Odessa mayor takes oath under heavy guard

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also emphasized that Moscow is outraged by the hypocritical silence of the West and its media on the terrorist attacks in Russia

Andrey Marochko noted that Russian forces had "slightly advanced" in the northern and southern parts of Chasov Yar

"However, since he is a very prominent and experienced diplomat, I think the host country should have no doubt that he will show a high level of professionalism and his efforts will aim to at least slightly improve bilateral relations," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov noted

The interim governor called the shelling of Rylsk a huge tragedy and expressed condolences to the loved ones of the victims

According to Maxim Grigoryev, videos of interviews with witnesses and preliminary forensic examination of the bodies indicate that most of the victims are elderly women

According to the head of state, tax revenues have seen a consistent increase in absolute figures

The restart of transit via the Ukrainian gas transportation system is possible at a request of the European Commission if this is not Russian gas, Denis Shmygal said

A BMW driver ploughed his car into an outdoor Christmas market in downtown Magdeburg on Friday night

According to the Justice Ministry, the Ukrainian businessman belongs to the group which "is based on ideological and property interests clearly aimed against Russia"

The new positions will enable Russian troops to advance further in that frontline area and deliver more effective strikes on the enemy, Andrey Marochko specified

The Russian president still noted that "today, especially in today’s Russia, we must not do anything that could divide the country"

According to the trade union, there are 16 people on board: one Egyptian citizen and 15 Syrians

The president noted that Russia had become much stronger over the past two or three years as it became a truly sovereign country

The Russian president recalled that no Russian land troops had been deployed to Syria, with Russia having only an airbase and a naval base

According to Russia's Defence Ministry, attempts to conduct attacks against facilities on Russian soil were thwarted

The US company Gameto said that the technology allows for minimal hormonal intervention in a woman’s body during the in-vitro fertilization procedure, reducing side effects

The sources also told the Financial Times that Donald Trump intends to continue the military aid to Ukraine despite the statements he made during his presidential campaign

According to the Turkish newspaper, the former Syrian president did it to ensure his own safety

Eight motor vehicles and two electronic warfare stations were also destroyed? the ministy added

Vasily Nebenzya referred to data from the SIPRI which put last year’s revenues from sales of arms by the world’s top 100 largest businesses in the industry at $632 billion

Ukrainian forces have been shifting significant reserves to this settlement, including fresh recruits with little to no training, to retain Kupyansk

According to Alexander Khinshtein, repair teams are working at the site

Meanwhile, Scholz will visit Magdeburg to assess the situation later on Saturday

According to the news agency, Kiev expects a "bitter settlement," which implies giving up territorial claims and NATO membership in exchange for security guarantees

The ministry clarified that Ukraine launched a missile strike against the Kamensky Integrated Plant in the Rostov Region using six US-made ATACMS missiles and four Storm Shadow cruise missiles

The head of state pointed out that ex-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had said at some point that Ukraine "needs to keep fighting until the last Ukrainian"

On December 16, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz asked President Steinmeier to dissolve the Bundestag after the failure of the vote of confidence

According to Jacques Sapir, the decision not to extend transit contracts was no surprise given the political landscape

It does not mean there will be no such risks in the future but it is very important in this regard for the financial stable to remain stable, Elvira Nabiullina said

Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein added that he was currently in Moscow for a State Council meeting but planned to travel to Rylsk as soon as possible

In general, "quite active hostilities" are taking place near Dvurechnaya and Lozovaya in the Kupyansk sector of the line of engagement, Andrey Marochko noted

"Russia’s position is well known, it was voiced by Putin back in St. Petersburg," Dmitry Peskov stressed

According to Sergey Ryabkov, this issue lies "on the periphery" for Moscow, and Russia views it "detachedly"

This figure is indicated in an internal report prepared by the company, which assesses prospects of gas pipeline use in the future

Everything depends on its content and the approach of the team of US President-elect Donald Trump are important, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said

Hungary will now be in a relatively safe position for several months, the prime minister said

The Artyom plant is known for producing air-to-air missiles, as well as equipment for aircraft

The lawmaker believes that the bribe money wasn’t meant to come from Russia’s frozen funds but Zelensky "could have brought it in a suitcase"

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 3,610 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed six enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the week

Over the course of his career, del Monaco has directed more than 100 operas in major theaters around the world

The Russian leader also agreed with Sergey Mironov, head of the "A Just Russia - For Truth" faction in the Duma, who said that "the birth rate is insufficient, because the matter concerns extinction"

TASS has compiled the key facts behind the deadly attack

As many as 85 senators backed the bill, while 11 voted against it

According to Alexander Stepanov, strikes are systematic efforts to gradually wipe out the military capabilities of Ukraine

Anatoly Viktorov expressed his wholehearted support to the family of Yelena Trufanova whose son Alexander is still being held hostage in the Palestinian enclave

The Hungarian prime minister reiterated that his proposal for a Christmas ceasefire and prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia remains on the table

All emergency response services are working at the site of the strike

Vasily Nebenzya warned as he denounced the attack as yet another unambiguous step by the Kiev regime toward escalation

According to the Russian president, there are a lot of "our men" in Ukraine who want to liberate their country from neo-Nazism and Russia is maintaining ties with them

"Israel must return to the full compliance with the well-known 1974 agreement with Syria," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stressed

According to Wu Yihong, Russia will seek to retain its two military facilities in Syria

"One hundred percent of the stated amount is consolidated in accordance with this agreement," the document reads

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

"The buildings of the House of Culture, physical fitness center, teachers’ training college, school, firefighting depot and private households were damaged," Alexander Khinshtein said

Germany is scheduled to hold a parliamentary election on February 23, 2025

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported the fires in Solomensky and Shevchenkovsky districts

According to Bogdan Nikitchenko, the command sends "anyone available" to the Kursk Region

Acting Kursk Region Governor Alexander Khinshtein said earlier that the town of Rylsk, located some 120 kilometers west of Kursk, had come under Ukrainian fire

During a "Direct Line" Q&A session combined with his annual press conference on Thursday, Putin clarified that he had not yet met with Assad after his arrival in Moscow but plans to speak with him

It is planned to launch it in general circulation in early 2025

Viktor Obran added, however, that only a couple of EU countries shared Hungary’s position

The German Chancellor claimed he intended to "make clear" to the Russian leader the need for his contribution to ending the conflict and withdrawing troops

"These are certainly not the questions to be addressed during a Q&A session or press conference," the head of state said, commenting on several remarks by a reporter

"It is very important to talk about these statements by the president in the context of the question he was asked," Dmitry Peskov pointed out

The number of those injured in the missile attack was revised up to 12 from 10

According to a source, "Russians would target any kind of Western assistance inside Ukraine"

Israel’s Ynet media outlet reports that at least 30 people suffered injuries after a missile fired from Yemen fell in central Israel

According to the latest data, a total of nine people sought medical assistance after the attack

According to the Polish Liquid Gas Association, Poland purchased about $500 mln worth of liquefied petroleum gas from Russia during the first ten months of 2024

Three of them are not subject to restoration, Alexander Khinshtein said

"The enemy lost up to 285 troops, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, a D-30 122 mm howitzer, a US-made M119 105 mm howitzers and five field ammunition depots," the ministry added

"Robert Fico will travel to visit Putin as a European countries leader," Aleksandar Vucic said

TASS has gathered the main information about the incident

"Let them choose a target, say, in Kiev, and amass their air and missile defense systems there, while we will launch an Oreshnik missile at the target," the Russian leader said

The range of the Oreshnik system is up to 5,500 kilometers

Earlier, Ukrainian media reported about explosions in the capital, and local authorities informed about the work of air defenses

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also stressed that the recent developments had shown that the US policy of establishing a system of increasingly layered missile defenses was wrong

"All international mechanisms need to be effectively employed in order to prevent Israel from exploiting the situation in Syria," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said

"But he will be taken care of by those people whose interests he is serving now," the Russian leader said

Project 885M nuclear-powered submarines carry Oniks and Kalibr-PL cruise missiles as their basic strike weapons

A Russian airborne crew hit the target by firing a 120-mm mortar gun on a Ukrainian temporary position

According to Vladimir Saldo, Ukrainian authorities are stopping the provision of humanitarian aid to people

Admiral Alexander Moiseyev noted that the construction of nuclear submarines is Sevmash’s main purpose, which is performs successfully

According to the Financial Times, the idea was promoted by the US and UK but resisted by Germany, France and Italy

The upper chamber of the parliament wrapped up its autumn session

Vasily Nebenzya recalled that Igor Kirillov had repeatedly presented evidence of the military activity of US laboratories in Ukraine

The SBU brings charges against Russian political, military, cultural and public figures in absentia on a regular basis

The politician emphasized that "the president of a major country should be extremely polite and amiable"

The Bank of Russia has taken a pause in raising the key rate, though a long period of tough monetary policy will be required to bring inflation back to the target

The Foreign Ministry noted that the facts of discrimination and persecution of Russians are often ignored by the official leadership of countries and international human rights agencies, leading many victims to remain silent

According to international law, the ship can be seized if wages are not paid

Vladimir Rogov also noted that the liberation of Zelenovka and Novy Komar hastens the process of liberating major logistics hubs

According to the law enforcement agencies, a total of 205 people suffered injuries, with 41 being in critical condition

According to John Mearsheimer, Russia has become much stronger over the past two to three years because it has managed to become "a truly sovereign country"

The regulator said earlier following its board meeting that the cooling of credit activity has already encompassed all segments of the credit market

According to Alexander Grushko, NATO's general course poses a danger both to Russia and to the entire architecture of global and regional security

The situation is similar at several other sections of the frontline in the DPR

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that the rhetoric about "inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia" is firmly rooted in the mentality of the NATO regimes not at all as hypothetical assumptions

The motive for committing the crime could have been dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany, Dr. Horst Nopens, Head of the Magdeburg Public Prosecutor’s office, said

The Russian president made the announcement at a meeting of the State Council