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Russia’s flagship cruiser has re-entered the Black Sea for weapons tests hours after the Russian military complained about the presence of US and other Nato naval ships near the Georgian coast.

The ’Moskva’ had led a battle group of Russian naval vessels stationed off the coastline of Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia during Russia’s recent conflict with Georgia and sank smaller Georgian craft.

The assistant to the Russian Navy’s commander-in-chief told Russian news agencies the cruiser had put to sea again two days after returning to its base at the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol.

“’Moskva’ has today departed toward the Black Sea Fleet’s naval training range to check its radio-controlled weapons and onboard communications systems,” Captain Igor Dygalo was quoted as saying by Interfax.

The Russian navy’s press office was unable to confirm his comments when contacted by Reuters.

The presence of so many ships from Nato countries earlier drew the ire of a Russian military spokesman during a daily media briefing on the conflict.

“The fact that there are nine Western warships in the Black Sea cannot but be a cause for concern. They include two US warships, one each from Spain and Poland, and four from Turkey,” Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of the Russian military’s General Staff said.

On Sunday, the US guided missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived with aid including camp beds, bedding, tents and mobile kitchen units, the US Defence Department spokesman Bryan. Whitman said.

Separately, the US Coast Guard cutter Dallas has been dispatched with aid, while a third vessel, the Navy command ship USS Mount Whitney, is being loaded in Italy with humanitarian supplies for Georgia, he said.

The Nato ships in the Black Sea are carrying more than 100 ’Tomahawk’ cruise missiles, with more than 50 onboard the USS McFaul alone that could hit ground targets, reported RIA news agency, quoting unnamed sources in Russian military intelligence.

Russia test-fires Topol missile

Pravda
August 28, 2008

Russia’s strategic and space troops successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile Topol (RS12M). The missile is designed to avoid detection by anti-missile defense systems. The launch was performed at 2:36 p.m. Moscow time from Plesetsk space port, RIA Novosti reports.
The missile successfully covered the distance of almost 6,000 kilometers and hit a hypothetical target on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

“The missile warhead accurately hit the hypothetical target, having thereby exercised its ability to strike pinpoint targets,” a senior spokesman for Russia’s strategic missile troops, Alexander Vovk said in a statement.

Russia previously tested the Topol (RS12M) ballistic missile on December 8, 2007.

The development of the Topol missile complex started in 1977, the first tests were carried out in 1983. The complex is capable of hitting targets at a distance of over 10,000 kilometers.

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Putin Talks Of Black Sea Confrontation
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4622422.ece

Russia’s Warships Arrived in Abkhazia
http://www.kommersant.com/p-13138/Abkhazia_warship/