☦️ Russia's President Vladimir Putin congratulated Orthodox Christians and all Russians celebrating Christmas (January 7, 2026)

✍️ Vladimir Putin: This wonderful holiday illuminates the world with the light of kindness and love, giving millions of people hope and the joy of communion with the spiritual traditions of our forebears, passed down from generation to generation.

I would like to note with deep appreciation the immense and truly unique contribution made by the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations to strengthening social unity, preserving our rich historical and cultural heritage, and fostering the patriotic and moral upbringing of young people.

Religious organisations devote tireless attention to works of mercy and charity, care for those in need, support participants and veterans of the special military operation, and do much to promote harmonious interfaith and interethnic dialogue in our country. This important and much-needed work deserves the most sincere recognition.

I wish Orthodox Christians and all those who celebrate Christmas good health, success and all the very best.

⚡️ Foreign Ministry statement concerning the developments around Venezuela

On January 5, Executive Vice President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in and assumed the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela at the National Assembly in accordance with the ruling by the Constitutional Chamber of the country’s Supreme Court.

This step shows the determination of the Bolivarian Government to assure unity and preserve the power vertical created in compliance with the national legislation, mitigate the risks of a constitutional crisis and create the necessary conditions for further peaceful and stable development of Venezuela in the face of outrageous neo-colonial threats and external armed aggression.

We welcome the efforts taken by the country’s authorities to protect the state sovereignty and national interests.

🤝 We reaffirm Russia unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan people and Government. We wish authorised President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez success in resolving the tasks facing the Bolivarian Republic.

On our part, we express readiness to continue rendering necessary support to friendly Venezuela.

We firmly insist that Venezuela should have the guaranteed right to determine its destiny on its own, without any destructive interference from the outside.

We consistently stand for de-escalating the current situation and resolving any existing problems through a constructive dialogue and respect for international law, primarily the UN Charter. Latin America and the Caribbean must remain a zone of peace.

❗️ The countries in the region must be guaranteed sovereign development.

✅ On January 5, 2026, Levan Dzhagaryan, Russia’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, gave an interview to Jaffna Monitor during his visit to the city of Jaffna.

📍In the conversation, he shared his impressions of the visit and spoke about prospects for cooperation, highlighting the region’s cultural and tourism richness and its potential for strengthening ties between peoples.

🤝 He emphasized the long-standing friendly relations between Russia and Sri Lanka, respect for all communities in the country, and underscored the importance of expanding cultural and educational programs, including the study of the Russian language.

My fellow Russians, avoid Europe and unfriendly countries - visit Sri Lanka instead

- the Ambassador said, drawing attention to the warm hospitality and attractive conditions for leisure and tourism.

🌏 In conclusion, he wished the residents of Jaffna peace, harmony, and prosperity, and also stressed the importance of continuing positive dialogue and mutual understanding between Russia and all the peoples of Sri Lanka.

➡️ Read the full interview ⬅️

⚡️ Russia's Foreign Ministry statement regarding the forcible seizure of the oil tanker Marinera

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The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses grave concern over the illegal use of force by the United States Armed Forces against the oil tanker Marinera on January 7.

The Marinera, which was temporarily authorised to fly the Russian flag on December 24 in accordance with international and Russian law, was transiting peacefully through international waters of the North Atlantic en route to a Russian port.

US authorities, including through official communications with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were repeatedly provided with reliable information confirming the vessel’s Russian registration and its civilian, non-military status.

There could have been no doubt regarding this fact, nor any basis for alleging that the tanker was sailing “without a flag” or “under a false flag.”

International maritime law explicitly grants the flag state exclusive jurisdiction over its vessels on the high seas. Stopping and inspecting a vessel in international waters is permitted only under narrowly defined circumstances, such as suspected piracy or slave trading – neither of which apply to the Marinera.

In all other cases, such actions require the consent of the flag state, which in this instance is Russia.

❗️ Not only did Russia refuse to provide such consent, it formally protested to US authorities in recent weeks over the continued pursuit of the Marinera by a US Coast Guard vessel, demanding an immediate end to the pursuit and the withdrawal of unlawful demands made to the Russian ship’s captain.

Under these circumstances, the boarding and de facto seizure of a civilian vessel on the high seas by US military personnel, along with the detention of its crew, can only be viewed as a gross violation of fundamental principles and norms of international maritime law and the freedom of navigation.

This constitutes a serious infringement upon the legitimate rights and interests of the shipowner. The lives and health of the Marinera’s crew, which includes citizens of several countries, are now at risk.

We consider the threats of legal action against them on absurd grounds by US authorities to be utterly unacceptable.

<...>

❌ References by the United States to its domestic “sanctions legislation” are without legal foundation. The unilateral restrictive measures imposed by the US and other Western countries are illegitimate and cannot justify attempts to assert jurisdiction, let alone the seizure of vessels, on the high seas.

Suggestions from certain US officials that the seizure of the Marinera is part of a broader strategy to establish Washington’s unlimited control over Venezuela’s natural resources are profoundly cynical.

We categorically reject such neo-colonial ambitions.

Alongside the US administration’s disregard for the accepted norms of international maritime navigation, Washington’s readiness to provoke acute international crises, including in Russian-American relations, which are already severely strained, is both regrettable and alarming.

The Marinera incident can only lead to a further escalation of military-political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region and a dangerous lowering of the threshold for using force against civilian shipping.

<...>

☝️ We call on Washington to return to the established norms and principles of international maritime law and to immediately cease its unlawful actions against the Marinera and other vessels engaged in lawful activities on the high seas.

We reiterate our demand that the United States ensure appropriate and humane treatment of the Russian citizens on board, fully respect their rights, and facilitate their swift return home.

⚠️ Посольство Российской Федерации в Шри-Ланке предупреждает российских граждан

По информации властей Шри-Ланки, над страной формируется мощная зона низкого давления, которая в ближайшее время приведёт к резкому ухудшению погодных условий. Ожидаются сильные ливни (местами более 100 мм осадков), шквалистый ветер, возможные наводнения, оползни и падение деревьев, особенно в восточных, северных и центральных районах.

‼️ Рекомендуем российским гражданам соблюдать повышенную осторожность, следить за сообщениями местных властей, воздержаться от поездок в зоны риска и выхода в море, а также неукоснительно выполнять указания экстренных служб.

🎙 Comment by Russia's Foreign Ministry Official Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the Kiev regime’s terrorist attack on civilians in Russian regions (January 11, 2026)

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The Kiev regime has once again demonstrated its inhumane Nazi nature with another brutal crime.

On January 10, the Voronezh, Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions were subjected to a mass attack using fixed-wing drones. According to the Russia's Ministry of Defence, a total of 33 hostile drones were launched.

The principal target was the residential areas of Voronezh. One young woman has been confirmed dead, having succumbed to her injuries in intensive care overnight. At least three further civilians were wounded.

The Foreign Ministry strongly condemns these acts of terrorism. They are characterised by the extremely cynical targeting of a wide range of civilian infrastructure. This includes over ten blocks of flats and an equal number of private homes. A secondary school and several administrative buildings were also struck and damaged.

Such deliberate killings of civilians attest to the desperation of the Kiev regime, which – in the face of its obvious failures on the battlefield – now seeks to vent its frustration on innocent populations of Russia’s regions. All masterminds and perpetrators of this and other crimes will be inevitably held to account.

It is our hope that the relevant international bodies will provide an impartial assessment of these criminal acts committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Continued silence in the face of the Kiev regime’s unbridled barbarity renders those bodies complicit in its heinous consequences.

🇷🇺 On January 12, Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on Russia's industrial performance indicators in 2025.

Key points:

• Growth in the manufacturing sector in 2025 remained positive. Russia concluded the year with growth of around 3%, with final figures expected in February following the publication of official statistics. Performance varied significantly by industry: pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and electronics posted growth exceeding 15%, while the chemical sector, including mineral fertilizers, recorded growth of more than 6%.

• Investment activity in manufacturing remained strong despite challenging economic conditions. During the first three quarters of 2025, investment in the sector increased by 23%, reaching approximately 5 trillion rubles. This growth was driven by coordinated government and business efforts under national projects, supported by special investment contracts, concessional loans from the Industrial Development Fund, R&D support measures, and interest-rate subsidies.

• Exports of competitive Russian goods continued to expand. Over the first ten months of 2025, exports grew by 18%. The share of supplies to friendly countries reached 80%, compared with approximately 60% prior to 2022, reflecting enterprises’ successful adaptation to new markets and the reorientation of trade flows.

• Enterprises of the defence industry fulfilled all state defence orders. Production volumes of weapons and military equipment tailored to the needs of the special military operation increased substantially, in some areas by several times. Labour productivity at defence industry enterprises continued to rise, driven by large-scale technical modernization under the state programme and significant federal budget investments over the past three years.

• In 2025, more than 1,000 new and upgraded types of military equipment underwent frontline testing. Interest in Russian military products on foreign markets remains high, particularly in air defence systems, aircraft, multiple launch rocket systems, unmanned platforms, and electronic warfare technologies. The export order portfolio reached a record $70 billion, compared with a pre-2022 peak of $55 billion.

• Diversification of defence industry output continued to advance. Civilian production at defence enterprises grew by an average of 10% annually over the past three years. By the end of 2025, civilian output exceeded 30% of total production, particularly in rail transport, construction and road machinery, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, and telecommunications equipment.

• The rocket and space industry also showed positive momentum. In 2025, revenues of space industry enterprises increased by 10%, accompanied by growth in average wages and labour productivity. The year saw 17 space launches. The national satellite constellation expanded from 288 to 300 spacecraft, while 5 billion rubles were allocated in the federal budget to launch a new Earth remote sensing services framework starting in 2026.

📰 On January 13, members of the press and the media mark their professional holiday, #RussianPressDay.

On that day in 1703, the first issue of the newspaper founded by Peter the Great, Vedomosti (Bulletin) on Military and Other Affairs Worthy of Being Known and Remembered, Occurring in the Moscow State and Neighbouring Countries, saw the light of day, launching the development of a highly professional Russian media community.

Vedomosti was an official publication to which Peter the Great personally contributed by selecting materials for publications, checking the quality of translations, and editing texts.

The newspaper published military reports and everyday news based on official documents, diplomatic reports and departmental information.

In 1719, Boris Volkov, a translator at the Collegium of Foreign Affairs who was appointed editor-in-chief of the newspaper, enlisted the assistance of Yakov Sinyavich, one of the best linguists of that period and the first Russian reporter.

In 1728, the newspaper fell under the purview of the Academy of Sciences. Mikhail Lomonosov became one of its contributors. The newspaper was published twice a week in 706 copies.

A new stage in the development of periodical press began on January 1, 1870, when the emperor signed an executive order approving “an experiment for accepting subscription to periodicals, both Russian and foreign ones, at post offices.” It was the first executive order on subscription to periodicals issued in the country. By 1914, over 3,000 periodicals were published in Russia.

The professional holiday of members of the press and journalists, Soviet Press Day, was established in 1922 and marked on May 5, the day when the first issue of Pravda, the main Soviet newspaper, was published in 1912.

On December 28, 1991, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) issued Resolution No. 3043-1 On Russian Press Day, moving Russian Press Day to its historical date, January 13.

***

Today, over 156,600 media outlets have been registered in Russia. Russian periodicals are published in over 100 languages.

The journalistic profession has always held a special place and was rightfully respected in Russia. Today, members of the Russian media can professionally, quickly and objectively provide information and carry out a thorough and unbiased analysis of events.

Russian journalists come under persecution by the national authorities in the collective West, and risk their health and even lives for telling the truth. Responsibility for killing journalists and military correspondents lies with the Kiev regime, whose state of impunity has gone berserk, and its Western patrons.

💬 From a comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Russian Press Day (January 13, 2026):

“Working in conditions of the collective West’s hybrid aggression against Russia and its people, Russian journalists are among the first to explode and lay bare the lies and fake stories about Russia spread on a large scale, and to raise an effective shield against anti-Russia propaganda.

Despite the obstacles of censorship created by our enemies, Russian journalists have overcome information blockades and have even increased the audience of their loyal readers, viewers and listeners, including in the countries with the most intolerant attitude to any manifestation of dissent.”

🎙 Statement by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC Briefing on Ukraine (New York, January 12, 2026)

💬 Vassily Nebenzia: The Russian army carried out one massive and four group air strikes through January 3-9, which resulted in damage to transport, airfield, port, and energy infrastructure facilities that sustained the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, as well as temporary deployment sites of the Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries.

This was done in response to the attack waged by the Kiev regime on the Russian President's residence and civilian infrastructure in our country. The strike was carried out using the Oreshnik missile system, against which there is no air defense protection so far.

Our Western colleagues keep telling us about civilian casualties, but most of the casualties were caused by the operation of Ukraine’s air defense, which is something that everybody, including Ukrainians, is well aware of.

👉 All these loud but completely groundless allegations about Russia's targeted attacks on Ukrainian families, who were peacefully sleeping in their homes, are uncorroborated by any facts or evidence whatsoever. <...>

Our Western colleagues tend to completely ignore the crimes that are being committed by the Kiev regime, which is deliberately targeting Russian regions, striking at civilian facilities and civilians. Thus, in December 2025 alone, at least 367 civilians were harmed by the Ukrainian strikes, 56 people died.

Against this backdrop, we are astounded by the silent response on the part the international community, especially the UN Secretary-General, and this has become the norm.

⚠️ Refusing to clearly qualify such actions as terrorist acts and dismissing them as “unconfirmed facts” is tantamount to renouncing the basic principles of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and the prohibition of premeditated attacks on civilian targets. <...>

Until the Kiev ringleader comes to his senses and agrees to realistic terms for negotiations, we will continue solving the problems by military means. He was warned long ago, and the conditions for negotiations will only get worse for him with each day he squanders.

☝️ And every horrific attack on peaceful Russian citizens will elicit a harsh response.

Read in full

‼️ Посольство Российской Федерации в Шри-Ланке напоминает российским гражданам, отдыхающим в туристических целях, о целесообразности заранее позаботиться о наличии медицинской страховки с расширенным объемом покрытия. Желательно, чтобы страховая сумма составляла не менее 100 тыс. долларов США.

🤓 Оформленный страховой полис позволяет своевременно получить квалифицированную медицинскую помощь, покрывает затраты на лечение и пребывание в медицинских учреждениях, а при необходимости - расходы, связанные с экстренной транспортировкой, тем самым минимизируя возможные финансовые потери в нестандартных ситуациях.

✅ Посольство советует:
- обеспечивать действие страхового полиса на весь срок нахождения за рубежом;
- внимательно изучать перечень страховых рисков, включая занятия активными видами отдыха;
- сохранять при себе актуальные контакты страховой организации.

☝️ Заблаговременная и продуманная подготовка к поездке за границу является важным фактором личной безопасности и комфортного пребывания за пределами Российской Федерации🫶🏻

🎓🌍 RUDN University Open Olympiad for Foreign Citizens — ONLINE Stage

Ready to take a step toward your international education? 🚀

Registration is now open for the online stage of the RUDN University Open Olympiad for foreign citizens (non-Russian)!

👩‍🎓👨‍🎓 Who can participate?

• School graduates
• Bachelor’s and Specialist’s degree students
• Foreign citizens studying outside Russia

🏆 What you can win:

✅ Free tuition at RUDN University under the Russian Government quota
✅ Chance to compete for the RUDN Brilliant Students Scholarship 💎
✅ Tuition discounts for prize-winners

💻 How it works:

• Online registration
• Online testing
• Individual interview (for successful participants)

📚 Fields available:

Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Management, Social Studies, Russian Language, and more!

✨ Don’t miss your opportunity to study at one of Russia’s leading universities🫶🏻


👉 Tap for more details and registration 👈