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Post by Admin on May 26, 2015 20:45:22 GMT
Russia has deployed 12,000 troops along with numerous aircraft and weapons in a surprise military exercise in the country's northwest -- a show of strength that may be a response to a long-planned European military exercise led by Norway. The Russian news agency Tass, quoting the country's defense ministry, reported Monday that the exercise involves as many as 250 combat planes and helicopters and 689 units of "various weapons and military equipment." The seemingly competing military exercises come as tension is increasing along a range of former Soviet states -- from Moldova in the south to Latvia, 900 miles to the north -- over whether they will fall under the influence of Russia or the West. The EU and NATO eye these states as potential members, and indeed Latvia, for example, is already a member of both organizations. But Russia views that as a threat. Part of that struggle has involved the Russian annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014 and its encouragement of separatists in eastern Ukraine. The Arctic Challenge Exercise is not a NATO-led drill, but several of NATO's 28 countries are participating. And NATO is not happy about Russia's surprise maneuvers. "We are concerned by the size, scale and frequency of Russia's snap exercises," a NATO official said. "Three of them have included over 80,000 troops. Some of them have been used to deploy troops to annex Crimea, mass forces on Ukraine's border and support the separatists." Tass called the Russian exercise a "surprise combat readiness check," and said it was being conducted "to assess capabilities of the Air Force and air defense forces of the Central Military District to fulfill tasks to destroy an enemy." A check of the Norwegian Armed Forces website showed that the European military exercise was made public some time ago, and members of the press were invited to apply for accreditation to cover the event. Tass reported that Russia's surprise exercise was launched on the orders of the Russian Supreme Commander-in-Chief, otherwise known as President Vladimir Putin.
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Post by Admin on May 27, 2015 20:52:37 GMT
Groups of armed officers guarded the gate to the Main Military Clinical Hospital in Kiev on Tuesday. No cars were allowed in. “Today we have a special system of passes,” one of the guards told drivers trying to enter the hospital’s green, quiet courtyard. The reason for the extra security measures was the presence of two Russian prisoners, self-described soldiers of the Russian special forces, being treated for their wounds. From his wheelchair, a young uniformed patient pointed at a brick building on the side of the main alley: “Russians are there at Otolaryngology [ear, nose and throat] clinic,” he said. Another, with a bandaged head, said, “They are terrorists and should be put on public trial, so no more professional military dare to sneak in to kill us.” The two Ukrainian soldiers sympathized with two Russian soldiers “abandoned by their motherland,” but they still referred to the prisoners as “terrorists.” “Russians never betray their own” is a common slogan. It was often repeated in Crimea last spring, when militia in brand new Russian EMR (universal camouflage pattern) combat uniforms without insignia surrounded the airport and took over administrative buildings. Most of these militia or “little green men” were praised by locals, some received medals for helping the Kremlin carry out its mostly peaceful annexation of Crimea. The next fight waged behind the slogan that Russians never betray their own was in the eastern region of Ukraine to save it from the “Kiev junta.” That could be understood and endorsed by the Russian public. But then there’s the case of these two arrested Russian self-described soldiers. The indifference demonstrated to their fate by Russian diplomats and army commanders puts the famous slogan in question. The arrested military men introduced themselves as Sergeant Alexander Alexandrov and Captain Yevgeny Yerofeyev. They were captured this month near the town of Schastya, just 20 miles from the Russian border. Both were seriously wounded, both are facing a threat of medical complications. The hospitalized men told international observers that they were on a reconnaissance mission in Ukraine, but that the Russian ministry of defense did not give them any orders to attack. Ukrainian reports accused the two soldiers from the GRU, the Military Intelligence Directorate, of laying mines in the area, an action qualified as an act of terrorism. Now guarded by a dozen Ukrainian security, both Alexandrov and Yerofeyev were recovering from surgery this week after Ukrainian doctors saved Alexandrov’s leg and Yerofeyev’s arm.
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Post by Admin on Jun 8, 2015 20:35:28 GMT
On Monday, the G7 issued a joint communiqué summing up the results of their meeting. In regard to the Ukrainian crisis, the leaders agreed, “that the duration of sanctions should be clearly linked to Russia’s complete implementation of the Minsk agreements and respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty." “However, we also stand ready to take further restrictive measures in order to increase cost on Russia should its actions so require,” it added. During separate media conferences on Monday, the G7 leaders reaffirmed their stance. The US president Barack Obama said that the G7 group has a “strong consensus that we need to keep pushing Russia to abide by the Mink agreement.” “There were discussions over additional steps,” if Russia “doubles the aggression on Ukraine”, however they were on a technical and not political level, he added. Based on his Saturday meeting with Poroshenko, Abe is set to say at the G-7 summit to be held Sunday and Monday in Germany that Japan will participate in efforts to maintain order based on international law. Abe also spoke Saturday of the importance of resolving problems through dialogue. The Crimean issue is similar to the situation involving Japan’s northern territories, in terms of the invasion of another nation’s territory by force. Poroshenko said at his talks with Abe that Ukraine’s problem with Russia, Japan and Ukraine’s mutual neighbor, was its annexation of Crimea, while Japan’s problem with that country was the occupation of the northern territories. He expressed understanding on Japan’s call for the northern territories to be returned. Abe’s response that all the parties concerned must fully implement the ceasefire agreement reached in February over Crimea was meant to stress his belief in the importance of peaceful solutions. Abe has been timing his actions very carefully in the pursuit of his goal to bring about Putin’s visit to Japan this year. In May, he met in Tokyo with Sergei Naryshkin, the speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, and a close associate of Putin’s, and gave him a message for the president. Naryshkin is barred from entering the United States and Europe. Abe wants to take advantage of a visit by Putin to call for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict and seek an opening to resolve the situation involving the northern territories. At the summit meeting between Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington in April, the prime minister told Obama about his intention to have Putin visit Japan this year. The Japan side saw this as simply conveying an intention that had already been publicly announced, but it does not have the U.S. government’s support.
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Post by Admin on Aug 19, 2015 20:18:03 GMT
Vladimir Putin has taken a ride to the depths of the Black Sea as part of a Russian Geographical society expedition. The Russian leader saw the remains of an ancient vessel, and spotted quite a few centuries-old relics, he told journalists. A three-seat submersible plunged Putin down 83 meters (272 feet) on an exotic underwater trip off the Crimean shore. During the 45-minute dive, the Russian president was able to have a glimpse of a recently discovered sunken ancient Byzantine galley, dating back to the 9th or 10th century. Putin also congratulated the Russian Geographical Society on its 170th anniversary – right from the sea depths. The Russian Geographical society was founded in 1845 by Emperor Nicholas I to explore the vast territories of the country. Nowadays, it is a non-commercial organization that is engaged in expeditions, research, education, nature conservation and book publishing.
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Post by Admin on Aug 28, 2015 20:13:02 GMT
Estonia says it wants to build a fence along its eastern border with Russia to boost security and protect the EU's passport-free Schengen zone. Construction on the fence, planned to be about 110km (70 miles) long and 2.5m (8ft) high, is set to start in 2018. It is expected to cost about €71m (£52m; $80m), according to reports. The plans come amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over the Ukraine conflict. Europe is also struggling with an influx of migrants. "The aim of the construction is to cover the land border with 100%, around-the-clock technical surveillance to create ideal conditions for border guarding and to ensure the security of Estonia and the Schengen area," interior ministry spokesman Toomas Viks told AFP news agency. He said information gathered could be used to investigate illegal border crossing, smuggling and human trafficking. The fence would only cover just over a third of Estonia's 294km (183 miles) border with Russia as much of it is covered by water, Estonia's Postimees newspaper reports.
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