RIA Novosti
RIA Novosti is a Russian state-owned news agency, established in 2013 on the basis of the reorganised RIA Russia Today. It is headed by general director Dmitry Kiselyov. The agency is one of the largest Russian-language news providers and disseminates the official position of the Russian authorities, which has led to it being placed under sanctions by the European Union and a number of other countries.
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Russia launches massive new campaign of strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities
On 16 October, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov publicly reported to Vladimir Putin that Russia had begun a dedicated campaign of massive strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Overnight into 17 October, Russian forces hit energy facilities in 10 oblasts, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying more than 15 power generation and transmission sites were damaged in one of the largest such strikes on record.
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Kremlin endorses Trump's call for new Ukrainian president; European leaders rally behind Zelensky
The Kremlin publicly backed US President Donald Trump's statement that Ukraine should elect a new leader, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov citing Volodymyr Zelensky's alleged unwillingness to make difficult decisions to end the war. Zelensky responded by offering to hold elections if Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire and said Ukraine will defend itself against Russian aggression regardless of American pressure. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Foreign Minister and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly expressed solidarity with Zelensky ahead of the 12 October EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, where EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said wartime elections are constitutionally barred and that international pressure should be directed at Russia.
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Russian drone strikes Kyiv's Northern Bridge, injuring two and closing a second Dnipro crossing
A Russian drone hit the Northern Bridge in Kyiv on the morning of 3 October, damaging the road surface and trolleybus contact network, injuring two people, and closing the bridge to traffic from the left to the right bank. The strike came a day after repeated Russian drone attacks forced the full closure of the Southern Bridge, leaving the capital with two of its main Dnipro crossings out of normal operation.
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RIA Novosti briefly publishes, then deletes column threatening nuclear strike against Lithuania
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti published and then removed a column that openly threatened a nuclear strike against Lithuania, days after the Lithuanian parliament moved to lift its constitutional ban on hosting weapons of mass destruction. The agency said the piece reflected only the author's personal opinion, not its editorial or state policy.