Russia

MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 11,348 over the past day to 18,041,927, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Thursday.

In relative terms, the growth rate reached 0.06%.

As many as 3,131 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 5% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients decreased in 45 regions, while in 31 regions the figure increased. The situation remained unchanged in nine regions. A day earlier, 3,297 people were rushed to hospitals.

MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/: The unconditional support of the Ukrainian authorities by Washington and Brussels has become the culmination of the West's Russophobic course, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday at the Digital International Relations - 2022 conference at MGIMO.

"The culmination of this Russophobic course has been Washington and Brussels' unconditional support for the radical nationalist Kiev regime, the nurturing of ultra-radicals in Ukraine, and the creation of an 'anti-Russia' out of Ukraine," he said.

MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has never refused in principle to hold a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, but a document must be drafted before such meeting can be arranged, Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

"There is no detailed novation regarding this issue," Peskov said speaking at a daily news briefing. "We have already spoken about this meeting saying that in principle the [Russian] president never refused it, but certain conditions must be arranged before this meeting, namely a text of the document."

(AP) --- A former police officer who discussed Russia’s invasion on the phone. A priest who preached to his congregation about the suffering of Ukrainians. A student who held up a banner with no words — just asterisks.

Hundreds of Russians are facing charges for speaking out against the war in Ukraine since a repressive law was passed last month that outlaws the spread of “false information” about the invasion and disparaging the military.

MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/: Russia disposed of all stockpile of chemical weapons; all allegations about a chemical weapon attack in Ukraine being prepared by Russia are a lie, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko told reporters Wednesday.

MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/: The trilateral partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS) is a ‘narrow pact’ incapable of serving as a platform for providing security in the Asia-Pacific region, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

"We are closely monitoring all of these processes," Peskov told journalists in response to a question about the previously extended invitation to Japan to join AUKUS.

VOSTOCHNY COSMODROME /Amur Region/, April 12. /TASS/: Russia will restore its moon program, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a ceremony of awarding of Russian cosmonauts at the Vostochny Cosmodrome Tuesday, adding that he is talking about the launch of the Luna-25 automatic spacecraft.

According to the President, Russia intends to continue its work on development of a new-generation cargo spacecraft and nuclear space energy technologies, where Russia already has a very good groundwork and a "perfectly clear advantage."

VOSTOCHNY COSMODROME, April 12. /TASS/: Russia’s successes in space exploration indicate that Russia retained its leadership in this area, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference after the talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, which took place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Region.

"Everything that we’ve seen during our visit to Vostochny, all successes in space exploration achieved in recent years prove that our country retains its leadership in space industry, is one of the leaders in this area," he said.

VOSTOCHNY COSMODROME /Amur Region/, April 12. /TASS/: Moscow and Minsk should strengthen integration in a situation where the West has unleashed a total sanction war, Russian President Vladmir Putin said after talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday.

"I am certain that in the current situation, where the Western countries have unleashed a total sanction war against Russia and Belarus, it is important to strengthen our integration within the framework of the Union State. We are unanimous in this respect," Putin said.

MOSCOW, April 12. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 10,910 over the past day to 18,018,825, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Tuesday.

In relative terms, the growth rate reached 0.06%.

As many as 4,233 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, up 204.5% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in 82 regions, while in two regions the figure decreased. The situation remained unchanged in one region. A day earlier, 1,390 people were rushed to hospitals.