INSIDE RUSSIA
Putin Very Satisfied With Meeting With Iranian Foreign Minister – Lavrov
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian President Vladimir Putin is very satisfied with Thursday’s meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin had a long and intense conversation yesterday, he was very satisfied with this conversation,” Lavrov said at a meeting with Araghchi.
The letter from Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, to Russian President Vladimir Putin is a signal to the rest of the world that Tehran considers Moscow to be its strategic partner, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday.
“This message is actually not only addressed to Russian leader Mr. Putin, but on the other hand, this message is a signal to the whole world that Iran considers Russia to be its strategic partner and an important neighbor,” Araghchi said ahead of his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Araghchi delivered the letter to Putin during their meeting in the Kremlin on Thursday.
Lavrov, Rubio Hold Phone Call on Ukraine Conflict
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
The Secretary of State informed the Minister about his contacts with Ukraine, France, and several other European countries, which he had with Witkoff.
It was emphasized that these contacts were part of consultations between Washington and Moscow, including the recent conversation between President Putin and Witkoff in St. Petersburg.
Lavrov confirmed Moscow’s readiness to continue joint work with American colleagues to reliably eliminate the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis.
Trump understands root causes of Ukraine conflict
Vladimir Putin’s top aide has said that Donald Trump understands the “root cause” of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict
The Trump administration understands the key causes of the Ukraine conflict, President Vladimir Putin’s top aide has said. Yuri Ushakov emphasized, however, that a major obstacle to a peace deal is the widespread anti-Russian sentiment in the West.
Ushakov made the remarks in an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, which was recorded on Thursday and released on Saturday.
Zarubin asked Ushakov whether he believed the US understood “the nuances” of Russian views on a potential peace deal.
“It seems to me that the American leadership, including the president, understands the root causes of the conflict,” Ushakov said.
The diplomat noted, however, that “an anti-Russian climate has been created in America and Europe over the past years and even decades.”
“This climate hinders the advancement of quite reasonable ideas, which some leaders, including in Washington, agree with,” he said.
President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russian troops would observe a 30-hour Easter truce starting at 6 pm local time on Saturday. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky said shortly afterward that Kiev would “act in a reciprocal way.”
Trump and his team have stated that their goal is to broker a comprehensive ceasefire as soon as possible. Moscow has said that a lasting peace is only possible if Ukraine drops its plans to join NATO and renounces its claims on Crimea and four other former Ukrainian regions that voted to become part of Russia.
Putin said last month that, for a workable ceasefire, Ukraine must stop receiving Western military aid and withdraw its troops from parts of Russian territory it currently controls.
Both sides have accused each other of violating the 30-day moratorium on attacks on energy infrastructure brokered by the US last month. Moscow recorded around 100 violations since the agreement took effect on March 18.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Friday that time is running out for diplomacy. He said the Trump administration is prepared to “throw in the towel soon” if talks do not progress.
OUTSIDE RUSSIA
Russia, China to Discuss Guarantees on Iran Deal with US – Iranian Lawmaker
The United States will not be the only one providing guarantees for a potential Tehran-Washington agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi said ahead of the second round of US-Iran talks in Rome.
Russia and China will discuss with the US the issue of “more reliable guarantees” for Tehran, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the Iranian parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, said.
“During the negotiations between Tehran and Washington, guarantees will not only be provided by the US. Countries such as Russia and China will enter into negotiations with the United States on more reliable guarantees,” Boroujerdi said, as quoted by the Iranian state agency SNN.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was on an official visit to Moscow on Thursday and Friday, and in the next few days, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA, Araghchi will visit China.
During his visit to Russia, the Iranian diplomat held a meeting and talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, conveying to him a message from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Araghchi also held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The parties discussed regional and international cooperation, as well as the situation around the US-Iran talks, the first round of which took place on April 12 in Oman.
Indirect talks between US Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Araghchi took place in the Omani capital on April 12. According to the US special envoy, they were positive and constructive. Araghchi also described the atmosphere of these talks as constructive and calm, and announced that the second round of talks between the Islamic Republic and the United States would be held on April 19.
SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE
Putin Declares Easter Truce
Putin ordered to stop all military operations for the period of the Easter truce. Russian troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations by the enemy.
The Easter truce will start today from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1 p.m. GMT) – Putin Easter truce will last until 12 a.m. from Sunday to Monday.
Russia assumes that the Ukrainian side will follow its example and stop the fighting, the Russian president added.
Russian Forces Liberate Valentinovka in Donetsk People’s Republic
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia’s Battlegroup Yug has taken control of the settlement of Valentinovka, in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
“The settlements of Kalinovo and Valentinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic were liberated by active actions of the units of Battlegroup Yug,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Ukrainian military has lost over 1,020 soldiers and a tank in battles with Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok over the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
“The units of Battlegroup Vostok group continued to advance deep into the enemy’s defenses. … The enemy lost more than 1,020 servicemen, a tank, eight armored combat vehicles, 20 vehicles, 18 field artillery guns, three of them produced in NATO countries, as well as four electronic warfare stations,” the ministry said in a statement.
Russia’s Battlegroup Yug has eliminated more than 2,170 Ukrainian military personnel, while Battlegroup Tsentr has eliminated over 2,680 Ukrainian soldiers and two tanks and taken control over the villages of Yelizovetovka and Preobrazhenka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the ministry added.
In battles with Russia’s Battlegroup Sever, Kiev lost over 1,900 soldiers, while 64 of them surrendered, the ministry also said, adding that Battlegroup Zapad eliminated over 1,730 Ukrainian soldiers.
“The units of Battlegroup Dnepr of forces took more favorable lines and positions. They eliminated the manpower and equipment of three mechanized mountain assault brigades, three Ukrainian coastal defense brigades, and three territorial defense brigades. The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 540 servicemen, four armored combat vehicles, and 56 vehicles. A US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launcher, 12 field artillery guns, nine electronic warfare and counter-battery stations, and 16 ammunition depots were also destroyed,” the statement read.
Moscow and Kiev hold major prisoner swap
Russia and Ukraine have returned 246 prisoners of war each, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has announced
Moscow and Kiev have held a major prisoner of war swap, with each side returning 246 captives, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.
Russia has given Ukraine an additional 31 gravely wounded servicemen, receiving some 15 wounded soldiers in return, the military said. The exchange has been mediated by the United Arab Emirates, the Defense Ministry noted.
The freed Russian servicemen are currently in Belarus, where they are receiving all the necessary medical treatment and psychological support, the military said. The former prisoners will be transferred to Russia shortly for treatment and rehabilitation.
The Russian Defense Ministry has released a short video showing the freed servicemen boarding buses in an undisclosed location, apparently as they set off for the transfer home.
The announcement comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary pause in fighting with Ukraine. The Easter truce is set to run from 6:00pm Moscow time on Saturday until midnight on April 21.
The Russian president has expressed hopes Kiev will agree to the truce, stating that its attitude toward the pause in fighting will demonstrate whether it is genuinely interested in resolving hostilities through diplomacy. At the same time, Putin instructed the country’s troops to stay on high alert and be ready to respond to potential violations of the ceasefire.
INSIGHTS
Key points of Putin’s speech on Russian space industry development
The president has outlined plans for a national project to expand deep space research and develop new technologies
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed the importance of upholding the country’s status as a leading space nation, calling for an expansion of Russia’s capabilities and advances in deep space research.
Speaking at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University on Wednesday, Putin announced a long-term strategy for space development, including full-scale support for nuclear-powered systems, satellite industries, and scientific missions beyond Earth’s orbit.
Here are the main takeaways from his speech:
Legacy of space pioneers
Putin opened his speech by congratulating the audience on national Cosmonautics Day, celebrated on April 12. He recalled that people such as Yuri Gagarin – the first man in space – and other Soviet pioneers of the space industry set a high bar for the country, and that Russia must live up to its historic status.
“There are serious, fundamental traditions here,” Putin said. “Our plans must match our historic role as a leading spacefaring nation.”
National space project across all sectors
Putin called for a significant increase in the potential of domestic cosmonautics so that it becomes a “flagship, one of the key driving forces of our national development, technological renewal of the economy, and improvement of the quality of life of citizens.”
He stressed the importance of developing a unified national space project, the idea of which was brought up in October 2023. The plan is expected to cover the most important areas for Russia, such as creating its own multi-satellite constellations, a national orbital station, and programs for the exploration of deep space.
The president noted that the project will be approved in the near future and that its financing will be included in the federal budget for 2026 and subsequent years.
Industry of space services
Putin stated that clear investment guidelines must be set out for technology companies and that an entire industry of space services must be established by 2030, which would include communication, navigation, and receiving and analyzing satellite data.
In order to achieve this, the president stressed the importance of providing support to domestic universities, research organizations, design bureaus, and private companies which are already working on solutions for multi-satellite constellations and creating new methods of mathematical modeling, data processing, optical equipment, and technologies aimed at reducing the cost of space launches.
Nuclear space power capability
Putin called for further progress on electric propulsion and space nuclear energy systems, which he said are essential for long-range missions and autonomous operations.
The president noted Russia’s “undisputed leadership” in this area and insisted that it must continue to grow through the use of modern material and technologies to build upon past achievements.
He recalled historical Soviet systems that have already been operated in orbit, and proposed to modernize them in order to develop “a space system equipped with a specialized power station, along with the so-called space tug, a transport and energy module based on a nuclear-powered propulsion system”.
“These are not distant-future tasks. Leading space powers are already working on this,” Putin noted.
Deep space missions and planetary research
Putin stated that fundamental research in deep space must be another crucial component of the national space project. He noted that one of the brightest examples of Russia’s progress in this domain has been deployment of the Spektr-RG orbital observatory – a space laboratory that has been producing a detailed map of the universe.
The president also recalled that Russia has “unique research schools” studying the Moon, Mars, and other planets, as well as unmatched technologies, such as those that were used for the Soviet spacecraft landings on Venus.
“[This] has not been recreated or copied anywhere in the world to this day,” Putin said, noting Venus’s extreme 500-degree surface temperature.
Linking space to national goals
The president stated that the national space project is intended to become a cross-cutting, integral part of all national projects and to accelerate the practical implementation of new technologies.
These include the transmission of information using quantum and photonic technologies, development of robotics, advanced materials, microelectronics, bio- and medical technologies, and the creation and deployment of unmanned systems.
“Space projects are always complex and require significant financial investments, but they are vitally necessary for Russia as a large and sovereign country, if we want to remain such and continue to develop in this capacity,” the president said.
Openness to international partnerships
Putin reiterated that Russia is ready to cooperate with other nations in the sphere of space and stated that national technological achievements, particularly in the field of deep space exploration, can become “our very significant contribution to international programs.”
