Moscow accuses Ukraine of disrespect for Russian Church

Ongoing nationwide religious celebrations in Ukraine have shown an element of disrespect for the Russian Orthodox Church and its millions of members, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Ukraine is marking this week 1,020 years since Christianity was adopted in Kievan Rus, with church services, processions, and other events to mark the anniversary.

The ministry said the Ukrainian ambassador to Russia was summoned to the ministry on Friday, where he discussed the issue with First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov.

Russia hails Strasbourg court ruling on WWII veteran

Russia welcomes the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling that Latvia must pay World War II veteran Vasily Kononov 30,000 euros ($47,000) in damages, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Kononov had originally demanded 5 million euros ($7.8 million) in compensation for being illegally held in custody by Latvia on charges of war crimes.

“We are glad that justice has triumphed, and that the 85-year-old war veteran, who has endured the hardships of imprisonment and moral and psychological hounding, and who had been illegally prosecuted in Latvia for a long time, has eventually received an unbiased verdict by the European Court of Human Rights,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ruling was made on June 19, but was only announced in full on Thursday. The court rejected Kononov’s other demands, which included moral damages and compensation for the apartment and plot of land he had been forced to sell in order to pay for court expenses and medical treatment.

Russia could place bombers in Latin America, N.Africa – paper

Russian strategic bombers may soon be deployed at airbases in Cuba, Venezuela and Algeria as a response to the U.S. missile shield in Europe and NATO’s expansion, Russian daily Izvestia said on Thursday.

Moscow has strongly opposed the possible deployment by the U.S. of 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and an accompanying tracking radar in the Czech Republic as a threat to its national security. Washington says the defenses are needed to deter a possible strike from Iran, or other “rogue” states.

Moscow has also expressed concern over NATO’s expansion to Russia’s borders and pledged to take “appropriate measures” to counter the U.S. and NATO moves.

Ukrainians protest Sea Breeze 2008 in Crimea

“NATO worse than Gestapo”