"Putin's criminal war is getting closer to our borders," Polish Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, said on Wednesday.

Officials say Russian weapons pounded Ukrainian cities overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, injuring at least 15 people in an attack that mostly targeted energy infrastructure.

By Elena Fabrichnaya MOSCOW (Reuters) -Prolonged high interest rates in Russia may drive mergers and acquisitions of distressed assets, a study by leading law firms showed, though Western-led sanctions and a liquidity shortage among buyers are likely to restrain growth in deals for now.

Georgia was the poster child of post-Soviet countries on their way to democracy and freedom. US lawmakers hope a bill will help combat democratic backsliding.

Flight data showed how American and British reconnaissance aircraft flew from England toward Russia on Monday.