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EU calls Russian railway line to Crimea ‘yet another violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty
The European Union considers the opening of railway traffic across the Crimean Bridge from Russia to annexed Crimea “yet another violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine by Russia,” said EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Peter Stano, DW reports.
According to him, Russia has taken yet another step towards “the forced integration of the illegally annexed peninsula” and made a new attempt to “isolate Crimea from Ukraine, of which it is a part”.
Stano also drew …
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Syria accuses the US of drone attacks on oil refineries
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said the Americans attacked oil refineries in the Homs province with drones. The attack, according to him, took place four days ago.
“The United States, using its illegal military base in Al-Tanf, sent unmanned aerial vehicles to Homs and carried out airstrikes on oil refining infrastructure," he said before the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
On December 21, the oil refinery in Homs and al-Rayan Gas station in the center of the …
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Civil unrest brewing in Syria
The series of killings of prominent figures in the Syrian system has been crowned by an attack on National Defense Forces commander Ahmed Ismail, also known as Abou Haidra. His car exploded while moving through one of the districts of Damascus, killing him and his driver.
The Arabic-language media attributes the incident to the general discontent in Damascus, which is manifesting itself through violence and unrest. Something very similar is being observed in the southern provinces of Syria. …
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Russian Foreign Minister: US sanctions will not stop construction of Nord Stream 2
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that despite the US sanctions, the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream gas pipelines would be put into operation, reports Interfax news agency. Lavrov also said that Russia plans to respond to the new sanctions from Washington.
US Congress approved the National Defense Authorization Act on December 17. President Donald Trump signed it on December 21. Following the adoption of the budget by Congress, two Republican US senators,Ted Cruz and Ron Johnson, sent …
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Putin to visit Crimea to open Kerch Bridge to railway traffic
Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to visit Crimea on Monday, December 23, to participate in the opening of the Kerch Bridge to railway traffic.
Interfax reports that during his trip, the Russian president will meet with bridge builders, and “sector leaders will report to him on plans to develop transport infrastructure”.
The Crimean Bridge is 19 km long. It was opened to light buses and cars on May 16, 2018, and to trucks on October 1. Passenger trains will start using the railway …
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Russian Foreign Minister: Russia is willing to demonstrate Sarmat ballistic missile to US
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow has shown Washington its hypersonic “Avangard” missile, and is also willing to demonstrate its “Sarmat” ballistic missile .
“We are prepared to build these weapons and systems into the existing New START treaty,” he said during a broadcast of the program Bolshaya Igra on Russia’s Channel One, as cited by RIA Novosti.
According to the minister, during their discussion regarding the New START treaty, Russia’s representatives told the US …
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US accuses Russian mercenaries of escalating tensions in Libya
The US State Department expressed concern about the activities of the Russian private military contractor, the Wagner Group, in Libya, reports Anadolu news agency.
According to the US State Department, Russian-linked mercenaries only intensify the escalation in the region, supporting the troops of General Khalifa Haftar, who is trying to capture the capital Tripoli.
It is noted that the number of civilian casualties in Libya is increasing. Civilian objects, including hospitals and airports, …
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Israel carries out missile attack on Iranian facilities near Damascus
Syrian Government News Agency (SANA) reported that Israel carried out a missile strike on Syrian territory from the Golan Heights.
"The Air Forces of the Syrian Arab Army intercepted enemy missiles launched from the occupied territories [Israeli part of the Golan Heights]," reports SANA.
"Our correspondent reports that military air defenses shot down enemy missiles launched from the occupied territories at 11 p.m. and that one of the enemy's missiles exploded in the area of Aqraba in the …
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Swiss Allseas withdraws pipe-laying vessels from Nord Stream 2 construction zone following US sanctions
The Swiss company Allseas, which has been laying the pipes of Nord Stream 2, has withdrawn its ships from the construction zone in the Baltic Sea. Allseas declined to provide an estimate of how long the construction of Nord Stream 2 would be delayed by. A total of three of Allseas' ships were involved in the laying of the pipeline, including the "Pioneering Spirit" - the world's largest ship for assembling and transporting sea platforms and laying underwater pipelines. On December 21, Gazprom' …
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Gazprom to pay Ukraine’s Naftogaz $2.9 billion by end of 2019
Russian Gazprom and Naftogaz of Ukraine will sign an agreement to settle all reciprocal claims relating to their current contracts in accordance with the gas cooperation protocol, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller told the press on Saturday, December 21. “The settlement agreement envisages the waiver of new claims, the withdrawal of arbitration and court claims for which there are no final decisions, and payment in accordance with the final decision of the Stockholm Arbitration Institute,” the Interfax …