Children account for 5% of new coronavirus patients in Moscow, reports crisis center

By now, a total of 1,613 cases have been registered in Moscow.

MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. More than one-third of 387 new coronavirus patients in Moscow are young people aged between 18 and 40, while children account for about 5% of them, Moscow’s coronavirus crisis center reported on Tuesday.

"New patients include about 40% of people aged from 40 to 65 and almost 35% aged from 18 to 40. Another 20% are people aged over 65 and about 5% are children. All patients and all those individuals who had close contact with them are already under medical supervision. About 10% of the newly-infected individuals have visited European countries over the past two weeks," the crisis center said.

According to the crisis center, another 387 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Moscow. By now, a total of 1,613 cases have been registered in the city.

According to the federal coronavirus task force, the number of coronavirus cases in Russia has grown by 500 over the past 24 hours reaching 2,337. As many as 121 patients have recovered, 17 people have died.

Source: ITAR-TASS 31-03-2020

Aeroflot flight to bring Russians home from Bali on March 29

Russia on March 27 suspended regular and charter flights to foreign countries, making an exception for flights aimed at bringing Russians home.

MOSCOW, March 28. /TASS/. Russia’s national air carrier Aeroflot will conduct an additional flight to repatriate Russian nationals from Bali, the Russian Transport Ministry said in a statement on Twitter.

"In order to repatriate Russians from Bali, Aeroflot (Rossiya Airlines is the flight operator) will carry out an additional 457-seat flight from Denpasar on March 29," the statement reads.

Russia on March 27 suspended regular and charter flights to foreign countries, making an exception for flights aimed at bringing Russians home.

Coronavirus pandemic

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in more than 160 countries, including Russia.

The WHO on March 11 declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. As of now, more than 570,000 people have been infected around the world and over 26,000 have died.

Source: ITAR-TASS 28-03-2020

Russia fully halts international flights amid coronavirus

The ban does not refer to cargo, postal, sanitary and humanitarian shipment.

MOSCOW, March 27. /TASS/. Russia has fully suspended regular and charter international flights since Friday and airlines will only perform flights to bring Russians back home, according to a decision announced by the board of the government’s coordination council.

The move comes amid the novel coronavirus pandemic declared by the World Health Organization and its rapid spread in 170 countries in the world, including Russia.

A spokesperson for the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency noted that the ban on performing flights from Russia overseas did not refer to cargo, postal, sanitary and humanitarian shipment.

Russia started suspending international flights since February 1. The restrictions were introduced in several stages. At first flights were limited to China, South Korea and a number of other countries, and then to Spain, Italy, Germany and France. In a few days, flights to entire Europe were banned. The most massive ban on flights was announced on March 23, targeting 95 countries. In all cases, flights were allowed only from Terminal F of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport to the capitals of the closed countries.

Until recently, Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot continued regular flights to several capitals. Earlier, Aeroflot told TASS that the restrictions concerned 92 out of 94 international routes of the airline. Aeroflot evacuated more than 52,000 people on March 14-25 to Russia.

Russia’s second largest airline S7 earlier fully halted its international flights but it still continues flights to evacuate citizens. Russia’s airlines Pobeda and Utair have fully stopped international flights. The country’s major charter airline Azur Air earlier reported that it would stop sending Russian tourists overseas from March 22 until April 20.

Source: ITAR-TASS 27-03-2020

Putin to address nation on coronavirus

Putin has cancelled his flight to St. Petersburg.

MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver his address to the Russian citizens over the coronavirus on Wednesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The address will be broadcast on television at 3 p.m. Moscow Time.

"Today the president’s schedule was changed: he is canceling his flight to St. Petersburg to stay in Moscow. Now he is working and in the coming hours he will complete the work on the text of his address to the citizens," Peskov said.

The Kremlin spokesman explained that this decision was made after an hours-long meeting on Tuesday on the epidemiological situation and a meeting with the leadership of the government, the Central Bank and the presidential administration to discuss support for citizens and national economy amid "the challenging global economic situation caused by the coronavirus outbreak."

"Now the president is completing the work on the address, it will be broadcast on television in the coming hours," Peskov noted.

Earlier, Putin was scheduled to pay a working visit to the Northwestern Federal District. "Tomorrow we are still planning to go to St. Petersburg, the program for tomorrow will be fulfilled there," Peskov said.

Putin is planning to take part in the G20 leaders’ video conference on the coronavirus on Thursday, Peskov told reporters. The event will be held at the initiative of Saudi Arabia, which is presiding over the G20.

The number of the novel coronavirus cases in Russia has grown by 163 over the past day to 658, with 55 regions hit by the disease, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said earlier on Wednesday. A total of 29 people have recovered.

The coronavirus outbreak was recorded in central China in late December 2019. More than 160 countries have been hit by this infection, which was labeled as a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. According to the latest data, over 410,000 people have contracted the virus and more than 18,000 have died.

Source: ITAR-TASS 25-03-2020

Russian military experts deployed to Bergamo to aid Italy in fight against COVID-19

Bergamo is one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 outbreak with a record number of infections and deaths in Italy.

MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. Russian military virologists and epidemiologists will be first deployed to Italy’s Bergamo, the Russian Defense Ministry informed reporters.

"On the outcomes of the consultations, it was decided that Russian military experts experienced in combating epidemics caused by dangerous infectious diseases all over the world would begin their work from Italy’s Bergamo. Currently, military officers are approving the 600-km route, preparing the equipment for the move," the ministry noted.

Bergamo, a city in northern Italy (the province of Lombardy) is one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy with a record number of infections and deaths in the country.

Under the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Defense Ministry sent several military jets to Italy that transported virologists, epidemiologists and the necessary equipment to the country. According to the ministry, the group includes specialists who directly took part in fighting outbreaks of African swine fever, as well as developing vaccines against Ebola and the plague. The planes also delivered mobile stations for aerosol disinfection of transport and territories and medical equipment.

A pneumonia outbreak caused by the COVID-19 virus (previously known as 2019-nCoV) was reported in China’s city of Wuhan, a large trade and industrial center with a population of 11 million, in late December 2019. Cases of the new coronavirus have also been reported in more than 190 countries and territories, among them Russia, which documented 495 cases as of March 24. According to recent data, novel coronavirus cases across the globe have exceeded 390,000, with about 17,000 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially described the situation with the novel coronavirus as a pandemic.

Source: ITAR-TASS 24-03-2020

Russia’s advanced radar in Kaliningrad to monitor entire territory of Europe — source

The first Konteiner radar went on combat duty in the Volga area region of Mordovia on December 1, 2019.

MOSCOW, March 19. /TASS/. Russia’s Konteiner new-generation over-the-horizon radar, capable of tracking launches of cruise and hypersonic missiles at the distance of up to 3,000 km, will be deployed in Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad to cover the entire territory of Europe, including the United Kingdom, a defense industry source told TASS on Thursday.

The first Konteiner radar went on combat duty in the Volga area region of Mordovia on December 1, 2019.

"The second Konteiner radar will be deployed in the Kaliningrad region. Several potential sites are now being considered," the source said.

He did not elaborate on when the radar will enter service, saying only that "the radar is planned to be deployed in the short-term perspective."

"The second radar will complement the first one, which entered service in Mordovia, and will be capable of monitoring the entire territory of Europe, including the United Kingdom," the source said. "Moreover, data coming from both stations will be combined to increase precision."

The Russian Defense Ministry said last December that Russia would set up a continuous radar field around its borders. The new system will comprise Konteiner new-generation over-the-horizon radars, based on the principle of receiving radio signals reflected from the ionosphere. Those radars are capable of tracking a mass take-off of combat aircraft, the launch of cruise missiles or hypersonic weapons at the distance of up to 3,000 km. Among other locations, Russia plans to deploy Konteiner radar stations in the Arctic region.

By now, Russia has set up a continuous radar field of its missile early warning system. It integrates Voronezh-type radar stations, which are designated to track the launches of ballistic missiles towards Russian territory.

Source: ITAR-TASS 22-03-2020

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov turns 70

TASS joins congratulations coming from Russia and all over the world.

MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov turns 70 on Saturday.

His achievements, hard work and clout on the global political arena are well-known. The minister has repeatedly revealed his secret to young diplomats: becoming a successful diplomat is impossible without constant readiness to learn and devotion to one’s profession and homeland.

A photo book headlined ‘Lavrov. Emotions’ was published recently, offering a glance not only at the minister’s career, intertwined with key international events of the 21st century, but also at some personal moments.

TASS joins congratulations coming from Russia and all over the world and wishes the minister health, strength and more good news.

Source: ITAR-TASS 21-03-2020

Russia’s Northern Fleet submariners to test fire Zircon hypersonic missiles

The Zircon missile was fired for the first time from a ship in early January.

MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. Submarines of Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet will conduct test firing of hypersonic missiles shortly, Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseyev said.

"In the nearest future, our submarines will begin test-firing hypersonic weapons. We have already received our orders," he said, speaking to Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.

MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. Submarines of Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet will conduct test firing of hypersonic missiles shortly, Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseyev said.

"In the nearest future, our submarines will begin test-firing hypersonic weapons. We have already received our orders," he said, speaking to Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.

In early 2011, then-Deputy Minister of Defense Vladimir Popovkin announced plans to create a naval complex with a hypersonic missile, named Zircon. The missile began flight tests in 2015, according to media reports.

In his 2019 address, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the missile can reach speed of Mach 9 and can hit both naval and ground targets at a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers.

The missile is fired from a ZS-14 universal naval launch system, installed on Project 22350 frigates, project 20380 corvettes and Yasen-class submarines.

Source: ITAR-TASS 20-03-2020

Putin calls on Russian officials ‘to be ready for any scenario’ due to spread of COVID-19

There are 147 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Russia as of March 18.

SEVASTOPOL, March 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on Russian officials to be ready for any scenario due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Acting Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev informed the president that 77 people had been placed under medical supervision in Sevastopol, and eight had been taken to hospital on suspicion of the novel coronavirus. "So far, there are no confirmed cases, but we are checking just in case," Razvozhaev said.

"We need to be ready for any scenario, so you’re doing the right thing," Putin responded.

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. On March 11, WHO officially characterized the situation with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a pandemic. The disease has spread to over 140 countries. According to latest reports, over 210,000 people have been infected with the virus globally, and about 8,500 have died. There are 147 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Russia as of March 18.

Source: ITAR-TASS 19-03-2020

Russian government orders to close border with Poland, Norway for foreigners on Sunday

The Foreign Ministry is tasked with notifying Poland, Norway and other states whose interests might be affected by the implementation of the regulation.

MOSCOW, March 14. /TASS/. Russia’s government has ordered to close the Russian-Polish and Russian-Norwegian land border for foreign nationals on Sunday, March 15 to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, the government said in a statement on Saturday.

"The Federal Security Service (FSB) shall suspend crossings by foreign nationals and stateless persons through the Russian-Polish and Russian-Norwegian land border into the territory of the Russian Federation for purposes of education and employment, as well as for private and tourist purposes, except for citizens of the Republic of Belarus, members of official delegations and persons with a residence permit in the Russian Federation," the document says.

In addition, the Foreign Ministry is tasked with notifying Poland, Norway and other states whose interests might be affected by the implementation of the regulation "of the measures envisaged, emphasizing that they are justified by particular circumstances and are provisional".

Source: ITAR-TASS 15-03-2020

Russia partly suspends air service with EU states

The ban doesn't apply to the regular flights between Moscow and EU capitals.

MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/. Starting March 16, Russia will partly suspend regular air service with all EU states excluding flights between Moscow and EU capitals. Flights to Switzerland and Norway, except the ones to Geneva and Oslo, have also been suspended, Russia’s task force for combating and preventing the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) told reporters on Friday.

"In order to ensure the security of the state, to protect the citizens’ health and to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus infection on Russian territory, the task force has decided to suspend passenger flights starting 00:00 March 16, 2020 Moscow time from the territory of the Russian Federation to the territory of EU member states and back, excluding regular flights between Moscow and EU capitals arriving and departing from Sheremetyevo Terminal F," the message said.

Regular air service with Switzerland, excluding flights from Moscow to Geneva, and with Norway, except for flights from Moscow to Oslo, has also been suspended.

Charter flights to these states will still be operated to transport citizens of the EU, Switzerland and Norway back to their home countries and to transport Russian citizens to the Russian Federation.

Earlier, Russia partly suspended air service with China, South Korea and Iran. On Wednesday March 11, Russia partly restricted flights to and from Germany, Spain, Italy and France. Regular flights to Barcelona, Munich and Frankfurt were still operated under those measures.

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. On March 11, WHO officially characterized the situation with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a pandemic. The disease has spread to over 110 countries. According to official data, over 134,000 people have been infected with the virus globally, and over 5,000 have died. There are 45 confirmed cases in Russia.

Source: ITAR-TASS 14-03-2020

Powerful Moscow storm leaves one dead

The mayor of Moscow asked citizens to be cautious and stay at home.

MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/. One man died in a hurricane-like storm that battered Moscow on Friday and several others have been injured, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote in his Twitter account.

"Unfortunately, a hurricane-like wind was not without consequences: one person has died and others have been injured. I offer my sincere condolences to the victim’s family," Sobyanin said.

The mayor asked citizens to be cautious and stay at home. "A high level of danger in the city remains in force. All services in the city have been put on alert," Sobyanin stressed.

Earlier, Moscow’s traffic police confirmed that a driver died in eastern Moscow when a tree fell on his car. The tree broke the car’s roof. After the incident, the car drove several meters before colliding with two parked vehicles. The man died of sustained injuries.

During the storm, more than 50 trees fell in Moscow, two people were injured and ten vehicles were damaged. On Thursday, Moscow’s Emergencies Ministry issued warnings that strong wind gusts could reach up to 25 meters per second.

Source: ITAR-TASS 13-03-2020

Russian Black Sea Fleet ships eliminate enemy submarine in drills

The naval strike group included the patrol ship Vasily Bykov, the guard ship Pytlivy, the small anti-submarine warfare ships Kasimov and Eisk and the oceanic minesweeper Zheleznyakov.

SEVASTOPOL, March 11. /TASS/. The Black Sea Fleet ships sank a notional enemy’s submarine spotted by naval aviation aircraft during drills, the Fleet’s press office reported on Wednesday.

"During the drills, An-26 and Be-12 planes and also Ka-27PL helicopters with sonar stations took to the skies from the naval aviation’s aerodrome. In accordance with the plan of the drills, the pilots were assigned the task of searching for a submarine in the designated area and transmitting the coordinates to the Black Sea Fleet’s naval strike force. Four aircraft and five helicopters were involved in the effort," the press office said in a statement.

The naval strike group included the patrol ship Vasily Bykov, the guard ship Pytlivy, the small anti-submarine warfare ships Kasimov and Eisk and the oceanic minesweeper Zheleznyakov. The submarine Kolpino simulated the enemy during the drills, the statement says.

"During the basic stage of the drills, the naval aviation crews detected the notional enemy’s submarine and transmitted the data to the surface action group. The small anti-submarine warfare ships Kasimov and Eisk detected, locked on and notionally destroyed the underwater target, using the transmitted data," the press office said.

Source: ITAR-TASS 11-03-2020

Over 1,000 Black Sea Fleet artillery troops kick off live-fire exercise in Crimea

The field exercise will last until the end of March, the press office informed.

SEVASTOPOL, March 10. /TASS/. Artillery troops of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s army corps have kicked off a field exercise in Crimea involving over 250 weapon systems, the Fleet’s press office reported on Tuesday.

"At the Black Sea Fleet army corps’ combat training ranges located on the Crimean peninsula, the troops are practicing the skills of artillery fire control and participating in force-on-force tactical drills. Overall, the field exercise involves more than 250 items of military and special hardware," the press office said in a statement.

The field exercise involves over 1,000 troops, Grad multiple launch rocket systems, 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, 120mm D-30 howitzers, 120mm 2S9 ‘Nona-S’ self-propelled artillery guns and also Sani and Podnos mortars.

At the final stage of the field exercise, the troops will hold force-on-force tactical drills between a separate coastal defense brigade and a separate marine infantry brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, during which they will conduct artillery live-fire, land an amphibious assault force onto the coast and practice various tactical methods of a battle between artillery units.

The field exercise will last until the end of March, the press office informed.

Source: ITAR-TASS 10-03-2020

MH17 investigative team considered breach of Russia’s sovereignty – document

Аccording to the document published by Bonanza Media, representatives of the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service "put forward the question about the breach of Russia’s sovereignty through the approach of witnesses" who most probably reside in the Russian Federation, without informing the countrie's authorities.

THE HAGUE, March 8. /TASS/. The Joint Investigative Team (JIT), which probes the downing of the MH17 flight in Ukraine, considered a possibility of the breach of Russia’s sovereignty through the approach to witnesses, according to the document published on Saturday by Bonanza Media, a platform for independent journalists.

The 13-page minutes of the JIT field office meeting in the Dutch city of Driebergen on January 25, 2018 says that representatives of the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service "put forward the question about the breach of Russia’s sovereignty through the approach of witnesses who most probably reside in the RF [the Russian Federation - TASS], without informing the RF authorities."

In response, the Belgian representative stated that it "is not a problem for Belgium." The Ukrainian representative added that he "doesn’t see an issue with that but he has to discuss this point first." Next, the discussion focuses on "luring the witness" and then on "interviewing suspects in RF, without the authorities being informed and involved."

"The newest document gives you an insight in how they think and how the field office of the JIT with the countries communicate together and what keeps them busy. I think it was a very interesting insight look. And what they have and what they do not have," Max van der Werff, an independent journalist and a founder of Bonanza Media, said in an interview with TASS.

"Maybe, it is even a little bit funny document. It is funny and sad at the same time. And I think it is an extremely embarrassing document also, so they are going to spin it away like others, [saying] there is no solid information," he added.

"It is all on the record what they say about breaking Russian law by luring witnesses, not informing the Russian Federation. They openly say they do not care about the Russian law. They are ready to break the law to find evidence," he said.

Unfiltered discussions

In the meantime, Yana Erlashova, an independent journalist and a co-founder of Bonanza Media, pointed out that the document is interesting from another point of view. For instance, "the Dutch say that they are not happy with Ukrainians because they have not been helpful enough, that the SBU [Ukraine’s Security Service - TASS] is basically doing nothing."

"And at the same time they say that they depend solely on the SBU providing information with witnesses," she added.

"The SBU is the only one that can do investigations [in Ukraine] and there is nobody from the SBU working on the investigation." Max van der Werff added. "And they still do not have enough evidence. How is this possible? I think that the Dutch parliament will ask questions."

"There is another important moment in the document when they discuss radar data speaking about three radar plots," Erlashova went on to say.

"Along with this, they say that they would not study them to avoid confusion. Those [radar plots] could be parts of a missile or even debris of an aircraft. They do not even mention that those radar plots might be military aircraft. They prefer ignoring the issue whatsoever and openly discuss it, saying they should not release that [fact] at all to ‘avoid questions or complot theories in a later stage.’ That is absolutely shocking. It is not clear what the official investigation is busy with," she added.

In the paragraphs about analysis of the radar data received from Russia, the document says that "there is no evidence of data manipulation." Nevertheless, the Dutch investigators suggested that the radar findings should be used in the JIT advantage "by using the media." They also want to push for murder, but not manslaughter, the journalists said.

Malaysian representatives were not present at the meeting and that issue was not even discussed. Malaysia was mentioned once when "luring witnesses" from Russia was touched on.

Other numerous documents

According to the independent journalists, they have other documents, but they will publish later.

"We have a lot of other materials. We are proceeding with our investigation. We are going to make other reports and everything once we have facts checked. We’ll see what they bring up in court, to see what they have. We are pretty much sure that we have a lot of materials to counter," Erlashova said.

Speaking about their goal, van der Werff pointed out that he does want to find out what really happened.

"We want to have the whole story. We want to check all the public evidence and we want to find evidence that is not public," he said. "We are very angry that the Western press and the whole propaganda system are so preoccupied against Russia. It is unfair," he added.

"It would be beautiful," the journalist said when asked if their activity could turn the tide. "It has been proven in history that a few people can make the difference."

MH17 crash and probe

The Boeing-777 passenger plane operated by Malaysian Airlines crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, while en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. A total of 298 people, citizens of 10 countries, were killed in the crash. The parties to the armed conflict in Donbass traded blame over the tragedy.

Despite active combat actions, Kiev did not close airspace over Donbass for international passenger flights. The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was set up to investigate the tragedy, consisting of representatives from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine.

In June 2019, the JIT said it had identified four individuals suspected of being involved in the MH17 crash. They are three Russian nationals Igor Girkin, also known under the nickname of Strelkov, Sergei Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov and a Ukrainian national, Leonid Kharchenko. The trial is scheduled to begin in the Netherlands on March 9. Russia’s authorities have repeatedly voiced doubt over the JIT’s findings, pointing to the lack of evidence and its reluctance to take into account Moscow’s conclusions made during the investigation.

Source: ITAR-TASS 09-03-2020

Number of Ukrainians moving to Crimea grows by 17% over past year

Crimea received more than 7,700 immigrants from Ukraine in 2019.

SIMFEROPOL, March 7. /TASS/. Crimea received more than 7,700 immigrants from Ukraine in 2019, a nearly 17-percent increase compared to the previous year, the Crimean Department of the Russian Federal Statistics Service informed TASS.

According to the federal service, 6,622 citizens of the neighboring country moved to the peninsula in 2018, while in 2019 this number amounted to 7,734. Ukrainians account for almost 80% of the total number of citizens of the CIS countries who moved to Crimea. "The number of people who arrived from the CIS countries stands at 9,674," it said.

On the other hand, the number of Ukrainians who have left Crimea has dropped. According to preliminary data, there were 4,600 of them in 2018, while last year that number stood at 3,922.

Speaker of Crimea’s State Council Vladimir Konstantinov said at a meeting with a delegation of foreign media representatives in November 2019 that Crimea had received about 170,000 people, including 50,000 Ukrainians, since its reunification with Russia.

The Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, a city with a special status on the Crimean Peninsula, where most residents are ethnic Russians, refused to recognize the legitimacy of the authorities in Kiev who seized power amid riots that sparked a coup in Ukraine in February 2014.

Crimea and Sevastopol adopted declarations of independence on March 11, 2014. They held a referendum on March 16, 2014, in which 96.77% of Crimeans and 95.6% of Sevastopol voters chose to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. The Russian president signed the reunification deals on March 18, 2014. Despite the convincing results of the referendum, Kiev refused to recognize Crimea as part of Russia.

Source: ITAR-TASS 07-03-2020

About 60,000 people in Donetsk, Lugansk republics granted Russian citizenship this year

The migration situation in Russia has changed substantially, according to the interior minister.

MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. About 60,000 residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics have been granted Russian citizenship since the beginning of this year. More than 225,000 people in these republics have been granted Russian citizenship since the presidential decree on the issue came into force last year, the press center of the Russian Interior Ministry informed TASS.

"More than 225,000 residents of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Lugansk regions were granted Russian citizenship in 2019 and 58,000 in 2020," the press center said in response to an inquiry from TASS.

It also noted that, taking into account the decisions made by the president, the migration situation in the country has changed substantially. "The number of individuals who have been granted Russian citizenship grew by 85% compared to 2018 amounting to about 500,000," the ministry said.

On April 24, 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree enabling people living in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics to receive Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure. According to the document, the decision has been made "in order to protect human rights and freedoms" based on universally accepted international laws. The first passports were issued in Russia’s Rostov Region on July 14.

Source: ITAR-TASS 06-03-2020

First all-female Raptor patrol boat crew arrives in St. Petersburg for training

The crew will familiarize itself with the boat systems, including the engine, the radioelectronic armament and means of communication and navigation and will hone its boat control skills, the Navy commander informed.

MOSCOW, March 4. /TASS/. The first female-only crew of the Project 03160 "Raptor" high-speed patrol boat has arrived for training in the St. Petersburg Joint Training Center, Russian Ministry of Defense announced Wednesday citing Russian Navy Commander Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov.

"The first experimental all-female Raptor-class patrol boat crew of three has been created within the Black Sea Fleet, in accordance with the decision of the Minister of Defense. The crew will undergo complex training in St. Petersburg that will include theory and practice and will continue until April 27," the Commander said during a meeting on training centers development.

Yevmenov noted that over the course of training, the crew would familiarize itself with the boat systems, including the engine, the radioelectronic armament and means of communication and navigation and would hone its boat control skills. The training will also involve the Center’s simulator systems.

"In the coming days, the crew is to begin training on survivability, which includes fighting fire and water, as well as evacuation to the rescue raft," the Commander informed.

After completion of training, the crew will return to the Black Sea where it will begin service.

The Project 03160 "Raptor" high-speed patrol boats are built at St. Petersburg’s Pella Shipyard. These boats are intended for patrolling of coastal area, straits and estuaries both day and night, at a range of up to 100 miles. They can be used for transporting of up to 20 marines, for interception and apprehension of small targets, as well as for search-and-rescue operations.

The boat is fitted with remotely controlled 14.5 mm gun, as well as two 7.62 mm Pecheneg machineguns on pivots.

Source: ITAR-TASS 04-03-2020

Russia laying groundwork so nobody dares fight against it, says Putin

Putin noted that as far as defense spending goes, Russia ranked seventh in the world.

MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. Russia is not going to fight against anyone and it is laying the groundwork so that other countries, too, will not have the slightest urge to unleash an armed conflict with Moscow, President Vladimir Putin has said.

"We are not going to fight against anyone. We are going to create conditions so that nobody wants to fight against us," Putin told TASS in an interview for the project entitled "20 Questions with Vladimir Putin".

Putin recalled that as far as defense spending goes, Russia ranked seventh in the world, trailing the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, Britain, France and even Japan.

"Moreover, our annual expenditures are falling. In contrast, other countries’ [military] spending has been rising," he added.

He pointed to a unique situation where Russia was no longer lagging behind from the standpoint of its defense capabilities.

"For the first time, we have created such offensive strike systems which the world has never seen. Now they are chasing after us trying to catch up. This is a unique situation. This has never happened before," Putin emphasized.

He explained that in the first place he was referring to the newly-created hypersonic attack systems, including inter-continental ones.

Also, he recalled that back in 2000 the Russian army had a strength of 1.3 million, but now it was a little over 1 million and the share of top-notch operational equipment had soared to nearly 70% from 6%.

Source: ITAR-TASS 02-03-2020

Russian defense ministry denies report on Su-24 jet’s downing in Idlib

According to the defense ministry, Russia’s aircraft are fulfilling their mission as normal.

MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry has rejected a report that a Russian Su-24 jet was downed by a man-portable air-defense system in the sky over Idlib.

"The report citing militants’ Internet resources that the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces’ Su-24 was shot down from a man-portable air-defense system over the Idlib de-escalation zone is fake," the ministry said.

According to the defense ministry, Russia’s aircraft are fulfilling their mission as normal.

Source: ITAR-TASS 01-03-2020