Russia

The incident unfolded within Russia's borders, where four assailants stormed the Crocus City Hall during a Friday night event. They indiscriminately fired upon attendees, just moments before the scheduled performance by the renowned Soviet-era rock band Picnic and their popular song "Afraid of Nothing."

Initially, reports indicated that at least 40 people were fatally shot, and over 100 were wounded when three to five unidentified gunmen, equipped with body armor and assault rifles, launched an indiscriminate attack in a Moscow mall on Friday. Additionally, they ignited a fire in a concert hall within the mall.

During a gathering with supporters, Putin disclosed that high-ranking Russian officials had entertained the notion of a prisoner exchange with Western nations just days before Navalny's demise, as reported by RT.

According to the regulations of Russia's presidential elections, a candidate who garners over 50 percent of the votes secures victory. Following Putin, Communist Party candidate Nikolay Kharitonov is anticipated to secure second place with 4.7 percent, followed by Vladislav Davankov of the New People party with 3.6 percent, and Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democrats at 2.5 percent.

Recent media coverage has shed light on the plight of several Indian nationals recruited as security aides within the Russian military, some even reportedly engaging in combat alongside Russian troops along the Ukraine border.

These assertions were reiterated in Putin's annual State of the Nation address, where he denounced such claims as baseless and fabricated narratives orchestrated by the West. According to reports from Xinhua news agency, Putin characterized these allegations as part of a strategy aimed at coercing Russia into negotiations that would primarily serve the interests of the United States.

Putin highlighted the significant shift over the past decade, noting that in 2022, the BRICS countries exceeded the G7 in terms of GDP in PPP terms, with 31.5 percent compared to 30.3 percent for the G7. This is a substantial change from 1992 when the BRICS' share was only around 16.5 percent, as reported by RT.

Zakharova highlighted that if the West were to officially deploy troops to Ukraine or enlist mercenaries from European Union (EU) states, it would constitute a direct escalation. However, she acknowledged that military personnel from several NATO countries are already present in Ukraine, offering various forms of assistance to the country's armed forces.