• Media: EU imports record number of illegal Ukrainian timber

    Ukraine exports more illegal lumber to the EU than any other country – more than Latin America, Africa and South East Asia combined, Zerkalo Nedeli (the Mirror Weekly) reports, citing an investigation by the British ecological organization Earthsight.

    Despite the moratorium on deforestation, over the last four years the export volume of Ukrainian wood to EU countries has grown by 75%, exceeding €1 billion last year.The investigators estimate that 40% of this lumber was felled or sold illegally. …

  • Israel launches missile attack against Syria

    Israel launched missiles at a Syrian military base near Nayrab airport in the north of the country, SANA reports. According to the news agency, no one was injured by the attack. Only material damage was caused.

    On July 12, the Israeli Air Force launched air strikes on several facilities near the border city of al-Quneitra in response to the infiltration of the Syrian surveillance drone into Israel.

  • Media: Drone downed by Israel belonged to Russian military

    On July 11, Israel shot down a Russian Forpost drone which was supposedly engaged in reconnaissance of militant positions, reported the Directorate 4 Telegram channel, which also notes that the drone was a licensed copy of the Israeli Searcher drone.

    The drone was shot down by an MIM 104 Patriot anti-missile defense system stationed on the buffer zone of the Syria-Israel border.Military Informant says that the drone belonged to the Russian Aerospace Forces, and was downed several dozens of …

  • Ahead of anniversary G7 foreign ministers remind Russia of its role in MH17 air disaster

    The foreign ministries of the Group of Seven (G7) countries have made a statement ahead of the anniversary of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 catastrophe over the Donbas on July 17, 2014. The statement was published by the Canadian Foreign Ministry.

    “We, the G7 foreign ministers, of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, are united in our condemnation, in the strongest possible terms, of the …

  • German Foreign Minister warns Trump against unilateral agreements with Putin

    During recent talks held in Helsinki, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned U.S. President Donald Trump against partaking in unilateral agreements with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    Elaborating on his point, Maas stressed to Bild Newspaper that in particular, such agreements with Russia could cost the United States partners in Europe.

    “Dialogue requires clarity,” Maas stated. “And President Trump’s system of coordination lacks clarity. He who offends his partner risks losing them in …

  • Putin meets with Macron on the eve of his meeting with Trump  

    Russian President Vladimir Putin met with French President Emmanuel Macron on July 15th in the Kremlin, as stated by the official website of the Russian president.“Gradually the usual channels of cooperation are being restored. This gives reason to believe that we will overcome all obstacles that we have dealt with in the past” states the press service of the Kremlin quoting the words of the President.

    The Kremlin website does not specify the details of the conversation. At the same time, The …

  • Ukrainian media: Kyiv's interests in international courts will be represented by lawyers charging a thousand dollars per hour

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has concluded an agreement on legal services with the international law firm Covington & Burling LLP for $6.66 million or 196.90 million hryvnia, reported the journalist of the investigative program Nashi Groshi (Our Money), citing the Prozorro system (Ukrainian government online procurement reporting system).    The law firm will consult and represent Ukraine on several legal cases. First, it will manage Ukraine’s lawsuit against Russia, filed on …

  • President Dodon: Moldova will not be friends with the West against Russia

    At the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the President of Moldova, Igor Dodon, said that he appreciates the cooperation with Russia and does not intend to unite with Western countries against it, the Kremlin's website reports.   "Our position is clear and understandable. We want to be friends with everyone, but we do not want to be used geopolitically against someone else. We do not intend to be friends with the West against Russia. This is my position," Dodon said. He …

  • Sentsov's cousin calls for boycott of some Ukrainian media outlets

    In an interview with Hromadske, Natalia Kaplan, cousin to imprisoned Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov called for a boycott of several Ukrainian media outlets. She called for boycotting 112 Ukraine, NewsOne, Inter TV and publisher Strana.ua because, according to her, they took the “side of the enemy” in the information war.

    As Kaplan explained, the TV channel 112 Ukraine called her and put on air with the Ukrainian MP, Evgeny Murayev. “I was on the air with Murayev... He began to tell me that I …

  • Ukrainian President: Portion of French helicopters will be sent to Ukraine’s Armed Forces and Health Care Services

    Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko believes that it is necessary to ensure that a portion of the helicopters, which are supplied to Ukraine by the French company Airbus Helicopters, be allocated to meet the needs of Ukraine’s Armed Forces as well as for Health Care in mountainous areas of Ukraine.

    According to a report by the President’s press-service, Poroshenko recently met with the Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even, the Senior Vice President and Head of the European Region at Airbus …