Russia Test Launches ICBM From White Sea - December, 2008

Russia Test Launches ICBM From White Sea, Hits Kamchatka Target

US concept of uncontested nuclear strike not feasible: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpBW3QIkFqM

December, 2008

The Dmitry Donskoi Typhoon-class strategic nuclear-powered submarine has carried out another test launch of a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, a Defense Ministry source said on Friday. "The Bulava was launched from a submerged position in the White Sea toward a target located at the Kura test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula," the source said. He later said it had successfully engaged its designated target on the Kamchatka Peninsula about 6,700 kilometers (4,200 miles) east of Moscow. The previous test of the Bulava missile was carried out on September 18. Russia is planning to adopt new Bulava missiles for service with the Navy and commission the first Borey-class strategic nuclear submarine in 2009. The Bulava (SS-NX-30), developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, is designed for deployment on Borey-class Project 955 nuclear-powered submarines. The first submarine in the series, the Yury Dolgoruky, was built at the Sevmash shipyard in the northern Arkhangelsk Region and is currently undergoing sea trials. The submarine has a length of 170 meters (580 feet), a body diameter of around 13 meters (42 feet), and a submerged speed of about 29 knots. It will be equipped with 16 Bulava ballistic missiles, each carrying up to 10 nuclear warheads and having a range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles).

Source: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081128/118602949.html

In other news developments:

Russia Cements Relations With Bahrain

Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev and H.M. Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, passed a joint statement about the intent to strengthen friendly relations of both countries. The recent negotiations were the first talks of Russia’s and Bahrain's leaders in history. H.M. Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa backed up Russia’s initiative, whereby Moscow would host the Middle East conference early next year. The king also supported Russia in its resolve to sort out all problems through political and diplomatic methods exclusively. As to the potential cooperation of Russia and Bahrain, one of the fields could be the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The memorandum of Russia and Bahrain provides for setting up the respective bilateral working teams, said Sergei Kirienko, who heads Russia’s nuclear energy Rosatom. Those teams will deliberate on training the personal for the use of civil nuclear energy. “At the request of Bahrain’s party, we intend in future to held develop their nuclear plants of low power that will enable the kingdom to control the heat balance more accurately,” Kirienko said.

Source: http://www.kommersant.com/p-13676/Bahrain_friendly/

Russia Discovers Large Gold Deposit in East Siberia

Russia's National Geological Prospecting Company announced on Tuesday the discovery of a large gold deposit in the Republic of Buryatia in East Siberia. The gold field with estimated reserves of up to 100 metric tons of gold (3 million troy ounces) was discovered at the licensed Perevalny block owned by Geomin Management, the company said. Geomin Management plans to invest up to 500 million rubles ($18 million) in 2009 in additional prospecting and survey works at the field with NGPC to act as the general geological contractor, the statement said. NGPC, which was established in 2007 and carries out prospecting using venture capital funds, is also involved in prospecting for precious metals at other fields in Siberia, the statement said.

Source: http://en.rian.ru/business/20081202/118649146.html

Russian PM Putin Signs Order to Build Baltic Pipeline System

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has signed an instruction on the design and construction of the second stage of the Baltic Pipeline System, the government said on Monday. The Baltic Pipeline System-2 with an estimated cost of 120-130 billion rubles ($4.3-4.7 billion) will run from western Russia's Bryansk Region to the Leningrad Region port of Ust-Luga with a branch going to the Kirishi oil refinery. According to the document, the project will be funded through a long-term ruble-denominated bond issue by pipeline monopoly Transneft. The bonds will be placed through a private offering among state-controlled financial organizations. The Energy Ministry along with the Ministry of Economic Development, the Regional Development Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the Federal Tariff Service and state-run VEB bank are to develop a model to fund the project within three months after Transneft has submitted a feasibility study. Construction on BPS-2 is to be launched in 2009 and completed two years later. Oil will start to be transported in late 2012 with an initial pumping capacity of up to 30 million metric tons (220 million bbl), which will subsequently be raised to 50 million tons a year (367 million bbl). The Russian premier earlier proposed that foreign partners use BPS-2 and that they buy shares in BPS-2's terminal at Ust-Luga. The first stage of the Baltic Pipeline System, with a capacity of 12 million tons of oil annually and designed to transport oil from both Russia's oil-rich regions and Kazakhstan, was commissioned in 2001. Its current capacity is 75 million tons. The BPS-2 project emerged during an oil dispute between Russia and Belarus in January 2007, when Russia cut off supplies to Europe for four days via the Druzhba pipeline after Belarus refused to let Russian oil pass through the country without payment of a transit duty.

Source: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081201/118633533.html