• Putin: Western media wants to 'belittle and suppress' Russia's operation in Syria

    “The western mass media reported almost nothing about the progress of the Russian army in the fight against international terrorism as they are interested in 'belittling' our success in Syria,” Russian President Vladimir Putin declared at a meeting with journalists within a media forum of regional mass media in St. Petersburg, as reported by a Rosbalt correspondent.

    "It is clear why it is so. At first they spoke about the need to isolate Russia then realized that it is impossible as the …

  • Japan promises Ukraine $1.85 billion if Kiev successfully implements reforms

    The Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzō Abe, said during a joint press statement with the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, that Japan promises to provide support to Ukraine in the amount of $1.85 billion if Kiev shows pregress in implementing reforms, Ukrainian News reported.

    “For our part, I have the following intention: We will keep our promises on provision of financial support to Ukraine in the amount of $1.85 billion for the implementation of reforms. The Prime Minister added that they …

  • Transdniestria appeals to Moscow for financial assistance to pay its employees

    The leaders of Transdniestria appealed to Russia for financial assistance to pay public sector wages, according to the Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed republic, Pavel Prokudin, TASS reported.

    “The government has requested that Russia allocate funds for the repayment of debt owed to state employees,” Prokudin stated.

    According to the Prime Minister of the breakaway region, last week, Transdniestria’s cabinet decided to start negotiations on a loan worth $26.5 million.

    Transdneistria is …

  • Separatist commander acknowledges heavy losses near Avdiivka

    The founder of the Vostok separatist battalion, Alexander Khodakovsky, acknowledged that 13 in his unit were killed and 90 were wounded between March 7th and April 7th.

    “The biggest losses were suffered in the industrial zone between Yasynuvata and Avdiivka. This is becoming, as our fighters say, the second Airport*,” he wrote on his LiveJournal page.

    “I do not have the information about the losses in the other units, but I can guess that they are considerable too… Only the Vostok battalion …

  • Ukrainian Justice Ministry begins negotiations on the transfer of Sentsov and three other political prisoners

    Negotiations are also under way for the return of Olexandr Kolchenko, Gennady Afanasyev and Yuri Soloshenko

    The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has started negotiations on the return of four Ukrainian political prisoners from Russia: Oleg Sentsov, Olexandr Kolchenko, Gennady Afanasyev and Yuri Soloshenko, TSN reports.

    The Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine, Sergiy Petukhov, said that the prisoners have agreed to undergo a legal procedure for the transfer of sentenced persons from Russia to …

  • European Commission to submit proposal on visa-free travel for Ukrainians in late April

    The official representative of the European Commission, Margaritis Shinas, stated that the EC confirmed its intention to propose the introduction of a visa-free regime with Ukraine to the European Parliament and the EU Council. “Last month, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, announced that visa-free proposals will be filed this month,” the representative of the European Commission said.

    On the 17th of March, Juncker stated that the progress towards reforms and …

  • Hearing on ban of Crimean Tatar Mejlis postponed until April 15th

    The so-called Supreme Court of the Russian Crimea held a session on Friday regarding the prohibition of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People on the occupied peninsula. As Krym.Realii reported, the session lasted a mere 10 minutes and resulted in a postponement of the hearing.

    The next session is scheduled for April 15th.

    Crimean Prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya initiated proceedings to ban the Mejlis, accusing the representative body of engaging in extremist activity.

    On Friday, …

  • Heavy fighting reported near Avdiivka

    According to several Ukrainian soldiers, heavy fighting has erupted near Avdiivka, where a separatist offensive involving members of the Russian Special Forces (GRU) was launched, CRiMe reported.

    The Ukrainian servicemen told the online publication that the offensive includes the use of tanks and other heavy weapons that are banned by the Minsk agreements. They also stated that Russian GRU forces were involved in the fighting.

    “Before the offensive we managed to intercept their radio …

  • OSCE has not decided on police mission in the Donbas

    According to Radio Svoboda, the special representative for the organization in the Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement of conflict in Donbas, Martin Sajdik, stated that as a result of the meeting of the Contact Group in Minsk, the parties discussed the proposal of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to provide the police mission during the coming election in Donbas.“Security issues during the elections were not discussed. But unfortunately, the secretariat and the German Government …

  • Dzhemilev: The de-occupation of Crimea must be discussed during negotiations on Ukraine

    The leader of the Crimean Tatars, Mustafa Dzhemilev, believes that the issue of the de-occupation of Crimea cannot be of less importance then other topics during the international negotiations on the situation in Ukraine. The politician said this at a press conference in Kyiv on April 6, Krym.Realii reported.

    "The Minsk Agreements don't say a word about the aggressor withdrawing completely from the occupied territories. So the de-occupation of Crimea is omitted from these agreements. From our …