• Ukrainian Security Service demands Ukrainian Internet providers block 181 sites

    The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has sent a letter to Internet providers requiring the blocking of 181 websites on the country’s territory. Strana, which has obtained a copy of the corresponding official document, has reported on this.

    The list includes websites from the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR, web pages created for the Crimean authorities, many Russian news agencies, and all sub-domains of the payment service Webmoney. It also includes the largest Russian information site, ria.ru ( …

  • Deripaska’s company Rusal asks Kremlin to provide concessions for transport tariffs as US sanctions take effect

    Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska’s company, UC Rusal, requested through Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to reduce costs for transportation of raw materials and finished products by rail, the Kommersant newspaper reports.  

    According to the sources cited in the newspaper, Rusal asked to reduce tariffs of the Russian Railways company for transportation of raw materials and products, which was estimated by the company to be worth around 24 billion rubles (380 million dollars) from July 1. …

  • Russia urgently recalls its diplomat from Ukraine after incident in Odessa airport

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia urgently recalled the third secretary of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Odessa, Andrey Malakey.

    This happened after an object resembling a shuriken (Japanese throwing knife) was discovered in his hand luggage at the airport in Odessa, Censor.net reports.

    "On June 1, 2018, when the Russian diplomat was passaging baggage control in Odessa International Airport, suspicions arose about the presence of prohibited items in his briefcase. …

  • Poroshenko calls on Macron to intensify pressure against Russia to release Ukrainian political prisoners

    The Ukrainian President’s Press Service reports that President Petro Poroshenko held a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron during which the two parties agreed on further contacts through the Normandy Format to ensure the implementation of the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the situation on the Donbas.

    “The interlocutors discussed the security situation in the Donbas and the need for a UN peacekeeping mission throughout its occupied territory. The interlocutors …

  • Netanyahu tells Putin that Israel will not tolerate Iran's presence in Syria

    On Sunday, at a weekly meeting of the Israeli Government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he told Russian President Vladimir Putin and the U.S. Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, that Israel would take action against Iran's military presence in Syria.  

    "In the end of the week, I spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the U.S. Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo," Netanyahu said.

    “I have repeated our basic principles on Syria. First, Iran must withdraw from the …