Contents tagged with Russia
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Russian high-level committee takes over investigation of explosion in Magnitogorsk
Svetlana Petrenko, the Official Representative of the Russian Office for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of Russia stated that the committee would investigate the causes and circumstances of the recent explosion in Magnitogorsk that destroyed a block of apartments and killed at least 21 people.
Petrenko said that witnesses are now being questioned. According to her, investigators seized documents that could clarify the situation, Echo of Moscow …
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Japanese Prime Minister promises to consider opinions of Kurils residents when Russia hands the islands over
In an interview on the TV channel Asahi, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that if Russia hands over some of the Kuril islands, Japan will definitely take into account the opinion of the local residents.
According to Abe, the negotiations with Russia will not initially mean a forced relocation of Russians from the islands.
“It must happen in such a way that the Russians living there agree to the transition of ownership to Japan,” the Japanese prime minister explained.
He noted that …
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Former US ambassador: Washington will soon provide Ukraine with more weapons
Washington could send Kyiv weapons and impose new sanctions on Russia within the next two or three months, former US ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst told Radio Liberty in an interview.
“Within 2-3 months we will see the US giving Kyiv weapons and announcing new sanctions against Russia in connection with this aggression [in the Kerch Strait]. I think that, in the course of the next 8-10, or at most 12 weeks, this more forceful US response will appear. And, in addition to the sanctions, this …
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Media: House explosion in Magnitogorsk may have been a terrorist act
The explosion and collapse of a house in Magnitogorsk, Russia, may not have been a tragic accident, but an act of terror, the Russian news outlets 74.ru and Znak.com report, citing anonymous sources.
The entrance to the multi-story building collapsed on December 31, leaving 10 people dead and a further 30 missing. The following day, not far away, a Gazel shuttle exploded, killing the driver and two passengers.
Boris Dubrovsky, governor of the Chelyabinsk region, said that according to …
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Dzhemilev: Turkey fights for the release of Ukrainian sailors detained by Russia
Ukrainian MP Mustafa Dzhemilev said in an interview with Ukrinform that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan instructed the Turkish Foreign Minister to press Russia about the recent Kerch Strait issues.
"Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that President Erdogan instructed him to raise on all platforms the issue of free navigation through the Kerch Strait and the need to return our captured ships," said Dzhemilev.
Dzhemilev said the question about the imprisoned sailors’ …
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Putin extends restrictions on transit of Ukrainian goods to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
Russian President Vladimir Putin amended the decree from January 1, 2016 "On Measures to ensure economic security and national interests of Russia during the transit of goods from Ukraine to the Republic of Kazakhstan or the Kyrgyz Republic through the territory of the Russian Federation." He extended it for half a year, until July 1, 2019, the Russia’s government website of legal information.
The decree entered into force on December 31, 2018. It stipulates that inter-country transportation …
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Russia raises gas price for Armenia by 10%
From January 1, 2019, the price of Russian gas for Armenia will be raised to $165 per thousand cubic meters, the press service of Gazprom reported on Monday.
The new price is 10% higher than the price established by the agreement of April 2016.
“In accordance with the supplementary agreement signed to the contract between Gazprom Export LLC and Gazprom Armenia CJSC, determining the price of gas supplies to Armenia in 2019, the price of Russian gas will be $165 per one thousand cubic meters …
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Kyiv: Russia has deployed 53,000 soldiers on Ukrainian border
Russia is maintaining vast military forces along the Ukrainian border, with as many as 53,000 soldiers there at the end of December 2018, reports Uninform with reference to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
“The Russian Federation is continuing to expand its military groups close to the Ukrainian state border. Notably, as of the end of December 2018, on Ukraine’s border and in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, 28 tactical battalion groups were deployed. The total number of the …
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Protesters in Moscow oppose Kuril islands handover to Japan
In Moscow there has been a series of solitary protests against the possibility of Russia handing over the Kuril islands to Japan, Radio Liberty reports.
Activists reportedly took to the streets with banners outside the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Duma, and the Border Guard Academy.
According to Sergey Ponomarev, a member of the “Russian Kurils” movement, the protesters are “concerned about Russia’s territorial integrity”. They do not approve of Russia beginning the peace …
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Russia arrests US citizen on charges of espionage
Russia announced on Monday that its intelligence agency had arrested a US citizen in Moscow on suspicion of espionage.
According to the FSB, the American was arrested on Friday “while carrying out spying activity”.
Charges have been brought against him according to article 276 of Russia’s Criminal Code (Espionage), which envisages a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
The suspect was identified as Paul Whelan, but no other details were provided.
The US later asked to be granted consular …