• Putin signs decree recognizing Donbas separatists' passports and other documents

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree concerning the recognition of documents issued to citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons residing in the separatist-held Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

    The Kremlin’s site reports that the decree was signed “guided by universally recognised principles and standards of humanitarian law and in order to protect the rights and freedoms of individuals”.

    Such documents will be recognised “temporarily, during the political settlement …

  • Media: Russia aims to discredit German soldiers in Lithuania using fake news

    Bundeswehr soldiers in Lithuania have become the victims of information attacks that involve fake news aiming to discredit the German military.

    An official representative of the Ministry of Defense of Germany confirmed this information, Deutsche Welle reported.

    A German Defense Ministry spokesman told the publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that on February 14, Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament Viktoras Pranckietis received an anonymous letter by email that accused German soldiers …

  • European Commision allows Lithuanian ban of Russian TV channel for inciting hatred

    Lithuania’s decision to suspend broadcasting rights of Russian TV channel RTR-Planeta complies with EU legislation, a report on the European Commission’s website said.

    In December 2016, Lithuanian authorities notified the European Commission that Russian language TV channel RTR-Planeta, broadcasting to Lithuanian from Sweden, was disseminating material inciting hatred. Thus, Lithuanian authorities blocked the broadcasting of the channel for three months.

    "Statements made in several RTR- …

  • UNICEF: One millon children require urgent humanitarian assistance in eastern Ukraine

    According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, the number of children requiring urgent humanitarian assistance in eastern Ukraine has double over the last year, reaching one million, TASS reported.

    UNICEF stated that the increase “is due to the continued fighting and the steady deterioration of life in eastern Ukraine, where some 1.7 million people have been internally displaced, and many families have lost their incomes, social benefits and access to …

  • Separatist republics want to start humanitarian assistance program for areas of the Donbas controlled by Kyiv

    Heads of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR, Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitskiy released through official channels, a statement on the start of a “humanitarian assistance program” in Donetsk and Luhansk regions which are under the control of Kyiv.

    In their statement the separatists accused the Ukrainian authorities of “the tyranny of civil-military dictatorial administrations,” ”atrocities of the National Guard battalions,” and the “deployment of the Ukrainian armed forces’ personnel and …

  • Peskov denies Surkov was against the annexation of the Crimea

    Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov was not opposed to the annexation of the Crimea by the Russian Federation. This was stated by Vladimir Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, reported Snob.

    "It was not known to me that someone was against it," said Peskov.

    Earlier in February, former State Duma Deputy Denis Voronenkov, who recently acquired Ukrainian citizenship, said that Surkov was against the idea of ​​annexing Crimea and the decision on it "was taken by one man."

    As reported, …

  • Peskov: Zakharchenko's statement about the Donbas were a result of 'tense emotional situation' in the region

    The statements by the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Alexander Zakharchenko, about the possibility of capturing the Donbas by military means were made as a result of emotional tensions in the region, which were provoked by Kyiv, as expressed by a Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, on Friday, February 17th, Lenta.ru reports. He stressed that this position is not in line with the Minsk Agreements.

    "On the other hand, perhaps it really is, unfortunately, the emotional …

  • Finland will increase military spending because of Russia's foreign policy

    The government of Finland will increase annual military spending by 55 million euros from the current level of 2.4 billion euros, Euobserver reports. After 2021, Finland will increase military spending by another 150 million euros annually.

    These steps are in connection with an increase in military tension in the Baltic region and Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine. "Russia is trying to strengthen their status as a world power and expressed its intention to create a security system based on …

  • Russian State Duma suggested sending singer Kobzon and Alexandrov Ensemble to Kyiv for participation in Eurovision

    The Deputy Head of the Just Russia party in the State Duma, Oleg Nilov, suggested sending State Duma Deputy and a famous singer, Iosif Kobzon, with the Alexandrov Ensemble, to Kyiv to represent Russia at the Eurovision competition, as reported by TASS.

    "Russia has agreed to participate again... My suggestion is, God grant health to Iosif Davydovich, and send him along with the Alexandrov Ensemble," Nilov said, speaking on behalf of the Just Russia faction.

    The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 …

  • Muzhenko: Ukrainian military is allowed to respond fully to the enemy's provocations

    The situation in the Donbas has deteriorated and the Ukrainian military have been given permission to respond fully to the enemy's provocations, as stated by the Chief of the General Staff, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Viktor Muzhenko, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

    "Since the day before yesterday, we have been seeing an increase in the number of mortar attacks, attacks from guns, and the use of tanks. In particular, the latter were used by the enemy yesterday against the …