Those willing to fight are left behind while the unwilling are drafted, according to the US newspaper Kiev’s “secretive and arbitrary” military recruitment, which leads to the drafting of soldiers who are unwilling to serve, is affecting the morale of the Ukrainian troops fighting against Russia, the New York Times has reported.

Several buyers of Russian natural gas have agreed to switch to payment in rubles, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday. “We expect the decision [to switch to rubles] from other importers,” Novak added, in comments published in the ministry’s magazine, without disclosing the identities of the customers who have already switched.

Moscow will continue to inform Washington of its launches, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said Russia will continue to inform the US about its ballistic missile launches despite Moscow suspending its participation in the New START treaty, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has stated.