Russia

MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/: The probability of Russia inviting poll watchers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly to observe the 2024 presidential election is "next to zero," because the OSCE is "occupied by Western states" that have already made clear their intention to shun recognizing the vote as legitimate, Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament, or "senate") Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev said.

MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/: Moscow expects a wide range of solutions to be developed ahead of the group’s next summit, set to take place in the Russian city of Kazan in October 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/: Ukrainian troops have retreated from the town of Maryinka in the Donetsk People's Republic, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny said at a televised news conference.

"Ukrainian troops have withdrawn. In some places they have entrenched themselves in the vicinity of Maryinka, and in other places - a little further away," he said.

Zaluzhy also said that "the city of Maryinka no longer exists".

MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/: The West has given Belgrade an ultimatum, effectively forcing it to choose "anything but Russia," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

MOSCOW, Dec 26 (NNN-TASS) – Russian President, Vladimir Putin, attended a flag-raising ceremony, for three new warships that are set to join the country’s navy, the Kremlin reported, yesterday.

The Admiral Golovko frigate will join Russia’s Northern Fleet, while the Naro-Fominsk small-rocket ship and the Lev Chernavin minesweeper will serve in the country’s Baltic Fleet, the Russian leader said, during the ceremony he attended at the Severnaya Verf shipyard, in St. Petersburg.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Tuesday released a sardonic statement about his transfer to a Arctic prison colony nicknamed the “Polar Wolf,” his first appearance since associates lost contact with him three weeks ago.

Navalny, the most prominent and persistent domestic foe of President Vladimir Putin, is serving a 19-year sentence on an extremism conviction. He had been incarcerated in central Russia’s Vladimir region, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) east of Moscow, but supporters said he couldn’t be found beginning on Dec. 6.

MOSCOW (AP) — Associates of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Monday that he has been located at a prison colony above the Arctic Circle nearly three weeks after contact with him was lost.

Navalny, the most prominent foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism. He had been imprisoned in the Vladimir region of central Russia, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) east of Moscow, but his lawyers said they had not been able to reach him since Dec. 6.

MOSCOW, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The head of a company that makes navigation systems for Russia's space programme was arrested in Moscow and charged with major fraud, state media reported on Friday.

TASS news agency quoted an unidentified law enforcement official as saying that Yevgeny Fomichev had been interrogated and charged with large-scale fraud, which carries a prison term of up to 10 years and a million rouble ($10,972) fine.

Dec 22 (Reuters) - Russia has bought out another 92 planes from foreign leasing companies, airlines and aircraft leasing company AerCap said.

The planes have been bought out using money from Russia's National Welfare Fund, 190 billion roubles ($2.06 billion) of which has been allocated for the purpose.

Ownership will now pass to Russia's state insurance company NLK-Finance, which will transfer them to the airlines.

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian politician calling for peace in Ukraine hit a roadblock in her campaign Saturday, when Russia’s Central Election Commission refused to accept her initial nomination by a group of supporters, citing errors in the documents submitted.

Former legislator Yekaterina Duntsova is calling for peace in Ukraine and hopes to challenge President Vladimir Putin, promoting her vision of a “humane” Russia “that’s peaceful, friendly and ready to cooperate with everyone on the principle of respect.”