• Italy has blocked the extension of sanctions against Russia

    At the EU summit in Brussels, Italy blocked the attempt to extend sanctions against Russia for one year. Rome was also against the extension of sanctions for alleged crimes committed by Russia in Syria.

    This was confirmed by the participants of the summit.

    "We had a discussion, which, fortunately, ended without considering the option that would be, in my opinion, erroneous. That is to respond to the situation in Syria and Aleppo with the EU sanctions against Russia", the Prime Minister of …

  • US Global Hawk drone carried out reconnaissance mission at the demarcation line in the Donbas

    A RQ-4A Global Hawk Strategic U.S. Air Force drone made an almost 10-hour reconnaissance flight along the line dividing the sides in the Donbas on Friday, as was reported by Interfax-Ukraine citing a source in western information portals that monitor the movement of military aircraft.

    According to them, the American long-range drone, before leaving Ukraine in the west to its border with Romania, had shuttled north to south along the demarcation line for hours without crossing it.

    During its …

  • Media: Russian serviceman was killed during Russia's first day of operations in Syria last year

    A Russian serviceman was killed in Syria on the first day of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ mission in Syria, which officially started on 30 September 2015, Radio Svoboda reports.

    The date of 29-year-old Sergeant Edward Sokurov’s death was published on Friday on the official website of the Administration of Nalchik City, when he was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor. This note was later removed, but it was after RIA Novosti cited it.

    The text stated that Sokurov was an intelligence agent in …

  • Ukraine accused Gazprom of preparing a gas crisis

    Ukraine's Naftogaz believes that Russian Gazprom is preparing a new gas crisis in January and February 2017, as stated by the Ukrainian company's press-service.

    Earlier, Ukraine imposed a fine of 172 billion hryvnia on Gazprom. In turn, Miscow said that Kyiv may collect the fine by withdrawing gas. By doing so, the risk of disrupting the gas transit to the EU through Ukrainian territory is possible, the Russian company claims.

    "Naftogaz of Ukraine considers the statements of Gazprom about the …

  • Japan and Russia agreed to pursue joint economic activities on the disputed Kuril Islands

    During two days of talks, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to settle the long territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands, which were ceded to the Soviet Union after World War II. The parties, however, agreed to continue the dialogue and carry out joint economic activities on the disputed islands, Japanese media reported on Friday, December 16th, following the talks.

    During the talks, Putin and Abe negotiated easing travel restrictions between the …