For a second day in a row now Russia has been launching air strikes in Syria.Reportedly, the strikes targeted sites in the north-west held by the Army of Conquest rebel alliance, as well as areas in Homs and Hama provinces.Russia claims that with some 20 missions carried out on Wednesday it struck 12 Islamic State (IS) positions in 24 hours, destroying a command centre and two arms depots.Although the US fears it was the positions of the opponents of Russia's ally, Syrian President Bashar al- …

In his statement on Tuesday, Ivan Simonovic, the assistant U.N. secretary-general for human rights noted that efforts by Russia-backed separatist rebels to block "desperately needed" humanitarian aid from reaching people in conflict-ridden eastern Ukraine could amount to crimes against humanity. Mr. Simonovic criticized as a "great mistake" the move by rebels who control the eastern city of Luhansk to kick out U.N. and humanitarian aid agencies.

"I do think that currently the military warfare …

 President Obama has authorized the U.S. State Department to provide up to $20 million to Ukraine to fund military training and other similar activities.This came one day after Ukraine announced that US instructors would start training the country’s special forces.

“The authority... to direct the drawdown of up to $20 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense and military education and training to provide assistance for the Government of Ukraine,” the Presidential …

At least 27 civilians are reported to have been killed Wednesday in first Russian airstrikes on Syrian towns near the city of Homs.Earlier today the upper house of the Russian parliament gave President Vladimir Putin approval to use the air force in Syria, according to state media.

"The Federation Council unanimously supported the President's request -- 162 votes in favor of granting permission," Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergey Ivanov said, according to ITAR-Tass.

The vote came after a …

As reported by OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM), Russian TOS-1 thermobaric rocket launchers have been spotted in Ukraine.A multiple launch thermobaric rocket system (TOS-1 Buratino, 220mm) was spotted at Kruhlyk training area around 30 km south-west of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, controlled by pro-russian forces. TOS-1  is a Russian 220mm 30-barrel (original system, Ob.634 or TOS-1M) or 24-barrel (Ob.634B or TOS-1A) multiple rocket launcher and thermobaric weapon mounted on a T-72 tank …