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Russian Navy to receive two nuclear submarines in 2017
The Russian Navy will receive two new nuclear submarines in 2017, as stated by the Russian Navy’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral Viktor Bursuk, TASS reported.
“In 2017, the first improved Project 955-A submarine and the Yasen-M will be floated out," Bursuk stated.
Work began on the Project 955A Prince Vladimir nuclear submarine in 2012 and, upon its completion, it will become Russia’s fourth Borey-class underwater cruiser. Russia plans to eventually acquire eight such submarines. …
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Poland requests that Russia release transcripts of communication between Smolensk tower and Kaczynski's plane
On Saturday, December 24th the Ministry of Defense of Poland demanded that Russia provide the transcript of the communication between the aircraft carrying former Polish President Kaczynski and the Smolensk tower before the aircraft crashed in 2010. Excerpts from the decrypted recordings were quoted by the Russian President Vladimir Putin at the annual press conference on December 23rd.
"The speech of the Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated that the Russian authorities possess the text …
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Russian intellectuals call for pardon of Oleh Sentsov
Following a group of members of the Russian International PEN Center, the Russian No-War Congress of the Intelligentsia appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to pardon the Ukrainian film director, Oleh Sentsov, who is currently imprisoned in Russia. An open letter from this organization was posted yesterday on the website nowarcongress.com.
The appeal of the No-War Congress of the Intelligentsia was signed, among others, by Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Svetlana Alexievich, Grigory Pasko, Victor …
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Obama expands Magnitsky Act globally
US President Barack Obama signed the Pentagon’s 2017 budget into law, which expanded the use of the Magnitsky Act on accountability in the area of human rights. Henceforth, the act applies to all countries in the world and will enable Washington to impose sanctions against individuals involved in corruption and human rights violations. Previously, the act applied solely to Russian citizens, Deutsche Welle reported.
The document, in particular, allows the US president to "impose sanctions …
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The Pentagon reported that Russia tested a new anti-ballistic missile
Russia successfully tested a new anti-ballistic missile, created in the framework of the research and development initiative Nudol. This was reported by the Washington Free Beacon, citing Pentagon sources. The launch of the missile took place at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. According to Pentagon specialists, Nudol missiles are capable of intercepting satellites.
The article notes that the missile launch took place on December 16th. This test was the fifth in a row and the third successful one for …