source: BBC Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has dismissed the head of the country’s powerful GRU military intelligence service, the Kremlin has said. Mr Medvedev signed a decree on Friday replacing Gen Valentin Korabelnikov with Gen Alexander Shlyakhturov. Officials gave no reason for the move. Gen Korabelnikov had led the Main Directorate of Intelligence since 1997. […]
DEFENCE NEWS
Russian Navy to replace warship policing Somali waters after December 2008 A Russian destroyer will be sent to the Horn of Africa in December to take over from a missile frigate currently protecting civilian ships from Somali pirate attacks in the region, a Navy official said on Thursday. The Northern Fleet’s Neustrashimy (Fearless) frigate will […]
Georgian claims on Russia war undercut
Newly available accounts by independent military observers of the beginning of the war between Georgia and Russia this summer call into question the long-standing Georgian assertion that it was acting defensively against separatist and Russian aggression. Instead, the accounts suggest that Georgia‘s inexperienced military attacked the isolated separatist capital of Tskhinvali on August 7 with […]
Russians to end cooperation with NATO
These have become tumultuous times indeed following the invasion of Russian troops into Georgia. The situation seems to have gone from bad to worse and it does not look as if it will improve anytime soon. Russian officials have decided to cut their ties with NATO forces over criticisms by the NATO foreign ministers that […]
Russia fumes over US and Warsaw Missile Defense Pact
The Bush administration has been pushing long and hard for a missile defense shield in Europe. The systems would include anti-missile batteries, missiles, and early warning radar. This plan was conceived by the US as a protection for European nations against a possible missile strike against them by Iran in the event of a US […]
Afghan Pipeline Looks Far-Fetched as Ever
Although the idea of a gas pipeline running from Turkmenistan all the way to India has been revived in a new round of negotiations, NBCentralAsia energy experts say the project continues to look highly unlikely, not least because the route would run through conflict-ridden Afghanistan. Other obstacles, they said, include uncertainty over whether Turkmenistan has […]