Main News of March 13

WORLD

* Six Russian Su-27 fighter jets and three military transport planes with ground support personnel arrived at an airbase in Belarus to boost the airspace defenses of the two countries' Union State, the Russian Defense Ministry said

* The Ukrainian parliament voted to create a new military force to supplement the regular army and bolster the country’s defenses

* An American bill to give financial aid to Ukraine and authorize sanctions against individuals blamed for destabilizing the country has moved closer to becoming law after passing a committee vote in the Senate

* Ukrainian billionaire Dmytro Firtash, who made his fortune on Russian natural gas imports, has been detained in the Austrian capital Vienna, his company said

RUSSIA

* Russia does not rule out reciprocal action if sanctions are imposed by the US and European countries, a senior Russian economic official said

* Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has reached a three-year high amid Crimea’s plans to join Russia and the nation’s historic triumph at the Sochi Winter Olympics, a state-run pollster said

* Russian airlines, including the country's flag carrier Aeroflot, have begun changing their flight routes to bypass Ukraine, according to publicly available data

SPORTS

* Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked the world's national Paralympic committees for focusing on sports during the Sochi Winter Games and putting politics to one side