CIS air defense drills kick off in RussiaAugust 14, 2013 - 22:25 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Some 20 units from a joint air defense system of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a bloc of former Soviet republics in Eurasia, have begun a large-scale exercise in Russia’s Volga region, a Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman said Wednesday, Aug 14, according to RIA Novosti. During the first stage of the Combat Commonwealth 2013 air defense exercise, the units from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan will be redeployed to the Ashuluk firing range near the Caspian Sea where the active phase of the drills will take place, according to Col. Alexey Zolotukhin. The three-stage exercise, which involves over 500 personnel and some 100 combat vehicles, will continue until September 12, Zolotukhin said. Conducted annually, Combat Commonwealth exercises are part of efforts to build a joint air defense shield for the CIS. An integrated air defense network was set up by 10 CIS member countries on February 10, 1995. The main purpose of the network is to ensure the protection of the member countries' airspace, as well as early warning of missile attacks and coordination of joint efforts to neutralize potential air threats. 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 | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |