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🇷🇺🇺🇿 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Tashkent on a two-day visit at the invitation of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. It is expected to discuss the current state and prospects for further development of Russia-Uzbekistan relations of strategic partnership and alliance, as well as exchange views on topical regional issues. Vladimir Putin and Shavkat Mirziyoyev will take part in the first meeting of the Council of Regions of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Following the visit, a solid package of bilateral documents is expected to be signed. #RussiaUzbekistan

📅 The Treaty of Jassy was concluded at the end of the Russian-Turkish war in 1791 and through it the entire Northern Black Sea coast was formally recognised as part of the Russian Empire. In a push to create a port for military and commercial needs on the newly acquired lands, on May 27, 1794, Empress Catherine the Great issued a rescript on founding a city and a harbour on the site of the town of Khadjibey. On August 22, 1794, the first piles were driven into the site that will become Odessa in the future. The great grandnephew of the famous French cardinal, Duke Armand Richelieu, who had been in the service of the Russian imperial court for many years, played a major role in developing that city. During the Napoleonic invasion, he addressed the people of Odessa calling upon them to give a strong rebuff to the invaders. ☝️ Hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 and Foreign Campaigns of the Russian Army Count Mikhail Vorontsov did much for the city. He turned Odessa into the main trading outpost in southern Russia. Outstanding Russian writers, artists, musicians and true heroes of the Motherland lived in Odessa in different periods of time. However, today, the regime that took power as a result of the coup in Ukraine is trying to destroy their traces in the history of the city. In 2014, Odessa residents openly opposed the neo-Nazis who seized power in Kiev. However, radicals drowned in blood the freedom-loving Russian-speaking Odessa on May 2, 2014. Since then, the terror unleashed by the nationalists against proud Odessa residents and all other dissenting residents of Ukraine has been intensifying. 💬 Excerpt from a comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on marking 10 years since the May 2, 2014, tragedy in Odessa:

We are confident that the day when Odessa will throw off the yoke of the neo-Banderites and once again become a truly free city and home to people of different ethnicities who will live in peace and accord is not far off.

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✉️ President Vladimir Putin expressed his deepest condolences to Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi ✍️ Please accept our deepest condolences in connection with the great tragedy that befell the Islamic Republic of Iran – a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and several other prominent government leaders of your country. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi was an outstanding politician whose entire life was devoted to serving his Motherland. He enjoyed the well-deserved respect of his compatriots and high prestige beyond his country. As a true friend of Russia, he made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of good neighbourly relations between our countries and made great efforts to advance them to the level of strategic partnership. I have had the privilege of meeting Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi on multiple occasions, and I will always cherish the fond memories of this wonderful man. Please convey my heartfelt condolences and support to the family and friends of the late President, as well as to all those affected by this tragic incident. I extend my wishes for strength to the Iranian people as they navigate through this challenging and irreparable loss. Vladimir Putin

🇷🇺🇮🇷📞 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Acting President of Iran Mohammad Mokhber. The President of Russia offered his deepest condolences to Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mohammad Mokhber and the entire Iranian people on the tragic death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and a number of other government officials as a result of a helicopter crash. Vladimir Putin stressed that he knew well and appreciated Ebrahim Raisi as a reliable partner who made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of friendly relations between Russia and Iran. Mohammad Mokhber expressed sincere gratitude for the words of sympathy and support during this difficult time for the country. Both sides emphasised their mutual desire to further consistently strengthen comprehensive Russian-Iranian interaction for the benefit of the two countries. #RussiaIran

✈️ On May 20, 1916 — 1️⃣0️⃣8️⃣ years ago — legendary Soviet military pilot and Hero of the Soviet Union Alexey Maresyev was born. It was he who served as a prototype for Boris Polevoy's brilliant novel "The Story of a Real (True) Man". Alexey Maresyev inspired many generations, millions of people all over the world admired and continue to admire his courage and determination. Although he had severe health issues since childhood and often fell ill, even contracted malaria and suffered from rheumatism, his tremendous willpower and stubbornness allowed him to cope with excruciating pains in his limb joints make his dream of soaring the skies come true. 🔹Maresyev tried to enrol at a pilot school twice but was rejected for health reasons. Yet he pursued his dream: joined an air club in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and graduated from the Bataysk Aviation School in 1940 and became a Junior Lieutenant. In the spring of 1942, the young pilot’s stubbornness and professionalism proved useful when intense fighting was raging in the Novgorod Region. On April 4, the Nazis downed his Yakovlev Yak-1 fighter, and Maresyev found himself on enemy-held territory. Although he was seriously wounded, he managed to reach Soviet positions 18 days later, wading through deep snowdrifts. His feet were frozen and gangrene began. His feet had to be amputated. Although his prospects as an air force pilot seemed bleak, Maresyev was determined to re-join his comrades at the frontlines. Maresyev was fitted with prosthetics and, contrary to doctors’ recommendations, took to the skies once again in June 1943. He later downed seven enemy aircraft. 🕯 On May 8, 1967, Maresyev was entrusted with carrying and transferring a torch with the Eternal Flame during the ceremony of unveiling the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexander Garden. Alexey Maresyev passed away on May 18, 2001 in Moscow and was buried at Novodevichye Cemetery. Streets have been named in his honour, and monuments honouring him have also been unveiled. #FacesOfVictory #WeRemember

🗓 On May 20, 1942, the Red Army concluded the Kerch operation, the largest landing op on the Eastern Front. In late December 1941, the Soviet forces liberated Kerch and Feodosia. The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command also planned to aid Sevastopol, surrounded by German and Romanian troops. Successful ops on the Transcaucasian Front and the Black Sea Navy's efforts in Crimea forced the German command to urgently transfer troops from near Sevastopol to meet the advancing Red Army. ⚔️ Soviet soldiers and sailors’ heroism and selflessness allowed to thwart the Nazis’ plans to immediately capture Taman and advance to the Caucasus. The Kerch landing operation showcased that the Red Army's ability to successfully carry out offensive operations in difficult conditions. The experience of the operation was generalised, analysed, and used in subsequent battles of the Great Patriotic War. 🌟 On May 12, 1944, during the Crimean offensive operation, the Red Army completely liberated Crimea from the Nazi invaders. #Victory79

🎙 Russia's President Vladimir Putin replied to questions from Russian media representatives on the outcomes of his two-day state visit to the People’s Republic of China (May 17, 2024) Key talking points: 💬 The fact that the future depends on Russia & China is only partly true. The future of humankind depends on the whole of humanity. Certainly, Russia & China are important components of modern civilisation. We have our own views on how we should develop. <...> We believe that development should be constructive & peaceful, no doubt about it. Apart from our interests, it should heed the interests of all parties to international interaction. • Of course, it is necessary to strengthen the emerging multipolar world. There is absolutely no doubt that a new world is taking shape before our eyes and becoming multipolar. • Of course, we are analysing now everything that is taking place in this regard [the Ukrainian crisis]. Of course, we are looking at what is happening around the universally announced meeting in Switzerland, in Geneva. I believe this is the venue of the meeting. We are certainly not going to discuss any formulas about which we know absolutely nothing. But as distinct from Ukraine, we have never rejected talks. The goal of this event [in Geneva] is clear. They want to gather as many countries as possible, declare that everything has been agreed upon with everyone and then present it to Russia as a resolved issue, as an ultimatum. This will never happen. • Sanctions imposed on third countries engaged in economic activities are doubly or triply illegitimate because sanctions are absolutely illegitimate when adopted without the approval of the UN Security Council. • By undermining trust in the dollar for political reasons, the US authorities are weakening the main, the most powerful & important instrument of their might – the dollar itself. They are doing irreparable damage to themselves. Using one of popular sayings, they are quarrelling with their own bread & butter. Read in full #RussiaChina

🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment regarding Kiev regime’s terrorist attacks on Russian regions 💬 On May 16 and 17, the Kiev neo-Nazi regime used fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned speedboats to launch another massive attack on Crimea, the Krasnodar Territory and other Russian regions. Russian air defence forces destroyed and intercepted more than 100 UAVs (51 over the Crimean Peninsula, 44 over the Krasnodar Territory, six over the Belgorod Region, and one over the Kursk Region). The Black Sea Fleet naval aviation and patrol boats destroyed six unmanned speedboats. Earlier this week, Russian Defence Ministry reported the destruction of 20 US-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, over 130 missiles, including US-made HIMARS and Czech-made Vampire, over 20 French-made Hammer guided bombs, and four British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles. These barbaric attacks with the use of Western-made weapons are clearly backed by the US and British curators overseeing Zelensky’s regime. They go beyond supplying it with ever longer-range missiles and heavy weapons and now authorise their use against Russia, further escalating the conflict. This Banderite clique seems to have come to believe in its own impunity amid the Western emissaries’ frequent visits to Kiev lately. ❗️ Once again, we would like to issue a stark warning to Washington, London, Brussels and other Western capitals, as well as Kiev which is controlled by them, that they are playing with fire. Russia will not leave unanswered these acts of aggression against its territory.

🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russia's President Vladimir Putin visited Harbin Institute of Technology and met with Chinese and Russian students and faculty at the university (May 17, 2024) Key points: 💬 During our talks with President Xi Jinping yesterday, we pointed out with satisfaction that our cooperation in research and education is of priority significance for developing the entire range of Russian-Chinese relations, comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction. <...> To date, about 50,000 Chinese citizens are receiving a higher education in Russia. At the same time, 16,000 Russian citizens are studying in China, and this is not the limit. • China and Russia have 167 bilateral education programmes and there are 28 institutes with Russian participation in China. Overall, there are 12 Russian-Chinese university associations, which include about 600 institutes. The largest among them is the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities, which comprises 40 Russian and 36 Chinese universities, including Harbin Institute of Technology. • It is notable that active contacts are not only maintained between our universities but also between our scientists, who are doing research at the forefront of technological progress and in widely different fields, such as medicine, biology, innovative materials, space exploration and microelectronics. • Russian and Chinese students and educators are not only engaged in educational and scientific exchanges but also actively participate in bilateral cultural, social, creative, and volunteer initiatives. Read in full

🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russia's President Vladimir Putin took part in the opening ceremony of the 8th Russia-China EXPO & the 4th Russia-China Forum on Interregional Cooperation together with Vice President of China Han Zheng 💬 Vladimir Putin: The fact that Harbin is hosting these two important events is highly symbolic, since Harbin is one of China’s biggest centres for research, education & innovation. • Since its founding in the late 19th century, Harbin has been a symbol of the close ties linking Russia & China and their intertwined destinies, and the mutual enrichment of their cultures & traditions. • Harbin is a city that commemorates our nations’ brotherhood-in-arms. More than 12,000 Soviet fighters perished in the battles to liberate Northeast China from Japanese invaders. It was Harbin that on September 16, 1945, hosted the joint Victory Parade to commemorate the end of hostilities on the Pacific Front & of #WWII. • We have laid flowers at the memorial to Soviet soldiers & officers. I am extremely grateful to the people of Harbin & the Chinese officials for preserving the memory of our liberators & our shared history of military glory. They have taken great care of our shared historical, spiritual & cultural heritage. • Building upon the glorious traditions of neighbourliness, friendship & cooperation, we can confidently look forward & embark on ambitious projects together, charting & implementing our grandest plans. President Xi Jinping & I discussed in detail the prospects of developing this close & multi-dimensional cooperation during our talks last night. 📈 The inseparable partnership between Russia & China directly contributes to the growth of both economies, ensuring our energy security, creating new production facilities & high-paying jobs, & ultimately improving the wealth & quality of life of our citizens. 🤝 Traditionally, the EXPO exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to promote industry-specific ties. Russia & China have taken turns in hosting this event for a number of years. #RussiaChina