Russia

MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree on awarding the Order of Courage to NASA astronaut Nick Hague and other state decorations to staff members of Russian companies in the rocket and space sector.

The decree published on the official legal information portal says that US citizen Hague is to be awarded "for courage and high professionalism shown while performing his duties in the conditions of an increased risk to life when an emergency situation occurred at the Baikonur cosmodrome."

MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/: This year’s largest drills of the Pacific Fleet’s marines have ended in Kamchatka. More than 4,000 people took part in them at different stages. The marines prevented the landing of the "enemy" troops ashore and trained to seize the "enemy" airfield, the Pacific Fleet’s press service reported on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia on Tuesday rejected the idea of involving the United States in talks to help resolve the conflict between the Kiev government and pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s east.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was no support for the idea of Washington joining the Normandy Format talks to settle the conflict, which involves Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France.

A diplomatic breakthrough last week potentially opened the way for an international summit between the countries aimed at finding a way to end the fighting.

KUBINKA /Moscow Region/, October 7. /TASS/: Russia remained uninvolved in the Syrian conflict until Syria’s enemies engaged terrorist units in the fight against the legal government of the country, Deputy Defense Minister, Colonel-General Alexander Fomin, said in the opening remarks at the SWIRMO-2019 Senior Workshop on International Rules Governing Military Operations on Monday.

MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/: Russia is honoring its commitments under the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the New START Treaty), according to the data posted by the US Department of State on its website on Monday.

The data are given as of September 1, 2019 and reflect the statistics provided by both sides.

MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/: The Acron Group shipped 23,000 tonnes of mineral fertilizers to China ports over the Northern Sea Route, using it for the first time for such deliveries, the Russian fertilizer company told the "Future Russia. National Projects" website operated by TASS.

"Goods were loaded in Ust-Luga and traveled across the entire Northern Sea Route. China ports are the destination," Acron announced.

KALININGRAD, October 7. /TASS/: A group of the Baltic Fleet’s warships has passed through the English Channel as part of its deployment to the Indian Ocean, the Fleet’s press office reported on Monday.

"A group of the Baltic Fleet’s warships comprising the guard ship Yaroslav Mudry, the sea tug Viktor Konetsky and the tanker Yelnya that are accomplishing planned long-distance deployment missions has completed its transit of the Strait of Dover and the English Channel," the press office said in a statement.

MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/: Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stressed the importance of facial recognition systems in the fight against terrorism and crime, commenting on the lawsuit filed by a Moscow resident demanding that facial recognition be considered unlawful.

MOSCOW, Oct 7 (NNN-TASS) – The Russian Foreign Ministry said, it had issued a strong protest to the United States, with regard to the detention and interrogation of a Russian parliament member, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“We declare a strong protest in connection with the actions of the U.S. authorities … This is another hostile action against Russia and its representatives, clearly aimed at further worsening the atmosphere of Russian-American relations,” the ministry said in a statement.

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, October 6. / TASS /: Twenty people were injured as a result of a tourist bus accident in the Gaginsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region, the press service of the Ministry of Emergencies in the region told reporters on Sunday.

"In the Gaginsky district near the village of Panovo-Osanovo, a tourist bus turned over. According to the preliminary data, there are no casualties, twenty people were injured," the press service said.