The Kremlin press service said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are satisfied with the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline.

In turn, Merkel’s press service said that the Chancellor spoke to Putin over the phone about  the construction of Nord stream-2 and the transit of gas through Ukraine.

Angela Merkel told Putin that the situation around Nord Stream 2 was discussed during the talks with the U.S. President Joe Biden.

At the same time, the …

Ukraine and Poland will work together with their allies and partners to counter the launch of Nord Stream 2 until solutions are developed to overcome the security crisis, support countries in their aspirations to become members of Western democratic institutions and minimize threats to peace and energy security, reads a joint statement by the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, published on the website of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

The …

Russian authorities held exercises to isolate the Russian internet segment (Runet) from the global internet, RBC news agency reports, citing sources and materials of the working group "Information Security" under Russia’s Digital Economy national program.

The exercises, which took place between June 15 and July 15, were attended by Russia’s "big four" internet providers (MTS, Beeline, Megafon and Tele2), as well as Rostelecom, Transtelecom and ER-Telecom Holding.

"The possibility of physical …

The distribution of Russian passports to residents of the Donbas does not mean that this region will be annexed to the Russian Federation, said Russian Deputy Prime Minister and the Kremlin’s chief negotiator on Ukraine, Dmitry Kozak in an interview with Politique Internationale.

According to him, about 470 thousand residents of Donetsk and Lugansk regions which are not under Ukraine’s control became citizens of Russia using a simplified process. However, this is not considered as a sign of …

Counterintelligence of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has detained a former "MP" of so-called Luhansk People’s Republic.

SBU officials found that in 2014 this individual took part in establishing illegal government bodies in the territory of the Luhansk region which is not under Ukraine’s control. The individual was also involved in the creation and adoption of the "LPR constitution".

While executing the arrest warrant, the SBU found a "LPR passport ", as well as "LPR registration …

Self-proclaimed president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko instructed the government to review the work of Belarusian embassies and the number of diplomats in Europe. In his opinion, one ambassador with an assistant in a two-room apartment will be sufficient, given the state of relations between Belarus and the EU.

"We need to take a very serious look at our diplomatic missions in Europe. Listen, well, why should we keep a bunch of diplomats there, if we do not trade with them at all. And …

The militant-controlled border crossing Uspenka in the Donetsk region is experiencing large volume of Donbas residents who want to enter Russia.

"I have received a lot of such complains," said the head of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, at a meeting in the Amvrosievsk district.

According to Pushilin, the large lines at the border crossing are due to the influx of people trying to go to the Russian Federation.

"DPR border guards" blame the Russian side for the …

On the night of July 20, Russian missile defense systems Pantsir-S and BUK-M2 were used in Syria, but they failed to intercept all the missiles, reported the Russian "Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria" on the website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

According to the Russian military, half an hour before midnight, four F-16 fighter jrets of the Israeli Air Force entered the territory of Syria and launched 8 missiles on the Syrian Army targets and …