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Developments in eastern Ukraine

German Chancellor supports Verkhovna Rada passing law on special status of Donbass

KIEV, September 14. /ITAR-TASS/. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has noted the importance of passing the laws on special status of several districts of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions and on amnesty, the press service of the Ukrainian president said on Sunday, citing President Petrо Poroshenko’s telephone conversation with the German Chancellor.

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament) will vote these bills next week.

“Petrо Poroshenko and Angela Merkel also discusses possible prolongation of international negotiations in the Norman format (France, Germany, Ukraine, Russia - ITAR-TASS),” the press service said.

“The sides expressed concern over reports of violations of the ceasefire regime in Donbass and agreed to exert further efforts to settle the situation peacefully.”

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said that Moscow considered a future status of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics was the subject of talks between Kiev and Donbass. He said the Minsk protocol

He recalled that the Minsk protocol declared these areas of Ukraine as parties to the conflict and “this is an important statement in itself.”

“As for identifying their status, including future status, it is a subject matter of negotiations between Kiev and Donbass, which is stated in the protocol,” the diplomat said. “We do hope that Ukrainians will have a chance to determine the status of their territories on their own.

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Eastern Ukraine

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Syrian ministry says Israeli jets struck air defense facilities in country’s south

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Russian instructors help train over 10,000 Central African troops — CAR president

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Russia’s advanced radar in Kaliningrad to monitor entire territory of Europe — source

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Hungary to not intervene in Ukrainian conflict on any side, PM says

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Final statement by G7 top diplomats to call for supplying more air defenses to Kiev

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister said Kiev required US-made Patriot systems and Italian-French Samp-T theatre antimissile systems

Agents in Ukrainian, Poland foil attempt to kill Zelensky, security officials in Kiev say

The agency said it and the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine informed their Polish counterparts about the alleged assassination attempt

One crew member of jet crashed in Stavropol Region killed, search for another continues

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, an Aerospace Forces’ Tu-22M3 bomber crashed after completing a combat mission while returning to the airfield

Sounds in Isfahan due to air defense work to repel attacks by suspicious objects — general

According to Iranian media reports, three drones were downed by air defenses in the skies over the city of Isfahan

Russia ready for Ukraine talks, but not with Zelensky — Lavrov

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French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova described France’s decision to place its aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, directly under NATO control as a symbolic move marking the end of "the era of an independent Paris in the international arena"

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According to Bloomberg, Israel informed the United States about its plans to strike Iran within the next 24-48 hours

West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

"They would have been scared had anyone come down on them with similar ferocity," the Russian foreign minister added

Effort to grant full UN membership to Palestine will continue — Russian mission

"The UN history has precedents when states were not admitted on their first try. The number of attempts is not limited," Nadezhda Sokolova said

Tehran’s two major airports cancel international flights — Mehr

Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad International Airport suspended their operations until 10:30 a.m. local time

Polish premier refuses to hand over his country’s Patriot systems to Ukraine

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Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

The group contains US finance and justice ministers, representatives of Australia, the UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Japan, as well as the European Commission

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"We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," a senior Iranian official reported

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Robert Fico believes Moscow will win in its confrontation with Kiev

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Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva welcomed Gustavo Petro’s initiative, "being committed to promotion of Colombia’s candidacy"

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Pipeline explodes in Kharkov Region

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Ukrainian front may collapse this summer — newspaper

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Russia always prefers talks to fighting, wars, says Lavrov

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Romania tries to cancel Russian culture by banning films — diplomat

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West frightens voters by 'Russian threat' to win elections — Lavrov

The top Russian diplomat pointed out that the anti-Russian rhetoric of Western politicians in power intensifies as the elections approach

Israel to not take responsibility for attack on Iran — newspaper

Israeli sources also said that they did not understand why the Pentagon had leaked information about Israel's involvement in the attack to the media

Ukraine’s military loses positions near Avdeyevka, says DPR

Igor Kimakovsky said that Ukrainian forces suffered heavy casualties among personnel and military hardware, including Western equipment

US blackmails other countries at United Nations — Russian mission

Dmitry Polyansky said "this shameful neocolonial tactics are fully exposed now in the context of Gaza War"

Vehicles, equipment participating in Victory Day parade depart for Moscow — ministry

The final rehearsal of the military parade will take place on May 5

Argentina’s NATO partnership bid to let US tighten its grip — expert

According to Andrey Pyatakov, the Argentinian authorities' decision is both a declarative step and evidence of the wish to close economic gaps by expanding military-technical cooperation

Russia, Iran maintain contacts on nuclear security - deputy foreign minister

Sergey Ryabkov said that "very soon, Russia and Iran will have new additional opportunities to discuss the situation in the Middle East in general, as well as details of what is going on there at this point"

Iran threatens to attack Israel's "nuclear centers" in case of aggression on its part

Ahmad Haqtalab argued that Israel had been conducting "subversive and terrorist activities" against the Islamic republic's nuclear infrastructure for year

Three Ukrainian soldiers swim across Dnieper to surrender to Russian troops — governor

Vladimir Saldo called on other Ukrainian servicemen to switch to the Russian side and request the corresponding assistance

Russia won’t allow NATO to move closer in Ukraine — Lavrov

There is still no full clarity regarding the future of Ukraine's western regions, the Russian foreign minister went on to say

EU border checkpoint closest to Russia’s St. Petersburg to cut its working hours

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Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian prosecutor general

The law enforcement employees exert efforts to identify the instigators of this crime, Igor Krasnov said

French president says creating Israeli-type air defense network for Ukraine impossible

Emmanuel Macron added that Europe’s resources are limited, and the European Union will continue helping Kiev keeping in mind its own reserves

Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

The minister also inspected the training process in Omsk Armor Engineering Institute

Major Western investor accuses Zelensky's office of extorting millions of euros

Arnulf Damerau said that he provided details of the meeting, along with evidence and a list of names of those involved, to US and European intelligence agencies

Kiev continues to openly announce terrorist attacks on Russia — diplomat

Maria Zakharova also pointed to the fact that Ukraine's special services do not give up attempts to "massacre their former compatriots"

West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

According to the top Russian diplomat, the leaders who rule countries where they claim to be from while holding foreign passports "will not enjoy support and authority for long"

No foreign state attacks Iran — TV

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Chinese analyst sees US veto on Palestine as reflection of arrogance, double standards

Wang Wen stated that it’s still very hard to achieve a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Chinese car plant to start production at former Mercedes site in Moscow region in May

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Lavrov views situation in Middle East as 'very bad'

According to the top Russian diplomat, the unresolved Palestinian problem fuels the issues that the Middle East is facing

EU plans to invest first profits from Russian assets in military aid to Kiev

"I think that the decision has been taken by the member-states - all 27 have agreed that we use the windfall profits following our proposal," Ursula von der Leyen said

Iran done with retaliation, calls for efforts to stop Israel from reckless steps — MFA

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

The Foreign Minister pointed to the fact that Switzerland is on board with all Western sanctions

Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

Funding will be provided from the federal, regional and local budgets, as well as taxes from gambling transferred to the organizer

Ukrainian president admits Russian troops’ advancement

Vladimir Zelensky asked his country’s supporters to provide "everything that helps to hold the frontline," including shells, military vehicles and drones

Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post, two S-300 missile launchers over day

Russian forces improved their frontline positions and repelled a Ukrainian army counterattack in the Donetsk area where the enemy lost roughly 590 troops over the past day, the ministry reported

Lavrov says Borrell let it slip that Europe ‘fighting against Russia’

Russia’s top diplomat noted that Josep Borrell may made the statement in a moment of weakness

Water in Kurgan above dam, breaking records

More than 100 employees of the Russian Ministry of Emergencies are fencing the shores and filling the least reliable dam segments

Zelensky's formula should be put aside for Ukraine talks, Lavrov says

"One should clearly support the need to seek solutions that take into account the balance of security interests and ensure the indivisibility of security," the top Russian diplomat underlined

Russia’s defense chief inspects production of tanks, flamethrowers at Siberian enterprise

Sergey Shoigu handed down an instruction for the defense enterprise to ramp up the production of T-80BVM tanks, the Defense Ministry said

US gives nod to Israeli operation in Rafah in exchange for canceling major attack on Iran

According to the media outlet, "the US administration will support the plan for a military operation in Rafah put forward earlier," which provides for dividing the city into numbered sectors that will be mopped up one by one

Russia delivers 34 strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure over week — top brass

The Ukrainian army lost more than 3,550 troops, four tanks and five armored combat vehicles in battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk area over the past week, the ministry reported

Nuclear sites in Iran’s Isfahan province are safe — Tasnim agency

Tasnim refuted foreign media reports about an incident at a nuclear site in Isfahan

US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

"In any case, whatever the modality of providing this aid, de facto it is about provoking Ukraine into further hostilities down to the last Ukrainian, putting guarantted money in the pockets of the US," Dmitry Peskov said

Military base near Iran’s Isfahan hit following attack — newspaper

The sources said that Iranian forces managed to destroy several small drones near the city of Tabriz, about 800 kilometers from Isfahan