Today, at a meeting in the Ministry of Defense they discussed the unique operation that Russian sailors, together with foreign colleagues, are carrying out in the Mediterranean. They are escorting ships filled with Syrian chemical weapons. It is understood that this deadly cargo, that includes about 20 tons of toxic mustard gas, needs to be […]
There has been a horrific discovery in Stavropol, less than 300km from Sochi. Kommersant reports that 6 people (the BBC says 5) have been found shot to death in 5 cars, and an improvised explosive device has gone off near one of the cars. The BBC adds that authorities have already identified some suspects, and […]
Georgia is considering getting rid of its Soviet and Russian weapons, primarily its T-55 and T‑72 tanks, and its Mi-8 helicopters. According to the Ministry of Defense there are “several dozen” of such machines. In the current conditions it doesn’t seem feasible to have them repaired in Russia or to get spare parts from Russia. […]
The Russian Interior Ministry has issued an order for new anti-riot trucks, heavily armored vehicles capable of driving through and dispersing crowds. Tests of these vehicles could begin next month. Riots are increasingly common in Russia. New riots are even possible on Monday. This new order suggests that the Kremlin may be sending a message. […]
Earlier today, Russian media began to carry an alert from Russians Ministry of Defense that two “ballistic targets” were spotted over the Mediterranean sea. The inference was that this was related to impending U.S. intervention in Syria. Now, the Israeli Defense Force and the Pentagon have confirmed that this was a test of an Israeli […]
The Ministry of Defense has developed a new package of rules and regulations governing privatization of military assets. The purpose of the reform is to de-commercialize the Ministry’s operations and effectively divest all its unnecessary assets through tenders, organized by independent vendors. Already in 2014 the Ministry of Defense expects to sell 30 items of […]
A former Estonian intelligence agent is suspected of espionage in favor of Russia. Vladimir Veitman was arrested in Estonia on suspicion of state treason. Mikhail Aleksandrov, director of the Baltics Department of the Institute for the CIS commented on the situation for Kommersant FM’s Anna Kazakova It has been reported that (Vladimir ) Veitman (the […]
On July 2nd, a Russian satellite launch failed, highlighting continuing problems with Russia’s space program. The technological issues and heavy cutbacks in funding are significant problems for not only Russia. The Russian Soyuz plays a critical role in delivering staff and supplies to the International Space Station. – Ed. The Russian government commission investigating the […]
The Ministry of Finance has cut funding of Roscosmos (the Russian Space Agency) by almost 63.5 billion roubles. These figures were announced at the meeting (of which Izvestia has the minutes) of the State Duma in mid-July with the participation of Vladimir Popovkin, the head of the Federal Space Agency, and the ranking members of […]
The Defense Ministry is preparing a new offensive on irresponsible young people who shirk military duty. The government has drafted a decree devoted to the new rules for medical examination of recruits, and the General Staff reports that it is developing a new procedure for delivering draft notices. Experts are mixed in their assessment of […]
