Russia

MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/: Rosatom has won a tender on modernization of equipment for the fifth and sixth power units of the Kozloduy NPP in Bulgaria, the state corporation said in a statement on Thursday.

The public tender on modernization of equipment was announced in September 2019. The contract signed by Rusatom Service (part of Rosatom) and the Kozloduy NPP stipulates that neutron flux control equipment will be upgraded for two units of the nuclear power plant.

MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/: The decision to postpone the nationwide vote on amendments to Russia’s Constitution requires no legal formalization, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

"This procedure [postponing the vote] is not prohibited by law. If it is not prohibited, no legal justification is required here," he said.

Peskov recalled Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks that people’s safety and health were the top-priority issue. "It is for these reasons that the voting has been put off until better days," he stated.

MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/: Russia is testing the 14P222 self-propelled launcher developed by the Design Bureau of Special Machine-Building (part of Almaz-Antey defense manufacturer) for the Nudol anti-missile and anti-satellite defense system, Design Bureau CEO Vladimir Dolbenkov said in an interview with the National Defense magazine on Thursday.

MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/: There is currently no need to impose lockdown in Moscow and other Russian cities due to the coronavirus, the World Health Organization's representative in Russia Melita Vujnovic told the Future of Russia. National Projects web portal operated by TASS.

MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/: The state has enough funds to support those who may be affected by the coronavirus spread, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday when asked whether the state would have enough funds to support the affected citizens and sectors of economy without measures initiated by President Vladimir Putin to introduce more taxes on income from holdings and investment.

MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/: Restrictions and reductions on flights, which have been gradually introduced since February 1, have already affected 92 out of 94 international flights of the Russian flagship air carrier Aeroflot, spokesman Mikhail Demin told TASS, adding that this week the company has had an average of 30 international flights.

Earlier reports said that the emergency response team on the coronavirus spread prevention tasked the Federal Air Transport Agency with closing all regular and charter international flights, excluding those carrying citizens back.

MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/: Rescuers have determined the presumed crash site of the Su-27 fighter jet, which went missing above the Black Sea on Wednesday, the search and rescue mission continues, a source in Russia’s maritime operations services told TASS.

"Search in the crash zone continues. The aircraft fell into the sea, the crew is yet to be found," the source said.

According to earlier reports, the aircraft was performing a scheduled mission when it went off radar screens at about 20:10 Moscow time on Wednesday, some 50 km away from the Crimean city of Feodosia.

MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/: The integral parts of Russia’s next-generation S-500 Triumphant-M anti-aircraft missile system are at the final stage of their trials, CEO of the Design Bureau of Special Machine-Building (part of Almaz-Antey defense manufacturer) Vladimir Dolbenkov said in an interview with the National Defense magazine on Thursday.

MOSCOW (AP) — Citing the coronavirus, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday postponed a nationwide vote on proposed constitutional amendments that include a change potentially allowing him to stay in office until 2036.

Putin didn’t set a new date for the plebiscite, which was originally scheduled for April 22, saying that it would depend on how the pandemic develops in Russia. The country reported its first two deaths from the virus on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin still plans to participate in an emergency G20 leaders’ video conference on the coronavirus on Thursday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"The president’s agenda includes a video conference, a virtual G20 summit, initiated by Saudi Arabia that is currently presiding over the group," he pointed out.