MOSCOW, May 20 (RIA Novosti) – Western sanctions against Russia will not affect the Russian-German project to build an advanced training range for the Western Military District, a Russian deputy defense minister said on Tuesday.
“The current political situation will have absolutely no impact, the training range [is being completed] according to the schedule. There is absolutely no doubt that it would be built when expected,” Deputy Defense Minister Army Gen. Dmitry Bulgakov said.
Russia and Germany’s Rheinmetall AG, one of the largest European defense contractors, signed a deal in 2011 to build a military training range for 30,000 soldiers in Mulino, near Russia's Nizhny Novgorod. The construction, under a $138 million dollar contract, is due to be completed this year.
Media reports said earlier this year that Berlin earlier suspended cooperation with Moscow on the project.
The EU, US and Canada last month imposed targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and visa bans, on a number of senior Russian officials and businessmen whom the West accuses of involvement in Crimea's reunification with Russia. A number of Western officials have since been calling for even tougher sanctions on Russia.
