Russia has deployed a squadron of Forpost reconnaissance and targeting drones in the annexed Crimea, the Russian newspaper Izvestia reported.

The drones have been stationed near Sevastopol and will fall under the 318th mixed aircraft regiment of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet as of this spring. The drones can carry out reconnaissance and provide targeting information for ship missile systems, Bastion coastal systems, and artillery. They have already been tested in drills at sea.

The Forpost …

Sergey Aksyonov, head of the annexed Crimea, wrote on Facebook that the water blockade of the Crimean peninsula is part of the West’s anti-Russia strategy.

“Ukraine’s policy is not determined in Kyiv, but in Washington and other western capitals. The water blockade of Crimea is part of the West’s anti-Russia strategy. That’s why, regardless of the reasons given by Ukrainian officials, the decision to end or to continue the blockade will be made far from the banks of the Dnieper,” he wrote. …

Ukraine has completed the transfer of the criminal case against the persons suspected in the crash of MH17 flight to the Netherlands, reports Ukrainski Noviny news agency with reference to the Security Service of Ukraine. The materials of the case mention three citizens of Russia and one citizen of Ukraine, including former Defense Minister of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic Igor Girkin (Strelkov).

Security Service of Ukraine refused to specify, whether the order for the arrest of …