Blast near FSB office in Russia's Arkhangelsk Region leaves one person dead

MOSCOW, October 31. /TASS/. The person injured in an explosion near the building of the Federal Security Service’s (FSB) Directorate for the Arkhangelsk Region in Arkhangelsk has died, emergency services told TASS.

"The injured person died during treatment," the source said.

The source specified that the killed person was not a FSB officer; he is being identified. According to earlier reports, an explosion occurred near the building of the Federal Security Service’s (FSB) Directorate for the Arkhangelsk Region. The causes of the explosion are being determined.

Source: ITAR-TASS 31-10-2018

Ukrainian forces shell LPR territory twice over last 24 hours

Since the start of the conflict, the sides have agreed on a ceasefire over 20 times already, but violations keep occurring.

LUGANSK, October 30. /TASS/. Ukrainian forces have shelled the territory of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) twice over the last 24 hours, LPR people's militia said on Tuesday.

"The settlements of Golubovskoye and Kalinovka came under fire. Ukrainian forces used weapons of infantry fighting vehicles," LuganskInformCenter quoted LPR people's militia as saying.

The last agreement on ceasefire in eastern Ukraine was reached at the Contact Group meeting in Minsk. The ceasefire was supposed to start overnight to September 29, right before the beginning of a school year. Since the start of the conflict, the sides have agreed on a ceasefire over 20 times already, but violations keep occurring.

Source: ITAR-TASS 30-10-2018

Senior Russian diplomat condemns Kiev for condoning neo-Nazism

A diplomat says human rights violations have become a regular occurrence in Ukraine.

MOSCOW, October 29. /TASS/. Human rights violations have become a regular occurrence in Ukraine, as the country’s authorities have been playing along with neo-Nazis, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said, addressing the Second Moscow International Conference on Countering Anti-Semitism, Racism and Xenophobia on Monday.

"The situation in countries where the state often times condones the spread of neo-Nazi dogma, as well as organizations following these doctrines, raises alarm bells," he stressed. "Ukraine is an perfect example of such a miserable situation, as human rights violations, which run counter to Kiev’s international legal obligations, have become commonplace there," Vershinin added.

"In early October, in addition to the so-called education law, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada passed the first reading of a discriminatory bill ensuring the use of the Ukrainian language as the state one," the Russian deputy foreign minister went on to say. "This legal initiative is a continuation of Kiev’s policy aimed at the complete Ukrainization of society and will apply to the areas of education, culture, legal proceedings, media and even consumer service. And you know what kind of attitude the Ukrainian authorities have towards events commemorating Nazi collaborators," he emphasized.

"Ukraine’s current legislation does not prohibit the use of the swastika and similar symbols. An article banning the justification of crimes committed by the Nazis and their quislings has been abolished," the senior Russian diplomat pointed out.

Source: ITAR-TASS 29-10-2018

Samarkand electronic warfare systems to be deployed in 13 Russian military units

They will be sent to the Kaliningrad, Murmansk and other areas of northwestern Russia, and also to the Far East’s Primorye Region.

MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry plans to deploy 16 Samarkand electronic warfare systems in 13 military units, a document published on the ministry’s state procurement website said on Sunday.

Three types of Samarkand electronic warfare systems will be sent to the Kaliningrad, Murmansk and other areas of northwestern Russia, and also to the Far East’s Primorye Region.

The contract to the tune of 61 mln rubles ($929,000) is due to be implemented by November 10, 2019.

The Northern Fleet received the Samarkand electronic warfare systems in 2017. Samarkand is designed to assess electromagnetic situation, search, detect and analyze radio emissions.

Source: ITAR-TASS 28-10-2018

DPR militia shoots down Ukrainian army’s drone - DPR People’s Militia

It was targeting a DPR military facility.

DONETSK, October 27. /TASS/. Militias of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) have shot down a Ukrainian unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCVA) when it was targeting a DPR military facility, Spokesman for the DPR People's Militia Daniil Bezsonov said on Saturday.

"The Ukrainian side keeps breaching the Minsk accords concerning the use of UCVAs. In the past 24 hours, as the adversary was attempting to deliver a strike on a guarded military facility of the DPR People’s Militia, the air defense force destroyed another unmanned combat aerial vehicle of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," he was cited by the Donetsk news agency as saying.

The agreements adopted at Minsk meetings of the Contact Group seeking peace for eastern Ukraine allow only the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to use UAVs in areas adjacent to the disengagement line in Donbass.

Source: ITAR-TASS 27-10-2018

Putin congratulates Austria’s authorities on National Day

Putin is confident that by working together, the two states will boost fruitful cooperation in various areas for the sake of the countries’ people and in the interest of European security.

VIENNA, October 26. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Austrian National Day. Putin’s congratulatory messages were passed to them through the Russian embassy in Vienna.

"Please accept my warmest congratulations on Austrian National Day, which marks the day when a constitutional law on permanent neutrality was passed," Putin said. "It is with satisfaction that I note the constructive nature of Russian-Austrian relations. I am confident that by working together, we will boost bilateral dialogue and fruitful cooperation in various areas for the sake of our countries’ people and in the interest of European security and stability. I wish good health and every success to you and prosperity to the Austrian people," the Russian president added.

The Austrian parliament passed the constitutional law on permanent neutrality on October 26, 1955, in order to ensure country’s independence and territorial integrity. The law says that Austria will maintain and protect its neutrality through all available means, will never join any military unions and will not allow foreign states to set up military bases on its territory.

Austria’s declaration of neutrality became possible after the victorious states of World War II had withdrawn their troops from the country in 1955. Since then, Austrian National Day has been celebrated on October 26.

Source: ITAR-TASS 26-10-2018

Krasnodar Region floods leave two dead

Floods have left two people dead and two others injured along with one missing in the Tuapse district of the Krasnodar Region, parts of which were hammered by severe storms.

KRASNODAR, October 25. /TASS/. Floods have left two people dead and two others injured along with one missing in the Tuapse district of the Krasnodar Region, parts of which were hammered by severe storms, Municipal District Head Anatoly Rusin told TASS on Thursday.     

“Two people have been killed – these are residents of the Tuapse district – two others were injured, and one is missing,” he specified.    

On the other hand, local medical services told TASS that two people had been killed and three had been injured in heavy rains in the Krasnodar Region. “According to preliminary information, the bodies of two people were uncovered in the flooded area. The causes for their deaths are being investigated. Three more people were injured,” the source said. There is a search and rescue operation underway for one person who is situated in the inundated area, he said. 

The Russian Emergencies Ministry’s Main Directorate for the Krasnodar Region reported that areas in 19 communities of the Tuapse district and six communities of the Apsheronsk district were partially flooded following a cyclone that swept through the Krasnodar Region, with heavy rains. More than 360 people were evacuated.        

Downpours throughout the Krasnodar Region had previously flooded railway lines, delayed trains and devastated a bridge on the Tuapse-Maikop highway. All services are operating on a round-the-clock basis. In addition, the connection to Sochi via the federal highway was disrupted after a bridge had been partially destroyed.

The Emergencies Ministry earlier issued a warning about floods with thunderstorms, hail and winds that were expected to arrive in the region on October 25 and 26.

Source: ITAR-TASS 25-10-2018

Russia's security chief warns of growing terrorist activity in Siberia

The Siberian Federal District launched 56 criminal cases for terror-related crimes in the nine months of 2018.

NOVOSIBIRSK, October 24. /TASS/. Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev has noted a growing level of terror activity and a high probability of the infiltration of international terrorists in Siberia’s regions.

"The issues we will study today are also important for providing security for citizens and the state. It is caused by the growing level of terrorist activity in the region and the high probability of the infiltration of members of international terrorist organizations in Siberian regions, as well as the growth of the intensity of labor migration from the Central Asian countries," Patrushev said at a conference in Novosibirsk on Wednesday.

The Siberian Federal District launched 56 criminal cases for terror-related crimes in the nine months of 2018, he said. Russian Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Siberian Federal District Sergei Menyailo noted that the number of such crimes grew by 70% compared to the same time frame last year, whereas the average level across the country dropped by 10.5%.

"The incoming information shows that facilities located in the district’s entities are in the sight of international terrorist and extremist organizations," the Security Council secretary stated.

He noted that the activity of intelligence services in light of this should be preventive and be aimed at eliminating the causes and conditions that contribute to the commitment of terror attacks.

The Security Council secretary reported that in the first half of 2018 prosecutors detected more than 9,000 violations of counter-terrorism laws in Siberia. In addition, more than one-third of facilities - mainly cultural, sports and religious facilities - and territories in the district failed to comply with the anti-terrorism security requirements, which is due, in particular, to the lack of funds in regional and local budgets, the Security Council secretary said.

Source: ITAR-TASS 24-10-2018

Four DPR servicemen killed in shellings by Ukrainian troops in past week

The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic urged international organizations to condemn the actions of Ukrainian forces.

DONETSK, October 22. /TASS/. Four servicemen of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) were killed over the past week in shellings by Ukrainian forces, Daniil Bezsonov, a spokesman for the DPR’s defense ministry, said on Monday.

"Three our servicemen were killed on Sunday in the village of Leninskoye in the south of DPR as a result of shellings by Ukrainian forces. We offer our condolences to their families and call on international organizations, first of all, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), to resolutely condemn the Ukrainian side’s criminal actions," the Donetsk News Agency quoted him as saying.

One more serviceman was killed by a Ukrainian sniper in the village of Kominternovo.

Earlier in the day, Ruslan Yakobov, who heads the DPR’s mission to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC), said that as many as 30 ceasefire violations by Ukrainian troops had been reported during the past 24 hours.

The "back-to-school" ceasefire came into force in Donbass from midnight August 29. It was agreed upon by the Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine on August 22, ahead of a new academic year. The ceasefire was violated three hours after it came into effect as Ukrainian forces shelled Gorlovka’s suburbs.

Since the outbreak of the conflict in Donbass, the parties have agreed on more than 20 ceasefires. The longest one of them was reported in 2016 when the ceasefire held for six consecutive weeks. However, all efforts to establish lasting ceasefire have been failing so far.

Source: ITAR-TASS 23-10-2018

Forty-six injured in Crimea college attack remain in hospitals

According to the ministry, all critical and serious patients are stable, without a negative dynamic.

MOSCOW, October 22. /TASS/. Forty-six people injured in the Kerch college attack remain in hospitals, the Russian Ministry of Health’s press service informed on Monday.

"As of the morning of October 22, 46 people are currently in medical facilities, including 28 children," the ministry stated.

The press service added that three people are in a critical condition, eight are in a serious condition. Six people were transferred to Moscow last week and during the weekend; two more remain in Krasnodar. "20 people are in a moderately serious condition, 16 people’s condition is satisfactory," the Ministry of Health added.

According to the ministry, "all critical and serious patients are stable, without a negative dynamic."

On October 17, an attack involving a blast and a shooting spree rocked Crimea's Kerch Polytechnic College, killing 21 individuals, including the attacker, and injuring more than 70. According to the head of the region, Sergei Aksyonov, the culprit for the blast was a college student, who later committed suicide.

Initially, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case on terrorism counts. Later, the authorities reclassified the criminal case as murder.

Source: ITAR-TASS 22-10-2018

Russian senator says US withdrawal from INF Treaty blow to global strategic stability

On Saturday US President Donald Trump said that Washington will withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty

MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. Washington's withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty will become a second blow to global strategic stability after US exit from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 2001, head of the Russian Federation Council's temporary commission on informational policy and communication Alexey Pushkov wrote on hit Twitter microblog on Sunday.

"In case of US exit, a powerful blow will be delivered to the whole system of strategic stability in the world. The first blow was US withdrawal from the ABM Treaty in 2001. The US is once again initiating the withdrawal from the treaty," Pushkov wrote.

On Saturday US President Donald Trump said that Washington will withdraw from the INF Treaty because Russia is violating the terms of the agreement. At the same time, he did not rule out signing a new agreement on intermediate-range nuclear forces with Moscow and Beijing if Russia and China provide guarantees of halting the production of such weapons.

The US has first accused Russia of violating the conditions of the INF Treaty in July 2014. Russia refuted all such allegations and put forward their concerns about US compliance with the Treaty.

The INF Treaty was signed between USSR and US on December 8, 1987 in Washington, DC.

Source: ITAR-TASS 21-10-2018

Body parts found at L-39 crash site in Sea of Azov, says source

Around 50 fragments of the plane have been lifted.

MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. Body parts have been found at the L-39 training plane crash site in the Sea of Azov, a source in the aviation circles told TASS, adding that search works continue.

"Two body parts have been found. Search works continue. Around 50 fragments of the plane have been lifted," he said.

Earlier reported said that the Russian Defense Ministry’s military training jet L-39 Albatros crashed during a training flight on Thursday. Technical failure is a likely reason. The plane carried no weapons. Both pilots are believed to have ejected themselves, though their whereabouts are still unknown. A source said earlier that the plane had taken off from the airdrome of a naval aviation pilots’ retraining center in Yeysk.

The training plane L-39 Albatros was developed in Czechoslovakia. It performed its first flight in 1968. In 1972, it was selected as the main training plane for the military pilots of the Warsaw Treaty Organization’s member-states. Russia’s flight schools still use it as the main plane to train cadets.

Source: ITAR-TASS 20-10-2018

About 20,000 people pay last tributes to victims of Crimea college attack

On October 17, a student went on a shooting rampage, detonated a bomb at the Kerch Polytechnic College in Crimea, and later committed suicide.

KERCH, October 19. /TASS/. About 20,000 people have come to Lenin Square in central Kerch on Friday, where a funeral service for the people killed in the attack on a city college is being held, deputy head of the city administration Dilyaver Melgaziyev told TASS.

About 10,000 people were expected to attend the funeral service, according to earlier reports. Kerch’s population is about 150,000.

"About 20,000 [people] have come," the deputy mayor said, noting that the lying-in-state ceremony may be shortened at the request of the bereaved families.

On October 17, a Kerch Polytechnic College student opened fire in the college and set off an explosive device. Twenty people were killed, about 50 were injured, and the attacker committed suicide. The criminal case launched under the "Terror Attack" section was later reclassified under the "Murder" section. Three days of morning were declared in Crimea on October 18.

Source: ITAR-TASS 19-10-2018

Death toll from Crimea college attack climbs to 21

On October 17, a student went on a shooting rampage, detonated a bomb at the Kerch Polytechnic College in Crimea, and later committed suicide.

MOSCOW, October 18. /TASS/. The death toll from an explosion and shooting at a college in the Crimean city of Kerch has reached 21, a medical source informed TASS.

"A girl has died. The death toll has thus climbed to 21," the source said.

"Twenty-one [fatalities] indeed. Another victims has died in the hospital," Crimea’s Center for Disaster Medicine confirmed.

On Wednesday, a student went on a shooting rampage, detonated a bomb at the Kerch Polytechnic College in Crimea, and later committed suicide. Initially, a criminal case was opened on terrorism counts, but was later reclassified as murder.

Twenty-one people died because of the shooting and explosion at the Kerch technical college, including the attacker who committed suicide. Around 50 people were taken to local hospitals, with ten of them in intensive care units in grave condition. Three days of mourning have been declared in Crimea as of Thursday.

Source: ITAR-TASS 18-10-2018

Blast hits college in Crimea’s Kerch, fatalities reported

At least 18 people were taken to hospital following the incident, according to the medics.

MOSCOW, October 17. /TASS/. An explosion rocked a polytechnic college in Kerch, in the east of Crimea, on Wednesday, leaving a number of people dead and injured, a source in the local emergency services told TASS.

"The blast occurred this afternoon. There are deaths and injuries. Emergency services are heading to the accident scene," the source said.

The explosion occurred at one of the premises and several claps were heard.

A source in the local law enforcement agencies said the blast left some people dead and "scores of those injured."

Doctors, rescuers, firefighters and police are working at the scene. Many ambulance cars have arrived from the college to a city hospital.

According to preliminary information, a gas cylinder has exploded in a polytechnic college in Kerch, a law enforcement source told TASS.

"According to preliminary information, a gas cylinder has exploded," the source said.

Source: ITAR-TASS 17-10-2018

Russian Embassy in London says Bellingcat may be linked to special services

The biography of Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins "also raises many questions".

LONDON, October 16. /TASS/. The Bellingcat group may be linked to special services, judging from the nature of information they publish and their non-transparent structure, the press secretary of the Russian Embassy in London said.

"Bellingcat's connections with special services are apparent if one takes into account the circumstances surrounding this group," the press secretary said. He named several factors that serve as evidence to this: the group was established "several days before the MH17 crash," it publishes information that combines "features of intelligence data and high-quality fakes," its activities are directed against Russia.

The press secretary also drew attention to the fact that Bellingcat publishes its materials "at a moment that is especially convenient for NATO countries."

The biography of Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins also raises many questions, as he "turned from a video gamer into an 'icon of independent journalism' practically overnight," he noted adding that "non-transparent structure and funding" only add more questions. "If Bellingcat can provide a plausible explanation of such a combination of factors, they should present it to the public," the press secretary said.

Source: ITAR-TASS 16-10-2018

Russian diplomat: those accusing Russia of cyberattack will soon apologize for provocation

The West is seeking to discredit Russia’s initiative to elaborate a code of conduct in the cyber space, that is why it is accusing Russia of plotting a cyberattack on OPCW, Maria Zakharova said.

MAGADAN, October 14. /TASS/. Those who accuse Russia of plotting cyberattacks will soon have to apologize for organizing this large-scale provocation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Rossiya-1 television channel on Sunday.

She recalled a scandal around the activities of the UK intelligence services that took place in Moscow in 2006, when officers of the Russian Federal Security Service exposed the British intelligence service’s newest tool to maintain contact with its agents that was disguised as a stone.

"They denied everything back then. But several years later, the British side had to apologize and admit that they had used stone, caches and something else. So, I think that before too long we will hear them apologizing and admitting that it all [accusations of cyberattacks] was a colossal provocation," she said.

"These provocative activities are geared to demonize Russia," Zakharova said. "When the first leaks appeared in the local Dutch press, we immediately asked them if they had any questions to us. To have only silence in response."

The West is seeking to discredit Russia’s initiative to elaborate a code of conduct in the cyber space, that is why it is accusing Russia of plotting a cyberattack on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Maria Zakharova said.

"First they organized leaks in the mass media and then fanned a scandal only now, after six months of silence. What for? Russia has just come out with an initiative to its partners globally to elaborate a code of conduct in cyber space. And they are sparing no effort to pull the rug from under our feet, to say that it must be the West to offer the world a framework for elaborating common rules of behavior in cyber space rather than Russia," she told the Rossiya-1 television channel.

Speaking at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov came out with an initiative to work out an anti-cybercrime convention and elaborate under the UN auspices global rules of responsible behavior of states in information space.

On October 4, Dutch Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld claimed at a news conference that Dutch military intelligence and security services had foiled an attack by Russian hackers against the OPCW. She alleged that four Russians - Alexey Morenets, Yevgeny Serebryakov, Oleg Sotnikov and Alexey Minin - were involved in the incident. Bijleveld claimed that all the four worked for the Main Directorate (formerly the Main Intelligence Directorate, the GRU) of Russia’s General Staff. According to the minister, the equipment confiscated from them was evidence that they had tried to get access to the data on the MH17 crash in Ukraine.

Also on October 4, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt blamed the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces for organizing a series of cyberattacks that affected people’s interests across the globe.

The US authorities followed the lead and brought charges in absentia against seven presumed Russian military intelligence officers accusing them of staging gross cyberattacks. Along with the above mentioned persons, the list features the names of Dmitry Badin, Ivan Yermakov and Artyom Malyshev. The US side claims from December 2014 to at least May 2018 these people indulged in hacking computers of US citizens, corporate institutions and international organizations in various parts of the world, including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the Canadian Center for Ethics in Sport (CCES), the Organization for OPCW and US’ Westinghouse.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied Russia’s involvement in any cyberattacks.

Source: ITAR-TASS 15-10-2018

Russia’s Duma speaker says world should never forget Sobibor death camp’s tragedy

This page of history was not well known for the broad public, Vyacheslav Volodin noted.

MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. The whole world should remember the tragedy of Nazi death camp Sobibor so that such crimes never happen again, Speaker of Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin said on Sunday on occasion of the 75th anniversary of the revolt.

"On October 14, 1943 in the Nazi death camp Sobibor the only successful revolt of inmates during World War II occurred. It was led by Soviet officer Alexander Pechersky, who was able to unite people for a fight against the enemy," Volodin said, according to the State Duma’s press service.

This page of history was not well known for the broad public, Volodin noted. "This year the biography and memoirs of Alexander Pechersky were filmed by Konstantin Khabensky," he said. The movie was submitted to compete for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

"This means that many people in various countries will find out about the exploit of a Soviet officer and think about it," Volodin said. "The whole world should remember the tragedy so that similar crimes never happen again," he stressed.

Sobibor was in operation from May 1942 through to October 1943. Various sources indicate that the Nazis annihilated from 150,000 to 250,000 Jewish people from Poland and other European countries. The Nazi command closed the camp down right after the rebellion led by Pechersky and razed its compound to the ground.

Source: ITAR-TASS 14-10-2018

Ukrainian forces fire over 700 shells at LPR in past week

At least 13 populated localities came under fire by Ukrainian forces in the past seven days.

LUGANSK, October 12. /TASS/. Ukrainian forces have fired 730 shells into the territory of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) over the past week, acting chief of the LPR people's militia Mikhail Filiponenko said on Friday.

"In the past week, the Ukrainian forces have violated the ceasefire 39 times. More than 730 mortars and shells were fired into the republic," he was quoted by the LuganskInformCenter news agency as saying.

According to Filiponenko, at least 13 populated localities came under shelling by the Ukrainian military. "I want to underline that each case of shelling is documented and all the materials proving the Ukrainian authorities’ war crimes against Donbass people are handed over to the LPR investigative bodies for criminal inquiries to be opened. Each criminal will be held accountable," he added.

After a regular Minsk meeting of the Contact Group seeking peace in eastern Ukraine, another ceasefire named the ‘back-to-school ceasefire’ came into force at midnight on August 29. Nevertheless, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) reported that the Ukrainian military breached the agreement by shelling the outskirts of Gorlovka three hours after the ceasefire had become effective. Since the outbreak of hostilities in Donbass, the sides have reached more than 20 ceasefire agreements. The most successful of them was in 2016 when a lull lasted for six weeks.

Source: ITAR-TASS 13-10-2018

Crimea breaks through information blockade, says Russian foreign ministry

Maria Zakharova noted that the pople of the peninsula are the first source of information about life over there and can "talk about their achievements, problems, everyday life"

SEVASTOPOL, October 11. /TASS/. Crimea has managed to break through the information blockade at the international level, and Crimean journalists have started to participate in international events. It is important because people living on the peninsula can provide reliable information about what is happening in the region, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS.

"I think, and I will repeat myself, that the information blockade is already broken. We have examples of Crimean journalists participating in international forums, off-site or personally. We will continue working on this," Zakharova said.

She noted that after Crimea had begun to form part of Russia, activists and regular citizens of the peninsula did not have a chance to talk on the international scene, while they are the first source of information about life on the peninsula and can "talk about their achievements, problems, everyday life."

"We know that the main goal of Crimean journalists in the area of international relations is to make their voices be heard. And with that goal, the foreign ministry is undertaking relevant work and organizing their participation, <…> while the West actively resists that. We organize and remain in contact with international organizations, public organizations [to discuss] the participation of Crimean journalists in a lively debate, when the issues are directly related to Crimea," the diplomat added.

Crimea’s information blockade

On March 11, 2014, Crimea’s legislature and the city council of Sevastopol adopted a declaration of independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol amid a political crisis and change of power in Ukraine. On March 16, Crimea and Sevastopol held referendums, in which 96.77% of Crimeans and 95.6% of the people of Sevastopol voted to be incorporated into Russia. In both cases the turnout was above 80%. Ukraine, the United States and the European Union refused to recognize the independence of Crimea, and its forming part of Russia.

Some countries have introduced an information blockade of the peninsula, which created issues connected with the region’s representation on the international scene. On September 11, head of the Millet Crimean Tatar TV channel Ervin Musayev took the floor at a meeting of the OSCE and introduced himself as a representative of Crimea, Russia, three countries - Ukraine, Canada and Austria - protested and the mic was turned off. In 2017, Andrei Trofimov, Head of the Crimean Branch of the Russian Union of Journalists, was stopped from delivering his address at the Ukrainian delegation’s request.

Source: ITAR-TASS 12-10-2018

Ukraine preparing provocation against Russian border guards in Sea of Azov — source

According to the source, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service is planning to dispatch a border patrol boat with a group of Ukrainian journalists from the port of Mariupol on October 11.

MOSCOW, October 10. /TASS/. Ukraine is preparing a provocation against Russian border guards in the Sea of Azov with the help of journalists, a source told TASS.

"On October 11, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service is planning to dispatch a border patrol boat with a group of Ukrainian journalists from the port of Mariupol to the Sea of Azov.

[They] are to gather information and make a video report about alleged aggressive actions of Russia’s FSB Border Service against Ukrainian commercial vessels and about the blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov," the source said.

Regardless of lawful and professional activities of the Russian border guards who ensure safety of navigation in the Kerch Strait, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea by providing regular assistance to vessels with Ukrainian sailors on board, Ukraine remains prejudiced and biased in covering the developments in both seas.

Source: ITAR-TASS 11-10-2018

Russia ready to repel possible UK cyberattacks — diplomat

A diplomat says Russia is well-prepared for repelling any possible cyberattacks by Britain

MINSK, October 9. /TASS/. Russia is well-prepared for repelling any likely cyberattacks by Britain, if any, and to respond with harsh retaliation, Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov told TASS in an interview.

"I know nothing about this [the possibility of cyberattacks by Britain]," Syromolotov said. "But should they try to do this, we will respond with harsh retaliation. We are ready to repel them [cyberattacks]."

Source: ITAR-TASS 10-10-2018

Explosion reported at ammunition depot in northern Ukraine

About 10,000 people have been evacuated.

KIEV, October 9. /TASS/. An explosion was reported at an ammunition depot in Ukraine's Chernigov Region, resulting in a fire, the General Staff of the Ukrainain Armed Forces said on its official Facebook page on Tuesday.

"At 3:30am [local time], we received a report from the head of the 6th arsenal that an explosition occured on technical territory near the settlement of Ichnya in the Chernigov Region," the General Staff said.

People are being evacuated. An operational group was dispatched to the site of the explosion. "Appropriate restrictive measure are being introduced in the Chernigov Region and along it borders," the General Staff said.

About 10,000 people have been evacuated from the danger zone in the area close to the burning ammunition depot in Ukraine’s northern Chernigov Region, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported on Tuesday.

"At 03:40 on October 9, the State Emergency Service received a report on a fire and explosions on the territory of the Defense Ministry’s 6th arsenal near the settlement of Druzhba in the Chernigov Region’s Ichnya District," the Emergency Service said, adding that around 10,000 have been evacuated from the area.

Besides, "the airspace within a radius of 20 km has been closed since 04:22, while rail and road traffic has been suspended."

According to Ukraine’s Deputy Interior Minister Sergei Yarovoi, there are no immediate reports of casualties. "The emergency response center has been deployed [to the area]. There is no information about any victims," he said in a statement posted on the ministry’s website.

Source: ITAR-TASS 09-10-2018

Kalibr missiles destroy 'enemy' facilities during Caspian military drills

Bilateral command and staff exercises with general armies are being held at eight regional training ranges in the Russian Southern Military District on October 1-8

ROSTOV-ON-DON, October 6. /TASS/. Missile ships of the Caspian Flotilla have delivered strikes with high-precision weapons at the facilities of an 'enemy' on the Chechen Island in the Caspian Sea, head of the press service of the Southern Military District Vadim Astafyev told journalists on Saturday.

"Missile ships Dagestan and Tatarstan have completed the task of missile striking crucial facilities of an 'enemy' on the Chechen Island in the framework of the bilateral command and staff exercise," Astafyev said.

He added that two Kalibr cruise missiles flew for around 100 nautical miles (180 kilometers) and successfully struck targets represented by two buildings of 10 meters by 10 meters. Commander of the Southern Military District Alexander Dvornikov observed the drills.

Astafyev said that ships from Russia's Caspian Flotilla and air defense systems from the Southern Military District have also successfully completed the task of repelling missile attacks from real targets.

"A special system of grouping ships of the Caspian Flotilla, together with the capacities of Podsolnukh-E over-the-horizon surface-wave radar and Buk-M3 missile systems, have allowed us to considerably increase the range of detection and destruction of 'enemy' missiles," he added.

A cruise missile attack was imitated by Su-25 attack aircraft from the 4th army of the Russian Armed Forces and by air defense systems.

Missile ships Tatarstan and Dagestan completed combat training tasks together with Astrakhan, Uglich and Makhachkala corvettes, and Volgodonsk small-size gunnery ship.

Astafyev reminded that bilateral command and staff exercises with general armies are being held at eight regional training ranges on October 1-8.

Up to 7,000 servicemen and over 2,500 units of military equipment, including 20 planes over 60 helicopters, are taking part in the drills.

Source: ITAR-TASS 08-10-2018

Putin turns 66: birthday not a reason for having a rest

Last year, Putin spent his birthday far away from Moscow, holding an urgent meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council in Sochi.

MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin turns 66 on Sunday. "The president will spend this day together with his near and dear ones, and friends," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS.

Traditionally, on his birthday Putin receives greetings from other leaders by phone. Among the first foreign leaders who congratulated Putin on Sunday was Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Armen Sarkissian. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in a phone conversation wished Putin good health and success in his hard work for the benefit of Russia and its people.

Last year, Putin spent his birthday far away from Moscow, holding an urgent meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council in Sochi. In 2016, the Russian president did not hold any public events on that day. A year earlier, Putin took part in a match of the Night Hockey League, and in 2014 he officially took a day off and flew to the Siberian taiga to mark his birthday.

Birthday gifts to president

This year, President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik was one of the first leaders to congratulate Putin. Last week, during their meeting in Sochi he greeted Putin on the upcoming holiday, and presented him a badge with the flag of the country saying that this is "actually the Russian flag upside down."

A year ago, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow gave Putin a shepherd dog (locally known as Alabai) named Verny (Faithful).

Retail chains, restaurants, public organizations and citizens from around the world often hold various events to congratulate Putin on this day in a fancy way.

Last year, when Putin turned 65, German businessmen presented him a T-shirt with a German national team and a statuette with Soviet football star Lev Yashin. A restaurant in Washington D.C. offered visitors a special pizza named "Hot Like Putin." Another restaurant in New York honored Putin with a five-patty burger. The Europeans also congratulated the Russian leader: graffiti appeared on the streets in Paris and Berlin with congratulations.

Unusual events are also held across Russia. This year, the All-Russian People’s Front made "greetings from people" based on video messages sent by Russian citizens. The organization’s youth branch will hold an event called "A postcard for the president," collecting messages for Putin written by Russians.

Source: ITAR-TASS 07-10-2018

Ukrainian forces shell LPR territory 6 times over last 24 hours

Ukrainian Armed Forces used 122mm artillery, mortars, weapons on armored vehicles and grenade launchers

LUGANSK, October 6. /TASS/. Ukrainian Armed Forces have shelled the territory of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) six times over the last 24 hours, LPR defense ministry reported on Saturday.

"The settlements of Lozovoye, Sokolniki, Nizhneye Lozovoye and Zhelobok were subjected to shellings," Lugansk Inform Center quoted the ministry as saying. Ukrainian Armed Forces used 122mm artillery, mortars, weapons on armored vehicles and grenade launchers.

The Contact Group on Ukraine agreed on ceasefire starting from midnight on August 29, right before the start of the school year. The sides in the conflict have agreed to establish the ceasefire regime over 20 times since 2014, but violations keep occurring.

Source: ITAR-TASS 06-10-2018

Russian military has no plans to scrap traditional ushanka hat

"The decree only changes the terminology. The headgear itself did not change in any way," a Defense Ministry official said

MOSCOW, October 5. /TASS/. The Russian armed forces are not planning to scrap their traditional winter hat with ear flaps, known as ushanka, a Russian defense ministry official has told TASS, commenting on rumors of ushanka’s possible retirement.

The rumors were sparked by the Russian government’s decree introducing amendments to the peacetime military allowance standards for Russian servicemen. The document, published on Thursday, says that "the phrase ‘ushanka hat’ should be replaced with the word ‘hat.’"

"The decree only changes the terminology. The headgear itself did not change in any way," the official said, adding that the amendment was aimed at simplifying paperwork.

The Russian military’s ushanka hats were improved between 2013 and 2015, when the Russian armed forces were being equipped with new uniforms. The new version of the traditional - and somewhat stereotypical - hat features better heat insulation and longer ear flaps.

Source: ITAR-TASS 05-10-2018

Ukrainian forces violate ceasefire twice over last 24 hours — LPR people's militia

The Ukrainian forces shelled LPR from infantry fighting vehicles, weapons of 122mm caliber and small arms.

LUGANSK, October 4. /TASS/. The Ukrainian Armed Forces units have shelled the territory of the seld-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) twice over the last 24 hours, LPR's defense ministry said on Thursday.

"The settlements of Zhelobok and Sokolniki were subjected to shellings," LuganskInformCenter quoted a people's militia member as saying. The Ukrainian forces shelled LPR from infantry fighting vehicles, weapons of 122mm caliber and small arms.

Participants in the Contact Group on Ukraine have announced reaching agreements on ceasefire in the region over 20 times since the autumn of 2014. However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have repeatedly violated ceasefire with the use of large caliber weapons, mortars and tank weapons, though such weaponry was supposed to be be withdrawan in accordance with the Minsk Agreements.

Source: ITAR-TASS 04-10-2018

Austria’s chancellor calls for dialogue ahead of his visit to Russia

The chancellor will travel to St. Petersburg where he is scheduled to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

VIENNA, October 3. /TASS/. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has called for establishing dialogue with Russia, stressing that lasting peace in Europe can only be achieved with its participation.

"It is necessary to seek dialogue, contacts [with Russia], long-term peace on our continent can only be achieved with Russia, not against it," Kurz told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday following the Austrian government’s meeting.

Later in the day, the chancellor will travel to St. Petersburg where he is scheduled to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Source: ITAR-TASS 03-10-2018

Russia’s foreign intelligence chief blasts Skripal case as ‘crude provocation’

According to Naryshkin, "even if one assumed that some secret service had really been given such a task, the way it went about that business was very unprofessional".

MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/. The director of Russia’s foreign intelligence SVR, Sergei Naryshkin, believes that the Skripal case was a crude provocation.

"Even if one assumes that some secret service was really given such a task, the way it went about this business was very unprofessional. I can say once again that it was a crude provocation," Naryshkin said at a presentation of the two-volume edition A History of Crimea at TASS, when asked for comment on the Skripal saga.

If the British version is to be believed, former GRU Colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia on March 4 were affected by a Novichok class nerve agent applied to the handle of the door of their home in Salisbury. London claimed that Moscow was highly likely involved in this incident. Moscow strongly dismissed all speculations on that score, saying that no programs for making such a substance had ever existed in the former Soviet Union or Russia.

On September 5, British Prime Minister Theresa May briefed parliament on the investigation’s findings to declare that two Russians carrying passports issued in the names of Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov were suspected accomplices in the assassination attempt. Britain regards both men as GRU agents. Petrov and Boshirov in an interview to the RT television channel dismissed the charges.

The Daily Telegraph last Thursday claimed it knew the real name of the person suspected of the assassination attempt against the Skripals. The newspaper said that the man originally identified as Ruslan Boshirov was in reality Russian Colonel Anatoly Chepiga, a holder of several government awards.

Source: ITAR-TASS 02-10-2018

Putin to meet with Serbian president on October 2, says Kremlin

The Serbian leader arrived in Russia on October 1.

MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on Tuesday, October 2, with Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic, the Kremlin press service said on Monday.

President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic "will be in Russia on a working visit," the press service said. It said the two leaders will discuss "key issues of a further development of Russian-Serbian relations, as well as topical regional and international issues".

The Serbian leader arrived in Russia on October 1. Earlier, Vucic said he planned to discuss with Putin the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and ask him for support.

On Saturday, several dozens of members of Kosovo special forces entered Serb-populated northern districts in breach of international agreements. The special forces were deployed to positions around Lake Gazivode, took control over the local hydroelectric power plant and intruded the Ecology and Development Center in Zubin Potok. According to the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric, this was done to ensure security of leader of the self-proclaimed Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, during his visit to the region’s north.

In response, the Serbian president put the country’s armed forces and special police units on high alert and voiced protest to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Analysts say the Kosovars’ provocation was staged amid a challenging domestic political situation in Pristina. After the Kosovo delegation’s trip to the UN General Assembly was a failure, Thaci needed a "victorious" trip to the Serb territory, they explained.

Source: ITAR-TASS 01-10-2018