Section: News & Summaries

      Putin orders snap checks in Russian armed forces Aug 25-31
      Aug25

      Putin orders snap checks in Russian armed forces Aug 25-31

      A surprise combat readiness check has been announced in the Southern, Western and Central military districts, in the Northern Fleet and also in major commands of the Aerospace and Airborne Forces, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Thursday, according to Russian news agency TASS. ”Today another snap check has started in Russia in...

      Russian proxies intensify attacks on ATO forces on Independence Day
      Aug25

      Russian proxies intensify attacks on ATO forces on Independence Day

      Combined Russian-separatist forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in eastern Ukraine 85 times in the past 24 hours – 38 times in the Donetsk sector, 22 times in the Mariupol sector and 25 times in the Luhansk sector – according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation headquarters. In the Donetsk sector, the enemy fired 122mm...

      NYT: Norway will build a fence at its Arctic border with Russia
      Aug25

      NYT: Norway will build a fence at its Arctic border with Russia

      Norway is putting up a steel fence at a remote Arctic border post with Russia after an influx of migrants last year, sparking an outcry from refugees` rights groups and fears that cross-border ties with the former Cold War adversary will be harmed, according to The New York Times. The government says a new gate and a fence, about 660 feet long...

      Ukraine`s foreign ministry: No Ukrainians among Italy quake victims
      Aug25

      Ukraine`s foreign ministry: No Ukrainians among Italy quake victims

      Ukraine`s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that there were no Ukrainians among victims of a recent earthquake in Italy, according to Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. ”Fortunately, there are no Ukrainian citizens among those who have died in Italy. Neither are there Ukrainians among the injured,” spokesperson for the ministry Oresta...

      Turkish tanks, special forces launch first major push into Syria to battle IS
      Aug25

      Turkish tanks, special forces launch first major push into Syria to battle IS

      Turkish special forces, tanks and jets backed by planes from the U.S.-led coalition launched their first co-ordinated offensive into Syria on Wednesday to try to drive Islamic State from the border and prevent further gains by Kurdish militia fighters, Reuters has reported. Turkish tank units and Syrian rebels backed by the NATO member crossed...

      Normandy format may soon be ”resuscitated”: Poroshenko
      Aug25

      Normandy format may soon be ”resuscitated”: Poroshenko

      Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that talks with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel may lead to resumption of the Normandy format in the near future, according to a UNIAN correspondent. ”My talks with the leaders of Germany and France give reason to hope that in the near future, despite any...

      Reuters: Oil prices dip as focus returns to global supply overhang
      Aug25

      Reuters: Oil prices dip as focus returns to global supply overhang

      Crude prices dipped on Thursday as brimming U.S. and Asian fuel inventories returned investor attention to a large global supply overhang, cutting short a price-rally and restricting Brent crude futures to below the $50 a barrel mark, according to Reuters. International benchmark Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 were trading down 7 cents at $48.98...

      Russia presses charges against Ukraine`s defense minister, top brass for Donbas attacks
      Aug24

      Russia presses charges against Ukraine`s defense minister, top brass for Donbas attacks

      Russia`s Investigative Committee said on Wednesday it has opened a criminal case against Ukraine`s defense minister and the General Staff chief over the artillery shelling of civilians in Donbas, according to Russian news agency TASS. ”The investigators have received enough data that the illegal actions against the civilians were carried out upon...

      2,504 Ukrainian soldiers killed for over two years of war: Poroshenko
      Aug24

      2,504 Ukrainian soldiers killed for over two years of war: Poroshenko

      A total of 2,504 Ukrainian soldiers were killed defending Ukraine since the beginning of 2014, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said during a speech in the center of Kyiv on the occasion of Ukraine`s Independence Day. ”Looking back on more than two years of war, we can confidently assert that the enemy was not able to implement any strategic...

      Reuters: Iran signals more willingness for OPEC action to boost oil price
      Aug24

      Reuters: Iran signals more willingness for OPEC action to boost oil price

      Iran is sending positive signals that it may support joint action to prop up the oil market, sources in OPEC and the oil industry said, potentially aiding efforts to revive a global deal on freezing production levels at talks next month, according to Reuters. OPEC`s third-largest producer has been boosting output after the lifting of Western...