Contents tagged with Russia
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Russian helicopter crashes in Syria
Citing the Ministry of Defense, the RIA Novosti news agency reports that a MI-24 helicopter crashed in Syria while flying from the Khmeimim base to the Hama region. Both of the vehicle’s pilots were killed.
A flight mechanic was also on board the helicopter. He was injured, and was evacuated by the search and rescue team on Khmeimim airbase.
The Department of Defense reported that the incident occurred on December 31. They stressed that the helicopter was not shot at, and that a technical …
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Russian Alfa-Bank to stop servicing defense companies due to Western sanctions
The first deputy chairman of the board of directors of Alfa-Bank Oleg Sysuev told Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) radio that the bank has notified the Russian defense companies that they will not be providing them with service because of Western sanctions.
Sysuev clarified that the bank is not going to break off relations with defense companies at once. “We are trying to minimize the risks,” he explained.
On December 29, Forbes published an interview with the founder of Alfa-Group, Mikhail …
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Media: Russia loses seven aircraft after mortar attack on Khmeimim airbase in Syria
On the last day of 2017, militants in Syria launched a mortar attack on the Russian airbase in Khmeimim. Moscow lost four Su-24 bombers, two Su-35S fighters, and an An-72 transport aircraft, as reported by the newspaper Kommersant, citing two military-diplomatic sources. The newspaper added that more than ten servicemen may have been wounded.
The newspaper called it “one of the most serious incidents” during the entire time of the Russian operation in Syria. Kommersant’s sources did not …
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Ukraine considerably increased imports of good from Russia in the first 11 months of 2017
During an 11 month period in 2017, Ukraine increased its imports of goods from Russia (in monetary terms, compared to the same period in 2016) by 38.6%, to $ 6.3 billion, the National Bank of Ukraine reports.
At the same time, exports of goods to Russia during this period increased by 11.9% to $ 3.06 billion, while overall trade turnover increased by 28.6% to $ 9.36 billion.
The balance of trade with the Russian Federation for the first 11 months of last year was negative for Ukraine and …
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Ukrainian and German Foreign Ministers to discuss freeing of Ukrainian prisoners held captive in Russia
The German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sigmar Gabriel is set to visit Ukraine on January 3- 4 this year. During his visit, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin plans to discuss with him the issue of the release of Ukrainian political prisoners detained in Russian prisons.
As the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reports, "the role of Germany, together with France, under the Normandy format in countering Russian aggression will be a key subject of the …
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Bulgaria will not break off MiG maintenance deal with Russia
The anti-monopoly service of Bulgaria refused to annul the government’s deal with the Russian aircraft construction company MiG. The demand of the Ukrainian company Ukrinmash was thus rejected, Reuters reported on Tuesday January 2 with reference to a statement by the Bulgarian anti-monopoly regulator. The decision can be challenged within three days.
In December 2017, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry commissioned MiG to service 15 old fighters. The four-year deal was estimated at a value of $50. …
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Russia considers creating cryptocurrency for payments between BRICS and EEU countries
The Bank of Russia is considering the possibility of introducing a supranational digital currency within the BRICS or the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), Central Bank first deputy chairperson Olga Skorobogatova told reporters, Finanz.ru reports.
“We are continuing the work to investigate this matter. A matter which seems to us advisable to discuss on with our colleagues is the possibility of introducing a supranational digital currency in EEU territory or within the BRICS. There are many …
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Russia increases export duty on oil by $6.4 per ton
Beginning January 1, the export duty on oil in Russia has increased by $6.4 per ton, rising from $105 to $111.4.
As Interfax reports, citing information from the Ministry of Economic Development, the preferential duty rate on crude oil from Eastern Siberia, the Caspian fields and Prirazlomnoye field will remain at zero, based on a new formula adopted within the framework of a tax maneuver for the oil sector. Beginning January 1, the duty on high-viscosity crude Increased to $17.9 from $16.8 in …
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Media: Russian billionaires dispose of assets ahead of US sanctions
Russian oligarchs have begun to dispose of assets ahead of the publication of the US Finance Ministry’s report on businessmen who are close to the Kremlin and may be placed under sanctions.
As TASS reported with reference to information from the London Stock Exchange, at the end of December a large block of shares in the Petropavlovsk gold-mining company was sold by billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, who is number 10 on the Russian Forbes list with $12.4 billion.
The Petropavlovsk shares were …
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Russia: external interference in Iran’s affairs is inadmissible
The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that mass unrest in Iran should be considered part of the country’s internal affairs, Russia’s TASS news agency reports. The Foreign Ministry also expressed hope that the situation will develop without bloodshed in the future.
"External interference destabilizing the situation is inadmissible," the Foreign Ministry added.
Protests across a number of major Iranian cities began on Thursday, December 28, in Meshed. The demonstrators took to the streets, …