The German energy regulator, Bundesnetzagentur, has reduced the limit of use of the OPAL gas pipeline for Russian Gazprom to the same level that was installed before, to 50%. As stated in the press-service of the company on Facebook, "The German regulator reduced the limit for Gazprom to use the OPAL pipeline to its former 50% but the actual amount of this reduction has not yet affected the actual volumes."

In late October, the European Commission allowed Gazprom to increase its pumping gas …

A missile defense regiment armed with S-400 Triumpf missile systems has assumed combat duty in the Crimea, TASS reported.

The regiment is part of Russia’s Southern Military District.

According to the Commander of the 4th Air Force and Air Defense Army Viktor Sevastianov, "It is for the first time, that a unique air defense complex assumed combat duty in Crimea - it will raise the combat opportunities of the air defense. It would be a reliable air defense for the people in Crimea."

The S-400 …

Through a series of diplomatic maneuvers, the German government hopes to circumvent the EU’s travel ban for Russian Minister of Agriculture Aleksandr Tkachov, the DPA news agency reported.

Tkachov is on the list of Russians who are subject to sanctions and is thus prohibited from entering the EU due to Russia’s annexation of the Crimea in 2014. However, according to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to host the Russian minister on January 22. …

The world-wide independent international human rights organization, Human Rights Watch, has released their report for 2017, which indicated that after the Russian Federation’s occupation of the Crimea, the human rights situation in the peninsula deteriorated, as stated by its representative in Ukraine, Tatyana Cooper, during the presentation of the report in Kyiv on Thursday, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

"Since Russia began taking control of the peninsula, the human rights situation there has …

The Defense Minister of the Russian Federation, General Sergey Shoygu, stated during a lecture for the executive personnel of the Defense Department that in four years, the foundation of Russian precision weaponry will be ships equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles as reported by Russia's Izvestia newspaper.

Shoygu indicated that the modern all-purpose surface ships and submarines equipped with these complexes will become part of the naval forces. He also noted that at the same time, the …

On January 10, 2017, the National Bank of Ukraine recognized Platinum Bank’s insolvency. It was one of the most scandalous banks in the country. On April 1, 2016, with $7.47 billion worth of holdings it was 24th in terms of assets out of 109 banks operating at the time.

Why Platinum went bankrupt

The official cause for bankruptcy is the inability of the shareholders to raise the bank’s capital. According to the requirements of the NBU, in terms of assets all banks within the 21st to 40th …

The First head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, Valery Bolotov, considers it necessary to return the whole territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to the DPR and LPR jurisdiction in order for both republics to unite.

"It is my opinion that the first thing to do, is to return the territory of the former Luhansk and Donetsk regions to the LPR and DPR. I also believe that it is necessary to unite the two Republics,” he wrote on his page on Vkontakte.

As for the head of the …

Ukraine's National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting has obliged Ukrainian providers to stop relaying Russian television channel Rain (Dozhd) within a month due to the station’s non-recognition of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and its translation of Russian commercials.

"In particular, on a live broadcast of this TV channel, the administrative border between the Kherson region and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was portrayed as a border between Ukraine and …