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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Putin Observes Russian War Games on China, Japan Doorstep |
| 2013-07-17 |
| [An Nahar] President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday inspected huge military exercises Russia's army is carrying out close to the borders with Japan and China, in one of its biggest shows of force in the Asia-Pacific region of recent years. Thousands of tanks, 160,000 servicemen, 130 aircraft and 70 ships are involved in manoeuvres which extend over a vast area from southeastern Siberia on the border with China to Sakhalin Island north of Japan. Putin on Tuesday visited Sakhalin Island and state television showed him peering through binoculars at the operations alongside Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu before taking to a helicopter to watch from the air. Despite the proximity to two of Russia's most important neighbors, Moscow insists that the exercises carry no hostile intent and are within international law. "I can report that no actions that would violate international obligations have been allowed," said Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov, quoted by the Interfax news agency. The manoeuvres are part of a series of last minute drills that the military was ordered to carry out in order to check out their battle-preparedness. The forces involved had to mobilize swiftly after receiving orders this weekend to carry out the war games. Antonov said foreign military attaches in Moscow were then immediately informed about the tactical exercises which are due to end on July 20. The defense ministry said that two Russian Tu-95 fighter jets, which carried out a seven-hour flight as part of the exercises, were accompanied part of the way by a pair of jets from both the Japanese and South Korean airforces. "The flights were made in strict accordance with international rules using airspace over neutral waters, without violating the borders of other states," the defense ministry said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 "Pootey Bear" is no fool - he knows both China + Japan are seeking to deny the other access to Sakhalin in case a shooting war breaks out in the East China Sea. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-07-17 01:59 |
| #2 Heh, badanov! The impressive bit is they had the funds and operational ships & vehicles to run the game. As for two Russian Tu-95 fighter jets, the Tu-95 is a 4 engine turboprop bomber, aka the Bear. Journalists! /spit |
| Posted by: SteveS 2013-07-17 01:15 |
| #1 Then he rolled a 0 on a D-10 and suffered cascading morale failure. U luz! |
| Posted by: badanov 2013-07-17 00:55 |