Russia

MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/: All those on board of the Be-200 amphibious aircraft that crashed in Turkey were killed, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters on Saturday.

"The five crew members of the Russian Be-200 aircraft that crashed in the Republic of Turkey and three citizens of the Republic of Turkey who were pointing out fire locations were killed," the ministry said.

MOSCOW/ANKARA, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Eight people were killed when a Russian firefighting Be-200 plane crashed in Turkey on Saturday, the Russian defence ministry was cited by Interfax news agency as saying.

The Russian military said last month a Be-200, part of the Russian naval air forces, had been sent to help Turkey fight wildfires raging through southern coastal regions.

Turkey has been fighting the fires for the past two weeks, with most of them now brought under control.

NOVO-OGARYOVO, August 13. /TASS/: Defense and global security were the focus of another meeting with permanent members of Russia’s Security Council that President Vladimir Putin chaired on Friday via videoconference.

"Today we are scheduled to discuss international cooperation in defense and security," he said when opening the meeting.

The president pointed out that "it is impossible to effectively solve a number of issues in this area all on one’s own."

"We should join efforts with our partners so as to ensure our own security as well," he stressed.

MOSCOW, August 13. /TASS/: Aeroflot may open flights to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Mauritius and Jordan, Chief Executive Officer Mikhail Poluboyarinov said in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV channel.

"We also plan to open flights to Mexico, which is quite an interesting travel destination. We are planning and considering flights to the Dominical Republic, and we are considering Mauritius and Jordan as well," he said.

SAMBEK SETTLEMENT /Rostov region/, August 13. /TASS/: Moscow will continue to pursue a foreign policy aimed at creating external conditions for domestic development after September’s election to the State Duma (the lower house of parliament), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday at a meeting with civil society members at the Sambek Heights Museum Complex dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.

MOSCOW (AP) — A second person has died in southwestern Russia following an explosion on a city bus that also injured another 17 people, officials said Friday.

Authorities said Thursday’s blast on the bus in the city of Voronezh was caused by leaky gas equipment. No trace of chemical explosives was found, they said.

The Investigative Committee, Russia’s top criminal investigation agency, has opened a probe for possible charges of unsafe consumer services.

SUDAK /Crimea/, August 12. /TASS/: Crimea is part of the Union State of Russia and Belarus as a Russian region, it’s enshrined in Russian laws, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Thursday, commenting on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s statement that he was willing to recognize Crimea’s reunification with Russia after "the last of the Russian oligarchs."

VERKHNEZEISK, August 12. /TASS/: An upgrade of the eastern leg of the Baikal-Amur Main Railway (BAM) by 2024 year-end will ramp up the transport capabilities of Eastern Siberia and boost transit traffic and the transit transportation volume after its implementation, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at the inauguration ceremony.

MOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/: Moscow’s Lefortovo Court has issued a warrant to remand in custody for two months the CEO and chief designer of the Scientific Research Enterprise of Hypersonic Systems Alexander Kuranov detained in a high treason criminal case, the court told TASS on Thursday.

"The Lefortovo Court of Moscow has ruled to choose custody for a term of one month and 28 days, i.e. until October 9, 2021 as a measure of restraint for Kuranov suspected of committing a crime stipulated under Article 275 of Russia’s Criminal Code," the court’s spokeswoman said.

MOSCOW, Aug 12 (NNN-TASS) – Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, and U.S. Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin, discussed results of recent bilateral consultations on strategic stability, during a phone call yesterday.

The officials also exchanged views on issues of global and regional security, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a brief statement.