• Groisman says he is willing to become next Prime Minister of Ukraine

    The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Vladimir Groisman, expressed his willingness to head the next cabinet, and announced that the coalition had reached a compromise on the format of the forthcoming government, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

    "We discussed an acceptable format [of government], which will emerge from the crisis in which we find ourselves today,” Groisman said, opening the morning session of the Verkhovna Rada on Wednesday.

    On Wednesday morning, Groisman announced that he …

  • Lithuania announces implementation of Savchenko sanctions list

    Lithuania is the first country in the European Union that barred individuals related to the conviction of Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko from entering its territory. This information was confirmed by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius.

    “Specifically, it concerns Russian judges and prosecutors who directly participated in the trials. At the moment, 46 people are prohibited from entering Lithuania,” Linkevičius told BNS, adding that the list is expanding. Besides the “Savchenko list” …

  • Moscow asks Kiev to transfer six citizens to Russian prisons

    The Russian Ministry of Justice appealed to Kiev to consider the transfer of six Russians prisoners. The Ukrainian Ministry of Justice has not responded to Moscow's request yet.The Russian Ministry of Justice has received letters from six Russian citizens who are sentenced to imprisonment in Ukraine, but want to serve their sentences at home. This was stated in response to the request of the RBC agency.After receiving the letters, Russian officials have appealed to the Ukrainian Ministry of …

  • Ukrainian positions fired on 32 times on Wednesday

    According to the press center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as of 18:00 local time, Ukrainian positions had been fired on 32 times on Wednesday, Interfax reported.

    "During the day the intensity of the use of weapons by Russian militants against Ukrainian soldiers was high in the zone of the ATO [Donbas region] where 32 cases of ceasefire violations were recorded,” the press center reported on its Facebook page.

    15 attacks were recorded around Avdiivka, where Ukrainian positions came under …

  • OSCE to install video cameras in front-line villages in eastern Ukraine

    The First Deputy Head of the Special Monitoring Mission of the OSCE in Ukraine, Oleksandr Hug, said that the Special Monitoring Mission of the OSCE will install the video cameras in the frontline villages of the Donbas, as News of Donbas reports.

    "Our observers will try to increase their presence in this area and to monitor the situation around the clock. We are now looking for a suitable place to install the cameras in each town. The cameras will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," Hug …

  • Head of Estonian Security Police: Russia wants to divide the EU

    According to the Director General of the Security Police of Estonia, Arnold Sinisalu, Russia is trying to split the European Union, as written in his Preface to the Department’s Annual Report for 2015, RIA Novosti reported."The armed conflict in Ukraine started in 2014. Russia keeps trying to split the European Union and until the territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored, the security of Europe is not ensured," Sinisalu said.The Director of the Security Police notes that the EU is now …

  • Russia to conduct reconnaissance flight over Poland

    Russia, despite the war in Ukraine, continues to have access to Polish airspace due to prior international agreements. Russian reconnaissance aircraft will conduct a reconnaissance flight over Poland. According to Radio RMF FM, Russia plans to observe the Polish military infrastructure from the air.Next Monday, April 18th, a Russian AN-30 aircraft will fly to Warsaw to carry out the procedure under the Treaty on Open Skies.However, the Russian military will inform Poland about the details of …

  • Russia sees a 33% increase in charges of 'extremism'

    The number of those convicted of extremism in Russia last year has increased by about a third, according to the website of the Judicial Department of the Supreme Court, as reported by Current Time.

    According to the "Main statistical indicators of activity of courts of general jurisdiction in 2015," (Articles 280, 282, 282.1, 282.2 of the Criminal Code) 544 people were convicted of extremism in 2015. In accordance with the same articles, 414 sentences were handed down in 2014.

    The Central and …

  • Aksyonov: Crimea will take dismantled Soviet monuments from Poland

    The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Crimea controlled by Russia, Sergey Aksyonov, was outraged by the demolition of Soviet monuments in Poland. He believes that a place for these dismounted monuments can be found in annexed Crimea.

    “Crimeans are insulted and outraged by the campaign launched in Poland to dismantle monuments to Soviet soldiers, who liberated their country from fascism. In fact, it isn’t a fight against communism or the Soviet past; it is a fight against …

  • John McCain: The US will never recognize the annexation of the Crimea

    US Senator John McCain said the United States will continue to support the territorial integrity of Ukraine and Crimea as part of it. He said this in a video which was broadcasted in the Seimas of Lithuania on the occasion of the World Congress of the Crimean Tatars.

    This was reported by the press service of the Presidential Commissioner on the Crimean Tatar Affairs, Mustafa Dzhemilev, on April 11th.

    "I wish I was able to be there with you today and express gratitude for the efforts on …