Russia 110328 Basic Political Developments

Russian Navy plans to reassign cruiser Marshal Ustinov to Pacific Fleet

http://www.brahmand.com/news/Russian-Navy-plans-to-reassign-cruiser-Marshal-Ustinov-to-Pacific-Fleet/6657/3/13.html

MOSCOW (BNS): Russian Navy is planning to reassign its missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov from Northern Fleet to Pacific Fleet, a media report said.

Currently, the cruiser is preparing for medium repairs in Northern fleet.

"In two years, the cruiser may be transferred from Severomorsk to Vladivostok to reinforce the grouping of the Pacific Fleet's surface ships," RIA Novosti quoted a Russian Navy admiral as saying.

"Navy's main headquarters was considering this possibility, although a final decision had not yet been made," he added.

The RFS Marshal Ustinov is a Slava-class cruiser of the Russian Navy. The ship was launched in 1982 and in 1986 it was commissioned with Russian Northern Fleet.

The Marshal Ustinov cruiser has been designed as a surface strike ship with some anti-air and ASW capability and it is fitted with sixteen SS-N-12 Sandbox nuclear-capable supersonic anti-ship missiles, which are mounted in four pairs on either side of the superstructure.

In addition, the cruiser reportedly carries 64 SA-N-6 Grumble long-range surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and 40 SA-N-4 Gecko short-range SAMs, it said

Medvedev to hold online conference

http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/03/28/48061968.html

Mar 28, 2011 09:50 Moscow Time

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is due to hold an online videoconference today to hear out progress reports by several Governors and Government Agency Chiefs.

The Russian leader traditionally resorts to this kind of format, since he sees it as dynamic and effective. Last year he chaired this kind of conference on three occasions.

Today’s agenda features housing and utilities infrastructure and children’s summer holidays.       

Vladimir Putin to visit Sheremetyevo

http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/03/27/48055624.html
Mar 27, 2011 23:46 Moscow Time

On March 28th at "Sheremetyevo” airport Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin holds a meeting on the development of the Moscow aviation hub.

According to the government press service, up for discussion will be measures of improving safety and quality of passenger service.

The Moscow aviation hub includes the airports Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo.

In the last 10 years - from 2000 to 2010 - they have tripled the passenger flow.

Government to consider merger of Moscow airports today

http://www.bne.eu/dispatch_text14575

Renaissance Capital
March 28, 2011

Event: Vedomosti reported that today (28 March) a government meeting led by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will consider the merger of Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports. Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and the Ministry of Transport reportedly differ on this issue: Shuvalov favours the merger, whereas the Ministry of Transport wants to preserve competition among the airports. According to the newspaper, Putin is also to decide on whether a third runway will be built at Sheremetyevo or at Domodedovo first.

Action: Neutral for Aeroflot, in our view.

Rationale: Merging the airports would be difficult; one of the main stumbling blocks is that they are currently under the control of different owners. According to Vedomosti, citing Troika Dialog and Credit Suisse estimates, Domodedovo would likely get control of the potential merged entity and, therefore, the government would have to purchase an additional stake to get control. Aeroflot, which will get only a minority stake in Sheremetyevo airport once its terminals are merged, would have an even smaller share of the potential merged airport entity. In our view, the effect of the potential merger on the airline will depend mainly on the way Sheremetyevo is managed and how airport traffic and operations are coordinated. We do not think a merger of the airports is likely. Aeroflot would benefit from a third runway at Sheremetyevo, in our view.

Ivan Kim

Prosecutors blame controller for Krasnoyarsk midair incident

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=16093447&PageNum=0

28.03.2011, 10.23

NOVOSIBIRSK, March 28 (Itar-Tass) - The Yenisei transport prosecutor's office blamed a traffic controller for a dangerous incident in which two planes flew close to each other over Krasnoyarsk on March 14.

The prosecutors announced their findings after a check, saying that "the traffic controller, despite the indications of the crossing of the planes' courses, failed to inform the crews about their locations and the situation, and took no measures to ensure safe distances between the aircraft."

The traffic controller's untimely and "imprecise" actions resulted in the activation of the collision warning system on the Airbus-320 en route Moscow-Irkutsk. Its sensors registered vertical distance to a Bombardier-200 plane belonging to the Rusline airline at 330 meters and lateral distance at 1,800 meters.

"The guilty traffic control officer has been relieved of his duties," senior aide to the West Siberian transport prosecutor Natalia Krinitskaya told Itar-Tass.

Following the check, the transport prosecutor ordered the administration of the branch of the Central Siberia Aeronavigation company to eliminate the exposed violations and discipline the guilty persons.

GOOGLE TRANSLATION

Ingush opposition protests continue

http://vestikavkaza.ru/news/politika/Ingushetia/34831.html

One of the leaders of the Ingush opposition Magomed Khazbiev, released yesterday, March 26, from custody, is not going to refuse to participate in street actions, "Interfax".

Recall, March 23, about 100 people with placards in their hands blocked the street in Nazran, demanding the return of abducted persons. Participants of the rally - relatives of abducted persons in Ingushetia - unfurled a banner "We are against terror" and "Bring our sons."

Interior Ministry officers have detained 10 people for organizing and participating in riots. Among those detained was suspected of organizing a meeting of active opposition and human rights activist Mikhail Khazbiev.

The decision of the magistrate, he was subject to administrative proceedings and was arrested for 10 days for disorderly conduct.

Yesterday, 26 March, it became known that Khazbiev released from prison on personal resheniiyu Yunus-Bek Evkurova.

"Three years we pursue. We live, as if walking on a knife blade. Kill companions. But we do not fear anyone, and refuse to participate in events I'm not going," - said today, 27 March, M. Khazbiev, adding that he did not going to leave the republic.
27.03.2011

11:55

Law enforcement officials clash with rebels in Sunzhen region of Ingushetia

http://www.interfax.com/news.asp

March 28, 2011 09:12