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PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN UKRAINE

Ukraine tried to restrict monitoring opportunities of OSCE SMM, says Russian envoy

Alexander Lukashevich expressed hope that the Slovak presidency-proposed compromise formula for enhancing the human rights aspect of the SMM "will promote the mission’s effectiveness in this sphere"

VIENNA, April 4. /TASS/. The decision to prolong the mandate of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine was made against the backdrop of Kiev’s attempts to restrict the observers’ monitoring opportunities, Russia’s OSCE envoy Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.

"We welcome the decision to prolong the SMM mandate and to adopt the mission’s budget. It was made against the backdrop of Ukraine’s attempts to restrict the SMM’s opportunities to carry out monitoring and promote the protection of human rights, including the rights of ethnic minorities (which incidentally is part of its mandate)," Lukashevich said at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna.

He expressed the hope that the Slovak presidency-proposed compromise formula for enhancing the human rights aspect of the SMM activities "will promote the mission’s effectiveness in this sphere."

At the end of March the OSCE Permanent Council prolonged the OSCE SMM mandate in Ukraine for another year. The mission’s current mandate expires on March 31.

On June 1, 2019 Yasar Halit Cevic will succeed Ertugrul Apakan as the OSCE SMM’s new chief. Cevic, a career diplomat, was Turkey’s ambassador to the United Nations in 2012-2016. Apakan has led the SMM since April 2, 2014.

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Ukraine OSCE Slovakia

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Dmitry Peskov underscored that Moscow has already made its position clear on this matter

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"Investigation should be objective and based not only on data provided by Israel but also on Palestinian information", Vasily Nebenzya said

Russian government approves list of unfriendly countries

There are two countries on the list

Yerevan's refusal to delimit borders with Baku to escalate regional tensions — PM

Nikol Pashinyan pointed out that the demarcation process also involves risks, but they are manageable, after which "Armenia will become ten times stronger"

France-Russia relations hit rock bottom — ex-envoy to Paris

Alexander Orlov noted that recently French President Emmanuel Macron "has made a number of questionable moves that have increased the divide" between both countries

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US deploying missiles in Philippines to endanger global security — Russian envoy

Anatoly Antonov has urged the US "not to open Pandora's Box" and follow Russia’s suit "by taking all necessary steps to ensure global stability and predictability"

Iran tells US about April 13 attack on Israel, it does not want escalation — top diplomat

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian added that prior to the attack, Tehran said that it would not target US military infrastructure in the Middle East "except in a situation where the United States wants to take military measures in support of Israel"

West, Kiev indulge in nuclear blackmail by demanding control of ZNPP — Russian MFA

"Without noticing it themselves, they spoke the language of an ultimatum," Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova underlined

Russian sovereignty over southern Kuril Islands indisputable, diplomat says

Maria Zakharova pointed out that the southern Kuril Islands were an integral part of Russia under international law based on the outcome of World War II

Ukrainian military reportedly uses HIMARS rocket launcher to attack Gorlovka

Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin also said that an explosive device had detonated in the Kievsky District of Donetsk, injuring a man born in 1964

Number of people convicted of high treason in Russia last year revealed

In 2022, 16 individuals were convicted of high treason and one was convicted of spying

West silent on Ukraine's threats to attack Crimean Bridge — MFA

Maria Zakharova wondered how the Western public, government agencies and intelligence services would feel if military experts from third countries started openly discussing ways to blow up bridges in Germany and Portugal

Iran withdraws officers out of Syria due to Israel’s potential strike — newspaper

The report said that the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement is also reducing the number of its officers in Syria

Russian, Turkish senior diplomats discuss situation in Gaza

"The meeting focused on the situation in the region," said in the statement

Russia-China military-technical cooperation not directed against other states — diplomat

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EU vows new sanctions against Iran, calls on Mideast conflict parties to show restraint

The European Union is also poised to impose new sanctions on Iran, related to drones and missiles

FSB declassifies documents revealing Ukrainian infiltration of Red Army units during WWII

Russia’s Federal Security Service has made the memo public on the 80th anniversary of the Red Army’s liberation of Western Ukraine

US believes that Russia tested 9M729 missile for range beyond 500 km

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Russian Aerospace Forces destroy three militant hideouts in Syria’s Homs

No shelling attacks on Syrian troops were registered over the past 24 hours

Russian artillery thwarts Ukrainian army’s rotation near Kupyansk — underground resistance

The Ukrainian army used the outbuilding as an ammunition depot, which accommodated about 15 fighters at the time of the air strike, spokesman Sergey Lebedev specified

French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova described France’s decision to place its aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, directly under NATO control as a symbolic move marking the end of "the era of an independent Paris in the international arena"

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

Russian forces improved their frontline positions and repelled a Ukrainian army counterattack in the Donetsk area where the enemy lost roughly 590 troops over the past day, the ministry reported

Both main US parties threatened Telegram, co-founder says

"So we got two letters that said: whatever we do, we would be violating the US Constitution," Pavel Durov said

China to act over possible US measures for alleged support of Russian defense sector

"China always opposes the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Liu Pengyu said

Russian investigators start inquiry into financing of terrorism by US, NATO officials

Investigators have established that the funds that were received through commercial organizations, such as the oil and gas company Burisma Holdings operating in Ukraine, have been used to carry out terrorist acts in Russia and abroad

Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed the mobilization law passed by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) in the second and final reading on April 11

Iran ready to share tech know-how with all SCO members — ambassador to Moscow

According to Kazem Jalali, Iran is also in favor of cooperation between universities of all countries of the association

Protesters give Georgian government one hour to revoke foreign agents bill

Earlier on Wednesday, Georgia’s parliament passed the foreign agents bill in the first reading

Ukraine’s military loses positions near Avdeyevka, says DPR

Igor Kimakovsky said that Ukrainian forces suffered heavy casualties among personnel and military hardware, including Western equipment

Russian PM signs off on plan for regions to accommodate evacuees from Palestine

The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry is assigned to oversee the process of sending the evacuees to their respective regions in accordance with an annex to the directive

Iran may break through Israel’s air defenses in major attack by drones, missiles — expert

Iran has the region’s largest arsenal of ballistic missiles, estimated to number in the low thousands, Behnam Ben Taleblu noted

Mystery surrounds dolphin deaths on Black Sea coast, investigation underway

Over the past few weeks, local residents have found several dozen dead dolphins

MiG-31I fighters receive air refueling system

Another source said MiG-31I differs from previous MiG-K option by "different engines, avionics and missiles"

Ukrainian military under constant gunfire by Russian troops near Urozhainoye, says POW

Yevgeny Pogrebnyak said that he was treated well by Russian troops in his captivity

US asking UNSC members to reject resolution on Palestine, hoping to avoid veto — media

UNSC approval would mean neither "statehood nor self-determination" for the Palestinian people, the State Department argued

Russia, CIS partners to hold air defense exercise in 2024

The participants in the exercises will practice interaction in getting ready for and conducting combat operations by aviation and air defense forces that are part of the unified regional air defense system of Russia and Belarus

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

Majority of France opposes confrontation with Russia — expert

Laurent Briard believes that French President Emmanuel Macron crossed a line when he announced he was considering sending French troops to Ukraine