Russia Shows Off Military Might in 2019 Calendar Photos With Guns, Missiles and More
The Russian army has released a 2019 calendar showing off troops, equipment and more in a 12-part feature promoting the country's armed forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry released its official 2019 calendar on Tuesday, alongside a dozen military photos corresponding with the months of the year, and made the images available directly through its official website. The pictures were accompanied by some tongue-in-cheek captions that caught the attention of both local and international media.
January showcased an image of a Topol-M nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile mobile launcher driving in the snow with a caption that read, "Delivering cargo to any part of the world," as translated by the state-run RT channel. Next up, February featured another staple of the Russian nuclear triad, the Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber, dubbed Bear by the U.S.-led NATO Western military alliance.
"Russian bears don't hibernate in winter," the caption stated.
Four Russian cadets, one of whom has her gaze fixed off-camera, were seen for March 2019, with a caption that revealed, "Locking eyes is Kremlin's secret weapon." April featured "Russian snowdrops" in the form of two troops donning gas masks and holding Kalashnikov assault rifles while training in wintery conditions.
In May, two young uniformed Russian girls marched next to the caption "Preparing for a 2033 Victory Day parade," in reference to the annual May 9 celebration of Nazi Germany's surrender in 1945, at the end of World War II, and usually marked with a massive military parade in Moscow. June showed a group of Russian soldiers inspecting their weapons, or, as the caption stated, "Soundcheck before concert."
July's missile silo was referred to as "Tough Russian electric waffle maker," and August's calendar bragged that "Russian aces can make even crocodiles fly" as it depicted a Mil Mi-24 attack helicopter, nicknamed the Crocodile due to its green camouflage color scheme. September's profile features a Russian soldier pointing her rifle toward the camera, with text that proclaimed, "Some women will blow you away."
Upon reaching October, viewers were greeted with a soldier holding a PK-style machine gun, known as PC in Russian. The soldier was called "an advanced PC user." Other soldiers featured in November operate a man-portable anti-tank guided missile accompanied by the phrase "Cornet isn't a rank, cornet is a calling," in reference to the officer rank of the same name within the former Russian Imperial Army.
The final image was a December display of "New Year's lights and fireworks" actually made up of tracer fire and light trails left behind by missile launches.
The Russian armed forces have sought new and advanced weaponry as a countermeasure to the United States, whose massive global military presence has been viewed with deep skepticism in Moscow. Washington has also accused the Kremlin of interfering in foreign affairs, leading to political standoffs that have threatened to dismantle Cold War-era arms control treaties.
The U.S. and Russia have accused one another of violating the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, which bans the deployment of land-based missile systems ranging from 310 to 3,400 miles. The White House has announced its intention to leave the landmark agreement. Meanwhile, Russia has threatened to target any new U.S. ballistic missile systems in Europe, while taking additional security measures of its own.
Moscow has also said that Washington refused to begin negotiations to renew the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) that limits the two countries' nuclear arsenals.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has criticized the U.S. for a lack of communication on geopolitical issues, warning Monday that a conflict was possible if "the price of an error or misunderstanding becomes fatal."
