India-Russia: News & Analysis

[Neshant]

Nobody is going to trust these russians in any future armament contract.

Once they get the initial payment, they begin making more claims. The meaning of the word 'contract' becomes a joke.

Its silly that India is agreeing to this. It makes us look like a bunch of suckers. They would never do this to the Chinese. More of this con artistry will occur once it comes to parts for the carrier and its planes.

Is the Indian Navy onboard with the decision making process or are they being suckered into it by some 3rd party arms dealer.

[Gerard]

Japan accuses Russia of incursion

A Russian Tupolev 95 bomber flew for about three minutes over the isle of Sofugan, 650km (400 miles) south of Tokyo, Japanese officials said.
Japan responded by scrambling 22 jets and lodging an official protest with the Russian embassy.

[radhakrishnan]

Nobody is going to trust these russians in any future armament contract.

Once they get the initial payment, they begin making more claims. The meaning of the word 'contract' becomes a joke.

Its silly that India is agreeing to this. It makes us look like a bunch of suckers. They would never do this to the Chinese. More of this con artistry will occur once it comes to parts for the carrier and its planes.

Is the Indian Navy onboard with the decision making process or are they being suckered into it by some 3rd party arms dealer.

India has no other way than agree to Russian arm twisting. Whereelse we could get an Aircraft carrier and other advanced weopans?

[satya]

India has no other way than agree to Russian arm twisting. Whereelse we could get an Aircraft carrier and other advanced weopans?

in which time frame should your question be considered 20 yrs ago or 30 years ago ?

[radhakrishnan]

India has no other way than agree to Russian arm twisting. Whereelse we could get an Aircraft carrier and other advanced weopans?

in which time frame should your question be considered 20 yrs ago or 30 years ago ?

Conside it in the Present Time frame. Name a country who would provide India thE technology to produce a Cruise Misiile, sell the most advanced fighter plane in their inventory , Lease a Nucleur Submarine , assist in ATV proj and so on and on -----

[sum]

But Russia is willing to "compensate" for the cost of Gorshkov if it gets more military orders, which Moscow insists is not linked to 126 fighter planes that India is planning to buy but other defence purchases.

So, finally the true reason is out in the open!!!
Why should other deals be tied up with a carrier deal for which we had a iron clad contract(if the Russians understand that term) signed??

[Igorr]

Igorr, Why would they want both mi-28N and Ka-52? Which cruisers were they interested in? Ukrania or some other slava? Which nuclear sub? Akula?

The old tactic of the Chinese is to buy little and then to copy. They rich enough to buy let say 20 Mi and 20 Ka, then evaluate pros and contras, to ask the licension production and then - their 'own' manufacturing and followup redesign. They did it with old soviet Tu-16 aircrfts, MiGs, now with Su-27s airframe. They have no problem with money. Their only problem - they cannot get permission from Kremlin, so they 'try' more and more in hope Russians will allow them even little.

With Ukrainian Slava they have a problem since no weaponry for it Ukrania can produce. So, the buying is useless for them without Russian aprovement for equipement. As I can understand, Kremlin is still reluctant to see the Chinese fleet inferior to Russian Pacific Squadron.

N-subs for China - are something totaly unlike. The Russian Navy headquarter barely agreed to bow out with Akulas even for India, coz they want it for themselves. Russia just has no free subs-building capability for China demands, not consider other aspects of this problem applyable to China.

[radhakrishnan]

But Russia is willing to "compensate" for the cost of Gorshkov if it gets more military orders, which Moscow insists is not linked to 126 fighter planes that India is planning to buy but other defence purchases.

So, finally the true reason is out in the open!!!
Why should other deals be tied up with a carrier deal for which we had a iron clad contract(if the Russians understand that term) signed??

There are other implications if India buys 126 fighter planes from another country than Russia. Russian fighter planes would be then available for Pakistan to buy and India could no longer raise any objection . Pakistan wiil teh have the option to buy Sukhois ro Migs anf they could be soon having something like Su30MKP or Mig35.

[ranganathan]

I don't think the India N-sub deal has gone through. The Nerpa is still with RuN. I think ATV (Boomer and SSN version) will be India's first nuke sub. I doubt Russia would sell China the N-sub or Cruisers but the other items will probably be sold at a later stage.


Nope I doubt Russia would sell anything to Pakis. Theyhaven't forgotten afghanistan and Pakis don't have the money they would want copies at loan from China.

[radhakrishnan]

I don't think the India N-sub deal has gone through. The Nerpa is still with RuN. I think ATV (Boomer and SSN version) will be India's first nuke sub. I doubt Russia would sell China the N-sub or Cruisers but the other items will probably be sold at a later stage.


Nope I doubt Russia would sell anything to Pakis. Theyhaven't forgotten afghanistan and Pakis don't have the money they would want copies at loan from China.

The lease of Akula is certainly happening. There are 100's of Navy personnal in Russia Undergoing training on Akula.

[ranganathan]

The ATV is certainly based on Akula-2 or the newer SSN model. So the crew may be getting trained in russia but are you sure about the lease. The RuN is pretty desperate for new ships. The haven't added a new destroyer or cruiser in years. Corvettes don't really add much firepower.

[radhakrishnan]

The ATV is certainly based on Akula-2 or the newer SSN model. So the crew may be getting trained in russia but are you sure about the lease. The RuN is pretty desperate for new ships. The haven't added a new destroyer or cruiser in years. Corvettes don't really add much firepower.

The Russian online daily Kommersant has reported that Mikhail Dmitriev, who heads the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation, announced yesterday that Russian arms export for the year 2005 touched $6.126-billion. This amount is $826 million more than the amount announced by Russian President Vladmir Putin on 28 Dec 2005. Kommersant, quoting military sources, attributes the increase to the delivery to China the eighth Project 636 submarine ($225 million) and sale to India of the Akula Project 971 nuclear submarine ($600 million) constructed by Amur Shipbuilder, the Khabarovsk Region.

It may be recalled that in August 2005, Bellona Web had reported evidence of construction of a nuclear submarine training centre for the Indian Navy in Sosnovy Bor, 70 kilometers west of St. Petersburg in Russia.

The training center, large enough to train 300 submariners, was built in record time following the visit of Russian President Vladamir Putin to India in Dec 2004.

[radhakrishnan]

The ATV is certainly based on Akula-2 or the newer SSN model. So the crew may be getting trained in russia but are you sure about the lease. The RuN is pretty desperate for new ships. The haven't added a new destroyer or cruiser in years. Corvettes don't really add much firepower.

The Russian online daily Kommersant has reported that Mikhail Dmitriev, who heads the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation, announced yesterday that Russian arms export for the year 2005 touched $6.126-billion. This amount is $826 million more than the amount announced by Russian President Vladmir Putin on 28 Dec 2005. Kommersant, quoting military sources, attributes the increase to the delivery to China the eighth Project 636 submarine ($225 million) and sale to India of the Akula Project 971 nuclear submarine ($600 million) constructed by Amur Shipbuilder, the Khabarovsk Region.

It may be recalled that in August 2005, Bellona Web had reported evidence of construction of a nuclear submarine training centre for the Indian Navy in Sosnovy Bor, 70 kilometers west of St. Petersburg in Russia.

The training center, large enough to train 300 submariners, was built in record time following the visit of Russian President Vladamir Putin to India in Dec 2004.

Indian submariners are in Russia since 2005 or earlier to train .

[ranganathan]

Its been 3 years, how long is this training going to be for?

[radhakrishnan]

Its been 3 years, how long is this training going to be for?

Not sure exactly . They train in batches up to 6 months. Around 300 has completed training.

[Philip]

Zubkov for more tie-ups with India in oil and gas
http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/11/stories ... 910100.htm

"Pledging Moscow’s commitment to maintaining close ties with New Delhi, he described India as Russia’s “trusted friend.â€

[Rudranathh]

Now that Rajith alias Radhakrishnan was found to be an paki and banned the above 'dialogue' between 'Radhakrishnan' and 'ranganathan' looks fishy.

And both of them joined br at about the same time.
radhakrishnan
Joined: 03 Feb 2008

ranganathan
Joined: 06 Feb 2008

Well just an hunch, dont blame me for point this out.

[Sanku]

Getting the warmth back

Getting the warmth back


Dmitri Kosyrev

Except for some bibliophiles and people whose grandfathers were part of Russian projects, Russians today do not know enough about India, nor do Indians know much about Russia. But once lapsed linkages are revived, there is much to fall in love with in both countries

Why is Russia unhappy with India? That was the question put by an Indian woman at the exhibition stand of Delhi World Book Fair, where Russia was a guest of honour. What a tactless thing to do at the very start of the "Year of Russia" in India, to be launched with a gala concert in Purana Quila in the august presence of Russian Prime Minister Victor Zubkov!

In fact, the book fair was, in a way, a grand beginning of the Russian Year, as the fair preceded the visit by the Prime Minister of that country by several days. There has been a whole generation of readers that has moved on before Russian publishers landed here with such force, bringing the best of modern Russian writing. Dozens of books and several lively, real writers standing next to their books! These were writers who are, I might add, totally marketable here, being hugely entertaining and, by elegance and wit, quite worth their predecessors, beginning with Pushkin and Tolstoy.

Of course, what the woman at the exhibition meant was simply "why so few Russian books in English, why so few of Russian folk tales in Hindi? Why not like before, when you could get all that in several cities of the country and be happy?" The questioner belongs, you see, to some 30,000 (or is it 50,000?) Indians who can speak and read Russian. And still she would love to see it all in a more familiar language. Many more Indians might be generally interested in culture of that country -- old and even new.

But if you look at all the clouds reportedly hanging above several Russian-Indian Government-level deals, indeed you may want to ask questions about the "unhappiness" -- even though there is much, much more sunshine between our two nations than clouds. Haven't there been clouds in the 1960s and 1970s, in the heyday of Indo-Russian friendship? Assuredly there were; the only difference is that nobody remembers it now. But there were books in Russian and Hindi coming from Moscow at least.

Now, there are many ways of answering the question. A Turkish author, Mr Orkhan Pamuk, gave about 30 or 40 answers in a row, in his breathless way, to the question: "Why do you write books?" "I write because I'm afraid, because I need to sit in a locked room with my keyboard..." And that was the central part of his Nobel lecture (award for literature in 2006)!

There are a lot of ways to answer that Indian woman. There is a piecemeal manner of going about it: Say, Russia is unhappy because the Indian side cannot get itself organised in ordering spare parts for Russian weapons already sold; Russia is unhappy because New Delhi just cannot bring itself to saying a firm "yes" on four more atomic reactors to be built at Kudankulam. The fact is, Russia is happy about many other things.

But this is not the way to talk near the bookshelves filled with the latest bestsellers of Russian writers, alas, in Russian. Books silently call for sincerity. They also call for respect. You can only respect Sergei Lukyanenko's fantasy thrillers about the demons and witches fighting witch-hunters in modern Moscow, or Maya Kucherskaya's God of Rain, a novel about a student's overt physical love for her teacher and, then, her priest. You cannot lie in presence of books, not willingly. A good question deserves a good answer or -- like in Mr Pamuk's case -- 30 or 40 answers packed together.

My answer is that Russia, the newly rich and newly powerful Russia of the 2000s, may be unhappy about the outside world in general and may not even be aware of it. It may also be unhappy about itself; it may have that strange feeling that it is not getting what it wants from the rest of the world because it does not even know what it wants.

Is Russia a global (or globalised) nation? If not now, when was it one? Under the Communists? Under the Czars? Isn't it here that the core of all Russian unhappiness lies?

Let us reverse the woman's question: Does Russia love India? You have to know something to love it. My love for India is obvious, a love with a flinty taste of ubiquitous Indian dust, and that is because I come here often enough and know a bit of the country.

But for many Russians that knowledge -- and hence love -- is lost. Mr Alexander Gavrilov, editor of The Book Review, was a guest of the Russian Information Centre, a media discussion club at Bhagwan Das Road where the best Russian personalities come to talk to Indians. His assessment is that Indian contemporary writers are as unknown (though as marketable) in Russia as the Russian ones in India. Mr Gavrilov was speaking about some of these writers who might suddenly play the role of the 'icebreaker', making popular the whole national literature in our respective countries. He spoke also about publishers, enterprising enough to commit money to such a venture.

Ms Anna Golubeva, a publisher, yet another speaker at the Russian Information Centre, spoke about her effort to find a local partner to print her Russian textbooks in India. There is a definite raise in the number of students enrolling to Russian courses, she notes, but someone has to give them modern textbooks, oriented along the lines of the European test system.

Do these two people love India? Oh, yes, they do; just look at them feeling very much at home in the Indian streets, both dirty and clean ones. That's because both the individuals have personal interest and personal contacts here.

As for the rest... What do Russian people know about India? Are they getting enough television or newspaper reportage covering this country? What do Indian journalists tell their audience about modern Russia? Does anyone take his colleagues to task for failing in their professional duty?

Sometimes it seems to me that the new generation of Russians is glancing around, musing: So we are rich now, so we are strong again. So what do we do, where do we go? To India? What do we know about it? My grandfather was building something there on a contract -- but that was long ago.

And they are vaguely unhappy. Almost about everything. Back to square one - to a book shelf, a newspaper, a TV set. Hence the Year of Russia in India, designed to re-establish personal ties between the two nations. Or at least to speed up that process.

[Rudranathh]

GAIL, Russia's Itera sign petrochem plants, city gas projects pact
February 13th, 2008

New Delhi, Feb. 13: The Gas Authority of India Limited and Russian oil and gas firm Itera today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly build petrochemical plants and city gas projects in Russia.

GAIL Chairman and Managing Director U D Choubey and Itera CEO Igor Makarov jointly signed the pact that envisages cooperation in setting up CNG projects in Russia, exploring possibilities for setting up a gas-based petrochemical plant in Russia and jointly investing in oil and gas exploration and production in Russia and CIS countries.

[Rudranathh]

PM Zubkov formally launches Russian Information Centre in India
February 13th, 2008

New Delhi, Feb. 13: Visiting Russian Prime Minister, Victor Zubkov, formally launched the Russian Information Centre in India on Wednesday.

Addressing the gathering at the event, Zubkov said that the launch of the Centre and it coinciding with the Year of Russia in India, would boost bilateral ties between the two countries further.

"At the negotiations yesterday (with the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and other high Indian officials), we have noted repeatedly that our two societies are not getting enough information on each other’s life, and the present customary mode of getting news from each other does not correspond with the rhytm of rapid development of our two nations. One should not ignore the acute interest of our two nations towards each other," he said.

"We are sure that the RIC will satisfy the requirements of the people of both countries to the full," he added.

"We expect that the RIC will become an important symbol of Russia’s informational presence in India and, with the passing of time, will acquire a firm status of the main venue of communication of our two nations, be it representatives of the world of business, culture or science of the two countries. This is the role that we allocate to the Russian Information Centre. We believe that our expectations will come true," Zubkov said.

The Russian Information Centre is a discussion club and its main role is to present to the Indian public various personalities, attending numerous events of the Russian Year.

The RIC does not represent the official position of the Russian Government, unless the speakers choose to do so, and is headed by Dmitri Kosyrev, a political columnist with the RIA Novosti news agency.

[Rudranathh]

Year of Russia' launched in India
February 13th, 2008

New Delhi, Feb 13: The close friendship between India and Russia touched a new high with the launching of the 'Year of Russia'.

Cultural programmes marked the occasion as Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Russian counterpart Viktor Zubkov watched the proceeding at Purana Qila here last evening.

"I am sincerely glad that the year 2008 is marked by such an important event in our bilateral relations as the 'Year of Russia'," said Zubkov.

Dr. Singh took the opportunity to praise Russia for its giant strides in various fields.

"The people of India greatly admire the achievements of the people of Russia in the field of art, culture and sports," Singh said.

Artists from Russia, both folk and contemporary, brought alive the red sand stonewalls of the medieval structure in the more than hour-long concert.

The concert had a spectacular laser show that also involved bringing alive images ranging from monuments like the Taj Mahal to scenes from nature.

The concert had prominent Russian groups such as the Pleageya Band, Moscow dance company Alanta, the Russian folk choir, youth circus of Russia and Alla Dukhova ballet Jodes.

[Gerard]

Punching the Monitor for Rotten Elections

The reason for the refusal is that the Klub missiles failed to hit their target in six consecutive test firings.
The Kremlin, which did not want to be outdone by the snooty Indians, quickly retaliated with the single remaining strategic weapon in its arsenal -- the Agriculture Ministry's Federal Service for Veterinarian and Vegetation Sanitary Supervision. The agency immediately announced that it had discovered Khapra beetles in some sesame seeds that were shipped in from India; this served as Moscow's justification for banning Indian tea imports. The only problem was that these insects do not infest tea -- or sesame seeds for that matter.
Unlike when Moscow banned imports of Georgian wine on the grounds that it did not meet health standards, this time Russia faced the real threat of a multibillion-dollar recriminatory lawsuit from New Delhi for its strong-arm interference in international trade.

As soon as the Kremlin learned of the litigation threat, the Khapra beetles vanished from Indian sesame and nothing more was heard about it -- not from Federal Consumer Protection Service head Gennady Onishchenko, from state environmental inspector Oleg Mitvol or from any other agency that typically uses scare tactics in the name of protecting Russia's sovereign democracy.

[Gerard]

The DRE (De-racinated Russian Elite) Pavel Podvig, world-citizen and wannabe-ayatollah, experiences angst at the impending US ASAT and the lack of condemnation by his ayatollah friends...

link

[Igorr]

The reason for the refusal is that the Klub missiles failed to hit their target in six consecutive test firings.

- The new FCS on the Indian Kilo's is Indian made. So it's still unclear, what side blame to.

[Philip]

Glorious if true! If the Amber Room panels are indeed found it would be the rgeatest treasure find of the last 100 yrs.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 399260.ece

Treasure hunter 'pinpoints' lost Nazi gold

David Crossland in Berlin
Treasure hunters claim to have found two tonnes of looted Nazi gold, which they believe to be part of the Amber Room, a chamber of such elaborate beauty that it has been called the eighth wonder of the world.

The discovery was made at the weekend near the German village of Deutschneudorf. Tests found a man-made cavern 20 metres below ground that is believed to contain a large amount of precious metals.

“It's definitely not iron,â€

[Vipul]

Russia may walk out of Gorshkov deal with India.

Its time for us to take some hard lessons here.Instead of buying more from Russia, it would be better for us to get the qualitatively superior arms from USA and other European suppliers.With firm implementation of the Offset clause it would be worth the extra $$$ spent.

[Vivek K]

Vipul, the only lesson is to have "leverage" on the supplier. The max leverage will be with a domestic supplier. All foreign suppliers could do what the Russians are doing.

[Vipul]

Vipul, the only lesson is to have "leverage" on the supplier. The max leverage will be with a domestic supplier. All foreign suppliers could do what the Russians are doing.

Yes thats what i meant with the Offset clause thing. Until we develop the capability to make our stuff it would now be foolhardy to depend on Russia.

[Rudranathh]

Russia may walk out of Gorshkov deal with India.

Its time for us to take some hard lessons here.Instead of buying more from Russia, it would be better for us to get the qualitatively superior arms from USA and other European suppliers.With firm implementation of the Offset clause it would be worth the extra $$$ spent.

Could be another paid write-up with no named sources provided. Even the two parties to the deal have not commented. So why waste the time on such articles. Let us wait for an official reaction.

From the link
"Now this issue is under negotiations and if we fail to reach a compromise with India on the contract and its price, the aircraft carrier could be bought by Russian Defence Ministry," an unnamed defence industry source was quoted as saying by RBC business newswire.

However, neither the Indian Embassy nor Russian signatory of the RosOboronExport have made any announcement.

[Ananth]

Russia may walk out of Gorshkov deal with India.

The wierd thing is that DNA is carrying it under PTI byline. But google does not turn up any other newsite with the same title, at the moment of posting. Typically outlook etc. would be the first ones to reproduce PTI stories. Therefore, we need to wait to see confirmation about the story.

[Raju]

Rumors that Putin's successor is Jewish has community worried

By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent

Tags: Dmitri Medvedev

MOSCOW - The Jewish community of Russia is worried over a rumor campaign by nationalist parties claiming that Dmitri Medvedev, President Vladimir Putin's handpicked successor, is Jewish.

Russian Jewish leaders declined to comment on the rumors officially, fearing to lend them credibility. Off the record, however, one said: "I pray it isn't true, because it would only make trouble, for him and for us."

Medvedev, who recently told a Russian weekly that he was baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church at age 23, has not commented on these rumors. But Russian Internet sites are full of reports about his alleged Jewish roots.

The rumors are based in part on the fact that his maternal grandfather's first name was Veniamin - similar to the Hebrew Binyamin (Benjamin) - while his family name, Shaposhnikov, is sometimes a Jewish name. But beyond that, accusing an electoral rival of being Jewish is a tactic that nationalist parties have employed in the past, both in Russia and in other former communist countries.

Nikolai Bondarik, who heads the St. Petersburg branch of the nationalist Russian Party, told the Moscow Times on Wednesday "we are categorically against him [Medvedev] because he is an ethnic Jew and does not conceal his sympathies toward Judaism." He also charged that with Medvedev in power, foreigners and Jews would plunder Russia's natural resources; "tens of thousands" of Israelis would be given key positions in bodies such as "the police, army, and secret services"; and Russia's relations with the Arab world would be destroyed.

The Russian Party, which is considered anti-Semitic, is not running in the March 2 presidential election. Due to both Putin's backing and the disqualification of several opposition candidates, Medvedev's victory in the balloting is virtually certain.

Medvedev visited the Jewish Community center in Moscow during the Hanukkah holiday in December, just three days before Putin anointed him as his preferred successor. Thus all the television reports of the new heir presumptive included shots of him surrounded by leaders of the Jewish community, with Hanukkah candles and a Torah in the background.

Jewish community leaders said that Medvedev's visit and the good will he radiated during it encouraged them to hope that his presidency will be good for the community. "Medvedev will be wonderful for the Jews," just as Putin was, declared Israeli-Russian businessman Lev Leviev, who heads the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia.

Yet off the record, several said they feared this good will could create a backlash that would strengthen anti-Semitic currents in Russia.

Asked about Medvedev's alleged Judaism, they declined comment, beyond noting that he identifies himself as a Russian Orthodox Christian.

"The irony," said one, "is that we're doing everything possible to bring Jews back to Judaism, but in this particular case, with the next president, it would be better for the Jewish community if he did not identity himself as Jewish, so as not to draw fire."

[Karan Dixit]

From Russia: Water colour on paper by Alexander Vlasov.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/21/stories ... 360200.htm

[Raju]

U.S. can attack Russia in 2012-2015 - Russian military analyst

MOSCOW. Feb 23 (Interfax-AVN) - After 2012-2015, the U.S. will be able to annihilate Russian strategic nuclear forces by a non-nuclear preemptive strike, said Konstantin Sivkov, the first vice president of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Problems.

"I declare that the likelihood of a military threat is great as never before now," Sivkov told Interfax on Saturday.

Western military experts have recently started to talk about the possibility of attacking Russia and annexing its territory, Sivkov said. "Russia is supposed to be dismembered into three parts, with the Western part going to the European Union, the central part and Siberia to the U.S., and the eastern to China. This is a rough scenario," he said.

Russian armed forces will be unable to successfully counter an aggression, Sivkov said. "At the present time, the conventional armed forces cannot properly perform their duties in a regional war, like the Great Patriotic War, even in theory. Even if fully deployed, their potential is limited even in local wars. The only factor that deters [the U.S.] now is the nuclear arsenal," he said.

http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28. ... e=11975866

[Igorr]

From Russia: Water colour on paper by Alexander Vlasov.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/21/stories ... 360200.htm

Dont forget Nicolas Roerich itself, the Russian Painter and phylosopher who lived and worked in India long time. http://www.roerich.org/collections.html

[bala]

Russian Dancers perform near Agra on occassion of Taj Mahotsav..

[Sanjay M]

Grozny Assault:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k85yhpA0giQ

Wow, I didn't know they lost so many armoured vehicles.

see, this is why I dislike these liberal wagah-types who create these kargil situations with high losses.

[svinayak]

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g4M ... s0ToD8XvYw

Medvedev wins landslide in Russian election: preliminary results

21 hours ago

MOSCOW (AFP) — Dmitry Medvedev, President Vladimir Putin's hand-picked successor, won a landslide victory in Russian presidential polls on Sunday according to preliminary results, as opponents charged the vote was rigged.

Medvedev had won 69.4 percent of the vote based on results from 75 percent of the country's polling stations, the election commission said.

As results rolled in from around the world's largest country, Putin and Medvedev strolled side by side onto Red Square where they joined a raucous celebration of what both men described as a convincing victory.

Medvedev, 42, used the occasion to reaffirm his commitment to pursuing the policy course set by his mentor.

"Together we can continue the course set by President Putin.... Together we'll go further. Together we'll win. Hurrah!" declared Medvedev, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, to a roar of approval from supporters gathered in the driving sleet.

Later Medvedev offered reassurances that he will be his own man, including in the area of foreign policy, despite his promise to appoint Putin to the prime minister's post.

The powers of the two posts "flow from the constitution and existing legislation and no one proposes to change them," he said. "Foreign policy, according to the constitution, is determined by the president."

The latest election returns put Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov in second place with 18.1 percent, the Central Elections Commission said.

Nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky got 9.8 percent and the almost unknown Andrei Bogdanov 1.2 percent.

Medvedev's triumph was a foregone conclusion given his backing from Putin, who has amassed huge powers in his eight-year presidency and as prime minister is expected to retain a key role in leading the world's top energy exporter.

In the latest example of Russia flexing its energy muscle, state-run Gazprom energy giant said it planned to reduce by 25 percent gas supplies to neighbouring Ukraine from Monday morning over a gas payment dispute.

Incomplete official figures showed turnout in Sunday's vote hit a healthy 67.7 percent among the 109 million eligible voters.

Independent observers highlighted a stream of violations, however, saying the media was censored, people were pressured to vote, absentee ballots were abused, and monitors were refused access to polling stations.

Zyuganov announced that he would appeal alleged violations in court.

Medvedev, currently the first deputy premier and long-time chairman of Gazprom, represents a new generation of post-Soviet politicians. Unlike Putin, 55, he has no KGB or other security service background.

But analysts say that Medvedev will make few dramatic changes and could end up being little more than a puppet figure.

Putin indicated clearly last month that he expects to wield significant influence and that the "highest executive power" lies with the prime minister's office.

Following a campaign in which Medvedev refused to debate and the streets were bare of posters the authorities' biggest hurdle was overcoming apathy and an embarrassingly low turnout.

According to critics, officials used fraud and coercion to ensure a good result.

"There can't be a small turnout when people are forced to go to the polls," said Grigory Melkonyants, deputy director of Golos, Russia's leading independent election monitoring organisation.

However, many Russians are grateful for stability following the trauma of economic upheaval and instability in the post-Soviet 1990s under Boris Yeltsin.

Vladivostok voter Gennady Dultsev, a telecoms engineer, complained that "everything is being decided in a Soviet way," but Medvedev as president was "not the worst possible outcome."

But chess great turned Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov said Sunday in Moscow that "Russian citizens are being forced to take part in a farce."

The main European election monitoring body, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), boycotted the vote, citing restrictions on its monitors.

US Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have both criticised the election as a fix to keep Putin in power.

On Sunday Clinton said that "today's presidential election in Russia... marks a milestone in that country's retreat from democracy."

Golos and others alleged that loyalist bosses were also forcing employees to cast ballots.

"We have had dozens of calls from various regions telling us how the heads of factories and institutes are ensuring this," Golos' Melkonyants said.

The Communist Party, which deployed large numbers of observers, said workers at two factories in the Vladivostok area were told to vote or face dismissal or wage cuts.

The presidential inauguration ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 7.



Key Facts About Russia's Election

By The Associated Press – 2 hours ago

Russians voted in a presidential election Sunday. Here's an overview:

VOTING:

More than 109 million Russian citizens were eligible to vote. The first of more than 96,000 polling stations across the country's 11 time zones opened on Saturday night and the last closed Sunday evening. A complete official count is not expected until Monday.

The Central Election Commission said turnout two hours before the last polls closed was over 64 percent, similar to the last presidential election in 2004.

___

CANDIDATES:

Four candidates ran for the post of president of the Russian Federation:

_ First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev

_ Communist Gennady Zyuganov

_ Ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky

_ Andrei Bogdanov of Democratic Party

___

WHAT'S NEXT:

Vladimir Putin, barred by the Constitution from serving three consecutive terms as president, must step down in May. Medvedev has said he would propose making Putin his prime minister — an offer Putin has said he will accept.

___

WHAT'S AT STAKE:

Medvedev's election to the presidency — and Putin's ascension as premier — would raise questions about where the true center of power will be — in Medvedev's presidency or Putin's premiership. Medvedev has espoused support for Putin's domestic and foreign policies, though many of his recent speeches have given the impression of someone more liberal-minded than Putin.

[sanjaychoudhry]

The following two reports show the ancient relations between Russian and Indian cultures.

New Russian President has an India link
Moscow (PTI): Russian president-elect Dmitry Medvedev apparently shares an India link unknown to many. The 42-year-old successor of Vladimir Putin has a surname which can trace its origin to Sanskrit.

Medvedev is derived from 'medved' the Russian word for bear. For pre-Christian Russians, who were the worshippers of wooden idols of 'Balvan' (almighty god), the use of the word 'ber' was a taboo and so they preferred to call the animal "Medved'.

While in Russian, 'Medved' would have translated to 'someone having the knowledge of honey', in Sanskrit, the word 'Madhu Vedi' has the same meaning.

Outstanding Indian scholar of Vedas and freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak in his book 'The Arctic Home in Vedas' has also mentioned about the common roots of the Russians and Indians.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/00 ... 031241.htm

Ancient Vishnu idol found in Russian town
PTI | 4 Jan, 2007 1109hrs IST | PTI

MOSCOW: An ancient Vishnu idol has been found during excavation in an old village in Russia's Volga region, raising questions about the prevalent view on the origin of ancient Russia.

The idol found in Staraya (old) Maina village dates back to VII-X century AD. Staraya Maina village in Ulyanovsk region was a highly populated city 1700 years ago, much older than Kiev, so far believed to be the mother of all Russian cities.

"We may consider it incredible, but we have ground to assert that Middle-Volga region was the original land of Ancient Rus. This is a hypothesis, but a hypothesis, which requires thorough research," Reader of Ulyanovsk State University's archaeology department Dr Alexander Kozhevin told state-run television Vesti .

Dr Kozhevin, who has been conducting excavation in Staraya Maina for last seven years, said that every single square metre of the surroundings of the ancient town situated on the banks of Samara, a tributary of Volga, is studded with antiques.

Prior to unearthing of the Vishnu idol, Dr Kozhevin has already found ancient coins, pendants, rings and fragments of weapons.

He believes that today's Staraya Maina, a town of eight thousand, was ten times more populated in the ancient times. It is from here that people started moving to the Don and Dneiper rivers around the time ancient Russy built the city of Kiev, now the capital of Ukraine.

An international conference is being organised later this year to study the legacy of the ancient village, which can radically change the history of ancient Russia.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1762181/posts

[kshirin]

[quote="Philip"]Zubkov for more tie-ups with India in oil and gas
http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/11/stories ... 910100.htm"Pledging Moscow’s commitment to maintaining close ties with New Delhi, he described India as Russia’s “trusted friend.â€

[svinayak]

[quote]Russia’s vote muddles focus of power: analysts

* Non-govt think thank director says Putin-Medvedev tandem has ‘no future’

MOSCOW: Although everyone knows Dmitry Medvedev will succeed Vladimir Putin as president after Sunday’s election, experts say the vote’s pre-ordained outcome only magnifies the question: Who will hold real power in Russia?

“It’s a hyper-complicated, opaque mosaic - a mix of forces, of interests and of personal motivations,â€