Advisor to the Ministrer of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Zoryan Shkiryak called for the blocking of the social network sites Vkontakte (InContact) and Odnoklassniki (Classmates) in the country’s territory. It is necessary to block these sites because they are “completely controlled and run by the Russian Secret Service,” he said on Thursday, February 16 at a briefing in Kyiv.

Shkiryak noted that the Russian Secret Service creates groups with “eloquent sounding patriotic names,” which do the …

The Acting Head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO, Yehor Bozhok, implied that Russia can take advantage of the Zapad (“West”) 2017 summer exercise to commit more provocations.

In an interview with Ukrinform, he said, "We should be concerned that the deterioration of the situation in eastern Ukraine continues while the Russian Federation conducts the Zapad-2017 military exercises in the summer and fall. Apparently, they will be held close to the borders of Ukraine, in the south-east."

Bozhok …

According to official departmental representative Courtney Hillson, the Pentagon will continue to provide strong support to the armed forces of Ukraine, helping them build capacity. The announcement comes after a meeting on Wednesday in Washington between U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Work and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin.

Hillson said that the sides discussed "support that the U.S. provides to Ukraine in the sphere of security, aimed at upgrading the domestic defense …

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is concerned about Russia’s deployment of modern weapons in the Kaliningrad region. In particular, the concern of NATO member States is triggered by the dominance of the Russian Air Force in the airspace of the Baltic countries and the fact that the European capitals would be in range of Russian missiles in the event of a conflict, as stated by the Deputy Commander of the NATO airbase in Geilenkirchen, Ian Tickle, in an interview with the Associated Press. …

The family members of Ukrainian prisoners said in a video message that they are ready to join the blockade of the Donbas, according to a statement posted by the Chairman of the Ukrainian Association of Patriots (UKROP), Mykola Kolesnyk, on his Facebook page.

“If needed, we will go to the blockade. If this will help to release our people or break the deadlock over this issue, then we fully support yo and we are grateful that you remember us,” one of the women stated, addressing the blockade …

Speaking at the board meeting of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, stated that Western countries are constantly trying to drag and provoke Russia into confrontation, as reported by Russia’s Interfax news agency.

Putin pointed out that in July 2016 at NATO Summit in Warsaw, for the first time since 1989, Russia was recognized as a main threat to security of NATO and the deterrence of the Russian Federation has become a new mission of …

Attempts to establish relations with Russia from a position of power are futile, Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu said on February 16. Currently, he added, Moscow is ready to restore cooperation with the Pentagon.

Shoygu's comments come in reply to those made by new US Secretary of Defense James Mattis. “ We remain open to the possibility of restoring cooperation with Moscow. At the same time we are realistic in our expectations and will make every effort for our diplomats to conduct …

In the Krasnodar Krai of Russia, long-distance truck drivers blocked the road leading to a car ferry to the annexed Crimea, as was reported by the Crimean media on the evening of February 16th.

The Crimea-inform website, a mouthpiece for the Crimean government, reports, citing a witness to the incident, that the trucks blocked traffic near the village of Ilyich. The truckers are protesting the long wait time for the ferry to the Crimea.

"Using their trucks, drivers completely blocked the road …