• Russia experts expect decline in ruble and price of oil after meeting in Doha

    Russian experts believe that the negotiations in Doha will result in a fuel price slump and the depreciation of the ruble as participants have yet to agree on an oil production freeze, as reported by RBC.

    "In the short-term for sure, we will see a decrease in oil prices, it was 43 dollars per barrel over the weekend. Of course, it will go down, how much exactly, I can't say, but it is obvious," says the former Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation, Oleg Vyugin.

    According to an …

  • Russian journalist: Putin's propaganda turned separatists into heroes

    Russian journalist, Marina Ahmedova, wrote a blog which contains information on Russia’s support of the self-proclaimed LPR and DPR (Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics). Ahmedova stated that the separatists who captured the Donbas were made out to be heroes.  

    “Russian journalists were the ones who decided to make heroes of some militia members. They were with them all the time, went to the front lines with them and broadcasted their military and daily life. They actively glorified heroic …

  • German Intelligence: Russia is using Snowden to drive a wedge between the US and Europe

    According to the BND, Moscow used Edward Snowden to create turmoil between the United States and Western Europe. German intelligence services claim that the Kremlin uses every opportunity to discredit Germany.

    Russia is trying to use the well-known US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden to drive a wedge between Western Europe and the United States. This opinion was expressed by the head of the Federal Intelligence Service BND, Gerhard Schindler and the head of the Federal Office for the …

  • Single mother unsuccessfully tries to prove to Russian court that she did not finance the 'Kiev junta'

    Russian Ekaterina Vologzheninova, who is being convicted for making reposts of materials in support of Ukraine on her personal page on VKontakte, testified in court in her defense. The single mother tried to prove that she cannot finance terrorists as she only receives 500 rubles (about 8 dollars) of child benefits.

    Video from the courtroom has been released by the Russian independent online publication Grani.ru.

    "Ekaterina Vologzheninova who was convicted for making statements against the …

  • Russian MoD: Reports of Russian casualties in the Donbas are 'nonsense'

    According to the Ukrainian Intelligence, 38 bodies of the Russian military were transported from the Donbas to the Russian Federation overnight. The Russian Defense Ministry called this information "nonsense."

    According to the website of the Main Intelligence Directorate (MID) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, 38 dead Russian soldiers were transported from the territory of Ukraine to Russia during the night on Saturday, April 16th. As stated by the Intelligence, the bodies were transported …

  • Ukrainian Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories supports providing benefits to the Donbas

    According to the head of the newly created Ministry, an economic blockade of the Donbas is not appropriate because it distances people from Ukraine.  

    The head of the newly created Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territory Issues, Vadim Chernysh, supports the full payment of pensions and other social assistance for Ukrainian citizens that live in the Donbas."All Ukrainian citizens have equal rights. This is the key message. It is a priority. My position is clear and uncompromising – we will …

  • Ukrainian forces advance near Svetlodarsk

    The  spokesman of the Ukrainian Armed Forces noted a record number of ceasefire violations in recent days.

    Half of all the ceasefire violations are taking place in Avdiivka, northwest of Donetsk.

    The situation remains very tense near Horlivka and Zaitseve, as well as in the area around Svetlodarsk.

    Despite the difficult situation along the contact line, the Ukrainian forces seem to be slowly pushing ahead  into separatist-held territory.

    According to reports emerging on social media, the 54 …

  • Media: Jaresko to purchase Ukraine's largest telecommunications company

    Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko will become the owner of the largest telecommunications company in Ukraine- Datagroup. She is going to acquire Datagroup through Horizon Capital, the company which she co-founded.

    This was reported by the Economic Policy Journal.

    Datagroup, which controls 85% of the Ukrainian market of telecommunications, is owned by businessman Olexandr Kardakov. He went bankrupt due to the fall of the hryvnia exchange rate to the US dollar. As he was unable to …

  • Ukraine and Lithuania to sign memorandum on military cooperation

    According to a report by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Ukraine and Lithuania will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of a joint military training exercise for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

    As it was noted in the statement, the agreement will be signed on the 18th of April during a meeting between the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Stepan Poltorak, and the Lithuanian Minister of National Defense, Juozas Olekas.

    “Following the talks, the parties are planning to sign a …

  • Former US Ambassador to Ukraine: The West's patience is not unlimited

    The West may turn its back to Ukraine if the country does not carry out the reforms. This was said by Steven Pifer, a former US Ambassador to Ukraine and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, at the IX Kyiv Security Forum on Friday, April 15th, Deutsche Welle reported.

    "If you engage in political games instead of reform, you may find yourselves in a situation where the West has turned its back to you. We hope that the new government will work, and it must do so quickly, otherwise there …