It is a potent cocktail that has the Kremlin fearful that discontent in an anonymous town such as Pikalyovo could spark a wider revolt.
Hence Mr Putin’s furious denunciation of Mr Deripaska — long seen as the Kremlin’s favourite oligarch. The broader message he sent to business leaders was that they would be held responsible if [...]

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A local news agency says Russia plans to build five or six aircraft carriers as part of plans to rebuild the country’s once-formidable navy.
Interfax-Military quotes an unidentified Russian navy official as saying construction of the ships should start in 2012-2013.
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The Air Force Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) has published an update to its Ballistic and Cruise Missile Threat. The document, which I obtained from NASIC, is sobering reading.
The latest update continues the previoususer-friendly format and describes a number of important assessments and new developments in ballistic and cruise missiles of many of the world’s major [...]

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Reporters at Novaya Gazeta need strong nerves — four of the Moscow-based newspaper’s journalists have already been murdered. But the paper has powerful friends, including Mikhail Gorbachev and oligarch Alexander Lebedev. By Matthias Schepp in Moscow more…

Gorbachev on Attacks on Russian Press: ‘The Perpetrators Are Getting Away Scot-Free’

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While the West talks, Medvedev and Putin lock up resources for the future
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What is Russia’s global strategy?
Over the last few months, Moscow has pushed hard to consolidate its positions in commodities and energy resources in both European and Asian markets. Using carrots and sticks, Russia is redrawing the natural resources map around its borders.
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