Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Private Vruyr Shahramanyan was wounded in shelling from the Azerbaijani side, the Defense Ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh said.
As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote , Azerbaijan and Armenia regularly exchange accusations of violating the ceasefire in the zone of the Karabakh conflict and on the border of the two countries. The authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh also stated about shelling from Azerbaijani positions.
Thus, on September 7, the ombudsman for human rights in Nagorno-Karabakh reported that the house of a resident of the village of Tagavard was damaged during shelling by the Azerbaijani military.
In August, shelling on the line of contact between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops became as regular as before the autumn war of 2020, but the sides are not using heavy weapons now, military experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" said.
Today, at about 12.30 (11.30 Moscow time), the Azerbaijani military violated the ceasefire "in the west of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Defense Ministry of the unrecognized republic reported.
"As a result, a soldier of the Defense Army, Private Vruyr Vardanovich Shahramanian, received a gunshot wound. In connection with the incident, the relevant information was provided to the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent," says the publication on the agency's website, translated by Caucasian Knot.
The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, as of 15.07 Moscow time, did not comment on this information on its website.
The internal political crisis in Afghanistan, including the one caused by the flight of the United States, fundamentally changed the conditions for the further existence of the CSTO. For the first time in two decades, the participants were required to fulfill their obligations and adhere to the principles underlying the very concept of collective security.
The fact that the overwhelming majority of the session was held in a closed regime for journalists indicates the magnitude of the difficulties and discrepancies that have arisen. However, judging by the well-known results, it was still possible to overcome a significant part of the disagreements.
As a result of the work, the parties signed 14 final documents, of which at least six indicate the deepening of integration and the gradual transfer of the CSTO from a purely political to a collective defensive status.
Although it is too early to talk about complete success, however:
- an agreement on joint material, technical and medical support of the collective forces of the CSTO.
- a plan for equipping them with modern weapons, military and special equipment, special means.
- decision on the scheme of a secure multiservice communication network of the CSTO.
- the decision on the chief of the Joint Staff.
- decision on the composition of military contingents and the formation of special forces of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces
point to the gradual creation of real military instruments of a collective nature and the structure of their practical use. What can be considered an undoubted success on the way to modernizing the mechanism of the Organization.
In addition, two other fundamental points should be considered positive.
First, the parties agreed on the need for collective participation in the solution of the task of strengthening the Tajik-Afghan border, which has a length of 1,344 km and in many sections passes through hard-to-reach mountainous terrain.
However, so far this agreement is of the most general nature. Tajikistan introduced a certain package of proposals, formalized in the form of a draft Interstate Target Program, which the other participants agreed to "consider and accept as quickly as possible."
Secondly, the CSTO members approved a plan for holding a series of military exercises of the Collective Forces in Tajikistan: Search-2021, Echelon-2021, Interaction-2021 and Cobalt-2021, organized according to a single operational concept.
The first of which is scheduled for October. Although the amount of forces and means involved for its implementation is still unknown, but it is unlikely to be very large. Nevertheless, this will already serve as a significant help in strengthening the security of the Tajik border with Afghanistan.
And most importantly, at the last session it was possible to come up with a mechanism for integrating the CSTO into the UN international security system.
Translated into Russian, this opens the CSTO the opportunity to form collective peacekeeping forces not only on behalf of a regional state (and the CSTO is primarily a regional treaty), but also on behalf of the United Nations. Thus, the channel of Western intervention in the Central Asian region is cut off, allegedly on behalf of "the entire international community."
Summarizing the above, the CSTO summit that took place can be considered generally successful. However, much remains to be done to transform the Organization into a truly effective collective defense mechanism.
Elena Panina is Director of the RUSSTRAT Institute
[REGNUM] In the Lipetsk region on the first day of voting, voter turnout reached almost 15%. As reported by IA REGNUM , the data on the voting activity was published by the CEC of Russia.
By 20:00 on September 17, 52 thousand 567 people, or 22.51% of the total number of voters, had voted.
As reported by IA REGNUM , in the Lipetsk region elections of deputies of the State Duma of the eighth convocation, the Lipetsk regional council, as well as three municipal election companies are being held.
[REGNUM] In the Kursk region, on the first day of voting, voter turnout reached almost 15%. As reported by IA REGNUM , the data on the voting activity was published by the CEC of Russia.
By 20:00 on September 17, 126 thousand 672 people, or 14.90% of the total number of voters, had voted.
As reported by IA REGNUM , elections of deputies of the State Duma of the eighth convocation, the Kursk regional Duma of the seventh convocation and 121 municipal election campaigns are being held in the Kursk region.
[REGNUM] According to the election commission of the Pskov region, on the first day of the three-day voting for the election of deputies to the VIII convocation of the State Duma of Russia, the turnout was 17.29% of the total number of voters included in the voting lists.
At the elections of deputies of the Pskov Regional Assembly of Deputies of the VII convocation, the turnout was 16.51%. On the first day of voting, 25.31% of voters came to the elections for the head of the Kuninsky district, 15.65% of voters came to the elections for the head of the Novosokolniki district.
Recall, as of July 1, 2021, 518,029 voters were registered in the Pskov region.
In the Pskov region on September 17, 18 and 19, 2021, elections of deputies of the VIII convocation of the State Duma, elections of deputies of the Pskov Regional Assembly of deputies of the VII convocation, as well as elections of local councils in five municipalities are held. In two districts, heads of districts are elected.
[REGNUM] In the Astrakhan region on the first day of voting, voter turnout reached almost 15%. As reported by IA REGNUM , the data on the voting activity was published by the CEC of Russia.
By 20:00 on September 17, 105 thousand 724 people, or 14.57% of the total number of voters, had voted.
As reported by IA REGNUM , elections of deputies of the State Duma of the eighth convocation, deputies of the Duma of the Astrakhan region of the seventh convocation, the head of the Akhtuba region, heads of five settlements, as well as deputies of district and village councils are being held in the Astrakhan region.
Members of election commissions interfere with checking voters' documents and preventing voting at places of residence, said the coordinator of the Observers of Dagestan movement. Some voters ask to be photographed at the polling station in order to report to the authorities.
As the "Caucasian Knot" has reported, voting in the elections to the State Duma, the People's Assembly of the republic and local self-government bodies began in Dagestan today. Representatives of political parties pointed to the difficulty of holding elections in a pandemic.
The result of the elections to the State Duma deputies from Dagestan is predetermined due to the low activity of voters and opposition parties, as well as behind-the-scenes agreements in favor of candidates from the ruling party, Dagestani journalists suggested.
[KavkazUzel] On the first day of voting, voters mostly came to polling stations in Sochi with invitations from enterprises, they put marks on ballots, filmed it and sent it to someone, members of election commissions and observers reported. In this way, the authorities use administrative resources to promote the right candidates, they say.
As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote, on September 17, observers and deputy Alexander Korovainy reported that at the polling stations of the Kuban mass transportation of voters and violations in filling out the documents were recorded.
The proxy of the candidate from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Rostislav Shcherbakov, filed two complaints about violations during the voting in Anapa and was attacked at the exit from the precinct.
Kuban voters announced on September 15 that they were forced to vote at work. State employees and workers in enterprises in the Krasnodar Territory are forced to detach themselves from polling stations at their place of residence and vote at their place of work, which makes it possible to control turnout, party representatives argued.
Kuban is in the top five regions with the highest number of complaints of violations, said activist of the "Voice" movement * David Kankiya.
On September 17, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent visited three PECs # 46-30 # 46-09 and # 45-20. Employees of various enterprises came to all PECs with invitations. They were mostly young people. They answered the correspondent's questions sparingly, saying that they were "told at work to vote."
Vladimir told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he had voted for the report and the chief asked him to send a photo. He said that he filled out the ballots as he was told. “I only know [the candidate] from the posters. Huge banners (hanging) all over the city. I saw it on TV a couple of times. Me personal nothing bad and nothing good he did not. But everyone says he will win. I don’t believe in elections and wouldn’t go, but I’m afraid of dismissal, ”Vladimir explained.
House committees in Mamaika complained to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the chairman of the TOS calls on the social networks of house committees to gather residents of apartment buildings and lead them to PECs to vote for a representative of the ruling party.
Nadezhda Ovchinnikova, chairman of the Mamayka TOS, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she had assembled a group on the social network, in which she "urged people to show their civic position and vote for the most stable party and a stable deputy from United Russia."
[KavkazUzel] The leadership of election commissions at several precincts in Volgograd did not allow to get acquainted with the register of home voting and poorly sealed the boxes, observers said.
As the "Caucasian Knot" has reported, 34 candidates from 11 parties are competing for seats in the State Duma from four single-mandate constituencies in the Volgograd region.
Of the four current deputies of the State Duma, only one is participating in the race. Only the ruling party was actively campaigning; there was no sharp pre-election struggle in any single-mandate constituency in the region.
On the website "Map of Elections Violations", which was launched by the "Golos" movement, as of 1700 hrs Moscow time on September 17, seven complaints from five polling stations were recorded in Volgograd.
At three polling stations, observers were not allowed to familiarize themselves with the register of home voting.
"The stationary box is stitched with thread and sealed so that it allows unauthorized opening. It was sealed before the arrival of the commission," says one of these complaints.
At another precinct, according to the complaint, a group of PEC members returned after a home vote, but the contents of the box with ballots were not immediately transferred to a safe package. These complaints were written on behalf of the members of the election commission, that is, observers.
The Volgograd voter also said that the employees of the Volgograd branch of Rosgranstroy are currently voting at one precinct, despite the fact that all employees are registered in other districts. "No one was attached to this site in advance. Site at school No. 34 in Volgograd," stated in the complaint published on the site.
On the website of the Electoral Commission of the Volgograd Region, as of 1708 hrs Moscow time on 17 September, there are no comments regarding these complaints. The "Caucasian Knot" cannot verify the data on these violations.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] A total of 63 foreign reconnaissance aircraft approached the state border of Russia during the week. This is reported on September 17 by the official publication of the Ministry of Defense "Krasnaya Zvezda".
Also during this period, 20 foreign drones were recorded carrying out aerial reconnaissance along the Russian borders.
It is noted that all these objects were tracked by Russian radar stations. In order to prevent violation of the border, a fighter from the air defense forces on duty once rose into the sky.
According to the Ministry of Defense, there were no violations of the airspace of the Russian Federation in any of the episodes.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
