Russia test-fires inter-continental ballistic missile in southern Astrakhan region
 

Russia test-fires inter-continental ballistic missile in southern Astrakhan region, as tensions remain high in Crimea

rotfl that's the good moment to test that, it's clearly a threat

btw do you have a source ?

You are such an idiot that its actually embarrassing

it seems to be true
http://www.boursorama.com/actualites...fe1fc3ef1cea74

french only sorry

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news...ectid=11214143

Russia is reported to have test-fired an inter-continental ballistic missile - even as President Vladimir Putin sought to calm fears over the escalating crisis with Ukraine.

The missile was fired in the southern Astrakhan region, according to Russian media reports.

This is a breaking news story. Original story continues below:


Russian President Vladimir Putin has calmed fears of an imminent war between Russia and Ukraine's new authorities but also made clear that Moscow has no intention of loosening its new grip on Crimea in defiance of Western anger.

Breaking an uncharacteristic silence since the downfall of president Viktor Yanukovych 10 days ago, Putin displayed no fear of a prolonged crisis in ties with the West over the situation in the Ukrainian region of Crimea which is now controlled by pro-Moscow forces.


He also showed zero inclination of recognising the new Kiev authorities which came to power after the ousting of Yanukovych but admitted the deposed leader had neither a political future nor any authority.

The standoff between Moscow and the new pro-West leadership had prompted apocalyptic fears of Russian tanks rolling across Ukraine's eastern borders in a conflict that could draw in NATO.

But Putin's comments appeared to calm the wildest scenarios while making clear his steely determination that Russia would not give up its newly-acquired control over Crimea, a region with a majority Russia-speaking population.

Even the format chosen for his comments - an avuncular chat with hand-picked Kremlin pool correspondents rather than an address to the nation - appeared to have been chosen to create a milder impression.

- 'Radical scenario set aside' -

"Putin made clear that they will not be an extensive war - at least such a radical scenario has been set aside," said Alexei Makarkin of the Centre for Political Technology in Moscow.

"But he will not leave Crimea and he is going to preserve real control there."

The Russian strongman said Russia would use force as a "last resort" and there was no current necessity to send troops in.

Putin strongly denied that Russian troops were already in Crimea and said that it was "local self defence forces" who were in control of the Black Sea peninsula.

It appears Putin wants to keep Crimea part of Moscow's sphere, even if the rest of Ukraine is not set to drift to the West after the ousting of Yanukovych.

Formal annexation to Russia may not be on the cards but Putin will make sure the writ of the Kiev authorities has little value on the peninsula.

A pro-Kremlin prime minister has already been named in Crimea and a referendum set for March 30 is set to seal its status as a Moscow satellite.

Makarkin said Crimea may become a region like the impoverished Russian-speaking Transdniestr breakaway region of Moldova which is kept functioning by Moscow. Another, more extreme option, would be recognising its independence in the future, as Moscow did with the Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia.

'Putin wants Crimea as souvenir'

For a man who famously described the break-up of the USSR as the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century, there is a huge attraction in grabbing Crimea, a region which many Russians regard as part of their nation.

Putin is also eyeing the situation in the largely Russian-speaking east of Ukraine but that region would prove a far bigger - and more dangerous - mouthful for the Kremlin.

"He wants to show that we are not going to give up Crimea but we don't want a rupture with the international community," said Makarkin.

Putin a week ago was soaking up praise for Russia's smooth organisation of the Sochi Olympics but showed remarkably little concern about the international repercussions, shrugging off Western threats not to show up to the G8 summit Russia is due to host in Sochi.

"If they don't want to come, they don't need to," he said.

"The reaction of the West is currently weak, it does not bother him," said Nikolai Petrov, professor at the Higher School of Economics. "He is not worried by the declarations and sanctions of the United States."

"If Ukraine has decided to leave the Russian embrace, then Putin is going to want to keep a piece of Ukraine as a souvenir - at least Crimea or maybe the east."

Russia Test-Fires ICBM to Target in Kazakhstan

MOSCOW, March 4 (RIA Novosti) – Russia test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from a test site in southern Russia on Tuesday evening, a Russian defense ministry spokesman said.
Kapustin Yar is about 450 km (280 miles) east of the Ukrainian border. The launch coincided with reports of large deployments of apparently Russia-commanded troops in Crimea, which President Vladimir Putin denied on Tuesday.
Spokesman Igor Yegorov said the launch took place at 22:10 Moscow time (6:10 p.m. GMT) from the Kapustin Yar testing range in southern Russia’s Astrakhan Region.
The test was successful as the simulated warhead hit a designated target at a test range in Kazakhstan.
Yegorov said the aim of the test was to test suggested improvements of the ICBM, which entered service in 1985.
A Defense Ministry spokesman said in early January that the Russian military plans to test around 70 types of rocket and missile weaponry at Kapustin Yar this year.
The testing program at the Kapustin Yar range in southern Russia will include about 300 launches of rockets, missiles, and aerial drones as part of more than 180 R&D projects, said Colonel Igor Yegorov.
The range is located in the Astrakhan region between the cities of Volgograd and Astrakhan. It is known for tests of Iskander-M tactical ballistic missiles, S-300 and S-400 air defense systems and Smerch multiple-launch rocket systems.
The RS-12M Topol (NATO reporting name SS-25 Sickle) is a single-warhead intercontinental ballistic missile that has a maximum range of 10,000 kilometers (6,125 miles) and can carry a nuclear warhead with a yield of up to 550 kilotons.

http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20140...azakhstan.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26442381

The Russian military says it has test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile, as tension continues over Ukraine's Crimea region.

A Topol RS-12M missile was launched from Russia's Kapustin Yar test range near the Caspian Sea to the Sary Shagan range in Kazakhstan, it said.

It comes after the US accused Russia of an "act of aggression" in Crimea.

The US said it was notified of the launch before it took place, as required by arms treaties.

Moscow is in de facto control of the Crimean peninsula after troops thought to be Russian or pro-Russian took control of strategic points in recent days.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, visiting the Ukrainian capital Kiev, praised the "restraint" of the new government there, which took power after the overthrow of Russian ally President Viktor Yanukovych last month.

Defending his threat to use the Russian military in Ukraine if he felt it necessary, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country was in "chaos" after being seized by "nationalists" and "anti-Semites", and that Russia had a right to protect its citizens there.

The Topol was fired at 22:10 (18:10 GMT), the defence ministry in Moscow said, adding: "The aim of the launch was to test a promising intercontinental ballistic missile payload."

The nuclear-capable missile reached its target successfully, it said.

Tests of the missile, one of Russia's newest, are not unusual but the timing of the launch if confirmed, is likely to alarm observers of the crisis with Ukraine.

(CNN) -- Russia test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile Tuesday in a move that was planned before the current crisis in the Ukraine, two U.S. officials told CNN.

was true before all this happened, and has been as long as we have known about it

however, NOW is the best time to discuss it on MSM

Looks like showing big balls to me

you mean that it was planned before ?
In current circunstances, you cancel the test.

"Ass Track A Can"??

:uhoh

Nevermind it's

"Ass Track Hand"

with the western rhetoric

there is nothing aggressive about missile defense systems?

So what? Russia does it constantly (I mean test launches of MBRs). I'll tell you some secret. Russia is still #1 country for rocket technologies. Who do you think is sending all those EU and US astronauts into the space? :pimp

Exactly. That's just a routine thing here.





If you have nukes, you have to test them from a time to time :2 cents:

Military exercises, test firing missiles.... Yeah, the entire world knows all about your military.

And?

And what? There were concerns about the missile launch and I said: relax, it's just a routine. What exactly you wanted to hear?

A U.S. official said the United States had received proper notification from Russia ahead of the test and that the initial notification pre-dated the crisis in Crimea

это часть рутинной работы по поддержанию российских вооруженных сил на должном уровне, никак не привязанное к каким либо событиям в мире. Например, может быть совпадение пуска ракет перед началом хохейного матча США-Россия. Или в день рождения Джима Керри:winkwink:

если ты все равно настроен очковать, загляни лучше в соседний топик, я там описал возможные последствия для американской экономики американских же санкций против России.
- утром Глазьев озвучил что имеено предпримет Россия в ответ на экономические санкции
- днем Путин подтвердил что именно так и будет
- вечером Медведев озвучил конкретную цифру слива для начала
- и позно вечером кетайчеги по телефону забожились что подтянутся, если што
так что смело можно переводить очко в минусовое положение

I just talked to Obama, if you take DVTimes most of Europe is yours. Pass it on.


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