Xenophobia is at an all time high in Russia. There are strong anti-immigrant resentments towards workers from the Caucasus region.
Russia descending into a fascist dictatorship
Russian government has recently issued a law forbidding transsexuals or dual-sexes from obtaining a drivers license claiming public security would improve.
The Tsar and the Soviet Union become mythologized. This is part of Russia's glorification of its past. Atrocities turn into victories. The Holodomor in 1932, the deportation of Estonians and Tartars, the purges and the murder of millions of kulaks are all being relativized.
Anti-western sentiments, thanks to a relentless propaganda campaign, are on an all time high. Russia is being portrayed as the victim.
MALAYSIA Airlines flight MH370 maybe hijacked by Russians
Moscow has discovered the power of social media and pays 'Trolls' in order to write, post and re-post misinformation or pro-Russian comments online.
The Danish ministry of defence is increasingly deploying its F-16 fighter jets to meet Russian military aircraft flying near, or even inside, Danish airspace
Russia's defense minister Sergei Shoigu announces that Russia plans to increase its military presence abroad, including in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua
Russia kills Chechen warlord Doku Umarov, as well as 12 other warlords and 65 members of Islamic terrorist organizations
A Russian military plane shoots down a Ukrainian jet fighter over Ukrainian territory and a missile shoots down a Malaysian airplane carrying 295 people
Violence against journalists is not sufficiently investigated by police. Speaker of the Duma, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who on live TV advocated that a female journalist should be 'violently raped'. He still remains deputy speaker.
On 3 March 2014 a close encounter occurred between a SAS passenger plane taking off from Copenhagen and a Russian reconnaissance aircraft which did not transmit its position 50 miles south east of Malmo. A collision was apparently avoided thanks only to good visibility and the alertness of the passenger plane pilots. The SAS 737 plane was carrying 132 passengers to Rome.
2.4 two U.S. F-22 fighters intercepted two Bear bombers west of Alaska’s coast.
Between 17-27 October, 2014 a major submarine hunt by Swedish authorities was prompted by credible intelligence reports of “underwater activity” in the Stockholm archipelago in Swedish territorial waters. Supreme Commander General Sverker Göranson underlined that Sweden was ready to use “armed force” to bring the vessel to the surface if necessary. Russia issued denials and attempted to ridicule Swedish concerns. The major search operation stopped on Oct. 24.
On 10 April 2014 two Russian Navy vessels involved in live missile firing exercises entered Lithuania’s Baltic maritime economic zone, causing serious disruption to shipping.
On 12 April 2014 an unarmed Russian fighter aircraft made 12 passes of the American warship the USS Cook in the Black Sea. Such aggressive behaviour, if repeated by an armed aircraft, could have resulted in the ship commander targeting the aircraft in an act of self-defence.
On 20 April 2014 a Russian recon aircraft observed Swedish military installations. Unclear if there was a Swedish response.
On 23 April 2014 a Russian aircraft entered Dutch airspace before being intercepted by Dutch fighter aircraft.
On April 23 2014 an armed Russian fighter undertook very threatening manoeuvres in the vicinity of an American reconnaissance aircraft in the Sea of Okhotsk. These manoeuvres involved demonstrating that the fighter was armed. Such behaviour is far removed from what would be expected in a relatively routine encounter.
On 24 April 2014 RAF fighters intercepted and shadowed Russian aircraft in international airspace over the North Sea.
On 28 April 2014, fighters with the Nato Baltic Air Policing force scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft in international airspace.
On 9 May 2014 Russian aircraft approached to within 50 miles of the Californian coast, the closest such Russian military flight since the Cold War.
On 18 May 2014 RAF fighters intercepted a Russian helicopter and shadowed it back to its parent corvette in the Baltic Sea; the fighters later performed several passes of the Russian warship.
In late May, early June 2014 Russian aircraft carried out several incursions into the US and Canadian Air Defence Identification Zones in the Arctic.
9.6 two F-22s intercepted four Bears and one refueling tanker near Alaska. Two of the Bears later flew near the California coast and were intercepted by two F-15s.
In June 2014 armed Russian aircraft approached the heavily populated Danish island of Bornholm before breaking off in what appears to have been a simulated attack. The Danish intelligence service described the incident as “of a more offensive character than observed in recent years.”
On 12 June 2014, Nato fighters intercepted Russian aircraft in international airspace near Latvia.
On 16 July 2014 an armed Russian aircraft intercepted a Swedish surveillance plane conducting operations between Gotland and Latvia in international airspace, and flew within 10 metres of the plane. This indicated a far more aggressive approach to intercepting aircraft than in previous encounters.
On 17 June 2014, RAF fighters intercepted a Russian air formation in international airspace.
On 18 July 2014 an American surveillance plane conducting operations near Kaliningrad was chased into Swedish air-space after being approached by Russian fighters. This evasive action took place without Sweden’s prior approval that the US aircraft could enter Swedish airspace.
On 19 June 2014; HMS Montrose, a British frigate, was sent to investigate a Russian corvette in international waters near Denmark’s Baltic coast. HMS Montrose was subsequently circled by Russian maritime patrol aircraft.
August : NORAD notes a “spike” Russian aircraft operating in and around the U.S. ADIZ.
From 21 May to 13 August 2014, a series of short airspace violations by Russian aircraft were reported over the Estonian island of Vaindloo.
On 1 August, Polish fighters of the Nato Baltic air-policing mission intercepted Russian aircraft flying near Estonia airspace.
In early August 2014 several Russian air incursions were reported into the Alaskan Air Defence Identification Zone.
On 7 August 2014 anti-submarine forces of Russia’s Northern Fleet reportedly expelled an American submarine from the Barents Sea. The US denied its submarines were operating in the area.
On 28 August 2014, there was an air incident involving an unknown Nato country and Russia. No details beyond aircraft type except that incident took place over the Baltic.
In August/September 2014, Russian naval and air units interfered with the operations of a Finnish research vessel on two separate occasions.
In late August, 2014, multiple breaches of Finnish air-space by Russian state aircraft were reported. In response, Finland has already indicated that it will react more firmly to violations of its airspace in future.
In early September, 2014 Russian strategic bombers in the Labrador Sea near Canada practiced cruise missile strikes on the United States. The Russian aircraft stayed outside of Canada’s ADIZ but this was still a provocative move in light of the NATO summit ongoing at the time. Cruise missiles launched from the Labrador Sea would have Ottawa, New York, Washington, Chicago, and the Norfolk Naval Base in range.
On 5 September 2014 an Estonian security service operative, Eston Kohver, was abducted by Russian agents from an Estonian border post, on Estonian, and therefore NATO, territory. He was later taken to Moscow and accused of espionage. The incident itself involved communications jamming and the use of smoke grenades, and took place immediately after President Obama’s visit to the region and his repetition of security assurances to the Baltic States.
On 7 September 2014 HMCS Toronto (a frigate) was buzzed by a Russian aircraft in the Black Sea, with the plane coming within 300 metres of the warship. HMCS Toronto locked its radar on the Russian plane but took no further action as the aircraft was not armed. This incident coincided with larger Russian naval combat training activities near Sevastopol. Such aggressive behaviour, if repeated by an armed aircraft, could have resulted in the ship commander targeting the aircraft in an act of self-defence.
On 11 September 2014, Canadian jets intercepted Russian aircraft in international airspace.
Between the 17 and 18 September 2014, Russian jets entered the ADIZ off the coast of Alaska (officials say such incidents happen around 10 times a year) on two separate occasions, once on the evening of Wednesday 17th Sep (USA ADIZ) and once on the morning of Thursday 18th Sep (Canadian ADIZ, Beaufort Sea). The Russian planes were intercepted by American and Canadian fighters. These incidents coincide with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s visits to Ottawa and Washington.
On 17 September 2014 two Russian military aircraft crossed into Swedish air-space south of the island of Oland. The Russian Su-24 bombers intentionally violated Swedish airspace possibly to test the capabilities of the air defence system strengthened after previous incidents. The Swedish Foreign Minister described the incident as the ‘most serious aerial incursion’ in years.
17 September. two F-22s intercepted two Russian IL-78 refueling tankers, two Russian Mig-31 fighter jets and two Bear long-range bombers in the ADIZ west of Alaska. The Russian aircraft flew a loop south, then turned west toward Russia.
18 September. two Bears were intercepted and identified by two Canadian CF-18 fighters in the western reaches of the Canadian ADIZ, in the Beaufort Sea.
On 19 September 2014 Russian officers detained a Lithuanian shipping vessel in international waters in the Barents Sea, subsequently towing it to Murmansk. This represented a clear escalation in Russian attempts at the provocation and intimidation of the Baltic States.
On 3 October 2014 a Russian fighter flew “within metres” of Swedish surveillance aircraft in the Baltic in an incident deemed “unusually provocative”. A collision between the aircraft would have had serious repercussions for bilateral relations and increased military tensions across the entire Baltic area.
Between 17-27 October, 2014 a major submarine hunt by Swedish authorities was prompted by credible intelligence reports of “underwater activity” in the Stockholm archipelago in Swedish territorial waters. Supreme Commander General Sverker Göranson underlined that Sweden was ready to use “armed force” to bring the vessel to the surface if necessary. Russia issued denials and attempted to ridicule Swedish concerns. The major search operation stopped on Oct. 24.
On 19 September 2014, RAF jets shadowed Russian aircraft in international airspace above the north sea.
From 28-30 October 2014, Russia conducted a major air exercise in the North Sea, Atlantic, Black Sea and Baltic Sea. In a series of developments, aircraft from NATO states and partners tracked Russian long-range bombers conducting missions across this entire area, including a large formation of Russian fighters and bombers conducting missions over the Baltic Sea. All missions were conducted in international airspace but their scale and use of different kinds of aircraft and different zones of operation has added significantly to increased tensions between NATO and Russia.
On 10 April 2014 two Russian Navy vessels involved in live missile firing exercises entered Lithuania’s Baltic maritime economic zone, causing serious disruption to shipping.
On 20 April 2014 a Russian recon aircraft observed Swedish military installations. Unclear if there was a Swedish response.
On 23 April 2014 a Russian aircraft entered Dutch airspace before being intercepted by Dutch fighter aircraft.
On 24 April 2014 RAF fighters intercepted and shadowed Russian aircraft in international airspace over the North Sea.
On 28 April 2014, fighters with the Nato Baltic Air Policing force scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft in international airspace.
On 9 May 2014 Russian aircraft approached to within 50 miles of the Californian coast, the closest such Russian military flight since the Cold War.
On 18 May 2014 RAF fighters intercepted a Russian helicopter and shadowed it back to its parent corvette in the Baltic Sea; the fighters later performed several passes of the Russian warship.
In late May, early June 2014 Russian aircraft carried out several incursions into the US and Canadian Air Defence Identification Zones in the Arctic.
On 12 June 2014, Nato fighters intercepted Russian aircraft in international airspace near Latvia.
On 17 June 2014, RAF fighters intercepted a Russian air formation in international airspace.
On 19 June 2014; HMS Montrose, a British frigate, was sent to investigate a Russian corvette in international waters near Denmark’s Baltic coast. HMS Montrose was subsequently circled by Russian maritime patrol aircraft.
From 21 May to 13 August 2014, a series of short airspace violations by Russian aircraft were reported over the Estonian island of Vaindloo.
On 1 August, Polish fighters of the Nato Baltic air-policing mission intercepted Russian aircraft flying near Estonia airspace.
In early August 2014 several Russian air incursions were reported into the Alaskan Air Defence Identification Zone.
On 7 August 2014 anti-submarine forces of Russia’s Northern Fleet reportedly expelled an American submarine from the Barents Sea. The US denied its submarines were operating in the area.
On 28 August 2014, there was an air incident involving an unknown Nato country and Russia. No details beyond aircraft type except that incident took place over the Baltic.
In August/September 2014, Russian naval and air units interfered with the operations of a Finnish research vessel on two separate occasions.
In late August, 2014, multiple breaches of Finnish air-space by Russian state aircraft were reported. In response, Finland has already indicated that it will react more firmly to violations of its airspace in future.
On 11 September 2014, Canadian jets intercepted Russian aircraft in international airspace.
Between the 17 and 18 September 2014, Russian jets entered the ADIZ off the coast of Alaska (officials say such incidents happen around 10 times a year) on two separate occasions, once on the evening of Wednesday 17th Sep (USA ADIZ) and once on the morning of Thursday 18th Sep (Canadian ADIZ, Beaufort Sea). The Russian planes were intercepted by American and Canadian fighters. These incidents coincide with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s visits to Ottawa and Washington.
On 19 September 2014, RAF jets shadowed Russian aircraft in international airspace above the north sea.
On 29 September 2014, Latvian forces observed a Russian warship operating 14 miles from Latvian territorial waters; article observes that Russian jets and warships have been detected 173 times near Latvia’s borders as of September.
On 20 October 2014, planes from the Baltic Air Policing mission intercepted Russian surveillance Il-20 aircraft in international airspace
On 21 October 2014 Baltic Air Policing planes (Portuguese F-16s) intercepted Russian Il-20 surveillance aircraft which entered Estonian airspace next to the island of Saarema for about a minute.
A funeral procession came under fire by Russian-backed militants in the village of Sartana near Mariupol. Seven civilians were killed and 17 were injuried.
On 31 October 2014, RAF Typhoons intercepted Russian aircraft approaching UK airspace.
Chechen rebels attack a media building and a school in Chechnya's capital Grozny, leaving 16 dead including 9 militants
Russia Just Threw 19 Planes At NATO And Launched An ICBM In One Day
Ukrainian military pilot and former officer Nadiya Savchenko was captured by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, later handed over to Russia
Estonian officer of the Estonian Internal Security Service was abducted on 5 September 2014 at gunpoint from the Estonian side of the border by Russians using a smoke grenade and radio jammers
More than 6,000 people have died in Ukraine (pro-Russian rebels, civilians and government troops), and nearly 900,000 people have fled their homes
NATO jets were scrambled Russian military aircrafts around 150 times with their transponders switched off and without a pre-filled flightplan
Five million cases of human rights abuses were reported in Russia in 2014
There is active state sponsoring of discrimination through tolerating groups who 'actively hunt' homosexuals.
Since the annexation of Crimea, the Kremlin has pursued an aggressive and belligerent anti-western campaign. Anything West is portrayed as hostile, naturally anti-Russian, decadent, homosexual (a term employed is 'Gayrope' or Gay-Europe).
Vladimir Putin finished his New Years address with the words “Love for one’s Motherland is one of the most powerful and enlightening feelings” justifying the invasion of a sovereign country with the patriotic love of the Russian motherland.
Russian-backed militants fired at school No.63 in Donetsk from of Makiivka. As a result, two teenagers were killed and three were injured.
Putin and his associates stole between $25 billion and $30 billion from funds used in developing Sochi for the Olympics.
Putin controls an estimated 37 percent of shares in the oil and gas company Surgutneftegaz; a 4.5 percent stake in the huge gas company Gazprom; and 50 percent of the oil trading company Gunvor. Putin has obtained cash from Gunvor through an associate, Gennady Timchenko, one of those sanctioned by Treasury and described as “directly linked to Putin.”
Putin has spent the illicit funds since the early 2000s on luxury items, including 20 residences, 58 aircraft, and four yachts.
Putin controls the largest energy company in the world, Gazprom, which was set up in 1989 when all assets of the Soviet Union’s Ministry of Gas Industry were converted to a “private” concern. Through Gazprom, Putin has siphoned off cash from the company’s capital expenditures that in 2011 were estimated to be worth $52 billion. Corruption through Gazprom is known by the euphemism, according to the Russian opposition study, as “value detraction” and was estimated to be 70 percent of the capital expenditure.
Putin also cashed in through his links to the Russian-German firm Saint Petersburg Real Estate Holding Co., serving as a director and on its advisory board prior to becoming president. The company, known by its Russian acronym SPAG, has been linked to Russian and Colombian organized crime money laundering operations in Liechtenstein.
A key corruption vehicle for Putin is the Ozero Dacha Cooperative, a housing cooperative founded by Putin and his neighbors in 1996 that is located in a northern coastal suburb of St. Petersburg. Russia’s corrupt power elite under Putin has been dubbed the Ozero Cooperative Physicists Group. Ozero is Russian for lake.
One of the co-founders of the cooperative, Vladimir Yakunin, was sanctioned by Treasury and was identified as head of the state-owned Russian Railways company and was described as “a close confidant of Putin.” Yakunin is a key Putin financial contact and has set up a huge business empire outside Russia and is also a director at Gunvor.
The Putin-Gazprom connection was identified as connected to Sergei Fursenko, who is on the Treasury sanctions list. Fursenko is head of Gazprom Gas-Motor Fuel, a subsidiary of Gazprom, and was on Putin’s council for sports development. Andrei Fursenko, Sergei’s brother, also is a Putin associate, having helped start the Ozero cooperative and also working as head of two Russian ministries since 2002.
Russian planes intercepted near U.S., Canadian airspace
NATO Has Intercepted 26 Russian Jets In The Past Two Days
8 december. two CF-18s intercepted two Bears near the Beaufort Sea off Canada’s coast.
Putin’s personal banker and the official who knows the most about Putin’s illicit wealth and corruption was identified as Yuri Kovalchuk, who is the largest shareholder in Bank Rossiya, the sole institution hit by the Treasury sanctions. Kovalchuk controls the bank and was described by Treasury as one of Putin’s “cashiers.”
Putin is believed to have benefitted from another deal involving Vladimir Smirnov, who heads a nuclear export company called Techsnabexport that was linked by U.S. officials to the illicit export of polonium—the poison used by Russian intelligence to kill KGB defector Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. Smirnov, a SPAG director, was the beneficiary of a Putin decree in 1996 that gave his company, Petersburg Fuel Co., a monopoly over retail gasoline sales in the St. Petersburg, allowing him to amass a fortune. Smirnov’s partner in the gasoline business was Vladimir Kumarin, head of the Tambov Gang organized crime group.
U.S. official: Spy plane flees Russian jet, radar; ends up over Sweden
Two other key Putin cronies are Nikolai Patrushev, former head of the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, and currently head of Russia’s Security Council, the key policymaking body in the Kremlin; and Victor Cherkesov, a former KGB official who once headed Russia’s counter-drug agency. Cherkesov currently heads the Russian Federal Agency for the Procurement of Military and Special Equipment. Both Patrushev and Cherkesov are linked to Putin through the Ozero cooperative.
Another key figure in the Putin corruption network is Nikolai Shamalov, a major shareholder in Bank Rossiya who formerly owned what is called “Putin’s Palace,” a large residence on the Black Sea near Krasnodar. Shamalov’s son Yuri is president of Russia’s largest pension fund Gazfond, which was sold by Gazprom in 2006 to the SOGAZ Insurance Co. That fund was controlled by Bank Rossiya.
The Czech secret service has warned that there is an "extremely high" number of Russian agents operating out of the embassy in Prague
NATO has sent more than 100 intercepts against Russian aircraft to date in 2014
NATO also intercepted eight Russian aircraft over the North Sea on Oct 29
On Oct 29, NATO intercepted three separate groups of Russian fighters. Portuguese fighters that were part of the Baltic Air Policing Mission were scrambled to intercept at least seven Russian jets over the Baltic Sea. Simultaneously, Turkish fighters intercepted two Russian bombers and two fighters over the Black Sea.
Dutch fighter jets intercept 2 Russian bombers in their airspace
Poland has recently arrested Russian spies in October that were highly placed within the country.
Assassinated or killed Ukraine journalists: Vjatcheslav Veremii, Igor Kostenko, Vassili Sergienko, Andrea Roccelli, Andrei Mironov, Vladimir Marcichevski, Igor Korneljuk, Anton Vološhin, Anatoli Kljan, Andrei Stenin, Sergei Korenchenkov, Andrei Vjatchalo, Alexandr Kuchinsky
2014- Russian Ukraine war
2014 Russia annexes Ukraine's Crimea
2013- Dagestan Insurgency
2011- Involvement in Iraqi insurgency
2011- Involvment to Syrian civil war
2009- North Caucasus Insurgency
2007- War in Ingushetia
2000- Chechen Insurgency
1948- Involvement to Arab-Israeli Conflict