While Russia continues, without any credibility, to deny its undeclared war against Ukraine, the Kremlin’s proxies in Donbas are introducing measures to ‘combat the ideology of extremism and terrorism’ copied straight from the Russian original.

Courageous believers have held a third picket in Moscow affirming that denunciations and prosecutions for ‘offending believers’ feelings’ run counter to Christ’s teachings. Their protest came as Russia’s upper house of parliament passed a law which criminalizes failure to denounce others and makes it possible to prosecute 14-year-olds for taking part in demonstrations.

Ukrainian volunteer Natalya Vashchenko advises any Ukrainians travelling to Russian-occupied Crimea to be extremely careful, to avoid any comments on social networks or unnecessary conversations. Her recent experiences with the FSB make her advice well-worth heeding

Ukrainian volunteer Natalya Vashchenko advises any Ukrainians travelling to Russian-occupied Crimea to be extremely careful, to avoid any comments on social networks or unnecessary conversations. Her recent experiences with the FSB make her advice well-worth heeding

If convicted of ‘maliciously evading’ compliance with the demands of Russia’s law on ‘foreign agents’, human rights activist Valentina Cherevatenko could face up to 2 years’ imprisonment. Her organization’s problems began after initiating a project aimed at monitoring implementation of the Minsk Agreement on the war in Donbas.

There was something obscenely ironic about Kremlin officials and surrogates cheering the results of the Brexit referendum, given that a similar democratic exercise could never take place in Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

The Kremlin-backed militants of the so-called ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ [DNR] have congratulated Britons on voting to leave the European Union, and compared Brexit to their ‘referendum’ in 2014.

The children of Crimean Muslims imprisoned in Russian-occupied Crimea on fictitious ‘terrorism’ charges have been accosted and frightened by FSB officers who tell them that their fathers are in prison and will stay there

Oleksandr Kolchenko, the Ukrainian civic activist tried together with filmmaker Oleg Sentsov on involvement in a non-existent ‘terrorist plot’, has been refused a visit from the Ukrainian consul with the prison authorities claiming that Kolchenko is a Russian national. Most ominously, he is being put under pressure to sign a Russian passport they have already prepared.

The largest Crimean Tatar Flag in the world was unfurled in Kyiv on June 26, marking the 25th anniversary of a profoundly poignant anniversary for Crimean Tatars.

Britain’s parliament is not legally obliged to heed this referendum. It probably will, but should not claim that this is “the voice of the people” when those who will suffer most and the longest had no voice and certain politicians and media misinformed their readers about the critical facts

A monument to the victims of the Deportation of the Crimean Tatars is to appear in Crimea, sculpted by the same artist responsible for the monument to the Russian soldiers used by Moscow to invade and annex Crimea and now referred to as ’peacekeepers’.

Two and a half years after Ukraine’s Maidan forced the withdrawal of a law introducing sweeping dictatorial powers, Russia has passed a law which seems aimed at terrorizing and silencing civil society with direct impact for Ukrainians in Crimea under Russian occupation.

A fictitious ‘Assembly of Romanians of Bukovyna’ is for the second year running reported to be demanding greater autonomy for ethnic Romanians and complaining that the rights of minorities are violated in Ukraine

The good news that a court in Russian-occupied Crimea had revoked a politically motivated sentence against Volodymyr Balukh was short-lived. The pro-Ukrainian activist has been tried on exactly the same absurd charges and received an identical sentence.

There have been a string of assaults and arson attacks targeting Russians who have openly criticized their government on social-networking sites.

Arsen Dzhepparov, one of the two youngest Crimean Tatars facing invented ‘terrorism’ charges in Russian-occupied Crimea may well have been arrested as revenge for his refusal to secretly collaborate with the local FSB. The lack of any grounds for the accusations is of no concern to the courts and both Dzhepparov and Refat Alimov have been remanded in custody for a further 3 months

Any talk about easing sanctions against Russia for partial compliance must seem particularly insulting to the wives of two Ukrainian military officers - Oleksandr Korinkov and Serhiy Glondar - taken prisoner during the siege of Debaltseve in February 2015, four days after a supposed ceasefire agreed by Vladimir Putin in Minsk

Any talk about easing sanctions against Russia for partial compliance must seem particularly insulting to the wives of two Ukrainian military officers - Oleksandr Korinkov and Serhiy Glondar - taken prisoner during the siege of Debaltseve in February 2015, four days after a supposed ceasefire agreed by Vladimir Putin in Minsk

While Ukraine’s leaders actively protest against Russia’s political trials of Ukrainians, politically motivated charges against Russian nationals are cited as reasons for rejecting asylum requests