Russia

MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/: The Kremlin has no information on whether US Javelin anti-tank missile systems were used in the Donbass region, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

"No, we do not have any information on where and how they were used. But it is an obvious fact that they are present there," the Russian presidential spokesman said, commenting on a statement by Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Chief Kirill Budanov that the Ukrainian military had used the US Javelin anti-tank missile systems in Donbass.

MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/: The Sputnik M coronavirus vaccine for teenagers has been approved in Russia, Deputy Director General of the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology Denis Logunov said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"The use of the Sputnik vaccine on children was authorized today, the vaccine was approved and we are happy to share the news," he pointed out.

MURMANSK, November 24. /TASS/: Moscow and Helsinki, presiding in the Arctic format should cooperate to strengthen the efficiency of common activities, Antti Helantera, Ambassador of Finland to Russia reported on Wednesday at the IV International session Cooperation in the Arctic.

SOCHI, November 24. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin said he personally tested an intranasal vaccine against coronavirus.

"I have nothing unusual, an absolutely classic case, exactly six months after inoculation my protective titers went down and specialists recommended to have a revaccination procedure which is what I did a couple of days ago," the head of state said at a meeting with cabinet members on Wednesday.

MOSCOW/KYIV, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Russia staged military drills in the Black Sea, south of Ukraine, on Wednesday and said it needed to sharpen the combat-readiness of its conventional and nuclear forces because of heightened NATO activity near its borders.

Ukraine, which with its ally the United States has said it believes Russia may be preparing an invasion, staged exercises of its own near the border with Belarus. 

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/: The situation in Ukraine may prompt millions of its citizens to seek a home in other countries, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview to weekly Argumenty i Fakty.

"By essentially establishing a protectorate in Ukraine, the West crippled the country’s economy, took away people’s civil rights, and sent some strata of the population into poverty,’’ Patrushev said. ‘’At any moment, there’s potential in Ukraine for an outburst of tensions so strong that millions of Ukrainians will flee to seek refuge in other places.’’

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/: Russia has registered 33,996 new confirmed COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, the lowest number since October 19, with the total number of infections reaching 9,400,835 cases, according to data of the anti-coronavirus crisis center published on Tuesday.

According to the crisis center, the relative increase of new infections is at the level of 0.36%.

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/: Russia sees US strategic bombers’ intensified activity in close proximity to its borders, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday. 

"We are witnessing a considerable increase in the US strategic bombers' activity near the Russian borders. Over the past month, they conducted about 30 flights to the borders of the Russian Federation, or 2.5 times more compared to the same period of last year," Russia’s defense chief said during talks with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe.

SOCHI, November 23. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday that he deemed it important to exchange opinions on the situation on the Palestinian track and in the Middle East.

"Respected Mr. President, I am very glad to see you," the head of the Russian state said, addressing the Palestinian leader at talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

"We, undoubtedly, must meet regularly and maintain our relations," Putin stressed.

MOSCOW, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- It is "unacceptable" that some foreign lawmakers have called to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said Tuesday.

"It is especially sad to hear the rhetoric of confrontation from colleagues in the parliamentary community," said Matviyenko, head of the upper house of Russia's parliament.

"Such statements contradict the spirit of parliamentarism and the Olympic principles," she stressed.