Learn Russian: Очень приятно! Это мой друг.

Literally, очень приятно translates to "very pleasantly" or "it is very pleasant". In Russian, this is the most common and natural phrase to use when someone is introduced to you, just like "nice to meet you" in English.

Where is the word for "is" in Это мой друг?

Russian skips the "to be" verb (like "is", "am", or "are") in the present tense! You simply place the words next to each other. Literally, the sentence is just "This my friend."

Does Это change if I am introducing a woman instead of a man?

No, it stays exactly the same! When used to mean "this is" or "these are" for introductions, Это is a fixed word. It does not change to match the gender or number of the people you are pointing out.

Why is the word мой used here instead of моя or моё?

Russian possessive words (like "my") must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because друг (friend) is a masculine noun, you must use the masculine form мой. If you were introducing a female friend (подруга), you would use the feminine form моя.