REVIEW TOPICS:
Russian leadership not happy about GRU contribution to conflict with Georgia - newspaper
Retired General of Russia’s Federal Security Service was killed by his debtors – investigation
Former members of Russian security services suspected of robbing Moscow airport’s VIP zone passenger
Federal Security Service says one more subversive group liquidated in Russia’s Dagestan
Foreigners not monitored in Ukraine any more as Security Service is more liberal: Nalyvaychenko
Security Service of Ukraine prepared updated list of persons implicated in organizing and executing Great Famine in 1932-1933
Uzbek media trying to gain trust of population under security service’s supervision
Russian leadership not happy about GRU contribution to conflict with Georgia - newspaper
The term of military service of Army General Valentin Korabelnikov, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces has been prolonged for two years, though experts all the same do not exclude his forthcoming resignation, Moscow-based daily Vzglyad reports.
It is a fact that the GRU head was absent from the enlarged Defence Ministry board session on March 17. The ministry’s press service said Army General Korabelnikov was on holidays. At the same time it is obvious that such high-ranking military functionaries do not leave for holidays at the time of accounting undertakings, daily Vzglyad points out. It is not excluded that the state leadership have some claims to military intelligence community, the paper marks.
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Vladimir Putin paying visit to GRU headquarters |
Assumptions that Army General Korabelnikov has written an official report on resignation appeared in May, 2008, simultaneously with resignation of the former chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Yuri Baluyevsky. Earlier this month, the rumours about voluntary resignation of the GRU head became more intense: in particular, reports on alleged Korabelnikov’s resignation appeared in a number of Russian mass media outlets.
All this time most different opinions concerning Korabelnikov’s alleged resignation were voiced behind the scene. Nobody had any doubts that the General "has rested", in particular, various versions have been expressed on the General’s disagreement with disbandment of the GRU special-task units.
It was also said that the Russian leadership was going to transfer a part of the GRU functions to the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) under Mikhail Fradkov. As if the maintenance of some means of conducting of intelligence is burdensome for the military budget they have been supposed to be transferred to the SVR balance. The experts warned about possible strengthening of the SVR if that would occur, and breakdown of the parity settled from the Soviet times between the two secret services. However, on March 19, the assumption on forthcoming transfer of certain GRU functions to the Foreign Intelligence Service was denied by the deputy chief of General Staff, Colonel-General Vasily Smirnov. «This is complete nonsense, nobody from the leadership of the General Staff and Ministry of Defence has put this question», stated Smirnov. «On my data, the GRU also in the further will exist as independent body of military intelligence», emphasized the deputy chief of Russia’s General Staff, according to Vzglyad.
Anyhow, according to a Defence Ministry source of the newspaper, the claims to the GRU on the results of the August conflict with Georgia were sounded in the closed part of the Defence Ministry October board session. The sources of the Vzglyad approve that the speakers at the session did not hesitate in expressions, characterizing the work of military intelligence in the course of the conflict.
Before the beginning of the warfare, the location of divisions of the opponent was revealed. The Command of 58th army had at its disposal the information on structure of the confronting grouping, its forces and means. Proceeding from this, it is reasonably simply to calculate the tasks facing the opponent, the paper notes. It stresses, however, that there are data which can not be gathered neither by air surveillance means, nor the absent intelligence satellites. This is data on numbering, disposition and moving of enemy divisions, moral condition of its personnel, the reading of captives about specific character of prepared operations.
The seized staff documents and samples of the opponent’s weaponry also have been playing a considerable role. The General Staff of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation did not have anything from set forth above, according to sources of the Vzglyad. The most important is that the military intelligence was unable to reveal or report to the state leadership the specific day and hour of the beginning of the Georgian assault.
It is not excluded that absence at the expanded session of the Defence Ministry of Army General Korabelnikov is a prelude to his resignation, the paper says. As concerns his possible successors, except for his direct deputies, the sources of the newspaper Vzglyad have been recommending to look closer at some key figures of Russia’s Interior Ministry.
Federal Security Service says one more subversive group liquidated in Russia’s Dagestan
Because of bad weather, Russian security forces have ended an operation against suspected separatist rebels in the southern region of Dagestan. At least 21 people are said to have died during three days of clashes, Euronews reported. Eyewitnesses speak of fierce fighting, in which the army used helicopter gun ships.
The unidentified Federal Security Service’s Dagestan directorate group of public relations spokesman said the militants' leader, Abdulgapur Zakaryayev, was among those killed during the two-day operation in the North Caucasus republic, Interfax reported. The official said one of three gangs operating in the republic has been liquidated. Those illegal armed formations have operated in the area of Karabudakhkent, Sergokainsk and Buinaksk districts, news agency adds. The FSB spokesman expanded that the groups of Magomedali Vaghabov and Kuppa-Shamil have left in the area.
In other development, the FSB Dagestan directorate received the operative information that there were the members of subversive and terrorist group preparing fulfillment of terrorist act in Makhachkala. The VAZ-2106 vehicle with the suspects was revealed. At an attempt to stop the car and examine the passengers they opened fire at employees of police and the FSB. As a result of firefight the four suspects have been killed, Interfax cites the spokesman of the FSB Dagestan directorate group of public relations.
Dagestan, which borders on Chechnya, is a predominantly Muslim Russian republic in the Caucasus and its militants are seen as having been inspired by separatists in neighbouring area. Various, often religiously inspired, rebel groups are active in the region.
Retired General of Russia’s Federal Security Service was killed by his debtors – investigation
According to the version of investigators, on the day of his death the retired Major-General of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Rogachev went for an appointment with people whom he had given loans, online paper Life.ru reports. The murder took place at night from February 21 to 22 in Moscow. Rogachev left his house at 22:00 and warned his spouse that he would return soon.
The detectives investigating the murder of Rogachev (47) tend to the version that he was shot dead by his debtors. His second wife Anastasia Dubina told about it the operatives in the first hours after detection of the General’s corpse. However, nobody believed her as visible traces of violence were not immediately not found by visual observation on the former security officer’s body.
It is not known yet who was sitting in the car together with the murdered General. Apparently Rogachev had met those whom he was waiting for. Investigation say there were two killers, was was sitting by the driver, the second behind him. The bullet which entered into Rogachev’s nape got stuck in the General’s head. Blood from the wound somehow leaked down his back, not touching his shirt, and accumulated in the area of the back pocket of trousers. Only a tiny drop of blood has got on the seat. Therefore when it was still possible to get fingerprints of to examine each centimeter of the vehicle nothing was done. The killers have taken also the General’s mobile phone to not leave any traces to detectives, Life.ru marks.
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| Yuri Luzhkov's vehicle |
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Former members of Russian security services suspected of robbing Moscow airport’s VIP zone passenger
Additional details of robbery at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport have become known, Russia’s daily Komsomolskaya pravda reports. On March 19, four camouflaged men with black masks and AK automatic machine-guns attacked one of the passengers from Makhachkala. The robbers withdraw his bag with 43 million 668,000 roubles, the paper expands.
The assailants arrived by a black Audi-8 vehicle with special signals, flashing lights and a number plate of the service car of Moscow city-mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Thus the armed gangsters have provided themselves with an unhampered way to the airport building. The number plate appeared to be false as the mayor’s vehicle was parked at a special parking lot that day. The gangsters have burst into the bus which had to bring up the passengers to their cars. The investigators have found out that the victim was simply a courier of a Makhachkala company Carat. Employees of this firm have already been detained several times for transportation of undeclared amount of money, the paper tores.
According to the preliminary version, the courier was carrying cash to Moscow businessmen, the natives of Makhachkala. The police video have fixed the armed robbery. The investigators say that the speed of operation allows to assume that the robbers have been former employees of secret services, as the operation was carried out fast and thoroughly, Komsomolskaya pravda marks.
Security Service of Ukraine Spetsnaz servicemen left Rodina party headquarters
Servicemen of the special-task division of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have left Odessa headquarters of the Ukrainian political party Rodina (Native Land) after several hundred supporters of the party gathered outside the building, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports, referring to director of the Ukrainian branch of the CIS Countries Institute Vladimir Kornilov.
He told that the SBU Spetsnaz had made an attempt to arrest the leader of the Rodina Party, member of Odessa City Council, Igor Markov, and some of its employees. However, according to Kornilov, having received information from the site of events, the SBU employees left the office. «Several hundred of Markov’s supporters arrived and blocked the SBU men there». Probably the SBU servicemen decided to not arrest Markov in such conditions and were forced to leave facility», Kornilov said.
The party’s press release says that Markov has been expecting an attempt against him. «Several days ago protection by Titan police protection unit has been removed from me. Since then I began to notice unknown persons in vehicles constantly pursuing me and surrounding the sites of my location», Markov is quoted by the party website as saying. About two weeks ago a criminal case was brought against Markov on charge of beating participants of the nationalist rally on September 2, 2007, at the building of Odessa regional administration.
The Rodina party was registered about a year ago, it declared protection of interests of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine and support to granting to Russian language the status of the second state language its main goal, news agency adds.
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Valentin Nalyvaychenko |
Foreigners not monitored in Ukraine any more as Security Service is more liberal: Nalyvaychenko
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is not involved in monitoring all foreigners living in Ukraine, but only watching those who may be involved in terrorism, Kyiv Post cites the SBU Chairman Valentin Nalyvaychenko.
"We don't have either the resources or the funds [to monitor all foreigners]," the head of Ukraine’s Security Service stressed in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine. "Ukraine has canceled its visa regime with European Union member-states, the United States, Japan and Switzerland," Nalyvaychenko said, adding that this is a liberal initiative.
According to Nalyvaychenko, the Security Service is mostly involved in intelligence activities through agents and purely technical methods "when we reveal some illegal interest or activity, which may threaten the national security of the state, regarding military, nuclear or other objects." "We have this under control," the SBU head marked.
Security Service of Ukraine prepared updated list of persons implicated in organizing and executing Great Famine in 1932-1933
The National Radio Company of Ukraine reports that the Security Service (SBU) of Ukraine established 136 surnames of persons who made decisions leaving millions of people dead in the 1930s.
The documents about the Great Famine (Holodomor) of 1932-33 in Ukraine have from now on become accessible to public. They should help establish particular authors of genocide, SBU press service says.
In summer 2008, the SBU disclosed archive documents regarding the persons involved in organizing and executing the Holodomor policy 1932-33 and repressions. According to various estimates, the artificial famine, Holodomor, organized by the Stalinist regime, killed seven to ten million Ukrainian citizens, including around four million children, due to the confiscation of food in the early 1930s.
Uzbek media trying to gain trust of population under security service’s supervision
The Uzbek media have begun to actively cover the topics of struggle against corruption and criminality, to reflect opposite opinions uncharacteristic for local mass media, online paper NBCA reports.
Last two months the country’s National TV and Radio Company, Uzbekiston, has been weekly broadcasting 30-45 minutes of investigative documentaries. These films have been telling about the recently sentenced members of religious current Nur, about human trafficking, the swindlers selling false golden products in Uzbekistan. Observers and local population has been astonished about the fact that victims, experts from public organizations and the sentenced criminals have been asked to speak out on their point of view to represent other sight of the problem.
Besides the local newspapers and TV channels began reporting openly on the facts of corruption in the higher levels of power at least in the area/oblast level that was not observed earlier. Also the TV began to advertise phone numbers to call and tell journalists about any infringements and incidents. The observers have been explaining such innovations by the directive of the Uzbek security services which are demanding the journalists to improve trust to authority by the population.
«Local journalists are afraid to independently deliver journalist investigations and now the mass media have probably received agreement of the security services on increase of the number of similar documentaries and broadcasts», one of observers is cited by NBCA.
The commentators have been referring to the recent meeting between the heads of Uzbek mass media and the officials, in particular, the vice chairman of the National Security Service of Uzbekistan Muidzhon Takhiri who spoke to the editors-in-chief.
The independent online paper Uzmetronom noted that it was a question of requirements, «shown by the time and authority to the press» and about “mistrust of the population” to issues covered by the media. The vice chairman of the National Security Service of Uzbekistan has given his recommendation on this phenomenon, Uzmetronom adds.
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