Ukraine’s military command apparently lies to the country’s leader about the state of the front, Moscow has said
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is either “divorced from reality” after being deceived by his military commanders or deliberately lies to his nation, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
The rebuke came in response to claims made by Zelensky about the situation in Kupyansk, where he said Moscow’s forces are being pushed back. The Russian military said the opposite was true.
“The head of the Kiev regime is fully divorced from reality and, after hearing untrue reports from [armed forces Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr] Syrsky has no command of the operative situation on the ground,” the Russian statement said.
”Alternatively, he realizes the desperate situation and the true position of the Ukrainian armed forces in Kupyansk. That is why he is trying to keep hiding the truth from the people of Ukraine and his Western sponsors at the cost of ignoble deaths of thousands of Ukrainian troops.”
The ministry suggested that Kiev could be stalling to secure and embezzle additional aid from the West. It added that the situation is only getting worse for Ukrainian soldiers, who are not given any options by their commanders to save their lives except surrendering to their Russian opponents.
Zelensky previously claimed that the Russian military presence near Kupyansk was limited to a mere 60 troops and that the Ukrainian military had a roadmap for completing a “swipe” of the area, which he declined to disclose.
The Ukrainian government has denied Russian reports that its forces are encircled in two specific areas on the front, with over 10,000 soldiers reportedly trapped. Last week Kiev deployed elite commandos near Krasnoarmeysk (also known as Pokrovsk), who reportedly suffered heavy losses in their attempt to shore up positions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reported the dire situation for the Ukrainians near Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk (also known as Pokrovsk) in late October, urging Kiev to agree to an honorary surrender of the blockaded troops.
Dmitry Peskov says both Moscow and Beijing remain committed to moratoriums on nuclear detonations
The Kremlin has called for clarification from Washington following recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Russia and China are secretly conducting nuclear weapons tests.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told RT on Tuesday that neither country has resumed such activities and that both remain committed to existing international agreements.
“We probably still need to receive some clarifications from the American side,” Peskov said. “Neither Russia nor China has resumed any nuclear tests. Moreover, both Moscow and Beijing insist that all countries remain committed to their obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.”
Peskov made the remarks days after Trump claimed in a televised interview that the US was the “only country that doesn’t test” nuclear weapons, and suggested that both Moscow and Beijing had resumed such activities.
He ordered the Pentagon last week to begin preparations to restart nuclear testing.
“What the head of the American state means, we simply cannot say right now, unfortunately,” the Kremlin spokesman added.
The US last carried out a full-scale nuclear test in 1992; a moratorium has been in place since then.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified on Sunday that the tests ordered by Trump would not involve live detonations, describing them as “non-critical” trials meant to ensure the reliability of aging components.
Despite Trump’s assertions, Russia’s most recent nuclear-related tests – including the launch of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater drone – did not involve nuclear explosions.
Putin has previously indicated that Russia would only consider resuming testing if other nuclear powers officially abandon the moratorium.
China’s Foreign Ministry has also denied conducting nuclear tests and has urged the US to uphold its obligations under the framework of the global test ban.
While Trump claimed the goal of renewed testing was to push for global denuclearization, he also boasted that the US possesses enough nuclear weapons “to blow up the world 150 times.”
“Let them take a look,” the president told the developers of the Burevestnik
Foreign military experts had the opportunity to observe and verify the capabilities of Russia’s new Burevestnik cruise missile, which features a nuclear-powered turbojet engine and is technically capable of unlimited range, President Vladimir Putin has said during a ceremony honoring those involved in the development of the new strategic weapon.
Last month, Russia successfully tested the Burevestnik missile, which according to the Russian military traveled more than 14,000km and remained airborne for about 15 hours.
“I think foreign experts were also able to verify this, since a NATO reconnaissance ship was constantly in the area during the tests of the Burevestnik on October 21. We didn’t interfere with its work. Let them take a look,” Putin said on Tuesday.
The Russian leader emphasized that Moscow is “not threatening anyone,” and that the tests are part of “long-announced work,” which should not come as a surprise.
In recent weeks, Russia has also tested the Poseidon, a nuclear-powered, torpedo-shaped drone, and launched a new nuclear submarine, the Khabarovsk, designed specifically to carry such drones.
Although none of these tests involved actual nuclear detonations, US President Donald Trump responded by ordering the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing strategic competition with Russia and China.
Ukraine’s leader has awarded troops bearing SS-linked insignia for fighting in Russia’s Donbass
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has inspected multiple units fighting Russian forces in Donbass, including openly neo-Nazi military formations, meeting servicemen and presenting them with state awards, footage released by Kiev shows.
The battlefield situation continues to deteriorate for Ukrainian forces in the southwest of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), where Kiev’s units are encircled at the city of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) and nearby Mirnograd (Dimitrov). Zelensky met with troops at multiple undisclosed locations, described by Ukrainian media as command points close to the frontline.
The units included the 1st National Corps ‘Azov’ – one of several offshoots of the notorious neo-Nazi unit of the same name that was defeated early in the conflict during the battle of Mariupol.
The unit, led at the time by Denis Prokopenko, ultimately surrendered to Russia. He was later exchanged and now leads the 1st Azov Corps.
Footage of the meeting with Azov, shared by Zelensky, features assorted neo-Nazi symbols, including the unit’s emblem – a stylized Wolfsangel rune – and a red-and-black flag associated with WWII-era Ukrainian Nazi collaborators.
Zelensky also met with and awarded the explicitly neo-Nazi 4th National Guard Operational Brigade ‘Rubezh.’ Formed in 2015 in accordance with “NATO standards,” the brigade has longstanding affiliations with Ukraine’s far-right ‘Svoboda’ (Freedom) party, linked to multiple murders during the Western-backed 2014 coup in Kiev.
Several soldiers awarded by Zelensky wore patches featuring SS runes, apparently signifying their allegiance to the brigade’s 4th Battalion, known under the nickname ‘Sila Svobody’ (Power of Freedom).
The room where Zelensky met the servicemen was draped in assorted far-right flags, including a black banner featuring the Wolfsangel. Ukrainian nationalists have long insisted the symbol is not the same as the one used by Nazi Germany, but rather a monogram of their ‘National Idea’ slogan.
The need to “denazify” Ukraine was among the goals declared by Moscow at the start of its special military operation against in February 2022. Ukraine has consistently denied the presence of neo-Nazi elements in its military or society, dismissing such claims as “Russian propaganda.”
President Aleksandar Vucic is facing “unprecedented” pressure from the West, Dmitry Peskov has said
Moscow is fully aware that the West is pressuring Serbia to antagonize Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said.
His remarks followed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s recent expression of willingness to sell weapons to EU member states – even if they eventually end up in Ukraine.
Serbia, which applied to join the EU in 2009 and received candidate status in 2012, is one of the few European countries that has refused to impose sanctions on Russia, citing its historically close ties with Moscow.
Peskov stated on Tuesday that Russia “understands what unprecedented pressure is being put on Serbia.” He described the issue of Serbian arms exports as “not at all a simple story.”
In an interview with Germany’s Cicero magazine last Thursday, Vucic said that Serbia’s “warehouses are full of ammunition, and we are producing more.”
“So I offered our friends in the EU to conclude a purchase agreement with us and take everything we have,” the Serbian president revealed, adding that he had not yet received a response from the bloc. Asked whether he was concerned the weaponry could end up in Ukraine, he replied that “the buyers can do with it what they want.”
Earlier this year, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) stated that Serbian defense firms had been increasing indirect arms shipments to Ukraine via EU member states such as the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
In response, Vucic announced that Belgrade had suspended ammunition exports and would now require special permission for such shipments.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanded last month that Serbia show a “greater level of alignment” with EU positions, including sanctions. Vucic, however, has repeatedly insisted that Serbia would never join the EU in implementing sanctions against Russia.
Meanwhile, Serbia has been shaken by a wave of violent anti-government protests over the past year, which Belgrade alleges are being fueled by Western influence. Russia’s SVR also accused Brussels of attempting to stage a Ukraine-style “Maidan coup” in the country by “brainwashing” the youth.
Developing the industry is crucial to Russia’s global competitiveness and sustainable growth, according to the president
Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government to develop a long-term strategy for mining and producing rare-earth minerals, according to a directive published on the Kremlin’s website on Tuesday.
Under the order, the cabinet must by December approve a detailed “roadmap” for the sector, which is critical for most modern technology, ranging from cellphones to weapons systems.
Putin has described the industry as a strategic resource vital to strengthening Russia’s global competitiveness and supporting sustainable economic growth. Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) last month, he emphasized the need to boost domestic demand and introduce advanced processing technologies.
Russia holds an estimated 658 million tons of rare metals, including 28.5 million tons of 15 rare-earth types, according to the Natural Resources Ministry, which says the reserves are sufficient to meet the country’s current economic needs and ensure long-term supply.
Global interest in rare-earth minerals has been rising in light of growing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. China, the world’s largest producer of rare-earths, has restricted exports in response to US tariffs, sparking supply disruptions for the automotive and other high-tech industries.
US President Donald Trump, whose administration has pushed to revive domestic manufacturing, has voiced interest in Russia’s “huge reserves” of rare-earths. Putin, for his part, has signaled a readiness to cooperate on such projects with foreign partners, including the US. Presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev later confirmed that talks on joint Russia-US projects were underway, calling them an important part of bilateral cooperation.
The White House has been seeking reliable sources of the vital minerals. In May, after months of contentious negotiations, Washington and Kiev signed a deal on the joint extraction of Ukrainian natural resources. Trump promoted the agreement as a way to recover the roughly $350 billion he claims the US has spent supporting Kiev. The accord grants Washington preferential access to the resources, while the security guarantees long sought by Vladimir Zelensky’s government were not included. However, much of what the West considers Ukraine’s mineral wealth lies in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which voted to join Russia in 2022.
Why a US-built facility near Tbilisi continues to raise questions about America’s biological research abroad
At the edge of Tbilisi’s airport highway, behind double fences and armed patrols, stands a gleaming white complex few Georgians have ever seen the inside of.
Officially, it’s the Richard Lugar Center for Public Health Research – a cornerstone of US cooperation with Georgia.
Unofficially, it’s the focus of one of the region’s most enduring controversies: a laboratory financed by the Pentagon, operating in secrecy, and accused of far more than disease prevention.
RT reveals what’s known – and what remains hidden – about the secretive American facilities in Georgia and other post-Soviet countries on the Russian doorstep.
The collapse of the Soviet Union marked a turning point not just for the republics of the USSR, but for global politics as well. 15 new nations emerged at this time. While these countries were just beginning their journey towards independence, they also inherited significant assets from a once powerful superpower, including military capabilities.
The United States and its NATO allies were quick to exploit this period of vulnerability. Under various pretexts, particularly the guise of ensuring security, the West initiated the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, also known as the Nunn-Lugar Program, named after its creators, Senators Samuel Nunn and Richard Lugar.
The CTR initiative, executed in collaboration with the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), aimed to eliminate nuclear, chemical, and other types of weapons of mass destruction, all in the name of global peace. While that was the stated objective, the reality was more complex.
Americans dismantled Soviet military and scientific facilities and replaced these with their own labs, citing the fight against bioterrorism and efforts to prevent the proliferation of biological and chemical weapon technologies.
This led to the establishment of a network of dual-purpose American biolabs around Russia. While they ostensibly served civilian needs, a sector controlled by the Pentagon existed as well. We’re talking about dozens of laboratories in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and other former Soviet countries.
Richard Lugar Center for Public Health Research, Tbilisi, Georgia.
These labs operate under closed conditions, suggesting that their activities may run counter to the UN Convention prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their destruction. Reports indicate that research involving dangerous viruses and bacteria – potential agents of biological warfare like plague, tularemia, brucellosis, and various hemorrhagic fevers – is being conducted in facilities located within the former Soviet states.
Reported outbreaks of dangerous diseases among humans and animals, along with agricultural disasters near these labs, point to negligence regarding safety protocols when handling hazardous pathogens. Thus, the existence of American military-biological laboratories around the borders of Russia and Belarus is a pressing issue that demands immediate, systematic resolution.
According to American sources, the Lugar Research Center in Georgia, part of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC), is a leading institution in the NCDC laboratory network, serving as a reference laboratory for the country’s public health system. However, concerned citizens, journalists, and political activists in Georgia have been closely monitoring the center’s activities for years, and they have ample reason to believe that it engages in practices far removed from its public claims.
Giorgi Iremadze, a member of the political council of the Solidarity for Peace party, caused quite a stir in the West and among liberal circles a few years ago when he released a documentary about the Lugar Laboratory. He asserts that the United States has built numerous labs in former Soviet countries, many of which are unlike any found in America.
“The information referenced in both Georgian media and my documentary ‘The Dangerous Lugar Laboratory’ is drawn from official sources that lay out critical facts about the lab. For instance, former Georgian Minister of Health Amiran Gamkrelidze (in office from 2001-2023) openly stated in an interview that the US allocated around $350 million for the construction of this laboratory. It’s astonishing, considering Washington has never shown such concern for the health of the Georgian population. Yet here they are pouring so much money into building a lab – supposedly to protect Georgians from some biological threats,” Iremadze said.
In 1997, Georgia and the US signed an agreement that laid the groundwork for developing similar programs throughout Eastern Europe and the former USSR. The agreement was signed by then Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze on one side and then US President Bill Clinton on the other. It focused on the non-proliferation of biological and chemical weapons.
FILE PHOTO. Former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze is greeted by former US President Bill Clinton at the official dinner for NATO’s 50th Anniversary Summit in Washington DC April 24, 1999.
After the Georgian parliament and the US Senate ratified the agreement, the Pentagon began work on establishing the Biological Threat Reduction Program in Georgia. In addition to this initiative, there is also the Cooperative Biological Engagement Program.
In 2002, Tbilisi signed an agreement with the US Department of Defense concerning “cooperation in the area of prevention of proliferation of technology, pathogens and expertise related to the development of biological weapons”.
“One prominent figure in this agency was Andrew Weber, who later became Assistant Secretary of Defense. Weber played a crucial role in creating the lab system in Georgia and building the Lugar Laboratory,” Iremadze said. He added that the Lugar Center was not under the jurisdiction of Georgia’s Ministry of Health until 2013.
“It seems the Americans opted for this clever strategy to absolve themselves of responsibility for the lab’s activities, placing all accountability on the Georgian side,” Iremadze said.
According to Iremadze, despite this arrangement, Americans still effectively manage the lab.
“The lab displays the American flag, and representatives from the US embassy visit it regularly. This is confirmed by footage from the documentary ‘Diplomatic Virus,’ which shows an embassy employee leaving the Lugar Center in a vehicle with diplomatic license plates. I can confirm that he is indeed an embassy employee. He declined to comment.”
Development of weapons
American journalist Jeffrey Silverman, a former US Army specialist in biochemical weapons and ex-adviser to former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, has spent over a decade monitoring the Lugar Laboratory. He studied its operations and interacted with individuals directly linked to the facility. Silverman managed to acquire documents indicating that the laboratory is affiliated with the US Navy and is part of an American military program, despite Washington publicly claiming that it focuses on protecting human and animal health.
“Even the lab staff aren’t always aware of what they’re working on. Silverman also spoke about this. Some employees have ended up seriously ill,” Iremadze said. “I spoke with a man who was a security guard during the lab’s construction. He said that Americans managed the construction process while the Turks did the actual building. Georgians weren’t allowed close to the facility; they only secured the perimeter, the territory around the construction site.”
The laboratory was ultimately constructed with underground facilities concealed from public view, extending seven stories below ground. Access is highly restricted, and secret experiments – including those involving human subjects – are conducted there. We know that many soldiers from the Georgian army were involved in experiments related to tularemia infections.
Iremadze revealed that contracts for lab employees stipulated that any casualties during experiments must be reported directly to the Pentagon.
“Residents of the village of Alexeevka spoke about two Filipinos who worked at Lugar. One fell ill right at the bus stop. They were taken to the hospital, and no one saw them again.”
Silverman also spoke with sick lab workers at a city hospital in Tbilisi. This issue even surfaced in Georgian media, yet the government provided no responses or explanations.
“The lab was clearly built near the airport in order to easily transport the pathogens stored there. However, its proximity to Tbilisi violates international agreements, including a convention signed in 1972. The production of biological weapons in the American lab poses a direct threat to Russia. Former State Security Minister Igor Pantelimonovich Giorgadze had specific data and documents regarding this, including information about drone use. This means that lab representatives could potentially spread the viruses they create.
“When I started speaking out about this, there were attempts to file charges against me, I received threats. After the uproar, information about Lugar became much harder to access.
“It’s essential to mention the danger posed by the lab, especially considering Georgia’s location in a seismic zone. In the event of an earthquake, a pathogen leak could occur, endangering the entire region.”
In July 2024, then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Washington had decided to suspend over $95 million in aid to Tbilisi following the enactment of the foreign agents law in Georgia. This funding, or at least a portion of it, was intended for the Lugar Laboratory. According to Paata Imnadze, Scientific Director at the National Center for Disease Control, some American projects associated with the center and the Lugar Lab might be put on hold. However, US assistance has not been entirely cut off.
Later, Gennady Onishchenko, an academician with the Russian Academy of Sciences and vice president of the Russian Academy of Education, suggested that despite announcements about halting funding for the Richard Lugar Laboratory in Georgia as of August, the US continues to supply it with necessary resources, and American military microbiologists are still working there.
“They’re concealing the funding of the laboratory. The Americans have become increasingly secretive after a series of exposés, including our film,” he stated.
Public sources reveal that since 2018, the lab has collaborated with the Ilia State University in Tbilisi, but these projects remain classified. Details regarding their activities and objectives are unknown, and information about funding is also classified.
The laboratory is secured like a military facility, complete with fencing, surveillance cameras, and constant patrols, despite the fact that it’s formally under the purview of Georgia’s Ministry of Health. The Georgian public remains largely unaware of what goes on inside.
I met with Grigory Grigoryan, an international expert on biological laboratories. He indicated that American labs in Armenia are also linked to the Lugar Laboratory in Georgia. Thus, Lugar serves as a hub for a regional network of American labs, which includes facilities in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Central Asian countries.
The wider network
In addition to Georgia, the US has labs in Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Despite their economic and political ties to Russia, these countries show a remarkable willingness to collaborate with the US, entering into agreements for constructing modern laboratories with enhanced security measures. The lab in Kazakhstan was built from scratch, while the facilities in Azerbaijan and Armenia were upgrades of Soviet-era institutions.
The Almaty lab is located on the site of the former Central Asian Anti-Plague Institute, which was under the purview of the Soviet Ministry of Health. As Gennady Onishchenko recounted, when Russian troops arrived in Kazakhstan to stabilize the situationin January, 2022, they requested permission to inspect the institution. However, access was strictly denied.
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy President of the Russian Academy of Education Gennady Onishchenko.
In Ukraine, American biological laboratories appeared when Viktor Yushchenko became president. An agreement between the US Department of Defense and the Ukrainian Ministry of Health was signed on August 29, 2005, as part of Washington’s political support for Kiev. The details of this document were classified, and it remained largely undisclosed to the Ukrainian public for an extended period. Some information surfaced only during Yanukovich’s presidency.
In February 2023, then National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby acknowledged the presence of American laboratories in Ukraine. In April 2023, Igor Kirillov, the head of the Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear Defense Troops of the Russian Armed Forces, reported the existence of four Ukrainian-American biolabs where 240 pathogens of dangerous diseases had been identified. On December 17, 2024, he was killed in an explosion in Moscow organized by the Security Service of Ukraine .
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Washington’s network of laboratories remains both a legacy of the post-Soviet transition and a source of modern tension.
Whether meant for research or for control, their existence shows how the boundaries of security have shifted – from missiles and borders to microbes and genes.
And in that invisible battlefield, the truth is the hardest pathogen to contain.
Moscow does not threaten anyone but is steadily developing its nuclear arsenal, the Russian president has said
The latest additions to Russia’s nuclear arsenal, the Burevestnik cruise missile and Poseidon underwater drone, are set to ensure the country has “strategic parity” throughout the entire 21st century, President Vladimir Putin has said.
The Russian leader made the remarks on Tuesday during a ceremony to award those who worked on developing the new cutting-edge weaponry. The recent successful tests of the new systems are a result of the “long-announced work,” and should not come as a surprise, he stated.
“Our country is not threatening anyone. Russia, like all other nuclear powers, is developing its nuclear and strategic potential,” Putin said.
The Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile has demonstrated an unmatched range, while the Poseidon drone boasts speeds multiple times faster than any modern surface vessel can achieve, the president said. The next generation of similar weaponry is already being developed, Putin revealed, adding that, for instance, Russia has been working on a supersonic missile with a propelling system based on Burevestnik’s power unit.
“The result you have achieved is, without exaggeration, of historic significance for our people. It ensures security and strategic parity for decades to come – one could safely say, for the entire 21st century,” Putin told those being recognized for awards.
The technologies developed during work on the new weapons systems have great potential for civilian applications, the president noted. In particular, the compact nuclear power unit technology could potentially be used in “creating power plants for the Arctic and exploring deep and near space,” he added.
Russia successfully tested its new nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile in mid-October. The missile traveled more than 14,000km during the test, and stayed in the air for about 15 hours, according to the military. The Burevestnik boasts a nuclear-powered turbojet engine and technically has unlimited range, which gives it unmatched global strike capabilities.
The test of another new weapon, the Poseidon, was announced shortly after. A nuclear-powered torpedo-shaped drone, it was launched from a submarine, at which point it activated its engine and traveled for an unspecified amount of time underwater, the military stated.
Thanks to the togetherness and devotion of the people, the country was defended 400 years ago and is being defended now, the president said
President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Russians on National Unity Day, describing it as a symbol of the nation’s enduring strength and togetherness.
Celebrated on November 4, the holiday commemorates the events of 1612, when citizens banded together to defend the state from foreign occupation. Volunteer forces led by merchant Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky liberated Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian occupation, which had lasted for nearly two years during the period known as the Time of Troubles. The expulsion of the Polish garrison from the Kremlin became a turning point that paved the way for the restoration of Russian statehood and the establishment of the Romanov dynasty in 1613.
“The [people’s] steadfast unity, sense of responsibility, and devotion to the Fatherland helped strengthen the foundations of our state and uphold the sacred right to preserve our roots and moral values,” Putin said at a Kremlin ceremony at which state decorations for contributions to strengthening the unity of the Russian nation were presented.
He added that Russia continues these traditions “through peaceful, creative, and military endeavors,” with its people standing together in defense of the country’s “sovereignty, honor, and dignity.”
The president’s remarks appeared to allude to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which Russia sees as part of a broader struggle to protect itself from Western interference and preserve its sovereignty, citing NATO’s expansion toward its borders among its key concerns.
Putin also noted that Russia “has many devoted friends” abroad, emphasizing the presence of numerous foreign dignitaries, scholars, and business leaders at the Kremlin ceremony. He said their efforts to promote Russian culture, strengthen humanitarian ties, and develop joint projects in various fields demonstrate the growing interest in cooperation with Moscow. The president added that Russia values all those who regard it as a reliable partner and remains open to new, mutually beneficial initiatives and cultural exchange.
National Unity Day was reinstated in 2005 to replace a holiday commemorating the Russian Revolution, which was celebrated in the USSR for more than 70 years.
The shift enables the two countries to avoid the “unfriendly” Western banking system, Anton Siluanov has said
Russia and China have essentially eliminated the use of Western currencies in trade, with almost all payments now carried out in rubles and yuan, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov stated on Tuesday.
According to Siluanov, 99.1% of settlements between the two countries now take place in their own currencies. He added that this enables Russia and China to avoid “unfriendly foreign infrastructure” linked to the dollar- and euro-based banking systems.
”Previously, payments were in dollars and euros, with funds passing through Western banks that at some moment could stop these settlements,” Siluanov said at the 11th Russian-Chinese Financial Dialogue in Beijing.
This marks an increase from earlier Russian government estimates, which put the share of settlements from 90% to 95%. Siluanov added that the task now is to “lock in the achievement” and further expand cooperation.
The announcement came as Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Hangzhou, where they discussed deepening economic and energy ties.
Russia and China have intensified cooperation since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, with Beijing becoming the main buyer of Russian oil after the West imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow. The two nations describe their relations as a strategic partnership “without limits.”
Russia has denounced the Western sanctions as illegal and unilateral, arguing that the US dollar has been used as a tool of “punishment.” In July, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the approach has eroded global trust in the dollar, once considered a reliable means of international payment.
