Belarus is inviting “a large number of observers” to the upcoming Zapad 2017 joint military exercises with Russia which have been a cause for concern for Ukraine and NATO states, reported by BelTA with reference to statements by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting with the leaders of the Security Council’s State Secretariat.

“The exercises are open; we are inviting and have already invited a large number of observers. Come, look,” Lukashenko said.

Lukashenko mentioned that …

President of Finland Sauli Niinistö discussed the situation in Ukraine with his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, Helsingin Sanomat reported.

“We also talked about the situation in Ukraine, which is not improving. The ceasefire remains the primary task and the onward progress, at least must be taken in small steps. For example, it is necessary to release the prisoners,” the President Niinistö said.

President Putin arrived on Thursday, July 27 at the Finnish city of Savonlinna for …

On Friday, 28 July, another blackout hit the annexed Crimea. The blackout was reportedly caused by an accident in Krasnodar Krai in neighboring Russia.  

It is reported that there is no power in the cities of Simferopol, Sevastopol, Yalta, Kerch, Feodosiya and other places.

The Russia-controlled Ministry of Fuel and energy of the Crimea also confirms the loss of power throughout the peninsula. According to the Minister Vadim Belik, the Crimea was "completely without electricity" due to an …

The border authorities of Moldova have banned a Russian MP from the LDPR party, Pavel Shperov, from entry into the country's territory, reported Omega Media Group, citing a source in the Moldovan Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to the source, the MP was not allowed to leave the airport in Chisinau, and "was sent back on the nearest flight to Moscow" without an explanation why. The agency spokesman added that the border authorities also detained an additional ten people who were …

Russian President Vladimir Putin, commenting on the U.S. bill on sanctions against Russia, said that “it is impossible to endure rudeness endlessly.”

“As you know, we act with great patience and restraint, but at some point we will have to respond. It is impossible to endure endlessly this rudeness in relation to our country,” Putin said at a press conference following the Russia-Finland talks, reports Interfax.

According to the Russian president, the bill on sanctions is an attempt to use U. …

Former Odessa province governor Mikheil Saakashvili only has a Ukrainian passport and intends to have his citizenship restored “in court and through the streets,” said Saakashvili’s press representative Darina Chizh.

According to her, the politician’s attorneys are already “working on this” and are preparing documents in order to appeal the Ukrainian president’s decree to revoke Saakashvili’s citizenship. “People have already started to go to the streets [in support of Saakashvili],” she …

In April to June, 2017, defense industry enterprises supplied over six hundred new models of military and special equipment to Russian troops, said Sergei Shoygu, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation during “the Single Day for Military Goods Acceptance” event.

“So far, 34.2% of the state defense order has been fulfilled with the delivery of new arms and 42.2% of the order has been fulfilled for repairs, which indicates satisfactory rates of smooth production flow of the defense …

For the third time, a group of residents on the Taymyr Peninsula in Russia have submitted documents to the country’s election commission, demanding a referendum on the return to the status of an autonomous region, said Stella Koch, a member of the group, according to Radio Liberty.

According to her, at the same time, representatives of the Evenkiysky District  sent a request to the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation with a request to assess the Federal Constitutional Law on the …