Contents tagged with Russia
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Ukrainian Border Service: pro-Russian militants use laser weapons in Donbas
The Ukrainian State Border Service reported that Ukrainian border guards once again saw evidence of the use of laser weapons by pro-Russian militants in the Donbas.
“Starting 10 pm on February 8th until 4 am on Saturday, in the area of the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint, border guards providing protection to the road corridor recorded light purple beams from the temporarily occupied territory every two to three minutes,” says the message.
The State Border Service stated that due to the …
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Putin accepts invitation to visit Italy
Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation to visit Italy, stated the Russian Ambassador in Rome, Sergey Razov in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“With regard to the Russian President's visit to Italy, the relevant invitation from the Italian leadership was received and accepted with appreciation,” he noted. Razov added that they will agree on a specific time frame later through diplomatic channels.
Razov stressed that Putin's visit to Italy could be a key event in bilateral …
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Kremlin: Russia is ready to continue gas transit through Ukraine on its own terms
Russia is ready to continue the transit of gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine, stated the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Alexander Pankin in an interview with RIA Novosti. “We are ready to continue Ukrainian transit, but under the conditions we need,” explained Pankin. At the same time, according to him, there is "a whole range of elements that Ukrainians cannot go for yet", as well as "the uncertainty of Ukraine itself regarding its gas-transport system, its successor, consortium, and …
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Media: France intends to openly oppose Nord Stream 2 pipeline
France suddenly decided to join the countries that oppose the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, Gazprom's third effort to bypass Ukraine with the gas pipeline in the past six years.
Suddeutsche Zeitung reports, citing sources in the French Government, representatives of Paris intend to vote for the amendments to the EU Gas Directive that would deprive Gazprom of control over the pipeline and could inhibit the planned maximum supply of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
The second Nord …
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Putin dismisses nine generals
Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed nine generals from various government security agencies. According to the President's decree, generals from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR), the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) and the Ministry of Emergency Situations have been dismissed.
Major General of the Police Rafail Gilmanov has been relieved of the position of Deputy Minister of the Interior of Tatarstan. Lieutenant-General of …
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Kyiv: more than 70 Ukrainians held captive in Russia
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine claims that Russia holds more than 70 Ukrainians captive. As stated in the ministry's response to the query of Radio Liberty, the list does not include the 24 Ukrainian servicemen captured by Russia near the coast of the Crimea.
“As of February 9, 2017, more than 70 Ukrainian citizens are illegally held by the Russian Federation on fabricated charges. At least 30 people are held in Russia (excluding the 24 servicemen of the Ukrainian Navy captured …
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Kremlin: former Ukrainian president Yanukovych is guarded in Russia by Putin's order
The Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is being guarded by Russian government security. Peskov noted, “government security is provided based on the decision of the head of the state.”
Peskov affirmatively answered the question about the existence of a presidential decree regarding Yanukovych’s protection saying: “Yes, yes, it (the decree) was given, when he (Yanukovych) left (to Russia) as the head of (the Ukrainian) government.” …
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Kremlin: Russia will not send observers to monitor Ukrainian elections
Russia will not send observers to join the mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to monitor the presidential elections of Ukraine on March 31, Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Friday, February 8.
According to the Russian side, this decision is due to “security reasons”.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry refused to accredit “long-term observers” from Russia. Sergei Kislitsa, Deputy …
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Russia demands that Israel stop bombing Syria
TASS reports, quoting the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Vershinin that Moscow consider Israel’s strikes against Syrian targets unacceptable and demanded they stop.
According to the diplomat, Israel’s attacks “add to the destabilization of the situation” and “nobody should do anything in Syria that does not support antiterrorist goals.”
“Concerning the latest Israeli attacks, we stated that such arbitrary attacks on Syrian sovereign territory must be stopped and …
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Russian observers will try to enter Ukraine on Monday as part of OSCE mission
Two Russian observers in the long-term mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) intend to fly to Kiyv on Monday, February 11, to observe the Ukrainian presidential campaign, announced the head of the Russian Public Institute of Election Law, Igor Borisov.
“An attempt will be made if nothing else happens. They are part of the ODIHR mission, which currently does not refuse the Russian segment as part of the mission in Ukraine,” Interfax-Ukraine quotes …