• Ukraine may File Counterclaim against Moscow over $3 Billion Debt

    Ukraine may be able to prove in court that the country cannot pay the debt owed to Russia due to ongoing attacks.

    According to an attorney, Kiev may even make a counterclaim against Russia. Ukraine may not only be able to overturn the $3 billion debt owed to Russia, which was borrowed by the government of the former president, Victor Yanukovch; but the country may make a counterclaim against Moscow due to the destruction and loss created during the military invasions in Crimea and the Donbas. …

  • Ukrainian Intelligence: There are 8,000 Russian Soldiers in Donbas

    According to various sources, the number of Russian soldiers within the territory of Ukraine has remained virtually unchanged for a quite some time. There are almost 7,700 Russian soldiers in the Donbas region, as reported by Vadym Skybytsky, representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, speaking on Ukrainian television.

    According to his data, in total there are 34,000 people in the so-called First and Second Army Corps.

    "The First and Second Army …

  • Ukrainian Businessman Sues Russia over Crimean Airport

    Ukrainian businessman Igor Kolomoisky is asking for Russia to be held liable for denying his right to operate a passenger terminal at the Belbek Airport in Crimea. The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague has taken this complaint against the Russian Federation under consideration. Igor Kolomoisky is a Ukrainian businessman and the owner of the Belbek Airport Company. The initiation of this case was reported on the Facebook page of the Court.

    He accuses the Russian Federation of …

  • Shinzo Abe Seeks To End Territorial Dispute with Moscow

    Voice of America reports that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold a summit to discuss the controversial Kuril Islands. The Prime Minister also wished to discuss a peace treaty between the two countries, as one hasn’t been signed since the Second World War.

    According to the Japanese Prime Minister, it's not "normal" that Moscow and Tokyo have not signed a peace agreement in all this time. It has been 70 years since the end of World War II.

    The …

  • Ukraine Proposes New Trade Route to Bypass Russia

    Ukraine will try to circumvent the blockade of the transit of goods through Russian territory by using a "New Silk Road". The route will be put to the test on January 15th as a train departs from the city of Ilyichevsk for a demonstration. This information was provided by the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, as reported by Apostrophe.

    The Ministry stated that on January 15th the first train will ride the new "Silk Road" from Ukraine to China. The container train will leave from …

  • LPR Leader Promised To Release All Prisoners for Orthodox Christmas

    In a special message to the Luhansk Information Center, The head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, Igor Plotnitsky, promised the release of Ukrainian prisoners.

    "On Christmas eve, honoring the spirit of Christmas, I ordered the release of Ukrainian servicemen being held in the LPR. I am sure that the light of Bethlehem star and Christmas prayers will help Kiev come up with an appropriate reciprocating gesture. We are ready to resolve all differences at the negotiating table, …

  • DPR Leaders Call for Resignation of French President

    The leadership of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) has called for the President of France, François Hollande, to resign due to crimes committed in the Donbas region and Syria. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPR, Alexander Kofman, and the Deputy of the People’s Council of the DPR, Vladislav Berdichevskiy, asked Hollande to tender his resignation during a video conference.

    “In fact, the coup d’état that happened in Ukraine has led to the military showdown between the eastern …

  • Naftogaz Hires Prominent US Attorneys

    National joint-stock company Naftogaz of Ukraine has engaged the law firm of Covington and Burling LLP (New York, USA) to protect the company’s interest in litigation concerning lost shelf assets in the Crimea. According to an announcement in the Visnyk Derzhavnykh Zakupivel public procurements bulletin, the gas transportation company signed a one-year agreement with the law firm on January 1st, 2016.

    The cost of the agreement is $1.25 million (value added tax not included). “The services that …

  • Russians continue to buy real estate in Turkey

    Citizens of Russia continue to buy real estate in Turkey, despite the recent crisis in relations between the two countries following the incident in which a Russian plane that was shot down for violating Turkish airspace. Last year, real estate sales to Russians totaled $398 million  worth of property.

    Fatih Elibol, senior manager at the international real estate investment consultancy Realty-TR, noted in an interview with an AA reporter that Russians continue to buy property in Turkey despite …

  • More blackouts for Crimean Residents

    Residents of the Crimea are experiencing further electricity blackouts following the malfunction of two 22,500 MW gas turbine power stations which were recently delivered from eastern Russia in order to ensure the supply of power to the Crimean peninsula. The inhabitants of the annexed territory are now being asked to use electricity sparingly, Kerch.com reported.

    The city of Kerch will primarily be affected, as repair crews will have to shut off three to five power lines providing electricity …