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What was new on START Web site?

November, 2000

November 24, 2000
Presentation of the report "Precision Guided Weapons and Strategic Balance" (by Eugene Miasnikov) was held in the National Press Institute on November 22, 2000. See the transcript (in Russian) of the press-conference and a translation of the executive summary of the report into English.

Russia has urged the United States to stop testing the medium-range ballistic missile "Hera" and destroy its stocks. Moscow regards the US activities "as a direct and significant violation of the Russian-US treaty on the elimination of medium- and short-range missiles signed on December 8, 1987," according to Interfax agency. See an exclusive comment by Gennady Khromov, a member of the Soviet delegation at INF Treaty negotiations: "The Use of "Hera" Missile Violates the INF Treaty". See also:

On November 20 the UN General Assembly approved a resolution submitted by Russia jointly with Belarus and China on the preservation of and compliance with the ABM Treaty (Official Statement of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, November 21, 2000)

President Vladimir Putin restated Tuesday Russia's support for the 1972 ABM treaty but said he was open to dialogue with the United States over its controversial plan to develop a national missile shield (No Change in Russia's Stand on NMD, but Open to Dialogue, by Agence France Presse, Russia Today, November 21, 2000). See also:

The initiative of the Russian president to radically reduce strategic nuclear arsenals got considerable attention in the world:

The Soviet Union was far ahead of the USA in development of means for defence from space. Today, this advantage is lost ("Strategic Shield" Is Corroding, - in Russian, by Volter Kraskovski, Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, November 17, 2000). See also our special section on the current status of the Russian Early Warning System

Russia might offer a draft treaty on immunity of space satellites to a new U.S. administration, a Russian expert says: Beginning Demilitarization of Space, - in Russian, (by Vladimir Kozin, Dip Courier, November 23, 2000)

Two military doctrines simultaneously existing in Russia entirely differ on the role of the strategic nuclear forces: Dilemma of the Russian Military Policy, - in Russian, (by Alexei Arbatov, Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, November 17, 2000)

Commander of the Northern Fleet Admiral Vyacheslav Popov reiterated the claim that the Kursk nuclear submarine was likely sunken by a Western submarine, and said that the foreign vessel emitted SOS signals shortly after the disaster:

An anonymous source from the 12-th Main Directorate of the military, responsible for the safety of nuclear weapons, has serious doubts about efficiency of the U.S. help in improving safety and security of the Russian nuclear weapons: Russia's Nuclear Safety 'A Sad History', (The Freelance Bureau, November 22, 2000)

On prospects of Minatom development and a conflict between Minatom and Russian Stock Company "YeES Rossii":

The Russian State Duma postponed indefinitely Wednesday the first hearing of the bills calling for amendment of the federal legislation in favour of spent nuclear fuel imports.

Academician Nikolay Dollezhal' Died on November 20, 2000. He was one of the founders of the national nuclear energy and industrial complex:

At the Russian START Forum: on President Putin initiative, telemetry, violations of the INF Treaty and other issues.

November 16, 2000
In November 2000 the Center for Arms Control, Energy and Environmental Studies at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology has published a new report "Precision Guided Weapons and Strategic Balance", by Eugene Miasnikov. The report is addressed to a broad audience - political scientists, military, technical and arms control experts, diplomats and general public, interested in problems of international security. Presentation of the report will be held in the National Press Institute on November 22, 2000 at noon. To obtain the report please contact (095)-408-6381 or via e-mail: www-start@armscontrol.ru.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia and the United States could make drastic cuts in their nuclear arsenals far beyond existing proposals. Putin said the former Cold War opponents need not stop at the 1,500-warhead limit Russia has been advocating up until now.

See also proposals on nuclear reductions, made by experts of our Center three years ago.

Security Council of the Russian Federation is frequently associated by analysts with the place for generating official initiatives on nuclear disarmament. See about views of Sergey Ivanov, the Secretary of the Security Council, on problems of arms control:

General Yakovlev's statement, that it would be very difficult to reach a constructive decision about the future of the ABM agreement with the United States is presented by western press sources as a sign that Moscow is ready to modify the ABM treaty. However, a U.S. official said, "...Yakovlev's comments sound like a whole reworking of the ABM treaty and we haven't seen much from Putin that would suggest that he is to this date eager to redraft the ABM treaty,"

The name of the next U.S. President is not known yet. If candidate Bush wins, the future of the ABM Treaty is gloomy: A Cold Bush for Russia, - in Russian, (by Dmitri Gornostayev, Dip Courier, November 9, 2000)

The governmental commission investigating the "Kursk" accident failed to come to any specific conclusion on the reasons of the submarine sinking at its meeting on November 8. According to Ilya Klebanov, the Chairman of the commission, the version of a collision with a foreign submarine got a "very serious confirmation" - the video taken near the "Kursk" shows a long dent on the outer hull near the front section of the submarine (presumably, Klebanov speaks about the video, shown by NTV on October, 26). However, Vice-Admiral Chernov, Ret., former commander of a submarine flotilia said in interview to "Obschaya Gazeta", that such dents may had been well created by an unsuccessful attempt to moor the submarine near a pier at Vidyayevo.

The head of Russia's armed services, Anatoly Kvashnin, said in interview to the Russian information agencies that he asked NATO states to prove their claim that none of their submarines were responsible for the "Kursk" tragedy by allowing Russian officials to inspect their underwater vessels. However, Admiral Guido Venturoni, the chairman of NATO's military committee, told reporters on 10 November that Russian General Staff chief Anatolii Kvashnin had made no explicit demands in Brussels that Russia be allowed to inspect NATO submarines within the framework of its investigation into the causes of the "Kursk" nuclear submarine disaster.

In the recent issue of Yadernaya Bezopasnost' magazine (September - October, 2000, N 40-41)

An independent research center ROMIR conducted a poll in July in Russia on nuclear issues. As the results show, 22,7% of the respondents assume that nuclear weapons are usable for defending national interests (Every Fifth of Russians Would Push the Nuclear Button, - in Russian, by Natalia Lydinen, Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, November 10, 2000)

Faced with what it feels is a shaky security environment and a strong and sometimes arrogant America, Beijing has increasingly viewed the United States as an obstacle to its rise as an Asian power:

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said after meeting with President Vladimir Putin that he supports Russia’s plan to develop a new generation of fast neutron reactors that could run on spent nuclear fuel, including plutonium.

A conflict flares up between Minatom and RAO YeES on the concept of restructuring the energy sector:

The most powerful nuclear explosion (more than 50 Mt TNT) was conduced on October 30, 1961 - almost thirty years ago (Khrushchev Did Not Agree to Make an "Armageddon", - in Russian, by Nikolay Cherkashin, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, November 10, 2000)

November 7, 2000
News from the First Committee of the UN General Assembly:

Role of confidence building measures in transforming U,S.-Russian nuclear deterrence relationship: A House On the Sand, - in Russian, (by Sergei Brezkun, Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, November 3, 2000)

In the September's issue of Obozrevatel'-Observer:

Tests of the newest "Volga" early warning radar at Baranovichi (Belarus) are finished. The radar is going to become a constituent part of the Russian early warning system: "Volga" Will Block A Path to Missiles, - in Russian, (by Denis Voroshilov, Rossiya, November 1, 2000)

As news come from divers investigating the "Kursk" accident area, analysts continue discussing possible reasons for the submarine sinking:

In the November's issue of Arms Control Today:

The Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy announced that a series of subcritical nuclear tests were conducted last week at Novaya Zemlya test range: Nuclear Weapons Tests, (by The Associated Press, The Moscow Times, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2000).

"...One event, which in fairness should be acknowledged as a turning point in the history of Russian democracy, happened in our country. However, by a strange whim, the current regime, that usually does not loose an opportunity to advertise itself in a devotion to democratic values, did not express any exultation at all this time. Though, it seems, it should have been...", (A Burial Ground "Russia", - in Russian, by Sergei Ivanov, Sovetskaya Rossiya, November 2, 2000)

At the Russian START Forum: on non-acoustic means of submarine detection.

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