Russia

Moscow says 60 Russian ‘hostages’ held in U.S. as prisoner swap talk swirls

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said that more than 60 Russian "hostages" were serving prison sentences in the United States, the result of what he called an illegal global…

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Putin says Russia does not want to absorb anyone after talks with Belarus’ Lukashenko

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a joint press conference in Minsk with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday, said that Russia does not want to "absorb" anyone, and that…

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Ukraine, Russia plane and ship insurance at risk from Jan 1

LONDON (Reuters) - Insurers may refuse to cover planes flying to Ukraine or ships sailing through the Black Sea as reinsurers - who insure the insurers - propose excluding the…

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Russia and China to hold joint naval drills this week

Dec 19 (Reuters) - Russia and China will hold joint naval drills between December 21-27, Russia's defence ministry said on Monday. The joint naval exercises, which have taken place annually…

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Russian troops stationed in Belarus to begin military exercises amid fears of new assault on Ukraine

Dec 19 (Reuters) - Russian troops that were moved to Belarus in October to become part of a regional formation will conduct battalion tactical exercises, the Russian Interfax news agency…

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Russia says EU’s new sanctions will just cause more problems for the bloc

MOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The latest round of Europen Union sanctions against Russia over Ukraine will just exacerbate problems within the bloc, a spokeswoman for Russian Foreign Ministry said…

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Putin sounds out military commanders over Ukraine plans

This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine MOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has sought proposals from his armed forces…

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Kremlin says Russia will draw up response to latest EU sanctions

Dec 16 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday it would study the latest package of European Union sanctions against Russia and then formulate its response. EU leaders agreed on Thursday to…

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Moscow says Vatican apologised over Pope’s comments about ‘cruel’ Russian ethnic minorities

This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine. MOSCOW, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday it had received an…

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Unexplained leak from docked Soyuz spacecraft cancels Russian ISS spacewalk

By Steve Gorman (Reuters) - A routine spacewalk by two Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) was called off as it was about to begin after flight controllers…

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Russian strategic bombers patrol over Sea of Japan

Dec 14 (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry said on Wednesday that two Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers carried out a seven-hour patrol flight over the Sea of Japan. The bombers -…

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Putin cancels annual marathon year-end TV news conference

Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin will not hold his traditional televised year-end news conference this month, the Kremlin said on Monday, 10 months into Russia's stuttering invasion of Ukraine. The…

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Some Russian soldiers in Ukraine unhappy with top brass – nationalist blogger

This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Some Russian officers fighting in…

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Neo-Nazi Russian militia appeals for intelligence on Nato member states

A neo-Nazi paramilitary group linked to the Kremlin has asked its members to submit intelligence on border and military activity in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, raising concerns over whether far-right…

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Erdogan discusses Black Sea grain deal with Putin, Zelenskiy

ISTANBUL, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the Black Sea grain export agreement on Sunday with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, as both sides seek changes that would…

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Viktor Bout says he supports Ukraine war and would volunteer to fight for Russia

Recently freed Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout said he "wholeheartedly" supports Russia's war in Ukraine and that he'd volunteer to fight for Russia. He said if he had the opportunity…

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UPDATED: Putin says further prisoner exchanges with United States are possible

Dec 9 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that further prisoner swaps between the United States and Russia were possible, and that contacts between the two countries'…

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UPDATED: Fire rages through shopping mall in Moscow suburbs

Dec 9 (Reuters) - Fire engulfed one of the largest shopping malls near Moscow early on Friday, emergency services said, leading to the collapse of part of the structure, which…

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Who is Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who was swapped for Griner?

LONDON (Reuters) - The life of Viktor Bout reads like a spy thriller. Russia wanted the jailed arms dealer back in Moscow for a long time and he has now…

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UPDATED: Russia trades U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout

WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner has been released in a prisoner swap with Russia and is now in U.S. custody, President Joe Biden said on…

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Russian troops take part in tactical drills in Belarus

MOSCOW, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday its troops were taking part in tactical exercises in Belarus, amid fears that Moscow is pressing its ally to get more…

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Magnitude 5.6 earthquake strikes Russia – EMSC

Dec 8 (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Caucasus region, Russia on Thursday, European Mediterranean Siesmological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake was 41 km (25.48 miles) below the earth's surface, EMSC…

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Putin drives across Crimea bridge in a Mercedes

President Vladimir Putin on Monday drove a Mercedes across the Crimean Bridge linking southern Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula, less than two months since an explosion tore through one of the…

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Russia unleashes missiles across Ukraine, drones hit bases deep inside Russian territory

Ukraine said Russia destroyed homes in the southeast and knocked out power in many areas with a new volley of missiles on Monday, while Moscow said Ukrainian drones had attacked…

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Russia launches heavy new missile strikes, at least two dead

Russia unleashed a new barrage of missiles on Ukraine on Monday, killing two people, destroying homes in the southeast and causing major power outages, officials said. Air raid sirens blared…

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Ukraine, Baltics rebuke Macron for suggesting ‘security guarantees’ for Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion the West should consider Russia's need for security guarantees if Moscow agrees to talks to end the war in Ukraine unleashed a storm of criticism…

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G7 begins to press Russia on Ukraine with oil price cap

A Group of Seven (G7) price cap on Russian seaborne oil came into force on Monday as the West tries to limit Moscow's ability to finance its war in Ukraine,…

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UPDATED: Putin is open to talks and diplomacy on Ukraine, Kremlin says

Putin open to talks on Ukraine Russia will not pull out of Ukraine Kremlin strikes a dovish tone Biden says prepared to speak to Putin with conditions By Guy Faulconbridge…

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Russia’s Lavrov says European security body is hobbled by West

(Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that big problems had accumulated in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), accusing the West of spurning…

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Russia protests Vatican’s criticism of ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine

Russia's envoy has expressed Moscow's strong dissatisfaction to the Vatican following Pope Francis' latest condemnation of the "cruelty" of Russia's actions in Ukraine, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on Tuesday. Francis…

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Russian McDonald’s successor solves franchise problem as more outlets join

The successor to McDonald's in Russia is set to add nine more restaurants to its portfolio next month, as a former franchisee of the global hamburger chain agreed to join…

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EU fails to agree on Russian oil price cap, say diplomats

European Union governments failed to agree on Monday on a price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil, as Poland insisted that the cap had to be set lower than proposed…

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Ukraine resumes emergency blackouts in setback after Russian strikes

Ukraine said on Monday it had been forced to impose regular emergency blackouts in areas across the country after a setback in its race to repair energy infrastructure hit by Russian…

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Russia to bar foreigners from using its surrogate mothers – lawmaker

Nov 27 (Reuters) - Russia will soon adopt a law barring foreigners from using Russian surrogate mothers, Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house of parliament said on Sunday, the nation's…

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Britain says Russia likely removing nuclear warheads from missiles and firing at Ukraine

Nov 26 (Reuters) - Russia is likely removing nuclear warheads from ageing nuclear cruise missiles and firing unarmed munitions at Ukraine, Britain's military intelligence said on Saturday. "Whatever Russia's intent, this improvisation…

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Putin to meet mothers of soldiers fighting in Ukraine

LONDON, Nov 25 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin will on Friday meet the mothers of soldiers fighting in Ukraine, the Kremlin said, as the deadliest conflict in Europe since World…

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MEPs vote not to accept passports issued by Russia in occupied areas

The European Parliament has endorsed a decision not to accept passports and other travel documents issued by Russia in illegally-occupied regions of Ukraine and Georgia. Parliament approved the agreement with…

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Putin to meet soldiers’ mothers – Vedomosti newspaper says

Russian President Vladimir Putin will in coming days meet the mothers of soldiers amid fierce fighting in Ukraine, the Vedomosti newspaper reported, citing three unidentified sources in the presidential administration.…

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Ukraine braces for harsh winter as Russian strikes cripple power facilities

Ukrainians braced for a winter with little or no power in several areas including Kyiv where temperatures have already dropped below freezing as relentless Russian strikes crippled half of the…

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Ukraine prosecutor says four suspected Russian torture sites found in Kherson

Ukrainian police and prosecutors have identified four places in Kherson where they suspect Russian forces tortured people before abandoning the city, the prosecutor general's office said on Monday. In a statement on the…

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Kremlin says no talk of Putin-Biden summit for now

LONDON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden have no plans to meet for the time being, the Kremlin said on Friday after Russia's…

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Russia keeps mum on CIA director’s warning over nuclear weapons

(Reuters) - The Kremlin refused to give any details about a cautionary message delivered by the director of the CIA to Moscow this week about the consequences of any Russian…

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Russia’s Medvedev says Polish missile incident shows West moving closer to world war

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday that an alleged missile strike on Polish territory showed that the West was moving closer to another World…

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Russia rains missiles across Ukraine as signs emerge of further retreat

Russia rained missiles on cities across Ukraine on Tuesday in a salvo of strikes that follow its humiliating withdrawal from Kherson, even as signs grew that its retreating forces were…

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Russian ambassador to meet White House officials on imprisoned Russians

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov will meet with White House officials to discuss the treatment of Russians who are in U.S. prisons, the Russian embassy said on…

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NATO’s Stoltenberg warns against underestimating of Russia

It is up to Ukraine to decide what terms are acceptable for negotiations to bring an end to the war Russia is waging against the country, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said…

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U.N. General Assembly calls for Russia to make reparations in Ukraine

The United Nations General Assembly on Monday called for Russia to be held accountable for its conduct in Ukraine, voting to approve a resolution recognizing that Russia must be responsible…

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This is the beginning of the end of the war: Zelenskiy in liberated Kherson

"This is the beginning of the end of the war," Zelenskiy told reporters after attending a flag-raising ceremony and addressed troops in front of the administration building in the main…

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Military training to return to Russian schools

Russia’s Education Minister, Sergey Kravstov, has stated that military training will return to Russian schools next September, according to the latest update by the UK’s Ministry of Defence. The programme…

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Russia’s Lavrov says West seeking to militarise southeast Asia

Nov 13 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday said the West was "militarising" southeast Asia in a bid to contain Russian and Chinese interests, setting the stage…

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Britain says it has frozen 18 billion pounds worth of Russian assets

LONDON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The British government said on Thursday that it had frozen assets together worth 18 billion pounds ($20.5 billion) held by Russian oligarchs, other individuals and…

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Putin ally Patrushev travels to Iran for talks – TASS

Nov 9 (Reuters) - Russia's powerful Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev was in Tehran on Wednesday for consultations with Iranian officials on security matters, the TASS news agency reported. "In Tehran, Patrushev…

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Ukraine doubles down on tough stance on talks with Russia

Ukraine doubled down on its tough stance on negotiations with Russia on Tuesday, saying talks could only resume once the Kremlin relinquishes all Ukrainian territory and that Kyiv would fight…

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N.Korea denies arms dealings with Russia, says it has no plans to do so

North Korea said on Tuesday it has never had arms dealings with Russia and has no plans to do so, its state media reported, after the United States said North Korea appears to be supplying Russia with artillery shells…

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Ukraine says Russian troops loot, occupy Kherson homes as battle looms

Ukraine accused Russia on Monday of looting empty homes in the southern city of Kherson and occupying them with troops in civilian clothes to prepare for street fighting in what…

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Germany: Ukraine should decide when to hold peace talks with Russia

A spokesperson for the German government on Monday said it is up to Ukraine to decide when to hold peace talks with Russia, adding that Moscow has also been reluctant to…

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Western official warns: Don’t expect Putin to fall anytime soon

LONDON (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has been weakened by his decision to invade Ukraine, but a change in power at the top in Russia is unlikely any time soon…

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