June 23, 2026 9:44 PM

Russia eyes diesel export ban, fuel imports amid Ukrainian strikes; Crimea restricts public life

Russia is considering a diesel export ban, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday, while a newspaper reported on possible fuel imports to tackle shortages, especially in Crimea, which tightened restrictions on public services and activities. Russian President Vladimir Putin also made his first comments about Ukraine’s recent strikes on civilian infrastructure, including on Moscow’s oil refinery, saying they were a ploy to destabilise society. He also called on the government...

June 19, 2024 2:08 AM

Putin flies into North Korea with promise to back it against the US

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in North Korea on Wednesday for his first visit in 24 years, vowing to deepen trade and security ties with the reclusive nuclear-armed state and to support it against the United States. Russian state media showed Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shaking hands, embracing and talking beside Putin's plane. It touched down in Pyongyang around 2:45 a.m. following a stopover in Russia's far east. The leaders then rode in the same limousine and walked ...