Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday he had no "special expectations" for talks in Switzerland this weekend on the Syrian crisis, as violence continues to rage in Aleppo. 

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry insisted Tuesday that Washington was still seeking peace in Syria, but said it had dropped ceasefire talks with Russia because of "outrage' over Moscow's support for the regime.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak on Thursday said Russia intends to keep oil production at current levels, hailing OPEC's surprise decision to cut oil output.

Veteran Russian opposition activist Sergei Davidis was among 300 people who showed up to a protest in Moscow against the start of the Kremlin's Syria bombing campaign. 

Moscow on Monday slammed the United States and Britain for accusing Russia of "barbarism" and war crimes in Syria as Russian and Syrian warplanes continued to bomb rebel-held areas of Aleppo.

Russia's defense minister said Wednesday that Moscow was dispatching its flagship aircraft carrier to bolster its forces in the eastern Mediterranean off Syria. 

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry demanded on Wednesday that Russia force Bashar Assad's regime to ground its air force in order to revive hopes of a ceasefire in Syria's civil war.

Addressing the U.N. Security Council, including his Russian opposite number Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kerry said efforts to find peace could yet be salvaged but only if Moscow takes responsibility for recent air strikes.

Neither Russian nor Syrian planes bombed an aid convoy in Syria's Aleppo, Moscow said Tuesday, as outrage mounted over strikes which the Red Cross said killed around 20 people.

Russians on Sunday voted in parliamentary polls, with parties loyal to President Vladimir Putin set to maintain their dominance despite the Kremlin making a show of cleaning up the vote after mass protests last time around.

Russia is gearing up for parliamentary elections on September 18, with parties loyal to President Vladimir Putin set to dominate despite the Kremlin making a show of cleaning up the vote after mass protests last time around.