Contents tagged with Russia

  • Kyiv: There are no Ukrainian Ambassadors in nine countries

    There are no Ukrainian Ambassadors in nine foreign countries, stated the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to a request from Ukrainski Novyny. "As of today, nine Embassies of Ukraine are headed by Charge d’affaires," the Ministry replied. 

    Since 2009, Ukraine has not had an Ambassador in Ethiopia. Since 2014 it has not had one in Cuba and Montenegro. Since 2015, it has not had one in Ireland. Ambassadors to Latvia and Croatia have not been appointed for two years. The positions …

  • Kremlin considers possibility of imposing fines for 'wrong designation' of annexed Crimea

    The Russian Federation Council is discussing the possibility of drafting and submitting a bill to the Russian State Duma, introducing responsibility for incorrect indication on maps of the territory of Russia, including the Crimea. At the same time, the senator from the Crimea, Sergei Tsekov, stated that there are no definite or specific deadlines, and the project itself may not happen, since “its relevance has become less acute.” 

    Earlier, Izvestia, citing Tsekov, stated that the draft law …

  • Japanese media names Japan’s conditions for peace treaty with Russia

    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe will consider the possibility of signing a peace treaty with Russia if Russia guarantees to give Japan the islands of Shikotan and Habomai, the Kyodo news agency reports, citing sources in the Japanese government. According to the sources, the transfer of the islands Iturup and Kunashir appears unrealistic at present. They note that, according to Abe’s plan, the islands Shikotan and Habomai must be handed over to Japan de facto. 

    Tokyo considers the Kuril …

  • Russia’s Central Bank removes capital withdrawal indicator after $67 billion outflow

     The indicator for “net withdrawal of capital by the private sector” has disappeared from all of the Bank of Russia’s reports following the indicator’s sharp decline in 2018, reports finanz.ru. 

    After capital outflow accelerated by 170% and reached a record since 2014, the Central Bank decided to rename the corresponding line in its publications. 

    The previous description was replaced by the neutral line “financial operations of the private sector”. The change was made not only in the latest …

  • Netanyahu: Israel strikes Syria to prevent Iran's entrenchment

    The strikes of Israeli Air Forces on Damascus are aimed against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Israel is trying to prevent Tehran’s entrenchment in Syria, the prime minister wrote on his Twitter page on Sunday, January 20. 

    Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation said that the Syrian air defense systems repelled an attack by Israeli fighters at the Duwali Airport in the south-east of Damascus. As reported by the Russian National Defense Management …

  • Russians protest against Kuril island handover to Japan

    In Khabarovsk, Russia, protesters rallied against the handover of the Kuril Islands to Japan, Sibir.realii reports. 

    Residents also protested against the current government. Roughly 500 people attended the rally to stand up for the island territories which they believe belong to Russia. 

    “The Kurils are ours! Down with Putin’s government!” the protesters chanted. 

    A rally against the Kuril handover was also held in Moscow and attended by nearly 2,000 people. The Russian news outlet Dozhd, …

  • Kyiv: Ukraine has to continue buying Belarusian fuel made from Russian oil

    Kyiv purchases from Belarus fuel made from Russian oil, said Heorhiy Tuka, Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, on the 112 Ukraine TV channel.

    “We have to buy from Belarus a large amount of fuel that is used by the entire country. Belarus, undoubtedly, produces it from Russian oil, but it is still profitable for us,” he said.

    According to Tuka, an alternative way for Ukraine implies buying fuel made from European oil, but he expressed doubts …

  • Head of Russian space agency: Russia is ready to build a super heavy-lift carrier rocket

    The Central Research Institute of Machine Building or TsNIIMash is ready to begin work on the next generation of super heavy-lift carrier rocket, Director General of the Russian space agency Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin wrote on Twitter. 

    “The design and production groups of the rocket and space industry are ready to implement the project to create the super heavy-lift carrier rocket,” he wrote. 

    Earlier, it was reported that the super heavy-lift rocket will be named Yenisei and it is expected to …

  • Kremlin reveals plans for earth-probing satellite system

    Roscosmos, the Russian state space corporation, is planning to launch a network of orbital satellites to remotely explore the surface of the earth.

    The project has been titled Gosudaryevo Oko (“State Eye”), Roscosmos director Dmitry Rogozin announced on Friday.

    “We have the projects ‘Digital Economy’, ‘Digital Earth’ and many others. But how can there be a digital economy if Roscosmos’s resources are not used?” he remarked while explaining his initiative.

    “After the successful launch in …

  • Bulgaria extradites to the US Russian citizen accused of internet fraud

    Another Russian, Alexander Zhukov, accused of internet fraud has been extradited to the US. 

    Zhukov, known by the nickname Nastra, lived in Petersburg and was detained in Bulgaria. He is currently detained in one of New York’s remand prisons. “[Russian] consular staff in New York are going to visit a compatriot in prison soon,” Russian Embassy reported. 

    Last autumn, Washington accused Zhukov of committing internet advertising fraud in the amount of $7 million dollars. Arrests in this case …