the Admiral Gorshkov frigate has successfully test-fired the Tsirkon hypersonic missile against a surface target at the range of over 350 km and the flight speed reached 7 Mach [8568 km/H], the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
The Project 22350 frigate Admiral Gorshkov successfully test-fired the missile from the White Sea. the surface target was located on the coast of the Barents Sea.
According to the ministry, there are plans to equip submarines and surface vessels of the Russian Navy with the Tsirkon system.
Imperceptibly, in conditions of extreme importance - this is how the Security Service of the President of Russia works, since its creation 30 years old. One of the key structures of the state security relates to the FSO.
If it were not for the earphone wire and conversations with your own fist, these guys could well be mistaken for members of the official delegation of the head of state.
The main task of the service employees is the physical safety of the head of state. The decree on the creation of this structure was signed by the first president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, nine days after taking office.
They are often in sight, but no one knows practically anything about them. How many employees are in the Presidential Security Service, what they are armed with, how exactly they protect the head of state - all this, of course, is a secret. But at least one principle of their work is known: the best improvisation is prepared improvisation. All possible, even the most incredible, scenarios are calculated in advance.
The activity of the President of Russia, of course, creates many additional problems for the Security Service. Vladimir Putin travels a lot around the country. And for him it is a common thing - after a meeting in the local administration, unplanned approach to people. Ensuring safety in these conditions and not interfering with communication is not easy.
Here's another episode. St. Petersburg, Navy parade. Vladimir Putin was supposed to get into the car, but suddenly changed his mind and decided to walk. You can see how the security officer is transmitting on the radio that the script has changed. The President suddenly approaches the audience.
To fulfill the task, no matter what, is the main principle of the Russian president's security service. A seemingly insignificant but very eloquent episode took place in Germany at the G20 summit. The heads of state enter the building, and their guards are forced to enter through another door. All obediently leave their presidents and go where they were told. The Russian guards follow their President. The confused representative of the German special services did not dare to insist.
Sometimes the security service of the President of Russia has to perform functions that are not typical for it, as, for example, it was recently in Switzerland, at the talks between Putin and Biden. The press service of the American president failed to cope with the simplest task - to lead the journalists inside the building. The Russian bodyguards had to connect.
The security service of the President of Russia is not only those employees whom we see next to the head of state. Some we shouldn't see, but they are also nearby. Maybe under water, or maybe in the sky - depends on the situation, which must always be under control.
Vladimir Putin argues that Russia's relationship with neighboring countries, the former republics of the Soviet Union, is based primarily on compromise and mutual respect for sovereignty.
In the international arena, building a certain type of relationship, even between closest neighbors, is always a compromise. Our goal is not to force anyone to accept a particular model. We are looking for a compromise, Putin said.
Vladimir Putin clarified the issue of the transit of Russian natural gas through the territory of Ukraine, answering a journalist's question in connection with statements by President Zelensky in Berlin about the need to include this issue on the agenda of the next meeting of the Normandy format.
"Russia signed a five-year contract to deliver a certain amount of Russian natural gas to our consumers in Europe via Ukraine. The Normandy format and other similar formats are political platforms for discussing the situation in southeastern Ukraine. They have nothing to do with commercial projects like Nord Stream or Nord Stream 2 or the transit of our gas through the territory of Ukraine. Despite all the current difficulties, Russia undertook certain obligations under this contract and will fully meet them," Putin said.
Now, the volume of transit gas currently accounts for only one third of the throughput capacity of the Ukrainian pipeline.
So, recall that Russian Gazprom and Ukrainian Naftogaz signed a gas transit agreement for five years in 2019. many experts suggest that in 2024 Russia will stop transit of natural gas through Ukraine and redirect hydrocarbon flows through Nord Stream 2. however, the most likely scenario is which Russia will continue to transit gas through Ukraine in order to avoid confrontation with the West, but will reduce its volume as much as possible, just to keep the pipeline in working order.
Sergey Lavrov’s replies to media questions on Afghanistan after participation in the international conference Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities, on Friday.
None of Russia’s Central Asian allies stated their intention at the Tashkent conference of hosting any part whatsoever of the US military infrastructure, which the Americans are moving out of Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister said.
"As for the plans by the Americans that they are in fact making public and actively promoting, they seek to persuade Central Asian countries and Pakistan, in particular, to use their territory for accommodating some military infrastructure, which the Americans are moving out of Afghanistan," Lavrov said.
"First of all, Pakistan and Uzbekistan have already officially stated that this is out of the question and they will not use their territory to host such infrastructure. We conferred both in bilateral contacts, and now at the meeting of foreign ministers of five Central Asian states plus Russia on this issue. None of our allies has stated their intention to subject its territory and population to such a risk," the Russian foreign minister stressed.
The participants in the talks also spoke about another US initiative, namely, the attempt to withdraw Afghans who collaborated with the Americans and accommodate them "either temporarily or permanently on the territory of Central Asian states," Lavrov revealed.
"At first, they talked about 10,000 but quite recently I heard already as part of the American discussions in various political think tanks in the US that the figure of 100,000 until the end of the year was mentioned," Lavrov added.
"Today, I already mentioned this in my contact with my Central Asian counterparts and they understand perfectly well all the risks that these plans harbor and they will, perhaps, make the right decision, proceeding from their own interests," Russia’s foreign minister specified.
Expanded "group of three" on the settlement in Afghanistan
Russian Foreign Minister also pointed out that including India and Iran in the expanded "group of three" (Russia, China, the US, and Pakistan) on the settlement in Afghanistan would enrich the possibilities of this format.
"The ‘group of three' discussed in particular the candidacies of India and Iran [as new members]. I think that this can enrich the possibilities of this format," Lavrov said.
The foreign minister noted that one of the key tasks of the expanded ‘group of three’ is the involvement in the dialogue on the settlement of all political and ethnic groups residing in Afghanistan.
Russia is seeking to eliminate barriers that obstruct vaccine production and distribution around the world, Vladimir Putin said at an online summit with leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on Friday.
"We believe that it is vital to continue working together on creating new vaccine production capacities in Asia-Pacific, elimination of administrative and other barriers that hinder their production and supply," Putin said.
He added that Russia believes expansion of vaccination scales to be a primary task in the fight against the pandemic.
"We are ready for close cooperation with APEC partners on such key areas as organization of mass immunization of populations, including work migrants, rehabilitation and recovery of health of those, who had the virus," the Russian leader said.
According to him, the global vaccination pace determines, how fast the global economy can be revived, how risks linked to new waves of infections can be minimized, and how negative trends in the social sphere can be overcome.
Putin recalled that Russia had already developed four "safe and reliable" coronavirus vaccines, which are being used now. "The high quality of the first global coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, has already been confirmed by almost 70 states, which officially approved it for use," the president clarified.
He added that Russia actively fosters localization of its vaccine production abroad, which is based on technology transfer, while agreements were inked with several foreign companies, including APEC ones, to produce more than 800 million doses of Sputnik V every year in total.
Vladimir Putin explains the thesis of his article "that those who try and use people living on our historical territories against Russia will thus demolish their own country."
The President noted that this material (article) appeared after the development and adoption of the law on indigenous peoples by the Ukrainian authorities. The law declares the Russian people living in the historical territories of Russia to be foreigners. In fact, the authorities are beginning to expel them from this territory. This was one of the factors that prompted Putin to write the article.
Regarding to whom all this is addressed, and what the Russian leader had in mind, he noted one aspect: "People living in Ukraine are unlikely to look calmly at incumbent rulers who gain power under certain slogans and who later change their colour just like chameleons and defend entirely different positions. As a rule, they defend the interests of their superiors and those financing their stay in power, rather than the interests of the Ukrainian people."
Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi have discussed information security, the situation in Central Asia and the Iran nuclear deal at a meeting on the sidelines of the high-level international conference "Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities" in Tashkent.
"A thorough exchange of views on topical global and regional problems, including international information security, the situation in Central Asia and the Asia-Pacific region and Iran’s nuclear program, took place. Particular attention was paid to the current situation in Afghanistan. They reaffirmed their commitment to facilitating the Afghan settlement process through the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, taking into account the results of its meeting held within the framework of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers session," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the two top diplomats reiterated their mutual commitment to stronger coordination within the UN, the G20, BRICS and other international organizations. The foreign ministers spoke highly of the outcome of the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries held in Dushanbe on July 13-14 in the context of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the SCO marked this year. They highlighted the organization’s pivotal role in strengthening security and ensuring economic development in Eurasia, noted its growing influence on the global stage and indicated their desire to facilitate its further development.
The meeting took place in a confidential and constructive atmosphere typical of Russian-Chinese relations. "The two ministers noted that the existing bilateral ties surpassed such a form of interstate cooperation as military-political alliances of the Cold War era," the report said.
The large-scale forum was organized by representatives of United Russia and the local public organization Russian Center, which advocates strengthening ties with Russia. More than 800 participants discuss the protection of the rights of Russian-speaking residents of Donbass and the efforts that Moscow is making to support them.
The forum is attended by Donetsk People’s Republic leader Denis Pushilin, chairman of the Russian parliament committee on CIS affairs, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots Viktor Vodolatsky, coordinator of the Russia-Donbass integration committee, Russian parliamentarian Andrey Kozenko and other officials.
The participants include politicians, activists, scientists, students, representatives of organisations and movements, athletes, servicemen and delegates from the Lugansk People’s Republic and Abkhazia. The DPR leader is expected to address the forum participants.
Discussions will focus on Russia’s achievements in the key spheres of pubic life and stronger international partnership and Russia-Donbass integration; special attention will be paid to Moscow’s efforts in protecting Russian-speaking people’s rights outside the Russian state.
Commenting on the anti-Russian statement of Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin noted that this statement is only a choice of the Ukrainian authorities, which does not reflect the opinion of the people.
We are talking about the interdependent and intertwined fates of millions of people living in modern Ukraine and modern Russia. This constitutes the historical and spiritual interweaving of our peoples, which took centuries to form. "What the current authorities say has nothing to do with the people. The authorities talk about their own personal choice. But this does not necessarily mean that this choice is final," Putin said.
Vladimir Putin, answering reporters about a recent article (“On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians”), said that the triune people (Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians) is not gone and it will never be gone.
Putin recalled that during Soviet times there were attempts to eradicate religiosity among the Soviet people. When the Great Patriotic War broke out, Vyacheslav Molotov, during his speech on the radio, addressed the people as “fellow citizens”. But Joseph Stalin, who spoke after everyone realized the impending disaster of the war unleashed by Nazi Germany, addressed the nation as "brothers and sisters." This is how people call each other in the church. Later, the patriarchy was restored. Today the church plays its well-deserved role in society.
The Russian leader spoke about this with the President of Belarus. Lukashenka said that when he plays hockey and team members are angry that someone is making a mistake, in the heat of screaming they shout: “Come on, don't you understand? You're not Russian? “Phrases like this come without hesitation, from the heart. There are also millions of such people in Ukraine. "So, no, it is not gone and it will never be gone," Putin said.
Vladimir Putin in his article “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians”, and now personally, claims that the anti-Russia project started in the Middle Ages and continues to this day.
The project started back in the 17-18 centuries in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Later it was used by the Polish national movement, and before the First World War it was used by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The goal was quite simple: divide and conquer. Before World War I, Russia's potential adversaries had a simple goal - simply to weaken the country. They pursued this goal vigorously, promoting an anti-Russian concept and dividing part of one nation in order to weaken the rival. Why the Bolsheviks had to take up this concept and implement it when creating the union is historically not clear.
Perhaps at that time it would have been more logical to unite the country, especially since they believed that this was a transitional period. But they left everything as it is, and, unfortunately, the time bombs eventually exploded.
"So, it all started a long time ago, during the Middle Ages, and it continues to this very day. They are simply recycling old schemes. History repeats itself," sums up Putin.
Vladimir Putin clarified to reporters what he meant by talking about the 'time bombs' that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in his article about the Unity of Russians and Ukrainians.
Putin reiterated that The USSR republics’ right for secession was "the most dangerous delayed action mine" under the statehood of the Soviet Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. In his words, the Soviet Union’s early leaders, Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, had a debate about it.
Another delayed action mine was the Communist Party’s leading role, because "it turned out that it was the only thing that held the entire country together as a single nation."
Putin said he might raise the subject again in future: "There were other delayed action mines as well. Maybe, we will talk about them later."
Vladimir Putin told reporters on Tuesday he decided to write an article about the unity of Russians and Ukrainians several months ago, because active work on the ‘anti-Russia’ project has started in Ukraine, and this cannot but cause concern in Moscow.
The Russian leader said that just like in individual freedoms, a state’s freedom is limited by the freedom of others, and called upon those who had begun ‘military exploitation’ of the Ukrainian territory to take Russia’s concerns seriously.
The idea of the publication, which is "slightly more than just an article" emerged because relations with Ukraine have changed drastically. "In all appearances, active work on the ‘anti-Russia’ project has begun, and of course this cannot but cause certain concern with us," Putin said.
Moreover, forces that favor normal ties with Russia have no chance of engaging in legitimate political activities in Ukraine. "Nationwide mass media are getting closed, [people] are placed under house arrest as was the case with [Ukrainian lawmaker and party leader Viktor] Medvedchuk. At the same time, Ukrainian governmental bodies make absolutely illegitimate decisions, which are beyond their sphere of competence. Therefore, those forces have no chance of engaging in legitimate political work," Putin said.
A Russian Su-30 fighter was scrambled to intercept a US spy plane over the Black Sea, Russia’s National Defense Control Center reported on Tuesday.
On July 13, radar stations of the Southern Military District’s air defense quick reaction alert forces detected an aerial target over the Black Sea approaching the Russian state border, the statement says.
The US spy plane was not allowed to violate the Russian state border, it stressed.
The crew of the Russian fighter identified the aerial target as a US Air Force EP-3E Aries electronic warfare and reconnaissance aircraft and shadowed it.
After the foreign military plane made a U-turn from Russia’s state border, the Russian fighter safely returned to its home airfield. The Russian fighter’s flight proceeded in strict compliance with the international rules of using the airspace.
The meeting of Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday took place at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg.
As the Russian leader noted, Minsk remains a large and reliable partner for Moscow in the economic sphere. But the ties between the two countries are much broader, which confirms the intensity of contacts at the highest level.
Despite the fact that the Kremlin called the meeting between Putin and Lukashenko expected, it was still not announced. And that the presidents will hold talks today, in the morning it became known from the Belarusian Belta news agency. The news was accompanied by footage of the president's departure from a cargo airfield near Orsha. And this is Pulkovo airport. Lukashenko unbuttons his shirt right during the greeting, in St. Petersburg +30°C.
A couple of hours later, the motorcade of the Belarus President at the Constantine Palace. Putin immediately denies rumors about the unplanned and urgency of these negotiations - they were agreed on a month and a half ago in Sochi.
Last year, due to the pandemic, the trade turnover of the two countries fell noticeably, but this time it managed to recover. And, what is also important for Moscow, Minsk remains solvent.
Recent June sanctions by the West against Belarusian producers of potash fertilizers, petrochemicals, tobacco and industrial giants such as MAZ and BelAZ were the impetus for the neighbor's further deepening of ties with Russia.
On Monday, Vladimir Putin's article "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians" was published. The topic is sensitive for both peoples, therefore it is debatable. The story, without which it is impossible to understand why everything is so now... it long, with breaks, but with all its acuteness it is a common one - a conviction that the President of Russia has expressed more than once in one form or another. Now it is a picture unfolded in time for readers on both sides of the border.
On the Kremlin's website, the President's article appeared in two languages at once - Russian and Ukrainian, so that all residents of the neighboring state can familiarize themselves with it. And it is worth doing it, because now in Ukraine it has become fashionable to rewrite history. First, Putin emphasizes that his thesis of the unity of Russians and Ukrainians is not a tribute to the political situation, but a conviction. Parts of one people were divided artificially...
At the same time, Putin emphasizes: Russia has never been and will never be "anti-Ukraine." Our country is open for dialogue and is ready to discuss the most difficult issues.
Cooperation on climate issues is critically important for Moscow and Washington, and it could give impetus to the development of relations in other areas. This was discussed at a meeting between Sergey Lavrov and the US President's Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry.
They have known each other for a long time - ever since Kerry was Secretary of State under Obama.
The American came on a working visit. Russia and the United States are preparing for a large international conference on climate, which will be held in Glasgow in the fall, and at the same time are looking for points of contact that would help establish a bilateral dialogue.
Lavrov considers Kerry's visit an important and positive signal from the point of view of improving relations, removing tensions in them and starting normal professional work in areas where Russia and the United States can find common denominators. This approach is fully consistent with the spirit of the Geneva Summit. Lavrov and Kerry seem to intend to strengthen it in every possible way on the basis of a mutually beneficial dialogue aimed at balancing interests.
US and Russia, being among the leaders in greenhouse gas emissions, must act together on climate change, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"The deal is to be able to deal with the climate issue separately. It’s too important, too significant, and we very much need to move together. The US is the world’s second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, Russia is the fourth. We are among that small group of 20 nations that is the equivalent of 80% of all emissions. What we do, what we decide to do is critical," Kerry said.
He underscored that the cooperation between Washington and Moscow on climate must develop despite the existing disagreements. Kerry noted that Washington is glad that Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the virtual summit on climate in April, and that the White House believes that the Geneva summit was constructive and was important for both countries.
Kerry paid special attention to Russia’s role in the Arctic, including its current presidency in the Arctic Council.
"The Arctic [is] melting at the rate faster than anything we’ve ever measured, the fastest in the world," he noted.
Italy beat England in a penalty shootout in the UEFA Euro 2020 Final. The match took place at Wembley Stadium in London in the presence of 67,173 spectators.
So, the European Championship, which has kept millions of fans in suspense for a month, is over. The final match, and the victory of Italy, which was vigorously celebrated in the country all night.
This tournament will be discussed for a long time. After all, it was possible to hold it in a pandemic, observing a delicate balance between strict restrictions and the ability to arrange a real football holiday. As it happened, for example, in St. Petersburg, which hosted seven Euro games. This championship was marked by sensations and records, there were also scandals.
Italy becomes European football champion for the second time in history.
On Sunday, the Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev celebrated his 70th birthday.
Vladimir Putin congratulated him on his anniversary. The President noted that they have been linked by many years of friendship and joint work. Brilliant erudition, the ability to take personal responsibility - these are the qualities that, according to the head of state, distinguish Patrushev. There were many of the most difficult problems in his life, and he always found a solution. And he completely devoted himself to the cause, whether it was work or his favorite volleyball.
The ball just takes off over the site, and already at the moment when the trajectory of its flight became clear, in a split second, that is, the receiving team must know the combination that it will play - a reception, a pass, an attack hit.
Someone considers chess to be an obvious sports symbol of strategic thinking, while Nikolai Patrushev prefers volleyball, in which instant decision-making, combinations learned by heart and precise implementation. However, the ability to play in a team is far from the only skill required for a security professional. This kind of work shapes the personality.
Obvious inconsistencies in the case of the alleged poisoning of Alexei Navalny, which is so actively promoted in the West, were found in the draft report of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova drew attention to this. The draft report of the OPCW states that experts from the organization were sent to Berlin on August 20 last year to assist in the investigation. On the very day when Navalny felt unwell on the plane and after an emergency landing was hospitalized in a hospital in Omsk. He was transferred to a German clinic only two days later. And, according to Zakharova, this testifies to an obvious falsification of the facts: “We all understand perfectly well that even if we take an extraordinary case with tight deadlines, some kind of emergency situation, this technically cannot be. In order for Berlin to make a decision, this is still a very important moment, it was necessary to have some materials, some data in order to request the whole organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons for a support group. What kind of materials did Berlin have at the time of the incident itself, when there were not even primary analyzes yet, there was no primary information from the doctors. The Russian delegation drew attention to this not just a discrepancy, to this blatant fact, which destroys the entire Western myth about chemical weapons poisoning, to which the Director General of the OPCW technical secretariat simply could not answer, he just sat and was silent.
"The only explanation is that on August 20, when the Russian citizen was just admitted to medical institutions, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had already made a decision to prepare and send a technical support team to investigate the poisoning (the OPCW does not deal with conventional poisoning, the OPCW deals exclusively with chemical weapons) and the only explanation is that everything was prepared by them (West, Berlin) in advance,"emphasizes Zakharova.
The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution on which Russian and American representatives worked together.
It concerns the mechanism for providing humanitarian assistance to Syria. Today the only border crossing on the border of the Arab Republic expired, through which supplies from Turkey went without agreement with Damascus. According to the approved resolution, the checkpoint will continue to function for at least six months. In addition, as noted by the permanent representative of Russia to the UN Vasily Nebenzya, the document emphasizes the need for progress in establishing supplies through the contact lines, which was not the case before: 'Today we are witnessing a historic moment. For the first time, Russia and the United States managed not only to come to an agreement, but also to present a joint text, which was supported by all our colleagues on the Council. We hope that such a scenario will become a turning point, from which not only Syria and the Middle East region will benefit, but the whole world as a whole.'
'Of course, I think this is an important point in our relationship. It shows that we are capable of working with Russia through diplomatic channels to achieve common goals. We came to an agreement on one of them. I look forward to expanding opportunities to work with Russia on other issues of common interest,' said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the United Nations.
On Saturday at midnight, Vladimir Putin congratulated university graduates on completing their studies.
July 10, all of Russia celebrates a special day - the All-Russian Student Graduation Day. The President warmly congratulated the young specialists who had just defended their theses on the successful completion of their studies at universities.
Student years become history, and they enter a completely new stage, when almost everything will depend on themselves.
In a modern world, it is extremely important to constantly search for and obtain new knowledge and skills, to be always aware of the most advanced solutions in your professional spheres, to be able to introduce and use them; and this concerns virtually all careers.
Putin wished everyone success in their search for their unique path and their true vocation: 'Yes, it does not always happen right away, the first time. But the most important thing here is not to give up, and then you will definitely find a career that will fully reveal your knowledge, abilities and the best human qualities. You will be totally proud of this career because it will benefit the people and will serve the whole of Russia.'
Tight control over the arms trade was the topic of Vladimir Putin's meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council on Friday.
The president demanded to restore order in this sector after the tragedy at a school in Kazan. Today they talking about specific proposals and measures. The head of state expects them, first of all, from the heads of law enforcement agencies.
Vladimir Putin held telephone talks with Joe Biden on Friday.
This is the first telephone conversation between heads of state since the Russian-American summit, which took place in Geneva on June 16. At that time, the focus was on strategic stability, cybersecurity, regional conflicts, trade relations and cooperation in the Arctic.
According to the Kremlin, the presidents continued the dialogue on information security and the fight against cybercrime, begun at the Geneva summit. The need for substantive and constructive cooperation in this area was emphasized; it should be permanent, professional and non-politicized.
At the same time, despite Moscow's willingness to cooperate on cybersecurity, there have been no calls from the United States in a month.
Another topic of conversation is the situation in Syria. The emphasis was on the humanitarian aspects. Putin and Biden positively assessed the coordination of efforts on Syria, including in the UN Security Council.
Vladimir Putin also expressed condolences in connection with the collapse of a residential building in Florida. The tragedy occurred on June 24, 78 people were killed.
It is known that the telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden lasted an hour.
The quality of the road surface on the Moscow Region Central Ring Road (CRR) was appreciated by Vladimir Putin at the wheel of the presidential Aurus.
On a short trip, the head of state was accompanied by a girl - an Avtodor specialist. And, of course, not some ordinary employee.
As it became clear from the dialogue, the chief specialist Stanislav Kuznetsova prepared thoroughly for the presentation of the road for the President.
At this time, the builders were already waiting for the President's command to start the movement along the last remaining section of the Central Ring Road.
To the sound of horns, a column of construction equipment set off along the section between Simferopol and Kaluga highways. Traditionally, the builders were the first to get the right to drive on the new road.
At the head of the convoy are two unmanned trucks. These last 25 kilometers, due to the abundance of engineering communications, turned out to be the most difficult - the road was built here for more than a year. And now the Central Ring has closed.
The central ring road runs about 50 kilometers from the Moscow Ring Road. The highway is laid bypassing large settlements and connects 13 federal highways. One of the sections of the Central Ring Road also passes through the territory of new Moscow.
This is on frames of accelerated shooting, where days and weeks are compressed into seconds, everything seems to be fast and simple. In fact, the construction of the giant ring road took about seven years.
First, the western section was opened - from the Kaluzhskoe highway to the M-10 Russia highway. It's free. Only a small part of it has been rebuilt, mainly a reconstructed concrete pavement.
Further clockwise. The longest is the third launch complex: the 106-kilometer track was built from scratch. From the highway M-11 Neva to M-7 Volga. You can fly along it from the north-west to the south-east of the Moscow region in an hour.
Last winter, TsKAD-4, 97 kilometers long, also started working. It connects the highways M-7 Volga and M-4 Don. And here is the finish line to the Kaluga highway.
A total of 55 bridges, 144 overpasses and 18 transport interchanges have been built on the 336.5 km long highway.
The new road will become a key factor in the development of the Moscow region. It will create about 15 thousand jobs.
The Central Ring Road will become part of the Europe-Western China international corridor. The Russian section of the transport artery with a length of 2500 kilometers will include a high-speed highway from the Kazakh border, the Moscow-Kazan highway under construction with an exit through the new ring around Moscow to the M-11 road to St. Petersburg.
In 2024, a high-speed highway from Kazan to Yekaterinburg should also open. The President discussed the progress of work with the governors and Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnulin, who is in charge of the project.
After the launch ceremony, Vladimir Putin talked with the builders of the Central Automobile Ring.
Almost 180 thousand cars pass along the highway every day. Now, after the commissioning of all sections of the new ring, this figure is likely to become even higher.
Vladimir Putin talked to children who are already looking for their own way, dreaming, thinking. On Family, Love and Fidelity Day, he spoke via video link with the finalists of the Bolshaya Peremena contest. For the first time there are so many of them. And for the first time, so many fresh, interesting ideas.
This year, the geography of the Bolshaya Peremena contest is wider, and there are more participants.
Over 2.5 million schoolchildren. And for the first time, students from fifth to seventh grades - more than a million children. In Artek these days there are finalists, with whom the President traditionally contacts.
By the way, the conversation with the President is not yet the finale of Bolshaya Peremena. The winners will be announced in a week. High school students will receive financial awards, and pupils from the fifth to seventh grades - tickets for the special train Bolshaya Peremena, which will travel on the Transsib in September.
The first topic of Vladimir Putin's Cabinet meeting on Wednesday was the tragedy in Kamchatka, where the An-26 plane crashed on a regular flight on the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Polana route.
Rescuers are working at the crash site, they are faced with the task of finding and identifying the bodies of the victims. There are three versions of what happened - unfavorable weather conditions, aircraft failure and crew error.
"A technical commission has been set up to investigate the incident. Unfavorable weather conditions, technical failure and pilot error are being considered as the three main causes of the crash," the transport minister said.
Efforts are ongoing to search for, identify and evacuate the bodies of those killed in the crash, he added.
As of 4:30 p.m. local time, rescuers had found the fragments of 11 bodies on the crash site. The terrain’s features and complex weather conditions are complicating the rescue operation, Savelyev informed.
The Russian transport minister said he had visited the crash site. "As of now, the commission members and I have made a flight over the crash site," he said.
"Today we flew along the route in weather conditions that were not very good but we landed at [the community of] Palana, using a different route and experienced no problems. That is why, we want to understand why the plane’s commander made such a difficult decision," the transport minister said, without elaborating on it.
An Antonov An-26 passenger plane belonging to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airline went missing on July 6. The plane bound from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky for Palana was carrying 22 passengers and six crewmembers.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry earlier confirmed that the bodies of 19 people had been found on the crash site. The search is being complicated by a storm. Debris from the plane was found 3.8 kilometers away from the airport of Palana, according to the Emergencies Ministry.
The elections in Armenia demonstrated that the acting Prime Minister of the country Nikol Pashinyan has the confidence of the people, this is the most important condition for further development. This opinion was expressed by Vladimir Putin, welcoming Pashinyan to the Kremlin on Wednesday.
"And for this, the most important thing is to have the people's trust. You have it. This is shown by the results of the elections," the Russian President added.
The head of the Russian state emphasized that in difficult times for any country, people's trust is the most important condition for further development: "I really, sincerely congratulate you on this, I hope that we can formally and informally with you at lunch time. talk on all the issues that we have discussed in such detail lately and which require our solution."
Nikol Pashinyan said that the situation in the region is not very stable. "Of course, everyone knows your personal efforts and the efforts of the Russian Federation in achieving a ceasefire in the 44-day war, and I must say that after the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in general, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is stable, but from time to time there are some hotbeds of concern. , instability, ”he noted.
Russian Su-30 fighters intercepted a US Navy Boeing P-8 Poseidon multi-mission maritime patrol plane over the Black Sea on Tuesday evening, Russia’s National Defense Control Center reported on Wednesday.
Russian radar stations detected an aerial target approaching Russia’s state border. Su-30 fighters of the Black Sea Fleet’s quick reaction alert naval aviation and air defense forces were scrambled to identify the target, the statement says.
"The crews of the Russian fighters identified the aerial target as a Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft and shadowed it over the Black Sea," the National Defense Control Center said.
The aircraft that belonged to the United States was not allowed to violate Russia’s state border, the National Defense Control Center stressed.
Currently, NATO’s Sea Breeze multinational naval maneuvers are running in the Black Sea. The drills involve Ukraine, the United States, Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, and Latvia. About 4,000 personnel, 40 warships, 30 aircraft, and over 100 motor and armored vehicles are involved in the Sea Breeze 2021 maneuvers.
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is an anti-submarine warfare plane that is also capable of accomplishing patrol operations. Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft are operational in some NATO countries, including the United States. The aircraft has an operating range of over 8,000 km. It is capable of employing various anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare armaments, including Harpoon missiles.
Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in the mode of videoconference, addressed the Conference of Heads of Prosecutor's Offices of European States, which is taking place in St. Petersburg.
Despite the difference in powers and the specifics of national legislation, prosecutorial offices play an important role in ensuring the priority of law in European countries, protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens, as well as the interests of the state and society. These main goals and objectives unite European prosecutors' offices and underline the importance of cooperation and constructive professional partnership.
Putin stressed the importance of the upcoming discussion of the role of the prosecutor's office in protecting civil rights in accordance with the principles of the European Convention on Human Rights: 'People, their rights and freedoms are the greatest value, and the state's duty is to create effective mechanisms for their smooth implementation.'
Also, compliance with the norms and requirements of environmental safety, the fight against cybercrime and the fight against illegal migration deserve serious attention. These are common challenges for all European countries, and the effectiveness of a joint response to them will largely determine social stability, law and order, as well as the sustainable development of the states of the European continent.
300 years since the industrial development of Kuzbass. An important date for the entire region. It is one of the largest coal deposits in the world. And Vladimir Putin came to discuss the ambitious plans set by the residents of Kuzbass.
This flaming heart can be seen from kilometers away - there is no better symbol of the hard and selfless labor of the miners. A miner growing out of a block of coal looks at the capital of Kuzbass, which appeared thanks to such nameless heroes.
Laying flowers at the monument to the Kuzbass miners is the first point on Vladimir Putin's trip to the region. Governor Sergei Tsivilev attended the ceremony with the head of state.
Now a new page is being filled in the history of Kuzbass: roads, housing are being built in the region, kindergartens, schools and hospitals are opening.
The first Presidential Cadet School beyond the Urals has opened, where boys from all over the country come. The head of state was given a tour of the buildings, equipped with the latest technology, where cadets study robotics and artificial intelligence, master science and play sports.
The Governor proposed building a similar cadet corps for girls and asked the president to support the project.
On behalf of the President, a cultural and educational cluster is being built here, the same ones are being built in Vladivostok, Kaliningrad and Sevastopol. Branches of the Mariinsky Theater, the Russian Museum, a music school at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and corps of the country's leading universities will appear in Kemerovo.
According to the project, the Siberian cluster was supposed to be completed in 2023, but the builders are ahead of schedule - the first buildings will open the doors this academic year.
The new facility also hosts celebrations for the 300th anniversary of the region: the Kuzbass Ice Palace is capable of receiving six thousand spectators. But the number of guests was reduced due to the difficult situation with the coronavirus, and security measures were increased.
The head of state congratulated the people of Kuzbass, stressing that the main wealth of the region is its people with special Siberian hardening.
This Siberian character, as before, can give a new impetus to the development of the region.
The future of the region was discussed at a meeting between the President and the Governor. Sergei Tsivilev reported on the already built and renovated schools, sports complexes, and outlined the tasks for the future.
In addition, the government approved the Kuzbass development program until 2024 - the region will be allocated more than 50 billion rubles from the federal budget. And here the emphasis will be placed on the participation of Kuzbass companies.
Vladimir Putin discussed with Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov the development and diversification of defense industry products.
How to increase the share of civilian products at the enterprises of the military-industrial complex? This question was raised today in Novo-Ogarevo at a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, who oversees the defense industry complex in the government.
The scope of work for defense enterprises can be ensured, among other things, thanks to price preferences and restrictions on purchases of foreign goods. According to Borisov, at the same time, the quality of the supplied products is carefully monitored so that they correspond to the best world analogues.
Vladimir Putin approved the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation.
The new Security Strategy proceeds from the fact that our world is going through a period of radical transformation. The number of centers of power, regional and global, is constantly growing; The West, which is in deep crisis, is trying by all means to maintain its hegemony; and transnational corporations seek to limit the influence of traditional states.
The document states: Russia is faced with colossal external pressure designed to slow down the development of our country. A number of states have openly declared us opponents, and the likelihood of regional wars with the participation of nuclear powers is growing. The source of the threat is directly named.
An integrated approach, because the problem is complex. Even if the United States and its allies do not dare to engage in a direct military conflict, they will confine themselves to minor mischief, such as provocation of a British destroyer, many other means of pressure remain in their arsenal.
They are trying to isolate Russia, tear it away from its traditional allies and partners. How far everything can go can be seen in the example of Ukraine. On Wednesday, during a direct line, Vladimir Putin said that he did not consider the Ukrainian people unfriendly. But then he added: 'I am concerned about something else. A more fundamental thing namely the beginning of the militarization of the Ukrainian territory. This creates significant security problems for us. This concerns really already vital interests of the Russian Federation and the Russians.'
And here's a classic example of non-military pressure we've all felt: sanctions. The authors of the strategy are convinced that in order to resist them, Russia must be both economically open and economically independent. Thus, a clause on reducing the use of the dollar appeared in the new document. And it is emphasized that we are being forced to take this step.
Information security: an area that requires a lightning-fast response.
IT technologies are developing most dynamically - the number of hacker attacks on domestic resources from other countries is also growing. Including those whose armed forces have cyber troops and are practicing attacks on critical objects of our infrastructure. The use of foreign technologies and equipment in our country increases vulnerability, which means that here, too, we must strive for self-sufficiency. And also IT-technologies make it possible to carry out rapid raids on an invisible, but very important information front. The very fight for the minds that Russia lost at the end of the twentieth century. And which has not ended since.
And also IT-technologies make it possible to carry out rapid raids on an invisible, but very important information front. The very fight for the minds that Russia lost at the end of the twentieth century. And which has not ended since. This is a revision of basic morality, the propaganda of permissiveness and unlimited consumption - it would be naive to think that all this arose by itself.
In addition, the Strategy points to the obvious demand of Russian society for greater efficiency of public administration, greater social justice and an increase in the well-being of the people. Defense issues are vital. But even in the face of incredible external pressure, the authors of the strategy put them as the second item on the list of priorities. In the first place is the preservation of the people, the combination of the power of the state and the welfare of its citizens. This is not something new - Vladimir Putin spoke about this, for example, in his message to the Federal Assembly: 'The meaning and content of Russia's policy in the international arena is to ensure peace and security for the well-being of our citizens, for the stable development of the country. Russia has its own interests, and, of course, which we defend and will defend, within the framework of international law. And if someone refuses to understand this obvious thing, does not want to conduct a dialogue, chooses a selfish and arrogant tone. Russia will always find a way to defend its position.'
Russia is working on an updated edition of the Collective Security Concept for the Persian Gulf and will soon present it to the parties concerned, Sergey Lavrov said on Friday after talks with his visiting Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani.
Traditionally, Moscow has maintained friendly relations with all Gulf countries, being guided by the principles of equality and mutual respect. Russia began to work on a concept of collective security in the Gulf back in the 1990s when the geopolitical situation was absolutely different. The concept envisages a step-by-step progression, on the basis of equal cooperation between all regional countries and other sides concerned, to unblock conflict situations, foster trust and control measures, and ultimately forge a mechanism of collective security and cooperation in this sub-region.
On Friday, Vladimir Putin held an operational meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council via videoconference. The main topic is digitalization in the field of security.
"Recently, we have been not only talking at length about digitising the economy and all our life as a whole, but also doing much in this area.
Today, we will talk about the role of our cooperation in this area in the public administration and national security of Russia, including all of its aspects linked with ensuring defence capability and domestic security and so on. There are many issues in this area.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko is supposed to speak today on this topic. He is in charge of this area of work in the Government,"Putin stressed.
The contradictions in the intentions and actions of Joe Biden in relation to Russia, according to Vladimir Putin, are due to the fact that Washington is trying to maintain its monopoly, despite the cardinal changes in the world. On the one hand, the American leadership understands this, and therefore a meeting took place in Geneva. On the other hand, they strive to maintain their monopoly at all costs. Hence the threats and further destructive behavior, including exercises, provocations and sanctions.
The Russian President drew an analogy between the leadership of the United States (in fact, President Biden) and a child: "There is a little child, who does not even talk yet, and he made a mess, so his mother told him firmly: 'Never do that again. Switch on your head.' And at that very moment he did that motion with his finger, said 'click' and switched on his head. Good job."
Conventional dads and moms in the United States, highly respected analysts, scientists and practical workers, even in the past, give advice to their political leaders and their political class that is in power in the broad sense of the word. What is this advice? They tell them the following: “Listen, the time when we were an absolute hegemon after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the period of the unipolar world is gone, and you must operate on the premise that the world is changing, and doing so rapidly.”
As an example, he cited Russia, which is developing despite all the obstacles created by the West: "No matter what sanctions are being imposed on Russia, and no matter what they do to frighten us, Russia is nonetheless making progress. Its economic sovereignty is growing, its defence capability has reached a very high level, and, in many important parameters, it has surpassed many countries, in some respects, including the United States.
In conclusion, Putin expressed the hope that Russian-American relations will return to normal.
Russia will keep providing fraternal Belarus with comprehensive support amid the challenging domestic political situation in that country and the external attempts to fuel tensions, Vladimir Putin told an online forum of Russian and Belarusian regions on Thursday.
'We will continue providing our fraternal Belarusian people with comprehensive support in the current rather challenging domestic political situation in Belarus, amid the ongoing political and sanctions pressure and persistent attempts to rock the boat from overseas,' Putin stressed.
Putin vowed that Russia would further support its 'Belarusian friends in countering sanctions-related restrictions, recently imposed by the EU.' 'We believe that the ban on the supplies of some Belarusian goods to the EU countries harms interests of businesses and people,' he noted.
The Russian president also said that 'Belarus remains not just a good neighbor for Russia but also its closest ally.'
The Russian leader greeted all the forum’s participants, noting that the event was being held via a video link again due to the pandemic.
'But it is important that such meetings of representatives of regional and local bodies of power, the business community, educational, scientific and cultural figures are regular and provide an opportunity to discuss the most essential issues of Russian-Belarusian interaction in politics, the economy and the humanitarian sphere and map out joint projects between regions of Russia and the Republic of Belarus,' Putin said.
The Russian leader also spoke about the discussions already held at the forum, the plans and decisions that had been adopted.
Russia considers the current Ukrainian leadership unfriendly, but not the Ukrainians, Vladimir Putin said during his annual Q&A session, known as the Direct Line with Vladimir Putin, on Wednesday.
'I do not consider the Ukrainian people unfriendly," the president said. "However, the current leadership of Ukraine is clearly unfriendly, unlike its people.'
Putin considers Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians to be one people.
The President promised to write an article detailing this topic in the near future. And he expects that people in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus will get acquainted with the real history of the ethnos of the three fraternal peoples.
The incident with the British guided missile destroyer Defender off Crimea was a clear provocation, Vladimir Putin said during his annual Q&A session on Wednesday.
This is, of course, a provocation, which is absolutely clear. What did these provocateurs want to show and what goals did they seek to achieve? First of all, it [the provocation] was comprehensive and was staged not only by the British but also by the Americans because the British warship ventured into our territorial waters in the afternoon while early in the morning, at 07:30, a US strategic reconnaissance plane took off from a NATO airfield in Greece, from Crete, I believe. I later received a report on that. We saw and observed it clearly,' Putin said.
The British destroyer's intrusion into Russia's territorial waters in the Black Sea pursued reconnaissance aims, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "It was obvious that the destroyer intruded in pursuit of military aims, trying to find out with the help of a reconnaissance plane what our armed forces' countermeasures to this sort of provocations might be, to see what facilities are activated, where they are located and how they work.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on June 23 that the Black Sea Fleet jointly with the border guards of the Federal Security Service (FSB) halted a violation of the state border by the UK Navy’s guided missile destroyer Defender off Crimea’s Fiolent Cape.
The British warship ventured three kilometers into the Russian territorial waters. A Russian guard ship fired warning shots while a Su-24M bomber dropped bombs in the UK warship’s path to chase it out of Crimean waters.
The Russian Defense Ministry slammed the UK destroyer’s operations as a gross violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and urged the British side to investigate the warship crew’s actions.
