⚡️ Statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry on the situation in the Middle East (April 6, 2026)

The large-scale international crisis triggered by the unlawful and unprovoked aggression of the US and Israel against Iran continues to widen and intensify with each passing day.

The strikes are becoming ever more fierce and destructive. Their targets now include not only military objectives, but also civilian infrastructure, including, with increasing frequency, nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards.

Particular concern is caused by the growing number of reckless attacks on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which have already resulted in loss of life. The shadow of a radiological catastrophe – one potentially more devastating than Chernobyl – now looms over the Persian Gulf region and the adjacent part of Eurasia.

The armed confrontation has already claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people, including women and children, and has inflicted suffering on civilians. Schools, hospitals and World Heritage sites are being destroyed. Diplomatic and consular missions are also coming under fire, in blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international relations and the relevant Vienna Conventions.

Enormous damage has been inflicted on global energy and food security. Critical logistics routes that had functioned without disruption before this criminal US-Israeli gamble have been blocked. Markets have been thrown into disarray, many countries are being forced to introduce fuel rationing, and experts are issuing grim forecasts of economic decline and surging inflation in vulnerable economies.

The situation caused by the unlawful and irresponsible actions of Washington and Tel Aviv is deteriorating rapidly and risks spiralling fully out of control.

We once again strongly call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. We welcome the efforts of a number of states, including Pakistan, Türkiye and China, to de-escalate tensions around Iran and pave the way for dialogue on a long-term and sustainable normalization of the situation in the Middle East.

We also draw attention to the April 2 statement by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in which he called on the US and Israel to stop the war that is causing immense human suffering and dire economic consequences, and on Iran to halt the attacks on its neighbours launched in the wake of the aggression.

We believe that there is still a chance for a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict. The parties to the conflict must abandon the language of threats, unacceptable insults and ultimatums, and avoid actions that could plunge the entire region into irreparable chaos.

It is critically important not to undermine the remaining prospects for negotiations aimed at achieving a political and diplomatic solution. We call for this factor to be fully taken into account in the work of the UN Security Council.

Responsible members of the international community must prevent the Middle East from sliding into the abyss of an all-consuming war with long-term tragic consequences for the entire world.

☝️ Russia, together with its international partners, stands ready to do everything possible to that end.

🧑🏽‍🚀 Основоположники отечественной космонавтики

Подвиг, который совершил Юрий Гагарин был бы невозможен без вклада великих русских ученых, конструкторов и исследователей. Сегодня мы расскажем о тех, благодаря кому мечты человечества о космосе стали реальностью.

1️⃣ Константин Циолковский (1857–1935)

Русский и советский ученый, философ и писатель-фантаст. Впервые обосновал использование ракет для выхода в космическое пространство и вычислил необходимые запасы топлива для преодоления земного притяжения. Константин Эдуардович также предложил идею многоступенчатых ракет, жидкостного ракетного двигателя, газовых рулей, а также спроектировал основы орбитальных станций и космических лифтов.

Его труды, написанные задолго до первого полета человека в космос, стали фундаментом для ученых и конструкторов, развивающих отечественное ракетостроение.

2️⃣ Николай Тихомиров
(1859-1930)

Разработал конструкцию ракеты на основе реактивного движения, основал знаменитую Газодинамическую лабораторию – первое в мире конструкторское бюро ракетных двигателей, на основе которой в 1933 г. был создан Реактивный научно-исследовательский институт - альма-матер создателей космического проекта СССР.

3️⃣ Сергей Королев (1907-1966)

Именно Сергей Павлович выступал главным конструктором при запуске первого в мире искусственного спутника Земли (1957 г.), создал первый пилотируемый космический корабль Восток-1, на котором в 1961 г. Ю.Гагарин осуществил первый в мире полет человека в космос.

💬Из воспоминаний Бориса Чертока, одного из ближайших соратников С.Королева:

Я выделяю его умение убеждать и вести за собой других. Он создал огромную кооперацию — 120 мощных предприятий, которые увлеченно работали над его проектами. Такой силы убеждения я не встречал никогда…

4️⃣ Валентина Терешкова
(род. в 1937)

В 26 лет стала первой и единственной женщиной планеты, совершившей одиночный полет в космос.

В.Терешкова так описывала свои чувства перед полетом:

О страхе ты не думаешь…чем дальше ракета тебя уносит от Земли, тем ближе ты к ней становишься. И сколько бы человек ни летал в космосе, он всегда будет тосковать о своей планете!

5️⃣ Алексей Леонов (1934-2019)

В 1965 г., будучи вторым пилотом на космическом корабле Восход-2, совершил первый в истории выход в открытый космос.

💬 Сам космонавт вспоминал о своем историческом полете так:

Мне очень хотелось выскочить и посмотреть, что за бортом. Я все время запрашивал командира: «Я готов, разреши выйти». И вот, когда мы подошли к Черному морю, я вышел.

6️⃣ Светлана Савицкая (род. в 1948)
Вторая в мире женщина-космонавт после Валентины Терешковой. Совершила два полета, в том числе с выходом в открытый космос.

💬 Спектр задач на орбите оказался более чем обширным:

У нас было много экспериментов — 22 или 24. Среди них - биотехнологические эксперименты, в том числе по получению сверхчистых веществ. Получили очень чистую вакцину. Мне говорили, ее даже использовали как эталон.

Гордимся своей историей! 🇷🇺

#Гагарин65 #НавсегдаПервый
#ДеньКосмонавтики2026

Выражаем благодарность сотрудникам коммунальной службы "Barentshallene KF" за проделанную работу по реставрации мемориала советским воинам в п. Нейден. Благодаря труду и бережному отношению к истории Приграничья удалось сохранить важную часть нашего культурного наследия.

Vi er takknemlige for arbeidet som de ansatte i Barentshallene KF har utført med renoveringen av minnesmerket til sovjestiske soldater i Neiden. Takket være innsatsen og respekten for historien i Grenseområdet har vi klart å bevare en viktig del av vårt felles kulturarv.

📰 Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Igor Krasnov's article for RBC newspaper (April 8, 2026)

“Legal Gravity”

✍️ In recent years, major business players have often found themselves weighing which jurisdiction to choose for resolving complex commercial disputes. Many lawyers still remember the time when it was considered “fashionable” to designate London or New York in cross-border contracts as the venue for possible litigation.

In today’s world, however, this dilemma has long ceased to be a matter of “prestige”. It is now, rather, a question of predictability, risk management and the legal gravity into which the disputed assets may be drawn.

☝️ I will try to answer the question of why Russian jurisdiction is today the best venue for securing fair and impartial justice.

Speaking of its advantages, the first point to note is the high degree to which domestic legislation has been developed and the clarity of judicial procedure. A dispute does not “drift” between doctrines, as often happens in Anglo-Saxon legal systems, but proceeds within a strictly delineated corridor.

The second advantage – the high degree of predictability of case law grounded in statute. Through the resolutions of the Plenum and Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, clear legal positions are formulated without excessive casuistry. There is a well-known expression: “Law exists not in norms, but in their application”. The Russian system gives this idea particularly consistent effect through the unification of law-enforcement approaches.

Russian courts examine cases far more quickly than many of their foreign counterparts. In international arbitration, dispute resolution takes on average between one and a half and three years, whereas domestic commercial courts usually do so within three months, and the overall duration of proceedings, including appeal and cassation review, generally ranges from six to twelve months.

As for the cost of access to justice, the gap between Russia and foreign countries is not merely noticeable – it is fundamental. Court expenses, including state duty and legal representation, are incomparably lower in Russia than in many foreign jurisdictions. This changes the very nature of a dispute, because the defence of one’s rights ceases to be the privilege of major players alone. In our country, law performs its basic function – to be an instrument, not a luxury.

Another advantage of Russian jurisdiction is the fairly high degree of efficiency in granting interim relief – attachment of property, bans on registration actions, and other protective measures. In circumstances where assets may be instantly redistributed or concealed, this is of critical importance.

Russian commercial courts also demonstrate a clear appellate structure. In international arbitration, awards are generally final and not subject to review on the merits. The only available control mechanism is an application to set aside the award before the court at the seat of arbitration, and even then the grounds are strictly limited by complex procedural requirements.

***

👉 The recommendation to choose Russian jurisdiction for litigation is not an advertisement for its universal appeal, or a competition with London or New York. It reflects an objective reality characterised by adherence to the law and fairness in decision-making, and all reforms in the domestic judicial system are aimed at achieving this particular outcome.

In any case, unlike foreign jurisdictions, justice in Russia remains more impartial and predictable. Most importantly, it is accessible to all economic agents regardless of the country of origin or the colour of the claimant’s or defendant’s passport.

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#Announcement

🌍 International Youth Festival – 2026

On September 11–17, #Yekaterinburg will serve as a global platform for dialogue and collaboration among young people at #IYF2026.

The capital of the Urals is set to welcome 10,000 participants from approximately 190 countries, aged between 14 and 35.

💡 The Festival will bring together those shaping the agenda of the future. Science and technology, entrepreneurship, media, creative industries, IT, sport, and public administration – future specialists and representatives from these crucial fields will engage in the event.

Participants can anticipate an extensive programme:

📌 Over 50 formats – from discussions to practical sessions;
📌 7 key tracks – people, technology, culture, urban environment, logistics and communications, health, and quality of life;
📌 More than 150 Russian and international experts.

💬 Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the Festival presentation:

Young people from all corners of the earth genuinely wish to visit our country, to meet their peers, to seek something new for themselves, and perhaps even to determine their future path. The Festival’s extensive programme fully meets the objectives of establishing friendly contacts, strengthening trust, and fostering mutual understanding.

#IYF2026 is a space for the exchange of ideas, the launch of joint projects, and the formation of a new generation of global leaders.

✅ Registration is open until April 30.