The National Security Agency is collecting some 5 billion records a day on the location of mobile phones around the world, The Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing documents from U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.

The information is added to a gigantic database that shows the locations of "at least hundreds of millions of cell phones" worldwide, a stunning revelation that suggests the eavesdropping agency has created a mass surveillance tool, according to the Post report.

The accord with Iran to curb its nuclear program means a planned NATO anti-missile system in Europe, hotly opposed by Moscow, is no longer necessary, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov argued Wednesday.

Moscow fears the system would compromise its own defenses while NATO says the project is meant only to protect Europe from Iranian development of long-range missiles.

The United States and the European Union have taken a firm but cautious stance on Ukraine as it hangs in the East-West balance even while Russia has felt free to be more combative, analysts say.

In a declaration Tuesday, foreign ministers of the 28 NATO member states, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, took a moderate line as mass protests continued in Kiev after the government abandoned a planned association accord with the European Union.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he backed proposals for an amnesty for thousands of prisoners who, according to his rights advisor, could include ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the Pussy Riot punks.

"I agree... that such actions must be pacifying, must emphasize the humanity of our state," Putin said in televised comments.

Russia's first domestically designed smartphone, the YotaPhone, was unveiled in Moscow on Wednesday, featuring an always-on second screen as a unique feature to differentiate it from the plethora of competitors.

The phone, which used Google's Android operating system and has a fixed price of 499 euros ($678), will be launched in December in Russia and Germany in stores and online in France, Spain and Austria.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday accused NATO of interfering in Ukrainian affairs, saying he did not understand why it felt it had the right to do so.

"I do not understand why NATO adopts such statements," Lavrov said of a declaration Tuesday by the alliance calling for dialogue between the government and protesters angry at its decision to ditch an EU association accord.

Saudi Arabia's intelligence chief has held a new meeting in Russia with President Vladimir Putin on the Syrian conflict, the second closed-door encounter this year between the Russian leader and the key regional powerbroker.

The Kremlin said in a statement late Tuesday that Prince Bandar bin Sultan discussed with Putin at the president's suburban Moscow residence the situation in the Middle East and preparations for a Syria peace conference planned in January.

Russia on Tuesday once again sharply lowered its growth forecast amid fresh indications that the resource-rich nation would remain one of the emerging world's worst performers for years to come.

Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said factors ranging from disappointing investment levels to slowing consumer demand and industrial production meant Russia would achieve 1.4-percent growth this year instead of the 1.8 envisioned just weeks ago.

Russian strongman Vladimir Putin on Monday slammed street protests in Ukraine against the government's decision not to sign a key agreement with the European Union and seek closer ties with the Kremlin.

"The events in Ukraine seem more like a pogrom than a revolution," Putin said during a visit to Armenia.

One Syrian was killed and nine others were injured on Thursday when mortar fire struck the Russian embassy in Damascus, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

It added that no Russian nationals were hurt in the attack by suspected rebels and that the building suffered little damage.