PHOTOGALLERY
Abkhazia: Rediscovering The Soviet Riviera
VIDEO REPORTS
Daily Vertical: As Long As Europe Remains Europe
Whatever the outcomes of Brexit and sanctions, Putin’s war on europe will continue.
Ukrainian Tank Drills Wargame Enemy Attack
Ukraine’s army is staging what it calls its largest military exercise in modern times, conducting ten days of drills simulating an attack from the east in breach of the Minsk agreement with Russia and Russia-backed separatists.
Russian Sports Minister Says IAAF Is Destroying Athletics
Responding on June 21 to a decision to ban Russian athletes from the Rio Olympic games, Russia's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said the International Association of Athletics Federations is destroying the sport of track and field. (Reuters)
Moscow Remembers Great Patriotic War
On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union in a war that lasted 1,418 days.Yabloko party activists lit the same number of candles in a commemorative event in Moscow, while leaders noted that historical memory has become a tool of political manipulation in Russia to justify foreign aggression. (Russian Service)
Ukrainians Protest Rising Utility Tariffs
Local Kiev residents demanded a moratorium on further utility price hikes, with some pensioners claiming their entire monthly income isn’t enough to cover their utility bills. (Ukrainian Service)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Italy Delays Extension Of EU Sanctions Against Russia
Italy is insisting that the text of the conclusions of the EU’s June 28-29 summit include a commitment by Brussels to review Russian policy later in 2016, delaying an attempt to extend the bloc’s economic sanctions against Russia.
Steinmeier Warns Of ‘New Divides’ Threatening Europe
In an opinion column published in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said "peace in Europe cannot be taken for granted."
SCO Leaders Meeting In Tashkent
The Kremlin said on June 22 that members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, gathered in Tashkent for a two-day summit to discuss regional security and Afghanistan, would address the possible accession to the SCO of Iran, India, and Pakistan in 2017.
Ukraine Completes First 10K Of ‘Smart Border’ With Russia
Slated for completion by 2020, the barrier incorporates optics and electronics to detect vibrations and record border violations. (In Ukrainian)
Weightlifters From Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan Face Rio Ban
The International Weightlifting Federation says weightlifting teams from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus could be banned from the 2016 Olympics in August because of positive drug tests on samples from previous Olympics.
Netflix 'A U.S. Mind-Control Plot'
Russian Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, known for public statements that often veer toward the hyper-patriotic, asserted in an interview published on June 22 that Netflix is part of a U.S. government mind-control project.
Twittersphere Ridicules Russian Plans On Teleportation
A document produced by a Russian interagency working group, described in detail by Kommersant newspaper, lists innovations Russian scientists plan to accomplish by 2035, including a Russia-based coding language, a 5G mobile network, "smart" buildings, and teleportation.
Most Russians Ready To Send Loved Ones To War
A poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center finds that 80 percent of respondents consider themselves patriots, 65 percent would send their loved ones to war if necessary, and 49 percent would send them to the frontline. (In Russian/Current Time TV)
Russian Media Fake Savchenko Scandal
Major Russian media outlets reported on June 22 that Ukrainian military pilot and lawmaker Nadia Savchenko, drunk aboard a plane en route to Strasbourg to attend a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, called for Russian sanctions to be lifted. (In Ukrainian)
Commentary: Military Conflict Scenarios In The Black Sea
Crimean commentator Andrei Vvedenskiy warns that the war of words between NATO and Russia has turned to military escalation, and that a decision by NATO to build a Black Sea fleet would lead Russia to respond by militarizing Crimea further. (In Russian)
INFOGRAPHIC: Which Countries Still Produce And Stockpile Cluster Munitions?