While Russia was in the headlines for slowing down the speed of social media platform, Twitter, they did not realise that their actions were bringing negative effects on their own official websites.

During the day, the Kremlin website and a few other state websites were shut down, in what was being assumed as a retaliation by the US. However, it has now been reported that the shut down was a side effect of Russia's action towards Twitter.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-and-other-russian-official-websites-down-experts-doubt-us-involvement-369398">Kremlin and other Russian official websites down; experts doubt US involvement</a>

On Tuesday, Russia initiated protocols to slow down the speed of Twitter as retaliation to Twitter's alleged failure to curb and remove banned content.

Russian state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, also threatened a total block of the social media platform if the US firm failed to comply with the demands.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-disrupting-twitter-over-illegal-content-369358">Russia says disrupting Twitter over 'illegal' content</a>

While Twitter faced tough enforcement from Russia, its own state websites also faced shutdowns. At first, reports speculated that the shut down of Russian websites of Kremlin, Prime Minister, Roskomnadzor and other state departments was a move by the US as a few days before it had warned of a cyber attack against Russia.

This move was being assumed to be from the US as the officials had recently concluded that Russia was likely involved in the controversial SolarWinds Orion attacks that had led to the disruption of several government agencies and private firms' security.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-sues-google-facebook-twitter-for-not-deleting-protest-content-report-369132">Also read |&nbsp;Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content: Report</a>

The disruptions of the websites also came a little after the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed to local media house, CNBC, that the US government will be taking 'a mix of actions seen and unseen' as a rebuttal to the alleged attacks from Russia, but declined to give any further details saying, 'we will not publicly discuss certain aspects of our response.'

Moscow had been busy restricting the use of Twitter in the country after, it said, the platform failed to remove the "illegal" content.&nbsp;"The slowing down will be applied on a 100% of mobile devices and on 50% of non-mobile devices," the regulator said in a statement on its website.

"If (Twitter) continues to ignore the requirements of the law, the enforcement measures will be continued in line with the response regulations (all the way to blocking)," it said.

While Russia was in the headlines for slowing down the speed of social media platform, Twitter, they did not realise that their actions were bringing negative effects on their own official websites.

While Russia was in the headlines for slowing down the speed of social media platform, Twitter, they did not realise that their actions were bringing negative effects on their own official websites. During the day, the Kremlin website and a few other state websites were shut down, in what was being assumed as a retaliation by the US. However, it has now been reported that the shut down was a side effect of Russia's action towards Twitter. Also read | Kremlin and other Russian official websites down; experts doubt US involvement On Tuesday, Russia initiated protocols to slow down the speed of Twitter as retaliation to Twitter's alleged failure to curb and remove banned content. Russian state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, also threatened a total block of the social media platform if the US firm failed to comply with the demands. Also read | Russia says disrupting Twitter over 'illegal' content While Twitter faced tough enforcement from Russia, its own state websites also faced shutdowns. At first, reports speculated that the shut down of Russian websites of Kremlin, Prime Minister, Roskomnadzor and other state departments was a move by the US as a few days before it had warned of a cyber attack against Russia. This move was being assumed to be from the US as the officials had recently concluded that Russia was likely involved in the controversial SolarWinds Orion attacks that had led to the disruption of several government agencies and private firms' security. Also read | Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content: Report The disruptions of the websites also came a little after the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed to local media house, CNBC, that the US government will be taking 'a mix of actions seen and unseen' as a rebuttal to the alleged attacks from Russia, but declined to give any further details saying, 'we will not publicly discuss certain aspects of our response.' Moscow had been busy restricting the use of Twitter in the country after, it said, the platform failed to remove the "illegal" content. "The slowing down will be applied on a 100% of mobile devices and on 50% of non-mobile devices," the regulator said in a statement on its website. "If (Twitter) continues to ignore the requirements of the law, the enforcement measures will be continued in line with the response regulations (all the way to blocking)," it said.

While slowing down Twitter, Russia ends up shutting down its own state websites: Reports

Days after the US warned of a cyber attack against Russia,&nbsp;the Kremlin website and a few other official websites have stopped working.

In a surprising move, on Wednesday morning, nobody was able to open the websites of Prime Minister, Roskomnadzor and other state departments.

This has come after there were several reports claiming that the US was preparing a retaliation cyber attack against Russia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-disrupting-twitter-over-illegal-content-369358">Russia says disrupting Twitter over 'illegal' content</a>

A few sources of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/the-white-house">White House</a> told the American publication The New York Times that the first move against Vladimir Putin-ruled country is expected in the next three weeks, which will be followed with a 'series of clandestine actions across Russian networks'.

While these actions will not have a massive impact on others and will not be hugely evident to outsiders, sources believe it will send a clear message to Vladimir Putin — who has been receiving criticism over the alleged poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

This alleged move from the US has come after the officials concluded that Russia was likely involved in the controversial SolarWinds Orion attacks that had led to the disruption of several government agencies and private firms' security.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-sues-google-facebook-twitter-for-not-deleting-protest-content-report-369132">Also read |&nbsp;Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content: Report</a>

These disruptions of the websites have come a little after the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed to local media house, CNBC, that the US government will be taking&nbsp;'a mix of actions seen and unseen' as a rebuttal to the alleged attacks from Russia, but declined to give any further details saying, 'we will not publicly discuss certain aspects of our response.'

The description of websites also happened while&nbsp;Moscow was busy restricting the use of Twitter by slowing down its speed for users in the country over what it said was the social media platform's failure to remove "illegal" content.

"The slowing down will be applied on a 100% of mobile devices and on 50% of non-mobile devices," the regulator said in a statement on its website.

"If (Twitter) continues to ignore the requirements of the law, the enforcement measures will be continued in line with the response regulations (all the way to blocking)," it said.

Days after the US warned of a cyber attack against Russia, the Kremlin website and a few other official websites have stopped working. In a surprising move, on Wednesday morning, nobody was able to open the websites of Prime Minister, Roskomnadzor and other state departments.

Days after the US warned of a cyber attack against Russia, the Kremlin website and a few other official websites have stopped working. In a surprising move, on Wednesday morning, nobody was able to open the websites of Prime Minister, Roskomnadzor and other state departments. This has come after there were several reports claiming that the US was preparing a retaliation cyber attack against Russia. Also read | Russia says disrupting Twitter over 'illegal' content A few sources of the White House told the American publication The New York Times that the first move against Vladimir Putin-ruled country is expected in the next three weeks, which will be followed with a 'series of clandestine actions across Russian networks'. While these actions will not have a massive impact on others and will not be hugely evident to outsiders, sources believe it will send a clear message to Vladimir Putin — who has been receiving criticism over the alleged poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. This alleged move from the US has come after the officials concluded that Russia was likely involved in the controversial SolarWinds Orion attacks that had led to the disruption of several government agencies and private firms' security. Also read | Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content: Report These disruptions of the websites have come a little after the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed to local media house, CNBC, that the US government will be taking 'a mix of actions seen and unseen' as a rebuttal to the alleged attacks from Russia, but declined to give any further details saying, 'we will not publicly discuss certain aspects of our response.' The description of websites also happened while Moscow was busy restricting the use of Twitter by slowing down its speed for users in the country over what it said was the social media platform's failure to remove "illegal" content. "The slowing down will be applied on a 100% of mobile devices and on 50% of non-mobile devices," the regulator said in a statement on its website. "If (Twitter) continues to ignore the requirements of the law, the enforcement measures will be continued in line with the response regulations (all the way to blocking)," it said.

Kremlin and other Russian official websites down; experts doubt US involvement

The emergency ministry of Russia’s far eastern Amur region on Sunday reported an oil spill at an oil processing station but said the spill has been contained.&nbsp;

The second stage of Russia's East Siberia - Pacific Ocean oil pipeline is working as usual, the ministry added.&nbsp;

Oil pipeline monopoly Transneft and the Russian emergency ministry's task force are tackling the accident, the ministry said, without disclosing further detail.&nbsp;

The scale of the spill was not immediately clear.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a fire broke out on Russia’s Ob river in Siberia on Saturday due to an accident on an underwater pipeline, Russia’s Rosprirodnadzor state environment watchdog said.&nbsp;

Petrochemicals producer Sibur said the fire near the city of Nizhnevartovsk in the oil-rich region of Yugra was quickly localised and that there was no risk to local people or the environment.&nbsp;

The accident occurred on a pipeline carrying light hydrocarbons, it said in a statement.&nbsp;

Large flames could be seen from a distance belching up smoke into the night sky with snow in the foreground in footage circulated by the RIA news agency.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The emergency ministry of Russia’s far eastern Amur region on Sunday reported an oil spill at an oil processing station but said the spill has been contained. The second stage of Russia's East Siberia - Pacific Ocean oil pipeline is working as usual, the ministry added.

The emergency ministry of Russia’s far eastern Amur region on Sunday reported an oil spill at an oil processing station but said the spill has been contained. The second stage of Russia's East Siberia - Pacific Ocean oil pipeline is working as usual, the ministry added. Oil pipeline monopoly Transneft and the Russian emergency ministry's task force are tackling the accident, the ministry said, without disclosing further detail. The scale of the spill was not immediately clear. Meanwhile, a fire broke out on Russia’s Ob river in Siberia on Saturday due to an accident on an underwater pipeline, Russia’s Rosprirodnadzor state environment watchdog said. Petrochemicals producer Sibur said the fire near the city of Nizhnevartovsk in the oil-rich region of Yugra was quickly localised and that there was no risk to local people or the environment. The accident occurred on a pipeline carrying light hydrocarbons, it said in a statement. Large flames could be seen from a distance belching up smoke into the night sky with snow in the foreground in footage circulated by the RIA news agency. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia reports oil spill at processing station in Far East 

Missile strikes on makeshift oil refineries in northern Syria killed four people and injured more than 20 others, a war monitor said on Saturday.&nbsp;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a series of strikes launched from Russian warships and by allied Syrian government forces hit the makeshift refineries in Aleppo province on Friday night, causing a massive blaze as dozens of tankers caught fire in the area controlled by Turkey and its Syrian rebel proxies.&nbsp;

The Britain-based monitor 'documented the deaths of four people, while 24 others sustained various injuries and burns' in the attacks near the towns of Jarablus and Al-Bab.&nbsp;

At least one Syrian rebel was among the dead, said Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman. &nbsp;

Rescue workers spent hours trying to extinguish the fire, which spread to about 180 oil tankers, according to the war monitor.&nbsp;

"The fires are the largest yet from a missile attack on makeshift refineries," the Observatory said.&nbsp;

Oil installations in Turkey-controlled parts of Aleppo have come under repeated attack in recent months although Moscow and the Syrian regime have not claimed responsibility.&nbsp;

The Observatory reported two such missile attacks last month.&nbsp;

In January, unidentified drones also hit oil refineries in Turkish-held areas of Aleppo, causing a large fire, according to the Observatory. &nbsp;

Syria's war has killed more than 387,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with a brutal repression of anti-government protests.&nbsp;

It later evolved into a complex conflict involving jihadists and foreign powers.&nbsp;

Northern neighbour Turkey has seized control of several regions inside Syria in military campaigns against the Islamic State group and Kurdish fighters since 2016.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Missile strikes on makeshift oil refineries in northern Syria killed four people and injured more than 20 others, a war monitor said on Saturday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a series of strikes launched from Russian warships and by allied Syrian government forces hit the makeshift refineries in Aleppo province on Friday night, causing a massive blaze as dozens of tankers caught fire in the area controlled by Turkey and its Syrian rebel proxies.

Missile strikes on makeshift oil refineries in northern Syria killed four people and injured more than 20 others, a war monitor said on Saturday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a series of strikes launched from Russian warships and by allied Syrian government forces hit the makeshift refineries in Aleppo province on Friday night, causing a massive blaze as dozens of tankers caught fire in the area controlled by Turkey and its Syrian rebel proxies. The Britain-based monitor 'documented the deaths of four people, while 24 others sustained various injuries and burns' in the attacks near the towns of Jarablus and Al-Bab. At least one Syrian rebel was among the dead, said Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman. Rescue workers spent hours trying to extinguish the fire, which spread to about 180 oil tankers, according to the war monitor. "The fires are the largest yet from a missile attack on makeshift refineries," the Observatory said. Oil installations in Turkey-controlled parts of Aleppo have come under repeated attack in recent months although Moscow and the Syrian regime have not claimed responsibility. The Observatory reported two such missile attacks last month. In January, unidentified drones also hit oil refineries in Turkish-held areas of Aleppo, causing a large fire, according to the Observatory. Syria's war has killed more than 387,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with a brutal repression of anti-government protests. It later evolved into a complex conflict involving jihadists and foreign powers. Northern neighbour Turkey has seized control of several regions inside Syria in military campaigns against the Islamic State group and Kurdish fighters since 2016. (With inputs from agencies)

Missile strikes on makeshift oil refineries in Syria kill four, says monitor  

The Kremlin sees the new US and EU sanctions on Russia as an interference in the country's internal affairs, as all the accusations related to opposition figure Alexey Navalny's case are absurd, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

"This is nothing but interference in Russia's domestic affairs ... In general, we can only express our regret, as our opponents use methods that damage our bilateral relations," Peskov told reporters.&nbsp;

When asked why the West introduced targeted sanctions instead of restrictions against major businesses or state debt, the Kremlin spokesman said it was not up to him to 'explain the motives'.&nbsp;

"We believe that all these decisions, both targeted and others, are absurd and absolutely groundless. The most important thing is, they have no effect and no sense," Peskov continued.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Russia also warned the United States it would 'rebuff aggression' on Wednesday after Washington imposed sanctions on Kremlin's officials over the poisoning of prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny. &nbsp;

"We will continue to systematically and resolutely defend our national interests and rebuff aggression," said Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. &nbsp;

She further threatened the United States that Kremlin's reaction would be based on 'reciprocity and not necessarily symmetrically'.&nbsp;

The comments came after the US along with the European Union on Tuesday imposed penalties after US intelligence concluded that Russia was behind the poisoning of Navalny.&nbsp;

Accusing Washington of 'trying to cultivate the image of an external enemy', the spokesperson asked the US and its European allies to 'not play with fire'. &nbsp;

Biden's administration has frozen any US assets of seven Russian officials, including the director of FSB, Russia's intelligence organisation. &nbsp;

It has also criminalised any transactions with these seven officials. &nbsp;

The action has been taken after US intelligence assessed 'with high confidence' that FSB officials poisoned Navalny with the nerve agent Novichok on August 20, 2020, a US official told reporters.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The Kremlin sees the new US and EU sanctions on Russia as an interference in the country's internal affairs, as all the accusations related to opposition figure Alexey Navalny's case are absurd, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

The Kremlin sees the new US and EU sanctions on Russia as an interference in the country's internal affairs, as all the accusations related to opposition figure Alexey Navalny's case are absurd, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. "This is nothing but interference in Russia's domestic affairs ... In general, we can only express our regret, as our opponents use methods that damage our bilateral relations," Peskov told reporters. When asked why the West introduced targeted sanctions instead of restrictions against major businesses or state debt, the Kremlin spokesman said it was not up to him to 'explain the motives'. "We believe that all these decisions, both targeted and others, are absurd and absolutely groundless. The most important thing is, they have no effect and no sense," Peskov continued. Meanwhile, Russia also warned the United States it would 'rebuff aggression' on Wednesday after Washington imposed sanctions on Kremlin's officials over the poisoning of prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny. "We will continue to systematically and resolutely defend our national interests and rebuff aggression," said Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. She further threatened the United States that Kremlin's reaction would be based on 'reciprocity and not necessarily symmetrically'. The comments came after the US along with the European Union on Tuesday imposed penalties after US intelligence concluded that Russia was behind the poisoning of Navalny. Accusing Washington of 'trying to cultivate the image of an external enemy', the spokesperson asked the US and its European allies to 'not play with fire'. Biden's administration has frozen any US assets of seven Russian officials, including the director of FSB, Russia's intelligence organisation. It has also criminalised any transactions with these seven officials. The action has been taken after US intelligence assessed 'with high confidence' that FSB officials poisoned Navalny with the nerve agent Novichok on August 20, 2020, a US official told reporters. (With inputs from agencies)

Kremlin sees new US, EU sanctions as interference in internal affairs 

Russia's communications regulator accused Twitter on Monday of violating the country's&nbsp;law, saying the social media platform had not complied with some of its requests to delete banned content.

Roskomnadzor said Twitter had failed to delete 2,862 posts containing material linked to suicide, pornography and drugs since 2017. It could be fined heavily if found guilty of repeatedly failing to delete content deemed illegal under Russian law, it said.

The platform is used extensively by Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and his allies to criticise the authorities and announce new protests.

Twitter, which declined to comment, has been fined in the past for breaching Russia's data laws, but the penalties have been relatively small. A Moscow court last year fined Twitter 4 million roubles ($54,000) for failing to comply with Russian data law after the platform refused to locate its server holding data about Russian citizens on Russian territory.

Russia in recent months has taken steps to exert more influence over foreign social media platforms.

Bills passed by the lower house of parliament in December last year allowed Russia to impose large fines on platforms that do not delete banned content and even to restrict access to U.S. social media giants if they "discriminate" against Russian media.

The foreign ministry has also accused Facebook and other US&nbsp;platforms of failing to identify fake posts related to unauthorized protests in support of Navalny, where police detained thousands of demonstrators nationwide.

In January, President Vladimir Putin queried what he described as the growing clout of US&nbsp;social media giants and said their influence meant they now competed with governments.

Russia's communications regulator accused Twitter on Monday of violating the country's law, saying the social media platform had not complied with some of its requests to delete banned content.

Russia's communications regulator accused Twitter on Monday of violating the country's law, saying the social media platform had not complied with some of its requests to delete banned content. Roskomnadzor said Twitter had failed to delete 2,862 posts containing material linked to suicide, pornography and drugs since 2017. It could be fined heavily if found guilty of repeatedly failing to delete content deemed illegal under Russian law, it said. The platform is used extensively by Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and his allies to criticise the authorities and announce new protests. Twitter, which declined to comment, has been fined in the past for breaching Russia's data laws, but the penalties have been relatively small. A Moscow court last year fined Twitter 4 million roubles ($54,000) for failing to comply with Russian data law after the platform refused to locate its server holding data about Russian citizens on Russian territory. Russia in recent months has taken steps to exert more influence over foreign social media platforms. Bills passed by the lower house of parliament in December last year allowed Russia to impose large fines on platforms that do not delete banned content and even to restrict access to U.S. social media giants if they "discriminate" against Russian media. The foreign ministry has also accused Facebook and other US platforms of failing to identify fake posts related to unauthorized protests in support of Navalny, where police detained thousands of demonstrators nationwide. In January, President Vladimir Putin queried what he described as the growing clout of US social media giants and said their influence meant they now competed with governments.

Russia accuses Twitter of breaking law by failing to delete content

The head of Russia's prison authority on Friday confirmed that opposition politician Alexei Navalny had been moved from Moscow to a detention centre where he would serve his just over 2-1/2-year sentence, the RIA news agency reported.&nbsp;

Alexander Kalashnikov, head of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), did not specify where Navalny was being taken, RIA reported. It was not clear whether Navalny arrived or was still on his way there. Navalny's lawyer on Thursday said he had been moved to an undisclosed location.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday approved legislation to increase fines for offences that were committed during protests in support of Kremlin’s fierce critic Alexei Navalny. Thousands that took part in unsanctioned rallies were detained by authorities.&nbsp;

The legislation has increased fines for insubordination to law enforcement officers. Now, offenders could end up paying 4,000 roubles ($54.30) with 15 days in detention, as opposed to the older fine of 1,000 roubles.&nbsp;

Besides this, the law has introduced fines for upto 20,000 roubles in case organisers of protests violate any funding regulations.&nbsp;

Over 11,000 people were detained by authorities this year for taking part in rallies that support Navalny, as per OVD-Info - a group which monitors protests. Russia’s Interior Ministry had put out a warning in advance saying that it would break up unauthorised rallies, and that those taking part in rallies may face prosecution.&nbsp;

Most of Navalny’s allies have now declared a moratorium on the protests till spring. His allies are either abroad or have been put under house arrest. Last August, Navalny was flown to Germany for treatment after he was allegedly poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet era nerve agent - a claim backed by Germany and many Western countries.&nbsp;

Russian authorities on the other hand deny any involvement in the incident. Last month, during his return to Russia, Navalny was detained by authorities, following which he was sentenced to jail on February 2 for violations of parole. Navalny is looking at two-and-a-half years in jail.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

The head of Russia's prison authority on Friday confirmed that opposition politician Alexei Navalny had been moved from Moscow to a detention centre where he would serve his just over 2-1/2-year sentence, the RIA news agency reported.

The head of Russia's prison authority on Friday confirmed that opposition politician Alexei Navalny had been moved from Moscow to a detention centre where he would serve his just over 2-1/2-year sentence, the RIA news agency reported. Alexander Kalashnikov, head of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), did not specify where Navalny was being taken, RIA reported. It was not clear whether Navalny arrived or was still on his way there. Navalny's lawyer on Thursday said he had been moved to an undisclosed location. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday approved legislation to increase fines for offences that were committed during protests in support of Kremlin’s fierce critic Alexei Navalny. Thousands that took part in unsanctioned rallies were detained by authorities. The legislation has increased fines for insubordination to law enforcement officers. Now, offenders could end up paying 4,000 roubles ($54.30) with 15 days in detention, as opposed to the older fine of 1,000 roubles. Besides this, the law has introduced fines for upto 20,000 roubles in case organisers of protests violate any funding regulations. Over 11,000 people were detained by authorities this year for taking part in rallies that support Navalny, as per OVD-Info - a group which monitors protests. Russia’s Interior Ministry had put out a warning in advance saying that it would break up unauthorised rallies, and that those taking part in rallies may face prosecution. Most of Navalny’s allies have now declared a moratorium on the protests till spring. His allies are either abroad or have been put under house arrest. Last August, Navalny was flown to Germany for treatment after he was allegedly poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet era nerve agent - a claim backed by Germany and many Western countries. Russian authorities on the other hand deny any involvement in the incident. Last month, during his return to Russia, Navalny was detained by authorities, following which he was sentenced to jail on February 2 for violations of parole. Navalny is looking at two-and-a-half years in jail. (With inputs from Reuters)

Navalny moved to detention centre: Russian prison authority  

The Kremlin on Friday said Armenia should comply with agreements reached with Azerbaijan after last year's Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, despite the political upheaval in Armenia, with the army on Thursday demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation.&nbsp;

Thousands rallied behind Pashinyan after the army's written demand plunged the impoverished former Soviet republic of less than three million into a new political crisis in what he said was an attempted coup.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Pashinyan also asked his supporters to gather at the centre of the capital Yerevan.&nbsp;

"I consider the statement of the General Staff of the Armed Forces an attempted military coup. I invite all of our supporters to Republic Square right now," Pashinyan wrote in a Facebook post. &nbsp;

Pashinyan also sacked the general staff of armed forces Onik Gasparyan after the latter's office released a statement asking the prime minister and his cabinet to resign on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Gasparyan on Wednesday in a statement said that Pashinyan's government is 'not capable of taking adequate decisions' and denounced 'attacks by the authorities aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces.'&nbsp;

On Wednesday, the Armenian PM also fired deputy chief of staff Tigran Khachatryan, who had ridiculed Pashinyan's claims that Russian-supplied missiles had failed to reach targets during last year's intense battle over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.&nbsp;

Pashinyan and his government have faced massive anger and protests over the handling of the war with Azerbaijan over the conflicted region, building pressure on him to step down. &nbsp;

The massive anger is against the Russian-brokered peace deal that ended six weeks of war and ceded large territories of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.&nbsp;

The Kremlin on Friday said Armenia should comply with agreements reached with Azerbaijan after last year's Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, despite the political upheaval in Armenia, with the army on Thursday demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation.

The Kremlin on Friday said Armenia should comply with agreements reached with Azerbaijan after last year's Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, despite the political upheaval in Armenia, with the army on Thursday demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. Thousands rallied behind Pashinyan after the army's written demand plunged the impoverished former Soviet republic of less than three million into a new political crisis in what he said was an attempted coup. Meanwhile, Pashinyan also asked his supporters to gather at the centre of the capital Yerevan. "I consider the statement of the General Staff of the Armed Forces an attempted military coup. I invite all of our supporters to Republic Square right now," Pashinyan wrote in a Facebook post. Pashinyan also sacked the general staff of armed forces Onik Gasparyan after the latter's office released a statement asking the prime minister and his cabinet to resign on Wednesday. Gasparyan on Wednesday in a statement said that Pashinyan's government is 'not capable of taking adequate decisions' and denounced 'attacks by the authorities aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces.' On Wednesday, the Armenian PM also fired deputy chief of staff Tigran Khachatryan, who had ridiculed Pashinyan's claims that Russian-supplied missiles had failed to reach targets during last year's intense battle over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Pashinyan and his government have faced massive anger and protests over the handling of the war with Azerbaijan over the conflicted region, building pressure on him to step down. The massive anger is against the Russian-brokered peace deal that ended six weeks of war and ceded large territories of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.

Kremlin says Armenia should comply with Karabakh ceasefire agreements

After the imprisonment this month of the opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, punishing Russia is back on the agenda. On Monday, European Union foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions on Russian officials, with the final details to come.

Yet such measures are unlikely to satisfy the Kremlin’s critics. They have in their sights a pet project of President Vladimir Putin’s: Nord Stream 2, a pipeline under the Baltic Sea that would supply natural gas directly to Germany.

The project has already survived fierce opposition from many European countries and the United States. And Germany, for which the pipeline is part of Europe’s delicate geopolitical balancing act, is committed to finishing it. With fewer than 100 miles to go, construction is nearly complete. But the treatment of Mr. Navalny and his supporters has once again thrown open the question of the project.

The pipeline’s predecessor, Nord Stream 1 — which was completed in 2012 and also runs undersea directly from Russia to Germany — was controversial, too. Germany’s eastern neighbors feared that Russia might cut off their gas while continuing to supply Germany. In that case, Eastern Europeans would be left to face the Kremlin alone.

But since Nord Stream 1 was finished, Europe’s energy landscape has been transformed. Although Russia supplies around 40 percent of Europe’s natural gas, largely via pipelines running through Belarus and Ukraine, it is no longer the dominant force it once was. In much of Eastern Europe, where gas used to be shipped almost exclusively from Russia, many countries, including Poland and Lithuania, now buy liquefied natural gas from the United States or Norway.

What’s more, the gas infrastructures of European countries are far more interconnected, and a European Union antitrust case against Gazprom, the Russian state-owned company that supplies the pipelines’ gas, has eroded its monopoly power. This means that Nord Stream 2 will have a marginal effect on most European countries’ energy security. It would, in practice, not alter much — which makes it all the more attractive a target for those who wish to check Russian influence.

There is one obvious loser from the pipeline: Ukraine. Much of the Russian gas currently shipped to Europe travels through the country. But if Nord Stream 2 is completed and Russia substantially reduces the gas sent through Ukraine, Kyiv would lose over a billion dollars a year in transit fees. Already a victim of Russian military and economic pressure, that would be an additional blow to the country.

That should be enough to move Germany, a supporter of Ukraine, to cancel the project. But there are plenty of other reasons, too. Few of Germany’s allies support the pipeline, with French leaders the latest to call for its cancellation. Many Europeans see it as a glaring example of German hypocrisy, as Berlin demands that other Europeans play by E.U. rules as it cuts side deals with Moscow.

Perhaps worse, a new pipe carrying fossil fuels under the sea fits poorly with Germany’s self-image as a green energy leader. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s explanation that the pipeline — funded and built by a Russian state-owned company — is a “commercial project” makes Berlin’s policy look only more cynical.

So why does Germany want the pipeline? Supporters in Berlin make two arguments. First, they say it will provide gas to replace coal and nuclear power, which Germany is phasing out. Second, they argue that buying gas from Russia will moderate the Kremlin’s foreign policy. Neither argument is especially compelling.

It may simply be that Ms. Merkel — who this month again ruled out junking the project — has clung to her pipeline for so long that it is now impossible to give it up. Although the Green Party, which will almost certainly play a role in the country’s next coalition government, is dead set against Nord Stream 2, most German politicians seem to agree with her.

That puts Berlin at odds with the United States, which has already slapped financial sanctions on companies helping to build Nord Stream 2, arguing that the pipeline rewards Russia and deepens Europe’s reliance on Russian gas. In large part because it has no effect on their constituents, Nord Stream 2 is a rare bipartisan issue among members of Congress. Imposing sanctions allows American legislators to sound tough on Mr. Putin at little cost.

Underneath the heated assertions and veiled threats lies the mundane reality that Russia’s ability to use gas as a tool of political pressure is already much diminished — something the completion of Nord Stream 2 would do little to change. But canceling the project as punishment for Mr. Navalny’s treatment is unlikely to achieve much, either. He is clearly a threat the Kremlin wishes to vanquish, at some cost.

The clamor over Nord Stream 2 shows, more than anything, a simple truth: When it comes to dealing with Russia, there are very few good options.

(Chris Miller is an assistant professor at the Fletcher School at Tufts University.)

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

After the imprisonment this month of the opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, punishing Russia is back on the agenda. On Monday, European Union foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions on Russian officials, with the final details to come.

After the imprisonment this month of the opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, punishing Russia is back on the agenda. On Monday, European Union foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions on Russian officials, with the final details to come. Yet such measures are unlikely to satisfy the Kremlin’s critics. They have in their sights a pet project of President Vladimir Putin’s: Nord Stream 2, a pipeline under the Baltic Sea that would supply natural gas directly to Germany. The project has already survived fierce opposition from many European countries and the United States. And Germany, for which the pipeline is part of Europe’s delicate geopolitical balancing act, is committed to finishing it. With fewer than 100 miles to go, construction is nearly complete. But the treatment of Mr. Navalny and his supporters has once again thrown open the question of the project. The pipeline’s predecessor, Nord Stream 1 — which was completed in 2012 and also runs undersea directly from Russia to Germany — was controversial, too. Germany’s eastern neighbors feared that Russia might cut off their gas while continuing to supply Germany. In that case, Eastern Europeans would be left to face the Kremlin alone. But since Nord Stream 1 was finished, Europe’s energy landscape has been transformed. Although Russia supplies around 40 percent of Europe’s natural gas, largely via pipelines running through Belarus and Ukraine, it is no longer the dominant force it once was. In much of Eastern Europe, where gas used to be shipped almost exclusively from Russia, many countries, including Poland and Lithuania, now buy liquefied natural gas from the United States or Norway. What’s more, the gas infrastructures of European countries are far more interconnected, and a European Union antitrust case against Gazprom, the Russian state-owned company that supplies the pipelines’ gas, has eroded its monopoly power. This means that Nord Stream 2 will have a marginal effect on most European countries’ energy security. It would, in practice, not alter much — which makes it all the more attractive a target for those who wish to check Russian influence. There is one obvious loser from the pipeline: Ukraine. Much of the Russian gas currently shipped to Europe travels through the country. But if Nord Stream 2 is completed and Russia substantially reduces the gas sent through Ukraine, Kyiv would lose over a billion dollars a year in transit fees. Already a victim of Russian military and economic pressure, that would be an additional blow to the country. That should be enough to move Germany, a supporter of Ukraine, to cancel the project. But there are plenty of other reasons, too. Few of Germany’s allies support the pipeline, with French leaders the latest to call for its cancellation. Many Europeans see it as a glaring example of German hypocrisy, as Berlin demands that other Europeans play by E.U. rules as it cuts side deals with Moscow. Perhaps worse, a new pipe carrying fossil fuels under the sea fits poorly with Germany’s self-image as a green energy leader. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s explanation that the pipeline — funded and built by a Russian state-owned company — is a “commercial project” makes Berlin’s policy look only more cynical. So why does Germany want the pipeline? Supporters in Berlin make two arguments. First, they say it will provide gas to replace coal and nuclear power, which Germany is phasing out. Second, they argue that buying gas from Russia will moderate the Kremlin’s foreign policy. Neither argument is especially compelling. It may simply be that Ms. Merkel — who this month again ruled out junking the project — has clung to her pipeline for so long that it is now impossible to give it up. Although the Green Party, which will almost certainly play a role in the country’s next coalition government, is dead set against Nord Stream 2, most German politicians seem to agree with her. That puts Berlin at odds with the United States, which has already slapped financial sanctions on companies helping to build Nord Stream 2, arguing that the pipeline rewards Russia and deepens Europe’s reliance on Russian gas. In large part because it has no effect on their constituents, Nord Stream 2 is a rare bipartisan issue among members of Congress. Imposing sanctions allows American legislators to sound tough on Mr. Putin at little cost. Underneath the heated assertions and veiled threats lies the mundane reality that Russia’s ability to use gas as a tool of political pressure is already much diminished — something the completion of Nord Stream 2 would do little to change. But canceling the project as punishment for Mr. Navalny’s treatment is unlikely to achieve much, either. He is clearly a threat the Kremlin wishes to vanquish, at some cost. The clamor over Nord Stream 2 shows, more than anything, a simple truth: When it comes to dealing with Russia, there are very few good options. (Chris Miller is an assistant professor at the Fletcher School at Tufts University.) (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Will anything stop Putin’s pet project?

Ukraine has accused Russia of targeted assassinations of 'perceived opponents' in a case lodged at the European Court of Human Rights, the latest salvo by Kiev in a barrage of legal complaints against Moscow.&nbsp;

The case, which was filed last week, accuses Russia of carrying out 'state-authorised' assassinations "in Russia and on the territory of other states... outside a situation of armed conflict", the court said on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Europeiska Pravda, a Ukrainian news outlet specialising in European affairs, said the complaint included the case of leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was poisoned last year with the Novichok nerve agent in an attack blamed on Moscow.&nbsp;

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This could not immediately be confirmed by the Strasbourg court, which provided no details of any of the alleged assassinations in its statement.&nbsp;

It is the ninth case taken by Ukraine against Russia at the ECHR, which hears complaints over alleged breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights. &nbsp;

"We have finally done this," said Ivan Lishchyna, Ukraine's deputy justice minister and a commissioner for the rights court.&nbsp;

"We tried to cover all cases for which there is solid evidence of Russian involvement," he said on Facebook.&nbsp;

Ukraine also accuses Russia of failing to investigate the assassinations "and of deliberately mounting cover-up operations aimed at frustrating efforts to find the persons responsible", the court said.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-to-sanction-four-russian-officials-for-crackdown-on-kremlin-critic-navalny-365490">EU to sanction four Russian officials for crackdown on Kremlin critic Navalny</a>

Ukraine argues that they constitute an infringement of the right to life, which is protected by the Convention on Human Rights, to which Russia is a signatory.&nbsp;

Other cases taken by Ukraine relate to the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, human rights violations in the Crimea peninsula which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, and Russia's seizure of three Ukrainian navy vessels in the Kerch Strait in 2018.&nbsp;

Ukraine's government has been at war with separatists in eastern Ukraine since pro-Russian militias launched a bid for independence in the wake of Moscow's annexation of Crimea.&nbsp;

Nearly 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which deepened Russia's estrangement from the West.&nbsp;

Ukraine has accused Russia of targeted assassinations of 'perceived opponents' in a case lodged at the European Court of Human Rights, the latest salvo by Kiev in a barrage of legal complaints against Moscow.

Ukraine has accused Russia of targeted assassinations of 'perceived opponents' in a case lodged at the European Court of Human Rights, the latest salvo by Kiev in a barrage of legal complaints against Moscow. The case, which was filed last week, accuses Russia of carrying out 'state-authorised' assassinations "in Russia and on the territory of other states... outside a situation of armed conflict", the court said on Tuesday. Europeiska Pravda, a Ukrainian news outlet specialising in European affairs, said the complaint included the case of leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was poisoned last year with the Novichok nerve agent in an attack blamed on Moscow. × This could not immediately be confirmed by the Strasbourg court, which provided no details of any of the alleged assassinations in its statement. It is the ninth case taken by Ukraine against Russia at the ECHR, which hears complaints over alleged breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights. "We have finally done this," said Ivan Lishchyna, Ukraine's deputy justice minister and a commissioner for the rights court. "We tried to cover all cases for which there is solid evidence of Russian involvement," he said on Facebook. Ukraine also accuses Russia of failing to investigate the assassinations "and of deliberately mounting cover-up operations aimed at frustrating efforts to find the persons responsible", the court said. Also Read: EU to sanction four Russian officials for crackdown on Kremlin critic Navalny Ukraine argues that they constitute an infringement of the right to life, which is protected by the Convention on Human Rights, to which Russia is a signatory. Other cases taken by Ukraine relate to the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, human rights violations in the Crimea peninsula which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, and Russia's seizure of three Ukrainian navy vessels in the Kerch Strait in 2018. Ukraine's government has been at war with separatists in eastern Ukraine since pro-Russian militias launched a bid for independence in the wake of Moscow's annexation of Crimea. Nearly 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which deepened Russia's estrangement from the West.

Ukraine takes Russia to Europe court over 'targeted assassinations'

Skii-lful evening: Putin and Lukashenko go skiing to discuss important matters

A nationalist Turkish television station with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dug up a 12-year-old map that projects Turkey’s sphere of influence in 2050 as stretching from South-eastern Europe on the northern coast of the Mediterranean and Libya on its southern shore across North Africa, the Gulf and the Levant into the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Buoyed by last year’s Azerbaijani defeat of Armenia, TGRT, a subsidiary of Ihlas Holding, a media and construction conglomerate that has won major government tenders, used the map to advance a policy that has long constituted the agenda of some of Mr Erdogan’s closest advisors.

The broadcasting of the map, first published in a book authored by George Freidman, the founder of Stratfor, an influential American corporate intelligence group, followed calls by pan-Turkic daily Turkiye, Ihlas’ daily newspaper that has the fourth-largest circulation in Turkey, to leverage the Azerbaijani victory to create a military alliance of Turkic states.

In a country that ranks only second to China as the world’s foremost jailer of journalists, Ihlas Holding media would not be pushing a pan-Turkic, Islam-laced Turkish regional policy without tacit government approval at the very least.

The media group’s push reflects Turkish efforts to capitalize on the fact that Turkey’s latest geopolitical triumph with Azerbaijan’s Turkish-backed victory is already producing tangible results. The military victory has positioned Azerbaijan, and by extension Turkey, as an alternative transportation route westwards that would allow Central Asian nations to bypass corridors dominated by either Russia or Iran.

Turkmenistan, recognizing the changing geopolitical map, rushed in January to end a long-standing dispute with Azerbaijan and agree on the joint exploitation of Caspian Sea oil deposits. The agreement came on the heels of a deal in December for the purchase from ENI Turkmenistan of up to 40,000 tonnes of petroleum a month by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR).

The agreement could boost the completion of a Trans-Caspian natural gas pipeline (TPC) that would feed into the recently operational Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), bypass Russia and Iran, and supply Greece and Bulgaria via the former Soviet republic.

Last month, Azerbaijan agreed with Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to develop the Lapis Lazuli transport corridor that would link the war-ravaged country to Turkey. At about the same time, Kazakhstan began exporting copper cathodes to Turkey via Azerbaijan in a first step intended to capitalize on the Caucasian nation’s position as a transit hub.

Azerbaijan and Turkey’s newly found advantage has rung alarm bells among Russian and Iranian analysts with close ties to their respective governments even though the TGRT broadcast may have been primarily intended to whip up nationalist fervour at home and test regional responses.

Russian and Iranian politicians and analysts appeared to take the broadcast in that vein. Nonetheless, they were quick to note that Friedman’s projection includes Russia’s soft underbelly in the northern Caucasus as well as Crimea while Iranians took stock of the fact that the Turkish sphere of influence would border on Iran to the north, south and west.

Turkey and Ukraine have in recent months agreed to cooperate in the development of technologies with military applications related to engines, avionics, drones, anti-ship and cruise missiles, radar and surveillance systems, robotics, space, and satellites. Turkey has refused to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, home to Crimean Tartars, and criticized Russian support for Ukrainian rebels.

Most Russian commentators sought to downplay the significance of the map, leaving Andrei Krasov, deputy chairman of the defence committee of the Russian parliament’s lower house to warn that “if they (the Turks) want to test the strength of the Russian spirit and our weapons, let them try.”

With Iran excluded from TGRT and Stratfor’s projection of Turkey’s emerging sphere of influence, Iranian officials and analysts have largely not responded to the revival of the map.

Yet, Iran’s actions on the ground suggest that the Islamic republic has long anticipated Turkish moves even though it was caught off guard by last year’s Azerbaijani-Armenian war.

For one, Iran has in the past year sought to bolster its military presence in the Caspian Sea and forge close naval ties with the basin’s other littoral states - Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.

Viewed from Tehran, TGRT’s broadcasting of the Stratfor map was the latest in a series of provocative Turkish moves.

They include Mr. Erdogan’s recital of a nationalist poem while attending a military parade in Azerbaijan that calls for reuniting two Iranian ethnic Azeri provinces with the former Soviet republic and publication by state-run Turkish Radio and Television’s Arabic service of a map on Instagram, depicting Iran’s oil-rich province of Khuzestan with its large population of ethnic Arabs as separate from Iran.

The Instagram posting came days after the disclosure that Habib Chaab, a leader of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz, or ASMLA, had been kidnapped in Istanbul by an Iraqi Kurdish drug baron in cooperation with Iranian intelligence and transported to Iran.

While senior Iranian officials talked down the Turkish provocations, Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency left little doubt about what Iran’s true sentiments were.

“Those who have greedy eyes on the territories this side of the Aras River had better study history and see that Azerbaijan, specifically the people of Tabriz, have always pioneered in defending Iran. If Iran had not helped you on the night of the coup, you would have had a fate like that of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi,’ protesters chanted in front of the Turkish consulate in Tabriz, the capital of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.

The protesters were responding to Mr. Erdogan’s poem recital and referring to the failed military coup against him in 2016 as well as the toppling of Mr. Morsi in 2013 in a takeover by the Egyptian armed forces.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

A nationalist Turkish television station with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dug up a 12-year-old map that projects Turkey’s sphere of influence in 2050 as stretching from South-eastern Europe on the northern coast of the Mediterranean and Libya on its southern shore across North Africa, the Gulf and the Levant into the Caucasus and Central Asia.

A nationalist Turkish television station with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dug up a 12-year-old map that projects Turkey’s sphere of influence in 2050 as stretching from South-eastern Europe on the northern coast of the Mediterranean and Libya on its southern shore across North Africa, the Gulf and the Levant into the Caucasus and Central Asia. Buoyed by last year’s Azerbaijani defeat of Armenia, TGRT, a subsidiary of Ihlas Holding, a media and construction conglomerate that has won major government tenders, used the map to advance a policy that has long constituted the agenda of some of Mr Erdogan’s closest advisors. The broadcasting of the map, first published in a book authored by George Freidman, the founder of Stratfor, an influential American corporate intelligence group, followed calls by pan-Turkic daily Turkiye, Ihlas’ daily newspaper that has the fourth-largest circulation in Turkey, to leverage the Azerbaijani victory to create a military alliance of Turkic states. In a country that ranks only second to China as the world’s foremost jailer of journalists, Ihlas Holding media would not be pushing a pan-Turkic, Islam-laced Turkish regional policy without tacit government approval at the very least. The media group’s push reflects Turkish efforts to capitalize on the fact that Turkey’s latest geopolitical triumph with Azerbaijan’s Turkish-backed victory is already producing tangible results. The military victory has positioned Azerbaijan, and by extension Turkey, as an alternative transportation route westwards that would allow Central Asian nations to bypass corridors dominated by either Russia or Iran. Turkmenistan, recognizing the changing geopolitical map, rushed in January to end a long-standing dispute with Azerbaijan and agree on the joint exploitation of Caspian Sea oil deposits. The agreement came on the heels of a deal in December for the purchase from ENI Turkmenistan of up to 40,000 tonnes of petroleum a month by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). The agreement could boost the completion of a Trans-Caspian natural gas pipeline (TPC) that would feed into the recently operational Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), bypass Russia and Iran, and supply Greece and Bulgaria via the former Soviet republic. Last month, Azerbaijan agreed with Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to develop the Lapis Lazuli transport corridor that would link the war-ravaged country to Turkey. At about the same time, Kazakhstan began exporting copper cathodes to Turkey via Azerbaijan in a first step intended to capitalize on the Caucasian nation’s position as a transit hub. Azerbaijan and Turkey’s newly found advantage has rung alarm bells among Russian and Iranian analysts with close ties to their respective governments even though the TGRT broadcast may have been primarily intended to whip up nationalist fervour at home and test regional responses. Russian and Iranian politicians and analysts appeared to take the broadcast in that vein. Nonetheless, they were quick to note that Friedman’s projection includes Russia’s soft underbelly in the northern Caucasus as well as Crimea while Iranians took stock of the fact that the Turkish sphere of influence would border on Iran to the north, south and west. Turkey and Ukraine have in recent months agreed to cooperate in the development of technologies with military applications related to engines, avionics, drones, anti-ship and cruise missiles, radar and surveillance systems, robotics, space, and satellites. Turkey has refused to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, home to Crimean Tartars, and criticized Russian support for Ukrainian rebels. Most Russian commentators sought to downplay the significance of the map, leaving Andrei Krasov, deputy chairman of the defence committee of the Russian parliament’s lower house to warn that “if they (the Turks) want to test the strength of the Russian spirit and our weapons, let them try.” With Iran excluded from TGRT and Stratfor’s projection of Turkey’s emerging sphere of influence, Iranian officials and analysts have largely not responded to the revival of the map. Yet, Iran’s actions on the ground suggest that the Islamic republic has long anticipated Turkish moves even though it was caught off guard by last year’s Azerbaijani-Armenian war. For one, Iran has in the past year sought to bolster its military presence in the Caspian Sea and forge close naval ties with the basin’s other littoral states - Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. Viewed from Tehran, TGRT’s broadcasting of the Stratfor map was the latest in a series of provocative Turkish moves. They include Mr. Erdogan’s recital of a nationalist poem while attending a military parade in Azerbaijan that calls for reuniting two Iranian ethnic Azeri provinces with the former Soviet republic and publication by state-run Turkish Radio and Television’s Arabic service of a map on Instagram, depicting Iran’s oil-rich province of Khuzestan with its large population of ethnic Arabs as separate from Iran. The Instagram posting came days after the disclosure that Habib Chaab, a leader of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz, or ASMLA, had been kidnapped in Istanbul by an Iraqi Kurdish drug baron in cooperation with Iranian intelligence and transported to Iran. While senior Iranian officials talked down the Turkish provocations, Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency left little doubt about what Iran’s true sentiments were. “Those who have greedy eyes on the territories this side of the Aras River had better study history and see that Azerbaijan, specifically the people of Tabriz, have always pioneered in defending Iran. If Iran had not helped you on the night of the coup, you would have had a fate like that of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi,’ protesters chanted in front of the Turkish consulate in Tabriz, the capital of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. The protesters were responding to Mr. Erdogan’s poem recital and referring to the failed military coup against him in 2016 as well as the toppling of Mr. Morsi in 2013 in a takeover by the Egyptian armed forces. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion: Turkey signals sweeping regional ambitions

Moscow announced Saturday it had registered its third <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a> against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> and promised to introduce the jab to the Russian population by March.

Russia was the first country to register a vaccine against COVID-19 in August ahead of clinical trials, and the Sputnik V jab has been authorised in more than two dozen countries around the world.

"Today we note that a third vaccine, CoviVac, has been registered," Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a government meeting broadcast on state television.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-snap-lockdown-new-zealand-begins-vaccine-programme-364999" hreflang="en">After snap lockdown, New Zealand begins vaccine programme</a>

"And already in mid-March, the first 120,000 doses will be distributed within the civilian circulation," he told the cabinet.

First greeted with scepticism, the effectiveness of Sputnik V was confirmed by the Lancet medical journal earlier this month.

Moscow relied on the nationwide rollout of the vaccine to stave off the impact of the second wave of infections that battered the country late last year.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/argentinas-health-minister-resigns-over-vip-treatment-to-get-covid-19-vaccines-364995" hreflang="en">Argentina's health minister resigns over VIP treatment to get Covid-19 vaccines</a>

But mortality data released recently revealed that Russia's death rate was still one of the highest in the world.

President Vladimir Putin announced in October that the country had registered its second vaccine, EpiVacCorona, which health officials had said would enter mass production this month.

Mishustin said Saturday that Russia had produced 10 million doses of Sputnik and 80,000 batches of the EpiVacCorona vaccine developed by the Siberian Vektor laboratory.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-working-with-facebook-and-twitter-to-tackle-anti-vaxxers-364902" hreflang="en">White House working with Facebook and Twitter to tackle anti-vaxxers</a>

With the introduction of the third jab Saturday, the prime minister said that: "Today Russia is the only country in which there are already three vaccines for the prevention of Covid infection."

CoviVac was produced by the state-run Chumakov Centre based in Moscow, which employed a different method of development from Sputnik and EpiVacCorona, using an inactive virus.

The vaccine is due to complete final stage clinical trial with 3,000 participants in March and has so far been recommended for people below the age of 60.

Moscow announced Saturday it had registered its third vaccine against the coronavirus and promised to introduce the jab to the Russian population by March. Russia was the first country to register a vaccine against COVID-19 in August ahead of clinical trials, and the Sputnik V jab has been authorised in more than two dozen countries around the world.

Moscow announced Saturday it had registered its third vaccine against the coronavirus and promised to introduce the jab to the Russian population by March. Russia was the first country to register a vaccine against COVID-19 in August ahead of clinical trials, and the Sputnik V jab has been authorised in more than two dozen countries around the world. "Today we note that a third vaccine, CoviVac, has been registered," Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a government meeting broadcast on state television. Also read| After snap lockdown, New Zealand begins vaccine programme "And already in mid-March, the first 120,000 doses will be distributed within the civilian circulation," he told the cabinet. First greeted with scepticism, the effectiveness of Sputnik V was confirmed by the Lancet medical journal earlier this month. Moscow relied on the nationwide rollout of the vaccine to stave off the impact of the second wave of infections that battered the country late last year. Also read| Argentina's health minister resigns over VIP treatment to get Covid-19 vaccines But mortality data released recently revealed that Russia's death rate was still one of the highest in the world. President Vladimir Putin announced in October that the country had registered its second vaccine, EpiVacCorona, which health officials had said would enter mass production this month. Mishustin said Saturday that Russia had produced 10 million doses of Sputnik and 80,000 batches of the EpiVacCorona vaccine developed by the Siberian Vektor laboratory. Also read| White House working with Facebook and Twitter to tackle anti-vaxxers With the introduction of the third jab Saturday, the prime minister said that: "Today Russia is the only country in which there are already three vaccines for the prevention of Covid infection." CoviVac was produced by the state-run Chumakov Centre based in Moscow, which employed a different method of development from Sputnik and EpiVacCorona, using an inactive virus. The vaccine is due to complete final stage clinical trial with 3,000 participants in March and has so far been recommended for people below the age of 60.

Russia says registers third coronavirus vaccine

A senior official in Moscow city transport said that the Russian capital plans to nearly quadruple the number of electric buses in the city in coming years and replace all buses running on petrol or diesel by 2030. Mosgortrans, which runs Moscow's vast bus and tram network, said its fleet of around 600 electric buses would be expanded by 400 vehicles by the year-end. Another 420 buses will be added in the following year and then 850. This will put number of electric buses in the fleet to more than 2000.

"Every year the plan will be to replace all wheeled public transport vehicles with electric buses," said Artyom Burlakov, deputy head of the innovative projects department at Mosgortrans.

Environmental activists have welcomed the initiative.

"They are also buying new, more power-efficient trams, which is a good thing," said Mikhail Babenko, head of the green economy program at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia.

Babenko said that there was however long way to go when it came to Moscow residents changing their behaviour to incorporate greener initiatives in their lives.

The Russian capital remains infamous for its traffic jams.

(With Reuters inputs)

A senior official in Moscow city transport said that the Russian capital plans to nearly quadruple the number of electric buses in the city in coming years and replace all buses running on petrol or diesel by 2030.

A senior official in Moscow city transport said that the Russian capital plans to nearly quadruple the number of electric buses in the city in coming years and replace all buses running on petrol or diesel by 2030. Mosgortrans, which runs Moscow's vast bus and tram network, said its fleet of around 600 electric buses would be expanded by 400 vehicles by the year-end. Another 420 buses will be added in the following year and then 850. This will put number of electric buses in the fleet to more than 2000. "Every year the plan will be to replace all wheeled public transport vehicles with electric buses," said Artyom Burlakov, deputy head of the innovative projects department at Mosgortrans. Environmental activists have welcomed the initiative. "They are also buying new, more power-efficient trams, which is a good thing," said Mikhail Babenko, head of the green economy program at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia. Babenko said that there was however long way to go when it came to Moscow residents changing their behaviour to incorporate greener initiatives in their lives. The Russian capital remains infamous for its traffic jams. (With Reuters inputs)

Green Moscow: Russian capital eyes a full electric bus fleet by 2030

India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla arrived in Moscow for a two-day visit during which he will hold meetings with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov for the India-Russia Foreign Office Consultations.

On his arrival, the Foreign Secretary said, "I am very happy to be here in the beautiful city of Moscow...travelling in these covid times gives an indication of the importance we attached to our relation with Russia".

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-to-host-regional-countries-meet-on-covid-crisis-next-week-pak-invited-364128" hreflang="en">India to host regional countries' meet on COVID crisis next week; Pak invited</a>

This will be the first foreign visit of the foreign secretary this year.&nbsp;

Foreign Secretary will also meet Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and deliver a speech on ’India-Russia relations’ at the prestigious Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"We are on our way to see how we can momentum to an already vibrant relationship, a very strong India Russia special and privileged strategic partnership," he said.

Russia and India are engaged in a number of fields, with defence being a key pillar of partnership. India will be getting the first batch of the S400 air defense system by the end of this year. Both are already moving towards the successful implementation of AK-203 Kalashnikov contract.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/active-and-ambitious-agenda-for-foreign-secretarys-russia-visit-envoy-varma-364125" hreflang="en">'Active and ambitious' agenda for foreign secretary's Russia visit: Envoy Varma</a>

Ahead of the visit, India's envoy to Russia D. B. Venkatesh Varma said that the meeting will set forth an "active and ambitious" agenda for bilateral relations including the annual bilateral summit between India and Russia that will see Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting India.&nbsp;

Adding, "India Russia relations are rock solid, strategic partnership diverse" and "foreign secretary's visit is intended to further deepen our cooperation in all sectors. We will also expand our cooperation including to build on PM Modi's visit to Vladivostok in September 2019."

COVID vaccines will be another focus area with Russia's COVID vaccine, Sputnik V, expected to be given regulatory approval for use by India in the next few weeks.

Envoy Varma said, "There is a lot of excitement here in Moscow, about how India and Russia can cooperate with respect to covid pandemic including in the fields of vaccines. That will be another area of discussion".

Last year, India's defence minister visited Moscow 2 times, first time for the 75th anniversary of victory day and then for the Shanghai cooperation organization or SCO defense minister. The Indian external affairs minister Dr. S Jaishankar visited the country too for the SCO FMs meet.

WION was the first channel to break the story of FS's Russia visit last week.

India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla arrived in Moscow for a two-day visit during which he will hold meetings with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov for the India-Russia Foreign Office Consultations.

India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla arrived in Moscow for a two-day visit during which he will hold meetings with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov for the India-Russia Foreign Office Consultations. On his arrival, the Foreign Secretary said, "I am very happy to be here in the beautiful city of Moscow...travelling in these covid times gives an indication of the importance we attached to our relation with Russia". Also read| India to host regional countries' meet on COVID crisis next week; Pak invited This will be the first foreign visit of the foreign secretary this year. Foreign Secretary will also meet Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and deliver a speech on ’India-Russia relations’ at the prestigious Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "We are on our way to see how we can momentum to an already vibrant relationship, a very strong India Russia special and privileged strategic partnership," he said. Russia and India are engaged in a number of fields, with defence being a key pillar of partnership. India will be getting the first batch of the S400 air defense system by the end of this year. Both are already moving towards the successful implementation of AK-203 Kalashnikov contract. Also read| 'Active and ambitious' agenda for foreign secretary's Russia visit: Envoy Varma Ahead of the visit, India's envoy to Russia D. B. Venkatesh Varma said that the meeting will set forth an "active and ambitious" agenda for bilateral relations including the annual bilateral summit between India and Russia that will see Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting India. Adding, "India Russia relations are rock solid, strategic partnership diverse" and "foreign secretary's visit is intended to further deepen our cooperation in all sectors. We will also expand our cooperation including to build on PM Modi's visit to Vladivostok in September 2019." COVID vaccines will be another focus area with Russia's COVID vaccine, Sputnik V, expected to be given regulatory approval for use by India in the next few weeks. Envoy Varma said, "There is a lot of excitement here in Moscow, about how India and Russia can cooperate with respect to covid pandemic including in the fields of vaccines. That will be another area of discussion". Last year, India's defence minister visited Moscow 2 times, first time for the 75th anniversary of victory day and then for the Shanghai cooperation organization or SCO defense minister. The Indian external affairs minister Dr. S Jaishankar visited the country too for the SCO FMs meet. WION was the first channel to break the story of FS's Russia visit last week.

India's foreign secretary arrives in Russia for a two-day visit

At a time when Iran and Russia are at loggerheads with the US and the European Union (EU), Tehran's armed forces on Tuesday launched a joint naval drill with Moscow in the north of the Indian Ocean designed to 'enhance security' of maritime trade, state television reported.&nbsp;

The 'Maritime Security Belt Exercise' is to cover an area of 17,000 square kilometres (6,500 square miles) and include units from the Iranian army and the elite Revolutionary Guards as well as Russia's navy, the broadcaster quoted drill spokesman Rear Admiral Gholamreza Tahani as saying.&nbsp;

"The purposes of this drill are to enhance security of international maritime trade, confront maritime piracy and terrorism, and exchange information," he added.&nbsp;

Russia's Baltic Fleet said in a statement on Monday that three ships will take part in the drill.&nbsp;

Exercises will include 'liberating a commercial ship abducted by pirates', and fighting fires, it said.&nbsp;

According to Tahani, the Indian navy will also join the exercise, in a message of 'peace and friendship for neighbouring and regional countries'. &nbsp;

Iran's state news agency IRNA said the drill is to last three days.&nbsp;

The Iranian army said the exercises will also 'expand bilateral relations' with Russia.&nbsp;

Iran, China and Russia held a similar drill in the area in 2019, and the Islamic republic participated in 'Caucus 2020' drills held in Russia last September.&nbsp;

At a time when Iran and Russia are at loggerheads with the US and the European Union (EU), Tehran's armed forces on Tuesday launched a joint naval drill with Moscow in the north of the Indian Ocean designed to 'enhance security' of maritime trade, state television reported.

At a time when Iran and Russia are at loggerheads with the US and the European Union (EU), Tehran's armed forces on Tuesday launched a joint naval drill with Moscow in the north of the Indian Ocean designed to 'enhance security' of maritime trade, state television reported. The 'Maritime Security Belt Exercise' is to cover an area of 17,000 square kilometres (6,500 square miles) and include units from the Iranian army and the elite Revolutionary Guards as well as Russia's navy, the broadcaster quoted drill spokesman Rear Admiral Gholamreza Tahani as saying. "The purposes of this drill are to enhance security of international maritime trade, confront maritime piracy and terrorism, and exchange information," he added. Russia's Baltic Fleet said in a statement on Monday that three ships will take part in the drill. Exercises will include 'liberating a commercial ship abducted by pirates', and fighting fires, it said. According to Tahani, the Indian navy will also join the exercise, in a message of 'peace and friendship for neighbouring and regional countries'. Iran's state news agency IRNA said the drill is to last three days. The Iranian army said the exercises will also 'expand bilateral relations' with Russia. Iran, China and Russia held a similar drill in the area in 2019, and the Islamic republic participated in 'Caucus 2020' drills held in Russia last September.

Iran, Russia begin joint naval drill in Indian Ocean to 'enhance security'

Russian state prosecutors on Tuesday asked a court to fine Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny 950,000 roubles ($13,000) for slandering a World War II veteran, a charge he calls politically motivated.&nbsp;

President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic was jailed this month for almost three years for parole violations that he said were trumped up. The West has condemned the case and is discussing possible sanctions on Russia.&nbsp;

The judge said the verdict would be announced on Saturday - the same day that Navalny is due to appeal against his imprisonment.&nbsp;

The 44-year-old anti-corruption activist is accused of defaming a veteran, who took part in a promotional video backing constitutional reforms last year. The reform, approved in a referendum, will let Putin run for two more terms in the Kremlin after 2024 if he wants to.&nbsp;

Navalny, who returned to Russia last month from Germany, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal poisoning with a military-grade nerve toxin in Siberia, described the people in the video as traitors and corrupt lackeys.&nbsp;

Veterans of what Moscow calls the Great Patriotic War are widely revered in Russia, and criticising them is regarded as socially unacceptable and insulting.&nbsp;

Navalny has said his comment was not directed specifically at the veteran, and that the authorities are using the charge to smear his reputation.&nbsp;

At the hearings, he has clashed with the judge in heated exchanges and been told he could be removed from the court.&nbsp;

He used his closing arguments to call the case a legal nonsense. He then said it was pointless to discuss legal matters with the court and asked the judge and prosecutor if they knew a good recipe for pickled gherkins.&nbsp;

As the state prosecutor addressed the court to recommend a sentence, Navalny interrupted her to joke: "Execution?"

Russian state prosecutors on Tuesday asked a court to fine Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny 950,000 roubles ($13,000) for slandering a World War II veteran, a charge he calls politically motivated.

Russian state prosecutors on Tuesday asked a court to fine Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny 950,000 roubles ($13,000) for slandering a World War II veteran, a charge he calls politically motivated. President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic was jailed this month for almost three years for parole violations that he said were trumped up. The West has condemned the case and is discussing possible sanctions on Russia. The judge said the verdict would be announced on Saturday - the same day that Navalny is due to appeal against his imprisonment. The 44-year-old anti-corruption activist is accused of defaming a veteran, who took part in a promotional video backing constitutional reforms last year. The reform, approved in a referendum, will let Putin run for two more terms in the Kremlin after 2024 if he wants to. Navalny, who returned to Russia last month from Germany, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal poisoning with a military-grade nerve toxin in Siberia, described the people in the video as traitors and corrupt lackeys. Veterans of what Moscow calls the Great Patriotic War are widely revered in Russia, and criticising them is regarded as socially unacceptable and insulting. Navalny has said his comment was not directed specifically at the veteran, and that the authorities are using the charge to smear his reputation. At the hearings, he has clashed with the judge in heated exchanges and been told he could be removed from the court. He used his closing arguments to call the case a legal nonsense. He then said it was pointless to discuss legal matters with the court and asked the judge and prosecutor if they knew a good recipe for pickled gherkins. As the state prosecutor addressed the court to recommend a sentence, Navalny interrupted her to joke: "Execution?"

Prosecutors seek $13,000 slander fine for Navalny

Russians took a ride on a Ferris wheel in Moscow on Saturday to find themselves a date for Valentine's Day. Dozens of men and women had just one ride - or seven minutes - to find a match on the eve of the day of love celebrated across the world on February 14.

In the Russian capital, women waited inside the heated cabins while men had to swap after each ride.

After a complete round, each participant secretly marked their picks on a form with organisers promising to put the matching couples in touch.

This never seen before speed dating found many takers with participants giving thumb up to the method. Especially with the unforgiving Russian winter taking the country in its grips, those seeking a special someone to spend the Valentine's Day with had a reason to smile.

'Navalny is love'

Valentines Day in Russia this year assumes political overtones as well. With the most prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny behind bars, his supporters and allies came out to celebrate what can be called a Navalny themed Valentine.

People gathered outside their homes for 15 minutes on the evening of Valentine's Day. They planned to shine their mobile torches and arrange candles in the shape of hearts. 
"Putin is fear. Navalny is love. That's why we will win," Leonid Volkov, Navalny's close ally tweeted, urging people to join the demonstrations.

Russians took a ride on a Ferris wheel in Moscow on Saturday to find themselves a date for Valentine's Day. Dozens of men and women had just one ride - or seven minutes - to find a match on the eve of the day of love celebrated across the world on February 14.

Russians took a ride on a Ferris wheel in Moscow on Saturday to find themselves a date for Valentine's Day. Dozens of men and women had just one ride - or seven minutes - to find a match on the eve of the day of love celebrated across the world on February 14. In the Russian capital, women waited inside the heated cabins while men had to swap after each ride. After a complete round, each participant secretly marked their picks on a form with organisers promising to put the matching couples in touch. This never seen before speed dating found many takers with participants giving thumb up to the method. Especially with the unforgiving Russian winter taking the country in its grips, those seeking a special someone to spend the Valentine's Day with had a reason to smile. 'Navalny is love' Valentines Day in Russia this year assumes political overtones as well. With the most prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny behind bars, his supporters and allies came out to celebrate what can be called a Navalny themed Valentine. People gathered outside their homes for 15 minutes on the evening of Valentine's Day. They planned to shine their mobile torches and arrange candles in the shape of hearts. "Putin is fear. Navalny is love. That's why we will win," Leonid Volkov, Navalny's close ally tweeted, urging people to join the demonstrations.

Valentine's Day: Russians speed-date on a Ferris wheel in Moscow

Remains of French and Russian soldiers who died in a battle during the Napoleonic war will be laid to rest on Saturday. The soldiers squared off with each other during Napoleon's retreat from Moscow, that heralded the disastrous collapse of his Russian campaign. A ceremony near the city of Smolensk will see the re-burial of 126 people killed in one of the bloodiest battles of Napoleon's Russian campaign. This battle was fought in 1812.

Descendants of 19th-century Russian and French military leaders, as well as dozens of re-enactors, are expected to attend the burial in Vyazma, a town more than 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of Moscow.

Remains of 120 soldiers, three women and three teenagers were discovered in a mass grave by archaeologists from both countries in 2019.

The dig was led by Pierre Malinowski, the Kremlin-connected head of the Foundation for the Development of Russian-French Historic Initiatives.

The three women are believed to be so-called "vivandieres", who provided first aid and kept canteens in the French army, while the three adolescents are believed to have been drummers.

All are thought to have fallen during the Battle of Vyazma on November 3, 1812 at the beginning of the French army's retreat from Moscow and before the horrific crossing of the Berezina River.

The ceremony, complete with a gun salute, will mark a rare moment of unity between Russia and Europe at a time of heightened tensions over a litany of issues including the Kremlin's increasingly harsh crackdown on political opposition.

Napoleon's dreams of conquering the world fell apart after he appeared to bite more than he could chew in the Russian campaign. The Emporer who had brought Europe to its knees played a huge gamble in an attempt to win Russia, only to be defeated by the vast country and its unforgiving winter.

(With AFP inputs)

Remains of French and Russian soldiers who died in a battle during the Napoleonic war will be laid to rest on Saturday. The soldiers squared off with each other during Napoleon's retreat from Moscow, that heralded the disastrous collapse of his Russian campaign.

Remains of French and Russian soldiers who died in a battle during the Napoleonic war will be laid to rest on Saturday. The soldiers squared off with each other during Napoleon's retreat from Moscow, that heralded the disastrous collapse of his Russian campaign. A ceremony near the city of Smolensk will see the re-burial of 126 people killed in one of the bloodiest battles of Napoleon's Russian campaign. This battle was fought in 1812. Descendants of 19th-century Russian and French military leaders, as well as dozens of re-enactors, are expected to attend the burial in Vyazma, a town more than 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of Moscow. Remains of 120 soldiers, three women and three teenagers were discovered in a mass grave by archaeologists from both countries in 2019. The dig was led by Pierre Malinowski, the Kremlin-connected head of the Foundation for the Development of Russian-French Historic Initiatives. The three women are believed to be so-called "vivandieres", who provided first aid and kept canteens in the French army, while the three adolescents are believed to have been drummers. All are thought to have fallen during the Battle of Vyazma on November 3, 1812 at the beginning of the French army's retreat from Moscow and before the horrific crossing of the Berezina River. The ceremony, complete with a gun salute, will mark a rare moment of unity between Russia and Europe at a time of heightened tensions over a litany of issues including the Kremlin's increasingly harsh crackdown on political opposition. Napoleon's dreams of conquering the world fell apart after he appeared to bite more than he could chew in the Russian campaign. The Emporer who had brought Europe to its knees played a huge gamble in an attempt to win Russia, only to be defeated by the vast country and its unforgiving winter. (With AFP inputs)

France and Russia to bury soldiers 200 years after Napoleonic war

India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla will be visiting Russia next week. The visit will be for a couple of days and will see a number of bilateral meetings. The visit comes even as both sides have been engaged at multiple levels, from cooperation against covid pandemic to defense.&nbsp;

The visit, in the works for some time, will be the first foreign visit of the top Indian diplomat this year. The focus will be on the India-Russia annual summit this year, with Russian President Vladimir Putin's India visit. Russia and India have an annual bilateral summit level mechanism that alternates between the 2 countries. PM Modi had visited Russia's Vladivostok in 2019 for the summit, while 2018 saw the visit of President Putin visiting Delhi for the annual summit. Last year, the summit could not take place due to the covid pandemic. Russia and Japan are the only 2 countries with which India has this mechanism.&nbsp;

A multilateral focus will also be there since India and Russia are part of the BRICS and New Delhi being the chair of the grouping this year. &nbsp;Last year saw India's defense minister visiting Moscow 2 times, first for the 75th anniversary of victory day and then for the Shanghai cooperation organization or SCO defense minister. The Indian external affairs minister Dr. S Jaishankar visited the country too for the SCO FMs meet.

Russia will be delivering the S400 missile system by the end of this year, in what will be a significant defense-related development between New Delhi and Moscow. The $5 billion deal was signed in October 2018 by both countries. While this is the first visit of FS this year, last year saw him traveling to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives, Nepal, France, Germany, and UK amid the covid pandemic.

India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla will be visiting Russia next week. The visit will be for a couple of days and will see a number of bilateral meetings. The visit comes even as both sides have been engaged at multiple levels, from cooperation against covid pandemic to defense.

India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla will be visiting Russia next week. The visit will be for a couple of days and will see a number of bilateral meetings. The visit comes even as both sides have been engaged at multiple levels, from cooperation against covid pandemic to defense. The visit, in the works for some time, will be the first foreign visit of the top Indian diplomat this year. The focus will be on the India-Russia annual summit this year, with Russian President Vladimir Putin's India visit. Russia and India have an annual bilateral summit level mechanism that alternates between the 2 countries. PM Modi had visited Russia's Vladivostok in 2019 for the summit, while 2018 saw the visit of President Putin visiting Delhi for the annual summit. Last year, the summit could not take place due to the covid pandemic. Russia and Japan are the only 2 countries with which India has this mechanism. A multilateral focus will also be there since India and Russia are part of the BRICS and New Delhi being the chair of the grouping this year. Last year saw India's defense minister visiting Moscow 2 times, first for the 75th anniversary of victory day and then for the Shanghai cooperation organization or SCO defense minister. The Indian external affairs minister Dr. S Jaishankar visited the country too for the SCO FMs meet. Russia will be delivering the S400 missile system by the end of this year, in what will be a significant defense-related development between New Delhi and Moscow. The $5 billion deal was signed in October 2018 by both countries. While this is the first visit of FS this year, last year saw him traveling to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives, Nepal, France, Germany, and UK amid the covid pandemic.

India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla to visit Russia next week

Ukraine has banned coronavirus vaccines produced by rival Russia despite struggles to launch its vaccination campaign.&nbsp;

A resolution passed by the government on February 8 and posted on its website on Wednesday banned the registration of vaccines from 'aggressor states', a designation Ukraine has applied to Russia since 2015.&nbsp;

Ukraine's pro-Western leadership has repeatedly rejected calls from pro-Moscow politicians to approve Russia's Sputnik V jab, denouncing the vaccine as a geopolitical tool.&nbsp;

Ukraine has been fighting separatists backed by Russia in its Donetsk and Lugansk regions since 2014 following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.&nbsp;

The ban on Russian vaccines came despite criticism of President Volodymyr Zelensky for failing to source Western-made jabs. Not a single dose of any vaccine has yet arrived in the ex-Soviet country.&nbsp;

Zelensky said this week that Ukraine, one of the poorest countries in Europe, would begin the first phase of the vaccination campaign later this month.&nbsp;

The country of some 40 million is awaiting delivery of eight million doses promised under the United Nations' Covax programme and up to five million doses of the Chinese CoronaVac jab.&nbsp;

It has also secured 12 million doses of vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Novavax, but that is still not enough to meet the country's needs.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Ukraine said it launched an investigation into the country's purchasing of coronavirus vaccines, highlighting the country's struggle to end systemic graft.&nbsp;

Sputnik V has, meanwhile, been rolled out in the breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine that are controlled by Kremlin-backed separatists.&nbsp;

Ukraine has recorded more than 1.2 million coronavirus cases and more than 24,000 deaths.&nbsp;

Ukraine has banned coronavirus vaccines produced by rival Russia despite struggles to launch its vaccination campaign. A resolution passed by the government on February 8 and posted on its website on Wednesday banned the registration of vaccines from 'aggressor states', a designation Ukraine has applied to Russia since 2015.

Ukraine has banned coronavirus vaccines produced by rival Russia despite struggles to launch its vaccination campaign. A resolution passed by the government on February 8 and posted on its website on Wednesday banned the registration of vaccines from 'aggressor states', a designation Ukraine has applied to Russia since 2015. Ukraine's pro-Western leadership has repeatedly rejected calls from pro-Moscow politicians to approve Russia's Sputnik V jab, denouncing the vaccine as a geopolitical tool. Ukraine has been fighting separatists backed by Russia in its Donetsk and Lugansk regions since 2014 following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The ban on Russian vaccines came despite criticism of President Volodymyr Zelensky for failing to source Western-made jabs. Not a single dose of any vaccine has yet arrived in the ex-Soviet country. Zelensky said this week that Ukraine, one of the poorest countries in Europe, would begin the first phase of the vaccination campaign later this month. The country of some 40 million is awaiting delivery of eight million doses promised under the United Nations' Covax programme and up to five million doses of the Chinese CoronaVac jab. It has also secured 12 million doses of vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Novavax, but that is still not enough to meet the country's needs. On Wednesday, Ukraine said it launched an investigation into the country's purchasing of coronavirus vaccines, highlighting the country's struggle to end systemic graft. Sputnik V has, meanwhile, been rolled out in the breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine that are controlled by Kremlin-backed separatists. Ukraine has recorded more than 1.2 million coronavirus cases and more than 24,000 deaths.

Ukraine bans Covid-19 vaccines from 'aggressor' Russia

Appearing to reject an offer by Turkey to avoid sanctions, the United States renewed its call on Ankara to get rid of an advanced Russian air defense system on Wednesday. &nbsp;

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in an interview this week proposed a compromise in which the NATO ally does not fully deploy the S-400s, which Russia originally built to target Western jets. &nbsp;

"Our policy vis-a-vis the S-400s has not changed," State Department spokesman Ned Price said, when asked about the Turkish proposal. &nbsp;

"Russian S-400s are incompatible with NATO equipment, they threaten the security of NATO technology and they are inconsistent with Turkey's commitments as a NATO ally," he told reporters. &nbsp;

“We have and continue to urge Turkey not to retain this system." &nbsp;

Akar drew a parallel to historic rival Greece, which bought Russia's older S-300 system after Turkish threats to attack Cyprus but did not make them fully operational. &nbsp;

US officials downplayed the parallel, saying the S-400 was a more advanced system. &nbsp;

Turkey went ahead with the purchase despite warnings from the United States, which under former president Donald Trump booted Ankara from the F-35 fighter jet programme and imposed sanctions on Turkey's military procurement agency. &nbsp;

President Joe Biden before the election vowed to toughen the US stance on Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom he has described as an autocrat. &nbsp;

The Biden administration has already spoken out on its concerns over detentions and homophobic comments as Turkish authorities crack down on student demonstrators. &nbsp;

Appearing to reject an offer by Turkey to avoid sanctions, the United States renewed its call on Ankara to get rid of an advanced Russian air defense system on Wednesday.

Appearing to reject an offer by Turkey to avoid sanctions, the United States renewed its call on Ankara to get rid of an advanced Russian air defense system on Wednesday. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in an interview this week proposed a compromise in which the NATO ally does not fully deploy the S-400s, which Russia originally built to target Western jets. "Our policy vis-a-vis the S-400s has not changed," State Department spokesman Ned Price said, when asked about the Turkish proposal. "Russian S-400s are incompatible with NATO equipment, they threaten the security of NATO technology and they are inconsistent with Turkey's commitments as a NATO ally," he told reporters. “We have and continue to urge Turkey not to retain this system." Akar drew a parallel to historic rival Greece, which bought Russia's older S-300 system after Turkish threats to attack Cyprus but did not make them fully operational. US officials downplayed the parallel, saying the S-400 was a more advanced system. Turkey went ahead with the purchase despite warnings from the United States, which under former president Donald Trump booted Ankara from the F-35 fighter jet programme and imposed sanctions on Turkey's military procurement agency. President Joe Biden before the election vowed to toughen the US stance on Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom he has described as an autocrat. The Biden administration has already spoken out on its concerns over detentions and homophobic comments as Turkish authorities crack down on student demonstrators.

Dump Russian missile system, US tells Turkey again

After Russia rebuffed his attempts to renew a dialogue, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday, he will propose the bloc's 27 member states to impose sanctions on Moscow. &nbsp; &nbsp;

"It will be for the member states to decide the next step, but yes, this could include sanctions and I will put forward concrete proposals," Borrell told lawmakers at the European Parliament. &nbsp;&nbsp;

A number of eastern European countries have called for punitive measures to be slapped on Russia over the jailing of top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and a crackdown on protesters. &nbsp;&nbsp;

EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the issue at their next meeting on February 22. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Borrell addressed legislators after a chastening visit to Russia last week, during which the Kremlin expelled three European diplomats. &nbsp;

Despite opposition from some capitals, the former Spanish minister insisted on making the trip to confront the Kremlin over Navalny and sound it out over cooperation on other issues. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"I had no illusion before the visit, I am even more worried after," Borrell told lawmakers. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"One thing became clear, there is no intention on the Russian side to engage in a constructive discussion if we address human rights and political freedom." &nbsp;&nbsp;

Borrell has drawn flak for his performance during the visit -- the first by a top EU envoy to Moscow since 2017 -- as he failed to counter a slew of criticism from counterpart Sergei Lavrov at a press conference. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Dozens of lawmakers signed a letter calling for his resignation over the 'humiliating' trip. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The EU's relations with Moscow have been in the doldrums since the Kremlin annexed Crimea in 2014 and began fuelling the war in Ukraine. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The bloc hit six senior Russian officials with asset freezes and visa bans in October over the poisoning of Navalny with a nerve agent. &nbsp;

Navalny has accused the President Vladimir Putin of ordering the attack -- something the Kremlin has repeatedly denied. &nbsp;

Putin's most prominent domestic opponent was sentenced to almost three years in jail after returning to Russia last month following treatment in Germany.

After Russia rebuffed his attempts to renew a dialogue, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday, he will propose the bloc's 27 member states to impose sanctions on Moscow.

After Russia rebuffed his attempts to renew a dialogue, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday, he will propose the bloc's 27 member states to impose sanctions on Moscow. "It will be for the member states to decide the next step, but yes, this could include sanctions and I will put forward concrete proposals," Borrell told lawmakers at the European Parliament. A number of eastern European countries have called for punitive measures to be slapped on Russia over the jailing of top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and a crackdown on protesters. EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the issue at their next meeting on February 22. Borrell addressed legislators after a chastening visit to Russia last week, during which the Kremlin expelled three European diplomats. Despite opposition from some capitals, the former Spanish minister insisted on making the trip to confront the Kremlin over Navalny and sound it out over cooperation on other issues. "I had no illusion before the visit, I am even more worried after," Borrell told lawmakers. "One thing became clear, there is no intention on the Russian side to engage in a constructive discussion if we address human rights and political freedom." Borrell has drawn flak for his performance during the visit -- the first by a top EU envoy to Moscow since 2017 -- as he failed to counter a slew of criticism from counterpart Sergei Lavrov at a press conference. Dozens of lawmakers signed a letter calling for his resignation over the 'humiliating' trip. The EU's relations with Moscow have been in the doldrums since the Kremlin annexed Crimea in 2014 and began fuelling the war in Ukraine. The bloc hit six senior Russian officials with asset freezes and visa bans in October over the poisoning of Navalny with a nerve agent. Navalny has accused the President Vladimir Putin of ordering the attack -- something the Kremlin has repeatedly denied. Putin's most prominent domestic opponent was sentenced to almost three years in jail after returning to Russia last month following treatment in Germany.

Borrell to propose EU leaders to impose sanctions on Russia

NATO and Russia will be coming together for the first time in a decade to share the same platform this month in Pakistani waters, the last time the Russian navy conducted joint military drills with NATO members was in the "Bold Monarch" exercise in 2011, which took place off the coast of Spain.

The exercise titled AMAN 2021 under the tag of “Together for Peace” kicks off in Pakistani waters from 11th February and will continue until the 16th of February. The collaborative drills are being held since 2007 when it started with three participants.

A total of 46 countries would be participating in the Aman 2021 exercise which includes participating fleets from, US, China, Russia, UK, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries from ASEAN, South Asia, African Union, EU, GCC and NATO among others.

“Exercise AMAN is about bridging gaps and making it possible to operate together in pursuance of common objectives,” Rear Admiral Naveed Ashraf, commander of the Pakistani fleet, said Monday. 
&nbsp; 
An official statement quoted him as saying that participating nations will attend the military drills with their “surface and air assets, special operation forces and maritime teams.” 
&nbsp; 
“Pakistan considers that maritime security is not just important for itself but for all other countries whose prosperity and progress are strongly bonded with the seas,” Ashraf said.

The main objective/ theme of AMAN series of multinational exercises are to promote regional cooperation and stability, greater interoperability and to display a united resolve against terrorism and crimes in maritime domain including piracy. The conduct of exercise AMAN is divided into Harbor and Sea Phases.

As many as 46 countries and 115 observers participated in Aman-19 naval exercises and around 11 navies, including those of China, US, UK, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Malaysia, Oman; Sri Lanka participated with their warships.

NATO and Russia will be coming together for the first time in a decade to share the same platform this month in Pakistani waters, the last time the Russian navy conducted joint military drills with NATO members was in the "Bold Monarch" exercise in 2011, which took place off the coast of Spain.

NATO and Russia will be coming together for the first time in a decade to share the same platform this month in Pakistani waters, the last time the Russian navy conducted joint military drills with NATO members was in the "Bold Monarch" exercise in 2011, which took place off the coast of Spain. The exercise titled AMAN 2021 under the tag of “Together for Peace” kicks off in Pakistani waters from 11th February and will continue until the 16th of February. The collaborative drills are being held since 2007 when it started with three participants. A total of 46 countries would be participating in the Aman 2021 exercise which includes participating fleets from, US, China, Russia, UK, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries from ASEAN, South Asia, African Union, EU, GCC and NATO among others. “Exercise AMAN is about bridging gaps and making it possible to operate together in pursuance of common objectives,” Rear Admiral Naveed Ashraf, commander of the Pakistani fleet, said Monday. An official statement quoted him as saying that participating nations will attend the military drills with their “surface and air assets, special operation forces and maritime teams.” “Pakistan considers that maritime security is not just important for itself but for all other countries whose prosperity and progress are strongly bonded with the seas,” Ashraf said. The main objective/ theme of AMAN series of multinational exercises are to promote regional cooperation and stability, greater interoperability and to display a united resolve against terrorism and crimes in maritime domain including piracy. The conduct of exercise AMAN is divided into Harbor and Sea Phases. As many as 46 countries and 115 observers participated in Aman-19 naval exercises and around 11 navies, including those of China, US, UK, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Malaysia, Oman; Sri Lanka participated with their warships.

46 countries including Russia, NATO coming to Pakistan for maritime exercise

US government under President Joe Biden has maintained tough stance against Turkey over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense system. US has maintained its tough position since Donald Trump presidency. Trump had imposed sanctions on Turkey over the issue.&nbsp;

"Our position has not changed," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters. "We urge Turkey not to retain the S-400 system."

Turkey had made the purchase from Russia after talks with the US to purchase US Patriots systems failed. Turkey bout the Russian system in 2019. It was in talks with the US for missile purchase during Barack Obama presidency.

It took delivery of the $2.5 billion S-400 system in defiance of warnings that such military cooperation was incompatible with NATO and would let Russia improve its targeting of Western planes.

In retaliation, Washington banned all US export licenses and loan credits for Turkey's military procurement agency, the Presidency of Defense Industries.

"Turkey is a longstanding and valued NATO ally, but their decision to purchase the S-400 is inconsistent with Turkey's commitments as a US and NATO ally," Kirby continued during a press briefing.

"Turkey had multiple opportunities over the last decade to purchase the Patriot defense system from the United States and instead chose to purchase the S-400, which provides Russia revenue, access and influence," he noted.&nbsp;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had expressed hope in January about the country rejoining the F-35 fighter jet development program. But contact between Turkey and Joe Biden administration has been minimal.

(With AFP inputs)

US government under President Joe Biden has maintained tough stance against Turkey over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense system. US has maintained its tough position since Donald Trump presidency.

US government under President Joe Biden has maintained tough stance against Turkey over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense system. US has maintained its tough position since Donald Trump presidency. Trump had imposed sanctions on Turkey over the issue. "Our position has not changed," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters. "We urge Turkey not to retain the S-400 system." Turkey had made the purchase from Russia after talks with the US to purchase US Patriots systems failed. Turkey bout the Russian system in 2019. It was in talks with the US for missile purchase during Barack Obama presidency. It took delivery of the $2.5 billion S-400 system in defiance of warnings that such military cooperation was incompatible with NATO and would let Russia improve its targeting of Western planes. In retaliation, Washington banned all US export licenses and loan credits for Turkey's military procurement agency, the Presidency of Defense Industries. "Turkey is a longstanding and valued NATO ally, but their decision to purchase the S-400 is inconsistent with Turkey's commitments as a US and NATO ally," Kirby continued during a press briefing. "Turkey had multiple opportunities over the last decade to purchase the Patriot defense system from the United States and instead chose to purchase the S-400, which provides Russia revenue, access and influence," he noted. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had expressed hope in January about the country rejoining the F-35 fighter jet development program. But contact between Turkey and Joe Biden administration has been minimal. (With AFP inputs)

US talks tough over Turkey's S-400 Russian missile system purchase

Daniil Medvedev fired Russia into the final of the ATP Cup on Saturday with a tense 3-6 6-3 7-5 win over an injury-hampered Alexander Zverev after the German destroyed a racket in frustration over a lost service break.

ALSO SEE:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-djokovic-to-nadal-five-mens-singles-players-to-watch-at-the-australian-open-2021-361589" hreflang="en">From Djokovic to Nadal: Five men's singles players to watch at the Australian Open 2021</a> 
 
Russia will meet Italy in Sunday`s final after Matteo Berrettini sealed a 2-0 win against Spain by beating Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3 7-5. 
 
Zverev had treatment on a lower back injury in the second set against Medvedev and slammed his racket into the court after slapping a wild second serve into the tramlines to be broken at 5-5 in the deciding set. 
 
In a madcap finish, Medvedev double-faulted twice on match point and saved five break points before finally wrapping up proceedings with a fierce forehand down the line that Zverev could only push long. 
 
"It was strange," said world number four Medvedev after sealing the tie 2-0 for Russia. 
 
"Crazy match, happy to win, even if many things I didn`t like." 
 
Nursing a sore back, world number two Rafa Nadal sat out of another match for Spain. His team mate Pablo Carreno Busta lost 6-2 1-6 6-4 to Fabio Fognini in the earlier match. 
 
Andrey Rublev got Russia off to a bright start with a 3-6 6-1 6-2 win over Jan-Lennard Struff.

Daniil Medvedev fired Russia into the final of the ATP Cup on Saturday with a tense 3-6 6-3 7-5 win over an injury-hampered Alexander Zverev after the German destroyed a racket in frustration over a lost service break.

Daniil Medvedev fired Russia into the final of the ATP Cup on Saturday with a tense 3-6 6-3 7-5 win over an injury-hampered Alexander Zverev after the German destroyed a racket in frustration over a lost service break. ALSO SEE: From Djokovic to Nadal: Five men's singles players to watch at the Australian Open 2021 Russia will meet Italy in Sunday`s final after Matteo Berrettini sealed a 2-0 win against Spain by beating Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3 7-5. Zverev had treatment on a lower back injury in the second set against Medvedev and slammed his racket into the court after slapping a wild second serve into the tramlines to be broken at 5-5 in the deciding set. In a madcap finish, Medvedev double-faulted twice on match point and saved five break points before finally wrapping up proceedings with a fierce forehand down the line that Zverev could only push long. "It was strange," said world number four Medvedev after sealing the tie 2-0 for Russia. "Crazy match, happy to win, even if many things I didn`t like." Nursing a sore back, world number two Rafa Nadal sat out of another match for Spain. His team mate Pablo Carreno Busta lost 6-2 1-6 6-4 to Fabio Fognini in the earlier match. Andrey Rublev got Russia off to a bright start with a 3-6 6-1 6-2 win over Jan-Lennard Struff.

Russia to meet Italy in ATP Cup final, Zverev battles back problem

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in a note from jail, urged Russians to 'free' the country from a 'bunch of thieves'. &nbsp;

In a statement posted on his Instagram account, Navalny, 44, said, "iron doors slammed behind my back with a deafening sound, but I feel like a free man. Because I feel confident, I'm right. Thanks to your support. Thanks to my family's support." &nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-critic-navalny-goes-on-trial-on-slander-charges-361559">Also read | Kremlin critic Navalny goes on trial on slander charges</a> 
 
When the sentence of Alexei Navalny was being read, Navalny made a heart sign with his hands and smiled at his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, 44, from behind the glass panel of his holding cell in the court. Navalny asked Yulia, who was crying during the verdict, to don’t be sad as everything will be fine. &nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russians-share-selfies-in-red-to-support-navalnys-wife-361548">Also read | Russians share selfies in red to support Navalny's wife</a> 
 
Meanwhile, Alexei Navalny Friday went on trial on charges of defaming a World War II veteran -- close on the heels of him being handed a nearly three-year prison term.&nbsp;

Legal pressure has been mounting on the 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner and his allies since he returned in mid-January to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from a poisoning attack with the nerve agent Novichok. &nbsp;

He was ordered by a Moscow court this week to serve two years and eight months in prison for violating the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence on embezzlement charges he says were politically motivated.&nbsp;

Kremlin has said the arrests of thousands of protesters is a due response to the unsanctioned rallies. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in a note from jail, urged Russians to 'free' the country from a 'bunch of thieves'. In a statement posted on his Instagram account, Navalny, 44, said, "iron doors slammed behind my back with a deafening sound, but I feel like a free man.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in a note from jail, urged Russians to 'free' the country from a 'bunch of thieves'. In a statement posted on his Instagram account, Navalny, 44, said, "iron doors slammed behind my back with a deafening sound, but I feel like a free man. Because I feel confident, I'm right. Thanks to your support. Thanks to my family's support." Also read | Kremlin critic Navalny goes on trial on slander charges When the sentence of Alexei Navalny was being read, Navalny made a heart sign with his hands and smiled at his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, 44, from behind the glass panel of his holding cell in the court. Navalny asked Yulia, who was crying during the verdict, to don’t be sad as everything will be fine. Also read | Russians share selfies in red to support Navalny's wife Meanwhile, Alexei Navalny Friday went on trial on charges of defaming a World War II veteran -- close on the heels of him being handed a nearly three-year prison term. Legal pressure has been mounting on the 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner and his allies since he returned in mid-January to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from a poisoning attack with the nerve agent Novichok. He was ordered by a Moscow court this week to serve two years and eight months in prison for violating the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence on embezzlement charges he says were politically motivated. Kremlin has said the arrests of thousands of protesters is a due response to the unsanctioned rallies. (With inputs from agencies)

Free country from 'thieves': Alexei Navalny urges Russians from jail to overcome their fear  

Social media is abuzz with posting of several selfies of people wearing red colour clothes to show support for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny's wife. Now, these selfies have become a symbol of support.

Social media is abuzz with posting of several selfies of people wearing red colour clothes to show support for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny's wife. Now, these selfies have become a symbol of support. The support in this unique way began pouring after Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, donned a red jumper in Moscow court when her husband was handed the verdict earlier this week. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Katya Fedorova (@katyfedorova) × When the sentence of Alexei Navalny was being read, Navalny made a heart sign with his hands and smiled at Yulia, 44, from behind the glass panel of his holding cell in the court. Navalny asked Yulia, who was crying during the verdict, to don’t be sad as everything will be fine. Katya Fedorova, a fashion journalist and brand consultant, started the hashtag in an Instagram post by wearing a red top, which gained over 19,200 likes. On the post, Fedorova asked others to use Navalny's words to his wife in a hashtag and share to show support. Fedorova said, “I invite all those who care to post selfies wearing red, so Yulia and everyone else can follow the hashtag and see that we are many and we are not indifferent.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by полина владимировна маяк📻 (@pwmayak) × It has resulted into a movement of sorts as the posts with hashtag #do not be sad all will be well are trending on social media. Underneath Fedorova’s post, Yulia responded by commenting in Russian: 'Thank you!' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anya Shogren (@anyashogren) × The development is unfolding as Navalny, in a note from jail, urged Russians to 'free' the country from a 'bunch of thieves'. Meanwhile, Kremlin has said the arrests of thousands of protesters is a due response to the unsanctioned rallies. In a statement posted on his Instagram account, Navalny, 44, said, "iron doors slammed behind my back with a deafening sound, but I feel like a free man. Because I feel confident, I'm right. Thanks to your support. Thanks to my family's support."

Russians share selfies in red to support Navalny's wife

An audio clip of jailed Kremlin-critic Alexei Navalny has surfaced in which he can be heard calling Russian President Vladimir Putin 'underwear poisoner'. Alexei Navalny was recently sent to jail by a Russian court that overturned a suspended sentence into real jail-time.

Navalny's jailing&nbsp;has led to an outcry both in and outside Russia. While thousands of Russian protesters have been demanding Navalny's release, countries and blocs like the EU, US, Britain and Germany have upped the international pressure to free Navalny.

The latest audio clip has brought in quite a comic element into the mix.

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“(Putin’s) only method is killing people. However much he pretends to be a great geo-politician, he’ll go down in history as a poisoner. There was Alexander the Liberator, Yaroslav the Wise, and Putin the Underwear Poisoner,” Navalny can be heard saying in the audio clip.

Navalny, one of Putin’s most prominent critics, was arrested on Jan. 17 for alleged parole violations after returning from Germany where he had been recovering from being poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent.

Navalny alleges that Russian agents, acting under orders from Putin poisoned his underwear. Kremlin has denied the charges.

(With Reuters inputs)

An audio clip of jailed Kremlin-critic Alexei Navalny has surfaced in which he can be heard calling Russian President Vladimir Putin 'underwear poisoner'. Alexei Navalny was recently sent to jail by a Russian court that overturned a suspended sentence into real jail-time.

An audio clip of jailed Kremlin-critic Alexei Navalny has surfaced in which he can be heard calling Russian President Vladimir Putin 'underwear poisoner'. Alexei Navalny was recently sent to jail by a Russian court that overturned a suspended sentence into real jail-time. Navalny's jailing has led to an outcry both in and outside Russia. While thousands of Russian protesters have been demanding Navalny's release, countries and blocs like the EU, US, Britain and Germany have upped the international pressure to free Navalny. The latest audio clip has brought in quite a comic element into the mix. × “(Putin’s) only method is killing people. However much he pretends to be a great geo-politician, he’ll go down in history as a poisoner. There was Alexander the Liberator, Yaroslav the Wise, and Putin the Underwear Poisoner,” Navalny can be heard saying in the audio clip. Navalny, one of Putin’s most prominent critics, was arrested on Jan. 17 for alleged parole violations after returning from Germany where he had been recovering from being poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent. Navalny alleges that Russian agents, acting under orders from Putin poisoned his underwear. Kremlin has denied the charges. (With Reuters inputs)

Alexei Navalny calls Vladimir Putin an 'underwear poisoner'

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is set to fly to Moscow amid jailing of Alexei Navalny and crackdown against protests. This is the first visit of a top EU envoy to Russia. Although the likely aim of the visit is to put pressure on Moscow over Alexei Navalny, some European capitals worried that Borrell's visit may signal business as usual with Moscow.

But Borrell insists he will deliver "clear messages" to the Kremlin despite it blanking Western calls to release President Vladimir Putin's most prominent domestic opponent Navalny, who was on Tuesday given a jail term of almost three years.

"It is when things are not going well that you must engage," the former Spanish foreign minister said on Monday.

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&nbsp;

Russia and EU have had strained relations ever since Russia captured Crimea and fuelled was in Ukraine in 2014.&nbsp;

Borrell is eager to sound out his veteran counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the chances of cooperation on issues including enlisting Russia's help in reviving the Iran nuclear deal and tackling climate change.&nbsp;

However, the issue of Navalny and subsequent protests looms large on the visit.

Moscow has already dismissed linking the meet with Navalny as 'nonsense'

"We hope that such nonsense as linking the prospects of Russia-EU relations with the resident of a detention centre will not happen," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-defends-crackdown-on-navalny-supporters-361095">Kremlin defends crackdown on Navalny supporters</a>

Moscow stands "ready to do everything" to develop ties with Brussels, but the Kremlin is "not ready to listen to advice" on the issue of Navalny, he said.&nbsp;

The authorities have poured cold water on attempts to set up a meeting with Putin's nemesis and Borrell will settle for talks with civil society representatives. &nbsp;

Back in Europe calls are growing from some nations for the EU to bulk up on sanctions it slapped on six Russian officials in October over the nerve agent poisoning that left Navalny fighting for his life in Germany.

EU foreign ministers last week agreed they would revisit the issue if he was not released.&nbsp;

"After this ruling, there will now also be talks among EU partners. Further sanctions cannot be ruled out," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert.

An EU statement said foreign ministers would discuss "possible further action" at a meeting on February 22.

(With AFP inputs)

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is set to fly to Moscow amid jailing of Alexei Navalny and crackdown against protests. This is the first visit of a top EU envoy to Russia.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is set to fly to Moscow amid jailing of Alexei Navalny and crackdown against protests. This is the first visit of a top EU envoy to Russia. Although the likely aim of the visit is to put pressure on Moscow over Alexei Navalny, some European capitals worried that Borrell's visit may signal business as usual with Moscow. But Borrell insists he will deliver "clear messages" to the Kremlin despite it blanking Western calls to release President Vladimir Putin's most prominent domestic opponent Navalny, who was on Tuesday given a jail term of almost three years. "It is when things are not going well that you must engage," the former Spanish foreign minister said on Monday. × Russia and EU have had strained relations ever since Russia captured Crimea and fuelled was in Ukraine in 2014. Borrell is eager to sound out his veteran counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the chances of cooperation on issues including enlisting Russia's help in reviving the Iran nuclear deal and tackling climate change. However, the issue of Navalny and subsequent protests looms large on the visit. Moscow has already dismissed linking the meet with Navalny as 'nonsense' "We hope that such nonsense as linking the prospects of Russia-EU relations with the resident of a detention centre will not happen," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Also Read | Kremlin defends crackdown on Navalny supporters Moscow stands "ready to do everything" to develop ties with Brussels, but the Kremlin is "not ready to listen to advice" on the issue of Navalny, he said. The authorities have poured cold water on attempts to set up a meeting with Putin's nemesis and Borrell will settle for talks with civil society representatives. Back in Europe calls are growing from some nations for the EU to bulk up on sanctions it slapped on six Russian officials in October over the nerve agent poisoning that left Navalny fighting for his life in Germany. EU foreign ministers last week agreed they would revisit the issue if he was not released. "After this ruling, there will now also be talks among EU partners. Further sanctions cannot be ruled out," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert. An EU statement said foreign ministers would discuss "possible further action" at a meeting on February 22. (With AFP inputs)

EU sends top envoy to Russia amid Alexei Navalny controversy

Russia on Monday said that its economy contracted by 3.1 per cent in 2020 it was hit by coronavirus lockdowns and decrease in global crude oil prices. The contraction was less severe than Russian central bank's forecast of about 4 per cent. The Rosstat statistics agency attributed the drop to "restrictions imposed to combat the coronavirus and the fall in global demand for energy resources".

The 3.1 per cent drop, a first estimate, was also a relatively good result compared with many European countries that reintroduced lockdowns when a second wave of infections surged late last year.&nbsp;

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Spain saw an 11 per cent drop, France 8.3 per cent and Germany 5.0 per cent.

Rosstat said the Russian economy's largest losses were recorded in the hospitality, transport, culture and sport sectors. Rosstat didn't publish quarterly figures but the economy is expected to have rebounded by 7.4 per cent last three months of the year following a steep drop from April through September.

Before the pandemic hit Russia in March, its economy had grown by 1.6 per cent in the first quarter from the same period in 2019.

President Vladimir Putin had hoped 2020 would present an opportunity to revive a stagnating economy that for years has been bruised by Western sanctions.

But oil prices plunged sharply in early March, slashing Russia's energy revenues.

On Monday, Russia's coronavirus caseload stood at more than 3.8 million, the fourth-highest worldwide.

Russia on Monday said that its economy contracted by 3.1 per cent in 2020 it was hit by coronavirus lockdowns and decrease in global crude oil prices. The contraction was less severe than Russian central bank's forecast of about 4 per cent.

Russia on Monday said that its economy contracted by 3.1 per cent in 2020 it was hit by coronavirus lockdowns and decrease in global crude oil prices. The contraction was less severe than Russian central bank's forecast of about 4 per cent. The Rosstat statistics agency attributed the drop to "restrictions imposed to combat the coronavirus and the fall in global demand for energy resources". The 3.1 per cent drop, a first estimate, was also a relatively good result compared with many European countries that reintroduced lockdowns when a second wave of infections surged late last year. Spain saw an 11 per cent drop, France 8.3 per cent and Germany 5.0 per cent. Rosstat said the Russian economy's largest losses were recorded in the hospitality, transport, culture and sport sectors. Rosstat didn't publish quarterly figures but the economy is expected to have rebounded by 7.4 per cent last three months of the year following a steep drop from April through September. Before the pandemic hit Russia in March, its economy had grown by 1.6 per cent in the first quarter from the same period in 2019. President Vladimir Putin had hoped 2020 would present an opportunity to revive a stagnating economy that for years has been bruised by Western sanctions. But oil prices plunged sharply in early March, slashing Russia's energy revenues. On Monday, Russia's coronavirus caseload stood at more than 3.8 million, the fourth-highest worldwide.

Russia's economy shrinks by 3.1 per cent in the pandemic year

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