TODAY: Communists gather 2,000 supporters; the precariousness of the armed forces; could base closure spell trouble for Russia? Eyes watching for any militarization of the Arctic. Belarus and the EU; World Chechnya Day.

The Communist Party reportedly gathered over 2,000 supporters in central Moscow yesterday to protest military reforms and call for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s dismissal.  The Telegraph looks at the possibility of Vladimir Putin losing the support of the armed forces, suggesting that ‘a growing number of disgruntled servicemen, including senior officers, are making contact with Russian opposition groups for the first time since he came to power in 2000’.  Many in the non-commissioned ranks reportedly live in dire conditions, but another threat are the 200,000 ex-officers who lost their jobs when the military was downsized.  Does the closure of the US military base in Kyrgyzstan mean Russia is ‘inviting trouble’ in a volatile region, both by opening itself to security risks and aligning itself with an unpopular regime?  Meanwhile the head of the Russian armed forces says the country is ‘watching‘ developments in the Arctic and will respond to any attempts to militarize the territory.