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SERGEI IVANOV: RUSSIA IS DESTINED TO HAVE A POWERFUL MILITARY
by Alexander Kots
Translated by Elena Leonova
Source: Komsomolskaya Pravda, May 18, 2006, pp. 4-5
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 22, 2006 Monday
To mark the 61st anniversary of the Great Victory, the defense minister
has answered some questions from our readers.
An Interview With Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov
There are some people, you know, who say, "Let troop strength be
200,000, not one million, but these 200,000 should all be under
contract." Well, Russia is too large a country for that. It is a
country with too many unpredictable neighbors. Besides, Russia is a
nuclear power.
Question: In which CIS countries do we still have a military presence?
Sergei Ivanov: All of them except Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The
Space Forces are in Azerbaijan. In Kazakhstan we have four testing
ranges and testing centers. In Tajikistan we have the 201st base. In
Kyrgyzstan, there's the airbase at Kant. We still have two bases in
Georgia - not counting the peacekeepers, they're a different matter.
We have a base in Armenia. In Belarus we have the Baranovichi radar
station. In Ukraine there's the Black Sea Fleet, and two missile
attack early warning stations left over from the Soviet era, at
Mukachevo and Sevastopol.
Question: No problems with Ukraine?
Sergei Ivanov: There's simply no time for that now. Some significant
internal political processes are under way in Ukraine. We have set up
some relevant subgroups in the Black Sea Fleet, as part of the greater
commission. It has already met once. The base agreement remains in
force, specifying a lease until 2017 at $97 million a year.
Question: What about Georgia?
Sergei Ivanov: Those bases will be withdrawn, but we'll station
two light mountain troop brigades from the Defense Ministry on the
border, to assist the Border Guards. There's never been a proper
border there. Now we're establishing a strong and demonstratively
powerful border from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea, because we
need it along that sector of our borders. Because we don't feel
sufficiently secure there. Terrorists do cross the border there -
our neighbors openly admit that. Sometimes we detain them, and find
that they're carrying Turkish or Georgian visas. The Main Intelligence
Directorate's special forces alone have killed 50 armed foreigners in
Chechnya since 2000. They were crossing the border from "friendly"
Georgia. There's a standard pattern: a person will get a two-day
tourist visa from Georgia - and one year, two years, three years
later we'll find him on Russian territory, carrying explosives and
an automatic rifle. As if he'd just happened to go for a walk.
Question: What will our peacekeepers do if there's any attempt to
use force to settle the question of South Ossetia and Abkhazia?
Sergei Ivanov: First of all, such a scenario is unacceptable; any
way you look at it, it's war. The peacekeepers will do what they
have to do, according to their mandate. A tough, understandable,
clear and unambiguous mandate. But I'd like to note that up to 90%
of the people living in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are citizens of
the Russian Federation.
Question: Are we going to reinforce our eastern border as well?
Sergei Ivanov: All borders are different. We even have a completely
unique case: the suddenly-acquired 7,000 kilometers of the
Russia-Kazakhstan border, the longest border in the world. But that
sector still has Soviet-era infrastructure. The border with Finland,
on the other hand - I don't think we need to do anything there.
Nothing to guard. It's not as if the Finns are racing across the
border into Russia.
Why should we maintain the security of others at our expense? What's
the point of having barbed wire there? In other words, each sector
of our borders is different, and requires different security measures.
Mostly economic methods for one sector, patrol measures for another.
We also need to think about new technologies - the systems of the
future.
Question: You have some far-reaching plans. Do you intend to stay on
as defense minister for that long?
Sergei Ivanov: No. What does it have to do with me? I'm not thinking
of myself, but of my Armed Forces and my country. Someone will come
in and replace me, and it will be easier for him to continue this work.
by Alexander Kots
Translated by Elena Leonova
Source: Komsomolskaya Pravda, May 18, 2006, pp. 4-5
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 22, 2006 Monday
To mark the 61st anniversary of the Great Victory, the defense minister
has answered some questions from our readers.
An Interview With Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov
There are some people, you know, who say, "Let troop strength be
200,000, not one million, but these 200,000 should all be under
contract." Well, Russia is too large a country for that. It is a
country with too many unpredictable neighbors. Besides, Russia is a
nuclear power.
Question: In which CIS countries do we still have a military presence?
Sergei Ivanov: All of them except Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The
Space Forces are in Azerbaijan. In Kazakhstan we have four testing
ranges and testing centers. In Tajikistan we have the 201st base. In
Kyrgyzstan, there's the airbase at Kant. We still have two bases in
Georgia - not counting the peacekeepers, they're a different matter.
We have a base in Armenia. In Belarus we have the Baranovichi radar
station. In Ukraine there's the Black Sea Fleet, and two missile
attack early warning stations left over from the Soviet era, at
Mukachevo and Sevastopol.
Question: No problems with Ukraine?
Sergei Ivanov: There's simply no time for that now. Some significant
internal political processes are under way in Ukraine. We have set up
some relevant subgroups in the Black Sea Fleet, as part of the greater
commission. It has already met once. The base agreement remains in
force, specifying a lease until 2017 at $97 million a year.
Question: What about Georgia?
Sergei Ivanov: Those bases will be withdrawn, but we'll station
two light mountain troop brigades from the Defense Ministry on the
border, to assist the Border Guards. There's never been a proper
border there. Now we're establishing a strong and demonstratively
powerful border from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea, because we
need it along that sector of our borders. Because we don't feel
sufficiently secure there. Terrorists do cross the border there -
our neighbors openly admit that. Sometimes we detain them, and find
that they're carrying Turkish or Georgian visas. The Main Intelligence
Directorate's special forces alone have killed 50 armed foreigners in
Chechnya since 2000. They were crossing the border from "friendly"
Georgia. There's a standard pattern: a person will get a two-day
tourist visa from Georgia - and one year, two years, three years
later we'll find him on Russian territory, carrying explosives and
an automatic rifle. As if he'd just happened to go for a walk.
Question: What will our peacekeepers do if there's any attempt to
use force to settle the question of South Ossetia and Abkhazia?
Sergei Ivanov: First of all, such a scenario is unacceptable; any
way you look at it, it's war. The peacekeepers will do what they
have to do, according to their mandate. A tough, understandable,
clear and unambiguous mandate. But I'd like to note that up to 90%
of the people living in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are citizens of
the Russian Federation.
Question: Are we going to reinforce our eastern border as well?
Sergei Ivanov: All borders are different. We even have a completely
unique case: the suddenly-acquired 7,000 kilometers of the
Russia-Kazakhstan border, the longest border in the world. But that
sector still has Soviet-era infrastructure. The border with Finland,
on the other hand - I don't think we need to do anything there.
Nothing to guard. It's not as if the Finns are racing across the
border into Russia.
Why should we maintain the security of others at our expense? What's
the point of having barbed wire there? In other words, each sector
of our borders is different, and requires different security measures.
Mostly economic methods for one sector, patrol measures for another.
We also need to think about new technologies - the systems of the
future.
Question: You have some far-reaching plans. Do you intend to stay on
as defense minister for that long?
Sergei Ivanov: No. What does it have to do with me? I'm not thinking
of myself, but of my Armed Forces and my country. Someone will come
in and replace me, and it will be easier for him to continue this work.