Russia

MOSCOW, September 13. /TASS/: More than 150,000 observers and 55,000 members of election commissions monitored polls at the ballot stations in Russian regions, Russian Central Election Commission Chairperson Ella Pamfilova told reporters.

"At the moment, more than 150,660 observers were really present [at the polling stations] as well as 55,000 members of election commissions with the right of a consultative vote, they have all rights of observers. On average, there are three-four persons per every ballot station," Pamfilova said.

MOSCOW, September 13. /TASS/: The European Union sacrifices its own geo-economic and strategic interests for the sake of immediate wishes in order not to lag behind Washington in the attempts to "punish Russia," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" program on Rossiya-1 TV channel.

"Unfortunately, the EU has chosen the path of sacrificing its own geo-political and strategic interests for the sake of immediate wishes not to lag behind the US in what is called "punishing Russia." We have got accustomed to this," Lavrov said.

MOSCOW, September 12. /TASS/: Election silence starts in most Russian regions on the eve of the single voting day. Elections at various levels will be held in 83 regions of Russia on September 13. Election silence starts in every election region at midnight local time on September 12.

MOSCOW, September 11. / TASS /: Norilsk Nickel has almost finished gathering fuel that got into water bodies near Norilsk after the accident at TPP-3, the first vice-president and operating director of the company Sergei Dyachenko told reporters on Friday.

According to the company, this is a volume of no more than 12,000 tons, which is much less than the estimates made by Rosprirodnadzor, the Russian environmental regulator.

MOSCOW, September 12. /TASS/: The orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) will be adjusted to ensure that it avoids a collision with a US spacecraft, Roscosmos said on Saturday.

"On Monday, September 14, 2020, at 02:23 Moscow time, the International Space Station is predicted to approach the American BRICSat-2 satellite, which has turned into so-called ‘space debris’," the state corporation noted.

SERTOLOVO, September 12. /TASS/: The first batches of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine have been shipped to all regions of the country, delivery is expected until Monday, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told reporters on Saturday.

10 Sep 2020; MEMO: Chinese, Iranian and Russian forces are to participate in joint military exercises in southern Russia later this month, alongside troops from Armenia, Belarus, Myanmar and Pakistan. India cancelled its involvement over mounting cross-border tensions between Delhi and Beijing.

MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/: Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the Health Secretariat of the Brazilian State of Bahia have signed a cooperation agreement on supply of up to 50 mln doses of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, the Fund said in a statement on Friday.

"Deliveries are expected to start in November 2020 subject to approval by Brazil’s regulators with the consideration of results of post-registration trials," the statement said. The agreement will also enable the parties to distribute the vaccine across Brazil in the future.

MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/: Russian healthcare system is definitely ready for a possible growth in coronavirus infections but so far only an insignificant increase is observed in some regions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Friday.

"We indeed observe an insignificant growth in some regions, this is completely natural because many people returned from trips, the academic activity has begun," the Kremlin representative said.

MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/: Other countries should not tell Russia what investigative actions to take in relation to the alleged poisoning of blogger Alexei Navalny, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.