Investigators determine MH17 was brought down by pro-Russian separatists

International investigators have determined that Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made Buk missile system that was fired from separatist-held territory in eastern Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing family members of the victims.

The surface-to-air missile struck the aircraft on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17th, 2014, killing all 298 people aboard, the majority of whom were Dutch citizens.

The cousin of one victim said that 100 potential suspects had …


Ukrainian Defense Minister says the ceasefire in the Donbas has broken down

Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak stated in his interview with Bild that hostilities continue in the Donbas despite the announced ceasefire.

“Every fifteen minutes I receive data from the front. Yesterday, we had thirty violations of the ceasefire that resulted in the death of one Ukrainian soldier and injuries to seven more servicemen. In addition, militants used weapons such as mortars and artillery, which are prohibited by the Minsk Agreements. I mean, there were fewer violations …


Legal proceedings against Russian citizens who broke into military base resume in Latvia

On Monday, 26 September, in Latvia, the Riga District Court proceeded with a case where two Russian citizens are accused of breaking into a military base in Ādaži last year, LETA reports.

Russian citizens Alexander Kurkin and Andrey Popko are accused of “public disorder,” and a known pro-Russian activist, Vladimir Linderman, is accused of assisting in the commission of the crime.

The case will be considered in a closed session. Under the provisions of the article “Public Disorder,” the …


EU leaders to discuss possibility of improving relations with Russia during summit in October

The EU leaders will review the state of their relations with Russia and whether it will be possible to improve them during the upcoming summit, which will be held between the 20th and the 21st of October, as reported by Reuters.

This issue was put on the agenda after a number of EU member countries started to express growing irritation with the economic sanctions against Moscow, which were imposed by Brussels due to Russia’s role in the crisis in Ukraine. However, according to Reuters, the …


UK would consider strengthening sanctions against Russia because of Syria

The United Kingdom does not rule out the possibility of strengthening sanctions against Russia because of the situation in Syria, the head of the British Foreign Ministry, Boris Johnson, said on the Sky News channel, Interfax reports.

"All this must be considered," Johnson said, responding to a reporter's question about the possibility of strengthening the sanctions regime against Russia because of the situation in Syria.

Referring to the recent bombing of a humanitarian convoy in Syria, he …