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Military operation in Ukraine

Large fire reported in Odessa after series of explosions

Earlier, an air alert was raised in the Odessa region

MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. A large fire has been reported from central Odessa following a series of explosions, Oleg Kiper, head of the Odessa Region miliyary administration, said on Thursday.

"Damage has been reported in the center of Odessa. A fire is raging on an area of 300 square meters," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to earlier reports, an air raid warning was issued in the Odessa Region. It lasted for more than two hours. A series of blasts rocked the city.

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Military operation in Ukraine

Slovakia’s Fico between life and death, it is loss for Slovakia, Hungary — Orban

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Urals defense firm boosts armored vehicles output 20% — Rostec

Kurganmashzavod is the largest enterprise in the Kurgan Region and a leading producer of the Russian defense industry

Hezbollah drones attack Israeli military base some 50 km from border with Lebanon

"The operation was carried out in response to the killing of field commander Hussein Makki near Tyre", Hezbollah said on its Telegram channel

US law banning imports of Russian uranium will not cause problems — Rosatom CEO

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Yoav Gallant made the statement after travelling to an area near Rafah on May 15 to assess the situation

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Slovakia’s PM in 'very serious' condition, president-elect says

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Kremlin aide says talks between Putin, Xi Jinping went 'very well'

Yury Ushakov noted that the leaders touched upon the issues "in the trade and economic area, but some foreign policy topics were also discussed"

New relations, successes of China's automobile industry: what Putin, Xi said in Beijing

According to the Russian leader, the partnership between Moscow and Beijing "will serve as a model of how ties between neighboring states should be built"

Slovak leader urges suspension of country's campaign for European Parliament elections

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During special op, West delivered some 800 tanks, 30,000 drones to Kiev — top brass

NATO's and partners have already allocated than $132 billion for the purpose, including over $63 billion spent by the United States, said Igor Kostyukov

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Russian envoy slams Washington’s allegations of Moscow posing threat to US elections

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US Congress has evidence of Biden family’s involvement in terrorism — Ukrainian politician

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Press review: Putin embarks on state visit to China and assassination attempt on Slovak PM

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, May 16th

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Some 80% of equipment at two Ukrainian thermal power plants destroyed

Yevgeny Garkavy, the technical director of Ukrainian electric and thermal power generation company Centrenergo, described the damage as "critical"

Russia, China to continue strengthening military ties — joint statement

The two countries are also set to hold joint naval and air patrols on a regular basis

Ukraine’s military has about 2,000-strong garrison in Kherson — resistance fighters

Ukrainian service members have been moving little in the city lately and normally only at night, the Kherson Resistance guerilla unit commander added

Ukraine’s terror attacks on Russia 'revenge' for military failures — North Korean envoy

According to Sin Hong Chol, "the Zelensky puppet clique committed hundreds of unethical atrocities of killing innocent inhabitants by striking civilian objects"

Russian troops destroy 600 combat aircraft in Ukraine operation — top brass

The Ukrainian army lost over 520 troops in battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk area over the past day, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported

Russia does not trust NATO, feels emotional repulsion — Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov

Sergey Ryabkov underscored that Russia will work with those "who are ready to negotiate on an equal basis"

Top brass sees possibility of US warships provocatively entering Northern Sea Route

Igor Kostyukov noted that NATO was stepping up its military activities in the Arctic region

IAEA to remain at ZNPP for ‘as long as it is needed’ — director general

"The nuclear safety and security situation at the plant remains extremely precarious and challenging," Rafael Grossi said

Putin warns against imbalances in economy, industry related to special military operation

The Russian leader also stated the importance of diversification of military production at a meeting with commanders of military district troops

Russia’s Strategic Missile Force builds up combat capabilities with new missile systems

Currently, Russia’s Strategic Missile Force is replacing Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile systems with Yars ICBM launchers and placing Avangard hypersonic missile systems on combat duty in its Yasny missile formation

US presidential election’s outcome to make no difference to Russia — senior diplomat

"There are no prospects for the overall situation to change for the better, given the fundamentally anti-Russian consensus among US elites," Sergey Ryabkov said

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"We know the situation on the Ukrainian side, which excludes any talks for itself even from the legal point of view," Dmitry Peskov noted

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The Chinese leader added that Beijing "is ready to play its constructive role"

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Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak mentioned the construction of a gas pipeline with a capacity of 50 billion cubic meters of gas through the territory of Mongolia

Russia, China set up joint academy of fundamental sciences

The Sino-Russian Academy of Fundamental Sciences "is being created in Russia and China as a platform for bilateral cooperation in fundamental sciences - mathematics, physics, chemistry," Russia’s Lomonosov Moscow State University's press service said

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After employing air-launched munitions, the pilots performed a missile evasion maneuver, fired flares and returned to their airfield, it said

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DPR head Denis Pushilin said that two civilians were killed and three were injured by Ukrainian strikes on Thursday

Russia’s Soyuz 2.1b rocket carrying remote sensing satellite takes off from Baikonur

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China offers to provide security guarantees on Ukraine, West not ready — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister specified that Beijing has "an absolutely correct position, essentially, to sort out root causes and collectively remove them"

Russia-China relations not opportunistic, not directed against anyone — Putin

According to the Russian leader, Russia and China together uphold the principles of justice and a democratic world order that reflects multipolar realities and a world order based on international law

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Russia, China sign ten joint documents

The agreements penned included an initiative to develop the Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island, protocols on requirements for beef and other products exported to China

Russia, China note constructive role of Moscow format in Afghan settlement process

The last, fifth meeting was held in September 2023 in Moscow

Russia and China to set up commission for development of Northern Sea Route — Rosatom CEO

"Our task is to create in the shortest possible time a joint program for expanding Chinese transit along the Northern Sea Route, as well as for a number of other projects in the interests of using this global artery," Alexey Likhachev pointed out

Russia, China praise dialogue as best form of settling Ukrainian crisis — statement

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Russia, China warn US, NATO against setting up military infrastructure in Afghanistan

The leaders of Russia and China also expressed their intention "to boost Afghanistan-related partner interaction both at the bilateral level and on multilateral platforms"

Czech president speaks out in favor of halting hostilities in Ukraine

Petr Pavel believes it is "naive" to imagine that Kiev will be able to regain territory taken by Russia in the foreseeable future

Putin, Xi hold 'very detailed' discussion on Ukraine, Russian presidential aide says

The Russian leader is visiting China on May 16-17

Military conscripts in Ukraine to receive barcodes facilitating apprehension of deserters

According to the new law on tightening the rules of mobilization, men (regardless of deferments and reservations) will have to update their data in military registration offices within 60 days from that day and will have to carry a military card with them at all times

Russia developing thermal imager for Black Sea Fleet to repel night naval drone attacks

The devices help detect targets at a distance of over 1 km

Russia and China continue to strive to simplify trade in Asia-Pacific region — statement

Both countries also expressed gratitude for collaboration within the G20 and stated their commitment to "continue joint steps at this platform in order to promote inclusive and mutually beneficial processes of economic globalization"

Russian troops use latest Upyr FPV drones in Kharkov push

Russian troops employed the Upyr FPV drone for the first time in the special military operation in Ukraine in May 2023

International experts see no signs of drone launches from Zaporozhye NPP territory

IAEA said its experts examined the nuclear site’s perimeter and "other buildings, which they are permitted"

Ukrainian servicemen complain about heavy losses due to shortage of equipment, munitions

Ukrainian forces lose a large number of armored vehicles to Russian FPV drones, platoon commander Alexander Belyayev said

Russia, Iran working to create single BRICS currency — Iranian ambassador

Kazem Jalali pointed out that the United States uses the dollar to create restrictions, and therefore the use of national currencies in mutual settlements is on the agenda

Russia expels UK defense attache from Moscow in tit-for-tat move — Foreign Ministry

Adrian Coghill "must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within a week," the ministry said

State Duma approves Mikhail Mishustin as Chairman of Russian Government

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin thanked State Duma lawmakers for approving his candidacy for the prime minister’s office

West should assess risks of Russia's response to asset confiscation — Foreign Ministry

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin noted that retaliatory measures "can be both symmetrical and asymmetrical in a variety of instruments, including legal, financial, and administrative"

Yemeni Houthis claim delivering missile strike on US destroyer

Additionally, according to Yahya Saree, in the Red Sea, the Houthis attacked the commercial vessel Destiny en route to the port of Eilat in Israel

Slovakia’s Fico between life and death, it is loss for Slovakia, Hungary — Orban

The Hungarian prime minister believes that the upcoming months will be extremely important for the future of Europe in due to the upcoming European Parliament elections and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine

Putin says Russians, Chinese 'brothers forever'

The audience, listening first to the Russian speech and then to the Chinese translation, applauded the Russian president's words

Russia mulls supply of powerplants for joint aircraft project with China — First Deputy PM

Denis Manturov recalled that the format of participation in this project has been revised, and Russia is ready to provide the necessary in-house competencies for the project on the basis of an agreement between the parties

Putin, Xi sign statement on deepening relations

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In particular, Rafael Gazaryan and the companies Trans Kapital and Rafort allegedly associated with him are blacklisted

Russia, China agree on developing railway cargo transportation, border crossings

According to Russian Railways, the document includes on cooperation in the field of science, technology and innovation, as well as in the field of personnel training

No plans to interfere in US elections, senior Russian diplomat says

Moscow has never interfered in election campaigns in any country, Sergey Ryabkov said

Iskander missile systems to take part in parade in Minsk for first time — Defense Ministry

The first rehearsal of the mechanized parade takes place at the Lipki airstrip in the eastern part of Minsk on Thursday

Russia, China against sports politicization, discrimination based on national affiliation

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be hosted by the French capital of Paris between July 26 and August 11

Russia’s onslaught on Kharkov may compel Ukraine to truce — NYT

On May 11, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported liberating several populated localities in the Kharkov Region