NATO fighters were scrambled to intercept two Russian aircraft near Latvia

NATO fighter jets patrolling Baltic State airspace identified and intercepted two Russian military aircraft, the Latvian Armed Forces reported on Twitter. “On the 5th of July, fighter jets serving in the Alliance’s air policing mission identified AN-26 and TU-134 aircraft belonging to the Russian Federation over the Baltic Sea near Latvian borders,” the report said.

Russian warships and military aircraft have been increasingly spotted near the air and sea borders of the Baltic States since the …


Ukraine extends food embargo on Russia until 2017

The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers has extended the reciprocal measures in response to Russia's prolonging the food embargo until the end of 2017, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.

This decision was made during the Government’s meeting on July 6th, giving its support to the proposal by the Ukrainian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT).

As was reported, on June 29th, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended the food embargo against countries that imposed sanctions against Russia …


Sanctions on Russia cost the west $60 billion

Almost 40 Western countries that supported sanctions against Russia in the last year and a half lost slightly more than $60 billion in profit, French experts calculated. This conclusion was made by experts from the French Research Center on International Economics (CEPII). The report, which was presented on Wednesday, July 6, covers the period from December 2013 to June 2015.

As noted in the study, the main losses (82.2%) did not happen because of the products that came under the ban as a …


NATO to discuss the situation in Ukraine with Russia

The meeting of the NATO-Russia Council will be held on July 13th in Brussels at the NATO headquarters, reads a statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg. "The meeting will take place on 13 July at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, shortly after the NATO Summit in Warsaw," as mentioned in the document.

"Our discussions will focus on the crisis in and around Ukraine and the need to fully implement the Minsk Agreements. We will also look at military …


Russian spy ship spotted off the coast of Hawaii during US-led naval exercises

Russia has sent a spy ship to the shores of Hawaii to monitor the US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016 naval exercises, according to Pacific Fleet Spokesman Lieutenant Clint Ramsden.

The spokesman explained that the Russian Balzam-class auxiliary general intelligence ship “recently” arrived in international waters off the coast of Hawaii.

“Obviously, we are aware that it is there, and we’ve taken all precautions necessary to protect our critical information. Its presence has not affected …