In an interview with Sputnik Serbia, Milovan Drecun, chairman of the Serbian parliament's Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, said NATO is behind Kosovo's push to create its own army.
Earlier this week, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci sent parliament a bill on transforming the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into a national army.
In another development, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke with Thaci and Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa via phone to express the "serious concerns of NATO allies" about Kosovo's militarization, the news website Balkan Insight reported.
"I made clear that unilateral steps such as these are unhelpful, and I urged the Kosovo authorities to remain in close contact with Serbs in Belgrade," Stoltenberg added.
NATO has approximately 4,500 troops stationed in Kosovo, which unilaterally proclaimed independence in 2008 and is recognized by over 100 UN member states. Serbia, as well as Russia, China, Israel, Iran, Spain, Greece and other countries don't recognize Kosovo's independence.
Serbian parliament members, for their part, said that they would block amendments to Kosovo' constitution that would allow the partially-recognized southeastern European country to engage in the arms build-up.
Three years ago, Kosovo made plans for a national army, but heretofore has been unable to overcome Serbian opposition within the Kosovo parliament.
In an interview with Sputnik Serbia, Milovan Drecun, chairman of the Serbian parliament's Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, specifically underscored the importance of adhering to a relevant UN resolution on the issue.
"A KFOR mission and NATO should respect UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which does not stipulate creating Kosovo's army. Meanwhile, relevant preparations have taken place for several years now, with NATO instructors training Kosovo soldiers. Actually, NATO created this army, which is why it's clear that Thaci [should] avoid making steps that would be out of line with the position of NATO and the most influential members of the alliance," Drecun said.
He added that "NATO and the US are trying to give a kind of legitimacy to Kosovo's move [to create its army], because even for them it is unacceptable that the Serbs, the second most influential national community in the province, were excluded from this process."
Drecun also said that Kosovo Serbs and Belgrade should [be engaged in] more diplomatic efforts within the UN, the EU and NATO in a bid to prevent Thaci from implementing his plans.
"It is necessary to point out to everyone that the [possible] Kosovo national army would become an additional destabilizing factor in the already destabilized situation," Drecun stressed.
Meanwhile during telephone talks with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday, Thaci warned Belgrade against interfering in the domestic affairs of the "sovereign state", but said that Vucic should make Serbian MPs support Pristina's push for creating the Kosovo army.
In separate development, the leader of Kosovo Albanians told Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty that the future Kosovo army would not pose a threat to the Balkans.
Instead, he did not think twice before pointing the finger at "the Russia's bases, MiG fighter jets and military exercises in Serbia
A meeting of the Defense Policy and Planning Committee (DPPC) with participation of Ukraine in the format of the NATO Defense Planning Process (NDPP) was held at NATO Headquarters on Tuesday, the Ukrainian Mission to the Alliance reports.
The event was attended by a delegation of representatives of government bodies of Ukraine participating in the NDPP, headed by Deputy Director of the Department for Military Policy, Strategic Planning and International Cooperation of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Colonel Oleksandr Buniak, a message released on the website of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine on Tuesday, says.
"During the meeting, the parties discussed the draft Evaluation of Ukraine's participation in the NDPP, which contains information on the main issues of defense and security policy, the state and prospects for the development of the security and defense sector, the financial and economic aspects, participation in peacekeeping operations on the implementation of the partnership goals chosen by our state," the message says.
The mission of Ukraine also informs that taking into account the relevance of the gender factor in the activities of defense and security institutions of Ukraine, as well as the implementation of the provisions of the UN Security Council resolution No. 1325 on women, peace and security, the parties agreed to include new goal of partnership - gender perspectives in the package of partnership goals for Ukraine for the current stage of NDPP.
The participants of the meeting noted the importance of practical implementation of certain partnership objectives, including strengthening democratic civil control over the Ukrainian Armed Forces and other military formations, transparency and accountability in the activities of the security and defense sectors, and the implementation of NATO standards. The sides also confirmed the readiness of the member states to contribute fully to the implementation of the tasks of reforming the defense and security spheres of the Ukrainian state.
The NDPP is a key mechanism developed by the Alliance to assist partner countries in achieving the compatibility of certain forces with the military forces of the armed forces of NATO member countries for joint participation in crisis management operations, as well as in the implementation of security and defense sector reform in accordance with Euro-Atlantic standards.
Situation on the ground. Situation in eastern Ukraine remains tense. Intensification of the hostile attacks upon the Ukrainian troops was observed through March 14-16. On March 19, the number of incidents finally decreased.
Missing persons. Four hundred and eighteen persons are considered missing in the combat area in Donbas. The figures were reported by Iryna Herashchenko, Ukraine’s representative to the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group, who quoted Ukraine’s Security Service as source for this information.
Life in “DPR” and “LPR”
Russia recognizes “D/LPR” “passports”. The Russian Federation recognized “D/LPR” “passports” valid alongside the Ukrainian IDs. The Russian State Duma reported that persons holding the abovementioned “documents”, who are not in the possession of the residence permit, are allowed to stay in Russia for 90 days, same as Ukraine citizens.
Referendum on joining the Russian Federation? Leader of the “LPR” Igor Plotnitsky said he did not rule out the possibility of a “referendum” on the “D/LPR” joining Russia. Plotnitsky also said they regarded the decision by the Ukrainian authorities to ban trade with the occupied areas to be “the actual recognition of independence of the self-proclaimed republics”.
Integration of the “republics” with Russia. Leaders of the “D/LPR” met representatives of the Russian authorities in occupied Crimea to discuss “the integration of Donbas into the Russian Federation”. Andrey Kozenko, MP of the Russian State Duma was designated coordinator of the so-called “Russia-Donbas Integration Committee”.
“DPR’s” “state border”. “DPR” leader Aleksandr Zakharchenko issued an “order” designating the contact line the “state border” as well as prohibiting to cross the contact line outside of the designated checkpoints. Persons crossing the line have to register with the so-called “DPR Ministry for State Security”.
It’s now legal to break into apartments. “LPR” allowed entering apartments in Luhansk without the owners’ consent. The excuse the leaders used is the alleged need to repair apartment block houses damaged by shelling. For reference: the active phase of combat actions in Luhansk ended three years ago.
Standoff over selection of the auditor for the National Anticorruption Bureau
National Anticorruption Bureau (NABU) and the audit. NABU is one of the few anticorruption agencies in Ukraine that may become an efficient tool in the fight against corruption. NABU has already proved its efficiency by detaining the Head of the Fiscal Service Roman Nasirov. Last week the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s Parliament) started debates regarding a candidate for the position of the NABU auditor. Apart from the Rada, the government and the President have their respective quotas to select the auditors. Audit is one of the few mechanisms that may result in removal from the office of the incumbent NABU Head Artem Sytnyk.
What the standoff is about? On February 23, the Head of the Anticorruption Committee, MP Yegor Soboliev officially suggested a candidate for the post, US lawyer Robert Storch. Storch was selected as NABU auditor through the official competition. However, all of a sudden at the parliamentary session on the same day factions Narodnyi Front and Petro Poroshenko Bloc suggested UK citizen Nigel Brown, who had not taken part in the selection.
Who are the candidates? Robert Storch, the winner of the competition, is Deputy Inspector General at the US Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. Nigel Brown is a private investigator in the UK.
Concerns. Expert community, as well as part of the MPs, raise concerns about the parliamentary coalition lobbying their candidate, Nigel Brown. They say the ultimate goal may be assessment of the NABU work as unsatisfactory and removal of the agency’s head from the office. Brown has not been yet granted any tools or access to the materials, however he has already evaluated the NABU’s work as “mediocre”. Experts consider it being an attempt to impede the work of the NABU.
Protests within the expert and international community. Experts of the Anticorruption Action Center conducted an investigation to discover that Nigel Brown was charged with an attempt of bribing a policeman. Moreover, the company he worked for was receiving money from offshore entities of Russian oligarchs Berezovsky and Khodorkovsky. At the same time the US and EU Ambassadors to Ukraine insist that the procedure to form the auditors’ commission needs to be transparent. Thus, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine Hug Mingarellispoke in support of Storch as the candidate earlier recommended by the Anticorruption Committee of the Parliament.
Next steps. Parliamentary Anticorruption Committee met three times to designate the auditor. However, the final and legitimate decision has not been made yet. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for March 29. Auditor selection is on the agenda.
Human rights: internally displaced persons from Donbas and Crimea demand their voting rights ensured
In Lviv on March 18 about one hundred internally displaced persons from Crimea and Donbas rallied demanding their voting rights implemented so they could vote at local elections.
Participants of the rally gathered by the monument to Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko. The posters read “I’ve been stripped of my right to vote. Which right is next?”, “Residence registration is not condemnation but a possibility” etc.
Three draft laws on the right to vote for internally displaced persons have been submitted to the Parliament, however neither of them has been considered so far. According to the Ministry for Social Policy, there are about 1.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Crimea and Donbas in Ukraine. The IDPs were unable to vote at local elections back in October 2015.
Reforms: protraction with the energy regulator
The Parliament and the President are ignoring their direct responsibility of initiating the selection of new members of the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy (NKREKP). NKREKP is a key agency responsible for forming and transparency of tariffs.
Increase of energy tariffs for households is a number one topic in the current social discourse. Consumers wish to know what they are paying for. If an independent commission is not established and its members are not appointed in time and without political pressure, it would not be possible to win people’s trust.
According to the law, the selection committee was supposed to have already started work to ensure that the first composition of the commission is appointed in timely manner. The work has not started though. A series of NGOs including UCMC called upon the authorities to stick to their responsibilities.
Opinion polling: is normalizing Ukraine-Russia relations impossible?
According to the research by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, half of Ukrainians think that restoring relations with the Russian Federation is possible, but only in the long-term perspective and if the following conditions are met: authorities change in the Russian Federation, Donbas is de-occupied, as well as the annexed Crimea is returned to Ukraine. Each fourth Ukraine citizen thinks that normalization will never happen.
Thirty-five per cent of respondents support the approach of limiting the contacts to the maximum and cutting all cooperation. Twenty-eight per cent expressed themselves in favor of preserving limited cooperation in critically important areas but not compromising on Donbas and Crimea. Fifteen per cent support the idea of finding a compromise with the Russian Federation at any cost. Thirteen to seventeen per cent of respondents across the country share the idea of the country joining the Customs Union, while 20 per cent think Crimea should not be returned to Ukraine.
Culture: Ukrainian animation film: an ambitious full-length project at the Bordeaux forum and “90 years of animation” flashmob
Ukrainian animation film “Mavka. The Forest Song”, which is currently at the production stage, was presented to professional audience at the Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux, France. Cartoon Movie is one of the key European industry events in animation that offers opportunities for co-production and distribution. “Mavka. The Forest Song” is a full-length animation feature film based on a classic novel by Lesia Ukrainka and Ukrainian myths. It is produced by Animagrad studio and Film.UA Group, 30 per cent of its budget is covered by the Ukrainian state. A team of costume historians is working over the project headed by the acclaimed fashion designer Olha Navrotska. “Mavka” team reports that participation in the Cartoon Movie was successful. The film got wide media coverage, there are ongoing negotiations as to the possibility of co-funding of the film.
Flashmob “90 years of Ukrainian animation” started on Facebook. Back in 1927 the first Ukrainian animation film was created. It was “The Tale of the Straw Bull” by Viacheslav Levandovsky. The flashmob suggests that participants post their favorite animations with hashtags #90animations#UkrainianAnimation90. Information in English, as well as some of the unique works that shed the light on the Ukrainian animation film school, are available from the project’s Facebook page.
Sports: Ukrainian gymnasts on the rise
Ukrainian athlete Oleh Verniaiev claimed the men’s all-around crown at the 2017 artistic gymnastics World Cup in Stuttgart on March 19. On the same day Ukrainian female gymnast Diana Varynska won the gold medal in uneven bars category at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Baku.
Absurd of the week: marijuana fields in Ukraine
Last week former Ukrainian MP of the “Party of Regions” Volodymyr Oliynyk, who fled to Moscow after Euromaidan, made quite an unusual statement. He said a Ukraine-based friend of his called him saying marijuana is being now grown everywhere in Ukraine. “Marijuana fields are planted amidst wheat and rye fields. Ukraine’s Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs are backing the case, and surely are benefiting from it,” the alleged friend told the ex-MP.
To remind, sales of narcotic substances is forbidden in Ukraine. No reports came from other sources to confirm the statement of the runaway MP. Earlier this week Michel Tereshchenko, mayor of the Ukrainian city of Hlukhiv in Sumy region, stated that the first-ever center of marijuana treatment in Ukraine will be launched in town.
According to Tereshchenko, the treatment will be conducted with a special type of cannabis that does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (the narcotic substance), but preserves cannabinoids that help cure such diseases as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, sclerosis etc.
Tereshchenko mentioned that the medical center is due to open within the three upcoming months. Negotiations with potential investors are currently on.
Absurd of the week: marijuana fields in Ukraine
Last week former Ukrainian MP of the “Party of Regions” Volodymyr Oliynyk, who fled to Moscow after Euromaidan, made quite an unusual statement. He said a Ukraine-based friend of his called him saying marijuana is being now grown everywhere in Ukraine. “Marijuana fields are planted amidst wheat and rye fields. Ukraine’s Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs are backing the case, and surely are benefiting from it,” the alleged friend told the ex-MP.
To remind, sales of narcotic substances is forbidden in Ukraine. No reports came from other sources to confirm the statement of the runaway MP. Earlier this week Michel Tereshchenko, mayor of the Ukrainian city of Hlukhiv in Sumy region, stated that the first-ever center of marijuana treatment in Ukraine will be launched in town.
According to Tereshchenko, the treatment will be conducted with a special type of cannabis that does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (the narcotic substance), but preserves cannabinoids that help cure such diseases as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, sclerosis etc.
Tereshchenko mentioned that the medical center is due to open within the three upcoming months. Negotiations with potential investors are currently on.
5. Russia’s supplies to militants • 24 railroad tank cars with fuel • 8 trucks with ammunition • 62nd “humanitarian convoy” consisting of 40 trucks carrying over 500 tons of unidentified cargo
7. Combat casualties of Ukrainian Forces 7 – KIA 40 – WIA
8. Civilian casualties Injured during enemy shellings 1 teenager in Valuiske 1 woman in Luhanske 2 women and 1 man in Avdiivka
9. Civil buildings and infrastructure damages • 29 residential buildings across the front line in the Donetsk & Mariupol sectors • 3 non-residential building in Avdiivka & Krasnohorivka • a kindergarten in Avdiivka • a humanitarian supplies distribution center in Zaitseve • power line in Hnutove • railway track sections in the frontline area in the Donetsk sector
Four NATO warships have entered the Port of Odessa, according to the Ukrainian Navy. The ships will remain until April 20, as NATO and Ukrainian marines engage in military competitions and peer learning.
According to the statement from the Ukrainian Navy, the ships will stay in Odessa until April 20. During their visit, the crew and commanders will meet with the command of the Ukrainian Navy, the heads of the Odessa Regional State Administration, and the Odessa City Council.
“The program of the visit also includes drills aimed at testing the durability of the ships, visits aboard NATO ships by Ukrainian Navy servicemen and sports competitions between them and the ships’ crew,” the press service stated.
Last month, NATO member nations agreed to increase the alliance’s presence in the Black Sea at a ministerial meeting of the bloc on February 16.
“We agreed on two additional maritime measures: an increased NATO naval presence in the Black Sea for enhanced training, exercises and situational awareness, and a maritime coordination function for our Standing Naval Forces when operating with other Allied forces in the Black Sea region,” Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced at the time.
A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman has made a veiled threat that its air-defense units could shoot down U.S. aircraft in Syria if they attack Syrian army positions. Igor Kamashenkov said Russian crews might not have time to identify "unidentified flying objects" before giving them a "surprise." (The is a difference in shooting down a US war plane than shooting down an unarmed passenger flight over Ukraine)
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is aiming to acquire 30 new vessels for the country’s Navy by 2020, and to upgrade its training facilities under a program worth 500 million hryvnia (US $20 million), the ministry said.
The two programs are related to Ukraine’s ongoing military efforts in the country’s eastern part, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been combating Russia-backed insurgents.
Currently, the Ukrainian Navy "is actively involved in the anti-terrorist operation in the provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk, prepared to counter a seaborne armed aggression," the ministry said in a statement.
The planned acquisitions are expected to enable a "radical modernisation" of the Ukrainian Navy's combat capabilities, the statement said.
Most recently, the Defense Ministry signed a contract with the state-run Leninska Kuznya shipyard under which the Kiev-based shipbuilder will supply two landing craft to the Ukrainian Navy. Should the latest deal be carried out as planned, the Defense Ministry could decide to award further shipbuilding contracts to Leninska Kuznya. Some deals could also be awarded to the shipbuilding division of Ukraine's leading defense group Ukroboronprom.
In addition to developing the capabilities of the Ukrainian Navy, the ministry also wants to enhance the training capacity of the country’s military. Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said that Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko considers improving the country’s military training infrastructure "a top priority." As a result, the country’s International Peacekeeping and Security Centre (IPSC) in Starychi, in Ukraine's western part, and its training units will be upgraded until the end of 2020, according to the minister.
The US Army has wrapped up a review of possible short-range air defense weapons from around the world and is working to fill a critical gap in Europe.
“We have just done what I would call an international scrub that we are putting together on every technology that we can find in the world that addresses this particular concern we have,” Katrina McFarland, the Army’s acquisition chief, said during the ComDef conference at Eurosatory, a large land warfare exhibition, Tuesday.
The Army is also working to address a capability gap in the short-range air defense mission, dubbed SHORAD, within military labs. The activities include demonstrating a launcher that can shoot a wide variety of missiles.
“Where are we? We are better off than we thought we were and so we have at least the possibility of moving very quickly. And where we have gaps, we have already started providing technological solutions both internationally as well as organically to the US,” she said.
When asked to elaborate on the possible technological solutions the Army has begun to provide, McFarland said she couldn’t elaborate and indicated there is more to come soon.
US Army leadership in Europe, as well as many countries in the region, have warned there is a growing gap in short-range air defense.
Even the National Commission on the Future of the Army singled out the mission area as having an “unacceptable modernization shortfall” in its report released in February.
Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the US Army Europe commander, told Defense News during an interview in Poland last week he has similar concerns. For him, the biggest worry is countering unmanned aerial vehicles. “That is my SHORAD concern, especially if there’s like a swarm,” he noted, adding there is a lot of work being done to develop the capability.
Recently, the Army conducted a river crossing exercise in Romania where the Romanians provided a SHORAD capability to counter such threats as aerial drones, Hodges said, and at Poland's Anakonda exercise this month, the Army brought Avengers from the US National Guard for a live-fire, air-defense drill.
Hodges’ chief of staff, German Army Brig. Gen. Markus Laubenthal, said Germany and the US both have a capability gap when it comes to the SHORAD portfolio.
Laubenthal told Defense News last week directly following a bridge crossing exercise in Chelmno, Poland, part of Anakonda, that Avenger systems were used that morning to secure the bridge, but “this is a very scarce capability, so between the assault rifle and Patriot there is not enough between to tackle short-range air defense challenges.”
He added, “I think this is a common ground where we need to work together to find a solution. I think that is a good opportunity and a great chance to come up with something with both nations and we are not alone.”
The Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia. Situated on the Baltic Coast, it is surrounded by Poland and Lithuania, two NATO members.
Formerly known as Könisberg, Kaliningrad was annexed by the Soviet Union on April 7, 1946. With more than 963,000 people, Kaliningrad is one of Russia’s best-performing regional economies.
Its geographical location is ideal for an early warning system to monitor NATO movements.
Kaliningrad’s Geopolitical Situation
Surrounded by Poland and Lithuania, the Kaliningrad Oblast has no direct ground links back to Russia’s mainland. Kaliningrad is also the only Russian Baltic Sea Port that enables the Baltic Fleet to operate in the region on a year-round basis.
The Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia. Situated on the Baltic Coast, it is surrounded by Poland and Lithuania, two NATO members.
Formerly known as Könisberg, Kaliningrad was annexed by the Soviet Union on April 7, 1946. With more than 963,000 people, Kaliningrad is one of Russia’s best-performing regional economies.
Its geographical location is ideal for an early warning system to monitor NATO movements.
Due to the proximity of almost every European NATO member, Kaliningrad is ideal to have an early warning system: the Voronezh radar.
However, Kaliningrad is not ideal to mobilize troops for offensive operations due to its geographical position. The logistical issues would be far too great for Russia to even consider deploying an offensive force to the region.
The Baltic Fleet’s Marines are able to launch seaborne operations, but it would be very unlikely due to its small size.
Nevertheless, the adjacency of NATO members makes it ideal for defensive purposes and provide Russia with a strong foothold in the Baltic Sea.
The presence of the Baltic Fleet is also one of the main reasons behind the strategic importance of Kaliningrad. According to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation: “The main tasks of the Baltic Fleet are as follows:
• to protect economic zone and production regions, suppression of illegal production activities; • to ensure safety of navigation; • to fulfil foreign policy acts of the Government in economically important regions of the World Ocean (visits, ships business visits, joint exercises, peacekeeping missions, etc.)”
Kaliningrad remains one of the most vital regions for Russia’s defence against NATO. The military installations in Kaliningrad would most likely be NATO’s first targets if there was a total war against Russia.
The destruction of the Voronezh radar station would greatly weakened Russia’s ability to counter NATO attacks thus making it a target of choice.
Voronezh Radar In Kaliningrad
Based at the former Dnuyavka air base, the Pionersky Radar Station operates a Voronezh radar system. The radar was built in Kaliningrad to counter NATO’s missile defence systems and enable Russia to keep their nuclear weapons operational.
NATO is putting a lot of emphasis on this missile system to deter the launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles by Russia’s Strategic Nuclear Forces against their members.
The radar was deemed operational in 2014 and can cover more than 6,000 km, enough to keep Europe and part of the Atlantic Ocean under permanent surveillance. The Voronezh-DM can also simultaneously track more than 500 objects.
Due to its vulnerability, the radar site is most likely guarded by anti-aircraft systems such as the S-300 and the S-400 Triumf.
Anti-Aircraft In Kaliningrad
Surrounded by NATO countries, the Kaliningrad military installations need a solid anti-aircraft capability.
With NATO aircraft able to quickly reach the Kaliningrad military installations and ports, Russia has no choice but to deploy many anti-aircraft surface-to-air (SAM) missiles.
Russian S-300 and S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems are the weapons of choice to counter enemy aircraft. Capable of reaching 400 km with a 40N6 missile, both missile systems can be quickly deployed—under 5 minutes—and engage incoming enemy aircraft.
It is vital for Russia to keep the S-300 and S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems operational to protect the Voronezh radar installation in Pionersky. Due to its mobility, both systems can also be deployed anywhere in the Kaliningrad Oblast to counter enemy aircraft.
Russian Armed Forces In Kaliningrad
The Russian Armed Forces have different types of units deployed all over the Kaliningrad Oblast. Due to its strategic importance, Russia keeps a strong permanent military presence in the Oblast to give them a capable defensive force.
Troops stationed in Kaliningrad are under the command of the Western Military District. According to Wikipedia, the Ground and Coastal Forces of the Baltic Fleet is mainly comprised of:
HQ: Kaliningrad
7th Independent Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment (Kaliningrad) (formerly known as the 1st Guards Motor Rifle Division)
22nd Independent Air Defence Regiment. Not clear which missiles this regiment is equipped with. However it was announced in 2011 that two divisions (batteries) of new S-400 Ground-to-Air Missile systems will join the Baltic Fleet.[24]
73rd Independent Bridge Battalion.
254th Independent Radio Battalion (electronic intelligence gathering)
Other small units
The ground troops are mainly conducting defensive operations. However, the 336th Independent Guards Marine Brigade can be deployed to conduct seaborne operations. The 71st Order of the Red Star Landing Ship Brigade provide the Marines with landing ships and two air-cushioned landing crafts.
In fact, the 336th could launch offensive operations against Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital. However, this is very unlikely and would start a total war between NATO and Russia.
The Russian Baltic Fleet is permanently headquartered in Kaliningrad. In 2015, 3 submarines and 55 warships are under the Baltic Fleet’s command. The main naval port is Baltiysk and a second port is also in Kronstadt, located in the Gulf of Finland.
The Baltic Fleet’s Kilo-class submarines are known to lurk around Latvia’s territorial waters. However, the Russian submarines stay in the international waters, which is perfectly legal.
The 128th Surface ship Brigade is the largest formation of the Baltic Fleet. Composed of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare warships, the 128th is the first line of defence of the Russian Navy against NATO warships.
The Future Of Kaliningrad
Russia is slowly deploying new Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad. The Iskander missile is a tactical weapon and can be launched up to 500 km. It could be employed as a pre-emptive strike weapon to disrupt enemy forces on the borders of Kaliningrad.
The Baltic Fleet will most likely receive new ships in the near future, especially to conduct littoral operations. Having said that, the Baltic Fleet is one of the most important fleets of the Russian Navy due to its geographical location.
As for ground troops, I think an additional motorized rifle brigade could be deployed to Kaliningrad to provide a quick reaction force in case of a NATO attack.
Tensions between Russia and NATO are quickly escalating and we’re on the verge of a new Cold War. Nevertheless, a total war between Russia and NATO is highly unlikely. Russia will continue to mass troops on their borders and launch aerial reconnaissance mission around NATO airspaces.
Although more large-scale drills will be conducted to test the Russian Armed Forces readiness, Russia will also focus on keeping its fleets fully operational. The Russian Navy, especially the Baltic Fleet, is vital for them to gain more influence on the world stage and having a strong presence in their waterways.
As for Kaliningrad, I believe Russia will fortify the region while pouring money to further stimulate the thriving regional economy.
Dozens of Russian generals in Syria killed after a car bomb hits their military base
The military base that was hit by the car bomb is considered one of the most important military centers of the Russian forces on the Syrian coast, located some 15 kilometers from Latakia.
Dozens of Russian generals at a military base near the eastern Syrian city of Latakia were killed Sunday afternoon in a deadly car bomb attack committed by two opposition factions, Ahrar al-Sham and Bayan movement, Syrian opposition groups reported on Wednesday.
According to the media office of Ahrar al-Sham, the two factions, in coordination with local jihadists who were located at the Russian military base, decided to bomb the car after they observed a gathering of senior Russian generals at the military base.
Ahrar al-Sham claims that dozens of Russian generals were killed and injured in the explosion. According to the movement, the announcement of the terror attack was delayed until Wednesday to ensure that the jihadists who committed the attack returned safely to opposition territories.
The military base that was hit by the car bomb is considered one of the most important military centers of the Russian forces on the Syrian coast, located some 15 kilometers from Latakia.
The belated announcement of the car bombing came shortly before the Syrian truce was scheduled to start on Saturday. Russia and the US have already announced that the ceasefire will not apply to ISIS and al-Nusra Front, but in light of this terror attack, Russia might demand the exclusion of Ahrar al-Sham as well.
Nuclear militarization of Crimea is a threat to the world's peace - Ukraine's UN envoy
The militarization of Crimea with nuclear weapons is a threat to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, Volodymyr Yelchenko, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations said at the UN Security Council Meeting on February 15.
"Ukraine is alarmed by the unprecedented build-up of weaponry in the occupied Crimea. Russia has deployed more than 23 thousand soldiers, hundreds of battle tanks, armored vehicles, combat aircraft and helicopters, dozens of seacoast defense systems in Crimea. The deployment of potentially nuclear-capable combat aircraft and military ships is especially dangerous, as well as Russia's intention to convert some Crimean Soviet infrastructure facilities to nuclear weapons storages," Yelchenko said.
He also spoke about the human rights violations, including kidnapping, torture and murder, committed in the region.
According to Yelchenko, the most vulnerable population of Crimea is the Crimean Tatars and those Ukrainians, who openly support Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Ukraine's envoy urged the UN Security Council to open offices of international human rights organizations in Crimea and to send peacekeeping forces to the conflict areas of the eastern Ukraine.
The UN says that 50 people were killed in attacks on at least three medical facilities including a children's hospital in northern Syria on Monday, with one medical charity saying it appeared they had been deliberately attacked by Russian or government jets.
On Monday evening, UN chief Ban Ki-Moon called the strikes "blatant violations of international law", with a UN spokesman saying the attacks had "cast a shadow" on the ceasefire agreement made between the 17-country International Syrian Support Group last week.
Fears of an escalation of the five year civil war were further sparked as Syrian government forces and Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters reportedly took Tel Rifaat on Monday night, a key town enroute to the city of Azaz where air strikes fell on Monday.
As Turkey shelled Syrian targets across its border for the third day in a row, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Monday his country would not allow Azaz to fall to Kurdish fighters.
Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry said Turkey's shelling was "open support to international terrorism".
Syrian government forces reportedly told Al Jazeera late on Monday that they planned to continue their march to Azaz, a flashpoint town in Aleppo province near the Turkish border, where it would appear a major escalation in fighting could occur.
'Only babies'
Earlier in the day, at least 14 people were reported killed when bombs hit a children's hospital in Azaz.
A video posted by a French NGO operating in Syria reportedly captured the first moments after the attack, saying that there were "no terrorists or combatants, only babies".
"We have been moving scores of screaming children from the hospital," medical aid worker Juma Rahal told Reuters.
According to Storyful social news agency, Syria Charity built the hospital.
Two other hospitals in Maaret al-Numan, Idlib province, were also hit. At least seven people were reported killed when four bombs destroyed a hospital supported by the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity.
Air strikes also hit the National Hospital on the north edge of town, killing two nurses, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and opposition groups in Syria said.
MSF said it believed its hospital was attacked by either Russian or Syrian government forces, while Turkish officials separately said Russian planes hit the Aleppo hospital.
Neither report was independently verified or confirmed by the Russian government.
Russia has been conducting an intense bombing campaign against rebels in the nearby province of Aleppo, and has also hit targets in Idlib.
Russian planes also resumed air attacks on Monday in northern Latakia province near the Turkish border, bombing rebels to allow the Syrian army to advance.
Rescue workers and rights groups say the bombing has killed scores of civilians at market places, hospitals, schools and residential areas in Syria.
Massimiliano Rebaudengo, the head of MSF's Syria mission, said the Idlib attack "appears to be a deliberate attack on a health structure, and we condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms.
"The destruction of the hospital leaves the local population of around 40,000 people without access to medical services in an active zone of conflict."
MSF said at least seven people were killed and at least eight members of staff were missing after four rockets hit the 30-bed facility, which had 54 staff, two operating theatres, an outpatients' department and an emergency room.
The charity's president, Mego Terzian, said he believed Russia or Syrian government forces were behind the attack.
The MSF organisation supports about 150 hospitals in Syria, with 16 hospitals - or about one every three days - hit this year alone.
A video shared by investigative website founder Eliot Higgins reportedly shows the aftermath of the bombing on the MSF hospital, although the footage is yet to be verified by the group.
MUNICH, Germany -- Fighting between Russia-backed separatists and government forces has flared in eastern Ukraine and the humanitarian situation is "dire," the head of Europe’s main security organization has told RFE/RL.
Combatants have moved heavy weaponry back up closer to the front line and the separatists in particular have been conducting “military activities” including exercises under cover of night, Lamberto Zannier, the secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said on February 14.
“The cease-fire is not holding as we would like it to,” Zannier said in an interview on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where Russia traded angry accusations with Ukraine and the West over a war that seemed unthinkable just over two years ago but has killed more than 9,000 people since April 2014.
A cease-fire that was agreed as part of the February 2015 Minsk II accord took hold in September, but fighting increased later last year and has surged again after a truce for the New Year and Christmas holidays, Zannier said.
“It’s still, unfortunately, an active conflict,” he said. “We see...ongoing military activities, especially on the separatist side, we’ve seen rather large night exercises – military exercises. So there is a lot of dynamic, a lot of movement there, and that’s of course a concern.”
He said the OSCE, which has 700 unarmed monitors observing the conflict with equipment including drones, had recorded “the use of multiple-rocket launchers and field howitzers.”
Ukrainian forces and the Russia-backed separatists, who seized control of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions after Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia in the face of protests over his abandonment of a landmark deal with the European Union, pulled heavy weaponry back last year under Minsk II.
The accord also set out steps to resolve the conflict and was supposed to be completed by the end of 2015, with the return of Ukrainian control over its border with Russia in the separatist-held areas.
Few of the steps have been carried out, however, and Zannier said that elections under Ukrainian law in the separatist-held areas -- another key point of the settlement plan -- could probably not be held until after the summer. A senior separatist, meanwhile, said it would be at least 10 months before voting could be held.
At the Munich Security Conference on February 13, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev accused Kyiv of foot-dragging on its obligations under the accord. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said it was Russia that is blocking a resolution, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Western sanctions imposed on Moscow will remain in place until Russia fulfills its commitments.
Western governments fear Russia is using the conflict to destabilize Ukraine, undermine its pro-Western government, and keep it from drawing closer to NATO and the European Union.
Despite powerful evidence, Russia denies accusations by Kyiv and the West that it has sent troops and weapons into eastern Ukraine to support the separatists.
Zannier said it is difficult for the OSCE monitors to determine whether Russian soldiers and arms are crossing into Ukraine now because they only have a mandate to observe at two border crossings, where they are positioned on the Russian side.
In separatist-held areas on the Ukrainian side, “we are being systematically prevented from reaching the border, especially in the Luhansk area,” he said, adding that “because it’s rather flat territory, obviously there are possibilities for men and equipment to cross that border in places where we are not there to see it.”
The ability of the monitors to record violations is also restricted by the fact that they operate only in the daytime, while “many of the violations occur at night,” Zannier said.
He also said that the OSCE monitors are now experiencing “systematic limitations” to their freedom of movement, and in some cases “threatening behavior” on the part of separatists at checkpoints.
“As people stop them, they also point guns, and this is obviously something we don’t like,” Zannier said. “It’s not, you know, a kind of friendly warning.”
He said that 90 percent of the incidents of this kind of limitation of movement in the past few weeks have been on the separatist side.
He said the frequency of such incidents "is making our role more complicated, but it’s also pointing to the general deterioration of the situation."
The cases of heavy weaponry use are “on both sides, and it’s understandable because if one side starts using heavy weaponry again, it’s inevitable that the other reacts,” Zannier said. “It’s a general dynamic that we are assessing, and it’s a worrying one, of course.”
Ukrainian military spokesman Oleskandr Motuzyanyk said on February 14 that seven Ukrainian military personnel were wounded over the previous 24 hours, and had no information on civilian casualties.
Citing Ukrainian military intelligence, Motuzyanyk said that one Russian serviceman was killed and died and one wounded nea rZaytsevo, in the Donetsk region. There was no comment from Russia on the claim.
Many of the people killed or maimed in the war have been civilians, and hundreds of thousands have been driven from their homes.
For those who remain, Zannier said, “the humanitarian situation is dire.”
He said that “we really feel that there is a need to open up channels to facilitate the movement of the population,” improve access to humanitarian assistance, and repair vital infrastructure for supplies of gas, power, and water.
Zannier said that people living in the war zone “are increasingly tired, and they want this thing to finish.”
He said he was speculating, but that there may be “increasingly a gap between the militant side of the separatist movement and the normal people, many of whom have left.”
Those people are “bitter about everything, but they also don’t seem to think that this is sustainable any longer, this kind of situation,” he said.
That should “push us to find ways to help bring this to an end,” Zannier said.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian service, TASS, and Interfax
Russia pressed on with its bombing campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on February 12 despite agreeing to a pause in combat in Munich negotiations.
Russian bombs killed 16 civilians in Syria hours after world powers agreed to cease hostilities within a week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told world leaders gathered in Munich.
He joined a chorus of western leaders and NATO allies calling on Russia to stop.
"What is important now is embracing this opportunity, stopping the air strikes, ceasing targeting civilians, and providing humanitarian access," Cavusoglu said later on Twitter.
Western leaders have said there is no hope for progress in Syrian peace talks without a halt to the Russian bombing, which in recent weeks has helped turned the ground war in favor of Assad.
"Through its military action on the side of Assad's regime, Russia had recently seriously compromised the political process. Now there is a chance to save this process," German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Christiane Wirzt said.
But Russia and Syria have continued to insist that the opponents they are fighting in Aleppo, including those backed by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, are "terrorists" and thus their campaign can proceed under the truce agreement, which exempts fighting against recognized terrorist groups.
In an interview with AFP released on February 12, Assad asserted that all opposition groups that have taken up arms against the government are "terrorists," and thus his forces can continue to fight them during peace negotiations.
Even if Russia and Syria agreed to stop fighting in Aleppo in a week's time, by some estimates the additional week of fighting would give them enough time to encircle what was Syria's biggest city before the war, and possibly even capture it.
Moreover, they are also close to sealing theTurkish border north of Aleppo, where deliveries of supplies have provided a lifeline for rebels, and they might be able to accomplish that task before honoring the truce.
While western powers agreed to exempt air raids on Islamic State (IS) and Al Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda's Syrian affliate, from the truce, they have insisted that other rebel groups fighting Assad -- many of them participating in the peace negotiations -- are covered.
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said on February 12 that Russian air raids have been targeting areas where there is no IS presence, although the Nusra group is active in Aleppo and has ties to other rebel groups there.
"It is time for [Russia] to stop using the cover of going after ISIL," Schultz said.
The United States raised the threat of escalation in the ground war, apparently in a bid to force Russia and Syria to comply with the truce.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who is in Munich, warned that if the truce fails, more foreign troops could enter the conflict.
"If the Assad regime does not live up to its responsibilities and if the Iranians and the Russians do not hold Assad to the promises that they have made...then the international community obviously is not going to sit there like fools and watch this. There will be an increase of activity to put greater pressure on them," Kerry told Dubai-based Orient TV.
"There is a possibility there will be additional ground troops," Kerry said.
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have both offered to deploy ground forces in Syria. Despite agreeing to the truce, the Saudis on February 12 said they remain prepared to send fighters and are just as determined as ever to end Assad's rule by whatever means necessary.
"There will be no Bashar al-Assad in the future," despite Russia's backing, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
