore peace in entire world — transition team on Putin’s address

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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

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

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China urges restraint after Russia, Ukraine's exchange of attacks — foreign ministry

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

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US makes mistake by destroying INF Treaty — Putin

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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

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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"

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Russia interested in security of Baltic undersea infrastructure — embassy in Denmark

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Andrey Kelin also recalled that the policy of the Russian leadership enjoys the full support and confidence of the country's population

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Wu Qian stated that the United States must immediately correct its mistakes, "honestly respect China’s main interests, and seek to create favorable conditions for high-level contacts between the military of the two countries"

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Russian forces successfully advancing in all areas in special military op zone — Putin

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

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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"

Russian army pushes Ukraine out of Kurakhovo water reservoir’s north shore

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

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Oreshnik test aims to persuade West to avoid escalation in Ukraine — media

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

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Putin warns West that Russia can respond to any turn of events

"There will always be an answer," the president said

US Congressman urges to impeach Biden for allowing strikes deep into Russia

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

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