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Crisis in Belarus

About 300 daily overflights over Belarus to be suspended, Eurocontrol says

Of those, some100 are operated by EU or British carriers

Minsk National Airport Stringer/TASS

Minsk National Airport

© Stringer/TASS

BRUSSELS, May 25. /TASS/. About 400 flights happen over Belarus every day, 300 of them being overflights, which the EU Summit recommended to suspend over the Ryanair plane incident, European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) said Tuesday, according to Reuters.

According to the report, "around 400 civilian planes fly over Belarus every day, including 300 overflights of which about 100 are operated by EU or British carriers.".

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Police checks reports of bomb allegedly planted at Russian embassy in Brazil — newspaper

The Russian embassy has not yet commented on the situation

West bends sanctions rules when it suits them — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov noted that, "according to some parameters, companies in Europe and other regions can hardly maintain their competitiveness if they completely abandon our products"

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"It is very difficult to negotiate with those who are unable to make decisions, even if they want, they can’t, and only act as a side to a difficult conflict," Vladimir Medinsky explained

US effectively dooms Ukraine by its new decisions, Russian envoy says

"The American aid won’t save Zelensky. New weapons will be destroyed, and the special military operation goals will be achieved," Anatoly Antonov stressed

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The capital city has the highest number of coronavirus cases nationwide, according to official statistics

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Israel’s military upcoming operation in Rafah will also be on agenda, the New York Times reported

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Patrick Pouyanne expressed confidence that the European leaders understood that security of gas supplies depended on LNG and would not like to see a price crisis in Europe again until 2027

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Maria Zakharova stressed that "the level of nuclear risks have risen dramatically as a result of the West’s destructive policy, which is fraught with a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers"

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According to the news agency Tasnim, when speaking about NATO eastward expansion, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani emphasized that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states should utilize the SCO potential in order to neutralize common threats

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The head of state accused Washington of preparing a "Belarusian liberation army" and reiterated Minsk's readiness to "defend its country"

Istanbul accords could have stopped hostilities in Ukraine — German newspaper

The deal still looks advantageous even after two years of war, Welt am Sonntag said

Iran announces establishment of Basij voluntary naval force

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Ukraine exhausted, needs constant money flow from outside — defense official

Apty Alaudinov added that if the Ukrainian army received long-range weapons, it might try to attack Russia's civilian infrastructure due to its powerlessness on the front

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"Battlegroup Dnepr units conducted active counterbattery warfare and destroyed enemy drones, manpower and equipment on the right bank of the Dnieper River," Governor Vladimir Saldo said

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"ALBA can be among the founders of a new world, a new international multipolar order," the Venezuelan president stressed

Venezuela interested in Russia's participation in gold mining — official

"We want Russia to participate in exploration and mining of gold and coltan in the country," Venezuelan Minister of Industries and National Production Tarek El Aissami said

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Scholz asks allies to find additional air defense capabilities for Ukraine

Germany is the second largest arms supplier to Ukraine after the US

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Vasily Nebenzya stressed that insurers conclude on their own that the "explosion at the gas pipelines was made using an explosive devices, willfully and due to political motives," thereby confirming its terroristic nature

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Beijing sticks to the principle of non-alignment with any blocs, the Chinese leader said and called on Washington "to refrain from teaming up in small groups"

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Yury Chikhanchin pointed out that the perpetrators of the attack were provided with money, weapons, transportation and ammunition

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The law, introducing an extra coefficient to the mineral extraction tax for gold totaling 78,000 rubles ($848.8) per kilogram, will become effective at the same day

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57% of companies replaced at least one foreign service with a Russian one over the past few years, the analysts noted

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Ship receives damage in missile attack off Yemeni coast — UKMTO

The Master has reported two attacks

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According to the minister Gergely Gulyas, the North Atlantic Alliance "wants to provide financial assistance, as well as supply weapons and train Ukrainian soldiers"

Ukraine’s army leaves first defensive line in Berdychi near Avdeyevka, says DPR

The Ukrainian military has suffered heavy casualties among personnel and military hardware in that community, Igor Kimakovsky said

About 70% of businesses indicate staff shortage — Bank of Russia

The labor market is also affected by other long-term trends, particularly the demography and the labor productivity lagging behind the rise in salaries, Elvira Nabiullina noted

Putin’s trip to China will rivet world’s attention, Kremlin spokesman predicts

The countries will jointly announce the time of this trip, Dmitry Peskov said

Shoigu talks about ties with NATO, attacks on Zaporozhye NPP as he attends SCO meeting

TASS has put together the highlights of Shoigu's speech

Russia appreciates Bolivia’s push to defend sovereignty, Lavrov says

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One more suspect in Crocus City Hall terror attack arrested — police

The detention was reported earlier by the media, which said that police had captured Tajik national Djumokhon Kurbonov

Musk concurs that civil war looming in West

The US businessman commented on remarks by Gad Saad, a Canadian professor of Lebanese origin, who insisted that "the path that the West is taking will result in civil war"

Wreckage of US MQ-9 Reaper drone is of interest to Russian defense industry — Rostec

According to the US version of events, a pair of Russian Su-27 aircraft intercepted the MQ-9 while it was on a recon mission and dumped their fuel several times toward the drone

Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

Funding will be provided from the federal, regional and local budgets, as well as taxes from gambling transferred to the organizer

Russian Economy Ministry expects trade balance surplus to decline

Exports of goods are expected to drop to $419.7 bln this year. Imports are forecast to grow to $315.7 bln in 2024

Kiev troops may strike targets in Crimea with ATACMS missiles — newspaper

The goal "is to put more pressure on Crimea," The New York Times said

US nukes in Poland to become target for Russia should confrontation with NATO occur — MFA

"The impression is that Warsaw is maniacally seeking to attract even more attention from military planners in the Russian General Staff," Maria Zakharova added

Press review: NATO flexes muscles near Russian border and South China Sea runs hot

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, April 24th

Ukraine turns into testing ground for future world order, says Belarus president

"The largest nuclear powers, albeit indirectly, are actually fighting on Ukrainian territory. And not indirectly," the president of Belarus noted

Police checks reports of bomb allegedly planted at Russian embassy in Brazil — newspaper

The Russian embassy has not yet commented on the situation

Zelensky's presidential powers to expire May 21 — Ukrainian legislator

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Russian defense firm to show latest versions of Taifun armored vehicles at Army forum

The Army 2021 international military-technical forum will run at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center outside Moscow on August 22-28 and feature over 220 exhibits

Russian defense chief points to West’s double standards on right to self-defense

In this regard, Sergey Shoigu mentioned the operation that Tehran carried out "in retaliation for a blatant attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus"

Kiev's attacks on ZNPP may trigger another Chernobyl — Zaporozhye governor

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Hamas fighters have destroyed more than 400 Israeli vehicles — group’s senior member

Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said the brigades had completely or partially destroyed 135 units of Israeli military equipment over the past three days

UN bound to stay as unique world organization — Russian ambassador

"If the UN did not exist, it should have been created," Vasily Nebenzya said

Over 3,100 foreign mercenaries fight for Ukraine, most of them from US

The Russian Investigative Committee added that measures are underway to locate their whereabouts and bring them to criminal liability

Russian diplomat accuses US of facilitating chemical warfare in Ukraine

According to Russian Permanent Representative to the OPCW Vladimir Tarabrin, Russian troops have repeatedly recorded incidents where the Ukrainian army’s used chemical weapons, including riot control agents as means of warfare

Kremlin spokesman describes European Parliament as 'Russophobic machine'

Dmitry Peskov added that the EP "has turned into a machine brimming with internal contradictions that keeps generating boorish statements"

Most countries in Global South wary of growing NATO influence — Lavrov

"Those may be right who, instead of playing this geopolitical game which NATO views as a zero-sum game, prefer to handle their domestic affairs," the Russian foreign minister noted

Russia’s natural population decline shrinks by 24% yoy in January-August — statistics

The Federal Statistics Service noted that mortality in the eight months of 2023 decreased by 9.8%, and the birth rate dropped by 2.5%

About 20% of weapons sent to Kiev end up on black market – Russia’s UN mission

Dmitry Polyansky said that some of the weapons supplied to Kiev are "in the darknet, which means that it is available to anyone"

TotalEnergies to announce force majeure for Yamal LNG in case of EU sanctions

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US can send Ukraine Patriot air defense systems currently deployed in other regions

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Kiev may use ATACMS missiles to hit Crimean Bridge — Russian defense ministry official

Russian military will do its utmost to repel such attacks, Apty Alaudinov said

Bolivia supports Russia in efforts to build multipolar world — foreign minister

Celinda Sosa remarked that her visit to Moscow "aims to strengthen the political dialogue" between Russia and Bolivia "in accordance with the principles shared" by both countries

SCO expects Belarus to join the organization very soon — Shoigu

The Russian defense chief is certain that "this is an important moment in strengthening security in the SCO space"

Polish leader cautions NATO allies against provoking Russia

Andrzej Duda slammed the reported instances of Russian missiles entering Poland's airspace as "a Russian provocation"

Swiss conference on Ukraine undermines European security — Russian diplomat

In Maxim Buyakevich words, neither the talks nor their outcome can change the existing political and territorial realities

Erdogan’s May 9 visit to US postponed to more convenient date — Foreign Ministry

"The high-level dialogue between Turkey and the US will continue," the spokesman Oncu Keceli said

West reluctant to punish those responsible for Nord Stream blasts — Russian diplomat

According to Vasily Nebenzya, the situation is as though a year-long probe into a murder yielded a conclusion that "the victim was murdered"