DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ A new commander is taking over Russia's Black Sea Fleet after the last one let its warships get torn apart by exploding drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewRussia has officially replaced the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, awarding Vice Adm. Sergei Pinchuk the daunting role of overseeing naval operations in a region that has long troubled Moscow. Pinchuk is a career navy officer who previously served as the deputy to Adm. Viktor Sokolov, the former Black Sea Fleet commander. Russia's Black Sea Fleet warships take part in the Navy Day celebrations in the port city of Novorossiysk on July 30, 2023. Beyond its USV force, Kyiv has also used missiles to inflict damage on the Black Sea Fleet. You realize the enormous responsibility that rests on you," Shoigu said during the teleconference, according to the Russian defense ministry's statement.

Persons: —, Sergei Pinchuk, Sergei Shoigu, Pinchuk, Viktor Sokolov, Sokolov, Shoigu, STRINGER, Aleksandr Moiseyev —, Konstantin Kabantsov Organizations: Service, Black, Fleet, Business, Russian, Black Sea, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Armed Forces, National Defense Control Center, AP, Ukrainian, Getty, Kyiv, Northern, Russian Federation, Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Novorossiysk, Sevastopol, Crimean, Russian

☆ British divers retrieved an 80-pound brass bell from the only American destroyer sunk in World War I more than 100 years after the ship was torpedoed
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewMore than a century after a German U-boat torpedoed the USS Jacob Jones off the coast of Britain during World War I, a team of divers retrieved the American destroyer's massive brass bell. On December 6, 1917 — eight months after the US joined the fight — the Jacob Jones was attacked by a submarine off the southwest coast of Britain. But the effort to retrieve the Jacob Jones' bell was pursued because of plundering concerns, retired Rear Adm. Sam Cox said in a statement about the mission. AdvertisementMost wreck sites from both World War I and World War II have been stripped of their valuable items; anything brass or bronze is gone, Cox told The Post. The Jacob Jones was the first and only US destroyer lost in the war, according to the US Naval Institute.

Persons: —, Jacob Jones, Dom Robinson, 9qzRwhGnG4, Sam Cox, Cox Organizations: Service, US, US Naval Institute, Business, Heritage Command, Navy, British Defense Ministry's, Marine Operations, Washington Post, US Naval Institute . Archaeologists, Washington Navy Yard Locations: Britain, Washington , DC, New York, Scilly, Queenstown, Ireland, England

☆ Israel's pavilion at the Dubai Airshow sits empty against backdrop of Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Amid the bustle and footfall of thousands of visitors and exhibitors at the 2023 Dubai Airshow, one pavilion is notably empty: that of Israel. Two years later, and one month into Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the scene is unrecognizable. On the show's first day, the IAI pavilion was surrounded by a red cordon, which was removed by the second day. IAI and Elbit Systems did not reply to an emailed CNBC request for comment. CNBC contacted two representatives of Israeli defense firms that attended the airshow in 2021; they said they did not attend this year's show because they had been drafted into the country's military.

Persons: Abraham, Emiratis, Rafael, SIBAT Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Abraham Accords, United Arab, Hamas, Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, IAI, CNBC, Israel's International Defense Cooperation Directorate, Defense Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Dubai, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Gulf, Gaza

☆ Israel's new Eitan APC spotted in combat against Hamas in Gaza. The IDF prematurely rushed the hi-tech armor into service.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Israel's new Eitan APC has performed its first combat missions in Gaza battling Hamas, IDF said. Featuring advanced technology from the Merkava tank series and Namer armored vehicles, the Eitan offers high mobility and firepower in various terrains. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn Eitan APC first went into action during the October 7 terrorist attacks on southern Israel by Hamas, according to Walla, an Israeli news outlet. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn Eitan commander, Lieutenant Yotam, told Walla: "The Eitan brings important capabilities such as flexibility, high level protection and lethality. Eitan APC: 'The best and most advanced'Israel's Eitan APC Zachi EvenorEitan means "strong" in Hebrew.

Persons: Israel's, Eitan, —, Walla, Yotam, Israel's Eitan, Evenor Eitan, Sayeret, Guy Paglin Organizations: Service, Israel, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Technology, Eitan APC, Nahal Infantry Brigade, Defense, Defense Ministry's, Vehicles, Israel Times Locations: Gaza, Israel, Walla, Israeli, Brig

☆ Putin fake death rumors are being spread by the Kremlin to gauge Russian reactions, Ukraine intelligence says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Kremlin is using them to gauge Russian reactions, intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov said. "It's an internal story that is intended for an internal Russian audience," Yusov told NV Radio. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Kremlin is using fake rumors about President Vladimir Putin's death to gauge Russian reactions, according to Ukrainian military intelligence. "It's an internal story that is intended for an internal Russian audience," Yusov told NV Radio, per Ukrainska Prava. Last week's claims prompted Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, to dismiss speculation about Putin's health on two occasions.

Persons: Andriy Yusov, Yusov, —, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, HUR, Ukrainska, d'état, Putin's, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov Organizations: Radio, Service, Kremlin, Defense, Main Intelligence Directorate, Ukrainian NV, Ukrainska Pravda, SVR Locations: Ukraine, Kremlin, Russian

☆ Fears Ukrainian POWs have been coerced to fight against their fellow citizens by Russia, says ISW
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is training Ukrainian prisoners of war to fight on the front lines, Russian media reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussian authorities are planning to deploy a battalion of Ukrainian prisoners of war to the front lines, Russian media reported. The outlet described it as a volunteer battalion including about 70 prisoners from various penal colonies. A Russian battalion consists of two-to-four companies and has from 250 to 1,000 people. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Russian authorities have likely coerced Ukrainian prisoners of war into joining a 'volunteer' formation that will fight in Ukraine, said the Institute for the Study of War.

Persons: —, Bogdan Khmelnitsky, Andrii Tyshchenko, Tyshchenko, Andriy Yusov, HUR Organizations: Geneva Convention, Service, RIA Novosti, Russian, Institute for, Siberian Battalion, International Legion of, Armed Forces of, Defense, Main Intelligence Locations: Russia, Russian, Donetsk Oblast, Geneva, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine says it created a whole battalion from Russians who signed up to fight their own country
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Siberian Battalion largely consists of people from ethnic minorities in Russia. The battalion is expected to be sent to fight against Russia very soon, Bloomberg reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine said Wednesday that it had created a whole battalion from Russians who wanted to fight their own country. The battalion does not recruit captured Russian soldiers, he added, as per the Kyiv Post. He called his battalion the Siberian Battalion.

Persons: —, Andriy Yusov, HUR, Yusov, Vladislav Ammosov Organizations: Siberian Battalion, Bloomberg, Service, International Legion of, Armed Forces of, Defense, Main Intelligence, Russian Federation, Kyiv Post, New, Radio Free Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Eastern Siberia, Europe, Radio Free Europe

☆ New video shows Russian forces raiding a cargo ship in the Black Sea, shouting 'stop machine' as they stormed the bridge
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian forces looking for military supplies raided a Ukraine-bound cargo ship in the Black Sea. The video shows a Russian inspecting blurred-out documents and ends with someone from the inspection team thanking the ship's crew. Tensions in the Black Sea have been especially high since Russia spiked the grain deal, a decision that was met with harsh criticism from the West. In the midst of these challenges, Ukraine has made increasing use of sea drones to attack important Russian targets operating in the Black Sea. The recent raid, however, is a notable move for Russia's Black Sea Fleet, one which raises the risk to commercial vessels transiting the region.

Persons: Russia's, —, We're, Vedant Patel Organizations: Service, Telegram, Fleet, Strategic Communication, US, Department Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Palau, Izmail, Russia, West, Romania

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine has apparently come home again, this time with drones striking skyscrapers in the capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The attack was reportedly carried out by Kyiv and came after unrelenting Russian attacks on southern Ukraine with drones and missiles increasingly targeting the country's grain infrastructure. Russia's Ministry of Defense said it "foiled" the early Monday morning attack on Moscow, which it blamed it on Ukraine. Photographs of the scene show damage to the roof of an unidentified building, which is located just a few hundred meters from the Russian defense ministry's headquarters in the capital. A view of a building after two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attack in Moscow, Russia on July 24, 2023. Ukraine's defense ministry said on Monday that Russian drones attacked grain infrastructure along the Danube River, injuring several people and destroying food storage facilities.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Sefa Karacan, Mykhailo Podolyak, Putin, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Biden, Vedant Patel, Patel, EKATERINA ANISIMOVA, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Russia's Ministry of Defense, TASS, Windows, CNN, Kyiv, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Presidential, Twitter, Police, Wagner, White, US State Department Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Kyiv, Russian, Ukrainian, Russia's, Ukraine isn't, AFP, Crimean, Odesa

☆ The White House warns Russia could attack civilian ships in the Black Sea now that a key deal is dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The White House warned Russia could attack civilian shipping in the Black Sea after a grain deal died. The Black Sea grain deal that expired Monday allowed food and fertilizer cargoes to exit from three key Ukrainian ports despite a Russian blockade. The UN had to convince Russia to agree to the Black Sea grain deal last year by dangling a quid pro quo deal to allow Russia to keep exporting food and fertilizer. As a result, the Black Sea grain deal was scrapped. Russian President Putin said Wednesday he would return to the grain deal if the country's demands are met, per TASS.

Persons: Adam Hodge, Hodge, Putin, reconnecting, Volodymyr Zelenskiy Organizations: UN, Service, White House National Security Council, Associated Press, TASS Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Odesa

☆ One of Russia's most senior generals in Ukraine said he was fired for questioning the Kremlin's war management, and accused his bosses of backstabbing his men and 'decapitating' the army
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A top Russian general in Ukraine is accusing the Kremlin of "decapitating" the war effort. Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov said he was giving honest feedback to his bosses, and was immediately fired. In his voice note, Popov said he was faced with the choice of either telling his bosses what they wanted to hear or to "call a spade a spade." As of Wednesday evening, neither the Russian state media nor the Defense Ministry has commented on Popov's remarks, whether he has been fired, or on the circumstances of such a dismissal. Gurulyov, the state duma member who published Popov's voice note, confirmed to Russian state TV on Wednesday that Tsokov was killed.

Persons: Ivan Popov, Popov, Andrey Gurulev, Valery Gerasimov, vilely, Popov's, Oleg Tsokov, Tsokov, Sergei Surovikin, Wagner, Gerasimov, Surovikin, Andrei Kartapolov Organizations: Kremlin, Service, Defense, Arms Army, Telegram, duma, CNN, Defense Ministry, Russia's Defense Ministry, Reuters, Kyiv's, Russia's, Army, The New York Times, Times Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Russia, Balakliya, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Berdiansk

☆ Russia's military leaders are at each other's throats at a crucial time in the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian military leaders are at each other's throats amid continued losses in the Ukraine war. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has been accused of treason by a general in the Russian military claiming he was fired for raising concerns. But at this critical juncture in the war and while Russia's army continues facing losses, Russian military leaders appear to have more pressing targets in mind: each other. But even after Prigozhin all but disappeared following the Wagner revolt, concerns about Russia's military leadership persist. Popov claimed he was removed from his post after flagging issues that Russian forces were facing on the front lines in Ukraine.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Putin, Prigozhin, Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Ivan Popov, Popov, Andrey Gurulyov, vilely, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Andrei Kartapolov, Gerasimov, Gen, Viktor Afzalov Organizations: Defense, Service, Russian, Wagner, Bakhmut, Politico, Arms Army, Street Journal, Prigozhin, The New York Times, Times, Russian Aerospace Forces Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Syria

☆ After Wagner's mutiny, Russia's military is now fighting with war bloggers because they won't celebrate its few wins the way they want
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's claims of a small battlefield victory have drawn criticism from military bloggers. The milbloggers won't celebrate with Moscow, causing the defense ministry to clash with the writers. Russian military bloggers, or milbloggers, have disputed some of the defense ministry's claims, according to a Sunday assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank. The milbloggers, said Ukrainian forces had managed to establish positions and that fighting was ongoing. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, continue to make use of their huge inventory of heavy Western armor — including advanced tanks and infantry fighting vehicles from the US and its NATO allies — to liberate territory in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Persons: Russia's, Putin, —, Wagner Group's, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Pat Ryder, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Institute for, Russian MoD, Russia's Defence Ministry, Military District, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS Wagner Group, Kremlin, Pentagon Press, Air Force, NATO, The General Staff of, Armed Forces, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Dnipro, Kherson, Russian, Washington, Russia, Rostov, Belarus, Ukrainian, —

☆ Most Americans support US arming Ukraine, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) - Solid majorities of Americans support providing weaponry to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia and believe that such aid demonstrates to China and other U.S. rivals a will to protect U.S. interests and allies, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey. The two-day poll that was concluded on Tuesday charted a sharp rise in backing for arming Ukraine, with 65% of the respondents approving of the shipments compared with 46% in a May poll. Eighty-one percent of Democrats, 56% of Republicans and 57% of independents favor supplying U.S. weapons to Ukraine, according to the latest poll. Some right-wing Republican lawmakers have opposed continuing U.S. military support for Ukraine. The online Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted nationwide, collecting responses from 1,004 adults, including 400 Democrats and 383 Republicans.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Joe Biden's, William Taylor, Taylor, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Jonathan Landay, Jason Lange, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: Reuters, U.S, U.S . Institute of Peace, Republican, Ukraine, NATO, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, China, U.S, Russian, United States

☆ Wagner boss Prigozhin claims he and his forces are entering Russia, vowing to 'destroy anyone' that gets in their way
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed he and his troops were marching on Russia. Still, there is no confirmed video evidence that Prigozhin and his troops are heading toward the city of Rostov in columns. "There's more we don't know than we do know," Ryan told Insider. But whether or not Rostov's apparent lockdown is proof of an impending Prigozhin coup remains to be seen, Ryan said. As chaos mounts, Russian civilians and officials attempted to refocus attention on the country's ongoing war effort in Ukraine, posting Telegram messages encouraging Russian troops to remember the real "enemy" — Ukraine.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Prigozhin, Russia's, aren't, Wagner, Sergey Surovikin, Prigozhin's, Mick Ryan, Ryan, overreacting, we'll Organizations: Wagner, Service, Group, Associated, Tass, Southern Military District Locations: Russia, Russian, Rostov, Ukraine

☆ Putin's clashing warlords are on the verge of full-blown violence that could weaken his grip on power
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The ongoing feud between Putin's warlords came to the brink of violence on Friday. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin went on a tirade against the Defense Ministry, prompting calls for his arrest. "The evil carried by the country's military leadership must be stopped," Prigozhin said, adding that his 25,0000 mercenaries were ready to stand against Russia's Defense Ministry. Insider's Ryan Pickrell previously reported that Putin plays Prigozhin and the Defense Ministry against each other, escalating tensions between those factions and attempting to deflect blame off himself. Prior to his tirades Friday, Prigozhin was bashing Russia's Defense Ministry for months, especially targeting Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the Russian General Staff General Valery Gerasimov.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Vladimir Putin, Putin's, Prigozhin, Putin, It's, Insider's Ryan Pickrell, Simon Miles, Tatiana Stanovaya, Sergey Shoigu, Russian General Staff General Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Defense Ministry, Service, Titan, Russia's Ministry of Defense, Wagner Group, Russia's Defense, Russia's Defense Ministry, KGB, Kremlin, Wagner, Meduza, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Russia's, Ministry, Russian, Russian General Staff Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, Russian

☆ Russia is forcing Ukrainian mechanics to fix its busted military gear because Russians don't know how to, Ukraine officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is forcing Ukrainians to fix outdated and broken military equipment, Ukraine claims. Russia lacks mechanics who have the skills necessary to fix the equipment up, officials said. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's National Resistance Center said in a statement that Russian forces are bringing aged military equipment back into service, but "lack mechanics who can repair damaged or outdated vehicles." President Vladimir Putin admitted Tuesday that his forces don't have enough "high-precision ammunition, communications equipment, aircraft, drones, and so on." In its statement, the National Resistence Center urged Ukrainians living under Russian occupation not to comply with any repair orders from Russian forces.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Bradley Organizations: Service, Russian, Ukrainian Defense Ministry's National Resistance Center, National Resistence Center Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian

☆ Wagner boss Prigozhin is escalating his feud with the Russian military to stay relevant after Bakhmut, but he risks taking it too far, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Wagner founder and financier Yevgeny Prigozhin continues to escalate his feud with the Russian defense ministry. But some prominent voices in Russia's pro-war ultranationalist community are troubled by his antics, ISW observed. But in that same information space, Prigozhin also voiced repeated, profane, and blunt criticisms of the regular Russian military and its leadership. This aspect of his online activities appears to have become more pronounced as Wagner forces come off the line and reposition to rear areas. "Prigozhin is exposing a similar hatred for select individuals within the Russian military command," she said.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ISW, —, Prigozhin, Russia's ultranationalist, Bakhmut, Stepanenko, Roman Venevitin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Igor Girkin, Shoigu, Russian oligarch Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Russia's, Kremlin, Institute for, Press, REUTERS, 72nd, Motorized Rifle Brigade, Wagner, Russian MoD, RIA, MoD, Washington DC Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Belgorod Oblast, Russia, Concord, Russian, Soledar

☆ Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who spent months on the ground in Bakhmut, said the Kremlin's claims about inflicting heavy losses on Ukraine are 'wild and absurd science fiction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner Company leader Yevgeny Prigozhin scoffed at the Kremlin's reports of big wins in Ukraine. He dismissed the tally as "wild and absurd science fiction," further antagonizing the Kremlin. But in a Monday statement from his press service, Prigozhin dismissed the Kremlin's tally as "wild and absurd science fiction." "Therefore, I believe that this is simply wild and absurd science fiction," said Prigozhin. Ukraine's and Russia's Defense Ministries did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin scoffed, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, he's, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Service, Leopard, Wagner Group, Kremlin, Russia's Defense Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Germany, France, Shoigu

☆ Ukraine claims that Russia plans to fake a major nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhia power plant and force a ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine claims Russia is planning to stage an accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. "Russians are preparing massive provocation and imitation of the accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in the nearest hours," the Ukrainian defense ministry's intelligence directorate said on social media on Friday. Fighting has continually raged around the power plant, and both Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for dangerous incidents of shelling hitting the site. The UN International Atomic Energy Agency has previously warned about the risks of "a severe nuclear accident" at the plant due to ongoing fighting. It was reported last week that Russian military forces had been enhancing defensive positions around the power plant ahead of the expected counteroffensive.

☆ Leaked details of Wagner boss Prigozhin's dealings suggest he was ready to throw Russia's war 'under the bus' just to win a battle, Russia expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Wagner Group has frequently feuded with Russia's military leadership over its war in Ukraine. A new report suggests the group leader took it farther than previously known, offering to give Ukraine Russian troop locations. The report indicates that Yevgeny Prigozhin was ready to derail Russia's war for his own aims, an expert told Insider. And according to a new report, amid these tensions, Prigozhin attempted derail Russia's battlefield operations in a major way. Ukrainian soldiers walk in the position close to Bakhmut, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023.

☆ Russian commanders now punish misbehaving troops by sticking them in dirt holes covered with metal grilles called 'zindans:' UK intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The holes in the ground are covered by metal grilles, and are makeshift dungeons called "zindans." Independent Russian media also reported recent cases of Russian troops being held in"zindans." The intelligence update comes several weeks after the independent Russian media outlet Vertska also reported that Russian troops were beaten and placed in "zindans." He pleaded for help from the Russian defense ministry, accusing his commanding officer of being "corrupt." The Russian defense ministry's press service did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ Be 'a real man,' Russia tells men as it looks recruit more fighters for war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Another ad showed men in everyday jobs and situations and alternatively as soldiers, concluding with the phrase: "You're a real man. One ad, Reuters noted, invited men to sign a contract with the Russian defense ministry for a salary starting at 204,000 Russian rubles ($2,495) a month. Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesThe U.K.'s defense ministry noted Sunday that Russia had launched "a pervasive campaign" aimed at attracting new recruits. "The new adverts appeal to potential recruits' masculine pride, appealing for 'real men', as well as highlighting the financial benefits of joining up," it said via Twitter. " Nonetheless, the ministry said it was highly unlikely that the campaign will attract the Russian defense ministry's reported target of 400,000 volunteers.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia launches drive to recruit fighters; Kremlin spokesman's son says he joined Wagner mercenaries
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Russia's Ministry of Defense launched a major new drive for volunteer recruits with an advertising campaign telling potential recruits, "you're a real man. The U.K.'s defense ministry noted Sunday that "a pervasive campaign" has seen advertising appear on Russian social media sites, billboards and on TV. "The new adverts appeal to potential recruits' masculine pride, appealing for 'real men', as well as highlighting the financial benefits of joining up." The ministry said it was highly unlikely that the campaign will attract the Russian defense ministry's reported target of 400,000 volunteers. In other news, the son of the Kremlin's prominent spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed in a newspaper interview that he served with the Wagner Group of mercenary fighters in Ukraine.

☆ Ukrainian forces reportedly cross a key river, raising hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyiv's long-awaited spring counteroffensive. In the south, the Dnieper has for months marked the contact line in the Kherson region, where its namesake capital is regularly pummeled by shelling from Russian forces stationed across the river. The think tank cited comments from financier Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group — a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut. Russian forces on Saturday and overnight also dropped five guided aerial bombs over the Kherson region, Ukraine's Operational Command South said in a Facebook post Sunday. In the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, Russian shelling wounded a 56-year-old man in Stepnohirsk, a town on the banks of the Dnieper river, local Gov.

Search resuls for: "Defense Ministry's"

25 mentions found