India-Russia: News & Analysis

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 27 Apr 2015 22:49

US National Archives

Why We Fight: The Battle of Russia

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 30 Apr 2015 17:56

Putin's WW2 family ordeal.
http://rt.com/news/254445-putin-family-details-wwii/

‘My breathing mom was among corpses’: Putin recalls his parents’ WWII ordeal
Published time: April 30, 2015

Vladimir Putin has written a column (something he very rarely does), recalling the stories of his parents who survived the hardships of the Leningrad blockade, his dead brother and World War II with very personal details.

‘My dad was breathing via a reed in a swamp while the Nazis passed by, just a few steps away’

Putin’s father, Vladimir, joined a small sabotage group under the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD), whose mission was to blow up bridges and rail lines near St Petersburg (then Leningrad), the Russian president recalled in his column in the “Russian Pioneer” journal. Of the 28 members in the group, 24 died in battles with the Nazis near St Petersburg.

One day, German soldiers were chasing them in the woods. Putin’s father survived because he hid in a swamp for several hours.

“And he [Putin’s father] said that, when submerged in the swamp and breathing through a reed, he heard German soldiers passing by, just a few steps away from him and he heard dogs barking.”

His father recalled how he sustained an injury, which invalided him for the rest of his life because he had to live with parts of a grenade in his leg.

Father: Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin

Putin-Sr was making a sortie behind Nazi lines together with his fellow fighters. However, they suddenly encountered a German soldier.

"The man looked at us carefully. He took a grenade, then another, and threw them at us,” Putin recalls his father’s words.

"Life is such a simple thing and cruel,” the Russian president concluded.

When Putin’s father woke up, he couldn’t walk and there was another problem – he had to reach his group stationed on the other bank of the vast Neva River which was frozen.

“The Neva was constantly monitored and exposed to fire by artillery and machine guns. There was almost no way of reaching the opposite bank.”

However, by chance Putin-Sr met his neighbor, who despite enemy fire managed to get him to a local hospital. The fragments of the grenade were lodged in his leg and the doctors preferred not to touch them in order to save the limb.

The neighbor waited for him [Putin-Sr] in the hospital, and after seeing that his surgery had been successful he told him: "All right, now you're going to live, and I am heading off to die."

However, they both survived the war, though Putin’s father thought his savior had been dead for a decade. In the 60s, they met by chance in a shop and there was a tearful reunion.

‘My brother died from diphtheria during the Leningrad blockade’

Putin’s elder brother was born during World War II. To support his little son, Putin’s father secretly passed his own hospital rations to his wife. But when he started to faint in the hospital “doctors and nurses understood what was happening,” said Putin, recalling his parents’ stories.

The child was taken from the family by the authorities and put in a foster home from where he was set to be evacuated.

“He fell ill there [the foster home] - my mother said it was diphtheria - and didn’t survive. And they were not even told where he was buried. They were never told.”

It was only last year that Putin managed to find information about his brother and where he was buried.

“And this was my brother,” wrote Putin. “Not only the address where he was taken but the name, surname, and date of birth all matched. He was buried in Piskarevsky cemetery [in St. Petersburg]. And even a specific area was mentioned.”

‘Among the bodies my dad saw my mom’

When Putin’s mother was on her own – her son was taken and her husband was still in hospital – she got sick. The medics considered her almost dead and were transporting her with other bodies for burial. As luck would have it, Putin’s father made a timely return from the hospital.

“When he [Putin-Sr] came to the house, he saw the medics were carrying corpses. And he saw my mother. He came closer and it seemed to him that she was breathing. ‘She's still alive!’," he told the medics.

They insisted she would soon die, but he refused to listen to them, and instead attacked them with his crutches.

“And he took care of her. She lived,” the Russian president wrote. His parents died at the end of the 90s.

Vladimir Putin with his mother (Image from wikipedia.org)
‘My parents didn’t harbor any hatred for the enemy’

Every single family lost loved ones in this war, Putin said.

“But they [Putin’s family] had no hatred for the enemy, that's amazing. To be honest, I still cannot fully understand this.”

He remembered the words of his mother, who said she didn’t hate the German soldiers as they “were common people and were also killed in the war.”

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 01 May 2015 06:08

Things get discovered when they choose to: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32529679

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 01 May 2015 06:33

Skipped through the it. No mention of other allied troops indulging in looting, reprisals and rape.

Another BBC bulletin for English schoolboys.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 01 May 2015 10:35

So Young Leader Kim is afeared of going to Moscow.The claim that it would descend into a "freak show" and doubts about his security are misplaced.Of all nations in the world,Russia and China are perhaps the safest places for world leaders,as in the US,pres' have been hit before.To imagine that his hosts,Putin too,would allow unfettered access to the global leaders by the intl. press with a view of embarrassing them is laughable. In fact it is Kim that has missed an opportunity to show everyone that he can strut on stage with the global leadership and dispel some of the negative propaganda that is being written about him and his regime. If the Russians refused to give him special treatment above other leaders,kudos to them.Protocol has to be observed.If Kim wants to be recognized as a world leader he must act like one.He is probably a v.insecure individual.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... tment.html

Kim Jong-un snubs Russia after being refused 'special treatment'
Pyongyang feared North Korean leader's first overseas visit would descend into 'freak show'

By Julian Ryall, Tokyo
01 May 2015

Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, refused an invitation to visit Moscow to mark the Soviet Union's victory in World War II because Russia refused to meet Pyongyang's demands for special treatment for the young dictator.

A spokesman for the Kremlin announced on Thursday that Mr Kim had "decided to stay in Pyongyang" due to "internal issues".

The North Korean leader's snub to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, apparently came as a surprise to Moscow, which only hours earlier had indicated that preparations for Mr Kim's first overseas visit since he inherited the country in December 2011 were well under way.

South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that Mr Kim opted to remain in Pyongyang because Russia "refused to comply with the North's request for special treatment, given that there will be several other foreign dignitaries at the event.

"Without top-grade security, Kim would inevitably have become a freak show for the global press", it added.

Kim Jong-Un addressing combat troops earlier this month

Being treated equally with other international leaders - and not enjoying centre-stage in the commemorative events, as he always does at home - would also have damaged his standing in the eyes of the North Korean public.

Analysts have suggested that the North Korean leader is still concerned about the degree of genuine support for his regime in political and military circles at home and is reluctant to give his rivals an opportunity to plot against him.

Kim Jong-un waves at cheering combat aircraft pilots of the Korean People's Army (KPA) on the snow-covered Mount Paektu.

Mr Kim may also have been reluctant to antagonise China further by holding talks with Mr Putin before he meets with Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader.

Ties between Pyongyang and Beijing have been strained in recent years, leading North Korea to seek closer ties with Russia, but Mr Kim will undoubtedly be mindful of the degree to which his country still relies on China for its survival.

Kim Myong-chol, executive director of The Centre for North Korea-US Peace and a mouthpiece for the regime in Pyongyang, dismissed the reports as "nonsense".

"North Korea has never stated that Mr Kim will go to Moscow, so this is not news", he told The Telegraph. "Him going there was wishful thinking on the part of Russia."

Mr Kim said it is possible that the North Korean leader will travel to Beijing in September for China's events marking the end of the war, but added, "But Xi must come to Pyongyang in August to attend North Korea's 70th anniversary events first".

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 01 May 2015 22:24

http://theweek.com/articles/552142/russ ... wing-tanks
The Russian military loves these ludicrously destructive, fire-spewing tanks

In 2014, the Kremlin announced three other new thermobaric units — one based in Volgograd Oblast and another in Ingushetia, according to the military news site VPK. The third unit formed in Sevastopol after the Russian invasion of Crimea.The Shmel-M is a shoulder-launched thermobaric weapon. The TOS-1A is a multiple-rocket launcher mounted on a T-72 tank chassis. It can fire 24 220-millimeter rockets each packing a 100-kilogram warhead. The rockets' range is about six kilometers.It's a ludicrously destructive — although comparatively short-range — piece of artillery … and it just looks mean.But here's another unusual fact. The regiments in Nizhniy Novgorod, Volgograd, Crimea and Ingushetia are nuclear, chemical, and biological defense units. Besides rocket launchers, they have mobile laboratories and specialized vehicles for sniffing out and sanitizing contaminated areas.As Russia experiments with new forms and methods of war, or 'hybrid war' as defined in the West, in Eastern Ukraine, urban warfare will likely continue to be a high priority for development, and so will Russia's flame-wielding NBC defense troops."The TOS-1A is also cleared for export. To help push back against Islamic State, Russia flew several TOS-1A to Iraq last July. Videos later circulated online showing Iraqi troops firing the Solntsepeks.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 01 May 2015 22:28

the 'quietest submarine in the world

Russia has taken another major step towards modernizing its navy.
The Russian defense company Admiralty Shipyards launched its second diesel-electric Varshavyanka-class submarine this week.Called Krasnodar, the company claims that the vessel will be "the quietest submarine in the world," Zachary Keck reports for The National Interest. Krasnodar is part of a plan to update Russia's submarine fleet. According to Russia Today, the submarine is the "second Varshavyanka submarine out of six planned for the Black Sea Fleet by the end of 2016." The Varshavyanka-class is an update to Russia's current Kilo-class submarine. Although Varshavyanka-class submarines can not dive as deep or stay submerged underwater as long as nuclear submarines, they are nearly impossible to detect acoustically.Primarily, the Varshavyanka-class submarines will be used for anti-shipping and anti-submarine warfare in shallower water. According to Naval Technology, the submarines can cruise for a range of 400 miles, can patrol for 45 days, and carry surface-to-air missiles and torpedoes.The mixture of weaponry onboard the submarines allow the vessels to hypothetically strike both a mixture of land, sea, and underwater targets.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 02 May 2015 10:47

Kim Jong-un does not have 2nd line of leadership from his clan yet so if he get bumped off Noko would be in serious trouble as far as succession goes.

He did the right thing not visiting Mosow it would be crowded and Western Intel would have him high on their priority list to bump him off and the only way they have some chance how ever small it may be is during such foreign visit.

Would have saved embarrassment to Moscow if God Forbid had something happened to him

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 03 May 2015 08:35

Photo:New Generation 2TE25KM locomotive

http://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/61631/

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 06 May 2015 12:26

The Great Game Folio: Mukherjee in Russia
President Pranab Mukherjee's decision to join WWII commemorative ceremonies in Russia important to India for manifold reasons.
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinio ... in-russia/

Written by C Raja Mohan | Updated: May 5, 2015 6:17 am

Mukherjee in Russia

President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Moscow to join the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II is important for more than one reason. The president’s presence at the Victory Day celebrations in Russia on May 9 for the first time is in part about extending New Delhi’s solidarity with Moscow at a time when many Western leaders have decided not to show up in protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policy in Ukraine. It is also about reclaiming India’s expansive but forgotten role in WWII. Mukherjee will not be the only Indian at the parade. A contingent of the Indian army’s Grenadiers Regiment will march with the troops of Russia down the Red Square. This is the first time that an Indian army unit is joining the commemorative ceremonies of WWII.

In 2009, France invited an Indian army unit to march down the Champs Elysees in Paris on Bastille Day. Paris was reminding the people of France and Europe of India’s massive participation in World War I. The Indian armed forces played a decisive role in winning the two World Wars, with more than a million troops seeing action. But national amnesia about India’s role in the two wars tended to diminish the subcontinent’s massive contributions to the shaping of the 20th century international order.

C.-Raja-Mohan

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The presence of the Indian army and its commander in chief in Moscow this week reflects the long overdue change in Delhi’s attitude to the two World Wars.

Reclaiming History

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not missed the opportunities over the last year to remind the nation and the world of the sacrifices that India made during the Great War, as WWI is known in Europe.

The significant Indian participation in the Great War did not generate too much of a political controversy in the subcontinent. Mahatma Gandhi himself volunteered to join the army in defence of colonial Britain. But WWII had deeply divided the Indian national movement. Sections of it, including communists, supported Britain and the Allies. Others like Subhas Chandra Bose chose to ally with Germany and Japan to accelerate Indian independence.

The Congress acknowledged the importance of fighting fascism, but refused to extend support to the war effort of the Raj. It walked out of the elected legislatures and launched the Quit India Movement that opened up huge political space for the Muslim League.

It serves no purpose today to sit in judgment on India’s divided response to WWII. But India needs to be aware of that complex history and recognise its critical role in helping the Allies win WWII. Mukherjee’s presence in Moscow takes us one important step towards that goal.

India in the Lead.

Reclaiming history must be a necessary part of India’s new ambition under Modi to become a leading power in the international system. Thanks to the resounding role of the Indian armed forces in WWII, India had an opportunity to shape the postwar order. But Partition of the subcontinent, India’s inward economic orientation and its increasing alienation from the West meant Delhi put itself on a path of relative decline on the world stage.

Seven decades later, India finds itself in a unique position. Its relations with all the major powers are improving. Growing economic weight offers India an opportunity to reintegrate the economy of the subcontinent, contribute to the creation of a new order in Asia and reshape international institutions.

It has been fashionable to claim in recent years that India is a “net security provider” in the Indian Ocean and beyond. Yet, if we look back at the first half of the 20th century, there is no denying the centrality of India and its military resources in dealing with the greatest threats to international peace and security. Mukherjee’s visit to Moscow must be followed by a celebration of India’s role in bringing WWII to a close in Asia. More than 7,00,000 Indian troops led the effort to end the Japanese occupation of Southeast Asia. Thousands of troops from the British Commonwealth, including Africa, joined the Indian army’s courageous march through Burma. The campaign in Asia saw an active partnership between the armed forces of India, America and Nationalist China. It was truly an international effort.

The war, of course, involved all of the undivided subcontinent and the 70th anniversary is a good occasion to bring the armies of South Asia together in commemorating it. Building a grand joint memorial in the subcontinent for the war is an idea whose time has come.

The writer is a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, Delhi and a contributing editor for ‘The Indian Express’

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 06 May 2015 12:51

Pranab’s visit to Moscow signals ‘strategic autonomy’
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/p ... 171452.ece

Show of solidarity in the face of West’s boycott of Victory Day Parade
Suhasini Haidar

Presidential visits aren’t normally political in nature. But India will send a strong message during President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Moscow this week (May 7-11) to attend Russia’s Victory Day parade, officials said.

The parade, which is held on May 9 every year to commemorate the end of the Second World War, will mark its 70th anniversary this year and is expected to be particularly grand. It will, however, be boycotted by almost the entire Western world that has imposed strict financial sanctions on Russia in protest against its actions in Ukraine.

Mr. Mukherjee will be one of the 25 heads of state in a BRICS grouping that includes Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Jacob Zuma and Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff, who are expected to attend the parade.

During his visit, Mr. Mukherjee is likely to meet President Vladimir Putin, make a public address at a Russian think-tank and attend a cultural exchange programme called “Namaste India”. He will be accompanied by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and a team from the Ministry of External Affairs. “The President’s visit is a well-thought-out decision, expressing solidarity with the country and Mr. Putin for all they have done for us and continue to do,” an official told The Hindu.

The Indian Army is also sending a 70-member contingent of the Nine Grenadiers to march along with the Red Army and a contingent of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army at Moscow’s Red Square.

"This is a message to our friends in the U.S. and EU that India will maintain its key relationship with Russia, even as it discusses new relationships and strategic convergence with them,” former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to Russia Kanwal Sibal told The Hindu, adding that Mr. Mukherjee’s presence at the parade will affirm India’s “strategic autonomy”.

Officials said earlier discussions on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would go to Moscow were shelved given his travel plans to China, South Korea and Mongolia next week. Mr. Modi is already scheduled to visit Russia twice this year — for the BRICS and SCO summit in July and the annual bilateral summit in November.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 May 2015 10:22

Russia appreciates Pranab Mukherjee's Victory Day participation

MOSCOW: Russia today said it was "honoured" by President Pranab Mukherjee's participation in the country's 70th anniversary of the World War II victory to be celebrated tomorrow.

"We are honoured and privileged with the participation of Indian President," Russia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Morgulov told reporters here.

The Minister said that India is an old and valued friend of Russia and Mukherjee's presence would further strengthen the ties.

Asked about non-participation of Western countries in the celebration, Morgulov sought to downplay it by saying "India's participation is important for Russia".

Western countries decided not to attend the function to protest against Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Chinese President President Xi Jinping and heads of 16 countries are participating in the event.

A 75-member contingent of Indian Army will also take part in the parade.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 09 May 2015 11:20

Excellent live coverage on RT of the V-Day celebs in Russia covering sev. cities..The Sevastopol review of the fleet,etc. showed many Russian warships,Slava,Kashin,Ivan Rogiov,Nanuchka,etc.,with a flypast of RuAF. Still going on.

Bhurishrava · Post by **Bhurishrava** » 09 May 2015 17:38

Whilethe participation of Indian contingent and President is covered in indian Press, I wonder if its getting any significant coverage in the western press. I doubt it is.
Russia like most of Europe is focussed on the white christian world. Xi Jinping gets focus only to show the west that Russia is not friendless. HAving said that India should stop counting any Russian support if it gets into any conflict with the dragon considering the close and getting closer relations between China and Russia.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 May 2015 18:06

Dragon getting close to Bear is mainly to offset the West and rightly so , Although the Dragon itself remains heavily invested in West so its also the case of Dragon balancing things out.

I dont think India is depending on any body it can defend itself and India-China both remain heavily invested in each other economically , Infact India Trade with China is many times bigger than India trade with Russia.

Come to think of it its a complex interconnected world where you potential competitor is also your largest trading and economic partner

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 09 May 2015 18:55

Do we have a footage of the Grenadiers marching?

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 09 May 2015 19:02

However, I found the English commentary a little not upto the mark. The english commentators were mostly talking about themselves instead of presenting details at every step.

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 09 May 2015 21:00

^^^
Ah Russian commentary.........;music to my ears. His Voice is similar to the one commentator of radio Moscow during WWII. He was the one and only one to be believed by everybody......;even by germans. His voice was very authoritative and he was to read the truth only. Never used for false propaganda.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DIxtoVdPV0

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 10 May 2015 10:09

It's just niceities that Pranab is there to show support, but the rest is meaningless. The bitter truth is that India-Russia trade stands at $10 billion and that EVERY weapon system purchased from Russia has been overpriced, delayed and worst of all has terrible availability rates until the Indian armed forces fix them over several years. The PAKFA and IL-76 replacement won't be fully functional for at least another decade, but until then Russia will scam India for billions.

By comparison India-US trade is $100 billion in goods and services. India-China trade is $70 billion.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 10 May 2015 12:44

Are you talking of the Scorpene sub by any chance Mort?

Pranabada didn't go there as amere tourist.he went there representing the nation and GOI. Yes,the Western press rarely mentioned the Indian pres. being present,they still think we are serfs,bearers and butlers for their precious white backsides,but never the mind,the Russians will not forget the expression of solidarity with it! Let's see what the visit to Beijing by Mr.Modi brings with it.

The absence of Western leaders at the VE-Day Parade,was a direct insult to the 27+m million Russians who died in WW2.Without Russia's sacrifices,(and we all know who got to Berlin first!),the Zeropeans and Brits would all be speaking German,goosestepping and heiling the Fuhrer!
Here's Gorbachev's words on the issue.Scathing criticism from the man whom the West adored.

http://rt.com/politics/256405-gorbachev ... ay-moscow/

Mikhail Gorbachev has said that western government officials who refused to attend the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow were showing disrespect to nations that had defeated Nazism and to all the people who perished in this fight.

Ignoring the opportunity to demonstrate one’s attitude towards the war against Nazism is also disrespectful to the boundless courage shown by all people who fought against the “brown plague,” the former Soviet president said in an interview with Interfax.

“I am convinced that without Russia it would be impossible to achieve victory,” Gorbachev said. He added that if it was not for the Soviet Army, Nazism could have spread to unimaginable boundaries, and maybe even have kept spreading to this day.

“Some politicians might fail to understand this, but people of the world do understand,” he said.

Gorbachev said that he saw a difference between the American people and American officials, and explained the refusal of US President Barack Obama to attend the 70th anniversary celebrations of Victory Day in Moscow by the fact that the Washington administration was trying to solve some urgent ideological and political tasks. However, he also described this decision as “lacking even a drop of common sense.”

Gorbachev also blamed the US administration for applying pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who also has refused to come to Moscow for Victory Day. He praised Merkel’s consistent anti-fascist stance and recalled that she will be visiting Moscow on May 10 as a representative of the “new Germany, freed from Nazism by the Soviet Army and by those Germans who were fighting against the brown plague.”

West rewrites history to alienate Russia – Kremlin administration head

Leaders of 27 nations have confirmed their participation in the forthcoming Victory Day events. Some politicians, such as Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, have turned down invitations, but emphasized it was not an unfriendly move, as they had to take part in similar celebrations in their home countries.

Obama will not arrive in Moscow for the celebrations and State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke has explained this decision by the fact that the military units that will be marching on Red Square on the parade have been stationed in Crimea.

This comment has already drawn criticism from the head of the State Duma Foreign Relations Committee, Aleksey Pushkov.

“The United States’ position regarding the 70th anniversary of the victory is deeply immoral. We sacrificed 27 million lives in the struggle against Hitler. No Obama is capable of deleting this fact,” the Russian politician wrote in his Twitter microblog.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 10 May 2015 13:37

Photo Gallery

Indian army contingent diligently marches at Victory Day parade in Moscow

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 10 May 2015 14:05

The British media have simply ignored the presence of the Indian pres. and our Grenadiers marching at the parade.Why? Do they feel embarrassed that a loin cloth "fakir" and his team of millions of Indians along with Netaji and his patriotic army kicked them out of India ?

here is an xcpt. from a Russian at the p[arade from a Brit paper.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ivide.html

Tanks growled across Red Square and fighter jets streaked overhead on Saturday as Russia celebrated the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War with a display of military might.

Moscow’s rift with the US and Europe was strikingly apparent as anti-Western leaders lined up with President Vladimir Putin to watch 15,000 troops march below the walls of the Kremlin.

The Russian president’s guests underlined the split with the war-time allies including Britain, France and the United States, whose leaders boycotted the event in protest at Moscow’s intervention in the Ukraine crisis.

• A battle for truth and glory as Russia marks Victory Day
• Russia's Victory Day celebrations: in pictures

Instead, the stands in front of Lenin’s mausoleum were filled with a motley group including leaders from Central Asia and the Caucasus, Raul Castro of Cuba, Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe, and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the leader of Egypt.

“I’m proud to be the son of a frontline soldier,” said Mr Komaritsy, himself a retired army colonel. “English and Russian blood was mixed in this war, but you have to admit that it was the Soviet Union that brought victory. Our allies opened the second front in Normandy in 1944 when the whole thing was nearly over. Uncle Sam only woke up near the end and decided to get involved for fear of missing out.”

Further down the embankment, Vladimir Polovnikov, 33, was pushing his son Timofey, four, in a handmade model of a T-34 tank made from fibreglass and set on the chassis of a supermarket trolley.

Fixed to the model was a picture of Sergei Gusev, Timofey’s great grandfather, an artillery-unit driver who died in Germany in 1945 as Soviet forces made their final advance to victory in Berlin.

“Western countries say that we represent a threat to the world, but we Russians want to live in peace and friendship, it’s just that nobody believes us,” said Mr Polovnikov.

Displaying tanks and missiles in the centre of Moscow was not a sign of aggression, he added. “Look at the US setting up bases around our country; we’re not doing that to them. It's about telling foreigners we’re ready for everything and that if they want to try a Napoleon or Hitler on us then they’ll know what they’re up against.”

Asked what Western leaders had done by not attending the event, Mr Polovnikov said: “They’ve spoiled their karma, that’s for sure. Whatever our political differences, the millions who died in the war were not to blame.”

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 10 May 2015 14:19

vishvak, thanks for the video

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 10 May 2015 14:27

Role of Russian soldiers & civilians changed course of WWII - President of India

The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, said the role of Russian soldiers and civilians changed the course of World War II, its outcome and the future of the world. He gave an exclusive interview to TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman on the eve of his visit to Russia from May 7 to 11, 2015.

The Indian President, who is visiting Moscow from May 7 to 11, to participate in celebrations related to the 70th anniversary of the victory over fascism, said it would be an honour to be part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of World War II which recognizes the monumental contributions of Russia to the victory over Nazism and Fascism.

He was very happy an Indian Military contingent will be part of the Victory Day parade for the very first time. The commemoration reminds us of the need for all countries to strive actively for peace, for the common benefit of humankind and to never forget lessons of the War.

Mr. President, we are meeting on the eve of your visit to Russia to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory. What value do you place on this meeting? What are the feelings you are going to Moscow with?

World War II, or the Great Patriotic War as it is known in Russia, was one of the determining events of the 20th Century. Indeed, of human history. The role of Russian soldiers and civilians changed the course of the war, its outcome and the future of the world. But this was achieved at the cost of tremendous suffering on the part of the Soviet people and the Russian nation. We recall with deep respect the millions who lost their lives during the War. Tens of thousands of Indian soldiers also sacrificed their lives in the war.

I visited Moscow for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary in 1995 and I remember the solemn fervor of the event. It will be an honour to be part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary, to recognize the monumental contributions of Russia to the victory over Nazism and Fascism. I am very happy an Indian military contingent will be part of the Victory Day parade for the very first time. The commemoration also reminds us of the need for all countries to strive actively for peace, for the common benefit of humankind and to never forget lessons of the War.

You have already met Russian President Vladimir Putin. How does your communication go?

I have had the pleasure of a long association with Russia and its leadership during my many decades in public life. It has been my privilege to meet President Putin on a number of occasions. I hosted him late last year in New Delhi when he visited India for our Annual Summit. We had a warm conversation on the vibrancy of India-Russia relations, to which he has made a major contribution. We discussed the initiatives currently underway to further strengthen our bilateral partnership. At our forthcoming meeting in Moscow, I hope to continue our conversations on these matters and on international developments of interest to both our countries.

Relations between India and Russia have long and rich history. At the end of the nineteenth century, the future Emperor Nicholas II, who visited India during the global cruise, expressed interest in opening a Russian consulate in Bombay. Relations between our countries have never been marred with wars or conflicts. How do you assess the dynamics of the relations between our countries?

Contacts between India and Russia go back several centuries, even before the visit of Tsarevich Nikolai to India in 1890-91. Geopolitical realities and cultural affinities have ensured that ours has been a relationship marked byAs you say, our bilateral relations cover virtually every field of human endeavour. In recent years, we have made significant progress in our cooperation in defence and nuclear energy. At the same time, there is still considerable untapped potential for further strengthening our partnership. At the recent Summit meeting, we identified initiatives to take our economic relations to a significantly higher level. We will be encouraging closer contacts between regions of our two countries to give further impetus in this direction. We are also re-invigorating our cooperation in Space. An area of considerable promise is cooperation in education, research and innovation. We are actively working towards creating institutional linkages between our educational and research institutions.

What is your opinion on the potential and prospects of cooperation between Russia and India in the sphere of nuclear energy, fuel and energy complex?

Nuclear energy is an important component of India’s energy security strategy. We deeply value our exchanges with Russia in nuclear energy. The multi-phase Kudankulam project showcases the outcome of our cooperation. Last December, our two countries set out a strategic vision for further development of our cooperation.

We are aware that the hydrocarbons sector holds great promise. During President Putin’s visit, we agreed to set an ambitious agenda for partnership in oil and natural gas. This includes broader collaboration between our hydrocarbon companies in exploration and production, as well as in LNG projects and supplies.

The Russian Federation and the Republic of India cooperate in military and technical field for already more than fifty years, and this cooperation traditionally has large-scale character. In recent years this cooperation is moving from simple relations of “buyer and seller” to multifaceted partnership in developing new technologies and modernizing weapons. How do you assess the results of interaction in this sphere and perspectives of cooperation?

You have rightly pointed out that our military-technical cooperation is built on a strong foundation. It now includes joint research, design, development and production of advanced defence systems. The BrahMos supersonic missile project is a vivid illustration. We would like to apply this experience to other defence platforms and equipment. We believe that the Make in India initiative provides exciting new opportunities for India-Russia collaboration in setting up manufacturing facilities in India for Russian weapons systems, their sub-assemblies and components. We had discussed this with President Putin, who responded very warmly to this approach. We are also putting in place more active service-to-service exchanges, training cooperation and regular military exercises. exceptional understanding and convergence of views, through all the realignments in the global political and economic landscape. Russia was the first country with which India concluded a formal agreement on strategic partnership in October 2000. In recognition of the considerable strengthening of our multi-faceted relations since then, we now describe our relationship aptly as a special and privileged strategic partnership.

As the bilateral relations were developing dynamically they have acquired a comprehensive strategic partnership character. Russia and India have made substantial progress in cooperation in various fields: economic, trade, investment, energy, military-technical, science, education and culture. It is no exaggeration to say that there are almost no areas where our countries have not developed close ties. I know that due to your efforts the volume of trade between India and Russia has increased. What areas of our bilateral cooperation in your opinion are most successful, and which still have untapped potential?

You have rightly pointed out that our military-technical cooperation is built on a strong foundation. It now includes joint research, design, development and production of advanced defence systems. The BrahMos supersonic missile project is a vivid illustration. We would like to apply this experience to other defence platforms and equipment. We believe that the Make in India initiative provides exciting new opportunities for India-Russia collaboration in setting up manufacturing facilities in India for Russian weapons systems, their sub-assemblies and components. We had discussed this with President Putin, who responded very warmly to this approach. We are also putting in place more active service-to-service exchanges, training cooperation and regular military exercises.

Moscow and Delhi views on most modern problems in external policy are very similar or tie together; in particular, our countries stand for a multipolar world where national interests of all countries and nations are considered. In addition to bilateral cooperation Russia and India are very actively developing ties and contacts within the framework of international and regional organizations, such as the UN, the BRICS, and the SCO. How do you assess our cooperation in this area?

Our relationship with Russia covers a wide canvas, including cooperation in multilateral fora and consultations on global security issues and regional developments. On all of these, we have similar perspectives. The threat of terrorism in our shared neighbourhood is a matter of common concern. We work together in G-20 and BRICS to promote our shared interests. We look forward to Russia steering BRICS as its chairman this year. India has also been participating in the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as an Observer.

First published in Russian by TASS.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 10 May 2015 19:02

Philip wrote:Are you talking of the Scorpene sub by any chance Mort?

Pranabada didn't go there as amere tourist.he went there representing the nation and GOI. Yes,the Western press rarely mentioned the Indian pres. being present,they still think we are serfs,bearers and butlers for their precious white backsides,but never the mind,the Russians will not forget the expression of solidarity with it! Let's see what the visit to Beijing by Mr.Modi brings with it.

The absence of Western leaders at the VE-Day Parade,was a direct insult to the 27+m million Russians who died in WW2.Without Russia's sacrifices,(and we all know who got to Berlin first!),the Zeropeans and Brits would all be speaking German,goosestepping and heiling the Fuhrer!

The Scorpene and Rafale are both going to be too little too late, but after paying a pretty penny, India will have good availability rates of these weapon systems.

WWII is irrelevant to today's India-Russia relations. The relationship has changed dramatically since the collapse of the USSR in 1991. When there is a conflict with the Chinese, don't expect Russia to support India. It will stay neutral as China-Russia trade is TEN TIMES more than India-Russia trade and stands at $100 billion. Pranabada's talks focussed on increasing India-Russia trade, the Victory Day parade was window dressing so GoI can correct relations down the road. China is targeting $200 billion trade with Russia in 5 years!

See: China and Russia to increase trade from $95bn in 2014 to $100bn in 2015

So what about fascism in the 1940s? What was the difference between the European powers of Germany, UK and Russia at that time? Each of them killed tens of millions. In India from 1900 to 1947, the British had starved and murdered over 10 million Indians. Netaji wanted a combined German-Russian force of 50,000 to begin the liberation of India from the Brits in 1941 from the North West near Afghanistan, the rest of India would revolt hundreds of times greater than 1857. Netaji told Hitler and the Germans that offering freedom to former British and French colonies will expose the hypocrisy of the "allies". Hitler squandered his alliance with Stalin in his hatred of Slavic peoples.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 10 May 2015 19:13

While Pranabda is there and the Grenadiers march away, can this behavior be sorted out?

This sort of arrogant idiocy from some Russian firms like MiG not only risks costing Russia billions in arms deals (MMRCA is a perfect example), its putting Indian national security at risk. Greed is one thing, overarching greed is just beyond the pale.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 483312.cms

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 10 May 2015 20:04

The entire Mig-29 and Su-30 fleets are now as much Indian as they are Russian. India has the entire logistics and support of these aircraft organically. It is best to slowly wean away from entire Russian platforms.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 10 May 2015 22:51

China US trade in 2014 was around $590 billion so by that logic dont expect US to come to India rescue in any Indo China war.

Not to mention the $ 1.2 trillion US treasure bonds that China hold

We are doomed onleeee

member_20292 · Post by **member_20292** » 10 May 2015 23:16

Lol.

Of course. No one will save us but ourselves. Better man up, make more money, pay more taxes, and hope that India collectively becomes wealthier than China such that it may afford to fight and win a war against them.

Viv S · Post by **Viv S** » 11 May 2015 03:22

Philip wrote:The absence of Western leaders at the VE-Day Parade,was a direct insult to the 27+m million Russians who died in WW2.Without Russia's sacrifices,(and we all know who got to Berlin first!),the Zeropeans and Brits would all be speaking German,goosestepping and heiling the Fuhrer!

:cough: Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 11 May 2015 03:37

Austin wrote:China US trade in 2014 was around $590 billion so by that logic dont expect US to come to India rescue in any Indo China war.

Not to mention the $ 1.2 trillion US treasure bonds that China hold

We are doomed onleeee

That is absolutely correct. The US won't come to India's aid, even to the extent of the 1962 war, to help in the event of a Indo-China conflict; but neither will Russia. When Russia was expected to do so in the past.
India needs Russian technology and not entire weapon systems.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 11 May 2015 09:15

Mort Walker wrote: That is absolutely correct. The US won't come to India's aid, even to the extent of the 1962 war, to help in the event of a Indo-China conflict; but neither will Russia. When Russia was expected to do so in the past.
India needs Russian technology and not entire weapon systems.

The last time Russia came to India's aid was in Kargil war where it gave Intelligence and Weapons support , While US was protecting its Munna and Sharif had to go to Clinton to beg US for a ceasefire.

In any case India is not the India of 1971 where it would want and expect the Russia to come to bay of bengal in order to keep check of the US or NATO folks who would support Munna.

India today is quite strong and can defend itself well , while the chances of any full scale war with China is quite remote due to Economic Dependencies and Nuclear Detterence , China is more of a Stragetic Competitor not an enemy as Modi said recently not a single bullet was fired in past 25 years.

The same cannot be said by irrational player Pakistan and we can only hope US can keep it under tight leash as major sponsor of the country.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 11 May 2015 09:26

^^^We're not talking about TSP, but about Cheen. Cheen can make territorial grabs in AP and make life difficult for India.

Russia admires China for its model of crony capitalism. It can only take them so far, in time, I expect India to surpass Russian industrial and technical capacity by the time our children are adults.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 11 May 2015 10:16

Austin wrote:
Mort Walker wrote: That is absolutely correct. The US won't come to India's aid, even to the extent of the 1962 war, to help in the event of a Indo-China conflict; but neither will Russia. When Russia was expected to do so in the past.
India needs Russian technology and not entire weapon systems.
The last time Russia came to India's aid was in Kargil war where it gave Intelligence and Weapons support , While US was protecting its Munna and Sharif had to go to Clinton to beg US for a ceasefire.

In any case India is not the India of 1971 where it would want and expect the Russia to come to bay of bengal in order to keep check of the US or NATO folks who would support Munna.

India today is quite strong and can defend itself well , while the chances of any full scale war with China is quite remote due to Economic Dependencies and Nuclear Detterence , China is more of a Stragetic Competitor not an enemy as Modi said recently not a single bullet was fired in past 25 years.

The same cannot be said by irrational player Pakistan and we can only hope US can keep it under tight leash as major sponsor of the country.

Austin,

The lack of even generic black and white evidence leads one to question:

1. The value of russian (or any external) aid vs the ability of indian resolve. Which was the determining factor? No, the kargil book does not lay the disputes to rest. The "we fought, and a few thousand people died", so now in all of just ten years, lets have track 2 chai biskoot, Mi35s for pakistan, and train services, and visas and so on all muddles the whole narrative. X went to Y and said Z is either al-kitaap or ramayan.

2. Not the India of 71: You wish! The Manekshaws have not only left, they have broken the moulds forever.

3. Quite strong: On the positive side, yes there are quite a few brick kilns more than in 71. Certainly any invading army would be pelted with a lot of stones.

4. "Detergent": Not worth the casing it is enclosed in. For a people with national birds hovering, and JDAMs dropping every morning, noon, and night for a decade, you bring up detergent as the trump card?

5. The leash: Doesnt exist. Never did. Fear of the non-army indian populace is what keeps things in check.

cheen can and will make grabs. What are you going to do about it? That there leash holder is crying to its mommy about the south china sea events. Anything changing there?

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 11 May 2015 10:50

Mort Walker wrote:It's just niceities that Pranab is there to show support, but the rest is meaningless.

This is just NaMo's India, making a not so subtle point onlee.

It was being pointedly made to westerners and they have all got it.

including the "colonial" getup of the marching contingent.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 11 May 2015 12:01

Shreeman wrote:
Austin,

The lack of even generic black and white evidence leads one to question:

1. The value of russian (or any external) aid vs the ability of indian resolve. Which was the determining factor? No, the kargil book does not lay the disputes to rest. The "we fought, and a few thousand people died", so now in all of just ten years, lets have track 2 chai biskoot, Mi35s for pakistan, and train services, and visas and so on all muddles the whole narrative. X went to Y and said Z is either al-kitaap or ramayan.

2. Not the India of 71: You wish! The Manekshaws have not only left, they have broken the moulds forever.

3. Quite strong: On the positive side, yes there are quite a few brick kilns more than in 71. Certainly any invading army would be pelted with a lot of stones.

4. "Detergent": Not worth the casing it is enclosed in. For a people with national birds hovering, and JDAMs dropping every morning, noon, and night for a decade, you bring up detergent as the trump card?

5. The leash: Doesnt exist. Never did. Fear of the non-army indian populace is what keeps things in check.

cheen can and will make grabs. What are you going to do about it? That there leash holder is crying to its mommy about the south china sea events. Anything changing there?

We can always take the donkey to the well but cant force it to drink the water.

Unfortunately our situation after 26/11 is like a donkey , We practically did nothing and were pretty happy with Status Quo.

All we do is keep collecting Arms for the next war but then the situation comes we just freeze.

When Parliament was in Attack and when BJP was in Power with Atal and the IRon MAN Advani was in power , we did nothing just played a defensive war in which we lost our own soldier and stuck to we will not cross the LOC when those pigs crossed and just by good fate and sacrifice managed to save those MP from certain anhilation.

Same goes after 26/11 , stupidty of sending notes to 126 country and practically what Price did Paki pay pretty close to nothing , The only thing is we managed to catch Kasab alive and hung him for H&D

The same goes for 93 mumbai blast , Any result .....None ?

I am also not counting the countless blast that happend in mumbai Delhi and else where with clear paki finger print.

So no matter who helps us if you are not capable of defending your own people not even God can help you.

Sorry for the Rant.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 11 May 2015 16:15

Indian army says proud to have taken part in Victory Parade in Moscow - media
World
May 11, 8:50 UTC+3

NEW DELHI, May 11. /TASS/. India’s army said it is proud that its servicemen took part in the Victory Parade in Moscow on May 9, Captain Vikash Singh Suhag, commander of the Indian army contingent, told journalists.

"It was an honor to march for the Victory Day parade in Russia as India is among the only 10 countries which are part of this proud event," Suhag said after the parade as quoted by The Times of India daily newspaper.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 11 May 2015 16:37

Mort Walker wrote:The entire Mig-29 and Su-30 fleets are now as much Indian as they are Russian. India has the entire logistics and support of these aircraft organically. It is best to slowly wean away from entire Russian platforms.

To be honest, if that were the case, we wouldn't be cribbing about lack of support, would we? The IAF has funding, tech and mindset limitations and not indigenized everything it can and still runs after Russia for gizmos and the Russians play merry because for critical stuff like engines the IAF has limited options.

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 11 May 2015 17:27

Austin wrote:Russia appreciates Pranab Mukherjee's Victory Day participation

MOSCOW: Russia today said it was "honoured" by President Pranab Mukherjee's participation in the country's 70th anniversary of the World War II victory to be celebrated tomorrow.

"We are honoured and privileged with the participation of Indian President," Russia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Morgulov told reporters here.

The Minister said that India is an old and valued friend of Russia and Mukherjee's presence would further strengthen the ties.

Asked about non-participation of Western countries in the celebration, Morgulov sought to downplay it by saying "India's participation is important for Russia".

Western countries decided not to attend the function to protest against Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Chinese President President Xi Jinping and heads of 16 countries are participating in the event.

A 75-member contingent of Indian Army will also take part in the parade.

Of course, PRC was the only country that did not participate in the war against Germany (the Nationalists fought Japan not the communists) and yet you have President Eleven as guest of honor. It's Putin's signal that Russia and PRC are new power centers and junior partners like India are welcome to tag along but the true strategic partnership will be Moscow-Beijing.

There's nothing we are going to 'get' from the Russians mitech-wise that is not also going to go to PRC.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 11 May 2015 17:36

WW2 was allied versus axis and Japan was part of Axis forces , After all why did US nuke Japan