8 Mar 2014, 09:05

Russian biathlete Vladislav Lekomtsev wins Paralympic gold in 7.

Canada’s Mark Arendz (19:14.4; 1) took silver, and Russia’s Azat Karachurin (19:14.9; 1) secured bronze

SOCHI, March 08, /ITAR-TASS/. Russian biathlete Vladislav Lekomtsev on Saturday won the gold medal in men’s standing 7.5-kilometer race at the XI Paralympic Winter Games Russia hosts in its Black Sea resort of Sochi. He finished in 19 minutes 13.7 seconds with one missed shot.

Canada’s Mark Arendz (19:14.4; 1) took silver, and Russia’s Azat Karachurin (19:14.9; 1) secured bronze.

Russia’s other athletes showed the following results: Kirill Mikhaylov came fourth (19:26.2; 1), Alexander Yaremchuk fifth (19:27.2; 1), Ivan Kodlozerov ninth (19:39.7; 2) and Alexander Pronkov tenth (19:44.4; 2).

Lekomtsev was born on December 8, 1994 in the village of Romashkino (the republic of Udmurtia in Russia’s Volga Federal District). He is a three-time world champion in cross-country skiing.

The 2014 Winter Paralympic Games kicked off in Sochi with the opening ceremony at the Fisht Stadium on Friday and will run until March 16. Over 1,350 Paralympic athletes from 45 countries are competing for 72 sets of medals at Russia’s first ever Winter Paralympic Games.

Yesterday, 11:56

Russian Anti-Doping Agency receives 13 Therapeutic Use Exemption requests in February

The total number of received applications for TUE permits since the start of the year amounted to 30 and this number includes 17 requests received in January

Yesterday, 16:46

Gaza’s reconstruction possible, if Israel withdraws completely — LAS secretary-general

"Adopting unrealistic projects that lack a legal framework will only destabilize the region," Ahmed Aboul-Gheit stressed

Yesterday, 14:00

Supplies of US-made precision weapons being cut off to be very painful for Kiev — DPR head

According to Denis Pushilin, it would be wrong to assume that the pause in the current military aid by the US to Kiev would immediately impact the fighting

Yesterday, 08:03

Rupture between Trump, Zelensky 'probably irreparable,' says ex-US ambassador

According to Chas Freeman, "Mr. Trump very clearly has called for elections in Ukraine"

Yesterday, 18:56

Pope Francis needs non-invasive mechanical ventilation in nighttime

The 88-year-old pontiff has been receiving treatment at Rome’s Gemelli hospital since February 14 after being diagnosed with double pneumonia

Yesterday, 07:39

FACTBOX: Overnight UAV attacks on Russian regions

Air defense forces on duty intercepted and destroyed 18 Ukrainian UAVs over Russian regions last night, the Defense Ministry said

11 Nov 2024, 14:27

Trump to rely on forces that brought him to power — Russian presidential aide

Nikolay Patrushev agreed that Trump, when he was still a candidate, "made many statements critical of the destructive foreign and domestic policies pursued by the current administration"

Yesterday, 12:21

Tusk confirms suspension of US military aid through Poland

The Polish prime minister described this decision by the White House, along with the talk of a possible removal of some US sanctions against Russia as the "biggest challenge in recent decades"

Yesterday, 08:15

Russia breaches Ukrainian defenses near Zagryzovo, gains nearly one kilometer — expert

Andrey Marochko said that when advancing in this area, Russian forces have also taken control of two forest belts to the west of Lozovaya, and have progressed up to 600 meters (0.37 miles) toward Novaya Kruglyakovka

Yesterday, 19:31

US to immediately increase tariffs on Canada if it imposes reciprocal measures — Trump

"Our reciprocal tariff will immediately increase by a like amount," US president said

Yesterday, 15:59

Russia’s budget deficit to be higher than planned at current oil prices — ministry

The budget is based on $70 per barrel, Deputy Finance Minister Vladimir Kolychev noted

Armenia can be member of either EAEU or EU, but not both — Russian ambassador

"It is impossible to be with both. And this is not the position of the Russian side, but a question of objective reality," Sergey Kopyrkin said

Two days ago, 13:14

Nord Stream pipeline not meeting EU interests — EC spokesperson

If the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is restored and put into service, it should operate within the framework of European legislation, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said

Yesterday, 00:22

Europe has spent more funds on Russian hydrocarbons than on aid to Ukraine – Trump

US President wrote on his Truth Social page

While US talks about wanting to end conflict in Ukraine, Europe demands war — Lavrov

Lavrov also recalled the opinion of many researchers that over the last 500 years, all world tragedies were born in Europe, the United States did not play the role of instigator

US, Ukraine may sign minerals deal within hours — agency

According to the sources, US President Donald Trump may announce the deal during his address to Congress

Yesterday, 17:29

Zelensky expressed regret but did not apologize for incident during his meeting with Trump

According to Zelensky, Ukraine would like further cooperation and communication to be constructive

Karin Kneissl: Europe’s borders may be changed

Karin Kneissl, former Austrian foreign minister and head of the “G.O.R.K.I.” center at St. Petersburg State University, told TASS in an exclusive interview why Russia should not rush to let European companies enter its market, explained what could be hidden behind the US deal on rare earth minerals, and also assumed what European countries could vie for Ukrainian lands

Yesterday, 18:46

Draft decree on guarantees to new foreign investors in the works — ministry

"Fundamentally, political will obviously exists, the president has given such an instruction," Russian Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Moiseev said

Yesterday, 14:40

Czech operator of Druzhba pipeline confirms disruptions in oil supplies

The pipeline operator said that it is working to determine the causes of the incident

Yesterday, 19:01

Vance says weapons supplies to Ukraine could resume if Kiev agrees to talks

"When the Ukrainians come to the negotiating table, everything is on the table," the US Vice President stressed

Yesterday, 14:06

Putin, Myanmar’s PM begin negotiations in Kremlin

A joint statement by Vladimir Putin and Min Aung Hlaing, as well as the signing of a number of intergovernmental and interagency documents are planned

Two days ago, 12:21

Russia hammers Ukrainian military airfields, UAV assembly workshops over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 605 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and four armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility

Yesterday, 04:37

Europe eggs Zelensky on for continued combat, Vance says

US Vice President said in an interview with Fox News

14 Jun 2024, 14:13

Russia makes another real peace proposal to Kiev — Putin

Vladimir Putin emphasized that Russia's plan would mean ending the conflict once and for all, not freezing it

Two days ago, 10:43

If Europe succeeds in getting Zelensky to talks - kudos to it, Kremlin says

The British capital hosted a meeting to discuss peace in Ukraine on Sunday

Yesterday, 17:48

Myanmar military to take part in Victory Parade in Moscow on May 9 — Putin

A unit of the Myanmar armed forces will take parade on Red Square along with the Russian military

Yesterday, 19:35

Russia, Myanmar sign agreements on diplomas, construction of small nuclear power plant

The documents include a memorandum on the basic principles of constructing a small-capacity nuclear power plant in Myanmar

Yesterday, 15:24

EU’s plan to weaken Russia through military aid to Ukraine unattainable — Russian senator

Commenting on the recent meeting between Vladimir Zelensky and Donald Trump, Olga Bas assumed that the expectations of Zelenesky from the meeting were probably not met, which led to the conflict

Less than 28,000 Ukrainians mobilized in February with losses of 38,900 troops

Ukraine’s desperate attempts to improve the situation with replacing losses on the line of combat engagement have been unsuccessful, the Russian Defense Ministry said

Yesterday, 14:04

Hezbollah calls change of power in Syria as ‘major strategic loss’

According to Ali Fayyad, the new Syrian leadership’s position on Israel "is confusing and poses a lot of questions, as Israel infiltrated and occupied Syrian territory without any stance taken from the new leadership"

Yesterday, 18:01

Trudeau says introduction of tariffs on Canada by Trump "dumb thing to do"

The Canadian PM reiterated that Canada would never become the 51st state of the US

31 Jan 2023, 14:12

US played key role in ousting Ukrainian president in 2014, researcher says

Jeffrey Sachs noted that the course of NATO expansion to Ukraine and Georgia was adopted by US President George Bush Jr. back in 2008

Two days ago, 10:00

Press review: US-Ukraine clash may affect peace and Europe could support Kiev post-Trump

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, March 3rd

Yesterday, 05:58

Ukrainian lawmaker calls on Zelensky to apologize to Trump following aid suspension

According to Alexey Goncharenko, the Ukrainian authorities should now "turn off emotions and turn on reason"

Yesterday, 09:28

US move to suspend military aid to Kiev may facilitate peace process — Kremlin spokesman

"Undoubtedly, we have yet to figure out the details but if it’s true, then this is a decision that really can push the Kiev regime towards a peace process," Dmitry Peskov said

Two days ago, 23:48

Zelensky wants ‘forever war,’ not settlement of Ukraine crisis — Musk

"Zelensky wants a forever war, because he loses his spotlight on the international stage as soon as peace is achieved," Musk wrote

Yesterday, 09:37

Kremlin agrees with Trump that he "gave Russia nothing except grief"

Trump introduced sanctions against Moscow and supplied Javelin missile systems for Kiev

Myanmar PM praises Russia's role in balancing international relations

According to Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar highly appreciates the mutual respect and trust in relations with Russia, a country he described as a "reliable and trusted" partner

Yesterday, 05:15

Ukraine lacks troops to continue combat, US cannot provide enough arms, money, says Vance

"The bloodshed, the killing, the economic devastation, it’s making everyone worse off," JD Vance said

Yesterday, 09:31

Kremlin assumes Europe may ramp up military aid to Kiev

"We see that some European countries are stating their commitment to continuing comprehensive assistance," Dmitry Peskov said

Press review: Russia, US take another step to mend ties as Kiev tries to outwit Washington

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, February 28th

Yesterday, 04:31

Zelensky showed ‘clear unwillingness’ to participate in peace process, Vance says

US Vice President JD Vance said, that he don’t care what Zelensky says

Yesterday, 08:36

Foreign high-ranking security officials to meet in Moscow in May — Shoigu

The Russian security official pointed out that during this meeting, "another round of consultations in the Russia-ASEAN format will take place"

Yesterday, 12:39

US can lift sanctions from Russian banks after signing good rare earth metals deal-expert

Bartu Soral also said that "Russia has the potential to give US President Donald Trump what he needs," and if the parties reach an agreement, "some or even all of the sanctions imposed on Russian banks [by the United States] may be lifted"

Yesterday, 13:00

Brussels 'declares war' on European leaders supporting Trump — Russian intelligence

The European Union’s leadership is obviously behind the decision to bring charges against Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, the SVR emphasized

Yesterday, 00:29

Ukrainian army lost 19 Abrams tanks out of 31, rest taken off frontlines, NYT says

The newspaper noted that of "the 31 highly sophisticated Abrams tanks that the United States provided Ukraine in 2023, 19 have been destroyed, disabled or captured

Yesterday, 15:23

Trump, Putin to negotiate without Ukraine — Kneissl

According to the former Austrian Foreign Minister, the next stage of the talks is a meeting between the two presidents

Yesterday, 09:34

Armenia can restore connection routes with Azerbaijan whenever it is ready — PM

"Taking into account Azerbaijan’s claim that due to the long-standing conflict, Azerbaijani citizens will avoid passing through the Republic of Armenia border and customs control," Nikol Pashinyan stated

Yesterday, 18:18

Russia and Myanmar's views on world affairs practically coincide — Putin

According to the Russian president, the sides coordinate efforts on many international platforms and advocate peaceful and sustainable development of the Asia-Pacific region

Yesterday, 15:56

Lithuania reduces volume of cargo transit by rail to Kaliningrad by 30%

At the same time, Lithuania increased the quota for cement supplies to the region by rail by 20,000 tons compared to last year

24 Jan 2024, 15:08

Zelensky leads Ukraine to terrible finale, killing his own people — Russian MFA

Maria Zakharova compared the Ukrainian president with a drug baron from classic US movies

Yesterday, 06:31

Russian troops destroy 20 out of 31 US Abrams tanks of Ukraine

Earlier, The New York Times quoted senior Ukrainian officials as saying that the remaining Abrams tanks had been withdrawn from the battlefront

6 Sep 2021, 07:47

Diplomat reminds US, Ukraine that Russia is not a party to Minsk agreements

Maria Zakharova stressed that the Package of Measures was mandatory for the parties to the intra-Ukrainian conflict: Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk

Two days ago, 08:57

IN BRIEF: What we know about fire at Ufa oil refinery

A fire was reported at the Ufa oil refinery in the early hours on Monday

Two days ago, 17:45

Saying that conflict far from over is ‘worst statement’ Zelensky could make — Trump

The US President emphasized that the Kiev government "doesn’t want there to be peace" as long as it has the US backing

Yesterday, 11:27

Ukraine loses around 60 soldiers after Russia’s capture of DPR’s Burlatskoye

On March 1, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the liberation of the settlement of Burlatskoye in southern DPR

Yesterday, 14:59

Crypto traders’ optimism over Trump’s statements fades, Bitcoin loses value — experts

Over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin has plunged by more than 11%, trading at $83,300

Yesterday, 03:32

Russia against stationing European peacekeepers in Ukraine — envoy

Ulyanov also emphasized that "European officials are putting the cart before the horse," when they discuss sending peacekeepers to Ukraine

Over 1 mln members of Ukrainian armed forces killed or wounded since start of special op

Data obtained from the Russian defense ministry’s daily bulletins and other open-access information from its officials indicates that Kiev lost some 595,000 troops as killed or wounded in action in 2024

Two days ago, 10:49

Trump-Zelensky clash shows how right Putin is regarding Ukraine — Kremlin

According to Dmitry Peskov, Putin is aware of the details about what happened and took them into account

Yesterday, 18:30

UNGA adopts resolution on 80th anniversary of end of WWII

The document was passed by a consensus

Two days ago, 15:37

Over 30 Kursk Region residents evacuated to Russia from Ukraine — rights commissioner

The Russian citizens were brought back with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the mediation of the Republic of Belarus

Yesterday, 09:15

'Europe Plus' coalition needed to 'dissect' Ukraine after peace treaty — senator

Igor Kastukevich said that, in return, the EU will offer "highly conditional military and humanitarian aid, which in reality will remain in the pockets of the corrupt leaders of the Kiev regime and will not reach either the military or the civilian population

Yesterday, 15:05

Incident in Serbian parliament constitutes attempt to overthrow power — president

"This is not a political opposition but a destructive force seeking to bring Serbia to its knees!" Milorad Dodik stated

Yesterday, 19:09

Kremlin doesn’t confirm Putin will help mediate nuclear weapons talks between US, Iran

"No, I can’t confirm it," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

Two days ago, 13:39

Zelensky's resignation condition for peace to come — French politician

Florian Philippot pointed out that "high-level calls for Zelensky's resignation were multiplying"

Yesterday, 13:13

Russian jets hit Ukraine’s 37th Marine Brigade headquarters in Donetsk area — politician

According to Vladimir Rogov, the strike on the brigade's headquarters will affect the management of Ukrainian troops at this section of the engagement line, where Russian units are advancing from the DPR toward the borders of the Zaporozhye Region and Ukraine's Dnepropetrovsk Region

Yesterday, 13:45

Trump sees Putin as partner, Zelensky as foe — report

According to Axios, Trump is making moves that are aligned with Russian interests, such as the decision to suspend US military aid to Ukraine

Yesterday, 15:40

Myanmar backs Russian special operation in Ukraine, believes Russia will win — PM

According to Min Aung Hlaing, the conflict in Ukraine was prompted by the actions of the West

Authorities in Russia’s Makhachkala impose counter-terrorism operation regime in Semender

So far, a group of militants plotting a terrorist attack on a law enforcement facility has been besieged in Makhachkala, the National Antiterrorism Committee reported

Yesterday, 16:30

Around 93% of flowers come to Russia from Netherlands, Ecuador, Kenya, and Colombia

Since the beginning of 2025, customs authorities have cleared 17,000 tons of fresh cut flowers for 12.2 bln rubles ($136.46 mln)

Yesterday, 15:21

US spy plane makes flight over Black Sea — Flightradar

The plane took off from the Italian airbase in Sigonella, Sicily, and executed several extended overflights over the Black Sea before returning to Sicily

Yesterday, 13:28

Ukrainian assault forces flee battlefield upon encounter with Russian troops — fighter

According to the Russian serviceman, in the liberation of the settlement of Burlatskoye, at least three Ukrainian army groups fled upon encountering Russian assault teams

Yesterday, 16:29

ATACMS missile debris found, neutralized near Bryansk

The debris of a Western-made ATACMS missile was found in a forest area on the territory of the town of Seltso

Two days ago, 07:48

Putin-Trump summit being expedited now — CNN

On February 12, Putin and Trump talked over the phone

Tucker Carson urges to ‘start blaming’ Zelensky for serious war crimes

"Over the past three years, with the tacit support of its western patrons, the Ukrainian government has committed a remarkable number of serious crimes," the journalist said

Yesterday, 07:57

Washington’s NATO backing of Ukraine to dwindle — Chinese expert

On March 4, the US suspended military aid to Ukraine

Yesterday, 12:24

US, Iran should settle differences through talks — Kremlin

The representatives of Russia and Iran did not confirm or deny this information to the news agency; the White House did not respond to a request for comment

Yesterday, 10:00

Press review: Europe pushes for Ukraine peace as Israel warns of renewed Gaza operation

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, March 4th

Two days ago, 12:18

Kremlin not commenting on Bild’s report on Nord Stream 2 talks

Dmitry Peskov noted that the information had already been refuted

Yesterday, 14:58

Ukraine looks for Starlink substitute in case US disables it — official

The official admits that transition to the new systems will be difficult and leave the Ukrainians without one of their key battlefield advantages

Yesterday, 07:56

Russian Su-34 bomber wipes out Ukrainian army stronghold by glide bombs in Kursk area

After receiving confirmation from reconnaissance that the Ukrainian army’s personnel and stronghold had been destroyed, the crew safely returned to its airfield, it said

Two days ago, 07:09

Russian military orbital vehicle successfully enters orbit

A stable communication link with the spacecraft was established and maintained, and its on-board systems are functioning properly, it added

Yesterday, 13:58

Switzerland expands list of anti-Russia sanctions

Three banks have been added to the transaction ban due to their use of the Russian alternative to the SWIFT system (SPFS), and 13 Russian financial institutions will be subject to the ban on providing specialized financial messaging services for payment transactions (SWIFT system) with effect from March 17

Houthis say they downed US drone over Yemen

"Our air defense forces have managed to shoot down a US MQ-9 drone which violated Yemen’s airspace and was carrying out a hostile mission over the Hodeida governorate," the movement’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree said

29 Sep 2015, 03:18

US spend up to $5 billion to overthrow Viktor Yanukovych - Putin

According to Vladimir Putin, the outcome of any actions aimed at overthrowing the legitimate government "is very negative"

Ukraine won’t make territorial concessions in exchange for peace — Zelensky

Such an agreement would risk causing tensions in the future, he said the Guardian reported

Yesterday, 19:20

Russian budget revenues up 26% in 2024 to over $400 bln — Accounts Chamber

This is higher than projected total revenues, according to the report

Two days ago, 17:40

Russian Railways to decide on regular runs of Beijing-Moscow train after pilot trip

According to Russian Railways, the train consists of twelve railcars produced in China that were not in service on Russian railways earlier

Yesterday, 18:32

US starts trade war against Canada, Ottawa imposes reciprocal tariffs against Washington

Ottawa has also filed a claim at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the introduction of the US increased tariffs on Canadian goods

Yesterday, 09:21

Ukraine to feel US aid suspension in days or weeks — CNN

It would take some time — perhaps several days or weeks — for the impact of the US pause in military aid to be felt among Ukraine’s battlefield fighters, but once the country’s current stocks begin running short, the effect would be severe, even if other nations rush to fill the gap, the official familiar with the matter said

Yesterday, 01:40

White House confirms suspending military aid to Kiev

According to Reuters, "the official said the US is pausing and reviewing aid to ensure it is contributing to a solution"

Putin to address Interior Ministry board meeting on Wednesday

The event is expected to assess the results of last year’s performance of Russian law enforcement agencies and outline their priorities for 2025

Two days ago, 15:11

Europe risks becoming pawn in new world order, says German expert

According to Carlo Masala, the only alternative for Europe is to become self-reliant

Yesterday, 18:41

Death toll from Israel’s actions in Gaza Strip exceeds 48,400 — health ministry

Seven bodies were retrieved from under the debris during the past day

Yesterday, 08:53

Gazprom sets new record of gas supplies to China over Power of Siberia

This is the third record since them time when gas deliveries over the Power of Siberia gas pipeline reached the maximum contracted level on December 1, 2024, Gazprom added

Yesterday, 09:34

Musk offers Zelensky to give up power, leave Ukraine

On February 28, Vladimir Zelensky visited the White House for a meeting with US President Donald Trump

Two days ago, 05:31

European leaders decide to continue war in Ukraine — Orban

The meeting in London was attended by the leaders of Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Finland, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, as well as European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte

Yesterday, 11:28

Russian forces strike Ukrainian military airfields, ammo depots in past day

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 595 personnel, two armored combat vehicles and five pickup trucks, it specified

Yesterday, 16:08

Lukashenko signs law to ratify security guarantees treaty with Russia

The relevant bill was earlier passed by the Belarus’ House of Representatives and approved by the Council of the Republic