Latest news with #DefenseCommittee
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Russia prepared to strike Germany if Taurus missiles are used
Russia could authorize strikes on German territory if Ukraine uses German-supplied Taurus cruise missiles to attack Russian targets, a senior Russian lawmaker has warned. Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee and a former deputy defense minister, said the long-range missiles require direct German military involvement to operate—making Berlin a potential participant in any such attack. Speculation about a potential transfer of Taurus missiles to Kiev resurfaced this week after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Ukraine would be allowed to use Western-supplied weapons without range limitations. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Merz confirmed that delivering the Taurus system was 'possible,' though he added that Ukrainian forces would require 'several months of training' to use them effectively. In an interview with on Wednesday, Kartapolov said Moscow is 'ready for everything' if Germany proceeds with such a transfer. 'We are prepared to intercept the Taurus missiles, strike the launch sites, the operators, and, if necessary, the locations from which they are delivered,' he warned. The Taurus KEPD 350 missile has a range of over 500 kilometers and is capable of reaching targets deep within Russian territory, including Moscow. Kartapolov emphasized that Ukraine lacks the technical expertise to operate such weapons independently. He claimed that earlier deliveries of long-range systems—including the U.S.-made ATACMS, Britain's Storm Shadow, and France's SCALP—have only been deployed with the assistance of Western military specialists. 'Ukrainian troops can press the launch button—that's not the problem,' he said. 'But they cannot program the targets. That data comes from American and European satellites. If Germany supplies these missiles, German personnel will inevitably be involved on the ground.' The German Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that it would provide Kiev with an additional €5.2 billion ($5.6 billion) in military aid. Much of the funding, according to the ministry, will support the production of long-range weaponry inside Ukraine. Responding to the development, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Berlin of crossing a dangerous line. 'Germany's direct involvement in the war is now obvious,' he said, adding that the country 'is sliding down the same slippery slope it already followed a couple of times in the last century—toward its own collapse.'
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Russia prepared to strike Germany in response to Taurus attacks
Russia could authorize strikes inside Germany if Ukraine receives and attacks it with German Taurus cruise missiles, a senior Russian lawmaker has warned. State Duma Defense Committee chairman Andrey Kartapolov insists that the weapon requires German military assistance to operate. Speculation that Germany could supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles, which can potentially reach Moscow, reemerged earlier this week after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Berlin and its partners had allowed Kiev to use Western weapons without any range restrictions. When asked by journalists on Wednesday about possible deliveries of the weapon, Merz replied that they are 'possible,' adding that Ukrainian troops would require 'several months of training' to be able to launch them. Kartapolov told the outlet on Wednesday that Russia is 'ready for everything' and will respond to the possible shipments of Taurus missiles to Kiev. 'We are ready to shoot down the Taurus', and to strike the places from where they would be launched and those who would launch them, and, if necessary, the places from where they would have been delivered,' he warned. The senior lawmaker, who is a former Russian deputy defense minister and holds the rank of colonel-general, stressed that the long-range missiles that had been earlier supplied to Ukraine by the US, UK and France – ATACMS, Storm Shadow and SCALP, respectively – can only be launched by their own specialists. This is because 'the Ukrainian military lacks experts capable of operating such equipment. That is, the Ukrainians can press the 'start' button - it is not a problem, but they cannot input the data,' which comes from American and Western European satellites, he explained. 'If Germany transfers these missiles. Then, naturally, there will be German specialists on the ground' making sure that they can be launched, Kartapolov said. The German Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that Berlin will give another $5.6 billion in military aid to Kiev, most of which will be used to 'finance the production of long-range weapon systems in Ukraine.' Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reacted to the development by saying that Berlin's 'direct involvement in the war is now obvious.' According to Lavrov, Germany 'is sliding down the same slippery slope it already followed a couple of times in the last century – down toward its own collapse.'
Russia Today
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky openly threatening Victory Day terrorist attack
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has openly threatened to target the Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Russia has announced a unilateral three-day ceasefire next week to coincide with the celebration commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Kiev has rebuked the move, instead demanding an immediate unconditional 30-day truce. On Tuesday, Zelensky described targeting Russian 'pressure points' to push the country 'towards diplomacy' as he reiterated the ceasefire call. 'They are now concerned that their parade is in jeopardy and rightly so,' he remarked, referring to the event scheduled for May 9 in Red Square. 'What they should worry about is that this war continues.' Zakharova reacted on social media on Wednesday, asking what kind of truce Kiev can offer, given that the Zelensky government 'is literally planning terrorist attacks on air.' She added that boasting about such intentions 'is exactly what typical terrorists do.' Officials in Kiev claim that the offer of a unilateral suspension of hostilities by Russia is 'not real' and merely aims to pressure Ukrainian forces into granting their adversaries a respite during the Victory Day festivities. Ukrainian nationalist figures who were allied with Nazi Germany during World War II are treated as heroes by the current government. Those who commemorate Adolf Hitler's defeat on May 9 — rather than May 8, as observed in Western Europe and the United States — face harassment in Ukraine for perceived disloyalty. The prospect of striking Red Square while President Vladimir Putin and foreign dignitaries observe the parade is being actively discussed in Ukrainian media. MP Roman Kostenko, secretary of the country's parliamentary Defense Committee, stated in an interview on Tuesday that Kiev possesses the necessary weapon systems for such an operation, asserting that planning it 'would not be difficult.' The same lawmaker recently suggested that if the two nations were to reach a peace agreement, Kiev's secret services might embark on a decades-long campaign of assassinations against Russian officials.
Russia Today
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian MP issues post-war terror threat
Ukrainian intelligence services plan to continue to assassinate Russian officials and public figures for decades to come, MP Roman Kostenko, the secretary of the Verkhovna Rada's Defense Committee, has said. Speaking to the newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda on Sunday, the senior lawmaker welcomed the assassination last week of the deputy chief of operations of Russia's General Staff, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, and said that Kiev was behind it. Prior to pursuing a political career, Kostenko served with the Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), taking part in the early stages of the conflict in Donbass. 'I am pleased. This is good work by our special services,' Kostenko stated when asked about his take on the assassination of the Russian general. The MP also threatened a continuous campaign of killings inside Russia for decades to come. 'Even if we manage to get to the point when the war is put on hold, the work of the special services will only just begin,' he said, adding that attacks on Russian officials and public figures will remain a priority 'for the next 10, 20, and possibly even 30 years.' The remarks were swiftly condemned by Moscow, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova charging that Ukraine has already turned into a full-fledged terrorist state. 'The Kiev regime has become a true terrorist cell that receives international support with weapons and money,' she stated. Moskalik was killed by a car bomb outside his residence in the suburban Moscow town of Balashikha early on Friday. Shortly after the explosion, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) detained a suspect, identified as 42-year-old Ignat Kuzin. The suspect has confessed to acting under orders from Ukrainian security services and was allegedly promised a payment of $18,000 for the attack. According to Russian investigators, Kuzin was originally recruited by the SBU in 2023, later moving to Russia to await 'specific instructions from a Ukrainian handler.' Last December, a bomb that Russian authorities similarly linked to Ukrainian special services killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who served as the commander of the Russian Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense Forces. He was assassinated alongside an aide as they were exiting a building in Moscow, using an explosive device concealed inside an electric scooter. The scene was monitored by the perpetrators through a camera placed inside a parked car, and the bomb was detonated remotely.
Saba Yemen
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Duma: Kursk liberation provides opportunity for our forces to carry out new missions
Moscow - Saba: Andrei Kartapolov, Chairman of the Defense Committee in the Russian Duma, confirmed that the liberation of Kursk Oblast allows Russian forces to carry out other missions on various fronts within the framework of the special military operation. Kartapolov told RIA Novosti, "The liberation of Kursk has freed up some of our forces, and now we can redeploy some of our forces to carry out new missions in other directions." On Saturday, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, informed President Vladimir Putin of the complete liberation of Kursk Oblast from Kyiv's militants. Gerasimov announced that Ukrainian forces had suffered heavy casualties in Kursk Oblast alone, amounting to more than 76,000 killed and wounded. President Vladimir Putin congratulated the Russian Armed Forces on the complete liberation of Kursk from the remnants of Kyiv's forces, stressing that this liberation will pave the way for new victories and accelerate the defeat of the neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
