Russia will create a permanent naval base in Syria to expand its military footprint in its closest Middle East ally, a government official said on Monday, a week after Moscow said it was considering reopening Soviet-era bases in Vietnam and Cuba.

• October 10, 2016

Issue # 34
10/10/2016
The withdrawal of forces in Stanytsya Luhanska was disrupted due to continued attacks by the militants.
READ MORE in ARMED CONFLICT IN EASTERN UKRAINE.

• October 10, 2016

Ukraine's military on Sunday postponed a planned parallel withdrawal with pro-Russian separatists from Stanytsa Luhanska, a town on the eastern frontline, saying rebels had disregarded the agreement by firing artillery at Ukrainian positions.

• October 9, 2016

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday he had detected increasing U.S. hostility towards Moscow and complained about what he said was a series of aggressive U.S. steps that threatened Russia's national security.

• October 9, 2016

Russia said on Wednesday it was suspending its nuclear and energy research agreement with the United States as a countermeasure against Washington for imposing sanctions on Russia over Ukraine.

• October 5, 2016

A former senior official from breakaway eastern Ukraine said Russia directly finances pensions and public sector salaries in the two pro-Russian regions there.

• October 5, 2016

Energy ministers from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq will be among representatives of key OPEC producers meeting Russian officials for informal talks on oil output in Istanbul next week, OPEC sources and the Russian energy minister said on Thursday.

• October 5, 2016

The United Nations human rights chief told Russia on Tuesday that air strikes on civilian targets in the Syrian city of Aleppo may amount to crimes against humanity which could be brought before the International Criminal Court.

• October 4, 2016