Russia

MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted Indonesia’s invitation to take part in a summit meeting of the Group of 20, but the details are still being specified, presidential aide Yury Ushakov told the media on Monday.

"Yes, we have confirmed. Our participation is due," he said.

At the same time, he was uncertain whether Putin would attend the meeting in person or participate by video link.

MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/: Western countries are reluctant to answer Russia’s questions about their mercenaries in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.

ST. PETERSBURG, June 25. /TASS/: Moscow will supply Iskander-M missile systems to Minsk in the coming months, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the opening of talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday.

"As you and I have agreed upon, you were asking about this, we made a decision. In the coming months, we will supply Belarus with Iskander-M tactical missile systems which, as it is known, can use both ballistic and cruise missiles both in the standard and nuclear modifications," Putin said.

MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/: Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu inspected the troops involved in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Sunday.

The defense minister heard reports by commanders at troop command posts about the current situation and the operations of the Russian armed forces in major operational areas, the ministry said.

MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/: A Chernomorneftegaz drilling platform in the Black Sea has come under shelling by Ukrainian troops again, a spokesman for Crimea’s emergencies services said on Sunday.

"Yes, it was a shelling attack by Ukrainian troops. No one was hurt," the spokesman told TASS.

The shelling attack was reported by the Baza Telegram channel.

Chernomorneftegaz drilling platforms came under shelling by Ukrainian troops on Monday, June 20. There were 109 people on them. Three were hurt, seven went missing. The search operation continues.

MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/: Anna Kikina, the only woman in the Roscosmos cosmonaut team, may fly the US’ Crew Dragon spacecraft for the first time during the flight, planned for September 1, Roscosmos said in its press release Saturday.

"The launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying the Crew 5 mission, which may include Anna Kikina, is planned for September 1," Roscosmos said on its Telegram channel.

According to the space corporation, Kikina will depart to the US Saturday to undergo the next training stage for the US spacecraft.

MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/: The industrial area and airport of Severodonetsk, Lugansk People’s Republic, have been completely liberated from Ukrainian forces, head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov said on his Telegram channel Saturday.

"The industrial area of Severodonetsk and the airport have been completely liberated," Kadyrov said.

According to Kadyrov, the cleanup of the airport is in progress, and its entire territory is under control.

He also said that 800 civilians were liberated from the Azot plant in Severodonetsk.

MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/: Moldova’s membership in the EU is possible, not directly, but through creation of the "new Greater Romania," Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev says.

"Moldova has entered the long queue for accession to the EU, stretched across decades. Bon voyage! But [they] want is sooner! Therefore, there is another way to obtain the EU membership: creation of a new Greater Romania (Romania Mare)," the politician said on his Telegram channel, answering a question from TASS as to how soon Moldova could join the Union.

MOSCOW, June 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow’s military action in Ukraine was not responsible for the global food crisis, instead blaming the West for preventing the export of Russian grain.
 
  “The food market is unbalanced in the most serious way,” Putin said, addressing a “BRICS Plus” virtual summit that brought together the leaders of 17 countries, including China, India, Brazil and South Africa.
 

June 24 (Reuters) - Russia on Friday said the decision by European Union leaders to accept Ukraine and Moldova as membership candidates would have negative consequences and amounted to the EU's "enslaving" neighbouring countries.

Although it could take years for the countries to join the European bloc, the decision to accept them as candidates is a symbol of the EU's intention to reach deep into the former Soviet Union.