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2018 FIFA WORLD CUP IN RUSSIA

Russia's stadiums whip into shape to welcome 2018 FIFA World Cup

On December 1 the Russian capital of Moscow is hosting the Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Photo {{sliderIndex+1}} from 24

Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium is lit with the white, blue, and red colours of the Russian national flag

© Dmitry Serebryakov/TASS

Seats and pitch at Luzhniki Stadium renovated for the 2018 FIFA World Cup

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

A view of the Kazan Arena Stadium

© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

Kazan Arena Stadium

© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

A view of Saint Petersburg Stadium on Krestovsky Island

© Peter Kovalev/TASS

Saint Petersburg Stadium on Krestovsky Island

© Peter Kovalev/TASS

A view of Yekaterinburg Arena Stadium under reconstruction

© Donat Sorokin/TASS

Pitch at Yekaterinburg Arena Stadium

© Donat Sorokin/TASS

An aerial view of the Fisht Stadium in Sochi

© Artyom Korotayev/TASS

Fisht Stadium in Sochi

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

The construction site of Kaliningrad Stadium

© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

A worker at Kaliningrad Stadium

© Vitaly Nevar/TASS

A view of Rostov Arena Stadium under construction

© Valery Matytsin/TASS

Seats at the construction site of Rostov Arena Stadium

© Valery Matytsin/TASS

An aerial view of the construction site of Mordovia Arena Stadium in Saransk

© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

Workers lay paving slabs outside Mordovia Arena Stadium in Saransk

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

A view of Volgograd Arena Stadium under construction and the Motherland Calls monument on Volgograd's Mamayev Kurgan

© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

Volgograd Arena Stadium

© Dmitry Rogulin/TASS

A sculpture of a Roman gladiator outside the Otkrytiye Arena Stadium in Moscow

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

An aerial view of Otkrytie Arena Stadium, FC Spartak's home stadium and a venue for 2018 FIFA World Cup matches

© Artyom Korotayev/TASS

Construction workers play football just outside the construction site of the World Cup stadium in Samara

The construction site of Samara Arena Stadium

© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

Artificial lighting to grow grass on the pitch at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium

© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

An aerial image of the construction site of Nizhny Novgorod Stadium

© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

Read also

Russia offers ‘amazing hospitality’, ready to welcome 2018 World Cup — FIFA official

On December 1, the Russian capital of Moscow opens its doors to hold the Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup to determine opponents in eight different groups of 32 national teams, which qualified for the global quadrennial football championship. Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara. The matches will kick off on June 14 and run to July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital. Scroll through our pictures of the country’s stadiums that are going to host the matches of 2018 Russia World Cup.

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2018 World Cup in Russia

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Russian tactical aircraft and artillery hit clusters of manpower and equipment of 13 Ukrainian brigades in the Kursk Region

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French, German citizens detained for unlawfully entering Baikonur cosmodrome

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The article states that the Israeli attack has compromised the air defense systems protecting key Iranian facilities

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Medvedev says Ukraine’s example stops Georgia from siding with West to oppose Russia

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Iran plans to carry out major strike on Israel from Iraq within days — report

The US doesn't know if Tehran has made a decision to go ahead with the strike soon, a US official told Axios

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Schroeder believes that Putin’s goal is to protect Russia from foreign attacks

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Ukraine admits number of deserted soldiers from Armed Forces of Ukraine surpasses 100,000

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Russia-DPRK strategic partnership treaty to stabilize Eurasia — Lavrov

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TASS acquires new photos of Ukrainian troops training on UK ranges

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Russia liberates 341 DPR residents since special military operation’s launch

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Malaysia rejects US call to 'stop being friendly' with Russia — PM

Anwar Ibrahim said the call came during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the 19th East Asia Summit in Laos

Putin dismisses scope of 'bomb effect' in US on reports of North Korean troops in Russia

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TotalEnergies unable to withdraw Novatek dividends from Russia

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Russia never interferes in others’ internal affairs, embassy in Washington emphasizes

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Ethiopian historical relic stolen 156 years ago by British troops comes home — radio

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One of the fighter jets uncovered enemy air defense sites by its weapons suite

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Russian troops liberate Yasnaya Polyana community in Donbass region over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 810 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

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According to the report, Kiev is struggling with no success to convince its allies to sanction strikes against Russia with long-range Western weapons

Russian Defense Ministry releases video of Bulava missile launch

The launch was carried out from the Sea of Okhotsk

Ukrainian defenses crumbling everywhere as reserves run out — official

Vitaly Ganchev added that it is too early to talk about the Ukrainian army’s complete exhaustion

Georgian president provokes coup by calling election outcome pro-Russian — Medvedev

"A provocation is possible, it follows from the development of the events as a whole," the politician believes

Moscow-Pyongyang relations at record high — Lavrov

Dialogue between the two countries was propelled to a brand-new level following the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty at a historic summit in Pyongyang, the Russian foreign minister said

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Slovak PM Fico’s visit to China to leave significant political impact — Chinese expert

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UK assumes rotating presidency of UN Security Council for one month

It is possible that one of the first meetings of the Security Council under the UK presidency will be held on Monday, November 4

Capture of Kruglyakovka in Kharkov Region blocks vital supply route for Ukraine — official

The Russian Defense Ministry reported about the liberation of the settlement on October 30

Israeli military says it eliminated over 1,500 terrorists in Lebanon in past month

Israel has conducted extensive airstrikes on Hezbollah military targets since launching Operation Northern Arrows in the Arab republic on September 23

More than 40 people killed in Israeli airstrikes on Baalbek outskirts in Lebanon

According to the Naharnet news website, 26 more were injured

Russian forces liberate another 20 square kilometers in DPR — politician

"The very fact that tens of square kilometers of DPR territory are being liberated says that the enemy has problems with moral and combat training," Vladimir Rogov said

NATO allies hesitant to provide more support for Ukraine as they fear escalation — report

According to the report, the pessimistic sentiment is starting to embrace Ukraine more broadly as Russia makes gains, advancing faster than at any other point this year

EU rejects Budapest’s ideas for resolving Ukraine issue, Hungarian PM says

"I have made it clear to the Euopreans that we need to interact with China, establish communication between Zelensky and Putin," Viktor Orban said

Russia strikes Ukrainian General Staff’s unmanned systems command center over week

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted damage on manpower and military hardware of 17 Ukrainian army brigades in the borderline Kursk area over the past week, the Defense Ministry reported

Tanker suspected of carrying goods under anti-Russian sanctions detained in Germany

"The tanker was prohibited from continuing moving until loaded materials will be finally inspected," the Kiel police added

US to deploy additional forces to Middle East — Pentagon

Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder added that these forces will begin to arrive in the Middle East in coming months

Sun unleashes powerful X-class solar flare — scientists

It lasted for 27 minutes

Foreign scientists intrigued by Russia’s grant program, ready to relocate — minister

The goal of the Mega Grants program is to create world-class laboratories headed by leading researchers within Russian universities and scientific organizations

Almost 3,000 people cross into Syria from Lebanon in past day — Russian military

Terrorist groups carried out five shelling attacks on the positions of Syrian government forces in the Idlib de-escalation zone in the past day, Oleg Ignasyuk said

Captured Ukrainian officer says chances of command mutiny rising

"With every day the probability that the highest command will turn the gun against the Ukrainian government is increasing," Alexander Dolmatov said

French mercenary involved in transporting internal organs of Ukrainian soldiers — official

Maxime Roger Henri Barrat is also under investigation by the civilian-military administration’s department of the interior in connection with the crime against a female civilian from the village of Glubokoye in the Kharkov Region

Number of casualties in shelling attack on central Israel climbs — radio station

According to Kan, three individuals were hospitalized in moderate condition while eight others sustained light wounds