DW: Germany to send tanks to Russian border

Germany to send tanks to Russian border

Germany has confirmed it is sending Leopard 2 tanks to Lithuania as part of NATO plans to reinforce the Baltic states. But the presence is largely symbolic, since Russia is still militarily superior in the region.

Protecting Lithuania from Russia is to be Germany’s responsibility, according to the new NATO defense plans that emerged at this week’s summit in Brussels. The German Defense Ministry showed on Wednesday evening just how seriously it is taking this task, confirming to the DPA news agency that next year it will be sending Leopard 2 tanks to the Baltic country’s Russian border in addition to the 650 soldiers it had already promised – though it would not clarify how many.

The move is part of NATO’s wider plan to protect its Baltic members, who have all shown concern about Russian ambitions following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent war in eastern Ukraine.

A NATO battalion of around 1,000 soldiers will be stationed in Lithuania as of June next year, and will then be rotated every six months. Around 450 to 650 of these troops are to be supplied by the Bundeswehr, while the others will come from France, Belgium and Croatia. German media reported that the combat-trained unit will also be equipped with tanks, armored vehicles, snipers, and engineers.

Black October ’93: Tanks in Moscow, Blood on Streets (RT Documentary)

In October 1993, Russia was on the brink of civil war. Deputies from the Supreme Soviet of Russia — the main legislative body in the country – were on one side and President Boris Yeltsin and his supporters on the other. In decree 1400, the president proclaimed that the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation and its deputies were to discontinue their legislative, administrative and executive functions. The deputies responded with a decree removing Yeltsin from the Presidency. This resulted in two days of street fighting, hundreds dead and injured.

Watch more on RT’s documentary channel http://rtd.rt.com

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Heavy rains overflow barriers surrounding Fukushima water tanks

Heavy rains overflow barriers surrounding Fukushima water tanks

Water has overflowed at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is attempting to discern the quality of the water and possible radioactive substances which could have been spilled.

  TEPCO announced on Monday that the water overflowed in 12 areas  of the plant.

  Heavy rains caused water to flow over the barriers of an  artificial embankment which surrounds a dozen tanks of  radioactive water at the plant. TEPCO reported that liquid  containing a source of beta radiation was found beyond the  levees.  
  The company said the incident was “due to heavy rain in the  Tohoku region.” Company specialists are attempting to  identify the amount of leaked water and the radiation levels  present in the liquid.  
  Radioactivity levels in a well near a storage tank at the  Fukushima nuclear power plant have risen immensely, the plant’s  operator earlier reported, fueling ongoing concern about the  impact of radiation on the surrounding environment.  
  Last Wednesday, heavy rains brought with Typhoon Wipha caused  reservoirs for collecting rainwater to overflow. The natural  disaster was described by weather forecasters as the strongest in  a decade, leaving at least 17 people dead and 50 others missing  in its wake.  
  Workers at the Fukushima plant had to pump rainwater out of  protective containers surrounding approximately 1,000 tanks  holding radioactive water. It is thought that the heavy rains  lifted contaminated soil.  

Black October ’93: Tanks in Moscow, Blood on Streets (RT Documentary)

In October 1993, Russia was on the brink of civil war. Deputies from the Supreme Soviet of Russia — the main legislative body in the country – were on one side and President Boris Yeltsin and his supporters on the other. In decree 1400, the president proclaimed that the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation and its deputies were to discontinue their legislative, administrative and executive functions. The deputies responded with a decree removing Yeltsin from the Presidency. This resulted in two days of street fighting, hundreds dead and injured.

Watch more on RT’s documentary channel http://rtd.rt.com

RT LIVE http://rt.com/on-air