• Russian paratroopers to hold large-scale exercise near Latvian and Estonian borders

    Russian airborne troops will hold a large-scale exercise in the Pskov region near the Estonian and Latvian borders, as reported by Radio Svoboda. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the exercises will be held from the 15th to the 20th of February, and will involve 2,500 paratroopers and 300 pieces of military hardware.

    The announcement comes after last week’s surprise inspection of Russia’s Southern Military District and subsequent training exercises in southern Russia and the Crimea, …

  • Nikolai Svanidze: The situation for Crimean Tatars is 'terrifying'

    A member of the Council of the President of the Russian Federation on the issues of the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, Nikolay Svanidze, said that "the situation with the Crimean Tatars is terrifying”, as reported by Krim.Realii. He said this during the program "Minority Report" on the Ekho Moskvii radio station, which was broadcast on February 12th.

    According to him, it's necessary to respond to the human rights violations in Crimea.

    "We definitely must respond. In the Human …

  • Swedish Defense Minister: Russia’s actions are the most serious challenge to security in Europe

    Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist stated that Russia’s actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine are the most serious challenge to security in Europe.

    “The illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia’s illegal interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine are the most serious challenges in the field of European security”, Hultqvist said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

    The Swedish Defense Minister added that Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine is a threat to other neighboring …

  • Threats prompt Russian opposition leader Mikhail Kasyanov to cancel meeting

    Chairman of the Russian PARNAS party, Mikhail Kasyanov, cancelled a meeting with residents of Nizhny Novgorod due to threats against him and his associates, according to the party’s website.

    “I don't want to encourage our supporters to have physical confrontations, and without the protection of our rights against tyranny, it is impossible, because on their side they have the state machine, money, TV and the courts,” Kasyanov stated.

    The day before, several young men tried to disrupt Kasyanov’ …

  • Interpol denies Russia's request to place Khodorkovsky on wanted list

    Interpol has rejected Russia’s request to place Russian oppositionist and the former Head of Yukos, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, on the international wanted list.  This was stated by the headquarters of Interpol in Lyon, as reported by the TASS news agency.

    "After considering the request, the Interpol General Secretariat has determined that it does not meet the rules of the organization.  In this case, the National Central Bureau of Interpol (NCB) in Moscow was notified that Interpol cannot cooperate …