Russia

ST. PETERSBURG, May 29. /TASS/: The Elektropribor Concern (St. Petersburg) started serial production of Russia’s first all-latitude ship compass, designed primarily for use in the Arctic regions, the company’s press-service said on Thursday.

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/: Russian paratroopers have received over 160 items of the armor since the start of the year, including the latest BMD-4M airborne infantry fighting vehicles and BTR-MDM ‘Rakushka’ armored personnel carriers, the Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/: Russian researchers have discovered a new way to produce nanoparticles of hematite - an iron mineral, used in oncology, among other things. They made this discovery thanks to a reaction that takes place on Mars, said the press service of the Russian Science Foundation, which supported the research.

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/: Russia’s coronavirus death toll rose by 232 to 4,374 in the past 24 hours, the anti-coronavirus crisis center said on Friday.

The previous high of 174 was reported on May 26 and 28.

As many as 50 deaths were recorded in Dagestan in the past day, 20 in the Moscow region and 11 in St. Petersburg. The North Ossetia, Krasnoyarsk and Oryol regions reported six coronavirus deaths each.

MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/: The Kremlin regrets that a number of EU countries have been prohibited by their allies from asking Russia for assistance in the struggle against the coronavirus, Russian presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov told the media on Thursday.

MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/: Western countries continue to politicize human rights issues amid the coronavirus pandemic in order to put pressure on unwanted regimes, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva Gennady Gatilov told an online briefing on Thursday.

MOSCOW, May 28./TASS/: Following his talks with Tbilisi, Russian envoy Grigory Karasin said on Thursday that he was set to discuss in any format a visit by Russian experts to the Georgia-based Richard Lugar Center for Public Health Research with Georgian prime minister’s special envoy for Russia Zurab Abashidze.

MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani discussed the situation on the global hydrocarbon markets and the status of affairs in Syria in a telephone conversation, the Kremlin’s press service said on Thursday.

"Opinions were exchanged on key international topics, including the situation on the global hydrocarbon markets," the press service said.

MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/: Countries need to make a joint decision on removing sanctions and Russia can’t be expected to take the first step, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"In this particular case, everyone needs to make decisions simultaneously. No country is likely to act alone. It is hardly possible and reasonable to do so," he said, when asked if Moscow planned to remove food restrictions in light of Russian officials’ statements about the need to lift sanctions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/: Russia’s government will allocate almost 11 bln rubles ($155 mln) for aid to airports amid the pandemic, the prime minister said at a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

"Almost 11 bln rubles will be allocated to supporting our airports," he said, adding that "the funds should be spent on wages and insurance contributions payment first of all."