• Kerry: Russia is not an ally of the US in Syria, though it helps Washington in other areas

    Russia has not strengthened its position in the Middle East after the intervention in Syria, as stated by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, in an interview with CBS that was conducted on Sunday, March 27, 2016. In his opinion, this idea is "ludicrous."

    Kerry stressed that Russia is not a US ally in Syria, although it helps Washington with other aspects that are in the "strategic interests" of the United States. In particular, according to him, Russia helped with Iran's nuclear agreement …

  • NATO jets follow Russian Defense Minister's plane over Baltic Sea

    NATO fighter aircraft followed a plane carrying Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu on his way to the Kaliningrad region, TASS reported.

    Shoygu’s plane flew over international waters with an escort of Russian Su-27 naval aviation fighters, and was followed by NATO Eurofighter Typhoons at a distance of approximately two kilometers.

    According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Shoygu travelled to Kaliningrad in order to inspect the Chkalovsk airfield as well as the Admiral F. F. Ushakov …

  • US Embassy in Moscow discloses information about the CIA Director's visit to Russia earlier this month

    A spokesman for the US Embassy in Russia, William Stevens, discussed CIA Director John Brennan’s visit to Moscow, on Monday, March 28th, RIA Novosti reported.

    According to the embassy spokesman, Brennan discussed the observance of the truce in Syria with Russian authorities and stressed the necessity of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leaving his post.

    "Director Brennan visited Moscow in early March to communicate to Russian officials the importance for Russia and the Assad regime to adhere …

  • Duma Deputy from Yaroslavl fined for placing plaque in memory of Nemtsov

    The Deputy of the Yaroslavl Regional Duma, Vasyl Tsependa, was fined 500 rubles for the installation of the plaque on the house where Boris Nemtsov lived in the Russian city of Yaroslavl. Tsepeda intends to appeal the decision in court.

    A fine was imposed after the conclusion of the Commission on the Consideration of Administrative Offences of the Kirov and Lenin Districts of Yaroslavl. "Initially the authorities said that we illegally erected a memorial and now that we illegally installed an …

  • The Massandra Vineyard in Crimea is being sold off by Russia

    The famous Massandra winery in the Crimea is being sold off by the Russian authorities in the framework of the privatization of occupied lands on the Peninsula, Shipilov.com reported.

    Recently, a company from Moscow, Elias, purchased 36 hectares (89 acres) of the former Massandra vineyard near Gurzuf.

    Only three companies, Elias, Nizhnevolzhskstroyservise, and MKL plus were admitted to the auction, which is a formal part of the privatization process.

    Little is known about the owner of Elias, …