In July, Russia reduced investments in US government securities to $8.5 billion, reports the US Department of the Treasury. $6.239 billion is accounted for long-term bonds and the remaining $2.262 billion for short-term treasury bills.

Russia has been reducing its investments in US government securities for the fifth month in a row. The last time their volume increased in February. By the end of June, Russia's investments in US government securities amounted to $10.848 billion. In July, it …

Iran’s banking ties to other countries, including Russia, are growing, despite being disconnected from the SWIFT payment system, said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday, reports TASS.

“Fortunately, today Iran’s banking relations with several other countries are growing without the use of the SWIFT system,” the official presidential website cites Rouhani as saying. “There was a time when people in the West thought that banking relations were only SWIFT. But it’s not like that.”

The …

Ukraine has agreed to the Steinmeier Formula, which envisages a special status for the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces after democratic elections have been held there, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko at a joint session of the Verkhovna Rada’s foreign policy and Euro-integration committees.

He said that the Steinmeier Formula was agreed on at a meeting between the Normandy Format advisors on September 2.

“The Normandy Format advisors agreed to a specific text, which stipulates …

After repeated incidents of Israel attacking targets in Syria despite certain agreements with Russia,  the Syrian military has received permission to use its Russian-made aerial defense systems against Israel, provided that Syria takes responsibility for the consequences, reports Russian news outlet Avia.pro citing its source.

“Russia has authorized the Syrian military to bring the S-300 to full combat readiness and attack Israeli aircraft if there is the slightest threat,” the source claimed. …

Russian S-300 and S-400 missile systems, which are considered one of the most advanced air defense weapons in the world, failed to detect Israeli warplanes flying over Damascus.

The Israeli news outlet NZIV, citing a number of military sources, published the flight route of the Israeli warplanes, which struck eastern Syria. As it turned out, the Israeli Air Force planes , which, according to some reports, were F-35s, not only entered the Syrian airspace, but also flew for almost several …