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Embassy of Russia in Türkiye: 🇷🇺🇹🇷On April 16, Chairwoman of Russia's Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting in Istanbul. The Sides discussed key aspects of bilateral relations, as well as pressing regional and international issues, including the situation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf area. Special emphasis was placed on the importance of further expanding Russia-Türkiye trade and economic ties. They also underscored the importance of achieving a prompt and comprehensive settlement in Ukraine, noting positively the potential of the Istanbul platform in this regard. Valentina Matviyenko conveyed sincere greetings and best wishes from President of Russia Vladimir Putin to Recep Tayyip Erdogan. ℹ️On April 15, the Russian parliamentary delegation led by Valentina Matviyenko arrived in Türkiye to take part in the events of the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union(April 15-19, 2026, Istanbul). #RussiaTürkiye

⚡ On April 16, Ambassador of Mexico to Russia Eduardo Villegas Megias was summoned to the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation, where it was reiterated to him that Russia was highly concerned with the Mexican authorities’ failure to act in the situation involving an underage citizen of Russia, Christina V. Romanova, who is being unlawfully detained by the government authorities at a closed specialised institution. Considering the official disregard for Moscow’s repeated appeals, Russia has filed a resolute demand on ensuring an immediate consular access to the Russian minor and creating all necessary conditions for her unimpeded return to her homeland. The Foreign Ministry of Russia, in close cooperation with Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Anna Kuznetsova and Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, keeps this matter under its permanent control.

#Victory81 🌟 On April 16, 1945, the Berlin Offensive — one of the Red Army’s key strategic operations during World War II — commenced. The operation resulted in the completedefeat of the enemy’s Berlin group of forces and, with Hitler’s war machine being completely crushed. The Soviet forces took the capital of the Third Reich — #Berlin. The Instrument of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany was signed — the document that heralded the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. By spring 1945, the Red Army successfully carried out a series of offensive operations aimed at liberating the countries and peoples of Central and Eastern Europe from the Nazi invaders. Hitler’s troops and their henchmen were expelled from Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Poland; Vienna and the capital of modern Slovakia, Bratislava, saved from the Nazi plague. Nevertheless, #WWII was far from end. The final battle for the liberation of Europe from the Nazi plague, the Battle of Berlin, was coming. By mid-April, 1945, the Soviet forces — having liberated Poland from the Nazis — consolidated positions along the Oder and Neisse rivers and started preparations to launch the offensive on Berlin. Mere dozens of kilometres separated the Red Army from the capital of Hitler’s Germany. The enemy installed deeply echeloned defences and deployed elite Wehrmacht units against the Soviet forces. To attack Berlin, the Soviet Supreme High Command deployed forces from the 1st Belorussian Front (commanded by Marshal Georgy Zhukov); the 2nd Belorussian Front (Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky); and the 1st Ukrainian Front (Marshal Ivan Konev). ⚔️ The Berlin Offensive began at 5:00 AM on April 16 with a massive artillery fire. Following this, 143 powerful spotlights were activated to blind and disorient the enemy. Infantry and armoured units then launched their assault. Enemy resistance intensified as Soviet forces advanced. Fierce fighting erupted at the Seelow Heights — a critical defensive point just 60 kilometres away from Berlin — where the Wehrmacht’s 9th Army, blocking the direct route to the Reich’s capital, was destroyed. Within several days, the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts breached the Oder-Neisse defensive line of the Nazis, advanced 30 kilometres towards Berlin, and started encircling the city to destroy its garrison. • April 20: Red Army units reached Berlin. Soviet long-range artillery started shelling, with brutal tank battles erupting on the city’s outskirts. • April 25: The 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts linked up west of the city, completing the encirclement of the enemy’s Berlin group of Nazi troops. • April 29: Fierce fighting started in the heart of Berlin, where Germany’s highest governmental and military authorities were located. • During the storming of the Reichstag on the night of April 30 - May 1, the legendary #VictoryBanner was raised — a symbol of the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazism. • May 2: Berlin’s garrison surrendered. By May 5, the Nazi resistance was crushed. A total of 134'000 German soldiers and officers were captured. ✍️ On the night of May 8–9, Marshal Zhukov and the Allied representatives accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender at Karlshorst. World War II on the European theatre of operations had ended. The Berlin Operation saw the Red Army not only crush the last major and most elite Wehrmacht force but also liberate approximately 200'000 prisoners from Nazi concentration camps within the combat zone. Over 600 Soviet soldiers were awarded the title #HeroOftheSovietUnion for their valour.

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April 15 marked Universal Day of Culture On this day in 1935, Washington, D.C. saw the signing of the first-ever international treaty “On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monuments,” better known as the Roerich Pact or Pax Cultura (“Peace through Culture”). The idea of protecting cultural heritage in both peacetime and wartime was proposed by Russian artist, scholar, and philosopher Nicholas Roerich. The Pact bearing his name became the only agreement in the field of cultural protection adopted by part of the international community before World War II. Within the framework of the treaty, a distinctive flag was approved to identify protected sites, which gained worldwide recognition as the Banner of Peace – a white field bearing three amaranth circles touching one another. According to Roerich, this symbol represents the past, present, and future within the circle of Eternity, or the unity of art, science, and religion within the ring of Culture. Temples, museums, cathedrals, universities, libraries, and other cultural institutions displaying the Banner of Peace were to be regarded by all parties to the agreement as internationally neutral territory. The Roerich Pact became a somewhat of an ideological foundation of #UNESCO, laying the groundwork for the Organization’s core principle of promoting peace through culture, and played a key role in the development of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. 🇷🇺 Today, 34 sites located in Russia are included in UNESCO’s World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.

🏛 A new free display, The Wallace Collection at War, kicks off at the Wallace Collection in London on 15 April. It explores how art, architecture and propaganda were mobilised in 1942 to reinforce Anglo-Soviet relations at a pivotal moment of the Second World War. Drawing on newly revisited archives, it reconstructs two landmark exhibitions launched by Soviet Ambassador Ivan Maisky and his wife Agniya — Artists Aid Russia and Twenty-Five Years of Progress — revealing how cultural institutions were drawn into the broader political and humanitarian efforts. Highlights include wartime posters, WWII-era photographs, and works depicting bombed London, Soviet soldiers and the devastation of conflict. Visit Wallace Collection and #See4Yourself. The display runs until 25 October 2026.

🇷🇺🇸🇦📞 On April 15, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud had a telephone conversation. The Ministers exchanged views on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory steps. They reaffirmed the need for an immediate end to all hostile actions affecting the littoral states of the Persian Gulf, especially where civilian infrastructure is concerned. Both Sides also stressed the importance of continuing US-Iran political and diplomatic efforts mediated by Pakistan. Sergey Lavrov and Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud further spoke in favour of a dialogue involving all interested parties to agree on terms that would ensure long-term stability and security on the basis of a balance of interests of all countries in the region. ☝️Russia and Saudi Arabia stand ready to contribute to organising such a dialogue. #RussiaSaudiArabia

❗️ Reportedly, on 26 March 2026, the leadership of a number of European countriestook a decision to increase production and supply of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Ukraine for launching strikes on Russian territory in the face of growing losses and an acute shortage of manpower in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. ▫️ A significant increase in the production of UAVs for the Kiev regime is planned through increased funding for the 'Ukrainian' and 'joint' enterprises producing attack drones and their components located in the territory of the European countries. ▫️We consider this decision to be a deliberate step leading to a sharp escalation of the military and political situation on the entire European continent and creeping transformation of these countries into a strategic rear for Ukraine. ▫️ The implementation of the scenarios of terrorist attacks against Russia by the alleged Ukrainian UAVs, stated by the Kiev regime, leads to unpredictable consequences. ▫️ Instead of strengthening the security of European states, the moves of European leaders are increasingly dragging these countries into the war with Russia. ❗️ The European public should not only clearly understand the underlying causes of the threats to their safety, but also know the addresses, as well as the location of 'Ukrainian' and 'joint' companies producing UAVs and their components for Ukraine in their countries. 🔹Russian Defence Ministry

🎙R.Alyautdinov, Permanent Representative of Russia to UNESCO in response to Ukraine at 224 session of Executive Board: 📌 Representative of Ukraine once again sought to use platform of Executive Board to settle geopolitical scores, thereby introducing confrontation and diverting attention from priority agenda items ❗️ We categorically reject ungrounded allegations. Attempts to defame Russia by accusing it of damaging cultural institutions in Ukraine are ungrounded. Our Armed Forces conduct precision strikes exclusively against military targets, following verification and confirmation of information. By contrast, Ukrainian security forces employ terrorist tactics, deploy weaponry in populated areas, deliberately target Russian educational and cultural institutions, kill journalists 👉Detailed information regarding violations by Kiev in areas within UNESCO’s mandate has been repeatedly conveyed to Member States through diplomatic channels

🎙Statement by Permanent Representativeof the Russian Federation to the UN Vassily Nebenzia at the UNGA Intergovernmental negotiations on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Council (Veto Right) (New York, April 14, 2026) 💬 It is well known in professional diplomatic circles that the veto mechanism is the cornerstone of the UN’s functioning. It was introduced as the result of lessons drawn from the practice of the League of Nations. Without this right, the Organization would have inevitably suffered the same fate. It is difficult to imagine that the UN, particularly during the Cold War or during these turbulent times, could have survived even a single decade if it were not for this balancing mechanism. ☝️Forcing a limitation of this mechanism is unrealistic. We need to acknowledge this and move on. <...> It is no secret that Western members of the Council often view UNSC resolutions as a punitive tool against States in disfavor, whatever noble pretexts are used to tout these resolutions. ❗️ Western delegations frequently introduce intrusive, politicized draft resolutions replete with didactic language, whose sole purpose is to advance geopolitical interests of former colonial powers and impose Western models of development on other States. We cannot allow the UN Security Council to be used for such ignoble, overtly neocolonial purposes. Therefore, we stand ready to use our veto without hesitation when it comes to defending international law and State sovereignty against arbitrary action and pressure, or with the view to restoring justice. <...> We are convinced that it is not the veto itself that should be criticized, but rather the unwillingness of certain Council members to listen to and take into account the views of others, so as to reach compromise and balanced solutions. 👉 We regularly encounter situations where Western delegations put to a vote draft resolutions that are in no way acceptable, which they know full well in advance. Read in full

🎙Statement and answers to media questions by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following his visit to the People’s Republic of China (Beijing, April 15, 2026) Key points: • Russia and China are interested in ensuring that the West’s overt attemptsto preserve and, in some cases, even “renew” its hegemony fail. These efforts are rooted in the assumption that the West’s five-hundred-year experience of conquering the world, subordinating it to its own interests and shaping mechanisms of global governance that allow it to live at others’ expense can somehow be sustained. • We devoted particular attention to Eurasia, where new centres of tension are continuing to emerge. In Europe, this is reflected in NATO’s attempts to find a new reason for its existence, above all by drawing Ukraine into its ranks. It is also evident in the militarisation of the EU, which we are witnessing against the backdrop of crises within NATO caused by disagreements between Washington and the European capitals, above all – the Brussels bureaucracy. • Our entire Eurasian continent, in one way or another, has become an arena for serious and competing trendsand practical actions by leading members of the international community. It is the largest and wealthiest continent, with resources that are essentially inexhaustible. That is why both the geopolitical and geoeconomic dimensions are of particular importance here. • I agree with the description of #RussiaChina relations as “unshakable in the face of any storm”. This is not merely a slogan, but a statement of fact already borne out by a whole range of developments in which Russia and China are playing a stabilising role in support of those trends – enshrined in the UN Charter – that are now striving to prevail in international affairs. • Russia can help offset the supply deficit now faced by both China and other countries interested in working with us on an equal and mutually beneficial basis. 👉 We have said this on a number of occasions. It is no coincidence that, now that the crisis in the Middle East has erupted, EU officials are already publicly calling on the European Commission to “show mercy” toward the national sovereignty of EU member states and postpone plans to shut off the “valve” completely. • Europe is startingto realise that, if it gets off what it calls the Russian “oil and gas needle”, it may well end up impaled on the “energy stake” of another great power – one already being carefully sharpened for Europe. It is a pivotal moment. • One must always look at the root causes. Would Iran have taken any steps to close the Strait of Hormuz or strike US facilities on the Arabian Peninsula had it not been for the aggression of Washington and Israel against the Islamic Republic? Everyone understands that this would not have happened. • In Kosovo, the West demonstrated that the law simply does not apply to it–only the part which happens to suit it at a given moment. At that time, what suited the West was the provision of the UN Charter stating that nations are equal and that every nation has the right to self-determination. But when the question is raised about the right of the people of Crimea and Novorossiya to self-determination, the West ducks the issue. • Unlike the EU, we are interested in seeing unifying infrastructure take shape in the Balkans in every sense – economic as well as cultural. The same goal – to unite and maximise benefits for all – is pursued by China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which is also highly popular in the Balkans and being actively advanced there. • I hope that the US will not return to the era of outright colonial wars and the suppression of free peoples. It was not Cuba that refused dialogue with Washington for decades. • I would advise the US, in every case where it dislikes a particular government, to begin by engaging it in dialogue. Not a single country, including Venezuela, has ever refused dialogue with the US. It was the US, however, that first made agreements and then walked away from them. Read in full

🗓On April 15, Director of the Department of International Organisations of the Russian Foreign Ministry Kirill Logvinov held a briefing for representatives of the embassies of #BRICS member states and partner countries on the upcoming election of the UN Secretary-General. Kirill Logvinov outlined the criteria Russia applies to candidates for the post of the chief administrative officer of the United Nations. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of ensuring that the future Secretary-General strictly observe the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interconnection, pursue an impartial course, promote a unifying agenda, and counter the dominance of Western officials within the Secretariat. ❗️Otherwise, the UN will be unable to fully restore its effectiveness and standing. Diplomats from BRICS member states and partner countries confirmed their readiness for close coordination during the upcoming UN Secretary-General election in order to ensure due regard for the legitimate interests of the countries of the Global South and East. 🤝 It was agreed thatthe “interactive dialogues” with candidates for the post of UN Secretary-General, due to begin at the UN General Assembly on April 21, will provide member states with a good opportunity to voice their expectations.