Press review: EU leaders poised for Brussels' meeting and Hersh hits out at Scholz
Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, March 23rd

Today marks the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

This time of year offers an opportunity to reflect on what is important in life, spend more time with our dear ones and celebrate the spirit of faith.

The Embassy of Russia in Bangladesh wishes joyful and blessed Eid to everyone.

Ramadan Kareem!

The Russian women's football team beats the Bhutan's team with a score 9:1!
Hooray 👏

51st anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Russia celebrated in Dhaka.

The Russian House in Dhaka, in collaboration with Serov Academy of Fine Arts, has organized a discussion program and the inauguration of a month-long paintings exhibition by young students on the occasion of celebrating the 51st anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Russia.
The programme was attended by prominent theater and cultural personality, former state minister Mr. Asaduzzaman Noor, MP as Chief Guest, as well as the President of the Bangladesh-Russia Friendship Society and former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University, Professor Dr. A A M S Arefin Siddique and Mr. Maxim Dobrokhotov, Director of Russian House in Dhaka.
The director of Russian House in Dhaka said that the Russian House in Dhaka was established as a Soviet cultural center in Bangladesh in 1974. Since then, cultural, educational and various bilateral activities are continuing, as part of which all kinds of support are being provided to Bangladeshi students interested in higher education in Russia.
Former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University. AAMS Arefin Siddique and Mr. Asaduzzaman Noor MP stressed out that Russia was and is Bangladesh’ tried and true friend, without whose contribution its independence would have been delayed, recalling that first Bangladeshi students batch went to the Soviet Union in March 1972 just after discussions of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with the Soviet leadership during his visit to USSR. A large number of Bangladeshis went after to the Soviet Union and then to Russia for higher education on full scholarships, returned home and played an important role in the overall development activities of post-war Bangladesh. They highlighted Russia's significant role in economic and social development of the country, including assistance in the field of education saying Bangladesh is forever grateful to Russia.
A total of 123 paintings by 96 students in various mediums have been displayed in the exhibition.

🗓 On March 24, 1999, the North Atlantic bloc started bombing Yugoslavia in gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter.

The US and its allies bombed Yugoslavian cities, including Belgrade, villages and civilian infrastructure for 78 days, blowing up bridges, passenger trains and buses and killing women, children and elderly people. By doing that, the West destroyed the post-WWII foundations of European security and started replacing the legitimate mechanisms that regulated international relations with a “rules-based order”.

The use of depleted uranium ammunition contaminated vast areas and caused an unprecedented rise in cancer-related diseases, which has affected many people, including the Kosovo Force (KFOR) personnel deployed there after the war by decision of the UN Security Council. Over 200,000 non-Albanian residents of Kosovo, who had to flee from their homes, have not yet returned there.

Using the aggression as a pretext, members of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army committed heinous crimes, including the kidnapping and murder of Serbs for body parts. Many of these criminals are still at large.

❗️ No NATO representative has been called to account. The victims of the aggression were written off as “collateral damage,” which means that they were the civilian casualties of the operations conducted by the United States, Britain and their satellites to attain their geopolitical ambitions.

The US military reluctantly apologised only after several especially horrible murders of civilians had become public knowledge. The question of the NATO allies’ responsibility for the damage they have done to international relations and Yugoslavia remains open.

☝️ The military operation NATO waged against sovereign Yugoslavia more than 20 years ago is a tragedy with lasting and multifaceted consequences.

When the Ambassador of the United States of America to Serbia on the anniversary of the NATO bombing suggests that the Serbs forget their grievances against NATO and his own country, which was and is behind all the adventures and wars of the North Atlantic Alliance, he is not at all ironic, not joking and not trying to offend the Serbs. Then Twitter users ran into him and tried to understand what all this meant, but in fact the secret is simple: the gentleman recommended the natives how to behave. He is a white man, regardless of the color of his skin, the owner, the mass and the sahib. They are savages, aborigines, coolies and a primitive tribe in dire need of civilization, which the NATO bombs brought to Serbia. No, thank you to say and bow to your feet every year on the mentioned date, and they are still dissatisfied with something!

The American ambassador, as the highest authority in charge of the life of the country in which he works, is no exception to the rule. This is the standard. He does not necessarily have to be a professional diplomat, rather the opposite: appointments to the posts of ambassadors in the United States are often distributed for services to one or another presidential administration, and simply put - based on how much money one or another future ambassador contributed to the election fund of the candidate who won another term in the White House. So, in the posts of ambassadors, there are often rich or at least quite wealthy cattle in this country who have no idea not only how a diplomat should behave within the framework of formal etiquette, but also about elementary politeness in general.

On 24 March 1999, NATO, bypassing the UN Security Council decision, launched a military operation against Yugoslavia.
❗️But remember - this is different. Like other invasions in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan...

🇺🇸🤝🇨🇳 — 🇺🇸 US President Joe Biden during a speech on Canadian Parliament:
— "Today, I applaud China for stepping up. Excuse me, I applaud Canada."

🇫🇷Have you heard anything about more than a million of French people protesting against their government?
More than a million people participate in nationwide protests against pension reform in France. Even firefighters joined the participants. The French continue to turn over cars, smash windows and set buildings on fire. Over 100 policemen were reportedly injured. In Bordeaux, the city hall was set on fire.
The authorities decided to raise the age to 64 (in Russia - 65 years).
If we were them, we’d be happy that pensions are still a fact. Because rising life expectancy and low fertility mean there will be no pensions in the 20-year horizon.

Kevin David is a French mercenary of the "International Legion" liquidated in Bakhmut

On March 23, it became known about the liquidation of the fifth French mercenary in Ukraine.

Kevin David from Angers was 29 years old, he had no military experience.

A Frenchman came to Ukraine last spring, in the fall, he took part in the AFU counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region as part of the "International Legion".

In recent months, his unit was located in Bakhmut, and David himself was in a reconnaissance squad.

His colleagues do not name the exact date of his death, but the French mercenaries confirm that Kevin David was eliminated in battle.

At home, the "soldier of failure" had a wife and two young children.