Russia

ST. PETERSBURG, May 12. /TASS/: Russia will continue to use all available legal instruments to bring those behind the explosions at the Nord Stream gas pipelines to responsibility, but the likelihood of this happening at international court bodies is slim, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday.

"Naturally, we will continue to use all available legal instruments to hold those responsible accountable but the chances of doing that at international court bodies are negligible," he said at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum.

MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/: Russia welcomes mutually beneficial political, economic and cultural partnership, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message to participants of the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF).

"Russia has been invariably in favor of building a mutually beneficial partnership in the political and security sphere, in the economy, science, culture and sports," Putin said in the message uploaded to the Kremlin website on Friday.

MOSCOW, May 12 (Reuters) - The commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet has said its defences are being tightened amid a flurry of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting its home base, the Crimean port of Sevastopol.

Vice Admiral Viktor Sokolov told Friday's edition of the military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda ("Red Star"): "In connection with the threat of attacks by robotic surface and underwater systems, we have increased the technical defences of the fleet's main base and of the ships' anchorages."

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/: The Bank of Russia may consider an increase in the key rate at its next board meetings if it notices signs of accelerating price pressure that threatens reaching the targeted inflation of 4%, according to the regulator’s Governor Elvira Nabiullina.

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/: The seizure of the US assets of Konstantin Malofeyev, the founder of the Tsargrad television channel, is "outright robbery," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Thursday.

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/: The Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday denied reports that its defenses were breeched in some spots of the engagement line.

"The statements circulating on some Telegram channels and alleging breaches of defense in various sections of the engagement line are not true," the ministry said.

It said the situation in the area of the special military operation is generally under control.

MOSCOW, May 11 (NNN-TASS) – Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, met with his counterparts from Iran, Syria, and Türkiye in Moscow, where they proposed to assemble a roadmap, normalising relations between Türkiye and Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The four sides agreed to appoint their deputy foreign ministers, to prepare the roadmap, aiming to advance relations between Türkiye and Syria. The diplomats would be working with the defence ministries and special services of the four countries.

MOSCOW, May 11 (Reuters) - The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group said on Thursday that his forces' flanks were under pressure near the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, resulting in the loss of ground that his men had captured at heavy cost.

Yevgeny Prigozhin has argued that it is the job of regular Russian forces to protect Wagner's flanks near Bakhmut, the city at the centre of the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.

"The situation on the flanks is developing according to the worst predicted scenario," Prigozhin said in an audio message.

11 May 2023; MEMO: The foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia, Iran and Syria have agreed to facilitate and guarantee the "voluntary, safe, and dignified" return of Syrian refugees to their country. The announcement came after a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday, Anadolu has reported.

MOSCOW, May 10. /TASS/: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday extended best wishes to Turkey for successful presidential and parliamentary elections slated for May 14, and expressed confidence that they would be fair and transparent.