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Middle East conflict

Israel to minimize casualties during operation in Gaza — ambassador to Russia

Alexander Ben Zvi noted that the safety of civilians was a factor taken into consideration in planning a ground operation

Israeli Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi Sergey Bobylev/TASS

Israeli Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi

© Sergey Bobylev/TASS

MOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/. Israel will seek to minimize civilian casualties during the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi has told TASS.

"Of course, there is a wish to reduce civilian casualties as much as possible, as much as possible," Ben Zvi said in response to a related question.

He added that the safety of civilians was a factor taken into consideration in planning a ground operation.

"Hamas did not warn our population and attacked civilians. As for us, we are not targeting civilians," the Israeli ambassador said. "We are looking specifically for Hamas terrorists who are hiding behind the civilians’ backs."

At the same time, Ben Zvi remarked that a ground operation "has not yet begun," but it could take place when "it is most appropriate, when time and conditions are ripe."

Borrell calls on EU to play ‘military role’

"Trump's re-election should make it clear to us that Europe should bolster its security and take its destiny into its own hands," EU’s outgoing top diplomat said

Foreign investments in Belarus total $5.4 bln in Q3 2024 — statistics

Belarusian organizations invested $3.6 billion overseas from January to September 2024, with 90.2% in Russian business entities, the committee said

Lebanon deal won't happen unless Israel given right to eradicate Hezbollah — Katz

Israel Katz pointed out that the goals of the war in the north are to disarm Hezbollah, to push its forces past the Litani River deep within Lebanese territory, and to make it possible for the residents of Israel’s north to come back to their homes

Russian defense chief inspects Knyaz Vladimir strategic submarine

Belousov inspected the radio-electronic weapons unit and the missile pits with intercontinental ballistic missiles

Almost 80 killed, over 120 injured by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon in past 24 hours

The Baalbeck-Hermel Province in northeast Lebanon reported two people killed and 11 injured

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"

Borrell calls on EU to play ‘military role’

"Trump's re-election should make it clear to us that Europe should bolster its security and take its destiny into its own hands," EU’s outgoing top diplomat said

Up to 5,000 civilians killed in Donbass since 2014 — Russia’s top investigator

It’s mentioned that up to 120,000 residents of Donbass are currently regarded as possible victims within the ongoing investigation of Russia’s Investigation

Russian forces strike Ukrainian military airfields, energy sites over past day

It is reported that the Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 765 personnel, an armored personnel carrier, a motor vehicle and two 122mm D-30 howitzers

Russia’s Rubikon unmanned technology center team destroys Ukrainian armor in Kursk area

"The video shows a team of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Testing Center of Advanced Unmanned Technologies destroying Ukrainian armor by an FPV drone in the Kursk area," the ministry said

Press review: UK and French leaders discuss Ukraine as the dollar continues to climb

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, November 12th

Kremlin underlines need for military drills amid tense international situation

It was reported earlier that Chinese troops would take part in the Vostok-2018 strategic drills

Libya still far from holding general elections — MFA

The war in Libya has left the country with destroyed institutions of power, and it lacks a legislative framework to ensure elections, cting Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Libyan Government of National Unity Taher al-Bawr said

Ukrainian forces ready to withdraw from Kurakhovo, but no order yet — serviceman

According to the report, the Russian army is "attacking from three sides"

Trump's planned key appointments

Trump appointed Congressman Michael Waltz (Republican, Florida) as national security adviser

Not all Republicans support Trump in refusing further military aid to Kiev — newspaper

According to the news outlet, Congressman Mike Waltz, who is being considered by Trump for the post of national security adviser, is in favor of lifting restrictions on the use of Western long-range missiles to attack Russia

Medvedev characterizes Great Britain as eternal adversary of Russia

"At least until such time as their arrogant, despicably dank island sinks into the abyss of the sea from a wave triggered by a cutting-edge Russian weapons system," the politician said

Annual inflation in Russia slows to 8.54% in October — Federal Statistics Service

According to statistics, food products in October rose in price by 1.23% month-on-month and by 9.03% year-on-year

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

Ukrainian artillery attack on Energodar, home to Zaporozhye nuke plant, kills one

Also, two cars were destroyed as the Ukrainians fired four projectiles on downtown Energodar, with the facades and balcony glazing in buildings being damaged, according to the statement

Chancellor Scholz opposes assistance to Ukraine at expense of Germany’s future

According to the German chancellor, Berlin’s assistance to Kiev should not affect the retirement benefits of German citizens

Prosecutor's Office deems activities of US-based business society undesirable in Russia

The international company incorporated in the United States has been engaged in promoting the policies of unfriendly states regarding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and actively supports the LGBT community, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office explained

US shells for handful of Kiev’s Pion howitzers no game-changer — expert

Ukraine ran out of the Soviet-made ammunition for this type of artillery pieces back in 2022

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

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

Russian forces gain foothold near Kupyansk as Kiev begins to retreat

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted two significant blockages of Ukrainian troops near Kupyansk, involving more than 15,000 military personnel

US administration always seeks to weaken Russia — Lavrov

The foreign minister pointed out that the Americans had long declared the idea that "there should be no country in the world more influential than the United States"

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

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

West’s attempts to cut off Russia from world markets completely pointless — expert

Alexander Dudchak noted that the demand for Russian oil and gas would remain stable

Trump vows to settle conflict in Ukraine before his inauguration

He also pledged to prevent World War Three

Russia understands China's concerns over Pelosi's potential visit to Taiwan — Kremlin

As Dmitry Peskov said, a possible visit of Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan is purely provocative and leads to increased tensions in the region

Bank of Russia sets dollar rate at 98.37 rubles for November 14

The official yuan rate is fixed at 13.60 rubles

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"

FACTBOX: What we know about night-time drone attacks on Russian regions

Overnight, 29 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones were destroyed in the skies over the Kursk, Belgorod, Tver, Bryansk, Penza, and Voronezh regions, the Defense Ministry said

Kiev should sign peace treaty, but this will spell end of grift for many, billionaire says

"The longer the war goes on, the more territory Ukraine will lose," David Sacks added

Flow of tourists across Russia exceeds 65 mln trips in 9M 2024 — Deputy PM

The number is 11.1% higher than in the same period in 2023

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

Trump does not rule out he may run in next US presidential election

Trump's participation in the next US election would be against the Constitution

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"

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"

Russian Defense Ministry reports liberation of Volchenka in DPR

Russian air defenses down three Hammer bombs, 36 enemy drones in special military operation zone

Medvedev warns that EU behavior in struggle with Russia fraught with 'bad scenario'

According to the Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman, European leaders are experiencing "autumn blues" after Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election

Russian, Chinese strategic bombers conduct joint air patrol in Asia-Pacific

The Russian and Chinese strategic bombers did not intrude into the airspace of foreign states in their joint air patrol over the waters of the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea

Orban accuses von der Leyen, Weber of conspiring against Hungarian government

According to Viktor Orban, they admitted that their aim is to replace the Hungarian government with a new ‘Jawohl government,’ just like the current Polish one

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

Taiwan may have transferred Hawk SAMs to Ukraine with help of US — media

In April, the State Department approved the possible sale of $138 million worth of Hawk SAM maintenance kits to Ukraine

Kiev wants to mobilize 160,000 people to survive until Trump's inauguration — MP

According to Alexander Dubinsky, the authorities in Kiev are primarily focused on securing more of the funds allocated to them

Russia keeps positive dynamics of agricultural production — ministry

The production index of foodstuffs was 104.2% in January - September against the like period in 2023 and the index for beverages was 109.8%

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

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Czech intelligence warns of crime surge after Ukraine conflict ends

More than 380,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Ukraine to the Czech Republic since February 24, 2022

Ukraine moves medics, non-combat personnel to infantry to counter Russian advance

According to a Ukrainian army spokesperson, more medical personnel is being sent to the frontline, although pilots and military engineers "remain in their specialized positions"

Pentagon confirms lifting of ban on entry into Ukraine for US military contractors

The Department made this decision "after careful risk assessment and in coordination with interagency stakeholders," the official said

Russian diplomat hails Odessa woman as defender of truth after flag protest

Yelena Chesakova attempted to hang the Russian flag on the pedestal of the dismantled monument of Catherine the Great in Odessa, taken down in 2022, in October of this year

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

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

Finnish government requests EU sanctions exemption for Russian owners of sports arena

Finland's Foreign Ministry will need to obtain unanimous approval from EU countries

Russian stock indices mixed on Wednesday — market data

The ruble-denominated MOEX Russia Index gained 0.26% to 2,763.99 points

Project financing in national currencies important for BRICS — NBD President

"We indeed realized and directed rater large-scale funding to a number of projects but it is still insufficient, compared to needs of Global South countries," Dilma Rousseff noted

Trump’s return to power unlikely to change US approach to Ukraine crisis — Lavrov

Washington will always seek to control everything that is happening within NATO’s orbit, especially on NATO territory, the Russian foreign minister said

Trump appoints Florida Rep. Mike Waltz National Security Advisor

A retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, Mike Waltz is "a nationally recognized leader in National Security," Donald Trump said

Former Ukrainian MP sees Zelensky turning into 'usurper' after his term expires

The legitimacy of the authorities is a hot button issue in Ukraine, where parliamentary and presidential elections are prohibited during martial law

Inflation accelerates to 0.3% in Russia over week — statistics

Inflation stood at 8.49% in annual terms as at November 11, 2024

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

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

Israeli military says 60 rockets launched from Lebanon toward Israel so far on Friday

The IDF said it will continue to defend Israel and its people

US State Department insists DPRK troops engaged in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region

Patel also insisted that "Russian forces have trained the DPRK soldiers in artillery, in UAV, and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, which are critical skills for frontline operations"

DPR head Pushilin visits Ugledar, says town badly destroyed

Denis Pushilin added that "it is almost impossible to find an undamaged building"

Press review: Mutiny trips West’s nuclear alarms and Kiev’s terror talk hides attack plans

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, June 27th

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

54 countries vote against resolution on combating ne-Nazism

116 countries, including Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Serbia, and Syria, supported the document

Russian troops liberate Rovnopol community in Donbass region over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup North destroyed an UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) production workshop of the Ukrainian army and inflicted roughly 110 casualties on enemy troops in its area of responsibility in the Kharkov Region over the past day

What is known about Sevastopol car blast

Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev did not rule out the possibility that the incident was the result of sabotage

Russia not rejecting dollar use — Putin

Russia is not struggling with the US currency but is thinking of creating new instruments in response to new trends of global economic development, he added

Russia's Rublev suffers second defeat at 2024 ATP Finals in Italy

Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz blew past his Russian opponent 6-3; 7-6 (10-8) in a match that lasted one hour and 37 minutes

Lavrov to lead Russia’s delegation to G20 summit in Brazil

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with heads of BRICS media outlets that he will not be attending the G20 summit in Brazil, scheduled for November 18 and 19

Erdogan praises Russia, China for backing arms embargo on Israel

According to the Turkish leader, Israel "will become more and more aggressive if arms and ammunition supplies continue"

Putin garners 76,277,708 votes in Russian presidential election — CEC chief

The remaining 1.36.% of the ballots were found invalid

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

Kiev's Western allies begin to acknowledge need for territorial concessions — report

The diplomats see this approach as "land in exchange for Ukraine’s security"

Russia sees possibilities for expansion of equipment supplies for Indian Gaganyaan program

Denis Manturov also mentioned projects in the area of satellite navigation that are being implemented

Detentions, blocking of roads: what is known about situation in Abkhazia

The prosecutor general stated that following the incident, four Abkhazian residents were detained: Garry Kokaya, Almaskhan Ardzinba, Omar Smur, and Ramaz Dzhopya

Russia, Iran far from full realization of cooperation potential — General Staff chief

Iranian General Staff Chief Mohammad Bagheri noted that "the military area is the driver and the forefront for development of relations between Iran and Russia"

US delivers strikes on infrastructure of pro-Iranian militants in Syria — CENTCOM

According to the statement, the "strikes were in response to a rocket attack on US personnel at Patrol Base Shaddadi"

Security official stresses need to counter US policy of dual containment of Russia, China

Sergey Shoigu arrived in China on a working visit on Monday

Next-gen Su-57 shows strength of Russia’s defense sector — diplomat

Maria Zakharova pointed out that military experts had praised the "unmatched capabilities" the plane displayed at the Airshow China in Zhuhai

Russia says its FPV drones disrupted Ukrainian troops rotation in Sumy Region

The ministry provided live-recording footage showing direct hits on Ukrainian military vehicles

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

At least ten Ukrainian troops were killed

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 advances, Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Units of Russia’s Battlegroup North have continued their offensive, defeating Ukrainian formations near several settlements in the Kursk Region

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

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

Trump 'demonstrates affinity' for Russian President Vladimir Putin — newspaper

Former Trump advisers have already backed his idea of cutting aid to Ukraine to force Kiev into talks with Russia, according to The Hill

Moldova expresses displeasure about Georgian prime minister’s comments

Earlier, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told reporters "gross violations" were committed during the presidential election in Moldova, but the country’s authorities were not investigating them

Baltic Sea will never turn into 'NATO lake' — Russian MFA

Maria Zakharova emphasized that the Baltic Sea "will always be a common space for all of the region’s countries without exception"

West to face 'devastating' response if it allows Kiev to strike deep into Russia — MFA

According to Maria Zakharova, Ukrainian social media accounts are meanwhile speculating that the Zelensky regime plans to present the received Western missiles as Ukrainian, changing the labels to use the weapons to attack Russia

Japan remains ready to sign peace treaty with Russia — top diplomat

After Tokyo imposed anti-Russian sanctions over the situation in Ukraine, Russia halted consultations with Japan on a peace treaty

Russian embassy denies allegations of Moscow’s interference in US election

"The US authorities didn't even bother to contact us on this matter," the Russian Embassy pointed out

Russia delivers S-400 air defense systems to India pursuant to schedule — official says

Russia will deliver all the five regiments of S-400 weapons to India by late 2023

France to hand over six Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine — lawmaker

Frank Giletti asked to speed up the commissioning of previously ordered Rafale planes to the armed forces

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

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

Lavrov likens proposals to freeze Ukraine crisis to worse version of Minsk agreements

"The Minsk agreements were final. If anyone had bothered to realize at the time that they were exactly that. We were talking about a small part of Donbass, if we are being totally honest," the minister continued