Russia is continuing to tumble into the demographic abyss. Between January and August, the natural population loss accelerated by a further 30%, the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), announced on Thursday. Over eight months, 994,300 people were born and 1.21 million died. Although mortality fell (by 33,700 people), the birth rate declined more than two and a half times faster (by

13 members of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, have created an interparty coalition called “Kuban”. The new group will work on the return of Ukrainian ethnic territories and ethnic Ukrainians to the cultural and social field, MP Oleksiy Honcharenko, elected head of the union, wrote on Facebook. “First and foremost, we will work on Kuban. But other regions that are densely

The energy systems of Ukraine and Russia are united historically and it is technically impossible to disconnect from Russia’s system now. “Our energy systems are connected historically. They exist as one system and only one part – the Burshtyn Energy Island – has a connection with the European energy system. Our goal is to integrate fully with the European energy

Forty percent of IDPs in Ukraine are ready to return to their homes if the Ukrainian authorities guarantee security in non-government controlled territories, according to a report on the results of a study “Prolonged Temporality: How IDPs Live in Places of Compact Living” by the Right to Protection charity foundation. The results of the study were presented at a press

The Verkhovna Rada at first reading supported bill No. 2239-1 on amending certain legislative acts in connection with the separation of natural gas transportation activities, which is necessary for certification of a new independent operator of the Ukrainian gas transmission system and creation of conditions for signing a transit contract with Gazprom according to European rules. “It is very important

Vietnam is suspending its imports of Russian wheat. Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia’s federal veterinary and phytosanitary supervisory authority, has received a letter from Vietnam containing a request to stop issuing phytosanitary certificates to suppliers of wheat to Vietnam, said department’s spokesperson Yulia Melano as reported by finanz.ru. Russia is the world’s largest wheat exporter, and Vietnam is a major buyer, although it

In making the announcement on October 17, Trump said that he would nominate a successor soon. REUTERS U.S. President Donald Trump says that Energy Secretary Rick Perry – a key player in the controversy over Trump’s dealings with Ukraine – will leave his position by the end of the year. In making the announcement on October 17, Trump said that

Russian President Vladimir Putin has introduced a bill in the State Duma which would have Russia withdraw from the international agreements to establish and recognize the credentials of the UN War Crimes Commission. According to the document, which was published in the database of the lower chamber of parliament, Russia intends to rescind its recognition of one of the additional protocols

Russia-led militants have failed to meet the disengagement terms and the attacks continue, in particular, in the vicinity of Zolote, Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zahorodniuk said at the Verkhovna Rada on Friday in response to the question asked by Opposition Platform – For Life faction co-chair Yuriy Boyko. “The disengagement of forces and hardware on the contact line is conditioned

Almost 230,000 Ukrainians have become human trafficking victims since 1991. “Since 1991, nearly 230,000 Ukrainians have become human trafficking victims. In particular, unfortunately, a study of the International Organization for Migration gave us an estimate that 70,000 Ukrainians suffered from human trafficking in 2015-2017,” Acting Head of Mission at International Organization for Migration Ukraine Anh Nguyen said during a briefing

Russia is preparing to carry out large-scale military aggression against Ukraine not only along the contact line in Donbas but also along the entire section of the border, Head of the Main Directorate of Training, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksiy Taran has said in an interview with the Ukrainian Week magazine. “Russia is

The Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov called Kyiv’s proposal to dissolve the self-proclaimed republics of the Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics) “very unexpected.” According to him, these are some “new inputs” for Moscow, as well as for Berlin and Paris, reports RIA Novosti news agency. After a meeting of a Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine in