themoscowtimes--2020-06-05--Russian-U.S. Tensions Rise in Syria as Moscow Expands Presence – Reports

The latest flare-up follows the Russian military ’ s reported attempt to build a base near the Turkish and Iraqi borders last week .
President Vladimir Putin has ordered talks with Russia 's ally Syria on cementing Moscow 's presence with additional military facilities in the conflict-torn country .
Tensions flared between Russia and the United States as the Russian military reportedly seeks to expand its presence in U.S.-controlled northeastern Syria , news outlets reported this week .
U.S. and Russian forces squared off in two tense encounters in the same area on Tuesday and Wednesday , the Mideast news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups and news agencies .
Villagers reportedly protested against a Russian patrol Tuesday near the northeastern Syria border town of Al-Malikiyah ( Derik ) as U.S. convoys awaited them nearby .
On Wednesday , a Russian patrol was said to have come toe-to-toe with an American convoy outside Derik , blocking civilian traffic for hours .
AFP video showed U.S. and Russian military patrols parked on a road as local civilians protested the Russian presence .
The latest standoffs follow a series of similar incidents reported in northeastern Syria earlier this year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” tweeted Brett McGurk , the former U.S. envoy for the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State .
American officials have previously accused Russia of violating the terms of de-confliction in what they characterized as an attempt to challenge the U.S. presence there .
Russia , a staunch ally of the Syrian government , launched a military air campaign in Syria in 2015 to help Damascus recapture parts of the country from rebels .
Moscow has long insisted that the U.S. military presence in Syria is illegal .
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia withdrew from the village of Qesirdib where it had attempted to set up a new base .

The latest flare-up follows the Russian military’s reported attempt to build a base near the Turkish and Iraqi borders last week. President Vladimir Putin has ordered talks with Russia's ally Syria on cementing Moscow's presence with additional military facilities in the conflict-torn country.
Tensions flared between Russia and the United States as the Russian military reportedly seeks to expand its presence in U.S.-controlled northeastern Syria, news outlets reported this week.
U.S. and Russian forces squared off in two tense encounters in the same area on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Mideast news website Al-Monitor reported, citing local monitoring groups and news agencies.
Villagers reportedly protested against a Russian patrol Tuesday near the northeastern Syria border town of Al-Malikiyah (Derik) as U.S. convoys awaited them nearby. On Wednesday, a Russian patrol was said to have come toe-to-toe with an American convoy outside Derik, blocking civilian traffic for hours.
AFP video showed U.S. and Russian military patrols parked on a road as local civilians protested the Russian presence.
The latest standoffs follow a series of similar incidents reported in northeastern Syria earlier this year.
“This is not a sustainable situation,” tweeted Brett McGurk, the former U.S. envoy for the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State.
American officials have previously accused Russia of violating the terms of de-confliction in what they characterized as an attempt to challenge the U.S. presence there.
Russia, a staunch ally of the Syrian government, launched a military air campaign in Syria in 2015 to help Damascus recapture parts of the country from rebels.
Moscow has long insisted that the U.S. military presence in Syria is illegal.
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Thursday that Russia withdrew from the village of Qesirdib where it had attempted to set up a new base.


themoscowtimes--2020-06-05--Russian ‘Terrorists’ Training German Neo-Nazi Youth in Combat – Reports

The U.S. State Department branded the Russian Imperial Movement as a foreign terrorist organization in April , saying it runs two paramilitary training camps in St. Petersburg that have pulled in neo-Nazis from across the Western world .
Russia responded by saying the designation does not aid in the fight against terrorism .
Young right-wing extremists from Germany are receiving combat training from Russian white supremacists whom the United States has blacklisted as terrorists , Germany ’ s Focus news magazine reported Friday .
RIM describes itself as an Orthodox Christian and national-patriotic organization tasked with protecting traditional Russian values @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t added the group to its list of banned terrorist organizations but has blacklisted some of its publications as extremist .
RIM provides training to youth-wing members of Germany ’ s ultranationalist National Democratic Party and the minority neo-Nazi party The Third Path , Focus cited unnamed German intelligence sources as saying .
The Russian group reportedly trains the far-right German youth in weapons and explosive handling , as well as in close combat , at a camp called “ Partizan ” near St. Petersburg .
Russian news reports have linked Partizan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine and war in Syria .
German intelligence services are said to be aware of their activities but can not ban their travel to Russia for legal reasons , Focus reported .
German authorities also assume that President Vladimir Putin knows about the camps and “ at least tolerates ” their existence .
RIM is the first white supremacist group to be designated terrorists by the United States , according to the State Department .

The U.S. State Department branded the Russian Imperial Movement as a foreign terrorist organization in April, saying it runs two paramilitary training camps in St. Petersburg that have pulled in neo-Nazis from across the Western world. Russia responded by saying that labelling the group as a terrorist organization does not aid in the fight against terrorism.
Young right-wing extremists from Germany are receiving combat training from Russian white supremacists whom the United States has blacklisted as terrorists, Germany’s Focus news magazine reported Friday.
RIM describes itself as an Orthodox Christian and national-patriotic organization tasked with protecting traditional Russian values and supporting Russian expansion. Russia hasn’t added the group to its list of banned terrorist organizations but has blacklisted some of its publications as extremist.
RIM provides training to youth-wing members of Germany’s ultranationalist National Democratic Party and the minority neo-Nazi party The Third Path, Focus cited unnamed German intelligence sources as saying.
The Russian group reportedly trains the far-right German youth in weapons and explosive handling, as well as in close combat, at a camp called “Partizan” near St. Petersburg.
Russian news reports have linked Partizan trainees to a terrorist attack in Sweden as well as the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine and war in Syria.
German intelligence services are said to be aware of their activities but cannot ban their travel to Russia for legal reasons, Focus reported. German authorities also assume that President Vladimir Putin knows about the camps and “at least tolerates” their existence.
RIM is the first white supremacist group to be designated terrorists by the United States, according to the State Department.


themoscowtimes--2020-06-05--Russia to Review Structures on Permafrost After Arctic Spill

The office of the prosecutor general said in a statement that a preliminary conclusion of the spill 's causes is the `` sagging of the ground and the concrete foundation '' which caused the reservoir 's failure .
Russia 's prosecutor general on Friday ordered a review of hazardous structures built on permafrost after concluding that a huge Arctic fuel spill last week was caused by shifting ground .
A state of emergency was announced after 21,000 tons of diesel fuel spilled from a reservoir that collapsed last Friday outside Norilsk , polluting huge stretches of river and triggering a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar situation on especially hazardous structures on territories prone to melting of permafrost , '' the prosecutor general has `` ordered a comprehensive review of such objects . ''
Russia is vulnerable to climate change because much of its economic infrastructure is located in areas that have been locked by permafrost but are starting to thaw amid warmer temperatures .
A vast Arctic state , Russia is warming 2.5 times faster than the world average .
Sixty-five percent of the country 's territory is covered by permafrost , and the environment ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipes and structures , as well as buried toxic waste , which can seep out and endanger waterways .
Norilsk Nickel , the company that owns the collapsed reservoir through a subsidiary , has said it suspects unstable ground led to damage to the fuel tank .
Norilsk , one of the country 's biggest industrial centers , is located above the Arctic circle and the city is struggling to cool foundations of residential buildings as the ground becomes unstable .

The office of the prosecutor general said in a statement that a preliminary conclusion of the spill's causes is the "sagging of the ground and the concrete foundation" which caused the reservoir's failure.
Russia's prosecutor general on Friday ordered a review of hazardous structures built on permafrost after concluding that a huge Arctic fuel spill last week was caused by shifting ground.
A state of emergency was announced after 21,000 tons of diesel fuel spilled from a reservoir that collapsed last Friday outside Norilsk, polluting huge stretches of river and triggering a major cleanup effort.
"To prevent a similar situation on especially hazardous structures on territories prone to melting of permafrost," the prosecutor general has "ordered a comprehensive review of such objects."
Russia is vulnerable to climate change because much of its economic infrastructure is located in areas that have been locked by permafrost but are starting to thaw amid warmer temperatures.
A vast Arctic state, Russia is warming 2.5 times faster than the world average.
Sixty-five percent of the country's territory is covered by permafrost, and the environment ministry warned in 2018 that the melt threatens pipes and structures, as well as buried toxic waste, which can seep out and endanger waterways.
Norilsk Nickel, the company that owns the collapsed reservoir through a subsidiary, has said it suspects unstable ground led to damage to the fuel tank.
Norilsk, one of the country's biggest industrial centers, is located above the Arctic circle and the city is struggling to cool foundations of residential buildings as the ground becomes unstable.


themoscowtimes--2020-06-05--Communists Campaign Against Reforms Giving Putin More Years in Power

Russians are set to vote on July 1 to approve Putin ’ s changes to Russia 's basic law that would , among other things , allow him to serve two more presidential terms and remain president until 2036 .
All 43 members of the Communist Party in the Russian parliament voted against the provision resetting Putin ’ s terms and abstained from the vote on the overall package of amendments in March .
Russia ’ s Communist Party has launched a campaign urging supporters to vote against a set of constitutional amendments that would allow President Vladimir Putin to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a half .
“ The new version of the Constitution only strengthens the presidential dictatorship and oligarchic rule that are leading the country to disaster , ” the opposition party ’ s leadership said in a statement .
“ Boycotting the ‘ nationwide vote ’ will do nothing , ” they said Thursday .
“ We believe that everyone should express their opinions the way their conscience dictates.
” Criticizing the ruling authorities for “ rushing through ” the parliamentary vote to approve the amendments , the presidium of the Communist Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 1 vote as “ a ritual.
” One lawmaker compared the public vote to a “ survey.
” “ It doesn ’ t have the status of a referendum and doesn ’ t line up with electoral legislation , ” the Communist Party ’ s leadership said .
The statement coincides with calls from individual party members to vote against Putin ’ s constitutional amendments and the arrest of a popular socialist blogger who planned to stage protests .
Prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny had urged Russians to boycott the vote when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Kremlin reiterated Friday that the amendments would not go into effect if the public were to vote against them .
Public polling has shown majority support for the amendments , which in addition to resetting Putin ’ s presidential terms include provisions enshrining social guarantees .
The Meduza news website has reported that the Kremlin expects a turnout of 55 % and 60 % of votes approving the amendments .
The MBKh Media news website reported Friday that the Kremlin ’ s political strategists have framed the July 1 plebiscite as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic .
Russia has continued to see more than 8,000 coronavirus cases and around 150 deaths per day in recent weeks as authorities declared that Russia has passed the peak of its outbreak .

Russians are set to vote on July 1 to approve Putin’s changes to Russia's basic law that would, among other things, allow him to serve two more presidential terms and remain president until 2036. All 43 members of the Communist Party in the Russian parliament voted against the provision resetting Putin’s terms and abstained from the vote on the overall package of amendments in March.
Russia’s Communist Party has launched a campaign urging supporters to vote against a set of constitutional amendments that would allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power for the next decade and a half.
“The new version of the Constitution only strengthens the presidential dictatorship and oligarchic rule that are leading the country to disaster,” the opposition party’s leadership said in a statement.
“Boycotting the ‘nationwide vote’ will do nothing,” they said Thursday. “We believe that everyone should express their opinions the way their conscience dictates.”
Criticizing the ruling authorities for “rushing through” the parliamentary vote to approve the amendments, the presidium of the Communist Party’s central committee also characterized the July 1 vote as “a ritual.” One lawmaker compared the public vote to a “survey.”
“It doesn’t have the status of a referendum and doesn’t line up with electoral legislation,” the Communist Party’s leadership said.
The statement coincides with calls from individual party members to vote against Putin’s constitutional amendments and the arrest of a popular socialist blogger who planned to stage protests.
Prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny had urged Russians to boycott the vote when lawmakers approved the constitutional amendments in March.
The Kremlin reiterated Friday that the amendments would not go into effect if the public were to vote against them.
Public polling has shown majority support for the amendments, which in addition to resetting Putin’s presidential terms include provisions enshrining social guarantees. The Meduza news website has reported that the Kremlin expects a turnout of 55% and 60% of votes approving the amendments.
The MBKh Media news website reported Friday that the Kremlin’s political strategists have framed the July 1 plebiscite as “a celebration of victory” over the coronavirus pandemic. Russia has continued to see more than 8,000 coronavirus cases and around 150 deaths per day in recent weeks as authorities declared that Russia has passed the peak of its outbreak.


themoscowtimes--2020-06-05--Putin Tells Metals Giant to Pay for Full Cleanup After Arctic Spill

A national-level state of emergency was announced after 21,000 tons of diesel fuel spilled from a reservoir that collapsed last Friday outside Norilsk , polluting huge stretches of river in remote tundra with bright red patches visible from space .
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said he expected metals giant Norilsk Nickel to fully restore the environment after an unprecedented Arctic fuel spill , as responders said they had managed to stop the slick from spreading further .
The metals giant , which owns the reservoir through a subsidiary , tried to contain the damage on its own for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from companies and agencies across Russia , the delay making Putin furious this week .
An emergency ministry spokeswoman told AFP on Friday that the spill had been contained and was not spreading any further .
Speaking with officials at the site by video call , Putin told Norilsk Nickel chief Vladimir Potanin he expected the company to pay for a comprehensive cleanup .
`` It 's necessary to carry out all the compensatory measures to restore biodiversity and the environment , '' he said , pointing out that had the company replaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be faced with such expenses now .
He said condition of all similar structures `` should be carefully analyzed '' in the country .
Potanin estimated that the operations would cost about 10 billion rubles ( $ 146 million ) , on top of any fines .
`` We will spend whatever is needed , '' said Potanin .
`` We will return the ecosystem back to normal . ''
Investigators are probing the accident on three different charges , and have arrested one person who works at the power plant where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watchdog is calculating damage to the environment , its chief Svetlana Radionova said , calling the accident `` unprecedented in scope . ''
Environmentalists said the oil spill was the worst such accident ever in the Arctic region and the second worst in modern Russian history .
The Ambarnaya River , which is affected by the spill , feeds into Lake Pyasino , a major body of water and the source of the Pyasina River that is vitally important to the entire Taimyr peninsula .
Satellite images released by the European Space Agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spot of reddish fuel had traveled over 20 kilometers ( 12 miles ) toward the lake up the river , where the main cleanup effort was located .
Spill responders have managed to contain its spread with floating barriers to prevent it from reaching the lake , and are now scooping up the liquid , which will be stored in sealed tanks until the ground freezes in winter , Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev said .
The emergencies ministry said Friday it had removed more than 200 tons of the fuel .
But Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the barriers are unable to stop the majority of the pollution , which can quickly dissolve or sink .
The spill also polluted 180,000 square meters of land before hitting the river , regional prosecutors said .
The area has been pummelled by decades of pollution from metals production and other industrial activity in Norilsk , and World Wildlife Fund expert Alexei Knizhnikov said local residents , who include indigenous groups like the Nenets , have long since stopped fishing in the river .
Rivers around Norilsk , which is Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colored red on several occasions because of accidents or runoff of substances from Norilsk Nickel 's main plant .

A national-level state of emergency was announced after 21,000 tons of diesel fuel spilled from a reservoir that collapsed last Friday outside Norilsk, polluting huge stretches of river in remote tundra with bright red patches visible from space.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said he expected metals giant Norilsk Nickel to fully restore the environment after an unprecedented Arctic fuel spill, as responders said they had managed to stop the slick from spreading further.
The metals giant, which owns the reservoir through a subsidiary, tried to contain the damage on its own for two days before specialists were called in from companies and agencies across Russia, the delay making Putin furious this week.
An emergency ministry spokeswoman told AFP on Friday that the spill had been contained and was not spreading any further.
Speaking with officials at the site by video call, Putin told Norilsk Nickel chief Vladimir Potanin he expected the company to pay for a comprehensive cleanup.
"It's necessary to carry out all the compensatory measures to restore biodiversity and the environment," he said, pointing out that had the company replaced the old reservoir, it would not be faced with such expenses now.
He said condition of all similar structures "should be carefully analyzed" in the country.
Potanin estimated that the operations would cost about 10 billion rubles ($146 million), on top of any fines.
"We will spend whatever is needed," said Potanin. "We will return the ecosystem back to normal."
Investigators are probing the accident on three different charges, and have arrested one person who works at the power plant where the reservoir is located.
Russia's environmental watchdog is calculating damage to the environment, its chief Svetlana Radionova said, calling the accident "unprecedented in scope."
Red river
Environmentalists said the oil spill was the worst such accident ever in the Arctic region and the second worst in modern Russian history.
The Ambarnaya River, which is affected by the spill, feeds into Lake Pyasino, a major body of water and the source of the Pyasina River that is vitally important to the entire Taimyr peninsula.
Satellite images released by the European Space Agency and Russia's Roscosmos show a large spot of reddish fuel had traveled over 20 kilometers (12 miles) toward the lake up the river, where the main cleanup effort was located.
Spill responders have managed to contain its spread with floating barriers to prevent it from reaching the lake, and are now scooping up the liquid, which will be stored in sealed tanks until the ground freezes in winter, Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev said.
The emergencies ministry said Friday it had removed more than 200 tons of the fuel.
But Russia's fisheries agency and some environmentalists have said that the barriers are unable to stop the majority of the pollution, which can quickly dissolve or sink.
The spill also polluted 180,000 square meters of land before hitting the river, regional prosecutors said.
The area has been pummelled by decades of pollution from metals production and other industrial activity in Norilsk, and World Wildlife Fund expert Alexei Knizhnikov said local residents, who include indigenous groups like the Nenets, have long since stopped fishing in the river.
Rivers around Norilsk, which is Russia's most polluted city, were previously colored red on several occasions because of accidents or runoff of substances from Norilsk Nickel's main plant.