US demands that separatists allow OSCE access to weapons storage facilities
The US representative to the OSCE, Daniel Baer, called for the immediate withdrawal of heavy weapons from the territories controlled by separatists in eastern Ukraine.
At a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, the representative said that the OSCE observers reported no decrease in the arsenal of heavy weapons in Luhansk, "including tanks, howitzers, armored vehicles and anti-aircraft surface-to-air systems," Ukrinform reported.
According to the OSCE mission in eastern Ukraine, …
Group of Italian MPs arrive in occupied Crimea
RIA Novosti reported that a group of Italian MPs arrived in the occupied Crimea for a three-day visit. During the visit, the members of the delegation will visit Sevastopol, Yalta and Simferopol. The delegation includes senators Bartolomeo Pepe, Paola De Pin and Ivan Simeoni, a member of the Chamber of Deputies, Nicola Ciriacci and also the Regional Council of Tuscany member, Gabrielle Sani.
An MP of the Italian Parliament, Nicola Ciriacci, expressed the view that the rights of the Crimean …
Turkey supports creating OSCE police mission in the Donbas
During a meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev, Turkish Minister of National Defense İsmet Yılmaz supported the idea of placing an armed OSCE police mission in the Donbas, Interfax-Ukraine reported.
"The president briefed [Yılmaz] on the situation in the Donbas. Ukraine remains committed to the implementation of the Minsk agreements, but draws attention to the need for a system for the de-escalation of the situation and the deployment of armed police mission under the …
Germany suspects Russian involvement in a series of cyber-attacks
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Germany, which deals with counter-intelligence activities, suspects that Russian special services are responsible for a series of cyber-attacks against German government agencies, DW reported.
“These operations of the Russian special services have apparently continued for 7-11 years,” the Office said in a statement.
The German Office also has evidence that Russian intelligence agencies organized a powerful cyber-attack on the …
Russian Duma adopts package of laws that strengthen penalties for extremism and terrorism
On Friday, the Russian State Duma adopted a package of bills which increase the penalties for terrorism and extremism.
Earlier on Friday it was reported that the Russian government has given a positive response to the package of amendments to the Law on Combating Terrorism, which, in particular, proposes additional restrictions for travel of Russian citizens abroad.
The adoption of the law will mean that the authorities will have the right to prohibit the travel of Russian citizens abroad on …