al-qaida chief ayman al-zawahiri the coordinator 2016 part 19-122-russia-10-62

C de Waart; CdW Intelligence to Rent [email protected] In Confidence

Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2016 Part 19-122-Russia-10-62

"A Russian takes a long time to harness a horse, but then rides fast"

President Vladimir Putin's government has just set a draft budget for the next three years based on the assumption Russia will be able to sell its oil for $40 a barrel. That's $10 below current world prices. Russia is the second biggest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia. It has been talking to the Saudis and other OPEC producers about restraining supply to support prices.

The first phase of Russia’s war with the U.S. is already starting, and while it is not easily visible, it’s incredibly dangerous.After months of speculation regarding the hacking of recent political figures and organizations, the U.S. intelligence community announced last week that it is “confident” that Russia is responsible.The Obama administration is “confident” that Russia is trying to interfere in the presidential election – and so is the former CIA and NSA director, Gen. Michael Hayden.

“In the course of the strategic war games Caucasus-2016, the Defense Ministry has for the first time tried how a military district command can directly manage the regions of the Russian Federation” A recent military exercise in southern Russia saw the first real-time test of the state management system that allows the Defense Ministry to assume direct control over municipal and regional authorities, police, state security and emergency services. “In the course of the strategic war games Caucasus-2016, the Defense Ministry has for the first time tried how a military district command can directly manage the regions of the Russian Federation,” popular daily Izvestia quoted an unnamed high-placed military source as saying.“Exercising the interaction with state power bodies was one of the main objectives of the war games. In general it went well, but we also encountered some problems and presently we are preparing some legislative proposals that would correct the revealed drawbacks,” the source added. Russia currently has five military districts that comprise the Defense Ministry’s territory division units. In times of war, the command of each of these districts will be divided into two parts – the Operative Strategic Command and the Wartime Military District. The former will be in charge of military operations and the latter will control the draft, logistics and execution of all special regime measures, such as maintaining public order and the increased security of strategic installations and communications.The new system was tested in southern Russia’s Stavropol Region, Ingushetia and Crimea. Military sources also told reporters that all the proposed changes are in line with the 2016-2020 Plan of Defense signed by President Vladimir Putin in November 2015.

17 Nov 2015, For the purposes of implementing activities in the sphere of defense ... I hereby resolve to put into effect from 1 January 2016 the Russian Federation’s defense plan for 2016-2020," the document says. The decree, dated November 16, entered into force upon signature.Previously, Russian army’s Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said that effective response to challenges and threats to Russia’s national security requires close interaction of the authorities not only in the military sphere, as Western countries use the "new forms of confrontation," combining military with non-military means. According to the chief of the General Staff, it is possible to fend off challenges and threats to national security "only in close interaction of the bodies of state power in the course of fulfilling tasks in the political, diplomatic, economic, military, informational, social and other spheres." In 2015, the Russian Defense Ministry plans to focus on boosting military capabilities in Crimea, the Kaliningrad region, and the Arctic, while carrying out other planned modernizations of

1The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see. –Winston ChurchillCees de Waart: CdW Intelligence to Rent of 13

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the armed forces and drafting a new long-term defense plan. In 2015, the Russian Defense Ministry plans to focus on boosting military capabilities in Crimea, the Kaliningrad region, and the Arctic, while carrying out other planned modernizations of the armed forces and drafting a new long-term defense plan….

Russia’s deployment of nuclear-capable missiles its enclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea is a "wake-up call" for the West of the current dangers, according to analysts. Germany warns the tensions between Moscow and the West are more dangerous than during the Cold War. “The idea is to intimidate the West. Because Russia does not have any other tools to fight for its competitiveness in the international arena but psychology. Even the Russian military are comparatively weaker than NATO’s forces,” “The dramatic reaction of the West about Iskander [missiles] now is that it is just a wake-up call, it is just a very clear message. It is that ice-cold bucket of water that says, ‘Wake up, you are not living in a safe world,” said Igor Sutyagin, a Russian military analyst at London’s Royal United Services Institute.

Of course there is a reaction. As far as Russia sees it, as Putin sees it, it is full-scale confrontation on all fronts. If you want a confrontation, you'll get one. But it won't be a confrontation that doesn't harm the interests of the United States. You want a confrontation, you'll get one everywhere," said Retired Lt. Gen. Yevgeny Buzhinsky.

The defense readiness condition, dubbed DEFCON, is an alert system used by the US military to indicate the risk of nuclear war. The system has five levels of readiness, or states of alert, increasing in severity from DEFCON 5 – the least severe – to DEFCON 1 – the most severe. The current DEFCON level is understood to be 5 – the lowest state of readiness. But conspiracy theory website DEFCON

warning system claims the threat has been upgraded to level 3, meaning the US Air Force is ready to mobilise in just 15 minutes.

Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir of the Russian military’s General Staff accused the Pentagon of developing the shield as part of planning for a possible first nuclear strike. “The missile defense system considerably shifts the balance of offensive weapons, allowing the planning of a more efficient pre-emptive strike,” he said at a security conference in China. Russia and China have frequently expressed concerns about the U.S. missile shield, but Poznikhir dropped any diplomatic reticence in his blunt speech that reflected a widening rift between Moscow and Washington. “Russian military experts believe that the U.S. hopes to gain the capability to strike any region of the world, including Russia and China, with nuclear-tipped missiles with impunity,” he said. Poznikhir argued that Washington’s calculus would be to launch a first disarming strike and then rely on the missile shield to shoot down the remaining enemy missiles launched at the U.S. in a retaliatory strike. He used an analogy of two gladiators armed with swords facing each other. “If one of the gladiators takes up a shield, it will give him a marked advantage and make him think that he would be able to win, particularly if he strikes first,” he said. “What would another gladiator do? Naturally, he also would pick up a shield and also a longer and stronger sword. This is what happening now as a result of the U.S. missile deployment.” “The illusion of invulnerability and impunity under the missile defense umbrella would encourage


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Washington to take unilateral steps in dealing with global and regional issues,” Poznikhir said. “That can objectively lead to lowering the threshold of nuclear weapons use to pre-empt the enemy’s action.” He added that governments in Europe and Asia which agreed to host elements of the U.S. missile shield had made their people “hostages of the U.S. unpredictable action.”

Troopers of Russia and Belarus held their first joint trainings at the Belarusian training range “Brest” as part of preparations for the international maneuvers.The website soyuz.by informs about this referring to the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Russian Ministry of Defense.“Staff officers from Russia and Belarus conducted reconnaissance of the area for field trainings: inspected landing sites for air and tactical forces, inspected areas where the units will concentrate for training of counter-sabotage actions, areas where the intelligence and air assault units will be placed, agreed on control signals common for both sides,” – the message informs. Russian troopers held their first practical session on ground training of jumps using the field simulators of air-borne complex. Russian military arrived to the maneuvers with their regular shooting arms and parachute systems D-10. Around 600 servicemen from both sides, 60 units of military equipment, drones and military air fleet of Air Force of Belarus take part in the maneuvers. The head of the civil campaign European Belarus Andrei Sannikov has earlier said that “aggressive actions of Russia can be without exaggeration called the “Caribbean Crisis” in Europe.”“The deliberate escalation of tension is under way and we can already call it a preparation to military actions. There is no room for coincidences or ambiguity in understanding of the military preparations of Russia, in which, by the way, Lukashenka’s regime plays a full role.First of all, we should take into consideration the large-scale maneuvers of the Russian-Belarusian troopers in Breast, at the border with Poland, and the deployment of “Iskanders” in the Kaliningrad region,” – the politician said.

Russia's Defense Ministry will buy a number of the latest BTR-82A armored personnel carriers fitted to withstand action in extreme Arctic conditions, a ministry source told the Izvestia newspaper Wednesday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The BTR-82A vehicle is one of the latest versions of BTR-80 amphibious armored personnel carrier. It has improved armor, is fitted with spall liners, as well as having upgraded night vision equipment and the Glonass satellite navigation system. The vehicle has been in service with the Russian army since 2013."Before the end of the year, the Military Industrial Company will supply the Defense Ministry with 20 new BTR-82As, some of which will be made in a special Arctic configuration. These will be serially made carriers that are partially modified for use in extreme Arctic conditions," the source said. The Military Industrial Company, part of the Russian Machines group of companies, specializes in the production of military gear and works for both the government and private customers. The vehicles will have upgraded interior climate control to ensure the functioning of electronic equipment, including electronic sights, radio devices and other complex instruments, according to the source. The BTR-82A engine compartment will also be insulated to withstand extreme temperatures, while different types of transmission and engine oil, as well as engine fuel, will be used to enable cold starts at temperatures as low as —60 degrees Celsius (-76 degrees Fahrenheit). The BTR-82A will become the Russian military's first wheeled armored vehicle capable of moving across stretches of waterlogged tundra, across snow up to 60 centimeters (23 inches) deep and along the Arctic coast, the ministry source added. The Russian military is currently working on different types of vehicles for use in different regions of Russia's Arctic territories, such as the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and the Chukchi Peninsula. Before 2015, the military used only tracked all-terrain vehicles for moving across Russia's vast Arctic territories. Russia has been stepping up its military, trade and exploration activities in the Arctic region. It has been building transport and energy


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production infrastructure, as well as installing military facilities and developing the Northern Sea Route linking Europe to Asia.

The Obama administration is “confident” that Russia is trying to interfere in the presidential election – and so is the former CIA and NSA director, Gen. Michael Hayden. Though Russia has denied the allegations, Hayden says he thinks Russia is trying to “erode” Americans’ larger confidence in the political process.“The Clinton campaign has said they’re doing it to pick a winner. I don’t think that’s true,” Hayden, a retired four-star Air Force general, told “CBS This Morning” Friday, Oct 14. “It’s to mess with our heads. It’s to do to us what he thinks we do to him and his political processes. It’s a way of his pushing back against what he views to be American pressure.” “Don’t put this in the ‘cyber problem’ box. Put this in the ‘Russian problem’ box,” Hayden said. “Put this in that box with all these other indicators – actual Russian behavior to which we should respond – in my view, respond more robustly than we’ve responded.”Hayden said the Obama administration’s response to the Russia’s intervention in Syria has been “too light,” agreeing with criticism that the U.S. has created a “vacuum” in the war-torn country. Hayden suggested different ways U.S. actions could be “more robust” to create a “tectonic shift in a Russian pressure point.”“Can we be more robust in Ukraine, with regard to what we may or may not provide them? Can we be more robust in Syria, with how much space we give the Russians to operate?” Hayden said. “Getting out of the narrow box, why don’t we make it American policy to wean the Europeans off of Russian gas? Why don’t we simply say, ‘We got it, we’re going to exploit it, and we’re going to ship it.’” “And here’s where it really gets tough, all right? And at this point you actually got to say to all the players,’We’re serious. This is a safe zone.’ Now we got responsibilities. We can’t let one side or the other operate out of there and conduct attacks. That’s our policing function, it’s not yours, you can’t go there,’” Hayden said.

In February, US Air Force General Philip Breedlove warned of the rising electronic warfare capabilities in Russia, the National Interest reported. “They [Russia] have invested a lot in electronic warfare because they know we are a connected and precise force and they need to disconnect us to make us imprecise,” Breedlove said.The US is working on numerous projects of non-conventional weapons, including radio, electronic, infrared and laser ones. “We have electronic warfare capability – we probably do not have the capacity we need now,” Breedlove noted.In April this year, Russia’s Radio-Electronic Technologies Concern (KRET) announced it has started trials of a tactical electromagnetic combat complex fully integrated with the latest air-defense systems.The system is designed to suppress any existing and prospective airborne electronic equipment, making it impossible for the aircraft and satellites to proceed with their missions. Russia has developed and successfully tested radio-electronic weapons systems unmatched anywhere in the world, RIA Novosti reports, citing the manufacturer.

Cees *** They call it Non-Linear warfare

Russia has mounted a campaign of covert economic and political measures to manipulate five countries in central and eastern Europe, discredit the West's liberal democratic model, and undermine trans-Atlantic ties, a report by a private U.S. research group said.The report released on Thursday said Moscow had co-opted sympathetic politicians, strived to


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dominate energy markets and other economic sectors, and undermined anti-corruption measures in an attempt to gain sway over governments in Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Serbia, and Slovakia."In certain countries, Russian influence has become so pervasive and endemic that it has challenged national stability as well as a country's Western orientation and Euro-Atlantic stability," said the report of a 16-month study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and the Sofia, Bulgaria-based Center for the Study of Democracy.

The publication of "The Kremlin Playbook: Understanding Russian Influence in Eastern and Central Europe" coincides with an unprecedented debate in the United States over whether Russia is attempting to interfere in the Nov. 8 presidential election with cyber attacks and the release of emails from the campaign of Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton.The former U.S. Secretary of State's campaign has said the Kremlin is trying to help Republican Donald Trump win the White House.On Friday, the U.S. government for the first time formally accused Russia of hacking Democratic Party organizations. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday rejected allegations of meddling in the election.The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the report. On Sunday, however, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian state TV the United States was increasing its hostility toward Moscow.Lavrov complained that NATO had been steadily moving military infrastructure closer to Russia's borders with Eastern European countries and criticized sanctions imposed over Moscow's role in the Ukraine crisis.A former U.S. State Department official is the report's lead author and U.S. officials said they concur with the findings on Russia's involvement in Eastern Europe."The Russians have been engaged in a sustained campaign to recapture what Putin considers their rightful buffer in Eastern Europe, and to undermine not just NATO and the EU, but the entire democratic foundation of both institutions," said a U.S. official who has studied Russian behavior since before the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.The official requested anonymity because, he said, the White House has ordered officials not to publicly discuss hostile Russian activities.Those activities, he said, include bribery, propaganda, disinformation, "the occasional" assassination of Kremlin critics at home or abroad, and now using the internet to undermine opponents and weaken Western institutions.

"The Kremlin Playbook" cites a series of Russian efforts to expand its writ in central and eastern Europe. They range from "megadeal" projects such as the 12.2 billion euro contract to build two new nuclear reactors in Hungary, awarded to Russia under opaque terms, to the cultivation of pro-Russian businessmen who gain political office and then shield Moscow's interests, it said.In Bulgaria, Russia's economic presence is so strong, averaging 22 percent of GDP between 2005 and 2014, "that the country is at high risk of Russian-influenced state capture," the report said.Heather Conley, the former U.S. official and lead author of the report, said in an interview that the study was intended to highlight a challenge that has received insufficient attention from American and European policymakers."The first step is to acknowledge that which is happening," said Conley. "What is at stake here is how we view ourselves and the functioning of our democracy." The report proposes measures to curb what it calls an "unvirtuous cycle" of covert Russian influence. They include more focus on illicit financial flows and revamping U.S. assistance programs to stress strengthening governance and combating Russian influence.It is not the only study this year to highlight Russia's measures in the region.


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"Russia has opened a new political front within Europe by supporting the far right against the liberal European Union," the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research, a British Army research group, said in February. Governments such as those in Hungary and Greece "openly sympathize" with Putin, it said. "The result is that there is a substantial 'fifth column' in western and central Europe which weakens our response to Russian aggression."

Regards

Preparation For A Military Clash - Russia's Drills And Army Update – September-October 2016The following is a list of Russia's military drills in the months of September and October:

2017 Strategic Command Staff Exercise And Kavkaz 2016 DrillsName: Kavkaz 2016 (Caucasus 2016)Date: September 5-10Location: Southern Military DistrictNumber of Troops: 12, 500Military equipment: 15 warships, 400 pieces of major military equipment, which included more than 100 aircraft and helicopters) and 15 warships were used.Previous exercises: Zapad-2013 (West-2013), Vostok-2014 (East-2014), Centr-2015 (Center-2015)The chief of the Russian armed forces’ General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, said that the next strategic command staff exercise will be held in western Russia in 2017. Gerasimov stated: "Strategic command staff exercises are held annually. The next, codenamed Zapad-2017 (West-2017) will take place in the west of the country."Gerasimov also commented on the preliminary results of the strategic command-and-staff exercise

Kavkaz-2016, which was conducted in the Southern Military District (SMD), including Crimea and on the Black and Caspian Seas, on September 5-10.[1] The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the drill was intended to verify the readiness level of the


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military command bodies to control subordinate force groups. Kavkaz -2016 was notable for: the organization of troop control at all levels, tactical encounters with a simulated enemy on the other side of the barricade, testing new military equipment under field conditions, organization of mobilization and territorial defense, extensive employment of aviation and maritime forces of the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian flotilla. As part of the strategic command-and-staff exercise, formations and units of the Land Forces, the Aerospace Forces, the Navy and the Airborne Troops practiced tactical encounters at the Southern MD ranges.[2] The Russian Defense Ministry's press-service said: "The Kavkaz-2016 exercise is the final phase of a package of command staff and special practices and drills for military command bodies and snap checks of troops' combat readiness due in 2016..."[3] It is worth noting that more than 120,000 troops, members of federal ministries and agencies and also specialists of the Central Bank of Russia were involved consecutively, at different periods in the Southern, Central and Western military districts. However, as Gerasimov previously stated, in the territory of the Southern Military District no more than 12,500 troops were involved in the exercise at any one time.[4] Assessing the Black Sea fleet drills results during Kavkaz 2016, Gerasimov stressed that the Black Sea fleet is capable of exterminating any enemy even before the enemy leaves his permanent location bases in the Black Sea. Gerasimov said: "The Black Sea fleet possesses every possible means for that purpose – surveillance systems, which track the targets from 500 kilometers, fire assets. Take the Bastions system for example – it has a 350 kilometers (range). It reaches everything including the Bosporus". He added that until recently the fleet's capabilities were lower than the Turkish fleet's capabilities in the Black Sea. "Several years ago the Russian fleet's combat capabilities were in stark contrast to that of the Turkish Navy. Some even said that Turkey was in full command of the Black Sea. Now it's different," Gerasimov said.[5] He also stated that the Black Sea Fleet was reinforced by submarines carrying the Kalibr missile system. Gerasimov also said that Russia's Black Sea Fleet is capable of destroying a potential enemy's amphibious force in the ports of embarkation. "The Black Sea Fleet should be able - and it has already demonstrated this capability - to destroy a potential enemy's amphibious force on the way, starting from the ports of embarkation," Gerasimov said. An enemy landing force should not be allowed to reach Crimea's coast, "wherever it may come from," Gerasimov added.[6]Regarding the operational scenario in the Black Sea and Crimea the observer may get to the conclusion that Russia gets ready to repel attack on Crimea. The operational scenario was described as follows: "The Western [countries] begin the offensive against the Northern Federation", reach naval and air superiority for three days and attempt to seize ground positions of the defending army in order to place the 'Southwestern republics' under Western control.[7]However, Gerasimov stressed that the drills were not targeted at Ukraine. Nevertheless, in planning and holding the military exercise, the Russian Defense Ministry took the US and Georgian joint drills, which conducted their own games alongside Kavkaz-2016, into account. Gerasimov said: "True, we took into account the US-Georgian exercise, bearing in mind that fifteen hundred troops were participating in them. We made allowances for their actions." It was also reported that Gerasimov stressed that Kavkaz-2016 attracted attention from foreign intelligence services, including those of NATO members.[8]Gerasimov added: "The southwestern strategic direction is a priority. First, the North Caucasus Military District, and later the Southern Military District - have been and remain a priority. They are the first to get advanced weapons and gear."


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An Iskander-M missile that was fired during the Kavkaz-2016 drills in southern Russia. (Source: Rt.com)The Western MD motorized rifle regiment located in the Moscow Region has eliminated a simulated enemy on the other side of the Don River during Kavkaz 2016. The servicemen overcame 500 meters of water and captured the other bank of the river. Helicopters of the army aviation covered the troops

from the air. Having reached the other side of the river, the motorized rifle units engaged the simulated enemy capturing the bridgehead to ensure the crossing of the Don by the main forces. (Source: Mil.ru, September 7, 2016)

Kaliningrad RegionThe Western Command District (WCD) started military drills in the Kaliningrad region. Shore-based forces of the Baltic fleet prepared to destroy with missiles and rockets the command and control centers, infantry, and heavy equipment of the simulated enemy. Shore-based forces will use Tochka-U short-range tactical missile systems during the drills. The exercise involved more than 100 soldiers.[9]In another set of drills in the WCD, armored forces launched drills to overcome water obstacles using tanks. More than 100 crews have been trained to cross rivers with maximum depth of 5 meters.[10]These drills may provide an insight into Russian military plans as crossing rivers does not generally dovetail with a purely defensive orientation.

The ArcticRussia's Northern and Pacific Fleet warships took part in tactical naval drills in the Arctic region, near the New Siberian Islands. Сapt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said: "In line with a training plan, a joint tactical exercise of warships from the Northern and Pacific Fleets has been held in the area of the New Siberian Islands. After an arrival of a group of Northern Fleet's warships... a scenario involving the escort of ships by the Pacific Fleet's Ivan Susanin icebreaker was trained."[11]The Northern Fleet has conducted a series of drills involving anti-ship missile systems accompanied by the live firing of cruise missiles, Tu-95 strategic bombers and anti-submarine aircraft. According to the operational scenario, the navy landed and took under control of unspecified island territory and this involved raids and repelling potential enemy forces.[12]

The Baltic FleetThe Baltic Fleet has conducted very similar drills. The fleet’s press service wrote: "More than 20 crews of Su-27 and Su-24 warplanes, Mi-24 and Mi-8 military transport helicopters, as well as ship borne Ka-27 helicopters and An-26 military transport aircraft are taking part in the exercise. The crews of the naval aviation will drill interception and destruction of real air targets and the search for simulated enemy submarines."[13]

The White SeaDate: September 27Location: White SeaThe Russian Defense Ministry said: "Today, on September 27, the Yuri Dolgoruky strategic nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine conducted experimental launches of two Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles from the White Sea to the Kura firing range on the Kamchatka Peninsula... Both


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missiles were fired from the submarine’s silos in a routine regime. The first missile's warhead completed the entire cycle of the flight program and successfully hit the designated targets at the firing range. The second missile self-liquidated after the first stage of the flight program."[14]

South OssetiaDate: September 20-24Location: South OssetiaTroops and equipment: Around 4,000 servicemen and 1,000 pieces of equipmentThe drill's scenario is an air attack of a simulated enemy, "pass through contaminated areas on the ground in conditions of the use of weapons of mass destruction and electronic countermeasures by the enemy."[15]

Central Military DistrictDate: SeptemberLocation: BuryatiaTroops and Equipment: 300 personnel and about 80 pieces of military equipmentAn air defense regiment of the Central Military District, armed with the S-400 Triumph hit high-speed targets in its first exercise in Buryatia. an aide to the Central Military District's commander,


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Yaroslav Roshchupkin, said: "Six missiles were launched to destroy hard-to-hit high-speed missile targets Kaban travelling along a flat path at a speed of 1,200 meters per second at an altitude of 45 kilometers."[16]

West And Central RussiaDate: Main stages took place on October 5-7. The drills concluded on October 10.Location: Pskov, Ivanovo, Kostroma and Yaroslavl RegionsTroops and equipment: 5,000 paratroopers. Units of the 76th air assault division (Pskov) and 98th airborne division (Ivanovo). In total, over 5,000 servicemen and around 900 units of military and special equipment.The Russian Defense Ministry said: "These are routine military exercise."[17]

Jewish Autonomous OblastDate: OctoberMilitary equipment: Iskander-M tactical missileA missile regiment of the Eastern Military District stationed in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast was put on high combat readiness for snap checks.[18]

Ural RegionRussia is to establish one more armored division in the Ural region by the end of the year. The Ural region is part of Central Command. The new division is already at 70% strength in terms of personnel and heavy equipment. It will operate mainly diverse versions of the T-72 tank and will include a light infantry regiment, an artillery regiment, an air-defense regiment, and a couple of armored regiments and supporting units.[19]

Topol Inter-Continental Ballistic MissileDate: September 9Location: Plesetsky DistrictOn September 9, a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile was test-fired from Russia's Plesetsk launch site.[20]

Topol, Topol-M, Yars Missile LaunchersDate:September 22Location: Tver Region to the Irkutsk Region Equipment: Around 1,700 units of equipment Over 60 standalone Topol, Topol-M and Yars missile launchers made intensive maneuvers on combat patrol routes from the Tver Region to the Irkutsk Region.[21]Iskander Missile BrigadeDate: OctoberLocation: Western Military DistrictTroops and equipment: 500 servicemen, involving 50 units of weaponry and military equipment. The Western Military District’s missile brigade, equipped with Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile systems, has been placed on the highest combat alert level as part of the 2016 comprehensive military drill that was reviewed by the Ministry of Defense and the Chief-of-Staff. The Iskander-M units will deliver "a simulated preemptive strike against the missile systems and other remote critical targets of a simulated enemy."[22]

Russian Arms’ Orders From African CountriesRussian arms exporter Rosoboron export announced that it has reached tentative orders of 21 billion


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USD from African countries. The major clients are Angola, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Uganda, while Mali. Namibia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mozambique, Tanzania are labeled "firm potential partners". The potential customers have expressed their interest in BTR-82A APC, Yak-130 light attack and training aircraft, Mi-28NE and Mi-35 M attack helicopters and Varshavaynka class cruise-missile equipped submarines.[23]

Russia-Egypt DrillsName: Defenders of Friendship - 2016Date: OctoberLocation: EgyptTroops:Airborne Troops of the Russian Armed Forces and of the Airborne Troops of Egypt - 10 units of military equipment and over 500 servicemen from the two countries.Military equipment: Aerodromes and 15 helicoptersRussian Airborne Troops will hold joint drills together with Egyptian forces for the first time. They will practice destroying illegal armed groups in the desert. Representatives of 30 countries will observe the maneuvers. The defense ministry said that Russian and Egyptian servicemen "will develop common approaches to issues of cooperation when performing joint actions to localize and destroy illegal armed groups in the desert."[24]

Russia-Pakistan DrillsName:Druzhba-2016 (Friendship-2016)Date: September 24-October 10Location:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, PakistanTroops and equipment:Around 200 service membersThe Russian Foreign Ministry wrote in anticipation Russian-Pakistani tactical military exercise Druzhba-2016 (Friendship 2016) that was staged September 24-October 10 at the Herat training ground in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. Around 200 service members from both sides were to take part in fine-tuning their cooperation during mountainous anti-terror operations. Commenting on the drills, Professor Sergey Lunev of the Oriental Studies Department of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations said: "The exercise is not an index of friendly relations, but these are the first drills ever to be held with Pakistan. Before that, Russia abstained from military political contacts with this country [i.e. Pakistan], mainly because of very friendly relations with India in military political sphere and uncompromising opposition between India and Pakistan." Lunev stressed that India is Russia's largest partner in terms of military technical cooperation, since it accounts for about 40% of the Russian weapons exports. Lunev added: "Russia demonstrates discontent at the drastic reinforcement of the U.S.-India relations in the military political field as well in this project with Pakistan. Russia is an utterly important partner of India, we won't break relations, they are important for us."

Russia-India DrillsName: INDRA-2016Date: September 22-October 2Location: Sergeyevsky range (Primorsky Krai)Troops and equipment: Over 500 servicemen, 50 units of equipment, a group of UAVs, and assault and ground-support aviation.Indian Contingent: 250 soldiers of the Kumaon Regiment.The Russian Armed Forces: 250 soldiers from the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade.India-Russia joint drills INDRA-2016 took place in the Ussiriysk District in Vladivostok (at the


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Sergeyevsky range, Primorsky Krai),in Russia. The drills were held on September 22-October 2.The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the drills were aimed at detecting, blocking, and eliminating simulated terrorist groupings and illegal armed formations with the use of aviation and artillery,[25] in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain under United Nations mandate.[26] Russia and India have been holding INDRA drills since 2003.[27] Russia-China DrillsName: Joint Sea 2016Date: September 12-19Location: South China SeaRussia and China held Joint Sea 2016 drills September 12-19 in the South China Sea. The participants performed drills covering joint air defense, anti-submarine operations, landing, island-seizing, search and rescue, and weapons use. Russian commentator Aleksandr Hrolenko wrote in an article published by the RIA news agency that the drills were aimed at examining the probability and capability of mutual combat readiness for repelling U.S. fleet actions in the Southern China Sea, as the U.S. is the only country that could challenge China in those waters.The author added that acting by itself the Russian Pacific fleet regiment cannot change the military-political equation in the South China Sea, but via its presence and its cooperation with Chinese naval forces it helps reinforce Chinese defense capabilities and state sovereignty against American intervention. This is a mutually beneficial approach to both countries: China uses these drills as an additional argument in the territorial dispute over the South China Sea islands, while Russia projects power in distant parts of the ocean.(Mod.gov.cn, September 12; Ria.ru, September 12, 2016)

Russia-Serbia DrillsName: BARS (Brotherhood of Aviators of Russia and Serbia)-2016Date: OctoberLocation: SerbiaTroops and Equipment: Crews of MiG-29 and Mi-8 aircraft from both countries. In total, up to 10 aircraft of the Serbian Air Force and Air Defense troops will be involved in the drill.In a statement describing the start in Serbia of the Joint Russian-Serbian BARS-2016 tactical flight exercises, the Russian Defense Ministry said: "During the day, participants in the drills will undergo classroom training at the Batajnica airbase, will study flight areas, conduct tactical training with the use of aircraft and drill teamwork skills with the flight control group."[28]The Russian Defense Ministry added that Mi-8 crews will practice landing and search-and-rescue operations, whereas MiG-29 crews will strike a simulated enemy and intercept aerial targets.[29]

'Frontier-2016' CSTO DrillsName: Rubezh-2016 (Frontier-2016), counter-terrorist operation at the drill of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)Date: October 4-7Location: Active phase in KyrgyzstanParticipating countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and RussiaObservers: US, China and IndiaTroops and equipment: 1,000 servicemen from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. More than 200 items of hardware: T-72 tanks, BTR-80 armored fighting vehicles, Tigr armored cars, Grad multiple launch rocket systems and more than 20 helicopters and aircraft, including Tu-22M3 and Tu-95MS


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long-range aircraft of the Russian Federation Air Force.[30]In October 2017, the CSTO plans to hold the Combat Brotherhood drills on the territory of Armenia, Kazakhstan and Russia.[31]Endnotes: [1] Tass.com, September 14, 2016.[2] Mil.ru, September 5, 2016.[3] Tass.com, September 8, 2016.[4] Tass.com, September 9, 2016.[5] Tass.com, September 13, 2016.[6] Tass.com, September 14, 2016.[7] Mk.ru, September 8, 2016.[8] Tass.com, September 14, 2016.[9] Ria.ru, September 13, 2016.[10] Ria.ru, September 13, 2016.[11] Sputniknews.com, September 21, 2016.[12] Stat.function.mil.ru, September 17, 2016.[13] Sputniknews.com, September 21, 2016.[14] Tass.com, September 28, 2016.[15] Tass.com, September 20, 2016.[16] Tass.com, September 27, 2016.[17] Tass.com, October 3, 2016.[18] Tass.com, October 4, 2016.[19] Tass.ru, September 11, 2016.[20] Tass.com, September 9, 2016.[21] Tass.com, September 22, 2016.[22] Tass.com, October 4, 2016.[23] Tass.ru, September 13, 2016.[24] Tass.com, October 3, 2016.[25] Mil.ru[26] Rbth.com[27] Rbth.com[28] Tass.com, October 10, 2016.[29] Mil.ru, October 10, 2016.[30] Tass.com, October 4, 2016.[31] Tass.com , October 7, 2016.


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al-qaida chief ayman al-zawahiri the coordinator 2016 part 19-122-russia-10-62

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