Kuleba: Russia does not have enough forces to “invade” Ukraine, its goal is to “sow panic”
Russia has not concentrated enough force to 'invade' Ukraine to Ukraine, its main goal now — “spread panic”. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba, reports Reuters.
The material is being supplemented
Subscribe to RBC FB Get news faster than anyone
The head of United Russia, Vladimir Vasiliev, prepared a video in which he appealed to the country's leadership with a request to provide assistance to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics assistance in the form of supplies of “products necessary to deter military aggression” and take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of citizens.
Vasilyev said that the party was concerned about the well-being of civilians of the DPR and LPR, and “pumping” Ukraine “with missile systems , grenade launchers, other ammunition” is regarded as “preparation for military operations against the civilian population.”
Vasilyev also claims that Western instructors are arriving in Ukraine to teach how to use the supplied weapons.
Former judge of the Chechen Republic Saydi Yangulbaev and his wife Zarema Musaeva Photo: Social networks
Rise” publication published recordings of CCTV cameras installed in the entrance of the house in Nizhny Novgorod, where Zarema Musaeva lived. The footage shows how the wife of a retired judge of the Chechen Supreme Court, Saidi Yangulbaeva, the mother of human rights activist Abubakar Yangulbaev and blogger Ibragim Yangulbaev, are taken away from home by Chechen security forces. an elderly woman was sent a whole group. The men dragged Musayeva by the hands, lifted her by force from the floor in the elevator, where she had fallen, and dragged her to the exit.
As follows from the records, the woman was taken out into the street without outerwear, in slippers, without letting her take any things with her.
Later, the Chechen authorities stated that Musaeva allegedly attacked one of the security forces, for which she threatened with a criminal case. A video with her, filmed after her delivery to Chechnya, was also distributed. In that recording, the woman claimed to have been treated well and respectfully and provided with diabetes medication. Musayeva's son later stated that he thought his mother was forced to take some drugs before filming. He pointed out her lethargy in the video.
At the end of last week, the European Union issued a statement in which it demanded that the Russian federal authorities intervene in the situation with the persecution of oppositionists in the Caucasus and, in particular, release Musaeva. Abubakar Yangulbaev, meanwhile, said that in Chechnya, a dozen and a half of his relatives, both on the paternal and maternal side, had stopped communicating. He suggested that relatives could be forced to publicly slander his family.
The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, had previously called family members involved in terrorism and demanded their detention, and in case of resistance, liquidation. Following the terrorists, he ranked the member of the Human Rights Council Igor Kalyapin and the journalist of Novaya Gazeta. Elena Milashina. The Kremlin has not yet commented on Kadyrov's statements, the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov called Musayeva's abduction “fantastic”.
Judge Yangulbaev left the Russian Federation with his daughter shortly after the “detention” wives. Sons Abubakar and Ibrahim, according to a number of media reports, left the country earlier.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov regarded the proposals to impose new sanctions against the Russian Federation as evidence that Western politicians “are, without exaggeration, in some kind of military frenzy.”
Lavrov also said that the West formulates its position in “hysterical terms”.
“We did not attack anyone, they always attacked us “, Lavrov said, adding that Russia is “ready for any development of events.”
Zagreb made a strange statement and changed nothing
A diplomatic row is brewing between Ukraine and Croatia. The reason is the harsh statements of Croatian President Zoran Milanovic. In a few words, the head of state managed to outline his position on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict regularly predicted by the West, condemn the actions of the United States and appease the local electorate. In Kiev, Milanovich's words were taken painfully, and we figured out how far they could lead.
Photo: AP
Croatian Ambassador to Ukraine Anica Dzhamich was called “on the carpet” to the local Foreign Ministry. The reason is the statements that suddenly sounded from the lips of the Croatian President Zoran Milanovic. Commenting on the increase in activity by Western powers in connection with the alleged Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory, the head of state stressed that his country would not take part in possible hostilities.
“I see NATO statements about increasing its presence, about sending reconnaissance ships. Not only will Croatia not send troops, but in the event of an escalation, it will withdraw every single soldier. I promise you this,” Milanovic said on television.
In itself, the Croatian president decided to strengthen a harmless statement by declaring an extreme degree of corruption in Ukraine and that this country has no place in the North Atlantic Alliance.
The Ukrainian side reacted with lightning speed: Milanovic found himself on the list of the Peacemaker resource as a pro-Russian politician, Ambassador Dzhamich was protested, and an apology was demanded from the instigator of the scandal.
“The Croatian President has shown his dismissive attitude and ingratitude for the help that Ukraine and Ukrainians provided to Croatia during its struggle for independence, as well as in the fight against devastating fires in the past,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in an official statement. “But we are sure that this ingratitude is his personal trait and does not apply to the Croatian people, with whom we are united by friendship and mutual respect.”
Milanovic, who has been in office since 2020, did not apologize as expected. Opponents of the Ukrainian authorities spoke with predictable pleasure about discord in NATO, while the Croatian government tried to soften the situation. In particular, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said that he did not understand at all what the president was talking about.
“At first, I thought that this was some kind of briefing and that it was some kind of Russian official . I don’t know what kind of soldiers he (Milanovich) is thinking about, but I have been there (in Ukraine) twice, and our military is not there,” the head of the Cabinet emphasized.
And this is where the fun begins in a scandalous situation. Plenkovic's words could be written off only as an attempt to get out of a difficult situation while saving face, but the bottom line is that Milanovic's words are really hard to understand. The President threatens to “withdraw” all Croatian soldiers, while such a step, in principle, is not even forbidden to him by anyone. The armed forces of NATO are divided into “combined”, that is, transferred to the disposal of the Alliance, and those that continue to be under national subordination. The joint armed forces include contingents from far from all member countries of the bloc, and, in particular, the Croatian military is not there. So Milanovic in this case acted as the “elusive Joe”, in which, in general, no one needs even without his words: there really is no one to recall him. In addition, the number of Croatian troops in the NATO armed forces is estimated at just over 15 thousand people (against a total number of almost 4 million, 75% of which are Americans) – not a very powerful help in case of escalation.
Was the President wrong? Hardly, since the part of his speech about the Croatian military was obviously not the most important. Milanovic specifically mentioned that he did not agree with the actions of the administration of US President Joe Biden, which is actively promoting the anti-Russian agenda. And these words are an obvious signal both to Washington, which, however, is no stranger to the discontent of its European partners, and to the local electorate. Poor Croatia, which gives more than one and a half percent of its GDP as a membership fee, is not the most reliable member of NATO: according to polls, about 20% (+/- a few percent of the error) of the inhabitants of the republic are in favor of staying in the Alliance, the rest consider it senseless spending and risk. Milanovic, who in three years will still have the opportunity to run as a candidate for the presidency, in these conditions skillfully played on the aspirations of the Croatian voters, without sacrificing anything.
Finally, we should not forget that Croatia is a parliamentary republic, and despite the resonance produced by the president's words, the position of the Cabinet of Ministers and deputies is much more important.
As for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, its sharp reaction can be understood: the topic of the impending “Russian threat” must “warm up”, and Milanovic's performance in this case was a convenient excuse. All these squabbles will not affect the situation “on the ground”, hardly anyone will listen to Croatia on the issue of expanding the Alliance, but the media effect can be long-term.
“Military alliance with Belarus strengthened air defense in the western direction”
The United States threatened Belarus with a quick and decisive response if the country allowed its territory to be used to attack Ukraine. This was stated by State Department spokesman Ned Price. The military expert commented on the statement of the official representative.
Photo: AP
“In recent days, we have made it clear to Belarus that if it allows its territory to be used to attack Ukraine, it will face a swift and decisive response from the United States, our allies and partners,” & ndash; Price threatened.
He added that NATO in such a situation could build up military forces in countries bordering Belarus. The members of the alliance have already confirmed their intention to strengthen their presence in the east of Europe, despite the Kremlin's requests not to do so.
The rhetoric of the West regarding Minsk has toughened in connection with the announced Russian-Belarusian military exercises “Allied Resolve-2022”. They will take place in February. They will be attended by 60-80 thousand servicemen of both armies. It is planned to send two divisions of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems and 12 Su-35 fighters to Belarus. Also the military is redeploying a division of Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile and gun systems.
On this account, the US State Department stated: “The movement of Russian troops to Belarus over the weekend – this is not an exercise and not an ordinary redeployment. This is a show of strength. What we see clearly shows the possible intentions of Russia to move into Ukraine. Exactly according to the proverb: who is talking about what, but the lousy – about the bath.
Military expert, editor of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine; told what are the advantages of the presence of Russian military forces on the territory of Belarus and what kind of “decisive response” to be expected from the West.
– No matter how much the Americans want to catch up with fear, but the forces that are now concentrated on the territory of Belarus, of course, are not enough for some kind of invasion. Agreements on military cooperation have been signed between Russia and Belarus, which allow Belarusians to purchase anti-aircraft systems from us for their armed forces. Also, do not forget that now in Belarus preparations are underway for the major Russian-Belarusian exercises “Allied Resolve-2022”. Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems and Su-35 fighters are needed there to organize air defense as part of the exercises. This is another reason why some of our military equipment was redirected to the territory of the Union State.
– Certainly. Both we and the Belarusians have pluses. We are expanding our zone of echeloned air defense, that is, we now have it along the western border not in the Smolensk region, but along the Belarusian-Polish border. Taking into account the fact that we have the same complexes in Kaliningrad, we are closing the Pskov, Novgorod, Leningrad regions – this becomes a difficult zone for the means of air attack of a potential enemy.
– I think yes. By the way, the West itself has done everything for us to cooperate militarily as closely as possible. Remember what sanctions the West announced against Minsk.
– Belarus is already under sanctions after the color revolution failed there. Therefore, for them, the only salvation – it is cooperation with Russia and China. And it is useless to introduce new sanctions, whatever they may be. At the “father” there is still no money abroad. So let them come up with sanctions at least to infinity – they are neither cold nor hot. The fact that they deploy troops on the border with Belarus, they have the right to place and depict anything on their territory. In the event of serious “showdowns” & nbsp; 8.5 thousand people & ndash; it's a drop in the ocean. Everyone understands that this window dressing is purely for the purpose of “showing off the flag”. Empty chores.
“Very expensive and risky pleasure”
In recent days, one can hear more and more talk about the possible deployment of Russian military bases in Cuba or Venezuela. As our “response to Chamberlain” if the US does not take our security concerns into account. But do we really need military bases near the United States? Especially when Russia has modern high-precision weapons? To this question «MK» asked Ruslan Pukhov, a Russian military analyst, director of the Moscow Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), a member of the Public Council under the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Photo: AP
– Having military bases off the coast of the United States made sense 40-50 years ago. Now for us it is not so important, – the expert thinks. – The development of military technologies makes it possible to threaten, exert pressure, and strike at targets of a potential enemy at a distance. To do this, it is no longer necessary to be near its territory. So from a purely military point of view the presence of such military bases is no longer such an important factor as it used to be.
According to Pukhov, there is also an important diplomatic aspect to this issue.
– I really hope, – he says, – that, before announcing the creation of any bases, voicing this decision to the Americans and the press, our military and diplomats held consultations with Cuban and Venezuelan experts. Otherwise, such statements would sound insulting to the leadership of these countries.
In the event of such negotiations, the expert believes, it would be easier to resolve the issue of placing a Russian base on the territory of Venezuela, since we have a short history with this country relations, unencumbered by any previous differences, as in the case of Cuba.
– At one time, – explains Pukhov, – without Fidel's permission, Nikita Khrushchev recalled our missiles from the Island of Freedom and returned them back, which gave rise to a very big crisis in Soviet-Cuban relations. Fidel then took this as a personal insult and humiliation of the people of Cuba. Then, later, already at the beginning of the “zero” years we abandoned our Cuban base in Lourdes – our main electronic intelligence center. And also without much consultation with the Cubans. It turns out that we have already twice, roughly speaking, “thrown” them with their military bases. So, I think, they simply won’t want to play the same game with us for the third time and with a high degree of probability they won’t allow us to host anything. And if in this situation we begin to announce something ahead of time, we will not look very nice.
As for Venezuela, according to the expert, the negotiation process can be simpler here. But the only question is: do we need it?
– It is likely that the leadership of Venezuela will allow us to host a base, – says Ruslan Pukhov. – Although his position will divide the country's public opinion in half. Half will be for, the other – strongly opposed. At the same time, it should be remembered that the country has a high level of crime, and it will be extremely difficult to deploy a real, and not nominal, base there. It needs serious protection. We will also have to take into account that Venezuela is in the ring of unfriendly states. For example, such as Colombia, which is one hundred percent pro-American. So it may turn out that this base will rather not threaten the Americans, but itself will become a target for threats from pro-American forces. Our people are there – directly or indirectly – may even end up as hostages. In a word, we should think over and over again whether we should start the process of deploying our base there.
An important factor in deciding the issue of permanent bases, the expert also calls the financial aspect. It says:
– It must be understood that the maintenance of a full-fledged military base in a foreign country – This is a very expensive pleasure that requires large investments. And therefore it would be much cheaper (and from a military point of view – today even more efficient) to create not military bases, but, for example, such naval groups that could, once off the coast of the United States, without any bases, carry out those combat missions that will be assigned to them. We can do it today.
In Donetsk, people don't buy cereals and don't dig cracks
“The war between Ukraine and Russia is on the threshold”, and the people of Donetsk are not preparing for it. Eight years of non-peaceful life have developed in them a philosophical approach to the situation. Why is this happening and why the people of Donbass do not rush to buy cereals and matches and do not dig cellars, MK understood
Photo: dan-news.info.
In 2014, Donetsk residents received a series of visual lessons on the topic: “You can’t breathe before you die.”
As it turns out, the spasmodic buyouts of close-quarters warfare on everything from toilet paper to cat food don't make much sense. Bread quickly stales, midges start up in cereals bought for future use, and in the conditions of hostilities after shelling, even in very prosperous cities and regions, electricity was sometimes cut off for a week. After that, unbearably stinking refrigerators and freezers with spoiled products had to be taken to the landfill. No matter how you prepare, you will never be completely ready for war in your home.
Since then, the Donetsk people have been thoroughly trained for years: “APU offensives”, according to television, should take place here every two months, and the expectation of a “big war” grows every year in winter and summer, with peaks in August and January-February. How great was the pumping last winter, when at first the local TV promised the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by March 15, 2021, and all the federal Russian shows – a war with Ukraine for the Donbass next spring, and maybe at the beginning of summer, as soon as the snow melts and that’s all dries up … But even then the “war” did not particularly respond to the markets of Donetsk, Makeevka and Gorlovka.
In Donetsk, people really do not buy cereals and canned food, do not dig cracks near nine-story buildings, and people in Mariupol and Makeevka really much calmer than those in Kiev or Moscow – perhaps also because they follow stock market fluctuations less here?
There is also no civilized banking system here and, accordingly, there is nowhere to run to withdraw deposits, there is nowhere to withdraw money abroad and, most often, there is nothing to “withdraw to cash”. Railway stations do not work here, there are no passenger trains and there has been no airport for a long time – you can only go to Rostov-on-Don for a weekend to breathe peaceful life in your car or bus, overcoming several hours of queues at the border in both directions. There is nowhere to run urgently: the border crossings are not rubber.
Everything is much simpler here: not in a hurry, people live their lives, gratefully perceiving any weather. For example, now it’s minus 6 outside, and by Friday they promise blizzards and snowfalls with warming up to 0 or +1 during the day, which means sleet with ice at night and not frozen, moisture-saturated fields to the very border with Russia and the line of contact with Ukraine. Heavy equipment will not pass on such land, they know it here. The last winter war – for Debaltseve in 2015 – was truly winter, on average at -15 and thoroughly frozen ground. Muddy fields and the current vile weather, according to locals, do not exactly promise an aggravation in the next couple of weeks. And then in Donetsk, few people think.
Besides, the war on the outskirts has subsided: with the outbreak of the “big war” on TV, you can’t hear the cannonade on the outskirts of Donetsk at all – it simply doesn’t exist. The trench warfare in the Donbass has fallen silent, hiding: people sometimes watch TV in the dugouts. Ukrainians are again leaving now to study at training grounds, mastering new British and American weapons; in the DPR, in the army corps, they also look around in puzzlement – where is the promised “north wind” (that's what they call all seconded Russians here). No one shoots without a special reason: Russia will “attack soon” anyway or come to the rescue, why bother?!
It is pointless to reproach civilians of Donbass in indifference: they are like that frog exhausted by the current in the office biology: tired of regularly “receiving signals” and no longer react to anything.
The subcortex of Ukrainian politicians is stitched with “red lines”
Today, a meeting of political advisers to the leaders of the Normandy Four is taking place in Paris. The day before, information appeared in the Ukrainian media that representatives of Russia, Germany and France would allegedly try to convince Ukraine to set a date for negotiations with the leadership of the DPR and LPR. But Kiev is clearly not in the mood to sit down with them at the negotiating table. Although three years ago, Zelensky was ready to negotiate “even with a bald devil” in order to “save lives.”
Photo: president.gov.ua
The question of whether it would be nice to invite representatives of the self-proclaimed republics to the negotiation process on Donbass has been discussed many times. The response of Ukraine has always been categorical and ended with a violent reaction – accusations and notes of protest. Sometimes the dislike of the representatives of the DPR and LPR among Ukrainian politicians reaches such a limit that Kiev generally threatens to stop all talk of resolving the conflict. Last July, for example, they refused to communicate within the framework of the trilateral contact group in Minsk while Maya Pirogova, who was registered as a “terrorist” for publishing materials of an “anti-Ukrainian nature”, was participating in them.
And now, the representative of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, reacted emotionally to the publication in the Ukrainian version of the Deutsche Welle publication, which reported on the plans of the Normandy Four to set the date for direct negotiations between the Ukrainian authorities and the “militias”. “The position of Ukraine, which has been expressed many times at different levels, is unchanged, it meets Ukrainian interests. There were no direct negotiations with the separatists and never will be. And such inventions appear thanks to manipulators who have already tried many times to make “treason” out of the blue… Let those who are involved in the creation of these fakes today go and draw red lines on their foreheads, and we have them, like Ukrainian interests are stitched on the subcortex,” said Yermak.
In theory, “Ukrainian interests” should be to end the war, stabilize the situation and return control of their territories. From Yermak's answer, it does not follow at all that any of this was “sewn into his subcortex.” The Ukrainian authorities are so afraid of raising the rating of the leaders of the Lao PDR by meeting with them that it would be better to give up trying to peacefully resolve the conflict altogether, and all residents will be recorded as terrorists and separatists.
A year before taking office as president, Zelensky gave an interview to Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon, where he answered several important questions. First, the Minsk agreements do not work. Secondly, human life comes first. And thirdly, in order to return the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, it is necessary to talk with them and develop the economy. “Whether we like it or not, we have to step over ourselves. I'm even ready to negotiate with the bald devil, so long as not a single person dies. We need to take the first step – stop shooting and develop our country.”
At first, he really took steps in this direction. There were plans to build a trading hub on the border with Crimea and make it easier for residents to cross checkpoints. The idea was good, people could see that not everything is so bad in Ukraine. But for three years, the construction process has not been reported. Zelensky tried to establish contact with the residents of Donbass through television and radio broadcasting by installing additional television towers on the demarcation line. However, citizens of the unrecognized republics were able to hear through these towers that the Ukrainian president was just ready to completely break off relations with them. The question is, was it worth delivering this information to such a hassle?
Experts told why the Ukrainian authorities actually changed their minds about communicating with residents of the south-east of the country.
– This destroys the myth that is convenient for Europe and Kiev, that the war is between Ukraine and Russia. If negotiations are conducted between Kiev and Donetsk, Lugansk, it means that this is an internal showdown, a civil war. They absolutely do not want this. Although now, it seems, they want to persuade Ukraine to this decision in order to avoid war.”
“No one will surrender”
The West continues to escalate the situation around Ukraine, accusing Russia of preparing an “invasion” and threatening “hellish” sanctions. NATO countries “out of friendship” throw off weapons stale in warehouses to Kiev. Any Russian step, from exercises to the movement of our troops inside the country, causes a fit of hysteria. Many believe that the situation can no longer be resolved through diplomacy. And that means war.
Photo: From the personal archive
“MK” asked a combatant in the Donbass an officer in the reserve of the People's Militia of the Donetsk People's Republic with the call sign “Indus”, to talk about the combat readiness in the ranks of the armed formations of Novorossia.
– I am more than sure that the LPR and DPR will be able to give a fitting rebuff to Ukraine. If in 2014-2015, when few people believed that we could hold out or cope with the regular Ukrainian army, we succeeded, now even more so. In the People's Militia of the republics, two army corps have been formed, constant training is being conducted, and reservists are regularly recruited. Moreover, I myself participated in such training camps as a commander of a reserve company, and I can say that all the reservists who came were guys with experience in previous years' battles.
They then recaptured their homes and went on to engage in peaceful professions – some to the mine, some to where. But they still come to the training camp now, they know and know how to hold weapons in their hands.
Now in the Donbass you yourself understand what kind of people are left. They are no strangers to combat and hardship. Who is not like that, they left a long time ago. Our plus is that we are in the opposition fortified defense. In some areas there are three, and somewhere four lines of defense. Many guys have mining experience behind them, so many shelters are hidden underground, both communication lines and moves are dug in, all weapons are adjusted.
The enemy has been well studied by us for so many years, all his maneuvers and moves are on our eyes. We control everything, we see, we observe. One thing I know for sure, no one will give up. And yes, we have nowhere to go. Donbass will stand to the end.
– We also have enough strength to hold back the first onslaught of the enemy. While the fighters in positions will hold the defense, reserves will be pulled up. Plus, internal troops. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has its own special forces, the guys there, as a rule, are all also with combat experience. They know their places according to the combat schedule. Our police officers are armed and undergo constant training at training grounds, work out interaction with army units.
I'm sure they can close the gap and help even on the second line. Now units of territorial battalions have been introduced into the corps, there are separate reconnaissance battalions, tank battalions, and artillery battalions. This is more than enough to give a worthy rebuff. The territory of the republics is not very large, so the transfer of reinforcements will not take much time. In one direction 50 kilometers, in the other – one hundred and fifty. Reinforcements will be in place within a few hours. During this time, units of reservists will gather on combat alert. They are all assigned to certain regiments, they know their schedule and military specialties.
– It is difficult to answer unambiguously how much these forces will be enough. Everything will depend on how large-scale the provocation from Ukraine will be. It’s one thing if they, like near Telmanovo, point-wise try to occupy some part, and another thing if they start a massive attack on Gorlovka, Donetsk or, say, on the southern border. As we know, Ukrainians are the kind of people who will not fight head-on, in the field, army against army. And they don't have any power. If you look at what they have always been doing, it is mainly sabotage, terrorist attacks and petty provocations. My assumption is that, most likely, there will be some kind of provocative shelling now, as they have done repeatedly. Maybe the shelling of a settlement or the same conglomerate of the chemical industry.
One launch of reactive “Grads” in the residential areas of Gorlovka is enough to provoke our response. I do not believe in a large-scale offensive with tanks. They understand that we are sitting in a layered defense, which means that their losses will be so massive that it simply will not allow them to move on. Ukraine will not engage in urban battles, the maximum that they can achieve is a breakthrough on the southern front with access to the border. Yes, that's all. Or else, as an option, they will try to cut off Donetsk with blows and surround it. It is unlikely that they will succeed. A pinpoint breakthrough of the defense and the ability to go deep into them will not give them anything by and large.
Their main goal and task is clear: to draw Russia into the war. Our President Vladimir Putin said that we will not allow Russians to be offended in Donbass and we will not allow genocide. The very first provocative shelling will show the whole world who is to blame. Do you remember how it was in Ossetia when the Georgians shelled Tskhinvali for some time? Then the whole world saw the true picture of what was happening. And then the Russian troops entered and quickly forced the aggressor to peace.
Many people say that the Donbass will hold out for only three to six hours without help, but I personally think that we will bravely stand up for a day or two, or even three, even against all those Ukrainian forces that they drove in our direction. The first blows, perhaps, will be able to break through the front line somewhere, but our flank ones will go further. And Ukrainians, as practice shows, generally have a favorite method – to climb into the “cauldron”. Well, that means that now there will also be a Donetsk cauldron. Of course, drones can bring us trouble, but, by and large, we more or less hold the sky.
– I think Russia will respond based on the situation and the provocative actions of the enemy. We never attack first, but only counteract attacks. Same here. If these are minor provocations, then, most likely, they will be reflected by their own internal forces of Donbass. If these are provocations of a high level, then, as previously reported, Russian troops will deliver pinpoint strikes at the enemy’s concentration and control centers, at their airfields. By and large, such strikes with the help of modern high-precision weapons can also be delivered from the territory of Russia. If the Russian Aerospace Forces are connected, then no Ukrainian Air Force, EW and air defense will be able to cope. Therefore, air supremacy will be won in the very first hours.
Russia has a huge range of means and capabilities. It can operate from the territory of Crimea, from the Black Sea area, from the Kuban. The Southern Military District has new Russian Iskander missile systems, new units of K-52 combat helicopters, and new aircraft. Right now, the planes of the Southern Military District are conducting missile launches in the Kuban, in the Crimea and in Rostov-on-Don. That is, they are now in full combat readiness. And the task is only to change missiles from training to combat ones.
Russian exercises and the transfer of peacekeepers to the same Kazakhstan have already shown the whole world our decisiveness and efficiency. The naval exercises that are taking place now and the upcoming Russian-Belarusian maneuvers demonstrate the power of our army. Ukrainians have no chance to take Donbass by force.
I have seen the war and I know what it is, so I really hope that world leaders will be able to agree on a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
The head of the Italo-Russian Chamber of Industry announced the “Renaissance of Russia”
Italian entrepreneurs saved Vladimir Putin from the need to publicly answer the seemingly inevitable burning questions. In the open part of the meeting, which the president held online with representatives of Italian business, not a word was said about Ukraine, the fall in markets and the escalation of tension.
Photo: Natalia Muschinkina
Head of the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vincenzo Trani urged foreign businesses to invest in Russia right now, because, despite foreign policy difficulties, it is already ready for a “new Renaissance” .
Vladimir Putin regularly holds meetings with representatives of foreign business working in Russia. In the spring of 2021, the president spoke with the French, in the winter of 2019 – with the Germans, in 2018 – with the Italians, in 2017 – with the Americans. In addition, foreign entrepreneurs can ask the President questions during the events of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) and the Russian Energy Week.
Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the next meeting with Italian businessmen is being held on the initiative of the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and has nothing to do with the current foreign policy situation. According to him, the Kremlin has no intention of enlisting the support of its longtime business partners – “this is a perverted understanding of work.” As for the entrepreneurs themselves, they usually ask Putin “profile questions,” but if someone wants to ask about Ukraine or about sanctions, then “the president will be ready to give exhaustive explanations,” Peskov said.
Usually, the Kremlin always publishes a list of participants in events held by the head of state. However, this time the tradition was broken. Peskov said that there will be 16 businessmen, but he did not specify which companies they represent and in what status.
Earlier, several foreign media published reports at once that the Italian authorities asked the organizers to cancel the meeting with Putin due to a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, after which the heads of the largest oil and gas companies refused to contact the Kremlin. Peskov said that there were no official statements of this kind from Rome, and newspaper publications at the present time “are inexpensive.” At the same time, he acknowledged that the initial list of participants was reduced by three people. “Someone failed, someone got sick,” the Kremlin speaker explained, without specifying the names of the “refuseniks”.
Peskov's positive attitude was confirmed by the head of the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vincenzo Trani, who even from the TV screen radiated optimism inexplicable against the backdrop of falling markets and other international leapfrog.
With a certain degree of nonchalance, he announced that it was not the first time that difficulties in relations between Russia and Europe had arisen, but they had always been overcome through dialogue. The chamber itself has existed for 57 years. And the Italians began to trade with the Russians from time immemorial, even before the formation of the Italian Republic, Trani recalled. Right now, in his opinion, is the best moment to start or develop a business in Russia: “Because the most profitable investments are made at times when there are difficulties.” “I advise entrepreneurs to look at the potential of Russia, which has overcome the international crisis caused by covid and is ready for a new renaissance,” Trani announced.
Vladimir Putin did not argue with this. From his words it appeared that the renaissance had already begun. Unemployment is holding at historic lows of 4.3%. GDP growth in 2021 will be 4.5%. “The global economic crisis caused by the pandemic has not affected our country as significantly as other states. This became possible thanks to the structural reliability of the Russian economy,” the President stressed. He noted that bilateral trade grew by almost 54% last year. And Russia is ready to develop cooperation not only in traditional, but also in new areas, in particular in “green energy”, where it is possible to jointly produce and export hydrogen fuel to Europe. “Of course, the fact that the process of mutual recognition of vaccines and vaccination certificates between Russia and the European Union has not yet been completed has not been completed,” Putin complained.
The President reminded Italian entrepreneurs that Moscow would compete with Rome for the right to host EXPO 2030, and expects to win, because she has never hosted an exhibition in 170 years. “Well, we will compete with you, we will compete,” VVP urged. He promised to discuss with the Italian participants the most pressing issues of Russian-Italian economic cooperation and all topics that concern entrepreneurs.
Secrets of training combat swimmers
There are units of combat swimmers or underwater special forces in every fleet. They fight underwater saboteurs and guard the waters of naval bases. These tasks require special preparation.
Photo: pixabay.com
Combat swimmers must be able to parachute, scuba dive, shoot all types of small arms, including foreign models, such as the American M16 rifle, and have sports skills. The training program includes weekly survival courses, including in winter. The Army Standard electronic edition wrote about this.
In the special training section, for example, training on getting out of a submerged submarine and driving an underwater scooter to the place of sabotage and back.
It turns out that the small submarines of project 865 “Piranha” built for sabotage operations did not take root in the fleet. A conventional submarine is a submarine more suited for covert operations. Saboteurs leave her through a torpedo tube. Three people can fit in it at once.
There are two ways to exit: airlock (like astronauts on the ISS) and free exit. The swimmers return to the boat in the same way, only in reverse order. This is not such a simple matter, the newspaper writes – “adrenaline among saboteurs inside the tube of a torpedo tube sometimes just goes off scale no less than during a parachute jump.”
Combat swimmers are armed with ADS submachine guns (special two-medium submachine gun), APS (special submachine gun) and SPP pistol (special underwater pistol). In addition, there is a special underwater sight-radar. The fact is that combat swimmers operate at depths of up to 45 meters, and often at night.
This depth is enough to quietly swim up to the ship and attach a mine to its bottom. At such a depth, and even at night, visibility is very limited. Therefore, a radar sight is needed. He, the newspaper writes, detects a target the size of a human head at a distance of about 20 meters and gives a signal about it. The swimmer needs to pull the trigger, and a bullet in the form of a 40-mm steel needle, having overcome the water resistance of four atmospheres, will hit the enemy exactly.
The actions of combat swimmers, which are in the navies of almost all maritime powers, are attributed by some to such sabotage as the explosion on the roadstead of Sevastopol on October 29, 1955 of the battleship Novorossiysk. Allegedly, combat swimmers of the elite unit of Italian underwater saboteurs could do this. There is no evidence for this version.
In Portsmouth Harbor on April 19, 1956, near the Soviet cruiser Ordzhonikidze, on board which were Nikita Khrushchev and Nikolai Bulganin, British Navy Commander Lionel Crabb died for some unknown reason. nicknamed Buster. The British authorities promised only in 2056 to declassify the task of the saboteur nicknamed Buster, during which he died.
In our Northern Fleet, scout Viktor Leonov became a legend during his lifetime. During the Great Patriotic War, he became a Hero of the Soviet Union “for the exemplary performance of combat missions of command behind enemy lines and the courage and heroism shown at the same time.” And in 1945, in the Pacific Fleet, Leonov's detachment of 139 fighters captured the Japanese garrison in the Korean port of Wonsan – 3.5 thousand Japanese soldiers and officers. Leonov became twice a Hero. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, a special badge was issued with the inscription “Reconnaissance saboteur No. 1 of the USSR Navy.”
Plot Investigation of Boeing crash in Eastern Ukraine
Russian representative to the ECtHR Mikhail Vinogradov urged the court to reject the complaints of the authorities of the Netherlands and Ukraine in the case of MH17, writes RIA Novosti.
He stressed that the complaints are based on distortion of facts, fake evidence and not corresponding to reality, but in places false statements.
Vinogradov also said that Ukraine controlled the launch site of the missile that shot down MH17. According to him, it follows from the materials of the case that “artillery shelling and air strikes were carried out by Ukraine constantly before the crash.”
“Thus, on April 22, 2014, an An-30B state aviation. On July 14, three days before the MH17 crash, an An-26 transport aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down in the Luhansk region. Two crew members were killed. During the specified period, Ukraine lost another 15 military aircraft and helicopters in the course of active hostilities, – said the speaker.
Today, the ECtHR in Strasbourg began to consider the complaints of the Netherlands and Ukraine against Russia in the case of the crash of flight MH17 in Donbass in 2014.
A Malaysian Boeing flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed on July 17, 2014 near Donetsk. There were 298 people on board, all of them died. Kiev blamed the militias for the crash, but they said they did not have the means to shoot down the plane at such a height.
The trial began in the Netherlands in March 2020. Since June 8 last year, the case has been considered on its merits.
The investigation was conducted by a joint investigation team (JIT) under the leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Netherlands, Russia did not take part in it. The investigation claims that Boeing was shot down from the Buk anti-aircraft missile system, which belonged to the 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade from Kursk. At the same time, according to Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Nikolai Vinnichenko, Moscow handed over to the Netherlands not only Russian radar data, but also documentation proving that the missile that hit the Boeing belonged to Ukraine, and launched it from the territory controlled by Kiev.
Earlier today, Russia denied the Dutch allegations of involvement in the downing of MH17. The complaint of the Netherlands to the ECHR is based on a distortion of facts, the representative of the Russian side believes.
Also, at the end of last year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented on inconsistencies in the case of the plane crash. The minister noted that almost all the witnesses were classified, including one who could shed light on facts that have so far been ignored by the investigation.
The Northern Fleet has begun exercises with the Arctic Expeditionary Group. They will involve about 1200 military personnel, 30 ships, 140 units of military equipment and 20 aircraft. The servicemen of the Northern Fleet will have to work out the protection of communications of the Northern Sea Route, the protection and defense of the garrisons of the Northern Fleet, conduct exercises to counter imaginary terrorist groups, as well as to block and destroy them.
The main practical actions will take place in the Barents Sea. They will involve the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, the Severomorsk large anti-submarine ship, the Ivan Gren large landing ship, submarines, support vessels, as well as aircraft and helicopters of the Air Force and Air Defense Army of the Northern Fleet. In addition to offshore ranges, a number of exercises will be held at coastal ranges in the Murmansk region.
More — in the AiF.ru photo feed.
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” went to the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea .jpg” height=”440″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
A soldier of the Northern Fleet during exercises in the Barents Sea © Russian Ministry of Defense
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” during the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea .jpg” height=”469″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” (right) went to the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea height=”470″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” during the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea .jpg” height=”407″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” during the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea 467″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
Military personnel of the Northern Fleet during exercises in the Barents Sea © Russian Defense Ministry
The frigate “Admiral of the Fleet Kasatonov” took part in the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea 459″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” during the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea .jpg” height=”456″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
Exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” during the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea .jpg” height=”424″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” went to the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea .jpg” height=”440″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
A soldier of the Northern Fleet during exercises in the Barents Sea © Russian Ministry of Defense
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” during the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea .jpg” height=”469″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” (right) went to the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea height=”470″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” during the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea .jpg” height=”407″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” during the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea 467″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
Military personnel of the Northern Fleet during exercises in the Barents Sea © Russian Defense Ministry
The frigate “Admiral of the Fleet Kasatonov” went to the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” during the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea .jpg” height=”456″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
Northern Fleet exercises in the Barents Sea © RF Ministry of Defense
Missile cruiser “Marshal Ustinov” during the exercises of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea .jpg” height=”424″ width=”800″ style=”display: block;” />
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation