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US strikes drug trafficking vessel in Pacific Ocean, killing three people — Pentagon

The US Southern Command says that the narco-trafficking engagement of the ship was confirmed by intelligence

NEW YORK, February 21. /TASS/. The US struck a ship allegedly belonging to drug traffickers in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reported.

"Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations," the command said in a statement on its X page.

Three people were killed in the strike. No US servicemen were injured.

Charles III to support his brother’s exclusion from succession line — newspaper

A Buckingham Palace source says that the succession issue is in purview of the parliament

Ukrainian lawmaker demands Zelensky's resignation after damning US corruption report

Alexey Goncharenko noted that due to US interest in this case, Vladimir Zelensky is deliberately delaying settlement negotiations and trying to bargain for better conditions for himself

Zelensky's order to develop battle plan bad news for Ukrainians — senator

Grigory Karasin highlighted that Zelensky was too dependent on his Western curators

Russia, Kazakhstan begin scheduled air defense drill — Defense Ministry

The exercise is aimed at working on detecting aerial targets, intercepting aircraft that violate sovereign airspace

Trump fails to make compelling case for why he wants to attack Iran — newspaper

According to The New York Times, the American leader "has given no speeches preparing the American public for a strike on a country of about 90 million people, and sought no approval from Congress"

EU envoys meeting on anti-Russian sanctions ended without result — Reuters

According to the diplomatic source, the 20th sanctions package contains a rationale for attempts to detain tankers with Russian oil

Ukraine loses over 520,000 troops in 2025 — Russian General Staff

Sergey Rudskoy says total loss of Ukrainian servicemen is estimated at more than 1,5 million

Kiev says US pressures Ukraine to withdraw its armed forces from Donbass

According to Vladimir Zelensky, the US provides Kiev with intelligence assistance "at the same level as before"

US losing interest in role as guarantor of international order — Merz

The chancellor emphasized that this shift necessitates Germany stepping up to assume greater responsibility and acting within the framework of sovereign politics

US president signs executive order imposing 10% tariffs on imports from all countries

The ruling shall come into force "almost immediately," Donald Trump says

Russian stock indices up as Friday's main trading session closes

The yuan-to-ruble rate rose by 6 kopecks to 11.11 rubles

Seven dead in Lake Baikal tourist vehicle tragedy — Emergencies Ministry

Rescuers conducted a survey using an underwater camera

US Supreme Court ruling will not affect new trade deal with India — White House

US President Donald Trump says his relationship with India is "fantastic"

Russia’s non-resource non-energy exports projected at $155 bln in 2026

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Roman Chekushov said the ministry expects the trend of growth of high-tech exports to continue

No progress on 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions, talks continue — source

According to the statement, the Cyprus presidency will continue working all over the weekend to reach a tradeoff by Monday

As Kiev attempts to delay peace, its troops try to kill civilians — Russian senator

In Energodar, no one was injured in a UAV attack, according to a Russian senator from the Kherson region

Putin’s interview with US journalist racks 150 mln views on X social network

The video was "liked" by more than 860,000 users

Iran better agree to 'a fair deal' — Trump

The US President was asked what message he would like to convey to the Iranian people

Ukrainian troops desert their positions due to lack of food, ammunition — military expert

According to Andrey Marochko, the thaw and night frosts are causing an increasing number of frostbite cases

Trumps says is considering limited military strike on Iran

The US president refrained from giving further details

Russian General Staff uses analytics to counter Ukrainian strikes deep into Russia

Colonel General Sergey Rudskoy noted that the Main Operations Directorate is directly involved in developing and implementing a set of measures to enhance air defense capabilities

Six Hezbollah militants killed in Israeli strikes on eastern Lebanon

Israel also hits underground depots and a bunker on the border with Syria

Pentagon begins testing kamikaze drone prototypes for mass production

According to the sources cited by Axios, serious tests are planned since the US wants to "learn the lessons" of the Ukrainian crisis

Russia’s new Oko-2, Oko-3 recon drones deployed in special military operation zone

The Oko-2 drone has a range of up to 60 km, while the Oko-3 has a range of up to 130 km

Russia, China, Iran emphasize importance of diplomatic solution to nuclear issue — envoy

Mikhail Ulyanov says the diplomatic missions of the three states will continue the cooperation

Child present among Chinese tourists who died on Lake Baikal

Seven bodies have been located using an underwater camera

Europe in decline, other kind of war: statements by Lavrov

Sergey Lavrov stressed that Russia is ready to engage with reasonable and pragmatic counterparts

Hungary to continue to block loan to Kiev unless it stops chocking Druzhba pipeline — PM

Viktor Orban says that Hungary cannot be blackmailed

Japan's PM reaffirms intent to sign peace treaty with Russia

Sanae Takaichi criticized Russia's actions in Ukraine, calling for an immediate end to the conflict

Europe lost right to sit at Ukraine table with Moscow betrayal — Russian Foreign Ministry

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that Europe needs to earn back trust and learn to keep its word, especially with regard to certain norms, rules and laws

Dutch woman inherits collection of dozens of Rembrandt engravings — portal

Charlotte Meyer was unaware of the authorship of the "beautiful prints" for years

US leader announcing 10% tariff on all imports to country

Donald Trump will keep some of the others in force

Switzerland is being pulled into 'military Schengen' — Lavrov

According to the minister, what the Council of Europe is doing now is being done by the decision of the United States

Africa's economy projected to grow faster than Asia’s in 2026 — portal

Experts say that average economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa will reach 4.6% in 2026, while the combined growth of Asian economies will slow to approximately 4.1% over the same period

US strikes drug trafficking vessel in Pacific Ocean, killing three people — Pentagon

The US Southern Command says that the narco-trafficking engagement of the ship was confirmed by intelligence

Merz re-elected as Christian Democratic Union Chairman — TV

He was voted in by 878 delegates at the CDU's federal congress

10% import tariff to be in effect for 150 days starting February 24 — White House

According to the statement, several types of goods are exempt from the tariff

Bayraktar, Novak discuss energy, cooperation prospects

The Turkish Energy Minister noted that he considers it important to continue the dialogue on energy issues

Russia remains reliable supplier of energy resources to Turkey — Novak

The Turkish Stream and Blue Stream pipelines are operating stably, and the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, is ongoing, according to the Deputy Prime Minister

Investments in Siberian rare-earth metal cluster planned to be $9.1 bln

Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council Alexander Maslennikov said that over 11,000 jobs of different skills will be created in the cluster

Press review: India to continue buying Russian oil as US amasses major force near Iran

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, February 20th

Slovak PM warns about response measures if Ukraine playing politics around oil

According to Robert Fico, it can't be ruled out that Ukraine is deliberately delaying the resumption of oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline

Kremlin sees extension of US sanctions as automatic decision

Dmitry Peskov added that the negotiation process with Washington is complicated

Russian Railways not endorsing Finland’s ownership of Allegro trains

Allegro trains were made specifically for the St. Petersburg - Helsinki route

Kiev’s attack on school in Energodar is attempt to disrupt talks — Kherson governor

Vladimir Saldo recalled that the Kiev authorities have previously used children for their own purposes

Serbia plans to sign a new gas contract with Russia by March 20 — Srbijagas CEO

According to Dusan Bajatovic, negotiations with Gazprom Export representatives took place in St. Petersburg and resulted in an agreement in principle on extending gas supplies

Upgraded Khrizantema-M antitank missile accelerates to hypersonic speed — Rostec

According to the holding company representative, this missile is being used in the special military operation zone in Ukraine

Armed fighting for power between Zelensky and Zaluzhny possible in Kiev — Russian senator

Alexander Voloshin pointed out that in 2022, Valery Zaluzhny threatened to conduct searches and send troops to the heart of Kiev, while now he publicly blames Zelensky for Ukraine's failed counteroffensive in 2023

Illinois governor demands $8.7 billion from US administration following tariff ruling

JB Pritzker says he wants a $1,700 refund for every family in the state

Journalist Lucidi participates in informal meeting of UN Security Council on Ukraine

Another rapporteur is Norwegian political scientist Glenn Diesen, who was unable to attend the meeting in person because his flight was mysteriously cancelled

US Supreme Court rules against Trump’s import tariffs

Six judges voted for this decision, while three were against it

Norwegian team sets record for gold medals at Winter Olympics

Norwegian athletes won 17 top-tier awards and currently hold first place in the unofficial overall team standings

Police evacuate people from several buildings in Paris due to bomb threats — BFMTV

According to policemen, the reports concerned the Montparnasse Tower and Sciences Po

Ukraine may make territorial concessions for sake of joining EU — Die Welt

According to the report, Kiev "does not have enough time" to go through the standard procedure, as Ukraine lags "light years" behind the EU members in the rule of law and the fight against corruption

European Commission prepares legal grounds to intercept Russian oil tankers — source

The potential measure raises concerns among several EU states over a military confrontation risk

Everyone in EU knows that Ukraine is losing — Slovak premier

Robert Fico added that anti-Russian sanctions had proven to be ineffective

Russia’s Petrosyan finishes 6th in women’s figure skating at 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy

US' Alysa Liu won the gold in women’s singles

US looks into possibility of targeting individual leaders in Iran — Reuters

No details on who will be viewed as a target are available

Hungary blocks EU's 90-billion-euro aid package for Ukraine — top diplomat

Peter Szijjarto says the decision will remain in force until Ukraine restarts Russian oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline

Lavrov, Araghchi discuss situation involving Iranian nuclear program

The Russian side reaffirmed its support for the diplomatic process aimed at achieving fair political and diplomatic solutions, respecting Iran’s legitimate rights

Russian troops liberate eight communities in Ukraine operation over week — top brass

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 1,310 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy armored combat vehicles in its areas of responsibility over the week, the Defense Ministry reported

Zaporozhye nuke sees Ukraine’s attack on school attempt to disrupt peace talks

Communications Director for the ZNPP Yevgenia Yashina called this attack another "monstrous and ruthless act of terrorism"

Russia strengthening its western border security — General Staff

According to Colonel General Sergey Rudskoy, equipping the general purpose forces with modern military equipment remains a priority

Iran makes nuclear concession, but won't budge on uranium enrichment — newspaper

Despite talks of a possible freeze, it remains unclear how much transparency Tehran is willing to agree to with the IAEA

Slovak PM Fico criticizes EU for lacking effective foreign policy

According to Robert Fico, a former head of the French or German government should be nominated for the post Kallas occupies

Special military operation brings new combat trends — Russian General Staff

In addition to firepower, the range of applications of robotic systems is being expanded in reconnaissance missions, counter-battery warfare, minelaying, delivery of ammunition and supplies to the front, as well as evacuation of the wounded from the battlefield

Switzerland ready to host next round of negotiations on Ukraine — Foreign Ministry

Official representative of the Swiss Foreign Ministry Pierre-Alain Eltschinger said the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs is in contact with all parties and consistently offers its good offices

Five of nine Lake Baikal victims identified, lone survivor set to talk to investigators

During the journey, the vehicle transporting the tourists fell into a three-meter-wide opening in the ice

Rosatom to float bonds on Chinese market

The maturity period of the issued bonds is no more than three years

Transnistria to remain independent, despite Moldova’s pressure — leader

Vadim Krasnoselsky said that Moldova had never been a friend to Transnistria

Government stake in VTB to grow to 74.45% of ordinary shares

First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board Dmitry Pianov said the change in the structure of shareholder capital will not affect dividend payments to minority shareholders

UK journalist slams Western interpretation of Ukraine conflict causes as ‘ridiculous’

Frank Wright criticized the policies that use culture, the media, and legislative mechanisms to promote the conflict

US may take part in Europe’s SAFE program as weapons supplier — Polish minister

Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said he hopes that SAFE will eventually offer not only low-cost loans, but also subsidies for weapons procurements

Military service beginning to be perceived as shameful in Ukraine — battalion commander

Ukraine's general mobilization has been repeatedly extended since February 2022

Hungarian PM voices concern over possible US withdrawal from talks on Ukraine

The US might "pack up and leave", Viktor Orban says after a session of the Board of Peace

Ukraine to receive decommissioned equipment of European plants — minister

Denis Shmygal said that everything will be moved and quickly installed

Russian ministry preparing another update to list of goods for parallel imports

The parallel import mechanism has been in effect since March 2022

Ukrainian presidential election due in fall 2026, parliamentary - in spring 2027 — media

According to the sources, Ukrainian officials are discussing a possibility of holding the vote while the martial law remains in force

Pistorius rules out Germany’s participation in French nuclear deterrence program

The defense minister reminded that Germany, under international treaties, has committed itself to never possessing nuclear weapons

Switzerland’s spending on assistance to Ukrainians exceeds $7.7 bln — TV

This is more than 6 billion Swiss francs

Snowmageddon in Moscow: nearly three feet of snow on ground

According to the World Meteorological Organization, Moscow’s Vnukovo district was one of the snowiest places on Earth in the last 24 hours

Car falls through ice on Lake Baikal, killing tourists: what we know

According to preliminary data from the Investigative Committee, there are deaths as a result of the incident

Ukrainian troops retreat from DPR settlement, fearing encirclement — military expert

Andrey Marochko says that Ukrainian servicemen moved to reserve positions in Konstantinovka

Washington police confirms incident with Azerbaijani President Aliyev's motorcade

Law enforcement officers were on the scene with the US Secret Service

Russian diplomat sees drone attack on Energodar school as attempt to hinder talks

According to Rodion Miroshnik,this attack should be viewed as a provocative act by the Kiev government

Protesters tried to attack Azerbaijani president’s car in Washington — embassy

The Presidential Security Service had no choice but to immediately intervene, since any attempt to obstruct or physically interfere with a protected vehicle carrying the head of state constitutes a serious security concern

US weighs on assassination attempt on Iran's supreme leader, his son — news outlet

The sources cited by Axios say that Iran may be allowed ‘token’ nuclear enrichment

Russia’s deputy foreign minister briefs Turkish ambassador on Ukrainian settlement

The conversation also covered developments in the South Caucasus, where both sides reaffirmed their mutual commitment to enhanced coordination aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region

Russia prohibits transferring data about genetic research of Russians abroad

The correspondent amendment to a federal act was initiated by the government

Generals Moskalik, Sarvarov killed in Kiev regime’s terrorist attacks — General Staff

Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy noted that with the deaths of the generals, the troops "lost true professionals, loyal comrades, and true patriots"

China-US trade wars serve interests of neither side — embassy

Spokesman Liu Pengyu says that the bilateral economic and trade relations are mutually beneficial

Declassifying alien files to help cleanse US defense sector of pseudo-science — expert

Alexander Rodin believes that by declassifying alien files, Donald Trump will show the public that some widely popular theories have no scientific backing

Russia calls for restraint from all participants in escalation around Iran — Kremlin

Russia continues to develop relations with Iran, Dmitry Peskov said

Russia’s non-resource non-energy exports total almost $157 bln in 2025

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Roman Chekushov said that growth was demonstrated by virtually all sectors of industry in terms of export

Press review: Ukraine talks in Geneva shape settlement as Russia explores MERCOSUR deal

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, February 16th

Russian operators now obliged to shut down communication services on FSB request

The amendment to the law exempts operators from responsibility for the blackouts requested by the FSB

US barks at Europe for potentially limiting its access to EU arms — Politico

According to the news report, the retaliation will be reciprocal

Ukraine postpones restart of oil supplies to Slovakia until February 24

Russian oil supplies to Hungary over the Druzhba oil pipeline via Ukraine were halted since early February

Uralvagonzavod Group delivers batch of modernized BREM-80 vehicles to troops

The BREM-80 vehicle is based on the T-80 tank chassis and is equipped with a powerful gas turbine engine, providing it with high mobility

Macron, Starmer plan to hold Coalition of the Willing meeting on February 24 — media

The newspaper reports that the meeting will be held online

Israel hits Hezbollah command center in eastern Lebanon — IDF

The IDF accused the Shiite organization of "systematically placing its facilities among the civilian population"