Russia

Russia loads new intercontinental ballistic missile into silo south of Moscow

MOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Russian rocket forces have loaded a new Yars intercontinental ballistic missile into a silo at the Kozelsk base in the Kaluga region, southwest of Moscow, the defence ministry said.

The 23-metre long RS-24 (Yars) missile is designed to carry multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), which allow the missile to deliver multiple nuclear warheads at different targets.

"In the Kozelsky compound, Strategic Missile Forces loaded a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile into a silo launcher," the defence ministry said.

Russia’s ruling party backs Putin’s reelection bid while a pro-peace candidate clears first hurdle

MOSCOW (AP) — Delegates from Russia’s ruling party unanimously backed President Vladimir Putin ’s bid for reelection at a party conference in Moscow on Sunday, state agencies reported, just a day after the Kremlin leader’s supporters formally nominated him to run in the 2024 presidential election as an independent.

A little-known Russian presidential hopeful who calls for peace in Ukraine also inched closer towards formally registering as a candidate, securing a nomination from a group of more than 500 supporters in the Russian capital.

Russia: Putin supporters formally nominate him as independent candidate in Russian presidential election

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘s supporters on Saturday formally nominated him to run in the 2024 presidential election as an independent candidate, state news agencies reported.

The nomination by a group of at least 500 supporters is mandatory under Russian election law for those not running on a party ticket. Independent candidates also need to gather at least 300,000 signatures in their support.

Putin’s election campaign HQ to be formed after his self-nomination — politician

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Vladimir Putin’s election campaign headquarters will be established as soon as all procedures for his self-nomination have been completed, Secretary of the ruling United Russia party’s General Council Andrey Turchak announced.

"The [election campaign] headquarters will be established upon the completion of all organizational procedures, after the initiative group [of voters] has held a meeting and all documents have been submitted to the Central Election Commission," he explained.

Putin’s election campaign HQ to be formed after his self-nomination — politician

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Vladimir Putin’s election campaign headquarters will be established as soon as all procedures for his self-nomination have been completed, Secretary of the ruling United Russia party’s General Council Andrey Turchak announced.

"The [election campaign] headquarters will be established upon the completion of all organizational procedures, after the initiative group [of voters] has held a meeting and all documents have been submitted to the Central Election Commission," he explained.

Russia launches Soyuz-2.1b rocket with its second meteorological satellite

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Russia launched the Soyuz-2.1b rocket carrying the country’s second meteorological satellite, Arktika-M, from the Baikonur spaceport on Saturday, Roscosmos reported.

The spacecraft should be orbited within the next 4.5 hours or so.

Russia launched its first weather satellite in February 2021. Last December, the Lavochkin design bureau announced that the fleet of Russian meteorological satellites will be expanded to four from two.

Russian Aerospace Forces down Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter in Zaporozhye Region

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Russia’s Aerospace Forces downed a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter over the town of Orekhov in the Zaporozhye Region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

Also, Russian air defense forces thwarted an attempt by the Kiev regime to conduct a massive drone attack on facilities in Crimea, destroying all Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, the ministry added.

Senior Russian envoy discusses free grain supplies to neediest countries with UN officials

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin discussed free Russian grain and fertilizer supplies to the world’s neediest countries with United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary General Rebeca Grynspan and UN Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported after the consultations involving Russia’s concerned agencies and companies.

Russia’s second meteorological satellite Arktika-M launched from Baikonur put into orbit

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/:  Russia’s second meteorological satellite Arktika-M, which was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by a Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle, has been successfully put into a designated orbit with a Fregat booster, Roscosmos said in a statement.

"The second Arktika-M is in orbit!" the space agency said.

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