On Friday, December 28th, the commander of the Naval Armed Forces of Ukraine, Igor Voronchenko, stated that Ukraine would receive Island-class patrol boats from the US in 2019.

“In July, they [the ships] should be in Ukraine. The crews are preparing. The steps for equipping these ships and joint training at the base in Baltimore [in the US] have been decided. The final procedures for fast delivery of these ships to Ukraine have also been finalized,” said the Navy Admiral.

Earlier, the …

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron demanded that Russia release the Ukrainian sailors who were on board the Ukrainian ships captured last month in the Kerch Strait.

According to the Ukrainian side, Russia illegally seized two military boats and a tug. Kyiv accused Moscow of military aggression.

“We demand safe, free and unimpeded transit for all ships through the Kerch Strait and the immediate and unconditional release of all illegally detained Ukrainian …

Starting at midnight on December 29th, in the zone of operation of the Ukrainian Joint Forces on the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions a “Christmas truce” has been enacted.

The ceasefire was agreed upon during a Skype conference of the Trilateral Contact Group on December 27th.

This will be the 18th “Christmas truce” since the start of hostilities in the Donbas.

All previous truces have been systematically violated by pro-Russian militants on the very first day.

At the same …

Russia has warned the US not to attempt to interfere in the order of succession in Saudi Arabia, and has expressed its support for crown prince Mohammad bin Salman despite the accusations that he had the government critic Khashoggi killed. 

President Putin’s special representative for the Near East said that Prince Mohammed has the full right to the throne after 82 year-old King Salman dies. 

“Of course we are opposed to interference. The Saudi nation and leaders must deal with such issues …

If Russia refuses to provide the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) with the data of Russian athletes’ doping samples by December 31, Russian athletes may lose the right to compete abroad, and Russia will not be able to host international competitions, Yury Ganus, the head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) stated in his address to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

According to Ganus, if WADA conditions are not fillfilled, RUSADA will be disqualified in mid-January. "The revocation of …

Ukraine plans to sign a loan agreement with France for the amount of 64 million euro to provide Mariupol with drinking water.   On Thursday, the Cabinet of Ministers met and approved the draft contract with the French Government and authorized the Minister for Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, Vadym Chernysh to sign it. The project includes the development of a general plan to improve Mariupol’s water supply and wastewater disposal systems by 2040.   70% of the …

The Head of the Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation (JFO) press center, Vitaliy Sarantsev said that Ukraine has deployed anti-sabotage forces and has strengthened its air defense in near the Azov Sea, UNIAN reports.   He explained that these were necessary preparations against possible Russian threats. Sarantsev did not specify where exactly the new troops are located but he added that additional fortifications were established near the Azov Sea and that communication between joint forces …

The press secretary of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Oleh Slobodyan stated that a large column of Russian military equipment and manpower was moving along the Ukrainian-Russian border, 112 Ukraine reported.

According to him, the border control crossings on the stretch of the border, which is under Ukraine’s control, continue to operate as usual.   “At the same time, we have information on the movement of large columns of military equipment and personnel along the border. Entry …