Contents tagged with Russia

  • Ukraine considers imposing criminal penalties for promoting ‘Russian World’ ideology

    A group of deputies from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine headed by Oleksandr Shevchenko registered a Parliament bill proposing criminal prosecution for promoting the idealogy of “Russian World”.

    As stated in an explanatory note attached to the draft bill, “current Ukrainian legislation prohibits only communist and national socialist ideologies, not taking into account the promotion of the ideas of “Russian World,” which aim at destruction of Ukrainian independence.”

    In connection with this, the …

  • Media: Russia to start using electromagnetic cannons in Syria

    Russia is testing its electromagnetic weapons in field conditions, TASS quotes an advisor to the first deputy general director of the Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies, Vladimir Mikheyev as saying. Viktor Murakhovsky, the editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, told National News Service that Russia could soon use such weapons in Syria.

    According to Mikheyev, electromagnetic weapons systems (microwave directed-energy weapons) “exist and are being very effectively …

  • British court refuses to extradite former bank owner to Russia

    Former co-owner of Trust Bank Ilya Yurov, who was placed on the international wanted list by Russia, will remain in the UK. The Westminster Magistrates’ Court ruled that extraditing him to Russia would constitute a human rights violation.

    Ilya Yurov came to the UK from Russia after Trust Bank was reorganized in December 2014. In Russia he is accused of embezzlement and misappropriation of funds. The Russian investigation believes that, between 2012-2014, he and several other of the bank’s …

  • Russia condemns deployment of Kosovo’s Special Forces to Serbian border

    The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Kosovo’s “demonstrative invasion” to the north the region inhabited by Serbs as provocation. The purpose of this provocation is “to intimidate Kosovo Serbs and exert pressure on Serbia”, said Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Zakharova said that Russia condemns “the passive behavior of the International Forces for Kosovo (KFOR), which have not taken any action”. She noted that these forces must ensure …

  • Skripal poisoning suspect was awarded Hero of Russia for evacuating Yanukovych

    GRU Colonel Anatoly Chepiga (Ruslan Boshirov), one of the prime suspects in the Skripal poisoning case, was head of the special operation to evacuate former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych from Ukraine, claims  Sergei Kanev, a journalist from the Investigation Control Center (ICC) who was recently forced to flee Russia. Kanev was part of the joint investigation into the Salisbury incident by The Insider and Bellingcat which uncovered the identities of the prime suspects.

    According to …

  • Kremlin promises to respond if US interfere with Russian trade in Middle East

    A naval blockade of Russia would lead to an escalation with the USA, stated Russia's State Duma Committee on International Affairs member Anton Morozov. “We are concerned that our partners again turn to the   threats, sanctions and unfriendly acts instead of agreeing on current international problems. Of course, we would have a response for it,” he says.

    According to Morozov, to maintain security and peace, Russia advocates normal mutual understanding and dialogue to “deal with all challenges …

  • Poroshenko thanks Putin for 'European' Ukraine

     Ukraine will never return to the “Russian Empire,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stated in an interview with CNN. According to him, it is Russian President Vladimir Putin who made Ukraine a more “European country” because during the conflict in the Donbas, the level of support of European integration among the population grew from 33% to 74%.

    “Who did this? Putin. So, thank you Mr. Putin for making my country much more European and much more ready to protect European values, …

  • Delegation from Norway visits Crimea despite Ukraine's travel ban

    On September 30th, a delegation from Norway without asking permission from Ukraine beforehand crossed the administrative border near the Crimea, reports Kryminform.

    It is noted that the Norwegians intend to visit four cities on the peninsula. The itinerary will include a visit to the ICC Artek, Livadia Palace, Nikitsky Botanical Garden, the House-Museum Chekhov in Yalta and other cultural sites.

    The visit is likely to last until October 6th.

    The Norwegian delegation included members of the …

  • Media: New Russian private military company may be behind killing of Russian journalists in Central Africa

    The highly publicized murder of Russian investigative journalists in the Central African Republic may be directly connected to the recently founded Patriot private military company (PMC) which operates in the country,reported the Dozhd TV channel, citing its own sources in the Russian Defense Ministry, a mercenary from the Patriot PMC, and an veteran intelligence officer acquainted with a Patriot fighter.

    All of the sources believe that the murder was motivated by the research which Orkhan …

  • Media: Russia willing to exchange Sentsov for Russians convicted in US

    Russia is prepared to release the Ukrainian political prisoner Oleh Sentsov to mainland Ukraine. However, they will only do so if the US hands over two convicted Russians, Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko, and releases Maria Butina, who was arrested in the US this summer, reported Novaya Gazeta with reference to an unidentified source supposedly connected to the relevant negotiations. Russia is prepared to discuss such an exchange without Ukraine’s involvement.

    Novaya Gazeta asked Russian …