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☆ Kabul airport attack exclusive: New evidence challenges the Pentagon’s official account of a horrific incident as the US withdrew from Afghanistan
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | Mick Krever | Mark Baron | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

One told CNN he heard the first large burst of shooting come from where US Marines were standing, near the blast site. This is significantly more than the three “near simultaneous” bursts of gunfire that the Pentagon investigations have claimed occurred. The Supplemental Review found no new evidence of a complex attack, and uncovered no new assertions of outgoing fire post-blast. “They were targeting people,” another, Nazir, 16, told CNN. CNN spoke with about ten Marines anonymously, many of whom described hearing gunfire and feeling under attack from it.

Persons: Hamid, Akhter Gulfam, –, Wakil Koshar, Robert Maher, Sarah Morris, Morris, Maher, Rob Lodewick, ”, “, ” Shogofa Hamidi, Morsal, Nazir, ” Noorullah Zakhel, Read, Sayeed Ahmadi, ” Ahmadi, Ahmadi, Lodewick, Marcus Yam, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, “ You’ve, they’ve, It’s, Taylor Crul, Romel Finley, Finley, Barber, ‘, ” Finley, Christian Sanchez, Sanchez, Staff Mark Milley, Kenneth “ Frank ” McKenzie, Darrell Issa, Nick Paton Walsh, Sandi Sidhu, Julia Hollingsworth, Masoud Popalzai, Sitara Zamani, Abdul Basir Bina, Katie Polglase, Gianluca Mezzofiore Organizations: CNN, United, Pentagon, US, Airport, NATO, US Army Central Command, Getty, Montana State University, University of Southampton, Marines, British Ministry of Defense, U.S . Central Command, AP CNN, “, Los Angeles Times, Marine, ” Marines, Navy, US Air Force, . Air Force, Reuters, US Marines, YouTube, Investigators, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Central Command Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, United States, airport’s, American, British, AFP, Bozeman, England, US, Kabul airport's, U.S, Finland, ”

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — From Berlin to London and Limassol to Karachi, thousands of people took to the streets Sunday to mark the 100th day of Israel’s war with Hamas. Opposing demonstrations either demanded the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas or called for a cease-fire in Gaza. In the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, tens of thousands waved Palestinian flags or wore the keffiyeh, the traditional Palestinian scarf, to express their solidarity with Palestinians in a rally organized by the country’s largest religious political party, Jamaat-e-Islami. The party’s Karachi chief, Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman, called on the U.S. to stop backing Israel and compensate Palestinians for their losses. Protesters in London held posters with photos and the words “100 days in hell” to express their solidarity with Israel.

Persons: Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman, Israel, ” Rehman, Ishrat Zahid, ”, Ayelet Svatitzky, “, ’ ’, Nadav Popplewell, Channah Peri, Peri, Roi Popplewell, Akrotiri, Osman Delibas, Delibas, Pope Francis, ____, Hadjicostis, Christophe Ena, Andrew Wilks, Frances D'Emilio Organizations: Hamas, Islami, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Protesters, Israel, Palestine, ” Protesters, RAF, British, British Ministry of Defense, Turkey’s Humanitarian Relief Foundation, . Foundation, Anadolu, Associated, Associated Press Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Berlin, London, Limassol, Karachi, Gaza, Pakistani, Israel, Dublin, Edinburgh, Paris, ”, Cyprus, British, Yemen, Britain, Egypt, Turkey, Istanbul, Iraq, Kurdish, St, Ukraine, Palestine, Rome

☆ Russia enticed soldiers to join a unit by saying it wouldn't fight in Ukraine for months, then sent it straight to the front, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia recruited a unit of soldiers and told them they would only be deployed until December. But the unit was "rushed into action early," UK intelligence said in an update on Wednesday. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Ministry of Defense also said that Russian military officials could use the 25CAA "to regenerate an uncommitted reserve force in the theatre to provide commanders with more operational flexibility." The update comes as Ukraine makes advances in its grueling counteroffensive, which was launched in early June. AdvertisementAdvertisementMeanwhile, tens of thousands of Russian military equipment and weapons have been destroyed and captured.

Organizations: Service, Combined Arms Army, British Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Defence, of Defense, — Ministry of Defence Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine

☆ Russia's air force is barely able to leave its own airspace because Ukraine's defenses are so strong, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Russian Air Force continues to struggle against Ukraine's strong air defenses, UK intel said. Russia is attempting to throw basic free-fall bombs into Ukrainian territory instead. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyThe Russian Air Force is barely able to leave its own airspace because Ukraine's air defenses are so strong, according to UK intelligence. To compensate, Russia is sending adapted free-fall bombs into Ukrainian territory. Neither Russia nor Ukraine has been able to gain air superiority in the war so far despite Russia's vastly larger air force.

Persons: Insider's Christopher Woody, Johnny Stringer Organizations: Russian Air Force, intel, British Ministry of Defense, Service, Russian, MoD, Ukrainian, UK's MoD, Air Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian

☆ At least half of the 30,000 elite paratroopers Russia deployed in Ukraine have been killed or wounded, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Half of Russia's elite paratroopers in Ukraine have been killed or wounded in battle, UK intel said. It is unclear how exactly the figures were calculated by the British intelligence service. "More than 5,000 wounded paratroopers returned to the front after treatment, and more than 3,500 of our wounded refused to leave the front line," Teplinsky said. It is unclear how exactly the figures were calculated by the British intelligence service. Teplinsky video was eventually removed without explanation several hours later, likely at the request of the Kremlin's military leadership, Insider's Jake Epstein previously reported.

Persons: Russia's, Gen, Mikhail Teplinsky, Russian Ministry of Defense — Teplinsky, Teplinsky, Insider's Jake Epstein, — Organizations: intel, Service, British Ministry of Defense, Russia's VDV Airborne Forces, Zvezda —, Russian Ministry of Defense, BBC Russian Service Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Wall, Silicon, Russia

☆ Russia briefly deployed its super-advanced T-14 tanks to Ukraine, then withdrew them again, state media says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's top-tier T-14 Armata tanks were used in combat in Ukraine, state media reported. But then they were quickly "withdrawn from the frontline," a military source told state media. Armored forces from Russia's southern military district (SMD) "actively used Armata in combat," an unnamed military source told the state-run outlet TASS. Russia says it has defense systems that capable of countering the anti-tank rockets that Ukraine has deployed so effectively in battle against older Russian tanks. "The necessary trials of the T-14 tank still continue," another unnamed military source told TASS.

Persons: Rostec Organizations: Service, Russia, British Ministry of Defense, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Russian

☆ Satellite Images of Belarusian Base Suggest Wagner’s Possible Arrival
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Christoph Koettl | More About Christoph Koettl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Satellite images, analyzed by The New York Times, showed increased activity this weekend at a military field camp in Belarus, including the arrival of vehicles that resemble those used by the Russian mercenary group Wagner. The vehicles are the same types as those recently seen driving in large convoys, some flying Wagner flags. To end the short-lived revolt, President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus brokered a deal in which the mercenaries would be given sanctuary in Belarus. The satellite images do not conclusively prove that Wagner forces are at the camp, but bolster statements by Ukraine’s allies that some Wagner troops have reached Belarus. On Saturday, a Polish official said some Wagner fighters had arrived in Belarus.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir V, Putin, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Ukraine’s Organizations: The New York Times, British Ministry of Defense Locations: Belarus, Russian, Asipovichy, Minsk, Ukraine, Russia, ”

☆ Russia is 'accepting risks' and dropping its guard against other threats to hold its ground in Ukraine, British military says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Shifting the bulk of its military to Ukraine has made Russia vulnerable elsewhere, experts say. The war has become a nearly all-consuming effort for Russia's military. Units from across Russia are now "bearing the brunt" of the Ukrainian counteroffensive that kicked off in early June, the British Ministry of Defense said in an update published Thursday. "The way Russia is accepting risks across Eurasia highlights how the war has dislocated Russia's established national strategy," the ministry said. "Russia has really made itself vulnerable globally," Dara Massicot, an expert on the Russian military at the Rand Corporation think tank, said in April.

Persons: —, Ukraine's, Ben Wallace, Muhammed Enes Yildirim, Dara Massicot, Adm, Tony Radakin, Radakin, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Christopher Cavoli, Cavoli, we've, Justin Bronk, They'd, Bronk, they're Organizations: Service, British Ministry of Defense, Russian, Eastern Military District, 61st Naval Infantry Brigade, NATO, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Arms Army, Rand Corporation, US European Command, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia, Belarus, Zaporizhzhia, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Crimea, Velyka, Donetsk Oblast, Bakhmut, Moscow, Russian, Oskol, Ukraine's Kharkiv, AFP, British, Kaliningrad, Finland

☆ Wagner Group shooting down a Russian command plane may be gift that keeps on giving for Ukraine's beleaguered air defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

During Wagner Group's revolt in June, its mercenaries shot down several Russian military aircraft. The loss of one of Russia's few Il-22M could hinder its air force's ability to operate over Ukraine. Wagner Group's abortive revolt last month didn't just end with its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, fleeing the country and its troops being absorbed into the Russian military. The airborne command posts couldn't even communicate directly with air-defense units or with Russian fighters on combat air patrols. Royal Air ForceIndeed, command and control is the Achilles heel of the Russian military, which inherited the rigid command structure of its Soviet predecessor.

Persons: Wagner Group's, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, NIKITA SHCHYUKIN, Greg L, Davis, Justin Bronk, aren't, Bronk, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, NATO, British Ministry of Defense, Getty, Ukraine, Ministry of Defense, Target, Boeing, Joint STARS, US Air Force, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Russian, Ground Forces, CAP, RAF Typhoons, Royal Air Force, US, CNA, Russian Aerospace Force, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, AFP, Davis Russian, Baltic, Forbes

☆ Prigozhin's Wagner mercenaries appear to be on the march towards Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's Wagner paramilitary forces appear to be headed toward the capital, Moscow. Photos and videos now appear to show Wagner forces and their armored vehicles in the region of Lipetsk, which is a roughly eight-hour drive from Rostov-on-Don — and less than six hours from Moscow. He later confirmed that Wagner forces were moving through the area, state media reported, and urged civilians to stay in their homes. The "march" began Friday after Prigozhin accused Russia's defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, of ordering an air strike on Wagner forces in Ukraine. He has repeatedly accused Shoigu and other military leaders of undermining Wagner forces in Ukraine.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin —, Don —, Igor Artamonov, Prigozhin, Russia's, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Ramzan Kadyrov, Sergey Sobyanin, Igor Girkin Organizations: Service, New York Times, Russian, British Ministry of Defense Locations: Moscow, Russian, Rostov, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Ukraine, Russia, Vorenezh Oblast

☆ Russia's claim that it won in Bakhmut may be meaningless — and a good sign for Ukraine's upcoming counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia claimed victory over Bakhmut after a monthlong battle over the eastern Ukrainian city. On Sunday, Russia's defense ministry backed a claim first made by the head of the Wagner paramilitary group, Prigozhin, that Russian forces have seized Bakhmut. "Their capture does not grant Russian forces operationally significant terrain to continue conducting offensive operations or any particularly strong position from which to defend against possible Ukrainian counterattacks." The battle in Bakhmut has also, at times, put the Wagner leader at odds with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Russian forces will likely need additional reinforcements to hold Bakhmut City and its flanks at the expense of operations in other directions," ISW reported.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: UK slaps new Russia sanctions targeting grain theft, diamonds, metals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Kyiv's Group of Seven allies are set to announce fresh sanctions targeting Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as officials gather for the group's annual summit in Hiroshima, Japan, from Friday to Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend the gathering in person. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the U.K. was banning imports on Russian diamonds and copper, aluminum and nickel. The U.K. government also formally announced new Russia restrictions against the theft and resale of Ukrainian grains, major energy and arms-shipping enterprises, and some companies linked to Russian nuclear energy firm Rosatom. G-7 powers have relied on sanctions to reduce Russia's war coffers in a bid to stall the progress of its military offensive in Ukraine.

☆ Russia's best tanks are in Ukraine, Russian state media says, but they're not assaulting Kyiv's forces, just shooting at them from a distance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's cutting-edge T-14 Armata tanks have arrived in Ukraine, state media reported. The RIA state news agency reported Tuesday that the much-awaited T-14 tanks have made it to Ukraine, citing an "informed source." "Russian troops have begun to use the latest Armata tanks to fire on Ukrainian positions," the unnamed source told the outlet. Russian state media outlet TASS previously called the cutting-edge vehicle "the world's best tank," but the T-14s have been plagued by setbacks in recent months, according to reports. The outlet said Russian combat crews have been undergoing training to use the tanks in Ukraine since the end of last year.

☆ Documents that appear to be classified US-NATO war plans were leaked or stolen and can now be found on Twitter and Telegram
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apparent classified US-Ukraine war plans were leaked or stolen, The New York Times reported Thursday. The documents, which may have been doctored, appeared on Twitter and Telegram. "We are aware of the reports of social media posts and the department is reviewing the matter," a Pentagon spokesperson told the Times. "They've obviously been doctored," Michael Weiss, a Russia expert and senior correspondent at Yahoo News, posted on social media. "Still bad that they were leaked — or stolen."

☆ Russia wants to ditch the Wagner Group and replace it with another private army that's easier to control, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tensions between Wagner and Russia's Defense Ministry have been simmering for months. Russia might replace the Wagner group with another private military company that it can exert "more control" over, the British Ministry of Defense tweeted on Tuesday. It comes as a very public feud between Russian military leaders and the Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin appears to have spiraled out of control. This led to the Kremlin cutting all ties with the group, Prigozhin said last month. A spokesperson for Russia's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Days after Putin's dead-of-night trip to a city far from the front, Zelenskyy visited the heart of the bloodiest fighting in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( John Haltiwanger | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Days after Putin's dead-of-night trip in Ukraine, Zelenskyy visited troops near the front lines. State media followed the Russian President meeting with residents who told him the occupied, war-torn Ukrainian city is a "little piece of paradise." Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) visits a recently renovated theater in Mariupol. In the original video, Putin meets with local residents near a new apartment complex in the dead of night. Zelenskyy visits troops fighting on the front lines in BakhmutUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with troops near the front lines of Bakhmut.

☆ Russia's new offensive in Ukraine has likely fizzled out after only a month, Western intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UK intelligence suggests Russia's new offensive is on its last legs, just a month after it began. Russian forces have depleted their "combat power," the assessment said. "Even local offensive actions are not currently sustainable," it added. The British Defense Ministry said this is likely because Russian forces have depleted their "combat power" to such a degree that "even local offensive actions are not currently sustainable." There's been an evolving debate between Kyiv and its Western partners over Ukraine's insistence on continuing to defend Bakhmut, which analysts have suggested could fall to Russian forces in the coming days.

☆ Russia Builds Pressure on Ukraine Along Front Line
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Ian Lovett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ukrainian troops near the front line in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on Saturday. MYKOLAIV, Ukraine—Russian forces are putting pressure on Ukraine along a growing portion of the front line, with attacks coming in the Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions in recent weeks, in addition to the fierce fighting around Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, is increasingly being cut off from other Ukrainian-held territory, according to the British ministry of defense, as Moscow continues to make progress in its efforts to encircle the city.

☆ Ukraine's smart air defense threatens one of Russia's most advanced jets, leaving it too scared to use them, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Since the start of the war, Russia's air force has struggled in combat over Ukraine. Moscow has been afraid to use them because of Ukraine's smart air defense, two experts told Insider. But, per an intelligence update earlier this week from the British ministry of defense, Russia has only used the jets from within its own airspace. Dr. Matthew Ford, a professor at the Swedish Defence University, also credited Ukraine's air defense to deterring Russian incursions. "[Ukraine's] air defense is sufficiently credible to make it open to question for the Russians as to whether they want to commit their air power," he added.

☆ Only 3 countries have managed to build 5th-generation fighters, but nearly a dozen are already working on 6th-gen jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

(The recently unveiled B-21 bomber is billed as the world's first sixth-gen aircraft, but little is known about its capabilities.) Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, and Boeing are believed to be competing to build the jets, and all have released illustrations of sixth-gen aircraft. FCAS/SCAFA full-scale model of the Future Combat Air System at the Paris Air Show in June 2019. An illustration of Japan's next-generation fighter aircraft concept. While China is making heavy investment in military aviation, Russia's ability to develop next-generation jets may be shrinking.

☆ The UK is sending Ukraine a newer, longer-range missile that lets humans guide it all the way to the target
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Brimstone missiles are anti-armor weapons, and the original has already been sent to Ukraine. Brimstone 2 has an added feature: the ability for a human to guide the missile to its target. The Brimstone 2 is a longer-range version of the original Brimstone air-launched anti-tank missile already issued to Ukrainian forces. A Brimstone missile at British Royal Air Force base RAF Marham in December 2015. Brimstone missiles are visible at the lowest point under the fuselage.

☆ Russia's Wagner Group officers hide in cover and watch with drones as 'expendable' troops are sent to die in Ukraine, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Wagner Group paramilitary, known for brutality, is fighting on behalf of Russia in Ukraine. Wagner is one of the many feuding factions carrying out Russia's invasion of Ukraine alongside its main armed forces. The UK update said his Wagner militia was taking a "major role in attritional combat" in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Prigozhin, was seen traveling to prisons and penal colonies in September to recruit soldiers after Russian troops suffered major losses in Ukraine. Since fighting in Ukraine, the group has been forced to lower its standards in order to replenish its ranks.

☆ UK says attacks on Russian bomber bases could be 'most strategically significant' force protection failure of the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian air bases have faced deadly drone attacks thought to be carried out by Ukraine. The drones involved in attacks on two Russian bases on Monday were launched from Ukrainian territory, the New York Times reported, citing a senior Ukrainian. "Ukrainian forces likely sought to disrupt Russian strikes against Ukrainian critical infrastructure and demonstrate Ukraine's ability to target Russian strategic assets," ISW added. The attacks on Russian air bases seemingly mark a new chapter in the conflict. "Why didn't Russian air defenses track and identify the targets so deep inside the country?"

☆ How Ukraine Blew Up a Key Russian Bridge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Marco Hernandez | James Glanz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Last month, a truck laden with explosives drove across the Kerch bridge, a critical artery connecting Russia with its troops fighting in southern Ukraine. Structural and explosive experts who reviewed the bridge’s design and imagery of the blast offered new details on how the bridge was damaged. There are few direct parallels to such a spectacular act of sabotage on a bridge behind enemy lines in wartime. The blast ignited a train carrying large fuel tanks on an adjacent bridge, creating flames and a plume of smoke. “If it were a suicide truck bomb,” Mr. Nair said, “I would think the guy would have destroyed the main span.”But the trigger for the bomb is still unknown.

☆ Ukraine's surprise attack on Putin's 'miracle' bridge is more than just a military loss for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The bridge between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula was hit by a surprise attack on October 8. Bridge over troubled waterThe Crimean bridge on October 9. Contributor/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Crimean bridge is very important to the Russian war effort in Ukraine. Vehicles wait to cross the Crimean bridge on October 9. Happy birthday, Mr. presidentUkrainians pose with a mock postage stamp depicting the Crimean Bridge on fire on October 8.

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