Several Russian soldiers involved in the military operation in Ukraine have been hospitalized with severe chemical poisoning, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday. Traces of the toxin Clostridium botulinum Type B have been discovered in samples taken from the servicemen, the ministry said, accusing Kiev of “chemical terrorism.” The …
Read More »Russian gas transit to EU via Nord Stream to be halted – Gazprom
Russian energy giant Gazprom announced on Friday that transit of natural gas to the European Union via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will be halted from August 31 to September 2 for maintenance. “On August 31, the only working Trent 60 gas compressor unit will be shut down for three …
Read More »Australia terminates Russian embassy lease
Australia has terminated the lease for a new Russian embassy in Canberra, the National Capital Authority (NCA) announced on Wednesday. Russia has been given 20 days to vacate the “premium site” in Yarralumla, not far from the Australian parliament, the NCA said in a statement. The Russian embassy in Australia …
Read More »Russian military signs contract for ‘uninterceptable’ missiles
The Russian military will receive state-of-the-art Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, which, according to the manufacturer, can pierce through any existing air defense. The signing of a state contract “for the production and supply of the Sarmat strategic missile system” was announced on Tuesday during the Army 2022 forum, which is …
Read More »Crimea blasts was act of sabotage – Russian MoD
The incident on Tuesday morning that resulted in explosions at a military site in northern Crimea was an intentional act, an update by the Russian Defense Ministry claims. Describing its response, the ministry said it was “taking necessary measures to eliminate the consequences of the sabotage.” The explosions caused damage …
Read More »Wall Street re-launches Russian bond trading – Reuters
Several major US banks have restarted facilitating trades in Russian debt obligations after getting a green light from Washington, Reuters reported on Monday, citing bank documents. According to the report, Wall Street giants JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Barclays and Jefferies have so far “cautiously returned to …
Read More »Russian troops to receive cutting-edge small arms
Russian troops will receive cutting-edge weapons, including PPK-20 submachine guns and SVCh designated marksman rifles, by the end of the year, Kalashnikov Group announced on Sunday. “We believe it is the best machine pistol in the world for the next 20 years,” the head of the famed arms manufacturer, Alan …
Read More »WADA chief investigator thinks ban on Russian athletes is unfair
Russian teams and athletes have found unlikely support from a Canadian chief investigator at the Word Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), who thinks they have been treated unfairly when handed bans by many sporting federations. Richard McLaren is a law professor who worked for WADA on alleged Russian state-sponsored doping, which Moscow …
Read More »Poland reveals plan for EU-wide Russian visa ban
Warsaw is currently developing a draft proposal that would allow the EU to refuse visas to Russian travelers, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk told the nation’s PAP news agency on Sunday. A decision on the matter can be expected within the coming weeks, he added. The deputy minister did …
Read More »NATO state mulls closing Baltics for Russian Navy
Tallinn and Helsinki have discussed integration of coastal missile batteries that would enable the two NATO members to blockade the Russian Navy in the Gulf of Finland, Estonia’s defense minister announced on Friday. This would turn the Baltic Sea into a “NATO internal sea,” the official said, echoing comments made …
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