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Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was detained and accused of espionage, stands inside a defendants' cage during his verdict hearing in Moscow, Russia June 15, 2020. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan was attacked by another inmate in a Russian prison while serving a 16-year sentence on espionage charges, Russia's prison service said on Wednesday, after Whelan's brother publicised the incident. The Mordovia regional prison service confirmed to the Interfax news agency that the attack on Whelan had happened. There was surveillance TV footage of the incident and the prison service was looking into it further before submitting a report to the police, Interfax reported. Arrested in 2018 in Russia, Paul Whelan was convicted of espionage in 2020 and handed a 16-year sentence.

Persons: U.S . Marine Paul Whelan, Maxim Shemetov, Former U.S . Marine Paul Whelan, Whelan, Dave Whelan, Paul, Vladimir Putin, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Andrew Osborn, Susan Heavey, Guy Faulconbridge, Timothy Organizations: U.S . Marine, REUTERS, Former U.S . Marine, Embassy, State Department, U.S . State Department, U.S, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Former, U.S, Russia's Mordovia, American, Mordovia, Turkey, Washington

People, including Russian law enforcement officers, walk near St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower, as a pigeon flies over Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, March 20, 2023. It was not clear from Russian media reports which foreigners the draft legislation - if it becomes law - would apply to or what the punishment would be for not adhering to the "agreement" which foreigners would have to sign upon entry to Russia. The chairman of the Duma's CIS Affairs Committee said that the draft law was well advanced and was being worked on by the interior ministry, the government, the presidential administration as well as his committee. "The draft law on the so-called 'loyalty agreement' with migrants entering the Russian Federation is in a high degree of readiness," Leonid Kalashnikov told Interfax.

Persons: Evgenia, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Leonid Kalashnikov, Kalashnikov, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, TASS, Russian Federation, Fatherland, Nazi, Opposition, State Duma, Duma's CIS, Committee, Thomson Locations: St, Basil's, Moscow, Russia, MOSCOW, Ukraine, Soviet, Berlin, Europe, Melbourne

☆ Russia says it has got lots of requests for meetings with Lavrov at OSCE meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during a joint press conference with Venezuela's Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto in Moscow, Russia, November 16, 2023. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday it had received a lot of requests for one-on-one meetings with Sergei Lavrov, Moscow's top diplomat, on the sidelines of an OSCE meeting in North Macedonia. "I can confirm that there are a lot of requests for bilateral meetings," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, told reporters. "There will be multilateral meetings in multilateral formats, and bilateral meetings are planned as well," she said. She said that the foreign ministry will provide details on Lavrov's schedule in Skopje later.

Persons: Sergey Lavrov, Yvan Gil Pinto, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Maria Zakharova, Lavrov's, Dmitry Antonov, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Russian, Venezuela's, Rights, OSCE, Organization for Security, Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Moscow's, North Macedonia, Europe, Skopje, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania

REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Former U.S. marine Paul Whelan has been attacked by another inmate in a Russian prison while serving a 16-year sentence on espionage charges, Russia's prison service said on Wednesday, after Whelan's brother publicised the incident. After repeated requests, the prisoner hit Paul in the face, breaking Paul's glasses in the process, and attempted to hit him a second time," Dave Whelan said. The Mordovia regional prison service confirmed to the Interfax news agency that the attack on Whelan had happened. There was CCTV footage of the incident and the prison service was looking into it further before submitting a report to the police, Interfax reported. Arrested in 2018 in Russia, Paul Whelan was convicted of espionage in 2020 and handed a 16-year sentence.

Persons: U.S . Marine Paul Whelan, Maxim Shemetov, Paul Whelan, Whelan, Dave Whelan, Paul, Vladimir Putin, Evan Gershkovich, Andrew Osborn, Guy Faulconbridge, Timothy Organizations: U.S . Marine, REUTERS, U.S, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Former U.S, Russia's Mordovia, American, Mordovia, Turkey, Washington

☆ Russian court extends pre-trial detention for WSJ reporter Gershkovich
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich attends a court hearing on the extension of pre-trial detention on espionage charges in Moscow, Russia November 28, 2023. Moscow General Jurisdiction Courts Press Service/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Nov 28 (Reuters) - A Russian court has extended the pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for two months until Jan. 30, 2024, the court's press service said on Tuesday. Gershkovich was arrested on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage that carry up to 20 years in prison. "The court ruled to extend the term of detention of Gershkovich, accused of a crime under Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, for up to 10 months, that is, until January 30, 2024," Moscow's Lefortovo district court said. Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy FaulconbridgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Gershkovich, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Wall, Press Service, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Wall Street, Russian Federation, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Yekaterinburg, Lefortovo

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, prompting Putin to pivot towards China. Speaking to the World Russian People's Council, led by the head of Russia's Orthodox church, Patriarch Kirill, Putin's picture was shown on a giant screen beside two copies of an ancient Orthodox icon. The Russian Orthodox Church is an ardent institutional supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine, and Putin has espoused its conservatism as part of his vision for Russia's national identity. Putin says that the West is now failing in Ukraine and that its attempt to defeat Russia has also failed. Patriarch Kirill said he would pray for Putin to continue his work for the "benefit" of Russia and its people.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Kirill, Guy Faulconbridge, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Russian People's Council, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Kremlin, West, NATO, KGB, Thomson Locations: Sochi, Russia, Kremlin, MOSCOW, Ukraine, Moscow, China, United States, Soviet Union, Russian

"Fear is present but it is conscious," said Duntsova, who this month announced she wanted to run for president in the March 2024 election. They say that Putin has restored order and some of the clout Russia lost during the chaos of the Soviet collapse. When asked what she thought of Putin, Duntsova laughed nervously. "When in Europe and the United States they say that Russia and the Russians are Putin - that is not right. She said hardliners in the West and in Russia would be happy to see Russia closing itself off from the world.

Persons: Evgenia, Duntsova, Soviet Union stoked, Vladimir Putin, Putin, chuckled, Indira Gandhi, Africa's Nelson Mandela, Alexandra Skochilenko, Andrei Pivovarov, Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Alexei Navalny, She, Guy Faulconbridge, Ed Osmond Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Kremlin, CIA, Justice Ministry, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Europe, Russian, RUSSIA, Putin's Russia, United States, Siberian, Krasnoyarsk, Rzhev, Tver

☆ Russia Says It Thwarts 20 Ukrainian Drones, Moscow Attacked
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Sunday that it had thwarted a major Ukrainian drone attack with at least 20 drones shot down over Russian regions, including Moscow. Russia's defence ministry said Ukrainian drones were shot down over regions including Moscow, Tula, Kaluga and Bryansk. "A mass drone attack was attempted overnight," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Ukrainian drones were shot down in several areas of the Moscow region, Russian officials said. The Kommersant newspaper said that flights were delayed or cancelled at Moscow's main airports due to the drone attack.

Persons: Alexei Dyumin, Sergei Sobyanin, Guy Faulconbridge, William Mallard, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Kommersant Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Bryansk

☆ Russia says it thwarted Ukrainian drone and missile attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Summary Russia says shoots down 24 Ukrainian dronesRussia says Ukraine fired missiles over Sea of AzovUkraine reported biggest Russian drone attack on KyivRussian controlled region says energy system struckMOSCOW, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Russia thwarted a Ukrainian attack on Russian regions involving at least 24 drones and two missiles, the Russian defence ministry said on Sunday. One person was injured in Tula when an intercepted drone hit an apartment building, the region's governor, Alexei Dyumin, said. "A mass drone attack was attempted overnight," said Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, adding that Ukrainian drones were shot down in several areas of the Moscow region. The Kommersant newspaper said that flights were delayed or cancelled at Moscow's main airports because of the drone attack. Ukraine said on Saturday that Kyiv had been hit by Russia's largest drone attack of the war.

Persons: Alexei Dyumin, Sergei Sobyanin, Guy Faulconbridge, William Mallard, Edmund Klamann, David Goodman Organizations: Moscow, Kommersant, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Azov Ukraine, Russian, MOSCOW, Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Smolensk, Bryansk, Azov, Donetsk

☆ Russia says it thwarts 20 Ukrainian drones, Moscow attacked
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MOSCOW, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Russia said on Sunday that it had thwarted a major Ukrainian drone attack with at least 20 drones shot down over Russian regions, including Moscow. Russia's defence ministry said Ukrainian drones were shot down over regions including Moscow, Tula, Kaluga and Bryansk. "A mass drone attack was attempted overnight," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Ukrainian drones were shot down in several areas of the Moscow region, Russian officials said. The Kommersant newspaper said that flights were delayed or cancelled at Moscow's main airports due to the drone attack.

Persons: Alexei Dyumin, Sergei Sobyanin, Guy Faulconbridge, William Mallard, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Kommersant, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Bryansk

[1/5] Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a plenary session of the Artificial Intelligence Journey 2023 international AI and machine learning conference in Moscow, Russia November 24, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Putin to approve new AI strategy soonChina and U.S. lead on AI currentlyRussian AI has been set back by Ukraine war, sanctionsPutin calls Russia to up its game on AIMOSCOW, Nov 24 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned that the West should not be allowed to develop a monopoly in the sphere of artificial intelligence (AI), and said that a much more ambitious Russian strategy for the development of AI would be approved shortly. "In all spheres of our life, humanity is beginning a new chapter of its existence," Putin said of AI, adding that Russia needed to up its game on AI both in ambitions and execution. Russia, he said, would have to change laws, boost international cooperation, and ensure much more investment for the development of AI. He told Putin in June that Sberbank was making around $3 billion annually from $1 billion in AI investments.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Gref, Sberbank, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: Artificial, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, MOSCOW, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, China, U.S, Russian, Ukraine, United States, India, Israel, South Korea, Japan

☆ Ukrainian strike kills Russian actress performing in Ukraine, theatre says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, Nov 23 (Reuters) - A Russian actress has been killed in a Ukrainian attack while performing to Russian troops in a Russian-controlled area of eastern Ukraine, according to her theatre. The Russian theatre where actress Polina Menshikh, 40, worked said she had been killed while performing on stage in the Donbas region. Reuters could not verify details of the incident but military officials on both sides confirmed there had been a Ukrainian attack in the area on Nov. 19. Ukrainian commanders said their forces had struck what they said was a Russian military award ceremony, targeting Russia's 810th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade. Robert Brovdi, a Ukrainian military commander, said in a post on social media that 25 people had been killed in the strike and more than 100 wounded.

Persons: Polina Menshikh, Robert Brovdi, Ukraine's Brovdi, Vladimir Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Timothy Organizations: Reuters, HIMARS, Separate Naval Infantry Brigade, Assault Brigade, Telegram, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Ukraine, Donbas, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Ukraine's

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin and Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk attend the G20 virtual summit via a video link in Moscow, Russia, November 22, 2023. "Yes, of course, military actions are always a tragedy," Putin told the virtual G20 meeting called by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "And of course, we should think about how to stop this tragedy," Putin said. Putin used the word "war" to describe the conflict instead of the current Kremlin term of "special military operation". "I understand that this war, and the death of people, cannot but shock," Putin said, before setting out the Russian case that Ukraine had persecuted people in eastern Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexei Overchuk, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Ukraine Putin, Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Sergei Lavrov, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones, Alex Richardson Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Ukraine, Kremlin, Indian, United Nations, Human, West, Belfer, Harvard's Kennedy School, U.S, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Gaza, Ukraine MOSCOW, Ukraine, United States, Ukraine's, Crimea, Russian, Palestine, Ukrainian, West, Israel, Washington, New Delhi, Nusa Dua, Indonesia, Osaka, Japan

☆ Putin Says We Must Think How to Stop 'The Tragedy' of War in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Guy Faulconbridge and Vladimir SoldatkinMOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin told the leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) on Wednesday that it was necessary to think about how to stop "the tragedy" of the war in Ukraine, some of his most placatory remarks to date about the conflict. "Yes, of course, military actions are always a tragedy," Putin told the virtual G20 meeting called by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "And of course, we should think about how to stop this tragedy," Putin said. Putin used the word "war" to describe the conflict instead of the current Kremlin term of "special military operation". "I understand that this war, and the death of people, cannot but shock," Putin said, before setting out the Russian case that Ukraine had persecuted people in eastern Ukraine.

Persons: Guy Faulconbridge, Vladimir Soldatkin MOSCOW, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Sergei Lavrov, Vladimir Soldatkin, Gareth Jones, Alex Richardson Organizations: Kremlin, Indian, Ukraine, United Nations, Human, West, Belfer, Harvard's Kennedy School, U.S Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States, Ukraine's, Crimea, Russian, Palestine, Gaza, Ukrainian, West, Moscow, Israel, Washington, New Delhi, Nusa Dua, Indonesia, Osaka, Japan

☆ Russia says it scuppers more Ukrainian attempts to cross the Dnipro
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Russian defence ministry published a video which it said showed marines from the 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade defeating Ukrainian forces. It said Ukrainian forces were suffering heavy casualties and losing equipment in unsuccessful attempts to land on islands in the Dnipro. It is still unclear how significant the Ukrainian attempt to gain a foothold on the eastern bank of the Dnipro is. A Ukrainian counter-offensive has failed to make any significant gains this year against Russian forces. According to unverified reports by pro-Russian bloggers, Russia has been harrying Ukrainian forces near the village Krynky, near marshes on the eastern bank upriver from Kherson, from which Russia withdrew its forces in autumn 2022.

Persons: Stringer, Vladimir Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Sea Fleet, Armed Forces, 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade, Ukrainian, Reuters, Russian, Russia, Thomson Locations: Dnipro, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Russia, War, Russian, Crimea, Ukrainian, Kherson

Ministers from OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies led by Russia, meet on Sunday in Vienna. Robust global oil prices this year and Moscow's growing use of a shadow tanker fleet have meant that much Russian oil has traded mostly above the Western oil cap price. Moscow-based independent oil analyst Alexei Kokin said the oil prices declined from "very comfortable" levels to "just comfortable" levels. Russia has budgeted the price of Urals, its flagship oil grade, at 4,788 roubles ($53.36) per barrel this year. However, the share of energy sales in the federal budget proceeds - which used to exceed 50% of total budget revenue - has drastically declined.

Persons: Alexander Manzyuk, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Kokin, Ronald Smith, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Energy, OPEC, Organization of, Petroleum, BCS, Investments, Brent, Thomson Locations: Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, MOSCOW, Vienna, OPEC, U.S, China, Saudi Arabia, United States, Moscow

☆ Russia says co-existence not possible with Ukraine's current 'regime'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Russia cannot co-exist with the current "regime" in Kyiv but Moscow can resist the might of NATO for as long as it needs to fully demilitarise Ukraine, a senior Russian diplomat said on Tuesday. Including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, Russia now controls 17.5% of Ukraine's internationally recognised territory. "The current regime (in Kyiv) is absolutely toxic, we do not see any options for co-existence with it at the moment," Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik told reporters in Moscow. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, a charge that Moscow denies. "We can resist NATO just as much as we need to fulfill the tasks that the president has formulated."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Miroshnik, Putin, Dmitry Antonov, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones Organizations: NATO, Russian, Kremlin, China, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Kyiv, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, U.S, Ukrainian, United States, NATO

☆ Russia Says It Scuppers More Ukrainian Attempts to Cross the Dnipro
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Ed Osmond Organizations: Sea Fleet, Armed Forces, 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade, Ukrainian, Reuters, Russian, Russia Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Dnipro, Ukraine, War, Russian, Crimea, Ukrainian, Kherson

☆ Two killed as hurricanes rage in Russia's Siberia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Two people were killed when a tree crushed their car as hurricanes with winds reaching 38 metres per second hit several regions in Russia's Siberia on Sunday. Another two people were hospitalised by the falling tree in the Russian city of Novokuznetsk, TASS news agency quoted a regional official. A large sign fell on a woman near a shopping centre in Novokuznetsk, a video on social media showed. According to a local official, cited by RIA Novosti, the woman was hospitalised. According to Russian media, winds caused damage in Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk and Omsk regions, Altai Krai, Republic of Altai, Republic of Khakasia.

Persons: Sergei Kuznetsov, Kuznetsov, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: TASS, RIA Novosti, Republic of Altai , Republic of Khakasia, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Siberia, Russian, Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Altai Krai, Republic of Altai , Republic of

☆ Kremlin's Peskov Hopes Putin Runs for Another Term as President - TASS
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview published on Friday that he hoped President Vladimir Putin would run in the March election for another term as Russian president, a move that would keep the Kremlin chief in power until at least 2030. Asked by the student television channel of Moscow State Institute for International Relations (MGIMO) what the next president after Putin should be like, Peskov said: "The same." "Or different but the same," Peskov added with a smile. I have no doubt that he will continue to be president." Reuters reported earlier this month that Putin has decided to run in the March election, as the Kremlin chief feels he must steer Russia through the most perilous period in decades.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Boris Yeltsin, Josef Stalin, Leonid Brezhnev's, Peskov, Guy Faulconbridge, Dmitry Antonov, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Kremlin, Moscow State Institute for International Relations, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Russia

☆ In wartime Russia, soaring prices bite as election looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

When she goes through the snow to the shops, she inspects the prices to search for bargains. Prices for disposable nappies and baby food have at least doubled, she said. While many families across the world are grappling with price rises, the peculiarities of Russia's wartime economy have spurred high inflation for millions of Russian voters ahead of the 2024 election. Putin is expected to run in next year's election, a move that would keep him in power until least 2030. Igor Lipits, a Russian economist, said official Russian data on levels of poverty were poor - as was the overall picture for the Russian economy - despite often rosy announcements aimed at pleasing the Kremlin leadership.

Persons: Sergei, Stepanova, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Igor Lipits, Lipits, Lyudmila, Guy Faulconbridge, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: West, Reuters, U.S, stoke, Monetary Fund, Central Bank, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: SREDNEURALSK, Russia, Ukraine, Stepanova, Sredneuralsk, Lake Iset, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, United States, Russian, St Petersburg

☆ Russia loads missile with nuclear-capable glide vehicle into launch silo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Russia's rocket forces loaded an intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with the nuclear-capable "Avangard" hypersonic glide vehicle into a launch silo in southern Russia, according to a defence ministry TV channel broadcast on Thursday. President Vladimir Putin announced the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle in 2018, saying it was a response to U.S. development of a new generation of weapons and a U.S. missile defence system that it could penetrate. Russia installed its first Avangard-equipped missile in 2019 at the same Orenburg facility. But the United States, Russia and China are developing a range of new weapons systems, including hypersonic ones. Russia says the post-Cold War dominance of the United States is crumbling and that Washington has for years sown chaos across the planet while ignoring the interests of other powers.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Guy Faulconbridge, Olzhas, Gerry Doyle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Zvezda, U.S, Washington, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, U.S, Orenburg, Kazakhstan, United States, China, autocracies, Moscow, Almaty

☆ Russia says Ukrainian forces have crossed the River Dnipro but face 'Hell fire' and death
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Russia has conceded for the first time that some Ukrainian forces have crossed onto the River Dnipro's eastern bank, but has said they face "Hell fire" and that the average life expectancy of a Ukrainian soldier there is around two days. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had secured a foothold on the east bank of the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine's Kherson region, the first official acknowledgement of its kind. Andriy Yermak said Ukrainian forces had managed to cross the river and dig in "against all odds" and that his country's counteroffensive aimed at clawing back territory from Russia - which has so far failed to make a major breakthrough - was "developing." Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of the part of Kherson region which Moscow controls, acknowledged in a statement that Ukrainian forces had managed to cross the river which was seen by Russia as a difficult barrier for Kyiv's soldiers to surmount. In the last two or three days alone, total enemy losses have totalled about a hundred fighters."

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Andriy Yermak, Vladimir Saldo, Andrew Osborn, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Russian, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukrainian, Dnipro, Ukraine's Kherson, Russian, Kherson, Moscow, Russia's

☆ Russia Says It Plans to Send Cosmonauts to the Moon Next Decade - TASS
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia plans to send cosmonauts to land on the Moon next decade for the first time in its history and intends to build a moon base from 2031, according to the Russian corporation responsible for manned space flights, state news agency TASS reported. A draft plan presented by Vladimir Solovyov of RKK Energia said that Russia was planning manned missions to the moon, including the first Russian human moon landing, along with a moon base, TASS said on Wednesday. "Preparations for the deployment of a lunar base - 2031-2040," TASS quoted the draft plan as saying. In August, Russia's first moon mission in 47 years failed when its Luna-25 space craft spun out of control and crashed into the moon, underscoring the post-Soviet problems experienced by a once mighty space programme. Yuri Gagarin became the first human in outer space on April 12, 1961, but Soviet cosmonauts never did a human landing on the moon.

Persons: Vladimir Solovyov, Russia's, Luna, Neil Armstrong, Yuri Gagarin, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: RKK Energia, TASS Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Russian, Soviet

☆ Russia says it plans to send cosmonauts to the Moon next decade - TASS
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Russia plans to send cosmonauts to land on the Moon next decade for the first time in its history and intends to build a moon base from 2031, according to the Russian corporation responsible for manned space flights, state news agency TASS reported. A draft plan presented by Vladimir Solovyov of RKK Energia said that Russia was planning manned missions to the moon, including the first Russian human moon landing, along with a moon base, TASS said on Wednesday. "Preparations for the deployment of a lunar base - 2031-2040," TASS quoted the draft plan as saying. In August, Russia's first moon mission in 47 years failed when its Luna-25 space craft spun out of control and crashed into the moon, underscoring the post-Soviet problems experienced by a once mighty space programme. Yuri Gagarin became the first human in outer space on April 12, 1961, but Soviet cosmonauts never did a human landing on the moon.

Persons: Vladimir Solovyov, Russia's, Luna, Neil Armstrong, Yuri Gagarin, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: RKK Energia, TASS, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Russian, Soviet

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