💐 5-7 мая в начальной общеобразовательной школе при Посольстве России в Австралии прошла серия мероприятий, посвященных 80-летию Великой Победы.

Состоялись уроки о героическом подвиге советского народа, построение «Бессмертного полка», просмотр военно-драматического фильма «Солдатик» 🎥

Школьники приняли участие в патриотической акции #ОкнаПобеды, украсив окна трафаретами, а также подготовили выставку тематических рисунков и поделок.

📆 Пока жива память, живут в сердцах герои Великой Отечественной войны! 

#МыПомним #Победа80 #БессмертныйПолк

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#Victory80

🏅 May 6 marks 8️⃣0️⃣ years since the start of the Prague Offensive — the final major battle of the Great Patriotic War.

On May 5, 1945, with Berlin already fallen, a popular uprising erupted in Nazi-occupied Prague. In a brutal attempt to crush the resistance, Nazi forces used civilians as human shields. In the early hours of May 6, Czech fighters broadcast a radio plea to Soviet command. Responding to the call, the Red Army launched the offensive a day earlier than planned, before completing redeployment. The operation was led by forces under Marshal Ivan Konev, Marshal Rodion Malinovsky, and Army General Andrey Yeryomenko.

⚔️ On May 7, Soviet forces approached the slopes of the Ore Mountains; on May 8, they liberated Olomouc, the heart of Moravia.

On the night of May 9, with the support from the local population, Soviet forces liberated Prague from Nazi occupation. On May 10, the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, formed in the USSR from Czech volunteers, rolled into the capital aboard Soviet tanks.

On May 11, the Prague Offensive concluded. Nearly the entire German Army Group “Centre” was surrounded and captured — 860'000 fascist soldiers and officers in total.

🕯 The Red Army fought for 246 days to liberate Czechoslovakia. Approximately 140'000 Soviet soldiers sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the Czech and Slovak peoples.

#TheSovietSoldierSavedTheWorld

🎥 © Russian Military Historical Society

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🌟🇷🇺 4 мая в Сиднее в преддверии 80-й годовщины Великой Победы состоялось традиционное шествие «Бессмертного полка».

К акции присоединились несколько сотен человек самых разных возрастов. Вместе с соотечественниками по площади Мартин Плейс и центральным улицам города с портретами своих родных прошли также сотрудники Посольства и Генерального консульства России в Сиднее.

🗣️ Временный поверенный в делах России в Австралии Ю.Р.Громыко:

«Из поколения в поколение сохраняется память о подвиге наших предков, живут воспоминания и личные переживания участников героической битвы с нацизмом, и эта память делает нас сильнее. Марши “Бессмертного полка” проходят в канун Дня Победы по всему миру, и нам, конечно, отрадно видеть, что и в далекой Австралии многие наши соотечественники пришли, чтобы почтить память героев».

Построения «Бессмертного полка» запланированы и в других городах страны – Канберре, Мельбурне, Аделаиде, Брисбене, Перте.

Подробнее:
ТАСС
МИЦ «Известия»

#МыПомним #Победа80 #БессмертныйПолк

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🗣️ 3 мая во Всемирный день свободы печати представляем вашему вниманию фотопортреты выставки #ПогиблиЗаПравду, посвященной российским журналистам, которые отдали жизни, защищая свободу слова и помогая разоблачать #ПреступленияКиевскогоРежима.

Ее авторами стали работающие в зоне боевых
действий сотрудники Донецкого агентства новостей,
Запорожского агентства новостей, Луганского информационного
центра, Херсонского агентства новостей, а также журналист, депутат Законодательного Собрания Санкт-Петербурга, член Совета при Президенте Российской Федерации по развитию гражданского общества и правам человека А.А.Малькевич.

🕯️ Светлая память сотрудникам пресс-служб, чья жизнь оборвалась при исполнении профессионального долга!

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#Victory80

🌟 80 years ago — on May 2, 1945 — following intense battles for the Reichstag and the surrender of other key strongholds such as the Spandau Citadel and the Zoo Tower, the Red Army captured the capital of Nazi Germany — Berlin.

In the early hours of May 2, the Berlin defence headquarters repeatedly broadcast over the radio, in both German and Russian: “We are sending our envoys to the Bismarckstrasse Bridge. We are ceasing military operations.”

🕡 Later that morning, at 6:30 am, Helmuth Weidling, General of the Artillery and Commander of Berlin Defence Area, surrendered, ordering the remaining Nazi forces in the city to stop resisting.

By 9:00 pm that evening, approximately 70,000 Wehrmacht soldiers had surrendered; altogether, over 130,000 troops were taken prisoner in Berlin. The total losses for the German forces in the Berlin offensive operation reached 380,000 killed and 400,000 captured.

The surrender of the Berlin garrison was accepted by Commander of the Soviet 8th Guards Army, General Vasily Chuikov, who had led his troops from the battlefields of Stalingrad to the heart of Berlin. Among the captured were high-ranking officers such as General Kurt Woytasch, Lieutenant General Walter Schmid-Dankward, Vice Admiral Hans-Erich Voss, Chief of Berlin Defence Staff Colonel Hans Refior, and Chief of Staff of the 56th Panzer Corps, Colonel Theodor von Dufving. Nazi propaganda leaders were also detained, including Joseph Goebbels’ top deputy, Dr Hans Fritzsche, who confirmed under interrogation that Hitler, Goebbels, and General Hans Krebs all had committed suicide.

⚔️ The Battle for Berlin lasted from April 24 through May 2. Despite fierce resistance from a heavily fortified German force, the experienced Red Army ultimately prevailed under brilliant strategic leadership of the General Staff and Red Army military commanders.

The fall of Berlin dealt a decisive blow to Nazi Germany, not only eliminating the regime’s political centre but also hastening Germany’s full surrender. The raising of the Soviet Victory Banner over the Reichstag became a symbol of the Soviet people’s triumph over Nazism and the inhumane ideology of the Third Reich.

Following this victory, Soviet forces turned to eliminate the last groups of German resistance in Czechoslovakia and Austria.

***

With Berlin lying in ruins following heavy fierce fighting, the lack of essential services in the city such as water, electricity, and food supply left hundreds of thousands in desperate need. Soviet medical teams immediately began working to prevent outbreaks of disease amid the devastation.

Even before the final assault, Soviet forces had set up hospitals in the suburbs. After the city’s surrender, field kitchens were set up and food distribution began; the work of public transportation, including the metro, was gradually restored. By liberating Europe from Nazism, the Red Army also brought life-saving aid to the people of Berlin, helping them rebuild and begin a new, peaceful chapter.

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#Victory80

🌟 In the early hours of May 1, 1945, the #VictoryBanner was raised atop the Reichstag during the Battle of Berlin. It became a symbol of the triumph of the Soviet Union & its peoples in the fight against Nazism.

The legendary Red Banner №5, which became the famous Victory Banner, was raised over the dome of the defeated Reichstag by the 756th Rifle Regiment’s scouts, Sergeant Mikhail Yegorov & Junior Sergeant Meliton Kantariya.

Before the assault, a decision was made for a group of Soviet soldiers to hoist the flag over the Reichstag, which would embody the final collapse of Nazism.

🚩 A total of 9 makeshift banners were promptly made, designed after the state flag of the USSR. Ultimately, a battle flag of the 150th Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Idritsa Rifle Division, 79th Rifle Corps, 3rd Striking Army of the 1st Belarusian Front, became the Victory Banner.

On April 29, the fierce fighting for the Reichstag began, which the Nazis had turned into a fortified point of resistance. It was defended by over a thousand men, including SS troops supported by artillery and armor.

The Reichstag was of special symbolic importance to the Nazi Germany. The Germans considered it their main fortress during the final days of #WWII. The Soviet command was sure that the storming of that citadel, which was a symbol of German Nazism, would especially affect morale of the enemy and eventually completely demoralize the fascists.

⚔️ On April 30 at 1:50 p.m., a Red Army unit broke into the Reichstag through breaches in the walls, with a fierce close combat unleashing. The Nazis took advantage of effectively advancing inside the building they new well, throwing grenades at Soviet soldiers & firing back with machine-guns: they basically had nothing to lose.

⏱️ At 2.25 p.m., Red Army soldiers Bulatov and Koshkarbayev placed a makeshift red flag to the column of the main entrance to the Reichstag — it was the first of the banners the liberators raised over the Reichstag.

⏱️ At 10.30 p.m., staff sergeants Gizet Zagitov, Alexander Lisimenko & Alexey Bobrov as well as Sergeant Mikhail Minin supported by Captain Neustroyev’s battalion were the 1st to hoist a red banner on the roof of the Reichstag atop of the Goddess of Victory sculpture. The 3rd red banner was raised on the western facade of the roof by the scouts of the 674th Regiment led by Lieutenant Sorokin.

⏱️ In the early hours of May 1, finally, the Red Banner №5 was raised over the dome of the captured Reichstag by the 756th Rifle Regiment’s scouts, Sergeant Mikhail Yegorov & Junior Sergeant Meliton Kantariya, led by deputy battalion commander Lieutenant Alexey Berest, covered by riflemen from Ilya Syanov's squad. That flag ultimately became the Victory Banner.

📃 By a Presidential Executive Order of April 15, 1996, the Red Banner hoisted atop of the Reichstag by Yegorov & Kantariya was declared the symbol of the Soviet people’s Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

#WeAreProud

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📆 8️⃣0️⃣ years ago — on April 30, 1945, the forces of the 2nd Belorussian Front of the Red Army under the command of Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky liberated prisoners of the largest women's concentration camp in Nazi Germany — Ravensbrück.

More than 132'000 women and children were #Ravensbrück prisoners during #WWII, of whom about 100'000 were killed by the Nazis or died from horrendous and inhumane conditions of confinement. The Germans brought prisoners there from all over Europe, regardless of their nationality or ethnicity. Soviet women were the second (!) largest group of Ravensbrück prisoners.

During WWII, among the camp's prisoners there were niece of French President Charles de Gaulle Geneviève de Gaulle-Antonioz, Polish film director Wanda Jakubowska, Soviet intelligence officer and Hero of the Soviet Union Maria Bayda, spouse of a prominent figure of the German communist movement Ernst Thalmann Rosa Thalmann and others.

▪️Women of various ages died in the camp of starvation, exhausting labour, and physical abuse by the guards. Since 1942, Ravensbrück was used by the Nazis as a 'death camp', where people were purposefully exterminated. The Nazis killed their victims in gas chambers and burned the bodies in a crematorium.

Cruel and inhuman medical experiments were conducted on concentration camp inmates, mass sterilisation of female prisoners was carried out.

German torturers deliberately inflicted serious injuries on women, amputated healthy limbs, infected the prisoners with gangrene, and injected infectious agents (staphylococcus, tetanus, various types of bacteria) in order to conduct experiments in wound healing and transplantation.

***

⚔️ On April 30, 1945, the 492nd Rifle Regiment of the 199th Rifle Division of the 49th Army of the 2nd Belorussian Front of the Red Army after the fierce fighting against the Nazis completely liberated Ravensbrück.

Soviet liberators were welcomed by 3'000 prisoners. Among those rescued there were 700 Soviet citizens, including prominent activists of the communist movement. On the liberation day, the former prisoners of the camp took an oath:

💬 “In the name of many thousands of tortured victims, in the name of mothers and sisters turned to ashes, in the name of all victims of fascism, we swear! Never to forget the black night of Ravensbrück. To the children of children to tell all about it.”

On April 27, due to the rapid advancement of the Soviet forces to Ravensbrück, the Nazis evacuated a significant number of the camp's prisoners. They drove up to 30,000 people to the 'death march' to the west, leaving in place only helpless, exhausted people who were unable to move. They were in an exceptionally bad condition, without food, or any medical help.

The Soviet command issued an instruction to take urgent measures to save the people left in the camp. A military hospital was opened, where the best Soviet doctors fought for the lives of the liberated prisoners. Food was provided, and disinfection was carried out throughout the camp. Water supply and sewerage were rebuilt, and the necessary medicines were delivered.

🌟 In 1959, a museum and a memorial complex were opened in Ravensbrück in memory of the camp’s victims and Soviet liberators.

#WeRemember #NoStatuteOfLimitations

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#FacesOfVictory

🌟 #Victory80: During the battle of Berlin on April 30, 1945, Red Army soldier Nikolay Masalov rescued a German little girl — by risking his life, Masalov took the kid to safety from the zone that was under heavy Nazi fire.

This brave and honourable deed by Nikolay Masalov was immortalised in the worldwide famous 'Liberator Soldier' monument in Berlin. It was unveiled back in 1949 in Treptower Park, where over 7,000 Red Army soldiers, who perished in the Battle of Berlin, are entombed. The centrepiece of that famous memorial complex, the figure of a Soviet soldier holding a German girl, has become a symbol of the noble mission of the Red Army, which saved Europe from the 'Nazi plague', and of the Great Victory of the Soviet people over Nazi Germany.

***

In the morning of April 30, 1945, before the Red Army attack on a Nazi defence outpost, the Tempelhof Airport, Nikolay Masalov heard a child crying. Marshall Vassily Chuikov recalled in his memoirs: “The kid’s voice sounded as if it came from under the ground, calling out again and again a word that is understandable to everyone, ‘Mutter, Mutter’.”

Nikolay Masalov hurried to rescue the kid. Risking his life, the soldier crawled across a bridge over the Landwehr Canal, which was under enemy fire, and saved a three-year-old girl. He found her near the body of her mother, who had been killed by the Nazis during the shelling.

Masalov took the girl and moved back to the Soviet positions, which the enemy kept under heavy machine-gun fire. In return, the Soviet forces had to opened artillery fire on the Nazi positions.

“Thousands of artillery guns and mortars opened fire at the enemy. Thousands of shells and mines covered the return of the Soviet soldier rescuing a three-year-old German girl from the death zone,”

— this is how Marshall Chuikov wrote later in his memoirs about Masalov’s heroic feat.

People all around the world knew about Nikolay Masalov, a humble Soviet soldier and a legendary #WWII veteran. But he never considered his heroism as something extraordinary. He did not like speaking about it, and when he did, he did not talk much:

💬 “I am a Russian soldier. Anyone would do the same in my place.”

#WeAreProud

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🌟 Happy upcoming #VictoryDay from the Russian MFA headquarters!

#Victory80 #LestWeForget

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🇷🇺 The Russian Federation welcomes the accession of the Republic of Indonesia to #BRICS as a full-fledged participant from January 1, 2025.

The candidacy of Indonesia was submitted and approved in advance during the first phase of BRICS’ expansion at the Summit in Johannesburg, the Republic of South Africa, in 2023. However, in the context of the 2024 presidential elections, Indonesian partners decided to postpone Jakarta’s official request pending the inauguration of the new head of state and the appointment of the government.

During Russia’s BRICS chairship in 2024, the Republic of Indonesia submitted an official request for joining BRICS. The document was examined in accordance with the guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures for BRICS membership expansion. All BRICS states agreed, by consensus, to support the Indonesian bid.

🇮🇩 #Indonesia, the largest economy and most populous nation in Southeast Asia, shares BRICS values, advocates multilateral cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect, openness, pragmatism, solidarity and consensus.

Indonesia’s accession to BRICS will help enhance the group’s authority and prestige still further and will also facilitate the consistent consolidation of the Global South and East for forging a more equitable and well-balanced multipolar world order.

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⚡️ Commentary by Foreign Ministry’s Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on ongoing attacks by Kiev regime on Russian nuclear power infrastructure facilities

The Russian Federation urges the international community to respond promptly and in the most serious manner to the ongoing attacks by the Kiev regime on Russian nuclear power infrastructure facilities and to force Kiev to stop playing with the lives of countries and peoples in Europe and on other continents. The crazy regime is prepared to sacrifice them to its criminal policy by causing a disaster at our largest nuclear power plant in Zaporozhye (ZNPP).

Ukrainian armed formations made another attempt to strike a brutal blow at the ZNPP and the city of Energodar, where plant employees and their families live, on the eve of Orthodox Christmas on January 5. The massive raid by fixed-wing drones staged by the Ukrainian side was repulsed thanks to the selfless efforts and professionalism of Russian servicemen. Casualties and destruction were avoided. The radiation situation is normal. The murderous plans of Zelensky and his Bandera henchmen have been thwarted.

That said, it is clear that after suffering repeated defeats and rapidly losing its footing, the criminal clique in Kiev will continue arbitrary acts unless it receives a decisive rebuff at the international level.

There can be neither justification nor forgiveness for the actions of the Kiev regime which has nothing but contempt for the international law and nuclear safety standards, continues to aim its guns, missiles and drones at Russian nuclear energy facilities.

All truly responsible, caring and nuclear-security-conscious countries can do today, at the very least, directly and unambiguously point out to Kiev that its disastrous course is unacceptable and condemned. We hope that Zelensky’s Western sponsors will also have the guts to call him to order, if only for the sake of self-preservation.

We expect objective assessments and a clear reaction on this matter from the IAEA leadership, especially since the attacks of January 5 were launched literally before the eyes of the Agency’s experts who were at the ZNPP. It is clear that neither in December 2024, when a convoy carrying IAEA experts travelling to the ZNPP came under Ukrainian fire, nor during the recent attacks on the plant did the Kyiv regime think for a moment that it was endangering the lives of the IAEA Secretariat representatives. Apparently, Zelensky does not care about them. The Agency is long overdue to call a spade a spade and point to the Ukrainian side the complete unacceptability of its attacks on the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant and other Russian NPPs.

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⚡️ Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Ukraine ending Russian gas transit (January 2, 2025)

Kiev has refused to extend the agreements between Russia’s Gazprom and Ukraine’s Naftogaz and Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine, which expired on January 1, 2025. The same day, the transit of Russian gas to Europe through the territory of Ukraine was stopped.

☝️ It was the Ukrainian authorities that chose to halt Russian gas supplies to European residents despite the fact that Gazprom was fulfilling its obligations under contracts.

This move to halt the supplies of competitive and environmentally friendly Russian source of energy both diminishes Europe’s economic potential and severely affects the quality of life for European citizens.

❗️ The geopolitical context behind this decision by the Kiev regime is obvious, with the United States being the primary beneficiary of the redistribution of the energy market in Europe as well as the main orchestrator of the Ukrainian crisis.

The major European economy, Germany, has already become the first to fall victim of the US predatory strategy: Germany was forced to purchase natural gas at significantly higher prices following the explosions of the Nord Stream 1 and the Nord Stream 2 pipelines. Germany also had to start closing a number of its major legendary industries.

Now other nations, which were once part of the economically thriving and independent European Union, will also face the consequences of the US 'patronage'.

The responsibility for halting Russian gas supplies lies entirely with the United States, the puppet Kiev regime, and the authorities of European states that preferred providing financial support to the American economy to ensuring well-being of their own citizens.

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Dear all, Happy New Year!

#NewYear #NewYear2025

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>> ЧИТАТЬ ПОЛНОСТЬЮ <<

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🇷🇺🇦🇿 Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the Russian side’s initiative

🔹The presidents had a detailed discussion of issues regarding the December 25 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.

🔹Vladimir Putin apologised for the fact that the incident happened in Russian airspace, once again offered deep and sincere condolences to the victims’ families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. It was noted during the conversation that the Azerbaijani passenger airliner was flying according to schedule and repeatedly tried to land at Grozny Airport. At that time, Ukrainian unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) attacked Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz, and Russian air defence systems were repelling these attacks.

🔹The Russian Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code (violation of the rules for traffic safety and operation of the air transportation systems). Initial investigation is underway, with authorities questioning civilian and military specialists.

🔹Two officials from the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan are currently in Grozny, working together with representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. Relevant services of Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are working closely at the crash site near the city of Aktau.

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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial plaques in the Foreign Ministry building (Moscow, May 6, 2025)

💬 These days, we are marking a great date, the 80th anniversary of the glorious Victory won by the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.

Today, we, the Foreign Ministry staff, with the participation of our veterans and young employees, must make the oath to be eternally loyal to the gains, feats of valour, and heroism, which have guaranteed life to our state, to our common Motherland, the Soviet Union, and the future of rising generations.

In those years, many employees of the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs and their colleagues from the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Trade left for the front and defended our capital and our Motherland along with Red Army troops and civilian volunteers. They made their contribution to the Great Victory. At the same time, the diplomats, who were filling in for them at the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs, as well as their secret service and intelligence colleagues, ensured diplomatic and foreign policy support for the Soviet people’s heroic struggle to save Europe from Nazism. <...>

Throughout the war, the diplomats were doing what was necessary to preclude treason. Today, these documents have been declassified and published. They found out in due time that the British were in the lead of preparations for Operation Unthinkable. It was unthinkable indeed, implying as it did an attack on the Soviet Union with the aim (how familiar it sounds today) of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on it. That experience is invaluable for us now. <...>

Today, they have again rallied against us under the banners of Nazism (in the literal sense of the word) by supporting the openly racist, anti-Russian Zelensky regime that stages torch processions and throws troops with chevrons of Nazi divisions on their sleeves into the war’s meat-grinder. Like before Operation Unthinkable, they are threatening to inflict a “strategic defeat” on us on the battlefield.

🏅 It is important not only to cherish the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War and #WWII, who have ensured our future and current development (development, I am sure, for long decades and centuries to come), but also to remember the diplomatic experience and lessons of those events. <...>

These days, 80 Eternal Flames are being lighted in our country for the first time. A tradition has been born to take a particle of the Eternal Flame in the Alexander Gardens in Moscow and bring it to someone’s small motherland. Not so long ago, residents of Lugansk did this, followed by a number of other cities. Symbolically, this happens soon after the Happy Easter, when particles of the Holy Fire from Jerusalem travel all over the world, with people celebrating Easter Sunday. For us, this Victory also means a resurrection of the whole of our people, of our history, traditions and pride. We are in duty bound to convey these feelings to our children and grandchildren as our mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers have conveyed them to us.

I want to congratulate the Foreign Ministry staff, the staff or our missions in the regions of the Russian Federation, at embassies and consulates on the upcoming holiday of Great Victory. My special greetings go to our veterans, who are, as usual, on station. They symbolise the generation bridge that has made it possible for us to survive and emerge strengthened from most different situations, including those linked to wars and diplomatic battles.

☝️ Everything is still ahead. No one has promised that all problems can be solved at one go. Life is requiring constant efforts.

I hope that our team that has repeatedly proven its mettle in most difficult situations will continue to implement with honour the foreign policy charted by President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

It is aimed at ensuring in an unconditional manner the Russian Federation’s legitimate, vital interests on the international scene.

Read in full

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#FacesOfVictory

🗓 On May 6, 1907, a remarkable Soviet pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, Nikolay Gastello, was born.

Gastello went down in the history of the Great Patriotic War as the first pilot to carry out a “fire ram” against the Nazi invaders, steering his burning aircraft into a concentration of enemy vehicles.

His journey in aviation began in 1932, when he enrolled at the Donbass Proletariat Military Pilots School in Lugansk. The following year, he was assigned to the 82nd Heavy Squadron of the 21st Heavy Bomber Aviation Brigade, flying the TB-3 aircraft. He later continued his service in the 1st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment.

✈️ In 1939, as a flight commander, Gastello took part in the Battle of the Khalkhin Gol River. In 1939-1940, he fought in the Soviet-Finnish War.

At the start of the Great Patriotic War, Captain Gastello commanded a squadron in the 207th Long-Range Bomber Aviation Regiment. On June 24, 1941, during a Luftwaffe raid, he shot down a German Junkers Ju 88 bomber from the ground, using the gunner’s station of a grounded aircraft.

On June 26, 1941, on the fourth day of the war, Gastello performed his immortal feat when his crew took off in a DB-3F bomber to deliver a strike against a German mechanised column on the Molodechno–Radoshkovichi road. During the mission, after breaking through enemy defences, Captain Gastello dropped his bombs on the target. While retreating, his plane was hit by an anti-aircraft shell and the pierced fuel tank caught fire, engulfing the plane in flames. At that moment, Captain Gastello made the decision to steer the burning bomber into a cluster of enemy equipment.

🎖 For his courage and heroism, Nikolay Gastello was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. After the war, his name was permanently inscribed in the rolls of the 2nd Squadron of the 194th Separate Guards Order of the Red Banner Military Transport Regiment.

Gastello’s feat became a symbol of self-sacrifice. His example inspired countless Soviet pilots to acts of similar courage throughout the war.

#Victory80

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🗣️ On 3 May, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, we present to your attention photo portraits of the exhibition #MartyrsForTruth dedicated to Russian journalists who gave their lives defending freedom of speech and helping to expose #KievRegimeCrimes.

It is created by Donetsk News Agency, Zaporozhye News Agency, Lugansk Media Center, Kherson News Agency and Alexander Malkevich, member of the Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.

🕯️ We honor the memory of all media workers who wrote, spoke out, revealed the truth and who have died #InTheLineOfDuty.

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#Victory80

🌟 On May 2, 1945, units and formations of the Red Army under the command of Georgy Zhukov and Ivan Konev completely took control of Berlin. After desperate resistance, the capital of the fascist Reich fell under the victorious blows of Soviet forces.

The Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation was conducted from April 16 to May 8, 1945. On April 20, Konev and Zhukov issued nearly identical orders to their front-line troops: to be the first to break into Berlin. Every street and every building had to be taken by storm.

On April 29, the battle for the Reichstag began. Before the assault, the military council of the 3rd Shock Army presented its divisions with nine red banners, specially made in the style of the Soviet state flag. One of these red banners, known as No. 5 and referred to as the “Victory Banner,” was given to the 150th Rifle Division. <...> It was raised by scouts Mikhail Yegorov and Junior Sergeant Meliton Kantaria, accompanied by Alexey Berest and submachine gunners from the company of Senior Sergeant Ilya Syanov.

🕓 On May 2, the Nazi resistance in Berlin ceased. On that day, the Reichstag appeared red from the multitude of small flags, red banners, and flags.

🎥 © Russian Military Historical Society

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#NoStatuteOfLimitations

🕯 May 2 marks 11 years since the tragedy in Odessa.

On that day, the Euromaidan supporters, ultra radicals and outright Neo-Nazis committed atrocities against those who openly opposed the anti-constitutional government coup in Kiev perpetrated by nationalists, at the behest and with the support from their the western sponsors.

This atrocity must not be forgotten or swept under the rug: we shan't let the world forget what happened on 2 May 2014 in Odessa.

👉 A detailed reconstruction & retrospective of the events of that day and the ensuing tragedy.

According to official statistics alone, at least 48 people died during these tragic events, including 42 who were killed or burned alive at the Trade Unions House, as well as another six who perished during the clashes on the streets of Odessa.

In fact, the Kiev regime and its pet cronies has repeated — to the letter — what the Bandera torturers did 80 years ago in Khatyn.

❗️ Although many perpetrators have been identified, they have not received the punishment they deserve.

The West remains silent regarding these bloody crimes of the Ukrainian neo-Nazis, the Kiev regime, which to this day continues to use terrorist methods.

Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the 10th anniversary of the tragedy in Odessa of May 2, 2024.

Maria Zakharova: Today, as we pay tribute to the victims of the bloody reprisals in Odessa, we have no doubt that sooner or later those who perpetrated and inspired this barbaric crime, which has no statute of limitations, will have to face the punishment they deserve.

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Happy May 1st!

Best wishes to all celebrating from the Russian MFA.

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⚡️ The Agency for Strategic Initiatives, in accordance with the Decree №702 of August 19, 2024, issued by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin “On Providing Humanitarian Support to Persons Sharing Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values”, has published a guide for foreign citizens moving to Russia.

This decree grants foreign citizens and stateless persons the right to move to Russia and obtain a temporary residence permit (TRP) in a simplified manner — without considering the established quota and without undergoing testing for knowledge of the Russian language, history, and legislation.

🇷🇺 Russia is the largest country in the world. It borders 18 states and is washed by 12 seas. Russia has always been home to many peoples, and people of different faiths live side by side here. Today, more than 190 ethnic groups live in the country.

Today, Russia is the keeper and guardian of traditional spiritual and moral values and culture. The country is free, safe, and welcoming to its friends. Russia is a country where one wishes to live and work because of safety, a low crime rate, and social stability. It offers free education and healthcare, as well as excellent infrastructure.

The guide provides detailed information about the country’s geography, its ethnocultural diversity, traditions, and values.

Three stages on your way to Russia

1️⃣ Stage one. Before the move

• Learn more about Russia (1, 2);
• Gather documents to apply for a single-entry ordinary private 90‑day visa;
• Apply with the Consular Department of the Russian Embassy or to the Consulate General of the Russian Federation;
• Search the list of Russian embassies and consulates;
• Visa appointment through the system run by the Consular Department of the MFA of Russia;
• Be sure to review the information for those moving with children.

2️⃣ Stage two. The move

• Customs clearance;
• Housing arrangements (1, 2, 3).

3️⃣ Stage three. In Russia

• Get a registration document at the place of stay at a police office;
• Apply for a temporary residence permit (TRP) with the territorial authorities of the MIA of Russia;
• Employment in the Russian Federation (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

👉 Read the guide in full (pdf version)

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#Victory80

🌟 On April 30, 1945, just 10 days before Nazi Germany unconditionally surrendered, Red Army soldiers Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev and Grigory Bulatov raised the first Red Banner on the facade of the Reichstag during the Battle of Berlin.

***

On April 28, fierce fighting for the Reichstag was in full swing, which the Nazis had turned into a fully-fledged stronghold defended by more than a thousand soldiers, including SS troops, supported by artillery and armor.

The distance between the former Himmler's house and the Reichstag was less than 500 metres.

It took Bulatov and Koshkarbayev 7 hours to cover the distance under constant heavy fire — they carried a makeshift flagpole with a simple scarlet cloth with them.

Later after the battle, Koshkarbayev recalled:

“The artillery fire began, and with the very first fires, Bulatov and I dashed toward the Reichstag. I lifted him up by the legs, and together, on the second floor, we raised our flag.”

According to the 150th Division's combat log, at 14:25 Bulatov and Koshkarbayev "crawled to the central part of the building and placed a red flag on the steps of the main entrance".

It was the first of the banners the liberators raised over the Reichstag.

🎖 Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev and Grigory Bulatov were awarded the Order of the Red Banner for the courage and heroism during the assualt on the Reichstag. Monuments to Koshkarbayev have been erected in his home region of Akmola in Kazakhstan and in the republic's capital, Astana, and to Bulatov in Kirov.

#WeAreProud

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⚡️ By the decision of the President of the Russian Federation and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and for humanitarian reasons, the Russian side is declaring a ceasefire from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 11 (00:00 on May 8 — 00:00 on May 11) during the days marking the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

❗️ All military actions will be halted during this period.

Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should demonstrate similar restraint.

In the event of violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Russian Armed Forces will respond in an adequate and effective manner.

The Russian side once again reaffirms its readiness for peace talks without preconditions, aimed at addressing the root causes of the Ukraine crisis and engaging constructively with international partners.

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☦️ President of Russia Vladimir Putin congratulated all Orthodox Christians and all Russians celebrating Christmas.

The message reads, in part:

✉️ “This bright, much-awaited holiday is dear to millions of people all over the world. It gives believers joy and hope and inspires good thoughts, deeds and actions. During the Christmas season we clearly feel with all our heart how important for us are parental, family traditions that are being handed down from generation to generation.

I should say that the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations in Russia play a tremendous creative role in uniting the people and in preserving our historical memory and unique cultural and spiritual heritage. Religious organisations make a meaningful contribution to strengthening the institution of the family, to educating young people and to affirming in society such intransient moral ideals and values as caring for one's neighbour, mercy and compassion, and support for those in need of help and attention. This multifaceted and much needed work deserves most profound recognition.

I wish Orthodox Christians and all Russian citizens celebrating Christmas good health and wellbeing.”

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☦️ Сердечно поздравляем православных соотечественников со светлым праздником Рождества Христова!

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🎙️ President of Russia Vladimir Putin’s New Year Address to the Nation

💬 The year 2025 begins, marking the completion of the first quarter of the 21st Century.

For Russia, this period has been marked by numerous events, including developments of historical significance and great magnitude. We set ambitious goals for ourselves and achieved them, coped with many challenges because we stood united.

This’s what consolidated our unity, strengthened our confidence in ourselves, in our abilities, in our potential. True, there is still a lot to be accomplished, but we can be rightfully proud of what we have already achieved. This is our joint achievement, a solid foundation for future progress.

Our nation – independent, free, and strong – has tackled successfully the most formidable challenges. As we stand on the brink of a new year, we think about the future. We are confident that everything is going to be all right. We will continue to advance. We know for sure that Russia’s destiny and well-being of its people has always been and will remain our absolute value.

Sincere love for our Motherland gives our lives a deep sense of purpose, while determination to make our own contribution to protecting its sovereignty, security, interests, and freedom of development has become a matter of honour for us.

As we welcome the New Year, the thoughts and hopes of families and friends, of millions of people across Russia are with our soldiers and commanders. You are the true heroes who undertook a great task and immense responsibility of defending Russia and ensuring peace and security for our nation. We are proud of your bravery and valour and we believe in you.

In your honour, in honour of the 80th anniversary of Great Victory and as a tribute to the memory of our ancestors who have always defended the Motherland, the upcoming year 2025 has been declared the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland in Russia. We are the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of the generation that crushed Nazism. We remain loyal to the legacy and traditions of our veterans.

Friends,
New Year’s Eve always holds a special place in our hearts, filling us with warmth and hope that our dreams, aspirations, and best intentions will come to fruition. As the countdown to the New Year begins, we find ourselves surrounded by our near and dear ones: our family, children, parents, grandchildren, our friends and comrades-in-arms.

I wish happiness and prosperity to our every home and every family, and to our beloved country, Russia. Together, we can achieve anything.

Happy New Year, friends! Happy 2025!

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🇷🇺 MAIN FOREIGN POLICY RESULTS IN 2024

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In the outgoing year, Russian diplomacy made energetic efforts to implement the Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation approved by President Vladimir Putin in March 2023.

While the collective West made attempts to preserve the rudiments of its global dominance and impose a “rules-based international order,” Russia proposed a constructive alternative by advocating for the unconditional adherence to the principles of the UN Charter in all their completeness and interconnectedness, including in relation to settling the crisis in Ukraine and other conflicts <...>.

By putting forth new initiatives for Eurasian security and against neocolonialism, Russia provided a new ideological framework for its policy course to enhance its standing on the international arena as one of the leading centres in a multipolar world.

✅ The implementation of the strategic initiative for creating an architecture of indivisible security in Eurasia, presented by the President of Russia in June, has begun. <...>

✅ Bilateral agreements on security guarantees were signed with Belarus and the DPRK, regulating the response in the event of armed aggression against either party. Moscow and Minsk also took practical steps in the field of nuclear weapons as a measure to deter a potential aggressor. <...>

✅ The economic potential of Greater Eurasia was strengthened this year through the promotion of the project to develop the North-South International Transport Corridor. <...>

✅ Russia launched the implementation of the foreign policy initiative on international cooperation in countering neocolonialism.

🤝 President Vladimir Putin’s state visits to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan confirmed the proximity of our foreign policy approaches, and consolidated promising areas of cooperation, including joint production and logistics projects, in the bilateral agenda.

🤝 President Vladimir Putin’s first-ever state visit to Azerbaijan in August served as evidence of the intensive development of Russia-Azerbaijan bilateral relations.

🤝 The overarching partnership and strategic interaction with China reached a new level following the state visit by President Vladimir Putin to China in May. The People’s Republic of China consolidated its role as Russia’s largest foreign trade partner, as mutual trade reached the equivalent of $240 billion, with 95 percent of payments made in national currencies.

🤝 The special privileged strategic partnership with India received a serious boost thanks to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Russia in July, which paved the way for expanding cooperation in finance, investment, transport, energy, science and technology.

🤝 President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Pyongyang in June opened a new chapter in the cooperation with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, during which the parties signed the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that set guidelines for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries on a broad range of issues.

🤝 President Vladimir Putin’s official visits to Vietnam and Mongolia improved the dynamics of the relations with these countries, mainly in energy, transport and industrial production, as well as in large investment projects.

🤩🤩🤩 The Kazan Summit of BRICS became the flagship international event, which, under Russia’s chairmanship, convened for the first time in an expanded format and definitively dispelled the myth of Russia’s international isolation.

Under Russia’s Chairship in the CIS, the development of cooperation in energy, chemical industry, and several other sectors was given a serious boost. The Agreement on Free Trade in Services, Establishment, Operation, and Investment in the CIS entered into effect.

🌍 The First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in November, where the participating countries detailed plans for the implementation of agreements on advancing Russia’s cooperation with African states across the board

#Outcomes2024

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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with TASS news agency (December 30, 2024)

Key points:

#Ukraine #USA

• We have not received any official signals [from the USA] regarding a settlement in Ukraine.

• We are not happy with the proposals made by members of the Trump team to postpone Ukraine’s admission to NATO for 20 years and to station British and European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.

• What we need is reliable and legally binding agreements that would eliminate the root causes of the conflict and seal a mechanism precluding the possibility of their violation.

#RussiaUSA #NATO

• We are ready to renew the political dialogue which Washington terminated after the start of the special military operation, if the United States is ready for this. Since it was the Americans who cut it off, it is for them to make the first move.

• They [the West] have been long relying on efforts to interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries, including our closest neighbours, as their foreign policy tool. For many years, Washington and its satellites have been acting this way in an effort to deter and contain their geopolitical rivals and do away with any unwanted actors, as confirmed by what happened in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Ukraine.

#Georgia

• The developments in Georgia stem from the double standards when caring for democracy and human rights serves as a pretext for overturning election results after even the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights with its tainted reputation recognised the election as being free and fair. Why do they want to change the results? Just because the puppet masters in Washington and Brussels did not find the way people voted there to their liking.

• The United States and the European Union are trying to impose a distorted vision on Tbilisi which consists of dividing everyone into those who are with us and those who are against us. Meanwhile, it seems that Georgian authorities have opted for a sovereign policy which meets the country’s national interests. They refuse to act as pawns manipulated by the West in its effort to destabilise Georgia, undermine its economy and incite escalation in its relations with Russia.

#Syria #MiddleEast

• The Syrians’ hopes for improvements after a convincing defeat of international terrorism, including with the help of Russia’s Aerospace Forces, have not materialised.

• Washington, which has effectively occupied the resource-rich north-eastern part of Syria and is putting serious sanctions pressure on Damascus together with a coalition of its satellites, bears a great deal of blame for this. This line for strangling the Syrian economy stirred up social discontent.

• Trying to maintain its influence [in the Middle East and North Africa], Washington actively interfered in the internal affairs of Arab countries and aggressively drew new dividing lines there. Iraq and Libya are still trying to clear up the consequences of the Americans and their satellites’ reckless behaviour.

#China

• The Americans are taking inciting actions in the Taiwan Strait and supplying weapons to Taipei while forging a quasi-political dialogue with the local authorities.

• It is clear to us that this policy pursued by Washington in violation of its obligations to Beijing on Taiwan is part of their strategy to step up military and political pressure on the PRC and eventually undermine regional security at the eastern end of the Eurasian continent.

• Russia reaffirms its adherence to the #OneChina principle, recognises that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China, opposes any form of “Taiwan independence,” and firmly supports China’s measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieve national reunification.

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🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin summed up the results of the year and answered questions from journalists and the people of Russia in a live broadcast (December 19, 2024)

#Sovereignty

• Russia has become significantly stronger. We are becoming a truly sovereign country. We are capable of firmly standing on our feet when it comes to the economy. We are strengthening our defence capability.

• Sovereignty is extremely important. It comes from within, should be embedded in the heart itself.

#RussianEconomy

• The situation in Russian economy is stable and solid. We are growing in spite of any external threats or attempts at outside influence.

• International financial and economic institutions ranked Russia as Europe’s biggest economy in terms of volume, in terms of purchasing power parity, and the world’s 4th largest economy.

#UkrainianCrisis

• If one were to look at the situation in 2022, knowing what is happening now, I would think the early 2022 decision [to start the special military operation] should have been made sooner.

• We are ready to engage in dialogue without any preconditions. However, as I have mentioned numerous times before, based on the agreements that we reached during the negotiation process in Istanbul at the end of 2022 and proceeding from the current realities on the ground.

• There is no indication in the Ukrainian constitution that the president's powers сould be extended. If one takes part in elections and becomes legitimate, then we will talk to that person, even if it's Zelensky.

#Syria

• Our position firmly aligns with international law and the sovereignty of all nations, including respect for Syria’s territorial integrity. This extends to supporting the stance of the current authorities governing the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.

• The main beneficiary of the developments in Syria is Israel. Russia condemns the seizure of Syrian territories. Our position on this matter is clear and unchanging.

#NuclearDoctrine

• [In the new Basic Principles of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence] we are talking about some new military hazards that may grow into military threats.

• If non-nuclear states threaten our existence, participate in an aggression against the Russian Federation alongside the countries that have nuclear weapons, we consider ourselves entitled to use nuclear weapons vs them.

• If similar threats are posed to Belarus, our ally and member of the Union State, the Russian Federation will consider these threats as threats to Russia. And we will do everything to ensure the security of Belarus.

#Oreshnik

• Medium-range Oreshnik missile system is a modern, a brand new weapon which can strike targets located up to 5'500 km away.

• Our missile needs a few seconds to start dispensing warheads There is no chance of shooting down these missiles.

#BRICS

• BRICS is not a tool for countering the West. We focus on our own interests and the interests of the group’s member countries.

• Ensuring reciprocity, mutual respect and respecting each other’s interests have been our core guiding principles in this effort. We adopt all decisions by consensus.

#RussiaChina

• Everything [Russia and China] do in relation to each other and how we do it is based on absolute trust to policies of both Sides. We engage in nothing that contradicts our interests, and we do much that benefits both the Chinese people and the peoples of the Russian Federation. <...> The bilateral trade volume is estimated at $220-240 billion, and it continues to grow.

#RussiaUSA

• I don’t know when we will meet [with Donald Trump]. I haven't spoken to him for more than four years. I’m ready to talk any time and will be ready to meet with him.

#Victory80

• We will be happy to see all those who wish to visit our country to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Victory over Nazism.

• The losses of the US and Britain in World War II are incomparable to those of the Soviet Union. Their contribution varied, yet we all the same cherish their participation.

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