Contents tagged with Russia
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Lithuania's new military strategy views Russia as the country's main threat
The Minister of Defense of Lithuania, Juozas Olekas, approved a new military strategy in which Russian actions are described as the main threat for the security of Lithuania, as reported by Delfi."The military strategy of 2012 did not correspond to the realities of defense and the new challenges to the Lithuanian army. On the basis of Ukrainian and Georgian experience, the Lithuanian army should be prepared to respond quickly to military threats, either on its own or together with allies," …
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UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: The situation in Crimea remains critical
During a UN Security Council meeting regarding compliance with human rights in the Crimea, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid al-Hussein mentioned that the situation in the Crimea remains critical and requires constant monitoring by the international community, as stated by the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
The restriction of civil and political rights of Crimean residents, the lack of freedom of expression, and the atmosphere of intolerance are of particular concern …
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Dozens killed in plane crash in Rostov-on-Don, Russia
A FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 flying from Dubai crashed as it was attempting to land in Rostov-on-Don. It is not clear what caused the crash, but poor visibility and high winds are considered to be the main factors. The crash killed all 55 passengers and seven crew members.
FlyDubai said 44 Russians, eight Ukrainians, two Indians and an Uzbek were on board.
CCTV footage showed an explosion and a huge flash after the plane crashed.
"The aircraft hit the ground and broke into pieces," the …
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Despite Putin's announcement of a withdrawal, Russian air strikes continue in Syria
Russia continues to carry out airstrikes in Syria, despite President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on Monday that the majority of Russian forces would be withdrawn from the war-torn country, Interfax reported.
According to the head of the Main Operations Directorate of the Armed Forces of Russia, Lieutenant-General Sergey Rudskoy, Russian aircraft continue to carry out airstrikes against the so-called Islamic State and al-Nusra Front in support of Syrian government forces in the territory …
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Swedish Security Service: Russian propaganda is a threat
According to Swedish Security Service (SAPO), Russia uses psychological warfare in order to influence decision-making in the country. On March 17th, the SAPO presented a report in Stockholm stating that Russia supports extremist movements in Sweden and consciously spreads false information throughout the country.
“It can be, for example, propaganda from Russian media companies that are seeking to influence our perception of reality,” a counterintelligence analyst, Wilhelm Unge, stated. …
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Putin visits Crimea to examine progress of Kerch Strait Bridge
During a meeting in Crimea with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak and the head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Alexey Ulyukaev, Vladimir Putin demanded that those responsible for the delay in construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge from Russia to Crimea be properly dealt with, as reported by Dozhd. According to the Russian President, a specific person must be responsible for the results of work, so the Putin "does not have to keep calling phones all around the Government or …
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Ukrainian Intelligence reports 13 separatist casualties in one day in the Donbas
The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (MDI) reported that on March 16th, six pro-Russian separatists were killed and seven were injured.
The MDI also stated that from March 10th to March 15th, the bodies of 60 militants fighting under the flags of the breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine were transported from Dyakovo in Ukraine to Kuibyshevo in the Rostov region of Russia.
In addition, the Directorate noted that military equipment transfers from …
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Swedish Security Service: One third of Russian diplomats in Sweden are spies
The Dagens Nyheter newspaper stated that according to the annual report of the Sakerhetspolisen, the Swedish Security Services or SAPO, one third of Russian diplomats in Sweden are spies. Russia has a number of espionage agents, some of whom are registered in the Swedish Foreign Ministry as diplomats.
"As a rule, they are working for the military intelligence service GRU or its civilian equivalent, the Foreign Intelligence Service," the report said. At present time Russia has 37 accredited …
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Putin: Russia can reinforce its positions in Syria within several hours if needed
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that, if necessary, Russia is able to reinforce its positions in Syria within several hours, "although this would not be desirable", TASS reports.
He also reported that the Russian Air Defense System will remain on permanent combat duty in Syria. These forces will be used for any threat posed to the military of the Russian Federation.
"Our bases in Syria's Tartus and Hamim are reliably protected from land, sea and air. The personnel of these bases will …
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Pro-Kremlin British journalist deported from Latvia
On the night of March 17th, pro-Russian blogger and journalist Graham Phillips, who was arrested during the events at the Freedom Monument, was deported to Russia. According to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Latvia, Rihards Kozlovskis, Phillips was also included on the "black list.”
The Minister stressed that Phillips is a citizen of the EU, so he is prohibited from entering Latvia for 3 years. Taking into account the fact that Phillips arrived in Latvia by car, he could not be deported …