Russia

MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/: The decline of oil prices that began after the collapse of the OPEC+ agreement has not yet been completed. Prices may drop to $15-20 per barrel in the near future, experts interviewed by TASS said. However, they believe that withdrawal from the OPEC+ deal to limit production, which will enter into force on March 31, is not the reason for it, but an unprecedented decline in global demand amid a pandemic.

MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/: Presidents of Russia and the US Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump did not discuss the US initiative to put up a $15 bounty for information that would lead to "arrest or conviction" of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov said.

When asked whether the two leaders discussed the issue during a phone call that took place on the US initiative, the spokesman answered in the negative.

MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/: Russia’s Federation Council (upper house) on Tuesday voted for amendments to the Criminal Code envisaging a maximum prison term of five years for spreading gross fakes that entail dire effects.

Spreading socially significant falsehoods that have entailed health consequences will be punishable with 700,000 rubles to 1,500,000 rubles ($9,000-$18,000) or an 18-month wage, or 12 months of correctional works, or compulsory works, or three years in prison.

MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/: Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has endorsed fines of up to 300,000 ($3,800) for citizens, who don’t have the coronavirus, in case they violate quarantine rules.

These fines are outlined in the amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses approved by the State Duma on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/: The Russian government asked the Finance Ministry to allocate funds to support Russian citizens having no opportunity to return from overseas, according to government’s assignments posted on Tuesday.

"The Russian Finance Ministry to support allocation of budget assignments of the federal budget for 2020 to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support Russian citizens having no opportunity to return to the Russian Federation, requiring material assistance and not having housing in the country of stay," the document says.

MOSCOW, March 31./TASS/: The chief physician of the clinic for coronavirus patients in Moscow's Kommunarka, Denis Protsenko has been infected with the novel coronavirus, Rossiya-24 news channel reports referring to medics.

"My dear friends, I very much appreciate your concern. Indeed, I have tested positive for the CoV virus but I feel quite well. I have self-isolated in my office where I have everything I need to telecommute," Protsenko wrote on Facebook. 

He added that the hard work he had done in the past month must have lowered his resistance to infection.

ROSTOV-ON-DON, March 30. /TASS/: The artillery units of the Southern Military District’s 58th all-arms army stationed in North Ossetia and Ingushetia live-fired Pion self-propelled guns and Tyulpan heavy mortars during drills, the District’s press office reported on Monday.

NOVO-OGARYOVO, March 30. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on his envoys to the country’s federal districts to show their best skills and take reasonable measures to combat the coronavirus.

"I urge you and authorities at all levels to take reasonable and professional actions. This approach has allowed us to gain time and prevent a rapid spread of the coronavirus infection in the past weeks," the president said at a meeting.

Putin called for wisely using the time the country had gained.

MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/: An anonymous bomb threat against Moscow’s Vishnevsky Institute of Surgery was sent by an anonymous person, emergency services disclosed Monday.

"An anonymous email with a bomb threat against the Vishnevsky Institute of Surgery was received. The information is being checked, emergency services and K9 units work at the site," the source said, adding that the Institute was not evacuated.

MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/: Russia’s Ruselectronics Group has completed the trials of the latest Orion-C system for communications of the Flight Control Center with the International Space Station (ISS) and spacecraft, the Group’s press office told TASS on Monday.

"A prototype of the Orion-C ground-based receiving and transmitting digital television system has been created and tested. The tests have passed successfully. The R&D work is over and the enterprise is ready for deliveries," the press office said.