site.news_by_theme CIS
Three astronauts land back on Earth in Soyuz capsule
Three astronauts, including a Russian and an American, touched down safely on Earth Wednesday aboard a Soyuz capsule, the first such landing since Russia's relationship with the West slumped amid the Ukraine crisis.
14 May 2014
Explosions, gunfire near Ukraine's Slavyansk
Several explosions and gunfire could be heard near the flashpoint eastern Ukrainian town of Slavyansk Monday, according to an AFP reporter there, as Kiev seeks to flush out pro-Moscow rebels holed up there.
12 May 2014
Lithuania's 'Iron Lady' poised for victory amid Russia fears
Lithuanians began voting Sunday to elect their president, with incumbent "Iron Lady" Dalia Grybauskaite a shoo-in as fears in the EU Baltic state soar over a resurgent Russia.
11 May 2014
Red Cross says workers detained in east Ukraine freed
Nine Red Cross members whom rebels said they had detained in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk have been released, officials from the organisation told AFP Saturday.
10 May 2014
Bearded drag queen among favourites to win Eurovision
A bearded drag queen who was initially written off as too provocative for some socially conservative countries is now a favourite to win Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest, tinged as always with regional politics.
10 May 2014
Putin takes victory lap to annexed Crimea
President Vladimir Putin took a victory lap Friday in his first visit to Crimea since its annexation by Russia, as fighting in eastern Ukraine left more than 20 dead just days ahead of a separatist vote.
10 May 2014
Central Asia step closer to nuclear weapons free zone
Five nuclear powers signed a new Protocol to the existing Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (CANWFZ) Treaty in New York on Tuesday.
08 May 2014
Death toll rises in Ukraine, fresh warnings of civil war
The death toll from a military offensive in a flashpoint town in east Ukraine rose to at least 34, officials said Tuesday, amid fresh warnings of civil war and the shutdown of a major airport in the region.
07 May 2014
15-yo Kazakh model wins Grand Prix at Miss World Russian Beauty
The Miss World Russian Beauty-2014 Grand Final was held in New York. 15-yo Diana Bahtiyarkyzy from Kazakhstan's Semey won the Grand Prix in the Mini Miss World Russian Beauty category.
06 May 2014
Europe tries new peace bid for Ukraine as Kiev warns of war
European leaders are desperately pushing a new peace bid for Ukraine as the country slipped towards what its interim president warned Monday was already a "war" in the face of spreading violence.
05 May 2014
Russia's Samoilova, Cannes film star, dead at 80
Tatyana Samoilova, the Soviet-era movie star best known for her roles in "The Cranes are Flying" and "Anna Karenina", died on Monday aged 80.
05 May 2014
Dozens die in Odessa blaze as Ukraine violence spreads
More than 30 people were killed in a "criminal" blaze in Ukraine's southern city of Odessa, as violence spread across the country during the bloodiest day since Kiev's Western-backed government took power.
03 May 2014
10 die in fire at Russian ammunition depot
Ten soldiers and civilian staff at a Russian military munitions depot burnt to death while fleeing a fire that sparked a series of explosions, the defence ministry said.
30 April 2014
Japan to deny visas to 23 Russians over Ukraine crisis
Japan said Tuesday it would deny visas to 23 Russian nationals as part of its additional sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.
29 April 2014
Wounded Kharkiv mayor flown to Israel for treatment
The mayor of Kharkiv, who was left in critical condition after being shot in the back by an unknown assailant, has been flown to Israel for treatment, local officials said.
29 April 2014
EU, US in cautious lockstep on Russia sanctions
The United States has been moving cautiously in slapping sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, keen to keep its EU allies on board and avoid exposing fault lines within the European bloc, analysts say.
29 April 2014
Kazakhstan Majilis approves Joint Air Defense bill
The Lower Chamber of the Kazakhstan Parliament has approved ratification of the Kazakhstan-Russia Joint Air Defense Agreement.
29 April 2014
Fire kills 8 at Russian drug rehab centre: investigators
Eight people were killed on Sunday when a fire ravaged a drug rehab centre in Russia's Altai region, investigators said, raising fresh questions about security standards in the country's medical facilities.
28 April 2014
G7 to impose new sanctions on Russia as Kiev warns of 'world war'
The Group of Seven rich countries agreed Saturday to impose new sanctions on Russia over the crisis in Ukraine, after Kiev accused Moscow of seeking to trigger a "third world war".
26 April 2014
Obama says Russia not abiding by deal on Ukraine
US President Barack Obama accused Russia on Thursday of failing to respect an agreement to defuse the crisis in Ukraine, the latest salvo in the Cold War-like duel between Washington and Moscow over the future of the ex-Soviet nation.
25 April 2014