The Tabqa dam on the Euphrates, Syria’s largest dam has been partially destroyed by the fighting between the Syrian Democratic Forces or SDF coalition and the Islamic State terrorist group, as reported by RIA Novosti with a reference to the Lebanese TV channel Al Mayadeen.

The Tabqa hydroelectric power station was built in the early 1970s with the assistance of Soviet specialists. It keeps in check the Al-Assad, the largest reservoir in the country.

Al Mayadeen reported, citing informed …

President of Poland Andrzej Duda is disappointed with the reaction of Belarusian authorities toward participants of a protest rally held on Freedom Day, March 25th.

He said this at a meeting with the presidents of Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as reported by Onet, with reference to Polish Press Agency.

“I watched with great disappointment how the Belarusian authorities dealt with the protesters,” Duda said.

He also said that he is concerned about the detention of Polish citizens in …

Russia will not give a report to NATO about the deployment of Iskander missile systems in Kaliningrad, said Andrei Kelin, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's European Cooperation Department as reported by RIA Novosti.

 “There will be no report at the upcoming Russia-NATO Council (RNC),” said Kelin in response to a question about an article in Spiegel.

Spiegel reporters wrote that at the Russia-NATO council, Brussels will require an explanation from Moscow about why the Iskander missile …

Chinese companies (including state-owned enterprises) are secretly entering the annexed Crimea as investors, providing services for the Crimean authorities and supplying the peninsula with the latest industrial equipment, according to an article written by Valentina Samar for ZN.UA.

According to Samar, the Kherson office of the Security Service of Ukraine has not yet completed the pre-trial investigation into the participation of the Chinese vessel JIAN JI 3001 in the construction of the so- …

Russian SU 25 SM fighter aircraft have been relocated from the Kant Air Base in Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan, where they will take part in joint anti-terrorist exercises. The aircraft are to support the Special Forces and mechanized infantry while carrying out operations in mountainous terrain.

“The aircraft will reinforce the aviation group at the Ayni Air Base, 30 km from Dushanbe,” Russia's TASS news agency reported citing the Central Military District’s press report.

The joint exercise will …

In 2018, a monument to the victims of communism will be erected in Estonia. This was announced by the Estonian Minister of Justice Urmas Reinsalu at a commemorative ceremony marking the anniversary of the deportation of Estonians to Siberia, Interfax news agency reports.

"The March deportation [of 1949] was a criminal genocide against our people. We will never forget the victims, and we must also remember the criminals against humanity. In the coming year we will be opening a memorial to the …

TASS news agency reports that Russia, in accordance with an agreement with OPEC, has cut oil production by 185,000 barrels per day, according to Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak.

Earlier it was reported that by mid-March, Russia had reduced production by 160,000 barrels per day and by the end of the month, according to the schedule, it should increase this figure to reach a total reduction of 200,000 barrels per day from the prior volume.

On Sunday, after the effective date of the …

A delegation of German politicians and businessmen arrived in annexed Crimea to make a first-hand assessment of the current situation there, as reported by RIA Novosti news agency citing the “head of the German national-cultural center of the peninsula,” Yuriy Gempel.

According to Gempel, the delegation consists of ten people, mainly businessmen who work with real estate and regional-level politicians, deputies from the Left party. The delegation plans to get acquainted with the sights of …