• U.S. puts head of Chechnya Kadyrov on sanctions list

    The U.S. State Department has put the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, on the sanctions list for "gross human rights violations," stated the U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

    Restrictions on Kadyrov are imposed under section 7031 of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2020.

    Under this provision, the U.S. Department of State must prohibit entry to a foreign civil servant if there is credible information that he was directly or …

  • After phone conversation of Russian and Israeli Defense Ministers Israel launches air attacks on Syria

    Syrian air defense systems "responded to the Israeli missile aggression carried out from the town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights,” Syrian news agency Sana reported. Sana states, citing "army sources”, that anti-aircraft systems “responded to the shelling and shot down most enemy missiles and limited the material damage they could cause".

    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (an opposition to the Assad regime, based in London and with knowledgeable sources among the Syrian population) …

  • U.S. House of Representatives approves additional sanctions against Nord Stream 2

    The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of an amendment to impose additional sanctions on participants of the Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream gas pipelines. The session was broadcast on Monday, July 20, on the website of the lower house of the American Parliament.

    The amendment is for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2021 (begins on October 1.). It was approved unanimously.

    "Russia is trying to develop the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to exert undue control on …

  • Russia boosts Armenia’s air defense capabilities in ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan

    Russian air surveillance system has provided cover to the entire territory of Armenia from air strikes as part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), under which member states of this organization can turn to each other for help in the event of a threat.

    According to the Telegram channel "Armenian Vendetta", the Russian radar "covered" the entire territory of Armenia and is tracking any activity in the airspace of this country.

    Russia also provides operational data on air …

  • Top manager of German payment provider Wirecard flees to Russia

    Jan Marsalek, the former management board member of the German payment operator Wirecard AG, which “lost” almost 2 billion euros, allegedly fled to Russia. He is now west of Moscow under the supervision of employees of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service of the General Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, also known as GRU, writes the German newspaper Handelsblatt, citing sources in business, judicial and diplomatic circles.

    According to the newspaper, before his …