Russia

MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 4,664 over the past day to 18,490,296, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Sunday.

As many as 705 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, 46.3% fewer than in the previous day. The number of hospitalized patients declined in 62 regions, while in 12 other regions the figure increased. A day earlier, 1,314 people were rushed to hospitals.

VOLGOGRAD, July 17. /TASS/: The authorities in Ukraine have been irrational in trying to continue their military operation "till the last Ukrainian standing," Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday.

Speaking at a meeting with veterans, he said Kiev would hopefully realize sooner or later that Russia would have its goals of demilitarizing and denazifying the country attained anyway. However, he said the hope was rather weak, "since their behavior has been irrational."

MOSCOW, July 17 (Reuters) - The refusal of Ukraine and Western powers to recognise Moscow's control of Crimea poses a "systemic threat" for Russia and any outside attack on the region will prompt a "Judgment Day" response, former president Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday.

Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 after a pro-Moscow president in Kyiv was toppled amid mass street protests. Moscow then also backed pro-Russian armed separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Kramatorsk (Ukraine), Jul 16 (AP-PTI) Russian forces fired missiles and shells at cities and towns across Ukraine on Saturday after Russia's military announced it was stepping up its onslaught against its neighbour. Ukraine reported at least 17 more civilians killed.

MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/: The UN Secretariat has failed to take an balanced stance on the developments in the Ukrainian city of Vinnitsa, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

When asked to comment on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’s statments about developments in Vinnitsa, she said that "contrary to the requirements of the UN Charter, the Secretariat fails to take an equidistant stance, which is what one would expect from the secretariat of the most reputable international organization, particularly designed to help resolve disputes."

MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/: Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has ordered to enhance country’s military groupings Yug (South) and Center to prevent the Ukrainian military from delivering massive rocket attacks on the cities of Donbass and other regions, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

According to the ministry, Shoigu paid an inspection visit earlier to the Yug and Center military groupings, which are involved in Russia’s special military operation in Donbass.

SOLNECHNOGORSK, July 16. /TASS/: The Central Bank can make the decision to reduce the key rate at the meeting on July 22, Russian presidential aide Maxim Oreshkin said on Saturday.

"The Central Bank eased the monetary policy, the key rate went down. The Central Bank vows now that the decision on further reduction of the key rate will also be considered at the meeting on July 22," Oreshkin said.

The Bank of Russia reduced the key rate from 11% to 9.5% per annum at the meeting on June 10.

NIZHNIY NOVGOROD, July 16. /TASS/: Showpieces from the Russian state museum fund at exhibitions in unfriendly countries were returned to Russia, special envoy of the Russian President for international cultural cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy told TASS on Saturday.

MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/: The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, voted for approval of Denis Manturov to the position of the Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Industry and Trade.

Members of the relevant State Duma’s committee for industry and trade unanimously recommended the lower house to approve Manturov to the position at their extraordinary meeting yesterday.

MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/: The UN Secretariat has failed to take an balanced stance on the developments in the Ukrainian city of Vinnitsa, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

When asked to comment on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’s statments about developments in Vinnitsa, she said that "contrary to the requirements of the UN Charter, the Secretariat fails to take an equidistant stance, which is what one would expect from the secretariat of the most reputable international organization, particularly designed to help resolve disputes."