Russia

MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/: Russian forces eliminated five Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups in the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/: Member-states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will start calculating trade statistics in currencies other than the US dollar soon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"The EAEU is one of the most vigorously developing regional associations. It unites almost 185 mln of consumers, and the total gross income is over two trillion US dollars," Lavrov said. "We are counting in dollars by inertia, although I am sure that will pass off soon," he noted.

MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a videoconference meeting with the Strategic Development and National Projects council on Thursday, December 15, the Kremlin’s press service said on Wednesday.

"The plan is to discuss matters of providing technological sovereignty and investment support during the meeting," the Kremlin said.

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 - capable of carrying nuclear bombs and nuclear-armed cruise missiles - were accompanied by Russian SU-class fighter jets, the ministry said.

BOROVSK, Russia, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Over 20 years, Russian pensioner Vladimir Ovchinnikov gained a following for his street murals in the small town of Borovsk, some 70 miles (115 km) southwest of Moscow, many of which depicted the plight of victims of Stalinist-era repressions.

But on March 25, just over a month after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, Ovchinnikov created a new work, one that would place him in serious legal jeopardy.

MOSCOW, December 13. /TASS/: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed over telephone on Tuesday with his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin the cooperation of the two countries within the framework of international organizations, including the CIS and the CSTO, according to a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

MOSCOW, December 13. /TASS/: The Council of Europe has chosen the path of ‘megaphone diplomacy’ in its communication with Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday that he knew of no new scheduled contacts with the United States regarding further prisoner swaps in the wake of a high-profile exchange last week, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.

He was responding to comments by U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who told reporters on Monday that Washington expected an "engagement" with Moscow this week on the case of Paul Whelan, an American serving a 16-year sentence in Russia for espionage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be holding his annual year-end marathon news conference this month amid the war in Ukraine, a break in the long-held tradition that observers have attributed to the Kremlin’s uneasiness about a string of battlefield setbacks.

MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/: Russian forces struck over 230 Ukrainian army sites in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Monday.

"Operational-tactical aircraft, missile troops and artillery destroyed 83 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, and also manpower and military hardware in 156 areas," the spokesman said.