ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

 The Russian Navy recently launched its 4th Pr.0955 BOERI Class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), Count Vladimir (Князь Владимир). It was the first of the improved Pr.0955A (aka 09552)  BOREI-II  sub-variant. Original artwork – CLICK for HIGH-RESOLUTION image. The most visible difference from the baseline Pr.0955 is the western-style all-moving vertical rudders with endplates added to the hydroplanes. The towed sonar array tube has been moved from the top of the upper vertical rudder to the starboard side hydroplane: Another update is what appears to be a new flank array sonar running along the length of the missile compartment. This is likely a cylindrical tube buried in the double-hull: The ‘hump back’ covering the missile compartment has been faired in to present a smoother and more angled cross-section. This may slightly reduce active sonar returns. Despite reports that the missile load would be increased to 20, it appears to remain 16 RSM-56 Bulava SLBMs....

REUTERS/Erik De Castro Over 50,000 people are isolated in Syria’s area of At-Tanf controlled by the US-led coalition and its proxies. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the US side has given international organizations no access to the Rukban refugee camp to deliver aid. “Having closed a 55-kilometer zone around the US base at at-Tanf, the US force has created a territory where, according to various estimates, more than 50,000 people are staying in isolation. It is an unprecedented situation of long-lasting hindrance to humanitarian assistance to those in need. The refugee camp is deprived of the possibility to have enough food and professional medical assistance, to ensure classes to children,”  the ministry said in a statement, according to the Russian state-run news agency TASS. Syrian sources say that these people are de-facto hostages of the US-led forces and are used as a human shield to protext US-backed militants from the possible advance of the S...