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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Pro-Kiev Donbass battalion commanders demand end to ceasefire

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko extended the truce until June 30 in an attempt to seek peaceful ways of ending the armed conflict

© EPA/SERGEI CHIRIKOV

KIEV, June 29 /ITAR-TASS/. Several hundred Ukrainian activists, including commanders of the pro-Kiev Donbass battalion, gathered near the Ukrainian presidential administration building to demand an end to the ceasefire in east Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced a ceasefire between Ukraine’s military involved in Kiev’s punitive operation in southeast Ukraine and local self-defense militia from June 20 to June 27. He later extended the truce until June 30 in an attempt to seek peaceful ways of ending the armed conflict.

Donbass battalion commander Semyon Semenchenko who had urged Ukrainians to hold the rally near the presidential administration’s building asked demonstrators to behave “in a civilized manner” while another Donbass battalion representative read out a petition to Poroshenko on behalf of Ukrainians with a demand to “stop the truce, impose a martial law in the country, provide the military with necessary armaments and measures to destroy terrorists and request the EU and the USA to impose a third round of sanctions against Russia.”

Kiev’s punitive operation against federalization supporters in Ukraine’s east involving armored vehicles, heavy artillery and attack aviation has killed hundreds of people, including civilians, left buildings destroyed and damaged and forced tens of thousands to cross the border from Ukraine to Russia.

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Eastern Ukraine

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Russia’s Oreshnik has no analogues worldwide — Putin

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Russian strategic missile forces to be equipped with advanced weapon by 95%

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Ukrainian defense line in Donbass may soon collapse — expert

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Biden’s actions on Ukraine meant to 'muck things up' for Trump — Lavrov

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US expects Russia-North Korea cooperation to be formidable challenge in coming years

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Russia’s re-election to UNCITRAL confirms its global reputation — Foreign Ministry

Russia got the support of 129 countries in a November 20 vote in New York at the 40th plenary session of the UN General Assembly

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"An automated warning was sent 30 minutes before the launch," Dmitry Peskov said

Zelensky shook up by Russia’s response to permission to attack it — Lavrov

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Russian military to warn Ukrainian civilians of future Oreshnik attacks — Kremlin

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US missile defense base in Poland long among Russian army’s targets — Foreign Ministry

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WIPO members adopt Riyadh Design Law Treaty

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Japanese lawmaker praises Putin's restraint amid decision to strike deep into Russia

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed that the US administration had lifted restrictions for US-supplied missiles to be used for strikes up to 300 kilometers inside Russia

Belarusian president believes humanity is on the brink of World War III

Alexander Lukashenko also emphasized that a real information war has been underway for a long time

IN BRIEF: What Putin said about Russia’s new missile, and Moscow’s response to the West

Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia

Russian embassy warns UK about dangers of calling for Moscow’s ‘defeat’

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Commissioning of Oreshnik and new developments: Putin’s meeting with defense specialists

Here are the key statements, made during the meeting

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Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh also claimed that Washington, while helping Ukraine, is not attempting to turn the conflict into a large-scale regional confrontation that spills beyond the country’s borders

Russia uses aerial bombs to destroy Ukrainian positions near DPR’s Konstantinovka — source

According to the report, at least 15 Ukrainian servicemen were killed as a result of the attack

Press review: US lets Kiev use anti-personnel mines and Iran may halt uranium enrichment

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, November 21st

Kremlin confident Putin's statement got through to US administration

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 21 that the United States and its NATO allies had earlier announced that they would authorize Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons to hit inside Russia, after which American and British missiles struck Russian military facilities in the Kursk and Bryansk regions

Western countries should 'be afraid, tremble' after Putin's statement — lawmaker

Andrey Kartapolov added that the special military operation in Ukraine "will continue its course until all tasks are completed"

Russia not obliged to notify anyone about launch of intermediate-range missile — Kremlin

"No, there have been no notifications, for Russia has no such obligation with regard to intermediate-range missiles," Dmitry Peskov emphasized

Russia fires ballistic, non-nuclear-tipped missile at Ukrainian aerospace plant — Putin

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Ukrainian frontline may 'collapse' under onslaught of Russian forces — BBC

According to the experts, Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s borderline Kursk Region turned out to be a "strategic catastrophe" amid "manpower shortages"

Internet shutdown possible in Belarus if events of August 2020 recur, Lukashenko says

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West beginning to realize only part of Ukraine will remain — Lavrov

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Putin's speech shows West that Russia won’t waver, is ready for any scenario — expert

Dmitry Suslov pointed to a crucial message in the President's speech: "Russia firmly believes that the West has moved from a proxy war to a direct war" and that the sides are already "in a state of global conflict"

Defense ministers of five European nations to meet in Berlin on November 25

The French interior ministry said earlier that an emergency meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council will be held on November 26 following Russia using its new missile against a Ukrainian defense sector facility

Putin’s recent statements reflect long-standing policy, expert says

Putin’s position can be traced back to his 2007 address at the Munich Security Conference, Tiberio Graziani says

Diplomat mocks US Senator for talking about invading Netherlands

Maria Zakharova quoted the US Senator, who called the ICC a "Kangaroo court" and ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan a "deranged fanatic"

Oreshnik missile to go into serial production, Putin says

The president stressed that given the weapon’s special power, it "will be provided precisely to the Strategic Missile Forces"

State Department says US-India relations hit some headwinds due to Russia, BRICS

Kurt Campbell said that it is important to 'keep attention on the horizon'

Japanese government refrains from commenting on Russia’s latest hypersonic missile

At the same time, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi once again criticized Russia’s actions in Ukraine

Decision on strikes inside Russia seals US puppet Zelensky’s fate — commentator

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Tehran to launch new centrifuges in response to IAEA anti-Iran resolution — statement

The measure is taken in response to the anti-Iran resolution adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors on Thursday

Signal to West and 'red card': experts weigh in on Putin’s missile launch statements

The important message in Vladimir Putin’s speech was that "Russia does believe that the West has shifted from a proxy-war to direct war" and that the parties find themselves in "a global conflict" now, Dmitry Suslov said

Zelensky to have no input if Russia, US negotiate, ex-Prime Minister says

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Enemy has no countermeasures for Russia’s Oreshnik missile — Putin

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Russian ambassador says UK prime minister doesn’t understand situation in Ukraine

Turning to the Labour Party’s domestic policies, Andrey Kelin said Starmer’s plans to spur the economy were "not met with applause by the population

Ex-German chancellor never expected Russia to tolerate Ukraine’s NATO membership — memoir

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Zelensky fine with conflict continuing due to Western help — Slovak PM

Robert Fico pointed out that "more and more evidence show that the West seeks to prolong the war in Ukraine for various reasons"

Trump seeks to restore peace in entire world — transition team on Putin’s address

Trump’s inauguration will take place on January 20, 2025

US decision to allow missile strikes deep into Russia fuels global escalation — Slovak PM

Robert Fico also rejected the belief that this escalation would not impact "those living far away, in Spain, England, or America"

US administration chooses to escalate Ukraine conflict — Kremlin

Earlier, Putin stressed that the Ukrainian army is unable to fire the latest Western-made long-range missiles on its own without support from NATO satellite feeds and the involvement of the bloc’s military

Lukashenko grants asylum to Schmidt persecuted on political grounds by Poland

The head of state also approved citizenship applications from foreign nationals and stateless persons residing in the country

Ukraine was warned about possible missile strike — Pentagon

Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh gave no answer to the question of how could Ukraine prepare for this kind of attack

Russian forces successfully advancing in all areas in special military op zone — Putin

The Russian president said that "all the goals we set for ourselves are being achieved"

Bundeswehr prepares plan for Operation Germany in case of war with Russia — newspaper

According to it, the 1,000-page "Operation Germany" plan lists all infrastructure facilities that deserve special protection, and also contains a procedure for defense or "measures to deter Russia on NATO’s eastern flank"

Enemy losses, mercenary intrigue, humanitarian aid: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, the enemy lost 150 troops, four motor vehicles, an artillery piece and two mortars

China against double standards in international law — Foreign Ministry

Spokesman Lin Jian highlighted Washington's use of double standards in handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within the United Nations

Russia entitled to use weapons against military sites of states attacking it — Duma

"Russia has repeatedly stated that such actions will receive a response – and it will be a stronger one," Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stressed