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☆ Russia's Medvedev: Japan's 'militarisation' complicates Asia-Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sputnik/Yekaterina Shtukina/Pool via REUTERS /File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 3 (Reuters) - Japan's "militarisation" complicates the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council and former President Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday. "It is regrettable that the Japanese authorities are pursuing a course towards a new militarisation of the country," the Russian TASS news agency quoted Medvedev as saying. "Troop exercises are taking place near the Kuril Islands, which seriously complicates the situation in the Asia-Pacific region." Russia decided this year to declare Sept. 3 - the day after Japan's surrender in World War Two - a "Day of Victory over Militaristic Japan", spurring a protest from Tokyo. Medvedev said Japan, with help from the United States, was expanding its military infrastructure and increasing its arms purchases.

Persons: Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Lidia Kelly, Ekaterina Golubkova, William Mallard Organizations: Russia's, Scientific, Machine, Sputnik, Russian Security Council, Soviet, Russian TASS, Thomson Locations: Reutov, Moscow, Russia, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Russian, Hokkaido, Northern Territories, Soviet Union, Tokyo, United States, China, North Korea, Melbourne

☆ Crashed Russian mission left a crater on the moon, NASA images show
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Luna-25, Russia's first moon mission in 47 years, failed on Aug. 19 when it spun out of control and crashed into the moon, underscoring the post-Soviet decline of a once mighty space programme. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft imaged a new crater on the surface of the moon that it concluded was the likely the impact site of Russia's Luna 25 mission. "The new crater is about 10 meters in diameter," NASA said. "Since this new crater is close to the Luna-25 estimated impact point, the LRO team concludes it is likely to be from that mission, rather than a natural impactor." After the crash, Moscow said a special inter-departmental commission had been formed to investigate the reasons behind the loss of the Luna-25 craft.

Persons: Russia's Luna, Luna, Russia's, Yuri Gagarin, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: NASA, Reconnaissance, U.S . National Aeronautics and, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia's, Moscow, Soviet

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on Friday to discuss grain ahead of the Erdogan meeting. "It turned out that it is more difficult to do this than to build new corridors, new ground routes," said Shoigu, who attended the signing ceremony for the Black Sea deal in Istanbul in 2022. Turkey's foreign minister said at a briefing in Moscow on Thursday that reviving the deal was important for the world. U.S. wheat prices rose on Friday, though Lavrov said on Thursday that Russia saw no sign that it would receive the guarantees needed to revive the grain deal. Lavrov said he had discussed Putin's initiative to supply up to 1 million tonnes of Russian grain to Turkey at reduced prices for subsequent processing at Turkish plants and shipping to countries most in need.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Tayyip Erdogan, Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Putin, Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, Dmitry Peskov, Erdogan, Hakan Fidan, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, it's, Russia's, António Guterres, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Guy Faulconbridge, Kevin Liffey, Conor Humphries, Alison Williams Organizations: Sputnik, Erdogan, UN, United Nations, United, Kremlin, Turkish, Russian, Central African, Initiative, Qatar, Russian Agricultural Bank, SWIFT, Thomson Locations: Asia, Astana, Kazakhstan, Sochi Turkey, Russia, MOSCOW, Black, Sochi, Ankara, Ukraine, United Nations, Turkey, Moscow, Istanbul, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic, Eritrea, EU, Odesa

☆ Putin says Russia to allocate 1.9 trillion roubles to annexed Ukrainian territories
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to launch the construction of three Russian-language secondary schools in Kyrgyzstan, via a video link in Solnechnogorsk, Moscow region, Russia September 1, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 1 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said Russia planned to allocate 1.9 trillion roubles ($20 billion) from the federal budget over the next two-and-a-half years to the development of the four Ukrainian regions that Moscow last year declared to be part of its territory. Moscow does not control any of the regions in its entirety and the unilateral annexation has been recognised by only a handful of countries allied to Russia, while being condemned by Ukraine and three-quarters of U.N. member states. ($1 = 95.5020 roubles)(This story has been corrected to say trillion, not billion, in the headline)Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Felix Light, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Kyrgyzstan, Solnechnogorsk, Moscow region, Russia, Kremlin, Moscow, Ukraine, U.N

☆ Putin is planning another trip to China, report says, a further sign of his dependence on Xi Jinping
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Vladimir Putin is expected to travel to China for an international summit, Bloomberg reported. The upcoming trip, which was reported by Bloomberg, would be his first diplomatic trip abroad since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Yet it also exposes the stark new limitations of Putin's global power, and his new dependence on China's autocratic leader, Xi Jinping. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussian President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping make a toast at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on March 21, 2023.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, It'd, Putin, Xi, He's, Xi Jinping, PAVEL BYRKIN, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Ukraine's, Sergei Karpukhin, Maria Shagina Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, ICC, Kremlin, SPUTNIK, Getty, Xi, Sputnik, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Financial Times Locations: China, Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Mariupol, South Africa, Rome, India, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine's Western

☆ Burkina Faso says leader discussed possible military cooperation with Russian delegation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Burkina Faso's interim President Ibrahim Traore during a meeting following the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 29, 2023. Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Pool via REUTERS /File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOUAGADOUGOU, Aug 31 (Reuters) - A Russian delegation held talks with Burkina Faso's interim president Ibrahim Traore on Thursday at a meeting that included discussions on possible military cooperation, the Burkinabe presidency said in a statement. It said the visit, led by Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, was a follow-up to talks between Traore and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July. It did not say if Russian military trainers would be sent to Burkina Faso. Reporting by Thiam Ndiaga Writing by Alessandra Prentice Editing by Leslie Adler and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Burkina Faso's, Ibrahim Traore, Alexei Danichev, Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Traore, Russian Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Thiam, Alessandra Prentice, Leslie Adler, Grant McCool Organizations: Sputnik, Rights, Russian, Russian Deputy, Wagner Group, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Rights OUAGADOUGOU, St . Petersburg, African, Moscow, Mali, Russian, Burkina Faso

☆ Turkey's Erdogan to visit Russia 'soon' to discuss grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meet on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), in Astana, Kazakhstan October 13, 2022. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsISTANBUL, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will visit Russia soon to discuss the collapsed United Nations deal that had allowed Black Sea exports of Ukrainian grain, a spokesperson for Turkey's ruling AK Party said on Monday. Ankara is seeking to persuade Russia to return to the agreement, under which Odesa's seaports shipped tens of millions of tons of grain. Omer Celik, the AK Party spokesperson, said Erdogan would visit Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi "soon" but did not specify whether he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. "After this visit there may be developments and new stages may be reached regarding" the grain deal, he told reporters.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Tayyip Erdogan, Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Moscow, Omer Celik, Erdogan, Putin, Ali Kucukgocmen, Jonathan Spicer, Conor Humphries Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, United Nations, AK, UN, AK Party, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Asia, Astana, Kazakhstan, Rights ISTANBUL, Russia, Turkey, Ankara, Sochi, India

☆ Nerve agents, poison and window falls: Over the years, Kremlin foes have been attacked or killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Over the years, Kremlin political critics, turncoat spies and investigative journalists have been killed or assaulted in a variety of ways. Assassination attempts against foes of President Vladimir Putin have been common during his nearly quarter century in power. watch nowHis allies almost immediately said he was poisoned, but Russian officials denied it. A British inquiry found that Russian agents had killed Litvinenko, probably with Putin's approval, but the Kremlin denied any involvement. JournalistsNumerous journalists critical of authorities in Russia have been killed or suffered mysterious deaths, which their colleagues in some cases blamed on someone in the political hierarchy.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, —, turncoat, Alexei Navalny, Navalny, Pyotr Verzilov, Verzilov, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Boris Nemtsov, Boris Yeltsin, Nemtsov, Putin, Alexander Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, service's, Litvinenko, Sergei Skripal, Yulia, Novichok, Yuri Shchekochikhin, Shchekochikhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Sputnik, AFP, Getty, Kremlin, KGB, Authorities, Novaya Gazeta Locations: Moscow, Russia, Siberia, Omsk, Berlin, Germany, France, Sweden, Soviet, Russian, Chechnya, London, Britain, Salisbury, British, Novaya

☆ Russia's military ties with Iran will withstand geopolitical pressure -RIA
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sputnik/Sergei Savostyanov/Pool via REUTERS \File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 26 (Reuters) - Russia's military cooperation with Iran will not succumb to geopolitical pressure, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, following reports that Washington has asked Teheran to stop selling drones to Moscow. "There are no changes, and cooperation with Iran will continue," Ryabkov said, according to a report on Saturday from Russian state news agency RIA. Iran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia but said in the past they were sent before Russia's February 2022 invasion in Ukraine. Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine. A White House official said in June that Iran had transferred several hundred drones to Russia since August 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Ebrahim Raisi, Sergei Savostyanov, Sergei Ryabkov, Washington, Ryabkov, Lidia Kelly, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Sputnik, Financial Times, Iranian, White, Thomson Locations: Astana, Tehran, Iran, Russian, Teheran, Moscow, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Warsaw

Putin cited "preliminary information" as indicating that Prigozhin and his top associates in the Wagner mercenary group had all been killed and, while praising Prigozhin, said he had also made some "serious mistakes." "There is now a great deal of speculation surrounding this plane crash and the tragic deaths of the plane's passengers, including Yevgeny Prigozhin. "All of this is an absolute lie, and here, when covering this issue, it is necessary to base yourself on facts. Peskov, who said Putin had not met Prigozhin recently, also said it was unclear how long the tests and investigative work would take. The Pentagon has said its own initial asessment is that Prigozhin was killed.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Prigozhin's, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Sergei Ryabkov, Joe Biden, Biden, Russia's, Andrew Osborn, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Kremlin, Sputnik, REUTERS, U.S, Pentagon, Wagner Group, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Kremlin, MOSCOW, West, Africa, Belarus

☆ What now for Putin? Kremlin critic says Prigozhin’s apparent death will ‘cement his authority’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Gavriil Grigorov | Afp | Getty ImagesProminent Kremlin critic Bill Browder believes the presumed death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin will shore up President Vladimir Putin's shaken authority, saying the Russian leader "never forgives and never forgets." His comments come shortly after Russian aviation officials said Wednesday that Prigozhin was believed to have been killed in a plane crash. A view of site after a private jet, allegedly carrying Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin and other passengers crashed in Russia's northwestern Tver region, Russia on August 23, 2023. This will cement his authority and is standard Putin operating procedure," Browder said. The Wagner boss had struck an apparent deal with the Kremlin in the aftermath of the June rebellion.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Gavriil Grigorov, Bill Browder, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Utkin, of, Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin, Putin, Browder, Ian Bremmer, Prigozhin's, Bremmer, Wagner chief's, he's, CNBC's Organizations: Sputnik, Afp, Getty, NBC, Telegram, Wagner Group, Grey, Anadolu Agency, Federal Agency for Air Transport, Russian Embassy, Kremlin, Eurasia Group Locations: Kursk, Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, Moscow, Tver, Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Africa, of Russia, Russia, Russia's, Russian, London, Belarus

☆ US intelligence is trying to figure out what apparently caused Prigozhin's plane to crash, and early theories range from missiles to bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US intelligence is trying to figure out what led a plane to crash in Russia, apparently killing Yevgeny Prigozhin. Theories include an explosion caused by a bomb or other sabotage. Early theories on what may have caused the plane to plummet from the sky reportedly include an explosion caused by a bomb, a surface-to-air missile, or some other kind of sabotage like tampered-with fuel. AdvertisementAdvertisementA bomb or another device placed on the jet could have caused the blast, the anonymous officials told the Times. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters Thursday there was no indication to suggest that a surface-to-air missile caused the plane crash.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, —, Wagner, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Vladimir Putin, Alexey Druzhinin, Vladimir Putin's, Patrick Ryder, Ryder, Putin Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Associated Press, Anonymous, Sputnik, Getty, AP, New York Times, Times ., Times . Anonymous, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Pentagon, Defense Department Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, States, Moscow, Russia's Tver, Saint Petersburg

☆ Did Putin kill Prigozhin? It's one of 3 possible explanations Russia watchers came up with for the deadly plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead after his plane crashed on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if Prigozhin was on the downed plane, though his name was on the flight manifest. Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin in happier times — a 2010 tour of a school lunch factory outside Saint Petersburg. Following the Wednesday plane crash, US President Joe Biden suggested Putin could be behind the crash in comments to reporters. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the early hours following the plane crash, some on social media considered the possibility that Prigozhin had somehow faked his death, perhaps sending a double in his place.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Vladimir Putin, Simon Miles, Robert English, Bill Burns, Alexey Druzhinin, Burns, Miles, Alexander Lukashenko, ”, lelXsOcPSV, Julia Ioffe, Joe Biden, —, flaunting, Sergei Surovikin, Matthew Schmidt, Schmidt Organizations: Security, Service, Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Wagner, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, University of Southern, CIA, Sputnik, Getty, Reuters, Press, Prigozhin, New York Times, University of New, Pentagon, Kremlin Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Russia, Soviet, Ukraine, University of Southern California, Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Saint Petersburg, Aspen, Belarus, St . Petersburg, Africa, Belarusian, Concord, University of New Haven

☆ Opinion: India’s moon landing shines an uncomfortable light on Russia’s failures
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Opinion Leroy Chiao | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The milestone marks a huge accomplishment for its nascent space program, which has made steady progress over the years. China also boasts a human spaceflight program with an operational space station, including crew and cargo transport spacecraft. Indranil Mukherjee/AFP/Getty ImagesIn the International Space Station (ISS) partnership, the US, Europe, Japan and Canada also continue to move forward with space exploration. Instead of expanding, its space program has been in decline for several years. The lamentable state of Moscow’s space program is just the latest confirmation of that.

Persons: Leroy Chiao, Yuri Gagarin, John F, Vladimir Putin, Putin, —, Luna, Indranil Mukherjee, Artemis, Jeff Bezos, Sergei Krikalev, Dmitry Rogozin, Nick Hague, ” Organizations: NASA, Russian Soyuz, International, CNN, Leroy Chiao CNN, Sputnik, Republicans, Russian Luna, Getty, Space, SpaceX, Soviet Union, ISS, Expedition, Space Shuttle, Twitter, Facebook, Progress, Soyuz, Luna Locations: Russian, what’s, India, Delhi, Soviet Union, United States, Moscow, Russia, America, Ukraine, Asia, China, Mumbai, US, Europe, Japan, Canada, West, Soviet, Columbia

General Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, visits the Joint Headquarters of the Russian armed forces involved in military operations in Ukraine, in an unknown location in Russia, in this picture released December 17, 2022. His reported removal suggests the authorities found fault with his behaviour, but the details of his alleged wrongdoing remain unknown. Surovikin earned the nickname "General Armageddon" during Russia's military intervention in Syria for the brutal tactics he employed there. He was placed in charge of Russian military operations in Ukraine last October, but in January that role was handed to General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, and Surovikin was made a deputy to Gerasimov. Afzalov was previously deputy to Surovikin and has been chief of staff of the Aerospace Forces for at least four years, according to British military intelligence.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Russian Air and Space Forces Sergei Surovikin, Viktor Afzalov, General Valery Gerasimov, Afzalov, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, RBC, Telegram, Ministry of Defence, Russian Air and Space Forces, Main Staff of, Air Force, Reuters, Aerospace Forces, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Kremlin, MOSCOW, Moscow, Syria, Gerasimov, Surovikin

☆ Putin foes who, like Prigozhin, have suffered mysterious fates
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses participants of the international military-technical forum Army-2023 via a video link in Moscow, Russia, in this picture released August 14, 2023. Prigozhin, 62, spearheaded a mutiny against Russia's top army brass on June 23-24, which President Vladimir Putin said could have tipped Russia into civil war. Moscow denied involvement. Russia denied involvement. Russia denied any involvement.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, ALEXEI NAVALNY Russia's, Alexei Navalny, Novichok, Navalny, SERGEI SKRIPAL, Sergei Skripal, Yulia, VLADIMIR KARA, MURZA, Vladimir Kara, Murza, ALEXANDER LITVINENKO Alexander Litvinenko, Andrei Lugovoy, Dmitry Kovtun, Litvinenko, ALEXANDER PEREPILICHNY, Alexander Perepilichny, Perepilichny, VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO Viktor Yushchenko, Viktor Yanukovich, Yanukovich, ANNA POLITKOVSKAYA Anna Politkovskaya, Politkovskaya, Lisa Shumaker, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Russia's, Reuters, Kremlin, Russia's Federal Security Service, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine's, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Germany, Siberia, Russian, English, Salisbury, Soviet, Britain, British, London, Ukrainian

☆ Russia may annex Georgian breakaway regions -Medvedev
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sputnik/Yekaterina Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreAug 23 (Reuters) - The deputy chair of the Russian security council Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow may annex Georgia's breakaway regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia. "The idea of joining Russia is still popular in Abkhazia and South Ossetia," Medvedev, a former Russian president, wrote in an article published early on Wednesday by Argumenty I Fakty newspaper. Moscow recognised their independence in 2008, following Georgia’s attempt to regain control of South Ossetia by force that led to a Russian counter-attack. Georgian officials have repeatedly said they are committed to joining the U.S.-led military alliance that would preserve the territorial integrity of the country. Russia declared the annexations four provinces of Ukraine in September last year, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, but none of the annexations are recognised internationally.

Persons: Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Argumenty, Maria Tsvetkova, Grant McCool Organizations: Russia's, Scientific, Machine, Sputnik, NATO, U.S, Thomson Locations: Reutov, Moscow, Russia, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Russian, Ukraine, Georgia, Soviet Union, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, New York

☆ Putin says Russia faces big economic challenges, must keep inflation in check
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on economic issues via video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia April 11, 2023. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary This content was produced in Russia, where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine. MOSCOW, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that inflationary risks were rising and he told the government and central bank to keep the situation under control. When the rouble tumbled below 100 to the dollar last week, the central bank was forced to respond by raising interest rates by 350 basis points to 12%. "The government and central bank need to actively use the instruments available to them," he said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Vladimir Soldatkin, Anastasia Lyrchikova, Dmitry Antonov, Alexander Marrow, Mark Trevelyan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, MOSCOW

☆ Factbox: Russia's Luna-25 moon mission fails: what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LUNA-25It was Russia's first moon mission since the Soviet Union's Luna-24 returned with samples from the moon in 1976. The lander was boosted out of Earth's orbit toward the moon a little over an hour later. Russia had not attempted a moon mission since Luna-24 in 1976, when Leonid Brezhnev ruled the Kremlin. Luna-25 was supposed to execute a soft landing on the south pole of the moon on Aug. 21, according to Russian space officials. Eventually, in the early 2010s, Russia settled upon the idea of the Luna-25 mission to the south pole of the moon.

Persons: Luna, Roskosmos, Yuri Gagarin, Leonid Brezhnev, Vladimir Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Philippa Fletcher, Christina Fincher Organizations: 2.1b, Vostochny, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Soyuz, Luna, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, Soviet, Vostochny cosmodrome, Moscow, RUSSIA, Soviet Union

Russia's state space corporation, Roskosmos, said an "abnormal situation" occurred as mission control tried to move the craft into a pre-landing orbit at 11:10 GMT on Saturday, ahead of a planned touchdown slated for Monday. "During the operation, an abnormal situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the manoeuvre to be performed with the specified parameters," Roskosmos said in a short statement. Russia has not attempted a moon mission since Luna-24 in 1976, when Leonid Brezhnev ruled the Kremlin. Luna-25 was supposed to execute a soft landing on the south pole of the moon on Aug. 21, according to Russian space officials. It was not immediately clear from official sources how serious the "abnormal situation" was - and whether or not Moscow could save the situation.

Persons: Luna, Roskosmos, Yuri Gagarin, Leonid Brezhnev, Alexander Ivanov, Guy Faulconbridge, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Kremlin, India, Thomson Locations: Handout, MOSCOW, Moscow, Soviet, Russia, China, United States, Ukraine

SummaryCompanies Russia moon mission failsLuna-25 crashes into the moonFailure is a blow to Russian space prestigeSoviet space veteran: Luna-25 was my last hopeMOSCOW, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Russia's first moon mission in 47 years failed when its Luna-25 space craft spun out of control and crashed into the moon after a problem preparing for pre-landing orbit, underscoring the post-Soviet decline of a once mighty space programme. Russia's state space corporation, Roskosmos, said it had lost contact with the craft at 11:57 GMT on Saturday after a problem as the craft was shunted into pre-landing orbit. Though moon missions are fiendishly difficult, and many U.S. and Soviet attempts have failed, Russia had not attempted a moon mission since Luna-24 in 1976, when Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev ruled the Kremlin. Russian officials had hoped that the Luna-25 mission would show Russia can compete with the superpowers in space despite its post-Soviet decline and the vast cost of the Ukraine war. "This was perhaps the last hope for me to see a revival of our lunar program," he said.

Persons: Luna, Roskosmos, Yuri Gagarin, Leonid Brezhnev, Anatoly Zak, Zak, Mikhail Marov, Marov, Guy Faulconbridge, Christina Fincher, Frances Kerry Organizations: Kremlin, India, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, YP Rajesh, Thomson Locations: Russia, MOSCOW, Moscow, Soviet, Europe, Tenerife, China, United States, Handout, Ukraine, Soviet Union, India, Delhi

☆ Putin meets top generals in charge of Russia's war efforts in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses participants of the international military-technical forum Army-2023 via a video link in Moscow, Russia, in this picture released August 14, 2023. "Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the headquarters of the special military operation group in Rostov-on-Don," the Kremlin said in a statement. Russia, which launched its invasion in Ukraine in February 2022, calls its actions a special military operation. The Kremlin added that Putin, Russia's supreme commander-in-chief, listened to reports from Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff of the Army in charge of Moscow's operations in Ukraine, and other top military commanders and officers. Gerasimov, who has been seen rarely in public in recent months, had been the target of savage criticism from Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and some Russian military bloggers over Russia's failings in the war.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Russia's, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Maria Tsvetkova, Mrinmay Dey, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Kim Coghill Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Kremlin, Staff, Army, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Rostov, Ukraine's, Russian, Urozhaine, Donetsk, Azov, Crimea

☆ China's defense minister Li Shangfu warns against 'playing with fire' on Taiwan during Russia meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —China’s defense minister Li Shangfu on Tuesday warned against “playing with fire” when it comes to Taiwan in a veiled jab at the United States as he addressed a security conference in Russia. Speaking at the Moscow Conference on International Security, Li said attempts to “use Taiwan to contain China,” would “surely end in failure,” according to state-run news agency Xinhua. China’s ruling Communist Party claims the self-governing democracy of Taiwan and has vowed to take control of it, by force if necessary. The visit is Li’s second to Russia since assuming his role as defense chief earlier this year. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has also drawn increased attention to Taiwan as a potential security flashpoint in Asia.

Persons: CNN —, Li Shangfu, “, Li, China’s, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Sputnik, Sergei Shoigu, William Lai, Lai, ” Organizations: CNN, Moscow Conference, International Security, Xinhua, Communist Party, Washington, Senior, US, Taiwan Locations: Taiwan, United States, Russia, China, Ukraine, Taipei, Moscow, Belarus, ”, Iran, Myanmar, Beijing, “, Xinhua, Russian, Alaska, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Paraguay, New York, Asia

☆ Russian ruble slumps to near 17-month low, moves past 100 against the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This pool image distributed by Sputnik agency shows Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting with the Tver region governor at the Kremlin in Moscow on August 9, 2023. The Russian ruble slid past 100 to the U.S. dollar on Monday, nearing a 17-month low as President Vladimir Putin's economic advisor blamed loose monetary policy for the rapid depreciation. Putin's economic advisor Maxim Oreshkin told Russia's state-owned Tass news agency that the depreciation would normalize in the near future." A weak ruble complicates the restructuring of the economy and negatively affects the real incomes of the population. In the interests of the Russian economy — a strong ruble," he said, according to a Google translation.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Putin's, Maxim Oreshkin, William Jackson, Jackson Organizations: Sputnik, Kremlin, Russian, U.S, greenback, Bank of, Tass, Federal State Statistics Service, Capital Economics Locations: Tver, Moscow, Bank of Russia, Russia's, Russia, Russian

☆ China defence minister to visit Russia, Belarus Aug 14-19
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, Russia, April 16, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoBEIJING, Aug 14 (Reuters) - China's defence minister Li Shangfu will visit Russia and Belarus from Aug. 14-19, the ministry said in a statement on Monday. While in Russia, Li will attend an international security meeting and make a speech there, according to the statement. During his visit to Belarus, he will meet with the Belarus' head of state and military. Li will also visit military departments in Belarus.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Pavel Bednyakov, Li, Albee Zhang, Liz Lee, Kim Coghill Organizations: Defence, Sputnik, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, BEIJING, Belarus, China, Beijing

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