Russia

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday that all attacks on Russian and Syrian government forces in Syria’s Idlib province should stop and that agreements it had struck with Turkey on the conflict had to be upheld.

Moscow made its comments, which underscore rising tensions over Syria between Russia and Turkey, after Syrian government forces took control of a highway in northwest Syria for the first time since 2012.

MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/: The construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will be finalized despite the "unprecedented" resistance from the United States, Russia’s Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in an article in the Energy Policy magazine published on Monday.

MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/: The work of the previous Russian government has been commended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, it would be inappropriate to talk about an overhaul of the former government’s decisions, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

His statement came in response to a question regarding the Russian Ministry of Education and Science’s recent reversal of an order for international cooperation, approved by the previous Cabinet of Ministers.

MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/: Moscow is ready to discuss its new weapons with Washington in context of new possible agreements and in consideration of all factors that influence the strategic stability, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

According to the top diplomat, Washington is interested in new Russian weapons.

MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/: Former US President Barack Obama left his successor Donald Trump a horrible legacy when he left the Oval Office, says Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The minister recalled as Obama, "resentful for Edward Snowden’s asylum," cancelled his visit to a summit in Moscow, where "a very interesting document on strategic stability was being prepared for signing."

KRASNOYARSK, February 10. /TASS/: Nordstar airlines passenger Boeing 737, conducting a flight from Krasnoyarsk to Moscow, prepares for emergency landing in airport of departure over flaps failure, the airport press service told TASS.

There are 100 people onboard.

"The Nordstar Boeing 737 headed to Moscow’s Domodedovo airport. After takeoff, its flaps failed to retract. The crew made a decision to burn the fuel and return to the airport of departure," the press service said.

The emergency landing is expected at around 11:20 Moscow time.

MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/: A joint US-Ukrainian mission will conduct an Open Skies observation mission over Russian on February 10-14, Russia’s Krasnaya Zvezda (or Red Star) newspaper reported on Monday, citing Chief of the National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Sergei Ryzhkov.

"On February 10-14, a joint US-Ukrainian mission will conduct an observation flight over Russia in accordance with the Treaty on Open Skies, using an Antonov An-30 survey aircraft," the newspaper quoted Ryzhkov as saying.

MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/: Russia’s top military brass plans to arm Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic strategic bombers with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, a source in the defense industry told TASS on Monday.

"The possibility of deploying Kinzhal missiles on Tu-160 aircraft is being considered. The work on this option is due to be completed this year," the source said.

The source did not specify, however, whether operational or upgraded Tu-160 bombers would be armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.

TASS has no official confirmation of this information yet.

10 February 2020; AFP: Moscovites are mystified by a flood of bomb hoaxes forcing the evacuation of courts, schools and malls while authorities appear unable to find the culprits even after months of disruption to public life.

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/: A plane of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry landed in China early on Sunday to deliver humanitarian cargo of personal protective items and medicines.

"An Il-76 plane of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry arrived in China. It delivered 183 cubic meters of humanitarian cargo - medicines and personal protective equipment," the ministry’s press service said.