August 2019 - Russia Special Weapons News

Fifteen Years On, Beslan Victims Still Demand 'A Worthy Investigation' RFE/RL 31 Aug 2019 -- On September 1, 2004, School No. 1 in Beslan, North Ossetia, welcomed children back after the summer break. There were nerves and excitement as a crowd of 1,128 parents, teachers, and pupils lined up in the courtyard at 9 a.m. for a ceremonial assembly ringing in the new school year.
Georgian Deputy FM: Russia Exclusively to Blame Over Latest Tensions VOA 31 Aug 2019 -- A senior Georgian official Friday said demands by Russian-backed separatists in occupied South Ossetia that Georgia remove a police observation tower could cause a "serious confrontation" between the breakaway regions and Georgian authorities.
Russia maps five new islands after student discovered them in the Arctic Press TV 31 Aug 2019 -- A Russian Arctic expedition has mapped five new islands in the country's north, three years after a student spotted them in satellite imagery.
Fifteen Years After Beslan Tragedy, Emotions Still Run High RFE/RL 31 Aug 2019 -- It started 15 years ago as a hostage taking in a small town in southern Russia. It ended three days later in bloodshed that left hundreds dead, the majority of them children, in one of the worst terror attacks in Russian history.
Thousands March In Moscow Protest Defying Authorities RFE/RL 31 Aug 2019 -- Thousands of Russians defied authorities and marched in central Moscow, ignoring officials' warnings and pressing demands to let independent candidates run in upcoming city council elections.
Russian Military Launches Manoeuvrable Iskander Missile Sputnik 31 Aug 2019 -- Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the defence ministry to analyse the potential threats emanating from recent US ground-based missile testing activities which followed the US move to scrap a key arms treaty, and to formulate a "symmetrical response." Putin noted that Russia wouldn't allow itself to be dragged into an arms race.
Turkish President Says Russian Fighter-Jet Purchase Under Consideration RFE/RL 30 Aug 2019 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is indicating that Ankara will consider its options, including Russian fighter jets, as it looks to upgrade its air force amid a rift with Washington that has halted the purchase of U.S. fighters.
Ukraine rejects reports of prisoner swap deal with Russia Press TV 30 Aug 2019 -- Ukraine's presidential office has rejected press reports of a prisoner exchange deal between Kiev and Russia, noting that talks on the swap agreement are still ongoing.
Ukrainian President Denies Prisoner Swap With Russia Completed, Says Negotiations Ongoing RFE/RL 30 Aug 2019 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says that negotiations to exchange prisoners with Russia are continuing despite earlier unconfirmed reports that a swap had been completed.
Turkish President Says Russian Fighter-Jet Purchase Under Consideration RFE/RL 30 Aug 2019 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is indicating that Ankara will consider its options, including Russian fighter jets, as it looks to upgrade its air force amid a rift with Washington that has halted the purchase of U.S. fighters.
Erdogan Says Ankara in Talks With Moscow Over Delivery of Su-57 Fighters to Turkey Sputnik 30 Aug 2019 -- Russia and Turkey are discussing possible deliveries of Russia's Su-35 or Su-57 fighters, with Ankara expressing significant interest in this purchase, Russia's federal military-technical cooperation service reported, following Erdogan's visit to Moscow.
Russia Launches Rokot Space Rocket to Orbit Military Satellite Sputnik 30 Aug 2019 -- Russia's Space Forces have launched a Rokot carrier rocket with a military spacecraft from the Plesetsk space centre in the north of the country, the Defence Ministry said.
Did A Botched Bid To Recover A Sunken Missile Cause The Russian Radiation Blast? RFE/RL 30 Aug 2019 -- The explosion at a Russian naval test range earlier this month that killed at least five people and sent out a plume of radiation may have occurred when specialists tried to salvage a sunken missile from the White Sea floor.
Indian Air Force Seeks More Russian Fighter Jet Amid Dwindling Squadron Sputnik 30 Aug 2019 -- The Indian Air Force (IAF) is examining a proposal to purchase at least 33 Russian fighter jets to replace aircraft either damaged in accidents or taken out of service in recent years
Su-57 has finer craftsmanship; weapons bay needs improvement Global Times 29 Aug 2019 -- The craftsmanship of the Su-57, believed to be Russia's best fighter jet, is finer than expected but small details, such as the weapons bay door, appear to require improvement, a Global Times reporter observed.
Erdogan Not Ruling Out Purchasing Russia's Su-35, Su-57 Fighters Instead of US F-35 Jets Sputnik 29 Aug 2019 -- Following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the MAKS-2019 International Air Show earlier this week, the Russian leader stated that Ankara and Moscow had discussed maintaining cooperation in defence, including on both fourth-generation Su-35 and fifth-generation Su-57 jets. Putin also noted that Turkey is interested not only in purchasing, but also in jointly producing weapons.
Russia, Turkey Discuss Sale Of Stealth Fighter, Su-35 Jet RFE/RL 28 Aug 2019 -- Russia and Turkey are exploring the possibility of deliveries of the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter jet and Su-35 aircraft to Ankara, according to a Russian official.
Erdogan Interested in Russia's MiG-35 Fighter Apart From Su-35, Su-57 - Russian Defence Cooperation Service Sputnik 28 Aug 2019 -- Russia and Turkey are discussing possible deliveries of Russia's Su-35 or Su-57 fighters, Vladimir Putin stated earlier. Ankara has expressed significant interest in this purchase, the head of the Russian Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation, Dmitry Shugayev noted.
Russia Ready to Help Turkey Create TF-X Fifth-Generation Fighter Sputnik 28 Aug 2019 -- Russia may help Turkey to create its own TF-X fifth-generation fighter, the head of the Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation, Dmitry Shugayev, said on Wednesday at the MAKS-2019 international air show in Moscow region's Zhukovsky. The Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency is an official media partner of the event.
Russia in talks to produce AK assault rifles in Saudi Arabia Press TV 28 Aug 2019 -- Russia is planning to sign an agreement with Saudi Arabia to mass produce AK-103 automatic rifles in the kingdom, a top Russian military official has confirmed.
Russia: U.S. Senators Claiming They Were Denied Visas Are On Blacklist RFE/RL 28 Aug 2019 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry says U.S. Senators Ron Johnson and Chris Murphy, who claim that Russia has denied them visas, "knew well" they were on a list of officials barred from the country.
Brand New Helicopter Being Developed in Russia - Manufacturer Sputnik 28 Aug 2019 -- According to the director for innovation at the company Russian Helicopters, the new project will combine all the significant developments of Russia's famous design bureaus - Moscow Helicopter Plant Mil, rotorcraft manufacturing company Kamov and Kazan Helicopters.
S. Korea-Japan Feud Opens Region to Security Challenges From China, Russia - Pentagon Sputnik 28 Aug 2019 -- A unilateral decision by South Korea to terminate a military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan leaves northeast Asia vulnerable to security challenges from China, Russia and North Korea, Assistant US Defence Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Randall Schriver said.
Lavrov: Putin backs Macron's initiative to save Iran nuclear deal Press TV 28 Aug 2019 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Moscow is aware of French President Emmanuel Macron's initiative to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, noting that his boss, President Vladimir Putin, has already met the French head of state and given him his full support.
Lavrov says Russia aware of Macron's initiative about JCPOA IRNA 28 Aug 2019 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the interests of all parties in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) must be taken into account, and underscored the initiative of the French side to resolve the crisis pertaining to the agreement had already been discussed at a meeting of the Russian and French leaders.
Moscow to Deliver the S-400 Triumf Missiles on Schedule: Russian Diplomat Sputnik 28 Aug 2019 -- India has contracted five S-400 Triumf surface to air missile systems from Russia that will serve as the backbone of the air defence system of the Indian Air Force. India signed the $5.4 billion deal in 2018 for the acquisition of the S-400 systems.
China, Russia sign heavy helicopter deal Global Times 28 Aug 2019 -- China and Russia have fully agreed upon and signed a commercial contract on a joint heavy helicopter development project, said Miao Wei, China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology, on Wednesday.
Putin, Erdogan Discuss Syria, Defense Cooperation RFE/RL 27 Aug 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for talks outside Moscow as the two leaders seek common ground on the Syrian conflict.
Supply of 2nd Stage of S-400 Parts Begins Amid US-Turkey Tensions Sputnik 27 Aug 2019 -- In July, the Turkish Defence Ministry announced that the delivery of the first batch of Russian S-400 missile defence systems had been completed. In response, the US stopped training Turkish pilots at its bases after Turkey refused to abandon the deal arguing that the deployment of the systems together with F-35s could compromise the project.
Russia, Turkey agree to 'normalize' situation in Syria's Idlib Press TV 27 Aug 2019 -- Russia and Turkey agree on measures to "normalize" the situation in the terrorist-infested northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, where the Damascus government's Moscow-backed operations against terrorists have reportedly complicated the unlawful Turkish involvement there.
Aye, Robot: Capsule Carrying Russia's Humanoid FEDOR Finally Docks At ISS RFE/RL 27 Aug 2019 -- A second attempt to dock a Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying a Russian humanoid robot to the International Space Station (ISS) has been successful.
Russia 'Discovers Five New Islands' In Arctic Ocean RFE/RL 27 Aug 2019 -- A Russian naval research team has claimed to have discovered five islands in the Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Kara Sea area of the Arctic Ocean.
European Court Condemns Russia Over Magnitsky's 2009 Death In Custody RFE/RL 27 Aug 2019 -- The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has condemned Russia for "multiple violations" committed against Sergei Magnitsky, an anti-corruption lawyer who died in custody in 2009.
Norwegian Institute Walks Back Findings Of Second Blast At Russian Test Site RFE/RL 27 Aug 2019 -- A Norwegian research institute has walked back earlier findings that there may have been two explosions at a Russian naval test site earlier this month, an incident that killed at least five people and caused a temporary spike in radiation levels.
Northern Fleet Hydrographical Service Confirms Discovery of New Russian Islands in Arctic Sputnik 27 Aug 2019 -- The Russian Navy's Northern Fleet said in a statement that its hydrographical service that is currently participating in the expedition to Russia's Franz Josef Land archipelago, located in the Arctic Ocean, confirms that five islands have been discovered there, which have been previously seen from space.
G7 disagrees Russia's return, Trump pushes for invitation Press TV 26 Aug 2019 -- US President Donald Trump has sparked yet another row with his fellow leaders of the Group of Seven nations, known as G7, when he aired his demand to invite Russia back to the International leaders gathering.
Philippines Mulling Purchase of Russia's Sukhoi, Be-200, MS-21 Jets - Investment Agency Sputnik 26 Aug 2019 -- The Philippines is considering the purchase of Russian-made Sukhoi, Be-200 and MS-21 aircraft for its general aviation sector, Corazon Halili-Dichosa, the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) Industry Development Services Executive Director, has stated.
Ankara receives 2nd batch of Russian S-400 on Tuesday: Turkish defense minister Press TV 26 Aug 2019 -- Turkey's defense minister says the delivery of the second batch of Russian S-400 missile defense systems is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
Erdogan Heads to Moscow as Tensions Over Syria Escalate VOA 26 Aug 2019 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heads to Moscow on Tuesday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to bridge the deepening divide over Syria.
Moscow says militant attacks in Syria's Idlib must be stamped out Press TV 26 Aug 2019 -- The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin is equally concerned about attacks by foreign-backed militants from Syria's northwestern province of Idlib after his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan alleged that offensives in the province threaten Turkey's national security.
Putin-Erdogan Talks In Moscow To Focus On Syria RFE/RL 26 Aug 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on August 27 for talks expected to focus of the situation in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.
Syrian Gov't Troops in Khan Sheikhoun Do Not Violate Deals With Turkey - Lavrov Sputnik 26 Aug 2019 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking about the situation in Khan Sheikhoun, said that the Syrian government troops, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, did not violate any agreements with Turkey.
New Delhi in Talks With Moscow Over Rocket Engines for Indian Space Programme - ISRO Chief Sputnik 26 Aug 2019 -- New Delhi and Moscow are negotiating the organisation of the India-based production of semi-cryogenic rocket engines using Russian technology for the South Asian country's space programme, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Kailasavadivoo Sivan said in an interview.
Russian Weather Agency Says Radioactive Isotopes Found After Accident RFE/RL 26 Aug 2019 -- Russia's state meteorological agency says it found several radioactive isotopes in samples it took following a recent accident at a northern military base during a weapons test.
Russian Defence Ministry Holds Exercises on Undercover Transfer of Nuclear Submarines Sputnik 26 Aug 2019 -- Two submarines from projects 671 and 949A, tugboats of a support detachment, high-speed special watercraft, and more than 50 military personnel were involved in the exercises.
Briefing by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, August 28, 2019 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24 Aug 2019
Zelenskiy Likens Russia's Seizure Of Crimea To 'Kids Being Stolen' RFE/RL 24 Aug 2019 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has likened Russia's 2014 seizure of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula to "kids being stolen and issued a new birth certificate," as the country marked 28 years of independence on August 24.
Russian Capsule Carrying Robot Fails To Link Up WIth ISS RFE/RL 24 Aug 2019 -- An unmanned Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russia's first humanoid robot has failed to dock with the International Space Station (ISS).
Russia's Soyuz-14 to Make 2nd Attempt to Dock at ISS on Monday Night - Control Centre Sputnik 24 Aug 2019 -- The second attempt to dock Russia's Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft at the International Space Station (ISS), following a failed attempt to do so on Saturday, will take place on the night between August 26-27, experts from the mission control centre of the Russian Federal Space Agency said.
Soyuz MS-14 With Russian Humanoid Robot Fedor Failed to Dock ISS Amid Previously Unseen Fluctuations Sputnik 24 Aug 2019 -- Earlier in the day, the Soyuz MS-14 failed to dock at the ISS on schedule and started retreating from the station. Later, the spacecraft was steered to a safe distance from the ISS. In the wake of the incident, the docking was delayed until Monday, according to the Mission Control Center.
Russia launches world's first nuclear power plant in Arctic Press TV 24 Aug 2019 -- Russia has reportedly launched the world's first floating nuclear power plant, hauling it in an epic 6,000-kilometer journey to a remote Siberian town near the US state of Alaska.
Russia Test-Launches Submarine-Based Ballistic Missiles Bulava, Sineva Sputnik 24 Aug 2019 -- Russian military has successfully test-launched ballistic missiles Bulava and Sineva from submarines Tula and Yuriy Dolgorukiy, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Saturday.
Russia Test Fires Ballistic Missiles From Submarines in Barents Sea, Arctic Ocean RFE/RL 24 Aug 2019 -- Russia says it has fired two missiles -- a liquid-fueled intercontinental Sineva and a new solid-fuel Bulav -- from submarines in the Arctic Ocean and the Barents Sea, hitting targets in the northern Arkhangelsk region and the Far East Kamchatka Peninsula.
Tusk Says G7 Has More Reasons Than Ever To Keep Russia Out RFE/RL 24 Aug 2019 -- European Council President Donald Tusk has rejected President Donald Trump's suggestion that Russia be readmitted to the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations.
Hiding In Plain Sight: United Russia's Bid To Distance Itself From Moscow Polls Falls Flat RFE/RL 24 Aug 2019 -- Officially, United Russia -- the political party that has dominated national, regional, and local politics since it was created by the Kremlin in 2003 -- is not participating in the September 8 elections to choose a new Moscow City Duma. Its logo does not appear on any campaign advertising and will not figure on the ballot papers.
West's Divisions Empowering China and Russia, Analysts Warn VOA 23 Aug 2019 -- China and Russia believe they can behave as they want and have impunity to crush dissent because Western states are at odds with themselves and have lost confidence in their ability to shape the world around them, warn analysts.
Ukraine, Russia Reportedly Preparing To Exchange Dozens Of Prisoners RFE/RL 23 Aug 2019 -- Kyiv and Moscow are reportedly preparing a prisoner exchange that would see each side swapping 33 detainees, possibly including Ukrainian sailors captured by Russian forces late last year.
Putin orders 'symmetric' response to US missile test Press TV 23 Aug 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered state apparatuses to prepare a "symmetric" response to the United States' recent test-launch of a missile that Moscow says could pose a threat to Russia's security.
Russia warns against another arms race as US tested new missile Press TV 23 Aug 2019 -- The Russian envoy to the United Nations says the world is on the verge of a new arms race as the US has already started the test launch of a formerly banned missile after it recently abandoned a landmark arms control treaty with Moscow.
Putin Orders 'Comprehensive Measures' In Response To U.S. Missile Test RFE/RL 23 Aug 2019 -- The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia's military to prepare "comprehensive measures" in response to a U.S. missile test that has raised fears of a new arms race after the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
Putin: Russia to Ensure its Security Following US Withdrawal From INF Treaty, Missile Testing Sputnik 23 Aug 2019 -- Earlier, the Russian president said Moscow was "disappointed" by the US's recent ground-based medium-range missile testing activities, which Moscow considers a blatant violation of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Washington completed its withdrawal from the INF earlier this month.
New START Treaty At Risk After Recent US Actions, Statements - Russia Envoy to UN Sputnik 23 Aug 2019 -- The survival of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is in danger because of recent actions and statements by the United States, Acting Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said on Thursday.
Russia, U.S. Engage In War Of Words Over Arms Treaty At UN RFE/RL 23 Aug 2019 -- Russia and the United States have traded accusations at the United Nations over the abandonment of a landmark arms-control treaty, with each side accusing the other of endangering global security.
Norwegian Researchers Say Data May Point To Second Blast At Russian Test Site RFE/RL 23 Aug 2019 -- Researchers at a Norwegian institute believe that there may have been two explosions, not one, at the Russian naval test site on the White Sea earlier this month, an incident that killed at least five people and raised new questions about Russia's weapons research.
Dubbed The 'Nuclear Titanic,' Russia's First Floating Atomic Power Plant Sets Sail Amid Environmental Fears RFE/RL 23 Aug 2019 -- Russia's first floating nuclear power plant, which Greenpeace has dubbed a "floating Chernobyl," has set sail on a nearly 5,000-kilometer voyage to its destination in the nation's northeast.
Navalny Released From Moscow Jail After Court Refuses To Extend His Sentence RFE/RL 23 Aug 2019 -- Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has been released from a Moscow jail after serving 30 days for violating Russia's restrictive protest laws.
Russia, US trade barbs over INF collapse, China says no interest in trilateral treaty Global Times 23 Aug 2019 -- Russia and the United States on Thursday blamed each other for the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, while China said it has no interest in trilateral arms control talks that Washington wants.
China Has No Interest in Trilateral Talks With US, Russia on Arms Control - UN Envoy Sputnik 23 Aug 2019 -- China is urging the United States and Russia to pursue new arms control agreements following the demise of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, but is not willing to join the effort, China's envoy to the United Nations Zhang Jun told the UN Security Council.
Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on the sidelines of the Mashuk North Caucasus Youth Forum, Pyatigorsk, August 22, 2019 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 22 Aug 2019
Security, stability and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty UK FCO 22 Aug 2019 -- Statement by Stephen Hickey, UK Political Coordinator at the UN, at the Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security
Exclusive: Belarus's Lukashenka, Weary Of Russia Union, Seeks To Buy U.S. Crude RFE/RL 22 Aug 2019 -- Belarus is seeking to buy U.S. oil for its refineries for the first time as it strives to diversify supplies away from its more powerful, energy-rich neighbor Russia, RFE/RL has learned.
U.S. Calls On 'Russian-Backed' Authorities To Stop Building Fence In S. Ossetia RFE/RL 22 Aug 2019 -- The United States reiterated its concern over reports that Russian-backed authorities in the Georgian-breakaway region of South Ossetia are again erecting a fence near the administrative boundary line.
US, Russia Bicker Over Collapse of INF Treaty at UN VOA 22 Aug 2019 -- The United States and Russia traded accusations Thursday at the U.N. Security Council over the recent collapse of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
Three Russians Held In Ukraine Preparing For Swap, Lawyer Says RFE/RL 22 Aug 2019 -- Three Russian citizens held in Ukraine are getting ready for a prisoner swap, their lawyer said amid reports that Russia plans to hand over to Kyiv dozens of jailed Ukrainians.
Russia Launches Humanoid Robot Fedor Into Space for 1st Time Sputnik 22 Aug 2019 -- Russia's humanoid robot Fedor was successfully launched into space inside the Soyuz MS-14 vehicle atop the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Thursday, the webcast on the Roscosmos website showed.
US missiles in Asia-Pacific will threaten intl. security: Russia Press TV 22 Aug 2019 -- Russia has warned that a possible US deployment of ballistic missiles in the Asia-Pacific region will pose a threat to global security.
Russia to act to counter threat from new US missile: Putin Press TV 22 Aug 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow will take action to counter the threat from a ground-based cruise missile recently tested by the United States.
Lost In Translation: Kremlin Corrects Macron's Statement About Elections After Criticism RFE/RL 22 Aug 2019 -- The Kremlin's website has corrected translations of some statements by French President Emmanuel Macron after the meanings of statements he made on elections while at a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin were reversed.
State Dept. Claims Russia May Have Conducted Nuclear Weapons-Related Tests - Report Sputnik 22 Aug 2019 -- The United States claims Russia conducted nuclear weapons-related tests from 1995-2018 that may have violated the 1976 Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT), the Department of State said on Thursday in an arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament compliance report.
Russia, China Request UNSC Meeting Over US Medium-Range Missile Test – Deputy Envoy Sputnik 21 Aug 2019 -- Russia and China had requested a UN Security Council meeting over Washington's plans to test and deploy medium-range ground missiles, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said on Tuesday.
Macron: Russia Can't Return To G8 Format Before Ukraine Crisis Solved RFE/RL 21 Aug 2019 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has said that readmitting Russia into the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations without resolving the Ukraine crisis would be a "strategic error" and underscore the "weakness" of the grouping.
Putin Says Moscow Protests Part Of 'Preelection Tensions,' Defends Detentions RFE/RL 21 Aug 2019 -- Russia President Vladimir Putin played down the significance of a series of large street protests in Moscow, calling them a part of "preelection tensions."
Putin Says Arkhangelsk Blast Occurred During Weapons Test, But Holds Back On Details RFE/RL 21 Aug 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the August 8 accident at a northern military base occurred during the test of a weapons system, but he added that he could not reveal everything about the incident for security reasons.
Putin Slams U.S. Missile Test, Downplays Moscow Protests, Bids To Reassure On Radiation RFE/RL 21 Aug 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin used a visit to neighboring Finland to criticize the U.S. testing of a ground-based cruise missile, play down an ongoing protest movement in Moscow, and reassure Russia's neighbors about radiation threats following a deadly explosion at a military testing site.
German Foreign Minister Says 'Direct And Open Dialogue' Needed With Moscow RFE/RL 21 Aug 2019 -- German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass acknowledged having "principally different positions with Russia on many issues" on August 21 before departing for Moscow to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Russia Disappointed by US Missile Testing, Which Aggravates Global Security Situation - Putin Sputnik 21 Aug 2019 -- Earlier, after Sunday's test of a treaty-violating missile at a US test range in California, Russia and China formally requested a UN Security Council meeting to discuss Washington's plans to test and deploy new medium-range ground-based missiles.
Trump Says He Wants Russia Back at G-7 Summits VOA 21 Aug 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he wants Russia back at the Group of Seven summits of the world's leading economies, even though it still controls Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
Trump Says Russia Belongs, Wants To Make It The G8 Again RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said he is in favor of letting Russia back in to the exclusive Group of Seven advanced economies when the United States hosts the event next year.
Trump: Deputy Secretary Sullivan Could Be Next U.S. Envoy To Moscow RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says that John Sullivan, a deputy secretary of state, "could very well be" Washington's next ambassador to Russia, replacing Jon Huntsman Jr., who announced his resignation earlier this month.
Moscow Deplores Latest US Test of Cruise Missile Banned by INF Treaty Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- The United States carried out its latest missile test on 18 August from San Nicolas Island, California. The Pentagon stated that "the test missile exited its ground mobile launcher and accurately impacted its target after more than 500 kilometres of flight".
China, Russia: US triggering arms race with new missile Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- China and Russia have warned that a new US missile test has heightened military tensions and risks triggering an "arms race."
Russia says US cruise missile test 'regrettable' Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- Russia says the recent test-firing of a ground-based cruise missile by the United States is "regrettable."
US Had Plans to Test Missiles Banned by INF Treaty Long Before Leaving Arms Deal – Lavrov Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- The US conducted its first test of a ground-launched cruise missile operating at ranges previously banned by the now void Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty on 18 August. Moscow noted that such tests need to be prepared in advance, meaning that Washington had developed such weapons before abandoning the INF
Kyiv Pursues Additional Reverse Gas Flows In Preparation For Potential Russian Gas-Transit Cutoff RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- Ukraine's state-run gas-transport company, Ukrtransgaz, is preparing to open another reverse-flow point for the import of an additional 1.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas by January 1 in anticipation of Russia halting gas transit through the country when their contract expires at the end of the year.
Royal Air Force Fighter Jets Escort Russian Aircraft Over Baltic, UK Defence Ministry Says Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- The Royal Air Force scrambled Typhoon fighters from a military airfield in Estonia to escort two Russian Su-30 aircraft, the UK Ministry of Defence said on Monday.
New Russian drone can stay airborne for over 24 hours Press TV 20 Aug 2019 -- The Russian military has unveiled an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for reconnaissance purposes that can fly for more than 24 hours without refueling.
Russian Defence Ministry Posts Video of 6-Tonne Altius-U Drone's Maiden Flight Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- The Russian Defence Ministry has posted a video of the maiden flight of a 6-tonne Altius-U drone, capable of being in the air for more than 24 hours.
Silence At Russian Nuclear-Monitoring Stations Fuel Fears Over Extent Of Deadly Blast RFE/RL 20 Aug 2019 -- Officials at the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) say that two nuclear monitoring stations in Russia have resumed operations after mysteriously halting the transmission of data.
Two Radiation Monitoring Stations in Russia Back Online - Nuclear Test Watchdog Sputnik 20 Aug 2019 -- Two Russian radionuclide stations – one in Yakutia (Sakha Republic) in Siberia and the other in the Chukotka Autonomous region of the Far East – that are a part of the international nuclear test monitoring system have resumed data transmissions, Lassina Zerbo said.
British Investigators: More Evidence Found Of Russian Role In Donbas RFE/RL 19 Aug 2019 -- A London-based digital forensics agency says it has gathered an enormous body of evidence that Russia's military was deployed in the August-September 2014 fighting around Ilovaysk, in eastern Ukraine, in which Ukrainian forces were defeated by combined Russian and separatist troops.
Putin, Macron Discuss Possibility Of Holding Summit On Ukraine RFE/RL 19 Aug 2019 -- During their meeting in southern France, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, discussed efforts to advance negotiations to curb the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Putin: Russia backs Syrian army attacks on terrorists in Idlib Press TV 19 Aug 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed Moscow's support for the military operation carried out by the Syrian government troops against foreign-backed terrorists in the Arab country's northwestern province of Idlib.
Russia to probe 'foreign meddling' after protests Press TV 19 Aug 2019 -- Russia has decided to investigate "foreign meddling" in the country's affairs, following recent protests that Moscow accuses Western governments and media of supporting.
In New Video, New Clues To Mysterious Russia Explosion RFE/RL 19 Aug 2019 -- Days after a mysterious explosion at a Russian naval test site caused radiation detectors to briefly spike, a military officer met with worried residents of Nyonoksa, the village where the site is located on the White Sea.
Russia Doesn't Want 'Yellow Vest' Protests, Putin Tells Macron RFE/RL 19 Aug 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to prevent any situation occurring in Moscow similar to the "yellow vest" protest movement that has rocked French cities since late last year.
Radiation Monitoring Stations Offline After Mysterious Russian Blast VOA 19 Aug 2019 -- Four radiation monitoring stations in Russia have gone offline after a mysterious blast at a Russian missile testing facility on Aug. 8, according to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.
Presidents of France, Russia Meet to Discuss World Conflicts VOA 19 Aug 2019 -- French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in southern France where they made progress on boosting peace talks for Ukraine but disagreed on other issues, including Syria and Russia's crackdown on opposition protesters.
Ukraine High On The Agenda As Macron Hosts Putin In Southern France RFE/RL 18 Aug 2019 -- French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to try to convince his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to accept Ukraine's overtures of dialogue when the two leaders meet in southern France on August 19.
Russia: No plans to deploy new missiles unless US does so Press TV 18 Aug 2019 -- Russia says it has no plans to deploy new missiles as long as the United States shows similar restraint in Europe and Asia, after Washington killed a landmark Cold War-era arms control treaty.
Russia Says Will Not Deploy New Missiles If U.S. Does The Same RFE/RL 18 Aug 2019 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on August 18 that Moscow would not deploy new missiles so long as U.S. officials did the same in Europe and Asia.
Russia Space Agency Develops Stealth Technology for Satellites Sputnik 17 Aug 2019 -- Russia's State Space Corporation Roscosmos has patented the technology protecting satellites from being detected by optical means, according to the database of the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent).
Russia, Venezuela defense chiefs sign naval pact on warship port visits Press TV 16 Aug 2019 -- Defense chiefs of Russia and Venezuela have signed an agreement overseeing visits by warships of both nations to each other's ports amid persistent US efforts to undermine the government in Caracas.
Pentagon Fears Losing 'Freedom of Manoeuvre' in Africa Amid Growing Russian, Chinese Clout - Report Sputnik 16 Aug 2019 -- Earlier, US National Security Advisor John Bolton accused Moscow and Beijing of "deliberately and aggressively" attempting to extend their "predatory" influence over the African continent, and said that all US efforts were aimed at "further[ing] US priorities in the region."
Moscow Court Upholds Extension Of Pretrial Detention For Six Of 24 Ukrainian Sailors RFE/RL 16 Aug 2019 -- A court in Moscow has upheld a lower court's decision to extend pretrial detention for six of the 24 Ukrainian sailors detained by Russian forces along with their three naval vessels in November near the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
U.S. Special Envoy To Ukraine Says Russian Propaganda Hindering Peace Efforts RFE/RL 16 Aug 2019 -- The U.S. special peace envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, says Russian propaganda is making it a challenge to solve the conflict in the east of the country.
'We Remember Chernobyl': Information Vacuum Around Arkhangelsk Blast Riles Locals RFE/RL 16 Aug 2019 -- For residents living next to the naval testing range on Russia's White Sea coast, weapons tests come with the territory: you get used to them.
The Week In Russia: Nothing To See Here: Kremlin Shrugs As August Events Pile Up RFE/RL 16 Aug 2019 -- Russia has endured deadlier and more momentous developments in August in the past, but not always so many of them. Amid massive wildfires, weekly protests whose size has grown, and a mysterious blast that killed five nuclear specialists, the Kremlin seems to be working hard to look unruffled.
Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on the sidelines of the Eurasia Global International Youth Forum, Orenburg, August 15 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 Aug 2019
British Police Say A Second Officer Was Exposed To Novichok RFE/RL 15 Aug 2019 -- British detectives said on August 15 that a second police officer was contaminated with a banned Soviet-era nerve agent that was used to target a former Russian spy last year in Salisbury, England.
Russia, Iran Cite 'Ecological Concerns' In Opposing Trans-Caspian Pipeline RFE/RL 15 Aug 2019 -- The Caspian Economic Forum just took place in Turkmenistan's Caspian resort area of Avaza on August 12, exactly one year to the day after the Convention On The Legal Status Of The Caspian Sea was signed at a summit of Caspian littoral state leaders in Aqtau, Kazakhstan.
Russian Nuke-Powered Hypersonic Missile Responsible For Deadly Incident? Not So Fast... RFE/RL 15 Aug 2019 -- U.S. intelligence and some independent experts have attributed a deadly radioactive explosion in Russia's Far North on August 8 to a failed test of a nuclear-propelled cruise missile capable of flying at hypersonic speeds.
Bolton: Russian Accident Shows Kremlin's Nuclear Ambitions RFE/RL 15 Aug 2019 -- U.S. national-security adviser John Bolton says a mysterious accident last week in northern Russia that caused a temporary spike in radiation levels shows how hard the Kremlin is working to develop delivery systems for nuclear weapons.
NATO Says Russian Su-27 Escort Jets Had No Flight Plans, Turned Off Transponders RFE/RL 14 Aug 2019 -- NATO has provided further details on an incident that occurred over the Baltic Sea a day ago, saying alliance warplanes approached two Russian Su-27 escort jets that were flying without a flight plan and with their transponders shut off.
US Questioning Future of Key Nuclear Treaty in Aftermath of Russian 'Missile Explosion' – Report Sputnik 14 Aug 2019 -- Earlier, commenting on the alleged "failed missile explosion in Russia," and bragging about the US's supposed "similar, though more advanced, technology", US President Donald Trump claimed last week's deadly rocket test in Arkhangelsk region concerned technology related to the 9M730 Burevestnik, an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile.
Russia Sends 'Nuclear-Capable Bombers' To Base Near U.S. Alaskan Coast In Exercise RFE/RL 14 Aug 2019 -- Russia says it has flown two nuclear-capable bombers to its Far East region across from Alaskan territory, an action state media claim demonstrates the Kremlin's ability to base such warplanes near U.S. radar and missile-launch sites.
Russian Scientists Complain New Rules Would Sharply Restrict Foreign Interaction RFE/RL 14 Aug 2019 -- Scientists say the Russian authorities have ordered new restrictions limiting the interaction between Russian scholars and their foreign counterparts.
Report: U.S. Thinks Russian Explosion Tied To Cruise-Missile Program RFE/RL 14 Aug 2019 -- A senior White House official echoed President Donald Trump's previous tweets to say that Washington believes a Russian hypersonic cruise-missile program is linked to the deadly August 8 explosion that killed at least five people, Reuters reported.
'Bums, Freaks, And Gypsies' -- How Pro-Kremlin Media Depicts The Moscow Protesters RFE/RL 14 Aug 2019 -- More than 50,000 people joined a rally for fair elections in Moscow on August 10, biting back concerns about arrests and police beatings to show up for what turned out to be the largest anti-government demonstration in Russia since 2011.
Russian Tu-95 Strategic Bombers Conduct Routine 4-Hour Patrol Over Barents, Norwegian Seas Sputnik 14 Aug 2019 -- Two Tu-95MS strategic bombers carried out on Wednesday a routine patrol flight over the Barents and Norwegian seas, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Number of Injured in Blasts at Ammo Depot in Russia's Achinsk Rises to 40 - Medics Sputnik 14 Aug 2019 -- The number of people injured in a series of explosions at an ammunition depot near the town of Achinsk in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Territory has increased to 40, a spokeswoman to the local healthcare authorities told Sputnik on Wednesday.
Russia defends new security decree, saying its scientists targeted by spies '24/7' Press TV 14 Aug 2019 -- The Kremlin has defended a new security decree, saying foreign spies are observing Russian scientists at all times.
NATO F/A-18 Fighter Jet Chased Away From Russian Defence Minister's Plane Over Baltic Sea - MoD Sputnik 13 Aug 2019 -- According to the Russian military, the NATO jet approached the defence minister's plane over neutral waters in the Baltic Sea.
Zelenskiy Signs Decree To Fast-Track Citizenship For 'Persecuted' Russians, 'Defenders' Of Ukraine RFE/RL 13 Aug 2019 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has simplified naturalization procedures for foreigners and stateless people who have "defended Ukraine" and for Russians facing "political persecution" at home.
UK RAF Fighter Jets Scrambled to Intercept Russian Strategic Bombers in Neutral Airspace Sputnik 13 Aug 2019 -- Russian warplanes have repeatedly conducted routine flyovers in the past, with the country's Defence Ministry emphasising that the military aircraft adhere to all international norms when performing such missions.
India Orders Russian Equipment for First Manned Space Mission - Russian Manufacturer Sputnik 13 Aug 2019 -- India has ordered Russia's space equipment as it is preparing to send its first manned mission to orbit, according to Sergey Pozdnyakov, general director and chief designer of Research & Development Production Enterprise Zvezda, a Russian company manufacturing life-support systems for human spaceflights.
Russia boasts nuclear supremacy over US Press TV 13 Aug 2019 -- Russia says it outrivals all other countries in developing cutting-edge nuclear weapons amid the United States' efforts to magnify a recent accident, which Washington claims involved a Russian nuclear missile.
Russia's top nuclear official says work on new weapons will continue Press TV 13 Aug 2019 -- Russia's chief nuclear official says the country will continue to pursue the development of new weapons, following the death of five top Russian nuclear scientists in an explosion last week.
Russian Agency Confirms Brief Radiation Spike Near Northern Naval Test Site RFE/RL 13 Aug 2019 -- Russia's weather-monitoring agency has reported a measurable jump in radiation levels near the Arkhangelsk naval test site where an explosion and fire last week killed at least five people.
Russians Fully Protected From Radiation Missile Engine Explosion in Arkhangelsk - Kremlin Sputnik 13 Aug 2019 -- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, while commenting on possible radiation exposure following a missile engine explosion in Russia's Arkhangelsk Region, has said that people were fully protected.
Trump Comments on 'Missile Explosion' in Russia, Boasts of US Having 'More Advanced Technology' Sputnik 13 Aug 2019 -- Five employees of Russian nuclear energy corporation Rosatom were killed on 8 August in an explosion that happened during testing of a liquid-propellant rocket engine at a military site in the Arkhangelsk Region of northwestern Russia.
Russian jets force NATO jet away from minister's plane Press TV 13 Aug 2019 -- Two Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets, convoying a plane carrying Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, have chased away a NATO F-18 fighter jet that tried to shadow the military aircraft over neutral waters in the Baltic Sea.
Russia Says Its Jets Drove Off NATO Warplane RFE/RL 13 Aug 2019 -- Russia's Defense Ministry has said that Russian Su-27 warplanes forced away a NATO F-18 jet after it approached an aircraft carrying Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu over international waters.
U.S. Efforts To Derail Russian Pipelines To Europe Have Failed Since The 1960s. Will Nord Stream 2 Be Any Different? RFE/RL 13 Aug 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump will fly to Europe later this month to pursue a goal his predecessors going back to John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan failed to achieve - derailing a Kremlin-backed energy-export pipeline.
Wanted Man: Notorious Ukrainian Berkut Commander Gets Second Crack At Protesters - In Moscow RFE/RL 13 Aug 2019 -- Sergei Kusyuk is wanted in both Kyiv and Moscow, but in two very different ways.
Russia Vows To Make New Weapons Amid U.S. Suspicion Of Blast That Killed Five Scientists RFE/RL 13 Aug 2019 -- Russia's chief nuclear official has vowed to continue developing new weapons while attending a funeral on August 12 of five Russian nuclear researchers who were killed in an explosion in what U.S. experts suspect was a mishandled test of a new nuclear-powered engine.
The Dear Leader Is Dead -- Long Live The Dear Leader: What's An Authoritarian Regime To Do When Its Leader Dies? RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- You're part of the elite governing an authoritarian regime. The regime's titular leader is ailing, possibly on death's door. Who's going to succeed him is an open question. What's a regime to do?
Turkey to Receive Second Batch of Russia's S-400 Systems in August-September Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Turkey will receive elements of the second batch of Russia's S-400 air defence systems in August-September, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Monday.
Five Russian Nuclear Scientists Buried After Rocket Explosion RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- Thousands of people have attended the funerals of five Russian nuclear researchers killed in an explosion as they tested a new nuclear-powered engine.
Almost 1,000 Siberian Residents Seek Compensation After Russian Arms Depot Blasts RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- More than 800 residents of the Siberian town of Achinsk have asked for monetary compensation after two explosions at an arms depot killed one person and injured dozens more, causing as many as 16,000 residents to evacuate, TASS news agency reported.
Two Tu-95MS Bombers Conduct 9-Hour Patrol Over Barents, Norway Seas - Russian Military Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Two Tu-95MS strategic bombers carried out on Monday a 9-hour patrol flight over the Barents, Norwegian and North Seas, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
Rosatom Confirms Staffers Killed in Arkhangelsk Blast Took Part in Tests of New Weapons Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- The head of Russian nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, has confirmed that Rosatom employees who died in an explosion in Arkhangelsk Region were taking part in testing new pieces of armament, stressing that work on the weapons would be completed.
Number of People Injured in Blasts at Ammo Depot in Russia's Achinsk Rises to 33 - Medics Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- The number of people wounded in a series of explosions at an ammunition depot near the town of Achinsk in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Territory has risen to 33, the local healthcare authorities said.
Russia to Complete State Tests of Su-57 Fifth-Generation Fighter in 2019 Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- State tests of Russia's advanced Su-57 fifth-generation fighters will be completed this year, while trials of MiG-35 fighters are planned to be finalized by the end of 2021, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Lt. Gen. Sergei Dronov said.
Kyiv Protests Putin's Visit To Annexed Crimea RFE/RL 11 Aug 2019 -- The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has protested Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest visit to Ukraine's Crimea region, calling a it a "gross violation" of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Turkey mulling purchase of Russian Su-35 jets: Turkish daily Press TV 11 Aug 2019 -- Turkey is reportedly considering the possible purchase of Russian Su-35 fighter jets after Washington suspended Ankara's membership in its F-35 program.
Air Defences at Russia's Khmeimim Base in Syria Repel Suspected Drone Attack by Militants - State TV Sputnik 11 Aug 2019 -- Militants have regularly been trying to attack the Hmeymim base in Syria with drones. In July, Russian air defences at the base successfully countered a drone attack destroying the UAVs from a safe distance from the facility.
Russian Reserves March Toward $600 Billion As Sanction Threats Loom, Fitch Says RFE/RL 11 Aug 2019 -- Russia will continue to build up its foreign currency and gold reserves to protect its economy as threats of more U.S. sanctions loom, a top financial firm said.
Russia Accuses Google Of Promoting Protests Day After Largest Rally Since 2011 RFE/RL 11 Aug 2019 -- Russia has accused Google of promoting unauthorized rallies on its social-media platform a day after the largest protest against the Kremlin in nearly eight years.
Death Toll Raised To Five In Arkhangelsk Military Site Blast RFE/RL 10 Aug 2019-- Officials have raised the death toll to five people in a mysterious August 8 explosion and fire at a military unit in Russia's northwestern Arkhangelsk region, as a string of blasts have rocked Russian military sites in recent days.
Number of People Wounded in Blast at Ammo Depot in Achinsk, Russia Grows to 10 Sputnik 10 Aug 2019-- The number of people wounded in an explosion at an ammunition depot near the town of Achinsk in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Territory rose to 10 people, while four of them were hospitalised, a spokesperson of regional emergency services announced on Saturday.
Russia's Rosatom Says 5 Employees Were Killed in Accident at Military Range in Arkhangelsk Region Sputnik 10 Aug 2019-- Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom said five of its employees died in an accident at a military range in the Arkhangelsk Region during tests of liquid-propellant engine, while three other people suffered injuries and burns.
Hundreds Detained As Moscow, Other Russian Cities Stage Fresh Protests RFE/RL 10 Aug 2019-- MOSCOW -- Riot police are said to have detained more than 200 people in Moscow following an opposition protest that drew tens of thousands of supporters demanding that officials allow independent candidates on the ballot in upcoming municipal elections.
Tens of Thousands Demand Fair Elections at Moscow Rally VOA 10 Aug 2019-- Tens of thousands of people converged on central Moscow Saturday to protest the exclusion of several opposition candidates from the upcoming city council election.
VOA Exclusive: Navalny Deputy Calls Assets Freeze a Predictable, 'Psychological Projection' VOA 10 Aug 2019-- The fundraising chief for prominent Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny says a Moscow court's decision to freeze financial assets of the jailed activist's anti-corruption watchdog is a laughably predictable outcome that says more about the group's success in exposing widespread corruption than the money laundering charges it's now facing.
Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on the sidelines of the Terra Scientia National Educational Youth Forum, Solnechnogorsk, August 9, 2019 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 09 Aug 2019
Two Tu-95 bombers conduct flights over Bering Sea Global Times 09 Aug 2019 -- Two Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers carried out 10-hour flights with the company of U.S. aircraft over the Bering Sea as part of the Ocean Shield-2019 naval exercises, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.
New Blasts At Site Of Siberian Ammo Depot Tragedy Injure At Least Eight RFE/RL 09 Aug 2019 -- At least eight people have been injured, including "servicemen and law enforcement officers," in new explosions on August 9 at a Russian ammunition depot in Siberia where blasts killed one person and injured a dozen more earlier this week.
Panic Buying And Toxic Rocket Fuel: What Exactly Happened At A Russian Missile Test Site? RFE/RL 09 Aug 2019 -- There are reports of panic buying of iodine drops in Severodvinsk. Emergency officials reported a spike in background radiation. The White Sea bay where both the shipbuilding port and the regional capital Arkhangelsk are located has been ordered closed for swimming and fishing, due to the presence of toxic rocket fuel.
The Week In Russia: Putin's Long (Blame) Game And The Moscow Protests RFE/RL 09 Aug 2019 -- Blaming the West has long been a go-to strategy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was tapped to be prime minister by Boris Yeltsin 20 years ago and has been in power ever since. Amid a tense summer showdown with opponents and ordinary citizens over elections in Moscow, he has not publicly pointed the finger at foreign forces -- but his government has.
Teflon Putin? Over 20 Years In Power, Scandals Don't Seem To Stick To The Russian President RFE/RL 09 Aug 2019 -- Vladimir Putin was not well known when President Boris Yeltsin picked him as prime minister on August 9, 1999, a key point in his meteoric rise to power. But years earlier, back in his hometown of St. Petersburg, he attracted the attention of local lawmakers who uncovered what they alleged was a multimillion-dollar kickback scheme and accused Putin, a deputy mayor, of masterminding it.
Russian Citizen Detained Planning Alleged Sabotage At Ukraine Military Site RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- Ukraine's SBU security service says it has detained a Russian man on suspicion of preparing an act of sabotage at a "strategically important military site."
US, Ukraine Diplomats: West Underestimated Russian Threat in 2008 VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- Eleven years after Russian tanks rolled through a mountain tunnel in the Greater Caucasus mountains to invade neighboring Georgia, State Department officials say the U.S. underestimated the geopolitical implications for all of Western Europe.
Royal Navy Vessel Shadows Advanced Russian Warship in English Channel Again Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- While the UK has repeatedly expressed concern over Russian warships routinely passing through the English Channel, Russia's Defence Ministry has underscored that the vessels sail through the area in strict accordance with international norms and regulations.
RAF Typhoons scramble from UK and Estonia to intercept Russian aircraft UK MOD 08 Aug 2019 -- The Typhoon fighter jets demonstrated the sizable scope of the Royal Air Force's (RAF) contribution to European security after scrambling from two locations in two separate incidents on the same day.
Explosion at Russian military site kills 2, injures 7 Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- An explosion at a military testing site has left two people dead and seven others injured in northern Russia.
Radiation Spike Reported After Deadly Rocket-Engine Blast In Russia RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- Two people were killed and six injured in an explosion and fire at a military unit in Russia's northwestern Arkhangelsk region, the Defense Ministry said, while a rise in radiation levels was reported in a nearby city.
Police Raid Offices Of Members Of Navalny Foundation RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- A Russian human rights group says police have raided the offices of three employees of an NGO led by Russian anti-corruption activist and Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny.
As Police Crack Down on Moscow Protesters, Activists Work to ID Them VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- It was just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin's May 2018 inauguration that the footage appeared online: a coterie of men clad in unmarked military garb chasing down and beating anti-Kremlin protesters as riot police passively looked on.
Blast at Russian Military Base Kills 2, Injures Others VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- Two people were killed Thursday when a missile engine exploded at a military base in northern Russia.
Jon Huntsman, US Ambassador to Russia, Resigns VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon M. Huntsman Jr. will resign from his post effective Oct. 3 – capping a tumultuous two-year tenure in Moscow defined by sinking bilateral relations, despite efforts to stem the damage.
Ukraine's Zelenskiy Urges Putin To Resume Peace Talks After Four Soldiers Killed RFE/RL 07 Aug 2019 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he has called his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to urge him to help halt fighting in eastern Ukraine, following the killing of four soldiers there.
Russia significantly reduces use of dollar in trade with India, China: Report Press TV 07 Aug 2019 -- A new report suggests Russia has been considerably successful in its pledge to remove the US dollar from trade with others, adding that the greenback has been replaced by local currencies in nearly half of Moscow's transactions with leading partners India and China.
Two Decades On, Smoldering Questions About The Russian President's Vault To Power RFE/RL 07 Aug 2019 -- One month after then-President Boris Yeltsin plucked a security agency official named Vladimir Putin from obscurity and made him prime minister, an explosion leveled a nine-story apartment building on Moscow's outskirts.
Watch New Russian Stealth Assault Drone's First Flight Sputnik 07 Aug 2019 -- Testing started earlier this year, the 20+ tonne flying wing design, thought to be capable of carrying up to 2.8 tonnes of precision armament, has been dubbed the Hunter ('Okhotnik').
Russian Military Satellite Put Into Intended Orbit Successfully - Defence Ministry Sputnik 06 Aug 2019 -- The Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that its military satellite that was launched earlier in the day from the Baikonur cosmodrome atop a Proton-M carrier rocket was put into calculated orbit successfully.
Stoltenberg: Annexation Of Crimea Is Consequence Of Increased Great Power Competition RFE/RL 06 Aug 2019 -- Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 was the result of increased "great power competition," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on August 5.
US ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. resigns Press TV 06 Aug 2019 -- US ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman has resigned to go back to his country and reportedly pick another gubernatorial role.
Investigators Confirm One Killed, Eight Injured By Blasts At Siberian Ammo Depot RFE/RL 06 Aug 2019 -- Russia's Investigative Committee has confirmed the death of one person and increased the number of injured to eight from a series of blasts at an ammunition depot in the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk.
Reports: U.S. Ambassador To Moscow Stepping Down RFE/RL 06 Aug 2019 -- U.S. Ambassador to Moscow Jon Huntsman Jr. has resigned his post after just two years amid speculation he could seek to run for political office in his home state of Utah, U.S. media are reporting.
US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Resigns VOA 06 Aug 2019 -- U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. has sent his resignation letter to President Donald Trump, signaling the end of his two-year stint.
Putin warns Moscow will develop new nuclear missiles if Washington does so Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the United States to start new arms talks, a few days after the collapse of the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), warning that Moscow will be forced to begin developing short- and intermediate-range land-based nuclear missiles if Washington starts doing so.
Russia Will Develop New Nuclear Missiles If You Do, Putin Tells U.S. RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia would respond in kind if the United States develops short- and intermediate-range, land-based nuclear missiles following the demise of a key Cold War-era arms control treaty.
Russia Calls on US to Give Up on Plans to Deploy Short- and Mid-Range Missiles Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- Earlier, the United States officially withdrew from the Cold War-era INF Treaty over Russia's alleged violations of the agreement.
Explosions, Fire At Russian Ammunition Depot Prompts Mass Evacuation RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- A series of explosions has rocked an arms depot at a Russian military base in Siberia, injuring eight people and prompting a mass evacuation of residents and the suspension of operations by a nearby aluminum producer.
One Dead, 8 Injured in Explosions at Russian Arms Depot VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- Thousands of people have been evacuated from a Siberian town after an ammunition storage site on a military base caught fire, setting off a series of explosions and injuring at least eight people.
How Russian Officials Are Spinning The Moscow Protests As A Foreign Plot RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- The warning, from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, resembled countless others before it. Addressed to U.S. citizens living in the Russian capital, the August 2 message warned of an unauthorized protest and a likely heavy police presence, suggesting that Americans avoid the area.
Germany, France Condemn Moscow's 'Excessive' Use Of Force After Protesters Detained RFE/RL 04 Aug 2019 -- Germany and France have criticized the detentions of more than 1,000 people at an unsanctioned demonstration in Moscow, saying the authorities used disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters.
U.S. imposes second round of sanctions on Russia over Salisbury poisoning People's Daily 03 Aug 2019 -- The U.S. State Department late Friday slapped a second round of sanctions on Russia over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Southern England in March 2018.
U.S. State Department Details New Skripal-Related Sanctions On Russia RFE/RL 03 Aug 2019 -- The U.S. State Department has detailed new sanctions imposed on Russia for its alleged involvement in the March 2018 near-fatal nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain.
Treasury Announces Sanctions under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act US Treasury 03 Aug 2019 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced today that it is implementing two sanctions on the Russian Federation as part of measures imposed by the U.S. government pursuant to the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, as amended (“CBW Act”), in response to Russia’s use of the “Novichok” nerve agent in Salisbury, United Kingdom (UK) in March 2018.
Monitoring Group: Russian Police Detain 685 Protesters VOA 03 Aug 2019 -- Russian police detained 685 people Saturday at a protest in Moscow against what they saw as unfair elections, a monitoring group said.
UN chief laments ending of Cold War-era disarmament treaty UN News 02 Aug 2019 -- Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his “deep regret” on Friday that the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty betweein the United States and Russia came to an end.
Police Detain Hundreds At Opposition Rally In Moscow RFE/RL 02 Aug 2019 -- More than 800 people, including a prominent opposition activist, were detained by riot police in Moscow on August 3 after authorities warned they would take “all necessary measures” to stop the unsanctioned rally.
Russian Prime Minister Lands on Kuril Island of Iturup Sputnik 02 Aug 2019 -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Friday landed on the island of Iturup, which is part of the Kurils archipelago.
Tokyo blasts Russian PM's visit to disputed island as 'extremely regrettable' Press TV 02 Aug 2019 -- Japan has slammed as 'extremely regrettable' a visit by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to a disputed island claimed by both countries, calling on Moscow to adopt "constructive" moves towards advancing ties.
Stoltenberg: NATO Won't Deploy New Ground-Based Nuclear Missiles in Europe After INF Treaty Collapse Sputnik 02 Aug 2019 -- The statement comes shortly after the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty had been terminated starting 2 August at Washington's initiative.
NATO vows 'measured' response to Russia as INF falls apart Press TV 02 Aug 2019 -- NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance seeks to avoid a "new arms race" with Russia but will give a "measured" response to alleged risks posed by a Russian missile, as Washington and Moscow cancel a bilateral arms treaty.
Russia Urges US, EU Countries to Withdraw Forces From Syria Sputnik 02 Aug 2019 -- Russia is urging the United States and European countries to withdraw forces from Syria, but can see the increase in their military presence there instead, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said Friday.
Trump imposes new sanctions on Russia over Skripal poisoning Press TV 02 Aug 2019 -- US President Donald Trump has imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia over accusations that Moscow was involved in the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain last year.
Trump Signs New Sanctions Against Russia RFE/RL 02 Aug 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed new sanctions on Russia for its alleged involvement in the March 2018 near-fatal nerve-agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain, a "regrettable" move that Moscow says will damage bilateral ties.
US Imposes New Round of Anti-Russian Sanctions Over Skripal Case Sputnik 02 Aug 2019 -- According to a senior Trump administration official, US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that envisages new sanctions on Russia over the alleged nerve agent attack in Salisbury in 2018.
Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, August 1, 2019 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 01 Aug 2019
Thailand Likely to Become First Importer of BrahMos Supersonic Missile Developed by Russia and India Sputnik 01 Aug 2019 -- Thailand is likely to become first importer of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile developed by India and Russia, with a diplomatic official in New Delhi confirming that India is in advanced talks with the southeast Asian country for the purchase.
US Pulling Out of INF Treaty VOA 01 Aug 2019 -- The United States on Friday will pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty to develop its own new warheads after the Russians refused to destroy their new missiles, which NATO says violate the pact.
Ukraine's Naftogaz Seeks $5.2 Billion In Damages From Russia Over Seized Crimea Assets RFE/RL 01 Aug 2019 -- Naftogaz Group, Ukraine's state-run oil and gas conglomerate, on July 31 filed a lawsuit for a $5.2 billion damage claim over assets that Russia seized during its annexation of Crimea in March 2014.
Russia set to deploy new missiles as INF collapses: Analysts Press TV 01 Aug 2019 -- With Russia and the United States about to officially pull out of the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), analysts say Moscow is set to deploy new missiles.
Fears Of New Arms Race As U.S., Russia Set To Let Historic INF Treaty Lapse RFE/RL 01 Aug 2019 -- A landmark nuclear agreement that eliminated an entire class of land-based missiles is set to lapse on August 2 as both the United States and Russia officially withdraw from the 31-year-old deal.
Navalny Demands Official Probe Into Possible 'Poisoning' In Russian Custody RFE/RL 01 Aug 2019 -- Jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has filed an official complaint with Russia's main investigative authority in connection with an unexplained physical reaction that required his hospitalization, alleging that he was poisoned after being taken into custody following a recent Moscow protest.
Protesters' Homes Searched After Moscow City Council Rally RFE/RL 01 Aug 2019 -- Police in Moscow have searched the home of Aleksei Minyailo, who trains signature collectors for the headquarters of opposition leader Lyubov Sobol, according to the independent watchdog OVD-Info.
Navalny's Group Says Family Of Moscow Deputy Mayor Owns $102-Million Property RFE/RL 01 Aug 2019 -- Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's anti-corruption watchdog has revealed that the family of one of Moscow's deputy mayors owns property worth 6.5 billion rubles ($102.3 million).
U.S. Senate Panel Backs New Sanctions For Nordstream-2 Companies RFE/RL 01 Aug 2019 -- A key U.S. Senate committee has advanced legislation that would hit companies involved in the Baltic Sea gas pipeline known as Nordstream 2 with financial sanctions.

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August 2019 - Russia Special Weapons News