Belgium has restricted the use of smartphones in the army because of treat of espionage from the Russian Federation, reported by the Belgian news agency Belga.

“We know that Russia is interested in obtaining mobile geolocation data. We are making efforts to prevent such activity and have been actively conducting explanatory work among the personnel for several years. But this does not seem enough yet,” said Colonel Carl Gillis, head of operations for the Belgian armed forces Chief of Staff. …

In an interview with Radio Krym (Crimea), Russian head of Crimea Sergei Aksenov said that he is considering the possibility of sending to Syria the Chornomornaftogaz drilling rigs which were captured during the annexation of Crimea.

“Today’s economy presupposes that if there are proposals from major players, who have certain resource capabilities, that would allow us to increase the number of facilities where we can produce oil and gas, then, of course, there is a possibility of public-private …

The Russian economy, which has been based almost exclusively on oil and gas exports since Soviet times, is now facing a countdown.

The old Soviet-era deposits are being rapidly depleted, and the country has been unable to find new deposits with oil that can be extracted easily and cheaply, reports finanz.ru.

The current levels of oil extraction in Russia “are inadequately ensured by the reserves of the deposits being developed,” according to a document titled “Strategy of the mineral raw …

British representatives refuted the statement made by the Russian Ambassador in London, Alexander Yakovenko, that allegedly the two countries agreed to gradually restore dozens of diplomats to their positions, expelled by both sides after the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury. 

“No new agreements have been made. Our position regarding Russian diplomatic presence in the UK has not changed after measures were taken after Salisbury. Work of our respective missions occurs in the …

US President Donald Trump’s criticism of the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is not a reason to stop the project, stated European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Günther Oettinger on December 28. He said that any attempts to prevent the construction will encounter serious opposition as the construction is already underway. 

Trump criticized Berlin for supporting the $11 billion gas pipeline. In July, he accused Germany of being Moscow's “hostage” because of the …

Russia has banned the import of a number of goods whose country of origin is Ukraine or which have passed through Ukraine. The corresponding decree was published on December 29 on the Russian government website.

“The bulk of the goods which the ban has been placed on belong to the industrial category. The list also includes agricultural products, raw materials and food,” the announcement notes.

The Russian government points out that Ukraine has periodically placed sanction restrictions both …

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed the law “On Ukraine’s surrounding zone,” which doubles the country’s zone of control in the Black Sea, the presidential press service reported.

The law harmonizes Ukraine’s maritime legislation with that of other states on the Black Sea and other signatories of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982. It is intended to prevent smuggling operations and illegal visitation of the closed ports in the temporarily occupied territories of …

Units of the Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have completed the fortification of new defensive positions between the settlements Zaitseve and Hladosove near the city of Horlivka, reported the Verkhovna Rada deputy Dmytro Tymchuk.

"In order to increase defense capabilities, the units of the mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Joint Forces took under their control advantageous for future defensive actions natural frontier and, while being in close proximity to the enemy, …