Tag: moscow

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Russia blames Ukraine for drone attacks on Moscow

Damaged vehicles are seen after explosions in Kiev, Ukraine, Oct. 10, 2022. (Photo by Roman Petushkov/Xinhua/IANS)

Several buildings were damaged in wealthy suburbs of Moscow, including the elite district of Rublyovka to the south-west of the capital…reports Asian Lite News

Russia has accused Ukraine of drone attack on Moscow on Tuesday morning, in which several buildings were hit, local media reported.

“The Kiev regime launched a terrorist attack with unmanned aerial vehicles on targets in the city of Moscow,” Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The raid involved eight aircraft-type UAVs, all of which were hit; three drones that were suppressed by electronic warfare measures went out of control and deviated from their intended targets, the statement added, RT reported.

The remaining five drones were shot down by Pantsir-S air defence systems operating outside Moscow, according to the MOD.

The attack was first reported by the city’s mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, who said on Tuesday morning that the drone raid resulted in several buildings in the Russian capital sustaining minor damage, with residents in the area temporarily evacuated. He noted that no one was seriously hurt, with only two people seeking medical assistance, RT reported.

Moscow was attacked this morning by suspected Ukrainian kamikaze drones just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashed yet another volley of strikes on Kiev, Daily Mail reported.

Several buildings were damaged in wealthy suburbs of Moscow, including the elite district of Rublyovka to the south-west of the capital.

One drone exploded into a mushroom cloud near the village of Usovo, which is just down the road from Putin’s official Novo-Ogaryovo residence, Daily Mail reported.

“[Putin’s residence] would be in earshot of the explosion,” one local said.

Explosive drones also struck blocks of flats in Leninsky Prospekt and Profsoyuznaya Street about six miles from the centre of Moscow, reportedly wounding several residents and damaging the buildings.

Ukraine made no immediate comment on the attack, which would be one of its deepest and most daring strikes into Russia since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than 15 months ago, Daily Mail reported.

Ukraine denies direct involvement

Ukraine denied direct involvement with the alleged drone attack on the Russian capital, Moscow on Tuesday, CNN reported.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak in a conversation with a YouTube channel said, “Of course, we enjoy watching and predicting an increase in attacks. But of course, we have nothing to do directly with it.” He further stated, “What is growing in Russia is the karmic payment that Russia will gradually pay in aggravated form for everything it does in Ukraine.”

Earlier, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that Ukraine is responsible for a “terrorist attack” using drones against Moscow on Tuesday, according to CNN.

Earlier in the morning today, several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) en route to Moscow were shot down near the Russian capital in the early hours, quoting Moscow Governor Andrey Vorobyov, TASS reported.

“This morning, residents of some districts in the Moscow Region could hear the sounds of explosions – it was our air defence in operation. Several drones were downed on their course to Moscow,” Vorobyov said on his Telegram channel.

Vorobyov asked the residents of the Moscow region to maintain their composure. He further said that all emergency units were in operation and further information will be released, as per the news report.

Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that two people required medical attention after a drone attack, TASS reported. He said that no one was seriously injured or taken to hospital after the drone attack. He further stated that emergency services and several ambulance crews continue to work at the site of the incidents.

ALSO READ-Zelensky in talks with Germany’s Scholz over Ukraine defence

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Tehran, Moscow cement economic ties

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Moscow on Aug. 31, 2022. (Russian Foreign Ministry photo/IANS)

Iran and Russia, both under sanctions imposed by the US, have been expanding their political and economic relations to counter the US moves….reports Asian Lite News

Iran and Russia have exchanged views on ways to further expand all-out relations, particularly in the fields of trade and economy.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday discussed the issue on the sidelines of a quadrilateral meeting on the Syria issue in Moscow, which were also presented by Syrian and Turkish foreign ministers, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website.

Amir-Abdollahian called for greater efforts to accelerate the already improving bilateral relations between Iran and Russia along their current “right” path, saying Wednesday’s high-level quadrilateral meeting was a positive outcome of such cooperation, Xinhua news agency reported.

For his part, Lavrov said the imminent holding of the Russia-Iran joint economic commission in Tehran will play an important role in the deepening of the bilateral relations, expressing his hope that the trade and economic sectors of Iran would have an active presence in the 14th edition of the International Economic Forum “Russia-Islamic world: Kazan Forum” during May 18-19.

The two foreign ministers also highlighted the positive impacts of cooperation in developing the International North-South Transport Corridor as well as the financial and banking sectors on improving and deepening the bilateral economic and trade relations, calling for facilitating mutual activities in private sectors and trips between the two countries.

Iran and Russia, both under sanctions imposed by the US, have been expanding their political and economic relations to counter the US moves.

ALSO READ: Iran is like 50 North Koreas, Netanyahu tells US lawmakers

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-Top News Europe

Kyiv says new attacks are being planned by Moscow

Canada’s Minister of National Defence Anita Anand has published footage of a Canadian Leopard 2 tank being loaded onto a plane at an airport…reports Asian Lite News

Ukraine officials suspect Russia is preparing a large-scale bombardment as the one-year anniversary of its invasion nears. They believe the strikes could reach the country’s major cities, including the capital Kyiv.

This comes as more and more Western nations send weapons to Ukraine. The United States has now pledged precision-guided missiles and anti-aircraft batteries.

France and Italy will both send their SAMP/T anti-aircraft system in the spring.

Canada’s Minister of National Defence Anita Anand has published footage of a Canadian Leopard 2 tank being loaded onto a plane at an airport.

“The first Canadian Leopard 2 is en route,” Anand said. “Canada’s support for Ukraine is unwavering.”

US Attorney General Merrick Garland has authorised the government to begin using seized Russian money to aid Ukraine. The announcement came during a meeting between Garland and Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin.

EU countries on Sunday implemented new price restrictions on the purchase of refined petroleum products from Russia. The 27 members reached the agreement at the recent summit in Kyiv.

Last week, the administration of US President Joe Biden has announced an additional round of security assistance for Ukraine with a total value of $2.2 billion.

The latest package was divided into two parts – $425 million through the Presidential Drawdown Authority, and $1.75 billion from the congressionally-approved Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.

What’s particularly noticeable in the materiel are long-range rockets for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems or HIMARS missile launchers that the United States have provided for Ukraine.

The new rockets are GPS-guided Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB) with a range of roughly 90 miles, more than doubling the 40-mile range that previous US-provided HIMARS-compatible missiles have.

ALSO READ-Moscow-led CIS backs India’s connectivity plan using Chabahar

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Jaishankar headed for Moscow

Both ministers have however stayed in constant touch and met on the sidelines of various international forums over the past few months…reports Asian Lite News

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be travelling to Moscow next month in what would be his first visit to Russia after it launched its ‘Special Military Operation’ in neighbouring Ukraine in February, earlier this year.

“Russian FM’s Spokeswoman Maria #Zakharova: On November 8 in Moscow, #Russian FM Sergey #Lavrov will have talks with External Affairs Minister of #India Dr S.Jaishankar,” tweeted the Russian Embassy in India Thursday evening.

“The Ministers will discuss the current state of bilateral relations and the international agenda,” it added.

Both ministers have however stayed in constant touch and met on the sidelines of various international forums over the past few months.

“A wide-ranging conversation with FM Sergey Lavrov at #UNGA 77. Discussed our bilateral cooperation. Exchanged views on Ukraine, G-20 and UN reforms,” the EAM had tweeted after meeting Lavrov in New York last month.

Earlier this month, while staying consistent with its “well thought out national position”, India abstained from a vote at the 11th Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly which adopted a resolution condemning Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of four regions of Ukraine.

Explaining its decision to abstain from voting, India said that there are other pressing issues at play, some of which have not been adequately addressed in the resolution.

“It is also unfortunate that as the trajectory of the Ukrainian conflict unfolds, the entire global south has suffered a substantial collateral damage. As developing countries face the brunt of the conflict’s consequences on fuel, food and fertilizer supplies, it is critical that the voice of global south be heard and their legitimate concerns duly addressed,” said Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations in New York.

India also continues to reiterate that it remains deeply concerned at the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, including the targeting of civilian infrastructure and the deaths of civilians.

New Delhi has consistently advocated that no solution can ever be arrived at the cost of human lives and escalation of hostilities and violence is in no one’s interest.

Jaishankar, during his address in New York last month, had said that India is not only on the side of peace – and will remain firmly there – but is also supporting those struggling to make ends meet, even as they stare at the escalating costs of food, of fuel and fertilizers.

ALSO READ-UAE minister impressed by Jaishankar

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Asia News COVID-19

Moscow registers 5 cases of Covid-19 subvariant ‘Centaurus’

Earlier this month, the director-general of the World Health Organisation said authorities were aware of the variant and were monitoring it closely…reports Asian Lite News

Five cases of the Covid-19 subvariant Omicron BA.2.75, or “Centaurus,” have been detected in Moscow, the country’s consumer rights and human well-being watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has said.

“Five genomic sequences assigned to the BA.2.75 subvariant of the Omicron strain have been added to the VGARus (Virus Genome Aggregator of Russia) database.” 

Rospotrebnadzor said the samples were taken in July in Moscow, adding the patients all have a mild form of the virus and have not been hospitalized.

“Centaurus” was first detected in May in India and is believed to be highly transmissible.

Centaurus, which has the official designation BA.2.75, has been found mostly in India, although cases have been detected in Australia as well as the US, UK, Canada and Germany.

Earlier this month, the director-general of the World Health Organisation said authorities were aware of the variant and were monitoring it closely.

But WHO COVID-19 technical lead, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove​, said only now were sufficient samples becoming available to enable proper analysis of the subvariant.

“There are about 200 sequences available from about 14 countries. Our understanding of this virus is quite limited so far because we have very few sequences available,” she said.

Dr Michael Lydeamore, a research fellow in infectious diseases at Monash University, says centaurus is a form of Omicron, but with some unique mutations that distinguish it.

Omicron, he explains, refers to the high-level variant, which has undergone gene mutations to give rise to the BA.1 and 2, and BA.4 and 5 subvariants. “Those are called subvariants because you have the same high-level structure as Omicron but with a few extra mutations,” he says.

“Centaurus has the BA.2 mutations and then a few extra again, so it’s a kind of sub-subvariant.”

However, he says it is still not clear whether those extra mutations mean centaurus is more transmissible, better able to evade immunity, or produces a more severe illness.

“We’re seeing variants with high immune evasion become common in Australia,” he says. “But that makes sense because we have high levels of immunity in the community, so the only a way a variant can take off is immune evasion.”

He says the majority of Australia’s COVID-19 cases are now due to the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron, with a lower number of BA.1 and BA.2 infections.

Previous variants of concern such as Delta have now largely been wiped out by the family of Omicron subvariants.

It is important to note that centaurus is an unofficial nickname given to the subvariant by a Twitter user, and adopted by scientists and journalists alike as an easy moniker. Because it is a subvariant, WHO has not given it an official Greek letter such as those given to high-level variants.

Professor Nigel McMillan, program director of infectious diseases and immunology at Griffith University, says SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, does not seem to be following a “standard” pattern of viral evolution.

“What we would expect over time is that these strains get less and less problematic, with less and less clinical consequences,” he says.

“That makes sense from a viral evolution point of view because if a virus can keep you upright and walking around infecting other people, then it will spread much better.

ALSO READ-Colombo in talks with Moscow for Russian fuel

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USA

Moscow urges US to explain military biological activities

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. (Credit Twitter @mfa_russia)

Russia has asked the United States to explain its military biological activities in some post-Soviet countries…reports Asian Lite News



On Sunday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the United States must fulfill its obligations under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), which is essential for international security.

Zakharova added that Russia plans to hold consultations with other BTWC members on measures to increase control over the activities carried out by the United States in bio-labs in the post-Soviet space, Xinhua news agency reported.

During a special military operation in Ukraine, the Russian military found that US-funded biological laboratories conducted research on dangerous viruses, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.

The Russian side has repeatedly urged Washington to explain the purpose of these facilities to the international community.

IN May, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin said that his team was making progress in a criminal probe into Ukraine’s alleged Pentagon-funded bioweapons programme.

“The analysis of the obtained documents allowed us to clearly identify the people involved in the military biological activities in Ukraine, including representatives of the US Department of Defense and American companies with ties to it,” he said, RT reported.

Bastrykin added that the US had spent more than $224 million on biological programmes in Ukraine since 2005 and the foreign aid was used to equip and upgrade around 30 research centers governed by Ukraine’s Defence, Health and Agriculture ministries.

“The results of said research had been evacuated to Kiev-controlled territory before the start of (Russia’s) special military operation,” he said, adding that his agency would continue to study the documents on the matter.

ALSO READ:Russia’s envoy in Britain says Moscow won’t use ‘tactical nuclear weapons’

In March, Moscow claimed that it had found evidence that the US had been funding biological weapons research in Ukraine. Washington and Kiev denied this claim and accused Russia of waging a disinformation campaign, RT reported.

Senior US diplomat Victoria Nuland said at the time that Washington was working with Ukraine to prevent research materials from falling into the hands of Russian troops.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also urged the US to “give a full account of its biological military activities at home and abroad and subject itself to multilateral verification”.

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‘Moscow should invade Britain’

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Twitter@KremlinRussia_E)

Foreign Secretary Lizz Truss has been at odds with Russian media due to her unwillingness to compromise with Putin. Last month, Truss even told G7 and NATO leaders at a meeting in Germany that the Kremlin leader was “humiliating himself on the world stage”…reports Asian Lite News

Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russian television personality Vladimir Solovyov recently suggested that Russia invade the United Kingdom next, saying he’d like to see Moscow take Stonehenge.

According to The Independent, Solovyov, who has close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and who is known as “Putin’s voice”, said that Russia could invade Britain and target UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. Speaking on his Russia-1 program, Evening with Vladimir Solovyov, the anchorman claimed that Russia’s invasion could stretch as far as Stonehenge, the historic landmark in England that lies in Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.

When asked by the Ukrainian political analyst Vasil Vakarov how far Russia would be willing to go before stopping, Solovyov replied: “Well, when we have to, then we will.”

“Where will we stop? Well, as I was saying today, maybe Stonehenge. Liz Truss says she’s the one fighting the war,” Solovyov said as quoted by Independent. Moreover, Solovyov also reportedly claimed that the Kremlin leader should attack the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Foreign Secretary Lizz Truss has been at odds with Russian media due to her unwillingness to compromise with Putin. Last month, Truss even told G7 and NATO leaders at a meeting in Germany that the Kremlin leader was “humiliating himself on the world stage”. “We must ensure he faces a defeat in Ukraine that denies him any benefit and ultimately constrains further aggression,” she said as per Newsweek.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time Russian state TV has threatened Britain or Europe in general. Back in April, Solovyov threatened the UK with the possibility of nuclear annihilation via the Sarmat – a Russian ballistic missile. As per Newsweek, he said on his show, “One Sarmat means minus one Great Britain because they’ve gotten totally boorish.”

Separately, former Russian MP Yuri Shvytkin also claimed that Moscow could wipe out “the whole of the UK in two minutes” with nuclear weapons.

ALSO READ-Putin warns Germany, France against pumping Ukraine with weapons

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Moscow still considers extending space station participation

In response to the war, the US sanctioned Russia’s major industries, which triggered outrage from the Roscosmos chief…reports Asian Lite News

Despite the souring relationship between Russia and the US over the war in Ukraine, Moscow is still considering extending its participation on the International Space Station (ISS) through 2030, according to NASA.

The US space agency and Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos have been the two largest partners on the ISS for the last three decades. The two organisations have agreed to work together on the ISS through 2024, but on December 31, 2021, the Joe Biden administration committed to extending the ISS operations through 2030. Russia has not formally agreed to the extension yet, the Verge reported.

According to the NASA’s budget estimates, the ISS, launched in 1998, will be “de-orbited” in January 2031.

In January, before the Ukraine war began, CEO of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin said that Roscosmos and NASA are in talks on extending the operation of the ISS until 2030.

But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, beginning February 24, affected space cooperation between the two countries and Roscosmos’s participation in the extension started to seem unlikely.

In response to the war, the US sanctioned Russia’s major industries, which triggered outrage from the Roscosmos chief.

On Twitter, Rogozin made wild threats about the future of the ISS, insinuating that the station could come crashing down on the US if Russia withdrew prematurely from the programme. He has also hinted at revisiting the partnership with the US in light of the sanctions.

Yet, Roscosmos has apparently not given a hard “no” on the extension and may even continue it, the report said.

“All of our international partners, including Roscosmos, are making progress on moving towards station extension through 2030,” Kathy Lueders, associate administrator of space operations at NASA, said during a press conference.

She added that every partner on the ISS must go through a budget process and receive final government approval before the extension is set.

“But we all understand the importance of this continued partnership, even in really, really, really tough times,” Lueders said.

Joel Montalbano, NASA’s ISS programme manager, discussed the possible extension in Russia with Roscosmos officials as NASA prepared for the return of astronaut Mark Vande Hei on a Russian Soyuz rocket this week, the report said.

“At the programme level, we continue discussions and continue working towards 2030,” Dana Weigel, deputy manager of NASA’s International Space Station programme, was quoted as saying.

“They touched on the subject of when Joel Montalbano was in Russia, and made no changes at all to the plan.” Weigel noted that NASA expects to get its next big update on extension plans in late April or early May.

The ISS, about the size of an American football field, orbits the Earth about once every 90 minutes, and has been continuously occupied by astronauts since November 2000.

The space station was originally intended to operate for just 15 years, but NASA said in a report that “there is high confidence that ISS life can be further extended through 2030”, though some analyses of its viability are still being conducted.

Once out of orbit, in January 2031, the space station will make a dramatic descent before splash-landing in Point Nemo, which is about 2,700 km from any land and has become known as the space cemetery — a final resting place for decommissioned space stations, old satellites and other human space debris.

ALSO READ-Russia’s Lavrov meets Jaishankar in Delhi

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Moscow-Beijing ties will get stronger despite sanctions: Lavrov

Although China has expressed concern about the war in Ukraine, Beijing has fallen short of condemning the Russian invasion….reports Asian Lite News

Amid escalating fight between Russia and Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday said that Moscow’s cooperation with Beijing will “get stronger” in the face of western sanctions.

During a media event, he said, “At a time when the west is blatantly undermining all the foundations on which the international system is based, we — as two great powers — need to think how to carry on in this world,” reported CNN.

The view was echoed at a separate event in Beijing on Saturday. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said Western sanctions against Russia were getting “more and more outrageous,” according to UK-based media.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Although China has expressed concern about the war in Ukraine, Beijing has fallen short of condemning the Russian invasion. Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Joe Biden during a video call Friday, “the Ukraine crisis is something we don’t want to see.”

The Western countries have strongly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine calling it an invasion and imposed harsh sanctions on Russia.

Lavrov also said that Russia hopes its military operation in Ukraine will end with a “comprehensive agreement” on security issues and Ukraine agreeing to neutral status, reported CNN.

Lavrov said Moscow is “ready” to look for guarantees of security and “to coordinate them for Ukraine, for the Europeans and, of course, for ourselves beyond the expansion of the North-Atlantic Treaty.” (ANI)

ALSO READ: ‘We recognise economic reasoning’: US on India buying Russian oil

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-Top News Arab News Qatar

Qatari FM in Moscow to discuss Ukraine crisis

Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Monday…reports Asian Lite News

Qatar News Agency (QNA) said the visit of Al Thani comes at a critical stage due to the conditions the world is experiencing as a result of the escalation in Ukraine, explaining that it includes a discussion of the latest developments in the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, as well as a review of the ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve this crisis.

“Qatar is seeking to support the existing international efforts to provide the necessary conditions for a peaceful solution to the crisis,” the Foreign Ministry’s spokesman told Qatar News Agency, pointing out that the visit comes after phone calls between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Ministers of Russia and Ukraine, in addition to discussions held during the minister’s visits to a number of European cities.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held talks with Al Thani and expressed his gratitude to the leadership for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in this dire time of need.

Taking to Twitter, Kuleba wrote, “Call with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar @MBA_AlThani_.We discussed ways to end Russia’s barbaric aggression against Ukraine. Grateful to Qatar for stepping up humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine.”

Calling the Russian war in Ukraine ‘brutal’ and ‘unprovoked’, earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke with the Qatari FM over the deteriorating situation in Ukraine.

ALSO READ: Iran to open trade office in Qatar soon

“Spoke with Qatar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs @MBA_AlThani_ yesterday about the urgent need for Russia to end its brutal and unprovoked war on Ukraine. I also thanked Qatar for continued assistance with Afghanistan diplomacy,” Blinken wrote in a tweet.

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republic requested help in ‘defending themselves.’ The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger.

The West however denies these claims by the Russians and in response, Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow. In addition, they introduced sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia’s operation in Ukraine. (with inputs from ANI)