$6.4mln spent to build helipad for Putin’s Mi-8 in KremlinMay 18, 2013 - 09:42 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Construction of a helicopter pad for President Vladimir Putin’s Mi-8 in the Kremlin cost almost 200 million rubles (about $6.4 mln), the Kremlin chief property manager, Vladimir Kozhin, said. “About 200 million rubles was spent to finance all construction stages, including land survey works, modeling and landscaping,” Kozhin told reporters, according to RIA Novosti. “This pad will be used primarily by the Russian president,” he said, adding that it could occasionally receive helicopters flying high-ranking foreign guests from the Vnukovo airport. The use of the helipad, located in the Kremlin's Tainitsky Garden close to exterior walls, will not harm the host of historical monuments that make part of the Kremlin’s architectural ensemble, Kozhin said. Putin announced last year that he would use a helicopter to get to work and work more from his residence outside Moscow after Muscovites complained that his motorcade was causing traffic jams in the capital already plagued by heavy traffic. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev began commuting by helicopter to his office at the government headquarters downtown Moscow a few months ago for the same reason. Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said earlier that the Russian president will use modified Mil Mi-8MTV-1 transport helicopter, although he did not specify how often Putin will commute by air. The Rossiya airline, which caters to the Russian leadership, operates two Augusta-Westland AW-139 helicopters in addition to Mi-8s. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |