RUSSIA TO CONTINUE TRAINING LAUNCHES OF BALLISTIC MISSILES

MOSCOW, February 10 (RIA Novosti). The Russian army cannot discontinue training launches of ballistic missiles, though this is an expensive undertaking, first deputy chief of the Russian General Staff Yuri Baluyevsky told journalists today. "Exercises with training missile launches cost quite a lot: 300-600 million roubles per launch," said the general ($1 is approximately 30 roubles). "But Russia cannot stop doing this, as each launch is a vital element of crew combat training and entails R&D experiments in the creation and use of prospective strategic weapons for national security purposes," said Baluyevsky.