No Mistrals For Putin

Russian vessel Smolnyi leaving St Nazaire to return to Russia - Photo Bernard Grua SAINT-NAZAIRE, France, Dec 18 (NMFP) - A ship carrying the Russian sailors who have been training for months on a French-built Mistral helicopter carrier left the French port of Saint-Nazaire on Thursday, in a departure that seems to exclude the delivery of the Mistral to Russia. A few activists including Bernard Grua saw their ship, the Smolny, leave the Atlantic Ocean port and head out to sea. French media reported this week how many of the 400 sailors and 150 crew members had been stocking up with parcels of purchases at local retailers. The sailors arrived in late June at the shipyard to begin training on a first carrier, named Vladivostock, which France was due to deliver to Russia by the last quarter of 2014. Bon vent! as we say in French (used to express relieve when somebody you don't want to see leaves finally) A few pictures taken by Bernard Grua : Russian vessel S

Ouest France  posted pictures of the Russian  sailors going back to the Smolnyi with all their belongings. The departure would be for tomorrow Thursday 18th of December around 2pm French time, during the high tide. The sailors are doing a last shopping spree before final departure. The Mistral "Vladivostok", parked for now at the exit of the Louis Joubert dock should move and be located where the Smolnyi is since its arrival on the 6th of June. The information is classified and the French Defence Ministry turns down vehemently any requests to comment on it. According to the French newspaper "Ouest France" , the 400 russian sailors that have been training on the Mistral for the last six month in St Nazaire will leave France before the end of the year. This is a definitive departure and the sailors should be able to spend Christmas with their family. Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January in Russia according to the Christian Orthodox tradition. They wi

According to  Russia’s Gazeta.ru news website , dozens of Russian marines, together with officers and sailors from the country’s Pacific and Baltic Fleets, currently remain on board the warship, the website says, quoting a representative of the General Staff without disclosing his name. Russian Militaries on the deck of Mistral-class vessel Vladivostok The marines arrived at the “Vladivostok” warship back in September and were supposed to depart for Russia right after the delivery of the vessel. One of the Russians on board the Mistral-class carrier declared “We are fine; we lack neither food nor money. However, it looks like we are going to celebrate New Year here, although nobody knows for sure,”  but refused to discuss if there is any weaponry on board and whether they are allowed to use it if the situation gets worse. Former Russian naval commander Vladimir Masorin said the infantry came on board to protect it from attacks during the transitional period. Constan

Oil has cratered more than 42 percent from its June highs. WTI sank another 4.4 percent Wednesday to a fresh five-year low just shy of $61 per barrel, and Brent lost another 4 percent to $64.19 per barrel. Who is taking a dive and who benefits from it?

Russia Beyond the Headline reached 10,162 million readers around the world through its supplements in newspapers' hard copies in 2013. Everybody knows Russia Today is Kremlin's voice while most people ignore they are reading russian propaganda in supplements in the most famous newspapers' hard copies or that the newly created Sputnik news agency is to become the most influent propaganda machine. Researching everyday about the Mistral deal, we have come to know better the Russian propaganda news machine as we have to read it everyday to get its disinformation to better fight it. Here are the few things we learned and that are not often covered by the media: Russia Beyond the Headlines The most famous newspapers around the world regularly publish a supplement, Russia Beyond the Headlines (RBTH) directly financed by the Kremlin and designed to spread the russian vision of the world: The Washington Post (United States), The New York Times (United States), The Wall

In another step towards the non delivery of the Mistral, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian declared today that there is a possiblity that France will never go throught with the delivery of the Mistral-class ships.

While Russian media claim that postponing the delivery of the Mistral is putting 2500 jobs at stake, only 300 to 400 people are still working on the second Mistral which is finished at more than 60%. Thanks to new huge American orders for civil ships, St nazaire has no concerns about employment. In addition to that, nobody is asking to halt building it as even oponents to the deal are campaigning to finish building the Mistral and sell both war ships to a country that respects international laws. Russia broke the Budapest Memorandum signed in 1994 earlier this year when it annexed Crimea  [1] . RT twists information given by French newspapers While the French newspaper Le Figaro (that publishes once a week a free supplement financed by the Kremlin  [2] ) used a  misleading title in an article , it was at least offering the almost correct information that "hundreds of people are still working on building the second Mistral". The Russia Today version  volontaril

"No Mistrals for Putin" article "Financial Consequences Of The Mistral Deal For France: Better Cancel It!" written by Dimitri Halby has been presented on "Ukinform", the Ukrainan media agency: " Франция только выиграет от отмены "мистрального" контракта - эксперт " Франция выиграет, отменив российский контракт относительно «Мистралей», поскольку стоимость новых контрактов превысит объемы штрафных выплат. Об этом заявил международный эксперт, один из организаторов проекта «Нет «Мистралям» для Путина» Димитрий Альби, передает собственный корреспондент Укринформа. «Отмена контракта относительно «Мистралей» не будет иметь никакого влияния на Индию, которая намерена заключить контракт на приобретение 126 французских истребителей Rafale стоимостью 12 млрд евро, и откроет дверь для Франции принять участие и выиграть тендеры в Польше и Австралии еще на 29 млрд евро», - отметил специалист. По его мнению, Франция будет вынуждена

Canceling the Mistral deal will have no influence over India buying 126 Rafale aircrafts from France for 12 billion euros and would open doors for 29 billion euros tenders in Poland and Australia. On the other hand, France would have to refund 700 to 800 million euros already paid by Russia and pay a penalty of 251 million euros in case of non delivery. Do the maths... The last financial argument against cancelling the Mistral deal is out! For months now, Russian medias and its French supporter the far right party Front National (who recently received a loan from Russian banks ammounting to 9 million euros) have been spreading fear that India might/would reconsider buying 126 Rafale multirole fighter aircraft as France would appear as an unreliable partner. The main goal of this was of course to try to influence French people and have them on the side of the delivery. India: +12 billion euros The last declarations from Indian Defense spokesman Sitanshu Kar are showing that