A U.S. Navy reconnaissance P-8A Poseidon aircraft monitored Russia’s flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea between Cyprus and Syria, Interfax reported, citing websites that track the movement of military aircraft.

The P-8A with tail number 158858 reportedly took off from the Sigonella airbase in Sicily and monitored the activities of the Russian flotilla, which is centered around Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov.

The reconnaissance aircraft circled around the flotilla at an …

Deputy Speaker of the US State Department Mark Toner said that the sanctions imposed by the United States on Russia for its violation of the sovereignty of Ukraine will remain in effect until the return of the Crimea, Ukrinform reports.

“Our attitude has been and will remain – within the present administration – unchanged. As for the sanctions regarding the Crimea – they will stay in effect until Russia takes its troops out of the Crimea and returns the peninsula to Ukraine,” Toner said. …

The minister of national defense for Poland, Antoni Macierewicz, announced the purchase of drones for operational forces and territorial defense troops, Polish Radio reported. According to Macierewicz, the troops will be equipped with both combat and surveillance drones.

“I intend to purchase as many as are needed for each type of unit. This weapon, speaking of drones, is massive. Its efficiency depends on the quantity. That is why we are talking about thousands of drones,” Macierewicz said. …

Three weeks ago, separatists kidnapped the Judge of the Luhansk Court of Appeals, Vitaliy Rudenko, who was coming to his father’s funeral in Krasnodon, a territory uncontrolled by Ukrainian authorities. The incident was disclosed by the chairman of the “Patriot” volunteer organization and member of the hostage exchange negotiating group, Oleg Kotenko, during his commentary on Hromadske Radio.

"The judge had an agreement with a man he knew from the LPR (Luhansk People's Republic) that he would …

In the occupied Luhansk region, near the Izvarino checkpoint, engineering barriers were installed and Russian Armed Forces were deployed along the Russian side of the border, as announced on Tuesday at a briefing by the press secretary of the Ministry of Defense on ATO issues, Colonel Olexandr Motuzyanyk, Ukrinform reports.

"Near the Izvarino border crossing, in the occupied territory, engineering obstacles are being built on the Russian side of the border. Also, along this stretch of the …

Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukayev stated that Russia is determined to lift the mutual sanctions with the European Union. However, the European partners themselves have not yet demonstrated good will regarding this issue.

“The best proposal would be a mutual refusal from these restrictions. We would welcome it but unfortunately, our partners, including European partners, have not demonstrated the proper good will,” Ulyukayev said at the meeting with Italian entrepreneurs, …

The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, said that Moscow rejects the accusations that Russia seeks to maintain the conflict in Ukraine.

"Russia is interested in resolving the conflict near its borders, more than anyone else, despite the fact that periodically you hear the assertions that we want to artificially drag out the conflict, keeping it in a frozen state forever. This is an attempt to shift the blame on others," the Minister said, speaking at the Potsdam meetings at the Alexander …

A number of official documents relating to cooperation objectives have been signed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Slovenian President Borut Pahor in the city of Ljubljana. This was announced by the press secretary of the Ukrainian President, Svyatoslav Tsegolko, on Twitter.

“Ukraine and Slovenia have signed a memorandum of understanding on energy efficiency and alternative fuels,” Tsegolko noted.

A memorandum of cooperation in the field of consumer rights protection and an …