Breaking News, 25th of April, 2018

Russia publicly opposes the sending of the Qatari military to Syria, according to a member of the Federation Council of Russia Igor Morozov. As it became known, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia requested Qatar to send their troops to Syria to replace the Americans. However, the Russian senator pointed out that such action is a gross violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the existing norms of international law. Foreign states must request permission to enter directly from Damascus.

Russian Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy announced that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirmed the absence of any chemical weapons in the Barza research center in Damascus. «In 2017, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons conducted inspections at the laboratories of the said research center. Based on their results, the absence of any activity related to the development and production of chemical agents has been confirmed.» — Sergei Rudskoy explained. Earlier, Sergei Lavrov said that the missile strikes, carried out by the United States and their allies on Syria, occurred in order to disrupt the investigation of experts of the OPCW.

Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow is favoring the idea of maintaining the existing plan of action regarding the Iranian nuclear program, an alternative to which does not yet exist. «We know that the plan in its present form is the result of strained diplomatic efforts by many countries.» Peskov noted that it is unknown whether or not it is even possible to repeat such successful results in the current situation. Earlier, Emmanuel Macron expressed the hope that Russia, Turkey, as well as regional players and European countries will join the new agreements on Iran’s nuclear program.

Cessation of the gas transit through Ukrainian territory could lead to a full-scale conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the director of »Naftogaz» Yury Vitrenko announced. «If there will be no more transit through the territory of Ukraine — the likelihood of a full-scale conflict between Russia and Ukraine will increase as well.» — he explained to the channel «112 Ukraine». According to Vitrenko, Kiev brings this message to European politicians, just so they can understand «Not only the economic consequences for Ukraine, but also the geopolitical consequences for the whole world.»

Ukrainian forces fired at the LPR positions eight times over the past day. Villages Kalinovka, Logvinovo, Nizhne Lozovoe, Zhelobok, as well as the area of the monument to Prince Igor, were under attack. Artillery, mortars of various calibers, weaponry of infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers and small arms were used in the shelling.

In DPR, over the past day, the Ukrainian troops violated the ceasefire agreements 43 times, firing over 1,000 shells at the frontline zones of the DPR. The northern and western areas of Donetsk, the Yasinovaty and Gorlovka neighborhoods, Dokuchaevsk, and also the villages in the south of the Republic were under fire. The shelling count thus has been almost doubled in comparison with the previous day.