Zelensky appoints ex-Ukrainian President Kuchma envoy to Donbass Contact Group

Leonid Kuchma stood at the origins of the Contact Group as a format to reach settlement in the Donbass Region and attended the very first, semiofficial meeting in June, 2014 in Donetsk.

KIEV, June 3. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has appointed ex-President of the country Leonid Kuchma Ukrainian representative to the Contact Group on peaceful settlement in Donbass.

"On June 5, a regular meeting of the Contact Group will take place in Minsk, the Ukrainian delegation will be headed by Leonid Kuchma," he said at a joint briefing with Kuchma in Kiev.

Zelensky said that he had held meetings with foreign partners on the settlement in Donbass. "I have met with the partners from the United States and the European Union, we discussed the issue of ceasefire. We have a unified stance on the Normandy format and how to unblock the Minsk process," the President said. "We have specific proposals and new solution for Donbass, however, no one will be trading the territory and sovereignty of Ukraine," he underlined.

Kuchma quit the post of the Ukrainian representative to the Contact Group in autumn 2018, but now said that he could not but agree to Zelensky’s proposal. "I am used to making decisions, implementing them and being responsible for them. Today’s meeting with the Ukrainian President shows that I have the opportunity to make a contribution," he said, warning that he does not want to play a decorative role.

"If we are making decisions there, then they should be implemented in Ukraine so that we are not just being present there (in the group - TASS)," he underlined.

Contact Group

Second Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma stood at the origins of the Contact Group as a format to reach settlement in the Donbass Region. He attended the very first, semiofficial meeting that took place on June 23, 2014 in Donetsk. The Minsk format had taken its current shape by the autumn that year, when the first document package on the settlement in Donbass was signed on September 5 following consultations in Minsk. Leonid Kuchma signed it on Ukraine’s behalf.

In the autumn of 2018, Kuchma said he was leaving the Contact Group, explaining that this "decision he had made long ago." "I decided to do that once and for all that at some point you need to stop," Kuchma underlined.

According to him, the meetings in Minsk are taking their toll on him, primarily in the physical sense. "When I arrive, it takes me two days to rest afterwards. The discussions are very complicated, especially when you know that there’s no result," the ex-President stressed.

At the same time, Kuchma said that he would not want to "analyze the complete set of reasons which prompt" him to quit.

After his resignation, until recently the former Ukrainian Prime Minster and ex-Defense Minister Yevgeny Marchuk headed the Ukrainian delegation to the Contact Group.

Source: ITAR-TASS 03-06-2019

Loss of gas transit, ban on oil export from Russia to spell trouble for Ukraine — official

On April 18, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at the government meeting that he had signed a decree on Moscow’s tit-for-tat measures following restrictions imposed by Ukraine.

KIEV, May 31. /TASS/. Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Alexander Danilyuk believes that the loss of gas transit through the country’s territory and the ban on oil exports from Russia pose the biggest risks for Ukraine.

"There are problems that create the biggest risks, which is the problem of the loss of gas transit through the territory of Ukraine starting January 1, 2019. There are problems related to Russia’s restrictive actions that will come into force starting June 2, which will restrict supplies of diesel, oils and ban oil supplies," he said.

On April 18, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at the government meeting that he had signed a decree on Moscow’s tit-for-tat measures following restrictions imposed by Ukraine. Particularly, the issue is about expanded ban on supplies of Ukrainian engineering products, consumer goods, metal products to Russia, as well as the ban on exports of the Russian oil and petroleum products to Ukraine. Moreover, starting June 1, 2019, coal, oil and petroleum products will be only supplied to Ukraine in case there are special permissions.

The contract on gas transit from Russia to Europe through Ukraine expires on December 31, 2019. The latest trilateral ministerial meeting in Brussels on formation of a new agreement between Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission held on January 21 yielded no results.

Source: ITAR-TASS 02-06-2019

Russia to launch 2 military communications satellites in 2019

Russia will also complete creating the orbital military communications grouping that will consist of four Blagovest satellites, according to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. Russia will launch two Meridian-M military communications satellites in 2019, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday.

"Before the end of the year, two upgraded Meridian-M-series communications satellites will be launched," Shoigu said at the ministry’s board meeting.

Russia will also complete creating the orbital military communications grouping that will consist of four Blagovest satellites, the defense minister said.

"This will provide a possibility to expand the areas of satellite communication accessibility on the territory of Russia and outside it, including in the Arctic," the defense minister said.

Blagovest satellites

The first Blagovest military satellite, the Kosmos-2520, was launched from the Baikonur spaceport on August 17, 2017. The second satellite of this series, the Kosmos-2526, was launched on April 19, 2018 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Initially, its liftoff was planned for December 25, 2017 but was rescheduled due to problems with an onboard device.

The third Blagovest satellite was launched in December 2018 and the fourth will be delivered into orbit in mid-July.

Russia’s Defense Ministry plans to deploy a grouping of four Blagovest satellites by 2020. These satellites are designed to provide high-speed access to the Internet, transmit data and offer telephone and video conference communications using the advanced Ka-and Ku-band frequencies.

Meridian-M satellites

Russia’s Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems Company received an order in 2017 for manufacturing four Meridian-M military satellites (the modernized version of Meridian space vehicles).

Reshetnev CEO Nikolai Testoyedov earlier told TASS that the company was planning to produce the first Meridian-M satellite at the end of 2018, the second in 2019, the third in 2020 and the fourth in 2022. The time was chosen to ensure the planned replacement of existing Meridian satellites, he said.

The Meridians are second-generation communications satellites that replaced Molniya and Raduga space vehicles. The active service life of operational satellites is seven years.

Source: ITAR-TASS 01-06-2019

Russia developing Soyuz-5 rocket to capture commercial launch market

The Soyuz-5 medium-class carrier rocket is being developed by Energia Space Rocket Corporation.

MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. Russia is creating its new Soyuz-5 carrier rocket to capture the market of commercial launches. The new rocket will be competitive by its price with US rivals, Chief of Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday.

"We have certain reserve potential as well and we are ready to compete with them. The Soyuz-5 rocket is aimed at capturing the commercial market, i.e. not only for solving state tasks. It should be competitive by its price despite all economic policy tricks by our rivals so that they won’t be able to cut the price to a level to compete with us," Rogozin said.

As was reported on Thursday, the US Department of Defense included Russia in the list of countries whose services cannot be used after December 31, 2022 in carrying out space launches. A notification to this effect was uploaded by the Pentagon’s Federal Acquisition Regulation System to the website of the Federal Register - the daily journal of the US Government.

The Soyuz-5 (Irtysh) medium-class carrier rocket is being developed by Energia Space Rocket Corporation. The rocket is designed for launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome as part of the Baiterek joint project with Kazakhstan. The Soyuz-5 will be able to deliver the promising manned Federatsiya spacecraft into a low near-Earth orbit. The Soyuz-5 is set to be developed by 2021. During the new rocket’s flight tests, its four launches are planned to be carried out in 2022-2025.

Source: ITAR-TASS 31-05-2019

Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets to get advanced anti-ship missile

The Su-57 took to the skies for the first time on January 29, 2010.

KAMENSK-URALSKY /Sverdlovsk Region/, May 30. /TASS/. Russia is developing an advanced anti-ship missile that will also be used in the ammunition load of Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko said on Thursday.

The defense official made this statement as he visited the Urals-based Detal Design Bureau engaged in the project.

"Today the enterprise is working on developing an active homing warhead for the promising anti-ship missile that is planned to be carried by the Su-57 fighter as well," Krivoruchko said.

A working meeting was held on the premises of the Detal Design Bureau to discuss the issue of signing a contract with Tactical Missiles Corporation on acquiring the entire range of air-launched weapons for the Su-57 fighter jets, the deputy defense minister said.

The Detal Design Bureau, which is part of Tactical Missiles Corporation, produces components, including those of active homing warheads for anti-ship and air-to-air missiles used by actually all Russian combat aircraft and helicopters. In addition, the enterprise develops promising radar and navigation equipment and radio-altimeters for unmanned aerial vehicles and spacecraft.

The Su-57 is a fifth-generation multirole fighter designed to destroy all types of air targets at long and short distances and hit enemy ground and naval targets, overcoming its air defense capabilities.

The Su-57 took to the skies for the first time on January 29, 2010. Compared to its predecessors, the Su-57 combines the functions of an attack plane and a fighter jet while the use of composite materials and innovation technologies and the fighter’s aerodynamic configuration ensure the low level of radar and infrared signature.

The plane’s armament will include, in particular, hypersonic missiles. The fifth-generation fighter jet has been successfully tested in combat conditions in Syria.

Source: ITAR-TASS 30-05-2019

EU Parliament election shows growing number of sanctions policy opponents — politician

There are more people in Europe who are dissatisfied with current policy, Valentina Matviyenko believes.

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/. Russia is not expecting any drastic change in the European Parliament’s political course, but hopes that the voices of sober-minded politicians calling for improving ties with Moscow will be heard, Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said in an interview with TASS.

"Today it is evident that the European Parliament’s political landscape has changed: for the first time in history two leading factions have lost their joint majority, which enabled them to make any decisions. Now they will have to come to terms and search for a compromise with political forces, which have strengthened their positions, most notably with nationalist MPs, euroskeptics, green and other parties," Matviyenko said. The appointment of the European Commission’s chief should demonstrate whether this compromise is possible.

This political environment shows that "there are more people in Europe who are dissatisfied with current policy," Matviyenko noted. More people believe that the Old World countries should become focused on its national interests. "The number of people is growing who call for improving relations with Russia and oppose the sanctions policy," she explained.

However, the number of these voices is not enough now to change the political course in the European Parliament’s work. "One should not expect that soon the situation may drastically change here," the upper house speaker said. Meanwhile sober-minded voices are becoming louder. "We expect that these politicians will be heard and they will get more supporters," she noted.

"The Europeans understand that cooperation with Russia is beneficial for Europe and it should not be neglected, especially taking into account the ongoing negative processes in global economy," Matviyenko said.

The elections to the European Parliament were held on May 23-26.

Source: ITAR-TASS 29-05-2019

Russia to upgrade operational cruise missiles to hypersonic weapons

Work is also underway to "make the missile universal both from the viewpoint of its targets and the launch platform that is used".

MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/. Supersonic cruise missiles operational in the Russian Armed Forces will be upgraded by increasing their range and bringing their speed to the hypersonic level, CEO and Chief Designer of the Research and Production Association of Machine-Building (part of Tactical Missiles Corporation) Alexander Leonov told TASS on Tuesday.

"The general trend in the improvement of cruise missiles is towards bringing their speed to the hypersonic level and increasing the range of their operation… This is the direction, in which we are working," the chief executive said, responding to a question about the directions of improving these weapons, in particular, about possible changes in Oniks missiles.

Work is also underway to "make the missile universal both from the viewpoint of its targets and the launch platform that is used," he added.

The Research and Production Association of Machine-Building has developed the Oniks supersonic anti-ship missile, which is launched, like Kalibr cruise missiles, from standardized launching platforms and can be fired from such carriers as Project 22350 frigates and Project 885 Yasen-class submarines. The missile’s maximum speed exceeds the speed of the sound by more than 2.5 times during its flight and its operating range is 600 km.

The Research and Production Association of Machine-Building is the main contractor for developing Russia’s Tsirkon hypersonic missile.

Source: ITAR-TASS 28-05-2019