Russian irredentism

Judges at the International Criminal Court Jan. 27 gave its prosecutor a green light to launch a new inquiry into allegations of war crimes during a brief but bloody 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.

Europe's top human rights body has sent a delegation to Crimea to assess the situation in the strategic peninsula annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, officials said on Jan. 25.

"It is not borders and state territories that matter, but people’s fortunes," Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

In an interview for Germany's Bild newspaper, he reiterated his position that Russia respected international law in the case of the annexation of Crimea.

European Union envoys have agreed to extend the bloc's economic sanctions on Russia over the crisis in Ukraine by another six months until 31 July 2016, newswires reported on Friday.

The sanctions, which apply to Russia's oil, military and energy sectors as well as individuals linked to the Ukraine conflict, were to expire on 31 january next year  

Russian energy concern Gazprom has stopped supplying UKriane with gas, with CEO Alexey Miller saying Kiev is failing to make the payments needed.

A prepayment system was introduced by Moscow last year, amid a gas pricing dispute that started soon after Crimea was incorporated into Russia.

Interfax quotes Miller as saying Ukraine has issued no new supply requests.

A delegation of two Serbian parties - the DSS and Dveri - that this week visited Crimea has been placed on "a list of criminals," Dveri said in a statement.

According to it, the list is maintained by the Center for Investigation of Crimes against National Security of Ukraine.

Turkey is set to fully finance the construction of Crimea?s largest mosque, Crimea?s grand mufti said Sept. 28.

Crimea Autonomous Republic Grand Mufti Emir Ali Ablayev said the Russian administration had approved the project, which they had been trying to implement for 10 years ? before the time Crimea joined Russia.

Nearly 10 months ago, on Dec. 1, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin surprised the world with the announcement of the cancellation of the South Stream Project, a pipeline to be constructed under the Black Sea and through Bulgaria to supply some 64 bcm natural gas to European countries.

The United States is co-hosting drills in the Black Sea with what is left of Ukraine's devastated navy, which lost about two thirds of its sailors and ships after Russia seized Crimea last year.
 

After catching a 21-kilo fish, piloting a F1 race car and flying in a supersonic warplane, among many other PR stunts, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday was shown plunging into the Black Sea waters in a mini-submarine to explore a shipwreck off Crimea, the peninsula Russia annexed after seizing it from war-torn Ukraine.