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Russia announced on Monday that it built barracks for troops on a chain of disputed islands near Japan. Both Moscow and Tokyo claim sovereignty over the islands which were seized by Soviet forces at the end of WWII. Japan will increase military power over the next five years in order to counter Russia and China.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned it plans to build missiles banned under a Cold War agreement if the US breaks the deal. Putin’s statement came after NATO accused Russia of having already violated the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed in 1987. Putin claims many other countries already developed weapons banned under the pact.
Following a naval clash between Russia and Ukraine over the weekend, President canceled a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump’s decision also followed his longtime personal lawyer’s guilty plea to lying to Congress about developments in Russia. The meeting was set to take place in two days at the G20 summit.
The head of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, General Igor Korobov, has died aged 62, Russia’s defense ministry says. The GRU was this year linked to a nerve agent attack in Britain on Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Gen Korobov is understood to have faced criticism by Russian officials over the failure of the operation. Gen Korobov is said to have died after “a serious and long illness” on Wednesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that Russia will target any EU countries that host US nuclear missiles after the US decision to withdraw from the arms control treaty. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) halted plans by US-based startup OneWeb to bring internet access to rural and remote parts of Russia.
US National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Tuesday there is no chance the US will remain a part of the nuclear weapons treaty. Bolton met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and renewed accusations that Russia violated the treaty. Bolton said reconsideration is possible only if Russia and China give up their intermediate-range missiles.
Following President Trump’s announcement on Saturday of plans to leave the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF), the US faces criticism from Russian officials. US National Security Adviser John Bolton will begin two days of talks in Moscow on Monday following the announcement. Trump claims that ‘Russia has violated the agreement.’ Russia denies such claims.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed new missiles in Russia’s military arsenals and asserted nuclear weapons would be used in response to an incoming missile attack on the country. Putin said an attack would only be launched if early warning systems spotted missiles and said aggressors ‘should know that retaliation is inevitable.’ Putin claimed Russia’s new hypersonic missiles give the country a military edge.
At least 19 people were killed in a shooting at a college in Crimea on Wednesday. The gunman was 18-year old male student Vladislav Roslyako, He shot and killed himself after opening fire on fellow students. No motive is clear at this point and Russia is treating the shooting as a mass murder.
The second suspect in the Skripal poison attack was revealed to be Alexander Mishkin. Mishkin is a military doctor who works for Russian intelligence. Mishkin reportedly traveled under the alias of Alexander Petrov. Mishkin’s true identity was revealed by UK investigative website Bellingcat. The UK Metropolitan Police Service did not comment on the suspects’ identities.