• Russia hopes to launch carrier rocket which will compete with SpaceX

    As the head of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center Andrey Kalinovsky reported, the first launch of the Russian-made carrier rocket “Proton lite,” which can compete with the SpaceX rockets, will take place in 2018, Russian Interfax news agency reported.

    According to him, the project is “at a crucial stage.” “We are in a process of finalizing some procedural questions, working out schedules and technical requirements. We hope that the first launch will take place in 2018,” …

  • Russian postal service will need $8 billion to execute new anti-terror law

    According to preliminary estimates, the Russian Post will need more than half a trillion rubles (approximately $8 billion) to purchase the equipment required to comply with the anti-terrorism package signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 7, as reported by the Russian TASS news agency, citing a source in the Russian Pos.

    "If the new technical equipment will have to be installed in all 42,000 post offices, it will require both the purchase of this special equipment, and the …

  • Poroshenko: Ukraine can teach NATO using its experiences from the war with Russia

    Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko believes that the collective security of NATO may benefit from the Ukrainian experience of war with Russia as indicated in an article the President wrote for the Wall Street Journal.

    According to him, Russian aggression on the eastern flank of NATO’s territory is aggression not only against Ukraine, but against the whole Western world.

    "There is not a single NATO country that has experience of combat with the modern Russian army. And Ukraine has such …

  • Kazakhstan offers Ukraine an option to transport cargo bypassing Russia

    Kazakhstan has offered Ukraine the option to use an alternative transport route through the Kazakh port of Aktau to bypass the Russian territory. This was reported by the Atameken National Chamber of the Entrepreneurs (NCE) of the Republic of Kazakhstan, citing the Deputy Chairman of the NCE Dana Zhunusova.

    Due to the introduction of additional restrictive measures by the Russian Federation as of July 1st imposed on the transit of Ukrainian products through Russian territory to Kazakhstan and …

  • Almost half the population of Finland supports holding a referendum on joining NATO

    According to a survey conducted by Taloustutkimus market research company, almost half of residents of Finland support holding a referendum on joining NATO, Finish news portal, Yle reported. 48% of residents stated that they want a national referendum and 40% of respondents expressed their opposition. Mostly people over 65 years old supported the referendum. The opponents of the referendum, as a rule, were aged 35–49 years.

    At the same time, media surveys, conducted jointly by the newspaper …

  • Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs: NATO will deploy 10,000 servicemen to Poland in 2017

    During the NATO Summit the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Witold Waszczykowski, stated that up to 10,000 servicemen from NATO countries could be deployed in Poland next year.

    “If necessary, we will have 10,000 NATO servicemen on our territory, mostly American soldiers. 5,000 soldiers will be deployed in Szczecin. In addition, a missile defense base will be opened in Redzikowo. Those would be crucial changes in the security mechanism,” Waszczykowski said. The Polish Minister reiterated  …

  • US expels two Russian officials following attack on diplomat in Moscow

    The US has expelled two Russian officials in response to an attack on an American diplomat in Moscow.

    A representative of the US State Department, John Kirby, told journalists on July 8 that this step was taken on June 17, shortly after the incident, but he refused to disclose the details.

    Earlier, Kirby said at a briefing that a Russian police officer attacked an American diplomat in Moscow when he tried to enter the building of the US Embassy. “This action was unprovoked and it has …

  • Ukraine hopes to provide strategic air transport to NATO

    Ukraine’s leadership has decided to withdraw from the tripartite cooperation program between Ukraine, Russia and NATO, according to which the Alliance has used the capabilities of Ukrainian strategic aviation.

    The acting head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO, Yehor Bozhok, said this in an interview with Evropeyskaya Pravda.

    He named Ukrainian strategic AN-124 Ruslan planes among the items that Ukraine offers to enhance the Alliance’s defense capability.

    “Until now we had a program, …

  • Ukrainian MoD: Separatists have increased attacks in the Donbas prior to NATO summit

    The head of the public relations department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Bogdan Senik stated in his comment to Ukrainian Pravda that the increase in shelling in eastern Ukraine zone that has been observed in recent days can be explained by the desire to provoke Ukrainian servicemen before the NATO Summit.

    “We connect the tendency towards increasing the amount of shelling over the recent period with holding of landmark meetings such as meeting in Minsk or other events, where the issue on de- …

  • Polish Defense Minister: Strengthening NATO’s eastern flank guarantees protection from Russia

    Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz stated in an interview with IAR news agency that "the strengthening of the eastern NATO flank guarantees the protection of Poland from aggressive Russian behavior," Polish Radio reports.

    Macierewicz emphasized that the deployment of NATO troops in Poland and the Baltic States will not be for the training purposes.

    "We are talking about army, structures and weapons of which will be enough to counter the aggressor," the Polish Defense Minister said. …