New air defense systems deployed by Russia in Syria may alter the course of US military operations in the region as stated by commander of the Central Command Joseph Votel at a hearing before the US Senate.

“Over the past few months, Russia has deployed new surface-to-air defense systems, they are ready for use, and this affects our freedom to maneuver in the area,” he noted.

He stated that the United States needs to explore ways to decrease the possibility of an incident with the Russian …

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin dismissed a number of high-ranking officials from law enforcement agencies. Ten of them had special military ranks of Generals. Among dismissed officials are Generals of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Penitentiary Service and Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

In addition, two Prosecutors of the Russian regions were also dismissed from office. Vladimir Putin didn’t provide any reasons for dismissal of these high-ranking …

According to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Yuriy Lutsenko, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation claims that the authorities of the country never received a letter from former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych asking to deploy Russian troops to the territory of Ukraine.  

"A letter came from the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation. They write that neither the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation nor the Federation Council of …

Turkish armed forces, with the support of the Free Syrian Army, shelled the Syrian border guards at the western part of the city of Manbij, reported the Arabic edition of Al-Masdar.

The media reported that eight Syrian servicemen were killed, and dozens more were injured.

The news source reported that the Turkish Army attacked the Syrian military near the border villages, which the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-Syrian alliance, handed over to Assad’s government.

Earlier, Turkish …

The Polish oil and gas company PGNiG has blocked the monopolization of the OPAL gas pipeline for a year. PGNiG Chairman Piotr Wozniak made the announcement, reports Ukrinform.

"We have managed to block auctions on the use of the OPAL gas pipeline until March-April of next year. For 15 years it will not be possible to conduct auctions for the pipeline capacities in volumes larger than before. We managed to block this initiative of the Russians,” said Wozniak.

He stressed that the PGNiG …

The International Committee of the Red Cross is negotiating with both sides of the conflict to expand its mission in the Donbas, according to ICRC President, Peter Maurer, as reported by Interfax.

"This is my fourth visit here to talk with local authorities in Luhansk, Donetsk, and in Kyiv about the expansion of our operation into Ukraine," he said.

Peter Maurer noted that the humanitarian situation in the Donbas has become very complicated again.

"In the last couple of weeks we are seeing …

Weapons systems installed on US strategic bombers will not be able to overcome Russian air defense in ten years, and therefore they need to be modernized, according to US Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Paul Selva.

Speaking at a Congressional hearing, the general stated that the B-52 Bomber – the basis of US strategic air defense – was designed in the 1950s and 1960s, and the cruise missiles and bombs they carry were designed in the 1970s.

“We know that today they are ready for …

Polish airlines are becoming increasingly interested in the Ukrainian market, as stated on Polish Radio, citing the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna newspaper.

"The Polish airline LOT is planning to launch new flights to the Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, and Rivne. After the holidays more flights to Lviv will be launched. "There are currently two flights a day from Warsaw to Lviv, and there will be a third one," the message says.

It was also reported that according to the press secretary of LOT, …