Kremlin to ponder Zelensky’s proposal on new talks format

The Kremlin will study the proposal, according to the spokesman.

MOSCOW, July 8. /TASS/. Russia is not ready to give a response to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s offer on holding talks to settle the crisis in Donbass, to be mediated by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, but will definitely study this proposal, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

"I’m not ready to answer now, this is an absolutely new format," Peskov said. "We need to understand if the meeting has any prospects and what kind of a format is being suggested," Peskov explained.

"This is a new initiative, and certainly, it will be considered, but now I cannot give any response," he said.

Speaking on the possible US participation in the talks, Peskov noted Washington is not a party to the Normandy format (Russia, Germany, Ukraine and France) and its representatives were not signatories to the Minsk agreements. Earlier, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky suggested meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Minsk and that the encounter should be mediated by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

The Ukrainian leader said the sides needed to discuss the issue of "who owns Crimea and who is not present in Donbass." Zelensky suggested that the talks should involve US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.

On Kiev-Moscow TV linkup initiative

The initiative of two TV channels, Ukraine’s NewsOne and Russia’s Rossiya-1, to organize a TV bridge "deserves high marks," according to the Kremlin spokesman.

"This initiative of two TV channels can only be welcomed from our point of view," Peskov said.

Despite all "political and diplomatic troubles between the two countries," nobody has cancelled communication of the two peoples. "This communication continues, directly and indirectly. That is why, we believe this initiative deserves high marks," Peskov stressed.

The initiative to hold a Kiev-Moscow TV linkup was announced on Sunday, July 7, by TV host Dmitry Kiselyov during his Vesti Nedeli (News of the Week) program on Rossiya-1 TV channel. The program was meant to be hosted jointly with Ukraine’s NewsOne TV channel, which is part of a media group owned by Chairman of the Political Council of Ukraine’s Opposition Platform - For life party Viktor Medvedchuk.

Some Ukrainian parties have strongly dismissed the TV linkup idea. The NewsOne TV channel announced on Monday that the program was expected to inspire politicians to hold an open dialogue for the sake of peace.

Ukraine’s Newsone TV channel later cancelled the Kiev-Moscow TV bridge citing threats of physical violence against its employees.

Source: ITAR-TASS 08-07-2019

Fuel truck explodes in Urals, killing three tourists travelling on top

The driver lost control of the vehicle, which swerved off the road and into a ditch.

YEKATERINBURG, July 7. /TASS/. Three people were killed and five injured when a tanker truck exploded in the Sverdlovsk Region in the Urals, the chief spokesperson for the regional interior ministry department, Valery Gorelykh, told TASS on Sunday.

"According to preliminary information, the driver of the Ural fuel truck, loaded with about 4.5 tonnes of fuel, headed to the town of Kytlym to refuel heavy equipment for rock excavation. The driver permitted about seven tourists to climb on top of the tank," he said.

"The driver lost control of the vehicle, which swerved off the road and into a ditch. Upon impact, the truck caught fire and exploded. According to preliminary data, three people died and at least five more people received injuries and burns of varying degrees and were taken to a local hospital, where they are receiving medical assistance," Gorelykh went on, adding that the driver was among the survivors.

The regional emergencies service said the fire spread to the area of 10 square meters and was put out by firefighting crews.

The incident poses no threat to the local population or environment, rescuers said.

Source: ITAR-TASS 07-07-2019

Over 400 people injured by East Siberia floods

As of the middle of Friday, 22 people were reported dead, 15 people missing and over 330 hospitalized.

TULUN /Irkutsk Region/, July 6. /TASS/. More than 400 people have been taken to hospitals following heavy floods in East Siberia’s Irkutsk Region, Russia’s Deputy Minister for Civil Defense, Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief Pavel Baryshev said at a meeting of the commission on the issue of floods in the Irkutsk Region.

As of the middle of Friday, 22 people were reported dead, 15 people missing and over 330 hospitalized as a result of floods in the Irkutsk Region.

"Unfortunately, 22 died, 410 have been hospitalized, medical assistance is provided to 2,165 affected on an ambulatory basis," Baryshev said.

Floods in the Irkutsk region started after torrential rains at the end of June. As many as 103 settlements have been affected by the disaster. More than 10,150 dwelling houses, which accommodate almost 33,000 people, have been flooded. A state of emergency was declared in the region.

Source: ITAR-TASS 06-07-2019

Su-27 fighter jet intercepts US spy plane near southern Russian border

The Russian fighter jet’s crew "approached an aerial target at a safe distance".

TASS, July 5. A Russian Su-27 fighter jet of the Air Force in the Southern Military District was scrambled to intercept a US Boeing P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft approaching Russia’s border, the Defense Ministry said on Friday.

"A Su-27 fighter jet of the Air Force on duty in the Southern Military District was scrambled to intercept a target," the ministry said.

The Russian fighter jet’s crew "approached an aerial target at a safe distance, identifying it as a US reconnaissance plane P-8A Poseidon, which immediately changed the flight direction away from Russia’s state border," the ministry stated.

Russia’s Su-27 observed international rules of using the airspace and after fulfilling the goal it returned to its airfield.

In mid-June, Russia’s Su-27 fighter jets were scrambled to intercept US strategic bombers, which approached Russia’s state border from the Black Sea and the Baltic Seas.

Source: ITAR-TASS 05-07-2019

Russian Navy starts tracking NATO warships in Black Sea

Under surveillance are British and Canadian vessels, according to the control center.

MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. Ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet are monitoring the British destroyer and the Canadian frigate that entered the Black Sea waters on July 2, the Russian National Defense Management Center reported on Wednesday.

"The forces and hardware of the Black Sea Fleet have begun tracking the activities of the British Royal Navy HMS Duncan destroyer and the Canadian Forces HMCS Toronto frigate, which entered the waters of the Black Sea on July 2, 2019," the statement reads.

The Kasimov small anti-submarine ship and Pytlivy patrol ship are tracking the NATO vessels, the center clarified.

The defense agency said that "naval air force jets and the Bal and Bastion coastal missile systems have been put on duty in designated regions." Radio electronic tracking is also being conducted.

Currently, NATO ships are taking part in the Sea Breeze 2019 drills in the Black Sea. The exercises officially began on July 1 in the western part of the Black Sea. This year, according to the press service of the Ukrainian embassy in the US, more than 3,000 servicemen from 19 countries are participating in the drills, including those from the United States, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. The US is playing a key role in preparing the drills’ scenario and executing it. The exercises are scheduled to run until July 12.

Source: ITAR-TASS 03-07-2019

Russia’s Yekaterinburg wins bid to host 2023 Summer Universiade

The bid was represented by Russia's top brass.

MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/. The Executive Committee of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) has chosen Russia’s Urals city of Yekaterinburg to host the 2023 Summer Universiade.

The decision was announced at the FISU Executive Committee’s meeting in Italy’s Naples.

Yekaterinburg’s bid was represented by Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov, Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region Yevgeny Kuyvashev, Rector of the Urals Federal University Viktor Koksharov and Head of the Sergei Seyranov.

Russia will host the Summer Universiade for the second time following the competitions held in Kazan in 2013. Back during the USSR (1973), Moscow hosted the Summer Universiade. In March 2019, Russia held the Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia.

The Summer Universiade is an international sporting and cultural festival, which is staged every two years in a different city. The name of the international sports event is a combination of two words - ‘University’ and ‘Olympiade.’

It is only second to the Olympic Games. The program of the Summer Universiade currently includes 18 sports: Basketball, Water Polo, Volleyball, Judo, Rugby Sevens, Athletics, Table Tennis, Swimming, Diving, Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics, Archery, Tennis, Football, Taekwondo, Fencing, Shooting and Sailing.

The 2019 Summer Universiade is due to be held in Naples from July 3 to 14, and in 2021 the event will be hosted by China’s Chengdu.

Source: ITAR-TASS 02-07-2019

Production of S-500 missile systems begins in Russia

In CEO of Russia’s Rostec state-run hi-tech corporation Sergei Chemezov words, the S-500 system’s range will be higher than that of S-400 systems.

MOSCOW, June 30. /TASS/. Production of S-500 surface-to-air missile systems begins in Russia. These systems will soon enter operational service in the Russian army, CEO of Russia’s Rostec state-run hi-tech corporation Sergei Chemezov said on Sunday.

"New state-of-the-art weapons are being developed. So, once we can already sell S-400 systems, we now begin to manufacture S-500 systems. These are more updated systems. I’d prefer not to tell about them now, they are not yet operational. I think they will enter service very soon," he said in an interview with the Deistvuyushchiye Litsa (Political Actors) with Nailya Asker-zade program on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

When asked when these state-of-the-art missile systems enter operational service, he said, "When trials are over."

In his words, the S-500 system’s range will be higher than that of S-400 systems.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told journalists earlier in the week that S-500 surface-to-air missile defense systems would be delivered to troops earlier than initially planned after a series of successful tests. The troops are expected to receive them in the next few years.

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that deliveries of S-500 surface-to air missile defense systems to the troops would begin in 2020. S-500 is being created with a possibility of operation in the next 25 years. Western newspapers and publications noted that the new Russian missile defense system had managed to hit a target at a range of 481.2 km, which is 80 km father than any other existing air defense missile system.

Source: ITAR-TASS 01-07-2019