Contents tagged with Russia

  • Media: A number of large EU banks will not place Russian Eurobonds

    A number of major European banks have decided not to participate in the placement of Russian Eurobonds in the amount of $3 billion, and Russia is finding it increasingly difficult to enter the foreign holdings market while being subject to sanctions, The Wall Street Journal reported.

    In mid-March, the EU leadership, following the United States' example, advised European banks against attempting to purchase Russian government bonds. Formally, the placement of bonds is not in violation of the …

  • Abrahamyan: Russia will provide Armenia with discounted gas

    Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan stated that Russia will provide a discount on natural gas for Armenian consumers, reported Radio Azatutyun. He added that the extent of the discount has not yet been determined.

    “This issue was discussed at the meeting between the President of Armenia and the President of Russia in Moscow. The agencies have been entrusted with carrying out a discussion on the issue of price reduction. It will become known to what extent the price can be reduced during …

  • King Abdullah II: Israeli and Jordanian jets intercepted Russian aircraft in January

    King Abdullah II of Jordan stated that Israeli and Jordanian jets intercepted Russian aircraft as they were approaching the edge of Syrian airspace, as reported by the Middle East Eye.

    Abdullah II told the US Congress about the incident in January, but the information was not disclosed until last week.

    Following the incident, negotiations were held between Israel, Jordan, and Russia to avoid an escalation of tensions.

    The Jordanian King noted that he warned Russia that there would be …

  • Peskov: Russia is not ready to initiate reconciliation with Turkey

    Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is not willing to initiate any type of reconciliation with Turkey, Rosbalt reported.

    Relations between Moscow and Ankara have deteriorated significantly following the downing of a Russian Su-24 frontline bomber by a Turkish F-16 fighter over the Syrian-Turkish border in November of last year.

    Ankara claims that the Su-24 violated Turkish airspace. Russia, in turn, insists that the aircraft stayed on the Syrian side of the border.

    During an …

  • Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council approves Savchenko sanctions list

    The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) has approved the list of sanctions against persons involved in the illegal convictions of Nadiya Savchenko and other Ukrainian citizens in Russia as reported by the Press Secretary of the President, Svyatoslav Tsegolko, on Facebook.

    "The National Security Council has approved the 'Savchenko and Sentsov sanctions list' against those who fabricated the case against the Ukrainians in Russia. This list will later be expanded to include …

  • Russia to deploy missile systems on Kuril Islands

    The coastal missile systems Bal and Bastion, as well as a new generation of drones will be available during a planned upgrade on the Kuril Islands in 2016, the Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, said on Friday.

    "A planned re-equipment of formations and military units are being carried out in the Kuril Islands. This year the shore-based missile complexes Bal and Bastion, and new generation unmanned aerial vehicles, Eleron-3 will be accommodated here," Shoigu said at the a meeting of the …

  • Putin backs Kadyrov to stay on as head of Chechnya

    Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree appointing Ramzan Kadyrov as the acting head of the Chechen Republic.

    "On the fifth of April, your term will expire," the head of the state said to Kadyrov. "Based on what has been done in recent years for the Chechens, for the inhabitants of the republic, first of all, and as a derivative for the whole Russia, I have signed a decree today appointing you acting head of the Chechen Republic, with your further success, hopefully, in the elections …

  • Ukrainian Intelligence: Protest sentiments are growing in Crimea

    Protest sentiments are growing in Crimea, and clear proof of this is an emergence of pro-Ukrainian inscriptions and symbols in the annexed territory, as stated by a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Vadim Skibitskiy, Krym.Realii reported.“The problems with the electicity and water supply remain unresolved. Public-sector employees wages are declining. Meanwhile, the cost of living is increasing in the occupied Crimea. Such situation leads …

  • Hug: OSCE’s data indicate that Russia is directly involved in the war in eastern Ukraine

    The Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Alexander Hug, said information collected by the organization indicates that Russian troops have been directly involved in the war in eastern Ukraine since the conflict first erupted in the spring of 2014.

    At the same time, speaking at a press conference in Odessa, Hug stressed the mission itself only reports on what it sees and hears, and refrains from drawing conclusions.

    "From the beginning, we wrote in …

  • Russia to deploy newly-formed motorized rifle division to the Rostov region

    A new motorized rifle division with approximately 10,000 soldiers will be deployed by the end of 2016 to the Rostov region, as reported by TASS, citing a source from the Southern Military District headquarters.“The new ‘full-blooded’ motorized rifle division will be created by the end of this year in accordance with the directives of the Chief of General Staff and the Commander of the Southern Military District troops. Three military compounds are to be built in order to accommodate this new …