Russia

MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/: Reports alleging that some Russian business people and politicians were inoculated against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus this spring are a myth, Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said on Thursday.

MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/: Two Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers carried out an air patrol over the Black Sea, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.

"Two Tu-22M3 long-range bombers of the Aerospace Force carried out a scheduled flight in the airspace over the neutral waters of the Black Sea," the ministry said in a statement.

At some sections of the route, "the long-range aircraft were escorted by Romanian Air Force MiG-21 planes," the statement says.

MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/: The Severodvinsk-based Zvyozdochka Ship Repair Plant (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) has prepared five warships, submarines and boats of Russia’s Northern Fleet for their participation in the Main Naval Parade in St. Petersburg and Kronshtadt on July 26, the Shipyard’s press office reported on Thursday.

MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/: Russia will open its borders with other countries on a reciprocal basis, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday, noting that these issues are being discussed with the foreign partners but no specific decisions have been made yet.

MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/: Russia’s arms exports exceeded $15 bln in 2019, while the portfolio of orders exceeded $55 bln as of early 2020, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said when delivering an annual report in the State Duma (lower house) on Wednesday.

"The defense industry is working successfully," he said. "Russian arms exports amounted to over $15 bln in 2019. The portfolio of orders as of the beginning of this year exceeded $55 bln. More than one hundred countries cooperate with Russia in that field," PM noted.

MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/: Four vaccines against the coronavirus have proven to be safe and tests on two more vaccines are at their final stage, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told the parliament, the State Duma, on Wednesday reporting on the government’s work.

MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/: A Mil Mi-8AMTSh-VN new helicopter for Special Operations Forces has entered flight tests, CEO of Russian Helicopters Group (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) Andrei Boginsky said on Wednesday.

"The construction of helicopters [Mi-8AMTSh-VN] is proceeding along with the R&D work. The national helicopter-building center has already started flights," the chief executive said.

MOSCOW, July 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia still believes there is hope of rescuing the nuclear deal with Iran, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

“We are convinced that there is still a chance to return the (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) into a stable situation,” Russia’s top diplomat said as he met with Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Moscow.

“In any case, we will do everything to make it happen, just like our Iranian friends,” he said.

MOSCOW, July 21. /TASS/: Russia’s first vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection, which was created by military specialists and scientists of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, is ready, First Deputy Defense Minister Ruslan Tsalikov told Argumenty i Fakty newspaper.

MOSCOW, July 21. /TASS/: It will take about 18 months to develop a viable anti-coronavirus vaccine, Vladimir Nikoforov, the chief specialist in infectious diseases of the Russian Federal Medical Biological Agency and holder of chair in infectious diseases of the Pirogov Medical University, said on Tuesday.

"It typically takes at least 18 months to develop a really viable vaccine tested for efficacy and safety. That’s the reference point. When we have tested it, we will see if it is efficient," he said.