Russia demands investigation of photojournalist murder

 

Moscow demands from Kiev investigate properly the murder of Andrei Stenin, a photojournalist of the Rossiya Segodnya news agency, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

On Wednesday, Rossiya Segodnya Director General Dmitry Kiselyov said Andrei Stenin had been killed in Ukraine a month ago, which has been confirmed by an expert examination.

“The information, made public by the Rossiya Segodnya news agency that is also based on the forensic examination of Stenin’s remains, carried out by the Russian Investigative Committee, suggests that this was another barbarous murder — the work of Ukrainian security forces and the National Guard fighters who controlled, according to eyewitnesses, the territory in which cars came under fire, including the vehicle in which Andrei Stenin’s body was found,” the ministry said.

Russia in case Ukraine’s refusal from cooperation on combat missiles will create its own enterprises in 2-3 months, says the Russian Space Agency

If Ukraine curtails cooperation with Russia on combat missile issues – in particular, the program “Dnepr” – the domestic industry will be able to compensate for this unfriendly move within 2-3 months. Such an opinion was expressed in an interview with Itar- Tass by deputy head of Roscosmos Sergey Ponomarev.

“We have actually studied the composition of funds, the documentation. Our enterprises are developers as well, and if there is a refusal, we will terminate contracts with the Ukrainian side and move all the activities to Russian cooperation”, – said Ponomarev.

Putin instructed to study the prospects of gas cooperation between Russia and Kiev

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, in case of receiving payments from Ukraine, to consider what Russia is ready to do  to continue gas cooperation with Kiev.

“If the conditions on which you negotiate with partners are fulfilled, if payments begin to come in those volumes, which you agreed on, then the Russian government must decide what it is willing to do for further cooperation in the gas sector with partners in Ukraine. I ask the Prime Minister to take appropriate actions, “- said Putin at a meeting with members of the government.

Matviyenko: Russia is ready for the dialogue with the new authorities of Ukraine

Presidential elections in Ukraine were not held without problems, but Russia is ready for the dialogue with the new authorities of the country, said the chairperson of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko.

“We know that these elections were not held without problems, the situation is not the same in all regions, but we respect the choice of the Ukrainian people. Ukrainian people expressed their opinion, and we are ready for the dialogue with the new government that will be formed,” – said the speaker of the upper house of parliament, noting that Russia and Ukraine have much in common.

However, Matvienko said with regret that the hopes that “after the end of voting in Ukraine there will be peace, harmony, will start a national dialogue” did not came true.

Putin stressed the need for an immediate termination of operations in the south- east of Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin in a conversation with the Prime Minister of Italy, Matteo Renzi, stressed the need for an immediate termination of military operations in the south-east of Ukraine.

As the press-service of the Kremlin said, during the telephone conversation the Russian leader and head of the Council of Ministers of Italy “exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine in the context of the results of the presidential elections held on May, 25.”

“They expressed their mutual condolences on the tragic death of an Italian journalist in Ukraine Andrea Rocchelli and a citizen of Russia Andrei Mironov who accompanied him, – the Kremlin said in the statement. – Vladimir Putin stressed the need for an immediate cessation of military reprisal raid in south-eastern areas and establishing peaceful dialogue of Kiev with the representatives of the regions.”

In addition, Putin and Renzi “highly praised the current level and prospects of Russian-Italian collaboration.”

Russian and Italian Foreign Ministers are in favor of phasing out “anti-terrorist operation” in Kiev

Russian and Italian Foreign Ministers during a telephone conversation exchanged condolences over the death of an Italian journalist and his Russian translator in Ukraine, and called for an immediate phasing out of “anti-terrorist operation” unleashed there by Kiev, said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The telephone conversation took place on Sunday at the initiative of the Italian side.

“Sergei Lavrov and Federica Mogerini called for an immediate end of violence in the south- east of Ukraine and immediate phasing out of so-called “anti-terrorist operation” launched by the Kiev authorities there,” – said a statement.