Russia has presented evidence that the BUK missile that shot down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was inherited by Ukraine after the collapse of USSR. But their credibility record is really poor when it comes to explanations about MH17.
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Political officers return in Russia’s military
Russia is reintroducing political officers – zampolits – that bring back memories of political commissars from the USSR. The goal is to ensure patriotism and political unity behind president Putin’s line.
Russian officers struggle with work-life balance
Long work hours are a problem in the Russian military. But now initiatives are implemented to reduce the burden and make life more bearable for the Russian officers and their families.
Russia reinforces Baltic Fleet with submarine ‘Alrosa’
The submarine Alrosa will soon join the Baltic Fleet. It has a special pumpjet propulsion system, which makes it even more quiet that other Kilo class submarines. At the same time, Russia is retiring an old submarine from service in the Baltic Sea.
Russian Ministry of Defense releases data on Syria campaign
Official statistics support the notion that Russia has used Syria as a military training ground. Impressive numbers of personnel and equipment have rotated through the theater of operations.
Book Review: The Long Hangover — Putin’s New Russia and the Ghosts of the Past
Shaun Walker has written an excellent book about modern Russian history, identity creation after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the almost fetishized obsession with the World War II victory.
Synthetic biology creates concerns about proliferation of biological weapons
Advances in synthetic biology creates great opportunities for commercial use, but they also make it easy for people to produce and proliferate biological weapons. Al Mauroni has written a good article about the problem.
Did a Russian frigate track down an Ohio class submarine?
The Russian frigate Admiral Essen tracked down an American Ohio class submarine back in April. That claims a Russian newspaper which puts great pride in the accomplishment. But isn’t it a weird thing to brag about? After all, it does reveal that most of the time you have no clue where the American submarines are.
Baltic and Black Sea compared – deterred in the North
Nikolas Gvosdev argues in War on the Rocks that Russia’s build-up in the Black Sea Basin is more concerning than in the Baltic Area. This leads me to reflect on the differences. The Black Sea area is more contested, and there is no united deterrence against Russia. But that does not mean that there is room for complacency in the Baltic region.
U.S. approves sale of four Black Hawk helicopters to Latvia
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of four Blackhawk helicopters to Latvia for an estimated cost of $200 million. This does not mean that a deal is made, but if Latvia decides to buy Blackhawk, they will get a good and reliable helicopter.
U.S. approves sale of SM2 missiles to Denmark
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of SM2 missiles to Denmark. The plan is to use them to increase the capabilities of Denmark’s Iver Huitfeldt class frigates which so far have sailed around with empty Mark 41 launchers.
