Section: Main news
U.S. Senate Democrat Dick Durbin wants independent Russia probes
The second-ranking U.S. Senate Democrat called Monday for an independent commission as well as a special prosecutor to investigate Russian interference in the U.S. election, according to Bloomberg. Minority Whip Dick Durbin, back from a trip to Ukraine and other countries he said were worried about Russia, told Bloomberg editors and reporters in...
SBU bans chief mediator for swaps from visiting occupied Donbas
The SBU Security Service of Ukraine has confirmed it canceled permission for head of the Ukrainian ”Officer Corps” center for the exchange of prisoners of war Volodymyr Ruban to enter the occupied areas in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. ”The SBU has cancelled Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Ruban`s permission to cross the contact line,” SBU press...
Reuters: Oil edges up as bullish bets on rising prices hit record high
Oil prices edged higher on Monday as investors showed record confidence that prices would rise further, though gains were capped by the prospect of faster growth in U.S. oil production, according to Reuters. On its second to last day as the front-month contract, Brent futures for April delivery were up 16 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $56.15 a barrel...
The New York Times tells story of Ukrainian show battling Russian propaganda
Ukraine`s ”StopFake News” is no Onion-style satire, but rather positions itself as serious public service journalism, identifying fake news and debunking it on the air, The New York Times wrote in its piece titled ”To Battle Fake News, Ukrainian Show Features Nothing but Lies.” NYT explains, that is because Kyiv, with its running battle with...
IMF again postpones decision on loan tranche for Ukraine
The Executive Board of Ukraine`s key creditor, the International Monetary Fund is not going to consider the Ukrainian issue in the coming week, according to its schedule of meetings formed until March 6. There is only one issue on the agenda – the analysis of a micro-financial situation. Earlier, head of the IMF External Relations Department...
Montenegro seeks arrest of Russian spy over coup plot
Montenegro is to indict a top Russian spy it accuses of masterminding a failed plot to topple its pro-western government and stop the tiny Balkan nation from joining NATO, according to The Times. Eduard Shishmakov, 46, a captain in the Russian navy who was exposed as an agent for GRU military intelligence, is accused of running a network of...
Ukrainian gas reserves down to less than 8.4 bcm
Natural gas reserves in Ukrainian underground gas storages (USFs) shrank by 2.6%, or 222 million cubic meters (mcm), on February 18-25, to 8.386 billion cubic meters (bcm) from 8.608 bcm, according to the state-run gas transport system operator Ukrtransgaz. As reported, 23.5 mcm of gas was pumped from USFs February 25 alone. Earlier, the...
Russian official reacts to Avakov`s statement on liberation of Donbas
A Federation Council member has issued a comment regarding an earlier statement of Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov claiming the Ukrainian authorities have a plan for Donbas settlement. ”Avakov said: Kyiv ”has a plan for the return of Crimea and Donbas,” but did not disclose the essence. However, Crimea is definitely not to return. With...
Yanukovych says Maidan crackdown organized by Firtash, Lyovochkin
A disgraced Ukrainian ex-president, Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia following a carnage during Euromaidan protests, said he had not ordered a violent dispersal of activists earlier in late 2013, and accused the then environment in plotting intrigues against him, according to his interview with the German publication Der Spiegel, Deutsche...
Russia to deploy Buk missiles and more S-400 aircraft missile systems in occupied Crimea
The Russian Navy will deploy Buk anti-aircraft missile systems in occupied Crimea, allegedly with the aim to protect ships and submarines of the Black Sea Fleet from attacks by aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise missiles, Russian newspaper Izvestia reported. According to experts, Buk naval systems together with S-300 and S-400...