Latest news with #Udmurtia
Russia Today
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Putin names desired minimum fertility rate for Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that the country's total fertility rate (TFR) must reach replacement level within the next five years to stem declining birth rates. A replacement-level fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman is enough to maintain a stable population. This figure accounts for child mortality and the fact that not every woman has children. It is widely considered the minimum needed to prevent population decline. 'I understand it's not easy to achieve, but it should be at least 2.1,' Putin said on Monday, responding to a report on regional demographic trends presented by the head of the Udmurt Republic, Aleksandr Brechalov. Brechalov noted that Udmurtia's current TFR of 1.39 is below the national average, adding that the region, which is located west of the Ural Mountains, aims to raise it to 1.6 by 2030. Falling birth rates and a shrinking population have become pressing issues for Russian lawmakers, spurring a range of proposed solutions, from tax incentives to abortion restrictions. Earlier this month, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova warned of a looming fertility crisis. She said the number of women of childbearing age has reached a historic low and is projected to fall further over the next decade. To reverse the trend, the government has introduced a range of support measures, including lump-sum payments for childbirth, expanded maternity benefits, and ongoing financial assistance for families. The Soviet-era 'Mother Heroine' award that offers cash rewards to women who have more than ten children has also been revived. Officials have proposed other policies as well, such as discouraging the promotion of 'child-free' lifestyles and offering extra tax breaks for larger families. Putin has repeatedly stressed the importance of improving economic and social conditions to promote larger families and make parenthood a widely supported choice. In June, he endorsed the creation of a national family support service. Last year, he established a presidential council focused on family and demographic policy. Russia's Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) reported only 1.222 million births in 2024, the lowest annual total since 1999. The figure marks a decline of one third since 2014.
CTV News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Ukrainian drone hits a plant deep inside Russia after record Russian drone attacks in June
KYIV, Ukraine — A Ukrainian drone struck a Russian industrial plant some 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) from Ukraine, a local official said Tuesday, after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prioritized the weapon's development and Russia pounded Ukraine with a monthly record of drones in June. Both sides in the more than three-year war following Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbor have raced to improve drone technology and enhance their use on the battlefield. They have deployed increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones, turning the war into a testing ground for the new weaponry. Ukraine is under severe strain from a Russian push at places on the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line, but analysts say its defenses are largely holding firm. With recent direct peace talks delivering no progress on U.S.-led international efforts to halt the fighting, Russia and Ukraine are bulking up their arsenals. Russia last month launched 5,438 drones at Ukraine, a new monthly record, according to official data collated by The Associated Press. Ukraine is stepping up drone production Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone hit an industrial plant in Izhevsk, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) east of Moscow, injuring several people and starting a fire, Alexander Brechalov, head of the Udmurtia region, said. The plant's workers were evacuated, he said. The drone struck the Kupol Electromechanical Plant, which produces air defense systems and drones for the Russian military, according to an official with Ukraine's Security Service, the SBU. At least two direct hits were recorded on the plant's buildings, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. Ukraine has for months been using domestically produced long-range drones to strike plants, storage sites and logistical hubs deep inside Russian territory. In May last year, a Ukrainian drone hit an early-warning radar in the Russian city of Orsk, some 1,800 kilometres (1,120 miles) from the Ukrainian border, Kyiv officials claimed. Zelenskyy said Ukraine's domestic production of drones is about to increase in response to Russia's expanded barrages. 'The priority is drones, interceptor drones and long-range strike drones,' he said on Telegram late Monday. 'This is extremely important,' he added. 'Russia is investing in its unmanned capabilities, Russia is planning to increase the number of drones used in strikes against our state. We are preparing our countermeasures.' Russia's Defense Ministry said that 60 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight over several regions, including 17 over Crimea, 16 over the Rostov region and four over the Saratov region. At the same time, four Russian Shahed drones struck the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzia during the night, leaving more than 1,600 households without power, according to authorities. Ukraine's air force said Tuesday that Russia fired 52 Shahed and decoy drones at the country overnight. US envoy criticizes Russian attacks U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, rebuked Russia for continuing to strike civilian areas of Ukraine while effectively rejecting a ceasefire and dragging its feet on a peace settlement. 'We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move to trilateral talks to end the war,' Kellogg said on the social platform X late Monday. 'Russia cannot continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine.' Ukraine is developing its own defense industry as uncertainty remains over whether the Trump administration will continue to provide crucial military aid. Between March and April, the United States allocated no new aid to Ukraine, according to Germany's Kiel Institute, which tracks such support. Europe its support and for the first time since June 2022 surpassed the U.S. in total military aid, totaling 72 billion euros (US$85 billion) compared with 65 billion euros ($77 billion) from the U.S., the institute said last month. Illia Novikov And Emma Burrows, The Associated Press
Bloomberg
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Ukraine Says Its Drones Hit Russian Anti-Aircraft Missile Plant
Ukraine said its long-range drones hit a military plant on Tuesday that produces anti-aircraft systems in the Russian city of Izhevsk. The Kupol facility in Russia's Udmurtia Republic in the Volga region, more than 1,300 kilometers (808 miles) from the Ukrainian border, also makes attack drones, according to people in Kyiv familiar with the strike, who asked not to be identified discussing operational issues.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Three killed in Ukrainian drone attack on central Russia
Three people have been killed and 35 taken to hospital following an attack by Ukraine on a factory in the city of Izhevsk - more than 1,000km (620 miles) from the border, Russian authorities those injured ten had suffered serious injuries, the governor of Udmurtia Aleksandr Bechalov said, adding he had briefed President Vladimir Putin on the reportedly targeted the Kupol Electromechanical Plant - a military factory which is said to produce Tor surface-to-air missile systems and radar stations. The plant also specialises in the production of Osa air defence systems and has developed drones, according to Ukrainian media. An Ukrainian official confirmed that two long-range drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck the Kupol plant from a distance of around 1,300 km (807 miles)."Each such special operation reduces the enemy's offensive potential, disrupts military production chains and demonstrates that even deep in Russia's rear, there are no safe zones for its military infrastructure," the source said in comments reported by Ukrainian media.A video posted on social media and verified by the BBC showed an explosion on the roof of a building, followed by a large plume of black smoke rising over a factory-type civil aviation regulator Rosaviatsia imposed restrictions on operations at Izhevsk airport, before lifting them a few hours later. This is second Ukrainian drone attack on the Kupol factory since November - although that strike had not resulted in any its part, Moscow continues to carry out attacks in Ukraine. At the weekend Russia launched a record 537 drones and missiles on various locations across the country, including Kyiv and the Western city of Lviv. On Monday Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky granted the Hero of Ukraine award posthumously to an F-16 pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, who was killed while trying to repel the aerial the battlefield, while Russia's advance on the Sumy region seems to have stalled, Moscow appears to be targeting the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region. Unconfirmed reports in Russian media suggested Moscow's forces took control of the first village in the rounds of talks aimed at agreeing a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow have taken place at the behest of US President Donald Trump since May, but have failed to produce tangible results. Last week, President Putin said Russia was ready to hold a new round of peace negotiations although he said that the Russian and Ukrainian peace proposals were "absolutely contradictory".On Monday Zelensky again expressed scepticism of Putin's intentions. "Putin has already stolen practically half a year from diplomacy... on top of the entire duration of this war," the Ukrainian leader said."Russia is not changing its plans and is not looking for a way out of this war. On the contrary, they are preparing for new operations, including on the territory of European countries."US senior envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg echoed this on Monday, when he wrote on X that Russia could not "continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine". Moscow swiftly pushed back, saying it was not "interested in stalling anything" and thanking the US for its support.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian drone hits a plant deep inside Russia after record Russian drone attacks in June
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian drone struck a Russian industrial plant some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from Ukraine, a local official said Tuesday, after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prioritized the weapon's development and Russia pounded Ukraine with a monthly record of drones in June. Both sides in the more than three-year war following Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbor have raced to improve drone technology and enhance their use on the battlefield. They have deployed increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones, turning the war into a testing ground for the new weaponry. Ukraine is under severe strain from a Russian push at places on the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, but analysts say its defenses are largely holding firm. With recent direct peace talks delivering no progress on U.S.-led international efforts to halt the fighting, Russia and Ukraine are bulking up their arsenals. Russia last month launched 5,438 drones at Ukraine, a new monthly record, according to official data collated by The Associated Press. Ukraine is stepping up drone production Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone hit an industrial plant in Izhevsk, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) east of Moscow, injuring several people and starting a fire, Alexander Brechalov, head of the Udmurtia region, said. The plant's workers were evacuated, he said. The drone struck the Kupol Electromechanical Plant, which produces air defense systems and drones for the Russian military, according to an official with Ukraine's Security Service, the SBU. At least two direct hits were recorded on the plant's buildings, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. Ukraine has for months been using domestically produced long-range drones to strike plants, storage sites and logistical hubs deep inside Russian territory. In May last year, a Ukrainian drone hit an early-warning radar in the Russian city of Orsk, some 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) from the Ukrainian border, Kyiv officials claimed. Zelenskyy said Ukraine's domestic production of drones is about to increase in response to Russia's expanded barrages. 'The priority is drones, interceptor drones and long-range strike drones,' he said on Telegram late Monday. 'This is extremely important,' he added. 'Russia is investing in its unmanned capabilities, Russia is planning to increase the number of drones used in strikes against our state. We are preparing our countermeasures.' Russia's Defense Ministry said that 60 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight over several regions, including 17 over Crimea, 16 over the Rostov region and four over the Saratov region. At the same time, four Russian Shahed drones struck the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzia during the night, leaving more than 1,600 households without power, according to authorities. Ukraine's air force said Tuesday that Russia fired 52 Shahed and decoy drones at the country overnight. US envoy criticizes Russian attacks U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, rebuked Russia for continuing to strike civilian areas of Ukraine while effectively rejecting a ceasefire and dragging its feet on a peace settlement. 'We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move to trilateral talks to end the war,' Kellogg said on the social platform X late Monday. 'Russia cannot continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine.' Ukraine is developing its own defense industry as uncertainty remains over whether the Trump administration will continue to provide crucial military aid. Between March and April, the United States allocated no new aid to Ukraine, according to Germany's Kiel Institute, which tracks such support. Europe its support and for the first time since June 2022 surpassed the U.S. in total military aid, totaling 72 billion euros ($85 billion) compared with 65 billion euros ($77 billion) from the U.S., the institute said last month. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at
