Russia

MOSCOW, August 22. /TASS/: Russia is not desperate to be back in the Group of Eight, the more so because many problems can be resolved more efficiently within the Group of Twenty format, Russian president’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

"Return to the G7, the former G8, is not a goal in itself for Russia," he stressed. "In any case, Russia thinks that now it is not very efficient to discuss global problems in geopolitics, security or economy without China and India."

PYATIGORSK /Stavropol region/, August 22. /TASS/: Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky makes bold statements on international affairs while he doesn’t have enough understanding of these matters, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on Zelensky’s remark that Russia could return to the G8 once Crimea reunited with Ukraine and the conflict in Donbass ended.

PYATIGORSK /Stavropol Territory/, August 22. /TASS/: Russia is in contact with the Turkish side on the situation in Syria’s Idlib, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Thursday.

When asked about Moscow’s possible steps to settle frictions between Turkey and Syria and ensure the implementation of the Sochi agreements on Idlib, she said, "We are committed to them [agreements with the Turkish side — TASS]. Not everything is proceeding as we planned but we are in contact with the Turkish colleagues to adjust the agreements we have."

ULAN UDE, August 22. /TASS/: Troops from Russia and Mongolia worked on perfecting a new tactic during their first joint training in a live-fire exercise at the Selenga-2019 joint drills, the press office of Russia’s Eastern Military District reported on Thursday.

"Units of the all-arms army of the Eastern Military District stationed in Buryatia and of the armed forces of Mongolia held the first joint training with a live-fire exercise at the Munkh Khet practice range as part of the Selenga-2019 Russian-Mongolian drills," the press office said in a statement.

22 August 2019; AFP: Russia on Thursday launched an unmanned rocket carrying a life-size humanoid robot that will spend 10 days learning to assist astronauts on the International Space Station.

Named Fedor, short for Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research, the robot is the first ever sent up by Russia.

Moscow, Aug 22; AFP/GANASHAKTI: Russia on Thursday launched an unmanned rocket carrying a life-size humanoid robot that will spend 10 days learning to assist astronauts on the International Space Station.

Named Fedor, for Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research with identification number Skybot F850, the robot is the first ever sent up by Russia.

MOSCOW, August 21. /TASS/: Washington’s illegal sanctions have created new opportunities for cooperation between Caracas and Moscow, Venezuelan Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday.

"Illegal sanctions imposed on our countries have created great opportunities [for Venezuela and Russia] to boost cooperation," she said.

MOSCOW, August 21. /TASS/: Techmash Group (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) is entering the international arms market with its latest Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system armed with 300mm smart shells, the Rostec press office told TASS on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, August 21. /TASS/: Russia stands in full solidarity with Venezuela in thwarting pressure and blackmail against that country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday opening a meeting with Venezuela’s Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

SEVASTOPOL, August 21. /TASS/: The personnel of a coastal defense brigade of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet destroyed a notional enemy during drills in the Crimean mountains, the Fleet’s press office reported on Wednesday.

"During a force-on-force company-level tactical exercise of the Black Sea Fleet’s separate coastal defense brigade at the Angarsky training range in Crimea, the personnel practiced measures to block and eliminate a notional enemy in mountainous terrain," the press office said in a statement.