The Russian Military is on a mission to upgrade its nuclear arsenal. The Russians have tested a new missile - that can hit a target that was 2,100 kilometers away in Kazakhstan. Watch this story from Gravitas.

Gravitas: Russia flexes its nuclear muscle, tests a new intercontinental missile

Russia's&nbsp;military&nbsp;export sales have not fallen despite US&nbsp;sanctions, the head of state conglomerate&nbsp;Rostec&nbsp;said on Monday.

Rostec, whose business includes weapons manufacturer Kalashnikov as well as&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;Helicopters and United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), is among&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;firms that have been affected by&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;imposed on the country over the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and other factors.

Rosoboronexport, the state agency for&nbsp;exports&nbsp;and imports recorded&nbsp;military&nbsp;sales of $13.7 billion in 2018, slightly higher than the previous year,&nbsp;Rostec&nbsp;head Sergey Chemezov told reporters at the Dubai Airshow.

Sales for 2019 are expected to be like that of 2018 as the company has already recorded over $11 billion currently, he said.

“It is growing, that means our production is of higher quality and reliable.”

Chemezov said Russia would also continue its&nbsp;military&nbsp;cooperation with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with several projects underway despite some western countries shunning the two Gulf states because of their role in the Yemen war.

Some countries such as Germany, Norway and others have restricted sale of arms to countries engaged in the Yemen war.

Russia always cooperates only with legitimate governments and has always advocated a diplomatic settlement of the conflict in Yemen. “At the same time, Saudi Arabia is our partner," Chemezov said.

Several projects are underway in cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including plans for a Kalashnikov plant in the Kingdom, he said, declining to give more details as negotiations are not yet completed.

Chemezov said there had been interested from the Middle East for Russia’s single-aisle passenger jet, the MC-21, that would compete with similar jets from Airbus and Boeing.&nbsp;Discussions are ongoing but no contract has been signed with any Middle East buyer, he said, declining to name potential customers.

Currently, there are orders for more than 170 of the planes, mostly from airlines in Russia.

“Regular production” of around 72 aircraft per year is planned. The first deliveries will begin in 2021, he said.

Asked whether an advance payment of $800 million was made by India to Russia relating to the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems, Chemezov said the advance payment was done.&nbsp; “I don’t want to clarify the numbers, negotiations are underway, 2025 is the completion date.”

Russia's military export sales have not fallen despite US sanctions, the head of state conglomerate Rostec said on Monday. Rostec, whose business includes weapons manufacturer Kalashnikov as well as Russian Helicopters and United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), is among Russian firms that have been affected by sanctions imposed on the country over the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and other factors.

Russia's military export sales have not fallen despite US sanctions, the head of state conglomerate Rostec said on Monday. Rostec, whose business includes weapons manufacturer Kalashnikov as well as Russian Helicopters and United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), is among Russian firms that have been affected by sanctions imposed on the country over the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and other factors. Rosoboronexport, the state agency for exports and imports recorded military sales of $13.7 billion in 2018, slightly higher than the previous year, Rostec head Sergey Chemezov told reporters at the Dubai Airshow. Sales for 2019 are expected to be like that of 2018 as the company has already recorded over $11 billion currently, he said. “It is growing, that means our production is of higher quality and reliable.” Chemezov said Russia would also continue its military cooperation with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with several projects underway despite some western countries shunning the two Gulf states because of their role in the Yemen war. Some countries such as Germany, Norway and others have restricted sale of arms to countries engaged in the Yemen war. Russia always cooperates only with legitimate governments and has always advocated a diplomatic settlement of the conflict in Yemen. “At the same time, Saudi Arabia is our partner," Chemezov said. Several projects are underway in cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including plans for a Kalashnikov plant in the Kingdom, he said, declining to give more details as negotiations are not yet completed. Chemezov said there had been interested from the Middle East for Russia’s single-aisle passenger jet, the MC-21, that would compete with similar jets from Airbus and Boeing. Discussions are ongoing but no contract has been signed with any Middle East buyer, he said, declining to name potential customers. Currently, there are orders for more than 170 of the planes, mostly from airlines in Russia. “Regular production” of around 72 aircraft per year is planned. The first deliveries will begin in 2021, he said. Asked whether an advance payment of $800 million was made by India to Russia relating to the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems, Chemezov said the advance payment was done. “I don’t want to clarify the numbers, negotiations are underway, 2025 is the completion date.”

Russian military exports unaffected by United States sanctions: Rostec CEO

Russia staged large-scale aviation drills at the annexed Crimea peninsula this week with crews from Aerospace Forces from four Russian military districts and the Northern Fleet taking part.

Russia stages Airforce drills in annexed Crimea

A beluga whale found with a tight harness that appeared to be Russian made has raised the alarm of Norwegian officials and prompted speculation that the animal may have escaped from a Russian military facility. Watch this video to know more.

Norway fisherman removes harness from whale

Military tanks and other vehicles carrying missile launchers and weapons paraded through the streets of the Russian capital on Monday (April 29) as the country prepares to stage its annual Victory Day parade on Red Square.

Russian military might on display at WWII parade rehearsal in Moscow

Russian Defence Ministry on Thursday (April 11) published a video showing military drills in the annexed Crimean peninsula involving a battalion of S-400 missile defence systems.

Russia stages S-400 drills in annexed Crimea

Russia reaffirms presence in the Arctic

Russian rocket launched with secret military payload

US sanctions on Russian military exports have put the brakes on a $6 billion deal with India and may derail the arms purchases of other US allies around Asia, experts say.

Under a law that US President Donald Trump signed in August, any country trading with Russia's defence and intelligence sectors will face sanctions.

The law is designed to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, involvement in the Syrian civil war and meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

But American allies who buy weapons and equipment from Russia, the world's second-largest arms exporter, could suffer as well.

The highest-profile example is India, which wants to buy five S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems that the country's military sees as a game changer. The systems are touted as being able to counter the ballistic missiles and stealth aircraft that China is developing while overwhelming the capabilities of Pakistan, India's other main adversary.

The deal, which Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck as part of an inter-government agreement in 2016, has run headlong into the US sanctions law, two officials in Delhi said.

Indonesia and Vietnam also buy weapons from Russia while being regional partners of the United States. Jakarta closed a $1.14 billion pact for Sukhoi fighters recently, while Vietnam is seeking more jet fighter-bombers from Russia.

And with both Almaz-Antey Air and Space Defense Corporation, which makes the S-400, and Rosoboronexport, which negotiates Russian export deals, listed as under sanction, those deals have become trickier.

"The optics of a major arms purchase from Russia looks quite 'iffy' from the point of view of Western capitals, especially at a time when Russia-West relations are at an all-time low and India seeks strategic convergence with the West, including with the US" said Abhijnan Rej, a defence strategy expert at Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi think tank.

The US-led airstrikes this month against facilities of the Syrian government, an ally of Russia, has further aggravated tensions between the superpowers.

A Russian source close to the Indian S-400 deal said: "a lot will depend on the confidence and sanity of our Indian partners."

Wider impact

The effects of the US sanctions law could be more sweeping than intended, said Cara Abercrombie, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Vietnam, whose air force flies Russian-made Su-30 fighters and uses the S-300 air defence system, wants to continue modernising its inventory.

Vietnamese military scholar Carl Thayer said he believed Moscow was still pushing Hanoi to invest in state-of-the-art S-400 missile defences as part of its long-term military plans.

"I think it is clear that Russia is still pressing Vietnam for big deals," Thayer said, noting that the two countries already have had reciprocal visits by defence ministers this year.

But with the United States working hard to promote sales of American military hardware, and sanctions against Russia's exporting agencies, Vietnam's plans could prove overly costly. 
Indonesia, meanwhile, said the delivery of the first couple of Sukhoi Su-35 jets out of a total of 11 is on track for this year. Officials said that so far they did not anticipate any changes to the deal with the Russians.

Indonesian defence officials declined to describe what, if anything, they might do to tackle the fallout of the sanctions imposed on Russian arms sales.

A thorny problem

Indian foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale and defence secretary Sanjay Mitra held discussions with US officials in Washington last month to try to find a solution, a second Indian official said.

The issue is crucial to the Indian military, because without Russian parts, supplies and maintenance help, "our ships won't sail, our planes won't fly," the official said. "We can hardly be the regional security provider that America wants us to be at this rate."

One way to avoid secondary sanctions would be if the US determines that India is reducing its dependence on Russian arms, said Atman Trivedi, managing director of Hills & Company, a Washington-based firm that advises on international trade and investment.

Russian hardware represented 62 percent of the country's total weapons imports during the past five years, compared with 79 percent in 2008-2012, the Stockholm Peace Research Institute said in a report last month.

The US administration could also declare that imposing sanctions on India, a major defence partner, would hurt US national security interests. That would allow a waiver permitting India to do business with Russia.

The United States has emerged as India's No. 2 weapons supplier, closing $15 billion worth of deals over the last decade. Now Lockheed Martin and Boeing are leading the race to provide India with a fleet of new fighter-bombers, one of the world's largest open tenders.

"The intent of the legislation was never to disrupt US-India defence relations, which Congress has repeatedly recognised in law as a strategic priority to the US," said Benjamin Schwartz, aerospace and defence head at the United States India Business Council.

Abercrombie of Carnegie added that if Congress grants waivers to India, it may also need to do so for other countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia.

"The bottom line: India warrants an exemption from these secondary sanctions, as does any country with which the US is forging new and strategically important defence relations," she said.

India wants to buy five S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems that the country's military sees as a game changer.

US sanctions on Russian military exports have put the brakes on a $6 billion deal with India and may derail the arms purchases of other US allies around Asia, experts say. Under a law that US President Donald Trump signed in August, any country trading with Russia's defence and intelligence sectors will face sanctions. The law is designed to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, involvement in the Syrian civil war and meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. But American allies who buy weapons and equipment from Russia, the world's second-largest arms exporter, could suffer as well. The highest-profile example is India, which wants to buy five S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems that the country's military sees as a game changer. The systems are touted as being able to counter the ballistic missiles and stealth aircraft that China is developing while overwhelming the capabilities of Pakistan, India's other main adversary. The deal, which Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck as part of an inter-government agreement in 2016, has run headlong into the US sanctions law, two officials in Delhi said. Indonesia and Vietnam also buy weapons from Russia while being regional partners of the United States. Jakarta closed a $1.14 billion pact for Sukhoi fighters recently, while Vietnam is seeking more jet fighter-bombers from Russia. And with both Almaz-Antey Air and Space Defense Corporation, which makes the S-400, and Rosoboronexport, which negotiates Russian export deals, listed as under sanction, those deals have become trickier. "The optics of a major arms purchase from Russia looks quite 'iffy' from the point of view of Western capitals, especially at a time when Russia-West relations are at an all-time low and India seeks strategic convergence with the West, including with the US" said Abhijnan Rej, a defence strategy expert at Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi think tank. The US-led airstrikes this month against facilities of the Syrian government, an ally of Russia, has further aggravated tensions between the superpowers. A Russian source close to the Indian S-400 deal said: "a lot will depend on the confidence and sanity of our Indian partners." Wider impact The effects of the US sanctions law could be more sweeping than intended, said Cara Abercrombie, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Vietnam, whose air force flies Russian-made Su-30 fighters and uses the S-300 air defence system, wants to continue modernising its inventory. Vietnamese military scholar Carl Thayer said he believed Moscow was still pushing Hanoi to invest in state-of-the-art S-400 missile defences as part of its long-term military plans. "I think it is clear that Russia is still pressing Vietnam for big deals," Thayer said, noting that the two countries already have had reciprocal visits by defence ministers this year. But with the United States working hard to promote sales of American military hardware, and sanctions against Russia's exporting agencies, Vietnam's plans could prove overly costly. Indonesia, meanwhile, said the delivery of the first couple of Sukhoi Su-35 jets out of a total of 11 is on track for this year. Officials said that so far they did not anticipate any changes to the deal with the Russians. Indonesian defence officials declined to describe what, if anything, they might do to tackle the fallout of the sanctions imposed on Russian arms sales. A thorny problem Indian foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale and defence secretary Sanjay Mitra held discussions with US officials in Washington last month to try to find a solution, a second Indian official said. The issue is crucial to the Indian military, because without Russian parts, supplies and maintenance help, "our ships won't sail, our planes won't fly," the official said. "We can hardly be the regional security provider that America wants us to be at this rate." One way to avoid secondary sanctions would be if the US determines that India is reducing its dependence on Russian arms, said Atman Trivedi, managing director of Hills & Company, a Washington-based firm that advises on international trade and investment. Russian hardware represented 62 percent of the country's total weapons imports during the past five years, compared with 79 percent in 2008-2012, the Stockholm Peace Research Institute said in a report last month. The US administration could also declare that imposing sanctions on India, a major defence partner, would hurt US national security interests. That would allow a waiver permitting India to do business with Russia. The United States has emerged as India's No. 2 weapons supplier, closing $15 billion worth of deals over the last decade. Now Lockheed Martin and Boeing are leading the race to provide India with a fleet of new fighter-bombers, one of the world's largest open tenders. "The intent of the legislation was never to disrupt US-India defence relations, which Congress has repeatedly recognised in law as a strategic priority to the US," said Benjamin Schwartz, aerospace and defence head at the United States India Business Council. Abercrombie of Carnegie added that if Congress grants waivers to India, it may also need to do so for other countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia. "The bottom line: India warrants an exemption from these secondary sanctions, as does any country with which the US is forging new and strategically important defence relations," she said.

US sanctions on Russian arms put brakes on $6 billion deal with India

The Russian military said late on Sunday that it had managed to evacuate 52 civilians, including 26 children, from Syria&#39;s rebel-held eastern Ghouta after talks with local authorities.

The civilians, inhabitants of the town of Misraba, were taken to a temporary refugee camp where they were receiving medical aid, the Russian military said in a statement.

The Russian military said late on Sunday that it had managed to evacuate 52 civilians, including 26 children

The Russian military said late on Sunday that it had managed to evacuate 52 civilians, including 26 children, from Syria's rebel-held eastern Ghouta after talks with local authorities. The civilians, inhabitants of the town of Misraba, were taken to a temporary refugee camp where they were receiving medical aid, the Russian military said in a statement.

Russian military says it evacuated 52 civilians from Syria's Ghouta

The Russian military said Tuesday that rebels were being allowed to leave Syria&#39;s Eastern Ghouta enclave via a humanitarian corridor together with their families and firearms, news agencies reported.

&quot;This time the humanitarian corridor was open not just for Eastern Ghouta&#39;s civilians but for fighters with their families,&quot; Russian military officer Vladimir Zolotukhin in Eastern Ghouta was quoted as saying.

&quot;Members of illegal armed groups are allowed to carry personal weapons,&quot; he added, without clarifying what options would be available to any rebels who arrived in the government-controlled zone.

Moscow has been managing a corridor out of the besieged Eastern Ghouta region for eight days, with a daily &quot;humanitarian pause&quot; between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm meant to encourage civilians to leave the zone.

But the plan, which was also supposed to give a chance for aid and medical supplies to reach those in need, has mostly failed to work as the region outside Damascus remains under continued regime bombardment.

Moscow has accused the rebels in Eastern Ghouta of blocking civilians from using the corridor. On Monday, only 13 people were able to exit the enclave together with a UN convoy, the Russian military said.&nbsp;

Zolotukhin said fire from rebel-controlled areas in the enclave hit a hospital in a Damascus suburb Monday but that attacks on the corridor subsided on Tuesday.

More than 780 civilians including 170 children have been killed since the Syrian regime launched the assault on Eastern Ghouta on February 18.

By early Tuesday, government troops controlled 40 percent of the enclave, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Fighters were allowed to leave with their families and firearms

The Russian military said Tuesday that rebels were being allowed to leave Syria's Eastern Ghouta enclave via a humanitarian corridor together with their families and firearms, news agencies reported. "This time the humanitarian corridor was open not just for Eastern Ghouta's civilians but for fighters with their families," Russian military officer Vladimir Zolotukhin in Eastern Ghouta was quoted as saying. "Members of illegal armed groups are allowed to carry personal weapons," he added, without clarifying what options would be available to any rebels who arrived in the government-controlled zone. Moscow has been managing a corridor out of the besieged Eastern Ghouta region for eight days, with a daily "humanitarian pause" between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm meant to encourage civilians to leave the zone. But the plan, which was also supposed to give a chance for aid and medical supplies to reach those in need, has mostly failed to work as the region outside Damascus remains under continued regime bombardment. Moscow has accused the rebels in Eastern Ghouta of blocking civilians from using the corridor. On Monday, only 13 people were able to exit the enclave together with a UN convoy, the Russian military said. Zolotukhin said fire from rebel-controlled areas in the enclave hit a hospital in a Damascus suburb Monday but that attacks on the corridor subsided on Tuesday. More than 780 civilians including 170 children have been killed since the Syrian regime launched the assault on Eastern Ghouta on February 18. By early Tuesday, government troops controlled 40 percent of the enclave, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Russia says rebels allowed to leave Syria's Eastern Ghouta: Agencies

Russian President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-releases-putin-list-of-russians-eligible-for-sanctions-31216">Vladimir Putin in an array of video clips</a> unveiled a new range of nuclear weapons including intercontinental ballistic missile, a small nuclear warhead that could be attached to cruise missiles, underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon and a laser weapon.

&quot;I can say that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-unveiling-ceremony-of-statue-of-mikhail-kalashnikov-the-russian-inventor-of-the-fabled-ak-47-assault-rifle-466">Russia has developed an unmanned submarine</a> that can operate at great depth,&quot; the Russian president said, adding ominously,&quot;it can travel transcontinental distance, with a speed many folds faster than conventional submarines, the most advanced torpedoes, and all types of ships, even the fastest.&quot;

&quot;This is absolutely fantastic,&quot; he declared excitedly.

The Russian president who will be fighting the next presidential elections due to be held in a few days in which he is widely expected to win drew huge cheers as he presented the next generation weapons to the Russian public.

&quot;Unmanned submarines can be armed with conventional and nuclear warheads, this allows them to strike a wide range of targets,&quot; Putin said.

&quot;Low attitude, difficult to notice cruise missile carrying a nuclear warhead, with a virtually unlimited range and an unpredictable trajectory and capability to bypass interception lines, it&#39;s invincible to all existing and prospective air defence and missile defence systems,&quot; he told the crowd as he displayed the images on a video screen.

The presentation made on a giant screen in central Moscow was not just a display of Russian military capability but a virtual vision of Putin&#39;s Russia projecting himself as a &quot;strong man&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;The most important stage of development of modern arms systems is the creation of a high-precision, supersonic missile aerospace system that has no equivalents in the world.&quot;

&quot;Its tests have been successfully concluded,&quot; he added.

The Russian leader also voiced concerns about a new US&nbsp;nuclear doctrine, saying that Russia&#39;s own doctrine was defensive and only envisaged the use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack.

Russia has repeatedly said it is keen to hold talks with the United States about the &quot;balance&quot;&nbsp;of strategic nuclear power.

The Russian president who will be fighting the next presidential elections due to be held in a few days in which he is widely expected to win

Russian President Vladimir Putin in an array of video clips unveiled a new range of nuclear weapons including intercontinental ballistic missile, a small nuclear warhead that could be attached to cruise missiles, underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon and a laser weapon. "I can say that Russia has developed an unmanned submarine that can operate at great depth," the Russian president said, adding ominously,"it can travel transcontinental distance, with a speed many folds faster than conventional submarines, the most advanced torpedoes, and all types of ships, even the fastest." "This is absolutely fantastic," he declared excitedly. The Russian president who will be fighting the next presidential elections due to be held in a few days in which he is widely expected to win drew huge cheers as he presented the next generation weapons to the Russian public. "Unmanned submarines can be armed with conventional and nuclear warheads, this allows them to strike a wide range of targets," Putin said. "Low attitude, difficult to notice cruise missile carrying a nuclear warhead, with a virtually unlimited range and an unpredictable trajectory and capability to bypass interception lines, it's invincible to all existing and prospective air defence and missile defence systems," he told the crowd as he displayed the images on a video screen. The presentation made on a giant screen in central Moscow was not just a display of Russian military capability but a virtual vision of Putin's Russia projecting himself as a "strong man". "The most important stage of development of modern arms systems is the creation of a high-precision, supersonic missile aerospace system that has no equivalents in the world." "Its tests have been successfully concluded," he added. The Russian leader also voiced concerns about a new US nuclear doctrine, saying that Russia's own doctrine was defensive and only envisaged the use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack. Russia has repeatedly said it is keen to hold talks with the United States about the "balance" of strategic nuclear power.

Watch: Putin makes stunning presentation on Russia's missile & nuclear capability

Russia on Thursday angrily reacted to British military &#39;&#39;escorting&quot; its aircraft carrier through the English Channel and its description as a &quot;ship of shame&quot;.&nbsp;

Britain&#39;s defence minister Michael Fallon had described Admiral Kuznetsov as a &quot;ship of shame&quot; for its role in Moscow&#39;s Syria operation and said his armed forces were watching it closely to protect British national security, Reuters&nbsp;reported.

&quot;The aim of such statements, and the kind of show being played out with the escort of our ships, is to distract the attention of British tax payers from the real state of the British Royal Navy,&quot; said Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defence Ministry.

<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IZwMONYUD7Y" width="560"></iframe></center>

Britain&#39;s Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon jets and a Royal Navy frigate escorted the Admiral Kuznetsov on Wednesday as it returned from a mission off Syria to its base in northern Russia.

&quot;Firstly, Russian naval vessels don&#39;t need senseless escort services. They know their navigating channel and heading,&quot; Konashenkov said in a statement.

&quot;Secondly, I would advise Mr Fallon to devote more attention to the British navy, especially since, as the English press recently noted, there are grounds for doing that.&quot;&nbsp;

He was referring to media reports that a test-firing of a missile from a British submarine off Florida last year had gone wrong, with the missile veering off course towards the US. 
&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Britain's defence minister described the Russian vessel as a 'ship of shame' for its role in Moscow's Syria operation

Russia on Thursday angrily reacted to British military ''escorting" its aircraft carrier through the English Channel and its description as a "ship of shame". Britain's defence minister Michael Fallon had described Admiral Kuznetsov as a "ship of shame" for its role in Moscow's Syria operation and said his armed forces were watching it closely to protect British national security, Reuters reported. "The aim of such statements, and the kind of show being played out with the escort of our ships, is to distract the attention of British tax payers from the real state of the British Royal Navy," said Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defence Ministry. Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon jets and a Royal Navy frigate escorted the Admiral Kuznetsov on Wednesday as it returned from a mission off Syria to its base in northern Russia. "Firstly, Russian naval vessels don't need senseless escort services. They know their navigating channel and heading," Konashenkov said in a statement. "Secondly, I would advise Mr Fallon to devote more attention to the British navy, especially since, as the English press recently noted, there are grounds for doing that." He was referring to media reports that a test-firing of a missile from a British submarine off Florida last year had gone wrong, with the missile veering off course towards the US. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

British, Russia stand-off on the English Channel

Russian forces arrived in Pakistan on Friday for their first-ever joint military exercise with the Pakistani Army, reported the Hindustan Times. 
 
Lieutenant-General Asim Saleem Bajwa, the director-general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tweeted photographs of the Russian forces after they arrived in Rawalpindi.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A contingent of Russian ground forces arrived Pak for 1st ever Pak- Russian joint exercise (2 weeks) from 24 Sep to 10 Oct 2016 <a href="https://t.co/eWzQMlENL6">pic.twitter.com/eWzQMlENL6</a>
&mdash; Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/AsimBajwaISPR/status/779189706672275456">September 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
The joint military exercise, starting on September 24, was earlier reported to have been cancelled in the wake of the September 18 attack on an Indian army base in Jammu and Kashmir that left 18 soldiers dead. 
 
The military drill named &lsquo;Friendship 2016&rsquo; is a first between the two countries. It will continue till October 7, according to the Pakistan media. 
 
The drill will be held in&nbsp;Cherat&nbsp;located in the Khyber Pakhuntkwa province of Pakistan. 
 
About 200 soldiers from each side will take part in the two-week war-game, reported the Hindustan Times. 
 
(WION) 
 
&nbsp;

The military drill named 'Friendship 2016' was earlier reported to have been cancelled following the Uri attack

Russian forces arrived in Pakistan on Friday for their first-ever joint military exercise with the Pakistani Army, reported the Hindustan Times. Lieutenant-General Asim Saleem Bajwa, the director-general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tweeted photographs of the Russian forces after they arrived in Rawalpindi. A contingent of Russian ground forces arrived Pak for 1st ever Pak- Russian joint exercise (2 weeks) from 24 Sep to 10 Oct 2016 pic.twitter.com/eWzQMlENL6 — Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) September 23, 2016 The joint military exercise, starting on September 24, was earlier reported to have been cancelled in the wake of the September 18 attack on an Indian army base in Jammu and Kashmir that left 18 soldiers dead. The military drill named ‘Friendship 2016’ is a first between the two countries. It will continue till October 7, according to the Pakistan media. The drill will be held in Cherat located in the Khyber Pakhuntkwa province of Pakistan. About 200 soldiers from each side will take part in the two-week war-game, reported the Hindustan Times. (WION)

Russian forces arrive in Pakistan for first-ever joint military exercise

The Russian military said on Monday its aircraft operating from an Iranian air base to conduct strikes in Syria had completed their tasks, but left open the possibility of using the Hamadan base again if circumstances warranted. 
 
Iran&#39;s foreign ministry said Russia had stopped using the base for strikes in Syria, bringing an abrupt halt to an unprecedented deployment that was criticised both by the White House and by some Iranian lawmakers. 
 
&quot;Russian military aircraft that took part in the operation of conducting air strikes from Iran&#39;s Hamadan air base on terrorist targets in Syria have successfully completed all tasks,&quot; a Russian defence ministry spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Further use of the Hamadan air base in the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Russian Aerospace Forces will be carried out on the basis of mutual agreements to fight terrorism and depending on the prevailing circumstances in Syria,&quot; Konashenkov said. 
 
Last week, long-range Russian Tupolev-22M3 bombers and Sukhoi-34 fighter-bombers used Nojeh air base, near the city of Hamadan, in north-west Iran to launch air strikes against armed groups in Syria. It was the first time a foreign power had used an Iranian base since World War Two. Russia and Iran are both providing crucial military support to President Bashar al-Assad against rebels and jihadi fighters in Syria&#39;s five-year-old conflict. 
 
Some Iranian lawmakers called the move a breach of Iran&#39;s constitution which forbids &quot;the establishment of any kind of foreign military base in Iran, even for peaceful purposes&quot;. 
 
Iranian defence minister Hossein Dehghan dismissed that criticism but also chided Moscow for publicising the move, describing it as showing off and a &quot;betrayal of trust.&quot; 
 
&quot;We have not given any military base to the Russians and they are not here to stay,&quot; Dehghan was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency late on Sunday. 
 
He said there was &quot;no written agreement&quot; between the two countries and the &quot;operational cooperation&quot; was temporary and limited to refuelling. 
 
The US state department, which last week called the move &quot;unfortunate but not surprising&quot; and said it was studying if it violated a UN Security Council resolution that bars supply, sale and transfer of combat aircraft to Iran, said that it was unclear if Moscow&#39;s use of the base had &quot;definitively stopped.&quot; 
 
Abrupt end 
 
Yesterday, Iran&#39;s foreign ministry said Russia&#39;s use of the base had ended. 
 
&quot;Russia has no base in Iran and is not stationed here. They did this (operation) and it is finished for now,&quot; Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. 
 
Iran&#39;s defence minister had said last week that Russia would be permitted to use the Nojeh base &quot;for as long as they need&quot;. 
 
While noting that Iran has long supported Assad, a US official said Tehran may not have wanted its involvement to be so public ahead of the 2017 Iranian presidential election. 
 
&quot;The Iranians don&rsquo;t mind helping out quietly. They just don&rsquo;t want the world to know that they are contributing to the deaths of thousands of Syrian civilians,&quot; said the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 
 
&quot;It&rsquo;s their elections. Everybody gets squeamish around election time,&quot; he added. 
 
Relations between Iran and Russia, long cordial, appeared to reach a new level last September when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military intervention in Syria in support of Assad. 
 
After some delay, Russia supplied Iran with its S-300 missile air defence system, evidence of a growing partnership that is testing U.S. influence in the Middle East. 
 
Dehghan said that to make up for the delay, Russia had suggested providing Iran with its advanced S-400, but that Tehran was not interested as it is working to advance its own home-made defence system. 
 
Iran unveiled its new missile defence system, Bavar 373, on Monday, a system designed to intercept cruise missiles, drones, combat aircraft and ballistic missiles. Iran&#39;s defence minister also said Tehran has shown interest in buying Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and Moscow&#39;s reply &quot;has not been negative so far.&quot; 
 
The United States has said it would use its veto power in the UN Security Council to block the possible sales of the fighter jets to Iran. 
 
(Reuters)

Iran's foreign ministry said Russia had stopped using the Hamadan air base for strikes in Syria yesterday

The Russian military said on Monday its aircraft operating from an Iranian air base to conduct strikes in Syria had completed their tasks, but left open the possibility of using the Hamadan base again if circumstances warranted. Iran's foreign ministry said Russia had stopped using the base for strikes in Syria, bringing an abrupt halt to an unprecedented deployment that was criticised both by the White House and by some Iranian lawmakers. "Russian military aircraft that took part in the operation of conducting air strikes from Iran's Hamadan air base on terrorist targets in Syria have successfully completed all tasks," a Russian defence ministry spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, said in a statement. "Further use of the Hamadan air base in the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Russian Aerospace Forces will be carried out on the basis of mutual agreements to fight terrorism and depending on the prevailing circumstances in Syria," Konashenkov said. Last week, long-range Russian Tupolev-22M3 bombers and Sukhoi-34 fighter-bombers used Nojeh air base, near the city of Hamadan, in north-west Iran to launch air strikes against armed groups in Syria. It was the first time a foreign power had used an Iranian base since World War Two. Russia and Iran are both providing crucial military support to President Bashar al-Assad against rebels and jihadi fighters in Syria's five-year-old conflict. Some Iranian lawmakers called the move a breach of Iran's constitution which forbids "the establishment of any kind of foreign military base in Iran, even for peaceful purposes". Iranian defence minister Hossein Dehghan dismissed that criticism but also chided Moscow for publicising the move, describing it as showing off and a "betrayal of trust." "We have not given any military base to the Russians and they are not here to stay," Dehghan was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency late on Sunday. He said there was "no written agreement" between the two countries and the "operational cooperation" was temporary and limited to refuelling. The US state department, which last week called the move "unfortunate but not surprising" and said it was studying if it violated a UN Security Council resolution that bars supply, sale and transfer of combat aircraft to Iran, said that it was unclear if Moscow's use of the base had "definitively stopped." Abrupt end Yesterday, Iran's foreign ministry said Russia's use of the base had ended. "Russia has no base in Iran and is not stationed here. They did this (operation) and it is finished for now," Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. Iran's defence minister had said last week that Russia would be permitted to use the Nojeh base "for as long as they need". While noting that Iran has long supported Assad, a US official said Tehran may not have wanted its involvement to be so public ahead of the 2017 Iranian presidential election. "The Iranians don’t mind helping out quietly. They just don’t want the world to know that they are contributing to the deaths of thousands of Syrian civilians," said the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "It’s their elections. Everybody gets squeamish around election time," he added. Relations between Iran and Russia, long cordial, appeared to reach a new level last September when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military intervention in Syria in support of Assad. After some delay, Russia supplied Iran with its S-300 missile air defence system, evidence of a growing partnership that is testing U.S. influence in the Middle East. Dehghan said that to make up for the delay, Russia had suggested providing Iran with its advanced S-400, but that Tehran was not interested as it is working to advance its own home-made defence system. Iran unveiled its new missile defence system, Bavar 373, on Monday, a system designed to intercept cruise missiles, drones, combat aircraft and ballistic missiles. Iran's defence minister also said Tehran has shown interest in buying Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and Moscow's reply "has not been negative so far." The United States has said it would use its veto power in the UN Security Council to block the possible sales of the fighter jets to Iran. (Reuters)

Russia says future use of Iran air base possible if circumstances warranted

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