The St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Security Service (FSB) has blocked a channel for the supply of explosives and electrical detonators from Europe to Russia intended for terrorist acts, the FSB said, as reported by Tass. The material, it said in a statement, was transported in several shipments from Italy and Germany hidden in cavities of car parts.
Russia and Iran begin military drill in Caspian Sea
A joint naval military exercise involving Iran and Russia, as well as other littoral states, namely Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, began in the Caspian Sea this morning. The exercise, called ‘Casarex24’, aims to strengthen regional cooperation and improve the readiness of the participating states in conducting search and rescue operations, Mehr reports. Among the Iranian vessels taking part in the exercise are the Paykan, Joshan, Derafsh and Separ missile boats, two AB 212 helicopters and a naval unit of the Revolutionary Guards called Martyr Basir. “These states do not tolerate the presence of extra-regional countries in this region,” Admiral Abbas Hassani said, according to IRNA, introducing the exercise and announcing that it will last four days.