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☆ A Ukrainian tank crew says the Abrams is still being used on the front lines, but isn't finding 'tank-on-tank' battles where it has the edge
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Ukrainian tank crew told state media they're still using the Abrams tank on the front lines. A Ukrainian Abrams commander told Army TV that the tanks weren't withdrawn but are used situationally. AdvertisementA Ukrainian tank crew says the US-supplied Abrams is still viable on the front lines, but the tank-on-tank battles where it excels have been few and far between. Advertisement"WHERE IS UKRAINIAN ABRAMS: how the legendary American tank fights at the front," its title reads. At least five Abrams tanks have been reported lost in combat, with another three damaged.

Persons: Abrams, Ukrainian Abrams, —, Kyiv hadn't, Dmytro, Alexey, Biden Organizations: Pentagon, Abrams, Army, Service, Associated Press, Kyiv, Mechanized Brigade, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, YouTube, ABRAMS, Business Insider, Russian, AP, Russia, Congress Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Hill

☆ Russia is covering armored vehicles with elaborate anti-drone 'cope cages.' Video shows them getting hit anyway.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Footage shared by a Ukrainian battalion appears to show exploding drones striking Russian 'cope cages.' Both Russia and Ukraine have used the cages as makeshift missile defenses on vehicles. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementVideo released by a Ukrainian battalion appears to show drones getting through increasingly complex "cope cages" installed on Russian armored fighting vehicles, to devastating effect. In a video posted on Monday by the 8th Separate Mountain Assault Battalion — part of the famed "Edelweiss" brigade — heavily protected Russian vehicles are seen to be targeted and, it appears, destroyed by Ukrainian drones.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine

☆ A Ukrainian tank crew said the Abrams tank is as easy to drive as a scooter and that they learned how to operate its weapons in 1 week
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA Ukrainian tank gunner and driver were filmed heaping praise on US-supplied Abrams tanks in a state-backed media report, boasting that they've been easy to learn to operate. "There's nothing so complicated here," he told Army TV. Alexey and Koka's commander, Dmytro, told Army TV that the Abrams' armor was effective against Russian anti-tank missiles like the Kornet. AdvertisementUkraine was promised 31 Abrams tanks by the US in January 2023, with the first batch arriving in September after crews trained for months in Germany to operate them. In late April, the Russian military displayed an abandoned Abrams M1A1 at an exhibition called the "Trophies of the Russian Army," which showcased NATO equipment seized during the war.

Persons: —, Abrams, Koka, Alexey, Yevhen Nazarenko, Dmytro, Zeus Organizations: Service, Mechanized Brigade, Army TV, Business, Abrams, Army, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Pentagon, Associated Press, Business Insider, Russian, Capitol Hill, Republican, New York Times, Russian Army, NATO Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Germany, Soviet

☆ Kidnapped in Mexico: I Am One of the Missing Who Survived - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Manuel Bayo Gisbert | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +11 min

Scroll In June 2020 I was kidnapped by armed men and heldfor ransom. Photographs and text by Manuel Bayo Gisbert I was kidnapped by armed menand held for ransom. In Mexico we say that when you see or experience something painful it can make us sick with horror. I turned to the families of the missing people of Mexico. In Mexico, We Harvest Pain and DeathOn Aug. 19, 2023, three years after I was kidnapped, my uncle Fernando Bayo was taken by four armed men in Acapulco.

Persons: Manuel Bayo Gisbert, Manuel Bayo, Ivonne’s, Hilda, Cheli’s, Rafael, Miguel Ángel, Justina’s, Abelardo, Lucio Cabañas, Cirino, “, ”, Práxedes Giner Durán, Álvarez, Juárez, —, Felipe Calderón, Calderón's, she’s, …, Pachuca … It’s, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, López Obrador, Fernando Bayo Organizations: Mexico City, Mexican Army, Mexican, …, Pachuca …, National, Brigade, Residents, Inter, American, Human, Signals, National Search Brigade Locations: Leer, español, Mexico, Parres, Chilpancingo, Guerrero, El Conchero, El Ticuí, Ciudad Madera, Chihuahua, Atoyac, Ciudad Juarez, Texas, …, Pachuca, Veracruz, of Mexico, Ayotzinapa, U.S, Yecapixtla, Acapulco, Tihuatlán, Santiago, Mexico City

An income-driven repayment plan may be a good choice if you can't handle your monthly payments. The SAVE Plan is a simplified income-driven repayment (IDR) plan, which aims to provide more affordable student loan payments for borrowers with low to middle incomes. The SAVE Plan replaces the previous variations of IDR plans (Income-Contingent, Income-Based, Revised Pay As You Earn). The SAVE Plan calculates your payment based on a smaller percentage of your discretionary income compared to older IDR plans. Read more Read less Ryan Wangman, CEPF Loans Reporter Ryan Wangman was a reporter at Personal Finance Insider reporting on personal loans, student loans, student loan refinancing, debt consolidation, auto loans, RV loans, and boat loans.

Persons: Alexis Rhiannon Alexis Rhiannon, Read, Ryan Wangman Organizations: SAVE, Federal Stafford Loans, Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, FFEL PLUS, Federal Perkins Loans, Student, Upright Citizens Brigade, Finance, Northwestern University, Boston Globe Locations: forbearance, Unsubsidized, Chevron, Los Angeles

☆ Israeli forces take control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An Israeli tank brigade seized control Tuesday of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, authorities said, moving forward with an offensive in the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remain on a knife's edge. The Israeli 401st Brigade entered the Rafah crossing early Tuesday morning, the Israeli military said, taking "operational control" of the crucial crossing. Footage released by the Israeli military showed a tank entering the crossing. The Israeli military claimed it seized the crossing after receiving intelligence it was "being used for terrorist purposes." Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, acknowledged Israeli forces had seized the crossing and had closed the facility for the time being.

Persons: brinkmanship, Wael Abu Omar, Israel that's Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Israeli 401st Brigade, Palestinian Crossings Authority, Egyptian Foreign Ministry Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Israeli, Egypt, Kerem, Wael, United States

☆ The Russian Army may have defeated Ukraine — if it had followed its own manual
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It is also evidence of a major reason why Russian troops have often fought poorly in the Ukraine war: they are not following their own playbook. Artem Priakhin/Getty ImagesAssessing current Russian doctrine is difficult. However, the problem may not have been Russian doctrine as much as the overall strategy of the Ukraine war. "There are plenty of aspects to their defense that are entirely consistent with their historical practice and doctrine," Boston said. If the Russian military was that bad, then maybe the Ukrainian military wasn't that good?

Persons: Scott Boston, Artem Priakhin, wouldn't, Ukraine's, Michael Peck Organizations: US, RAND Corp, Kyiv, Russian Army, Aerospace Forces, Warsaw, Kyiv —, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Boston, St . Petersburg, Soviet, Western Europe, Iraq, Forbes

☆ Pentagon races to prop up Ukraine's hard-fighting 47th Mechanized Brigade that's exhausted, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Pentagon plans to replenish the powerhouse brigade with Bradley fighting vehicles, Forbes said. AdvertisementUkraine's hard-fighting 47th Mechanized Brigade is battle-weary and urgently needs US support, Forbes reports. Trained by NATO instructors, the 47th Brigade all-volunteer unit is one of Ukraine's powerhouse brigades. Russia's 30th Motor Rifle Brigade took advantage of the rotational lapse as the 47th Brigade withdrew and attacked, capturing a large swathe of territory. AdvertisementBeyond material support and tactical adjustments, the 47th Brigade needs a reprieve from the relentless cycle of conflict.

Persons: Bradley, Forbes, —, Putin, Bradley IFVs, Bradley IFV, ince Organizations: Pentagon, Service, Mechanized Brigade, Forbes, NATO, 47th Brigade, M1, Bradley, Ministry of Defense, 47th Mechanized Brigade, ust Locations: Ukraine, Stepove, Avdiivka

☆ Ukraine highlights Russia's 'line of hell.' Claim of dozens of tanks and military vehicles destroyed on one sector of the Donetsk front.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's armed forces released a video claiming to show 42 destroyed Russian military vehicles. Fighting has intensified in the Donetsk region in recent months as Russia pushes further past Avdiivka. AdvertisementUkraine's armed forces claim to have destroyed 42 Russian tanks and military vehicles in the eastern region of Donetsk. Dozens of Russian tanks and combat vehicles were destroyed on a small section of the front in the Donetsk region." Dozens of russian tanks and combat vehicles were destroyed on a small section of the front in the Donetsk region.

Persons: —, ince, cale Organizations: Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Service, Ukraine's 58th Motorized Brigade, ust Locations: Donetsk, Russia

☆ Ukrainians on pickup trucks are using machine guns designed in WWI to stop Russian drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A Ukrainian unit is using century-old US guns to target Russian drones and planes. One unit is using cheaper M2 Brownings, which were developed in 1918, the last year of World War I. AdvertisementUkrainians are putting machine guns first designed in the US at the end of World War I on the back of pickup trucks to try to shoot down Russian drones and spy planes. Soldiers in Ukraine's 117th Territorial Defense Brigade are using guns, including the M2 Browning, to try to take down Russia's Shahed drones, the Kyiv Independent reported. The M2 was used by American forces in World War II, and is still used by some today, but it was initially developed in 1918, the last year of World War I.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Ukraine's 117th Territorial Defense Brigade, Kyiv Independent, Business Locations: Ukraine, Ukraine's, Kyiv

☆ Ukrainian soldier describes a rout that left 100 dead or missing as Russia keeps gaining ground
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A Ukrainian soldier says over 100 of his comrades were killed or went missing in an attack, per AP. It had to retreat as soldiers struggled to build fortifications under Russian fire, AP reported. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA Ukrainian soldier fighting on a key battlefront in the country's east described how over 100 of his comrades were killed or went missing as they struggled to build fortifications under heavy Russian fire.

Persons: — Organizations: AP, Service, Mechanized Brigade, Association Press, Business Locations: Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine: Russia is capturing its biggest swath of territory since July 2022, as Kyiv desperately awaits US weaponry
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Russian forces have used the “artillery drought” hampering Ukraine’s defenses since December to push forward on the eastern front near Avdiivka, making the largest advance since the early months of the war. Only on Sunday did the top Ukrainian military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, admit the fall of a series of villages that his subordinates had insisted for days were still contested. The resulting fallback showed Russian forces had, in just over two months, made the most substantial and swift progress since July 2022’s advances near Severodonetsk, according to a CNN analysis. DeepStateMap, which updates the frontline situation daily, showed significant losses near Avdiivka. Yurii Fedorenko, commander of the Achilles attack drones company at the 92nd separate assault brigade in that area, said the next two months marked a “window of opportunity” for Russian forces.

Persons: Chasiv, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ruslan Mykula, ” Mykula, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleksandr Ratushniak Oleksandr Ratushniak, Chasiv Yar, Col Nazar Voloshyn, ” Voloshyn, Druzhkivka, Novozhenina, Yurii Fedorenko, “ Organizations: CNN, Sunday, Kurakhove, Ukraine’s, Airborne, REUTERS, Reuters, Russian Locations: Ukraine, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Mariupol, Russia, Pokrovsk, Chasiv Yar, Bakhmut, Ukrainian, Russian, Avdiivka’s, Severodonetsk, Ocheretyne, Kurakhve, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Moscow

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine pulls back forces in east as front line situation worsens; Kyiv desperately awaits U.S. weapon supplies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A serviceman of the battalion of unmanned attack air systems "Achilles" of the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade prepares the "Vampir" night drone for the operation at a front-line position near the town of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, on April 22, 2024, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have been forced to retreat from several villages in eastern Ukraine as Russian forces advanced, the country's army chief said Sunday. "The situation at the front [has] worsened," Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Telegram. He said the "most difficult situation" was in the areas west of Russian-occupied Maryinka and Avdiivka, a town captured by Russian forces in February and that he had moved his forces "to new frontiers" west of the villages of Berdychi, Semenivka and Novomykhailivka in a bid to prevent casualties. Russia had deployed four brigades in these areas as it launched offensives, Syrskyi said, and while it had achieved some tactical successes, it not yet achieved any "operational advantages."

Persons: Gen, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi Organizations: Separate Assault Brigade, Russian Locations: Chasiv Yar, Donetsk, Ukraine, Russian, Berdychi, Russia

☆ The wild-looking Russian 'turtle tanks' that keep showing up may not be as crazy as they seem
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Its new "turtle tanks" may look silly, but there are indications they may be effective. Some OSINT pages highlighted the turtle tank's role in the assault on Krasnohorivka. Abandoned Russian ‘turtle’ tank on the Krasrohorivka front. AdvertisementVideos of Russian “turtle” tanks during assaults on Chasiv Yar and Krasnohorivka. The Russian turtle tanks are a clear step beyond the widely documented "cope cages" both sides have relied on to try and shield their heavy armor throughout the war.

Persons: —, Rob Lee, — Rob Lee, Lee, /htt, per a, lea, ely Organizations: Service, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Russia's, Rifle Brigade, Russia's 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian, Krasnohorivka, Donetsk

☆ Russian troops advanced and captured large parts of village after apparent Ukrainian blunder left front line unmanned
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A mistake by Ukrainian troops appears to have let Russian forces advance and capture large parts of a village. AdvertisementA blunder by Ukrainian troops appears to have allowed Russian forces to advance and capture large parts of a village unopposed. The 47th Mechanized Brigade was due to be relieved by the 115th along the front line just east of Ocheretyne. AdvertisementMelnyk said the only reason Russia was unable to continue its advance was because the 47th Brigade rejoined the fight. An update on the Ukrainian Deep State website, which tracks changes on the battlefield, showed that Russian forces had captured large parts of the village.

Persons: —, Mykola Melnyk, Hope, Vadym, Melnyk, Ocheretyne, Chasiv Yar, David Axe Organizations: 115th Mechanized Brigades, Service, 47th Mechanized Brigade, 115th Mechanized Brigade, 115th, Rifle Brigade, Facebook, 115th Brigade, Financial Times, 47th Brigade, Getty, for, Ukraine's 67th Mechanized Brigade, Forbes, Ukraine's Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Ukraine, Ocheretyne, Russia, Russian, AFP, Donetsk Oblast, Pokrovsk, Ukraine's, Bakhmut, Ukraine's Donetsk

☆ ‘Avengers Assemble:’ Five years after ‘Endgame,’ the box office needs more than just a blip
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

For many it felt like a soothing balm, underscoring the kind of communal experience people were missing as the still-new coronavirus pandemic shuttered theaters. Even allowing for that, the operatic heights achieved by “Endgame,” which grossed nearly $2.8 billion worldwide, would have been difficult to replicate. Such a concept would have sounded particularly foreign in the run-up to “Endgame,” when Marvel and its leader, Kevin Feige, appeared to possess a Midas touch. Venezuelan filmgoers watch the first screening in Venezuela of Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Endgame" at a cinema in Caracas on April 26, 2019. Unlike “Endgame,” the challenges that face the movie business can’t be undone with a snap of the fingers.

Persons: Captain, Thanos, ”, Marvel, Kevin Feige, Federico Parra, Joe, Anthony Russo, America, Russo, Joe Russo, Barbie ”, Captain America Organizations: CNN, Captain America, Marvel Studios, Marvel, DC, Warner Bros, Hollywood, “, Getty, Film, Captain, Disney Locations: Venezuela, Caracas, AFP

☆ Moulin Rouge’s Windmill Blades Fall Off in Paris
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Isabella Kwai | More About Isabella Kwai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The bright red windmill of the Moulin Rouge has been an omnipresent marker atop the famed cabaret venue for more than a century. But on Thursday, Parisians woke up to an alarming sight: the blades of the windmill bent and lying on the ground after they broke off and fell overnight. Footage circulating in local news media on Thursday showed the blades tangled on the ground in front of the building. Three letters of the bright “Moulin Rouge” sign also appeared to have fallen. Firefighters were called to the area after 2 a.m., a spokeswoman for the Paris Fire Brigade said, and examined the structure to make sure nothing else was threatening to fall.

Organizations: Firefighters, Paris Fire Brigade, Workers Locations: Moulin Rouge, Rouge

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —As the US prepares to transfer significant military aid to Ukraine following the Senate passing funding legislation worth $61 billion, reports from eastern Ukraine continue to highlight Kyiv’s sliding fortunes on the battlefield. Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty ImagesUkrainian soldiers on the front lines have spoken of being badly outgunned by Russian forces. A Ukrainian military blogger, Bohdan Myroshnykov, wrote, “In Novobakhmutivka, the enemy made progress in the village, advancing up to 400 meters in depth. Meanwhile, around Chasiv Yar, about 40 kilometers to the north, both Ukrainian and Russian reports suggest Ukraine has succeeded in stopping Russian advances, at least for the moment. Oleksandr Ratushniak/Reuters“In the Chasiv Yar direction, the offensive of the Russian forces ‘stalled’ on the eastern outskirts,” a Russian military blogger, Wargonzo, reports, though fierce fighting continues, the site adds.

Persons: DeepState –, –, Biden, Joe Biden, Charly Triballeau, Volodymyr Zelensky, Bohdan Myroshnykov, “, DeepState, Ukraine’s Eastern Command –, Oleksandr Ratushniak, ‘, Ukraine’s DeepState, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Vladimir Putin, Chasiv Yar Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, Russian, Wednesday, Senate, Scranton Army, Getty, 100th, Ukraine’s Eastern Command, CNN, Reuters, 92nd Brigade, Nazi Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Ocheretyne, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Israel, Taiwan, Scranton, Scranton , Pennsylvania, AFP, Russian, Russia, Novobakhmutivka, Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, ”, Ivanivske, Bakhmut, Nazi Germany

☆ NATO Puts on a Show of Force in the Shadow of Russia’s War
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Helene Cooper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

About 90,000 NATO troops have been training in Europe this spring for the Great Power war that most hope will never come: a clash between Russia and the West with potentially catastrophic consequences. In Estonia, paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Liberty, N.C., jumped out of planes alongside soldiers from Colchester Garrison in Essex, Britain, for “forcible entry” operations. In Lithuania, German soldiers arrived as a brigade stationed outside Germany on a permanent basis for the first time since World War II. And on the A4 autobahn in eastern Germany, a U.S. Army captain and his Macedonian counterpart rushed toward the Suwalki Gap — the place many war planners predict will be the flashpoint for a NATO war with Russia — hoping the overheated radiator on their Stryker armored combat vehicle wouldn’t kill the engine.

Persons: Russia — Organizations: NATO, Great, 82nd Airborne, Colchester Garrison, U.S . Army, Macedonian Locations: Europe, Russia, Estonia, Fort Liberty, N.C, Essex, Britain, Lithuania, Germany

☆ The US secretly slipped ATACMS to Ukraine with more to come, putting high-value Russian targets in danger
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Kyiv used these long-range missiles to batter Russian helicopters in multiple strikes last year. T South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty ImagesThroughout the war, Ukraine has routinely pressed Washington to provide ATACMS so it could hit high-value Russian targets deep behind enemy lines. Kyiv used the M39 ATACMS variant in those attacks. Regardless of the variant, the arrival of additional ATACMS will likely compel Moscow to change its strategy and tactics. While the statement did not specifically mention ATACMS, it said the package contains "additional ammunition" for the HIMARS, which could include ATACMS.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Dan Rice, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ATACMS, Biden, Sen, Mark Werner, Zelenskyy, Serhii, Rice, AP Rice, Pat Ryder, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: Service, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, US, South Korean Defense Ministry, Army Tactical Missile, Korean Defense Ministry, Getty, Kyiv, The New York Times, Reuters, General Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Senate Intelligence, CBS, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, American University Kyiv, South Korea Defense Ministry, AP, Pentagon Press, Air Force, Gunners, Separate Mechanized Brigade, Armed Forces, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, United States, South Korea, Washington, Ukrainian, Russian, Crimean, ATACMS, Crimea, Donetsk Oblast, —, Russia, Kharkiv, AFP, NATO, Europe

☆ Global military spending hit all-time high in 2023 after 7% jump, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The figure marked a 6.8% increase from 2022 and the sharpest year-on-year jump since 2009, the institute said in a report on military spending trends. "The unprecedented rise in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security," Nan Tian, senior researcher in SIPRI's military expenditure and arms production programme, said in a statement. Military expenditure has been rising for nine years straight, and military spending bolstered in all regions of the world for the first time since 2009, the report found. Ukraine's military spending meanwhile totaled around $64.8 billion — around 59% the amount of Russia's spending, but 37% of Ukraine's GDP, the report said. Tensions in the Middle East also significantly contributed to the overall rise in global military spending, the report said.

Persons: Nan Tian, spender, Lorenzo Scarazzato, Donald Trump, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: 1st Tank Brigade, Ukrainian Ground Forces, Getty Images, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Kyiv, NATO, U.S Locations: Ukraine, Stockholm, Central America, Caribbean, Russia, China, U.S, East, Israel, Gaza

☆ ‘Our artillery is starving:’ Ukraine holds its breath as US set to approve $60bn of military aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Andy Carey | Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Ukraine aid bill, passed in the United States’ House of Representatives on Saturday, is now due to go to the Senate on Tuesday. At the top: artillery shells and air defense systems. “To win, we need ammunition… our artillery is starving,” an artillery reconnaissance commander with the 110th mechanized brigade, callsign “Teren,” told CNN after the vote on Saturday. While Ocheretyne itself is of no strategic value, it sits on a ridge, making it a desirable military target. “We need front-line air defense as much as we need protection for our cities and villages,” Zelensky said.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, Teren, Velyka, Patrick Ryder, we’ve, Mark Warner, Chasiv Yar, Rob Lee, Russian Su, Anatolii Stepanov, ” Zelensky, Dmytro Kuleba, ” Kuleba, CNN’s Andy Carey, Victoria Butenko, Daria Tarasova, Svitlana Vlasova Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, United States ’, 110th, CNN, Ukraine’s Eastern Command, Pentagon, US Department of Defense, Senate Intelligence, CBS News, Sunday, –, Kremlin, Nazi, Getty, Patriot, Tactical Missile Systems, Warner, US, Ukrainian Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, United, Russian, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Germany, Poland, Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk, Chasiv, Nazi Germany, AFP

☆ American sniper in Ukraine says his unit prefers Soviet-era rifles because bullets are easier to find and they can take them from the Russians
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewAn American veteran fighting in Ukraine said soldiers in his unit prefer to use Soviet-era rifles over modern ones because it's easier to find ammunition, including by taking it from the Russians. Jonathan Poquette is currently serving as a sniper in Ukraine, and he said that his unit prefers AK-74 rifles, which are chambered for 5.45×39mm rounds. He said that the prolific availability of older rifles among Ukraine's soldiers was also partly an issue with Ukraine's planning. This has also included ammunition from defeated Russian soldiers, or that fleeing Russians have left behind. Ukraine's ammunition shortagesUkraine is suffering from extensive shortages of ammunition and weaponry that have had serious ramifications all along the front lines.

Persons: —, Jonathan Poquette, Poquette, Nuzhnenko, Kalashnikov, Oleksandr Ratushniak, Volodymyr Zekenskyy, Frederick Kagan, Serhii Mykhalchuk Organizations: Service, Business, AK, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS Poquette, Chosen Company, 59th Motorized Brigade, NATO, US, REUTERS, Artillery Rocket Systems, EU Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Soviet Union, Russian, Bakhmut, Radio Free Europe, Kyiv, Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Russia, Europe, Czech Republic

“Thank you, America!” Zelensky wrote on his Telegram on Saturday, shortly after the House of Representatives passed the long-delayed Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act by a vote of 311-112. The bill was part of a wider $95 billion package providing foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region. Meanwhile, the House passed the Israel Security Supplemental with a vote of 366-58. Lawmakers wave Ukrainian flags after the House passed the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act. “For people who want to defeat the enemy, this news is a great morale booster.”He went on: “To win, we need ammunition … we really need artillery shells because we have an artillery hunger.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Mahmoud Abbas, Joe Biden, “, Dmytro Kuleba, Vladimir Putin, ” Kuleba, Maria Zakharova, Dmytro Kurylovich, Bankir Organizations: CNN, Israel, Palestinian, Senate, Getty, Russian Foreign, 110th, National Guard, Artillery, “ Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Russia, Europe, United States, “, Taiwan, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Avdiivka, Russian

Ahead of the encroaching Russian forces, Ukrainian volunteers have been evacuating civilians from Ocheretyne and other villages, posting videos on social media showing older residents leaving badly destroyed apartment buildings, along with their pets, and with belongings packed into cardboard boxes. A photograph taken on April 11, 2024, near the town of Chasiv Yar, in Donetsk region, shows smoke rising from fires after bombing. Anatolii Stepanov/AFP/Getty ImagesAbout 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Ocheretyne, on another piece of higher ground, the town of Chasiv Yar is also firmly in Russian sights. “The situation around the town of Chasiv Yar is difficult,” Nazar Voloshyn, spokesman for the Ukrainian Ground Forces’ “Khortytsia” operational-strategic group, told CNN. Ukraine’s vulnerability in the face of the FAB threat highlights another huge need for Kyiv – more air defenses.

Persons: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Novokalynovo, Boris Rozhin, Anatolii Stepanov, Velyka, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Mike Johnson, Jake Tapper, “, Vladimir Putin doesn’t, Lloyd Austin, Chasiv Yar, ” Nazar Voloshyn, Yurii Fedorenko, Yar, Chasiv, ” Voloshyn, Zelensky, Victoria Butenko Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, United States Congress, Russian, Getty, Ukraine’s Eastern Command, ” Artillery, US, House Defense, House, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Kremlin, Nazi, Ukrainian Ground Forces, Separate Assault Brigade, Reuters, Ukrainian Telegram, FAB, Kyiv, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ocheretyne, Avdiivka, Ukrainian, Novokalynove, Donetsk, Ocheretyno, AFP, Tonenke, Pokrovsk, Europe, Russia’s, Chasiv, Nazi Germany, Kalynivka, Ivanivske, Zaporizhzhia region, Chasiv Yar, Kharkiv

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