Russian Space Troops Mark Anniversary

Excerpt from report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS

Krasnoznamensk (Moscow Region), 2 October: Celebrations of the approaching 47th anniversary of the Russian Space Troops were held in Krasnoznamensk outside Moscow today.

Taking part in the ceremony were Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Dmitriy Mezentsev, chief of the Federal Space Agency Anatoliy Perminov, commander of Strategic Missile Troops Nikolay Solovtsov, General Director of the Khrunichev scientific production association Aleksandr Medvedev and Commander-in-chief of Space Troops Col-Gen Vladimir Popovkin.

The Russian Space Troops are marking their anniversary on 4 October. [Passage omitted]

["Several generations of servicemen and civilian specialists in the Space Troops have made an enormous contribution to the exploration of near-Earth space and the strengthening of the country's defence capability and national security," according to a message from President Vladimir Putin quoted by ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1032 gmt 02 Oct 04. Putin voiced confidence that the Space Troops would continue "skilfully and effectively to perform their allotted tasks".]