Russia

MOSCOW, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Russian fighter jets on Monday intercepted three U.S. and one British reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic and Black seas, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Russian airspace control systems detected an air target approaching the Russian border over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, the ministry's Zvezda broadcasting service said in a statement.

The crew of a Russian Su-27SM fighter approached the aerial object and identified it at a safe distance as a U.S. Air Force RC-135 strategic reconnaissance plane, Zvezda said.

KALININRAD, August 17. /TASS/: Over 20 crews of aircraft and helicopters of the Baltic Fleet’s naval aviation are involved in tactical flight drills in the Kaliningrad Region, the Fleet’s press office reported on Monday.

"During scheduled drills, over 20 crews of Su-27, Su-24 and Su-30SM aircraft, Mi-24 and Mi-8 attack and military-transport helicopters and also of shipborne Ka-27 gunships and An-26 military-transport planes of the Baltic Fleet’s naval aviation are accomplishing a set of various assignments," the press office said in a statement.

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/: French President Emmanuel Macron should call for supporting those taking part in protests in the European Union, not Belarusian protesters, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Facebook on Monday.

Macron said on August 16 that the EU must continue to be mobilized in support of participants in peaceful protests taking part in the Belarusian capital of Minsk and other cities of the country.

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/: Dutch Charge d’Affaires in Moscow Dominique Kuhling-Bakker was summoned to Russia’s Foreign Ministry over the spy equipment found in the car of the Russian military attache in The Hague, the ministry said on Monday.

"Russia’s Foreign Ministry lodged a resolute protest to the Dutch ambassador over the surveillance equipment found in the car of the Russian military attache in The Hague," the ministry said in a statement.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan discussed the conflicts in Libya and Syria in a telephone call on Monday.

The Kremlin said that the two leaders, focused mainly on the crisis in Libya, where they back opposing sides, highlighting the need to make real steps towards a sustainable ceasefire.

MOSCOW, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday discussed the proposal of Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold a seven-state summit on Iran.

On Friday, Putin proposed holding an urgent online meeting of the heads of the five permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council with the participation of the leaders of Germany and Iran to discuss Iran and the Persian Gulf situation.

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/: Swiss Airlines resumed flights from Russia on Saturday, Domodedovo airport said in its official telegram channel.

"Domodedovo has served the first regular flight of Swiss Airlines after the resumption of flights between Russia and Switzerland. Flight LX 1327 took off today from Domodedovo to Zurich," the airport said.

Earlier, the Swiss carrier announced plans to resume flights to Moscow, but did not give an exact date.

MOSCOW, August 16. /TASS/: The coronavirus vaccine developed by the N. F. Gamaleya Federal Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry may enter production for civilian circulation a month after the launch of the third stage (post-registration) of the research, the center’s Director Alexander Gintsburg told TASS.

However, not all Russian citizens will be able to get the vaccine at once, he stressed.

MOSCOW, August 11. /TASS/: Medical workers and teachers will be the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said during a session between Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of the government.

"We will begin the stage-by-stage civilian use of the vaccine. First and foremost, we would like to offer vaccination to those who come into contact with infected persons at work. These are medical workers. And also those who are responsible for children’s health - teachers," the minister said.

MOSCOW, August 16. /TASS/: The participation of Chinese representatives in the upcoming round of consultations on strategic stability in Vienna is ruled out, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS on Sunday.

"I absolutely rule out the option that the Chinese representatives could be [present at the consultations] there. They have said this multiple times and I don’t have any grounds to mistrust them," Ryabkov said.