Contents tagged with Russia

  • Yanukovych says he is ready to discuss Ukrainian prisoners exchange with Putin

    During a press conference in Russia, Former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych announced that he is ready to initiate a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the exchange of prisoners according to the “all for all” procedure. 

    “If necessary, if there is such initiative on the Ukrainian side, I am ready to talk with Putin and submit such proposal,” said Yanukovych. 

    According to him, for this to happen he needs some initiative from the President Petro Poroshenko, and the order …

  • OSCE puts forward two Russians as observers for Ukraine’s elections

    The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights has proposed to include two Russian citizens in the list of observers for Ukraine’s presidential elections on 31 March 2019, Ukrinform reports, citing a diplomatic source.

    “The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights has included two Russian citizens in its list of the Mission’s long-term observers to observe the elections, despite the fact that, in the invitation to participate in observation, Ukraine’s Foreign …

  • Poll: More than 40% of Russian youth want to leave Russia

    A new data obtained from the survey conducted by the “Levada Center” in January states that 41% of young people aged 18 to 24 would like to emigrate from Russia.

    In the country as a whole, the percentage of those, wishing to emigrate is smaller- 17%, and this number practically has not changed in recent years. However, among young people, the rate is twice as high as the “average sample”, state sociologists.

    Among Russians aged 25 to 39, 24% expressed the desire to emigrate, and among those …

  • Russia demands that Apple display annexed Crimea as Russian territory on its maps

    The Russian State Duma instructed the National Security and Corruption committee and Information Policy, IT and Communications Committee to find out why annexed Sevastopol is shown on Apple’s maps as Ukrainian territory. 

    State Duma committees have been requested to send a request to the State Prosecutor General’s Office to “prevent Apple’s violation of the Russian Constitution.” The request stated that "the Maps application on Apple’s smartphones display Sevastopol as Ukrainian territory," …

  • Russian Security Service wants to move Russian cellphone users to domestic SIM cards

    The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) proposed to transfer the fifth-generation mobile communications in Russia to domestic SIM cards, Russian cryptography and replace networks equipment, in particular, on base stations from foreign to locally manufactured, reports finanz.ru.

    According to the newspaper Vedomosti, the initiatives were proposed by the FSB representatives at a meeting of the network infrastructure working group of the Digital Economy project on January 30.

    Cryptographic …

  • Bill prohibiting Russian representatives from monitoring Ukrainian Presidential elections submitted to Verkhovna Rada

    The bill prohibiting Russian representatives  to take port in monitoring the Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Ukraine has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, stated First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Herashchenko. 

    According to her, the bill was initiated by Iryna Lutsenko, a representative of the Ukrainian president in the Verkhovna Rada. 

    Earlier, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin promised that the Foreign Ministry would not register observers from …

  • Poland to create Cyberspace Defense Forces

    Poland’s Ministry of National Defense is set to establish its own Cyberspace Defense Forces following the NATO's recommendations, announced  Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak. 

    The plan includes the creation of a new military body, the National Center of Cryptology, which will be connected to the Inspectorate of Information Technology, Polish Radio reports. 

    Secretary of State at the Ministry of the Polish National Defense Tomasz Zdzikot stated that the number of cyber- …

  • Lithuanian special services: Belarus is a 'buffer state' in Russian military doctrine

    According to the Annual Threat Assessment prepared by two Lithuanian special services, the Department of State Security and Military Intelligence of Lithuania, Russia consistently strengthens military facilities in the Kaliningrad region, however, the additional NATO forces deployed in the Baltic region and the growing national forces of Baltic countries reduce the likelihood of conflict, Interfax reported.

    “The [Russian] military group deployed in the region is consistently being strengthened: …

  • Lithuania blocks investment made by Russian oligarch because of threat of espionage

    Delfi.it reports that the Department of State Security and Military Intelligence of Lithuania has blocked the investments of a Russian corporation into a Lithuanian company because the company is suspected of of collecting cartographic data for the Russian army.

    According to the Lithuanian special services, the Russian oligarch Vladimir Yevtushenkov’s company Sistema was planning on acquiring a Lithuanian company through the investment firm of his son, specializing in cartography and aerial …

  • Hungary may oppose EU arms embargo on Belarus

    EU ambassadors will soon discuss the extension of the embargo on selling weapons to Belarus. The matter has been reviewed annually since 2011, and requires the consent of all 28 EU member-states.

    However, this year there is reason to believe that the extension of the embargo may be blocked by Hungary, which has already exempt biathlon rifles and other sport weapons from the embargo.

    Diplomatic sources told Radio Liberty that Hungary has already warned that, before supporting the arms embargo, …