Latest Moscow News & Updates

Moscow, April 1 (IANS) Six crew members and 23 passengers were killed when a Russian An‑26 military transport plane crashed in Crimea, the Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed early Wednesday.The aircraft collided with a cliff, a source at the scene told TASS news agency.The Russian defense ministry said late Tuesday that the An-26 had lost contact during a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula, Xinhua news agency reported.According to preliminary information, the crash was caused by a …

New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) India has sharply increased its purchases of Russian oil, prompting several tankers that were originally headed to China to change course mid-journey and sail towards Indian ports instead.One such vessel, the Aframax tanker Aqua Titan, is now expected to arrive at New Mangalore on March 21 carrying Urals crude, according to reports.The ship had initially set its destination as Rizhao in China after loading oil from a Baltic Sea port in late January.However, in a sudden…

Washington, March 14 (IANS) Senior US Senate Democrats have sharply criticised the Trump administration’s decision to pause sanctions on Russian oil, warning the move could enrich Moscow while doing little to ease rising energy costs for Americans. US Senator Mark R. Warner, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said the move followed what he described as the economic fallout of the administration’s war with Iran.“Trump’s war of choice with Iran has come with imme…

Washington, March 12 (IANS) Russia has emerged as an unexpected economic beneficiary of the war involving Iran, earning billions of dollars from rising global oil prices triggered by the conflict, a US Senator said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday. Senator Angus King of Maine told military commanders that surging energy prices since the start of the war had delivered a windfall to Moscow.”There is a clear winner in this war,” King said, adding: “The clear winner is Vl…

Washington, March 9 (IANS) Indian refineries processing Russian crude was a “pragmatic decision” taken to stabilise global energy markets and speed up supplies in Asia, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. Speaking on Fox News on Sunday (local time), Wright said the policy does not represent any shift in Washington’s sanctions stance toward Moscow but reflects the realities of oil supply chains in Asia amid geopolitical disruption.”Russia’s oil remains sanctioned. There’s no change in policy t…

United Nations, Feb 25 (IANS) On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the General Assembly supported the territorial integrity of Ukraine and demanded an immediate ceasefire in a resolution on which India joined the US in abstaining. The resolution carried on Tuesday with 107 votes, including those of Washington’s allies, showed a split among the Western countries in their approach to ending the war.There were 12 votes against it, and 51 countries abstained.The unusual US …

United Nations, Feb 24 (IANS) The intractable Ukraine War entered its fourth year on Tuesday with no early sign of an end to the conflict that has spread its tentacles across the world, destabilising geopolitics and international trade. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it “a stain on our collective consciousness and remains a threat to regional and international peace and security.”According to the UN, more than 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and 41,000 injured in the fou…

Moscow, Feb 20 (IANS) Japan has taken an unfriendly position toward Russia, making any agreements between the two countries unlikely under current conditions, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. “Tokyo is taking an unfriendly stance toward our country, so, of course, under these circumstances, it’s unlikely that any agreements can be reached without changing the modalities of our relations,” Peskov said, quoted by RIA Novosti.Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, speaking …

Seoul, Feb 16 (IANS) North Korea has built new homes in Pyongyang for the bereaved family members of North Korean soldiers who died during the Russia-Ukraine war, its state media said on Monday.The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended the opening ceremony of the new street called Saeppyol Street on Sunday, accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae and other officials.In his speech at the ceremony, Kim said the new street “has been built thanks to the ardent des…

Lucknow, Feb 15 (IANS) Inspired by Uttar Pradesh government’s cultural vision and the spiritual renaissance in Ayodhya, a grand Ramlila will be held in the Russian capital Moscow on February 20. This Ramlila, being organised in a divine and grand form, has drawn inspiration from the recent Deepotsav held in Ayodhya.The Ramlila, being organised with the support of the Embassy of India in Russia and the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre (JNCC), will feature Russian artists in major roles.Evgeny wil…