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Russia-backed separatist blocking aid in east Ukraine.
In his statement on Tuesday, Ivan Simonovic, the assistant U.N. secretary-general for human rights noted that efforts by Russia-backed separatist rebels to block "desperately needed" humanitarian aid from reaching people in conflict-ridden eastern Ukraine could amount to crimes against humanity. Mr. Simonovic criticized as a "great mistake" the move by rebels who control the eastern city of Luhansk to kick out U.N. and humanitarian aid agencies.
"I do think that currently the military warfare …
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$20 million military aid to Ukraine.
President Obama has authorized the U.S. State Department to provide up to $20 million to Ukraine to fund military training and other similar activities.This came one day after Ukraine announced that US instructors would start training the country’s special forces.
“The authority... to direct the drawdown of up to $20 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense and military education and training to provide assistance for the Government of Ukraine,” the Presidential …
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Dozens of civilians killed in Russian airstrikes.
At least 27 civilians are reported to have been killed Wednesday in first Russian airstrikes on Syrian towns near the city of Homs.Earlier today the upper house of the Russian parliament gave President Vladimir Putin approval to use the air force in Syria, according to state media.
"The Federation Council unanimously supported the President's request -- 162 votes in favor of granting permission," Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergey Ivanov said, according to ITAR-Tass.
The vote came after a …
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Military deployment to Syria approved by Russian parliament.
The upper house of Russia's parliament has voted to allow the military to be deployed in Syria, making it the first formal move to legalize Russian air strikes on the militant Islamic State (IS) group.
According to US intelligence, within hours Russia appeared to have carried out its first attack.
Although as assured by a senior Kremlin official, no ground troops would be involved in Syria, only the air force.
Earlier this week President Vladimir Putin called for a broad anti-terror …
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Russian rocket launchers spotted in Ukraine.
As reported by OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM), Russian TOS-1 thermobaric rocket launchers have been spotted in Ukraine.A multiple launch thermobaric rocket system (TOS-1 Buratino, 220mm) was spotted at Kruhlyk training area around 30 km south-west of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, controlled by pro-russian forces. TOS-1 is a Russian 220mm 30-barrel (original system, Ob.634 or TOS-1M) or 24-barrel (Ob.634B or TOS-1A) multiple rocket launcher and thermobaric weapon mounted on a T-72 tank …