• Georgia closes its airspace to Syria

    Georgia closed its airspace to two Syrian airlines because of Syria’s recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as stated by the CEO of Sakaeronavigatsia (Georgian air traffic controller) Gocha Mezvrishvili, Interfax reports.

    He noted that the Georgian government, in connection with the decision of the Syrian leadership to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia , had already made the political decision to sever diplomatic relations with Syria. “ …

  • France drops charges against Russian oligarch Kerimov

    Russian billionaire and senator from Dagestan Suleyman Kerimov has been pardoned by the French justice system, and can leave his villa on the French Riviera, where he has been under house arrest since the end of last year.

    Kerimov, who was suspected of money laundering through a series of deals to purchase property in France, has had all the charges against him dropped, his attorney Nikita Sychev told Interfax. Kerimov’s passport will soon be returned to him, and he will be allowed to return …

  • Putin reports withdrawal of 1000 Russian soldiers from Syria

    Russian President Vladimir Putin said that over the last few days 1,140 Russian soldiers have been withdrawn from the Middle Eastern country, RIA Novosti reports.

    “They are all people who have experience and have been tested in combat,” the Russian president said during a meeting with military university graduates in the Kremlin. He gave the order to withdraw when he visited the Khmeimim air base. “This withdrawal is underway now,” he noted.

    14 helicopters and 13 planes have also returned to …

  • Europe to abandon Russian Soyuz launch vehicles

    By 2023, Europe plans to stop using Russian Soyuz-ST launch vehicles for launches from the Kourou Space Center, RIA Novosti news agency reports with reference to a source in the European space industry.

    According to the source, Europeans will replace the Soyuz with their own carrier rocket, Ariane 6 that has two lateral accelerators. The source of RIA Novosti reports that the first launch of Ariane 6 is scheduled for July 16, 2020. The launch could be postponed for a year, and given the …

  • Ukrainian Prime Minister Groysman: Ukraine has spent 4.5 billion euros to clean the banking system

    Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman stated in at a meeting in Copenhagen that Ukraine has spent €4.5 billion ($5.2 billion) on cleansing the country’s banking system, which has been bogged down with large debt payments and military spending.

    According to Groysman, the State will have to pay off $33 billion of debt in the next five years. “We have carried out the cleansing of the banking system, and it cost us 4.5 billion euros. In the next five years, we need to disburse $33 billion,” …

  • Ukrainian Intelligence Services: Belarus is a potential springboard for Russian invasion

    The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense considers Belarus to be a possible springboard for a Russian invasion.

    Radio Liverty reports that this was stated by Vadym Skibitsky, Spokesperson of the Main Military Intelligence Directorate (HUR MOU).

    According to Skibitsky, Ukrainian intelligence is keeping an eye on all operations arranged by Russia on the territory of Belarus.

    Skibitsky noted that Russian units, in particular airborne troops, conducted many combat …

  • European Court of Human Rights combines proceedings against Russia on Crimea and Donbas

    The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has combined proceedings against the Russian Federation on the Crimea and the Donbas, stated Ukrainian Deputy Justice Minister and Commissioner for the European Court of Human Rights Ivan Lishchyna.

    "The ECHR has agreed to our request and combined proceedings on intergovernmental allegations that Russia has violated [the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms] into two large [areas]: the Crimea and the Donbas. …

  • Polish PGNiG signs 20-year contracts for liquefied natural gas shipments from the USA

    Polish PGNiG has signed long-term contracts with two US companies for the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the press service of the Polish company reported.

    Two PGNiG reports say that the companies involved are Port Arthur LNG and Venture Global LNG, which are currently working on the construction of gas liquefaction terminals on the Gulf of Mexico coast in Texas and Louisiana. The terminals are expected to begin operation in 2022 and 2023. Under the contact, each company is expected to …

  • Polish Senate approves changes to the Law on the Institute of National Remembrance

    The changes to the Law on the institute of National Remembrance adopted by the Sejm have been approved by the Polish Senate. 76 senators voted in favor of the changes, one was against, one senator abstained, Polish radio reports.

    The Senate abolished a clause that assumed criminal responsibility for attributing Nazi crimes to Poland. "These regulations came into effect on March and gave rise to disputes, particularly with Israel, the United States and Ukraine,” the statement reads.

    Polish …

  • Volker compares the situation in Eastern Ukraine to the annexation of Crimea

    Special representative of the U.S. State Department for Ukraine Kurt Volker compared the situation in eastern Ukraine with the annexed Crimea and called it “a state to state conflict.” “In the case of Ukraine, what we see here is not an ethnic conflict, it’s not an indigenous conflict that grew up internally, it’s not a civil war, it’s not a conflict between Russians and Ukrainians ethnically. It is a State to State conflict. It is a conflict in which Russia has put its forces onto the …