tass--2020-06-28--Putin not to take part in launching cargo railway traffic along Crimean Bridge - spokesman

MOSCOW , June 28 .
/TASS/ .
Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn ’ t plan to take part in the ceremony of launching cargo railway traffic along the Crimean Bridge scheduled for June 30 , Putin ’ s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told TASS on Sunday .
`` No , there are no such plans , '' he said .
Peskov said earlier the president planned to attend the unveiling ceremony of a memorial to Red Army soldiers in Rzhev in the Tver region on June 30 .
Cargo railway traffic along the Crimean Bridge will be launched on June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with products of Crimean enterprises and the other one with fertilizers and rails from mainland Russia , will cross the Kerch Strait along the bridge .
The Crimean Bridge is the largest structure in Russia and Europe that connects the Kerch Peninsula ( Crimea ) with the Krasnodar Region ( the Taman Peninsula ) .
The bridge is needed for continuous transport communication between Crimea and other Russian regions .
The transport link consists of two parallel motor and railway sections .
The bridge ’ s motorway section was put into operation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started in the fall of that year .
On December 23 , 2019 , Russian President Putin took part in the ceremony to open railway traffic between Kerch and Taman .

MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t plan to take part in the ceremony of launching cargo railway traffic along the Crimean Bridge scheduled for June 30, Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told TASS on Sunday.
"No, there are no such plans," he said.
Peskov said earlier the president planned to attend the unveiling ceremony of a memorial to Red Army soldiers in Rzhev in the Tver region on June 30.
Cargo railway traffic along the Crimean Bridge will be launched on June 30 when two freight trains, one with products of Crimean enterprises and the other one with fertilizers and rails from mainland Russia, will cross the Kerch Strait along the bridge.
The Crimean Bridge is the largest structure in Russia and Europe that connects the Kerch Peninsula (Crimea) with the Krasnodar Region (the Taman Peninsula). The bridge is needed for continuous transport communication between Crimea and other Russian regions. The transport link consists of two parallel motor and railway sections. The bridge’s motorway section was put into operation in May 2018 and freight traffic across it started in the fall of that year.
On December 23, 2019, Russian President Putin took part in the ceremony to open railway traffic between Kerch and Taman.


tass--2020-06-28--Putin pledged program for modernization of primary care system will be implemented

MOSCOW , June 28 .
/TASS/ .
Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged the program for the modernization of the @ @ @ @ @ care system will be implemented .
`` The program for the modernization of the primary @ @ @ @ @ topical .
And we will implement it , '' he said in an interview with @ @ @ @ @ Putin program on the Rossiya-1 television channel on Sunday .
When asked whether the country @ @ @ @ @ this program , the president recalled that a lot of funds had been spent to @ @ @ @ @ `` What has been done to combat the coronavirus infection was not a temporary measure @ @ @ @ @ our colleagues in regions to keep it in place , '' he added .

MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged the program for the modernization of the country’s primary medical care system will be implemented.
"The program for the modernization of the primary medical care system is still topical. And we will implement it," he said in an interview with the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin program on the Rossiya-1 television channel on Sunday.
When asked whether the country has enough money to fund this program, the president recalled that a lot of funds had been spent to combat the coronavirus epidemic. "What has been done to combat the coronavirus infection was not a temporary measure. I recommended many of our colleagues in regions to keep it in place," he added.


tass--2020-06-28--Putin says he sees economy revival plan as quite coherent

MOSCOW , June 28 .
/TASS/ .
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the economy revival plan is quite coherent @ @ @ @ @ to work to refine measures in this sphere .
`` I think it [ the @ @ @ @ @ quite coherent , '' Putin said in an interview with the Moscow .
Kremlin .
@ @ @ @ @ television channel .
`` There might be some problems , with some enterprises falling out @ @ @ @ @ companies , I know about it .
The government will continue to work in this @ @ @ @ @ reported delays in payments of extra allowances to medics in some regions , Putin recalled @ @ @ @ @ payment be ensured to all who risked their lives during the coronavirus pandemic .
He @ @ @ @ @ in the so-called red zones with participation in combat operations , like in Afghanistan .
@ @ @ @ @ interpreted it is their own way , '' he noted .
`` So , I @ @ @ @ @ and it improved .
`` .

MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the economy revival plan is quite coherent but the cabinet will continue to work to refine measures in this sphere.
"I think it [the economy revival plan] is quite coherent," Putin said in an interview with the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin program on the Rossiya-1 television channel. "There might be some problems, with some enterprises falling out of the list of affected companies, I know about it. The government will continue to work in this sphere."
Touching on reported delays in payments of extra allowances to medics in some regions, Putin recalled that he had demanded timely payment be ensured to all who risked their lives during the coronavirus pandemic. He compared the work of medics in the so-called red zones with participation in combat operations, like in Afghanistan. "Some of the colleagues interpreted it is their own way," he noted. "So, I had to explain the situation and it improved.".


tass--2020-06-29--No clauses of Panmunjom declaration fulfilled due to Seoul’s position, says envoy

`` The thing is , the North Korean leader very much counted on relations between the North and the South to be decided in a bilateral format , with no outer intervention .
A wonderful declaration was signed in 2018 , which mentioned a whole set of projects to be implemented in a bilateral format .
The economic , social and public projects .
Unfortunately , effectively none of them was implemented , '' he said .
`` The South Korean side explained it all by the North having to negotiate nuclear business with the US first .
This , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As well as a number of other measures taken by the South — military drills and import of military vehicles .
In general , it was clear that [ the escalation ] would happen .
And , regrettably , it happened , '' the envoy underscored .
In this regard , Matsegora noted that the leaflets , which the South Korean NGOs use to provoke the North Korean authorities , were not the main cause of escalation of relations , but rather a pretext .
`` This was not the first launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times last year .
On May 31 , another batch of leaflets was launched , sparking discontent and serious outrage in the DPRK .
It is explained by the fact that this time , the leaflets bore a special kind of dirty , insulting propaganda , aimed at the leader ’ s spouse .
And it was all made in such a low-grade way , with photoshop .
This , of course , is unacceptable , and it caused serious discontent [ in the DPRK ] .
Not only among the authorities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the diplomat explained , adding that this propaganda acted as `` the last straw . ''
`` One might say that we have witnessed a , regrettably , unsuccessful end of a detente , initiated by the DPRK .
And we can not speak about it other than with regrets .
It would have been nice if they managed it , our Korean friends in the North and the South , but this didn ’ t happen , '' the envoy concluded .
During the last several weeks , South Korean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization launched several hundreds of thousands of leaflets , containing criticism of the North Korean authorities , from the border zone via balloons .
These actions caused harsh reaction from Pyongyang , because dissemination of such materials was forbidden by the Panmunjom declaration , signed in 2018 .
On June 16 , North Korea blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong , calling it a retaliation measure .
The North Korean General Staff announced plans to send troops to the Geumgangsan and Kaesong regions , and to restore guard posts in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an agreement with Seoul , as well as to resume all kinds of military drills near the South Korean border .

"The thing is, the North Korean leader very much counted on relations between the North and the South to be decided in a bilateral format, with no outer intervention. A wonderful declaration was signed in 2018, which mentioned a whole set of projects to be implemented in a bilateral format. The economic, social and public projects. Unfortunately, effectively none of them was implemented," he said.
"The South Korean side explained it all by the North having to negotiate nuclear business with the US first. This, of course, caused a negative reaction. As well as a number of other measures taken by the South — military drills and import of military vehicles. In general, it was clear that [the escalation] would happen. And, regrettably, it happened," the envoy underscored.
The last straw
In this regard, Matsegora noted that the leaflets, which the South Korean NGOs used to provoke the North Korean authorities, were not the main cause of escalation of relations, but rather a pretext.
"This was not the first launch of leaflets; they were launched 10 times last year. On May 31, another batch of leaflets was launched, sparking discontent and serious outrage in the DPRK. It is explained by the fact that this time, the leaflets bore a special kind of dirty, insulting propaganda, aimed at the leader’s spouse. And it was all made in such a low-grade way, with photoshop. This, of course, is unacceptable, and it caused serious discontent [in the DPRK]. Not only among the authorities, but among the people, as well," the diplomat explained, adding that this propaganda acted as "the last straw."
"One might say that we have witnessed a, regrettably, unsuccessful end of a detente, initiated by the DPRK. And we cannot speak about it other than with regrets. It would have been nice if they managed it, our Korean friends in the North and the South, but this didn’t happen," the envoy concluded.
During the last several weeks, South Korean Fighters for a Free North Korea non-governmental organization launched several hundreds of thousands of leaflets, containing criticism of the North Korean authorities, from the border zone via balloons. These actions caused harsh reaction from Pyongyang, because dissemination of such materials was forbidden by the Panmunjom declaration, signed in 2018. On June 16, North Korea blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, calling it a retaliation measure. The North Korean General Staff announced plans to send troops to the Geumgangsan and Kaesong regions, and to restore guard posts in the Demilitarized Zone, previously withdrawn in compliance with an agreement with Seoul, as well as to resume all kinds of military drills near the South Korean border.


tass--2020-06-29--Supplies of MC-21 jet to customers may start in late 2021

Shell Russia head : We will not be put away by uncertainty Shell Russia ’ s Chairman Cederic Cremers has @ @ @ @ @ prices , Nord Stream 2 and new projects

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Deliveries of the MC-21 passenger jet to airlines may start at the turn of 2021, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said an interview with the Vedomosti newspaper.
"The access to Russia is actually closed for foreign specialists during the pandemic period. Movement across the country of Russian participants in the cooperation has also been hampered. Therefore, we now expect to obtain the Russian type approval certificate approximately in mid-2021. The European one — one year later. In such a case, we will be able to ship the first commercial airplane to an operator in late 2021," Manturov said.
Validation of the type certificate for the Russian engine with EASA is scheduled for late 2022, the Minister said. "The PD-14 engine already has the Russian type approval certificate. Certificate validation with EASA is planned at the turn of 2022. Two airplanes will be engaged in flight tests," Manturov noted. "Completion of MC-21 flight tests with the PD-14 engine is scheduled for the second quarter of 2022," he added.


tass--2020-06-29--Russia to conduct final tests on Marker combat robot in 2021

MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
The final testing stage of the Marker robot will take place in 2021 , then the robot will be handed over to the Russian Ministry of Defense , says Oleg Martyanov , who heads the Russian Foundation for Advanced Research Projects ’ National Center for the Development of Technologies and Basic Elements of Robotics .
However , the project will not stop after the final tests .
According to Martyanov , the Marker will be used as a testbed for deflecting new threats ; new technological solutions will be tested on this platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solve the issue of autonomy , group control , machine vision , target recognition , speed and precision of targeting , we will be ready to hand over the results of our work to the customer next year , '' the head of the center said .
`` We plan to conduct the final testing on tasks , given to us back in 2019 , next year , '' he said .
Russian specialists are developing smart munitions capable of flying into a building in a guided mode for employing them on robotic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martyanov told TASS on Monday .
The strike robots are expected to be employed both on the terrain and in urban warfare .
There are plans to arm these robots with smart munitions for employing them from sheltered positions in order to shield them from direct fire , he said .
For this purpose , `` smart munitions need to be used : hovering and gliding munitions and smart grenades that receive the target already in the air and determine the trajectory themselves , '' Martyanov said .
`` Simply firing a grenade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primitive and holds no prospects , '' he added .
As the Center ’ s chief explained , smart munitions will make it possible to avoid unnecessary casualties .
`` We do not want the robot to destroy everything in front of it , leaving a dead zone behind it .
That is why , it must be able to clearly define threats using new technologies and promptly react to them , '' he said .
The Marker robot is a joint project of the Center and the Android Technics Scientific Production Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The platform is supposed to become a key element for the practice of joint operation of ground robots , unmanned aviation and Special Operations forces .
The Marker innovation is positioned as a design set for the development of combat models in the future .
The main module with six independent axes of rotation is installed on the robot ’ s tracked platform .
The module can carry two types of weapons or equipment that could be used independently .
The payload ’ s rotation speed is several hundreds of degrees per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and precision specifications .
The Marker enjoys full situational awareness about its surroundings at a distance of over one hundred meters , allowing the operator to adjust the robot ’ s actions on time .

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. The final testing stage of the Marker robot will take place in 2021, then the robot will be handed over to the Russian Ministry of Defense, says Oleg Martyanov, who heads the Russian Foundation for Advanced Research Projects’ National Center for the Development of Technologies and Basic Elements of Robotics.
However, the project will not stop after the final tests. According to Martyanov, the Marker will be used as a testbed for deflecting new threats; new technological solutions will be tested on this platform.
"Summarizing how we managed to solve the issue of autonomy, group control, machine vision, target recognition, speed and precision of targeting, we will be ready to hand over the results of our work to the customer next year," the head of the center said.
"We plan to conduct the final testing on tasks, given to us back in 2019, next year," he said.
Apart from flying discs, the Marker combat robot successfully copes with the task of striking small drones. Based on the technology of deep neural networks, the speed of the robot’s decision-making considerably surpasses human abilities, Martyanov said.
The second firing test, which the robot underwent, was selective fire, he said. "This is when there are some signs in a group of 15-20 targets: an armed or an unarmed man, a serviceman or a civilian, etc. We are teaching the Marker to determine the difference and, correspondingly, fire only at the targets that pose a direct threat while skipping the objects that are found along the trajectory of fire," the Center’s head said.
The new combat robot is also capable of distinguishing between civilians and military personnel and conducting selective fire, he said. "We are holding competitions for the speed and the accuracy of fire with professional trap shooters. We have already taught the Marker to fire not only from a sporting gun but also to hit flying discs from a Kalashnikov machine-gun many times faster than people do," he said.
The shooting tests of Russia’s latest Marker robotic combat platform have shown that the robot strikes targets quicker and more accurately than professional shooters, the head of the Advanced Research Fund’s National Center for the Development of Technologies and Basic Robotics Elements told TASS.
Strike mini-drones capable of hitting targets independently and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles will make part of Russian robotic combat systems, Oleg Martyanov told TASS on Monday.
"These are small strike drones capable of dodging obstacles and threats they encounter. They are capable of detecting the target, identifying it and striking it, if necessary," Martyanov said.
Another option involves larger drones designated for mapping, searching for and identifying targets, specifying the routes of robots’ movements and making 3D images of the terrain, he said.
Both types of drones already make organic part of the Marker robotic combat platform, the specialist specified.
Combat robots will also be supplied with smart shells capable of flying into a building in a guided mode, Martyanov said.
The strike robots are expected to be employed both on the terrain and in urban warfare. There are plans to arm these robots with smart munitions for employing them from sheltered positions in order to shield them from direct fire, he said.
For this purpose, "smart munitions need to be used: hovering and gliding munitions and smart grenades that receive the target already in the air and determine the trajectory themselves," Martyanov said.
"Simply firing a grenade launcher or a gun is today too primitive and holds no prospects," he added.
As the Center’s chief explained, smart munitions will make it possible to avoid unnecessary casualties. "We do not want the robot to destroy everything in front of it, leaving a dead zone behind it. That is why, it must be able to clearly define threats using new technologies and promptly react to them," he said.
Advanced armor
Advanced armor technologies will be used on the upcoming Marker robotic platforms, according to Oleg Martyanov. "We test armor strengthening technologies on the Marker. This technology would make vehicles much cheaper, while raising the protective capabilities," he said.
Armor elements of the Marker, according to Martyanov, will not significantly affect the mass and size of the robot.
Meanwhile, specialists also work on radio electronic protection of the robot, so that the enemy could not hack it. To that extent, the Sozvezdie JSC created a task force laboratory for advanced communications and control systems, which works on robot control amid active jamming and radio electronic suppression.
About the Marker robot
The Marker robot is a joint project of the Center and the Android Technics Scientific Production Association, the developer of the FEDOR/Skybot android. The platform is supposed to become a key element for the practice of joint operation of ground robots, unmanned aviation and Special Operations forces. The Marker innovation is positioned as a design set for the development of combat models in the future.
The main module with six independent axes of rotation is installed on the robot’s tracked platform. The module can carry two types of weapons or equipment that could be used independently.
The payload’s rotation speed is several hundreds of degrees per second, which significantly increases the speed and precision specifications.
The Marker enjoys full situational awareness about its surroundings at a distance of over one hundred meters, allowing the operator to adjust the robot’s actions on time.


tass--2020-06-29--Tehran wants Interpol to detain Trump for killing top general Soleimani

TEHRAN , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
Iranian judicial authorities demand that Interpol issue an international arrest warrant for US @ @ @ @ @ part in the murder of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani , Tehran Prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr @ @ @ @ @ identified 36 US representatives , including Donald Trump , as well as [ representatives ] @ @ @ @ @ in the killing of Qasem Soleimani , '' IRNA news agency quoted him as saying @ @ @ @ @ the judiciary had `` issued an order to hold [ these people ] liable and @ @ @ @ @ Interpol . ''

TEHRAN, June 29. /TASS/. Iranian judicial authorities demand that Interpol issue an international arrest warrant for US President Donald Trump for his part in the murder of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, Tehran Prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr said Monday.
"We identified 36 US representatives, including Donald Trump, as well as [representatives] of other countries who participated in the killing of Qasem Soleimani," IRNA news agency quoted him as saying. The prosecutor added that the judiciary had "issued an order to hold [these people] liable and declared a red status through Interpol."


tass--2020-06-29--No reason to expect Kim Yo-jong to become North Korean leader, says Russian envoy

MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
There is no reason to believe that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ’ s sister Kim Yo-jong is being trained to take the helm of the country , Russian Ambassador to Pyongyang Alexander Matsegora said in an open interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman on Monday .
`` There is absolutely no reason to say that she is being trained for such a situation , '' the envoy pointed out .
`` She is a rather young person though she has serious political and foreign policy experience .
She can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This where I would put a full stop , '' Matsegora added .
He emphasized that according to available information , Kim Yo-jong serves as first deputy chief of the department for organization and instruction of the Central Committee of the Workers ' Party of Korea , which is a key element of the party machine .
`` It ’ s possible that the leader of the party and the country is the actual head of the department , '' Matsegora noted , adding that it used to be that way in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then the department ’ s first deputy chief holds a rather high position , '' he said .
At the same time , in his words , it 's been a long time since anyone was considered to be number two in North Korea 's hierarchy .
`` No one dares to call themselves number two in the country , '' Matsegora noted .
`` I think that if you asked comrade Kim Yo-jong whether she was number two , she would answer with a strong ‘ no ’ , '' the Russian @ @ @

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. There is no reason to believe that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong is being trained to take the helm of the country, Russian Ambassador to Pyongyang Alexander Matsegora said in an open interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman on Monday.
"There is absolutely no reason to say that she is being trained for such a situation," the envoy pointed out. "She is a rather young person though she has serious political and foreign policy experience. She can be viewed as a well-established high-ranking statesperson. This where I would put a full stop," Matsegora added.
He emphasized that according to available information, Kim Yo-jong serves as first deputy chief of the department for organization and instruction of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, which is a key element of the party machine. "It’s possible that the leader of the party and the country is the actual head of the department," Matsegora noted, adding that it used to be that way in the past. "If so, then the department’s first deputy chief holds a rather high position," he said.
At the same time, in his words, it's been a long time since anyone was considered to be number two in North Korea's hierarchy. "No one dares to call themselves number two in the country," Matsegora noted. "I think that if you asked comrade Kim Yo-jong whether she was number two, she would answer with a strong ‘no’," the Russian ambassador said.


tass--2020-06-29--Weapons, drug trade migrate to various corners of Internet due to pandemic, official says

MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
Terrorists have moved their trade in weapons , explosives , and drugs online @ @ @ @ @ , Head of the Commonwealth of Independent States ( CIS ) Anti-Terrorism Center ( ATC @ @ @ @ @ an interview with TASS .
He pointed out that at the early stages of the @ @ @ @ @ services noted a certain confusion of terrorist organizations regarding their financial support .
`` In @ @ @ @ @ and the isolation of entire regions and cities disrupted the logistics of drug dealing and @ @ @ @ @ and explosives trade .
Intelligence is closely looking into the diversification of project financing and @ @ @ @ @ international terrorist organizations — TASS ] and have come to the conclusion that also the @ @ @ @ @ online format is being observed , '' the head of the anti-terror center stated .
@ @ @ @ @ is only possible to receive payments over the Internet , while the actual physical movement @ @ @ @ @ limited .

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Terrorists have moved their trade in weapons, explosives, and drugs online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Head of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Anti-Terrorism Center (ATC) Andrei Novikov said in an interview with TASS.
He pointed out that at the early stages of the pandemic practically all CIS intelligence services noted a certain confusion of terrorist organizations regarding their financial support.
"In fact, the border closure and the isolation of entire regions and cities disrupted the logistics of drug dealing and trafficking in the international arms and explosives trade. Intelligence is closely looking into the diversification of project financing and material support of ITOs [international terrorist organizations — TASS] and have come to the conclusion that also the greatest possible switch to an online format is being observed," the head of the anti-terror center stated.
He added that now it is only possible to receive payments over the Internet, while the actual physical movement of drugs or weapons is limited.


tass--2020-06-29--Baloch separatists claim responsibility for Pakistan Stock Exchange attack

ISLAMABAD , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
Responsibility for the attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange building in Karachi was @ @ @ @ @ Army ( BLA ) separatist organization banned in Pakistan .
The claim was posted on @ @ @ @ @ page on Monday .
`` The attack was carried out by the Majeed brigade [ @ @ @ @ @ organization — TASS ] , '' the statement said .
It should be noted that @ @ @ @ @ been posted , the BLA page was blocked for violating Twitter ’ s guidelines .
@ @ @ @ @ guards at the Karachi Stock Exchange , a police officer , and two civilians ended @ @ @ @ @ armed attack on the stock exchange building .
All four gunmen were killed during a @ @ @ @ @ Balochistan Liberation Army has been in existence since 2000 and claims its goal is to @ @ @ @ @ within the borders of the historical Balochistan region on the Indian Ocean ’ s coast @ @ @ @ @ three states — Afghanistan , Iran , and Pakistan .

ISLAMABAD, June 29. /TASS/. Responsibility for the attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange building in Karachi was claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) separatist organization banned in Pakistan. The claim was posted on the organization’s Twitter page on Monday.
"The attack was carried out by the Majeed brigade [the combat unit of the organization — TASS]," the statement said. It should be noted that soon after the statement had been posted, the BLA page was blocked for violating Twitter’s guidelines.
As reported earlier, four guards at the Karachi Stock Exchange, a police officer, and two civilians ended up as victims of the armed attack on the stock exchange building. All four gunmen were killed during a shootout with police.
The Balochistan Liberation Army has been in existence since 2000 and claims its goal is to establish an independent Baloch state within the borders of the historical Balochistan region on the Indian Ocean’s coast which is currently divided between three states — Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.


tass--2020-06-29--Number of coronavirus cases in Poland surpasses 34,000

WARSAW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
The number of coronavirus cases in Poland increased by 247 other the past day and reached 34,154 people , the Ministry of Health said on Monday .
According to the latest data , since March 4 , when the first coronavirus case was detected in the country , 1,444 patients died in total , while 20,897 people recovered .
Around 1,800 patients with coronavirus remain in hospitals .
More than 83,000 people are in home quarantine .
Around 14,000 people remain under epidemiological surveillance .
In late December 2019 , Chinese officials notified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan , in central China .
Since then , cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe , including Russia .
On March 11 , 2020 , the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic .
According to the latest statistics , over 10,000,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 504,700 deaths have been reported .
In addition , so far , over 5,568,200 individuals have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
To date , 641,156 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia , with 403,430 patients having recovered from the disease .
Russia ’ s latest data indicates 9,166 fatalities nationwide .
Earlier , the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation .

WARSAW, June 29. /TASS/. The number of coronavirus cases in Poland increased by 247 other the past day and reached 34,154 people, the Ministry of Health said on Monday.
According to the latest data, since March 4, when the first coronavirus case was detected in the country, 1,444 patients died in total, while 20,897 people recovered.
Around 1,800 patients with coronavirus remain in hospitals. More than 83,000 people are in home quarantine. Around 14,000 people remain under epidemiological surveillance.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 10,000,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 504,700 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 5,568,200 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.
To date, 641,156 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 403,430 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 9,166 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.


tass--2020-06-29--Radiation level in Russian regions is stable, says sanitary watchdog

On June 26 , a number of media reported that nuclear and radiation safety monitoring agencies of Sweden , Norway and Finland detected a slight rise in the concentration of radioactive isotopes over Northern Europe , of the so-called reactor origin .
MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
The measurements of the radiation level conducted by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing ( Rospotrebnadzor ) indicate its stability , the agency ’ s press service said .
`` Rospotrebnadzor analyzed the information , published in the Internet informational and telecommunication network and reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about the level of radionuclides in the atmospheric air , detected in Sweden , Finland and Norway , and no information about the presumed source of those radionuclides .
Gamma background measurements , conducted by Rospotrebnadzor in regions of the Russian Federation , indicate its stability , '' the announcement says .
The press service pointed out that executive bodies of the Russian Federation , monitoring the radiation situation , do not confirm the information published online .
Russia ’ s Rosenergoatom ( a Rosatom subsidiary ) told TASS that nuclear power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Leningrad and the Kola plants — work as usual , and that the radiation situation on their sites is normal .

On June 26, a number of media reported that nuclear and radiation safety monitoring agencies of Sweden, Norway and Finland detected a slight rise in the concentration of radioactive isotopes over Northern Europe, of the so-called reactor origin.
MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. The measurements of the radiation level conducted by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) indicate its stability, the agency’s press service said.
"Rospotrebnadzor analyzed the information, published in the Internet informational and telecommunication network and reports that the data published online contain no information about the level of radionuclides in the atmospheric air, detected in Sweden, Finland and Norway, and no information about the presumed source of those radionuclides. Gamma background measurements, conducted by Rospotrebnadzor in regions of the Russian Federation, indicate its stability," the announcement says.
The press service pointed out that executive bodies of the Russian Federation, monitoring the radiation situation, do not confirm the information published online.
Russia’s Rosenergoatom (a Rosatom subsidiary) told TASS that nuclear power plants in Russia’s northwest — the Leningrad and the Kola plants — work as usual, and that the radiation situation on their sites is normal.


tass--2020-06-29--Shell Russia head: We will not be put away by uncertainty

- Oil producers have faced an unprecedented drop in demand this year .
Do you think , Mr. Cremers , this can accelerate energy transition and decarbonization process and make an oil peak consumption closer ?
- I think that the crisis and the pandemic of COVID-19 clearly put a lot of pressure on our industry – energy demand has dropped , and the impact on the economies around the globe is very real .
I do think this volatile market will be with us for a while .
We do not expect that there will be a recovery in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ products in the medium term .
However , we do expect that it will recover in a longer period .
Therefore , whilst this crisis will have an impact , we do believe that in the slightly longer term those much broader trends of energy transition will take over again .
It is difficult to say at this stage how much the behavior of consumers will change , will people get back to the same level of commuting as in the past or not , and therefore will it provide an opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can only say that the trend for energy transition was there before the crisis and will be there once we come out of it .
- When you say “ medium term ” , what exact time period are you talking about ?
Is that some two-three years or several months ?
Does that mean we will not see previous prices around $ 60 per barrel during this time period ?
- We believe that both hydrocarbon prices and product prices will remain at lower levels than pre-crisis in 2021 and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s certainly what we are using as our basis for planning .
- Do you think this will encourage energy companies to shift investments from oil to gas or renewables ?
How this will affect Shell ’ s investment ?
- We had to adjust our expenditure , indeed .
In our operating expenditures , we are expecting to spend about $ 3-4 billion less than we did in 2019 , in the next twelve months .
It also applies to some difficult decisions for people .
For example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our global company will be getting performance bonuses over this financial year 2020 .
On top of that , we are reducing our capital expenditure from $ 25 billion to $ 20 billion this year , that is about 20 % reduction .
However , the degree that each Shell business is contributing to this cut is different .
Our upstream business is contributing about 45 % of that reduction in expenditure ; our downstream business – 30 % , and our integrated gas including LNG and new energies business are contributing only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whilst all of them are reducing , we do see that the relative impact is different and is also related to the long-term shift in our industry .
- Are these reductions applicable to your activities in Russia ?
- Yes .
It has also impacted our activities in Russia , absolutely .
When I talked about our operating expenditure , this is something we were driving through across all our activities and all places .
For example , we have had to reduce drilling expenditure in our joint ventures in Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pace and aspirations of some of our new ventures unfortunately as a result of the current external environment .
- Are you talking about your joint ventures with Gazprom Neft ?
- As we know , Shell had to quit from one of them .
Are you going to halt the rest of the projects ?
- Whilst we had to reduce the pace of our growth ambitions , Russia remains the country of strategic focus for Shell where we pursue growth in both existing and future businesses , including oil projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are referring to Meretoykhaneftegaz joint venture , then yes , unfortunately , we had to cancel that .
The deal was not completed and had some ongoing uncertainties .
Within the challenging external and financial environment , we could not maintain that uncertainty .
That was very sad to leave that venture .
However , answering your question , it does not mean that we are stopping other projects , both existing and growth with Gazprom Neft .
We continue to work strongly on our Salym Petroleum Development joint venture .
In March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the area of operations of Salym by acquiring a license for Salymsky-2 block from Gazprom Neft .
Moreover , we continue engagements with Gazprom Neft about establishing a new joint venture , which is a frontier exploration prospect in the north-east of the Gydan peninsula .
This is a joint venture that will cover two license blocks .
So , the short answer is that we continue our joint projects and we will continue to build that partnership with Gazprom Neft .
- Can we hope that you will make some announcement soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to finalize that in the next weeks or months that probably could be an announcement .
We all are looking forward to it .
This expected to be an oil-producing venture .
Of course , still in the exploration phase , with high risk , high investment .
However , that expected to be a long-term oil venture , that we will see operating for decades .
I can probably get no better example of whilst in the energy transition , we do continue to invest and maintain our traditional businesses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gydan joint venture after Repsol announced its exit from the project ?
- I can only say that we continue working with Gazprom Neft on establishing this JV .
I would not comment further at this stage .
- Anyway , we know Shell mostly as a gas company .
This market is not doing well now too – we see a drop of demand and prices .
How long do you think the recovery of gas market will take ?
- Yes , you are absolutely right .
We have seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and LNG demand across the globe .
This is a large drop compared to the projections that we had just a few months ago .
What is probably important that it will take a little bit of time for the demand to come back to the previous projections that we had in terms of demand growth , but we do see continued growth .
This is not about fundamental demand destruction , but this is about a slower pace of growth in the near term .
Nevertheless , we do not see that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed .
We do believe that over the next 10 to 20 years an annual average growth rate of 4 % per year is realistic .
It will remain the fastest growing sector in the hydrocarbon space .
That means that if you look at this annual rate between now and 2040 the market will double in LNG .
We believe , that in a broader scheme of energy transition natural gas will be replacing the current sources of coal or diesel that are used to generate power in many places around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported that customers might reject up to 60 % of LNG supplies in July .
Do you think that Shell and Sakhalin-2 project may face this problem in upcoming months ?
- We certainly are not seeing in our actual operations that kind of percentage that you are mentioning .
It is standard in our industry that long-term contracts always include some volume flexibility for buyers they exercise from time to time , as the market conditions change .
Yes , we had some of our LNG customers who had some deferments of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to full tanks or full inventories .
However , the overall number of such cargoes is relatively small , very manageable for us operationally and within the normal bandwidths .
On the LNG side , we have not had to reduce the production at all for any of these reasons .
We can remarket these cargoes relatively effectively in the market .
Sakhalin-2 has a very privileged position in the Asia Pacific market being very close to the key markets : Japan , Korea , China , Taiwan .
In addition , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reliable partner for its customers .
It has a very strong reputation in the market .
We continue to be effectively placing many of the cargoes that we produce , including additional spot cargoes , into the market .
- As we mentioned Sakhalin-2 project , do you think that plan of its expansion could be delayed due to the current crisis ?
- It is a great question .
Our overall ambition to expand Sakhalin-2 remains unchanged .
I still believe it is the most logical way to expand the LNG capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Far East .
The exact timing and pace will undoubtedly be impacted by what we are seeing in the short term right now .
Reality is that these projects have lifetimes of decades , more over than 20-25 years .
They tend to be less dependent on short-term cycles and economic impact , but more on the longer-term trend including what I have mentioned earlier in terms of what is our long-term outlook for LNG markets .
- You have said Shell believes in the gas market .
How this can affect your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , Novatek is going to start looking for new partners for its next LNG project in a few years .
Could it be interesting for you ?
- I believe that in the future Russia will be one of the few most competitive supplies sources for LNG demand growth .
The share of Russian LNG will continue to grow compared to the past .
The combination of our strength in the LNG market and strength of Russia in the gas market remains something we are very interested in .
We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within our existing or new partnerships .
- In general , how do you see the future of Shell in Russia , let us say in ten years ?
How the Shell ’ s portfolio will look like ?
- Where we are today , with all the uncertainty it is not always easy to predict the world ten years ahead , it is even difficult to predict 18 months away .
However , let me give a couple of thoughts on this .
Therefore , we start from the next 18 months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Russia today , Shell actually has the most diversified portfolio .
We are active not only in LNG and in upstream oil business , but we are also very strong in downstream .
We are proud that Shell logo is present everywhere from Saint Petersburg to Sakhalin , if you look across Russia .
On the downstream side , we are striving to become the number one customer choice both in premium lubricants and in fuels .
On gas and LNG , we remain very keen to see how we could grow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Sakhalin-2 or new projects and partnerships .
With oil we are primarily focusing on the larger Western Siberian basin , starting from Salym and then right up through the North into Gydan .
Sometimes I see comments that the current crisis or energy transition or other things could force Shell exit Russia .
But our presence is quite broad in different sectors of the economy , and we are looking to stay here .
Russia will continue to be a country of strategic importance for us .
If I look a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shell started its business in Russia 128 years ago .
I think both of us realize , that last 128 years have had their periods of uncertainty as well .
I am quite convinced that as a company we will not be put away by the uncertainty in the next ten years .
The overall global energy agenda will probably shift in the next 10 years and Russia 's energy agenda as well .
We hope to shift with that and continue to grow .
In addition to the three areas I mentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the lookout for new opportunities where we might grow .
There are things like E-mobility or LNG for road and marine fuel .
In addition , hydrogen is a market that can grow during the energy transition and where Russia can play an important role .
- Is there any difference in achieving energy transition goals , if we compare Russia and Western countries ?
- One thing that we sometimes forget about when we talk about energy transition is that we still have about 1 billion people in the world today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the benefits it brings .
Thus , for me energy transition is not only about managing the carbon challenges , but the dual challenge of how to make that transition to a low carbon energy future and meet the growing needs of the whole world .
This is a huge challenge .
In order to meet that challenge , many different things will have to happen .
I hope that we will be seeing a bigger role of new technologies that will come into the energy mix more and more in addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is fair to say that the energy transition debate in Russia today is not as it is , for example , in the European Union .
In addition , in the recent years there has been a misconception that the energy transition may even be a threat to Russia and Russia 's traditional role as a hydrocarbons exporter .
However , today I see the perceptions and the public debate are shifting in Russia .
I see more and more readiness to explore what energy transition can bring to Russia in terms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I see companies , government agencies and academic think tanks are shifting their view on this .
The role of gas in the energy transition provides a huge opportunity for Russia .
Gas emits from 45 % to 55 % less greenhouse emissions than coal .
Russia both in terms of its resources and its geography remains one of the key countries that can help make that transition not only in Europe , but very importantly also in Asia .
- As you have mentioned Europe , I can not skip the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the investors in it .
As we know , the Nord Stream-2 will not receive any exemptions from the European Gas Directive .
Do you think there is still any possibility to adapt the project to the 3rd Energy Package ?
- As you have said , Shell is just a lender to the project .
The Nord Stream-2 operating company holds the core discussions with the German regulator .
I can only reiterate that once the project is completed , it will become critical for the European Union in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas at very competitive prices .
- However , as an investor , are you concerned about receiving dividends , benefits from the project due to delay ?
- We do not receive dividends .
We are a lender , not a shareholder .
But just to be clear , I will not be a good businessperson if I don ’ t worry about [ the delay ] .
Again , in our industry many things that we invest in are long-term and there are long-term risks associated with them .
So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipeline would be completed , and this is more important than the exact timing .

- Oil producers have faced an unprecedented drop in demand this year. Do you think, Mr. Cremers, this can accelerate energy transition and decarbonization process and make an oil peak consumption closer? - I think that the crisis and the pandemic of COVID-19 clearly put a lot of pressure on our industry – energy demand has dropped, and the impact on the economies around the globe is very real. I do think this volatile market will be with us for a while. We do not expect that there will be a recovery in oil prices or the demand of the products in the medium term. However, we do expect that it will recover in a longer period. Therefore, whilst this crisis will have an impact, we do believe that in the slightly longer term those much broader trends of energy transition will take over again. It is difficult to say at this stage how much the behavior of consumers will change, will people get back to the same level of commuting as in the past or not, and therefore will it provide an opportunity to accelerate even more the energy transition. I can only say that the trend for energy transition was there before the crisis and will be there once we come out of it. - When you say “medium term”, what exact time period are you talking about? Is that some two-three years or several months? Does that mean we will not see previous prices around $60 per barrel during this time period? - We believe that both hydrocarbon prices and product prices will remain at lower levels than pre-crisis in 2021 and, possibly, towards the end of 2021. That’s certainly what we are using as our basis for planning. - Do you think this will encourage energy companies to shift investments from oil to gas or renewables? How this will affect Shell’s investment? - We had to adjust our expenditure, indeed. In our operating expenditures, we are expecting to spend about $3-4 billion less than we did in 2019, in the next twelve months. It also applies to some difficult decisions for people. For example, we have also decided that nobody in our global company will be getting performance bonuses over this financial year 2020. On top of that, we are reducing our capital expenditure from $25 billion to $20 billion this year, that is about 20% reduction. However, the degree that each Shell business is contributing to this cut is different. Our upstream business is contributing about 45% of that reduction in expenditure; our downstream business – 30%, and our integrated gas including LNG and new energies business are contributing only 25% of this saving. Therefore, whilst all of them are reducing, we do see that the relative impact is different and is also related to the long-term shift in our industry. - Are these reductions applicable to your activities in Russia? - Yes. It has also impacted our activities in Russia, absolutely. When I talked about our operating expenditure, this is something we were driving through across all our activities and all places. For example, we have had to reduce drilling expenditure in our joint ventures in Russia. Also, we had to change the pace and aspirations of some of our new ventures unfortunately as a result of the current external environment. - Are you talking about your joint ventures with Gazprom Neft? - Yes, that is correct. - As we know, Shell had to quit from one of them. Are you going to halt the rest of the projects? - Whilst we had to reduce the pace of our growth ambitions, Russia remains the country of strategic focus for Shell where we pursue growth in both existing and future businesses, including oil projects together with Gazprom Neft.
Read also Gazprom Neft, Shell close JV development deal
If you are referring to Meretoykhaneftegaz joint venture, then yes, unfortunately, we had to cancel that. The deal was not completed and had some ongoing uncertainties. Within the challenging external and financial environment, we could not maintain that uncertainty. That was very sad to leave that venture. However, answering your question, it does not mean that we are stopping other projects, both existing and growth with Gazprom Neft. We continue to work strongly on our Salym Petroleum Development joint venture. In March, we closed a transaction to expand the area of operations of Salym by acquiring a license for Salymsky-2 block from Gazprom Neft. Moreover, we continue engagements with Gazprom Neft about establishing a new joint venture, which is a frontier exploration prospect in the north-east of the Gydan peninsula. This is a joint venture that will cover two license blocks. So, the short answer is that we continue our joint projects and we will continue to build that partnership with Gazprom Neft. - Can we hope that you will make some announcement soon? - Yes, if we are able to finalize that in the next weeks or months that probably could be an announcement. We all are looking forward to it. This expected to be an oil-producing venture. Of course, still in the exploration phase, with high risk, high investment. However, that expected to be a long-term oil venture, that we will see operating for decades. I can probably get no better example of whilst in the energy transition, we do continue to invest and maintain our traditional businesses. - What share can Shell take in the Gydan joint venture after Repsol announced its exit from the project? - I can only say that we continue working with Gazprom Neft on establishing this JV. I would not comment further at this stage. - Anyway, we know Shell mostly as a gas company. This market is not doing well now too – we see a drop of demand and prices. How long do you think the recovery of gas market will take? - Yes, you are absolutely right. We have seen that the economic slowdown reduced both gas and LNG demand across the globe. This is a large drop compared to the projections that we had just a few months ago. What is probably important that it will take a little bit of time for the demand to come back to the previous projections that we had in terms of demand growth, but we do see continued growth. This is not about fundamental demand destruction, but this is about a slower pace of growth in the near term. Nevertheless, we do not see that the fundamentals of the LNG market have changed. We do believe that over the next 10 to 20 years an annual average growth rate of 4% per year is realistic. It will remain the fastest growing sector in the hydrocarbon space. That means that if you look at this annual rate between now and 2040 the market will double in LNG. We believe, that in a broader scheme of energy transition natural gas will be replacing the current sources of coal or diesel that are used to generate power in many places around the world. - However, it was reported that customers might reject up to 60% of LNG supplies in July. Do you think that Shell and Sakhalin-2 project may face this problem in upcoming months? - We certainly are not seeing in our actual operations that kind of percentage that you are mentioning. It is standard in our industry that long-term contracts always include some volume flexibility for buyers they exercise from time to time, as the market conditions change. Yes, we had some of our LNG customers who had some deferments of specific cargoes just in short term due to full tanks or full inventories. However, the overall number of such cargoes is relatively small, very manageable for us operationally and within the normal bandwidths.
Read also Shell plans to expand oil and LNG business in Russia
On the LNG side, we have not had to reduce the production at all for any of these reasons. We can remarket these cargoes relatively effectively in the market. Sakhalin-2 has a very privileged position in the Asia Pacific market being very close to the key markets: Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan. In addition, it has always been a very strong and reliable partner for its customers. It has a very strong reputation in the market. We continue to be effectively placing many of the cargoes that we produce, including additional spot cargoes, into the market. - As we mentioned Sakhalin-2 project, do you think that plan of its expansion could be delayed due to the current crisis? - It is a great question. Our overall ambition to expand Sakhalin-2 remains unchanged. I still believe it is the most logical way to expand the LNG capacity on the existing industrial site in the Far East. The exact timing and pace will undoubtedly be impacted by what we are seeing in the short term right now. Reality is that these projects have lifetimes of decades, more over than 20-25 years. They tend to be less dependent on short-term cycles and economic impact, but more on the longer-term trend including what I have mentioned earlier in terms of what is our long-term outlook for LNG markets. - You have said Shell believes in the gas market. How this can affect your interest for new projects in Russia? For example, Novatek is going to start looking for new partners for its next LNG project in a few years. Could it be interesting for you? - I believe that in the future Russia will be one of the few most competitive supplies sources for LNG demand growth. The share of Russian LNG will continue to grow compared to the past. The combination of our strength in the LNG market and strength of Russia in the gas market remains something we are very interested in. We are open to different opportunities in Russia whether within our existing or new partnerships. - In general, how do you see the future of Shell in Russia, let us say in ten years? How the Shell’s portfolio will look like? - Where we are today, with all the uncertainty it is not always easy to predict the world ten years ahead, it is even difficult to predict 18 months away. However, let me give a couple of thoughts on this. Therefore, we start from the next 18 months. Of all the energy companies working in Russia today, Shell actually has the most diversified portfolio. We are active not only in LNG and in upstream oil business, but we are also very strong in downstream. We are proud that Shell logo is present everywhere from Saint Petersburg to Sakhalin, if you look across Russia. On the downstream side, we are striving to become the number one customer choice both in premium lubricants and in fuels. On gas and LNG, we remain very keen to see how we could grow together with Russia whether it is expansion of Sakhalin-2 or new projects and partnerships. With oil we are primarily focusing on the larger Western Siberian basin, starting from Salym and then right up through the North into Gydan. Sometimes I see comments that the current crisis or energy transition or other things could force Shell exit Russia. But our presence is quite broad in different sectors of the economy, and we are looking to stay here. Russia will continue to be a country of strategic importance for us. If I look a little bit further ahead in your 10-year question… Shell started its business in Russia 128 years ago. I think both of us realize, that last 128 years have had their periods of uncertainty as well. I am quite convinced that as a company we will not be put away by the uncertainty in the next ten years. The overall global energy agenda will probably shift in the next 10 years and Russia's energy agenda as well. We hope to shift with that and continue to grow. In addition to the three areas I mentioned before, we’ll also be on the lookout for new opportunities where we might grow. There are things like E-mobility or LNG for road and marine fuel. In addition, hydrogen is a market that can grow during the energy transition and where Russia can play an important role. - Is there any difference in achieving energy transition goals, if we compare Russia and Western countries? - One thing that we sometimes forget about when we talk about energy transition is that we still have about 1 billion people in the world today that live without access to electricity and the benefits it brings. Thus, for me energy transition is not only about managing the carbon challenges, but the dual challenge of how to make that transition to a low carbon energy future and meet the growing needs of the whole world. This is a huge challenge. In order to meet that challenge, many different things will have to happen. I hope that we will be seeing a bigger role of new technologies that will come into the energy mix more and more in addition to oil and gas.


tass--2020-06-29--Russian Black Sea Fleet frigate repels enemy air attack in Mediterranean drills

SEVASTOPOL , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
The crew of the Black Sea Fleet frigate Admiral Makarov repelled an attack by a notional enemy ’ s underwater saboteurs and aircraft during drills in the Mediterranean Sea , the Fleet ’ s press office reported on Monday .
`` The crew of the Black Sea Fleet ’ s frigate Admiral Makarov performing its missions within the Navy ’ s permanent Mediterranean taskforce held planned drills for providing air defense and repelling an attack by notional underwater saboteurs , '' the press office said in a statement .
During the drills , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received a scenario injection about the notional enemy ’ s approaching aircraft .
The targets were identified as hostile and the anti-aircraft gunners locked on and eliminated them by electronic missile launches from the Shtil-1 air defense missile system , the statement says .
Under the drills ’ scenario , the frigate ’ s crew subsequently practiced an algorithm of measures to thwart a threat of an attack by a notional enemy ’ s underwater saboteur forces and capabilities during its anchorage in an unsafe roadstead .
The personnel deployed anti-saboteur posts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the press office said .
The warships like the Admiral Makarov represent a new series of Project 11356R/M frigates ( the Project 11357 designation is also used ) .
These frigates are designed to destroy enemy surface ships and vessels , submarines and ground installations , carry out patrols and defend sea lanes .
The frigates of this Project are armed with eight launchers of Kalibr-NK cruise missiles that are capable of striking surface , coastal and underwater targets at a distance of up to 2,600 km .
The warships of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palash and AK-630M air defense missile and artillery systems , A-190 100mm universal artillery guns , torpedo tubes and RBU-6000 rocket launchers .
The frigates also have a take-off and landing strip and a hangar for an anti-submarine warfare helicopter ( Ka-27 or Ka-31 ) .
The Soviet Navy ’ s 5th Mediterranean Squadron served as a prototype for the Russian Navy ’ s permanent Mediterranean taskforce operating at present .
The 5th operational Soviet Squadron dealt with the tasks of naval presence in the Mediterranean theater of operations during the Cold War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Navy ’ s 6th Fleet .
The Soviet Squadron was disbanded on December 31 , 1992 , a year after the disintegration of the Soviet Union .
In 2013 , Russia started to create a new operational Mediterranean taskforce .
Russia ’ s new permanent Squadron is dealing with planned and urgent combat missions arising in the Mediterranean theater of operations , including warding off threats to Russia ’ s national and military security .

SEVASTOPOL, June 29. /TASS/. The crew of the Black Sea Fleet frigate Admiral Makarov repelled an attack by a notional enemy’s underwater saboteurs and aircraft during drills in the Mediterranean Sea, the Fleet’s press office reported on Monday.
"The crew of the Black Sea Fleet’s frigate Admiral Makarov performing its missions within the Navy’s permanent Mediterranean taskforce held planned drills for providing air defense and repelling an attack by notional underwater saboteurs," the press office said in a statement.
During the drills, the frigate’s air defense teams received a scenario injection about the notional enemy’s approaching aircraft. The targets were identified as hostile and the anti-aircraft gunners locked on and eliminated them by electronic missile launches from the Shtil-1 air defense missile system, the statement says.
Under the drills’ scenario, the frigate’s crew subsequently practiced an algorithm of measures to thwart a threat of an attack by a notional enemy’s underwater saboteur forces and capabilities during its anchorage in an unsafe roadstead. The personnel deployed anti-saboteur posts and also accomplished the exercise of throwing grenades, the press office said.
The warships like the Admiral Makarov represent a new series of Project 11356R/M frigates (the Project 11357 designation is also used). These frigates are designed to destroy enemy surface ships and vessels, submarines and ground installations, carry out patrols and defend sea lanes.
The frigates of this Project are armed with eight launchers of Kalibr-NK cruise missiles that are capable of striking surface, coastal and underwater targets at a distance of up to 2,600 km.
The warships of this Project are also armed with Shtil-1, Palash and AK-630M air defense missile and artillery systems, A-190 100mm universal artillery guns, torpedo tubes and RBU-6000 rocket launchers. The frigates also have a take-off and landing strip and a hangar for an anti-submarine warfare helicopter (Ka-27 or Ka-31).
Russian Navy’s Mediterranean Squadron
The Soviet Navy’s 5th Mediterranean Squadron served as a prototype for the Russian Navy’s permanent Mediterranean taskforce operating at present. The 5th operational Soviet Squadron dealt with the tasks of naval presence in the Mediterranean theater of operations during the Cold War period. Its main rival was the US Navy’s 6th Fleet. The Soviet Squadron was disbanded on December 31, 1992, a year after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
In 2013, Russia started to create a new operational Mediterranean taskforce. Russia’s new permanent Squadron is dealing with planned and urgent combat missions arising in the Mediterranean theater of operations, including warding off threats to Russia’s national and military security.


tass--2020-06-29--Coronavirus lockdowns put the brakes on terrorist activity

MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
The Covid-19 lockdowns and the ensuing pandemic-linked border closures weakened terrorist activity in @ @ @ @ @ Head of the Commonwealth of Independent States ( CIS ) Anti-Terrorism Center ( ATC ) @ @ @ @ @ interview with TASS .
`` As the population started moving into self-isolation and borders between @ @ @ @ @ level of terrorist activity had somewhat decreased .
The reason is obvious - it became @ @ @ @ @ to move around , especially between countries , given that border control as well as @ @ @ @ @ heightened , '' the anti-terror center ’ s chief said .

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. The Covid-19 lockdowns and the ensuing pandemic-linked border closures weakened terrorist activity in Russia and CIS countries, Head of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Anti-Terrorism Center (ATC) Andrey Novikov said in an interview with TASS.
"As the population started moving into self-isolation and borders between countries were closing, the level of terrorist activity had somewhat decreased. The reason is obvious - it became significantly more difficult for terrorists to move around, especially between countries, given that border control as well as disease control and prevention were heightened," the anti-terror center’s chief said.


tass--2020-06-29--International railway service to be resumed this year, says Russian transport minister

Death of Sergei Krushchev in US was due to gunshot wound , authorities say He was the son of the @ @ @ @ @ Soviet Communist Party ’ s Central Committee Nikita Krushchev

Biden says alternative to sanctions against Russia would be Third World War
"Russia will pay a serious price for this short term and long term, particularly long term," the US leader stressed
Read more


tass--2020-06-29--Kremlin slams claims over Russia ‘bounties’ to Taliban to kill Americans as elaborate hoax

MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has blasted reports that Russia allegedly offered Afghan militants bounties for killing US military personnel as lies and an elaborate hoax .
According to him , the topic was not discussed between the two leaders .
`` These claims are nothing but lies , '' the Kremlin spokesman said , commenting on the publication of The New York Times .
`` Once again , we can only express regret that once largest , reputable and high-quality world media outlets have been increasingly more often publishing elaborate hoaxes in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not bode well with keeping up with their reputation and prestige , '' Peskov stressed .
`` If intelligence services continue to be accountable before the president in the US , then I suggest you focus on the relevant statement of President Trump who already evaluated these publications , '' he added .
When asked if Putin and Trump had had a phone call to discuss these allegations , Peskov said , `` No . ''
On Friday , The New York Times claimed that an unidentified unit of the Russian military intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the international coalition in Afghanistan .
The newspaper alleged that these conclusions of American intelligence services were presented for Trump ’ s judgment a few months ago , while the White House National Security Council discussed the topic in late March .
In turn , Trump revealed that he had not been briefed about any such attacks in Afghanistan .
On Sunday , he took to Twitter to announce that the US intelligence did not find this information credible , slamming The New York Times report as `` possibly another fabricated Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' meant to tarnish the Republicans ’ reputation .

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has blasted reports that Russia allegedly offered Afghan militants bounties for killing US military personnel as lies and an elaborate hoax. According to him, the topic was not discussed between the two leaders.
"These claims are nothing but lies," the Kremlin spokesman said, commenting on the publication of The New York Times. "Once again, we can only express regret that once largest, reputable and high-quality world media outlets have been increasingly more often publishing elaborate hoaxes in the last few years, which definitely does not bode well with keeping up with their reputation and prestige," Peskov stressed.
"If intelligence services continue to be accountable before the president in the US, then I suggest you focus on the relevant statement of President Trump who already evaluated these publications," he added. When asked if Putin and Trump had had a phone call to discuss these allegations, Peskov said, "No."
On Friday, The New York Times claimed that an unidentified unit of the Russian military intelligence encouraged Taliban militants to attack military personnel of the international coalition in Afghanistan. The newspaper alleged that these conclusions of American intelligence services were presented for Trump’s judgment a few months ago, while the White House National Security Council discussed the topic in late March.
In turn, Trump revealed that he had not been briefed about any such attacks in Afghanistan. On Sunday, he took to Twitter to announce that the US intelligence did not find this information credible, slamming The New York Times report as "possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax, maybe by the Fake News" meant to tarnish the Republicans’ reputation.


tass--2020-06-29--Roscosmos says Angara space rocket’s high cost due to work at two production sites

MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
The high cost price of the latest Angara carrier rocket before the start of its serial production is due to the need for the Khrunichev Space Center to work at two sites , the press office of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos told TASS on Monday .
`` Before the production process is fully moved to the site of the Polyot company in Omsk , the Khrunichev Space Center has to work at two production sites , which creates additional overhead costs , '' a Roscosmos spokesman said .
As part of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced singly instead of serially , he said .
`` After the serial full-cycle production is launched , the item ’ s cost price will decrease , '' the spokesman said .
Also , the Angara will be created in its crewed version as compared to the Proton rocket , which pushes up its cost price due to additional safety requirements , he said .
Roscosmos also said that the rocket ’ s flight development tests would soon resume , noting that the space corporation ’ s enterprises `` have already started implementing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of carrier rockets of all classes , from light to heavy versions , and will ensure their competitive operational and price characteristics . ''
The Khrunichev Space Center earlier said in notes to its 2019 financial statements that the Angara rocket ’ s cost price would be lowered from 7 billion rubles ( $ 100 million ) to 4 billion rubles ( $ 57 million ) by 2024 .
Roscosmos earlier said that the Khrunichev Space Center would produce several Angara carrier rockets at a price of less than 5 billion rubles ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the experimental design work .
Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin said in January 2019 that the space corporation had adopted an action plan to raise the Russian launch vehicles ’ competitive edge , with a special emphasis made on Angara and Soyuz-5 rockets .
The Angara is a family of next-generation Russian space rockets .
It consists of light , medium and heavy carrier rockets with a lifting capacity of up to 37.5 tonnes .
The new family of rockets uses environmentally-friendly propellant components .
So far , Russia has carried out only two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Plesetsk spaceport : a light Angara-1.2PP blasted off in July 2014 and its heavy version lifted off in December 2014 .

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. The high cost price of the latest Angara carrier rocket before the start of its serial production is due to the need for the Khrunichev Space Center to work at two sites, the press office of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos told TASS on Monday.
"Before the production process is fully moved to the site of the Polyot company in Omsk, the Khrunichev Space Center has to work at two production sites, which creates additional overhead costs," a Roscosmos spokesman said.
As part of its trials, the Angara rocket is being produced singly instead of serially, he said.
"After the serial full-cycle production is launched, the item’s cost price will decrease," the spokesman said.
Also, the Angara will be created in its crewed version as compared to the Proton rocket, which pushes up its cost price due to additional safety requirements, he said.
Roscosmos also said that the rocket’s flight development tests would soon resume, noting that the space corporation’s enterprises "have already started implementing the stage of introducing a new generation of carrier rockets of all classes, from light to heavy versions, and will ensure their competitive operational and price characteristics."
Angara’s cost price
The Khrunichev Space Center earlier said in notes to its 2019 financial statements that the Angara rocket’s cost price would be lowered from 7 billion rubles ($100 million) to 4 billion rubles ($57 million) by 2024.
Roscosmos earlier said that the Khrunichev Space Center would produce several Angara carrier rockets at a price of less than 5 billion rubles ($71 million) as part of the experimental design work.
Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin said in January 2019 that the space corporation had adopted an action plan to raise the Russian launch vehicles’ competitive edge, with a special emphasis made on Angara and Soyuz-5 rockets.
The Angara is a family of next-generation Russian space rockets. It consists of light, medium and heavy carrier rockets with a lifting capacity of up to 37.5 tonnes. The new family of rockets uses environmentally-friendly propellant components. So far, Russia has carried out only two Angara launches, both of them from the Plesetsk spaceport: a light Angara-1.2PP blasted off in July 2014 and its heavy version lifted off in December 2014.


tass--2020-06-29--Press review: Trump blasts ‘Russia bounties hoax’ and EU to reopen to foreign travelers

Another pre-election scandal has erupted in the United States over Russia .
The New York Times reported that Russian intelligence agencies allegedly offered money to Taliban militants in Afghanistan as rewards if they killed US troops there .
According to the Democrats , US President Donald Trump knew about this and did not take retaliatory measures because of his alleged special relationship with Moscow .
The news angered Trump opponents from the Democratic Party , however , voters are now more concerned about other problems , Vedomosti wrote .
The White House denied having ever received any intelligence on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` another fabricated Russia Hoax '' .
The Russian Foreign Ministry also denied the report .
The topic of Russia , of course , will be used in the upcoming elections , political analyst Evgeny Minchenko told the newspaper .
`` Democrats will spin it more and more vigorously , given that parallel with it , the Ukrainian affair involving Biden has acquired new details .
The sole and natural antidote to this story is the topic of Russia , '' he said .
The expert believes that in the coming months one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The story with the Taliban seems to me to be absolute fake news , because , first , paying a bounty for specific people ’ s heads is more of an Anglo-Saxon thing , not a Russian-Soviet one , and I don ’ t remember any such precedents .
Second , Russia has no objective interest in achieving a complete Taliban victory , because it would mean more pressure by the Islamists on Central Asia , and this is a threat to our security , '' Minchenko explained .
However , the outcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six battleground states and the issue of relations with Russia are certainly not a priority there , the expert added .
`` The topic of Russia will affect the general political climate for a long time , but other factors will decide the outcome of the elections , '' he added .
The report will most likely be used as justification for two already popular ideas , Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations , and former adviser to US Secretary of State Stephen Sestanovich told Vedomosti .
However , the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this election campaign , since Americans are now much more concerned with other important things , like the pandemic , economic problems , racial issues , China , the future world order and our place in it , climate change , and so on , the expert noted .
Izvestia : EU opens despite possible second coronavirus wave , entry of Russians still being debated The EU hopes that restrictions on its internal borders will be finally lifted by the end of June , the European Commission told Izvestia .
As for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the list of countries will be regularly reviewed taking into account the changing situation .
According to media reports , 15 countries will be first , including Canada , Japan , and South Korea .
Meanwhile , the WHO warns of the risk of a second wave of coronavirus in Europe .
Over the past two weeks , 30 countries have experienced an increase in the incidence of COVID-19 .
The press service of the European Commission told the newspaper that the list of countries that can be allowed entry to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain criteria .
The main one is the epidemiological situation in the country , which should be the same or better than in the EU , the press service said .
In response to the question of including Russia in the list , the European Commission emphasized that discussions are still ongoing .
Meanwhile , the threat of a second coronavirus wave looms over the EU .
On June 25 , the WHO warned of the risk of a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the region .
Over the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 , in 11 of them , the accelerated spread of the infection has led to its revival .
The press service of the Federal Ministry of Health of Germany told Izvestia that at the regional level , governments are trying to restrain the outbreaks , and it is possible that local restrictions will be tightened again over a period of time .
Italy , one of the first hotbeds of COVID-19 in Europe , has already started preparing hospitals .
Antonio Clavenna , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Research , told Izvestia that there is a probability of a second wave and that this time , the Italian healthcare system can deal more effectively with any new outbreaks .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington would redeploy its military units so that they are ready to respond to China 's threats to countries such as India , Malaysia , Indonesia , and the Philippines .
According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta , this warning came at a time when strife between a number of members of the Association of Southeast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been heating up over the disputed islands in the South China Sea .
According to the newspaper , the recent plans of US President Donald Trump to reduce the US military contingent in Germany were discussed the most .
However , the relocation in Europe might be only an element of a broader strategy aimed at concentrating more forces in the main direction of focus which is to restrain China 's expansion , Nezavisimaya Gazeta wrote .
The confrontation between the two powers is unfolding against China ’ s attempted expansion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests from several ASEAN countries .
Ten ASEAN member countries held a summit on Friday .
A document distributed after the meeting expressed disagreement with China ’ s territorial requirements .

Another pre-election scandal has erupted in the United States over Russia. The New York Times reported that Russian intelligence agencies allegedly offered money to Taliban militants in Afghanistan as rewards if they killed US troops there. According to the Democrats, US President Donald Trump knew about this and did not take retaliatory measures because of his alleged special relationship with Moscow. The news angered Trump opponents from the Democratic Party, however, voters are now more concerned about other problems, Vedomosti wrote.
The White House denied having ever received any intelligence on the matter. Trump blasted the report as "another fabricated Russia Hoax". The Russian Foreign Ministry also denied the report.
The topic of Russia, of course, will be used in the upcoming elections, political analyst Evgeny Minchenko told the newspaper. "Democrats will spin it more and more vigorously, given that parallel with it, the Ukrainian affair involving Biden has acquired new details. The sole and natural antidote to this story is the topic of Russia," he said. The expert believes that in the coming months one can expect other similar scandals. "The story with the Taliban seems to me to be absolute fake news, because, first, paying a bounty for specific people’s heads is more of an Anglo-Saxon thing, not a Russian-Soviet one, and I don’t remember any such precedents. Second, Russia has no objective interest in achieving a complete Taliban victory, because it would mean more pressure by the Islamists on Central Asia, and this is a threat to our security," Minchenko explained. However, the outcome of the elections will be decided in six battleground states and the issue of relations with Russia are certainly not a priority there, the expert added. "The topic of Russia will affect the general political climate for a long time, but other factors will decide the outcome of the elections," he added.
The report will most likely be used as justification for two already popular ideas, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and former adviser to US Secretary of State Stephen Sestanovich told Vedomosti. However, the issue is unlikely to be of key importance in this election campaign, since Americans are now much more concerned with other important things, like the pandemic, economic problems, racial issues, China, the future world order and our place in it, climate change, and so on, the expert noted.
Izvestia: EU opens despite possible second coronavirus wave, entry of Russians still being debated
The EU hopes that restrictions on its internal borders will be finally lifted by the end of June, the European Commission told Izvestia. As for opening the external borders from July 1, the list of countries will be regularly reviewed taking into account the changing situation. According to media reports, 15 countries will be first, including Canada, Japan, and South Korea. Meanwhile, the WHO warns of the risk of a second wave of coronavirus in Europe. Over the past two weeks, 30 countries have experienced an increase in the incidence of COVID-19.
The press service of the European Commission told the newspaper that the list of countries that can be allowed entry to the EU, is being prepared, given certain criteria. The main one is the epidemiological situation in the country, which should be the same or better than in the EU, the press service said. In response to the question of including Russia in the list, the European Commission emphasized that discussions are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, the threat of a second coronavirus wave looms over the EU. On June 25, the WHO warned of the risk of a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the region. Over the past two weeks, 30 countries have experienced an increase in the number of cases of COVID-19, in 11 of them, the accelerated spread of the infection has led to its revival.
The press service of the Federal Ministry of Health of Germany told Izvestia that at the regional level, governments are trying to restrain the outbreaks, and it is possible that local restrictions will be tightened again over a period of time.
Italy, one of the first hotbeds of COVID-19 in Europe, has already started preparing hospitals. Antonio Clavenna, an epidemiologist at the Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research, told Izvestia that there is a probability of a second wave and that this time, the Italian healthcare system can deal more effectively with any new outbreaks.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: US won’t cede Pacific power to China
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington would redeploy its military units so that they are ready to respond to China's threats to countries such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta, this warning came at a time when strife between a number of members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China has been heating up over the disputed islands in the South China Sea.
According to the newspaper, the recent plans of US President Donald Trump to reduce the US military contingent in Germany were discussed the most. However, the relocation in Europe might be only an element of a broader strategy aimed at concentrating more forces in the main direction of focus which is to restrain China's expansion, Nezavisimaya Gazeta wrote.
The confrontation between the two powers is unfolding against China’s attempted expansion in the South China Sea, which provoked protests from several ASEAN countries. Ten ASEAN member countries held a summit on Friday. A document distributed after the meeting expressed disagreement with China’s territorial requirements.


tass--2020-06-29--Russian space firm to produce several Angara carrier rockets at lower cost

MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
The Khrunichev Space Center will produce several Angara carrier rockets at a price @ @ @ @ @ rubles ( $ 71 million ) , the press office of Russia ’ s State @ @ @ @ @ on Monday .
`` The contract for several rockets of this type as part of @ @ @ @ @ been signed at the price of less than 5 billion rubles per rocket , which @ @ @ @ @ initial price , '' Roscosmos said .
The Khrunichev Space Center earlier said in notes @ @ @ @ @ that the Angara rocket ’ s cost price would be lowered from 7 billion rubles @ @ @ @ @ to 4 billion rubles ( $ 57 million ) by 2024 .

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. The Khrunichev Space Center will produce several Angara carrier rockets at a price of less than 5 billion rubles ($71 million), the press office of Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos told TASS on Monday.
"The contract for several rockets of this type as part of the experimental design work has been signed at the price of less than 5 billion rubles per rocket, which is considerably lower than the initial price," Roscosmos said.
The Khrunichev Space Center earlier said in notes to its 2019 financial statements that the Angara rocket’s cost price would be lowered from 7 billion rubles ($100 million) to 4 billion rubles ($57 million) by 2024.


tass--2020-06-29--Terrorists use declining living standards, COVID-19 stress to recruit new members

MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
Declining incomes and living standards due to the COVID-19 pandemic have made it easier for terrorists to recruit new members into their ranks .
Head of the Commonwealth of Independent States ( CIS ) Anti-Terrorism Center ( ATC ) Andrey Novikov said in an interview with TASS that another factor for recruitment is religious radicalization due to social stress .
`` Recruitment - and experts in different countries note this - is being made easier not only by the declining quality of life in those countries that even before the pandemic had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but also by the additional effect of prolonged social stress and by religious radicalization .
This is a serious challenge to society , '' the head of the anti-terror center said .
He added that in CIS countries , extremist groups tried to use the negative social effects of the pandemic-related restrictions in order to stoke ( primarily via social networks ) discontent with the government ’ s actions .
`` There is a common understanding that the objective `` social fatigue '' should be separated from the restrictions introduced and its artificial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structure , '' the official noted .

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Declining incomes and living standards due to the COVID-19 pandemic have made it easier for terrorists to recruit new members into their ranks. Head of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Anti-Terrorism Center (ATC) Andrey Novikov said in an interview with TASS that another factor for recruitment is religious radicalization due to social stress.
"Recruitment - and experts in different countries note this - is being made easier not only by the declining quality of life in those countries that even before the pandemic had been at the bottom of the economic rankings but also by the additional effect of prolonged social stress and by religious radicalization. This is a serious challenge to society," the head of the anti-terror center said.
He added that in CIS countries, extremist groups tried to use the negative social effects of the pandemic-related restrictions in order to stoke (primarily via social networks) discontent with the government’s actions. "There is a common understanding that the objective "social fatigue" should be separated from the restrictions introduced and its artificial amplification in order to destabilize the constitutional structure," the official noted.


tass--2020-06-29--Russia developing vertical take-off and landing drones for naval ships

MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
Russia ’ s Advanced Research Fund is developing deck-based vertical take-off and landing @ @ @ @ @ Fund ’ s National Center for the Development of Technologies and Basic Robotics Elements Oleg @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Now we are developing an aircraft-type aerial platform with the possibility of its @ @ @ @ @ the deck .
This is a very interesting task : a drone is required to @ @ @ @ @ mission , return and land on the ship , which sways on the waves in @ @ @ @ @ wind and the ship ’ s movement , '' he said .

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Russia’s Advanced Research Fund is developing deck-based vertical take-off and landing drones, Head of the Fund’s National Center for the Development of Technologies and Basic Robotics Elements Oleg Martyanov told TASS on Monday.
"Now we are developing an aircraft-type aerial platform with the possibility of its vertical take-off and landing on the deck. This is a very interesting task: a drone is required to take off, accomplish its mission, return and land on the ship, which sways on the waves in the conditions of the side wind and the ship’s movement," he said.


tass--2020-06-29--Russia begins trials on voice control of military robots

MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
Russian specialists conduct tests on controlling combat robots with voice commands , with commanders issuing orders to the robotic complex in the same way they do with human soldiers , says Oleg Martyanov , head of the Russian Foundation for Advanced Research Projects ’ National Center for Development of Technologies and Basic Elements of Robotics..
According to Martyanov , the robots were initially made to be controlled by an electronic tablet .
`` Then we tried the voice control technology , when a commander gives orders to both his subordinates and the robots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Martyanov said .
The new solutions on robot control are being tested on the Marker robotic platform , he said .
`` The Marker is learning to understand the received command and act , like a human , '' the Center head said .
The specialists also work on increasing the robot ’ s autonomy , because the distance of operator control today does not exceed 2 to 5 kilometers , Martyanov disclosed .
`` Our goal is to teach the Marker to perform tasks on its own at a significant distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determined by the robotic platform ’ s range , '' he said , adding that the Marker is supposed to be able to update its route and target locations on its own , by launching a reconnaissance drone .
The Marker can move up to 500 kilometers away .
The Marker robotic platform is the joint project of the Center and the Android Technics Scientific Production Association , the developer of the FEDOR/Skybot android .
The platform is supposed to become the key element for practice of joint operation of ground robots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Marker is positioned as a construction set for development of combat models in the future .

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Russian specialists conduct tests on controlling combat robots with voice commands, with commanders issuing orders to the robotic complex in the same way they do with human soldiers, says Oleg Martyanov, head of the Russian Foundation for Advanced Research Projects’ National Center for Development of Technologies and Basic Elements of Robotics..
According to Martyanov, the robots were initially made to be controlled by an electronic tablet.
"Then we tried the voice control technology, when a commander gives orders to both his subordinates and the robots. We are developing it now," Martyanov said.
The new solutions on robot control are being tested on the Marker robotic platform, he said.
"The Marker is learning to understand the received command and act, like a human," the Center head said.
The specialists also work on increasing the robot’s autonomy, because the distance of operator control today does not exceed 2 to 5 kilometers, Martyanov disclosed.
"Our goal is to teach the Marker to perform tasks on its own at a significant distance from the operator, at a distance determined by the robotic platform’s range," he said, adding that the Marker is supposed to be able to update its route and target locations on its own, by launching a reconnaissance drone. The Marker can move up to 500 kilometers away.
The Marker robotic platform is the joint project of the Center and the Android Technics Scientific Production Association, the developer of the FEDOR/Skybot android. The platform is supposed to become the key element for practice of joint operation of ground robots, unmanned aviation and Special Operations forces. The Marker is positioned as a construction set for development of combat models in the future.


tass--2020-06-29--Russia reports less than 7,000 COVID-19 cases for fourth day in a row

MOSCOW , June 29 .
/TASS/ .
The number of COVID-19 cases recorded in Russia in the past day reached @ @ @ @ @ been less than 7,000 for the fourth day in a row , the anti-coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ According to the crisis center , the total case tally rose to 641,156 .
The @ @ @ @ @ exceed 1.1 % in the past four days .
Some 782 new cases were recorded @ @ @ @ @ the Moscow Region , 277 in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region , 236 in the Irkutsk @ @ @ @ @ Petersburg .
To date , 228,560 COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment in Russia .
The @ @ @ @ @ registered in the Chukotka and Nenets Autonomous Regions , in Moscow , Sevastopol , the @ @ @ @ @ .

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. The number of COVID-19 cases recorded in Russia in the past day reached 6,719 and the figure has been less than 7,000 for the fourth day in a row, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Monday.
According to the crisis center, the total case tally rose to 641,156. The daily growth rate did not exceed 1.1% in the past four days.
Some 782 new cases were recorded in Moscow, 335 in the Moscow Region, 277 in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region, 236 in the Irkutsk Region and 219 in St. Petersburg. To date, 228,560 COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment in Russia.
The lowest daily growth rate was registered in the Chukotka and Nenets Autonomous Regions, in Moscow, Sevastopol, the Moscow Region and North Ossetia.