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Coronavirus pandemic

Croatia can obtain Russian vaccine before its approval by EU — paper

The authorities plan to receive the Russian-made vaccine before it is registered for use in Europe and to launch the vaccination campaign immediately after this permission is obtained

ZAGREB, February 17. /TASS/. Croatia can receive Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 before it is registered by the European Medicines Agency, the country’s Jutarnji list newspaper said on its website.

According to paper, which cites sources from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union close to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, a batch of the Russian vaccine can arrive to the country within the next few weeks.

Sources say the authorities plan to receive the Russian-made vaccine before it is registered for use in Europe and to launch the vaccination campaign immediately after this permission is obtained.

"Croatia is defending its interests, and it is important that we receive the [Russian] vaccine before the European Medicines Agency approves it. In this case, we will not depend on its distribution inside the European Union. Instead, we will [be] on our own, which is our right," an unnamed source was quoted as saying by the paper.

"After that, we will launch vaccination in strict compliance with regulations. Therefore, we will not violate a single rule," he added.

Middle East conflict

Israeli anthem booed before start of football match in Paris

Prior to the event, leftist politicians and activists staged a protest at a square in Paris’ northern suburb of Saint-Denis

Russia had to revise nuclear doctrine amid West’s reckless push for escalation — Kremlin

According to Peskov, "revisions have been made and will be formalized now."

Russian PM to attend UN Climate Change Conference in Baku

The greater part of Mikhail Mishustin’s visit will be devoted to Russian-Azerbaijani ties

Su-57 fighter jet shows exceptional performance in Russia’s special op, senior official

A Su-57 multirole fifth-generation fighter jet (NATO codename Felon) was designed to eliminate all air, ground, and water surface targets

Iran will never try to build nuclear weapons, president tells IAEA chief

Masoud Pezeshkian accused the US of derailing the agreements around Iran's nuclear program

Crimean amateur astronomer discovers new comet in solar system

In April, the astronomer said that he had discovered a large asteroid with a diameter of about 200 meters, potentially dangerous for the Earth

US plans to remove 'arrogant' Zelensky and stage 2025 elections in Ukraine — SVR

"At the initial stage, it is planned to encourage entities within the Ukrainian civil society under their control, through US 'democratization' foundations and think tanks, to come up with a corresponding initiative," the statement reads

Swedish minister in charge of gender equality suffers from bananaphobia

The phobia is so strong that special precautions need to be taken before her meetings

IEA upgrades outlook on oil demand growth for 2024 to 920,000 bpd

Global oil demand will total 102.8 mln barrels per day (mbd) in 2024

Russian troops storm into Kupyansk outskirts in Kharkov Region — military expert

Troops from various Russian army units are engaged in battles in the outskirts of Kupyansk, Andrey Marochko said

Explosion heard in Damascus suburb

The circumstances of the incident are being established at the moment

Court sentences ‘Russian Volunteer Corps’ members to life in prison in absentia

According to the investigation, the defendants, acting as part of a Ukrainian sabotage group, armed with firearms and explosives, illegally crossed the Russian border and infiltrated two settlements in the Bryansk Region, opening fire at civilian cars and people

Poll reveals what Russians think about office love, polyamory

It is noted that opinions are changing not only about relationships with colleagues, but also about romance between a subordinate and a supervisor

Press review: Trump forms foreign policy team and Europe sets course for militarization

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, November 13th

Zelensky announces work on new action plan

In terms of weapons, the plan will focus on production in Ukraine and cooperation with partners

Mi-171A3 helicopter draws interest from partners in China — Russian Helicopters

The helicopter can fly in harsh conditions, particularly those inside the Arctic Circle, where satellite communication coverage is poor

Bank of Russia sells currency worth $42.6 mln in domestic market

The Bank of Russia is buying and selling foreign exchange in the domestic market in the currency section of the Moscow Exchange with the use of the yuan-ruble instrument

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

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Russia, African states favor expansion of national currencies use in trade — statement

The participants of the conference also noted the necessity of bringing closer approaches to creation of efficient new and maintenance of existing international transport corridors in the interests of mutually beneficial development of Russia and African states

Negotiations on new European Commission stalled, December 1 deadline at risk — media

The main issue is rooted in the European People's Party’s disagreements with socialists and democrats

Authorities of southeastern Ukrainian region report ‘infrastructure damage’

In addition, a power transmission line was reportedly damaged in the Dnepropetrovsk Region

Russian citizenship approvals down 44% since January — ministry

According to Irina Volk, police are also clamping down on groups and individuals that help bring people into the country illegally, leading to a 2.5-fold increase in the detection and preliminary investigation of such crimes

Elon Musk claims war mongers back Kamala Harris’ 'puppet regime'

According to Elon Musk, those within the US administration who support Vice President Harris "profit off of wars," a situation he described as "insane"

US denies possession of extraterrestrial technologies

According to Sue Gough, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, an office at the US Department of Defense that investigates unidentified anomalous phenomena, "is continuing its review of the historical record of US government UAP programs"

Russian helicopters notable for high reliability — company

Russian helicopters in China are mainly used by the Ministry of Emergency Situations for aviation protection of forests, rescuing in earthquakes and elimination of consequences of natural disasters

Trump to end NATO’s obsession to get on Russian territory — White House ex-strategist

Steve Bannon noted that Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement seeks to completely cut funding to Ukraine. According to Bannon, Europe, including Italy, will follow Trump’s lead, and, if "they [Europe and Italy] truly believe what they have been saying in recent years, they should be ready to pay"

Putin discussed Ukraine with Saudi crown prince — Kremlin

"The sides indeed touched upon the topic of the conflict. We have nothing more to say," Dmitry Peskov said

Clear Zelensky won't be the one to decide about talks with Russia, says Lavrov

"Russian President Putin has repeatedly said that we have never refused to negotiate," the Russian foreign minister reiterated

Grossi oversteps authority by talking about freeze of Ukraine conflict — Russian MFA

The Russian diplomats also said that IAEA experts will stay at the ZNPP as long as Russia deems their presence there necessary

Russia keeps building defense capacity despite conflict in Ukraine — Polish general

According to Wieslaw Kukula, if the conflict in Ukraine ends soon, Russia will be able to build up its defense capacity to the point that it could take on all of NATO

Russia has written off $20 bln worth of African debts — MFA

Mikhail Bogdanov added that it allows using those debts "to implement socio-economic projects directly in the country"

Most Russians believe survey results — pollster

According to VCIOM Director General Valery Fyodorov, 83% of respondents think public opinion polls are fairly necessary

Russia, US have many annoyances, it is hard to pick worst one — Kremlin spokesman

Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Baku

Top diplomats from UK, France, Germany to discuss Ukraine’s future

Reuters wrote with reference to anonymous sources that the sides would also discuss what Trump’s return to the Oval Office could mean for the world

Western efforts to vilify Russia climax, Moscow fights back — MFA

"We are witnessing the culmination of the Anglo-Saxons' systematic efforts to vilify our country, exerted over decades, and maybe even centuries," Maria Zakharova said

Israeli anthem booed before start of football match in Paris

Prior to the event, leftist politicians and activists staged a protest at a square in Paris’ northern suburb of Saint-Denis

Russia provides free military aid to Central African Republic — Foreign Ministry

Moscow has provided free military aid to the Central African Republic at the country’s government’s request

Lithuania to tighten control over dual-use goods within sanctions against Russia

The republic's customs department intends to pay special attention to electronics components, as well as products subject to exemptions

EU foreign policy chief Borrell arrives in Kiev for official visit

Borrel noted that this is his fifth visit to Kiev and the last one in the capacity of the EU diplomatic service’s head

Trump to rely on forces that brought him to power — Russian presidential aide

Nikolay Patrushev agreed that Trump, when he was still a candidate, "made many statements critical of the destructive foreign and domestic policies pursued by the current administration"

No plans for major government reshuffle after parliamentary election — Georgian PM

According to Irakli Kobakhidze, increasing national GDP by some $14.6 bln will be the Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia ruling party’s goal for the next four years

Russia ratifies comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with North Korea

In particular, the treaty provides for the immediate provision of military and other assistance if one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter

Ukraine was ready to sign peace deal with Russia but gave up under US pressure — Patrushev

The first Russian-Ukrainian negotiations after Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine took place in Belarus in early March 2022 but the talks yielded no tangible results

Ukraine's Kurakhovo Reservoir dam blast to help, not hurt Russian troops — expert

At least ten Ukrainian troops were killed

Annual inflation in Russia from November 6 to 11 accelerates from 8.53% to 8.56%

From November 6 to 11, 2024, prices in the consumer market rose by 0.3%

US views Russia as present-day threat, Trump may prioritize containing China — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister stressed that reputation matters the most to the United States which does not care about the real fates of peoples, in particular the Ukrainian one

Russia to ensure parity in response to US missile defense system in Poland — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov emphasized that by placing the missile defense system in Poland, the United States is bringing its military infrastructure closer to Russia in an attempt to curb its potential

Trump plans to appoint special envoy on Ukraine to hold peace talks with Russia — TV

According to the source, the job is not expected to be a salaried role

Russia expands production of VK-2500 helicopter engines

According to United Engine Corporation CEO Yury Shmotin, the company needs to significanlly boost further serial machinery production and is currently at 50% of its planned production goal

Russian Su-34 bomber strikes Ukrainian troops in borderline Kursk area

Russian tactical aircraft pilots conduct sorties at any time of day or night in any weather conditions, using various armament

Ukraine aims to call up 1 mln people in eastern areas by end of 2024 — official

According to the plan, 360,000 people are to be mobilized in October; 325,000 and 300,000 in November and December, respectively

Kremlin comments on possible return of Japanese, European cars to Russia

No official statements have been received so far from European automakers regarding the return to the Russian market, Dmitry Peskov noted

Ukrainian attacks after incursion kill about 100 people in Kursk Region — official

The press service highlighted that the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights documents cases of arbitrary detention of civilians by Ukrainian servicemen, their torture and ill-treatment

Ukraine targets medics and journalists as priorities — military doctor

Santa noted that the medic’s red cross draws the attention of Ukrainian troops, so affiliation patches on uniforms must blend in, and identifying marks are also not applied to evacuation vehicles

First S-550 air defense systems enter service in Russia — source

The source described the new system as "an absolutely new and unrivalled mobile system of strategic missile defense"

Musk doubles down on his opinion about 'endless war' in Ukraine

Earlier, the entrepreneur opined that the bloodshed in Ukraine would end soon

Buran space shuttle celebrates 30th anniversary of milestone flight

The first and only launch of Buran space shuttle took place 30 years ago, on November 15th, 1988

Putin proclaims Odessa Russian city, challenges Ukraine's historical narrative

At the same time, the president noted that once upon a time "Vladimir Lenin gave away the whole of Ukraine when he created the Soviet Union"

Two injured in bridge collapse in Crimea

"A car and a truck were on the bridge at the moment of collapse. Russian Emergencies Ministry rescuers retrieved two injured people," the ministry said

Moscow-Pyongyang cooperation should not worry anyone — Kremlin

"North Korea is our close neighbor, our partner, and we are developing our relations in all areas," Dmitry Peskov underlined

South Korea to support Ukraine in response to Russia-North Korea alliance — president

As Yoon Suk Yeol said, the reported dispatch of North Korean servicemen to participate in Russia’s special military operation "poses a serious security threat not only to the Korean Peninsula and Europe but also to the entire world"

Russia's newest Su-57 fighter jet superior to China's new J-35 — test pilot

Sergey Bogdan emphasized that the newest Russian fighter was a "magnificent platform for a future generation of configurations, just as the Su-27 aircraft in its heyday"

Russia inks first deals to deliver Su-57 fifth-generation fighter to foreign customers

Alexander Mikheyev also explained the expectations and effect of the demonstration of Russian military hardware at Airshow China in Zhuhai

Assassination attempt on Putin mentioned by Budanov prepared with US money — Russian MFA

"Yesterday one of chiefs of the Kiev regime Buganov openly admitted that the Ukrainian intelligence service prepared assassination attempts on the Russian president. This assassination attempt was again prepared with US money," Maria Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel

Hidden painting found under Malevich’s Black Square

The colors could be seen through the cracks on The Black Square under the microscope, an expert says

US missile defense site to defend Poland from Russia too — Polish minister

At the same time, the official evaded a direct question of whether the facility is capable of protecting country from missiles

Russian State Duma ratifies agreement on military cooperation with Sao Tome and Principe

According to the agreement, the sides will also exchange information on the issue of mutual interests in the military sphere, as well as coordinate efforts to jointly counter challenges and threats to global and regional security and stability

Russian forces liberate Voznesenka community in Donbass region over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 655 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy tanks in its area of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Gazprom says EU artificially destroys gas demand to the detriment of its own economy

As for global gas demand, gas consumption in January-October increased by 80 bln cubic meters year-on-year, the company noted

Special operation to end after Russia achieves its goals — Kremlin

"For us there is absolutely no alternative to achieving our set goals," Dmitry Peskov emphasized

Talks out of question: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, Ukraine lost more than 400 servicemen and 29 armored vehicles

Russia’s Vityaz, Viking air defense systems attract major attention at Airshow China

Russian surface-to-air missile systems have demonstrated their value in the special military operation in Ukraine, Vyacheslav Dzirkaln noted

Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, the enemy lost more than 430 troops, ten tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, 19 armored combat vehicles, 33 motor vehicles, one Anklav-N electronic warfare station

ISS orbit raised by almost 5 km before launch of Progress MS-29 spacecraft — Roscosmos

According to preliminary information, the ISS’s average orbit was increased by 4.9 km to 417.2 km above Earth

Russia ready for contacts with Trump administration, ball is in US court — Lavrov

At the same time, he emphasized that Russia has no expectations from the new US administration, but will assess its concrete steps

Daniil Medvedev loses chances of reaching semifinals at ATP Tour Finals

He lost the first set to Italy’s Jannik Sinner with the 3:6 score

France wraps up training of new Ukrainian brigade — minister

The brigade is equipped with French weapons

Third generation Ratnik combat gear to be displayed at Army-2019 in June

The company that developed the gear, has completed research and development for creating the Ratnik and shared the results with the Defense Ministry

MOEX index falls below 2,700 points, first time since November 6

By 18:08 Moscow time, the MOEX index slowed down its decline and reached 2,700.51 points (-2.3%)

Russia supports new UNSC draft resolution on Gaza — envoy

Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya noted that Resolution 2735 was only a tool to gain time for Israel

European Commission gives ‘positive assessment’ for payment of 4.1 bln euros to Kiev

The commission concluded that Ukraine had satisfactorily fulfilled the nine agreed reform indicators for this payment

Lukashenko congratulates Trump on winning US presidential election

The US held its general election on November 5, with the voting having concluded when it was Wednesday morning in Moscow

US does not fulfill LNG contracts for Europe worth tens of billions of dollars — Gazprom

In addition, the United States is influencing the global gas market with its verbal interventions regarding the possible withholding of LNG supplies to China, as well as a temporary suspension of the issuance of export licenses, Deputy Head of the Department - Head of the Directorate at Gazprom Kirill Polous said

Tens of thousands to march 'on Washington' ahead of Trump's inauguration — newspaper

In January 2017, before the beginning of Trump's first presidential term, hundreds of marches of various sizes took place in many US cities, including Chicago (Illinois), Boston (Massachusetts), New Orleans (Louisiana), Miami (Florida), and Denver (Colorado)

Pilot lauds thrust, aerodynamics of smooth-flying Su-57 fighter jet

According to Sergey Bogdan, this fighter jet flies smoother than anything out there today

Explosion of Kurakhovo reservoir dam disrupts water supply

Roman Pukalov noted that the blast killed many fish in the reservoir, washed away fertile soil, and inundated potentially hazardous sites, including cemeteries, cattle burial grounds, and fertilizer depots

Attempts being made to drag Syria into armed confrontation in Middle East — diplomat

According to Alexander Lavrentyev, the top priority today is to prevent such attempts

Demographic crisis threatens Ukraine’s viability as state — think tank

Ukraine’s "overall population had declined to 29 million people in 2023 - compared to 48.5 million in 2001," Responsible Statecraft writes

Kalashnikov concern trains first group of operators for Bars-Sarmat UAV unit

The soldiers studied the hardware, including the drones’ electronics, internal systems and rules of operation

Iran attacked Mossad headquarters, two Israeli airbases, says chief of General Staff

Iran also attacked radars of anti-missile systems and clusters of Israeli tanks

Russia elected to UN Committee for Program and Coordination

Apart from that, director of the Russian foreign ministry’s personnel department Andrey Ivanov, was approved as a member of the International Civil Service Commission in 2025-2027

Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, the enemy lost more than 450 troops, two tanks, three IFVs, two M113 armored personnel carriers, 33 armored combat vehicles, five artillery pieces, including a Krab self-propelled howitzer, a Crotale multiple rocket launcher, and 49 motor vehicles

Russia to collaborate with Arab nations for Middle East de-escalation — diplomat

"A call was made to the international community to contribute to the achievement of this goal," Maria Zakharova added

Trump to zero in on fragmenting BRICS, Ukraine to take back seat — expert

According to the political scientist Boris Mezhuyev, in all likelihood attempts to replace the presidents of Brazil and Venezuela, and pit India, Russia and China against each other are coming

Russian Marines destroy Challenger 2 tank with FPV drone in Kursk Region

Previously, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the enemy lost 10 tanks in the Kursk region in the past 24 hours

Nikolay Patrushev to oversee shipbuilding as presidential aide — Kremlin Spokesman

In 1974, Patrushev graduated from the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute - currently known as the St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University

FSB detains Russian for passing defense industry data to Ukraine's intelligence

According to the FSB, the suspect initiated contact with representatives of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate via the internet

Ukrainian intel officers in Syria to be eliminated as terrorists’ accomplices — diplomat

According to Alexander Lavrentyev, there are "in fact Russian troops stationed" in Syria

Businessmen in Germany, Russia again eager to interact more, says executive

Ulf Schneider expressed his gratitude to representatives of the Russian business community for their continued efforts to involve Western businessmen in work in Russia despite the challenging political climate

Russian troops secure ground near Novodarovka, Rovnopol in Zaporozhye Region — official

On November 13, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Russian Armed Forces had liberated the settlement of Rovnopol in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), located near the administrative border with the Zaporozhye Region

Bloodshed in Ukraine to end soon, Musk says

The Axios portal reported earlier that Musk took part in a phone call between Trump and Vladimir Zelensky