Russia

MOSCOW, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Russia's lunar spacecraft entered the moon's orbit on Wednesday, a major step towards the country's ambition of being the first to land on the moon's south pole in the search for frozen water.

The Luna-25 entered the moon's orbit at 11:57 a.m. (0857 GMT), Russia's space corporate Roskosmos said.

Luna-25 will circle the moon, the earth's only natural satellite, for around 5 days, then change course for a soft landing on the lunar south pole planned for Aug. 21.

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/: Ukrainian air defenses cannot fight Russian Kh-22 cruise missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force Command Spokesman Yury Ignat said in a live broadcast on the Rada television channel on Tuesday.

"Not a single [Russian] Kh-22 cruise missile has been destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses not only over the past night but also over the entire period of military operations," he said.

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/: The Russian battlegroup West has repelled five Ukrainian counterattacks in Kupyansk area over day, Sergey Zybinsky, the battlegroup’s spokesman, told TASS.

"In order to regain lost positions in the Kupyansk area, the enemy launched five counterattacks on our positions by units of the 14th independent mechanized brigade and the 95th independent airborne assault brigade. All counterattacks were thwarted by the group's artillery. The enemy's losses amounted to up to a platoon of infantry," he said.

KUBINKA /Moscow Region/, August 15. /TASS/: Russia and China maintain communication between the two countries’ military at a high level and conduct joint land, naval and air drills, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday.

PATRIOT PARK /Moscow Region/, August 15. /TASS/: The Western countries ignore all sobering signals from Russia about the risk the weapons being supplied to Kiev may spread around the world, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security.

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/: Most countries are prepared to stand up for their sovereignty and the times call for the international community to work together in shaping the world of the future, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a video address to participants and guests of the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security.

"We are seeing consistent movement toward the emergence of a multipolar world order. Most countries are prepared to stand up for their sovereignty, national interests, traditions, culture and way of life," he emphasized.

MOSCOW (AP) — U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy on Monday made her third visit to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been behind bars in Russia since March on charges of espionage.

Tracy last visited Gershkovich in early July.

MOSCOW (AP) — A massive explosion at a gas station in Russia’s southern republic of Dagestan killed 30 people and injured scores more, Russian officials said Tuesday.

Russia’s Emergency Ministry reported Tuesday that a total of 105 people were injured, and 30 of them died.

Three of those killed were children, Dagestan’s governor Sergei Melikov said.

MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/: Moscow is open to equal defense cooperation with all nations seeking to protect their interests, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a video address to participants in the Army-2023 forum.

MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/: Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev underscored the absurdity of Finland’s accession to NATO by posting a joke on his Telegram channel featuring a question-and-answer dialogue between two imaginary Finns.

"Pekka, why has our country joined NATO?" one Finn, Matti, asks the other. "Because we are facing the Russian threat," Pekka answers. "But why are we facing the Russian threat?" Matti ponders. "Matti, that’s because we are joining NATO," Pekka concludes.

Medvedev illustrated his jocular post with a picture.