• Experts: Russia's economic recession affects all sectors

    Russia is experiencing a recession this year, so it is too early to speak about the recovery of the economic activity of the country, according to the experts at Russia's National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), RBC reports.

    The report states that the compression process of the economy was a "broad front" and has affected all sectors (except for wholesale trade) and, as a result, "the economy has not only reached the previous low, but has gone below it."

    Experts note …

  • Russia announces that new laser weapons have been developed and tested

    Russian Deputy Minister of Defense Yuriy Borisov claimed that the Russian army has already adopted a number of different types of laser weapons, equipping themselves with weapons based on new principles of physics.

    According to the Russian media, Borisov spoke at the event marking the 70th anniversary of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics. The Deputy Minister said these are not exotic devices or prototypes, but models that have already passed the testing …

  • US Senator Bob Corker: The US should continue to respond to Russia’s aggression

    In response to Voice of America’s request for comment regarding US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s statement about Crimea and the Donbas, the US Senator from Tennessee, Bob Corker, stated that the United States should continue to respond to Russia’s aggression related to the invasion into eastern Ukraine and illegal annexation of Crimea.

    “I have supported providing lethal weapons to Ukraine and believe we should help our allies resist efforts to change borders by force,” Bob …

  • Obama: Cooperation in Syria will not end US pressure on Russia with regard to Ukraine

    During a joint press conference with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, US President Barack Obama explained the difficulties in attempting to cooperate with Russia to end the violence in Syria while simultaneously attempting to force Russia to implement the Minsk Agreements and end its role in the war in eastern Ukraine.

    “I think we’ve already got a lot of differences with Russia on a whole bunch of issues,” Obama stated, according to a press release on the White House’s website. “But I …

  • Iran to consider transporting oil through Ukraine

    Tehran will study a proposal submitted by Kiev about the possibility of transporting Iranian oil to Slovakia and the Czech Republic via Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

    Following a meeting between Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, Igor Nasalik, the former stated that Tehran is ready to begin cooperation with Kiev on supplying oil directly to Ukraine, despite the fact that Ukrainian oil refining capabilities are minor.

    Iranian …

  • Moscow invites Kiev to start dialogue on resuming flights between Russia and Ukraine

    Russia is ready to begin talks with Ukraine with regard to the resumption of flights between the two countries, as stated by the Russian Transport Minister, Maxim Sokolov, RIA Novosti reported.

    “Because of the crucial decisions that were recently made regarding the personnel policy of cooperating with Ukraine, there is some hope. I personally have hope. Negotiations are still under way, even though our position is open. In the current situation, it is mutually beneficial to unlock the existing …

  • Ukraine's natural gas production increases by 2 percent

    Natural gas production in Ukraine during the period of January-July 2016, according to latest information, has increased by almost 2% (223.3 million cubic meters) compared to the same period of 2015 when this volume reached 11 .7 billion cubic meters.

    According to PJSC (Public Joint Stock Company) Ukrtransgaz, those figures include July-2016 gas production that amounted to 1.69 billion, which is 3.7% more than July of last year (1.63 billion cubic meters).

    In July this year gas production of …

  • Ukrainian Finance Minister: We are not in urgent need of funds from the IMF

    Ukraine does not have an urgent need for the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) money. This was said by the Ukrainian Minister of Finance, Olexandr Danylyukin on Persha Shpalta TV program of Ukrainian 1TV channel.

    “The issue at the moment is not the money that we may need from the IMF. We don't have a need for it now as our reserves, which include our gold and foreign currency, are stable. However, we may have a need for these funds in a few months’ time. We are working with the IMF not only …

  • Lutsenko: Yefremov's arrest shows that Ukraine is recovering

    Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko says that the decision of the Pechersky district court of Kyiv to keep Oleksandr Yefremov in custody demonstrates Ukraine’s recovery. “The decision of the court shows the recovery of Ukraine. Thank you all for supporting the legal decision,” Lutsenko wrote on his Facebook page on Monday.

    Yefremov, the former Chairman of the Party of Regions faction in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, was arrested and detained on July 30th on suspicion of infringement on the …

  • Food prices in Russia have risen 31.6 percent since August 2014

    Since August of 2014, when Moscow first imposed a food embargo on countries that had imposed economic sanctions on Russia, food prices have risen by 31.6%, according to the Ministry of Economic Development, RBC reported.

    “The introduction of food countersanctions to restrict imports in August 2014 was an important factor in the growth of food prices in late 2014 and early 2015, which resulted in imbalance and a reduction in competition. For two years, food prices rose by 31.6%,” a …