Contents tagged with Armed Forces of Russian Federation

  • Russia plans to replace troop commander in Syria

    The Russian Armed Forces command in Syria may once again be headed by Sergey Surovikin, current Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), RIA Novosti, citing to a source close to the Ministry of Defense.

    According to the source, "this possibility is being discussed." At the same time, as the source specified, in the case of departure to Syria, Surovikin would remain the commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, and his deputy would temporarily perform his duties.Surovikin led …

  • Kremlin to reinforce 58th Army in southern Russia

    The Russian Ministry of Defense has begun to reorganize the primary strike force in the south of Russia, the 58th Army. Two new motorized rifle divisions will be created at the army’s base by the end of the year. This was reported by Izvestiya, citing a source in the Defense Ministry.

    The new divisions will be created on the basis of the existing 19th and 136th Separate Motor Rifle Brigades through the addition of new battalions and regiments.

    The 19th Krasnoznamensk Voronezh-Shumlensk Motor …

  • Former Russian MP: 334 Russians were killed in the US airstrike in Syria

    334 Russians were killed in the airstrike of the US-led coalition on February 7.  217 people were from the fifth assault squad, 10 people from the second assault squad, 94 from Vesna (Spring) assault squad and 13 people from the artillery battalion, said former State Duma Deputy Viktor Alksnis during a broadcast of the Russian TV Channel Dozhd (Rain), stressing that it was an unofficial statistics.

    "This data is collected from a survey of family members of those who fought in Syria and who …

  • Putin signs bill to integrate Armed Forces of self-proclaimed South Ossetia into Russian army

    Separate subdivisions of the armed forces of the self-proclaimed Republic of South Ossetia were integrated into the army of the Russian Federation. The bill was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the press service of the Kremlin reported.

    The bill provides for the procedure for “the entry of separate units of the armed forces of the Republic of South Ossetia into the armed forces of the Russian Federation.”

    The bill concerning the Ossetian army joining the Russian Armed Forces was …

  • Russian Army receives new Kalashnikov assault rifles

    The Ministry of Defense has accepted new AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles for use, as announced by the Kalashnikov firearms manufacturer, Interfax reports. This information was confirmed by Sofia Ivanova, an official representative of the company.

    The AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifle is recommended for use by the Airborne Force, marines, and ground forces, reported TASS, citing as a source the press service of the company.

    The Defense Ministry’s decision was reported by the newspaper Krasnaya …

  • Ukraine condemns inclusion of South Ossetian Army into Russian Armed Forces

    The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the ratification by the State Duma of Russia of the so-called agreement to include separate units of the armed forces of the self-proclaimed Republic of South Ossetia—the separatist-controlled territory of Georgia—into the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

    "This is another provocative step that perpetuates the Kremlin's policy of destabilizing the situation in the Black Sea region and undermining the architecture of European security," …

  • Russia conducts artillery exercises in Crimea

    On January 24, army corps of the Black Sea Fleet’s artillery units began conducting exercises at the Angarskyi training site in the Crimea, as reported by the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry.

    "Howitzer artillery crews, multiple launch rocket systems, and mortar units will conduct training actions on preparing units for combat and complete testing of engineering equipment and masking and retargeting maneuvers," the report said.

    According to the department, the exercises are …

  • Russian army to acquire radar-invisible 'Drel' bombs in 2018

    In 2018, the Russian Ministry of Defense will adopt Drel (“drill”) 500 kg gliding bomb cartridges, Techmash CEO Vladimir Lepin told Interfax in an interview.

    “State tests of the new basic model of a gliding bomb cartridge with a 500 kg caliber, equipped with  self-targeting combat elements, began in 2016. The state tests are being carried out according to the client’s program (the Russian Defense Ministry), and after they are completed successfully in 2018, there are plans to adopt this item …

  • Russia to deploy Voronezh radar station in Crimea

    Russia plans to deploy the Voronezh radar missile attack warning system in Crimea, the Director of Russian “Radio Technology and Information Systems” company, Sergey Boyev told Russa’s Interfax.

    “The main client, the Defense Ministry, has decided to deploy the Voronezh VHF station in Crimea. Work is currently underway to determine the place where it will be installed,” he said.

    According to Boyev, the construction will begin in 2019.

    On November 7, Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery …

  • Putin announces end of compulsory military service in Russia

    Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia is gradually moving away from the compulsory military service model, and will abandon it completely “sometime later”, RIA Novosti reports.

    “We should bear in mind that we are gradually moving away from compulsory service in general,” the president said, adding that this process is taking place more slowly than planned due to budgetary limitations.

    “But we are still working and will continue to work to ensure that it won’t be long before …