Russia

NIS - Four Serbian Armed Forces’ (VS) tank crews will take part in a tank biathlon that will be held in Russia in early August, and Serbia’s Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic, who attended preparations for the event, expects them to win.

Ukranian president wants Merkel "more involved"

KIEV -- Petro Poroshenko has called German Chancellor Angel Merkel and other world leaders to get more involved and help settle the conflict in the country.

Poroshenko referred to the clashes as "pro-Russian uprising in the east of the country."

Ceasefire in Ukraine's Donbass region was violated more than 20 times in the last 24 hours, Ukrainian President Poroshenko told German Chancellor Merkel.

He was quoted by Germany's Zeit Online as reporting the truce was "not being observed", just days after Kiev announced its troops were laying down arms used for months against pro-Russian rebels in the east and south.

JAGODINA - Delegations of the Serbian-Russian humanitarian centre in Nis and Emerikon, an agency for humanitarian demining in Paracin, on Sunday laid wreaths and flowers at a memorial tomb in Jagodina where 1,170 Red Army soldiers were buried during the liberation of that part of Serbia in World War II.

"Serbia to be Russia's priority in terms of gas supply"

BELGRADE -- Serbia will be a priority to the Russian Federation in terms of natural gas supply, especially in the winter period, Aleksandar Antić has said.

Russian collar tightening around Serbia

Without the announced visit of the Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic to Moscow, the officials of Russia and Serbia met at least three times in two weeks. Analysts claim that Russia is ‘tightening brotherly hug’.

VIENNA - Russian President Vladimir Putin is to arrive on a one-day visit to Vienna on Tuesday, where he will meet with the chair-in-office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Swiss President Didier Burkhalter, as well as the next OSCE chair, Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic, the Austrian media report.

MOSCOW - Serbian Minister of Energy and Mining Aleksandar Antic has agreed with representatives of the Russian company Silovije Masini in Moscow to step up repair works on the turbines in the hydro power plant (HPP) Djerdap on the Danube River.

MOSCOW - Serbia will be a priority to the Russian Federation in terms of natural gas supply, especially in the winter period, regardless of the fact that Russia and Ukraine are in a very sensitive phase of relations in connection with the transport of Russian gas across the territory of Ukraine, Serbian Minister of Energy and Mining Aleksandar Antic has told Tanjug.

The US has imposed sanctions against separatists in eastern Ukraine, including asset freezes against seven pro-Russian leaders, as the crisis there shows no sign of easing.