Russia

MOSCOW, April 16. /TASS/: Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov has clarified the measures that Moscow will take in response to Washington’s new sanctions to US Ambassador John Sullivan, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov invited US Ambassador John Sullivan for a meeting on Friday and clarified the measures that Russia will take in response to the sanctions that the United States had announced yesterday," Peskov noted.

(Reuters) --- The European Union must pressure Moscow to allow Alexei Navalny to have access to his doctor, allies of the hunger-striking Kremlin critic wrote in a letter sent this week to EU foreign ministers.

Navalny, 44, a prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, announced a hunger strike at the end of March in protest at what he said was the refusal of prison authorities to treat him properly for acute back and leg pain.

(Reuters) --- Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Friday that prison authorities have threatened to put him in a straitjacket to force-feed him unless he abandons his hunger strike because of his seriously deteriorating health.

Navalny, 44, a prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, announced a hunger strike at the end of March in protest at what he said was the refusal of prison authorities to treat him properly for acute back and leg pain.

MOSCOW, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A Russian MiG-31 fighter intercepted a U.S. reconnaissance plane above the Pacific Ocean on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Russian radars detected an air target approaching the Russian state border over the Pacific Ocean and an MiG-31 took off from an airfield in Russia's Kamchatka in response, the ministry said.

The crew of the Russian jet identified the air target as an RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft of the U.S. Air Force and then escorted it over the Pacific Ocean.

MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/: A bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden can hardly be arranged in the coming weeks while the issue is still being analyzed, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

"Naturally, it won’t be possible to organize a bilateral meeting so quickly. This issue is still being analyzed," the Russian presidential spokesman said, replying to a corresponding question.

The Kremlin spokesman added that most likely "this relates to a climate summit planned for next week."

MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/: Russia’s ZALA Aero (part of the Kalashnikov Group within the state tech corporation Rostec) has developed the world’s first light unmanned aircraft ZALA 421-16E5G outfitted with a hybrid powerplant combining an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, ZALA Aero Special Projects Head Nikita Khamitov told TASS during the drone’s presentation on Thursday.

MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/: Brazil’s air force highly estimates flying characteristics of the Russian Mi-35M transport/attack helicopters, Valeria Reshetnikova, a spokesperson for the Russian Federal Service Military Technical Cooperation, told TASS on Thursday.

"The command and pilots of the Brazilian Air Forces highly estimate Mi-35M’s combat characteristics, reliability and easy maintenance in the extremely difficult conditions of the Amazon tropics," she said.

MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/: Russia confirmed 8,944 COVID-19 cases over the past day, bringing the total caseload to 4,675,153, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Thursday.

The growth rate stands at 0.19% in relative terms.

The lowest growth rates were registered over the past day in the Nenets Autonomous Region and the Chukotka Autonomous Region (0%), the Republic of Tuva (0.01%), the Magadan Region and the Jewish Autonomous Region (0.02%).

MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/: Russia condemns Washington's sanctions plans and will respond to them on the principle of reciprocity in order to best ensure its interests, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Thursday.

"We condemn any pursuit of sanctions, we consider them illegal. In any case, the principle of reciprocity in this matter is valid; reciprocity in a way that best serves our interests," he specified.

MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Thursday it would respond in kind to any new “illegal” new U.S. sanctions on Russia and warned any new measures would reduce the chances of a summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and President Vladimir Putin taking place.

People familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday that the United States may announce sanctions on Russia as soon as Thursday for alleged interference in U.S. elections and malicious cyber activity, targeting several individuals and entities.