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Putin calls for resuming production of intermediate missiles

Putin’s statement comes amid rising tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict in Ukraine and concern about possible nuclear attacks…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called for resuming production of intermediate-range missiles that were banned under a now-scrapped treaty with the United States.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, or INF, which banned ground-based nuclear and conventional missiles with a range of 500-5,500 kilometers (310-3,410 miles), was regarded as an arms control landmark when Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed it in 1988.

The U.S. withdrew from the treaty in 2019, citing Russian violations.

“We need to start production of these strike systems and then, based on the actual situation, make decisions about where — if necessary to ensure our safety — to place them,” Putin said at a meeting of Russia’s national security council.

Putin said Russia hadn’t produced such missiles since the 2019 treaty scrapping, but that “today it is known that the United States not only produces these missile systems, but has already brought them to Europe for exercises, to Denmark. Quite recently it was announced that they are in the Philippines.”

Since withdrawing from the treaty, the U.S. Army has moved forward with developing a conventional, ground-launched, midrange missile capability called the Typhon that would have been banned under the INF. The Typhon fires two Navy missiles, the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile and Standard Missile-6.

The last remaining arms-control pact between Washington and Moscow is the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. It’s set to expire in 2026, and the lack of dialogue on anchoring a successor deal has worried arms control advocates.

Putin’s statement comes amid rising tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict in Ukraine and concern about possible nuclear attacks.

In June, Putin spoke to executives from international news organizations about Moscow’s use of nuclear weapons.

“We have a nuclear doctrine, look what it says,” he said. “If someone’s actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible for us to use all means at our disposal. This should not be taken lightly, superficially.”

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Putin and Kim Jong-un forge ‘breakthrough’ partnership  

During their meeting, Putin presented Kim with an Aurus car, repeating a gift from a previous encounter, and a tea set, while details of what Putin received were not disclosed but described as “also good gifts” by his aide Yuri Ushakov…reports Asian Lite News

Vladimir Putin has declared a significant elevation in ties between Russia and North Korea, emphasising a commitment to mutual assistance in the event of aggression, following what he described as a “breakthrough” strategic partnership announced during his rare visit to the reclusive state, CNN reported.

Thousands of North Koreans chanting “welcome Putin” lined the city’s wide boulevards brandishing Russian and North Korean flags and bouquets of flowers as Putin commenced his first visit to North Korea in 24 years.

According to Russian state news agency TASS, the leaders signed a comprehensive partnership agreement that supersedes previous accords from 1961, 2000, and 2001. Putin elaborated on the agreement, stating, “The comprehensive partnership agreement signed today includes, among other things, the provision of mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement.”

He hailed the pact as covering political, trade, investment, cultural, and security spheres, labelling it a “truly breakthrough document.” Putin also criticised joint military exercises involving the United States, South Korea, and Japan as “hostile” towards North Korea, characterizing US policy as “confrontational.” In response, Kim Jong-un praised the new “alliance” as a pivotal moment in bilateral relations.

The visit saw exuberant celebrations at a welcome ceremony in Kim Il Sung Square, where mounted soldiers, military personnel, and children with balloons cheered against a backdrop of large portraits of the two leaders. They exchanged greetings and stood together as the Russian national anthem played, later riding in an open-top limousine, smiling and waving to crowds, as reported by CNN.

During their meeting, Putin presented Kim with an Aurus car, repeating a gift from a previous encounter, and a tea set, while details of what Putin received were not disclosed but described as “also good gifts” by his aide Yuri Ushakov.

Putin arrived in North Korea exactly 24 years after his last visit to Pyongyang, heralding a deepening alignment between the two nations amid mutual animosity towards the West and international concerns over their growing military cooperation.

Accusations by multiple governments suggest Pyongyang has provided arms to Moscow for its ongoing conflict in Ukraine, allegations both countries have denied despite substantial evidence. Ahead of their talks, Kim expressed full support for Russia’s efforts, particularly in Ukraine, to protect sovereignty, safety, and territorial stability.

Putin underscored the relationship’s foundation on equality and mutual respect, foreseeing a new bilateral agreement as a cornerstone for future relations. He expressed hope for Kim’s visit to Moscow for their next meeting, according to CNN.

The burgeoning relationship has raised concerns in Seoul and Washington over North Korea’s arms transfers to Russia and the potential for Moscow to support Pyongyang’s heavily sanctioned weapons program with advanced military technology.

Kim, continuing a dynasty’s firm rule over North Korea, welcomed Putin visibly at the airport, marking a significant diplomatic boost amid heavy sanctions on missile and nuclear programs, with no other world leader visiting since the pandemic.

Tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula, exacerbated by Kim’s recent bellicose rhetoric and abandonment of a policy seeking peaceful reunification with South Korea, reacting to increased coordination among the US, South Korea, and Japan.

North Korean state media portrayed a close rapport between Kim and Putin, citing exchanges of thoughts and a commitment to strengthening relations during their journey from the airport to the Kumsusan State Guest House.

Putin’s visit follows Kim’s significant visit to Russia last year, seen as initiating a new chapter based on Russian arms needs amid the offensive in Ukraine. Reports indicate Russia received over 10,000 containers from North Korea since September, equivalent to 260,000 metric tons of munitions or related material, with at least 10 North Korean-made missiles launched on Ukraine by Russian forces.

Putin, seen as securing continued support amid delayed American military aid to Ukraine, thanked North Korea for consistent support against US hegemony and imperialism, highlighting shared opposition to a US-led global order.

He linked the meeting to historic ties, recalling past generations’ contributions to bilateral relations, notably his 2000 meeting with Kim Jong Il, Kim’s father, the first Russian head of state to visit North Korea, reciprocated by a nine-day rail journey to Moscow.

Despite historical ties, relations shifted with the Soviet Union’s collapse, and Russia established diplomatic relations with Seoul, supporting UN sanctions on North Korea’s weapons program.

Recent diplomacy reflects shared frustrations with the West, deepening ties accelerated by the Ukraine conflict, granting North Korea a powerful ally in the UN Security Council.

In March, Moscow vetoed a UN resolution renewing independent monitoring of North Korea’s sanctions violations, raising concerns over their relationship and weakened controls on Kim’s illicit weapons program.

Their new agreement this week supersedes previous treaties and declarations from 2000 and 2001, affirming a growing alliance amid international scrutiny and regional tensions, CNN reported. (ANI)

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Putin arrives in North Korea for his first visit in 24 years

Putin is scheduled to travel to Hanoi in a display of Communist-governed Vietnam’s ties to Russia that is likely to rankle the United States…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in North Korea on Wednesday morning (local time) on his first official visit to the East Asian nation in 24 years and is expected to meet with his counterpart Kim Jong Un, CNN reported.

This is a rare overseas trip for Putin since he launched the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and a key moment for Kim, who has not hosted another world leader in his politically isolated country since the COVID-19 pandemic.

This visit comes after North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un extended an invitation to Putin in September 2023. Putin last visited Pyongyang in July 2000 and this trip is a sign of the two countries’ deepening alignment and Moscow’s need to source weapons from Pyongyang to sustain its war on Ukraine, reported CNN.

Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov also commented on his trip to North Korea during a press conference Monday and stated that his trip will have an eventful agenda. Both leaders plan to sign a new strategic partnership.

Ushakov insisted the agreement is not provocative or aimed against other countries, but is meant to ensure greater stability in northeast Asia. He said the new agreement will replace documents signed between Moscow and Pyongyang in 1961, 2000 and 2001.

The streets of Pyongyang were decorated with Russian flags and posters of Vladimir Putin ahead of his early Wednesday morning arrival, his first visit to North Korea since 2000.

Putin’s visit will be closely watched across the world and is expected to cement further the burgeoning partnership between the two powers that is founded on their shared animosity toward the West and driven by Moscow’s need for munitions for its war in Ukraine.

Following his visit to North Korea, Putin is scheduled to travel to Hanoi in a display of Communist-governed Vietnam’s ties to Russia that is likely to rankle the United States.

Regarding Putin’s visit US national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday the Biden administration wasn’t “concerned about the trip” itself, but added, “What we are concerned about is the deepening relationship between these two countries.”

The US, South Korea and other countries have accused North Korea of providing substantial military aid to Russia’s war effort in recent months, while observers have raised concerns that Moscow may be violating international sanctions to aid Pyongyang’s development of its nascent military satellite program. Both countries have denied arms transfer.

Putin’s trip reciprocates one Kim made last September, when the North Korean leader travelled in his armoured train to Russia’s far eastern region, for a visit that included stops at a factory that produces fighter jets and a rocket-launch facility. (ANI)

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EU urged to welcome skilled Russians to ‘bleed’ Putin regime

Speaking at the French Institute of International Relations, Gudkov unveiled a study of the Russian diaspora in several EU member states, one of the first attempts to study the Ukraine war-triggered exodus…reports Asian Lite News

A group of exiled Kremlin critics on Tuesday urged EU countries to do more to welcome Russians fleeing Vladimir Putin’s regime, arguing that a shortage of skilled workers would deal a blow to the country’s war-time economy.

According to some estimates, up to one million people have fled Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022 but some of them have begun returning back, discouraged by the scarcity of available jobs and difficulties getting visas and long-term residence permits, in countries like Turkiye but also in the European Union.

“One less engineer is one less missile flying in the direction of Ukraine,” Russian opposition politician and former lawmaker Dmitry Gudkov said in Paris.

Speaking at the French Institute of International Relations, Gudkov unveiled a study of the Russian diaspora in several EU member states, one of the first attempts to study the Ukraine war-triggered exodus.

Conducted by researchers associated with the University of Nicosia on behalf of a new think tank co-established by Gudkov and the economist Vladislav Inozemtsev, the study is based on a survey of over 3,200 Russians living in France, Germany, Poland and Cyprus.

Nearly 80 percent of respondents left Russia after 2014, the year Putin annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Of them, 44 percent fled after the full-scale invasion.

As part of policy recommendations, the study called for a broad program of “economic migration” from Russia, adding that most Russians who have fled the country were well-educated “Russian Europeans” supporting Western values.

“The strategy to undermine the Putin regime should include orchestrated ‘bleeding’: stimulating the outflow of qualified specialists and money from Russia unrelated to the war,” the study said.

Authorities in Moscow have acknowledged that labor shortages have become a serious problem, threatening economic growth.

Inozemtsev said more should be done, arguing that welcoming skilled Russians and their financial resources could be a more effective blow against the Kremlin than multiple rounds of Western sanctions that have so far failed to halt Russia’s war machine.

“Even we have been surprised by the qualifications of those who have left,” Inozemtsev said.

Citing figures from 2022, the study said the average monthly salary of Russian immigrants in Cyprus stood at more than 5,480 euros ($5,880), compared with the average monthly salary of 2,248 euros for native Cypriots.

Mindful of the rise of anti-immigrant sentiments across Europe, the study argued that Russian exiles could integrate into European societies relatively easily and would not be a burden on social security systems.

Several hundred thousand Russians could also provide an “additional boost” to slow-growing European economies, the study said, adding that in the future the exiles could help promote “reconciliation between Europe and Russia.”

EU nations, especially France and Germany, have welcomed anti-Kremlin Russians since the start of the invasion. But Gudkov said problems persisted and EU governments were concerned that new arrivals could pose a security risk.

Russian and Belarusian citizens, who were initially approved to serve as volunteers for the Olympic Games in Paris, were told by organizers in May that they had not passed security checks.

Ordinary Russians have also been affected by the fallout of sanctions.

Gudkov’s father Gennady Gudkov, himself a prominent Kremlin critic now based in France, said he struggled to open a bank account despite receiving political asylum.

Dmitry Gudkov said many Russian exiles were struggling and it was no surprise that some choose to go back to Russia.

“It is very hard to live like this,” he said.

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Putin threatens to arm countries that could hit Western targets

Putin was also probed about what a victory for former US President Donald Trump or incumbent Joe Biden would mean for US-Russia relations — an issue the Russian leader shrugged off…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday criticized the West’s delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine, arguing Moscow could arm other countries with similar weapons to attack Western targets.

The comment — which Putin made at a rare press conference with foreign news outlets — came after several Western countries including the United States gave Ukraine the green light to strike targets inside Russia, a move Moscow has called a grave miscalculation.

“If someone thinks it is possible to supply such weapons to a warzone to attack our territory and create problems for us, why don’t we have the right to supply weapons of the same class to regions of the world where there will be strikes on sensitive facilities of those (Western) countries,” Putin said.

“That is, the response can be asymmetric. We will think about it,” he told reporters.

But the 71-year-old Kremlin chief dismissed as “bollocks” suggestions Russia planned to attack NATO members.

“There is no need to look for some imperial ambitions of ours. There are none,” he said.

Putin warned that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine were “a very negative step,” saying that donors were “controlling” the weapons.

The Russian leader singled out Germany for particular criticism, saying that when the first German-supplied tanks “appeared on Ukrainian soil, it provoked a moral and ethical shock in Russia” because of the legacy of World War II.

Referring to German authorities, he said: “When they say that there will be more missiles which will hit targets on Russian territory, this definitively destroys Russian-German relations.”

Sitting opposite representatives from news outlets including AFP, Putin repeated that his country “did not start the war against Ukraine,” instead blaming a pro-Western revolution in 2014.

“Everyone thinks that Russia started the war in Ukraine. I would like to emphasize that nobody in the West, in Europe, wants to remember how this tragedy started,” Putin said.

He declined to give the number of Russia’s battlefield losses in the more than two-year conflict, saying only that Ukraine’s were five times higher.

“I can tell you that as a rule, no one talks about it,” Putin rebuffed, when asked why Russia had not yet disclosed a figure.

“If we talk about irrecoverable losses, the ratio is one to five,” he said.

The issue of military casualties is extremely sensitive in Russia, where all criticism of the conflict is banned and “spreading false information” about the army carries a maximum 15 year jail sentence.

When asked about the killing of AFP video journalist Arman Soldin in Ukraine last year, likely as a result of Russian rocket fire, Putin indicated Moscow was ready to help investigate.

“We will do everything in our power,” he said.

“We are ready to do this work. I do not know how it could be done in practice since this person died in a warzone.”

Putin was also probed about what a victory for former US President Donald Trump or incumbent Joe Biden would mean for US-Russia relations — an issue the Russian leader shrugged off.

“By and large there’s no difference,” he said.

However he called Trump’s recent criminal charges for business fraud politically motivated, arguing his conviction “burned” the idea that Washington was a leading democracy.

“It is obvious all over the world that the prosecution of Trump… is simply the utilization of the judicial system during an internal political struggle,” Putin said.

“Their supposed leadership in the sphere of democracy is being burned to the ground,” the Russian leader added.

Trump became the first former US head of state ever convicted of a crime last week after a New York jury found him guilty of 34 felony charges in a hush money case.

Trump, who faces an election in November that could see him return to the White House, has praised Putin as a “smart guy.”

Putin also said Russia and the United States were in “constant contact” over a possible prisoner exchange that would free jailed US journalist Evan Gershkovich who was arrested on espionage charges last year.

“The relevant services in the US and Russia are in constant contact with one another and of course they will decide only on the basis of reciprocity,” Putin said.

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Putin says Ukraine should hold presidential election

Speaking of NATO members in Europe, Putin said that small countries there “should be aware of what they are playing with,” as they had small land areas and very dense populations…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Tuesday that NATO members in Europe were playing with fire by proposing to let Ukraine use Western weapons to strike deep inside Russia, which he said could trigger a global conflict.

More than two years into the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two, Putin has increasingly spoken of the risk of a much broader global conflict as the West grapples with what to do about the advance of Russian troops in Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told The Economist that alliance members should let Ukraine strike deep into Russia with Western weapons, a view supported by some NATO members but not by the United States.

“Constant escalation can lead to serious consequences,” Putin told reporters in Tashkent. “If these serious consequences occur in Europe, how will the United States behave, bearing in mind our parity in the field of strategic weapons?“

“It’s hard to say — do they want a global conflict?“

Putin said Ukrainian strikes on Russia with long-range weapons would need Western satellite, intelligence and military help — so the West would be directly involved. He said sending French troops to Ukraine would be a step toward a global conflict.

Speaking of NATO members in Europe, Putin said that small countries there “should be aware of what they are playing with,” as they had small land areas and very dense populations.

“This is a factor that they should keep in mind before talking about striking deep into Russian territory,” Putin said.

Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine touched off the worst breakdown in relations with the West for 60 years, and the crisis is escalating into what diplomats say is its most dangerous phase to date.

The invasion has caused the deaths of tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians, driven millions to flee abroad, and reduced neighborhoods and whole cities to rubble.

Russia, which controls 18 percent of Ukraine, is advancing and has opened a new front in the Kharkiv region, triggering a debate in the West about what else it can do after giving Kyiv hundreds of billions of dollars in aid, weapons and intelligence.

Western leaders and Ukraine have played down Russia’s warnings about the risk of a broader war involving Russia, the world’s biggest nuclear power, and NATO, the world’s most powerful military alliance led by the United States.

Ukraine says it should be able to hit behind Russian lines, including against Russian sovereign territory, to fight back.

But Russian officials say Moscow’s patience is wearing thin after repeated Ukrainian attacks on Russian cities, oil refineries, and, in recent days, even against elements of its nuclear early warning system.

Asked by Russian state television about the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin said the only legitimate authority in Ukraine now was parliament, and that its head should be given power.

Zelensky has not faced an election despite the expiry of his term due to martial law which was imposed after the invasion.

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Putin starts new six-year term with challenge to the West

Putin told Russia’s political elite after being sworn in that he was not rejecting dialogue with the West, including on nuclear weapons…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was up the West to choose between confrontation and cooperation as he was sworn in for a new six-year term on Tuesday at a Kremlin ceremony that was boycotted by the United States and many of its allies.

More than two years into the war in Ukraine, Putin said he wanted to “bow” before Russia’s soldiers there and declared in his inauguration speech that his landslide re-election in March was proof the country was united and on the right track.

“You, citizens of Russia, have confirmed the correctness of the country’s course. This is of great importance right now, when we are faced with serious challenges,” he told dignitaries in a gilded Kremlin hall where a trumpet fanfare sounded to greet his arrival.

“I see in this a deep understanding of our common historical goals, a determination to adamantly defend our choice, our values, freedom and the national interests of Russia.”

At 71, Putin dominates the domestic political landscape. Leading opposition figures are in prison or exile, and his best known critic, Alexei Navalny, died suddenly in an Arctic penal colony in February.

Yulia Navalnaya, the late dissident’s wife, urged supporters in a video on Tuesday to keep up the struggle against Putin. “With each of his terms, everything only gets worse, and its’ frightening to imagine what else will happen while Putin remains in power,” she said.

On the international stage, Putin is locked in a confrontation with Western countries he accuses of using Ukraine as a vehicle to try to defeat and dismember Russia.

Putin told Russia’s political elite after being sworn in that he was not rejecting dialogue with the West, including on nuclear weapons.

“The choice is theirs: do they intend to continue trying to restrain the development of Russia, continue the policy of aggression, incessant pressure on our country for years, or look for a path to cooperation and peace?” he said.

With Russia’s troops advancing gradually in eastern Ukraine, the top US intelligence official said last week that Putin appeared to see domestic and international developments trending in his favor and the conflict was unlikely to end anytime soon.

It remains unclear how far Putin will seek to press the war and on what terms he might discuss ending it — decisions that will depend in part on whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump wins the US presidential election in November. Ukraine says peace can only come with a full withdrawal of Russia’s troops, who control nearly 20 percent of its territory.

Putin, in power as president or prime minister since 1999, will surpass Soviet leader Josef Stalin and become Russia’s longest-serving ruler since 18th century Empress Catherine the Great if he completes a new six-year term. He would then be eligible to seek re-election again.

He won victory by a record margin in a tightly controlled election from which two anti-war candidates were barred on technical grounds. The opposition called it a sham.

The United States, which said it did not consider his re-election free and fair, stayed away from Tuesday’s ceremony.

Britain, Canada and most EU nations also decided to boycott the swearing-in, but France said it would send its ambassador.

Ukraine said the event sought to create “the illusion of legality for the nearly lifelong stay in power of a person who has turned the Russian Federation into an aggressor state and the ruling regime into a dictatorship.”

Sergei Chemezov, a Putin ally, told Reuters before the ceremony, that Putin brought stability, something which even his critics should welcome.

“For Russia, this is the continuation of our path, this is stability – you can ask any citizen on the street,” he said.

Russia’s relations with the United States and its allies are at their lowest point since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the world came to the brink of nuclear war.

The West has provided Ukraine with artillery, tanks and long-range missiles, but NATO troops have not joined the conflict directly, something that both Putin and Biden have warned could lead to World War Three.

Underscoring the rise in nuclear tensions, Russia said on Monday it would practice the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise, after what it said were threats from France, Britain and the United States.

One of the decisions awaiting Putin in his new term will be whether to seek to renew or replace the last remaining treaty that limits Russian and US strategic nuclear warheads. The New START agreement is due to expire in 2026.

In line with the constitution, the government resigned at the start of the new presidential term. Putin ordered it to remain in office while he appoints a new one which is expected to include many of the same faces.

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Putin Orders Tactical Nuclear Exercise: Why?

The announcement did not say if the missiles would be equipped with nuclear warheads…reports Asian Lite News

Russia will conduct an exercise of its tactical nuclear forces on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, the Defence Ministry announced on Monday.

The announcement did not say if the missiles would be equipped with nuclear warheads. Russia has previously carried out nuclear forces training without nuclear warheads.

“As part of the exercise, a series of activities will be carried out to practice the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons,” the Defence Ministry in Moscow said.

It was initially unclear when and where exactly the exercise, in which the southern defence district and the naval forces are involved, would begin.

In October, the Russian military fired two intercontinental missiles and several cruise missiles for training and deterrence purposes. It justified the exercise, which it had announced, by alleging “provocative statements and threats by individual Western officials against the Russian Federation.”

Since the start of its full-scale war against Ukraine more than two years ago, Russian representatives have repeatedly tried to test international support for Kyiv by stirring up fears of a nuclear war.

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Putin says plans to visit China next month

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin had in February this year accused Washington of “interfering” in their countries’ affairs during a telephone call…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he has plans to visit China this May, Kyodo reported citing Russian news agency TASS.

This would mark the first overseas trip of Putin after his fifth term in office begins May 7.

“I have a visit (to China) scheduled in May,” Putin was quoted as saying in his address at the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs congress on Thursday, Kyodo reported.

The announcement by Putin came shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin had in February this year accused Washington of “interfering” in their countries’ affairs during a telephone call.

Xi Jinping had met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing earlier this month, marking the first face-to-face discussion between Lavrov and Xi in six years. Their last meeting in 2018 occurred just before Putin’s inaugural visit to China following his re-election.

Since then, China and Russia have intensified their economic, trade, and diplomatic collaborations, particularly in the aftermath of Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Despite Beijing claiming neutrality in the conflict, it has emerged as a crucial economic partner for Russia, providing vital support to its isolated economy. The two nations have also aligned diplomatically against perceived Western containment efforts.

Beijing has been importing Russian oil after other countries placed sanctions on Russian imports.

Putin’s last visit to Beijing occurred in October 2023 during the Belt and Road Forum, while Xi visited Moscow for a state visit in last March in 2023.

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Putin signs decree on spring military conscription

Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council via a video conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on Tuesday, July 04, 2023.(Photo:IANS/Kremlin)

The ministry said investigation of these incidents showed that “the traces of these crimes lead to Ukraine.”…reports Asian Lite News

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out the routine spring conscription campaign, calling up 150,000 citizens for statutory military service, a document posted on the Kremlin’s website showed on Sunday.

All men in Russia are required to do a year-long military service, or equivalent training during higher education, from the age of 18.

In July Russia’s lower house of parliament voted to raise the maximum age at which men can be conscripted to 30 from 27. The new legislation came into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Compulsory military service has long been a sensitive issue in Russia, where many men go to great lengths to avoid being handed conscription papers during the twice-yearly call-up periods.

Conscripts cannot legally be deployed to fight outside Russia and were exempted from a limited mobilisation in 2022 that gathered at least 300,000 men with previous military training to fight in Ukraine – although some conscripts were sent to the front in error.

In September Putin signed an order calling up 130,000 people for the autumn campaign and last spring Russia planned to conscript 147,000.

Meanwhile, Russia is demanding that Ukraine hand over all people connected with terrorist acts committed in Russia, including the head of the country’s SBU Security Service, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

The SBU immediately dismissed the Russian demand as “pointless” and said the Russian ministry had “forgotten” that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin was the subject of an international arrest warrant.

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement listed violent incidents that have occurred in Russia since the Kremlin’s forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, including bombings that killed the daughter of a prominent nationalist and a war blogger, and an incident in which a writer was seriously hurt.

The ministry said investigation of these incidents showed that “the traces of these crimes lead to Ukraine.”

“Russia has turned over to Ukrainian authorities its demands … for the immediate arrest and extradition of all those connected to the terrorist acts in question,” the statement said.

Among those listed in the statement to be handed over are SBU head Vasyl Maliuk, who has acknowledged his service was behind attacks on the bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland since the Kremlin’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russia seized control of Crimea in 2014; the bridge was built after the region was annexed.

“The Russian side demands that the Kyiv regime immediately cease all support for terrorist activity, extradite guilty parties and compensate the victims for damages,” the ministry statement said.

“Ukraine’s violation of its obligations under anti-terrorist conventions will result in it being held to account in international legal terms.”

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