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US warns Netherlands about looming large-scale sanctions against ICC — AP

The restrictions may affect the majority of financial transactions with the court and potentially paralyze its operations

THE HAGUE, September 21. /TASS/. The US has warned the Netherlands that it will impose "devastating" sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) on September 21 and called the country to withdraw from the organization, the Associated Press (AP) quoted diplomatic sources as saying.

The Netherlands is bracing for possible serious consequences for the operation of the court located in the Hague and is seeking ways to ensure uninterrupted salary payments to ICC employees, the transfer of funds to witnesses under the court’s protection, and the security of the detention facility located nearby.

On September 20, The Wall Street Journal quoted US officials and documents as saying that the restrictions would affect the majority of financial transactions with the court, which could potentially paralyze its operations by prohibiting transactions in dollars and severing its access to a large part of the financial system.

The current US administration has already imposed sanctions on the ICC several times. US President Donald Trump signed a decree imposing restrictions on the court’s officials on February 6, 2025. The US has accused the ICC of taking unlawful actions against Washington and its allies, such as Israel.

Ukraine’s transport minister acknowledges loss of 600 railway locomotives

According to Ukraine’s Minister for Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport Nikolay Kalashnik, decision has been made at the Carpathian Eight meeting to establish a "railway coalition"

Russia, US plan to hold meetings on irritants in bilateral ties soon — ambassador

Alexander Darchiev specified that the agenda will include visa issues and the return of six Russian properties de facto seized in the US

Battlegroup North takes 100 sq km in Kharkov Region last week — expert

Andrey Marochko said that 10 settlements came under the Russian forces’ control

Trump makes attempts to resolve conflict in Ukraine — US envoy to UN

Mike Waltz added that during his upcoming address from the UN General Assembly rostrum, the US president plans to speak about sovereignty, as well as "about the peace deals," both those already attained and in works

Kazakh president congratulates Putin on successful State Duma elections

Kassym-Jomart Tokaev noted that the voting results convincingly testify to broad support for Vladimir Putin’s strategic course aimed at protecting the long-term interests of the Russian state

Sibur expands polymer supplies to Africa, Southeast Asia

According to CEO Mikhail Karisalov, Sibur plans to export part of the output from its new polypropylene production facility with a capacity of 570,000 metric tons at ZapSibNeftekhim in Tobolsk, which is due to be launched in 2027

Dutch businesses cutting ties with ICC for fear of US sanctions — diplomat

According to a diplomatic source, mostly IT companies are behind the move

Press review: State Duma set to keep five parties while Europe faces record fuel prices

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, September 21st

FACTBOX: Russian strikes hit logistics center, port infrastructure facilities

Russian forces carried out overnight drone strikes on Ukrainian logistics centers, warehouses, and ports, as well as vessels used in the interests of the Ukrainian armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry reported

Ukraine virtually lost its steel industry — FT

According to the article, strikes damaged blast furnaces at three facilities, including two plants owned by Metinvest and an ArcelorMittal facility in Krivoy Rog

US used AI in preparation for attack on school in Iran’s Minab — Bloomberg

The US military did not take advantage of a whole series of opportunities to prevent the tragedy, the agency said

Ship transit through Strait of Hormuz falls threefold over weekend — Reuters

According to the report, only 12 vessels passed through the strait over the past weekend

Kiev loses 9,300 troops, mercenaries in combat over past week — expert

Andrey Marochko said the heaviest manpower losses were inflicted on Ukrainian armed formations in the area of responsibility of the Battlegroup Center

Russian forces drawing a noose around Ukrainian troops in Kharkov area

Encircled enemy personnel have been struck in the areas of Komissarovo, Krasny Yar, Grachevka, Khripuny, and Buzovo, head of the Battlegroup North press center Vasily Mezhevykh said

Iran to strike new US targets in Middle East with new weapons in case of aggression — IRGC

Hossein Mohebi emphasized that the changes would affect the geography of war, weapons and military equipment used

UAC plans to increase aircraft production by 25-30% in 2026

UAC CEO Vadim Badekha specified that growth in 2025-2026 had been driven mainly by military aircraft and civilian aircraft would account for most of the increase in production in the coming years

Russian forces hit tanker carrying military supplies for Ukrainian troops

The footage shows a tanker hit by two Geran-4 Seeker drones in the port of Chernomorsk in the Odessa Region

SCO observers find Russian elections credible, democratic

Piao Yangfan noted that the State Duma elections complied with the requirements of Russian electoral law and universally accepted international obligations

Lavrov says Russia values friendship with Belize, seeks to develop political dialogue

Russia appreciates that interaction between Russia and Belize is based on the principles of trust and non-interference in internal affairs, the Russian foreign minister said

China congratulates Russia on successful State Duma elections — Foreign Ministry

"The State Duma elections are an important event in Russia’s political life, and the outcome reflects the will of the Russian people," Guo Jiakun said

AfD co-chair urges Merz to ‘draw conclusions’ after crushing election defeat

Alice Weidel added that the AfD’s long-term strategy aims at coalition negotiations with the Christian Democrats

Kiev, EU nations indoctrinate youth with neo-Nazism, Russian MFA spokeswoman says

Maria Zakharova added that the situation raises concerns over whether the next generation possesses enough resilience and immunity to combat these narratives

Russian air defenses down 1,110 Ukrainian drones overnight

On-duty air defense systems intercepted and destroyed fixed-wing drones over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Ryazan, Tula, Kaluga, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Tambov, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Smolensk, Oryol, Rostov, Volgograd and Saratov regions, the Samara Region, the Krasnodar Region, the Moscow Region and the Republic of Crimea, as well as over the Black Sea

Russian forces hit Radionix plant, B-Mobile data center in Kiev

Russian forces carried out group strikes overnight using air-launched precision weapons and strike unmanned aerial vehicles

Putin notes at meeting with US negotiators that situation is difficult to discuss

"And we will have to deal with it today", Russian President said in his opening remarks

TASS Director General opens OANA Executive Committee meeting in Moscow

Andrey Kondrashov recalled that a media forum dedicated to the organization’s 65th anniversary will open on Monday

UAC plans to increase aircraft production by 25-30% in 2026

CEO Vadim Badekha noted that while growth in 2025-2026 was driven mainly by military aircraft

United Russia wins 49.4% in State Duma elections — exit poll

The Communist Party is garnering 14.2%, the LDPR 10.7%, New People 9.7%, and A Just Russia 6.6%, according to VCIOM

Ukrainian troops retreat from several key fortified positions in Dobropolye, DPR — expert

Andrey Marochko said the Russian Armed Forces had expanded their zone of control in the Druzhkovka area

Battlegroup North disrupts supplies to surrounded Ukrainian troops in Kharkov area

More than 200 Ukrainian Baba-Yaga hexacopters have been destroyed since the beginning of September, the head of the Planning and Counter-UAV Operations Department of the 11th Army Corps, with the call sign Karta, said

Russian diplomat sure history will `cancel’ Zelensky

Maria Zakharova commented on Vladimir Zelensky's threats to make the Russian airspace dangerous for passenger flights through the massive use of drones

Zelensky will have to hide for rest of life, Medvedev predicts

"The stinking Kiev bastard is trying to derail the settlement of the conflict", Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman said

EU continues to ignore Ukraine’s attacks on nuclear power plants — Finnish politician

Armando Mema added that the EU remains one of the main suppliers of weapons for Kiev

Dmitriev says Europe in largest energy crisis in history

Special Representative of Russian President for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, Chief Executive Officer of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) also gave a comment on reports of fuel supply disruptions in France

IN BRIEF: Preliminary results of Russian elections, United Russia leads, governors elected

According to the data from the Central Election Commission, 90.45% of ballots have been counted so far

Russian regional authorities, military ready for Kiev’s provocative acts — diplomat

Rodion Miroshnik added that regional authorities have a vast experience of organizing the voting process under such circumstances

More than 45% of Russians have voted in the election as of Sunday morning — CEC chairwoman

The number of voters who cast their ballots through the remote electronic voting system exceeded 6 million

Unidentified man splashes wine into Hungarian premier’s face to protest his policies

No information about this man’s political affiliation has been published so far

Russian parliamentary election turnout exceeds 2021 level

As of 3:14 p.m. Moscow time (12:14 p.m. GMT), voter turnout in the current election stood at 52.62%, according to data from Russia’s Central Election Commission

All attempts to disrupt State Duma votes abroad failed — Russian Deputy FM

State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Yevgeny Ivanov also highlighted the total failure of a widely publicized campaign orchestrated by the non-systemic opposition, who had planned to paralyze polling stations with mass midday gatherings

AfD clinches victory in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state vote, exit poll shows

The AfD is leading the vote with approximately 37%, followed by the SPD at around 35.5%, and The Left Party at about 7.5%

Russians choose future for their children by voting today — human rights commissioner

Yana Lantratova also said that elections in Russia are being held democratically and openly, a view shared by international observers and election experts

Russians vote for their children's future — Russian MFA spokeswoman

They do so both responsibly and freely, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told

Russian forces hit Fire Point warehouse storing drone components in Kiev Region

Russian forces carried out overnight strikes with unmanned aerial vehicles on logistics centers, warehouses and ports in Ukraine

AfD leader says her party aims to open dialogue channel with Russia jointly with US

"Both sides have clearly realized that the Alternative for Germany is the only reliable partner left in Germany," Alice Weidel said

Russian nuclear triad guarantees sovereignty, international balance of power — Putin

Russian leader named its strengthening as one of the unconditional priorities

Kiev loses over 1,340 troops along engagement line in past day — Russia’s top brass

The latest figures show that the Ukrainian army lost up to 245 troops in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup North, more than 210 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup West and some 145 troops in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup South

The President's course, West’s failure to discredit Russian vote: Lavrov's statements

The Foreign Minister said that officials had exposed all Western attempts to portray the parliamentary elections as undemocratic

Russian stock market declines at start of trading

According to trading data as of 9:00 a.m. Moscow time, the MOEX and RTS indices fell by 0.13% to 2,275.15 and 851.21 points, respectively

Trump orders triumphal arch converted into military complex

US President stressed that he made the decision "at the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes"

Time running out for Ukrainian troops in Kursk area to lay down arms — Kremlin

Putin thus responded to the call of US President Donald Trump, who offered to "spare" the Ukrainian troops in Kursk Region

Russia’s electoral body to announce preliminary results of Duma election

The event is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. GMT on Monday

Fact-checking is most politicized media area — Foreign Ministry spokeswoman

Maria Zakharova called for joining forces to stand up for truth and denounce lies

Number of drones destroyed while approaching Moscow reaches 338

First responders are working in areas where fragments fell, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported

Current State Duma election turnout outstrips 1993, 2016, 2021 levels

Central Election Commission data as of 06:04 p.m. Moscow time puts the current turnout at 54.96%

Around 7,000 humanoid robots sold worldwide in 2025 — Reuters

According to the International Federation of Robotics, humanoid robots still account for "only a small fraction" of the total number of robots worldwide

Moscow to host financial forum on Monday

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, government officials, business leaders, public activists, and experts in economics and finance will participate in the event

SCO observers note high civic engagement in Russian elections — Deputy Secretary-General

Mission members visited 47 polling stations

United Russia ahead in Duma election with 90.43% of ballots processed

It is followed by the CPRF with 13,84%, the LDPR with 8.9%, New People with 7.94%, and A Just Russia with 4.95%

Russian forces strike logistics centers, ports in Ukraine

A bulk carrier carrying cargo intended to support the Ukrainian armed forces to the port of Odessa was hit while crossing the sea

Drone attack on Moscow Region leaves two dead — governor

Between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Moscow time on Sunday, at least 249 drones were jammed and destroyed in 17 municipalities of the Moscow Region

Russia’s Battlegroup West destroys HIMARS rocket, 117 Ukrainian UAVs in past day

The battlegroup’s spokesman added that 56 UAV control centers as well as three satellite communication stations were destroyed

Iran will keep Strait of Hormuz closed until US accepts its terms — parliamentary speaker

Earlier, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei said that Iranian authorities have conveyed their conditions for ending the war to the US through Qatari mediators

Turnout on federal remote electronic voting platform reaches 90%

More than 4 million people in total submitted applications to vote via the federal digital platform

IMF once again urges Kiev to find its own funds amid another budget shortfall

Ukraine needs to receive around $52.6 bln from its Western partners next year, but only about $20 bln has been confirmed so fa

Over 90% of foreign festival participants want to return to Russia — youth agency chief

At the same time, the share of those who viewed the country "very positively" increased from 42% to 67%

Kiev loses about 1,440 troops in special military operation zone in past day — top brass

Russian forces launched strikes overnight on logistics centers, warehouses and ports in Ukraine, as well as vessels involved in supporting the Ukrainian military

Georgia-Russia trade rises by 19.1% in January-August

Russia ranked third among Georgia’s largest trading partners, accounting for 11.3% of the country’s foreign trade in the first eight months of the year

Over 104,000 Russians abroad voted in State Duma elections — Russian MFA spokeswoman

Maria Zakharova added that election officials conducted 120 mobile early voting sessions

United Russia party leading preliminary vote count with 50% of ballots processed

The Communist Party garnered 13.79% of the vote, the LDPR 8.80%, New People 7.86%, and A Just Russia 5.11%, according to the Russian Central Election Commission

Zelensky will try to close Ukraine's budget deficit via mobilization — Russian diplomat

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed to Zelensky's statement regarding the massive budget shortfall and his pledge to fix it

United Russia ahead in Duma election with 71.17% of ballots processed

The party received 57.53% of the vote

Russian parliamentary election turnout rises to 44.75% — election authority

The information was posted on the Russian Central Election Commission’s website and reflects data as of 3:00 a.m. GMT

Europe injects 45 bln cubic meters of gas into storage for winter, rushes to build stocks

Europe has so far managed to inject into underground storage facilities only 67% of the volumes needed for the upcoming winter

Chinese imports of Russian LNG up 28.2%, of oil - up 18.1% in January-August

In value terms, supplies grew 13.2% and 33.3%, respectively

Chairwoman of Central Election Commission says term "unfriendly countries" is too mild

Ella Pamfilova said that it is time to come up with a new term for them

OANA media forum to discuss steps toward sustainable media community of Asia-Pacific

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and Andrey Kondrashov, TASS Director General and OANA President, are expected to take part in the forum

US, China fail to agree on extending trade truce — FT

According to the newspaper, the disagreements primarily concern the length of the deal’s extension

Russian diplomat sees EU sponsoring Ukraine’s strategy toward humanitarian crisis

Rodion Miroshnik specified that in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, part of the DPR and the LPR, and certain areas in the Belgorod Region a deliberate provocation of a humanitarian crisis can be seen

Air defenses intercept all Flamingo missiles heading for Moscow region — Defense Ministry

US embassies in Middle East issue security alert for US citizens

The statement linked the alert with hostilities involving Iranian-supported Houthis and warned that the "military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly"

Russia-Namibia trade falls short of two countries’ potential — senator

Elena Perminova noted that an earlier meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental commission discussed moving toward the joint implementation of specific projects in a number of areas of mutual interest

More than 600 Russians cast ballots in Duma elections in New York and Houston

The two polling stations closed at 8:00 p.m. local time

Mayor reports damage at Moscow oil refinery

No casualties were reported, Sergey Sobyanin said

Slovak premier says Ukraine’s decision not to sign peace deal in 2022 was a mistake

Robert Fico added that the West has been "pouring oil on the flames of the conflict in Ukraine," describing the possibility of a larger conflict between Russia and NATO as a "mortal danger"

Kremlin comments on Ukrainian attacks during elections, settlement process

Dmitry Peskov noted that massive Ukrainian attacks during the elections in Russia were aimed at disrupting the voting but failed to have an effect

Putin congratulates South Ossetian president Kambolov on Republic Day

The Russian president noted that Russia will continue to assist the authorities and people of South Ossetia in addressing important challenges

China ready to work with US to promote global peace and stability — Foreign Ministry

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun noted that mutual visits by the leaders of China and the US "are of historic significance and serve as an important milestone"

Putin says Russia ready to respond to seizure of ships, calls on West 'to be friends'

Vladimir Putin said that Russia had taken note of the European drills in the Baltic Sea, including the practice of seizing civilian vessels

Kiev’s strike on Russian regions becomes largest since start of special military operation

As the Russian Defense Ministry previously emphasized, "the attempt at a massive attack on Moscow failed, the enemy failed to reach its targets"

Two civilians killed, 4 others injured as Ukrainian army attacks DPR 31 times in past day

Two residential houses were damaged in the attacks

Duma commission registers over 200 attempts to disrupt regional elections in Russia

Orchestrators focused primarily on shaping a negative information agenda in Russian regions regarding the special military operation, the country's socio-economic situation, and migration, commission chairman Vasily Piskarev told

What we know about foiled terrorist attack on voting day in Donetsk

A Donetsk citizen established contact with SBU officers and voluntarily agreed to assist them in their terrorist activities, the FSB Public Relations Center said

CEC chairwoman comments on preliminary election results, unprecedented threats

Voter turnout in the State Duma election stood at 59.32%, with more than 62.6 million citizens casting ballots

Russian forces hit cargo ship, logistics center near Odessa

The targets hit in the Odessa Region were a cargo ship in the port of Odessa that had delivered military supplies and the Novaya Pochta logistics center, located 1.5 km north of Odessa

Warehouses, infrastructure facilities damaged in Kiev Region

According to Timur Tkachenko, damage was recorded in the Fastov, Bucha, Vyshgorod, Borispol, and Obukhov districts of the Kiev Region

Ukraine may lose up to 6.8% of GDP in 2027 amid continued hostilities

Ukrainian Finance Ministry officials warn of an exacerbating energy crisis, export issues and labor shortages due to people fleeing the country and ongoing mobilization

Polling stations close in Russia’s easternmost regions, Kamchatka, Chukotka

Election commissions have begun counting the votes

Merz’s CDU loses vote in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania — electoral body

According to a statement by the state election commission, the CDU took a mere 4.9% of the vote

IN BRIEF: What we know about AfD, Left Party victories, CDU defeat in Germany’s elections

The Left Party has won elections to the Berlin House of Representatives for the first time ever

Election commissions in regions where drones fly defy “terrorist scum” — Foreign Ministry

The Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that she is shocked by the courage of the election commission staff