Has long been in Russia roams the joke. Vladimir Putin says Sergei Shoigu: “Serezha, you are summoned for questioning in the Ukraine.” The Minister of defence is responsible to the President: “Mr President, let me immediately to go and interrogate them!” This (semi)joke, among other things, confirms the seriousness of the problems of the Kremlin with the Pro-NATO Ukrainian regime in a situation when top Kiev blames Russia for all mortal sins. But, in addition, the anecdote perfectly illustrates something more important in the coming years, the role of 62-year-old Sergei Shoigu will be especially significant. So, of course, believes President Putin, who spent the first days in August, while vacationing in southern Siberia, just with Minister Shoigu. The photographs dressed in a diving suit Putin, who looks out for pike under the water and then spearing it with a harpoon. Russian journalists have already deciphered the symbolism of this fishing: aggressive and voracious pike means terrorists in Syria, which Russia wins. Now, as they say, get to the shark hunt.
“Fashion” message and a bad sign
It can be assumed that someday the Russian Minister of defence still questioning those who are hiding under the American umbrella, probably expecting overcoat Shoigu they spilled just a drop of spring rain and no hurricane will not. Obviously, that’s why they allow themselves to accuse the head of the Russian defense Ministry in provoking the protests against the “democratic regime” in Ukraine and threatened him that one day March will come to Moscow and to betray Shoigu justice. This behavior of the Kiev authorities, of course, does not Bode well, especially for them, because of any objective analyst in the world today understands that the transition to military action in the conflict with Russia will mean for Kiev only imminent defeat.
Perhaps the weakness of the Russian army in hope and Washington, which still seemed not to understand the message of the Kremlin, enclosed in a clear formula: “Who does not want to talk with Lavrov, will speak with Shoigu”. This phrase was even printed on t-shirts that have recently appeared in a network fashion brand “Army of Russia” and proposed the U.S. Embassy staff with a 20% discount. It is valid until the first of September, when the deadline given by President Putin 755 us diplomats to leave the territory of Russia. From the attention of the observers are gone and that Putin is not only the main advertising face, but also the best promoter clothes “Army of Russia”. After all the pictures with the Siberian vacation with Shoigu, the President was in the clothes of this brand. There is no doubt that is also a kind of military the Russian President’s message to the West.
Recall that when at the end of December last year, the outgoing administration of President Barack Obama has sent 35 employees of the Russian diplomatic mission and members of their families, Putin instead respond symmetrically, invited American children to the traditional Christmas tree in the Kremlin. But as the U.S. Congress without any new reasons by a majority of votes has approved another package of sanctions against Russia, Putin went on a very hard (surprise to many) measures. He decided to send 22 times more diplomats than sent Obama last winter. So Putin has established a new rule: now in Russia there can be only 455 U.S. diplomats, that is the same as the Russian in America. After friendly conversations that Putin held with Donald trump in July in Hamburg, which gave analysts reason to predict carefully the improvement of relations, a new aggravation only shows that the opinion of the head of the White house in Washington don’t count. The Kremlin immediately understood the signal and no longer have any illusions about the fact that the people’s will expressed in the elections, can change the policy of the United States. For the world is an extremely bad sign.
The essence of the Putin doctrine
If the Americans and their allies do not want to negotiate with the head of diplomacy Sergei Lavrov on how to reduce tensions and to embark on a path of peaceful solution to the problems in a new cold war, the term — military decision for which responsible is the Minister of defense General of the army Sergei Shoigu. This is the essence of the Putin doctrine of “two Sergeev”. Let everyone chooses for himself Sergey: who you like more. Kiev has long said that want to talk only with Shoigu, and sooner or later the chance of the Kiev regime will appear. Now the same desire louder Express and the Americans, acting on the principle “the less Lavrov, the more Shoigu”.
Europeans stopped halfway, not wanting to see the “Shoigu” in Berlin or Paris, because they remember the traumatic experience of the past centuries. They are willing to take Lavrov at least every day, only to Shoigu never “visited”. Americans are justifiably dissatisfied with European allies, which do not hurry to send their troops to the new Eastern front. The Europeans know who are going, you won’t come back. And then very soon will come some Shoigu.
Sergey Shoigu is well aware that in the near future its importance will only grow, and it confirms the speech at the end of July the Minister said at the Board meeting of the Ministry of defence. In the presence of senior army leadership, government functionaries and representatives of the civil sector, the General of the army Sergei Shoigu said that one of the priorities of the Armed forces of the Russian Federation continues to provide security at the strategic South-Western direction. In other words, it is, above all, on the territory adjacent to Ukraine and the Black sea (except of the Caucasus), where NATO is continuing to strengthen its military infrastructure.
“Our active steps to stabilize the situation in the middle East and peacekeeping in the Caucasus are seen by some countries as a threat to their national and coalition interests,” — said Shoigu. And went on to say that, in order to block Russia’s participation in solving global and regional problems, some States are still trying to use military force to achieve geopolitical goals and increasing military presence near Russian borders. According to him, since April in Romania is constantly placed 16 tactical aircraft the US and UK. “From the beginning, only the US has performed more than 130 reconnaissance flights near the southern borders of the Russian Federation”, — said the Russian defense Minister.
Symmetric measures to neutralize the threat
According to Shoigu, a few days ago on the West coast of the Black sea ended large-scale NATO exercises, which involved more than 25 thousand troops from 22 countries. “In these circumstances, Russia is forced to take symmetrical measures to neutralize the emerging threats to national security, to carry out activities of strategic deterrence, to enhance the combat capabilities of the southern military district. One important step in this direction is the formation in military district in March 2017 combined arms army. In addition, formed four battalions of the military police, who currently perform the tasks in the bands security zones de-escalation in the Syrian Arab Republic”, — said Shoigu, stressing that all events are synchronized with the supply of modern weapons and military equipment. He also said that since the beginning of the year the troops of the southern military district received more than 600 units of new military equipment, and that is constantly being improved combat training of the personnel and training command personnel. In particular, in the southern military district has conducted more than a thousand exercises and firings.
Speaking of the implementation of the plan of activities of the airborne forces until 2020, the defense Minister stressed that the airborne troops as rapid reaction forces, plays an important role in the implementation of the Southern military district of the task of neutralizing military threats to Russia and its allies. “In this regard, we pay special attention to the improvement of their fighting strength, improve combat capabilities, equipping with modern weapons and military equipment, reconnaissance and electronic warfare,” — said Shoigu, adding that for this purpose over the past two years in the airborne forces was held a number of important organizational changes. Thus were created the five and six reconnaissance and tank units, delivered over three thousand new and modernized samples of military equipment.
According to Sergei Shoigu, recently staffed by contract servicemen increased by more than half, the intensity of training — 20%. Airborne soldiers made more than 100 thousand parachute jumps in the area of responsibility of the southern military district. “Together with the command of the Northern fleet continues to prepare units of airborne troops to perform tasks in the Arctic zone,” — said the Minister of defense and emphasized that the plan is to complete the formation of two battalions of airborne troops and put more than two thousand new and modernized samples of military equipment.
New kind of troops for a new level of confrontation
Maybe someone will wonder why VDV is so important for Russia? The fact that landing troops is the backbone and main resource for the formation of a new kind of Russian troops: special operations Forces (SSO). They play a major role in the liberation of Syrian cities from the terrorists. In fact, they are designed for a new level of confrontation that the West is called “hybrid.” In a world where, increasingly, local conflicts occur, the huge frontline of the army give place to small, mobile and highly professional units like the MTR. The modern equipment and strong morale of such divisions is the best guarantee of security and protection of national interests in any area of the world where, increasingly, will play the role of “diplomacy Shoigu”.
The first opportunity to confirm this would be the upcoming large-scale military exercises of Russia and Belarus on the border of NATO under the symbolic name “West 2017”. By the way, who recently listening to a speech Chinese President XI Jinping at a Grand military parade in honor of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the people’s liberation army of China, he realized that the world is entering a period of dangerous turmoil, and time to prevent conflict.
