Russian Communists on Saturday protested plans to create a NATO cargo transit base on the Volga river, calling it an "ulcer" on Russia's territory.

About 1,500 people gathered in the central Pushkin Square in Moscow with red balloons, flags and banners, while smaller rallies were held in many regional cities to protest what Communists call a "betrayal" of national interests.

Moscow on Friday condemned the U.S. sentencing of Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout as baseless and politically-motivated, pledging to do all it can to ensure his return home.

Bout was handed a 25-year prison sentence on Thursday after being found guilty of conspiring to sell arms to anti-U.S. guerrillas in Colombia and to kill American service personnel.

Russia on Thursday warned the West against using threats and ultimatums in its approach to Syria's regime as the United Nations prepared a statement on the protracted conflict.

"Russia proceeds from a deep conviction that any steps around Syria should be aimed at facilitating the success of U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's mission," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Russia on Wednesday denounced as "arrogant" a vow by the U.S. ambassador that NATO would deploy a missile defense shield in Europe despite the Kremlin's stiff resistance to the plan.

"Yesterday, our colleague the U.S. ambassador very arrogantly declared that there will be no changes in missile defense," the Interfax and RIA Novosti news agencies quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on a visit to Azerbaijan.

Syria's opposition will never defeat President Bashar Assad's army even if it is "armed to the teeth," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

"It is clear as day that even if the Syrian opposition is armed to the teeth, it will not be able to defeat the government's army," Interfax quoted Lavrov as saying while on a visit to the ex-Soviet nation of Azerbaijan.

India is to return to the elite group of countries with a nuclear-powered submarine on Wednesday when it inducts a new vessel leased from Russia.

Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony is to formally commission the INS Chakra II at its base in Visakhapatnam, a navy shipyard on the country's south east coast in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

The U.N. Security Council will have to take "very urgent and serious" action if Syria fails to meet an April 10 deadline to halt its military operations in protest cities, U.S. ambassador Susan Rice said Tuesday.

U.N. Security Council members negotiated a statement backing the April 10 deadline that U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan says Syria has accepted, as fierce clashes were reported between government forces and rebels.

Fifteen people died Tuesday when a night time fire tore through a two-story Moscow market warehouse that was being used by migrant workers from a former Soviet republic as a temporary residence.

"Fifteen people died. They were migrant workers. We are trying to confirm which (ex-Soviet) republic they came from," a Moscow emergencies ministry spokesman told Agence France Presse.

A Russian navy destroyer will dock at the Syrian port of Tartus in the coming days after setting out on a planned mission to the region, agencies quoted military officials as saying Monday.

The Smetlivy guided-missile destroyer sailed for the Mediterranean from its Black Sea base of Sevastopol over the weekend and will shortly arrive at the Russian-leased port in Syria, state news agency and other reports said.

Russia said on Monday that the "Friends of Syria" meeting in Istanbul at the weekend contradicted the objective of reaching a peaceful settlement that could end more than a year of bloodshed.

"The promises and intentions to deliver direct military and logistical support to the armed... opposition that were voiced in Istanbul unquestionably contradict the goals of a peaceful settlement to the civil conflict in Syria," the foreign ministry said in a statement.