May 5:
Refugees from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine pose a threat to Russia's national security, a top official has said. In comments carried by Kommersant, Nikolai Patrushev, the Secretary of Russia's National Security Council, has said that Ukrainian refugees "complicate the criminal situation" in the country's Southern Federal District, which is adjacent to Russia's common border with Ukraine. According to him, the influx of refugees has "expanded the potential for conflict" owing to rising unemployment and the participation of some migrants in criminal activities.
May 6:
As part of its ongoing interest in the Arctic, Russia is expanding its naval capabilities in the region. IHS Jane'sreports that the Russian Defense Ministry has commissioned the construction of two "Project 23550" Arctic corvettes. The vessels, which combine "the qualities of tug, ice-breaker, and patrol boat," are slated for delivery to the Russian Navy by 2020.
Russia's most prominent religious figure has declared a "holy war" against terrorism. According to RT, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has spoken out in support of Russias' military campaign in Syria - and cast it in terms of an existential religious duty. "Today, when our warriors take part in combat operations in the Middle East, we know that this is not an aggression, occupation or an attempt to impose some ideology on other people, this has nothing to do with supporting certain governments," Kirill has said in a public address. "This is the fight against the fearsome foe that is currently not only spreading evil through the Middle East but also threatening the whole of mankind. Today, we call this evil terrorism."
May 7:
Could a Russo-Japanese settlement be in the offing? For decades, relations between Tokyo and Moscow have been strained as a result of competing claims to some of the Kuril Islands, which were seized by Soviet troops at the end of World War II. But now, a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, in Sochi has paved the way for more pacific relations between the two countries.According to the South China Morning Post, discussions between the two leaders were constructive, with Prime Minister Abe hailing a potential "breakthrough" on the issue. The two leaders have reportedly committed to direct participation in negotiations over the Kurils in what amounts to a "new approach" to the dispute, in Abe's words.
May 9:
Russia's government is seeking to encourage tourism to its newest territorial holding. According to trade bulletin Air Transport World, the Kremlin has just added fifteen cities in Crimea to the list of "subsidized routes" where a portion of airline ticket prices purchased by young Russian tourists and pensioners will be picked up by the state. The program, designed to encourage Russians to visit the Peninsula as a way of stimulating its economy, will now run until November 30th.
Russia's president has used the occasion of Victory Day to renew his calls for a global counterterrorism coalition. "Today civilization is once again faced with cruelty and violence - terrorism has become a global threat," Putin said in public comments at the annual military parade in Moscow commemorating victory against Nazi Germany, which were carried by IntelliNews. "We must defeat this evil, and Russia is open to joining forces with all states, ready to work on the creation of a modern, non-bloc system of international security."
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