Contents tagged with Russia
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Putin to replace Russia's space agency
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree dissolving Roscosmos, one of the most advanced space agencies in the world. Starting January 1st, 2016, a state-run corporation will replace the space program.
"You can compare it to the fall of the Roman Empire... The Russian space industry is collapsing," an analyst and science associate at the Russian Academy of Sciences told IBTimes UK.
A statement by Roscosmos hinted that the decision was made due to government cutbacks during the …
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George Fedoroff: The Russian Navy is the third largest maritime force in the world
According to the US Office of Naval Intelligence’s expert on Russia, George Fedoroff, Russia will progress significantly on its way to the creation of a modern fleet over the next ten years. At the request of the Pentagon, George Fedoroff prepared a 68-page report describing the state of the modern Russian fleet.
The Russian Navy consists of 186 combat submarines and ships, making it the third largest fleet in the world, the Naval Intelligence Officer wrote. Fedoroff notes that the Russian …
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Pro-Russian separatists prepare provocation for the New Year
The adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Zoryan Shkiryak, declared on Ukrainian TV that Russian-backed separatists are preparing for another round of military action in the Donbas region as evidenced by their movement of military equipment to the boundary line.
According to him, militants are planning to launch attacks against Ukrainian forces during the New Year holidays.
“According to the latest operational information that we have received, armed provocations and attempts by …
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Kudrin: Russia has not reached peak of economic crisis
Former Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation, Alexei Kudrin, was engaged in talks last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials about returning to a senior post to help deal with the worsening economic situation.
According to Kudrin, if oil prices continue to fall, there will be a further decline in the Russian economy.
Kudrin holds that the Russian economic crisis has not yet reached its pinnacle, and argues that “today we see a further deterioration of the …
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Analysts predict break-up of Russian Federation
American publisher and global intelligence company Stratfor forecasted the break-up of the Russian Federation in the next decade. According to Stratfor, the intervention of the USA and external management of the country for its nuclear disarmament will follow the collapse of Russia.
Stratfor’s analytical report stated that Russia will not survive in its present form. The report notes that Russia’s inability to turn profits from energy trading into a self-sufficient economy makes it vulnerable …
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Russian-backed militants shell residential area
A group of militants disguised as Ukrainian ATO (Anti-Terrorist Operation) fighters shelled residential areas in the Zaytsevo region, reported the ATO press center. The attackers appeared to be one of the pro-Russian, illegal armed groups poorly disguised as Ukrainian servicemen. The militants fired indiscriminately on Zaytsevo’s residential infrastructure using small arms.
“Criminals are trying to mislead local residents, accuse Ukrainian soldiers of ceasefire violations and discredit ATO …
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Former intelligence agent claims Putin ordered terror attack over Sinai
Former KGB and FSB agent Boris Karpichkov was quoted in the Daily Mail as saying that the Kremlin deliberately blew up the A321 aircraft of Russian airline Kogalymavia over Sinai in Egypt.
The alleged reason was that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to receive the attention and sympathy of the world in order to recover his standing in the international arena. This was also a good opportunity to initiate open conflict with ISIL.
Karpichkov was promoted to Major during his ten years of …
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Chizov: 2015 was difficult year in relations with Europe
The Permanent Representative of Russia to the EU, Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov, said that the real causes of the difficulties in relations between Russia and the EU lie in geopolitics.
According to Chizov, formal relations with the European Union have been continuing for 26 years, but this year was "perhaps the most difficult." In his opinion, the relations of the countries "have become hostages of the West's interests.” Formally, the ongoing difficulties are part of the "Ukrainian crisis" but …
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Duma Deputy seeks to expand Putin's power
Duma state deputy Yevgeny Fyodorov offered to grant Russian President Vladimir Putin emergency powers, he stated in an interview with Sobesednick news.
"We are experiencing an external aggression, a geopolitical war. Naturally, the importance of the role of the Commander in Chief in a time of a war rises sharply. And today, in my opinion, the head of state, Putin should be granted extraordinary powers for a while. For example, it can last until 2018. This has to happen in order for us to beat …
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Separatist leaders visit Moscow
Defense Intelligence reported on Monday that the leaders of the militants from the occupied part of the Donetsk region went to Moscow to receive instructions.
"The so-called leader of the DNR, Alexander Zakharchenko and Secretary of Security Council of DNR Alexander Khodakovsky traveled to Moscow on December 26th in order to receive instructions from Kremlin curators," the statement said.
Intelligence further reported about the deaths of Russian soldiers in the Donbas region, citing new …