Russia May Downgrade Diplomatic Relations With US

On Thursday, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia does not rule out the possibility of downgrading its diplomatic relations with the United States in certain scenarios.

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In an interview with TASS news agency, Ryabkov said that Russia has never taken the initiative to make such moves in its relations with the United States or other NATO countries.

"However, they are quite possible, in my view, if the Western group chooses the path of escalation," he said, adding that this does not necessarily pertain to further support for Kiev, but could also apply to Russian assets or other economic actions.

What exactly would trigger such a situation is not a question for today, he said. "At least, I am not prepared to discuss this topic."

"If there is a further aggravation, this will be the subject of separate analysis and decision-making at the level of political leadership," Ryabkov said.

On another theme, the Russian Defense Ministry informed that its forces intercepted over 100 Ukrainian drones on Friday night.

The air defense system and the Black Sea fleet intercepted 51 drones over Crimea, 44 over the Krasnodar Territory, six over the Belgorod Region, and one over the Kursk Region. Meanwhile, Russian warplanes destroyed six drone boats in the waters of the Black Sea.