Missiles, Radar & ☢ Nuclear Weapons.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia to kit out warships with new ‘aircraft carrier killer’ rockets as standoff with West continues to heat up on high seas.

RT.com
27 Aug, 2021 12:57

Warships and boats of the Russian Navy will soon be carrying advanced new missiles designed to take out enemy vessels in a single, critical blow, after Moscow’s Ministry of Defense signed a contract with their manufacturer.

On Friday, RIA Novosti reported that military chiefs had penned the deal with rocket design bureau NPO Mashinostroyenia. Under the terms of the agreement, deliveries of the Zircon complex will be received next year, marking the first time a serial anti-ship hypersonic missile has been routinely deployed.

Last month, a warship sailing in Arctic waters reported the successful test-firing of the Zircon. According to officials, “it struck the target in the White Sea with a direct hit at a distance of over 350 kilometers (217 miles). The test confirmed the tactical and technical performance of the missile, and its flight speed was around Mach 7.” This means that the projectile flew at hypersonic velocity, seven times faster than the speed of sound. The Zircon has been nicknamed the ‘aircraft carrier killer’ on the basis that a single warhead has the potential to take down large targets.

Just weeks ago, US Strategic Command Chief Admiral Charles Richard warned that his country’s “current terrestrial and space-based sensor architecture may not be sufficient to detect and track these hypersonic missiles.” According to him, NATO fleets could become vulnerable if technological advances don’t keep up with the pace of Russia’s missile development.

A series of tense incidents between NATO’s warships and Russian sailors in recent weeks has caused concern that a potential maritime conflict could be on the cards. In June, the British warship HMS ‘Defender’ sailed into the waters around Crimea – which London insists actually belong to Ukraine. Moscow’s forces responded with flyovers and warning shots, and the Russian ambassador to the UK, Andrey Kelin, warned this week that defense chiefs would ensure future such perceived violations would be “more difficult” in future.

[TsarSamuil]

Amid fresh tensions with NATO states, Belarus to purchase $1bn worth of Russian arms, including S-400 missile defense – Lukashenko.

RT.com
12 Sep, 2021 17:14

Belarus is set to acquire over $1 billion worth of arms and military hardware from Russia, its President Alexander Lukashenko has announced, adding that the purchase of S-400 air defense systems was discussed in Moscow, last week.

“We are holding talks and are planning S-400 deliveries,” Lukashenko told journalists, on Sunday, as he attended the Zapad-2021 drills held jointly, on a quadrennial basis, by Russia and Belarus. The Belarusian president also said that security was a major issue on the agenda of his talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in the Russian capital.

During the eight-hour-long meeting, the leaders dedicated some three hours to discussing “defense and security,” Lukashenko said, adding that he once again asked the Russian president to supply the advanced air defense systems to Belarus. Putin then ordered the Russian Defense Ministry to “negotiate these issues” with the Belarusian side, he added.

The S-400 is a long-range system with a maximum speed of 4.8km/s (three miles per second) and a range of 600km (375 miles). As well as being in operation with the Russian Army, it has been sold to China and Turkey. India and Saudi Arabia have also placed orders with Moscow.

Although Minsk is yet to strike a formal deal on the S-400s, Belarus and Russia have already agreed on an arms deal worth $1 billion and including various other military hardware ranging from dozens of warplanes and helicopters to mid-range Tor-M2 air defense systems, according to Lukashenko.

Belarus is expected to take delivery by 2025. The arsenal upgrade is needed in light of the continued tensions between Moscow, Minsk and NATO, Lukashenko believes.

The Belarusian president still maintained that all such actions are purely defensive and are aimed at ensuring the security of his country, and its allies.

“We do not aim our missiles at neighboring nations; our aircraft are not picking targets to strike their territory… We are preparing to defend our land. The Union of Russia and Belarus does not need any extra territories.”

His words came as the two nations are holding massive wargames across 14 separate training grounds from the Baltic Sea to Central Russian cities like Voronezh and Nizhny Novgorod. A total of 200,000 soldiers, over 80 aircraft, and up to 760 heavy military equipment pieces, including 290 tanks as well as 15 warships from both nations, take part in the biannual exercise, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

[TsarSamuil]

India may buy Russian S-500 anti-space-weapon defense system in world-first arms deal, despite risk of US sanctions, Moscow claims.

RT.com
16 Sep, 2021 14:59

An advanced new anti-aircraft rocket system hailed as the first ever capable of taking out incoming missiles from low-space orbit could be snapped up by Indian defense chiefs in a move likely to anger the US, Moscow has said.

Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told journalists on Thursday that New Delhi could “potentially” become the first foreign capital to place an order for the S-500. However, he said, equipping Russia’s own troops with the latest technology would have to be completed before it is considered for sale overseas.

“When we meet the needs of our own armed forces, we can issue an export passport,” he said. “After that, the supreme commander-in-chief [Russian President Vladimir Putin] can decide on whether to grant deliveries to India, if they apply for it.”

Borisov said that friendly relations with New Delhi and the lack of shared regional conflicts made them a low-risk customer for advanced hardware. “In some cases, we are happy to sell to India what we don’t sell to other countries,” he said.

The S-500 is a cutting-edge rocket system capable of taking out fighter jets flying at the fastest speeds, as well as reportedly being capable of hitting even hypersonic weapons in near-Earth space. Chief Commander of the Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin has claimed that it represents the first generation of anti-space weapons, and that no other such systems currently exist.

However, the US has attempted to block international sales of the rocket system’s predecessor, the S-400, even imposing sanctions on NATO member Turkey for placing an order. The Pentagon has warned that, even in friendly hands, the anti-aircraft weapon poses a threat to one of its most advanced fighters, the F-35.

General Todd Wolters of the US European Command has said that the launcher would “attempt to exploit the F-35’s capabilities,” regardless of which side of the battlefield it was on. “You cannot operate an F-35 in the vicinity of an S-400,” he said.

Despite the threat of sanctions, more than a dozen nations placed orders for the S-400, including those that frequently buy preferentially from US military-industrial suppliers, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

[TsarSamuil]

Russian Navy test-fires cruise missiles to hit a target over 450km away.

RT.com
Oct 2, 2021



Russia’s Varyag cruiser and Omsk nuclear submarine successfully hit surface targets at a distance of more than 450 kilometers with Vulkan and Granit-type cruise missiles during exercises in the Pacific.

[TsarSamuil]

WATCH: Russian Navy successfully fires Zircon anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile from nuclear submarine for first time ever.

RT.com
4 Oct 2021 | 07:33 GMT

The Russian Armed Forces have successfully conducted the first test launch of its state-of-the-art Zircon hypersonic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine, firing it at a target in the Barents Sea, in Russia’s Arctic north.

The Ministry of Defense published a video showing the successful test.

The Zircon, first produced in 2016, is an anti-ship missile capable of accelerating up to Mach 9. It has been designed to hit enemy surface ships, such as frigates and aircraft carriers, as well as ground targets located within the range of the missile.

Zircon’s speed (9,800-11,025 km/h) makes it difficult for it to be stopped by any anti-aircraft systems.

While this latest launch is the first time the missile has been fired from a nuclear submarine, it has already undergone testing from surface carriers.

In August, Admiral Charles A. Richard of the US Navy warned that hypersonic missiles being created by both Moscow and Beijing pose a significant threat to America.

“Because of these challenges, our current terrestrial- and space-based sensor architecture may not be sufficient to detect and track these hypersonic missiles,” he said.

Earlier this year, as part of his annual address to the Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that the country’s armed forces are modernizing quickly with “hypersonic and laser” missiles, and warned foreign adversaries not to cross Moscow’s “red lines.”

[TsarSamuil]

Russia fires missile, capable of carrying hypersonic warheads, from Europe to Asia in test of nuclear submarine in Far North.

RT.com
21 Oct, 2021 12:26

Moscow’s Ministry of Defense has announced that a nuclear submarine successfully launched a ballistic missile from in the White Sea, close to the Arctic Circle, marking the latest in a series of Russian naval rocket-firing tests.

On Thursday, officials revealed that the Knyaz Oleg submarine had completed its final stage of technical assessments after launching a Bulava missile. The rocket took off from the White Sea, an inland body of water close to Scandinavia, and was confirmed to have struck ground at the Kura firing range in Kamchatka, more than 6,000 kilometers east of Moscow.

“The strategic missile cruiser Knyaz Oleg, as part of the state test program, fired a Bulava ballistic missile from the White Sea. The rocket was launched from a submerged position at the Kura training ground in Kamchatka,” the military department said in a statement, adding, “the missile warheads have successfully arrived in the specified area at the estimated time.”

The nuclear submarine is reportedly set to be battle-ready in the Russian Navy by the end of the year, joining another four submersibles already deployed.

The news comes just weeks after the country’s military announced the successful test firing of a Zircon anti-ship hypersonic missile. The projectile has been designed to hit enemy surface ships, such as frigates and aircraft carriers, as well as ground targets located within the range of the missile. Zircon’s velocity, up to nine times faster than the speed of sound, makes it difficult for it to be stopped by any anti-aircraft systems.

Russia has also previously unveiled a range of plans to update and upgrade the country’s armed forces, as well as its continued efforts to expand its missile stockpile. The ‘Future Soldier’ program, known as ‘Ratnik’ (the Russian word for ‘warrior’), includes the development of robotics and exoskeletons, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.

“In regards to the ‘Future Soldier’ project, extensive work has been carried out this past year, together with domestic industry enterprises, to include a new ‘robotic’ subsystem as part of the combat outfit of a soldier,” General Oleg Salyukov, the current head of the Russian Ground Forces, said.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin said it was concerned about rumors that China had launched its own hypersonic missile, claims denied by Beijing. Speaking to reporters, President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said recent reports the advanced nuclear-capable weapon had been test-fired in August were nothing for Moscow to worry about. Asked whether Moscow would worry that such a development could be a threat, the Kremlin official said that “no, it isn’t being seen that way.”

“We have allied relations with China,” Peskov went on. “China is developing its armed forces and its weapons systems, but it isn’t going beyond the framework of any international agreements,” he added.

[TsarSamuil]

Russian military soon to receive first mass-produced S-500 defense system – Putin.

RT.com
1 Nov, 2021 21:10

The first S-500 anti-aircraft missile system is set to be delivered to Russia’s armed forces in the next few years, President Vladimir Putin said. The weapon is expected to be capable of striking down targets in low Earth orbit.

Russian anti-aircraft defenses will be greatly expanded over the next few years, Putin announced on Monday during a meeting with the top commanders of the country’s military and representatives of defense companies.

“In accordance with the earlier adopted decisions, our troops must be supplied, in the next few years, with an additional more than 200 aircraft and 26 S-350 and S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems,” the president said.

Apart from the anti-aircraft systems already in use by the country’s military, at least one – or several – mass-produced S-500 missile complexes are set to be delivered as well, Putin said.

“The current rates of re-equipping the air and missile defense forces will make it possible to bring the level of modern hardware to at least 80% by 2025–2027,” he added.

The latest addition to the Russian line of anti-aircraft missile systems currently remains at a prototype stage. Earlier this year, footage of its tests was made available to the general public, showing an S-500 striking targets at a military test site with pinpoint accuracy. Back then, the Ministry of Defense said the first S-500 was expected to be delivered to missile-defense brigades stationed outside Moscow.

While little is currently known about its exact characteristics, the new weapon is expected to be capable of striking down virtually any of the potential targets it might face. Depending on the missile used, S-500s are said to be capable of hitting targets even at low Earth orbit, making it capable of destroying incoming ballistic missiles well before they enter their final approach.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia could sell advanced S-500 anti-aircraft missile launcher to China & India despite potential US ire.

RT.com
2 Nov, 2021 11:51

A high-tech new Russian air defense system that has sparked fears for NATO warplanes could soon be shipped to China and India under the terms of new export deals being considered by military-industrial bosses in Moscow.

Speaking to business daily RBK on Tuesday, Dmitry Shugaev, the director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, said that deploying the advanced S-500 launcher to the country’s own defense forces would be the first priority. However, “when the system has been delivered to the Russian Army in the required volume, it will also be possible to supply it for export,” he said.

“We consider India, as well as China, and all the states with which we have long-standing and predictable partnerships, as potential future owners of the system,” Shugaev went on. The day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the first of the S-500 anti-aircraft launchers would be handed over to combat troops in the next few years, under plans to modernize the country’s military equipment.

Moscow has touted the S-500 as the most advanced weapon of its kind, capable of taking out high-speed warplanes and even, potentially, hypersonic weapons in near-Earth orbit. Putin has previously described the launcher as “unique.”

However, exports of Russian rocket technology have caused concern in the US, with Washington slapping tough sanctions on countries that placed orders for the system’s predecessor, the S-400. Even Turkey, a NATO member, has faced restrictions and been shut out of American procurement programs in response to its decision to explore purchasing the launcher.

General Tod Wolters, of the US European Command, and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, has said the system would “attempt to exploit the F-35’s capabilities,” regardless of which side of the battlefield it was on. “You cannot operate an F-35 in the vicinity of an S-400,” he said, despite reports that the Israeli Air Force has flown the jets close to the missile launchers in Syria with no issues.

[TsarSamuil]

UK tabloid cheers US hypersonic nukes in Germany, shows mushroom cloud over Moscow.

RT.com
12 Nov, 2021 23:08

UK papers are hyping the revival of a Cold War-era US artillery unit in Germany, supposed to be armed with ‘Dark Eagle’ hypersonic missiles that will be able reach Moscow in mere minutes, once they are developed.

‘Dark Eagle has landed’ proclaimed The Sun on Wednesday, originally reporting that the new US missiles could “blitz Russia” in just six minutes – before revising that to “21 minutes and 30 seconds” – along with a graphic showing Moscow being vaporized in a mushroom cloud.

The US did in fact reactivate the 56th Artillery Command at a ceremony in Germany earlier this week. The unit had been inactive since 1991. However, the fine print in The Sun article, as well as other British papers, notes that the command may have hypersonic missile capability when this technology is “fully developed and deployed,” supposedly sometime in 2023, according to the Pentagon.

Just a day before the 56th AC ceremony, the Pentagon announced that the very first “prototype hypersonic ground equipment” had been delivered to a stateside artillery unit. A battalion of the US Army’s 1st Corps located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state received trucks, trailers, four erector launchers and other components of the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), but no missiles yet.

The name “Dark Eagle” comes from Rob Strider, the official in charge of the army’s hypersonic project office. The missile itself is being developed by the Alabama-based Dynetics, known for the Mother of All Bombs (MOAB), the Gremlin drone, some rocket engines and IT services. The principal weapon systems integrator will be Lockheed Martin, the company behind the controversial F-35 fighter jet project.

The hypersonic missile race kicked into high gear in October, after another UK outlet reported that China had tested such a weapon in August, catching the US by surprise. Beijing officially denied the claim, saying the test involved a spaceship instead. Meanwhile, Moscow has tested its own Zircon hypersonic missile, which the Russia military says is just about ready for operational use by its naval forces.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia comments on risks of space missile tests.

RT.com
16 Nov, 2021 16:09

Accusations that Russia is creating new risks to orbiting spacecraft are a clear double standard, Moscow has insisted, after Washington hit out at the debris caused by the recently confirmed test of a satellite-destroying missile.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that instead of launching "unfounded accusations," Russia "would prefer that the United States… actually sit down at the negotiating table and discuss its grievances."

He went on to add that "it would be very interesting for us to listen not to excuses, but to a concrete reasoned position. We are ready for this."

Lavrov also rejected Washington's assertions that Moscow creates risks for the peaceful use of the solar system, dismissing them as hypocritical. "There are no facts" to support this, he insisted.

Russia's Defense minister Sergey Shoigu confirmed on Tuesday that Russia had indeed tested its anti-satellite rocket system, confirming it "struck the old orbital with great accuracy." He insisted that the fallout of fragments from the blast poses no threat to other spacecraft or astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

The comments came after US State Department spokesman Ned Price condemned Moscow for its "reckless decision" to run the test. According to him, the move "generated over fifteen hundred pieces of trackable orbital debris," as well as "hundreds of thousands of smaller" pieces that now pose a threat to all nations.

The crew on board the International Space Station were briefly told to hide in their modules earlier this week as they came close to a cloud of debris, but later were able to resume their work.

Throughout the Cold War with the Soviet Union, the US ran a series of trials of space weapons designed to take out satellites. In 1985, a test of one such missile scattered thousands of large fragments through the atmosphere, leading to the two space superpowers suspending further trials.

Last year, Lavrov called for rules that would stop armaments being placed in the cosmos. "The plans of the US, as well as those of France and NATO as a whole, to place weapons in outer space are taking shape," he claimed, arguing that the Russian side was "convinced that it is not too late to develop measures acceptable for all to prevent confrontation" in the solar system.

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International Space Station swerves to avoid American space junk – Russia.

RT.com
3 Dec, 2021 18:35

The International Space Station (ISS) was forced to adjust its orbit on Friday to avoid space debris left over from a US spacecraft, the head of Russia’s space program announced.

The potential hazard was identified as a fragment from an American rocket launched in 1994, Dmitry Rogozin, the general director of Roscosmos, said at an appearance at the 'Space Integration' forum of the Eurasian Economic Union.

“Five minutes ago, the ISS swerved away from American space junk, remains from the carrier rocket Pegasus,” he reported. He had previously announced that the space station would be executing the maneuver at 10:58am Moscow time. Roscosmos specified that it would be done using engines from Progress MS-18, a cargo spacecraft used to supply the station.

Rogozin said the thrusters fired for 161 seconds and reduced the height of the space station’s orbit by 310 meters. He also noted that the move would not affect plans for the launch of Soyuz MS-20, a Russian spaceflight scheduled for December 8, which will bring two space tourists to the ISS.

Last month, the US condemned a Russian anti-satellite test that officials said forced crew members on the ISS to scramble for safety. The anti-satellite missile, which successfully hit a Russian satellite, created a debris field in low-earth orbit that US Space Command said was likely to be a hazard. American authorities called it a “reckless and dangerous act.”

Later in November, Roscosmos announced it was tracking a fragment from a rocket launched by SpaceX, billionaire Elon Musk’s space transportation company. Russian mission controllers said the piece of debris would swing near the ISS, but that it would not be a danger to those on board.

[TsarSamuil]

WATCH: Russia launches Zircon hypersonic missile.

RT.com
18 Nov, 2021 15:13

The Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov successfully completed a test launch of the state-of-the-art Zircon hypersonic cruise missile on Thursday, the country’s Defense Ministry has revealed.

The Zircon, a scramjet anti-ship missile produced domestically, was successfully fired at a target in the White Sea in the country’s far north. The White Sea is home to Severodvinsk, an important military shipyard and headquarters of the country’s Northern Fleet.

The anti-ship missile is capable of accelerating up to Mach 9, and is designed to hit enemy surface ships, such as frigates and aircraft carriers, as well as ground targets located within the range of the missile. Its speed (9,800-11,025 km/h) makes it difficult for it to be stopped by any anti-aircraft systems, and it has a declared range of over a thousand kilometers.

The missile has been in testing for some time, and last month it was successfully launched for the first time ever from a nuclear-powered submarine.

According to Mikhail Khodarenok, a military commentator for RT and retired Russian Armed Forces colonel, the Zircon has the ability to “seriously influence the global maritime balance of power,” citing the missile’s “high cruising speed” and “significantly reduced radar cross section” as a powerful combination.

Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that, following successful testing, the Zircon missiles would be supplied to the Navy from 2022.

[TsarSamuil]

NATO applauds deployment of US nukes in Eastern Europe.

RT.com
19 Nov, 2021 12:10

The Secretary General of NATO has urged member states to remain committed to plans that could see deadly American nuclear weapons shared across the US-led military bloc’s eastern frontier, close to the border with Russia.

In a speech at the German Atlantic Association on Friday, Jens Stoltenberg said the move was necessary because of the threat purportedly posed by Moscow. “Our aim is a world free of nuclear weapons,” he said, “but as long as others have them, NATO must have them too.”

According to the veteran political figure, “Russia carries out aggressive actions, it interferes in other countries’ affairs” and the country has “invested significantly in military capabilities, including new, advanced nuclear weapons.”

“The nuclear weapons we share in NATO provide European Allies with an effective nuclear umbrella. This, of course, also includes our eastern Allies and they are an important signal of Allied unity against any nuclear-armed adversary,” he added. “So NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangements are of particular importance for Europe.”

The bloc’s internal weapons-sharing policy is a core part of its plans for nuclear deterrence against countries like Russia and China, expanding the coverage of its nuclear warheads without requiring supposedly non-nuclear nations to produce them themselves.

However, with Germany preparing for a new government after the imminent departure of Chancellor Angela Merkel, there had been fears Berlin would decline to purchase a new fleet of aircraft capable of launching atomic weapons, to replace its aging warplanes. However, Stoltenberg said he was confident the country would remain part of the pact because it offers Germany “a seat at the table.”

Responding to the NATO chief’ speech, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the country would refuse to turn a blind eye to major “provocations” by the bloc and by EU nations.

In December last year, Lavrov’s deputy, Sergey Ryabkov, blasted the arrangements, saying that they make conflicts more likely to happen. According to him, Moscow “hopes that the US will stop ‘sharing’ nuclear weapons with its allies, and stop deploying nuclear weapons in countries that do not possess such weapons… Obviously, this leads to destabilization and, in addition, new risks appear.”

However, he was optimistic about the prospect of avoiding atomic armageddon, emphasizing that “a nuclear war cannot be won… Russia is ready to cooperate in reversing this state of affairs.”

[TsarSamuil]

Russia deploys coastal missile system in Pacific (VIDEO)

RT.com
2 Dec, 2021 15:11

For the first time, Russia has deployed the Bastion missile system on the island of Matua in the Pacific Ocean, the country’s Armed Forces revealed on Thursday. Bastion is a mobile defense system that can attack surface ships.

Matua is an inhabited landmass near the center of the Kuril Islands. After World War II, it came under the control of the Soviet Union. Before that, it was the home of a large Japanese base. It is now the focus of Russian efforts to boost military presence in the Pacific.

“The missile crews of the Pacific Fleet will be on round-the-clock watch on this remote island in the central part of the Kuril Ridge to control the adjacent water area and strait zones,” the Russian Eastern Military District said in a statement.

The crews of the coastal missile system "Bastion" for the first time took over duty on the island of Matua © YouTube / Russian Ministry of Defense
The Bastion mobile coastal missile system is armed with the Onyx supersonic self-propelled anti-ship missile. It is designed to destroy surface ships of all types.

Writing on his Telegram channel, war correspondent Alexander Kots described the island of Matua as having nothing but “the Sarychev volcano, foxes and mice.”

“The military and I explored the island length and breadth,” he wrote, noting that he visited it five years ago. “One of the aims of the expedition was to find out how the water supply of the Japanese garrison was managed. There was a whole system of channels, concrete reservoirs for rainwater, and so on. Because if you set up a base here, you need water. Apparently, this Japanese conundrum was solved.”

[TsarSamuil]

Russian S-400s have been delivered to India, despite American threats.

RT.com
6 Dec, 2021 18:56

With President Vladimir Putin on a landmark visit in India, New Delhi has confirmed that deliveries of Russian S-400 missile defense systems, which caused a furious backlash from Washington, are going ahead as planned.

Both countries signed a $5.4-billion deal for five of the surface-to-air systems in 2018.

“Supplies have begun this month and will continue to happen,” the Indian foreign ministry said, as Putin arrived on Monday.

According to NDTV, the first units of the weapon, once branded a “booster dose” by India’s Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, are already being deployed by the country’s military.

India has proceeded with the S-400 contract despite pressure from Washington, which passed a law in 2017 making anyone buying Russian weapons systems potentially subject to US sanctions.

“We witnessed attempts on the part of the United States to undermine this cooperation and to make India obey the American orders, to follow the American vision of how this region should be developed,” Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Indian news agency ANI on Monday.

Back in October, however, a group of US lawmakers introduced a bill that would exempt New Delhi from the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) law, as Washington continues its efforts to play India off against China.

Another major weapons deal that has been finalized during Putin’s visit would license Indian production of Kalashnikov AK-203 rifles, in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh.

[TsarSamuil]

US delivers rockets to Ukraine.

RT.com
11 Dec, 2021 13:54

In a statement received by Russian news outlet TASS on Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Anton Semelroth said that “the $60 million package… included 30 Javelin command and control launchers, as well as 180 missiles.” According to him, the rocket launchers were delivered to Ukraine on October 23.

“In 2021, the US allocated more than $450 million in aid to Ukraine for security tasks as part of our continued commitment to support the country’s ability to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the spokesman added.

Semelroth’s comments come amid warnings from Moscow over tensions in the war-torn region close to Russia’s borders. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that “more and more forces and equipment are being accumulated on the line of contact in the Donbass, supported by an increasing number of Western instructors.”

At the end of November, the top diplomat said that claims Ukraine’s troops had deployed American-made Javelin rocket launchers were a matter of grave concern and could lead to a full-blown offensive in the war-torn region.

“In recent weeks, we have seen a stream of consciousness from the Ukrainian leadership – especially when it comes to the military – that is excessively inflamed and dangerous,” Lavrov said.

Just hours before, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, Kirill Budanov, revealed that advanced US-made Javelin systems had been tested by Ukraine’s troops and were being used by soldiers in the Donbass.

Russia’s ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, warned the White House earlier in November that supplying Ukraine with deadly armaments could diminish hopes for peace in the region, stating that Moscow believes “another opportunity to encourage Kiev to stop the war has been missed.”

The conflict in eastern Ukraine began following the events of the 2014 Maidan, which eventually led to the ‘People’s Republics’ in Donetsk and Lugansk declaring their independence. However, neither Moscow nor Kiev officially recognize them, and the Kremlin has insisted that the onus is on Ukraine to strike a peace deal with the leaders of the breakaway regions.