Putin Says War Games Show Russia's Military power

Photo: AP Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin, mendengar kepada Timbalan Menteri Pertahanan Dmitry Bulgakov, kanan, sebagai Menteri Pertahanan Sergei Shoigu, kiri, dan Gabenor of Baikal rantau Konstantin Ilkovsky, latar belakang, memerhatikan latihan ketenteraan berhampiran Tasik Baikal di Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Rusia telah melancarkan gerakan terbesar tentera sejak zaman Soviet, yang melibatkan 160,000 tentera dan kira-kira 5,000 kereta kebal di seluruh Siberia dan rantau timur jauh (Photo: AP Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, listens to Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov, right, as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and Gov. of Baikal region Konstantin Ilkovsky, background, observe military exercises near the Baikal Lake on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Russia has launched its biggest military maneuvers since Soviet times, involving 160,000 troops and about 5,000 tanks across Siberia and the far eastern region).

Kamp0ngKahf - MOSCOW (AP) ‘Putin berkata permainan perang menunjukkan kuasa ketenteraan Rusia’ Presiden Vladimir Putin berkata Rabu bahawa Rusia boleh berbangga dengan tentera, yang telah menunjukkan "tahap tinggi" kesediaan pertempuran dalam mainan perang terbesar dalam negara lebih daripada 2 dekad.

"Hari ini kita boleh berbangga dengan tentera kita," kata Putin. Gerakan, yang bermula Jumaat dan terus melalui minggu ini, melibatkan 160,000 tentera dan kira-kira 5,000 kereta kebal dan kenderaan berperisai yang lain di seluruh Siberia dan rantau timur jauh dalam menunjukkan kekuatan besar ketenteraan kebangkitan negara. Langkah ini juga melibatkan 70 kapal Armada Pasifik dan 130 pesawat, termasuk Tu-95 pengebom strategik.

Putin, yang menonton manuver Rabu pelbagai berhampiran Chita di selatan Siberia, kata tentera berjaya memenuhi tugas-tugas pertempuran. "Mereka telah menunjukkan tahap kesediaan pertempuran dan keupayaan untuk memenuhi tugas-tugas yang telah ditetapkan," kata Putin, memuji prestasi tentera sebagai "lebih daripada memuaskan."

Rusia berkata latihan itu merupakan sebahagian daripada latihan tempur biasa dan tidak ditujukan kepada mana-mana negara tertentu, walaupun beberapa penganalisis percaya menunjukkan daya bertujuan China dan Jepun.

Moscow dan Beijing tiru apa yang mereka digambarkan sebagai "Perkongsian Strategik" selepas 1991 berikutan kejatuhan Soviet dekad persaingan era Perang Dingin. Tetapi walaupun hubungan rapat politik mereka dan ekonomi dan kerjasama tentera, ramai di Rusia berasa semakin tidak selesa kira-kira kekuatan yang semakin meningkat jiran gergasi timur.

Moscow telah memberi amaran kepada negara-negara jiran dalam latihan sebelum ia bermula, dan menyediakan maklumat terperinci terutamanya ke China selaras dengan perjanjian yang membayangkan pertukaran bersama data mengenai aktiviti ketenteraan di sepanjang sempadan 4,300 kilometer (2,700 batu).

Sergei Koshelev, ketua Kementerian Pertahanan tentera kerjasama jabatan Rusia, hari ini berkata bahawa Rusia tidak mempunyai kewajipan untuk menjemput pemerhati Cina untuk menonton latihan kerana ia telah dijalankan lebih daripada 100 kilometer (60 batu) dari sempadan itu, ITAR-Tass agensi berita melaporkan.

Tentera Rusia telah membuat penekanan kepada menjalankan manuver kejutan untuk meningkatkan kesediaan tentera', dan senaman semasa setakat ini acara terbesar seperti kedua-dua dari segi bilangan tentera yang terlibat dan jarak besar yang mereka mengembara.

"Gerakan tersebut adalah sangat penting sekarang kerana kami sedang menjalankan satu usaha besar-besaran untuk memodenkan senjata," kata Putin. Kremlin telah melancarkan senjata bercita-cita tinggi program pemodenan yang membayangkan perbelanjaan lebih 20 trilion Rubles (lebih daripada $ 615 billion) pada senjata baru melalui 2020.

Photo: AP Russian Army Engenering Tank dipandu berhampiran Tasik Baikal di Rusia pada Rabu 17 Julai, 2013. Ketua tentera Rusia itu Kakitangan Am Valery Gerasimov duduk di pusat. Rusia telah melancarkan gerakan terbesar tentera sejak zaman Soviet, yang melibatkan 160,000 tentera dan kira-kira 5,000 kereta kebal di seluruh Siberia dan rantau timur jauh. (Photo: AP Russian Army Engenering tanks drive near the Baikal Lake in Russia on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Chief of Russia's military's General Staff Valery Gerasimov sits at center. Russia has launched its biggest military maneuvers since Soviet times, involving 160,000 troops and about 5,000 tanks across Siberia and the far eastern region).

Photo: AP Russian Army Engenering Tank memandu berhampiran Tasik Baikal di Rusia pada Rabu 17 Julai, 2013. Ketua tentera Rusia itu Kakitangan Am Valery Gerasimov duduk di pusat. Rusia telah melancarkan gerakan terbesar tentera sejak zaman Soviet, yang melibatkan 160,000 tentera dan kira-kira 5,000 kereta kebal di seluruh Siberia dan rantau timur jauh. (Photo: AP Russian Army Engenering tanks drive near the Baikal Lake in Russia on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Chief of Russia's military's General Staff Valery Gerasimov sits at center. Russia has launched its biggest military maneuvers since Soviet times, involving 160,000 troops and about 5,000 tanks across Siberia and the far eastern region).

Photo: AP Jet pejuang Su-25 Tentera Rusia terbang berhampiran Tasik Baikal di Russis pada RABU, 17 Julai, 2013. Rusia telah melancarkan gerakan terbesar tentera sejak zaman Soviet, yang melibatkan 160,000 tentera dan kira-kira 5,000 kereta kebal di seluruh Siberia dan rantau timur jauh (Photo: AP Russian Army Su-25 jet fighters fly near the Baikal Lake in Russis on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Russia has launched its biggest military maneuvers since Soviet times, involving 160,000 troops and about 5,000 tanks across Siberia and the far eastern region).

Photo: AP Russian Army Engenering troops' trucks yang diletakkan berhampiran Tasik Baikal pada Rabu, 17 Julai, 2013. Ketua tentera Rusia itu Kakitangan Am Valery Gerasimov duduk di pusat. Rusia telah melancarkan gerakan terbesar tentera sejak zaman Soviet, yang melibatkan 160,000 tentera dan kira-kira 5,000 kereta kebal di seluruh Siberia dan rantau timur jauh (Photo: AP Russian Army Engenering troops' trucks are parked near the Baikal Lake on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Chief of Russia's military's General Staff Valery Gerasimov sits at center. Russia has launched its biggest military maneuvers since Soviet times, involving 160,000 troops and about 5,000 tanks across Siberia and the far eastern region)

Photo: AP helikopter tentera Mig-24 Russian terbang berhampiran Tasik Baikal di Rusia pada Rabu Julai 17, 2013. Rusia telah melancarkan gerakan terbesar tentera sejak zaman Soviet, yang melibatkan 160,000 tentera dan kira-kira 5,000 kereta kebal di seluruh Siberia dan rantau timur jauh (Photo: AP Russian Army Mig-24 helicopters fly near the Baikal Lake in Russia on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Russia has launched its biggest military maneuvers since Soviet times, involving 160,000 troops and about 5,000 tanks across Siberia and the far eastern region)

Photo: AP Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin memerhati latihan ketenteraan daripada sebuah helikopter berhampiran Lake Baikal pada Rabu Julai 17, 2013. Gerakan di Siberia dan rantau timur jauh yang terlibat 160,000 tentera dan kira-kira 5,000 kereta kebal, persembahan secara besar-besaran tenaga pernah berlaku sebelum ini sejak zaman Soviet (Photo: AP Russian President Vladimir Putin observes military exercises from a helicopter near the Baikal Lake on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. The maneuvers in Siberia and the far eastern region involved 160,000 troops and about 5,000 tanks, a massive show of force unprecedented since the Soviet times).

Photo: AP Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin memerhati latihan ketenteraan daripada sebuah helikopter berhampiran Lake Baikal pada Rabu Julai 17, 2013. Gerakan di Siberia dan rantau timur jauh yang terlibat 160,000 tentera dan kira-kira 5,000 kereta kebal, persembahan secara besar-besaran tenaga pernah berlaku sebelum ini sejak zaman Soviet (Photo: AP Russian President Vladimir Putin observes military exercises from a helicopter near the Baikal Lake on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. The maneuvers in Siberia and the far eastern region involved 160,000 troops and about 5,000 tanks, a massive show of force unprecedented since the Soviet times).

Photo: AP Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin, kiri, mendengar kepada Ketua tentera Rusia itu Kakitangan Am Valery Gerasimov, kanan, bila beliau melihat latihan ketenteraan berhampiran Tasik Baikal di Rusia pada Rabu, 17 Julai, 2013. Rusia telah melancarkan gerakan terbesar tentera sejak zaman Soviet, yang melibatkan 160,000 tentera dan kira-kira 5,000 kereta kebal di seluruh Siberia dan rantau timur jauh (Photo: AP Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, listens to Chief of Russia's military's General Staff Valery Gerasimov, right, as he observes military exercises near the Baikal Lake in Russia on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Russia has launched its biggest military maneuvers since Soviet times, involving 160,000 troops and about 5,000 tanks across Siberia and the far eastern region).

Putin Says War Games Show Russia's Military power

Kamp0ngKahf - MOSCOW (AP) President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia can be proud of its military, which has shown a "high degree" of combat readiness during the nation's biggest war games in more than two decades.

"Today we can be proud of our army," Putin said. The maneuvers, which began Friday and continue through this week, involve 160,000 troops and about 5,000 tanks and other armored vehicles across Siberia and the far eastern region in a massive show of the nation's resurgent military might. The exercise also involved 70 Pacific Fleet ships and 130 aircraft, including Tu-95 strategic bombers.

Putin, who watched the maneuvers Wednesday at a firing range near Chita in southern Siberia, said the troops successfully fulfilled combat tasks. "They have demonstrated a high degree of combat readiness and the ability to fulfill the tasks which were set," Putin said, hailing the military's performance as "more than satisfactory."

Russia says the exercise was part of regular combat training and wasn't directed against any particular nation, though some analysts believe the show of force was aimed at China and Japan. Moscow and Beijing forged what they described as a "strategic partnership" after the 1991 Soviet collapse following decades of Cold War-era rivalry. But despite their close political and economic ties and military cooperation, many in Russia have felt increasingly uneasy about the growing might of its giant eastern neighbor.

Moscow had warned its neighbors about the exercise before it started, and provided particularly detailed information to China in line with an agreement that envisages a mutual exchange of data about military activities along the 4,300-kilometer (2,700-mile) border.

Sergei Koshelev, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry military cooperation department, said Tuesday that Russia had no obligation to invite Chinese observers to watch the exercise as it had been conducted more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the border, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

The Russian military has made an emphasis on conducting surprise maneuvers to improve troops' readiness, and the current exercise is by far the largest such event both in terms of number of troops involved and vast distances to which they traveled.

"Such maneuvers are particularly important now as we are conducting a large-scale effort to modernize the arsenals," Putin said. The Kremlin has launched an ambitious arms modernization program that envisages spending over 20 trillion rubles (more than $615 billion) on new weapons through 2020.