Moscow cautions Kiev’s martial law move may stoke conflict engulfing all of Ukraine

According to the Russian diplomat, the new law stipulates restrictions on basic human rights and freedoms.

MOSCOW, November 30. /TASS/. Moscow is concerned that the civil conflict may engulf the whole of Ukraine following the declaration of martial law, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Friday.

"The Ukrainian military has been granted exclusive powers, including the extrajudicial use of force, which poses a serious danger, as the civil conflict may engulf the entire country," she said, commenting on the declaration of martial law in some of Ukraine’s regions.

According to the Russian diplomat, the law, which declared martial law citing the need to deter "Russia’s aggression," stipulates restrictions on basic human rights and freedoms, including freedoms of speech, assembly and movement. "The Kiev authorities can now seize anything they want from the country’s people, from private property to identification documents," Zakharova pointed out.

On November 26, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament) approved President Pyotr Poroshenko’s decree declaring a 30-say martial law in the Vinnitsa, Lugansk, Nikolayevsk, Odessa, Sumy, Kharkov, Chernigov, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, as well as in Ukraine’s territorial waters in the Sea of Azov, starting from November 28.

A Sunday incident in the Kerch Strait was used as an excuse for the move. On November 25, three Ukrainian navy ships illegally crossed Russia’s border and tried to carry out some illegal actions in Russian territorial waters on Sunday night. They ignored legitimate demands to stop issued by vessels belonging to the FSB Border Service and the Black Sea Fleet and continued maneuvering dangerously. In order to stop the Ukrainian ships, weapons had to be used. The three vessels were detained in Russian territorial waters. Three Ukrainian military servicemen suffered light wounds and were provided with medical assistance.

A criminal investigation has been opened into the border incident. The 24 Ukrainian crew members have been arrested for two months for violating the Russian state border. If found guilty, they may face up to six years in prison.

Source: ITAR-TASS 30-11-2018

Russia is successfully ensuring its security, Putin says

The Russian leader said the citizens are expecting drastic changes in a large number of spheres, as well.

MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. Russia manages to ensure its own security in a reliable and guaranteed way, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"We have ensured the Russian state’s security in a reliable and guaranteed way," Putin told a meeting of the All-Russia People’s Front, praising joint work on reviving the Army and the Fleet and also the country’s military and industrial sector.

"But now we need to make the next much more responsible and large-scale step, this means a much more difficult step - we need to do in civilian areas, in industry, science, education, healthcare and infrastructure development what we did in the sphere of ensuring the country’s military capability - to make a breakthrough in all these areas," Putin said.

According to Putin, Russian citizens are expecting these drastic changes.

Source: ITAR-TASS 29-11-2018

New S-400 division coming soon to Crimea to enter combat duty

The missile system was earlier tested for resistance to vibration on various roads at different speed.

ROSTOV-ON-DON, November 28. /TASS/. A division set of Russia’s S-400 Triumph air defense system has undergone tests and will soon be put on combat duty in Crimea, the Southern Military District’s press service said on Wednesday.

The personnel of the air defense missile unit of the 4th army of the Air Force and the Southern Military District deployed to Crimea has started preparing the equipment to be transported by rail to a permanent base. "In the near future, the new system will enter combat duty to defend Russia’s airspace, replacing the previous air defense system," the spokesman explained.

Earlier, the division set successfully conducted the first shooting exercises at a firing range in southern Russia’s Astrakhan Region. The S-400 combat units fired on simulated low altitude, rapid and ballistic targets.

The missile system was earlier tested for resistance to vibration on various roads at different speed.

Russia’s S-400 Triumph (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the latest long-range anti-aircraft missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, and can also be used against ground installations. The S-400 can engage and hit targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km.

Source: ITAR-TASS 28-11-2018

Ukraine’s martial law poses risks of conflict escalation in Donbass, says Kremlin

The Kremlin spokesman declined to speak about the Russian leader’s reaction to the imposition of martial law in Ukraine.

MOSCOW, November 27. /TASS/. Ukraine’s decision to impose martial law poses a risk of escalating conflict in certain areas of the country, namely in the southeast, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

"This is Ukraine’s domestic affair, but amid the elections, certainly, such a step as imposing martial law has a special undisguised undertone. Potentially, the imposition of martial law in some regions may pose a risk of escalating tensions in the conflict-hit region, namely the southeast," Peskov said.

When asked if this issue is expected to be discussed at the upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, Peskov said: "This is not a topic for the G20 summit, but at the same time if any issues are raised at bilateral meetings with the president on the sidelines of the summit, no one should doubt that the president will give exhaustive clarifications."

The Kremlin spokesman declined to speak about the Russian leader’s reaction to the imposition of martial law in Ukraine, saying that the Defense Ministry should be briefed about this.

On Monday, speaking at the parliament, Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko named the regions, where a 30-day martial law will be imposed from November 28. These are Vinnitsa, Lugansk, Nikolayevsk, Odessa, Sumy, Kharkov, Chernigov, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson, as well as Ukraine’s territorial waters in the Sea of Azov.

On November 25, three Ukrainian warships illegally crossed Russia’s state border in the Black Sea and entered Russia’s territorial waters performing dangerous maneuvers. The ships did not respond to the demands of the Russian Federal Security Service border directorate and the Black Sea Fleet to stop and continued their way.

All three Ukrainian Navy vessels, which had violated the Russian state border, were detained in the Black Sea, with weapons used to force them to stop. Three Ukrainian servicemen were slightly wounded and received medical assistance, the FSB said, adding that there was no threat to their lives. A criminal case has been launched over the violation of Russia’s state border. Moscow slammed the incident as a provocation.

Source: ITAR-TASS 27-11-2018

Russia’s Foreign Ministry to summon Ukrainian charge d’affaires

The reason for summoning the envoy is Ukraine’s "aggressive and provocative action".

MOSCOW, November 26. /TASS/. Ukraine’s charge d’affaires will be summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry over Kiev’s provoked clash in the Kerch Strait, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Rossiya-24 TV channel on Monday.

"Today Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in Russia will be summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry.”

"The reason,” the diplomat emphasized was “Ukraine’s aggressive and provocative action."

Zakharova stressed, "This is not just non-compliance with legal norms, but also a thoroughly planned operation and aggressive steps." "As far as we understand, this provocation and a whole slew of provocative actions had been prepared in advance," she noted.

On November 25, three Ukrainian warships illegally crossed Russia’s state border in the Black Sea and entered Russia’s territorial waters performing dangerous maneuvers. The ships did not respond to the demands of the Russian Federal Security Service border directorate and the Black Sea Fleet to stop and continued on their way.

All three Ukrainian Navy vessels, which had violated the Russian state border, were detained in the Black Sea, following a pursuit involving gunfire, which forced them to stop. Three Ukrainian servicemen were slightly wounded and received medical assistance, the FSB said, adding that their lives were not in danger. A criminal charge has been filed over breaching Russia’s state border.

Source: ITAR-TASS 26-11-2018

Three Ukrainian warships intrude into Russia’s territorial waters – FSB

The Ukrainian warships continue heading to the Kerch Strait, where the traffic is regulated under a schedule approved by the captain of the Russian sea port.

SIMFEROPOL, November 25. /TASS/. Three Ukrainian warships have illegally crossed Russia’s state border entering its territorial waters, and are carrying out dangerous maneuvers, the Federal Security Service’s Border Service in Crimea said on Sunday.

"This morning at around 7:00 a.m. Moscow Time three ships of Ukraine’s Navy violated Articles 19 and 21 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which define the right of a coastal state to ensure maritime security, crossed the Russian state border and illegally entered the temporarily closed waters of the Russian territorial sea," the statement said.

The Ukrainian warships continue heading to the Kerch Strait, where the traffic is regulated under a schedule approved by the captain of the Russian sea port. A source in Crimea’s maritime authorities said the vessels are expected to reach the Kerch Strait in an hour and a half.

The Ukrainian warships are conducting dangerous maneuvers and are failing to meet the requirements, the Federal Security Service’s Border Department in Crimea said. "Until now the requests have not been sent in due order, the vessels have not been included in the schedule of passage. The vessels are carrying out dangerous maneuvers and are disobeying the Russian authorities’ demands," the statement said.

The Border Service is taking all steps to ensure security of navigation and regulation of maritime traffic in the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait.

Source: ITAR-TASS 25-11-2018

Russia’s Okhotnik heavy drone makes first ground run

Okhotnik had been developed using the radar signature reduction technology and employs "the flying wing" configuration.

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/. Russia’s new heavy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Okhotnik, performed its first ground run on the runway of the aviation plant in Novosibirsk earlier this month, a Russian aircraft industry source has told TASS.

"The trial model of the Okhotnik UAV made its first run on the runway of the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Plant, gathering the speed of 200 kmph in line with the program of trials. The takeoff was not performed," the source said. "Okhotnik performed taxi, ground run, acceleration and stoppage at the end of the runway in fully automated mode."

The attack drone will perform a series of ground runs by the end of the year, the source said.

The next stage of trials will include so-called jumps - the aircraft will briefly take off and land almost immediately. Once those trials are over, the drone will make its maiden flight.

The open sources assert that the Okhotnik had been developed using the radar signature reduction technology and employs "the flying wing" configuration. The vehicle takeoff weight reaches 20 tons. According to unconfirmed information, the drone is powered by a jet engine ensuring a speed of up to 1,000 km/h. The Okhotnik development contract was signed between the Defense Ministry and the Sukhoi aircraft maker in 2011. The first UAV prototype for on-land tests had been manufactured in 2014.

A defense industry source earlier told TASS that the drone’s artificial intelligence elements and autonomous regime technologies will be used as a prototype for Russia’s sixth generation fighter jet project.

Source: ITAR-TASS 23-11-2018

Don’t worry be happy: Poll reveals majority of Russians have upbeat outlook

According to the pollster, family is what still brings Russians happiness.

MOSCOW, November 22. /TASS/. Most Russians (84%) feel happy and say that being part of a family, being healthy and having a good job are reasons to be cheerful, the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center said in a statement.

"The level of happiness among Russians is still high, as 84% of those surveyed said they were content. The number is high in every social and demographic group but a thing to note is that people who consider their financial situation to be solid (94%) tend to be more optimistic than those complaining about a dire financial situation (66%)," the statement reads.

According to the pollster, family is what still brings Russians happiness, and the importance of this factor has grown in the past six months. "Today, 33% of the poll’s participants say they feel upbeat thanks to their families (up from 30% six months ago)," the statement notes. Since March 2018, the number of people enjoying their lives because they feel healthy rose from 16% to 21%. For others, children and good jobs are keys to happiness - each of these two categories showed a 15% growth.

"Financial difficulties are the primary reason for feeling dissatisfied (12%)," the pollster went on to say. In addition, "the poll’s participants also get frustrated and depressed because of the adverse situation in the country (9%), poor health, low wages and late paychecks (5% for each of those reasons)."

As many as 32% of those polled said that most of their family members and friends were content, while 16% admitted that most people in their immediate circle were discontent with their lives, and 48% said there was an almost equal number of happy and unhappy people around them.

The nationwide telephone poll involving 1,600 people over the age of 18 was conducted on November 14. The margin of error does not exceed 2.5% at the 95% confidence level.

Source: ITAR-TASS 22-11-2018

Russia’s 70 requests on Skripal poisoning case left unanswered

London’s behavior runs counter to "all norms of civilized relations", the Russian Embassy said.

LONDON, November 20. /TASS/. The British authorities’ rejection of Russia’s requests on the fate of former Russian military intelligence officer convicted in Russia for spying for the UK Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia breaches all norms of civilized relations between the countries, the Russian Embassy said on Tuesday.

"Over the past months the embassy has sent more than 70 notes and letters to the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office and the Home Department," the document said. Russia’s diplomatic mission regularly asks about the Skripal case during personal contacts with the Foreign Office’s representatives.

Russia asked dozens of questions about the poisoning victims and where they stay now, as well as the symptoms and methods of their treatment, as well as the police investigation, the samples of the substance and the evidence which may shed light on the case. "Almost all the questions, offers and appeals have been ignored. This London’s behavior runs counter to all norms of civilized relations between the countries and is a flagrant violation of simple norms of diplomatic politeness," the embassy said.

Nearly nine months have passed since the Skripals were poisoned under unclear circumstances, but these Russian citizens "still remain in isolation under full control of the British authorities," and are deprived of a chance to communicate with their relatives, friends and Russian official representatives, and cannot freely travel.

The UK authorities continue rejecting the embassy’s demand for direct contacts with them to check their health, conditions of stay and whether what is happening to them is upon their good will.

So, London "blatantly violates Russia’s legal right to contact with its citizens under Article 36 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and Article 36 of the 1965 Bilateral Consular Convention," it said.

The deprivation of the Skripals’ freedom arouses serious concerns over the observance of their rights enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights.

During the first days after the incident, Russia officially offered London to provide legal assistance and conduct a joint investigation and also requested the UK’s help in connection with a criminal case opened in Russia. Moscow also expressed its readiness to cooperate in line with the procedures of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Britain claims that former Russian military intelligence officer convicted in Russia for spying for the UK Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were affected by a nerve gas of the Novichok class in Salisbury, England, on March 4. The British government claimed that Russia was highly likely involved in this incident. Moscow strongly dismissed all speculations on that score, saying that neither the Soviet Union nor Russia had ever had programs for making such agents. Britain’s military chemical laboratory at Porton Down has failed to establish the origin of the substance that poisoned the Skripals.

Source: ITAR-TASS 21-11-2018

Kremlin: Russia to take measures to maintain balance, if US pulls out of INF

Russia is ready to continue talks with the United States on the INF Treaty, Peskov stressed.

SOCHI, November 20. /TASS/. Moscow’s response to Washington's possible exit from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty will be explained by the need to maintain a global strategic balance but Moscow is ready to continue negotiations with the US on the INF Treaty, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

"As for the imminent response by the Russian Federation to the withdrawal [of the United States] from the INF Treaty, this was stated by the President [of Russia Vladimir Putin] and is related to the fact that the withdrawal from the INF Treaty may disrupt the strategic balance," Peskov said.

"Correspondingly, Russia will be obliged in the interests of peace and stability to take action to restore this balance," the Kremlin spokesman stressed, replying to journalists’ questions.

Putin’s spokesman did not specify the countermeasures that Russia might take, noting that they will be "necessary for ensuring security and observing Russia’s national interests."

At the same time, Peskov focused on Putin’s statement that "Russia wants and is ready to continue talks with the United States on the INF Treaty and Russia is ready for a dialogue."

"This is a very important statement by the president and it can’t be ignored," the Kremlin spokesman said.

US President Donald Trump said on October 20 that his country would quit the INF Treaty because Russia was allegedly in breach of that agreement. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov described this as a dangerous move. Washington was also criticized in Berlin and Beijing. In the meantime, London came out in support of the United States and NATO placed the responsibility for Trump’s decision on Russia, because in its opinion Moscow had apparently violated the treaty.

The INF Treaty was signed on December 8, 1987 and took effect on June 1, 1988. It outlawed deployed and non-deployed intermediate range (1,000-5,000 kilometers) and shorter range (500-1,000 kilometers) ground-based missiles.

In recent years Washington has repeatedly alleged Russia was in breach of the agreement. Moscow emphatically dismissed the charges and countered them with its own claims over the United States’ non-compliance.

Source: ITAR-TASS 20-11-2018

Russian frigates hold anti-submarine warfare drills in Mediterranean

The drills also involved Kamov Ka-27PL and Ka-27PS helicopters.

SEVASTOPOL, November 16. /TASS/. The crews of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen held drills jointly with deck-based rotorcraft in the Mediterranean Sea to practice searching for a notional enemy’s submarines, the Fleet’s press office reported on Friday.

The crews of the Russian frigates are accomplishing their assignments as part of the Russian Navy’s permanent Mediterranean task force.

"Drills were held to practice searching for and tracking a submarine, searching for, rescuing and providing medical assistance to persons in distress at sea," the press office said in a statement.

The drills involved Kamov Ka-27PL and Ka-27PS helicopters that made about 30 takeoffs and landings onto the decks of the frigates.

The Admiral Makarov and the Admiral Essen are warships of a new series of Project 11356R/M (11357) frigates. These are multipurpose blue-water frigates (guard ships) designated to destroy surface combatants, submarines and enemy ground facilities, carry out patrols and protect sea communications.

The frigates are armed with eight launchers of Kalibr-NK cruise missiles that are capable of striking surface, coastal and underwater targets at a distance of up to 2,600 km. The warships of this Project are also armed with Shtil-1, Palash and AK-630M air defense missile and artillery systems, A-190 100mm universal artillery guns, torpedo tubes and RBU-6000 rocket launchers. The frigates also have a take-off and landing strip and a hangar for an anti-submarine warfare helicopter (Ka-27 or Ka-31).

Source: ITAR-TASS 19-11-2018

Kiev plotting sabotage act at one of chemical plant in Gorlovka - Donetsk militias

The goal of this operation is to distract the DPR forces, spokesman for the militias in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic Daniil Bezsonov said.

DONETSK, November 18. /TASS/. Ukraine’s forces are preparing to carry out an act of sabotage at the Stirol plant in Gorlovka, one of Europe’s largest chemical plants, Spokesman for the militias in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic Daniil Bezsonov said on Sunday.

"The Ukrainian command together with its Western sponsors is preparing a major act of sabotage at the Stirol chemical plant," Bezsonov was quoted by the Donetsk News Agency as saying.

The goal of this operation is to distract the DPR forces, which will be deployed to evacuate citizens to safe areas, in order to reach further territories in the republic. According to the spokesman, the act of sabotage will be conducted by the Ukrainian units, which have received chemical protection kits.

Source: ITAR-TASS 18-11-2018

Yekaterinburg welcomes Winter Universiade torch relay

The Universiade will be held in Krasnoyarsk on March 2-12, 2019.

YEKATERINBURG, November 17. /TASS/. The Russian Ural city of Yekaterinburg hosted the Flame of the 2019 Winter Universiade on Saturday when torchbearers started the relay from Ural Federal University and ran along the city main road, TASS reported from the scene.

"Impressions cannot be compared to anything else. Each city gives absolutely new emotions and new people who we meet there. We learn what is going on in Yekaterinburg and elsewhere: how students study, what they are into, while we, in our turn, tell you about a distant and cold Krasnoyarsk where the Universiade will be held," Deputy Executive Director of the Universiade Directorate Stella Alekseeva told TASS.

"It was just great in spite of a slight frost. Exactly in a week, we will be working in Vladivostok," she added.

The flame was carried by 25 torchbearers along a distance of five kilometers. Among them were two-time Olympic biathlon champion Sergei Chepikov, cross-country skiing bronze medalist Ivan Alypov, Regional Sports Minister Leonid Rapoport, UFU Rector Victor Koksharov, and Head of The TASS Ural Regional Information Center (RIC) Maria Kartuz.

After Yekaterinburg, the 2019 Winter Universiade Flame will head for the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok that will host the next stage of the torch relay on November 24.

The Winter Universiade torch relay started in Turin on September 20. As part of the international stage, torchbearers ran through the streets of Almaty and Harbin. As for Russia, the flame has already been carried through Moscow, Kaliningrad, Simferopol, Rostov-on-don, Stavropol, Grozny, St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, and Kazan. The relay will wrap up its final destination in Krasnoyarsk on March 1.

The Winter Universiade will be held in Krasnoyarsk on March 2-12, 2019. Athletes will compete for 76 sets of medals. There will be eight mandatory sports, namely skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, hockey, short track, snowboarding, figure skating, and curling. Athletes will also compete in three freestyle, orienteering and ball hockey.

Source: ITAR-TASS 17-11-2018

Kremlin: Russian inspections of Ukrainian vessels in Sea of Azov appropriate

Everything is done in strict compliance with the law, Putin's spokesman stressed.

MOSCOW, November 16. /TASS/. Russian border guards’ inspections of Ukrainian vessels in the Sea of Azov are appropriate and consistent with the international maritime law, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

When asked if those inspections were authorized by the Kremlin, he answered in the negative. "It is done in strict compliance with the law, such inspections are appropriate," Peskov added.

The Russian presidential spokesman also said that "the situation is being closely monitored." "Measures may be taken to protect the interests of Russian sailors, entities and individuals in strict accordance with the international maritime law," he stressed. At the same time, Peskov declined to specify what actions Russia could take towards Ukraine.

On May 4, the Russian Federal Security Service’s Crimean branch said that Russian border guards had detained Ukraine’s YaMK-0041 vessel in the Black Sea off the western coast of Crimea for illegal fishing. There were five crew members onboard, all of them Ukrainian nationals. A criminal case was opened against the vessel’s captain Viktor Novitsky, while the vessel itself was arrested.

Source: ITAR-TASS 16-11-2018

Northern Fleet to get first Arctic air defense systems Tor on November 22 — source

The first Artic air defense systems Tor will be delivered to the Northern Fleet next week, a source says.

MOSCOW, November 15. /TASS/. The first Artic air defense systems Tor will be delivered to the Northern Fleet next week, a source in the military-industrial complex told TASS.

"The first battalion of Arctic air defense systems Tor-M2DT will be handed over to the Northern Fleet on November 22," the source said.

Earlier, the chief of the Russian Armed Forces’ field air defense system, Lieutenant-General Alexander Leonov, said that the Tor systems were to be handed over to the Northern Fleet in a ceremony on the premises of the 726th air defense training center in Yeisk, the Krasnodar Region, in November.

Tor-M2DT is the Arctic configuration of Tor-M2, installed on the tracked articulated chassis DT-30M, boasting unique cross-country parameters and the ability to negotiate ditches and water obstacles and stay operational at air temperatures as low as 50 degrees below freezing. They hit the target within seconds after identification.

Source: ITAR-TASS 15-11-2018

Russian naval ships return from long voyage across the Atlantic

The crews carried out the electronic launches of anti-submarine guided missiles.

KALININGRAD, November 14. /TASS/. A group of the Baltic Fleet ships - the corvettes Stoiky and Soobrazitelny - have ended a long voyage to the Atlantic Ocean, having covered more than 3,000 nautical miles and returned to a base in Baltiysk on Tuesday, the fleet’s press service reported.

"The ships’ crews spent more than 20 days at sea <...> The ships returned from the voyage in good repair and ready to fulfil the designated tasks after replenishment," the report says. The main task of the voyage was the provision of naval presence and the demonstration of St. Andrew’s flag in different areas of the Atlantic Ocean.

During the voyage the crews worked out tasks of the naval drills, repelled an air strike of the "enemy" and trained counter-sabotage actions while anchored at the roadstead. The crews carried out the electronic launches of anti-submarine guided missiles. Ka-27 shipborne helicopters carried out several flights, trained to rescue people in distress at sea and searched for the "enemy’s" submarine in cooperation with the ships.

The troops of sea soldiers onboard the ships worked out different tasks of anti-terrorism protection and conducted live firing on sea targets.

Source: ITAR-TASS 14-11-2018

Pilots destroy 'enemy' submarines in military exercise off Kamchatka's coast

"In accordance with the military exercise plan, two Il-38 aircraft were send to the area where a submarine was allegedly located," spokesman for the Russian Pacific Fleet Nikolay Voskresensky said.

MOSCOW, November 13. /TASS/. /TASS/. Anti-submarine pilots have located and destroyed a submarine of an 'enemy' off Russian Far Eastern Kamchatka's coast, official spokesman of the Russian Pacific Fleet Captain 2nd Rank Nikolay Voskresensky said on Tuesday.

"In accordance with the military exercise plan, two Il-38 aircraft were send to the area where a submarine was allegedly located to perform tasks on anti-submarine combat. They set up radio buoys in the area," Voskresensky said.

To complicate the tasks for pilots, the submarine was instructed to attempt to flee if located. However, when one buoy located it, the Il-38 pilots calculated the exact coordinates and started following the submarine. After establishing the submarine's route and speed, aircraft dropped anti-submarine bombs on it.

Source: ITAR-TASS 13-11-2018

Donbass elections’ outcome shows popular support for integration with Russia, expert says

According to an expert, Moscow "views the elections’ outcome as an important signal for the Ukrainian authorities".

MOSCOW, November 12. /TASS/. The outcome of the Sunday elections of heads of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR, LPR), as well as People’s Councils elections, have made it clear that people in Donbass support the policy of integration with Russia, head of the Russian Center for Current Politics Alexei Chesnakov told TASS on Monday.

When commenting on the elections’ outcome, he pointed to some important conclusions. "First, the election campaigns and the unprecedented voter turnout prove that people support the policy the Donbass republics’ authorities adopted in 2014. It undoubtedly is a victory for pro-Russian voters and pro-Russian political forces," the expert stressed. "Second, the Donbass republics have shown that their political institutions are mature enough to create conditions for legal elections," he added.

"Third, the current authorities have achieved clear success, which is a result of people’s trust in their leaders," Chesnakov went on to say. "Despite the hardships that the ongoing blockade has been causing, both [Acting DPR head] Denis Pushilin and [Acting LPR head] Leonid Pasechnik have managed to show their high efficiency in a relatively short period of time. The elections have given great impetus to efforts to resolve a number of economic issues, which include the need to increase public employees’ wages, reduce fuel prices, counter corruption and remove obstacles hindering business activities. This shows that people support their social and economic policies and strongly oppose Kiev’s policy of punishment towards Donbass," the expert pointed out.

"Fourth, the election campaign was open and transparent," the Russian expert noted. "The elections should be recognized as democratic and conforming to international standards," he said. At the same time, according to Chesnakov, the vote "in no way violates the Minsk Agreements, as the Package of Measures concern only local elections, while they have nothing to do with the elections of the republics’ heads and parliamentary elections."

"And finally, fifth. The Sunday elections give hope that the Minsk process, aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the conflict, will go on as the Donbass republics continue to abide by the Minsk Agreements," the expert said.

According to Chesnakov, Moscow "views the elections’ outcome as an important signal for the Ukrainian authorities." "Kiev needs to stop wasting precious time and launch a direct dialogue with Donbass," he concluded.

Source: ITAR-TASS 12-11-2018

Elections of heads of republics and MPs begin in Donbass

More than 90 activists from 20 countries will monitor the vote in Donbass.

DONETSK/LUGANSK, November 11. /TASS/. The elections of heads of republics and members of unicameral parliaments, the People’s Councils, began in Donbass on Sunday.

Some 408 and 316 polling stations opened at 8 a.m. Moscow Time in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic, respectively. They will be closed at 8 p.m. Moscow Time, and then the vote counting will begin.

Five candidates will run for the office of the DPR head. They are Acting DPR leader Denis Pushilin, Former Deputy Education and Science Minister Vladimir Medvedev, renowned lawyer Elena Shishkina, MP from the Free Donbass faction Roman Khramenkov, and famous public figure Roman Yevstifeyev, who heads the museum of the Union of Afghan War Veterans.

Representatives of two public movements, the Donetsk Republic and Free Donbass, will fight for 100 seats in the People’s Council. Now the Donetsk Republic movement, led by Pushilin, has the majority of seats in the parliament (63).

Four self-nominated candidates are running for the LPR head. The main candidate for the post of the LPR leader is Acting Head Leonid Pasechnik. The other candidates are Chairman of the Republican Committee of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers Oleg Koval, Chair of the Perevalsk branch of the Lugansk Economic Union public movement Lyudmila Rusnak and Head of the Republican Trade Union of Railroad Transport Workers Natalya Sergun.

Members of two public movements - Peace for Lugansk Region and Lugansk Economic Union - will run for 50 seats in the People’s Council. Peace for Lugansk, led by Pasechnik, now has the majority of seats.

More than 90 activists from 20 countries will monitor the vote in Donbass on Sunday. Local authorities said that they have created all conditions to ensure a professional, objective and unbiased monitoring and full security.

Personnel of the Interior Ministry, the State Security Ministry and the People’s Militias in Donbass will ensure order during the elections.

Source: ITAR-TASS 11-11-2018

Ukrainian troops use heavy artillery to shell Donetsk’s northern suburb

Ukrainian forces used 152mm howitzers, which are supposed to be withdrawn from the contact line in Donbass in accordance with the Minsk Agreements.

DONETSK, November 9. /TASS/. Ukrainian troops have used 152mm howitzers, which are supposed to be withdrawn to a considerable distance from the contact line in Donbass, to shell Donetsk’s northern suburb, a spokesman for the mission of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) said on Friday.

"At 4.30pm local time today, Ukrainian troops fired four 152mm howitzer shells from the settlement of Peski to the area of the Volvo Center in Donetsk. They also used firearms," the Donetsk News Agency quoted him as saying.

Apart from that, the villages of Spartak and Zhabichevo near Donetsk also came under mortar shelling by Ukrainian troops on Friday evening.

The so-called back-to-school ceasefire came into force in Donbass from midnight August 29. It was agreed by the Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine on August 22, ahead of a new academic year. The ceasefire was violated three hours after it came into effect as Ukrainian troops shelled Gorlovka’s suburbs.

Since the outbreak of the conflict in Donbass, the parties have agreed on more than 20 ceasefires. The longest one was reported in 2016 when the ceasefire was upheld for six weeks in a row. However, all the efforts to establish lasting ceasefire have been failing so far.

Source: ITAR-TASS 10-11-2018

Russian diplomat dismisses US claims of ‘irresponsible’ behavior in Black Sea airspace

Earlier in the day, US Department of State Spokesperson Heather Nauert accused Russia of acting "recklessly" in the international airspace over the Black Sea.

MOSCOW, November 8. /TASS/. Washington’s accusations of Russian aviation’s "irresponsible" behavior above the Black Sea are nothing more than politically-motivated speculations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told TASS on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, US Department of State Spokesperson Heather Nauert accused Russia of acting "recklessly" in the international airspace over the Black Sea. The spokesperson also called on Russia to stop what she described as "unsafe, irresponsible, and aggressive behavior."

"Military professionals know that everything that we do [is done] with the highest possible level of preparations," Ryabkov said. "That’s why Washington should avoid using this or that situation for political speculations and aggravation of tensions."

"This foul play is evident for us, and we will keep exposing it. We call on the United States to scale back its ambitions and abstain from actions that do not really benefit security at the regional and even global level," the Russian diplomat added.

According to Ryabkov, Moscow is doing its best to prevent any kind of incidents in territories where Russian and US warships and warplanes are conducting their activities.

"However, there is one question that we would like to be answered by our US partners: what is the goal of their presence so close to the Russian territory?" he said. "This question is becoming more and more important as we have no clue of the goals they pursue. We are not satisfied with excuses that the US Air Force and Navy are simply exercising their right to move freely in and above international waters."

"We have to take care about our own security and, ultimately, US military commanders and political leaders are playing with fire when they order provocative actions to be carried out in the immediate vicinity of the Russian border. We, on our part, do nothing of this kind with regard to the United States," Ryabkov said.

Source: ITAR-TASS 09-11-2018

Russia’s new military transport helicopter performs debut flight

A Mil Mi-38T transport and troop landing helicopter performed its debut flight on November 3

ZHUHAI /China/, November 8. /TASS/. A Mil Mi-38T transport and troop landing helicopter being developed on an assignment from Russia’s Defense Ministry performed its debut flight on November 3, Head of Russian Helicopters Group (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) Andrei Boginsky said at the Airshow China on Thursday.

"On Saturday, the Mi-38 helicopter developed for the military made its first hovering," Boginsky said.

The helicopter prototype was made at the company’s expense on the Defense Ministry’s technical assignment, he added.

"We have a contract with the Defense Ministry on the delivery of two Mi-38s next year and we are just doing the work to implement this contract," he said.

The Russian Helicopters rotorcraft maker considers increasing the weight of the Mi-38’s underslung cargo from the current 6 to 8 tonnes, thus expanding the possibilities of its use for the military, he noted.

Mi-38T helicopter

The Mi-38 medium multipurpose helicopter holds a niche between the Mi-8 and the heavy Mi-26 chopper and can be used to transport cargoes and passengers. It can be employed as a search-and-rescue rotorcraft and for flights over the water. The Mi-38T (transport and troop landing) is a military version of the Mi-38.

The helicopter in its military configuration is equipped with new highly efficient domestically-produced TV-7-117V engines and an integrated digital pilot navigation system.

Russian Helicopters Group CEO Andrei Boginsky earlier said that the company planned to deliver the first Mi-38T helicopters to the Army in 2019.

Source: ITAR-TASS 08-11-2018

Kremlin calls new possible US sanctions 'illegal'

The Kremlin stresses Moscow is ready for dialogue with Washington

MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. Moscow will consider new possible sanctions by Washington as part of the Salisbury case as illegal, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"We view these restrictions slapped by the US against Russia as illegal and therefore we will treat similar steps in the same way if they follow," Peskov said when commenting on Moscow’s reaction to new US sanctions, which may be introduced in connection with the Skripal poisoning case.

US Department of State Spokesperson Heather Nauert said earlier Washington was set to act in accordance with the law on chemical and biological weapons that stipulates imposing another package of sanctions against Russia. According to the US diplomat, the Department of State informed the US Congress on Tuesday that it "could not certify that the Russian Federation met the conditions required by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991."

Moscow is in favor of a dialogue with Washington to solve the existing problems but so far it sees no bright prospects for normalizing bilateral relations, he said.

According to Peskov, it is up to the Americans themselves to decide whether the domestic political situation in the US improved or deteriorated after the elections, and Kremlin has "no desire whatsoever to intervene there."

"One can assume with a high degree of confidence that, of course, no bright prospects for normalizing Russian-American relations are in the offing," the Kremlin spokesman said when asked about relations between the two countries’ leaders after the November 6 midterm elections in the US.

"That does not mean, however, that we seek no dialogue, that we want no dialogue, because we have numerous problems that require Russian-American intercommunication. These are the problems of strategic stability and arms control. These problems will not be solved by themselves without maintaining a dialogue," Peskov concluded.

When asked whether the outcome of the US elections could further exacerbate bilateral relations, the Kremlin spokesman noted that "It would hardly be possible to make them even more complicated." He stressed that, in spite of all the phobias existing in the US, Russia has never meddled in the electoral processes in any country, including the United States, and has no intention of doing so in the future."

According to the results of the US midterms held on Tuesday, the Democratic Party has won the majority of seats in the House of Representatives, while the Republican Party will retain and strengthen control of the Senate.

Source: ITAR-TASS 07-11-2018

Kremlin says upcoming elections in DPR and LPR do not run counter to Minsk accords

The republics' right to hold the elections, scheduled for November 11, was not recognized by Kiev and some Western countries

MOSCOW, November 6. /TASS/. The upcoming elections of the heads and members of People’s Councils of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) do not contradict the Minsk accords, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

"They do not run counter, at least to the Minsk accords; nothing is said about it there," Peskov said.

Commenting on a journalist’s comment that the specified agreements concern the organization of such elections under Ukrainian law, the spokesman noted that "if you read the items of the Minsk accords which precede it you’ll see that the Ukrainian side had to do much, but didn’t do it."

Elections of the DPR and LPR heads and members of the People’s Councils will be held on November 11, 2018. Kiev and some Western countries refused to recognize the republics’ right to hold them. As many as 408 voting stations will operate on the DPR territory on Sunday. Five candidates will fight for the leadership in the republic - Denis Pushilin, Yelena Shishkina, Roman Khramenkov, Vladimir Medvedev and Roman Yevstifeyev. Two social movements - the Donetsk Republic and Free Donbass - will compete at the election to the People’s Council.

Source: ITAR-TASS 06-11-2018

Belarus will be "forced to deploy something" against US base in Poland - Lukashenko

"I told Foreign Minister (of Poland) who spoke in Minsk that we are not going to fight with you, which is why do not establish more bases", he said.

MINSK, November 4. /TASS/. A possible deployment of the US military base in Poland will force Belarus and Russia to respond in kind, which particularly envisions additional military infrastructure to be stationed on the Belarusian territory, the country’s President Alexander Lukashenko said on Sunday.

"I told Foreign Minister (of Poland) who spoke in Minsk that we are not going to fight with you, which is why do not establish more bases. Otherwise the Russians and we will have to respond, meaning we will be forced to deploy something for standing against you," the BelTA news agency quoted Lukashenko as saying.

He added that addressing the participants of the Core Group meeting of the Munich Security Conference earlier this week, he urged western countries to see value in Belarus. "I told them: see value in Belarus, do not impose sanctions against us. Both drugs, and mobsters, and radioactive elements, and illegal migration, all that goes to the west through us, and we tackle them at our own expense," Lukashenko emphasized.

Source: ITAR-TASS 05-11-2018

Glonass-M satellite has been placed into orbit

This is the fourth launch of a Soyuz-2 carrier rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in 2018

MOSCOW, November 4. /TASS/. After the separation from the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket the Fregat upper successfully launched the Glonass-M satellite into orbit, an official with the Defense Ministry told reporters on Sunday.

"The Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket that was launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on Saturday, November 3 at 23:17 Moscow time, has successfully launched the Russian navigation spacecraft Glonass-M into the calculated orbit at a set time," the official said.

This is the fourth launch of a Soyuz-2 carrier rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in 2018

Flight tests of the Soyuz-2 space launch complex began at Plesetsk in the autumn of 2004. Over the past 14 years, 36 launches of the Soyuz-2 carrier rockets (modernization stages 1a, 1b and 1b) have been conducted from the northern cosmodrome, including the launch on Saturday.

The Soyuz-2 rocket replaced the Soyuz-U carriers, which was launched from Plesetsk from 1973 to 2012. In total, 435 Soyuz-U missiles were launched from the cosmodrome, about 430 vehicles were launched into orbit.

Source: ITAR-TASS 04-11-2018

Putin to take part in celebrations to mark National Unity Day

Russian President will present awards for the contribution to strengthening the unity of the Russian nation.

MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in celebrations to mark National Unity Day on November 4, the Kremlin press service reported on Saturday.

"Festive events will begin with laying flowers at the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky (in Moscow’s Red Square - TASS). After that, the president will visit the exhibition titled Treasures of Russian Museums, which is being held at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall as part of Orthodox Russia - National Unity Day exhibition and forum," the press service said. The exhibition features over 280 items from 50 Russian museums.

Later in the day, the head of state will present awards for the contribution to strengthening the unity of the Russian nation and state awards to foreign citizens for special merits in strengthening peace, friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding between peoples, preserving and promoting the Russian language and culture abroad.

Source: ITAR-TASS 03-11-2018

US waging propaganda campaign against Russia in quest to exit INF, Moscow says

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the INF Treaty situation concerns not only Moscow and Washington, but other members of the international community as well.

MOSCOW, November 1. /TASS/. The United States is waging a large-scale propaganda campaign against Russia, seeking to shift the responsibility for its plans to quit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday.

"While undermining the INF Treaty, the US is waging a large-scale propaganda campaign, seeking to make the world believe that its withdrawal is caused by Russia’s violations of the document," she said. "Such an approach is totally inappropriate, and attempts to shift the responsibility to Russia are absolutely unacceptable," Zakharova added.

The Russian diplomat pointed out that the US had not bothered to clearly justify its claims. "These claims remain groundless and are openly provocative," she noted. "We would like to state once again that our country has been strictly abiding by the treaty, while Washington seeks to cover up its own violations by putting forward groundless accusations against us," Zakharova pointed out.

According to her, the situation surrounding the INF Treaty concerns not only Moscow and Washington but other members of the international community as well. "We call on all who realize their responsibility for the future of global stability and security, to send a clear signal to Washington that its plans are dangerous," Zakharova stressed.

INF Treaty situation

On October 20, US President Donald Trump said that Washington would pull out of the INF Treaty because Russia had allegedly violated it.

The INF Treaty was concluded on December 8, 1987, and took effect on June 1, 1988. It applies to deployed and non-deployed ground-based missiles of intermediate range (1,000-5,000 kilometers) and shorter range (500-1,000 kilometers). In the recent years, Washington has been repeatedly accusing Russia of violating the treaty. Moscow strongly dismissed the accusations and voiced its own claims concerning Washington’s non-compliance.

At the same time, Trump does not rule out that a new treaty may be signed with Russia and China, provided they give assurances they will stop developing these kinds of weapons.

Source: ITAR-TASS 02-11-2018

Russia introduces countermeasures against 322 Ukrainian citizens and 68 companies

The list includes a number of acting Ukrainian government officials and businessmen

MOSCOW, November 1. /TASS/. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a government decree introducing special economic measures against 322 Ukrainian citizens and 68 companies, the Government press service said on Thursday.

"Special economic measures are introduced in relation to individuals and legal entities of Ukraine, which include freezing non-cash funds, non-documentary securities and property in Russia and banning transfer of funds (withdrawal of capital) outside Russia. Sanctions will be extended to 322 individuals and 68 legal entities," the Russian government said.

The list of the sanctioned individuals includes the Ukrainian president’s son Alexei Poroshenko, Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov, Head of Naftogaz of Ukraine Andrei Kobolev, Head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Viktor Muzhenko, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko, Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Andrei Paruby, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Konstantin Yeliseyev, ultra-nationalists Oleg Tyagnibok and Dmitri Yarosh, ex-premier of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, leader of the Batkivshchyna (Motherland) party Yulia Timoshenko.

These restrictions also are also being imposed on judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, lawmakers of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the 8th convocation, major Ukrainian businessmen, officials of the presidential administration of Ukraine, heads of executive authorities and large Ukrainian companies, and legal entities controlled by Ukraine’s top businessmen, the statement said.

Ukraine’s chemical and mining enterprises make up the majority of the list of 68 legal entities that fell under the countersanctions. Among those are Azot, Dniproazot, Ukrhimenergo, Glikohim, Mezhdurechensk Mining and Processing Plant, United Mining-Chemical Company and its branches, and a number of other companies.

Moscow's countermeasures are aimed at countering Kiev’s unfriendly actions against Russian citizens and companies and can be lifted if Ukraine annuls its sanctions, the Russian government stated.

Thus, Russia’s countermeasures "are aimed at countering unfriendly actions against Russian citizens and legal entities from Ukraine and normalizing bilateral relations." "The Russian government reserves the right to cancel special economic measures if Ukraine abolishes its restrictive measures imposed on Russian citizens and legal entities," the government said.

Precautionary measures

The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia must steer Russian companies clear of any negative impact when slapping retaliatory measures against Ukraine.

"The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation should ensure a balance on commodity markets and prevent any negative impact from the special economic measures ... on the activities of Russian organizations," the government resolution published on the Russian government’s official website said.

According to the statement, the Russian government could issue temporary permits to authorize certain operations of companies under the restrictions.

According to the Russian Federal Customs Service, trade turnover between Russia and Ukraine in 2017 increased by 25.6% to $12.9 bln. Growth of mutual trade was observed in the first time since 2012. Thus, in 2017, Russian exports to Ukraine rose in all key product groups and imports grew in all product groups, with the exception of wood.

Russian-Ukrainian trade relations peaked in 2011, when the volume of mutual trade amounted to $50.6 bln. Since 2012, trade began to gradually decline and reached its bottom in 2016, dropping to $10.26 bln. Because of a prolonged decline in mutual trade, in 2017 Ukraine occupied only 14th place in Russia’s foreign trade. Whereas Russia, despite the sanctions introduced by Ukraine since 2014, according to the Ukrainian State Statistics Service, remains its main trading partner with a 12.4% share in foreign trade.

According to the data of the Russian Central Bank, direct investments by residents of Ukraine and Russia in each other’s economies has been on the decline since 2016. At the end of 2016, there was an inflow of direct investment to the tune of $270 mln from Ukraine to Russia. Similarly, Russian companies poured $3.4 bln into Ukraine, Ukraine’s investments in Russia amounted to $285 mln (+21%). At the same time, Russia's investments in Ukraine in the reporting period reached $3.4 bln (+10%).

Presidential decree

On October 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on special economic measures in response to the anti-Russian sanctions of Ukraine. The decree notes that this decision was made "in response to Ukraine’s unfriendly actions, which are contrary to the international law and imply introduction of restrictive measures against citizens and legal entities of the Russian Federation", adding that they were imposed "in order to protect national interests."

Prime Minister Medvedev clarified later, countersanctions "would not apply to Ukrainians in general," but will concern "only those Ukrainian citizens who harm the interests of the Russian Federation and take actions aimed at causing damage to Russia." The list will also include legal entities registered under the laws of Ukraine, which are in any way controlled by citizens under countersanctions.

Ukraine’s sanctions against Russia

In February 2014, Ukraine introduced sanctions against 1,228 individuals and 468 legal entities, including Russian government officials, politicians, CEOs, along with reporters, some Donbass residents, the Almaz-Antey concern, Gazprombank and Aeroflot.

In 2017, Ukraine also introduced sanctions against Russian internet and media companies, such as Mail.ru Group, Yandex, VKontakte and Odnoklassniki.

On June 21, 2018, Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko signed a decree on expanding sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities. The updated list included six political parties of Russia: United Russia, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, the Rodina party, the Democratic Party of Russia, and the Agrarian Party of Russia. The list also includes the Central Election Commission and its head Ella Pamfilova, the Electoral Commission of Crimea and members of territorial commissions at various levels.

Source: ITAR-TASS 01-11-2018