Vladimir Isachenkov

Associated Press

In this handout photo released by Roscosmos Space Agency Press Service U.S. astronaut Chris Cassidy, left, Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin, centre, and Ivan Vagner, members of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), walk prior the launch of Soyuz MS-16 space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Thursday, April 9, 2020.

Astronauts Leave Virus-Plagued Planet for Space Station

Not even family members could bid them farewell.

In this Thursday, March 14, 2019 file photo, U.S. astronaut Christina Koch, member of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), speaks with her relatives through a safety glass prior the launch of Soyuz MS-12 space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.

NASA's Record-setting Koch, Back from Space

Koch wrapped up a 328-day mission on her first flight into space.

Putin Comments on Mysterious Explosion

But he remained coy about circumstances surrounding the incident.

In this grab taken from a footage provided by the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM press service, people gather for the funerals of five Russian nuclear engineers killed by a rocket explosion in Sarov, the closed city, located 370 kilometers (230 miles) east of Moscow, Monday, Aug. 12, 2019. Thousands of people have attended the burial of five Russian nuclear engineers killed by an explosion during tests of a new rocket. The engineers, who died on Thursday, were laid to rest Monday in the city of Sarov that hosts Russia’s main nuclear weapons research center.

Russian Nuclear Engineers Buried After Rocket Explosion

The five engineers, who died Thursday, were laid to rest.

A Russian solder stands guard by the Pansyr-S1 air defense system on the Kotelny Island, part of the New Siberian Islands archipelago located between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea, Russia. Russia has made reaffirming its military presence in the Arctic the top priority amid an intensifying international rivalry over the region.

Putin Presents Arctic Expansion

The plan includes building new ports and other infrastructure facilities, as well as expanding the icebreaker fleet.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, Chief of General Staff of Russia Valery Gerasimov, background center, and special representative on questions of ecology and transport, Sergei Ivanov, right, talk to each other as they come to oversee the test launch of the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle from the Defense Ministry's control room in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In the test, the Avangard was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Ural Mountains. The Kremlin says it successfully hit a designated practice target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) away.

Russian Weapon Allegedly 27x Faster

Officials say it has rendered any missile defenses useless at a small fraction of their cost.

In this photo provided by Roscosmos Space Agency Press Service on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, Russian cargo ship Souz 2,1A takes off from the launch pad at Russia's main space facility in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. A Russian cargo ship has delivered a fresh load of fuel, food, and other supplies for the International Space Station.

Cargo Ship's Fastest-Ever Space Station Trip

The unmanned spacecraft loaded with nearly three tons of supplies docked at the station less than four hours after the launch.