Russia

May 7 (Reuters) - Russia's most senior lawmaker on Saturday accused Washington of coordinating military operations in Ukraine, which he said amounted to direct U.S. involvement in military action against Russia.

"Washington is essentially coordinating and developing military operations, thereby directly participating in military actions against our country," Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.

May 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin believes doubling down on the military conflict in Ukraine will improve his outcome in the war.

"He's in a frame of mind in which he doesn't believe he can afford to lose," said Burns, who was speaking at a Financial Times event in Washington. "I think he's convinced right now that doubling down still will enable him to make progress."

May 7 (Reuters) - At least eight people died in Siberia on Saturday as fires ripped through hundreds of buildings in several villages, with high winds hampering efforts to extinguish the blazes.

In the Krasnoyarsk region, about 3,000 km (1,900 miles) east of Moscow, fires killed five people in 16 settlements across the Kazachinskoe and Sharypovsky districts, the local branch of Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement, leading it to launch criminal proceedings for causing death by negligence.

MOSCOW, May 6. /TASS/: Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are stagnant, Alexey Zaitsev, deputy director of the information and press department at the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

"Russian-Ukrainian talks are in a state of stagnation," he said.

Zaitsev said that NATO countries, while advocating for a prompt cessation of hostilities, are doing everything to prevent that.

"The supply of arms to Ukraine, which are valued at billions of dollars, are increasing," he said. "Washington alone sent military products worth $3.8 billion."

MOSCOW, May 6. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 5,541 over the past day to 18,216,719, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Friday.

In relative terms, the growth rate reached 0.03%.

As many as 2,845 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 12.4% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients decreased in 46 regions, while in 32 regions the figure increased. The situation remained unchanged in seven regions. A day earlier, 3,248 people were rushed to hospitals.

MOSCOW, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday to discuss the Ukrainian situation.

The leaders paid special attention to humanitarian issues, including the evacuation of civilians held by militants of nationalist battalions from the Azovstal steel plant, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The Russian military is ready to ensure the safe exit of civilians, Putin said, adding that the Kiev authorities should order the remaining militants at the Azovstal plant to lay down arms.

MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/: Russia’s Health Ministry has registered a coronavirus drug called Mirobivir developed by the Pharmasyntez company, according to the state register of medicines.

Mirobivir, based on the combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, was registered on May 4 and will be available in tablet form with 150 + 100 mg strength.

ST. PETERSBURG, May 5. /TASS/: The State Hermitage Museum is satisfied with the condition of its exhibits from the collection of Russian art patrons Mikhail and Ivan Morozov, returned to Russia after an exhibition in France. They arrived in St. Petersburg on Thursday, and specialists from the Hermitage and the Russian Museum are currently working with them, the official representatives of these museums told TASS.

MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/: Russia is seeking to maintain good and constructive relations with all countries, primarily with its neighbors, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Larvov said in an article published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta on Thursday.

May 5 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in a phone call on Thursday that Russia was still ready to provide safe passage for civilians from the besieged Azovstal steel works in the Ukrainian port of Mariupol, the Kremlin said.

It said Putin told Bennett in a "thorough exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine" that Kyiv should order Ukrainian fighters holed up in the vast Azovstal plant to put down their weapons.