• OSCE mission came under fire near Avdiivka

    Members of the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine came under fire near Avdiivka, according to a statement released by the mission’s head Alexander Hug.

    “OSCE SMM patrol came under small arms fire in the area of Avdiivka/Yasynuvata. Nobody injured,” the Organization wrote on Twitter

    Further details on the incident have not yet been released.

    Avdiivka has seen heavy fighting over the last several months. Reports suggest that the distance between Ukrainian forces and members of the so- …

  • NATO 'Saber Strike 2016' exercise begins in the Baltic states

    The large-scale NATO exercise Saber Strike 2016 have begun in the Baltic states, which are aimed at improving interaction between member states in a wide range on military operations.

    10,000 soldiers from 13 member states and partner countries are participating in the exercise.

    As stated on the US Army-Europe’s website, “Saber Strike 16 features allied and partner-nation ground forces conducting live-fire, command post, and cyber/electronic warfare training, plus the integration of U.S. close- …

  • Putin: Russia's old economic resources are no longer enough

    According Vladimir Putin, economic growth in Russia will not resume by itself, and the country needs to look for new sources of economic stability. The Russian President said this at a meeting of the Presidium of the Economic Council, which was held for the first time in two years, Rosbalt reported.

    "I consider it necessary to emphasize once again: economic growth will not resume by itself. If we do not find new sources of growth, the dynamics of the GDP will be somewhere around zero," Putin …

  • Sweden has approved an agreement that will allow NATO troops to be placed in the country

    On Wednesday, the Swedish Parliament voted in favor of the so-called Host Nation Support Agreement (HNSA). This agreement may allow NATO to deploy its forces to the country. This was reported by The Local.

    Sweden signed the agreement with NATO in September 2014. The document allows the Alliance to transport helicopters, aircraft and ships through Swedish territory, but only at the invitation of Sweden.

    Due to the fact the agreement calls for changes in Swedish law to allow NATO military …

  • Security Service of Ukraine: We have the resources to capture separatist leaders

    Ukraine has the resources to capture the head of the so-called DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, and the head of the so-called LPR, Igor Plotnitsky. This was said by the former chief of the main investigative department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), Major General Vasily Vovk, in an interview with Obozrevatel.

    “We have resources. Not just the SSU but also, for example, the Ministry of Defense. If the task was given, it would be possible to complete it. There was even a moment when …

  • Russian human rights groups support the continuation of prisoner exchanges with Ukraine

    Leading Russian human rights advocates welcome the transfer of Nadiya Savchenko to Ukraine and Evgeny Erofeev and Alexander Alexandrov to the Russian Federation. They hope to continue the exchange of prisoners.

    “I’m very happy for Nadiya Savchenko and our guys. Nadiya Savchenko is going to have a triumphal life. She is a hero. I’m very pleased that common sense has prevailed here. The trial was a failure, as was her conviction to long years behind bars,” said Lyudmila Alexeyeva in her …

  • Inhabitants of Russian villages asked Obama to help them with gas supplies

    Valery Slesarev, an activist and resident of the town of Yegoryevsk, has visited the US Embassy in Moscow to ask US President Barack Obama to provide gas to several Russian villages.

    According to MK, Slesarev has been asking local authorities for nearly 10 years to provide several large villages in the area with gas. The majority of the residents are weak pensioners and war veterans who are forced to chop fallen trees for firewood.

    “What is happening in the city of Yegoryevsk is an outrage! …

  • Russian citizen sentenced in US for economic espionage

    On the 25th of May, the deputy representative of the Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs, Evgeny Buryakov, received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for economic espionage while in the US. He was also fined $10,000 for the crime.

    According to AP news agency, the Russian received sensitive information concerning possible US sanctions against Russian banks between 2012 and 2015. Buryakov also received information on the development of alternative energy programs.

    Buryakov had …

  • Russian Eurobonds find little enthusiasm in western debt markets

    The Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation, Anton Siluanov, announced the successful placement of Russian Eurobonds in the amount of $1.75 million. According to him, 70 percent of the investment came from abroad although market analysts doubt that is the case.

    Moscow has returned to the Eurobond market for the first time after the introduction of the Western sanctions due to Russia's policy towards Ukraine. On Tuesday, May 25th, Russia proposed a ten-year bond for $1.75 million with a …

  • OSCE Mission opens forward patrol base in Shchastia, Ukraine

    The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine has opened a new Forward Patrol Base in the government-controlled town of Shchastia in the Luhansk region. According to the OSCE press service, the base was opened on the 25th of May and will improve the Mission’s ability to monitor the security situations in all areas.

    “The new Forward Patrol Base is located less than 500 meters from the contact line. Our observers can now be closer to the areas where the most violations take place. They will …