Russia & CIS

A number of cities and towns in the Russian republic of Crimea have cut ties with sister cities in Turkey, the head of the Black Sea republic said on Tuesday.

It is an open secret that guns start shooting only when politicians and diplomats are powerless to stop them from doing it. Yet, let's assume that a real war sparks between Russia and Turkey (NATO) - what kind of war would it be? What results would it bring? We discussed the topic with leading military experts

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual address to the Federal Assembly on December 3. Traditionally, Putin delivered the speech in the St. George Hall of the Moscow Kremlin. Putin started the address to the Federal Assembly from thanking the Russian soldiers who struggle against terrorism

The top Turkish administration and President Erdogan are personally involved in illegal production and transportation of Syrian and Iraqi oil to Turkey, Deputy Defense Minister of the Russian Federation, Anatoly Antonov said. "Look what they're doing. They got into a foreign country and are shamelessly plundering it," he said

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on restrictive measures against Turkey. Russian employers are now forbidden to hire Turkish citizens for work. Russian tour operators were ordered to refrain from cooperating with Turkish resort destinations. The activities of Turkish organizations in Russia have been limited as well

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that if some countries try to toy with terrorists, these efforts will turn out pretty badly for them. Putin said that after the death of Russian servicemen, Russia will ensure the safety of its aircraft. Putin also cast doubts on Erdogan's unawareness of illegal shipments of oil to Turkey from Syrian terrorist

The Kremlin will respond to Turkey's aggression against Russia, albeit not militarily. Russia's retaliation will manifest itself in tightening economic cooperation with Turkey. In addition, Russia may expose the information about Turkey's cooperation with Islamist terrorist groups. Russia will restrict imports of a variety of goods from Turkey

The pilot, who survived the downing of the Russian Su-24 bomber plane in Syria, said that the warplane had not violated Turkish airspace during the operation. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Russia did not have an intention to go to war with Turkey. However, Moscow will not leave Turkey's act unanswered

Official announcements related to naval shipbuilding give the appearance of a Russian Navy that is undergoing a rapid revival. However, the reality is that many projects have faced lengthy delays and cost overruns. As a result, some of the most prominent naval procurement projects have been scaled back, while others have been postponed for years at a time. The delays and cost overruns are the result of a long-term decline in naval research and development, an inability to modernize the shipbuilding industry made worse by Western sanctions, and pre-existing budgetary constraints that have been exacerbated in recent years by Russia’s economic downturn. However, the Russian Navy has developed a strategy that compensates for these gaps by utilizing its strength in submarines and cruise missile technology to fulfill key maritime missions such as homeland defense and power projection in the face of a failure to build an adequate number of large combat ships.

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Originally published by CIMSEC. Click here to read the rest of the article.

Vladimir Putin has commented on the attack on the Russian Su-24 bomber aircraft that was shot down above Syria by the Turkish Air Force. Putin said said that the Russian plane was shot down by Turkish fighter aircraft. Putin described the actions of the Turkish authorities as a "stab in the back" from "supporters of terrorists"

Russian television channels have recently showed, allegedly incidentally, a super secret lethal Russian weapon. All the information about the weapon was then cut from all materials. Obviously, it was an intentional move, but what was the point of the message, and for whom was it? Showing is always better for understanding than putting it in word

The American administration led by Barack Obama stands up for the rights of gay individuals. Why provoke clashes between Russian homosexuals and law enforcement agencies, forcing them to engage in illegal actions for financial rewards? The US administration is loking for other ways to sow instability in Russia. Sex scandals could be a good tool

In 1999, Putin promised to find and destroy terrorists even in their toilets. All of those Chechen warlords were indeed destroyed. Russia's recent missile attacks from strategic bombers and a submarine came as a warning sign for the countries that support terrorists. Qatar is one of the organizers of the terrorist act over the Sinai

FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov stated that the A321 passenger aircraft was destroyed as a result of a terrorist attack. CIA Director John Brennan stated that terrorist attacks in Paris were not an isolated incident, as terrorists were likely to be working on more attacks. What must be done to minimize the terrorist threat? Is Russia protected?

Russian airlines have received the list of countries, the flights to which require extra security measures. President Putin said that Russia would intensify the military operation against the Islamic State. The statement followed the news about the official confirmation of the version of the terrorist act on board the A321 aircraft

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin has instructed all law enforcement agencies in the country to take measures in heightening domestic security.

According to Russian Federal Security Service’s press center, Russian Special Services have offered $50 million for information on those responsible for the terrorist act of the A321 passenger plane that crashed over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on October 31 killing all 224 on board.

An explosion of the homemade bomb of up to 1kg of TNT equivalent was the cause of the A321 crash in Sinai, Russian Security Service (FSB) head Alexander Bortnikov said.

According to the ministry, Russia’s Frigate rocket booster carrying a state-of-the-art Defense Ministry satellite successfully separated from its Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket.