The Security Service of Ukraine says around 200 Ukrainian citizens are held hostages by terrorists, a newly appointed advisor to the chairman of the SSU, Yuriy Tandit, announced at a press briefing on Friday. According to him, this number is only approximate since the Centre for Freeing of Hostages constantly receives updated information. "We are talking about approximately 200 people... Forward>>

State Duma Deputy Speaker Sergey Naryshkin announced at a meeting with the delegation of French MPs that Ukraine had been annexing the Crimea for 23 years, "RIA Novosti" reports. "I know that the vast majority of Crimean residents felt all those years, as if they lived in a foreign country and dreamed to join their historic motherland, Russia," Naryshkin stated. As reported earlier, he also announced... Forward>>

According to the reply of Russian Defence Ministry to a request of Human Rights NGO “Citizen. Army. Law” based in Moscow, the two officers used to serve in Russia, but arrived in Ukraine only after having been dismissed. This is the first documented evidence of their actual status, which were received from Russian officials. According to Russian servicemen’s lawyers, the Ministry of Defence... Forward>>

The Government of Japan believes that the Russian aggression against Ukraine poses a danger to the whole world, an annual report on defence endorsed by the Japanese government on Tuesday reveals, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine. Referring to the Ukraine crisis, the report said Russia "has engaged in so-called 'hybrid warfare' that is difficult to identify definitively as an armed attack... Forward>>

PRD rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko considers the Minsk agreements as a tool for the complete seizure of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, rebel websites report with a reference to his latest interview. He also added that all breaches of the ceasefire by government forces would surely have to be punished. "Any shot in the direction of our territory, our houses and our children... Forward>>

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has called for a UN-backed international tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine a year ago, as memorial services were held to mark the anniversary of the incident. "Justice must be delivered for the 298 innocent people who lost their lives," said Hammond, whose country is one of... Forward>>

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says draft amendments to the Ukrainian constitution concerning the decentralization of the national governance system that he has submitted to the Verkhovna Rada do not envision any “special status” of Donbass, and Ukraine will remain a unitary country. "The bill doesn't have the slightest hint about federalization. Ukraine has been, is, and will be... Forward>>

Up to 1.3 million people in war-torn eastern Ukraine are facing acute water shortages and a serious water crisis due to damaged or destroyed infrastructure, the United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Tuesday. Many in the Luhansk region have to rely on water trucks or travel to neighbouring villages to get water. In Mariupol, a city of 500,000 in the Donetsk region, they rely on water... Forward>>

The countries undertaking the independent criminal investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 have asked the UN Security Council to establish an international criminal tribunal to try those responsible for crimes connected to the downing that occurred over Ukraine on 17 July 2014 and took 298 lives. Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine consider... Forward>>

A general in line for the highest US military post says Russia poses the greatest threat to national security. During his confirmation hearing to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen Joseph Dunford called Russia's recent actions "nothing short of alarming". Relations between the US and Russia have deteriorated since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region last year... Forward>>

PA OSCE has recognised the fact of Russian military aggression against Ukraine, Member of the Ukrainian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Deputy Ostap Semerak posted on Facebook. According to him, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted the resolution on "Obvious, gross and uncorrected violations by the Russian Federation of the OSCE commitments... Forward>>

PRD and PRL rebels have come out of Shyrokine, for they received orders from Moscow to take real steps toward disarmament ahead of a new round of Minsk negotiations, Director of the Social and Humanitarian Policy Department of the Ministry of Defence Valentyn Fedichev told Channel 5, as reported by "Ukrinform". "Rebels have taken the initiative to withdraw gunmen from Shyrokine... Forward>>

Over 50,000 Russian troops and 30,000 rebels are massed along the Ukrainian border and in eastern Ukraine, the press officer of the ATO headquarters, Colonel Dmytro Hutsuliak said at a briefing on Friday, according to an UNIAN correspondent. "The situation in the Donbass conflict zone remains tense in a number of areas. According to the ATO Headquarters, insurgents continue to mass their forces... Forward>>

Special monitoring mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe reported 168 explosions in and around the Donetsk airport on June 30 according to the latest report of the mission. The fighting at and around Donetsk airport continued with increased intensity compared to the previous days. Between 9:03 and 13:00hrs, at the Joint Centre... Forward>>

Finland has denied entry to the Russian State Duma speaker to participate in July’s session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (PA OSCE), TASS reports with a reference to Finland’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vesa Hakkinen. Such decision was made because Naryshkin is included in EU’s sanctions list, Hakkinen said... Forward>>

Russia needs to be assured Ukraine will not join NATO, former US National Security Advisor to Jimmy Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski, told Der Spiegel in an interview. "But at the same time Ukraine should have the right to freely choose its political identity and link more tightly with Europe if it chooses. That is the solution,” Brzezinski said. Brzezinski said he supported weapons supplies to Ukraine... Forward>>

Russian President Vladimir Putin is not done in eastern Ukraine, NATO's top commander said on Thursday, cautioning that Russia has been building up supplies on its border with Ukraine and keeping its military options open. U.S. General Philip Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander, said the border between Ukraine and Russia was "wide open," allowing free movement of equipment and supplies... Forward>>

Russia's expulsion from the Council of Europe would mean "the end of dialogue" and deprive PACE of power to have an influence upon the RF, including to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Anne Brasseur has told in an interview with European Truth (Ukrainska Pravda). Ms Brasseur also explained that Russia cooperated with the Council of Europe... Forward>>

The European Union is attempting to convince the Ukrainian authority to implement "late provisions" of the Minsk agreement, in particular those related to the special status of Donbass, without waiting for pro-Russian puppet authorities to fulfil their part, the article "Minsk version 2.5" published in "Evropravda reveals a new Brussels idea in favour of the Kremlin. European Commissioner for European... Forward>>

The European Union has extended sanctions against Russia for another 6 months till 31 January, 2016, Maja Kocijančič, a spokesperson for the EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR) Federica Mogherini announced. #EU extends economic sanctions against #Russia by six months, she posted on Twitter... Forward>>

Senate adopted the bill suggests including arms supplies to Ukraine totaling $ 300 million, including anti-tank means. The document expressed support for the senator 71, reports Fox News. The bill applies not only to Ukraine. It also proposes to speed up the modernization of the Navy, to allocate money for the support of the Afghan army, as well as to suspend the closure ... Forward>>

Russia’s emergencies ministry has send yet another, thirtieth, humanitarian convoy to Donbass, a ministry spokesman told TASS on Thursday. "A convoy of trucks set off from the emergencies ministry’s Don rescue centre at 04:00 a.m. Moscow time. Before the border, the convoy will break in two to deliver about the same amount of cargoes to Donetsk and Lugansk. Both convoys will pass through... Forward>>

Over 270 Ukrainian citizens are illegally held in captivity by pro-Russian rebels and the Russian Federation, an MP and representative of the Trilateral Contact Group, Iryna Gerashchenko, announced at the Wednesday session of the Verkhovna Rada, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda."According to updated information provided by the Ukrainian Security Services, over 270 Ukrainians are held in captivity... Forward>>

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev defined the IMF loans granted to Ukraine as “a large-scale theft,” according to his posts on Facebook on Monday. He produced comments on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s claims that the Russian Federation bribed Viktor Yanukovych’s regime in exchange for his refusal to sign the Association Agreement. "If the $3 billion sovereign loan... Forward>>

The U.S. president has still not decided whether to supply lethal weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces. The matter is under consideration, and the decision will depend on the situation in the conflict zone, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said in an interview published by Gazeta.ru. The most preferable option for the U.S. and the international community... Forward>>