Fighting erupts near Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine

The Ukrainian TSN News channel reports renewed heavy fighting on the front line in eastern Ukraine.  According to the news channel, the separatists attempted to advance in the area of Debaltseve in the Donetsk region.

The separatist attacked the Ukrainian positions in the early morning on June 29. According to the reports of the Ukrainian volunteers from Pravyi Sektor (Right Sector), the separatist used heavy artillery and armored infantry vehicles. The Ukrainian forces repelled the separatist …


SOVA Center: Speaking out over the internet is becoming increasingly criminalized in Russia

The SOVA Center for Information and Analysis reported the tightening up of measures for those speaking out on the internet.

A report by the center’s expert, Natalia Yudina, released on Tuesday by Mediazona, states that in Russia, there have been 194 convictions for statements on the internet that were recognized as extremist, (84 per cent of the total number of similar sentences), whereas in 2014 there were only 138.

The Russian human rights organization, Agora, also noted the increasing …


Polish media: French-German superpower will replace the European Union

Polish State Channel TVP has claimed that Germany and France have grandiose aspirations. Both nations are allegedly attempting to create a new European superpower to rival the European Union. Polish journalists based their allegations on a document prepared by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Germany and France, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Jean-Marc Ayrault, respectively.

The project should be presented at the meeting of the heads of diplomacy of the Visegrad Four countries, the Czech …


Italian journalist creates news agency in the so-called Luhansk People's Republic

A separatist information agency, LNR Today-Italia, has begun work in the so-called Luhansk People's Republic (LPR).

The agency was created by the Italian journalist, Vittorio Nicola Rangeloni, the Ukrainian activist group, Stop Terror, reports.

"The newly created agency is aimed at reporting on events taking place in the ‘LPR/DPR’, and waging an information war against the government and armed forces of Ukraine,” LNR Today-Italia agency stated.

In addition to articles, the information …


Russia initiates first case regarding law on foreign agents

In Novocherkassk, investigators initiated criminal proceedings against the Chairperson of the Zhenshchiny Dona Foundation, Valentina Cherevatenko, under the Article on willful evasion of implementation of law on foreign agents. It is the first criminal case initiated under this Article in Russia, Radio Svoboda reported. In addition to the Zhenshchiny Dona (Women of the Don) Foundation, Cherevatenko is also the head of the eponymous fund that was added to the Ministry of Justice’s list of NGO …