• Chizov: 2015 was difficult year in relations with Europe

    The Permanent Representative of Russia to the EU, Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov, said that the real causes of the difficulties in relations between Russia and the EU lie in geopolitics.

    According to Chizov, formal relations with the European Union have been continuing for 26 years, but this year was "perhaps the most difficult." In his opinion, the relations of the countries "have become hostages of the West's interests.” Formally, the ongoing difficulties are part of the "Ukrainian crisis" but …

  • Duma Deputy seeks to expand Putin's power

    Duma state deputy Yevgeny Fyodorov offered to grant Russian President Vladimir Putin emergency powers, he stated in an interview with Sobesednick news.

    "We are experiencing an external aggression, a geopolitical war. Naturally, the importance of the role of the Commander in Chief in a time of a war rises sharply. And today, in my opinion, the head of state, Putin should be granted extraordinary powers for a while. For example, it can last until 2018. This has to happen in order for us to beat …

  • Separatist leaders visit Moscow

    Defense Intelligence reported on Monday that the leaders of the militants from the occupied part of the Donetsk region went to Moscow to receive instructions.

    "The so-called leader of the DNR, Alexander Zakharchenko and Secretary of Security Council of DNR Alexander Khodakovsky traveled to Moscow on December 26th in order to receive instructions from Kremlin curators," the statement said.

    Intelligence further reported about the deaths of Russian soldiers in the Donbas region, citing new …

  • Putin Expands Economic Sanctions against Turkey

    Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has decreed that economic sanctions against Turkey will now include companies owned or controlled by Turkish citizens.

    The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has signed a decree expanding the sanctions against Turkey. The full text of the decree has been published on the Kremlin’s website. To date, the Russian sanctions against Turkey applied only to companies located in Turkey. Now, any company controlled by a Turkish citizen, regardless of location, will …

  • Ukrainian SBU prevents cyber attack

    The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) prevented an attempt to damage the computer networks of Ukranian power distribution companies.

    According to the Press Center of the SBU, malicious software was detected in the networks of some regional power distribution companies.  The virus attack was accompanied by a flood of continuous calls to the support services of the regional power distribution companies.

    It is reported that the malicious software is localized.  Urgent investigative actions are …

  • Duma deputy proposes ban on foreign currency transactions

    A member of the State Duma from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), Ivan Sukharev, has proposed prohibiting any foreign currency transactions within the territory of Russia.  In his opinion, this will help to strengthen the Russian Ruble, according to the newspaper Izvestia.

    The MP has already prepared the bill indicating which foreign currency transactions (both cash and non-cash) will be banned for residents within the territory of Russia.  Sukharev proposes to ban payments in …

  • Passenger plane disappears from radar over Ukraine, reappears near Moscow

    A mysterious and potentially tragic incident occurred today in the air over Ukraine.

    Volunteers and amateurs monitoring flights in real time through the FlightRadar portal sounded the alarm after observing the strange and dangerous behavior of VIM Airlines flight NN346 traveling from Simferopol to Moscow.

    The airplane, immediately after takeoff, suddenly went off course. It was headed towards Krasnodar, then turned over Kuban, crossed the Ukranian border and went straight into the ATO zone …

  • ATO: Attack on OSCE near Kominternovo was a provocation

    The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) came under fire on Sunday near the village of Kominternovo. 3.5 kilometers west of the village, six SMM members were investigating three craters when they heard three single shots of small arms fire from about 150 meters away.

    According to an OSCE report, “the SMM left the area immediately. On its way to its vehicles, the SMM heard a burst of small-arms fire originating from the same location.” None of the observers were injured in the incident.

    The …

  • OSCE Observers Fired upon near Kominternovo

    Members of a special OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine were fired upon near the settlement of Kominternovo in the Volnovakhsky district of the Donetsk region, as reported by the Press Service of the SMM on Sunday evening.

    The incident occurred on Sunday, December 27th, at around 11:20.  The observers’ cars came under fire by small arms munitions and were forced to return to the separatist-controlled Donetsk region.  No members of the mission were injured in the attack.

    "Today, December 27, 20 …

  • Ankara looking to improve relations with Moscow

    The Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs said in Antalya that his country is making efforts to resolve the conflict with Russia.  At the same time, President Erdogan has criticized Moscow's policy in Syria.

    Turkey has made considerable efforts to restore relations with Russia, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, on Sunday, December 27th during his visit to the Russian Cultural Society in Antalya.  "We are making great efforts to work through this stage.  The time …