During the Zapad (“West”) 2017 exercises, the Kremlin will test how ready Russia is for a major war with the West, said NSDC (National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine) Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov.

According to him, it has been officially declared that the exercises will involve roughly 13,000 military personnel, including roughly 3,000 from the Russian Armed Forces, and roughly 280 items of weaponry and military equipment and 25 items of aviation equipment. Aside from the armed …

At a meeting of the US Department of State's Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker and Russian Presidential Aide Vladislav Surkov, the issue of providing lethal weapons to Ukraine was discussed said Former State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev in an interview with InfoResist.

The expert believes that discussion of the specific issue of granting lethal weapons to Ukraine will be a key topic during the visit of US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to the country.

"The issue of deliveries of …

Residents of the Crimea should apply for an American visa in Kyiv, as stated by the press service of the US Embassy in Russia, UNIAN reports.

"The Crimea belongs to the consular district of the US Embassy in Kyiv. All applicants who permanently reside in the Crimea and are applying for immigrant visas and K (bride / groom) visas must apply for visas in Kyiv, regardless of their citizenship," the statement says.

It is noted that consular fees paid in Ukraine can not be used for applying for a …

This year Russia will lend Belarus $700 million. As follows from the Russian government’s directive published on the official legal information portal, Minsk will be obligated to repay this loan in 10 years.

The funds will be allocated “towards the goal of further strengthening friendly relations” for the repayment of loans issued previously by Russia.

Minsk must make repayments twice a year, on April 15 and October 15, over 10 years. The payment amount will grow from 2.5% of the amount …

Russian aggression in Ukraine is a risk for all of Europe, said US State Department Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker during a press conference in Vilnius.

"We are gathered here while the fighting continues on the European continent, from here [to Donbas], which is less than two hours away by plane. This should not have happened at all, and now we must do everything to stop human suffering, as about 10,000 people have already died in the conflict, and millions have been forced to …

The US has added four Russians and one Russian company to the North Korea sanction list, the Ministry of Finance website announced on Tuesday, August 22.

Russian citizens Irina Huish, Ruben Kirakosyan, Mikhail Pisklin and Andrey Serbin were placed under sanctions. The list also includes Russian company Gefest-M, which the US treasury claims is connected to the Korean Tangun Trading Corporation. As mentioned on the US treasury website, Ruben Kirakosyan is connected to Gefest-M.

In addition, …

A section of the M-11 highway between Novgorod and St. Petersburg that had to be completed before the 2018 World Cup will not be finished until 2019, stated Maxim Sokolov, the head of the Ministry of Transport, as reported by a local news website, Driver of St. Petersburg.

The Minister added that this year, only a 200-kilometer section of the highway on the approach to Veliky Novgorod would be open.

"Another 140 kilometers of the road from Veliky Novgorod to St. Petersburg are in the active …

In response to a statement made by the Bulgarian Minister of Defense, Krasimir Karakachanov, that Bulgaria could abandon purchasing new fighters and repair old Russian MiGs that are used in the Bulgarian army, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev spoke against the repair of Russian MiG-29 fighters insisting on the acquisition of new aircraft that meet NATO standards.  

"No, absolutely not, we cannot give up buying new fighters for the Bulgarian military. Our aviation should be compatible with the …