Russia

June 24 (Reuters) - Russia on Friday said the decision by European Union leaders to accept Ukraine and Moldova as membership candidates would have negative consequences and amounted to the EU's "enslaving" neighbouring countries.

Although it could take years for the countries to join the European bloc, the decision to accept them as candidates is a symbol of the EU's intention to reach deep into the former Soviet Union.

June 25 (Reuters) - The British defence ministry said on Saturday that Russia had likely withdrawn several generals from key command roles in the Ukraine conflict this month.

"Since the start of June, the Russian high command has highly likely removed several Generals from key operational command roles in the war in Ukraine," the ministry said in its daily Twitter update.

Ukrainian forces have been ordered to withdraw from the battleground city of Sievierodonetsk after weeks of fierce street fighting, in order to limit more casualties and regroup.

MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/: The Kremlin has remained mum on a publication by Der Spiegel about Germany potentially nationalizing a section of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"Let’s not delve into hypothetical discussions. If there are any specific actions, then first of all, lawyers will be the ones responsible for providing a legal assessment of such actions, if they are indeed being discussed," he specified.

MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/: The Russian Finance Ministry has made the coupon payment for Eurobonds mature in 2028 totaling 8.5 bln rubles ($159.4 mln), the Ministry said on Friday.

June 23 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday declared the EU's move to accept Ukraine as a candidate for accession as a victory and promised not to rest until Russia's defeat and full membership had been secured.

European Union leaders formally accepted Ukraine as a candidate to join the 27-nation bloc, a bold geopolitical move hailed by Ukraine and the EU itself as an historic moment. 

"This is a victory," a smiling Zelenskiy said in a brief video posted to his Instagram channel, noting Ukraine had waited 30 years for this moment.

MOSCOW, June 24 (Reuters) - Moscow's foreign ministry on Friday blamed the United States for a Lithuanian ban on sanctioned goods crossing from the Russian mainland to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which has increased already high tensions between Moscow and the West.

"The so-called 'collective West', with the explicit instruction of the White House, imposed a ban on rail transit of a wide range of goods through the Kaliningrad region," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement published on Friday.

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/: The number of people killed in an earthquake that hit Afghanistan’s Paktika and Khost provinces has reached 1,500, Al Jazeera reported, citing a Taliban official (the Taliban movement is outlawed in Russia).

According to him, the quake left over 2,000 people injured.

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/: Russia strictly follows all its commitments of energy supplies to Europe, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

"The Russian Federation strictly performs all its commitments. Being a fairly reliable and proven supplier of energy resources to Europe over decades, Russia treats its reputation in this regard with due care," the Kremlin spokesman said.

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/: The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are deepening their cooperation on the entire agenda with the bloc’s authority growing year by year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday at the BRICS summit held in a videoconference format.

"The countries of our bloc are deepening cooperation on the entire range of issues on the global and regional agenda. And every year the authority of the BRICS and its influence on the global stage is steadily increasing," the Russian leader said.

MOSCOW, June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia is increasing gasoline and naphtha supplies to Africa and the Middle East as it struggles to sell fuel in Europe, while Asia is already taking bigger volumes of Russian crude, Refinitiv Eikon data showed and sources said.

    The development is likely to increase competition for Asian customers between Russia and other big fuel exporters – Saudi Arabia and the United States  – which are the top three suppliers to Asia.