Russia

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/: The number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Russia over the past 24 hours has increased by 27,403, bringing the total to 2,402,949, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told journalists on Friday.

According to the crisis center, the relative growth has not surpassed 1.2% for the past two days.

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/: Russian border guards have foiled an illegal border crossing attempt by three armed perpetrators from Ukraine. As the Public Relations Center of the Federal Security Service (FSB) told TASS, after exchanging fire one of them was killed, two others fled.

KALININGRAD, December 3. /TASS/: Over 50 Baltic Fleet ships and support vessels are involved in drills running at their naval bases, the Fleet’s press office reported on Thursday.

"The crews of the Fleet’s combat ships, boats and support vessels have begun shipboard drills at the places of the Baltic Fleet forces’ basing in Baltiysk and Kronshtadt to practice preparing for deployment to the sea, measures for ship damage control during the anchorage at a pier, and also ships’ anti-saboteur defense at naval bases," the press office said in a statement.

MOSCOW, December 3. /TASS/: A Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with a Gonets-M satellite and a system which will be used by the Russian Defense Ministry has been launched from the Plestesk spaceport in Russia's northwestern Arkhangelsk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.

MOSCOW, December 3. /TASS/: In November, the total COVID-19 case count in the world increased by 17.3 million cases, which is 5.6 million more than the record high, registered in October, and is about equal to all cases registered between March and July, according to TASS calculations. The relative growth has increased as well, from 35% to 38%.The death toll in November was 1.7 times higher than in October - about 280,000 deaths.

MOSCOW, December 3. / TASS /: Russia's Sberbank will soon open the first institute in Russia to study artificial intelligence, said bank CEO Herman Gref said at the AI Journey conference on Thursday.

"In the near future, we will open the first AI institute in Russia with the involvement of leading domestic and world scientists. The main mission of the institute is to provide an interdisciplinary approach to research to create general artificial intelligence," Gref said.

MOSCOW, December 3. /TASS/: Russia’s coronavirus cases rose by 28,145 in the past day, a new high since the start of pandemic, and the total case count reached 2,375,546, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Thursday.

The average growth rate climbed to 1.2%.

The lowest growth rates in the past day were registered in the Nenets Autonomous Region (0.2%), the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region, the Republics of Dagestan and Mari El (0.6%).

MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/: Russian peacekeepers are controlling the ceasefire and the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with the help of Orlan-10 drones, mobile video transmitting and secure video conferencing systems at observation posts, Defense Ministry Spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/: The latest simulator facility with artificial intelligence elements has come into operation in Yeisk in southern Russia to train naval pilots, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

The facility comprises the latest system of simulators for full-fledged training of the flight and ground personnel of the Russian Navy’s fighter, anti-submarine and deck-based aviation, the ministry said in a statement.

VLADIVOSTOK, December 2. /TASS/: The Project 20380 latest corvette Aldar Tsydenzhapov built for Russia’s Pacific Fleet delivered artillery fire against coastal targets and checked its air defense weapons during state trials in the Sea of Japan, the Fleet’s press office reported on Wednesday.