• China buys cheap Russian oil in record volumes

    China has taken advantage of falling demand for oil in Europe amid a coronavirus pandemic to replenish its reserves with oil from Russia. According to traders, China has already purchased 1.6 million tons of Russian oil for shipping by sea in the next four weeks, Reuters reported. At the same time, the Chinese are enjoying not only a drop in demand for oil in Europe, but also low prices for Russian raw materials.

    According to traders, Russian oil companies are quite happy with orders from …

  • Russian Su-27 fighter jet crashes in Black Sea

    On March 25, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet crashed in the Black Sea off the Crimean coast, reported the TV channel "Crimea 24" with reference to the Russian Defense Ministry.

    According to the Russian news agency TASS, the Su-27 disappeared from radar screens 50 km from the city of Feodosia.

    "The Su-27 fighter jet disappeared from the control screens during the scheduled flights on March 25, at about 20:10, over the Black Sea,50 km from Feodosia. At 20:11 the signal of an emergency beacon in the …

  • Germany allows Poland to decide the fate of Nord Stream 2 pipeline

    German regulatory office for electricity, gas, telecommunications, post and railway market, Bundesnetzagentur has allowed Poland to participate in the consideration of the application to exclude Nord Stream 2 from the rules of the new EU Gas Directive. This issue is key for the future of the project, as European regulations can severely restrict gas supplies through the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

    Last year, the European Commission approved new changes to the EU Gas Directive. Now the Third …

  • Putin to postpone indefinitely vote on Constitution

    President Vladimir Putin, in an address to the nation, will announce the postponement of the vote on amendments to the Constitution, which was scheduled for April 22, reports RBC news agency, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the preparation.

    “At present, it is not clear exactly how the situation with the spread of coronavirus will develop, so it is not possible to determine a new date,” explained another source familiar with the issue. “It is legally possible to move the date from …

  • Russian Defense Minister undergoes coronavirus test after his trip to Syria

    Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu was tested for coronavirus infection upon his return from Syria, reported the Russian Defense Ministry’s TV channel Zvezda.

    On March 23, Sergey Shoygu made a working visit to Syria. There he held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. They discussed stabilizing the situation in Syria, including ensuring a sustainable ceasefire in Idlib province, as well as Russian-Syrian military-technical, humanitarian and economic cooperation.

    According to Zvezda, …