Category: News

NATO member Romania said on Friday that a drone injured two people in a southeastern city during an overnight Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine, the ‌first time in the war that a drone had hit a densely populated area in Romania and caused injuries, Reuters reported citing local authorities.

The drone hit the roof of a 10-storey block of flats in Galati and caused an explosion, the authorities said.

Romania, which shares a 650-km (400-mile) land border with Ukraine, has experienced Russian drones breaching its airspace 28 times since Moscow began attacking Kyiv’s ports across the Danube river, Romania’s ⁠defense ministry said.

The ministry said it had recovered drone fragments that fell in Romania 47 times.

“Romania will take the necessary diplomatic measures in response to this serious violation of international law and its airspace,” Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said on X.

“Romania has informed the Allies and the NATO Secretary General of the circumstances and has requested measures to accelerate the transfer of anti-drone capabilities to Romania.”

The defense ministry said it scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and a military helicopter to monitor the attack, adding the pilots were authorized to shoot down any drones. The residents of border counties Braila, Galati and Tulcea were warned to take cover.

Romanian law allows it to shoot down drones during peacetime if lives or property are at risk, but it has not yet done so.

In Friday’s incident, a fire broke out in a 10th-floor apartment after ‌the drone ⁠struck the building’s roof and exploded, Romania’s emergency response agency said. Two people were receiving medical treatment on site, it said, adding 70 people had evacuated.

The United States and Iran reached an agreement on Thursday to extend their ceasefire and lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported citing sources, though U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to approve ‌it and Iranian state media said it had not been finalized.

According to four sources familiar with the matter, the agreement would extend the truce for another 60 days and allow traffic to flow through the strategic waterway while negotiators tackle difficult issues such as Iran’s nuclear program.

If approved by leadership in Washington and Tehran, it would amount to the biggest step towards peace since the conflict began on February 28. News of the possible agreement came after a round of tit-for-tat attacks between the two countries, the latest such incident since the ceasefire took effect in early April.

Trump has not yet approved the deal, the sources said. Iran has yet to comment on news of the proposed deal, which was first reported by Axios.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency, citing a source close to the negotiating team, said the text of the agreement had not been ⁠finalized or confirmed.

The Armenian men’s ice hockey team will compete in the 2027 IIHF World Championship in Division IV Group A.

According to a press release issued by the Armenian Ice Hockey Federation, the Council of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has approved India and Morocco to participate in the Championship. As a result, Division IV now includes eight national teams, and the federation has decided to split it into two subgroups, A and B.

The Armenian national team will compete in Group A of Division IV against Kuwait, Indonesia, and Singapore.

The top-performing team will be promoted to Division IV Group B in 2028.

Kuwait and Indonesia have submitted bids to host the tournament.

The host will be announced later.

Russian authorities have banned the sale of a famous Armenian mineral water brand, Jermuk, on sanitary grounds.

According to the Russian state news agency TASS, the consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor flagged 64.5 million bottles and banned them from sale across Russia, claiming that they contain excessive levels of hydrocarbons, chlorine, and sulfates.

Earlier last week, the watchdog had also banned the import of Jermuk, again citing the same reason.

Russian authorities had earlier announced temporary bans on the import of flowers produced in Armenia, as well as some alcoholic beverages, vegetables, and strawberries, again citing phytosanitary reasons.

Parliament again failed to convene a plenary session on Friday, as lawmakers were absent for registration, as on two previous occasions earlier this week.

With only three MPs in attendance, the quorum required to start the session was not met, and Vice Speaker Hakob Arshakyan called for an adjournment of four hours. 

Arshakyan said that MPs are busy campaigning across the country ahead of the June 7 elections.

The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council — the highest body of the Eurasian Economic Union — convened on Friday in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev opened the summit, which was also attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of other EAEU member states. Armenia, however, was represented at the summit by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan instead of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who said he was busy with the campaigning period and skipped the event.

In his opening remarks, Tokayev highlighted the significance of convening the summit on May 29 — the day the treaty establishing the EAEU was signed in 2014.

A separate meeting between Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan and Russian President Vladimir Putin is not planned during the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, scheduled to take place on May 29, TASS reported, citing the Kremlin spokesperson.

Grigoryan is representing Armenia at the summit instead of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who earlier said he would not attend due to the campaigning period in Armenia.

“No, a separate meeting is not planned; however, if they wish, they can have a conversation on the platforms of the summit,” TASS quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying when asked at a press briefing about a possible meeting between the Armenian deputy prime minister and Putin.

Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov has stated that restrictions on the import of certain goods from Armenia will not have a negative impact on the Russian economy.

Reshetnikov, in an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestiya, claimed that Armenian imports had “relatively low consumption.”

“I am ready to speak on behalf of our market. Of course, it will not affect our market. Yesterday I was asked what will happen with inflation and so on. These are goods with relatively low consumption. We have always met the main demand through our own domestic production where necessary. In those areas, we have a fairly diversified system of suppliers in our market. Of course, we value everyone, but there will be no problems for our economy,” the Russian minister said when asked about the potential impact on the Russian economy of its recently announced ban on imports from Armenia.

Russia recently banned imports of flowers produced in Armenia, as well as Jermuk mineral water, some alcoholic beverages, vegetables (including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and greens), and strawberries.

Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan told the leaders of the EAEU member states on Friday that the country intends to continue to participate in good faith in the work of the union, based on the principles of mutual respect, equal partnership, and taking into account the national interests of the member states.

He made the remarks at the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council — the highest body of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) — convened in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev opened the summit, which was also attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of other EAEU member states.

Grigoryan took part instead of PM Nikol Pashinyan because the Armenian leader was unable to attend due to the campaigning period.

“I would like to wish all those present success, effective and constructive joint work, as well as to express confidence in the further development of Eurasian integration in the interests of our states and citizens,” Grigoryan said.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Armenia has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to mutually beneficial cooperation within the EAEU framework, in the interests of ensuring the economic stability and economic development of the member countries.

“The Republic of Armenia intends to continue to participate in good faith in the work of the Union, based on the principles of mutual respect, equal partnership, and taking into account the national interests of all EAEU member states,” he noted.

Grigoryan emphasized the importance of the Artificial Intelligence agenda discussed at the Eurasian Economic Forum, noting that its development and implementation are key factors in improving economic competitiveness and strengthening technological sovereignty.

He said the EAEU joint declaration on the responsible development of AI is an important step toward coordinated approaches and effective cooperation mechanisms among member states in this field.

He also noted that the liberalization of services and trade remains a key driver of deeper integration within the EAEU, while some aspects of national regulations still require practical coordination to improve predictability, transparency, and business conditions.

Grigoryan stressed the importance of diversifying trade and economic ties with third countries, highlighting the effective implementation of existing free trade agreements and advancing negotiations on new ones.

He added that the diversification of transport connectivity is a key factor in boosting trade turnover.

He also underlined the importance of developing cooperation in the agro-industrial sector and welcomed the signing of a protocol extending financial support mechanisms for cooperative projects, saying it will contribute to expanding cooperation and strengthening food security within the Union.

The Kremlin said on Friday that leaders of four EAEU member states adopted a statement during the Astana summit and conveyed it to Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.

Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters that the situation “around Armenia’s stance” was discussed at the summit.

“The statement of the four leaders was adopted,” Ushakov said, adding that Grigoryan was given the document signed by the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan to take back to Yerevan.

The Kremlin official did not elaborate.

Grigoryan attended in place of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who was unable to participate due to the election campaign period.

Moscow had earlier said that Armenia’s status within the union would be discussed at the summit, given Yerevan’s EU integration path.

Armenia has repeatedly said that it does not seek to withdraw from the union, but will continue to deepen ties with the EU.