A Russian airport in a majority Muslim region was temporarily shut down after a mob forced its way on to the tarmac where, according to reports and images on social media, a plane from Israel had landed.

China and Russia publicly reinforced their bond at a military forum in Beijing, a move that defies the US and comes as plans take shape for Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden to meet.

Latest developments

• US, China agree in principle on Biden-Xi  meeting next month
• China’s top envoy warns of bumpy road to planned Biden-Xi summit
• Xi’s Belt and Road Forum now Global South event after Europe snub
• Xi rewards combat-ready China generals amid Taiwan tensions

Russia’s diesel cargoes set to surge after lifting of export ban

Russia plans to boost diesel shipments from its main western ports by more than half next month as the nation’s oil refineries process more crude, its domestic fuel market stabilises and an export ban that roiled October flows is reversed.

Loadings from Russian ports on the Black and Baltic seas, including some batches originating in Belarus, are set at a total of 2.16 million tonnes for November, according to industry data seen by Bloomberg. That’s 56% above the October plan and Russia’s highest planned exports in three months.

Russia imposed a temporary ban on most diesel export flows in late September in a move to quell spiralling domestic road fuel prices. While most of the restrictions were lifted two weeks later, the government ordered key refineries to keep half of their diesel at home to stabilise the market.

The restrictions affected the Russian export plan for October and created uncertainties over how much diesel the nation’s producers would be able to sell overseas in the future, given seasonal refinery maintenance and potential volatility of domestic road-fuel prices that could prompt the government to reimpose curbs.

However, Russia’s refineries have been steadily processing more crude in recent weeks, with the main seasonal work expected to be completed by mid-November. Domestic pump prices of diesel have stabilised, the government press service said on Friday.

China, Russia show off tight ties again at security forum

China and Russia publicly reinforced their bond at a military forum in Beijing, a move that defies the US and comes as plans take shape for Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden to meet.

The two men used speeches critical of Washington’s policies on Monday at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing to show solidarity. “Certain countries keep stirring up trouble around the world,” Zhang Youxia, vice-chair of China’s top military body, said in a veiled swipe at the US. “They deliberately create turbulence, meddle in regional affairs, interfere in other countries’ internal affairs and instigate colour revolutions.”

Zhang’s comments were quickly followed by similar ones from his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, who attacked the US dominance of the world stage. “The US is working tirelessly to maintain its hegemony, which will disappear soon,” said Shoigu, who is sanctioned by the US and European Union over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The pair also met on the sidelines of the forum, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Zhang said in the sitdown that China was ready to “jointly safeguard global strategic balance and stability”.

The comments are the latest example of the close partnership that has formed between Moscow and Beijing, especially since Putin ordered the attack in February 2022. Xi and Putin declared a “no limits” friendship just before the invasion, and Beijing has since provided Russia with diplomatic and economic support in the face of Western sanctions. China has got a boost in exports to Russia and a steady supply of fossil fuels.

Earlier this month, Xi hosted Putin in Beijing, reiterating that China supports Moscow’s efforts to safeguard its national sovereignty, while also seeking a breakthrough on a gas pipeline. For Putin, it was his first trip abroad to nations other than former Soviet states since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him in March for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

The pair also used the Belt and Road Forum to make the case that the world needed an alternative to the US-led world order, one that was more answerable to the Global South, which encompasses developing nations in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Read more: Xi, Putin hail benefits of alternative to US-led world order

The latest show of warm Russia-China ties comes amid signs Xi and Biden will meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November. US and Chinese officials have agreed in principle on a meeting, though the two sides must still finalise the arrangements, according to a US official.

China’s refusal to condemn Putin’s war in Ukraine has strained ties with the US. Tensions are also simmering between China and the US in the South China Sea, the body of water that Beijing claims as its own, where warplanes and naval vessels have engaged in a series of tense encounters. Biden warned China last week the US would be forced to intervene if Beijing attacked Philippine vessels in the area.

Much like the recent Belt and Road event, the Xiangshan Forum is another venue for China to bolster its standing among Global South nations, a race where it has a wide lead over Washington.

That’s important for Beijing as it mounts a challenge to the US-led world order, particularly among poorer nations keen to work with the world’s second-biggest economy on infrastructure projects and market access. More than 60 developing nations are sending an official delegation to the event, according to an attendee list provided by the forum organiser.

Russia shuts airport after mob encircles flight from Israel

A Russian airport in a majority Muslim region was temporarily shut down after a mob forced its way on to the tarmac where, according to reports and images on social media, a plane from Israel had landed.

“Unknown people” infiltrated the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of the Dagestan region, Russia’s federal aviation agency Rosaviatsia said in a Telegram post on Sunday evening. It took hours to restore order, the agency said. On Monday, Rosaviatsia said the airport would resume work on 31 October, after initially saying the regional hub may be closed for a week.

Israel’s government said in a statement it expected Russian authorities “to protect the safety of all Israeli citizens and Jews wherever they may be and to act resolutely against the rioters and against the wild incitement directed against Jews and Israelis”.

Tensions between Israel and Russia have been growing since the Hamas attacks in Israel on 7 October. Israel lodged an official complaint to Russia after a Hamas delegation visited Moscow last week. Russia’s ambassador to Israel was summoned on Sunday to the foreign ministry in Jerusalem and reprimanded over Moscow’s failure to condemn the militant group, designated a terrorist outfit by the US and European Union.

According to unverified videos on social media, a crowd of people carrying the Palestinian flag forced their way on to a runway of the airport where a Red Wings plane from Tel Aviv was arriving, with one person climbing on to the engine and then on to the wing of the jet. Some people were wounded and sought medical help, the local health ministry said, without giving further details.

The head of the Dagestan region, Sergey Melikov, denounced the airport attack and promised an “appropriate assessment from law enforcement”, and the prosecutor’s office opened a criminal investigation. Sixty people were detained, Interfax reported, citing the police.

President Vladimir Putin met representatives of the country’s biggest religious groups last week, blaming the West for causing the conflict in the Middle East, calling interfaith strife “anti-Russian” and claiming: “We have not seen antisemitism on a state level for many years and there is hardly any anti-Semitism on the streets either.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country was invaded by Russia in February 2022, was quick to denounce “appalling videos from Makhachkala, Russia, where an angry mob broke into the airport searching for Israeli citizens on the flight from Tel Aviv”. DM