Russian authorities say they have arrested a suspect over the assassination of the head of the country's army’s chemical weapons division.

Ukrainian officials claim responsibility for the assassination of Russian General Igor Kirillov, as Moscow pledges retribution.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov says Moscow has established direct contacts with the ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham group in Syria, and hopes to maintain its military bases in the Arab country.

Russia's Foreign Ministry has condemned the US transfer of $20 billion to Ukraine, financed by frozen Russian assets, labeling it as "simply robbery.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has condemned in the strongest terms Israel’s strikes on Syria and the creation of a “buffer zone” along the occupied Golan Heights.

President Lukashenko has warned enemies that the Russian ally has "dozens" of nuclear warheads stockpiled in its arsenal.

Russia has called on Reuters to retract a story claiming that it was “highly likely” that Assad died in a plane crash while leaving Syria.

The Kremlin says Moscow is open to peace talks on certain terms after US President-elect Donald Trump's call for Ukraine peace negotiations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expresses his country's preparedness to use "any means" to disrupt US plans aimed at defeating Moscow in its military campaign in Ukraine. 

A Ukrainian official has said that Kiev dismissed the US call to lower the age of eligibility for military conscription from 25 to 18.