Section: War & conflict
Lithuanian special unit will combat Kremlin trolls online
Elves against trolls sounds more than just something out of The Lord of the Rings to Lithuania`s 43-year-old business consultant and blogger Ricardas Savukynas as the battle he`s fighting is no fantasy. The man is part of an informal internet army of Lithuanians trying to counter what they describe as hate speech and pro-Russia propaganda, The...
Russia weaker than West but Putin has significant advantages – Edward Lucas
In terms of figures, Russia is much weaker than the West. However, Vladimir Putin has some serious advantages, which may well prove decisive, a British journalist and publicist Edward Lucas wrote for Tyzhden. According to him, the decisive Russian president is ready for the economic problems that may arise as a result of his actions, and he is...
Number of Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia increases – Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The number of Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia has increased to 17 people over the year, despite the fact that six Ukrainians have been released, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. “Though six prisoners have returned to Ukraine, their total number has not decreased but increased: now we have...
Commission in Russia names cause of Tu-154 crash: equipment failure
A government commission investigating the reason the Russian DoD`s Tu-154 passenger plane crashed into the Black Sea off the Sochi coast has named equipment failure the cause of the tragedy, that`s according to Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov, RIA Novosti reports. ”It is obvious that the equipment did not work as intended. WThe experts...
First details of Russian-Ukrainian clash near Kruta Balka in Donbas: 1 Ukrainian soldier killed, several wounded
As a result of a military clash with the pro-Russian militants in the area of Kruta Balka, a Ukrainian soldier was killed, according to the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation HQ. ”Yesterday, around 15:00, near the village of Kruta Balka, located in the Donetsk direction, a clash occurred between one of the units of the ATO forces and...
Trump says investigation should go on over possible Russian hacking, scoffs at idea of sanctions for cyberattacks
On the continuing federal investigations into Russian hacking during the U.S. election, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, during his Florida visit, said intelligence officials ”should do the best they can, figure it all out,” Business Insider reports. That comment is a departure from the president-elect`s claims that the allegations against...
Ukraine reports battle with Russian militant forces near Kruta Balka in Donbas
The press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation reported 50 ceasefire violations and a direct clash with militants in the past day. In Mariupol direction, the invaders shelled Maryinka and Vodiane from 120mm mortars. They also shelled Krasnohorivka, Talakivka and Shyrokine from 82mm mortars, and Talakivka, Pavlopil, Starohnativka, Shyrokine,...
OSCE security monitors targeted by Russian hackers
An international monitoring body has said its IT systems were hit by cyber attackers in a ”major security incident” that compromised its network, according to the BBC. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) refused to speculate on reports that Russian hackers were behind the attack, the BBC reported. It has observers in...
Russia`s embassy in Damascus comes under shelling twice today
The Russian embassy in Damascus has been shelled twice over the day, Russia`s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, according to Russian news agency TASS. ”At 13:00 and 13:19 [Moscow time] on December 28, the Russian embassy in Syria was shelled by terrorists. One mine, which, fortunately, did not explode, fell in the courtyard of the compound of...
Russian troops shell Ukraine positions in Donbas 44 times in past 24 hours, massing Grads near Svitlodarska Duha
Positions of the Ukrainian military in the zone of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in Donbas were fired on by pro-Russian militants 44 times over the past day. View map in full size It is noted that the occupying forces continue shelling the Ukrainian positions in all directions. In particular, in the Mariupol direction, the village of...