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James Kilner

0724GMT//Putin compares himself to Jesus; Kia plans to import cars to Russia

PUTIN INTERVIEW: Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia is developing "military-technical and military cooperation" with China. He said this in an interview with Western news agencies on the sidelines of the St Petersburg Economic Forum. (COMMENT: Russia doesn't yet have a military alliance with China.

0705GMT//Trumps says Russia not supplying Iran; EU diplomat attacked in Vladivostok

RUSSIA-IRAN: Donald Trump said Russia has not sent any military aid to Iran since the Israel-Iran conflict erupted last week. (COMMENT: This matches Russian reporting which has been consistently pro-Iran but has not suggested that the Kremlin has sent any military aid to Iran – a key Russian ally since its

0652GMT//Kremlin evacuates Russians from Iran; Shoigu returns to North Korea

EVACUATIONS FROM IRAN: The Kremlin continued to evacuate its citizens from Iran through Azerbaijan. On Monday it said that 225 Russians had fled from Iran, including families of Russian diplomats and the touring Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra. This followed a group of 88 Russians who fled Iran on Saturday. Russian media

0654//Putin criticises Israeli attacks on Iran; considers evacuating top Iran officials

ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT: The Kremlin has criticised Israel for striking Iran with missiles and drones. Iran has become a key ally for the Kremlin since its invasion of Ukraine. (COMMENT: The issue here is how deep the Kremlin gets dragged into the Israel-Iran conflict.) Vladimir Putin on Friday spoke to both

0635GMT//Russians 'celebrate' Russia Day; Businesses lobby against return of Western firms

RUSSIA DAY: The US congratulated Russians on Russia Day on Thursday for the first time since the Kremlin invaded Ukraine in 2022. In a statement, US Sec. of State Marco Rubio said that the US was "committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build on their

0615GMT//Putin orders a military modernisation

UPDATING THE MILITARY: Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered his officials to update the Russian military. This includes modernising the Russian Navy, the infantry, missile systems and Russia's nuclear arsenal. "The dominant force in modern military operations remains the ground forces and it is important to increase their

0724GMT//Russian steel demand falls; Russia proposes next round of talks with the US

STEEL DEMAND: Demand for steel in Russia has dropped by around 10% this year to its lowest level since 2016, manufacturers told the Vedomosti newspaper. They blamed the drop on a collapse in the construction sector because of Russia's high interest rates and a collapse in exports because

0613GMT//Pyongyang-Moscow train to start running again; Russian official wants less web surfing, more sex

THE PYONGYANG-MOSCOW EXPRESS: A train will run between Moscow and Pyongyang for the first time in five years, Russian Railways said on Monday. It said that the 10,000km journey will take eight days. (COMMENT: The Moscow-Pyongyang rail service is an important symbolic link for both Russia and North Korea.

0740GMT//Russia cuts interest rates for first time in three years; Musk's dad flies into Moscow

INTEREST RATE CUT: Russia's Central Bank cut its core interest rate for the first time in three years on Friday to 20% from 21%. (COMMENT: this interest rate cut decision, while not unexpected, went against a poll of economists in the Vedomosti newspaper. The strong rouble and pressure

0705GMT//Russian police inspect trucks after drone attack; 4G in Afghanistan

TRUCK INSPECTION: Traffic police in Russia have started stopping and inspecting trucks across the country in response to the Ukrainian drone attack at the weekend. (COMMENT: Video shows long queues of trucks. These queues will cause frustration and chaos and will impact the Russian economy – just as Ukraine intended.) DRONE