Business Watch
Defence
President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday told a Red Square military parade to mark the 67th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany that the colossal sacrifices made by the Soviet Union in World War Two gave Russia the unquestionable right to advance its position on global security.
“Russia is implementing a policy of strengthening security in the world,” Putin said at a VE Day parade that was his first major speech since his controversial return to the Kremlin earlier this week.
by Stephen F. Cohen
Huffington Post, Feb 28, 2012
The United States and Russia are at a potentially fateful crossroads in their relations. Twenty years after the end of the Soviet Union, the relationship features more elements of cold-war conflict than of stable cooperation. Still more, recent developments, including presidential campaigns and other political changes under way in both countries, may soon make relations even worse.
Russia and Syria have signed a $550-million contract on the delivery of 36 Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten combat trainer, the Kommersant daily quoted on Monday a source close to Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport as saying.Under the deal struck in late December, the jets are to be supplied to Syria once Damascus makes a prepayment, the source said.
Posted by John Bonar
on 23.01.2012 20:37.
Published in Defence
Some attention has been paid to an address to the Russian people on 23 November in which President Medvedev set out Russia’s possible reaction should its concerns about the European Missile Defence system not be accommodated. For once, the Western media reported it reasonably accurately with most news outlets echoing the BBC’s heading: “Medvedev sees arms race if missile shield not agreed”. A conditional statement: if this, then that.
Posted by Patrick Armstrong
on 07.12.2011 11:42.
Published in Defence
An analysis by APA, the Azerbaijani press agency of the UN Register of Conventional Arms showed that Ukraine held the first place in the export of infantry fighting vehicles and armored vehicles in 2005-2010. Ukraine exported 685 vehicles, Russia 591, Belarus 2. Unlike Russia, the other two countries showed the models of the sold armored vehicles along with the number. Most of the military vehicles were sold to Iraq (190), Azerbaijan (165), Yemen (154), Chad (135) and Kazakhstan (104).
Yury Budanov, a former Russian army colonel and Russia's only convicted war criminal was shot dead in Moscow last Friday, a law enforcement source said, according to RIA Novosti news agency. Budanov was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2003 for the kidnapping and murder of an 18-year old Chechen girl Elsa Kungayeva, but was released early on parole in 2009.
Posted by John Bonar
on 13.06.2011 11:18.
Published in Defence