Russian MFA 🇷🇺

🇷🇺🇧🇾📞On April 12, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko had a telephone conversation. The Leaders exchanged warm Easter greetings and conveyed their best wishes to the brotherly peoples of the two countries. They also discussed current issues on the bilateral agenda, including trade and economic cooperation. Both Sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening the Russia-Belarus alliance and maintaining close coordination at various levels. The Presidents also exchanged views on a number of international issues. #RussiaBelarus

📰On April 12 at 10:02 a.m. Moscow time,TASS reported to the the entire world: “On April 12, 1961, in the Soviet Union, the world’s first spacecraft-satellite, Vostok, with a man on board, was launched into orbit around the Earth. The pilot-cosmonaut of the Vostok spacecraft-satellite is a citizen of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Air Force Major Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin. The launch of the multi-stage space rocket was successful, and after reaching first cosmic velocity and separating from the final stage of the launch vehicle, the spacecraft-satellite began free flight in orbit around the Earth…” The TASS report on Gagarin’s flight became the most quoted news story in the world. The next day, front pages of newspapers across the globe carried strikingly similar headlines celebrating the feat of the Russian cosmonaut: 🇬🇧 “Man in Space!” 🇺🇸 “Russian Becomes First Spaceman” 🇨🇳 人类征服宇宙的历史揭开了新的一页 🇫🇷 “Un Russe ramené vivant d’un voyage cosmique” 🇮🇹 “Il cosmo è dell’uomo!” 🇩🇪 “Triumph im Weltraum – Sieg des Kommunismus” 🇪🇸 “Astronauta soviético al espacio” 🇳🇴 “Det første menneske har vært i verdensrommet” 🇵🇱 “Pierwszy człowiek w kosmosie!” 🧑‍🚀 Yuri Gagarin’s name instantly became known across the globe, and his “Poehali!” (Let's go!) still echoes in every language of the world.

🇷🇺🇮🇶On April 11, President of Russia Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory message to President of Iraq Nizar Amidi. ✍️The message reads, in part: Dear Mr President, Please accept my sincere congratulations on your election as President of the Republic of Iraq. I wish you every success in this high office. I trust that your work in this high office will contribute to the further development of the traditionally friendly relations between Russia and Iraq. Respectfully, VLADIMIR PUTIN #RussiaIraq

President of Russia Vladimir Putin extended Easter greetings to Orthodox Christians and to all Russians celebrating the Holy Resurrection of Christ. 💬 The great feast of Easter fills the hearts of millions with sincere joy and faith in the triumph of life, in the victory of love, goodness and justice. It unites us around time-honoured ancestral traditions and enduring spiritual and moral values and ideals. The Russian Orthodox Church, along with other Christian denominations, plays an immense and constructive role in preserving our rich historical and cultural heritage, strengthening the institution of the family, and raising the younger generation. Religious organisations are carrying out substantial and much-needed work aimed at improving constructive cooperation with public authorities, fostering interreligious and interethnic dialogue in our country, and supporting the participants in the special military operation and their families. Such important and multifaceted work deserves the deepest recognition. I wish you good health, prosperity and all the very best. Happy Easter! VLADIMIR PUTIN

6️⃣5️⃣years since Yuri Gagarin’s historic space feat! 🚀On April 12, 1961, the Vostok launch vehicle lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. This momentous event marked the culmination of the efforts of millions of Soviet citizens – design engineers, scientists, military pilots, doctors, specialists across a wide range of fields, and entire branches of industry. Inside the cramped cabin of the crewed spacecraft was Senior Lieutenant Yuri Gagarin. At 9:07 am, the four metal arms holding the 287-tonne rocket retracted, and Vostok began its lift-off. It was at that very moment that Gagarin’s famous “#POYEKHALI!”(*Let’s go!) rang out over the radio. At 9:12 am, the spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle and entered the Earth's orbit. Its speed reached 28,260 kilometres per hour – nearly 8 kilometres per second. Never before had a human travelled so fast. 🎙Just as the spacecraft reached Earth's orbit, Yuri Levitan – the USSR’s iconic radio announcer – solemnly declared to the world: This is Moscow speaking! The time in Moscow is 10:02 am. We are broadcasting a TASS report on the first human flight into outer space. On April 12, 1961, the Soviet Union launched into orbit around the Earth the world’s first spacecraft-satellite, Vostok, with a man on board. The pilot-cosmonaut is a citizen of the USSR, Air Force Major Yuri Gagarin (the extraordinary rank was conferred by Order No. 77 of the USSR Minister of Defence, dated April 12, 1961). While in orbit, Gagarin recorded his observations and transmitted them back to Earth. Before him lay the planet as no one had ever seen it before: the curve of the horizon, the luminous blue edge of the atmosphere, coastlines, mountain ranges, vast landmasses – all set against the bottomless black void of space. Almost 90 minutes into the flight, the spacecraft began its descent. At that moment, a highly dangerous emergency arose: the descent module failed to separate immediately from the equipment module. However, as the spacecraft re-entered the dense layers of the atmosphere, the connecting cables between the two sections burned through due to friction, and the descent continued. At 10:42 am, at an altitude of 7 km, the cosmonaut ejected. At 10:53 am, Yuri Gagarin landed safely in a field near the city of Engels, around 4 km from the present-day bank of the Volga. On April 14, 1961, by Decree No. 251/22 of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Yuri Gagarin was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, together with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. Two days later, the people of Moscow welcomed the space traveller to the Soviet capital with flowers and celebratory banners. By the end of April, Earth’s first cosmonaut embarked on an international tour to share what he had witnessed with people around the world. In the two years following this historic event, Yuri Gagarin visited more than 30 countries, where he was honoured as a true hero. The tour became unofficially known as the “Mission of Peace”. *** 1️⃣0️⃣6️⃣minutes of Yuri Gagarin's flight changed the course of world history. Just 16 years after the most devastating and bloodiest war in human history, the Soviet people achieved what had only recently seemed impossible – opening the way to space for all humankind. *** 💬 As President Vladimir Putin noted in his message to the participants in the first Russian Space Forum on April 9, 2026: Yuri Gagarin's spaceflight became one of the great events of the 20th century and opened a new era in the history of human civilisation. We are sincerely proud of several generations of talented scientists, designers, cosmonauts, military personnel and civilian specialists who stood at the origins of the national space programme and wrote bright, heroic pages in the chronicle of its victories and achievements. 🇺🇳 Since 2011, April 12 has been observed as the International Day of Human Space Flight, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly under resolution A/RES/65/271 in honour of Yuri Gagarin’s legendary mission. #Gagarin65#FirstInSpace

🇷🇺Embassy of Russia in Israel: ☦️ Today, on Holy Saturday, Orthodox pilgrims traditionally flock to Jerusalem to witness the ceremony of the descent of the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The earliest description of the Holy Fire service in Russian literature was left by Abbot Daniel, who visited the holy sites in 1106–1107. In the XIX century, with the establishment of the Russian Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, the participation of Russian pilgrims became more organized. The Society was supported by Russian diplomacy — the Consulate General of the Russian Empire in Jerusalem was involved in facilitating the arrival and accommodation of pilgrims and their access to the holy sites. Since the early 2000s, a stable tradition has formed of the official transport of the Holy Fire to Moscow by representatives of the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called. There, it is brought to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour during the Paschal service of the Patriarch and then distributed throughout the country. In the context of a complex military-political situation in the Middle East, the organization of such pilgrimages requires continuous close coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and Israeli authorities as well as church structures.

April 11 marks the International Day of Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camps. This date was established by #UNESCO in 1952 in memory of the uprising of prisoners in#Buchenwald (April 11, 1945) — one of the largest concentration camps in Nazi Germany. The Day of Liberation symbolizes solidarity and resistance against all forms of violence, discrimination, and genocide, and calls on to remember history and prevent the recurrence of the terrible tragedy of #WW2. In Nazi Germany and on the territories occupied by the Reich, a system of organised extermination of people was created — a vast network of concentration camps and so-called “death factories.” Millions of prisoners from the USSR and European countries were held there under terrible and inhumane conditions, many of whom were brutally murdered by Nazi criminals. During the years of the war, more than 20 million people from 30 countries passed through concentration camps. The system of Hitler’s concentration camps was destroyed as a result of the Victory over Nazism and the defeat of the Third Reich. The first Nazi “death factory”, whose prisoners were saved from by the Red Army, was the #Majdanek concentration camp (Poland) in July 1944. Later, prisoners of #Belzec, #Sobibor, #Treblinka, #AuschwitzBirkenau, #Stutthof, #Sachsenhausen, #Ravensbrück, and others were also liberated. #NoStatuteOfLimitations ◼️ As in Europe, after the invasion of the USSR, the Nazi criminals created a network of concentration camps with the only purpose — to systematically exterminate the population of our country regardless of ethnicity, race, or religion. According to the criminal plans of the leadership of the Third Reich, Soviet citizens, irrespective of their ethnicity, race, or religion, were to be killed or subjected to “Germanization” in Nazi slavery. One such camp on the territory of our Motherland was the so-called #BryanskBuchenwald—“Dulag-142,” where in just two years (!) more than 40’000 Soviet civilians perished (👉 by comparison, approximately the same number of people were killed over the entire nine years of operation of the SS Buchenwald camp in Thuringia). ◼️Approximately 13.7 million Soviet people fell victims of the ruthless policy of exterminating those deemed “inferior” by Nazi Germans. Due to the inhumane conditions of forced labor and inhumane treatment in Nazi concentration camps in the USSR, more than 2 million prisoners died in suffering, including tens of thousands of children and adolescents. It is documentally established that at least 7.4 million Soviet civilians were deliberately killed by Nazi occupants — shot dead, burned, or buried alive. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, in cooperation with the Investigative Committee, other competent agencies, as well as the National Center for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation and the Russian Military Historical Society, is systematically working to establish the legal classification of the crimes of Nazi invaders as genocide of the peoples of the Soviet Union. Joint efforts are taken to systematise knowledge about the genocide. #ArchivesSpeak ❗️ As part of efforts to preserve the memory of the victims of the genocide of the Soviet people, documentary and multimedia materials have been prepared, recording numerous crimes committed by the Nazis during the occupation of our country and other nations. 👉Learn more

🎙Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a media question(April 10, 2026) ❓ Question: European Commission’s Spokesperson Paula Pinho, commenting on the leaked telephone conversation between [Hungarian Foreign Minister] Péter Szijjártó and you, stated that the recording suggests an “alarming possibility of a member state’s government coordinating with Russia, thus actively working against the security and the interests of the EU and all its citizens.” How would you respond to this? 💬 Sergey Lavrov: I will leave the claim that this telephone conversation somehow “works against the security and the interests of the EU and all its citizens” to the conscience of the person who authored it. If she made such a statement, then perhaps that is what she thinks. Frankly, it sounds more like the continuation of the familiar narrative: “the Russians are coming.” <...> Among the many responsibilities of foreign ministers, maintaining political dialogue is a key one. During negotiations, meetings, and telephone conversations, my colleagues and I address a wide range of issues related to both bilateral relations and the international agenda. Particular attention is naturally given to safeguarding the legitimate interests of our citizens. <...> One of the most pressing issues is the situation of national minorities in Ukraine. This is precisely what we have discussed with Péter Szijjártó on numerous occasions. Budapest has never concealed and has repeatedly stated publicly its concerns regarding how Hungarian communities are treated by the Kiev authorities. <...> The situation regarding the Russiansin Ukraine is even more intolerable. Despite professed adherence to values, the EU has not only refrained from criticism but has effectively supported the Kiev regime’s policies to eradicate all things Russian. Through a series of legislative measures, the use of the Russian language in education, culture, and media has been ultimately eliminated. Brussels has either overlooked the regime’s crimes against their own people or framed them as part of strengthening Ukrainian national identity, while also paving the way for glorifying the legacy of Bandera and Shukhevich. Back in April 2019, the Verkhovnaya Rada in Kiev adopted the law On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language, which limited the use of other languages and resulted in an almost total ban on Russian. To ensure that these draconian and widespread measures against human rights did not hinder the Nazi regime’s progress along the “European path,” amendments introduced in December 2023 provided certain exceptions for minority languages of EU member states. In other words, it was double discrimination. <...> Now, with prospects for a political and diplomatic settlement on the horizon, the EU decided it wanted a place at the negotiating table and started talking about security guarantees for Ukraine as a key element of the peaceful solution. Let us omit the fact that nobody in the European Union mentioned security guarantees for Russia – though the conflict cannot be resolved without this – but still the question is being raised: to whom does the EU want to provide these guarantees? To the regime that will continue destroying all things Russian, while also restricting all things Hungarian, Bulgarian, and Romanian? Of course, there is no sense in asking this question to Brussels: it is ready to go all in, including to topple their own once-proclaimed – and now proven false – values ​​and ideals, for the sake of a utopian goal: the strategic defeat of Russia. For this, all means are good. This is why the statements by the European Commission’s Spokesperson Paula Pinho cannot be interpreted as a commitment to the rule of law, but a prevailing Nazi-like approach to human rights in Brussels. <...> Naturally, current European newsmakers should have been told by their parents that eavesdropping is bad. Moreover, if you overheard something that incriminates you, it would even better to keep quiet to avoid embarrassment. Read in full

⚡️Russia's Foreign Ministry Statement on the developments in the Middle East(April 10, 2026) A window of opportunity is emerging to resolve the complex situation in the Persian Gulf region. The majority of countries support this effort, placing their hopes on the success of the negotiations between the United States and Iran, which are set to begin in Islamabad with the mediation of our Pakistani partners. Regrettably, however, certain forces are impeding progress toward peace, whether intentionally or not, by creating obstacles along the way. In particular, those who initiated aggression against Iran and now hold it responsible for issues related to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz should not obscure the actual sequence of events, including the fact that this vital waterway operated without disruption until February 28. At this stage, the core objective is to address the root causes of the destructive conflict in the region, namely by bringing a complete end to the war initiated by the United States and Israel. Among its consequences are the damage sustained by the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, as well as military activity in the Lebanese-Israeli border area and missile and air strikes on Lebanon, which must cease immediately. In this context, we advocate resolving existing disagreements among the countries of the region through political and diplomatic means. We remain committed to close cooperation with our partners in order to advance constructive peace efforts and ensure the stabilisation of the situation in the Middle East. ❗️We call on all participants in the forthcoming talks in Pakistan to act responsibly and refrain from any steps that could jeopardise this opportunity. We also reaffirm the relevance of Russia’s well-known initiative to develop a security framework for the Persian Gulf region through dialogue among all littoral states – the Arab countries and the Islamic Republic of Iran – with the involvement and support of external actors capable of genuinely contributing to a fair and sustainable balance of interests.

🔷 A special evening at the Russian House in Prague dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight 📌 A special evening took place at the Russian House in Prague, commemorating the 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight, organized in collaboration with the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Czech Republic. ➤ The event gathered guests from various cities across the Czech Republic, including Brno, Hradec Králové, Ústí nad Labem, České Budějovice, and other regions. Among the attendees were representatives of accredited diplomatic missions from friendly countries, NGOs, journalists, the general public, and compatriots. ⭐️ The distinguished guest of the evening was Vladimír Remek, the first Czechoslovak cosmonaut and former Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Russian Federation, who has been honored with a monument in Prague. In March 1978, he made a spaceflight on the “Soyuz-28” spacecraft under the command of Colonel Alexei Gubarev, spending 7 days, 22 hours, 16 minutes, and 30 seconds in orbit. 🔹 Vladimír Remek greeted the guests, shared his memories of the spaceflight, revealed little-known facts about his life, and answered questions from the audience. 🎨 Exhibition “Star Flight” Participants of the event also had the opportunity to explore the new exhibition "Star Flight," opened at the Russian House in Prague. The exhibition featured posters with unique historical photographs documenting the stages of space exploration, as well as thematic materials from Russian archives and a private collection kindly provided by Sergey Zuev. 🎥 Screening of the movie “The Challenge” The evening concluded with the screening of the feature film “The Challenge” (2023) — the first movie in the history of cinema, with scenes filmed directly in space.

#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.

#Victory81 🌟 On April 11, 1944, during the Crimean offensive operation, Soviet forces liberated #Kerch from Nazi occupiers. Kerch was among the first cities to endure assaults from Hitler’s army at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. It found itself repeatedly on the front line, with the battlefront cutting through its very streets. Moreover, the city fell under enemy occupation twice. Initially captured in November 1941, Kerch was liberated barely a month later in December, following the Kerch–Feodosia amphibious landing operation. In the spring of 1942, the enemy amassed significant forces on the Kerch Peninsula and launched a renewed offensive. Despite the valiant resistance by the defenders, the city once again came under fascist control, remaining occupied for 320 days. During that period, approximately 15,000 civilians lost their lives, and over 14,000 individuals were forcibly deported to Germany for slave labour. 🕯#NoStatuteOfLimitations: The Bagerovo Ditch near Kerch gained tragic notoriety – a site of mass executions. Towards the end of 1941, around 7,000 people were executed and tortured there, including 245 schoolchildren. The Germans surreptitiously removed the children from the city and poisoned them with potassium cyanide. The Nazi occupiers obliterated every factory, burned bridges and vessels, destroyed parks, and decimated the city’s infrastructure. Kerch was almost completely erased from the map. One of the war’s most heroic episodes was the defence of the Adzhimushkay quarry. Thousands of civilians – elderly people, women, and children – sought refuge within the underground passages. The enemy attempted to exterminate them by sealing the entrances and using explosives and toxic substances. Nearly all the defenders perished, yet they continued to resist to the very end, rendering the quarry a symbol of unyielding courage and resilience. ⚔️ On the night of November 1, 1943, the Kerch-Eltigen amphibious landing operation commenced. Soviet forces established a bridgehead north of the city, marking a crucial phase in liberating the Kerch Strait and the entire Crimea. In the spring of 1944, this success was solidified during the Crimean offensive operation, culminating in the expulsion of the occupiers from the peninsula. One of Kerch’s principal symbols became the Obelisk of Glory on Mount Mithridat, unveiled on August 8, 1944 – the first monument in the USSR dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. 🎖 For the defence and liberation of the city, 153 individuals were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and 21 military units and formations received the honorary designation “Kerch.” On September 14, 1973, Kerch was awarded the title #HeroCity.