Russian Forces Research Articles

Scenarios for Baltic Defence: What to Prepare Against

This article considers Baltic defence strategically, focusing on three scenarios of Russian aggression against the Baltic states: 1) an ambiguous invasion, what the West would call a hybrid war; 2) a hasty invasion by Russian formations already in and around the Baltic region; and 3) a prepared invasion by more substantial Russian forces brought within striking distance of the Baltic states from other parts of Russia. The ultimate question for each is: does this particular scenario present Russia with a viable strategy, a convincing theory of success? Each scenario is explored through the perspectives of military practice or tactics, then politics, and then synthesized through a strategic perspective. The article argues that neither the ambiguous invasion nor the hasty invasion scenarios provide convincing theories of success for Russia, whereas the prepared invasion does provide a compelling theory of victory.

The labor potential reproduction in depopulation period of 2019–2035 and the compensating role of migration

Purpose of the research. To examine the dynamics of reproduction of labor potential and labor supply in Russia for the period up to 2035, depending on the impact factors of its reproduction: generation change (changes in the proportion of cohort, entering and leaving at the age composition of the labor potential), fertility and mortality rates, migration balance in the individual age cohorts. Materials and methods. The concept of “replacement of generations” is introduced. The coefficient of replacement of generations is developed and its value for labor potential of Russia for the period up to 2035 is calculated. The influence of factors of natural population movement on the dynamics of labor potential is analyzed. The compensating role of the migration factor in the conditions of labor potential reduction is calculated. Russian regions were grouped according to the following criteria: the direction and intensity of changes in the working-age population in 2020–2035 and the proportion of young people aged 0–15 years. Results. – There will be the reduction and aging of labor potential during the second stage of depopulation due to demographic factors. – The decline in the working-age population in the second wave of depopulation is expected to be smaller than in the first wave. – In Russia there will be a decrease in the replacement of generations in the contingent of people of the working age. – The growth of Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the forecast period should not be expected, because until 2030 a gradual decrease in the number of women of reproductive age is expected. – The deepest failure in the population of the working age will be in 2020–2025 accounting for 1.7 million people according to the average variant of the forecast. – In the forecast period, the labor force in the most productive age of 25–39 years will decrease by 10.5 million people, and the employment rate will decrease from 65.5% to 63.5%. – Regional features of the formation of demand and supply of labor force in Russia cause the allocation of six homogeneous groups of regions. – In order to compensate for the losses, it is necessary to increase the migration gain in the average version of ROSSTAT forecast by 2–2.5 times. Conclusion. To meet the needs of the economy in the labor force in the forecast period, it is necessary to solve two interrelated tasks: compensation for the reduction of labor potential and ensuring the quality of labor potential necessary for the introduction of new technologies and digitalization of the economy. The unfavorable situation with the formation of labor resources is exacerbated by regional imbalances in the distribution of labor potential and differences in its quality across the country. In the future, migration is once again the only source of replenishment of labor potential and replacement of generations, despite the risks of quality losses due to the emigration of highly qualified persons and young people. It is necessary to take measures to increase the compensatory role of migration in the next five – six years. At the same time, migration policy measures should be considered in close conjunction with other measures to stimulate fertility and reduce mortality, ensuring a positive impact on the components of the population growth.

ANALYSIS OF MEDICAL AND STATISTICAL MEASURES OF MORBIDITY IN CONSCRIPTS OF THE NAVY AND GROUND FORCES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN 2003–2018

Relevance. The Navy of Russia and the Ground Forces of Russia recieve new kinds of weapons, hence high requirements to the somatic and mental health of the conscripts.Intention: To analyze morbidity in conscripts of the Russian Navy and the Ground Forces in 2003–2018. Methodology. A selective statistical analysis was performed using medical reports on the state of health of personnel and activities of the medical service according to Form 3 / MED in military units, in which about 60 % of the total number of conscripts of the Armed Forces of Russia served in 2003–2018. Commonly accepted medical and statistical morbidity indicators were analyzed by disease categories of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Problems, 10th revision.Results and Discussion. The average annual morbidity rates were (1833.3 ± 84.9) ‰ in conscripts of the Russian Navy and (2008.,0 ± 102.4) ‰ in conscripts of the Russian Ground Forces; primary morbidity rates were (1019.9 ± 54,8) and (1014.0 ± 79.2) ‰, respectively; the need for case follow up was (166.5 ± 19.0) and (128.2 ± 8.1) ‰, respectively; hospital admissions were (968.5 ± 71.3) and (1033.5 ± 89.6) ‰, respectively; work days lost (13,166 ± 7.99) and (11,104 ± 595) ‰, respectively (p < 0.01); dismissal rates were (33.38 ± 1.79) and (18.28 ± 1.66) ‰, respectively; mortality rates were (24.87 ± 5.12) and (50.67 ± 7.84) per 100 thou sand conscripts of the respective cohort (p < 0.05). With determination coefficients of various significance, the polynomial trends show an increase in primary and general morbidity, hospital admissions and work days lost, as well as decrease in dismissal rates and mortality rates. The trends in almost all morbidity types are moderately and statistically significantly consistent, suggesting the influence of uniderectional factors, for example, military professional ones. There is a functional consistency between mortality trends in Russian male population aged 20–24 and conscripts of the Russian Navy and Ground Forces (r = 0.83 and 0.87; p < 0.001), thus suggesting the influence of uniderectional factors, for example, of macro social, behavioural or other nature. In the co horts of conscripts under study, the leading disease categories from military epidemiological point of view were similar: respiratory diseases (ICD 10 category X) ranked 1st; injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (XIX) ranked 2nd; mental and behavioural disorders (V) ranked 3rd; diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (XII) ranked 4th; diseases of the digestive system (XI) ranked 5th. In conscripts, the leading diseases from military epidemiological point of view were as follows: acute respiratory infections of the upper respiratory tract (J00–J06 by ICD 10); head injuries (S00–S09); injuries to unspecified part of trunk, limb or body region (T00–T07); diseases of oesophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20–К31). In the Navy conscripts, neurotic and stress related and somatoform disorders (F40–F48) played an important role; in conscripts of the Ground Forces, infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00–L08).Conclusion. Prevention, timely treatment and rehabilitation will help improve the health status of conscripts. Taking into account the rates and structure of morbidity will optimize allocation of resources the medical service of the Armed Forces of Russia.

Внешний облик русской сухопутной армии в Русско-японской войне 1904-1905 гг. в свидетельствах корреспондентов немецкоязычных изданий

Внешний облик русской сухопутной армии в Русско-японской войне 1904-1905 гг. в свидетельствах корреспондентов немецкоязычных изданий

Storage, access and protection of full genome sequencing data in Russia and foreign countries: practical aspect.

The relevance of the chosen topic is due to the need to resolve legal problems in the field of observance of human and civil rights and freedoms when storing, accessing and protecting full genome sequencing data. The purpose of this study is the formation of conceptual criteria on the basis of which a new model of regulatory regulation of this sphere of public relations will be built. To achieve this goal, the tasks of studying the regulatory legal acts in force in Russia and a number of foreign countries were solved. General scientific, private-scientific and special methods of scientific knowledge (system-structural, formal-legal) were used. In order to formulate conceptual criteria of practical importance for storing access and protecting genome-wide sequencing data in Russia and foreign countries, it was proposed to develop clarifying characteristics or gradation of human and civil rights and freedoms in the context of realization of public state interests. It is also necessary to unify the content of the conceptual apparatus of normative acts taking into account the peculiarities of genetic information, work out the procedure for accessing data, and provide for a system of its depersonification. For the first time, the authors substantiate the need to transform the content of the human rights declared by the state to life, freedom, personal and family secrets, and others with the development of new technologies in the field of DNA scanning. The basic criteria that are of practical importance for the storage, access and protection of genome-wide sequencing data indicate the need to improve normative concepts, establish categories of persons with the right to access such data, normatively fix the conditions for observing an anonymous survey, and also refuse to get acquainted with the results , to develop mechanisms for the depersonification of the obtained genetic information).

Russian Expeditionary Force in memory and commemoration: comparative case-study of Soviet Russia and Russian emigration in France

ABSTRACT The interest in Russian memory of the First World War grew significantly in the last ten years. Karen Petrone’s breakthrough book The Great War in Russian Memory has done a remarkable service to the field by examining the war remembrance practices that existed in the Soviet Union, but at the same time, it has opened new perspectives for the following research. By looking closely at the commemoration of the Russian Expeditionary Force in Russia and in France (predominantly by the Russian émigrés) this paper analyses the mechanisms of the memory shaping used to create two strikingly different history narratives of an episode of Russian history. Though a minor military force, the REF was a significant political gesture that later was relatively widely recalled in Russia and in France, thus leaving a substantial amount of various historical sources to conduct a comparative case-study. This research explores different ‘sites of memory’ created within two different narratives of the REF history: cemetery of Russian Soldiers in Champagne, used by the Russian émigrés to underline Russia’s loyalty to the Allied cause; and memoirs of the REF soldiers published in USSR in 1919–1961, focusing on the opposition of the Russian soldiers to the French attempts to send them back to the front. It argues that despite all the differences, both in France and in Soviet Russia the story of the REF was used as an argument in a much broader discussion about Russia’s place in European history. The example of the REF shows that the First World War was perceived within the framework of the broader questions it has posed not only by the Russian émigrés and the former Allies, but by the Bolsheviks as well.

Professional responsibility of russian aerospace forces officer: content structural analysis

Professional responsibility of russian aerospace forces officer: content structural analysis

Russia’s Hybrid Warfare against Ukraine in 1917—1921 and 2014—2019 and Ukrainian Governments’ Activities for Overcoming the Results of the Aggression

The article discloses key ways and methods of conducting hybrid wars by the communist Russia against Ukrainian governments during the Ukrainian revolution period, and by the Russian Federation in the territories of Crimea and Donbas since 2014. At the present stage, the development of mass media contributed to the emergence of the hybrid warfare as a political phenomenon. These wars, aimed at the liquidation of the Ukrainian statehood, used separatist movements. The status of the hybrid warfare stipulated preservation of diplomatic relations. During the information war, Bolsheviks successfully used propaganda for disseminating their ideology to succeed in military actions. The “fifth column” had also significantly contributed to the victory and inculcation of the Bolshevist order, facilitating the advance of Russian forces and success in the war campaign. Nevertheless, Central Council, Ukrainian State of Pavlo Skoropadskyi, and the UPR Directorate undertook steps to alleviate the political, propagandistic, financial, and cultural communistic pressure. The members of the Ukrainian governments of 1917–1921 considered Ukrainian national idea the core of counteraction and consolidation of the Ukrainian nation. Ideological paradigms of the Russian Federation’s hybrid warfare in Donbas and annexation of Crimea stemmed from the propaganda of the “Russian world” idea. Unfortunately, the information impact of V. Putin’s ideology on the Ukrainian society is well-thought and planned. International law considers hybrid warfare beyond any international norms and conventions.

АНЕКСІЯ КРИМУ РОСІЄЮ:

У статті досліджено події, які передували анексії Криму і відбувались під час захоплення півострову Російською Федерацією у 2014 році. 
 Проаналізовано причини вторгнення російських військових в Україну. Наведено аргументи політиків стосовно того, що завадило організувати військовий опір з початку російської агресії. 
 Визначено наслідки анексії Криму. Окреслено перспективи подальших відносин України з Росією, виявлені загрози ескалації конфлікту.

Problem Aspects of the Application of Forest and Water Legislation in Russia

The article describes the current environmental legislation in Russia, the effectiveness of which is generally evaluated as low. The author of the article sees the main reason for such a situation in the absence of a federal specialized executive body in the environmental sphere, which would be directly interested in the development of environmental law. It is emphasized that the current increase in the number of environmental laws, as a rule, does not entail an improvement in environmental affairs. This is largely due to the insufficient elaboration of the mechanism for the implementation of various legal norms reflecting issues of compliance, use, application and punishment for violations in the environmental sphere, as well as due to the lack of effective levers that would encourage enterprises to introduce environmental protection measures. This, in particular, convincingly confirms the current situation in the field of forestry and water management, by the example of which the main problematic aspects of the application of forest and water legislation are analyzed. It is shown that the adoption of editions of the Water (2006) and Forest (2007) codes not only did not improve the situation in the field of water and forest management, but also greatly aggravated the existing and gave rise to new problems. The consequences of serious gaps in forest and water law are disclosed and measures are proposed for the development of environmental legislation in force in Russia.

International failure in northwest Syria: humanitarian health catastrophe demands action

The 9-year conflict in Syria has resulted in one of the worst humanitarian crises of our generation, with more than 11·7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria, 11·3 million in need of health assistance, and 6·2 million internally displaced within Syria. 1 UNHCRSyria Operational Update, January–May 2019. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/UNHCR%20Syria%27s%20Operational%20update%20May%202019.pdfDate: 2019 Date accessed: July 1, 2019 Google Scholar In one of the worst onslaughts of the conflict to date, Syrian Government and Russian forces have intensified their ground shelling and airstrikes in northwest Syria since early April, 2019. This area contains an estimated 3 million people of whom 1·3 million are internally displaced people, 2 UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsSyria: situation report 1: recent developments in Northwestern Syria (as of May 10, 2019). https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/syria-situation-report-1-recent-developments-north-western-syria-10-mayDate: 2019 Date accessed: July 1, 2019 Google Scholar who have already been displaced from other parts of Syria such as Aleppo and Eastern Ghouta by previous government offensives; the most severely affected area is in the southernmost part of the demilitarised zone of Idlib province. To date, 380 casualties, including 91 children, have been reported in Idlib; with 27 deaths, including 11 children, in just 1 day on June 10, 2019. 3 Studer S 27 civilians killed in Assad-Putin airstrikes in Syria's Idlib region. Action on Armed Violence. https://aoav.org.uk/2019/27-civilians-killed-in-assad-putin-airstrikes-in-syrias-idlib-region/Date: June 11, 2019 Date accessed: June 27, 2019 Google Scholar These attacks echo prior campaigns by government forces to retake territory through inflicting a heavy civilian price. 4 Jabbour S Fouad FM Leaning J et al. Death and suffering in Eastern Ghouta, Syria: a call for action to protect civilians and health care. Lancet. 2018; 391: 815-817 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (6) Google Scholar However, this offensive is even more catastrophic as civilians are trapped between the closed Turkish border and are unable to return to other parts of Syria with guarantees of their safety. On June 27, 2019, 11 humanitarian organisations warned of the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Idlib, with 3 million lives in danger, including 1 million children. 5 UN NewsSyria's Idlib “on the brink” of a nightmare, humanitarian chiefs warn, launching global solidarity campaign. UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/06/1041471Date: June 27, 2019 Date accessed: July 1, 2019 Google Scholar

Sravnitel´noe stikhovedenie: metrika i ritmika by E. V. Kazartsev (review)

Sravnitel´noe stikhovedenie: metrika i ritmika by E. V. Kazartsev (review)

Analysis of medical and statistical measures of morbidity in officers of the Navy and Ground Forces of the Russian Federation in 2003–2018

Relevance. Professional activities of the officers of the Navy of Russia and the Ground Forces of Russia are obviously different. Due to autonomous combat missions, medical support for the officers of the Russian Navy is quite specific, with high requirements to the health status of the navy personnel.Intention. To analyze morbidity of officers of the Russian Navy and the Ground Forces in 2003–2018.Methodology. A selective statistical analysis was performed using medical reports on the state of health of personnel and activities of the medical service according to Form 3 / MED in military units, in which about 60% of the total number of officers of the Armed Forces of Russia served in 2003–2018. Commonly accepted medical and statistical morbidity indicators were analyzed by disease categories of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Problems, 10th revision.Results and Discussion. The average annual morbidity rates for Russian Navy officers were (918.9 ± 35.3) and (1014.0 ± 79.2) ‰ for the Russian Navy and Ground Forces officers, respectively; primary morbidity rates were (351.0 ± 9.2) and (473.5 ± 38.0) ‰, respectively (p < 0.01); the need for case follow-up was (151.0 ± 9.1) and (114.2 ± 9.2) ‰, respectively (p <0.05); hospital admissions (236.5 ± 11.1) and (194.6 ± 17.8) ‰, respectively; work days lost (4997 ± 183) and (4180 ± 354) ‰, respectively; dismissal rates (15.90 ± 1.36) and (12.27 ± 2.72) ‰, respectively; mortality rates were (102.53 ± 5.95) and (138.35 ± 9.49) per 100 thousand officers of the respective cohort (p < 0.01). The trends in almost all morbidity and mortality types are not consistent, which may indicate the influence of various factors, for example, military-professional ones. The consistency of the trends of dismissal rates is moderate and statistically significant (r = 0.56; p <0.05), which indicates the influence of unidirectional factors, possibly organizational ones. When assessing the military-epidemiological significance of disase categories, the following diseases ranked first: acute respiratory infections of the upper respiratory tract (J00 – J06 by ICD-10), coronary heart disease (I20 – I25), hypertensive diseases (I10 – I15), diseases of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20 – K31). In the Russian Navy officers, the leading 10 disease categories included malignant neoplasms (C00 – C80), obesity and other hyperalimentation (E65 – E68); other acute respiratory infections of the lower respiratory tract (J20 – J22), infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00 – L08).Conclusion. Prevention, timely treatment and rehabilitation will help improve the health status of officers. Taking into account the rates and structure of morbidity will optimize allocation of resources the medical service of the Armed Forces of Russia.

Airfild evacuation center: experience of the interaction between the medical service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the Disaster Medicine Service and the Ambulance Service

Relevance. One of the important tasks in the provision of emergency medical care to victims of the mass-causalty incident is a medical triage in order to determine the priority of medical care and the priority of medical evacuation.Intention. To work out issues of interaction between the medical service of the Armed Forces of Russia, the Disaster Medicine Service and the Ambulance Service.Methodology. The program of the 16th All-Russian Congress “Ambulance 2017”, tactical and special exercises on the deployment of airfield evacuation center were included as a training and demonstration event . According to the plan of the exercise, several mass-causalty areas resulted from terrorist attacks along the border of the Leningrad Region.Results and discussion. To accomplish the tasks, an evacuation center was deployed with a capacity of up to 200 wounded and sick per day, evacuation capability of 32 stretcher wounded, and 4 h deployment time. During the exercise, non-invasive screening studies to proactively diagnose intracranial hematomas (portable infrared scanner), tension pneumothorax, hemopericardium, intrapleural and intra-abdominal bleeding (portable US device using FAST protocol), acute blood loss (portable laboratory analyzer) were performed in addition to standard examinations. To determine the priority of medical evacuation of victims, an improved Revised Trauma Score (RTS) scale with user-friendly software for Android mobile devices (smartphone, tablet) was used. In case of mass-causalty event and a shortage of specialized sanitary transport, those who needed urgent specialized medical care were transferred from an evacuation center via radial evacuation to specialized medical organizations subordinated to the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Health and the subjects of Russia.Conclusion. The feasibility of deploying an airfield evacuation center to eliminate the health effects of emergencies was determined by potential discrepancy between evacuation capacities of air transport and ambulances, on one hand, and the need to temporarily accommodate (including isolation) and provide emergency health care to victims.

The organizational forms of preventive activities in population

The concept of health progression through treatment of patient received no justification as significant deterioration of population health in last years is an obvious evidence. The practical medicine is to be focused on both ill and healthy people. The characteristics of modern structure of morbidity and mortality in Russia force to admit priority of caring health of healthy people. In the post-Soviet period the existed then system of preventive care of schoolchildren, representatives of main professions and groups of population factually was destroyed. This kind of activities is to be restored in medical sanitary units. However, the analysis of practice of clinical examination revealed the presence of a number of organizational and methodological costs that decreases efficiency of applied resources does not allow to fully achieve established goals. The article presents analysis of dispensarization of population in the Russian Federation and evaluation of efficiency of functioning of the Health Centers. The experience of youth-friendly clinics is evaluated. The organizational structure of preventive work at the level of primary medical sanitary care and its interaction with specialized services in health care.

Comparative analysis of medical and statistical indicators of morbidity in the military serving under contract in the Navy and Land Forces of Russia (2003–2018)

Relevance. When solving military-professional tasks during the period of reforming the Armed Forces of Russia, military servicemen under contract (sergeants, foremen, privates and sailors) are given a special role, and in a number of units they must replace conscripts.Intention To analize medical and statistical morbidity indicators of military personnel under contract in the Navy and the Land Forces of Russia.Methods. We studied medical reports on the state of health of personnel and medical service activity according to Form 3 / MED of military units, in which about 60% of the total number of servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces served from 2003 to 2018. Morbidity indicators were correlated with the International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems, 10th revision (ICD-10).Results and Discussion. As a rule, the military personnel under contract in the Russian Navy had lower morbidity rates with high dismissal rates. In particular, the indicators were as follows: the average annual overall morbidity rates were (855.0 ± 65.3) and (946.9 ± 49.7) ‰ in the military personnel under contract in the Russian Navy and in the Land Forces of Russia, respectively; primary incidence, (384.8 ± 19.3) and (472.0 ± 22.8) ‰, respectively (p < 0.01); need for follow-up, (92.8 ± 9.9) and (74.3 ± 4.7) ‰, respectively; hospital admission rates, (205.8 ± 39.2) and (235.2 ± 13.2) ‰, respectively; working days lost, (4,038 ± 203) and (3.944 ± 196) ‰, respectively; dismissal rates, (6.82 ± 0.57) and (4.40 ± 0.61) ‰, respectively (p < 0.01); mortality rates, (112.13 ± 9.91) and (111.76 ± 7.80) per 100,000 military personnel under contract. It is possible that this phenomenon was determined by the peculiarities of professional activity, the organization of medical support and the high demands placed on the state of health of the Russian Navy servicemen. A significant part of the leading disease blocks with a share of 0.5% or more in the structure of medical and statistical morbidity indicators, were similar between the military personnel under contract in the Navy of Russia and the Land Forces of Russia. In the structure of the assessed military-epidemiological significance of disease blocks among the military personnel under contract of the Russian Navy, acute infections of the upper respiratory tract (J00– 06 by ICD-10) ranked 1st, diseases of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20–K31) ranked 2nd, followed by injuries involving several areas of the body (T08–T14), head injuries (S00–S09), ischemic heart disease (I20–I25). In the military personnel under contract in the Land Forces of Russia, these were the following diseases, from the most to least significant: acute infections of the upper respiratory tract (J00–J06), injuries involving several areas of the body (T08–T14), head injuries (S00–S09), diseases of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20–K31), and infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00–L08).Conclusion. Prevention of the leading groups of disaeses will contribute to improving the health status of servicemen under contract, and taking data on morbidity into account will help organize diagnostic and treatment assistance and optimize the personnel and material resources of military medical organizations.

Certain Aspects of Employing the Airborne Forces in Russia's Arctic Zone

Certain Aspects of Employing the Airborne Forces in Russia's Arctic Zone

SELECTION OF THE COMPUTATIONAL MODEL OF WIND FLOW IN THE PROBLEMS OF COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL AND CIVIL ENGINEERING AERODYNAMICS IN ACCORDANSE WITH REGULATORY AND TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS

An overview of the main directions of numerical simulation of problems of architectural and civil engineering aerodynamics based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is presented. The main advantages of numerical simulation in comparison with traditional methods of aero-physical modeling in wind tunnels are highlighted. The basic principles of numerical simulation of wind loads and actions on buildings and structures are outlined. In modern practice, numerical modeling by finite volume method is used with the decomposition of the velocity of the turbulent wind flow into the average and pulsation component within the averaged by Reynolds solution of Navier-Stokes equations using the semi-empirical turbulence model k-ш SST. In practice, the problem of the legitimate (in accordance with the requirements of building codes) selection of a computational model of wind flow is very important. This is equivalent to the assignment of boundary conditions within numerical simulation. The computational model of the wind, presented in the Russian building codes, requires additions to solve the problems of numerical simulation of architectural and civil engineering aerodynamics. A detailed comparison of the computational models of wind flow in Russian and foreign building codes is carried out. The following wind flow parameters are analyzed: the profile of the average wind speed, the profile of the intensity of turbulence, the profile of the scale of turbulence. A table of correspondence of terrain types according to the classification of Russian and foreign codes is proposed. The possibility of determining the parameters of the computational wind flow model based on the joint use of building codes in force in Russia and Belarus is shown. A set of measures is proposed with the goal of creating a regulatory and technical environment for the practical application of computational architectural and civil engineering aerodynamics in real design.

Amicus Curiae Brief to the Russian Constitutional Court on the Right to be Forgotten

This expert opinion was submitted to Russia’s Constitutional Court in case No. 1244/15-01/2019 in case referenced as 'By appeal of attorney-at-law Sarkis Darbinyan acting on behalf of SOVA Center for Information and Analysis (SOVA) with respect to its challenge of Law No. 149-FZ About regulating the right to be forgotten'. The case concerns so-called ‘right to be forgotten’ in context of articles on hate crimes that have been removed from Google search results. In 2016, a ‘Right to be Forgotten’ Law entered into force in Russia that restricts free flow of information online by enabling Russian citizens to request that search engines delist links about them. The only requirement is that information is “inaccurate and outdated” or “has lost meaning to applicant due to subsequent events.” The law provides a limited exception for information relating to criminal offences, where conviction has not been quashed or removed from official record. The law has allegedly been used by Russian public officials to remove online content addressing their misconduct and/or corruption. In 2017, a court ordered Yandex to remove links to articles concerning a Swiss investigation into money laundering that led to a temporary freeze on her bank accounts totalling $61 million, which it said defamed dignity and business reputation of former minister of agriculture Elena Skrynik. That same year, a St Petersburg court ordered Russian search engine Yandex to remove search results regarding businessman Ilya Kligman that linked him with allegations of corruption because they did not result in a criminal conviction. This law was challenged before Constitutional Court of Russian Federation by SOVA Center for Information and Analysis, a Moscow-based non-profit that publishes news releases on news related to radical nationalism, hate crime, and counter-responses; and maintains a public database that records incidents of hate crimes and convictions for extremism. As part of this news coverage, SOVA published two articles in 2006 and 2008 about convictions for hate crimes. The first incident covered convictions of Yuri Shchebyetuk and Alexei Ershov for beating an Angolan national. The second related to conviction of 8 individuals for supporting neo-Nazism, including Yuri Shchebyetuk. In 2016, Google notified SOVA that it had received a request to de-list those two articles. Google did not disclose source of request, since search engines are forbidden from disclosing this information. ARTICLE 19 submitted an expert opinion to support SOVA’s challenge of law. ARTICLE 19’s brief argues that law violates Russian Federation’s obligation to comply with international and European freedom of expression standards for following reasons: - The law fails to provide basic safeguards necessary to protect right to freedom of expression, particularly exceptions for personal information that is in public interest and/or concerns public figures. - Furthermore, law lacks critical procedural safeguards, including right of linked-to sites to be notified that a request for delisting has been made regarding their content, and a requirement that search engines publish transparency reports containing sufficiently detailed information about nature, volume and outcome of requests. - Finally, law is overly broad because it requires search engines to potentially take action in relation to any domain name on Internet, rather than limiting its scope to .ru domain names.

THE INFLUENCE OF RUSSIAN MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN THE WAR IN SYRIA

The Russian military intervention in Syria, conducted between September 2015 and March 2016, was one of the crucial moments in the Middle East conflict which has evolved since 2011. It not only prevented the collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad but also enabled the initiative to be taken by the Syrian Arab Army. The simultaneous conducting of two military operations by the Russian army, i.e. the Russian involvement in both Ukraine and the Middle East, requires thorough investigations into the course of these operations. Such investigations may provide answers to a number of questions which appear of key importance to Poland, e.g., regarding Russia’s logistic and technological abilities to conduct military operations outside its territory, the military outcomes of the Russian intervention, and the potential social opposition to the human losses sustained by Russia as a result of such interventions. Considering the above, the aim of this article is to outline the Russian military intervention in Syria, and its influence on the course of the war. Special attention was paid to such issues as the causes behind the Russian intervention, the situation on the Syrian war frontlines prior to this intervention, the Russian forces engaged and the resources intended for this military operation, as well as its outcome.