Assembly of Soyuz-2.1a rocket has begun at new cosmodrome as country prepares for new space era.

'Safe, order, jobs, proper business practice. Why? Not because of three or four articles in London newspapers'.

Pro-Kremlin eco-groups echo Greenpeace concerns by highlighting burning of forests which do not appear in government reports.

Troops and government ministries checked 'for fulfilling tasks under wartime conditions'.

At least 30,000 homes are hit by flooding in Amur region, with Vladimir Putin ordering more emergency aid to stricken people.

'And I very much hope that the law in Russian is not an empty vessel, and the people in our country are prohibited from eating one another'.

Flooding threat ‘averted’ in remote villages after Russian military operation including 7 major explosions.