Two Ukraine soldiers killed as tensions
with russia soar. two ukrainian soldiers
died monday after an explosion in the
war torn east of the country. The army
said as top US and Russian officials
held talks amid soaring tensions.
The high-stakes negotiations come amid
fears of a russian invasion of its
pro-western neighbor ukraine. As a result of an explosion of an
unknown explosive device. Two servicemen
received injuries incompatible with life, the army said.
In a statement on facebook the army
accused separatists of firing at its
positions with grenade launchers, machine
guns and small arms. Monday's talks in geneva launch a week
of diplomacy between Russia and the west
after Moscow amassed tens of thousands
of troops at the ukrainian border, drawing the united states into a cold
war style standoff.
Both sides have set firm lines with
washington warning of severe diplomatic
and economic consequences from an
invasion of ukraine and russia demanding
wide-ranging concessions from the west.
US secretary of state anthony blinken
stressed sunday that russia had to
choose between dialogue and
confrontation. Western officials have warned moscow it
could also see NATO boost its presence
near russia's borders.
Moscow insists it was deceived after the
cold war and understood that NATO would
not expand eastward. Russia has put intense pressure on
ukraine since 2014 after a revolution
overthrew a government that had sided
with the kremlin against moving closer
to europe.
Russia seized the crimean peninsula and
backs an insurgency in eastern ukraine
in which more than 13,000 people have
died. russia debuts new missile-carrying
bomber amid heightened tensions over
ukraine.
Russia's military unveiled on
wednesday a new tuple of Tu-160M strategic missile carrying bomber amid
heightened tensions with the US and NATO over the possibility of moscow invading Ukraine. The bomber, nicknamed the white swan
performed its debut flight by russian
military pilots, state news agency tas
reported.
The new aircraft has 80 of its systems
and equipment modernized, ceo of the
united aircraft corporation UAC, Yuri Slyasar said.
Russian industry and trade minister Dennis Manchirov said the new bomber can
eventually carry what he described as
breakthrough weapons.
The "White Swan" is a russian supersonic
variable sweep wing strategic missile
carrying bomber and it is designated to
strike enemy targets in remote areas
with nuclear and conventional weapons.
Russia's military announcement of the
new bomber comes at a time of heightened
tensions with the US and NATO over the
potential of russia invading ukraine, after moscow amassed nearly 100,000
troops near the border with kiev.
U.S and Russia have begun talks in geneva
on monday in an effort to avoid a crisis
in Ukraine, but have yet to reach any
concrete results.
Meanwhile u.s democrats prepared a bill
which would impose extensive sanctions
on russian government and military
officials, including president vladimir
putin if moscow takes any hostile
actions against ukraine.
NATO has also been talking to russia
over ukraine, in hopes to negotiate about
weapons control and missile deployments
but held firmly against allow Moscow to
veto ukraine's ambition to join the
alliance.
