US Embassy in Ukraine: explosion at the embassy compound was not an act of terror

On the night of June 8 there was an explosion on the property of the US embassy. Police arrived promptly at the scene of the incident. Examination suggested that an unknown person threw an unidentified explosive device onto the diplomatic mission’s property. The perpetrator was caught on the embassy’s surveillance cameras. Representatives of the embassy’s security service showed Ukrainian law enforcement officials the video recording. The news outlet Obozrevatel reported with reference to its …


Ukrainian forces advance deeper into the Donbas as the situation in Eastern Ukraine escalates

On June 7-8 there was fierce fighting for the Zholobok settlement in the Luhansk region. Both the Ukrainian side and the separatists reported dozens of killed and injured.

As early as June 2, one of the battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade suddenly moved forward into the gray zone from the Krymskoye settlement in the south towards the separatists’ position along the Bakhmut route. The Ukrainian military managed to advance half a kilometer directly …


Russia's Permanent Representative to the EU: European Union is preparing to review its position towards Russia

Conditions have become favorable for the EU to soften its policy towards Russia in general, and particularly with regards to sanctions, said Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's permanent representative to the EU, in an interview with the newspaper Izvestia.

According to Chizhov, toward the end of the month there will be another discussion of one of the three sets of anti-Russian sanctions, which deals with economic measures. These measures expire on July 31st. Along with this, Chizhov stressed that the …


National Bank of Ukraine: Billions are circulating outside of the banking system in Ukraine

The amount of cash outside of the banking system is about 300 billion hryvnia ($11.48 billion USD).

UNIAN reports that the Acting Head of the National Bank (NBU), Yakov Smolii, announced this during a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Financial Policy and Banking Activity.

"At the current time, there is cash of about 300 billion UAH outside of the banking system," he said.

At the same time, Smolii stressed that such a large amount of cash increases the burden on the National Bank, …


The second delivery of coal for Ukraine is being prepared in South Africa

In the South African port of Richards Bay, a second delivery of 75,000 tons of anthracite began loading on a cargo vessel. This coal is intended to replenish the warehouses of the thermal power plants of DTEK holding that belongs to businessman Rinat Akhmetov. This was reported by Interfax-Ukraine with reference to General Director of DTEK Energy Dmytro Sakharuk.

"The loading of the vessel will take a little more than a week and its arrival in Ukraine is expected in mid-July," he said. …