PRESS RELEASE
Russia Responds to Ukraine’s ‘Crime Against the Russian State’ with Military Maneuvers, Warning of Break in Diplomatic Ties
Aug. 12, 2016 (EIRNS)—Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev today told the press in Sochi that the foiled Ukrainian attacks on Crimea "is undoubtedly a crime committed against the Russian state and the people of Russia living on one of its territories," which was sanctioned by "a country close to" Ukraine. Asked by Interfax if Russia was contemplating breaking diplomatic relations with Ukraine, Medvedev responded:
"I would not like this to end this way. However, if there is no other option to influence the situation, the president can probably make such a decision."
He pointedly added:
"As for the break-off of our diplomatic relations, you know, history saw all kinds of things. I will recall that after the well-known events, our diplomatic relations with Georgia were cut off,"
a reference to 2008 when Russia militarily rebuffed Georgia’s armed attacks.
Also in response to the Ukraine developments, Russian President Vladimir Putin called a meeting of the Russian Security Council yesterday, to review "scenarios for counter-terrorism security measures along the land border, offshore and in Crimean air space," the Kremlin reported. Shortly thereafter, the Russian Navy announced war games by its Black Sea fleet beginning Aug. 15, deploying its two newest ships armed with Kalibr cruise missiles to the eastern Mediterranean. Tass reported that the Black Sea Fleet ships will conduct "artillery and missile firing practice in conditions approximating real combat operations." At the same time, Russia will conduct drills with two armored trains on Aug. 15, for the first time in 15 years. These will be held near Volgograd in south Russia. Tass reports: "They will practice missions to protect and defend recovered railway bridges across water obstacles from a notional enemy’s reconnaissance and subversion groups."
Additionally, the Russian Defense Ministry announced today that it will conduct exercises in Crimea and the Volgograd region Aug. 16-19, to simulate an attack by weapons of mass destruction (WMD). According to BBC, the Defense Ministry announced that
"radioactive, biological and chemical defense troops will be deployed in the maneuvers, which will involve the use of Solntsepyok rocket systems in Volgograd, as well as an artificial smoke screen to block any surveillance."
The Defense Ministry also announced and that the new S-400 Triumph air defense missile system had been delivered to Crimea, as had been scheduled a month ago (before the current round of tension with Ukraine); and that an additional 40 aircraft would be sent to Russia’s Southern Military District this year.
"It’s pretty clear what’s happening," Lyndon LaRouche commented today. Putin has put together an operation which is taking over policy throughout the entire area, extending into East Asia. This is not a local operation, LaRouche emphasized. All of the threats and operations against Putin by the British Empire and Obama, have been a failure; they are the bomb that doesn’t go off. Putin has delivered a shock to all of them, and their reaction has been to try to muster support against him. They cannot allow their people to be intimidated by what Putin is doing, and so they will respond by trying to kill somebody, or otherwise escalate the confrontation, LaRouche stated.
