Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that 2021 turned out to be easier than the previous one, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, RIA Novosti reports.
“The time is really hard, although I would not say that the outgoing year was even harder than 2020. He was lighter,” the Kremlin representative said in the program “Special guest with Tina Kandelaki” on the RTVI TV channel.
Peskov explained that Russians were able to adapt to new living conditions, doing business, moving, and, perhaps, getting used to the coronavirus was the reason why some Russians refused vaccination.
“We are used to the threat of coronavirus, because why is it so difficult to convince people to get vaccinated? Because the feeling of fear is dulled. It’s like in a war — a person at some point stops ducking when shells explode nearby—, — Peskov said.
Earlier, President Vladimir Putin said that the Russian economy has recovered from the effects of the pandemic.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin suggested actively using feedback to finalize the bill on QR codes, the politician said in his Telegram channel.
Volodin recalled that President Vladimir Putin instructed the government, together with the State Duma, the Federation Council and public associations, to finalize a bill on the mandatory certificates for visiting public places. According to the head of state, there is a risk that the QR-code system will create additional difficulties for citizens, and will not protect their health.
“In this regard, it is right for us to use the time before the second reading so that all the risks and concerns that are being expressed are removed,” the speaker of the lower house of parliament said.
Volodin does not agree with those who propose to postpone consideration of the bill until better times, “to pretend that the problem does not exist”. He considers such statements irresponsible.
“I also propose, in the feedback mode, that we jointly do everything for the qualitative preparation of bill No. 17357-8, which requires revision,” the speaker of the State Duma summed up.
On the eve of the State Duma in the first reading adopted a draft on access to public places by QR codes. Today, Putin proposed to finalize the bill to take into account all the nuances and life situations.
Near Novosibirsk, an exercise with special purpose units of the Central Military District to destroy a conditional enemy using an optical-electronic complex “Irony” has ended, the Ministry of Defense reports. To determine the defeat of the target and conduct additional reconnaissance, the calculation of the optical-electronic complex “Irony” was involved. АиФ.ги I was trying to figure out what kind of technical complex it was with the original name.
Why the “Irony”?
With the help of such equipment, special forces soldiers will be able to solve various tasks related to monitoring the terrain and detecting various objects. The capabilities of the complex allow not only to identify various goals, but also to transmit any.
Features
The optical-electronic complex “Irony” is designed to conduct surveillance and collect information about the terrain, including the detection of various objects. It provides surveillance at any time of the day with the ability to determine the coordinates of the target and transmit data about it.
The product itself weighs about 3.2 kg, is equipped with a video camera, a thermal imager and a laser rangefinder. The signal from all optical devices is transmitted to a miniature monitor. “Irony” detects equipment at distances up to 7 km, both with the help of a video camera and with the use of a thermal imager. The thermal imager can detect a person at distances up to 2.5 km.Signal transmissionit is carried out on a closed radio channel. The complex also includes additional monitoring tools to secure the calculation. It provides for the use of several motion sensors, with the help of which scouts can control the space with a radius of 3 km. The complex is capable of transmitting the received photo and video data at a range of up to 10 kilometers.
The complex is multifunctional and consists of two sets: one is installed on armored vehicles “Tiger”, the other is portable.
The calculation of the observation complex consists of two people. One of them works with optical devices and carries out direct observation of the terrain, pointing the lenses at the studied area. It can also determine the direction to the detected target and the distance to it. The small dimensions and weight of the device do not impose serious restrictions on the placement of the fighter, allowing him to choose the most convenient position in the current conditions.
The second scout is a computer operator. It is responsible for processing data coming from optical devices, and also communicates and transmits data to consumers.
How were the exercises?
The tasks of the exercise included working out the interaction of special purpose units with attached fire support and technical intelligence units, as well as working out the order of action in a single reconnaissance and strike circuit.
First, the special purpose unit received intelligence information about the place and time of the passage of a column of equipment with weapons, ammunition and food to provide the camp of a conditional enemy. The servicemen arrived in the designated area and conducted reconnaissance using unmanned aerial vehicles “Tachyon”. Having discovered the enemy, the army organized hidden firing positions.
To determine the defeat of the target and conduct additional reconnaissance, the calculation of the optical-electronic complex “Irony” was used. Then, having let the column, the commandos destroyed the equipment from the AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher “Flame” and a large-caliber machine gun “Cord”. The enemy’s manpower was destroyed by the servicemen with AK-12 assault rifles and sniper rifles.
More than 500 military personnel were involved in the exercise, more than 25 units of military and special equipment were involved.
Is irony appropriate?
It cannot be said that this complex is the only one of its kind. The ASTRON Design Bureau is developing a mobile-based complex with a high-sensitivity color TV camera, a high-power thermal imaging camera of the far IR range, and, most importantly, an active-pulse TV camera of the near IR range. The complex also includes a high-frequency rangefinder. All optical channels of the complex complement each other and together provide even higher efficiency of detection, recognition and identification of various objects, while compensating for the shortcomings of each of the channels.
Fate
The first serial samples of such equipment were handed over to the troops a few years ago. In the spring of 2015, new devices were received by special forces of the Central Military District. A little later, similar equipment was received by other units of the armed forces. Also in the past, it has been repeatedly reported on the use of “Irony” systems during various exercises.
New hypersonic strategic complexes are being developed in Russia, which will replace the planning blocks of the “Vanguard” when the United States learns to counteract them. This was stated by the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces Sergey Karakaev. АиФ.ги I was looking into why programs to create new nuclear weapons are being accelerated.
According to the general, the new complexes will be the response of the United States, which is currently actively developing both hypersonic weapons directly and this type of weapons designed to neutralize the Russian one. The new weapons system is planned to be created by the time the Pentagon finds an “antidote” to Russian strategic missile systems.
While in the “Vanguard”
When creating a new missile system, the developments that are used in the Vanguard will be used, and new technologies will also be integrated. It is planned to develop a new mobile ground-based missile system, as well as a mine-based system. The work will be carried out within the framework of the new state armament program, which is valid until 2034. Leading research organizations of the Ministry of Defense, research teams, defense institutes and design bureaus, as well as enterprises of the military-industrial complex will be involved in the creation of the new complex.
The creation of a replacement is a distant prospect, currently, the Vanguard can cope with the tasks of nuclear deterrence, which is by far the most advanced missile system, and it was originally created as a response to the US missile defense system. It includes a special intercontinental missile,equipped with a gliding winged combat unit. Detailed tactical and technical characteristics have not been officially published. To date, it is known that the hypersonic gliding unit is capable of reaching speeds above 20m. It goes to the target like a fireball, the surface temperature of which is 1600-2000 degrees Celsius
Combat equipment can be a separable head part of individual guidance and has a set of means of overcoming missile defense. The combat units of the Avangard complex have their own engines and can maneuver on the trajectory both in direction and speed. The control system allows you to quickly change the flight task and distributiontargets directly in flight. According to the military, the planning winged unit of the Avangard complex can overcome any existing missile defense system due to its ability to maneuver in the atmosphere along an unpredictable trajectory. According to experts, at least 50 SM-3 anti-missiles are required to defeat one combat unit, which, in fact, makes the US missile defense meaningless.
The development of the Avangard missile system was completed in July 2018, at the same time the defense industry enterprises began its serial production. The first regiment in a reduced composition, armed with a strategic missile system with a hypersonic gliding winged unit “Avangard”, took up combat duty in the Yasnenskaya missile Division in the Orenburg region in 2019.
Near-term perspective
Currently, the Strategic Missile Forces has stationary mine-based missile complexes “Avangard”, “Voivode”, “Stiletto” and “Topol-M” and “Yars”, as well as mobile complexes “Topol”, “Topol-M” and “Yars ». The ratio of deployed carriers in stationary and mobile groups of the RVSN is approximately equal. However, due to the presence of heavy and medium-class missile systems “Voivode” and “Stiletto”, the number of nuclear warheads in a stationary grouping is currently somewhat larger than in a mobile one.
The military reports that in a few years there will be no obsolete Soviet-made missile systems in combat. After the rearmament of the troops, the complexes on combat duty will be maintained and modernized in the future.
At the end of 2022, a landmark rearmament will begin from heavy-class missile systems “Voivode” to “Sarmat”. The new heavy rocket will significantly surpass its predecessor in many characteristics. The first regiment of the Sarmat complex will take up combat duty in the Uzhur missile compound. Currently, work is underway to prepare the infrastructure in the Uzhur Rocket Division of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the installation of mine launchers andunified command post. Work is also underway to prepare for flight tests of the complex itself, after which the missile will be adopted. “Sarmat” was developed at the V. P. Makeev State Missile Center, whose main specialization is the development of sea-based intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Honored Coach of the USSR and the chief judge of the show “Ice Age” Tatiana Tarasova has been in hospital since the beginning of the week, reports TASS with reference to her source.
According to the agency interlocutor, Tatiana Tarasova was hospitalized on December 14 due to high blood pressure.
The day before it became known that the head of Yaroslavl, Vladimir Volkov, was taken to the hospital in a serious condition due to heart problems.
Meanwhile, Grigory Leps denied the information that appeared in the media about his hospitalization. PR director of the artist Vladimir Uryupin also confirmed to journalists that Leps is at home and everything is fine with him.
More than 335 billion rubles was the revenue of Roscosmos together with the enterprises that are part of the state corporation in 2020, Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin said in his Telegram channel.
Prior to that, the analytical credit rating agency (ACRA) and the agency “Expert RA” assigned Roscosmos a credit rating of AAA (RU), the forecast is “stable”.
Earlier, Rogozin said that Russia will receive the Russian Internet from space in 2024. According to the plan, the satellite grouping of the Skif will consist of 12 devices. The launch of the first satellite is planned to be carried out next autumn. Two more devices are scheduled to be launched in 2024, six in 2026, and four in 2028.
Demonstration tests of a magnetic cushion train were held in Moscow. Tests of the monorail transport system of a train moving using magnetolevitation technology took place on the territory of the corporation “Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering” (MIT). Read more — in the photofilm АиФ.ги .
Roskomnadzor demanded that YouTube restore access to the RT auf Sendung channel, according to the agency’s website.
In a letter from Roskomnadzor to the management of Google LLC, it is noted that the unprecedented destructive actions of the video hosting violate the principles of free dissemination of information and unhindered access to it. The agency assesses this as censorship prohibited by the Russian Constitution.
Roskomnadzor also reminded the video hosting about the possible restriction of access and administrative liability in case the owner of the resource fails to comply with the warnings of the Russian department.
The day before it was reported that the YouTube video hosting blocked the new RT DE channel on the day of the launch of the broadcast.
Russia Today TV channel planned to launch a new 24-hour news channel in German – RT DE. The head of RT DE and Ruptly Dinara Toktosunova told what attempts were made to restore the channel. In particular, a pre-trial letter was sent to Google Corporation, which did not receive a response. After that, the lawyers filed a petition to the court for a temporary ban against blocking and strikes against RT DE.
The Kremlin believes that nothing happened at the meeting of the Human Rights Council (HRC) under the President of the Russian Federation that would require an apology from director Alexander Sokurov, or threatened his life, reports TASS.
“We have seen media reports [about Sokurov’s letter of apology], we believe that during the meeting [of the HRC], during a very, very interesting and meaningful discussion that took place at the council meeting, nothing happened that would require any kind of apology,” said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the journalists’ question about the letter of apology from the filmmaker.
Earlier it became known that Sokurov sent an appeal to the head of the HRC Valery Fadeev. According to media reports, in the letter, the director apologized for his statements and allegedly told about the threats coming to him.
Recall that on December 9, at a meeting of the HRC, director Alexander Sokurov said that the republics of the North Caucasus today have a pronounced “national character”, and offered to release those who do not want to live with Russia. In response, Putin criticized the filmmaker’s position. Later, Peskov explained that the harsh words of the president soundedbecause, unfortunately, the director, very unprofessionally and without knowledge of the subject, began to touch on very important, delicate topics.
Subsequently, the Chechen parliament appealed to the Prosecutor General of Russia Igor Krasnov and the head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin with a request to check the legality of the statements of director Alexander Sokurov.
The winter that has entered into its rights, and also the political situation that does not contribute to the rapid commissioning of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, puts the residents of Ukraine in an extremely difficult situation. The rapid rise in gas prices seriously threatens their wallets.
“There will be a serious conversation”
The head of the company “Naftogaz Ukraine” Yuriy Vitrenko in the broadcast of the program “The right to power” of the TV channel “1+1” stated that the current prices for “blue fuel” for Ukrainian citizens are unlikely to remain: “We honestly say: if such prices persist, we, as a national company, will not be able to cover such a difference. Therefore, it will be a serious conversation within the country with the deputies who vote for the budget, which determines the sources and use of funds, and with consumers, Ukrainians. We will really sit down and decide how to live.
On the eve of the exchange prices for gas in Europe reached $1,700 per 1,000 cubic meters. The new price increase began against the background of statements that Nord Stream 2 will not be put into operation until the summer of 2022, and also against the background of the European Commission’s proposal to abandon long-term gas contracts from 2049.
At the same time, most European countries currently have long-term contracts for gas supplies with Gazprom, concluded even before the collapse in prices. Ukraine, however, having refused for political reasons to buy gas from Russia directly, has put itself in a situation in which supplies from Europeans by virtual reverse turn into the most expensive pleasure.
Is Putin to blame again?
The Ukrainian authorities have kept a fixed price for citizens for gas at the level of 8 hryvnia per cubic meter, however, industrial enterprises of the Independent are forced to pay 36 hryvnia per cubic meter, which affects the competitiveness of Ukrainian goods.
“Now the government is making sure that people don’t overpay seven times. The gas price is 8 hryvnia (29 cents) retail, despite the fact that the market price is 45 hryvnia ($1.66), Vitrenko complained, noting that his company was incurring billions of dollars in losses.
At the same time, Vitrenko, as usual, blames Russia for everything, she supposedly provoked an increase in gas prices in 2021: Putin began to reduce gas supplies to the European market.
Objective data, however, speak about something else: Gazprom is not just fulfilling all its obligations, but it is delivering in record volumes in 2021. And the fact that the situation in the markets develops in a similar way is not the fault of the Russians. Moreover, the idea of switching from long-term contracts to the sale of ever-increasing volumes of gas on the stock exchange belongs to the Europeans.
There is a clear dissonance in the statements of the Ukrainian authorities. The Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal Just two days ago I was talking about the fact that there is absolutely enough gas in the Ukrainian storage facilities to provide people, utilities, and industrial consumers with blue fuel. Vitrenko also says that there is no shortage of gas, but nevertheless declares that the situation is ruinous for Naftogaz.
Gas presses on products
At the same time, according to Ukrainian experts, the price of products whose production involves the use of gas is growing rapidly. In particular, we are talking about bakery products (gas is used for drying grain), poultry meat and eggs (heating poultry farms), and also greenhouse vegetables (heating greenhouses).
As for greenhouse vegetables, then aif. ru previously wrote — Ukraine for the first time in history began to import greenhouse cucumbers from Russia. The reason lies precisely in the difference in prices for gas: the cost of Russian products is lower than that of Ukrainian producers.
According to the head of Naftogaz, ordinary Ukrainians are largely to blame for the current problems, Vitrenko believes that they spend an unjustifiably much gas. As an example, the head of the company put economical Poles, stating that if the fuel consumption per capita in Ukraine was less, then the country could be engaged in gas exports and not depend on imports.
“Switch to biomass”
One of the ways to solve the problem, the head of Naftogaz sees the transition to biogas: Biogas can be made from agricultural waste, from waste recycling. This must be done. Ukraine can replace at least 5 billion cubic meters of natural gas with biogas, it is necessary to increase production.
Biogas is a gas produced by hydrogen or methane fermentation of biomass. Among industrially developed countries, the leading place in the production and use of biogas belongs to Denmark in terms of relative indicators. Biogas occupies up to 18% of its total energy balance. In terms of absolute indicators, Germany occupies the leading place in terms of the number of medium and large installations.
8000 installations.
However, the development of such technologies is quite limited, including due to the protests of the greens, who consider the production of biogas harmful to the environment.
Three years ago, Naftogaz specialists claimed that biogas could potentially meet up to 25 percent of the country’s total gas needs. In reality, the production of biogas requires the use of the most modern equipment, which costs a lot of money. And although biogas plants in Nezalezhnaya are being launched, in the foreseeable future they will in no way be able to remove Ukraine’s energy problems.
They eat too much: how the Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine accused citizens of gluttony
For the current Ukrainian authorities, the desire to blame ordinary citizens of the country for the emerging difficulties is not new.
In 2017, the Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Andriy Reva said that compatriots eat too much.
In the broadcast of the TV channel 112 Ukraine, the Minister answered questions about the current economic situation. When Rev was asked about why German residents spend only 14 percent of their budget on food, while Ukrainians spend 50 percent, he explained: “When we talk about the fact that Germans spend 14 percent, and we spend 50%, then ;there is a system of priorities. My father has always considered it a priority to eat well. He believed that it is possible in somethingto deny yourself, but healthy nutrition is very important. Our people have such a historical tradition – famines, wars forced them to treat the problem of nutrition differently than in other countries… Considering that the prices of products are about the same in Ukraine and Germany, they eat less not because they don’t have the opportunity, but because such a culture. And that’s why they spend less compared to our people.
In general, the Ukrainian leadership is categorically not lucky with the people: they eat a lot, wash with hot water, do not want to sit in winter with cold batteries. And to everything else, citizens of Ukraine for some reason do not have money to pay for energy at world prices.
By the way, according to the declaration for 2020, the salary of the head of Naftogaz, Yuri Vitrenko, was 43.8 million hryvnia per month (more than 118 million rubles). I wonder if the Ukrainian gas boss saves money and heats his apartments with biogas?
