Contents tagged with crimea

  • US General: Russia must allow international observers access to exercises in Crimea

    Russia must admit observers, including Western journalists, to the military exercise which will be held in the south of the country and in annexed Crimea. According to Reuters, this was the hard line presented by Lieutenant General Frederick Benjamin "Ben" Hodges, the commander of the United States Army in Europe.

    Hodges said that Russia could emulate military exercises that were held under the guidance of the USA and its allies in Europe, which allowed the country to send observers.

    "The …

  • State Border Guard Service of Ukraine: Russia has begun a new stage of the hybrid war in Crimea

    The head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Viktor Nazarenko, stated in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine that the next stage of hybrid war between Russia and Ukraine has begun in the Crimea. According to him, provocative actions from Russia have the specific objective of increasing the level of confrontation in the territory. Nazarenko admitted that reserves from the Ukrainian Army, including heavy weapons, were deployed to the annexed Crimea.

    The head of the State Border Guard …

  • Experts: Russia would use the whole arsenal of weapons based in Crimea in event of full-scale war

    Experts from the Ukrainian Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies stated at a press conference in Kiev that the Russian Federation has militarized the Crimea in an unprecedented fashion, and it will actively use weapons that are already based in the Crimea in the case of full-scale military actions in the territory of Ukraine.

    “A very powerful group consisting of aviation and Russian Military Space Forces, cruise missile carriers, submarines and ships was gathered in the Crimea. …

  • Russian citizen demands that his taxes be returned that were spent on the Crimea

    Dmitry Kalinin, a lawyer from the Russian city of Uralsk, has tried to get his taxes, which were spent by the Russian Government to support the Crimea, returned. He feels that the peninsula’s annexation is illegal. He sent an application and a demand to the Russian Ministry of Finance.

    Kalinin substantiated his demands by mentioning the fact that a referendum on the possibility of the accession of a new territory has not been conducted in Russia.

    The Russian Ministry of Finance responded that …

  • Medvedev: Russia could sever diplomatic ties with Ukraine

    Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev stated on Friday that Russia could severe diplomatic relations with Ukraine in the light of current security issues between the two countries. 

    “If there is no other option to influence the situation, the president can probably make such a decision,” Dmitry Medvedev stated, as reported by state media.

    This is the first time such measures have been mentioned. The possibility of severing diplomatic relations was not discussed after Russia’s annexation of …

  • Russia transfers S400 air defense system to the Crimea

    The anti-aircraft missile defense regiment of the Russian army in the Crimea has received S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft systems, the Russian BBC service reported, citing the Russian Southern Military District press service.

    “After the completion of preparations and redeployment, the newly equipped regiment will take part in the Kavkaz 2016 strategic command and staff military exercises,” the statement reads.

    Before redeployment, the S-400 air defense missile system was tested on the Kaban …

  • Mogherini calls on Ukraine and Russia to avoid escalation of the conflict in Crimea

    High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini called on Ukraine and Russia to avoid a further escalation of the conflict in Crimea, according to a statement posted on the EU’s website.

     “Any actions that could lead to a further escalation of the conflict must be avoided by all sides; a peaceful resolution of the conflict is the only possible solution. This includes eastern Ukraine, where we urge all parties to fully engage in the complete …

  • General Staff: Ukraine reinforced troops at the border with the Crimea

    Ukrainian forces commented on the statements regarding shelling along the border

    Ukraine has reinforced their military grouping on the border with the Crimea, as reported by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Viktor Muzhenko.

    "The divisions and military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine which perform tasks in the area along the border with the occupied Crimea, are being placed in high operational readiness. The necessary grouping has been reinforced," he wrote …

  • Russia's Black Sea Fleet began large-scale exercises

    The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have begun large-scale exercises. As the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry reports, the exercise will take place in the ranges, airfields and training facilities of the Southern Military District and in the Black Sea.

    "Logistical support, engineering, moral and psychological security, communications security, radio-electronic warfare and nuclear, chemical and biological (NBC) protection issues will be worked out in practice. The plan …

  • Ukrainian General Staff: Russia troops continue to strengthen their positions along Crimean administrative border

    The Russian military have been implementing demonstrative and provocative actions on the administrative border of the Crimea. This was reported to ZN.UA by the chief of the press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vladislav Seleznyov.

    According to him, starting on the morning of the 11th of August, Russian troops began strengthening their military positions near several checkpoints of the administrative border. This was particularly evident in the direction of the …