Contents tagged with crimea

  • Russian MoD: Inspection of troops in Crimea is in its final stage

    Russia stated that  it is holding the final stage of the sudden readiness check of its troops in the Crimea and in the southern part of the country. According to the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry, the final stage of the readiness check took place on 30-31st of August.

    “Tactical and special-tactical drills, including live fire, training in troops’ practical actions, training on countering sabotage and reconnaissance groups, exercises on driving combat vehicles and tanks, weapons, …

  • EU to extend sanctions against 146 Russian individuals

    EU ambassadors will make a decision about extending targeted sanctions against Russian citizens involved in the violation of Ukrainian territorial integrity. In particular, 146 people and 37 companies could have their visas restricted and accounts frozen.

    As Radio Svoboda reports, citing its own sources in the EU, a decision about extending the sanctions for another six months is expected to be adopted without much discussion by September 15. The parties in question include companies in the …

  • Ukraine initiates criminal proceedings against French MPs who visited Crimea

    The Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s Office has initiated a criminal case against the French deputies who visited the Crimea in July of this year, the Ukrainian MP of the People’s Front party, George Logvinsky, wrote on his Facebook page.

    On August 11, Logvinsky reported that the Prosecutor’s Office “initiated pre-trial investigation of criminal proceedings over a criminal offense envisioned by part 1 of Article 332-1 [Violation of the procedure of entry to Ukraine’s temporarily occupied …

  • Russian army is training to block the Kerch Strait

    Russian servicemen will train to block the Kerch Strait and gas condensate field in the annexed Crimea, the Russian Ministry of Defense press service reported on Wednesday, August 31.

    “Formations of various attack forces from the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla will hold a series of trainings in the waters of the sea, aiming to defeat a hypothetical enemy and suppress an attempt to lift a blockade of the Kerch Strait and one of the gas condensate fields, and will also train to free a  …

  • Ukrainian Prosecutor General: There are 800 volumes of investigations into Russia's actions in the Donbas

    The Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Yuriy Lutsenko, published the statistics of the pre-trial investigation on Russia’s instigation and continuation of aggressive actions. He posted the data on Facebook on Tuesday, August, 30 2016.According to Lutsenko, the investigation covered the entire period of Russian aggression starting from February 2014 (the occupation of the Crimea, and the anti-terrorist operation in the east of the country).The volume of materials from the criminal proceedings is …

  • Ukrainian government to present strategy for de-occupation of the Donbas and Crimea

    The strategy for the de-occupation of Ukrainian territories, which are not controlled by Kyiv, will be discussed on the 31st of August at a government meeting. This discussion will pay special attention to certain regions in Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as to the Crimea. According to Ukrainski Novyny, this statement was made by the Deputy Minister of Ukraine on the issues of the temporarily occupied territories and internally displaced persons, Georgiy Tuka.

    “If everything goes according to …

  • Ukrainian Presidential Spokesman: 100,000 Russian troops are stationed near Ukraine's borders

    The representative of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine on ATO issues, Colonel Andriy Lysenko stated on Radio Svoboda that Russia has gathered approximately 100,000 servicemen in the territories of the occupied Crimea, Donbas and on the eastern border with Ukraine.

    “Approximately 40,000 servicemen are stationed along the northern border in the Donbas; another fifty to sixty thousand are stationed in the east of the country. This group is constantly changing and expanding. Three …

  • Expert: Russia is deliberately militarizing its population

    More than a decade ago, the leadership of the Russian Federation developed special social-psychological programs aimed at the militarization of the country’s population, said psychologist Larisa Voloshyna in a morning interview with Krym.Realii radio.

    According to Voloshyna, Russian authorities adopted programs that foster the feeling “that they are ready to serve in the armed forces of the Russian Federation.”

    “Since 2005, a large number of scientific and psychological works have appeared in …

  • Bloomberg: The chances of lifting sanctions on Russia decreased significantly after recent events in Crimea

    The growing tension in the region only prevents Russia from the establishment of favorable relations and the easing of sanctions and, therefore, from further economic growth, Bloomberg notes.

    The agency interviewed 21 economists about the prospects of lifting the sanctions. About 52% of the respondents believe that the EU would agree to lift the sanctions in the coming year. Before the recent events in the Crimea, the proportion of respondents sharing this view was much higher — 69 %. Only 10% …

  • Ukrainian Border Guard Service continues to note Russian military activity along administrative border with Crimea

    Servicemen of the State Border Service of Ukraine continue recording the activity of Russian armed forces in the vicinity of the administrative borders with the annexed Crimea and in other areas, according to the information released by their press service.

    "Over the past day, guards in the Azov-Black Sea regional administration observed a Mi-8 helicopter flight over the temporarily occupied territory of the Crimea close to the administrative border. Also, the border agency units recorded an …