Russia

MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/: The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s flagship, the Guards missile cruiser Moskva, will remain in service until 2040, a source in the Russian defense industry told TASS on Saturday.

The warship was placed in the dock of the 13th Ship Repair Plant in Sevastopol on April 22. The dockside repairs proceeded along with the cruiser’s maintenance, which was also done by the shipyard’s specialists. The vessel was brought out of the dock on July 2-3.

MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/: The range of Russia’s prospective EMP (electromagnetic pulse) cannons, which use a powerful beam of electromagnetic energy to destroy enemy targets, has been increased to 10 km, two defense industry sources told TASS on Sunday.

"The trials of EMP weapons have been under way since 2015. The latest firing of EMP cannons took place this spring. At present, the average range of EMP cannons against aerial targets is 7-8 km, with the maximum of 10 km," one of the sources said, adding that the range of such weapons was previously estimated at 1-2 km.

MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/: Russia remains committed to the ban on nuclear tests and continues to implement the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty despite the fact that the treaty has not come into force, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s press office said on Saturday commenting on the United States’ 2020 Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments (Compliance Report).

MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/: The right of the republics to withdraw from the Soviet Union was a time bomb and Russia should avoid such mistakes, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Moscow. Kremlin. Putin on Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday.

MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/: Washington’s statements regarding the Russian authorities’ alleged attempts to "manipulate" the outcome of the vote on the amendments to the Russian Constitution complicate the prospects for normalizing bilateral relations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told TASS on Saturday.

MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/: The Russian Foreign Ministry does not rule out that other countries can exit the Treaty on Open Skies after the United States withdraws from it, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told TASS on Saturday.

NOVO-OGARYOVO, July 3./TASS/: Russian people are treated equally regardless of race, gender, or belief, President Vladimir Putin emphasized on Friday.

"Russia has never had, nor does it have, nor will it ever have anything connected to restricting anyone’s rights based on sexual orientation, race or religious beliefs," Putin told an online meeting with the members of the working group that had drafted constitutional amendments.

MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/: Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton distorts information in his memoirs about a dialogue with Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Colonel-General Alexander Fomin said on Friday.

Russia’s Defense Ministry paid attention to Bolton’s memoirs published last week where he comments, among other, on the situation with the INF Treaty and the discussion of this issue with Russian Defense Minister Army General Shoigu, the deputy defense minister said.

MOSCOW, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Friday on the official publication of the country's amended constitution after it was approved in a recent referendum.

The amendments become effective from July 4, according to the decree published on the Kremlin website.

Earlier in the day, the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) certified the results of the referendum held between June 25 and July 1 on 206 constitutional amendments.

SEVASTOPOL, July 3. /TASS/: The crew of the diesel-electric submarine Kolpino practiced delivering missile strikes with the Kalibr-PL precision system from the submerged position during drills in the Black Sea, the Fleet’s press office reported on Friday.

"In order to deliver a notional missile strike with the Kalibr-PL precision system from the submerged position, the crew carried out its urgent submergence and conducted missile firings against a naval target by electronic launches," the press office said in a statement.