Russia and Serbia together ran an hour-long military drill today in the village of Nikinci, west of Belgrade.

Billed as an anti-terrorist exercise and held just 30 miles from Serbia's border with NATO-member Croatia, the activity presents yet another show of force on Russia's behalf.

The country's campaign of provocation has been ongoing throughout the year, but other recent instances of saber-rattling include Putin's escort of warships off the coast of Australia ahead of the G20 summit in Brisbane, as well as a convoy of Russian tanks, cannons, and trucks in eastern Ukraine — ground zero for the Russian actions that have isolated it on the international stage since it annexed Crimea in March.

In captions for these photos, Reuters reported that the drill "illustrated the balancing-act Belgrade faces; safeguarding relations with its big-power ally while pursuing closer integration with Europe at a time of deep West-Russia tension."

Serbia could find itself occupying middle ground in what former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev warned might be a new cold war. As the first Cold War coalesced just after World War II, the Yugoslavic state to which Serbia then belonged was even then a maverick — communist, but wary of developing close ties with either the West or the Soviet Union.

But just last month, Putin attended a military parade in Serbia, which celebrated the 70th anniversary of Belgrade's liberation from Nazi Germany.

At the same time, Serbia is a candidate to join the European Union, which its neighbor Croatia joined last year. 

Serbian troops fire on targets. About 200 troops were involved in the drill, which included a live-ammunition exercise on a hypothetical terrorist base.

Serbian paratroopers crowd the sky, though Russian soldiers also parachuted into open fields. Serbia has spoken out against Russia's annexation of Crimea in March, but hasn't joined any international efforts to impose sanctions on Russia.

A Russian IL-76 transport aircraft drops an armored troop carrier. "There are no secrets about this exercise," Serbian defense minister Bratislav Gasic said.

Russian soldiers ride on an all-terrain vehicle.

A Serbian Mi-8 helicopter gunship fires unguided rockets on targets.

Perhaps unexpectedly, a Russian paratrooper lands on a structure rather than the ground.

Russian troops regroup after the exercise. US troops with the Ohio National Guard are scheduled to run their own military exercise in southern Serbia this year.

SEE ALSO: Here Are 2 Ways Russia's Provocative Stunts Could Lead To War Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/tom-nichols-russias-provocations-not-typical-2014-11#ixzz3J4bCkB9S

SEE ALSO: Here are 2 ways Russia's provocative stunts could lead to war

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US-led air strikes continued to target ISIS militants in Syria and Iraq in recent days, as well as an Al Qaeda-linked group known as the Khorasan Group, US Central Command, the military division in charge of operations in the Middle East, said in a statement on Friday.

From Wednesday to Friday, the United States and its allies conducted 19 air strikes against Islamic State in Syria and 16 strikes against the militant group in Iraq, according to Central Command.

They also conducted one strike against the Khorasan Group in Syria, it said.

US air strikes on Khorasan began in September, lumped together with US airborne activity elsewhere in Syria and Iraq. The group was than described as presenting an imminent threat to US homeland security.

On September 24, an anonymous US official told Reuters that the group's leader, the Kuwaiti-born Mohsin Al Fadhli, had been killed in an air strike.

In September, US officials justified the strikes against Khorasan by saying that the group was involved in "imminent attack plotting" against the US and Europe. Khorasan is believed to be composed of core veteran Al Qaeda members who are attempting to recruit foreign fighters in Syria to return to their home countries in order to carry out attacks. 

Khorasan representatives are believed to have played a key role in attempting to bring about a de facto truce between the Nusrah Front — another Al Qaeda affiliate — and ISIS on the ground in Syria. The two groups have been engaged in bitter attacks against each other since ISIS broke away from Al Qaeda earlier this year.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Bill Trott)

SEE ALSO: Meet Khorasan, the terrorist group that's suddenly a bigger threat than ISIS

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Though President Barack Obama's administration has touted the consistency of its military approach to the Islamic State, its public statements have continually evolved.

Notably, Obama has repeatedly and passionately insisted no US troops will be actively involved in ground operations — though they will have weapons and be prepared to shoot back if needed.

However, there have been some indications that US troops are already fighting the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) on the ground. Additionally, in recent days and weeks, the US' top military commander opened the door to using ground troops in order to retake Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, from the jihadist forces.

"I'm not predicting at this point that I would recommend that those forces in Mosul and along the border would need to be accompanied by US forces, but we’re certainly considering it," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey said on Thursday.

In order to keep track of this evolution, Business Insider created a timeline of the US' role in the fight against the Islamic State.

Feb. 27, 2009: '2010, Our Combat Mission In Iraq Will End'

Obama based his 2008 presidential campaign largely on his opposition to former President George W. Bush's war in Iraq. After taking office, he promised to fully end the US' "combat mission" in the country.

"Let me say this as plainly as I can: by Aug. 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end," Obama said in 2009.

However, when Obama ultimately restarted military actions in Iraq four years later, he would cite Bush's Authorizations for Use of Military Force — signed in 2001 and 2002 — for his legal authority to do so.

Jun. 16, 2014: 'Up To Approximately 275' Troops

After Islamic State jihadists surprised observers by seizing vast swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq, Obama announced in June that he would send the first batch of US troops: 275 soldiers who would be "equipped for combat" but whose mission was merely to protect US citizens stationed in Iraq.

"[U]p to approximately 275 US Armed Forces personnel are deploying to Iraq to provide support and security for US personnel," Obama said then.

"This force is deploying for the purpose of protecting US citizens and property, if necessary and is equipped for combat."

Jun. 30, 2014: Another 200 Troops

Obama announced at the end of the month he would send even more US military personnel to Iraq.

Aug. 12, 2014: Another 130 Troops

In response to the Islamic State's efforts to wipe out the small Yazidi religious sect, the US announced it would send 130 more troops — Marines and Special Operations forces — to northern Iraq.

"These forces will not be engaged in a combat role," an anonymous administration official assured.

Sept. 2, 2014: "Are American Troops Already Fighting on the Front Lines?"

The Daily Beast reported US Special Operations forces already appeared to be secretly fighting Islamic State forces on the ground in northern Iraq:

"The Toyotas were packed with what appeared to be bearded Western Special Operations Forces. I watched the trucks pass and saw for myself the crews inside them. They didn't wear any identifying insignia but they were visibly Western and appeared to match all the visual characteristics of American special operations soldiers.

Contacts in the Kurdish intelligence service and Peshmerga leadership confirmed what we saw. 'Yes,' one commander replied to our questions. 'German and American forces are on the ground here. 'They are helping to support us in the attack.'"

Sept. 3, 2014: Another 300 Troops

The White House announced in early September it would send more 300 military personnel, again insisting they won't have a combat role. This move brought the troop total to 1,213.

Sept. 10, 2014: Another 475 Troops — And Airstrikes In Syria

One week later, Obama gave a speech outlining the US strategy against the Islamic State, which included airstrikes and 475 additional non-combat troops. Obama also revealed he was prepared to launch airstrikes in Syria. Until then, the US had confined its military operations to Iraq.

"It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil," Obama promised.

Sept. 16, 2014: 'If We Reach The Point'

A week later, Dempsey, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, opened the door to the US "advisers" participating in ground missions against the Islamic State.

"To be clear, if we reach the point where I believe our advisers should accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against specific ISIL targets, I will recommend that to the president," Dempsey told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Sept. 17, 2014: 'American Forces Deployed To Iraq Will Not Have A Combat Mission'

The very next day, Obama pushed back on Dempsey's comments by reiterating his vow the troops will not be engaged in ground combat.

"American forces deployed to Iraq will not have a combat mission," Obama said while addressing troops at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. "I will not commit you to fighting another ground war in Iraq."

Sept. 22, 2014: 'Action Against ISIL Terrorists In Syria'

The Pentagon confirmed the fight had expanded into Syria with a new round of airstrikes.

Nov. 7, 2014: Another 1,500 Troops

Last Friday, the White House announced it was doubling its troop commitment in Iraq, sending an additional 1,500 troops for a "non-combat role."

"As a part of our strategy for strengthening partners on the ground, President Obama today authorized the deployment of up to 1,500 additional US military personnel in a non-combat role to train, advise, and assist Iraqi Security Forces, including Kurdish forces," the White House said in a statement.

There are now more than 3,000 troops stationed in the country.

Nov. 9, 2014: 'Never Say Never'

On "Face the Nation" last Sunday, the president was pressed on whether the US might send even more troops to help in the fight against the Islamic State. Obama would not give a definitive answer.

"You know, as commander-in-chief I'm never going to say never," he replied. 

Nov. 13, 2014: 'We're Certainly Considering It'

Dempsey told the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday the US is "certainly considering" using ground troops in a combat role to help retake the city Mosul. 

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Nations are becoming increasingly concerned over the threat of killer robots.

In Geneva, 118 nations present at a UN conference agreed about the need to tackle the future threat of these robotic killing systems, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The nations at the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) conference agreed to further talks in April 2015 over the development of the "lethal autonomous weapons systems." Although no single country has yet developed the technological capacity for killer robots, it's possible they could exist in the near future. 

“By continuing the talks, countries are acknowledging the many concerns raised by autonomous warfare, but the technology is moving faster than the international response,” Mary Wareham, arms advocacy director at HRW, wrote in a press release. 

In March, leading roboticist Illah Nourbakhsh warned NPR that the development of autonomous robots could easily lead to military applications. 

Hypothetically, if researchers built a robot that could climb a ladder or operate power tools, "that robot can manipulate an AK-47. That means that robot can manipulate the controls of all the conventional military machines as well," Nourbakhsh said. 

The CCW's modus operandi is to"ban or restrict the use of specific types of weapons that are considered to cause unnecessary or unjustifiable suffering to combatants or to affect civilians indiscriminately." These weapons include mines, blinding lasers, and killer robots. 

Among the 118 nations involved in the CCW are the US, China, Russia, South Korea, the UK, and Israel. 

One of the main concerns over the development of killer robots is the concern that humans, after becoming disengaged from direct conflict, would become comfortable with the idea of killing.

Former U.S. commander General Stanley McChrystal told BBC's Today Program, "There’s a danger that something that feels easy to do and without risk to yourself, almost antiseptic to the person shooting, doesn’t feel that way at the point of impact."

The next round of talks within the CCW will be held in Geneva from April 13-17, 2015. 

SEE ALSO: The moral implications of robots that kill

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Ongoing sanctions against Russia by the US and the eurozone are harming both sides and go against international law, Russian President Vladimir Putin told TASS in an interview on Friday.

These sanctions are "contrary to the principles of the WTO, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the so-called GATT. The United States created this organization once upon a time, but now they themselves are grossly violating these principles," Putin said in the interview.

The sanctions that several G20 countries have taken against Russia "run counter to the very principles of G20 activities, and not only the activities of the G20 and its principles, they are counter to international law — because these sanctions can only be introduced by the United Nations and its Security Council," he added.

Earlier this year, the US and the EU imposed a series of sanctions on finance, energy and defense sectors in Russia. The sanctions were instituted in an effort to further isolate Russia politically and economically, and in particular, to hurt the "areas of importance to President Putin and those close to him," according to President Obama.

In retaliation, Russia banned imports of certain Western goods.

"[The sanctions are] harmful, and of course, they cause damage to us, but they're also harmful to them — because they undermine the entire system of economic relations. I really hope, I assume, that this will ultimately be understood and will remain in the past," Putin added.

The Russian economy has taken a serious beating following the sanctions. For starters, the ruble is now in free fall and inflation is way above target. 

Meanwhile, falling oil prices have put immense pressure on the economy. Putin said on Friday that the Russian economy is prepared for a "catastrophic decline in energy prices." Because the Russian economy is so dependent on oil, a sustained decline in oil prices could impede Russia's ability to meet financial obligations.

Consequently, in an effort to shift away from reliance on Europe and the United States, Russia is currently exploring partnerships with China. 

Although Putin spoke at length about the sanctions during the interview, he insists that he will not bring up any of this during the G20 Summit, which is currently going on in Australia.

"If [the discussion over the sanctions] comes up, then of course I will say this, but I myself have no intention of bringing up these questions in discussion — I think that it is useless. Everyone understands anyway," he said.

You can watch the whole interview at "Vesti" here.

SEE ALSO: PUTIN: We Are Prepared For A 'Catastrophic Decline In Energy Prices

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In the years following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia's former American rival has spent billions helping Moscow secure a sprawling network of nuclear infrastructure, in the interest of lowering the odds that weaponized uranium might fall in the hands of extremists or rogue states.

Now Russia may be planning to wind down those joint efforts, the New York Times reported. Sergey V. Kirienko, the head of Russia's state nuclear company, told US Energy Secretary that no new contracts aimed at nuclear security for 2015 were envisioned "under current circumstances"— a concise reference to the ratcheting tensions between Russia and the West since its annexation of Crimea in March.

"Typically, the Energy Department signs contracts with Russian labs or other institutions on projects to provide security upgrades or training," according to the Times.

These programs have included consolidating existing nuclear materials to fewer locations, converting reactors to operate on low (instead of highly) enriched uranium, and installing radiation detection hardware at border crossings with to help prevent smuggling of nuclear materials.

"It’s in everyone’s interest to keep nuclear materials out of the hands of criminals and terrorists," Jonah Blank, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, wrote in an email to Business Insider. "Russia isn’t doing the US a favor by working together to prevent nuclear proliferation — and this ill-advised action puts every nation at slightly greater risk."

Kirienko made the caveat that Russia was willing to cooperate on nuclear security issues in other countries, including its hope to repatriate highly-enriched uranium from former satellites Belarus, Kazakhstan, Poland, and Uzbekistan. But Russia's own security infrastructure leaves much to be desired.

But despite improvements since 1991 ("No longer are there gaping holes in fences"), a report on nuclear security published in March by Harvard's Belfer Center warned that "sophisticated conspiracies to steal valuable items continue to plague Russia."

The Times suggests that the reduced cooperation could be a product not just of a chill in relations over Crimea, but the need for the country to distance itself from the impression that it is "is in need of outside help."

SEE ALSO: Pro-Kremlin Russian media says Moscow has a 'nuclear surprise' for NATO

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SECESSION is a nasty business. A century and a half ago, America fought a civil war to prevent it. So it is not surprising that Spain, which has bad memories of its own civil war, should oppose independence for Catalonia.

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Back in 1939, Winston Churchill famously remarked that Russia was "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."

For most people, his words ring true to this day.

Although Russia is the largest country in the world and has the eighth-largest GDP, little is widely known about the nation and its culture.

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Murder is more common in Latin America than any other part of the world.

That's the most striking takeaway from a ranking of the most violent cities compiled earlier this year by Mexico's Citizens' Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice. The ranking doesn't count deaths in war zones or cities with unavailable data.

Thirty-four of the 50 worst cities were located in the region, including repeat murder capital of the world — San Pedro Sula, Honduras — which saw 187 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2013 and is getting steadily worse. A full one-third of global homicides occur in Latin America even though the region has just 8% of the world's population, according to United Nations data.

Drug trafficking, gang wars, political instability, corruption, and poverty combine to cause the region's elevated violence.

U.S. cities also made the list, led by Detroit at number 24 and New Orleans at number 26.

50. Valencia, Venezuela had 30.04 homicides per 100,000 residents.

49. Port-au-Prince, Haiti had 30.05 homicides per 100,000 residents.

48. Durban, South Africa had 32.42 homicides per 100,000 residents.

In this excerpt from Clinton, Inc: The Audacious Rebuilding Of A Political Machine, Daniel Halper, a political writer and online editor at The Weekly Standard, compiles candid interviews with former Clinton administration aides, friends, and enemies to reveal how this dynamic political power couple positioned themselves for even greater success.

In 1988, when Bill first considered a run for the presidency, he and Hillary had also considered the idea that she replace him as governor of Arkansas. By the time of his first inaugural four years later, the White House clearly was in her sights. This was part of the understanding she always had with Bill Clinton. 

He'd get his turn. She'd put up with his crap. And then she'd get her chance. And he'd do what he could to help her. 

Clinton aides told me they were astonished after Bill's taking office, at a time when Mrs. Clinton was viewed by a significant segment of the country as a shrill, polarizing radical, that this idea was such an active notion in the administration. 

"Hillaryland was always, always, always a force," a senior Clinton aide recalls in a wide-ranging interview for this book. He worked within steps of the Oval Office during the administration and, like pretty much everyone else who hopes to have a career in Democratic politics, will speak only without attribution. 

"If you fucked up and were found out by [Bill] Clinton, you got a promotion. If you fucked up and were found out by Hillary, your throat was slit and you were left on the tarmac with no ticket home. It was brutal."

In those early days, Clinton critics were demanding the release of Hillary Clinton's records from her days as a partner at the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock as part of the investigation of a now largely forgotten early scandal known as Whitewater.

Mrs. Clinton was reluctant to release documents or to comply with the requests of the special prosecutor in the case. 

One aide approached the First Lady's press secretary, Lisa Caputo, then in her midtwenties. "Why doesn't she just come fucking forward and release them? The president had no business in the matter. It won't hurt him."

"We can't," Caputo replied. "Hillary's got her own ambitions." 

"What do you mean?" he asked. "It doesn't get better than First Lady."

"Well, there's '04. Or '08."

It's always been known that Mrs. Clinton had political ambitions, but never before had an aide confirmed with such assurance that she was envisioning the presidency for herself, even as her husband was just settling in.

Hillary Clinton wanted the keys to the White House herself and, as a former aide put it in an exclusive interview for this book, conjuring images of the popular movie The Shawshank Redemption, "She was willing to slog through all of [his] shit" to get there.

Hillary has been "the one to always play a long game, and she started playing that long game at the end of the second term, and I think she thought the Senate would lead directly to her own presidency in 2008," another close observer of the Clintons tells me, again insisting on anonymity. 

As her husband's second term came to a close, the question was: Where to start? She was born in Illinois, went to college in Massachusetts, law school in Connecticut, had brief stints in California and Washington D.C., and had moved to Arkansas to be with her future husband, Bill Clinton. 

Now she was back in Washington, D.C.—the nation's capital, living in the White House. Along the way Hillary had picked up friends and networks across the country and even a pronounced southern accent that she mysteriously lost shortly after she arrived in Washington in 1993. 

In other words, she had no strong roots anywhere—which, she believed, gave her license to represent people as an elected official from ... just about anywhere. 

Excerpted from Clinton, Inc: The Audacious Rebuilding Of A Political Machine, by Daniel Halper, (HarperCollins Publishers, 2014). Excerpted with permission by Daniel Halper and HarperCollins Publishers.

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Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel told CNN in an interview Saturday that he would consider recommendations to send ground troops to Iraq from the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. However, Hagel insisted the troops would not be in a combat role and would only be used to help local forces find targets.

"There will be no American combat troops in Iraq or Syria," Hagel said.

Hagel's comment is the latest in a series of shifting statements from officials in President Barack Obama's administration about what role US troops will play in the fight against the jihadist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) in Syria and Iraq. 

Obama has repeatedly insisted the growing number of American forces sent to Iraq would not have a "combat mission." At the G20 Summit in Australia, he said Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, "has not advised me that I should be sending U.S. troops to fight," However, on Thursday, Dempsey, who traveled to Iraq on Saturday to evaluate the situation on the ground, told the House Armed Services Committee he was "certainly considering" using US troops to help retake the city of Mosul from ISIS. 

Dempsey previously suggested he could recommend using American troops to "accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against specific ISIL targets" in September. Obama pushed back against those comments the following day when he said he would not commit US troops "to fighting another ground war in Iraq."

In his interview with CNN, Hagel said he did not "foresee a circumstance when it would be in our interest to take this fight on ourselves with a large military contingent."

"If we get to any other variation of recommendations from General Dempsey, we will deal with it, but we are not there yet," said Hagel.

At the G20 Summit, Obama would not completely rule out the possibility of using combat troops to fight ISIS. However, he suggested it would require a rather extreme turn of events.

"There are always circumstances, in which the United States might need to deploy ground troops," Obama said. "If we discovered that ISIL had gotten possession of a nuclear weapon, and we had to run an operation to get it out of their hands, then yes, you can anticipate that not only would Chairman Dempsey recommend me sending U.S. ground troops to get that weapon out of their hands, but I would order it." 

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on CBS' "Face The Nation" Sunday morning where he decried alleged cooperation between the US and Iran in the fight against the jihadist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL). 

In addition to warning against military coordination, Netanyahu stressed Iran should not be allowed to keep or grow its uranium enrichment program through the P5+1 nuclear negotiations, which have a deadline of Nov. 24.

To bolster his arguments, Netanyahu argued Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has "participated in rallies and chants of 'death to America' and 'death to Israel.'" 

"This is not a friend, neither in the battle against ISIS nor in the effort — the great effort that should be made to deprive it of the capacity to make nuclear weapons," said Netanyahu. "Don't fall for Iran's ruse. They are not your friend."

Netanyahu said Israel is "fully coordinated" with the US in the fight against ISIS, which he characterized as a "global conflict" against jihadists.

"The Middle East is awash with militant Islamists," he explained.

Netanyahu went on to say the main groups in this tide of extremism are ISIS and Al Qaeda on "the Sunni side" and Iran and Hezbollah on the "Shi'ite side."

The Israeli leader was also asked about an interview published by The Atlantic last month where an anonymous Obama administration official was quoted referring to him as "chickens--t." Netanyahu declined to directly respond to the quote, but dismissed speculation US relations with Israel have deteriorated. 

"Look, I'm not going to deal with anonymous sources that issue all sorts of critical statements. I think that's not appropriate," said Netanyahu. "I will say this, I think the relationship between Israel and the United States is very, very strong." 

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The State Department has taken the unusual step of shutting down its entire unclassified email system because of a suspected hacker attack, the Associated Press reports. 

The department's classified systems weren't affected by the suspected attack, an unnamed senior department official told the AP. The State Department is expected to discuss the shutdown after it completes security repairs on Monday or Tuesday, according to the AP.

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As ISIS militants consolidate gains in Iraq, the US and the US-backed government in Baghdad are becoming increasingly dependent on finding Sunni tribal partners who would rise up against the militants.

Although this approach worked in the Sunni tribal awakening from 2005 to 2010 that crushed Al Qaeda in Iraq, it's going poorly this time around.

“There is an opportunity for the government to work with the tribes, but the facts on the ground are that ISIS has infiltrated these communities and depleted their ability to go against it,” Ahmed Ali, an Iraq analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, told The New York Times. “Time is not on the Iraqi government’s side.” 

It doesn't help that the Shia-dominated government has been antagonizing Iraq's minority Sunni population for years.

Indeed, ISIS took full advantage of the Sunni discontent and has actively recruited Sunni tribes.

Sunni tribes that refused to join ISIS found themselves pursued and facing mass execution by ISIS. Without reliable streams of weapons and supplies, Sunni tribes that might otherwise have battled the jihadists were woefully unequipped and unprepared.

Baghdad remains skeptical about the possibility of arming the tribes, however, especially as Shia Iran pressures it to avoid giving too much power to Sunni groups.

"The United States is not the first player in Iraq. Iran is the first player in Iraq. They think Sunni fighters will be like militias for the Sunnis," Najim al Jabouri, a retired Iraqi army general who is now a fellow at the National Defense University in Washington, told Jonathan Landay of McClatchy. "I think Iran is working very hard to stop the United States' strategy in Iraq." 

This is only one of many ways that Iran is stifling Obama's plans in Iraq.

"The American approach is to leave Iraq to the Iraqis," Sami al-Askari, a former member of Iraq's parliament and one-time senior adviser to former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, told Reuters. "The Iranians don't say leave Iraq to the Iraqis. They say leave Iraq to us." 

SEE ALSO: The Obama Administration's Biggest Problem In Iraq Is Painfully Ironic

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As it turns out, the on-going sanctions against Russia by the US and the eurozone might actually be good for the economy, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the German TV news station ARD.

"True, there are pluses because, let's say, those restrictions on the acquisition of certain goods in the West, in Europe, in the States are introduced for some Russian companies — this forces us to produce that good ourselves," Putin told ARD.

"This comfortable life where we thought only about producing more oil and gas, and buying everything else, is in the past," he added.

In other words, Putin stated that the sanctions will force the Russian economy to evolve past its dependence on the oil and gas industries.

Earlier this year, the US and the EU imposed a series of sanctions on finance, energy and defense sectors in Russia. The sanctions were instituted in an effort to further isolate Russia politically and economically, and in particular, to hurt the "areas of importance to President Putin and those close to him," according to President Obama.

The Russian economy has taken a serious beating following the sanctions. For starters, the ruble is now in free fall and inflation is way above target. Additionally, falling oil prices have put immense pressure on the economy.

Last week, Putin expressed a more pessimistic take regarding these sanctions: "[The sanctions are] harmful, and of course, they cause damage to us, but they're also harmful to them — because they undermine the entire system of economic relations. I really hope, I assume, that this will ultimately be understood and will remain in the past."

Despite the economic turmoil, Putin told ARD that the Russian economy is still growing.

"Regarding growth. This year we saw a modest growth, but it was still growth — somewhere between 0.5 to 0.6 percent. Next year, we plan to grow by 1.2 percent, and then — 2.3 percent the next year — 3 percent growth. In general, these aren't the numbers we would like to see, but it's still growth, and we're confident that we will achieve these targets," Putin said.

You can watch the whole interview in German here or in the original Russian here.

SEE ALSO: 30 Crazy Things You Didn't Know About Russia

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A new video published by the Associated Press over the weekend shows billowing black smoke, fire, and confused residents in the immediate aftermath of the MH17 crash over eastern Ukraine.

The witness video is likely the first that was shot after the plane went down.

People who live in the village near the crash site first thought the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane was a Ukraine military aircraft. The plane came frighteningly close to the village, and the wreckage is clearly visible form where the residents are.

Check out the video below:

Residents in the video can be heard asking where the pilot is, according to the AP. The news organization notes that this is significant because "multiple Ukrainian military planes had been shot down by this time, and their pilots and crew regularly taken prisoner by rebel forces."

U.S. officials say pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are to blame for shooting down the passenger plane carrying 298 people. MH17 was likely mistaken for a Ukrainian aircraft.

Every passenger on the plane died in the crash.

Russia has been accused of supplying the separatists with weapons, including the missile that took down the plane. On the day of the crash, Associated Press journalists reported seeing a Buk missile system in the area of eastern Ukraine where MH17 went down. It was reportedly being transported by a man wearing "unfamiliar fatigues" and speaking with a Russian accent.

Russia propaganda network Russia Today released a documentary last month claiming that a Buk missile couldn't have been what took down MH17. RT contends that cannon fire from what was presumably a Ukrainian jet is what likely shot down the passenger plane.

This conclusion is shaky — Bellingcat's Eliot Higgins pointed out that another Russian propaganda outlet earlier disproved that MH17 was shot down by a cannon.

Workers began removing the wreckage of MH17 this past weekend.

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In a continuation of provocative stunts, NATO F-16s were scrambled to intercept a Russian Su-27 fighter jet over the Baltic Sea on Monday. 

The Russian fighter plane was intercepted by NATO Baltic Air Policing F-16s, intended to be scrambled quickly, as it approached Latvian territorial waters.

According to the Twitter feed of the Latvian Army, the encounter took place near Latvia's territorial waters. Russian military affronts have increased rapidly since March.

During that time, Russia has launched approximately 40 provocative military demonstrations against the West and NATO. 

Although most of the provocations are deemed to be routine, based upon past Russian behavior, the military stunts have become increasingly risky. Three of the 40 events were high-risk incidents that could have easily led to a military confrontation, according to a report from the European Leadership Network (ELN). 

These high-risk incidents were the near collision of a Swedish commercial airliner with a Russian reconnaissance plane — which wasn't transmitting its location — over Denmark, the kidnapping of an Estonian intelligence officer along the Russian border, and the hunt for a purported Russian submarine in Swedish waters. 

The sheer number of Russian military provocations is entirely without precedent. 

It is "not normal, it is not typical even of Soviet actions during the Cold War,"Tom Nichols, a professor at the US Naval War College and a senior associate at the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs, told Business Insider via email. "[I]t clearly comes from the very top as an expression of Putin's foreign policy," he continued, adding that his analysis came independent of the US government.

Russia has also struck an increasingly hard-line rhetoric against the West over the past month. 

The Russian defense minister warned that Moscow would for the first time begin sending long-range bomber patrols to the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time, a Russian convoy of warships appeared off of Australia's northern maritime border. 

The following map, created by ELN, shows the nearly global scope of confrontations between Russia and Western-aligned nations. A red pin denotes a high-risk encounter, a yellow pin is a serious incident, a blue pin is a routine incident, and green is miscellaneous. 

SEE ALSO: Here Are 2 Ways Russia's Provocative Stunts Could Lead To War

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Ukraine is a country "with a future," but it's missing just one thing, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the German TV news station ARD.

"It lacks, it seems to me, the understanding that to be successful, stable, prosperous, it's necessary that all people who live in that territory, regardless of which language they speak — whether Hungarian, Russian, Ukrainian, or even Polish — have a feeling that the territory is their Motherland," Putin said.

"For this reason, I do not understand the resistance of Ukrainian political authorities to even listen to the possibility of federalization," Putin added.

Russia has been pushing for the federalization of Ukraine for some time.

Under this strategy, "each region [in Ukraine] would have control of its economy, taxes, culture, language, education, and 'external economic and cultural connections with neighboring countries or regions,'" Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said in March.

Essentially, this would give greater autonomy to the southern and eastern parts of Ukraine, which have predominantly Russian populations and are facing conflict between separatists and the Ukrainian government.

Additionally, Putin said he was concerned that Ukraine was "slipping" in a bad direction, especially when it comes to ethnic differences, which could be a "huge catastrophe for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people."

"I will now tell you straight: We are really concerned that [in Ukraine] there will arise a desire to carry out some kind of ethnic cleansing, we are afraid that Ukraine will roll into neo-Nazism. Well, if people are walking around with swastikas on their sleeves ... Or the SS insignia on the helmets of some combat units who are fighting in East Ukraine?

"If this is a civilized nation, where are the authorities looking? At least [they] should force them to remove the uniforms, and the nationalists to take off this insignia," he said.

Putin has previously cited a concern for Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine as justification for Russian intervention in the conflict there, though he has disputed the extent of Russian involvement.

"Right now in east Ukraine there is fighting occurring," Putin said. "The central authorities of Ukraine sent an army there, using even ballistic rockets. Is anyone talking about this? Not a word. What does this mean? What does this say about [the situation]? This suggests that you want the central authorities of Ukraine to destroy everyone there, all of their political opponents? Do you want this? We don't want this. And we won't let this happen."

You can watch the whole interview in German here or in the original Russian here.

SEE ALSO: PUTIN: There's A Plus Side To The Economic Sanctions Making Russians Miserable

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The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) rakes in over $1 million a day and commands"a volume of resources and territory unmatched in the history of extremist organizations," according to Janine Davidson and Emerson Brookings of the Council on Foreign Relations.

The Al Qaeda splinter group has massacred members of Iraq's Yazidi religious minority, broadcast the murder of captured western journalists and aid workers, and launched a campaign of terror against any local tribes that dare to oppose its rule. 

Now the target of a sustained campaign of American airstrikes, ISIS has previously declared the establishment of a caliphate, underscoring its ambition to become a permanent feature on the map of the Middle East.

ISIS wouldn't have been able to carve out such a vast domain, or present itself as a state-like entity capable of controlling territory and ruling over a population of millions, if it hadn't been armed to the hilt, partly from its seizure of military equipment from fleeing Iraqi soldiers and plundered Syrian military bases.

When ISIS overran Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in June, it captured weaponry that allowed the group to arm itself like a conventional army.

"You lost approximately three divisions worth of equipment and probably at least three depots in that area," Anthony Cordesman, a security analyst at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, told The Wall Street Journal. 

More recently, ISIS captured anti-aircraft weaponry from an air force base in eastern Syria, including rockets capable of bringing down planes flying at 16,000 feet. Although US airstrikes have targeted the group throughout both Iraq and Syria, the jihadists are continuing to expand throughout Anbar province right up to the border with Baghdad. 

A large quantity of the weapons that ISIS has seized were supplied by the U.S. to the Iraqi Army. ISIS also fields weapons produced in Russia, China, the Balkans, and Iran. 

T-55 Tanks

It is estimated that ISIS has about 30 T-55 tanks, although it is unknown how well the organization can maintain and operate them. The T-55 tank series is a Soviet tank line that was produced from the end of World War II through the 1980s. 

Despite the tanks' age, they remain operational in up to 50 armies around the world. The tanks feature heavy armor, along with a 100-mm rifled gun and a secondary 7.62-mm machine gun. 

T-62 Tanks

ISIS has an estimated 15 T-62 model tanks. The T-62 was the main Soviet battle tank that was developed to replace the T-55. This tank was used extensively by the Iraqis to considerable success during the Iran-Iraq war. 

The T-62 is heavily armored, and is armed with a 115mm tank gun along with two secondary machine guns. 

T-72 Ural Tanks

The militants have an estimated five to 10 T-72 tanks, although it is unknown whether they will be able to keep the vehicles in working order.  The T-72 tank is the second-generation Soviet battle tank. These tanks first entered production in 1971, and they are still rolling off the assembly line. 

The T-72 is heavily armored and features a 125-mm main gun. It is also armed with a secondary machine gun and an antiaircraft gun.

This week, President Barack Obama made his clearest remarks yet on his stance toward Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Liz Sly of the Washington Post tweeted the exchange:

JOURNALIST: "Are you actively discussing ways to remove [Assad] as a part of that political transition?"

OBAMA: "No."

Obama has long been loathe to enter "somebody else's civil war," a stance that fueled to the fragmentation and radicalization of a armed Syrian opposition that at one time included thousands of Syrian military defectors. 

Meanwhile, Assad facilitated the rise of ISIS (also known as ISIL, Islamic State, and Daesh) in an attempt to ensure his own survival. Former Syrian diplomat Bassam Barabandi, who spent several decades in the Syrian Foreign Ministry, detailed how Assad and "his Iranian backers seek to frame this conflict as a regional sectarian issue, with a classical choice between military powers and Sunni extremists."

ISIS eventually pulled Obama into bombing parts of Syria, but US-led warplanes have so far avoided and even "de-conflicted" with Assad's troops.

More than 200,000 have been killed during the Syria civil war, which began with nonviolent protests in March 2011 that were met with bullets and tanks. In August of 2013, the regime crossed Obama's "red line" when sarin gas attacks in the suburbs of the capital killed an estimated 1,400 people in four hours.

Assad's government has also tortured and raped tens of thousands of people, as detailed by photographs smuggled out of the country by a former police photographer.

The ambassador-at-large in the State Department's office of global criminal justice subsequently said that not since Hitler's Germany has there been a regime so eager to document its own atrocities. 

Here's a look at the military situation in the country:

SEE ALSO: The Obama Administration's Biggest Problem In Iraq Is Painfully Ironic

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