Russia

MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/: The development of Russia’s Far East has advanced, the most difficult initial stage has been passed, now it is necessary to increase the pace, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"At the first stage it was quite difficult to implement a lot of things that had been frozen for decades. In my opinion, the work has continued, we have advanced, the most difficult stage is over, now we just need to increase the pace," he said, answering reporters’ questions.

MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/: If the West wants talks on Ukraine it should stop supplying Kiev with weapons, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on Swiss Federal Councillor for Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis’ statement that Russia should be included into peace discussions.

Addressing a news conference in Davos earlier in the day, Cassis said that efforts are being made to bring Russia into peace discussions on Ukraine mediated by other countries and stressed that a peace conference could not be held without Russia’s participation.

MOSCOW, Jan 13 (Reuters) - A huge fire tore through a warehouse belonging to one of Russia's biggest online retailers in St. Petersburg on Saturday, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said, saying firefighters had succeeded in halting it spreading further.

The warehouse's owner, Wildberries, said in a statement that all its staff had been evacuated. Nobody was reported to have been hurt.

There was no immediate word on how the fire, which covered 70,000 square metres and was rated as a category five, the most serious, had started in the suburb of Russia's second city.

MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/: World Health Organization representative Melita Vujnovic, who wraps up her mission to Russia, believes that the world will become better in 2024, and diplomacy will prevail.

"I hope that the world will become better in 2024. I am an irredeemable optimist. And I hope that diplomacy will once again be able to speak louder than something else," she told TASS.

She added that not everything depends on Russia in this business, but admitted that the high standards of the Russian diplomacy make her optimistic.

MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/: Three civilians have been injured as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack on fuel and energy sector facilities in Orel, governor of the Orel Region Andrey Klychkov said.

"During an attack of enemy unmanned aerial vehicles on fuel and energy sector facilities in the Orel Region, three people were hurt. They are receiving necessary assistance," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

Two of these three refused to be taken to hospital.

MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/: Russia maintains strategic initiative in Ukraine and will focus on all-round provisioning of its forces, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at a conference call with top military brass. He stressed Russia would keep its nuclear triad at a high combat readiness level, develop drone production, introduce new weapons and increase the capabilities of the satellite grouping.

MOSCOW (AP) — A U.S. citizen has been arrested on drug charges in Russia, officials said Tuesday, a move that comes amid soaring Russia-U.S. tensions over Ukraine.

The arrest of Robert Woodland Romanov was reported by the press service of the Moscow courts. It said the Ostankino District Court ruled on Saturday to keep him in custody for two months on charges of preparing to get involved in illegal drug trafficking pending an official investigation. It didn’t offer any details of the accusations.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

MOSCOW, January 5. /TASS/: Thirty-six Ukrainian drones were intercepted and shot down by Russian air defense systems over Crimea and one drone - over the Krasnodar Territory, the Russian defense ministry said.

"On January 5, the Kiev regime’s attempted terrorist attack on facilities in Russia’s territory with the use of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles was thwarted. Thirty-six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down and intercepted by air defense systems over Crimea and one unmanned aerial vehicle - over the Krasnodar Territory," it said.

MOSCOW, January 5. /TASS/: Air defense systems have eliminated a Neptune anti-ship missile over the northwestern part of the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"On January 5, around 12:30 p.m. Moscow time (9:30 a.m. GMT - TASS), an attempt by the Kiev regime was thwarted to carry out a terror attack on targets in the Russian Federation with the use of a Neptune anti-ship missile. Air defense systems on duty detected the Ukrainian missile and eliminated it over the northwestern waters of the Black Sea," the military agency said.

MOSCOW, January 5. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin may pay a bunch of foreign visits in 2024 and the head of the Russian state has invitations from dozens of countries.

The Kremlin has not yet announced future visits of the Russian President. "I do not exclude but I am trying not to plan anything so far," Putin said earlier, referring to possible visits to friendly nations.

Over past months, the Russian leader received invitations to visit Brazil, Burundi, Vietnam, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Cuba, Mongolia, Thailand, Turkey, and other countries.