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Putin reports withdrawal of 1000 Russian soldiers from Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that over the last few days 1,140 Russian soldiers have been withdrawn from the Middle Eastern country, RIA Novosti reports.
“They are all people who have experience and have been tested in combat,” the Russian president said during a meeting with military university graduates in the Kremlin. He gave the order to withdraw when he visited the Khmeimim air base. “This withdrawal is underway now,” he noted.
14 helicopters and 13 planes have also returned to …
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Europe to abandon Russian Soyuz launch vehicles
By 2023, Europe plans to stop using Russian Soyuz-ST launch vehicles for launches from the Kourou Space Center, RIA Novosti news agency reports with reference to a source in the European space industry.
According to the source, Europeans will replace the Soyuz with their own carrier rocket, Ariane 6 that has two lateral accelerators. The source of RIA Novosti reports that the first launch of Ariane 6 is scheduled for July 16, 2020. The launch could be postponed for a year, and given the …
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Ukrainian Intelligence Services: Belarus is a potential springboard for Russian invasion
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense considers Belarus to be a possible springboard for a Russian invasion.
Radio Liverty reports that this was stated by Vadym Skibitsky, Spokesperson of the Main Military Intelligence Directorate (HUR MOU).
According to Skibitsky, Ukrainian intelligence is keeping an eye on all operations arranged by Russia on the territory of Belarus.
Skibitsky noted that Russian units, in particular airborne troops, conducted many combat …
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European Court of Human Rights combines proceedings against Russia on Crimea and Donbas
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has combined proceedings against the Russian Federation on the Crimea and the Donbas, stated Ukrainian Deputy Justice Minister and Commissioner for the European Court of Human Rights Ivan Lishchyna.
"The ECHR has agreed to our request and combined proceedings on intergovernmental allegations that Russia has violated [the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms] into two large [areas]: the Crimea and the Donbas. …
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Volker compares the situation in Eastern Ukraine to the annexation of Crimea
Special representative of the U.S. State Department for Ukraine Kurt Volker compared the situation in eastern Ukraine with the annexed Crimea and called it “a state to state conflict.” “In the case of Ukraine, what we see here is not an ethnic conflict, it’s not an indigenous conflict that grew up internally, it’s not a civil war, it’s not a conflict between Russians and Ukrainians ethnically. It is a State to State conflict. It is a conflict in which Russia has put its forces onto the …