Russia

MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/: The Russian industry considers developing heavy drones to control the border in Arctic regions, First Deputy Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), Border Guard Service Head Vladimir Kulishov told TASS on Thursday.

MOSCOW, May 28./TASS/: The Kremlin believes that data claiming a 'high' COVID-19 death rate among medics in Russia is inaccurate and it will ask the Ministry of Health for comments, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday.

"To the best of my knowledge, this is not so," he told journalists when asked to comment on media publications saying that the death rate among the medics in Russia was allegedly higher than in other countries.

"But we will certainly ask the Ministry of Health to comment on that," he added.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The United States’ decision to end sanctions waivers that had allowed some work to proceed at Iranian nuclear sites will only provoke Tehran into developing nuclear weapons, Interfax cited Russian Senator Vladimir Dzhabarov as saying on Thursday.

“The U.S. is pushing them and in the end they are provoking Iran to create a nuclear bomb, unequivocally,” said Dzhabarov, adding that Russia would continue to cooperate with Iran.

MOSCOW, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Russia has decided to postpone the 2020 summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS initially scheduled to be held in St. Petersburg in July, the Kremlin announced Wednesday.

The new dates for the summits will be determined depending on the further development of the epidemiological situation in member countries and around the world, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The summits will be probably held in autumn, local media reported citing sources. 

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/: The Tupolev Aircraft Company (part of the United Aircraft Corporation) confirmed on Wednesday it was testing the second prototype of the heavily upgraded Tu-22M3M long-range missile-carrying bomber at supersonic speed.

"The press office of the Tupolev Aircraft Company confirms entering the stage of testing new equipment and systems in supersonic flight modes of the heavily upgraded plane," the Tupolev told TASS.

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/: Consumers’ oil expenses will drop by $1 trillion in 2020 to $2.5 trillion as a result of the pandemic-related quarantine measures globally, the International Energy Agency (IEA) wrote in its report on energy investment on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/: Economic activity in Russia reached 79% of the pre-crisis figure, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov said on Wednesday.

"From May 12, when the regions started to gradually lift restrictions, signs of recovery began to appear. At the moment, we have reached 79% of the pre-crisis level of economic activity," Reshetnikov said.

According to him, the epidemiological situation is gradually improving and the restrictions imposed on business activities can be phased out.

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/: Russia is developing the latest Mars-2000 reconnaissance combat vehicle based on the BTR-82 armored personnel carrier, CEO of Military Industrial Company (the producer of the BTR-82 and vehicles on its basis) Alexander Krasovitsky told TASS on Wednesday.

"Work is underway to create the Mars-2000 new reconnaissance combat vehicle on the basis of the BTR-82. Also, an option is being considered to develop the Sosna short-range self-propelled surface-to-air missile system based on the BTR-82," the chief executive said.

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/: A joint patrol of US servicemen and Kurdish units of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was ambushed by terrorist groups near the village of Ruweishad in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor governorate, the SANA news agency said.

According to the agency, three US servicemen and five Kurds were injured when terrorists opened fire at them, using firearms and grenade launchers.

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/: The United States has deployed additional military equipment to the northeast of Syria’s Al-Hasakah governorate, the country’s state-run news agency SANA reported citing local sources.

According to the agency, a convoy of armored vehicles and other military equipment arrived from Iraq via the Al-Walid crossing point. SANA citied local sources as saying that the equipment was intended to boost the capabilities of existing US bases in the region.