Russian Archives

Russia Air Force Destroys ISIL Command Center, Underground Depot Near Raqqa

October 3, 2015 By administrator

The Russian Air Force has destroyed an ISIL command center and underground depot with explosives near the Syrian city of Raqqa, Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement on Saturday.
“Accurate delivery of a concrete-piercing bomb BETAB-500 launched from a Su-34 aircraft near Raqqa destroyed a hardened command centre of one of the illegal armed groups as well as an underground bunker with explosives and ammunition depot,” Igor Konashenkov said.
“Russian air grouping continues making precise attacks at the ‪‎ISIL‬ terrorists from the Hmeymim airbase. Twenty-four hours a day ‪‎UAV‬s are monitoring the situation in the ISIL activity areas. All the detected targets are effectively engaged day and night in any weather conditions,” Igor Konashenkov said. “As a result of 6 sorties from the Hmeymim airbase in the evening and at night, pinpoint strikes hit 3 facilities of terrorists’ infrastructure.”

Su-34 and Su-24M aircraft of the Russian air grouping in Syria performed over 20 sorties attacking 9 objects of ISIL terrorists.

“At the Jisr al-Shughur district (Idlib), tactical bombers Su-24M eliminated storage bases for military hardware used by militants for preparation of terrorist attacks. Moreover, an airstrike was made against a base of militants at the same district. It completely destroyed depots with ammunition and equipment situated at the base,” he added.
Fortifications, ammunitions depots, seven units of the military equipment near Syria’s Maarrat al-Numan were also destroyed by the Russian Air Force, Igor Konashenkov added.
“Su-34 tactical bomber engaged an ISIL base near Maarrat Al-Nuuman (Idlib) with a guided air bomb KAB-500 during a pinpoint strike. According to the objective monitoring data, terrorist fortifications, ammunition and POL depots as well as 7 vehicles were destroyed.”
On Wednesday, Russia commenced precision airstrikes on ISIL targets in Syria upon Syrian President Bashar Assad’s request. The Russian Defense Ministry said that during the first two days of the operation the country’s aircraft hit over 10 targets, among them an explosives factory, an arms depot and an ISIL coordination center.

Source: sputniknews.com

Breaking News: Russian parliament unanimously approves use of military in Syria to fight ISIS

September 30, 2015 By administrator

The upper chamber of the Russian parliament has unanimously given a formal consent to President Putin to use the nation’s military in Syria to fight terrorism at a request from the Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Consent was necessary for use of the country’s military for foreign combat missions under the Russian constitution.

The request for use of force was sent by the president after considering the large number of citizens of Russia and neighboring countries, who went to join terrorist groups fighting in Syria, head of the presidential administration Sergey Ivanov told media. There are thousands of them, and Russia’s national security would be under threat, should they return home, he added.

“This is not about reaching for some foreign policy goals, satisfying ambitions, which our Western partners regularly accuse us of. It’s only about the national interest of the Russian Federation,” the official said.

Ivanov stressed that no ground operations are planned in Syria. Russia would use its warplanes to hit terrorist targets when requested by the Syrian government. He stressed that unlike the US-led coalition of countries that bombs militant troops in Syria, Russia was invited to do so by the legal authorities of Syria and thus follows international law.

“The military goal of the operation is strictly to provide air support for the [Syrian] government forces in their fight against Islamic State,” he said.

The bombing campaign is time-limited, Ivanov said, not revealing a clear deadline for it. He said he was not authorized to disclose details of the operation such as the number of warplanes involved.

“All our partners and allies will be informed about our decision today through corresponding military channels. Specific military information will be provided as well, I believe,” he concluded.

Military engagement in Syria would not result in Russia being mired in conflict, Konstantin Kosachev, head of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, said commenting on the news.

“We would not risk getting stuck in a long conflict and threaten the lives of our troops. The operation is aerial only. Certainly, in coordination with the ground operation of the Syrian army,” he told the Rossiya 24 news channel.

Previously, Russia provided the Syrian government with advanced weapons and military instructors to teach the Syrians how to use them.

The developement comes after Moscow has intensified involvement in Syria, establishing an Iraqi-based military communications center with Damascus, Baghdad and Tehran.

It also happened just days after President Putin called for an international anti-terrorist effort in Syria that would include the government of President Assad at the UN General Assembly. Western nations have been seeking to oust Assad since 2011, but several key nations such as Germany, France, Britain and the US have confirmed they would not be opposed to Assad staying in power for a transitional period, which would include defeating the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group.

Turkey another Tourist dead Russian mayor found dead at Turkish resort town

July 22, 2015 By administrator

Vyshny Volochek Mayor Alexey Panyushkin (Photo: DHA)

The mayor of the Russian town of Vyshny Volochek was found dead in a hotel room in the Kemer district of Antalya on Wednesday.

Alexey Panyushkin, who was on a vacation in Kemer, was found dead in his room after his friends told police and the hotel administration that they could not reach Panyushkin for a while.

An investigation has been launched into the Russian mayor’s death.

Russian businessman in Nagorno-Karabak over persecution fears

July 13, 2015 By administrator

Russian businessman and farmer German Sterligov, whose recent surprise disappearance from the country made headlines in the media, is now in Nagorno-Karabakh with his wife and children.

The billionaire had been facing persecution in Russia since 2011 for his text-book entitled “From [Ivan] the Terrible to Putin”; increasing threats over the recent period made him take a snap decision to leave his house in the Moscow area and head to Belarus. There he made up his mind to settle in Nagorno-Karabakh. Sterligov called his wife, Alena, and also warned an aide, Polina Sirota, of an imminent danger.
The businessman, who is the founder of the commodity exchange Alisa, had earlier escaped an attempted assassination and kidnapping of his children.
He unveiled details of his recent activity at a news conference held in Shushi (Nagorno-Karabakh) earlier today. Report Tert.am
Sterligov dismissed the hot news headlines in the Russian media describing him as a beneficiary and leader of a nationalist organization. He said the reports were absolutely baseless and untrue.
“And by the way, that lie hit the headlines five years after the events that are now being talked about. And the people [who spread it] are in detention and thousands of kilometers away from one another. Those are people whom I have never known,” he said, adding that the nationalist organization came to his attention only a week ago
The businessman said he knew only one person – an editor of a religious group run newspaper – from the organization, who requested money from him several years ago.
He added that the tens and thousands of people whom he hosted in his house were never required to bring any identity document.
The businessman did not rule out the possibility that some of the guests might have been followers of different faiths and beliefs, including sodomites. But he said he is sure he never gave them food or drink.
Sterlogov said that his belief is Orthodox Christianity.
He added that before adopting the religion, he funded the projects Deed and Word and Russian House, motivated purely by patriotic and nationalistic sentiments. Sterligov said he later ruled out all kinds of pseudo-religious concepts, considering the Bible the only source of belief.
Sterligov’s lawyers have told him that the case against him is based on fabricated evidence.
Going back to the roots of the story, Sterligov said that the scandals date back to 2011, a period when the Russian opposition was preparing for a big demonstration to demand President Vladimir Putin’s resignation.
As the demonstrations didn’t succeed, and Putin remained Russia’s leader, many turned away from Sterligov after the textbook was published. He said that he kept boldly resisting all kinds of threats until the moment he felt the threat against his children and house. He said that the attempts to kidnap his children and set his house on fire have developed the criminal image of his personality in the Russian media, describing him as a mastermind behind assassinations and a nationalist leader who fled from the country. “It was in Belarus that we made the decision to go to Karabakh,” he added.
At the end of the news conference, the businessman showed an air ticket, saying that he is leaving for Russia on Thursday without his family to dispel the suspicions that he avoids justice.
“I will stay there for a couple of days and then return. I like it here. I will leave to avoid creating problems for my friends who might be accused of being my accomplices. Should they decide to detain me, they will, if not, I will be back. The important thing is to leave my family in a safe place,” he added.
The businessman further said that he has his own vision of developing the second Armenian republic. He proposed particularly putting into circulation golden and silver coins in the country.

Bibin created bad image also for Russia – analyst #ElectricYerevan

June 27, 2015 By administrator

In an interview with Tert.am, a Russian political analyst commented upon the social rebellion against the rising power prices in Armenia, admitting that the decision by Yevgeniy Bibin, the CEO of the Electric Networks of Armenia, turned out bad for Russian investors, simultaneously affecting the country’s international reputation.
“Yes, Binin’s activity greatly damaged the reputation of not only Russian investors in Armenia but also the state and national interests of Russia,” said Alexander Krylov, the president of the Society for Caucasus Studies.
Describing Bibin as a common Russian “universal manager’ prone to treat the “inferior class” (those not affiliated with wealthy business circles) with contempt and arrogance, the analyst said he finds that Russian energy companies’ social policies must be built upon approaches responsive to the realities in Armenia.
“Apart from the Russian management’s negative aspects in Armenia, much more undermining is the role played by the domestic ‘fat cats’, whose boundless greediness makes [many] Armenians leave their own homeland and state in search for a better future in Russia and other countries,” he noted.
The analyst said he sees that the poor management in Armenia’s state and business infrastructures too, essentially contributed to the decision to raise the electricity tariffs. “So without any drastic reforms, the problems in Armenia will increase in number from now on too, causing the social slogans to change into political ones,” he added.

Armenian Serving With Russian Border Guards Found Hanged

March 9, 2015 By administrator

By RFE/RL’s Armenian Service

March 09, 2015

GYUMRI, Armenia — An Armenian man who served with Russian border guards in the former Soviet republic has been found hanged after going missing.

Armenian media reports cited the Shirak regional prosecutor’s office as saying on March 9 that Artur Afian’s body was found behind a shop in the northwestern town of Gyumri, where the unit he served with under a contract is based.

Afian, 26, went missing on February 21.

Gyumri is the site of Russia’s military base in Armenia, Moscow’s main foothold in the strategic South Caucasus region.

A private from the base, Valery Permyakov, is accused of murdering seven members of an Armenian family in Gyumri on January 12.

The killings sparked large protests by Armenians demanding Permyakov be handed to their country for trial.

But Permyakov is in custody at the Russian base and will be tried there.

Russian soldier accused of massacring Armenian family pleads guilty

January 22, 2015 By administrator

Russian Pvt. Valery Permyakov who stands accused of the gruesome murder of a family of seven in a northwestern Armenian city, has pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him by law enforcement agencies, Armenia’s Investigative Committee said.

Permyakov had been serving at Russian military base near Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, when he deserted his post. On January 12 he stormed the Avetisyan family residence and fatally shot all of the members of the family, including a six month old baby who died of wounds a week later on account of the attack.

After fleeing the scene, Permyakov was detained by Russian border guards while trying to cross the Armenian-Turkish border dressed in civilian clothing. He remains in Russian custody.

Last week, mass protests shook both Gyumri and Yerevan as Armenians demanded that Permyakov face trial in Armenia and that the soldier’s commanders also be held accountable.

Currently, Russian and Armenian authorities are conducting a joint investigation into the incident. Chief of Russia’s Investigative Committee Aleksandr Bastrykin is in Gyumri working on the case.

Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Permyakov is to be tried by a Russian court.

“Since he is a citizen of Russia, he is naturally subject to the laws of the Russian Federation and it will be a Russian trial,” Peskov said in an interview with a local Gyumri TV channel adding that “[the] Russian legislature has no mercy for such monstrous crimes.”

Earlier Bastrykin said that Permyakov will be publicly tried in Armenia. The two statements do not contradict one other as he can be tried on Armenian territory by Russian judges under the Russian laws and could serve his term in a Russian prison.

Gyumri massacre suspect to be tried under Russian law: official

January 21, 2015 By administrator

Valery Permyakov, the Russian soldier who is the main suspect in the murder of the Avetisyan family in Gyumri, will be tried in court according to the laws of the Russian Federation, Russian president’s spokesman said, according to Civilnet.

“Because he is a citizen of Russia, it’s natural that he should be tried according to Russian laws and by a Russian court. It is necessary to note that the leader of the Russian Investigative Committee is working in Gyumri and he has been tasked by the Russian president to work together with Armenian investigators. However, there will be a Russian trial and for such a monstrous crime, Russian law is absolutely merciless,” Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Galatv.am on January 20.

That same day, Alexander Bastrykin, Head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation had a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Aghvan Hovsepyan and President Serzh Sargsyan.

During that meeting Serzh Sargsyan said that the Gyumri tragedy required steadfastness and “unprecedented consistency” to disclose all the details. He went on to stress that the law enforcement bodies of both Armenia and Russia must continue cooperating effectively to ensure a logical end to the process.

In the early morning hours of January 12, six members of the Avetisyan family were shot in their home and their six-month-old infant Seryozha Avetisyan was stabbed. The accused is Russian soldier Valery Permyakov stationed at the 102nd Russian Military Base in Gyumri. Permyakov was apprehended by Russian military personnel while trying to cross the Armenian-Turkish border. He is currently being held in custody at the Russian base. On January 14 and 15 protests took place in Gyumri and Yerevan demanding that the accused be handed over to Armenian authorities to stand trial in an Armenian court. On January 19, Seryozha Avetisyan succumbed to his injuries and died in hospital in Yerevan. A requiem service for the infant took place on January 20 in Gyumri.

Photo: RIA Novosti

Related links:

Galatv Interview with Dmitry Peskov

Civilnet. ‘Armenian Territory’ but Russian Trial

Russian soldier accused of slaughtering family to be tried in Armenia

January 20, 2015 By administrator

A Russian soldier suspected of slaying a family in Armenia after going AWOL will be tried in Armenia. The two countries will jointly investigate the grizzly crime that provoked mass demonstrations.

Valery Permyakov, who served at a Russian military base in Armenia, is suspected of murdering a family in Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, on January 12.

Six people were shot dead in the house while the seventh victim, a six-month-old baby boy, died days later from a stab wound.

The AWOL soldier is believed to have been trying to desert. He broke into a random house to get food and went on a killing rampage after being found by the owners, according to media reports.

“At a meeting in Yerevan, representatives from the Armenian and Russian investigations… agreed on a coordinated effort to conduct a comprehensive investigation,” Sona Tryzyan, spokeswoman for the Armenian Investigative Committee, announced on Tuesday.

Aleksandr Bastrykin, who heads the Russian Investigative Committee, assured that both the prosecution and trial of the suspect would be held in Armenia, in accordance with international law and bilateral agreements between the two countries. The Russian official is currently visiting Armenia to tackle the fallout following the tragic incident.

The high-profile crime caused uproar in Armenia and a massive rally gathered in front of the Russian Consulatelast Thursday. The protesters demanded that Permyakov be handed over and brought to justice in Armenia.

The rally became violent when demonstrators started pelting police officers guarding the base with stones and other projectiles. In the ensuing clash, 26 people, most of them police officers, were injured.

Permyakov was arrested the day after the massacre as he was trying to cross the border with Turkey. Russian border guards, who are helping their Armenian colleagues to patrol its borders, captured the man and handed him over to the base, where he is currently being held in custody.

Armenia clashes over Russian soldier

January 16, 2015 By administrator

The clashes began as protesters tried to march to the Russian consulate in Gyumri.

At least 12 people have been wounded in clashes in Armenia between police and protesters demanding the handover of a Russian soldier accused of killing six members of a local family.

The violence erupted when thousands of protesters in Gyumri tried to march on the Russian consulate in Armenia’s second-largest city.

Valery Permyakov, a soldier at a Russian base in Armenia, is suspected of killing the family on Monday.

He is being held at the Russian base.

Russia has promised to investigate the shootings, but has so far refused to hand the soldier over to Armenian authorities.

Earlier on Thursday, thousands of people attended funerals of the six members of the family – including a two-year-old girl – in Gyumri, about 120km (75 miles) north-west of the capital Yerevan.

The incident has raised tensions between Russia and Armenia, a close ally of Moscow in the Caucasus region.

A total of 21 people were taken to police stations during Thursday’s demonstrations in #Gyumri city. #Armenia pic.twitter.com/FtzROzvgVS

— Mesrop Andranikyan (@MesAndranikyan) January 16, 2015