Russia

TASS, June 23: Two followers of the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia), who were planning attacks on law enforcement officers have been killed in the Russian North Caucasus region of Dagestan, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) told TASS on Sunday.

MOSCOW, June 21. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree, which imposes a temporary ban on passenger flights with Georgia from July 8, the Kremlin press service reported.

"From July 8, 2019, Russian airlines are temporarily prohibited from carrying out air transportation (including commercial flights) of citizens from the territory of the Russian Federation to the territory of Georgia," the document says.

MOSCOW, June 21. /TASS/: The free trade zone agreement by and between Egypt and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) can be signed next year, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov told reporters on Friday.

"I believe there is a chance to complete work and sign the agreement at the EAEU level next year," Manturov said.

GROZNY, June 21. /TASS/: Head of the Memorial Human Rights Center’s Chechen office Oyub Titiyev, sentenced to four years for drug possession, has been released from prison on parole, a TASS correspondent reported, adding that Titiyev’s family members, colleagues and lawyers had welcomed him at the prison gate.

Chechnya’s Shali District Court had earlier upheld Titiyev’s parole application.

MOSCOW, June 21. /TASS/: Moscow keeps a close watch on the current tensions in the Persian Gulf and over Iran and calls on everybody to display restraint, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Friday.

"Tensions in the Persian Gulf are high and they cause extreme concern," he said when asked about another spiral of tensions between Iran and the United States.

"We keep a close watch on the situation and call on all countries concerned to display restraint," Peskov said.

UFA, June 20. /TASS/: Moscow has presented hard evidence in the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crash case, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said in response to a TASS question on Thursday.

"We presented information, including technical and other data, it is hard evidence but it is not being taken into account," he noted. "We would like this evidence to be considered but they have no wish to assess it," Patrushev added.

MOSCOW, June 20. /TASS/: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has expressed dissatisfaction with the new findings of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) looking into the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, The Star wrote on Thursday.

"We are very unhappy. From the very beginning, it became a political issue on how to accuse Russia of the wrongdoing," he said, as cited by the newspaper. "Even before they examined the case, they have already claimed it [the shooting down of MH17] was done by Russia," he added.

MOSCOW, June 19. /TASS/: Over 40 forest fires are blazing on the territory of 8,800 hectares in Russia, the press service of the Aerial Forest Protection Service said on Wednesday.

"As of 12am on 19 June 2019, 43 forest fires are reported on the territory of over 8,811 hectares, with active firefighting efforts underway," the press service said.

The largest forest fires are reported in Kamchatka (3,400 hectares), Irkutsk, Amur and Yakutia regions.

A total of 1,300 people and 267 units of equipment are involved in extinguishing forest fires.

MOSCOW, June 18. /TASS/: Teheran’s steps in relation to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear deal are of a forced and sporadic nature and can be reversed, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Tuesday.

UFA, June 18. /TASS/: The United States is introducing new sanctions spontaneously and impulsively without taking into account even the opinion of its closest allies, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Naryshkin told an Ufa international meeting of high representatives overseeing security issues.

"It’s no secret that over the past several years they [sanctions] have become a favorite method of the US policy," Naryshkin said. "What is especially alarming is that the restrictions are introduced absolutely arbitrarily, spontaneously and impulsively."