Contents tagged with Russia
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Kremlin: Russia will need huge military expenses if Georgia joins NATO
The accession of Georgia to NATO, which is expected to take place in 2021, will require “huge” expenses from Russia, stated Andrey Kelin, Director of the Department of European Cooperation of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to Kelin, Georgia's decision to become a member of the North Atlantic Alliance is viewed by Moscow as a problem and to resolve it Russia would require additional investments in defense.
“We will have to form a defense zone near Sochi,” Kelin said, adding that "it …
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Russian politician proposes shooting down US planes over Syria
The Russian military may shoot down more than just US-guided drones if there is another assault on its air base in Syria, warned Vladimir Shamanov, head of the State Duma Defense Committee. Russia may even target the American aircraft from which the drones are believed to be controlled.
Shamanov stresses that Moscow’s accusations that Washington attacked the Khmeimim Air Base using drones controlled from a US Poseidon 8 aircraft are based on “reliably gathered information”.
“Next time, this …
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Investors refuse to lend to Russian government
The Russian government continues to struggle to borrow money on the market due to the mass exodus of foreign investors and the reluctance of the major Russian banks to risk US sanctions, finanz.ru reports.
At the auction which was held on Wednesday, the Russian Finance Ministry failed for the second consecutive week to raise the targeted capital through Federal Loan Bonds (OFZs).
Investors were offered 15 billion rubles of 3-year bonds and 5 billion of 11-year bonds, but the budget was only …
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Russia introduces sanctions against Ukraine
The Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a government decree introducing sanctions against Ukraine.
Based on the document published on the Russian government’s website, the list includes more than 300 Ukrainian citizens and 68 companies.
Starting November 1st, their funds, property and bonds will be blocked in the Russian Federation, and transferring capital out of Russia will be restricted.
The imposition of sanctions is “aimed at countering unfriendly actions against Russian …
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Ukrainian Navy Commander: conflict with Russia in Black Sea is highly probable
During “Freedom of speech” program on ICTV, Ukrainian Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ihor Voronchenko said that Russia may resort to escalation in the Black Sea.
Ukraine recently stated that it intends to establish a naval base in the Sea of Azov due to Russia's hostile activities in the region. Voronchenko believes that the situation in the Black Sea could become as tense as the situation in the Sea of Azov.
“They [Russia] are already questioning the crews when ships flying our flag or other …
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Representatives of Serbia and Kosovo meet in Minsk
The meeting of the Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabić and the leader of the Kosovo separatists, Hashim Thaçi took place on October 31 in Minsk, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Vladimir Makei told journalists as quoted by BelTA news agency.
According to the Foreign Minister of Belarus, during the discussion devoted to the relations between Serbia and Kosovo, representatives of both sides frequently used the words “dialogue” and “compromise”.
“Even this makes this meeting …
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Ukrainian military to hold guided missile launches near Crimea
From November 1 to 4, Ukrainian military will carry out tests of guided missiles in the Kherson region. The airspace over the Black Sea will be closed because of the exercises, said spokesman of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Dmytro Strutynsky.
“Flight exercises will be held tomorrow in the Kherson Oblast to test launch guided missiles from anti-aircraft systems,” Strutynsky said.
Earlier, the Ukrainian authorities stated that the airspace over the Black Sea near the western …
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Ukrainian Permanent Representative to UN: Russia is attempting to deploy nuclear weapons in the Crimea
The permanent representative of Ukraine to the UN, Volodymyr Yelchenko during a speech at the UN Security Council meeting stated that Russia doubled its military presence in the annexed Crimea, RBC-Ukraine reports.
“Russia has more than doubled its forces on the Crimean peninsula and is attempting to deploy nuclear weapons on the peninsula,” stated Yelchenko.
The ambassador added that since 2014, more than 100 thousand citizens of the Russian Federation moved to the territory of Crimea.
“For …
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Russia detains persons involved in leaking Skripal poisoners’ personal data
The Russian news outlet Rosbalt reports that the FSB has identified those involved in leaking the personal data of Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, who were accused by London of poisoning former GRU Colonel Sergei Skripal.
According to the agency, the FSB officers executed more than 60 warrants over a “short period” aimed at stopping the leaks the data. “First of all, they came to private detectives and the so-called "pushers", those who were known to sell data from closed databases,” …
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European countries call on Russia to cancel elections in DPR
Representatives from Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Poland condemned the “illegal elections” in the south east of Ukraine to be held on November 11. They called on Russia to “exert its influence to cancel” the elections. This statement was made prior to an extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine.
In addition, European countries accused Russia of “financing and providing military support for separatists.”
The elections of the …