(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 18, 2014) The Russian Defense Ministry has denied the alleged involvement of Russian air defense and military aircraft in the crash of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777. “In view of various kinds of speculations regarding operations of the Russian armed forces in the areas bordering Ukrainian, we affirm that air defense means of the Russian armed […]
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HORLIVKA (DONETSK REGION), July 16 (RIA Novosti) – Ninety percent of the independence supporters fighting alongside the government forces in the southeast of Ukraine are local citizens, Horlivka self-defense militia’s leader Ihor Bezler said in an interview with RIA Novosti. “Those Russians who survived the massacre in the airport [on May 26] came to me, they are still here. There […]
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(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, July 14, 2014) The Ukrainian government lacks the resources to recover Crimea, according to a Moscow military analyst, and could do so only if Russia were to “weaken to the point that it simply could not defend” the peninsula. Otherwise, talk about “the return of Crimea to Ukraine” is, in his words, […]
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(Eurasia Daily Monitor: Volume 11, Issue 119 – Jamestown Foundation – jamestown.org – Paul Goble – July 1, 2014) Ukraine’s intelligence service has identified five centers within the Russian Federation where Moscow is recruiting and training mercenaries and diversionists to work against Ukraine in the eastern portions of that country and perhaps further west as well (Newsru.ua, June 28). Even more worrisome, […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – June 26, 2014) Russian military morale is at a post-Soviet high, according to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. “The results of sociological studies show that in 2014, the level of troop morale has reached its highest point in the past 17 years,” Shoigu was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti. The military’s burgeoning popularity is not […]
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(opendemocracy.net – Neil Melvin – June 16, 2014) Neil Melvin is director of the Armed Conflict and Conflict Management Programme at SIPRI In recent months, attention has overwhelmingly been focused on Moscow’s actions in Ukraine. But there is a wider and more disturbing process of militarisation underway throughout the Eurasian region. Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula and the deployment […]
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(Interfax – Moscow, June 16, 2014) A decision has been taken at the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] to suspend attempts to establish dialogue with NATO, and the course has been mapped towards developing cooperation with the OSCE. “Given the situation, the council of foreign ministers (of the CSTO member states) deemed it advisable to suspend attempts to establish dialogue […]
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[“Meanwhile, Back in Ukraine; Tanks mysteriously roll in from Russia” – Wall Street Journal editorial – June 16, 2014] The Wall Street Journal addresses claims of Russian material support for instability and revolution in Ukraine, including tanks: Waves of Russian tanks and divisions of infantrymen are one way to undermine the budding democracy in Kiev. But an overt invasion would force a reluctant America and […]
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(Stratfor.com – George Friedman – June 10, 2014) Editor’s Note: This is the final installment in George Friedman’s recent series written during his journey from the Baltics, through Central and Eastern Europe and then east to Turkey and Azerbaijan. I traveled between Poland and Azerbaijan during a rare period when the forces that shape Europe appear to be in flux, and most […]
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PARIS, June 4 (RIA Novosti) – It was never Russia’s intention to destabilize the situation in Ukraine or send its troops to invade the country’s south and east, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday in an interview with France’s TF1 channel and Europe1 radio station. “There are neither military personnel nor Russian instructors in southeastern Ukraine,” Putin stressed. When asked […]
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(Interfax – May 28, 2014) The Ukrainian State Border Service has observed a withdrawal of Russian troops from the bilateral border but is wary of the remaining infrastructure. “Our information suggests troops’ withdrawal from our border is under way, but with certain peculiarities. Intelligence radio units, radio interception units remain in place, so does the logistical infrastructure of the camps. […]
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KIEV, May 20 (RIA Novosti) – The Ukrainian State Border Guard Service did not detect any Russian troops within ten kilometers of Ukraine’s eastern border during aerial inspections on Monday, a spokesman for the service said Tuesday. “An aircraft inspection of 820 kilometers of the border was conducted yesterday. We did not detect any wrongdoing, any convoys crossing the border. […]
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MOSCOW, May 20 (RIA Novosti) – Russia has started a pullback of its troops from temporary bases near the Ukrainian border, Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said Tuesday. “It seems to me that maybe a few days will be enough and if you ask me when you start this process I would like to confirm openly that it has been […]
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MOSCOW. May 20 (Interfax) – Russian Armed Forces units taking part in routine military exercises at ranges in the Rostov, Belgorod and Bryansk regions have been ordered by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to return to their permanent bases, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a press release. “Following the completion of the exercises, which were conducted in field conditions at […]
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MOSCOW, May 20 (RIA Novosti) – Confirmation that Russia has plans to claim any part of Ukraine is propaganda and the comparison with the situation with Crimea is inappropriate, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday. “In regard to the type of hypotheses that Russia would like get some extra land is nothing more than propaganda. I don’t even want […]
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(Interfax – May 14, 2014) The suspension of the operations of GPS ground stations on Russian territory could affect the accuracy of U.S. precision weapons throughout the world, a source from the Russian rocket industry told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday. “The shutdown of these 11 stations would affect GPS accuracy around the world, and this concerns primarily U.S. precision weapons. However, […]
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(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, May 12, 2014) A government’s priorities and plans are most clearly shown in its budget, and over the last four years, the budgets Vladimir Putin has proposed and imposed are those of a leader preparing for war rather than someone concerned about the needs of the Russian people, according to Boris Nemtsov. […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – May 8, 2014) Fighter jets screamed across a snowy Moscow sky on Monday morning, in the last rehearsal ahead of Friday’s Victory Day parade on Red Square. But this year the annual occurrence evoked more than just the usual awe residents feel when glancing overhead, and some Muscovites noted on Twitter that […]
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(Interfax – May 6, 2014) Russians keep monitoring Ukrainian events amid growing concerns about the possibility of a military conflict between the two countries, Levada Center told Interfax following an April poll. Sixty percent of the respondents maintain a close interest in the events evolving in the neighboring state (the indicator stood at 64 percent in late March, 60 percent […]
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(Interfax – May 2, 2014) Eighty-six percent of Russian citizens recently interviewed by the All Russian Center for Public Opinion Studies (VTsIOM) believe that Russia’s Armed Forces will be able to defend the country in the event of a real military threat. The latest survey was conducted in 42 Russian regions and involved 1,600 people. A total of 66 percent […]
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MOSCOW, April 29 (RIA Novosti) – About 86 percent of Russians believe that the Russian armed forces can protect them from military threats, a state-run pollster said Tuesday. “The Russian army will protect our country if a military threat emerges – that’s the opinion of 86 percent of Russians. The number of respondents who gave a similar answer has grown […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Tatyana Rusakova, RBTH – April 25, 2014) Despite far-reaching reforms to the armed forces in recent years, attitudes toward military service among Russia’s young remain largely negative – though polls suggest that many older Russians do not share this view. What options does the army have to avoid being chronically understaffed in the […]
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(Interfax – Groznyy, April 23, 2014) Russia and NATO countries have reached a level of direct confrontation, Nikolay Bordyuzha, secretary-general of the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization], told journalists on Wednesday [23 April]. “In effect, thanks to the actions of certain NATO states, we have reached a level of direct confrontation,” Bordyuzha told journalists in Groznyy on Wednesday after a […]
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MOSCOW, April 24 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Thursday that Russia will conduct military drills in response to the developing situation in Ukraine’s southeast, where a special operation has targeted the country’s own citizens. “We are forced to react to such a development in the situation,” Shoigu said. “Starting today, exercises of battalion tactical groups from […]
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MOSCOW, April 9 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is not conducting any unusual or unplanned military activities near its border with Ukraine, the country’s foreign ministry said Wednesday, adding that attempts to accuse Moscow of building up troops in the region are unfounded. “The US and Ukraine have no reason to worry. Russia has said several times that it is not […]
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MOSCOW, April 7 (RIA Novosti) – Russia has no plans to increase its fortifications along the border with Ukraine, a source in the the country’s Border Guard Service told RIA Novosti on Monday. “All the necessary measures have already been taken, no follow-up steps for fortifying the borders with Ukraine are being considered,” the source said. The comment followed an […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – D. Garrison Golubock – April 2, 2014) Dimiter Kenarov, a freelance reporter working in Crimea, was surprised to see a group of uniformed Cossacks hastily carrying cables and video equipment out of an Associated Press television studio. When he and another photographer attempted to document the incident, they found themselves attacked and robbed at gunpoint, […]
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MOSCOW. March 31 (Interfax) – A battalion of the Central Military District’s 15th separate motorized infantry brigade is retuning to its home base from the Kadamovsky training ground in the Rostov region. “The battalion has completed a field mission to the Kadamovsky training ground in the Rostov region and is returning to its home base in the Samara region,” the […]
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KHUJAND, Tajikistan, April 1 (RIA Novosti) – A scenario similar to the Arab Spring has unfolded in crisis-hit Ukraine during and after the events leading up to the ouster of the country’s president in February, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday. “With great sorrow, I noted that a scenario similar to the Arab Spring was used in that country,” […]
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(Eurasia Daily Monitor: Volume 11, Issue 61 – Roger McDermott – Jamestown Foundation – jamestown.org – April 1, 2014) Since late February, Russia’s Armed Forces have engaged in multiple military exercises, several snap inspections to test combat readiness, as well as an apparent “build-up” close to Ukraine’s eastern border. While President Vladimir Putin has remained largely quiet concerning these developments, […]
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MOSCOW. March 23 (Interfax) – Russia has no plans to concentrate its troops on the Ukrainian border, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said. “The Russian Defense Ministry observes all international agreements on the restriction of the number of troops in the areas bordering on Ukraine,” Antonov said on Sunday, commenting on the reports published in some foreign media on […]
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(Business New Europe – bne.eu – March 20, 2014) “Russia won’t deploy troops in eastern Ukraine unless there is a “massacre” of its citizens there, says Sergei Mironov, leader of pro-Kremlin Just Russia party and a Putin ally, reports Bloomberg. “It would be highly undesirable and I think it’s unlikely, unless we see large-scale massacres, if something awful happens and […]
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SIMFEROPOL, March 1 (RIA Novosti) – The Crimean Prime Minister said Saturday that Russian troops are operating on the Ukrainian peninsula and made a personal appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin for more assistance. The Kremlin said in a subsequent statement that it would not ignore the request for help. Sergei Aksyonov, who was appointed prime minister after a parliamentary […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – February 27, 2014) The surprise combat inspection of the country’s western and central military command will involve all wings of the Russian armed forces with over 150,000 personnel taking part. Although not connected to the drills, the developments in Crimea are being closely monitored by the Russian Defence Ministry. On Wednesday, February 26 […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Oleg Sukhov and Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber – February 26, 2014) As uncertainty about Ukraine’s future grew on Tuesday and fears of separatism in Crimea increased, President Vladimir Putin remained silent – fueling speculation about what Russia’s next move could be to recoup potential losses from the ouster of Kremlin-backed Viktor Yanukovych. While the European Union and […]
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MOSCOW, February 18 (RIA Novosti) – Russians are divided about the use of conscript soldiers in the army, according to a survey published Tuesday. A total of 48 percent of Russians believe the military draft should remain a key source of manpower for the army, while 40 percent think only professional contract soldiers should serve, the poll by the independent […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – D. Garrison Golubock – February 14, 2014) On Feb. 15, 1989, the last Soviet military formations departed from Afghanistan, leaving behind a country they had occupied for more than nine years and where more than 14,000 of their comrades-in-arms had died. Twenty-five years later, the Soviet Union has long since ceased to exist, and the […]
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KRASNOYARSK, February 12 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday dismissed as “utter nonsense” online rumors that the Russian armed forces are virtually non-existent. At a meeting with students in the Siberian city of Kransnoyarsk, Shoigu was asked to comment on online rumors that “there is nothing left, our army is a total wreck and we can […]
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MOSCOW. Feb 12 (Interfax) – Most Russians (74%) see no serious chance to investigate corruption at Oboronservice, Levada Center sociologists said. Some 41% of 1,603 respondents polled in 45 regions on January 24-27 presumed that Oboronservice and similar cases would be soft-pedaled. A third (33%) said scapegoats would be punished and senior officials would skip punishment, and only 11% expected […]
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MOSCOW, February 10 (RIA Novosti) – Russian investigators have reopened a probe into an alleged multimillion-ruble fraud at the Defense Ministry on the basis of one of the suspect’s testimonies, Kommersant newspaper reported Monday. One of the key figures in the case has claimed that the defense officials accused of masterminding the scheme were not behind it, and has pointed […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Panin – February 4, 2014) Russia, Asia and the Middle East are fueling a global upswing in defense expenditure, even as the member nations of the NATO alliance continue to cut their military budgets, according to international consultancy IHS Jane’s annual review, released Monday. But while other countries from list of top military spenders […]
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(Interfax – Moscow, February 2, 2014) Russia has been waiting for two years for proposals from NATO on conventional arms control in Europe and further delay will reduce the chances of any possible talks being successful, Mikhail Ulyanov, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Security and Disarmament Department, has said. “As far as we know the alliance is currently […]
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(Kremlin.ru – January 22, 2014) PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Good afternoon, everyone, The main reason for this meeting is to congratulate you on the upcoming holiday. As one would write in official documents, I want to congratulate you and in your person all of Russia’s students. I wish you the very best in your studies and your future careers. […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Des Brown – January 20, 2014) British historian and journalist Sir Max Hastings has penned volumes chronicling World War II, Korean War and Falklands War. His latest work, “Catastrophe: Europe Goes to War 1914,” recounts the events of the first year of World War I and was published in September 2013, in time for this […]
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MOSCOW, January 14 (RIA Novosti) The Russian defense industry will create its own “news factory” to offset the “Russophobic” produce of state-owned television channels, a senior official said. Russian television revels in vulgarity and sensationalism, and its makers show “disdain for everything created by domestic labor and Russia’s great culture,” said Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who is responsible […]
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(opendemocracy.net – Mark Galeotti – January 10, 2014) Mark Galeotti is Professor of Global Affairs at New York University’s SCPS Center for Global Affairs. He blogs on Russian security affairs at In Moscow’s Shadows and tweets as @MarkGaleotti. His most recent book is Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 (Osprey, 2013) ‘Drones are not toys,’ says Vladimir Putin, and […]
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MOSCOW, January 3 (RIA Novosti) Combat aircraft from Russia’s Northern Fleet will extend the ranges of their patrol flights over the Arctic in 2014 using a network of revamped Soviet-era airfields, the fleet’s spokesman said Friday. “In 2014, the naval aviation of the Northern Fleet will significantly expand the geography of Arctic patrol flights, including with the use of […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Dmitry Litovkin, special to RBTH – December 25, 2013) Changes in Russia’s military this year defined not only the direction of development of the Russian Army, but also the growth of Moscow’s geopolitical ambitions. Comprehensive testing of the combat readiness of the Armed Forces; a large-scale rearmament of the Army and Navy; a […]
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MOSCOW. Dec 23 (Interfax) – The amnesty declared for the 20th anniversary of the Russian constitution fully applies to former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, a source familiar with the situation has told Interfax. “He qualifies according to all criteria named in the amnesty, namely the crime he is charged with implies punishment of up to two years, and he belongs […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines/RIA Novosti – rbth.ru – Konstantin Bogdanov, RIA Novosti – December 16, 2013) Russian officials have expressed their sharp criticism towards the U.S. plans for the so-called “Prompt Global Strike” initiative. Are they justified? What does this “Prompt Global Strike” represent, how can it interfere with the Russian plans and how can it be opposed? Around the […]
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