Russia

The talks resulted in an "absolutely beneficial and acceptable" way to end the crisis, Lukashenko's press service announced, adding that the breakthrough reached after tense "day-long" talks, RT reported. The negotiations were conducted after speaking with and in coordination with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the press service noted.

This morning, Wagner mercenaries were seen in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don; later, reports came that Wagner troops were in Voronezh, 560km (354 miles) north, the BBC reported. Now, the governor of the Lipetsk region, north of Voronezh, said Wagner troops are moving through the region, it said.

It follows Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin telling everyone to refrain from travelling around the city and asking people to restrict their movements around the capital as rebels from the mercenary Wagner Group appear to be heading towards the city, the BBC reported. Earlier in the day, life was continuing much as normal, albeit with a heavy security presence, and with roadblocks set up to check vehicles, it added.

Addressing the nation, Putin said: "Some Russians have been tricked into a criminal adventure", without mentioning Wagner mercenary group, BBC reported. Describing the action of mutineers as "stab in the back", the Russian President said that those dividing the country will be punished.

Late Friday night, the Federal Security Service (FSB) urged Wagner mercenaries to "stop the columns" and detain their leader after the latter vowed retaliation over the Russian military allegedly killing a "huge amount" of Wagner fighters during a strike on a camp earlier in the day, reports CNN.

The package includes measures aimed at countering the circumvention of sanctions, and adds 87 new entities to the list of those "directly supporting Russia's military and industrial complex". It imposes a full ban on trucks with Russian trailers and semi-trailers from transporting goods to the EU, and extends the ban.

The decision was made in response to the "politically motivated" sanctions imposed by Australian authorities against Russian individuals and entities, the Ministry added on Wednesday. According to the Ministry, the 48 Australians, among whom are military contractors, journalists, and municipal deputies, were responsible for.

Russia has "shown goodwill several times, made concessions" and extended the agreement, but what was promised to Moscow as part of the deal still hasn't been fulfilled, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Izvestia newspaper, RT reported.

Putin made the remarks during his speech at St Petersburg International Economic Forum. He told the forum that they (tactical nuclear weapons) would only be used if Russian territory or state was threatened, the BBC reported. The US government says there is no indication that the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to.

"Positive macroeconomic trends are gaining momentum and becoming increasingly apparent," Putin was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying on Friday. Russia's GDP could achieve a growth rate of about 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent this year, which will enable the country to retain its place among the world's leading economies, he said.