Gog and Magog in the news

[Shammu]

The Russian Church stands for a new feast – The Day of Pregnant
12 November 2008

Moscow – The Day of Pregnant should be included in the calendar of Russian feasts, the Synodal Youth Department of the Russian Orthodox Church believes.

“Such a step can have a positive resonance. We can offer people to take special care of the pregnant women at least once a year,” Hieromonk Dimitry (Pershin), head of informational and publishing administration of the Youth Department said at a round table held in frames of the Pravoslavnaya Rus (Orthodox Russia) exhibition-forum.

Fr. Dimitry suggests celebrating the new feast on the Day of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God as people traditionally pray for pregnancy health and labor before this icon or on the Day of the Intercession of the Mother of God.

“Our informational task is to change people’s mind, their attitude to abortions, labor and child-bearing. The new feast can help introduce another theme of traditional family values,” Fr. Dimitry hopes.

The Russian Church stands for a new feast – The Day of Pregnant

[Shammu]

Russian ships to Venezuela in show of power
By: Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press Writer
Nov 21, 1:26 pm ET

MOSCOW – The voyage of the cruiser Peter the Great, scheduled to arrive in Venezuela next week with a squadron of other Russian warships, was meant to showcase the Kremlin's ability to project naval power abroad and reassert its claim to great power status.

But the arrival of the 24,000-ton nuclear-powered vessel and its escorts may mark the end of an era of rising ambitions for the Russian navy, not its beginning.

Russia's plans to conduct exercises in the Carribean for the first time since the Cold War were made before the global financial crisis mauled the country's energy-based economy. Plunging oil prices, some believe, could end Moscow's aspirations for a stronger presence in the Western Hemisphere.

The Peter the Great, a missile destroyer and two support vessels from Russia's Northern Fleet set off for Venezuela late September, in what was widely seen as a show of the Kremlin's anger over the U.S. dispatch of warships to deliver aid to Georgia after its August war with Russia. A pair of Russian strategic bombers visited Venezuela for a week in September. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union sent its planes and navy ships to Cuba.

The squadron's arrival next week is timed to coincide with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's planned trip to Venezuela and other Latin American nations. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, an unbridled critic of the U.S. policy, said his nation needs a strong friendship with Russia to reduce U.S. influence and keep the peace in the region.

Some experts, though, question the military value of the exercise.

"The Kremlin is continuing its anti-American course in the nineteenth century style," said Alexander Golts, an independent military analyst. "But it makes no sense militarily. A couple of ships struggling to make it to South America aren't going to strengthen Russia's posture against the United States."

Medvedev vowed in September that Russia will follow up on the Venezuelan cruise with other maneuvers worldwide. But its navy capability is limited.

"Russia simply lacks ships for the purpose," said Alexander Khramchikhin, a top analyst with Moscow-based Institute for Political and Military Analysis, an independent think-tank.

He and other analysts say that the Peter the Great and its destroyer escort, the Admiral Chabanenko, are among a few vessels in the Russian navy capable of long ocean cruises.

The construction of the Peter the Great began before the 1991 Soviet collapse but was completed a decade later. It was designed to destroy aircraft carriers with an array of supersonic cruise-missiles. It's the largest ship in the Russian fleet and the only surface vessel powered by a nuclear reactor, which gives it enormous range and autonomy.

The cruiser suffered a deadly accident in 1996 when a high-pressure steam line ruptured, killing four seamen. In 2004, the Russian navy chief abruptly declared the ship so decrepit it could explode any moment.

Adm. Vladimir Kuroyedov quickly retracted his words, saying he was misquoted, and some media attributed the statement to a personal conflict with the cruiser's captain.

The Russian squadron has called at several Mediterranean ports as part of its current cruise, which the Navy said will cover 15,000 nautical miles — three times the distance between the Venezuelan shores and home base on the Arctic Kola Peninsula. After completing joint maneuvers with Venezuela, the ships will sail for the Indian Ocean for further exercises, the navy said.

Of all branches of the Russian military, the navy suffered most after the Soviet collapse. Sharp cuts in military spending left many Russian warships rusting berthside and forced the navy to scrap dozens of comparatively modern vessels.

Booming oil prices during President Vladimir Putin's eight-year tenure led to steady increases in military spending, allowing the navy to repair some vessels and train new crews. But the Russian navy is still a shadow of what it was in the Soviet era, when Moscow dispatched warships on regular patrols of the world's oceans.

"Most big surface warships which were built during the Soviet times have closely approached the end of their service time," Khramchikhin said. "It can't be extended indefinitely unless they want to see them sink in the middle of their cruise."

The Kursk nuclear submarine catastrophe, which killed all its 118 seamen in August 2000, and a steady string of other deadly accidents highlighted the poor state of the Russian navy.

Earlier this month, 20 people suffocated and 21 others were injured aboard a new nuclear-powered submarine when a firefighting system switched on by accident and pumped the sub full of Freon gas, displacing the vessel's oxygen. The mishap, which officials blame on a seaman's tinkering with the firefighting system's controls, occurred while the sub was undergoing sea trials in the Sea of Japan.

"Badly-trained crews on poorly-maintained ships pose the danger of new catastrophes," said military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer.

Russia now has just one Soviet-built carrier, which is much smaller than any U.S. carrier and has been dogged by unreliable turbines and other technical problems. Experts say tumbling oil prices and the global financial slowdown have likely scuttled all plans for massive new military spending, including a plan to build new carriers, at least in the short term.

"Russia lacks money, industrial resources and qualified industry personnel for that," Khramchikhin said.

Russian ships to Venezuela in show of power

[Shammu]

Russia test-fires new ballistic missile
Wed Nov 26, 10:28 am ET

MOSCOW – A spokesman for Russia's Strategic Missile Forces says the military has test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

Col. Alexander Vovk says the RS-24 missile lifted off from a mobile launcher at the Plesetsk launch pad in northern Russia.

He says the missile's multiple warheads successfully hit the designated targets at the Kura testing range in the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday.

It was the third test launch of the new missile, which is intended to gradually replace the aging Soviet-built intercontinental ballistic missiles that still form the core of Russia's nuclear arsenal.

Russian military officials have boasted that the RS-24 would be able to penetrate any prospective missile defense.

Russia test-fires new ballistic missile

[Shammu]

Russia's Medvedev Renews Cold War
Nov. 24, 2008
Alexsei Kuznetsov in Moscow

Appearances can be deceiving. Six months ago, when Dmitry Medvedev was inaugurated as Russia’s new president, many hoped there would be a thaw in U.S.-Russia relations.

The soft-spoken lawyer has never worked for the KGB. His reputation as a liberal seemed to contrast sharply with his predecessor, Vladimir Putin.

However, for the past six months it seems that President Medvedev has been working hard to dismantle his liberal image and revive memories of the Cold War.

Putin had a reputation for being tough, but it was under Medvedev that Russia used excessive force against Georgia, occupying part of its territory and crushing its military. Medvedev then defied world opinion by accusing the United States of instigating the war and by recognizing the independence of Georgia's two separatist regions.

The Cold War rhetoric continued with the Kremlin blaming the United States for the global financial crisis.

"Russia has warned many times of the potentially negative situation that had built up in the American financial system, and that has now transformed into a full-scale international financial crisis," Medvedev said.

Moscow has pursued close ties with countries like Venezuela and has even sent warships to the Caribbean for joint naval exercises.

The latest from President Medvedev is a threat to deploy missiles on the border with Poland as a response to the U.S. missile-defense program in eastern Europe. It is the first time in decades that Russia's leader has officially announced his readiness to target a NATO country with tactical weapons.

"The Iskander missile system will be deployed in the Kaliningrad region in order to neutralize, if necessary, the missile defense system," he said.

Medvedev's ultimatum was widely acclaimed, not only behind Kremlin walls, but also in the streets. Many Russians see this as an opportunity for the country to expand its military influence over Europe.

"It gives Russia a perfect pretext to deploy its missiles in Kaliningrad, so that we could blanket Europe if need be," said one Russian.

Russia’s parliament also fully supports the president on this issue.

"You need two to dance a tango," said Konstantin Kosachyov, Chairman of the International Affairs Committee in the Russian Parliament. "And in case the other side continues to be assertive - we have no space to be more liberal, more cooperative. We have to protect our national interests."

Iskander missiles have a declared range of only 175 miles, but Russian top brass insist that the range could be extended in order to strike the proposed radar installation in the Czech Republic.

Medvedev’s message was delivered just hours after Barack Obama was elected - an unmistakable signal to the incoming U.S. administration.

The two leaders are certain to discuss the possibility of a new arms race when they have their first meeting. Whether or not Obama decides to go ahead with missile defense in Europe, the outcome of the summit will set the tone for the next chapter in U.S.-Russian relations.

Russia's Medvedev Renews Cold War

[Shammu]

Russian navy conducts war games in Caribbean
Russian warships have arrived in the Caribbean for war games with Venezuela in their first military exercise in the region since the end of the Cold War.
 

By Jeremy McDermott, Latin America Correspondent
25 Nov 2008

Their arrival came on the eve of the first visit to Caracas by President Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian leader, who is due to meet his strategic ally President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday.

Venezuelan sailors greeted the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko with a 21-gun salute, while Russians sailors stood to attention on the deck in their dress uniforms.

The Russian flotilla, headed by the flagship, the nuclear powered cruiser Peter the Great, has timed its arrival to coincide with the latest leg of a by Mr Medvedev of South America, which has included Peru and Brazil and will finish with Cuba.

Both Russia and Venezuela have a great deal to gain in closer relations, apart from poking Washington in the eye. Russia wants to sell yet more weapons to Mr Chjavez, a former paratrooper colonel, having already wracked up some $4bn (£2.6 billion) in sales of Kalashnikov assault rifles, helicopters and top of the range Sukhoi fighter jets.

President Chavez wants Russia to help him build a nuclear reactor, which he insists is just for peaceful purposes, like that being developed by his other ally Iran. He also wants Russian investment in oil and natural gas projects, having seen the withdrawal of western multinational companies or a marked reduction in their investment after he ripped up previously negotiated contracts for concessions.

Mr Chavez has already visited Moscow three times this year and has been offered a billion-dollar credit line by Russia for further arms purchases.

Neighbouring Colombia, one of the last nations in South America to be an unconditional US ally, is watching with unease as Mr Chavez refits his armed forces and expands his influence across the region. Sources in the Colombian government indicated unease after the election of President-elect Barak Obama who has refused to sign a free trade agreement and may well end or change the aid programme worth some $600 million a year that Colombia has enjoyed since 1999.

Russian navy conducts war games in Caribbean

[Shammu]

Medvedev raises Russia's profile in Latin America
By Rachel Jones
Nov 27, 2:44 am ET

CARACAS, Venezuela – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed to help Venezuela start a nuclear energy program on Wednesday as President Hugo Chavez hailed Moscow's deepening ties in Latin America as a reflection of declining U.S. influence.

It was the first visit to Venezuela by a Russian president, and it came as Medvedev's government raises its profile in a region long dominated by Washington. Medvedev arrived from Brazil, where he announced an upcoming summit with China, India and Brazil to create new rules for the global economy.

In Caracas, Russian and Venezuelan officials signed a series of accords, including one pledging cooperation in nuclear energy for peaceful uses. Russia also agreed to work with Venezuela in oil projects and building ships.

Chavez, one of Latin America's most outspoken critics of Washington's foreign policy, thanked Medvedev for Russia's role in helping to create a "multipolar" world no longer dominated by the United States.

"Russia is playing the role it must play in today's world," he said.

Medvedev called Venezuela "one of our most important associates in Latin America" and vowed to continue supplying the oil-rich South American nation with weapons. But he said arms sales to Venezuela "are not aimed against any other country."

Sergey Kirienko, head of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency, said Russia is planning to work out a concrete program of nuclear cooperation with Venezuela by the end of next year.

"We are ready to teach students in nuclear physics and nuclear engineering," he said through an interpreter. "Research and development in the sphere of geology. Looking for uranium in the territory of Venezuela."

Medvedev's visit came as Russian warships, docked in a Venezuelan port, prepared to hold training exercises in Moscow's first major naval deployment in the Caribbean since the Cold War.

The military show of force is widely seen as a demonstration of Kremlin anger over the U.S. decision to send warships to deliver aid to Georgia after its conflict with Russia, and over U.S. plans for a European missile-defense system.

But U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said there is no question the United States retains the "preponderance of power" in the Western hemisphere, despite the Russian warships' presence. Rice told reporters in Washington that "a few Russian ships is not going to change the balance of power" in the region.

Chavez backed Russia in its conflict with Georgia, and views the fellow oil producer as a key player in moving toward a world freed from U.S. dominance. He welcomed Medvedev's visit saying it's one step toward "a new world that's being born."

The two leaders plan a visit on Thursday to the flagship vessel — the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great, the largest in the Russian fleet. Joint naval exercises are planned off Venezuela next week.

"There's certainly a political message that Moscow wants to send to Washington, and that is: 'If you meddle in Georgia, we are going to come into your territory.'" It's a simplistic view, but nevertheless that's clearly the signal," said Johanna Mendelson Forman, a Latin America analyst at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union sent planes and navy ships to Cuba.

Nowadays, however, Moscow's motivations are different. Mendelson Forman noted that Russia has growing economic interests, including energy investments and arms deals — and she says 80 percent of Moscow's arms sales in the region are going to Venezuela.

Chavez's government has bought more than $4 billion in Russian arms, including Sukhoi fighter jets, helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles, and more deals for Russian tanks or other weaponry could be discussed by Medvedev and Chavez.

"Venezuela holds a primarily economic importance for Russia, in terms of being a major military export destination," said analyst Anna Gilmour of Jane's Intelligence Review. But she said "Russia is not keen to align itself with Chavez' Bolivarian ideology and deliberately avoids making statements regarding political links."

Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the Federation Council's foreign affairs committee, denied that Russia's growing presence in Latin America is aimed at challenging Washington.

"Russia is not trying to use its relations with Latin America as a counterbalance to the U.S.," said Margelov, speaking to reporters at the presidential palace. "Russia is back in the region. We don't want to intimidate anybody."

Russia has shown signs of trying to engage President-elect Barack Obama.

Both Russia and Venezuela may also be forced to limit their plans for Latin American investments and aid due to declining oil revenues that have hit their economies during the financial crisis.

In Brazil, Medvedev agreed to host a summit of Brazil, Russia, India and China next year to discuss creating a new global financial structure — a reflection of how economic power is shifting from the United States and Europe.

Medvedev raises Russia's profile in Latin America

[Shammu]

Russia and Venezuela sign nuclear energy deal

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev opened his visit to Caracas with the signing of a nuclear energy deal that will deepen Moscow's ties with left-leaning Venezuela.

27 Nov 2008

The nuclear cooperation accord involves civilian and peaceful uses of nuclear energy, said Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Mr Medvedev, who arrived on Wednesday for the first visit by a Russian head of state to Venezuela, received an ornate welcome featuring spear-wielding soldiers singing the two countries' anthems in a palace courtyard decorated with palm trees, fountains and statues of classical gods.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was first to propose nuclear cooperation with Venezuela when Mr Chavez visited Moscow in September.

The nuclear deal coincides with joint Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises about to begin in the Caribbean, which Washington dismissed as insignificant.

"Our collaboration in recent years has strengthened considerably and is flourishing. I think that it has great prospects for the future and we will actively work on it," Mr Medvedev said after the nuclear pact was signed.

Apart from the nuclear deal, other accords included oil exploitation, industrial cooperation, and removing visa requirements for each country's citizens.

"I'm convinced that this visit will give a boost to our collaboration and relations between Russia and Venezuela ... which is one of our most important partners in Latin America," Mr Medvedev said.

The Russian leader said that both countries wished to promote a "multi-polar" world and said that they had "great potential" to find ways to overcome the difficult economic period together.

Russia and Venezuela sign nuclear energy deal

[Shammu]

Russia seeks new missiles due to U.S. shield plans
By Conor Sweeney Conor Sweeney – 32 mins ago

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia's military said on Friday it had intensified efforts to develop new ballistic missiles in response to U.S. plans to deploy an anti-missile system in Europe and Russia's navy test fired a new generation rocket.

The decision by the United States to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic has angered Moscow, which says Russia's national security will be compromised by the U.S. anti-missile system.

Colonel-General Nikolai Solovtsov, Commander of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, was quoted by Interfax as saying that Russia had bolstered its efforts to develop new missiles.

"At the present time, work has been intensified to create the research and technical foundation for new missile systems, which will be needed after 2020," Solovtsov said.

A few hours later, the Dmitry Donskoy nuclear submarine launched a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from the White Sea, a navy spokesman said. The missile hit the Kura testing site on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Pacific.

Russia's RIA news agency quoted an unidentified source in the Defense Ministry as saying it was the most successful test of the Bulava to date, after a string of failures and delays.

The previous test of the Bulava on September 18 was pronounced a success by the navy. Several launches of the Bulava, which is designed for Russia's new generation of Borei class nuclear submarines, have failed however.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced on November 5 that Moscow would install Iskander short-range missile systems near the Polish border if Washington proceeds with its missile plans.

Medvedev also said Russia would try to electronically jam the U.S. system.

Russia's relations with Washington this year hit their lowest ebb since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union after a row over the war against U.S. ally Georgia and Moscow's recognition of two Georgian rebel regions as independent states.

Kremlin officials say the U.S. has failed to listen to their concerns about the missile shield, which Washington says is needed to protect against "rogue states" such as Iran.

Russia's missile forces commander said the first of a new generation of Russian RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missiles would enter service in December 2009, Interfax reported.

Russia test fired one of the RS-24 missiles on November 26, the third such test in two years.

Russian generals say the RS-24 can pierce any anti-missile system. It can be armed with up to 10 different warheads and is intended to replace Russia's earlier generation intercontinental missiles such as the RS-18 and RS-20.

Solovtsov said the global financial crisis probably would impose some limits on funding, although Russia would test 13 missiles next year, almost double the seven tests this year, Interfax reported.

"Due to the world financial crisis, certain resource restrictions will be applied but still the (missile) force should be able to fulfill its duties," he was quoted as saying.

Civilian personnel in Russia's military forces also will be cut by 150,000 to 600,000 as part of ongoing reforms to defense structures, Interfax separately reported, quoting a source in the Defense Ministry.

Russia seeks new missiles due to U.S. shield plans

[Shammu]

 Medvedev in Cuba to improve ties

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has described Russian-Cuban ties as "especially intense", after meeting Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana.

He also met the president's ailing brother, former leader Fidel Castro.

Cuba is his last stop on a four-nation tour of Latin America intended to build up Russia's ties in the region.

Mr Medvedev arrived in Havana from Venezuela, where he and President Hugo Chavez signed a deal on nuclear energy and discussed military co-operation.

The Russian president also visited Brazil and Peru.

After meeting his Cuban counterpart, Mr Medvedev told reporters: "We have a systematic dialogue. Our relations have been generally good, but in the past six months they have become especially intense."

Mr Medvedev said he wanted to boost Russia's presence in a region it had previously neglected - a region traditionally of strategic importance to the US.

Russian companies are interested in drilling for oil in Cuban waters and investing in a nickel processing plant.

Cuba is unlikely to want to antagonise the US with President-elect Barack Obama taking office in January, says the BBC's Michael Voss in Havana.

Naval exercises

In Venezuela, Mr Medvedev signed an accord with Mr Chavez to help Venezuela build a nuclear energy plant. Joint gas projects were also approved.

Military co-operation was also high on the agenda of Mr Medvedev's talks with Mr Chavez.

Russian and Venezuelan warships are scheduled to hold joint military exercises later this week.

Russia is already a major arms supplier to Venezuela, with contracts worth some $4.4bn (£2.39bn).

The Russian leader travelled to Venezuela from Brazil, where he and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held talks on boosting trade and technical co-operation.

In Rio de Janeiro, the two presidents expressed their view that the "Bric" countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - should hold their first summit in Russia in 2009.

Mr Medvedev's visit takes place just a few days after the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, toured several Latin American nations with a view to strengthening ties.

Medvedev in Cuba to improve ties

[Shammu]

Russia, Venezuela to start naval exercises Monday
Nov. 29, 2008
Associated Press , THE JERUSALEM POST

Three days of joint naval exercises with Russia will kick off in Venezuelan waters on Monday, Venezuela's state news agency reported.

The state-run Bolivarian News Agency said the operation involving 11 Venezuelan and four Russian ships has been christened Venrus 2008.

Saturday's report said exercises will include anti-aircraft defense and tactics to combat terrorism and drug trafficking. Some will involve helicopters and planes.

The Russian squadron arrived in Venezuela on Tuesday, led by the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great - the first deployment of its kind since the Cold War.

Russia, Venezuela to start naval exercises Monday

[Shammu]

Russian warship to cross Panama Canal     
Dec 3 04:28 PM US/Eastern
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW (AP) - A Russian warship will sail through the Panama Canal this week for the first time since World War II, the navy announced Wednesday, pushing ahead with a symbolic projection of Moscow's power in a traditional U.S. zone of influence.

The destroyer Admiral Chabanenko will arrive Friday at a former U.S. naval base in Panama's Pacific port of Balboa for a six-day visit after carrying out joint maneuvers with the Venezuelan navy in the Caribbean Sea, navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said in a telephone interview.

The Panama Canal has long been a symbol of U.S. clout in Latin America, and Dygalo said no Soviet or Russian military ship has sailed through it since World War II. The wartime alliance between the U.S. and the Soviet Union swiftly gave way to the mistrust, military buildups and proxy conflicts of the Cold War.

In a throwback to those times, the Russian navy statement announcing the plans referred to the base the Admiral Chabanenko will visit as Rodman naval base—its name when it was a U.S. base many years ago.

Rodman was the hub for all U.S. naval activities in South America and supported fleet units transiting the 50-mile (80-kilometer) canal. But control of the facility shifted to Panama a decade ago, and it is now called the Balboa naval base.

Monday's joint maneuvers with Venezuela, which brought the Admiral Chabanenko and the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great across the Atlantic along with two support ships, were widely seen as a show of Kremlin anger over the U.S. use of warships to deliver aid to Georgia after its August war with Russia.

Russian warships tailed U.S. ships in the Black Sea, where Russia borders Georgia, on that mission.

The Russian squadron's voyage to Venezuela was Russia's first such deployment to the Western Hemisphere since the Cold War era, aimed to showcase the Kremlin's global reach and reassert its claim to great-power status. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is a staunch U.S. foe.

The voyage coincided with a trip to Latin America late last month by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who visited four nations in what he acknowledged was an effort to raise Moscow's profile in a region he said it has long neglected.

U.S. officials have mocked the Russian show of force, saying that the Russian navy is a shadow of Moscow's Soviet-era fleet and suggesting that the U.S. retains far more influence in the region than Russia.

"Are they accompanied by tugboats this time?" U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack joked to reporters in Washington last week ahead of the Russian ships' arrival off Venezuela.

Dygalo would not say where the Peter the Great, which led the Russian squadron, would be located while the destroyer visits the Panama base.

Russian warship to cross Panama Canal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hmmmmm I wonder if Russia is rattling their saber. They're showing off to the Venezuelans, that is for sure. One thing I DO think is they are testing the waters.

[Shammu]

Russia's 2nd military drill in US 'backyard'
Fri, 12 Dec 2008

A Russian missile destroyer will arrive in Nicaragua for a joint naval exercise amid growing tensions between Moscow and Washington.

Navy spokesman, Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo, said on Thursday that Admiral Chabanenko missile destroyer and two support ships would arrive in Nicaragua on Friday.

"After crossing the Panama Canal, the Admiral Chabanenko and two support ships will visit the port of Bluefields in Nicaragua on December 12-15," Dygalo told Ria Novosti.

After a joint military exercise with Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea, Russia planned to have another maneuver with Nicaragua.

Last week, the Russian nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great participated in the VenRus-2008 naval exercise in the Caribbean.

Tensions between the White House and the Kremlin have intensified after the August conflict between Russia and Georgia, a US ally, in South Ossetia.

The war began when Georgian military forces launched an offensive into South Ossetia to retake the independence-seeking region. In response, Russia sent its troops into the region, which many of its people enjoy Russian citizenship.

After the conflict, when Russia recognized the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega supported the measure.

Earlier, Russia announced that its Navy would build up a constant presence throughout the world's oceans, including its current naval task groups.

Meanwhile, a task force from Russia's Pacific Fleet, comprising the Admiral Vinogradov, an Udaloy class missile destroyer, left its main base in Vladivostok on Tuesday to take part in joint naval drills with the Indian navy in the Indian Ocean.

Russia's 2nd military drill in US 'backyard' 

[Shammu]

Russia retakes Georgian village near South Ossetia
By MATT SIEGEL, Associated Press Writer Matt Siegel, Associated Press Writer Sat Dec 13, 12:21 pm ET

TBILISI, Georgia – Russian troops retook a village near the breakaway region of South Ossetia Saturday just hours after withdrawing, Georgia's Interior Ministry and European Union peace observers said.

The move drew criticism from Georgia, the EU and U.S. Senator John Kerry, who was on a half-day visit to Tbilisi.

Georgian police had already moved into Perevi on Saturday to remove Russian-built roadblocks when Russian troops and helicopters unexpectedly returned, said Shota Utiashvili, an Interior Ministry spokesman.

"They left, and we went in with about 40 people to remove the roadblocks," he said. "While they were doing this, the Russians deployed a battalion of special forces with helicopters and armor and told the Georgian policemen to get out immediately," he said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry refused immediate comment and South Ossetian officials could not be immediately reached.

The European monitoring mission, which is observing an EU-brokered cease-fire, quickly issued a statement calling on Russia to pull back once more.

"The renewed Russian military occupation of the Perevi checkpoint, and in addition, the Perevi village, is incompatible with the provisions of the ... peace plan," the statement said.

The mission added that it was unacceptable that Russian troops had stopped EU ambassadors from visiting Perevi.

The Baltic News Service reported that ambassadors from France, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Romania were among those refused entry.

"We saw 20 to 30 soldiers. We don't know the number of troops inside the village," Lithuania's ambassador to Georgia, Mecys Laurinkus, was quoted as saying by the agency.

Laurinkus was quoted as saying the diplomats had to return to Tbilisi after waiting about an hour. Laurinkus said the soldiers had not spoken with them, and that that information about their visit had been received in advance, the news agency reported.

Kerry, meanwhile — in Tbilisi to meet with the government, the opposition and President Mikhail Saakashvili — addressed reporters at the airport before leaving.

"My judgment is that Georgia as a sovereign country needs to be upheld and respected," Kerry said. "And the agreement that the Russians have signed up to needs to be upheld."

Perevi has been under Russian control since an August war that saw Russian forces drive deep into Georgia.

EU monitors had welcomed the initial pullback, saying Perevi was clearly outside South Ossetia.

Russia and Georgia severed diplomatic ties after the war, recalling embassy staff. The Swiss Embassy in Tbilisi has opened a Russian section to represent Moscow in Georgia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks in Moscow on the logistics of the agreement Saturday with his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey.

Russia removed several military posts and checkpoints from Georgian territory outside South Ossetia earlier this fall under a French-brokered cease-fire agreement. Georgian police and EU monitors moved in to patrol the area.

Russia recognized South Ossetia and another separatist region, Abkhazia, as independent nations after the August war and has stationed thousands of troops in the regions — including a swath of South Ossetia that was controlled by Georgia before the conflict.

Georgia's government and Western nations say the Russian military presence violates the cease-fire agreement, which called for a return to pre-conflict positions.

Russia retakes Georgian village near South Ossetia

[Shammu]

Russian warships to visit Cuba
Mon Dec 15, 12:39 pm ET

MOSCOW – Russian warships will visit U.S. foe Cuba for the first time since the Soviet era, the navy said Monday.

The destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and two support ships from a squadron that has been on a lengthy visit to Latin America will put in at Havana on Friday for a five-day stay, navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said.

It will be the first visit by Russian warships to the Communist-led island just 90 miles (145 kilometers) from the United States since the 1991 Soviet collapse, Dygalo said.

The Admiral Chabanenko, the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great and support ships arrived in the Caribbean last month in a deployment also unprecedented since Soviet times. The voyage is widely seen as a show of force close to U.S. shores and a response to the U.S. use of warships to deliver humanitarian aid to Russia's neighbor Georgia after their war in August.

The ships' visit coincided with a Latin American tour by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who raised Russia's profile in the region and met with former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

The United States has maintained an economic embargo against Cuba since 1962, after a failed U.S. attempt to overthrow Castro's fledgling Cuban government. Later that year, the world came close to war when the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles on Cuba. That crisis ended two weeks later after the Soviets agreed to remove the missiles for a U.S. pledge not to invade the island.

From 1969 until the collapse of the Soviet Union, Soviet naval groups regularly called in Cuba, where there was a major intelligence collection station, says military analyst Nathan Hughes of Stratfor online intelligence service.

Several thousand Soviet soldiers and their families were stationed in Cuba, which once received $5 billion annually in Soviet largesse.

Moscow's support for Cuba sharply decreased after the 1991 Soviet collapse, but Russia has moved to bolster ties to the island recently.

The Russian ships in Latin America now have held joint exercises with the navy of Venezuela, whose President Hugo Chavez is a fierce U.S. critic, and the Admiral Chabanenko became the first Russian warship to sail through the Panama Canal since World War II.

The destroyer and two support vessels left Nicaragua on Sunday after delivering $200,000 worth of medicine, computers and other humanitarian aid, Nicaraguan Lt. Col. Juan Morales said. Dygalo said, however, that the ships left Nicaragua on Monday. Their visit stirred heated political debate there.

The Peter the Great remains in the Caribbean but will not visit Cuba, Dygalo said.

Russian warships to visit Cuba

[Shammu]

Russian military mulls buying Israeli drones

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press Writer Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press Writer – Tue Dec 16, 9:24 am ET

MOSCOW – Russia is negotiating with Israel to buy a batch of spy drones, the head of the Russian armed forces said Tuesday, in what would be its first ever purchase of military hardware from the Jewish state.

Israel sparked concern in Moscow after it previously sold drones to Georgia that were used successfully before and during its August war with Russia.

Russia's weapons industries have failed to supply the military with drones, developing only experimental models that experts have described as outdated.

Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, said that Russia would like to buy an unspecified number of drones from Israel, the Interfax news agency reported.

"We are working on this issue. We are talking about a test batch of Israeli drone planes," it quoted Makarov as saying.

If finalized, the deal would mark an unprecedented delivery of Israeli military technology to the Russian military.

During the Cold War years, Moscow supplied weapons worth billions of dollars to the Arab nations which fought Israel and barred Jews from living the Soviet Union.

Israel Aerospace Industries' spokesman Doron Suslik would not comment on Tuesday's report.

But Israeli defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of Russia-Israel ties, confirmed the Russians had asked to buy the drones and said that Israel is considering the request.

Israeli Defense Ministry envoy, Amos Gilad, will head to Russia Wednesday to try to persuade Russia not to sell advanced air defense missiles to Iran, the defense officials said.

Gilad will also discuss the drone sale in his talks with Russian officials, they said.

Russia's relations with Israel have improved steadily since the Soviet collapse, but some tensions remain.

Israel has been concerned that Russia could sell its enemies, Iran and Syria, advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems. That would make any potential strike at Iran's first nuclear power plant — which Russia is helping to build — more difficult.

Russian military mulls buying Israeli drones