Crew of Russian TV channel comes under gunfire by Ukrainian military in Donbass

The crew had left the zone of the incident and had moved to a safe area.

DONETSK, January 29. /TASS/. A crew of the Russian TV channel NTV came under gunfire opened by the Ukrainian military on Sunday in the city of Makeyevka on the territory of the self-proclaimed unrecognized Donetsk People's Republic, reporter Danil Levin told the Donetsk News Agency.

"Around 14:00 hours when we were filming interviews with local residents in the districts of Makeyevka shelled by the Ukrainian military on Saturday, gunfire began anew," he said. "There were many local residents around us and everyone had to fall to the ground."

"By the time of reporting, the crew had left the zone of the incident and had moved to a safe area," the agency said.

Earlier on Sunday, the operations command of the Donetsk Republic said the Ukrainian military had opened fire targeting Makeyevka, once in the past a major center of Ukrainian steel smelting. Two residential buildings were damaged and one was fully ruined as a result.

Also on Sunday, a resident of Donetsk was wounded when the pro-Kiev units opened gunfire at the city, Ruslan Yakubov, the chief of staff of the Donetsk republic's operations command told the Donetsk News Agency.

"A shell hit a car repair workshop on Kuibyshev Street and wounded a peaceful civilian," he told the Donetsk News Agency.

Eduard Basurin, the official spokesman for the operations command of the republic’s self-defense forces, said that on the whole the Ukrainian armed units had shelled the populated localities in different parts of the republic

"The criminal Ukrainian forces have violated the ceasefire arrangements on 1,049 occasions in the past twenty-four hours," he said. "The enemy units launched fourteen artillery shells at the areas near the frontline, including eight 152 mm shells, ten tank shells, 367 mortar mines, of which 145 mines had the 120 mm caliber, and 583 projectiles from grenade launchers of various types."

Basurin also said that the pro-Kiev units had used infantry combat vehicles and small arms.

The biggest intensity of shelling was registered in the townships of Trudovskoye, Aleksandrovka and Staromikhailovka adjoining Donetsk in the west.

In the Yasinovataya district, the shelling was most intense in the villages of Spartak, Vassilyevka and Krutaya Balka. In addition, high intensity of shelling was reported in a number of places in the Novoazovsk district in the south of the Donetsk republic, in the town of Dokuchayevsk and in the suburbs of Gorlovka.

"An investigative group has recorded all the crimes committed by the Ukrainian command and we'll report them to a commission for investigation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces crimes and to the special monitoring mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe."

Defense and security agencies of the republic said earlier the pro-Kiev units had launched 265 tank projectiles, artillery shells and mines at the republic's populated localities along the entire line of contact, which separates the forces of the parties to the armed civil conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Electricity outages occurred in six villages in the south of the republic.

Members of the Ukraine Contact Group that is seeking settlement to the conflict in Donbass reached agreement at a regular meeting in Minsk on December 21 to introduce a comprehensive and all-embracing ceasefire in the zone of conflict as of December 24. The December arrangement marked a tenth attempt to introduce a ceasefire since the autumn of 2014 but the number of cases of shelling on the part of the pro-Kiev armed units increased again after several days of a lull.

Source: ITAR-TASS 30-01-2017

Putin, Trump discuss anti-terrorism coordination, agree to keep in touch

The two leaders agreed to tell their teams to work on the date and location for their meeting in person.

MOSCOW, January 28. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump discussed a wide range of global and bilateral issues, including coordination of anti-terrorism efforts, and agreed to keep in touch during their first phone talk on Saturday evening.

"The pressing international problems, including tackling terrorism, the developments in the Middle East, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the strategic stability and non-proliferation area, the situation around Iran’s nuclear program and the Korean Peninsula were discussed in detail. The key aspects of the Ukrainian crisis have been touched upon as well. It has been agreed to establish partner-type cooperation in those and other areas," the Kremlin press service said in a statement.

The priority was set on joining forces in tackling the key threat, which is the international terrorism, the Kremlin said.

"The presidents spoke in favor of creating real coordination of Russian and American actions with a purpose to defeat the ISIL (the former name of the Islamic State) and other terrorist groups in Syria," the Kremlin statement reads.

The two leaders also agreed that it was important to restore mutually beneficial trade ties.

"Both sides demonstrated their will to take joint steps to stabilize and expand the cooperation between Russia and the United States, on a constructive, equal and mutually beneficial basis," the Kremlin said.

"It was stressed that it is important to restore the mutually advantageous trade and economic ties between business circles of the two countries, which could further enhance a gradual and sustainable development of bilateral relations," Kremlin said.

Putin and Trump also tasked their teams with determining the possible date and location of their personal meeting and agreed to maintain regular contact.

"Donald Trump asked to convey his wishes of happiness and prosperity to the people of Russia, adding that the US people have good feelings toward the Russia and its citizens. Vladimir Putin said, in his turn, that Russians have similar attitude toward the Americans. He reminded that Russia has supported the United States for more than two centuries, was its ally in the two global wars and currently views the United States as an important partner in the fight against the international terrorism," the Kremlin statement reads.

It was the first conversation between Putin and Trump since the latter was sworn in as the president of the United States on January 20.

According to the Kremlin, the conversation was held in a positive and business-like atmosphere. Putin congratulated Trump on taking office and wished him success.

Source: ITAR-TASS 29-01-2017

Putin discusses Russian-US relations with Security Council ahead of talks with Trump

On January 28, Vladimir Putin is scheduled to have a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump.

MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the current state of Russian-US relations with members of the national Security Council, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"There was an exchange of views on the current state of Russian-US relations," he said.

Peskov said earlier that on Saturday, January 28, Putin was scheduled to have a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump.

Putin, the Security Council noted importance of understanding by Astana talks participants that there can be no military solution to the Syrian crisis.

"The sides discussed the outcome of the Astana talks and also the prospects of further efforts on the Syrian political settlement," Peskov said. "It was noted that it is important that all parties to the talks agree that there can be no military solution to the Syrian issue," he said.

Source: ITAR-TASS 28-01-2017

Ukrainian radicals poised to block railways leading to Donetsk, Lugansk

The right-wingers insist that one of the objectives is to stop the inflow of contraband allegedly getting into Ukrainian territory from Lugansk and Donetsk.

KIEV, January 26. /TASS/. Ukrainian radicals have made public their plans to block indefinitely all the railways connecting the self-proclaimed unrecognized Donetsk and Lugansk republics of eastern Ukraine with the parts of the country loyal to the Kiev government, Vladimir Parasyuk, a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada said on Thursday.

"Mobile staffs will be set up and all the railways will be blocked," he told Ukraina 112 channel. "The action will last more than just one or two days - it will be indefinite."

The right-wingers insist that one of the objectives of their effort is to stop the inflow of contraband allegedly getting into Ukrainian territory from the Lugansk and Donetsk republics.

To facilitate an expansion of the zone of blockade, a number of deputies of the Rada and former militants from the so-called volunteer battalions who had previously taken part in the government-sponsored ‘antiterrorist operation’ in eastern Ukraine were arriving in the area to throw their shoulder into the effort.

On Wednesday, militants from the so-called volunteer battalions blocked the traffic of cargo trains at the Lugansk-Lisichansk-Popasnaya line, by which coal is supplied to the Lugansk thermoelectric plant.

The action affected twelve freight trains with a total of more than 700 coaches.

In the meantime, Georgy Tuka, a deputy minister for what Kiev calls ‘the temporarily occupied territories’ said the blockade might endanger supplies of electricity to the parts of the Lugansk region under Kiev’s control, as supplies of coal to the Lugansk thermoelectric plant located in the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic had been disrupted.

Yuri Garbuz, the head of the military/civilian administration of the Lugansk region, issued a warning that the blocking of railways in the Lugansk region might result in blackouts not only there but also put out of operation the thermal power plants in central and western Urkaine.

"The action undertaken by some deputies (of the Verkhovna Rada) and former fighters of the Donbass and Aidar volunteer battalions poses risks for the country’s energy security," he wrote in Facebook.

He said the radicals had blocked the traffic of trains carrying coal across the line of contact in Donbass to replenish reserves at the power plants belonging to the government.

"The protesting activists blocked empty coaches meant for transportation of coal to the territories under Ukrainian control," Garbuz wrote. "If supplies of coal don’t resume, thermal power plants in central and western Ukraine will be affected."

On the face of it, authorities in the districts controlled by the Kiev government kept silent and displayed full inaction on Thursday.

One of the far-right radicals, Semen Semenchenko who represents Samopomich (Self-Assistance) caucus in the Rada, claimed local police forces, SBU security service officers, and the military including the border guards were all supporting the blockade. Tatiana Pogukai, a spokeswoman for the pro-Kiev police in the Lugansk region went as far as to describe the blockade as a public action.

Nonetheless, the press secretary of the Lugansk regional Prosecutor’s Office, Anna Zykova said the prosecutors had instituted a criminal case over the blocking of traffic at the railway. She admitted, however, no reports on the ‘action’ had come from the Interior agencies.

Ukrainian authorities launched the economic blockade of Donbass on November 15, 2014, when President Pyotr Poroshenko signed an executive order on stopping the payments of social benefits including pensions in the zone of armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The ban affected the servicing of private and corporate bank accounts, among other things. Authorities in the self-proclaimed republics called the decree ‘an act on genocide and impoverishment of the people’.

As of January 2015, the Kiev authorities imposed restrictions on commodity supplies to the districts outside of their control and stopped them altogether later on, simultaneously stipulating the rules for trips across the line of conflict.

A number of deputies in Kiev have more than once called for maintaining the blockade of eastern Ukrainian territories outside the government’s control but to fence them off in the literal sense of the word and to build a mighty security belt around them.

Source: ITAR-TASS 27-01-2017

Special operation underway to ferret out Hizb-ut-Tahrir extremists in Crimea

There is currently no information on arrests during the course of the operation.

SIMFEROPOL, January 26. /TASS/. Crimea’s law enforcement agencies are conducting a special operation to weed out the Hizb ut-Tahrir extremist organization in the city of Bakhchisaray on Thursday, Zaur Smirnov, Chairman of the Crimean Committee for Inter-ethnic Relations, informed TASS.

"Law enforcement officials are carrying out a number of special investigative activities to identify Hizb ut-Tahrir activists. We have repeatedly warned Crimean residents that external forces will explore any possible way to penetrate into Crimea, so law enforcement’s task is to thwart these efforts," Smirnov said, adding that at the moment he has no information on arrests during the course of the operation.

TASS earlier reported that 11 suspected Hizb ut-Tahrir followers involved in the activities of the organization’s local cells had been detained in Crimea in 2016. Two of them have been convicted in Russia’s southern city of Rostov-on-Don. Five others were placed under arrest on October 13, 2016.

They were charged under Section 205.5 of Russia’s Criminal Code (involvement in a terrorist organization’s activities).

Background on Hizb ut-Tahrir

Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami (the Party of Islamic Liberation) is an international religious and political organization founded in 1953. Its goal is to remove all non-Islamic governments and bring back Muslims to the "truly Islamic way of life."

Russia’s Supreme Court banned Hizb ut-Tahrir in 2003 designating it as a terrorist organization.

In April 2016, Natalia Poklonskaya, Crimea’s then Prosecutor-General who is currently a member of Russia’s State Duma (lower house of parliament), told TASS that a Hizb ut-Tahrir cell had operated in Crimea for many years. The organization was not outlawed when Crimea was part of Ukraine.

Source: ITAR-TASS 26-01-2017

Defense minister says troops in south Russia need to be strengthened over tense situation

The minister stresses the military and political situation in the south-western strategic direction remains unstable.

MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/. Troops of Russia’s Southern Military District need to be strengthened over the situation in southeast Ukraine and the activity of international terrorist groupings in the North Caucasus, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the ministry’s board meeting on Wednesday.

"It is important to note that the military and political situation in the south-western strategic direction remains unstable. It is primarily negatively affected by the situation in southeast Ukraine and the activity of international terrorist organizations and groupings on the territory of the North Caucasus," the defense minister said.

"In these conditions, work has to be continued to improve the combat structure of the district’s troops, hire contract servicemen and equip troops with new types of armament and military hardware and to develop military infrastructure," the defense minister said.

Last year, the Southern Military District’s combat capabilities were boosted by 10%, including as a result of the continued hire of contract servicemen and the arrival of new types of armaments and the improvement of the stationing system, the defense minister said.

Source: ITAR-TASS 25-01-2017

Kremlin spokesman says telephone conversation between Putin, Trump under consideration

There are no plans for personal meeting between Putin and Trump yet, according to the Kremlin spokesman.

MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. A telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump is currently under consideration but there are no plans for their personal meeting yet, Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"There is no information on their meeting yet. A telephone conversation is under consideration but we don’t have any more information," the Kremlin spokesman said adding that a date for a possible telephone conversation will be agreed upon shortly. According to Peskov, Russia’s Foreign Ministry has been working on it. "There is a standard procedure for initiating such telephone conversations, it does not require any special contacts," Peskov explained.

"These things have not been discussed yet," he said in response to a question if Putin and Trump could hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of an international summit or an international forum. "There is no sense in considering it just yet. After the telephone conversation, if the leaders believe it reasonable to decide on a personal meeting, then preparations (for it) will begin," Peskov stressed.

Peskov said earlier in an interview with BBC that it could take months, not weeks, to arrange a meeting between the two presidents. At the same time, he emphasized Russia’s readiness to participate in such a meeting.

 

Too early to discuss Trump's initiatives

The Kremlin believes it is possible to discuss the initiatives of new US President Donald Trump only after the contacts of the new administration with Moscow begin.

"It is early now to speak about any initiatives as at the moment President Trump is only getting into the swing of things," Peskov told reporters. "And here, certainly, there is the need to wait for the beginning of some contacts, so far this has not happened."

Peskov commented on the words of the US president that the Islamic terrorism is one of the biggest threats. He stressed that that the Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism remain one of threats for all countries, including Russia.

He recalled the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin that there is no alternative to cooperation in the fight against terrorism and a country cannot separately fight efficiently against this "most terrible challenge of the 21th century."

Source: ITAR-TASS 24-01-2017

Medvedev calls United Russia ruling party, president's main resource

Congress of the United Russia Party elected Prime Minister the party leader.

MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. Prime Minister, head of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev said quite rightly the party is called a ruling one.

"Today, United Russia has the entire responsibility," he said at the party's congress on Sunday. "We not only make decision on the legislative level, but also have the party control over how these decisions are implemented."

"This means: our party is not just a party of the constitutional majority, but without exaggeration - it is a ruling party, the president's main political resource," he added.

Congress of the United Russia Party elected Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev the party leader.

"Thank you for the trust," Medvedev said addressing the party members.

Dmitry Medvedev has been the party's leader since 2012.

Source: ITAR-TASS 23-01-2017

Delegations of Russia, Turkey, Iran arrive in Astana for Syria talks

The Syrian governmental delegation is to arrive on January 22.

ASTANA, January 21. /TASS/. Delegations of Russia, Iran and Turkey have arrived in the Kazakh capital of Astana for the peace talks on Syria scheduled for January 23, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry told TASS on Saturday.

"By now, the delegations of Russia, Turkey and Iran have arrived," the ministry’s spokesman Anuar Zhainakov said, noting that later at night "UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and members of the Syrian opposition’s delegation are expected."

"Tomorrow, on January 22, the Syrian governmental delegation is to arrive," he added.

Sourcer: ITAR-TASS 22-01-2017

Russian Defense Ministry plans to stop using Tu-154, Tu-134, Il-62M aircraft

The reason for renovating the ministry’s passenger fleet was the crash of the Tu-154 plane near Sochi on December 25, 2016.

MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has issued instructions to study the possibility of replacing the Tupolev Tu-154, Tu-134 and Ilyushin Il-62M passenger planes by new Russian counterparts, Kommersant daily writes on Friday citing sources close to the Russian Defense Ministry and air carriers’ management teams.

"Consultations are now underway with the industry to select the best options," one of the sources said.

According to the paper, the Russian Defense Ministry and enterprises that are part of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation are to agree on a "roadmap", decide which aircraft will be taken out of service in the first place and build a production schedule for the plants.

"Tu-154 could be replaced by the SSJ 100 short-haul aircraft, and Il-62 and Tu-154 - by the Tu-214 longer-range plane. The military is presently working on this issue," a source in the industry said.

According to the sources quoted by the paper, the minister ordered to upgrade the Defense Ministry’s fleet without attracting additional funding. The exact deadlines have not been disclosed.

The reason for renovating the Russian Defense Ministry’s passenger fleet was the crash of the ministry’s Tupolev Tu-154 plane near Sochi on December 25, 2016. The aircraft, en route to Syria, crashed shortly after taking off from the Black Sea resort of Sochi. There were 92 people on board the aircraft, including eight crew members and 84 passengers that lost their lives in the plane disaster.

The plane was carrying nearly three dozen members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the official choir of the Russian armed forces, who set off to celebrate New Year’s Eve with Russia’s Aerospace Forces at the Hmeymim air base in Syria.

The Executive Director of the Russian for Fair Aid charity fund Elizaveta Glinka, known to the Russian public as Dr. Liza, was also on board the flight.

Source: ITAR-TASS 21-01-2017

Russia regularly repels cyberattacks from UK, Germany and US

"We think it has nothing to do with the governments, although we also have some evidence that some foreign special services might stand behind some very tense attacks," Dmitry Peskov said.

MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. Russia suffers "hundreds and thousands" of cyberattacks emanating from the West daily, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with the BBC.

"Every day, we have hundreds and thousands of cyberattacks against our digital systems in the Russian Federation. Some of them are coming from the territory of the United States. Dozens are coming from the territory of Germany, dozens coming from the Great Britain," Peskov said, adding that he does not think Western countries’ governments are behind these attacks.

"Do you think that it means with a high state of certainty that those attacks against our digital systems are being promoted by the governments in Washington, in London or in Berlin? You will probably say no. It’s out of the question," the Kremlin spokesman noted. "We think it has nothing to do with the governments, although we also have some evidence that some foreign special services might stand behind some very tense attacks against our banks and against our official websites."

Peskov again rejected accusations that Russia staged cyberattacks against Western countries.

"Neither Russian government nor Kremlin, nor President Putin personally, nor military intelligence stand behind those attacks, if they really exist," he emphasized.

Source: ITAR-TASS 20-01-2017

Russian military doctors back home from Syria

The Northern Fleet aircraft carrier strike group was the first to leave the region.

YEKATERINBURG, January 19. /TASS/. Army doctors of the special purpose medical unit from the Russian Central Military District have returned to the Russian southwestern Siberian city of Novosibirsk after their mission accomplished in Syria, the district’s press service said on Thursday.

"An Ilyushin-76 plane of the Russian Aerospace Force’s military transport aviation, with servicemen of the special purpose medical unit aboard, landed at Novosibirsk’s Tolmachevo airport returning from the Hmeimim air base," the spokesperson said.

Over 100 people from the unit were engaged in Syria.

On Tuesday, January 17, the commander of Russia’s military group in Syria, Colonel-General Andrey Kartapolov, said that the special purpose medical unit would return to Russia in coming days.

Russia began to curtail its military presence in Syria after truce, guaranteed by Moscow and Ankara, took effect on December 30, 2016. The ceasefire agreement had been concluded by the Syrian authorities and several armed opposition groups. It does not apply to the terrorist groups Islamic State and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (former Jabhat al-Nusra), outlawed in Russia.

The Northern Fleet aircraft carrier strike group was the first to leave the region.

Source: ITAR-TASS 19-01-2017

Kremlin: Issue on Crimea status not matter of discussion for Moscow

Kremlin spokesman has commented on the proposal of Nadezhda Savchenko that Kiev needs to recognize Crimea as part of Russia to regain control of the Donbass region.

MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. Moscow won’t discuss the issue of status of any Russian regions, including Crimea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

Peskov commented on the proposal of Ukrainian MP Nadezhda Savchenko that Kiev needs to recognize Crimea’s reunification with Russia to regain control of the Donbass region.

"This issue is absolutely not a matter of discussion and is incontestable for Russia. We do not discuss the status and future of Russian regions. This is not a matter of discussion with anyone else," Peskov said.

Source: ITAR-TASS 18-01-2017

DPR top diplomat blames Kiev for dodging discussion of Steinmeier formula implementation

The DPR foreign minister says Kiev never stops trying to picture the conflict as an international one.

MINSK, January 16. /TASS/. Kiev is dodging discussion of the possible use of the implementation of the so-called Steinmeier formula as a key element of political settlement of the Donbass conflict, acting Foreign Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Natalia Nikonorova said on Monday.

"Formally accepting the Steinmeier formula, our opponents so far have no idea of their attitude to it and, hence, have no possibility to discuss concrete aspects of its implementation," she said after a regular meeting of the Contact Group on the settlement of the situation in eastern Ukraine. "So, we ultimately failed to begin consideration of the basic aspect of the implementation of the political package, the Steinmeier formula."

Having no official positions, Ukraine’s negotiators once again used their favorite instruments such as equivocation and misinterpretation of the documents already signed in order to change their logic, essence and sequence of the implementation, she noted.

Moreover, according to Nikonorova, Kiev never stops trying to picture the conflict as an international one and refuses to discuss essential matters with representatives of the self-proclaimed republics.

"Contrary to our hopes for progress in the negotiating process, we have to state that Ukraine keeps on dodging any constructive discussions and continues to ignore its liabilities to implement all provisions of the Package of Measures signed almost two years ago," she underscored.

In a bid to find a way out of the deadlock situation when Kiev has been blocking a law granting special status to Donbass, which is envisaged by the Minsk agreements, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier suggested a special procedure of its enforcement. Thus, special status will be granted to this region of Ukraine first on a temporary basis on the day of local elections there. Special status will be granted permanently after the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) publishes a report confirming the legitimacy of election results. The idea, known as the Steinmeier formula, was approved at by Normandy Four (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine) meeting in Paris on October 2, 2015.

Source: ITAR-TASS 17-01-2017

Crimean authorities draft UN resolution on human rights abuses under Kiev’s rule

The resolution was drafted by Crimean human rights defenders, lawyers and political scientists who "know the Ukrainian period of Crimea’s history well".

SIMFEROPOL. January 16. /TASS/. Crimean authorities have drafted a UN resolution on human rights violations committed while the Peninsula was ruled by Kiev, Chairman of the State Committee on inter-ethnic relations and deported citizens’ affairs Zaur Smirnov told TASS.

"The draft resolution will be made public this week <…> The resolution reflects all events that took place during the Ukrainian period, starting from the late 1980s. In particular, the return of the Crimean Tatars is described in detail, including the violations of their rights that were committed while they were settling on the Peninsula. Besides, special attention was paid to the 2014 coup," Smirnov explained.

According to him, the resolution was drafted by Crimean human rights defenders, lawyers and political scientists who "know the Ukrainian period of Crimea’s history well, who have studied all the events that took place in Ukraine, including those occurring after 2014."

"All these events (taking place in Crimea’s Ukrainian period) have been assessed and analyzed from a political point of view, the fact was stressed that no legal decisions had been made and no one was held responsible for the violations mentioned in the resolution, including human rights violations," Smirnov stressed, adding that the document also mentions political abuses, and violations of ethnic and religious liberties.

However, Smirnov noted that Crimean authorities did not expect the UN to approve the resolution.

"We believe, the UN will not accept this document because we have already had negative experience as they once refused to accept an application related to the energy blockade [of the Peninsula]," Smirnov noted.

 

UN’s Ukrainian resolution

In December 2016, the UN General Assembly, by a majority vote, adopted a resolution condemning alleged human rights violations in Crimea and calling on Russia to allow international observers to visit the Peninsula.

Head of the Republic of Crimea said in response that human rights were not abused in Crimea.

After Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich was ousted in a coup in February 2014, mass protests began in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. On March 16, 2014, Crimean authorities conducted a referendum on reuniting with Russia. Over 80% of voters participated in the plebiscite, most of them supporting the idea (96.7% in Crimea and 95.6% in the city of Sevastopol).

On March 18, the treaty on Crimea’s reunification with Russia was signed by President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s Federal Assembly (upper house of parliament) approved the document on March 21.

However, despite the referendum’s convincing outcome, Kiev refused to recognize Crimea as part of Russia.

Source: ITAR-TASS 16-01-2017

S-400 air defense missile regiment to assume combat duty in Crimea

The S-400 complex is designated to destroy all types of modern and perspective aerospace attack means.

MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. A regiment armed with Triumf advanced antiaircraft missile systems will assume combat duty in Crimea on Saturday, the press office of Russia’s Southern Military District said on Friday.

"A ceremony will be held in the antiaircraft missile regiment of the 4th Air Force and Air Defense Army of the Southern Military District on January 14 for the command post and the S-400 Triumf battalion to assume combat duty," the press office said.

The armament of the Guards Sevastopol-Feodosiya antiaircraft missile regiment was replenished with the advanced S-400 air defense systems in 2016. The regiment’s personnel successfully underwent re-training and held missile test launches as part of the Kavkaz-2016 strategic command and staff exercises in August last year.

The S-400 complex is designated to destroy all types of modern and perspective aerospace attack means. It is capable of hitting aerodynamic targets at a range of up to 400 kilometers (249 miles) and tactical ballistic targets flying at a speed of 4.8 km/s (3 mi/s) at a distance of up to 60 kilometers (37 miles) at altitudes of several meters to several dozen kilometers. 

Source: ITAR-TASS 15-01-2017

Moscow unsatisfied with ICAO reply to query on Ukraine’s firing practice near Crimea

The Ukrainian armed forces on December 1 held a missile launch exercise over the Black Sea near Crimea.

MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. The Russian Transport Ministry has received a reply from the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO to its query regarding live firing practice the Ukrainian armed forces carried out over the Black Sea recently, Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov told the media on Friday.

"We’ve got a reply, but it cannot be said that it satisfies us. We continue to correspond with each other," Sokolov said.

The Ukrainian armed forces on December 1 held a missile launch exercise over the Black Sea near Crimea. Originally, the intention was to hold the exercise in Russia’s sovereign airspace, but Ukraine later moved the missile exercise area west of the peninsula.

Earlier, Sokolov said that Russia had taken all necessary measures in connection with Ukraine’s plans for conducting the firing practice off the peninsula.

Source: ITAR-TASS 14-01-2017

Dr. Liza to be buried at Moscow’s Novodevichy сemetery

A source earlier told TASS that the relatives had asked the Moscow authorities to allow burying her remains at that cemetery as Dr. Liza's family grave was there.

MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. Renowned Russian humanitarian and charity activist Elizaveta Glinka, also known as Dr. Liza, who was killed in the Tu-154 plane crash in the Black Sea, will be buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow on January 16, the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights said on its website on Friday.

"The funeral of Elizaveta Glinka, or Dr. Liza, a member of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights and the head of the Spravedlivaya Pomoshch (Fair Aid) charity fund, who died tragically in the crash of the Defense Ministry’s plane in the Black Sea, will be held on Monday, January 16, in Moscow at the Novodevichy Cemetery," the statement said.

A source in the city administration earlier told TASS that the relatives had asked the Moscow authorities to allow burying her remains at the cemetery, the final resting place of many famous people in Russian history, as her family grave was there.

TASS reported earlier that Dr. Liza was identified among the victims of the Tu-154 crash through DNA examination.

Tu-154 plane crashed in the early morning hours of December 25 shortly after taking off from the Black Sea resort of Sochi. There were 92 people on board the aircraft, including 8 crew members and 84 passengers, none of them survived.

Among those on the fatal flight were also military servicemen and nine reporters from Russia's Channel One, Zvezda and NTV networks. The plane was also carrying more than 60 members of the world-renowned Alexandrov Ensemble, an official army choir of the Russian Armed Forces. The ensemble was on its way to celebrate New Year’s Eve with Russia’s Aerospace Forces at the Hmeymim air base in Syria.

Source: ITAR-TASS 13-01-2017

Russia won’t be drawn into new arms race — defense minister

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says the Russian Aerospace Force rearmament will raise missile destruction capability.

MOSCOW, January 12. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry considers as its major goal to maintain and support the current level of Russia’s military security, the ministry’s head Sergey Shoigu said on Thursday.

"I want to stress that we have no plans of being drawn into a new arms race," Shoigu said giving a lecture for the top officials of the ministry and representatives of the public.

The minister said the most important condition for meeting this goal is the readiness of the personnel to implement the tasks in the current environment. "This largely depends how the state cares about the servicemen," he said.

 The role of the deterrence factor with time may be shifted from the nuclear sphere to the non-nuclear one, which is likely to ease international tensions and strengthen confidence-building measures, he said. 

"First and foremost this will be achieved with the help of high accuracy weapons," Shoigu said in a lecture for the top personnel of the Defense Ministry and public figures devoted to crucial issues of defense-building policies, their current aspects and prospects.

"By 2021 the combat capabilities of Russia’s strategic non-nuclear forces are to be increased four-fold, which would allow for coping with the task of non-nuclear deterrence to the full extent," Shoigu said.

As follows from what he said, general purpose forces will continue to play a major role in maintaining military security.

"They will be responsible for addressing the bulk of the tasks crucial both in peace and wartime in the process of localizing and terminating armed conflicts, as well as struggle against international terrorism," he said.

 

Nuclear force

Shoigu stressed development of the strategic nuclear force remains an indisputable priority of the Russian Defense Ministry.

"Currently the strategic missile force and sea-based nuclear deterrence force are being equipped with advanced missile systems and long-range aircraft are being upgraded. This will increase the share of modern weapon systems to 72% by 2021, thus keeping the nuclear deterrence potential at the required level," he said.

At the end of 2016 it was announced that advanced weaponry already accounted for 60% of the nuclear triad. A year earlier the rate was at a level of 51%.

Russian Aerospace Force rearmament

The minister believes advanced combat airborne systems will increase the firepower capability of Russia’s Aerospace Force for destroying cruise missiles by 1.5 times.

"The Aerospace Force rearmament with advanced combat airborne complexes will raise their firepower ability to destroy cruise missile by 1.5 times," the defense minister said.

According to the defense minister, "the buildup of the radar field will allow reliably detecting various types of aerial targets."

"The Navy is receiving modern multipurpose surface ships and submarines armed with cruise missiles," the defense minister said.

"By 2021, the Navy’s forces will make up the basis of the grouping of long-range precision weapon carriers," the defense minister noted.

 

Possible deterioration

Russia’s military organization should develop considering a possible deterioration in the international situation, the minister said.

"Today’s condition of the state’s military organization corresponds to the requirements set to it. Its development should proceed with account taken of the possible deterioration in the international situation and the continuous improvement of the systems of foreign states’ armed struggle," Shoigu said during a lecture on the army and society.

These factors are taken into account to plan the directions of the Armed Forces development. In this process, the Defense Ministry plays the role of the coordinator of inter-departmental interaction in solving defense tasks, Shoigu said.

"The National Center of Russia’s Defense Control has been established to carry out comprehensive monitoring and analyze the military-political and strategic situation in real time and to ensure prompt decision-making on exercising control of the country’s military organization," the defense minister said.

Source: ITAR-TASS 12-01-2017

Four S-400 missile systems to enter service in Russia’s Aerospace Forces in 2017

A regiment equipped with the new S-400 Triumf air defense missile system has taken up combat duty in the Moscow Region.

MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. Four S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems will enter service in Russia’s Aerospace Forces this year, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"A total of four air defense regiments were re-equipped with the S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile system in 2016. Another four S-400 systems will enter service in the Aerospace Forces in 2017," the ministry said.

The ministry added a regiment equipped with the new S-400 Triumf air defense missile system has taken up combat duty in the Moscow Region.

The new missile system arrived in the Moscow Region from a firing range in Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan Region, southern Russia, after successful firing exercises.

"As part of re-equipping the Aerospace Forces by modern and advanced missile defense systems another regiment-size set of S-400 Triumf system entered service in one of the Moscow Region’s air defense task forces of the Aerospace Forces," the ministry said.

Another air defense regiment equipped with the S-400 system will be put on combat duty in the Moscow Region soon after being redeployed from the Kapustin Yar range, the ministry said.

The ministry said that the key task of the air defense missile regiments is to protect the airspace over the country’s important state administration and military control centers, industrial and energy facilities, the Armed Forces units and transport infrastructure from the adversary’s attacks.

Last year, Russian arms manufacturer Almaz-Antey supplied to the Defense Ministry five regiments of this system.

The S-400 Triumf is the most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system that went into service in 2007. It is capable of destroying aircraft and cruise missiles at a distance of up to 400 km and ballistic targets flying at a speed of 4.8 km per second - at a distance of 60 km.

Source: ITAR-TASS 11-01-2017