Over 4,500 Russian Military Servicemen Begin Month long Drills in Western Siberia.

Over 4,500 Russian Military Servicemen Begin Month long Drills in Western Siberia. (SP).

More than 4,500 Russian military personnel have begun exercises in three regions of the Urals, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

"The exercises will continue for a month… Artillery units will hold more than 30 controlled exercises with rocket strikes and firing artillery," the ministry said in a press release.

The exercises will be held in the Kemerovo, Chelyabinsk, and Orenburg regions in western Siberia, half of them to be conducted at night, the ministry said. The drills will include Grad and Uragan rocket complexes.

The large-scale Center 2015 exercises are also expected to be held from summer through fall 2015 in several Russian regions as well as some areas abroad, with the participation of tens of thousands of military personnel, the Russian Defense Ministry said last December.

In total, Russia has planned at least 4,000 drills for 2015, according to the deference ministry. Hmmm......Preparing for coming Winter?


Related:    Russian Jets Penetrate NATO Ships' Air Defenses in Black Sea.

Gazprom Confirms Ukraine Pays $15 Million, Enough For One Day Gas.

Gazprom Confirms Ukraine Pays $15 Million, Enough For One Day Gas. (Rferl).

The Russian state-controlled energy company Gazprom says it has received a $15-million advance payment for gas from Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz, sufficient funds to provide Ukraine with one more day of gas supplies.

Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov confirmed on February 17 that "today at 9:20 a.m. Gazprom received a $15-million payment from Naftogaz Ukrainy. At the current level of shipments, this prepayment is enough for only about one day."

Kupriyanov said the amount of gas Ukraine has now paid for should be sufficient to last until March 2 when the energy ministers of Russia and Ukraine are due to meet in Brussels with officials from the European Union in an attempt to reach a new gas agreement.

Gazprom had threatened to cut off supplies to Ukraine at the end of this month claiming Ukraine had used all the gas it paid for in advance.

Under a deal brokered in October by the EU, Ukraine would continue to receive Russian gas but must pay in advance.

Putin: Gas supplies to Europe could suffer in 3-4 days if Kiev doesn't pay for future deliveries.

Putin: Gas supplies to Europe could suffer in 3-4 days if Kiev doesn't pay for future deliveries.(RT).

Russia will cut off gas supplies to Ukraine if Kiev fails to pay in “three or four days,” President Vladimir Putin said, adding that this "will create a problem" for gas transit to Europe.


Russia will completely cut Ukraine off gas supplies in two days if Kiev fails to pay for deliveries, which will create transit risks for Europe, Gazprom has said.

Ukraine has not paid for March deliveries and is extracting all it can from the current paid supply, seriously risking an early termination of the advance settlement and a supply cutoff, Gazprom's CEO Alexey Miller told journalists. The prepaid gas volumes now stand at 219 million cubic meters.

"It takes about two days to get payment from Naftogaz deposited to a Gazprom account. That's why a delivery to Ukraine of 114 million cubic meters will lead to a complete termination of Russian gas supplies as early as in two days, which creates serious risks for the transit to Europe,” Miller said.

Earlier this month, Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak estimated Ukraine's debt to Russian energy giant Gazprom at $2.3 billion.

In the end of 2014, Kiev's massive gas debt that stood above $5 billion, forced Moscow to suspend gas deliveries to Ukraine for nearly six months. On December 9, Russia resumed its supplies under the so-called winter package deal, which expires on April 1, 2015.

Naftogaz said it would not make advance payments for Russian gas without knowing Gazprom will implement its side of the contract, and the EU - brokered 'winter plan.'

“Europe currently is the main source of gas supplied to Ukraine, that’s why the flawless implementation of our liabilities to transport gas to the EU is our major strategy,” the head of Naftogaz, Andrey Kobolev said.

On Monday, Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz accused Gazprom of failing to deliver gas that Kiev had paid for in advance. Naftogaz says Russia has broken an agreement to deliver 114 million of cubic meters of natural gas to Ukraine by delivering only 47 million cubic meters.

During a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on February 20, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed concern about an increase in daily applications by Ukraine for the supply of gas, TASS reports.

He noted that "Ukraine's consumers have requested a larger supply; the volume has increased by 2.5 times. This means that the prepaid volumes left are enough for no more than two to three days.”

Last week, Medvedev ordered the energy minister and the head of Gazprom to prepare proposals on fuel deliveries to the self-proclaimed Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk (DPR and LPR) after Kiev had cut off the delivery pipeline into the southeastern regions. Hmmm......The problem of Ukraine their 'Gas Reserves' is way bigger then what the story mentions.

Related:  Ukraine gas-supply agreement end in two months, Gas storage at all time low.

With less than two months before Ukraine’s Russian gas-supply agreement ends, analysts are warning of critically low storage that would threaten all of Europe.

There’s been little progress on a new deal before the March 31 expiry, with Russia saying it will revert to a standard contract based on disputed prices that won’t be reviewed by international arbitrators until 2016. If the supply stops, then Ukraine’s inventories may shrink to the smallest in a decade by Oct. 1, says Eclipse Energy Group, a consultant in Norway.

That raises the risk that Ukraine will need to use Russian gas destined for the European Union next winter, according to Energy Aspects Ltd., a London-based consultant. The 28-nation EU is seeking to help broker a new deal because Russia supplies a third of its gas, with 40 percent flowing through pipelines across Ukraine. Flows to Europe via Ukraine were disrupted during pricing disputes in 2006 and 2009.

“If they cannot re-inject enough gas, the risks for Europe will be greater next winter than this winter,” May Mannes, head of gas and liquefied natural gas analysis at Stavanger, Norway-based Eclipse, said by phone Jan. 22. “Ukraine’s need for storage re-injection has been overlooked by many.”

Ukraine will have 10 billion cubic meters in storage in October if it only gets fuel from the EU and its own production, said Mannes, who has tracked the industry for two decades. That compares with 16.6 billion last October and 23.1 billion on average in the past 10 years. Read the full story here.

Putin: "Russia never to accept one power-dominated world order, headed by one undisputed leader."

Putin: "Russia never to accept one power-dominated world order, headed by one undisputed leader." (RBTH).

President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday Russia would not accept a world order "headed by one undisputed leader who wants to remain such."

"Now as regards the point that a war is being waged against our country. Thank God, there is no war. But there absolutely definitely is an attempt to deter our development by various means, there's an attempt to disguise the current world order that has taken shape over the past few decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a world order that is headed by one undisputed leader who wants to remain such," Putin told a trade union congress in Sochi.

"A leader who assumes that everything is allowed to him but others only need what he allows them and what meets his own interests. Russia will never be satisfied with this kind of world order," Putin added.

Moscow can act as a guarantor of possible agreements between the conflicting parties in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. Read more: Lavrov sure Russia can be guarantor of agreements on Ukraine

Ukraine gas-supply agreement end in two months, Gas storage at all time low.

Ukraine gas-supply agreement end in two months, Gas storage at all time low..(Bloomberg).

With less than two months before Ukraine’s Russian gas-supply agreement ends, analysts are warning of critically low storage that would threaten all of Europe.

There’s been little progress on a new deal before the March 31 expiry, with Russia saying it will revert to a standard contract based on disputed prices that won’t be reviewed by international arbitrators until 2016. If the supply stops, then Ukraine’s inventories may shrink to the smallest in a decade by Oct. 1, says Eclipse Energy Group, a consultant in Norway.

That raises the risk that Ukraine will need to use Russian gas destined for the European Union next winter, according to Energy Aspects Ltd., a London-based consultant. The 28-nation EU is seeking to help broker a new deal because Russia supplies a third of its gas, with 40 percent flowing through pipelines across Ukraine. Flows to Europe via Ukraine were disrupted during pricing disputes in 2006 and 2009.

“If they cannot re-inject enough gas, the risks for Europe will be greater next winter than this winter,” May Mannes, head of gas and liquefied natural gas analysis at Stavanger, Norway-based Eclipse, said by phone Jan. 22. “Ukraine’s need for storage re-injection has been overlooked by many.”

Flows via Hungary to Ukraine dropped to 5,000 cubic meters a day in the past weekend from previous average daily shipments of about 3 million cubic meters a day, Hungary’s daily Vilaggazdasag reported Tuesday, without citing anyone. “Hungary isn’t selling any gas to Ukraine,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Tuesday on public radio Kossuth. “The amount of gas that transits to Ukraine via Hungary depends on Ukraine’s ability to purchase gas from European partners.”

Ukraine will have 10 billion cubic meters in storage in October if it only gets fuel from the EU and its own production, said Mannes, who has tracked the industry for two decades. That compares with 16.6 billion last October and 23.1 billion on average in the past 10 years. Read the full story here.

Video - Heavy military equipment being transported inside Russia .

Gorbachev: New Cold War already under way, there is genuine risk of it turning into actual War, I am afraid.

Gorbachev: New Cold War already under way, there is genuine risk of it turning into actual War. (RBTH).

The United States has already drawn Russia into a new Cold War, and it is not ruled out that Washington could "risk" taking further steps toward a real war, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev told Interfax on Thursday.

"Today, we keep hearing all the time about sanctions in relations to Russia both from America and the European Union. Have they entirely lost their minds? America has "totally lost its way in the jungles" and is dragging us there as well," he said.

"And if one calls things by their proper name, it has already drawn us into a new Cold War, attempting to overtly realize its general idea of dominance. And where will this lead us all? A Cold War is already explicitly under way. And what's next? 

Unfortunately, I cannot say firmly that such a Cold War would not result in an actual one. They could take such risks, I am afraid," Gorbachev said.

The situation in both the U.S. and the EU "is not simple at all", he said.

"Some countries of Europe live well, while other not quite well, and their dependence on the U.S. is excessive, including in Germany," he said.

"It would not be an exaggeration to say that the situation is acute: the gap between politicians is too wide. And, regrettably, it is not getting any narrower. Rather, it keeps growing even further!" Gorbachev said.

Lukashenko: "As long as I stay the pres. of the Belarus, I will be ready to prevent any fratricide".

Lukashenko: "As long as I stay the president of the Belarus, I will be ready to prevent any fratricide". (RBTH).

 "As long as I stay the president of the Belarus, I will be ready to prevent any fratricide. They can go to Syria if anyone wants to shoot. We will give you money to buy a ticket," 

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled out the possibility of events in Belarus similar to last year's Maidan protests in Kiev.

"As far as the Maidan is concerned, anyone who has such a wild idea should forget it. There will be no Maidan in Belarus," Lukashenko said at a press conference in Minsk on Thursday.

"As long as I stay the president of the Belarus, I will be ready to prevent any fratricide. They can go to Syria if anyone wants to shoot. We will give you money to buy a ticket," he said.

"The task of the authorities is to neutralize any thugs," Lukashenko said.

The Belarusian authorities will not allow a repeat of what happened after the presidential elections on December 19, 2010, when opposition members attempted to storm the government headquarters in Minsk, he said.

"I will send you to prison, if you begin smashing doors in the Government House. I will guarantee you complete security if you decide to run in elections. But you will have to travel along this path in a civilized manner," he said.

The Belarusian authorities are aware that the persons who organized those protests and attended them received funding from abroad, Lukashenko said.

"We know who paid the money. I know what the candidates were asked to do. They were asked to stage Maidan-style protests in Belarus. I could not allow this to happen," the president said.
"That is why let's do everything in a civilized way," he said.

Lukashenko said he was not expecting the West to take a softer line on him personally because resolving the so-called political prisoners issue will not play a key role there.

"I am not eager to get into this Eastern Partnership. If we resolve this issue, they will find another one and will not allow me and my supporters to live calmly until the president elections. Thousands have been killed in Ukraine. And what is the West's conduct in this situation?" Lukashenko said. Hmmm.....Luka caught between two millstones.

Lukashenko: "No Single Currency for Eurasian Union During my 'lifetime' Presidency.

Lukashenko: "No Single Currency for Eurasian Union During my 'lifetime' Presidency.(SP).

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday the Eurasian Economic Union would not see a single currency during his presidential lifetime.

“I don’t think this will happen tomorrow and I don’t think it will happen during my presidential lifetime,” Lukashenko said during a press conference in Minsk.

Lukashenko said that the introduction of a common currency had already been discussed between leaders of Eurasian Economic Union member countries. The Belarusian leader, however, added that a number of issues must be solved before such a big change can be made.

The Eurasian Economic Union, comprising Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia, became effective on January 1. In May, Kyrgyzstan's membership, agreed on in December, will come into effect. The union aims to boost the economic integration of member nations, facilitating a free flow of goods, services, capital and labor in the region.

Earlier, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said the Eurasian Economic Union may eventually lead to the creation of a common financial and currency union.   Hmmm......Seems Luka is afraid to be 'swallowed' by the Russian bear.

Turkey to begin construction 'Turkish Stream' before the end of 2016.

Turkey to begin construction 'Turkish Stream' before the end of 2016. (Taz).

The negotiations between Turkey and Russia about pricing natural gas and a new gas pipeline look promising, a Turkish official said Wednesday, Anadolu agency reported.

Speaking to Turkish television network NTV, Taner Yildiz, the Turkish energy minister, said that the two previous meetings were not successful, but that the ongoing negotiations with Russian gas company Gazprom's top official, Alexey Miller, looked promising.

"With the oil price slump, natural gas prices are falling as well. This affects gas producing countries, like Russia, negatively, and puts a strain on the ongoing negotiations too," he added.
Yildiz said that the current gas prices are at Nov. 2008 rates, despite the rise in value of the U.S. dollar.

Natural gas prices are mostly indexed to crude oil prices. Since gas contracts are renewed every six months, prices for new gas contracts are determined by past prices of crude oil.

"We have also agreed with the Russian delegation in principle that we will move on to take more solid steps towards the new gas route through Turkey, instead of having non-binding agreements," Yildiz said.

In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin scrapped the South Stream natural gas pipeline project planned to pass through Bulgaria to Europe, and announced that a new natural gas pipeline route through Turkey's northwestern Thrace region. He also announced that a natural gas hub on the Turkish-Greek border will be constructed.

"The project named 'Turkish Stream' is planned to carry 63 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. We aim to begin construction before the end of 2016," said Yildiz.

Yildiz underlined that there was a significant increase in domestic natural gas usage in January, saying that Turkey used 2 billion cubic meters of gas in 10 days. Hmmm......All 'Eurabia' politicians can start flirting with 'Islamist' Turkey for cheap gas....who cares about values? Read the full story here.

Video - Reservists mobilized across Belarus: Lukashenko feeling threatened by Russia or NATO?

Video - Reservists mobilized across Belarus: Lukashenko feeling threatened by Russia or NATO?(Bel).

Amid the Russo-Ukrainian war reservists are being called up en masse for training in Belarus without any previous warning, independent media report. According to the Belarusian Defense Ministry, tactical exercises are in progress.

‘My acquaintance was fooled into a training. He got a summons to attend a lecture at a military agency, but they took him to a military unit!’ Members of the reserve and their families earlier informed Charter97 news site of military agencies’ calling up a lot of reservists and other persons subject to military service in Vaukavysk, Hrodna and Brest. 

‘A conscription centre has been opened at Brest State University. Besides, all guys who have any exemptions are also called up. They pay special attention to those studying abroad,’ the news portal reports.

According to the Defense Ministry, military trainings as part of extensive wargame are really being conducted. But only 350 reservists have joined 7,000 conscripts, the Ministry states.

ALEH BELAKONEU, Deputy Defense Minister:

‘A number of practical tasks is being fulfilled, with [elements of] complete mobilisation and war establishment. Rapid-reaction forces units are training operational readiness.’

Thus, the Ministry says this is a usual scheduled activity.

ANDREY PAROTNIKAU, Belarusian Security Blog editor-in-chief:

‘Military units are being organised on a war footing at the expense of reservists. What is more, the plan on the state defense has been recently adopted. ’

This plan hints that the concept of lighting agaist the so-called green men has appeared in Belarus. Next Sunday a law is to come in force: it states that any country’s sending armed gangs or regular units to Belarus is considered as an attack. This has lately happened to Donbas. And perhaps it is not just a coincidence that Belarusians will be war-gaming action against sabotage and reconaissance groups of unknown origin.

ANDREY PAROTNIKAU, Belarusian Security Blog editor-in-chief:

‘From my perspective, the General Staff should take into account each possible option. Our country is continental; that’s why there might be a war confrontation with any neighbouring country, and we should be ready for it at east at the level of doctrines.’

With the help of these exercises Belarus is also demonstrating power to potential enemies and sworn … allies.

ANDREY KAZAKEVICH, political analyst:

‘There are two goals: firstly, Belarus is eager to prove it has a strong army easy to mobilise; secondly, it wants to reduce possibile risks, cut the likelihood of being attacked.’

And which of our neighbors is threatening most?

RESIDENTS OF HRODNA: ‘There is no threat!’

‘Maybe NATO’

‘I believe there is a threat from the East, from Russia’

Earlier it was the national and democratic forces of Belarus who warned against the military aggression from the East. After Russia’s annexation of Crimea the country’s General Staff also seems to become particularly anxious about a potential threat.

At the same time, in late January command officers of Russia's Western Military District (WMD) were learning special aspects of troop command and control in the context of netcentric and hybrid warfare. For the first time officers of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus took part in the operative and mobilisation meeting of managing staff of the WMD, Belsat TV reported earlier.

Yaraslau Stseshyk/MS    www.belsat.eu/en

@MFS001 wary of Nato military build up at their borders (official statement)

— маяковский (@moscow_ghost) January 27, 2015

US missile defense system cannot intercept Russian strategic missiles — deputy PM Rogozin.

US missile defense system cannot intercept Russian strategic missiles — deputy PM Rogozin. (Tass).


“Neither the current nor even prospective American missile defense system can stop or challenge Russian strategic missile potential,” Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said.

The American missile defense system is unable to counter Russia’s strategic missiles, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Monday. “Neither the current nor even prospective American missile defense system can stop or challenge Russian strategic missile potential,” Rogozin said in a program on the Rossiya 1 TV channel.

However, the deputy prime minister declined to specify any technical characteristics of Russia’s strategic missiles.

Lukashenko will fight if Russia invades Belarus, registered "Crimean scenario" in the 'Martial law'.

Lukashenko will fight if Russia invades Belarus, registered "Crimean scenario" in the 'Martial law'.(BelarusPartisan).[GoogleTranslate].

Lukashenko has decided to play it safe. 

In the Belarusian law "On Martial Law", the text of which is published on the National Legal Internet Portal , added item "about the direction of another state armed groups, irregulars or units of regular troops" in the country. Such actions will be officially considered a military threat sufficient to the introduction of martial law in the country.

In fact, this formula describes a well-known phenomenon of "little green men" - so called in the Crimea annexed by the Russian military without insignia.

In addition, the new law expanded the concept of military threat sufficient to impose martial law. It includes concentration of the armed forces of another country on the border of Belarus, if it talks about the aggressive plans, or holding it to mobilize to attack Belarus.

Amendments to the law "On Martial Law" were adopted by the "parliament" of Belarus and signed by President Alexander Lukashenko. The new version of the law "On Martial Law" comes in force from 1 February 2015.

With the introduction of the EP in Belarus parliamentary and presidential elections to be impossible in the country prohibited pickets and rallies, and Belarusians from 15 to 60 years (55 for women) are free to draw to work on defense.

Video - Russian Tank Shelling Of Ukrainian Army Positions In Donetsk Oblast, Jan 24 2015

HT And Source:

#Russia's newest tanks shelling #Ukraine positions in #Donetsk region, Jan 24 http://t.co/74HWer64ve v @EuromaidanPR pic.twitter.com/eGRk65K5Fu

— Silver Surfer (@RobPulseNews) January 24, 2015

Alleged letter from Putin to Poroshenko asking Kiev to recognize rebels' land gains since Minsk ceasefire

Alleged letter from Putin to Poroshenko asking Kiev to recognize rebels' land gains since Minsk ceasefire (ZNUA).[GoogleTranslate].

Available ZN.UA have a copy of the letter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, in which, as Russian media trumpeted allegedly contained "peace plan" the Russian president.

According to our information, Poroshenko rejected the proposal is sent than angered the Kremlin. But neither the president nor his press office did not consider it necessary to disclose the contents transmitted by Viktor Medvedchuk Putin's message or comment on it, says Tatiana Silin , in his article for ZN.UA.

In fact, no "plan" is not there, but there is one single sentence to "both sides - Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and the militia of Donbass (" DNR "and" LC ") - take urgent measures to stop the mutual attacks, as well as the immediate withdrawal of the conflict parties weapons with a caliber exceeding 100 mm in the range set by the Minsk Memorandum of September 19, 2014 , based on the actual passage of the contact line in accordance with the attached map . " Oh, and another Putin stuffed East Ukrainian weapons, mercenaries, military units Russian army, generously promised: "In turn, we are ready to work with the OSCE to organize the monitoring of the implementation of these steps."

The letter can be seen HERE.

NATO pulling heavy weapons closer to Belarusian border — Belarus defense ministry

Belarus to receive four S-300 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia in 2015

NATO pulling heavy weapons closer to Belarusian border — Belarus defense ministry. (Tass).

Belarus’ leadership cannot ignore changes in the military political situation in the region stemming from NATO’s concentrating additional forces equipped with heavy weapons at the Belarusian border, the Belarusian ministry of defense said on Friday.

“Along with building up aviation component of NATO member countries in the Baltic republics tasked to protect air space, the alliance is consistently concentrating additional army contingents equipped with heavy weapons at the Belarusian border,” the ministry said.

“Regardless of geopolitical motives that guided our foreign partners in taking this decision, the Republic of Belarus has no right to ignore changes in the military political situation in the region fraught with extra risks, challenges and threats to military security of the state,” the ministry said, adding that the country’s military political leaders had taken due account of these aspects in the plan of training Belarusian troops in 2015.

The ministry said that the plan provided for drills in the republic’s border regions. It was also planned, according to the ministry, to enhance protection of the border by army units.

Earlier reports said that flights of US and NATO reconnaissance aircraft have became much more frequent in the Baltic region last year. According to commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force Viktor Bondarev, these reconnaissance aircraft were flying in the exact vicinity of the Russian borders making it possible to take electronic interceptions to a distance of 500 kilometers inside Russia with an eye of tracing the flights and characteristics of Russia’s electronic systems of control over troops, missile defense and aviation. Bondarev gave an example of the RC-135 aircraft that made more than 140 flights in 2014, in contrast to 22 flights in 2013.

He also said that the North Atlantic Alliance was massively using airborne warning and control system aircraft to survey the air situation over the western section of the Black Sea, Ukraine and western Russia.

Related:  Belarus to consider aggression against any CSTO member as military threat — Belarus DefMin

"Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine will be stopped." Head of "Gazprom" Alexei Miller

"Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine will be stopped."  Head of "Gazprom" Alexei Miller. (RG).[GoogleTranslate].

And if Europe wants to buy Russian gas, it will have to build their own part of the pipeline to Turkey, 

Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine will be stopped. This was announced by the head of "Gazprom" Alexei Miller after a meeting with the Deputy Chairman of the Commission on Energosoiuz Maroš Šefčovič. The head of the Russian company announced its new strategy, which must be taken because of the new energy policy of the European Union.

Now the Ukrainian gas transportation system is the main channel for Russian gas supplies to its main customer - the European Union. We are talking about a volume of 63 billion cubic meters per year. Total in 2013 "Gazprom" has sold to Europe 161.5 billion cubic meters of gas. In 2014, according to preliminary estimates, the volume of shipments fell by about 10 percent. The remaining volumes are supplied by pipeline running through Belarus, Turkey and the "Nord Stream" (under the Baltic Sea to Germany).

Europe in the coming years plans to create Energy Union and act as a single buyer in the global gas market. "Gazprom" will adapt to this policy, announced Alexey Miller. But stressed that the project "South Stream" is now permanently closed . And if Europe wants to buy Russian gas, it will have to build their own part of the pipeline to Turkey, which will be held on the new Russian gas pipeline instead of "South Stream".

"Pipeline" Turkish Stream "is the only route by which can be delivered 63 billion cubic meters of Russian gas going now while in transit through Ukraine. No other options. Our European partners are informed about it and now their task is to create necessary infrastructure to the border of Turkey and Greece ", - said the head of" Gazprom ". Hmmmm......Now Europe has to deal with two dictators, one Islamist and one Communist. More here.

Alexander Zhilin says Putin reopened the possibility for pre-emptive nuclear attack on West.

28 December 2013

Alexander Zhilin says Putin reopened the possibility for pre-emptive nuclear attack on West. (UkraineBusiness).

UBO: Instead of the current popularly accepted Moscow axiom, i.e. “What Zhirinovsky is saying is what Putin is thinking,” we would suggest that a better barometer of the winds in the Kremlin is Alexander Zhilin. 

A prominent military journalist and retired Air Force colonel, Zhilin could well be the classic example of the military officer who so hated the outcome of the Cold War and the end of the Soviet system that no option is too strong to imagine – including nuclear. In short, the characteristic imputed to Zhirinovsky might be said to better describe Zhilin.

By Paul Goble by “Windows on Eurasia”:

Aleksandr Zhilin, head of the Moscow Center for the Study of Applied Problems and a leading Russian military commentator, says that Vladimir Putin has changed the country’s military doctrine in such a way that it will now allow for consideration of a pre-emptive military attack on the West in response to a range of Western threats.

In a comment for the Regnum news agency, Zhilin says that as Putin made clear at his meetings with the defense ministry collegium, “Russia does not intend to attack anyone.” But “nevertheless,” he continues, Moscow’s “military strategy is changing” in ways that lay the groundwork for an even more aggressive stance than now (regnum.runewspolit1878927.html).

At earlier meetings with the top officials of the Russian defense ministry, Putin “began with the statement that we have no strategic enemies and therefore we do not see military threats to the country.” In the one just concluded, “He did not say this,” And Zhilin says that in his view, Putin “perfectly precisely” declared that Russia does have “a strategic enemy” – the US.

American efforts at building an ABM system and the increased activity of NATO “in Europe and above all in Eastern Europe” are cause for concern, Putin told the session, and consequently, in Zhilin’s telling, Russia must maintain or improve its ability to “destroy or at least inflict an unbearable strike on its opponent on another continent.”

The Russian president told the military commanders that “it is necessary to force ‘the development of all components of the strategic nuclear forces …[because] these forces are the most important factor of maintaining a global balance and in fact preclude the possibility of massive aggression against Russia.”

But even more important as an indication of Moscow’s intentions, Zhilin argues, the meeting shows that “Russia retains for itself the right in the case of a real threat of a nuclear attack by an opponent to launch a preventive one. Under Yeltsin, that point was cut out of our military doctrine” at American insistence, but now it is back.

In Putin’s own words, “Russia as always will consistently defend its interests and sovereignty and will seek to strengthen international stability and support equal security for all states and peoples.” And that means, Zhilin says, that “in the case of danger for Russia in financial, technological or raw material markets, our response can be military.”Read the full story here.

New National Defense Control Center of Russia is now said to be "on permanent combat duty."

New National Defense Control Center of Russia is now said to be "on permanent combat duty." (Kremlin).

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN:Colleagues,

We are holding this Board meeting at the new National Defence Control Centre. The Centre is now on permanent combat duty. I congratulate you all on this event.

The Centre’s tasks include analysing and forecasting developments in the geopolitical situation and coordinating the authorities’ work in the defence sector. 

The new Centre’s capabilities will raise the quality of our armed forces’ command and the Centre will play a key part in our national defence and security system and will help to resolve the big tasks facing the armed forces.

Russia will always act consistently to protect its interests and sovereignty and will strive to strengthen international stability and support equal security for all countries and peoples.

At the same time, the situation in the world around us is not becoming any simpler. You all know about the USA’s plans to build a missile defence system. NATO has stepped up its activity too, including in Europe, especially in Eastern Europe.  

In this respect, I want to say that our military doctrine nevertheless remains unchanged and is exclusively defensive in nature, as you know. But we will defend our country’s security firmly and consistently.

Speaking this year and before this audience, I have to say a few words about the events in Crimea of course. I want to thank once again the heads of our Armed Forces and all of the personnel involved for their precise, restrained, and carefully weighed action and for their courage and professionalism during the events there.

You assuredly protected Crimea’s residents from great tragedy, from bloodshed and humanitarian disaster, and made it possible for them to express their free will as citizens in the referendum that took place.

Colleagues, recent events have shown that our army is changing, acquiring new features, becoming more modern, and is ready to carry out the most difficult and responsible missions. The results of the snap inspections carried out this year clearly showed this to be the case, as did the results demonstrated by the various units during the more than 3,500 training drills and exercises, the biggest of which were the Vostok 2014 exercises.

Let me note too that the state defence procurement programme for this year is practically completed. We spoke in more detail about this at the meeting just before on the common day for formal commissioning of defence industry goods.

Together with the qualitative development of the armed forces, it is also becoming more prestigious to serve in the army. This year, there are six people competing for every one place in some of the Defence Ministry academies. The number of contract servicemen has increased by more than 75,000 people. There is now real competition for the right to serve on contract in the armed forces as privates and sergeants. Most of the people applying are well-trained and motivated. More than two thirds of contract servicemen in 2014 have higher or vocational education.

This year, we have made adjustments to the Federal Law On Defence and drafted amendments to the Military Doctrine. Together with the defence plan approved on November 26, 2014, they will serve as the base for drafting short-, medium- and long-term planning documents.

Second, we must develop all components of our strategic nuclear forces, which play a very important part in maintaining global balance and essentially rule out the possibility of a large-scale attack against Russia. In 2015, the strategic nuclear forces will receive more than 50 intercontinental ballistic missiles. You can imagine what a powerful force this is. We must continue modernising our strategic aviation and put the two missile-carrying submarines Vladimir Monomakh and Alexander Nevsky on combat duty.

In the medium term through to 2021, we need to complete the transition to entirely modern arms for our ground-based nuclear forces, modernise the entire fleet of Tu-160 and Tu-95ms bombers, and also develop a new generation strategic bomber. 

Third, we need to complete the establishment of the Aerospace Defence Forces in 2015. Deployment of this new type of force will make it possible to use in better coordinated fashion our aviation, air defence and missile defence systems, thereby considerably raising the level of protection of Russia’s airspace.

Fourth is a quality reinforcement of defence in strategically important parts of the country such as the Arctic and other regions. 

The unified strategic command [in the Arctic] was established on December 15, based on the Northern Fleet. Next year will see the completion of military infrastructure on Novaya Zemlya, Kotelny and Wrangel islands, and Cape Schmidt. I ask you to keep these matters under your constant control.

Fifth, to maintain a high and constant level of combat readiness, we must continue the practice of snap inspections. Next year, they should extend to all military districts and branches of the armed forces, and also to the relevant federal and regional agencies and departments.

Furthermore, next year, we will hold the large-scale Russian-Belarusian tactical exercises Shchit Soyuza 2015, and the strategic command headquarters exercises Tsentr 2015, which will enable us to work through defence and security issues in the Central Asian region that is of crucial importance to Russia.  

It is important in general to strengthen our cooperation with our allies and partners in the CSTO. Read the full speech here.

George Soros As head of the Ukrainian National Bank?

George Soros As head of the Ukrainian National Bank? (Korrespondent)[Google Translate].

As head of the National Bank considered five applicants.

Lead the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) can famous American billionaire and philanthropist George Soros . It is reported channel 112 with reference to a number of sources in the Verkhovna Rada and people from the entourage of President Poroshenko.

Among the candidates for the post of head of the NBU also consider the candidacy of former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn , who was forced to leave his previous post due to loud sex scandal.

In addition, the number of applicants allegedly included some "representatives of the Federal Reserve System." In general, to head the National Bank consider the five applicants.

The candidacy of the new head of the National Bank, which the president will submit for approval by Parliament, will be announced in the near future, expect sources.

The current head of the NBU Valery Gontareva appointed to this position in June 2014. According to media reports, she repeatedly wrote a letter of resignation.

As reported of Korrespondent.net , earlier in the new Rada was registered draft resolution on the dismissal of Valerie Gontareva with the post of head of the National Bank .

Recall the Court in Kiev metropolitan prosecutor ordered an investigation to begin action on Gontareva, which is suspected of abuse of power for manipulating the exchange rate .

Later, the prosecutor's office said they had not received the court's decision with respect to the investigation of a Gontareva. The very head of the NBU said that too has not received formal accusations against him and considers the charges baseless.