Lithuania received permission to send observers to the Russia-Belarus exercise Zapad-2017, which will be held on September 14 to 20, reported Delfi. Lithuania will observe the exercises in Belarus and the Leningrad region of the Russian Federation.

"Lithuania... together with other states of the region received an invitation from Russia and Belarus to observe Zapad-2017 exercises," the representative of the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense, Asta Galdikaitė said.

She said that …

Three Su-24M front-line bombers were sent from neighboring Russia to the annexed Crimea, as indicated by the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry. The front-line bombers will reinforce the air squadron of the assault aviation regiment of the Black Sea Fleet.

"The aircraft arrived in the Crimea after the planned plant repairs were completed on the Russian mainland. It is expected that in the future, the aircraft will undergo modernization at military facilities of the regiment, which …

By the end of the year, Ukraine is exploring the establishment of a NATO Center for Doctrine and Tactics within the Navy , as reported by the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Navy for Euro-Atlantic integration, Andriy Ryzhenko. "Consideration is being given to the establishment of a NATO doctrines and tactic center by the end of 2017 to adapt national directives based on the relevant NATO ones," he said in an interview with the Ukrainian publication Dumska, while commenting on the results …

During a live broadcast on Facebook, former governor of Odessa Mikhail Saakashvili announced his intention to return to Ukraine in September.

"I will return to Ukraine. I will arrive on September 10 from Poland through the Krakovets checkpoint," he said. Saakashvili stressed that he plans to return in an exclusively legal way and does not intend to violate Ukraine’s current legislation.

Saakashvili also announced his intention to challenge in court the loss of his Ukrainian citizenship. He …

In an interview with Polish Radio, The Minister of National Defense of Poland, Antoni Macierewicz, said that the current threat from Russia requires a resolute response.

“Only decisiveness and strength can stop the strengthening of Russian aggression,” he said, adding that because of this, the decisions made at the NATO summit in Warsaw to strengthen the eastern flank of the alliance were very important.

The Polish minister stressed that tensions in the region have increased since Russia …

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gave instructions to invite the authors of the New York Times article on possible shipments of Ukrainian rocket engines to North Korea.

“I am grateful to the editorial staff of the New York Times for drawing the world’s attention to the potential of Ukraine’s missile and space complex. It is elegant, but not the best way. We do not pass on rocket technologies, and we support the international non-proliferation regime responsibly. I have given instructions …

After the introduction of Lieutenant-General Anatoly Sirotenko as the new head of the Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine, Ukrainian Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak stated that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has made preparations in case of a threat of invasion by Russian troops during the Russian-Belarusian West-2017 exercises, which will be held on September 14-20.

“We are monitoring the situation. We know about all the movements of Russian troops  …

During last year, Russian authorities continued to oppress members of religious minorities and detained them on suspicion of extremism, as stated in the U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report.

Several U.S. citizens were fined and expelled from Russia for their religious activities. In particular, volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) were accused of publicly inciting attacks on representatives of other religions.

In addition, …