Russia has formally ended the broadcasting of the BBC World Service on Russian FM Radio, in the latest spat between the two nations. Bolshoye Radio, which had broadcast the World Service on its frequency, claimed its licence did not permit the company to redistribute the BBC's programming which the Company Spokesman referred to as "foreign propaganda"... 

Quote: "Bolshoye Radio's parent company, financial group Finam, said their license did not allow them to retransmit BBC's programs and the station will instead focus on originally produced material. Company spokesman Igor Ermachenkov said management made the decision on its own without outside interference. "It's no secret that the BBC was established as a broadcaster of foreign propaganda," Ermachenkov told The Associated Press.

Tensions between Russia and Britain have been high of late, following British demands that Russia extradite a businessman wanted for the death of Alexander Litivinenko, a former KGB agent who died of radioactive poisoning last year. Last month Russian bombers approached Scotland, and were only turned back when British aircraft were scrambled to intercept them. Today President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia intends to resume regular long range flights into foreign airspace in order to ensure the security of the Russian Federation...

Quote: ""We have decided to restore flights by Russian strategic aviation on a permanent basis," Putin told reporters after inspecting joint military exercises with China and four Central Asian states in Russia's Ural mountains. "Today, August 17 at 00:00 hours, 14 strategic bombers took to the air from seven airfields across the country, along with support and refuelling aircraft ... From today such patrols will be carried out on a regular basis. "We hope our partners will treat this with understanding."

US State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack played down the significance of the development, stating the world is not facing the same threat from Russia as it once did during the Cold War days. Personally I don't like the idea of any foreign power flying its planes over my head unannounced. But knowing what the Bible says about Russia in the latter days, it is plain to see that the nation is being prepared for the role it will play in the not too distant future. During the war of Ezekiel 38-39, Russia is to act as a guard to the Muslim nations that will fight against Israel. Ezekiel's prophecy seems to indicate that this will take the form of a massive air armada (Ezekiel 38:9), with Russian forces coming like a storm to cover the land. But rather than defending the Arab states, Russia moves against Israel in a desperate bid to secure the economic resources of the Middle East for itself.

Ezekiel 38:11-12
And thou (Gog) shalt say, I will go up to the land (Israel) of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

As we have seen recently, Russian ties with Iran are continuing to grow. Russia has helped build Iran's nuclear facilities, has supplied the country with advanced anti-aircraft missiles to defend them and is planning to sell Iran long range jets to protect its airspace. If anything Russia will be keen to ensure that its lucrative deals with the Iranian regime do not go up in a cloud of smoke. Perhaps the threat of conflict with Iran will soon spur Russia into moving into the Middle East in order to secure its "strategic interests". In any case I believe we should look for Russia to start becoming more and more prominent in the region in the coming months.

Source Jerusalem Post, Reuters