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OSCE: Military parades in Donetsk and Luhansk violated the Minsk Agreements
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine stated that the presence of heavy weaponry in Luhansk and Donetsk during Victory Day parades is a violation of the Minsk Agreements, as reported on Facebook page of the Special Monitoring Mission.
“The SMM was entrusted with the task of monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire and other provisions of the Minsk Agreements, including the withdrawal of weapons. In this case, the presence of heavy weaponry in Luhansk and Donetsk during the …
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Lithuania denied entry to Russian bikers
On Saturday, border guard officers in Druskininkai (Lithuania) denied entry to three Russian bikers, Delfi.lt reported. According to the edition, they didn’t have documents justifying their purpose or the conditions of their intended stay in the Schengen country. As it turned out later, these Russian citizens attempted to make their way from Belarus to Poland. However, Polish border guard officers have denied entry to them as well.
This was the third time in a week that Lithuanian border …
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Ukrainian Armed Forces: The situation in the Donbas continues to deteriorate
The headquarters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced that the situation in the Donbas has deteriorated significantly over the last several days, Glavnoe reported.
“Yesterday, pro-Russian gangs opened fire on the positions of the Ukrainian defenders 15 times,” the headquarters wrote on Facebook.
It was reported that Ukrainian positions near Avdiivka were attacked by separatists using rocket propelled grenades and small arms.
According to the Ukrainian headquarters, separatists also …
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Poroshenko: Ukraine spends one fifth of its budget on the Army
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that one fifth of the state budget is spent on the defense sector, RBC-Ukraine reported.
“Almost one fifth of the state budget we spend on Army and that’s justified,” Poroshenko stated.
“We have created a modern army in two years and every Ukrainian has a legitimate right to be proud of it,” the President noted.
Poroshenko did not rule out the possibility of a partial mobilization in 2016.
“The only thing I still can’t promise is that there will …
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Georgian President is confident that his country will join the EU
Speaking before the opening of the concert dedicated to the Europe Day at the State Theater of Opera and Ballet in Tbilisi, President Giorgi Margvelashvili stated that Georgia is taking steps in the direction of European integration, and that the forthcoming elections will be held in accordance with European standards, RBC reported.
“Georgia became independent 25 years ago but we are still taking steps in order to become free. We need to build our values to belong to European society. We need …
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Poroshenko calls on the West to impose more sanctions against Russia
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stated that the countries that doubt the effectiveness of the sanctions against Russia should consider strengthening them.
“From time to time, we hear that some European countries believe that the sanctions are not effective. Well, then, if someone considers them ineffective, they should not be lifted or eased, on the contrary, they should be extended and tightened!” Poroshenko said at the First Minute of Peace gathering in Kiev on Sunday evening. …
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NATO warships will arrive in Tallinn
The Ministry of Defense of Estonia reported that two NATO warships, one Spanish frigate and one British, will arrive in Tallinn next week, BNS reported. The warships are part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG1).
The group consists of two warships, the Spanish Alvaro De Bazan frigate and the British Iron Duke frigate. The ships will stay in the capital of Estonia until the 15th of May.
The NATO warships will attend the Estonian Navy’s anti-mine exercises before entering the port of …
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Turchinov urges the West to abandon its appeasement policy in regards to Russia
As was stated in the address by the Security and Defense Council’s Secretary Alexander Turchinov, regarding a day of remembrance and reconciliation, he called on "the civilized world" to remember that an aggressor cannot be placated.
"In the 30’s, when Hitler came to power, he violated the Treaty of Versailles, he started building his military forces... He was allowed to do that. But this was not just swallowed; an appeasement policy was implemented, believing Hitler’s assurances that it was ' …
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Media: Russia transfers tanks and other military hardware to Syria
On Sunday, a KIL-158 Russian vessel, with cargo bound for Syria, sailed through the Black Sea. This was reported by Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet.
The website uploaded a video showing the vessel passing Istanbul. The newspaper speculated that there were possibly two tanks on the deck under a camouflage net.
The vessel was accompanied by a Turkish Coast Guard ship and a police helicopter.
The media had also reported that the landing ships and auxiliary vessels of the Russian Navy were involved …
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US fighters to take part in joint Finnish-Swedish aviation exercises
On Monday, US Air Force fighters began to take part in Finnish Air Force aviation exercises. These Cross Border Training exercises will last until the 20th of May.
According to the Finnish TV and radio company, Yle, eight US fighters from Oregon arrived at the Rissala airbase on Friday. US Air Force planes had previously participated in aircraft exercises in Finland’s airspace. This will however be the first time that US fighters will depart from the Finnish airport.
The participation of the …