New military doctrine entitles Russia to first nuclear strikeDecember 22, 2009 - 16:54 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The new military doctrine, approved by the Security Council recognizes Russia's right to use nuclear weapons first in case of threat to its statehood, Nikolai Makarov, RF Army General and Chief of Armed Forces' General Staff, told a traditional annual meeting with foreign military attaches accredited in Moscow on December 21.He did not disclose other provisions of the document, noting that details will become available only after the RF president approves it. According to him, the new military doctrine articulates current threats and challenges to Russia's security. As Nikolai Makarov noted, five objectives of the military reform have been addressed in 2009, such as bringing all military formations and units to the status of permanent readiness, establishing military equipment bases in each military district, etc. The costly process of re-equipping of forces with modern weapons will extend until 2020, General Makarov said. Saying that Russia and the United States will proceed signing of a new START Treaty in early 2010, he mentioned that the previous treaty was detrimental to Russia. "We come to understanding in the vast majority of issues," he concluded. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakh Foreign Minister arrives in Armenia Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu on Monday, March 18 arrived in Armenia for a two-day trip. Aliyev touts “good chances” for normalizing ties with Armenia Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has declared that there are “good chances” for normalizing relations with Armenia. Top Armenian, Indian defense officials discuss cooperation The discussions primarily focused on enhancing cooperation in the defence sector between Armenia and India. IDBank unveils three sad stories about fraudsters IDBank has unveiled three scenarios of card fraud that have been happening more and more often in Armenia. |