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☆ Genius or madness? Why Putin wants an economist to be Russia's new defense minister at a key point in the war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

But Putin's replacement of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was unexpected — and his choice of successor, civilian economist Andrei Belousov, was even more of a surprise. Russia's incoming Defense Minister Andrey Belousov. "Belousov's main goal is to secure [Russia's] military needs in terms of arms. The Kremlin announced on Sunday that Shoigu, Russia's defense minister since 2012, had been relieved of his post and would become secretary of Russia's influential Security Council. Prigozhin died last August in a plane crash after a short-lived and ill-fated rebellion against Russia's military leadership.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Miguel Diaz, Maxim Shemetov, Sergei Shoigu, Andrei Belousov, Belousov, Putin, Andrey Belousov, Shoigu, Belousov's, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Uralvagonzavod, Ramil Sitdikov, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Tatiana Stanovaya, Stanovaya, Nikolai Patrushev, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Ukraine —, Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Klimentyev Organizations: Cuban, Canel, Reuters, NATO, Institute for, Anadolu, Getty, Kremlin, Russian MoD, Defense Ministry, Sputnik, Afp, Staff, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, CNBC, Nazi, Security, Wagner Group, Russian Armed Forces, Russian Defence, Defence Ministry Board, National Defence Control Centre Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Kharkiv, Russian, Urals, Nizhny Tagil, Nazi Germany, Kremlin

☆ Putin replaces longtime defense minister in surprise move; Russia claims gains as fighting rages in northeast Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved his longtime ally Sergei Shoigu from the defense ministry to Russia's powerful Security Council amid a government reshuffle. Russian economist Andrei Belousov will be Russia's new defense minister, while Shoigu will replace Nikolai Patrushev, another long-standing Putin ally, as the secretary of the powerful Security Council. Shoigu had headed the defense ministry since 2012, going in to the role with no military experience, and oversaw Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In other news, Russia's Defense Ministry on Sunday claimed more advances in the Kharkiv area of Ukraine after Russian forces launched a new offensive in the northeastern region.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Staff Sergei Rudskoi, Andrei Belousov, Shoigu, Nikolai Patrushev, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Belousov Organizations: Staff, Armed Forces, Sputnik, Security Council, Wagner Group, Kremlin, Russia's Defense Ministry, Sunday Locations: Ukraine, Rostov, Don, Russia, Kremlin, Russian, Kharkiv

☆ Sergei Shoigu: Putin replaces Russia’s defense minister with a civilian, citing rising military costs and need for innovation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin has replaced his defense minister Sergei Shoigu with a civilian, Andrey Belousov, citing the country’s rising military spending and the need for “innovation.”Shoigu had been “relieved” of his post of Minister of Defense by presidential decree and been appointed Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday night local time. Shoigu would also become Putin’s deputy in Russia’s Military-Industrial Commission, Peskov said, while Nikolai Patrushev, the previous Secretary of the Security Council, would “transfer to another job.”Belousov, who previously served as first deputy prime minister, is a civilian. “Today on the battlefield, the winner is the one who is more open to innovation,” Peskov said. Peskov added that the new appointment did not signal a shift in Russia’s current military system. In his new role, Shoigu will oversee Russia’s military industrial complex, Peskov said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Andrey Belousov, ” Shoigu, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Shoigu, Peskov, Nikolai Patrushev, ” Belousov, Putin, ” Peskov, It’s, Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu’s, Timur Ivanov, Ivanov, Ukraine –, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, Defense, Russia’s Security, Russia’s, Industrial Commission, Security, Russian Ministry of Defense, of Economic, Staff Locations: Ukraine, Russia

☆ Thousands of Ukrainians have been sent to Russian prisons. Ukraine says they’re being held as bargaining chips
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

The Ukrainian government says there are thousands of people like Dima, civilians arrested by Russia who have been held in arbitrary detention for years. In the early weeks of the war, Russian troops took over their home, parking their tank in the garden and stealing anything of value. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia opened a second pre-trial detention facility in Simferopol, SIZO No. Detained civilians, however, are stuck in limbo. Mariana Checheliuk's photos were among those displayed by relatives of detained civilians at a recent protest in Kyiv.

Persons: Ukraine CNN — “, ”, Vasyl Khyliuk, Dmytro Khyliuk, Dima, –, Ivana Kottasova, Dmytro Lubinets, Lubinets, ” Achille Després, Cross, it’s, Vasyl, ” Vasyl, Halyna, “, Dmytro Khyliuk’s, Russia —, Khyliuk, Anastasiia, MIHR, Pantielieieva, CNN “ We’ve, ” Pantielieieva, Yulia Khrypun, Serhii, ’, Serhii Khrypun, Yulia, ” Yulia, Mariana Checheliuk, Mariana, Natalia Checheliuk, ” Natalia, ’ ” Natalia, Alexander Ermochenko, Mariana –, Mila, Natalia, Volodymyr, Zelensky, Mariana Checheliuk's Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Ukrainian Independent, Agency, Kyiv, CNN, Russian Federation, International Committee, Ukrainian, Organization for Security, Getty, Media Initiative, Human Rights, Penal, Russian Investigative Committee, Russian Prison Service, ICRC, Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Russian Federal Security Service, Russian National Guard, Directorate, General Staff, Serhii, Crimean Human Rights, Maxar Technologies, Volunteers, Russia, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Security Service of Ukraine, Ukraine’s, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Information Bureau, Ministry, “, Headquarters Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Dima, Ukrainian, Kozarovychi, Russia, Geneva, Europe, Novozybkov, Russia’s Bryansk, Russia’s Vladimir, Mordovia, Russian, Moscow, Bryansk, Nove, Tokmak, Melitopol, Olenivka, Kursk, Crimea, Kamensk, Russia’s Rostov, Yulia Khrypun Russia, Chonhar, Kherson, Crimean, Crimean Tatars, Simferopol, SIZO, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, ‘, Mariupol, Zaporizhzhia, Bezimenne, Donetsk People’s Republic, Azovstal, Donetsk, Taganrog, Kamyshin, Russia’s Volgograd, Qatar

☆ Live Updates: Israel Says Confrontation With Iran ‘Is Not Over’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Mike Ives | Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The Iranian armed forces are among the biggest in the Middle East, with 580,000 soldiers and officers and also 200,000 reservists. The start of a direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel has brought renewed attention to Iran’s armed forces. Instead, Israel and Iran have been engaged in a long shadow war via air, sea, land and cyberattacks, and Israel has covertly targeted military and nuclear facilities inside Iran and killed commanders and scientists. It’s that they realize any war against Iran is a very serious war.”What sort of military threat does Iran pose? The commander in chief of Iran’s armed forces is the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last word on all major decisions.

Persons: ”, Afshon Ostovar, “ It’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Fabian Hinz, “, Atta Kenare, Ostovar, Ayatollah Khamenei, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Will Israel’s Organizations: Naval Postgraduate School, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Guards, General Staff of, Armed Forces, Quds Force, Agence France, Phantoms, Iranian Army, Associated Press Locations: Tehran, Iranian, Iran, Israel, Damascus, United States, Washington, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Jihad, Gaza, Berlin, speedboats, Persian, Hormuz, Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, North Korea

☆ Ukraine must win back the battlefield initiative to have a chance to stop Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Victory in the Ukraine war may come down to a simple question: which side has the initiative? If Russia can retain the initiative, it can launch constant offensives with its larger forces that will drive Ukrainian defenders to the breaking point. For Ukraine, gaining the initiative has become existential: it has to keep Russia off balance, or its forces will be worn down responding to Russian offensives. Ukraine simply cannot afford to go on the defensive and expect this will stop Russia, Barros said. To seize the initiative, Ukraine needs to know that it will receive a steady and reliable stream of Western aid, rather than sporadic deliveries.

Persons: We've, George Barros, Napoleon, Barros, they're, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Ukraine, U.S, Staff, NATO, British Challenger, Ukrainian, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Israel, Russian, Nazi Germany, Soviet, Ukrainian, Forbes

☆ Ukraine isn't the only country Russia is trying to topple
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Even as Russian bombs pound Ukraine, Moscow's mercenaries and spies are busy trying to set much of the rest of the world afire. To Russia, the conventional warfare waged in Ukraine, and unconventional "gray zone" warfare waged around the world, are two sides of the same coin. Human intelligence operations are used to attempt elite capture through the offer of assistance to politicians who support Russian interests. "As the war in Ukraine protracts, Russia has an interest in creating crises further afield," said RUSI. "As a lot of Russia's unconventional operations are self-defeating, countering Russian unconventional warfare must be premised on careful, selective, and intelligence- driven targeting," the study emphasized.

Persons: —, RUSI, Vladimir Putin, Jack Watling, Oleksandr Danylyuk, Nick Reynolds, Britain —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Business, Kremlin, Soviet Union, NATO, Directorate, Staff of, Armed Forces, Getty, Russian, Central African, Wagner, GRU Expeditionary Corps, Convoy, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Africa, Central Asia, Soviet, Montenegro, Moscow, Moldova, Russian, Britain, Ukraine protracts, Balkans, Russia's, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Central African Republic, Chechnya, Forbes

☆ Israel’s military says it made ‘grave’ mistakes in killing seven aid workers in Gaza. Here’s what we know
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Israel’s military said its troops made a series of “grave” mistakes and violated protocol in their strikes that killed seven aid workers in Gaza this week. The IDF is considering distributing thermal stickers for aid vehicles to prevent this happening again in the future, he added. After the first vehicle was struck, some of the surviving aid workers fled to the other vehicles in the convoy – which were also struck, the spokesperson said. People gather around one of the WCK vehicles struck by the IDF, April 2, 2024. The killing of the seven aid workers sparked condemnation from some of Israel’s most prominent supporters and may mark a turning point in how Israel perpetrates its war in Gaza.

Persons: CNN —, WCK, Israel’s, “, Jose Andres, Daniel Hagari, ” Andres, Israel, ”, ” WCK, Israel perpetrates, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, ’, Biden, Alicia Kearns, Kearns, Itamar Ben Gvir Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Canadian, Staff, 162nd Division, Southern Command, Getty, West Bank, United Nations, Israeli, Conservative, BBC, National Locations: Gaza, Israel, Gazan, Deir, Palestinian, Australian, AFP, ”

☆ Ukraine says it downed two of three Russian drones overnight
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine's air force shot down two out of three Russia-launched Shahed drones overnight, the Ukrainian military said on Monday. Separately, Ukraine's energy ministry said equipment at a power substation in the southern Zaporizhzhia region had been damaged following a drone attack. Monday night was relatively quiet for Ukraine following a series of attacks on the country's energy infrastructure that Russia stepped up more than a week ago. On March 22, Russian forces carried out the largest strike on grid infrastructure during the two-year-old war, causing major damage and resulting in massive power outages. Russia last week continued targeting Ukraine's thermal and hydro-power plants.

Organizations: General Staff, Facebook Locations: Russia, Ukraine

CNN —Russia says it killed large numbers of Ukrainian soldiers with a destructive so-called “vacuum bomb” in a claim Ukraine swiftly called nonsense. The deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces told Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting that up to 300 soldiers were killed “as a result of an accurate strike by an aerial munition,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday. The spokesperson of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Andriy Yusov, told CNN the claims were “absolute nonsense and propaganda as well as Russian information about killing 1500 Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk and Belgorod regions yesterday”. The spokesperson of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Andriy Yusov, told CNN the claims were “absolute nonsense and propaganda.”CNN cannot independently verify the incident. Volumetric weapons are also known as vacuum bombs, thermobaric weapons or fuel-air explosives.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, “, Andriy Yusov, Alexei Kim, Kim, Shoigu Organizations: CNN, Staff, Russian Armed Forces, Russian Defense, Russia’s Defense, Defense Intelligence, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, RIA Novosti, Lieber Institute for Law & Warfare, US Military Academy, West, Center for Arms Control, Russian, Joint Group of Forces Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kursk, Belgorod, West Point , New York

CNN —Large numbers of Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in a single airstrike, a Russian general has claimed. The deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces told Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting that up to 300 soldiers were killed “as a result of an accurate strike by an aerial munition,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday. CNN cannot independently verify the numbers and there has been no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kim also told Shoigu during the meeting that Ukraine is “suffering significant losses in both equipment and manpower as a result of the use of high-precision weapons and strike drones,” the ministry said. This is a developing story and will be updated.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, “, Alexei Kim, Shoigu, Kim Organizations: CNN, Staff, Russian Armed Forces, Russian Defense, Russia’s Defense, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Joint Group of Forces Locations: Russian, Ukraine

☆ Exclusive: US prepared ‘rigorously’ for potential Russian nuclear strike in Ukraine in late 2022, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Russian officials alleged Ukraine would build and detonate a dirty bomb against Russian forces and then blame the attack on Russia. Western intelligence agencies had received information that there were now communications among Russian officials explicitly discussing a nuclear strike. “It’s never a cut-and-dry, black-and-white assessment,” the first senior administration official told me. Secretary of State Antony Blinken communicated US concerns “very directly” with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, according to senior administration officials. “We conducted a number of quiet conversations with core allies to go through our thinking,” the first senior administration official told me.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Powers, “, ” “, Chris McGrath, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, “ It’s, NurPhoto, Antony Blinken, Sergey Lavrov, Mark Milley, General Valery Gerasimov, Joe Biden, Bill Burns, Sergey Naryshkin, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, Alexandr Demyanchuk, ”, … Organizations: CNN, US, National Security Council, Kherson City, “, UN, United Nations, Russian, Russian Armed Forces, CIA, Indian, Shanghai Cooperation Organization Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, “, Russian, Kherson, Ukrainian, France, Turkey, ”, Kyiv, India, China, Samarkand

☆ Russia raises its flag in Avdiivka, then presses the advantage on a vulnerable Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Tim Lister | Maria Kostenko | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Russian military may have sensed a window of vulnerability in its adversary. Ukraine’s better units are exhausted after two years of combat; there is a new commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi; and Ukrainian troops are short of shells and vulnerable to relentless air strikes. The daily update from the Ukrainian military provides a glimpse of the firepower now being brought to bear by the Russians. This is how the enemy gained the advantage, destroying everything and advancing in the city.”Ukrainian servicemen build a temporary fortification near Avdiivka. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that in Avdiivka, seven Russians were being killed for every Ukrainian soldier lost.

Persons: they’ve, Ukraine’s, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, “, Ivan Tymochko, –, Firsov, Anatolii Stepanov, Chasiv Yar, Yevlash, ” Yevlash, Diego Herrera Carcedo, ’ Organizations: CNN, Russians, General Staff, Ukrainian Land Forces, Lyman, TV, Getty, Forces Locations: Avdiivka, Donetsk, Russia, Russian, Luhansk, Bakhmut, Kupiansk, Zaporizhzhia, Russians, Kharkiv, Robotyne, Severodonetsk, AFP, Mariinka, Vuhledar, Chasiv, Kramatorsk, Ukraine, Anadolu, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskyy takes one of his 'biggest gambles' yet by replacing top military commander
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Sam Meredith | Www.Linkedin.Com In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Metin Atkas | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is thought to have taken one of his "biggest gambles" yet by replacing his top commander in a dramatic military shake-up. Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, one of Ukraine's most experienced commanders who had led the country's ground forces since 2019, was on Thursday appointed the new head of Ukraine's armed forces amid broader military leadership changes. It represents the most significant change to Ukraine's military leadership since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country nearly two years ago. In a post on social media platform X, Zelenskyy said he had taken the decision "to renew the leadership" of Ukraine's armed forces and thanked Zaluzhnyi for his two years of service. Urgent change," Zelenskyy said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Land Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi, Andriy Yermak, Kharkiv Region Oleg Sinegubov, Metin, Gen, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Valeriy, Zelenskyy, Zaluzhnyi, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Oksana Parafeniuk, Zelenskky, Zaluzhny, Peter Dickinson, Genya Savilov, Dickinson Organizations: Ukrainian Land Forces, Presidential, Military Administration, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Armed Forces, Staff of, Armed Forces of, Washington Post, Russia, Economist, Atlantic Council, Afp Locations: Izium, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Kharkiv Region, Zelenskyy, Russia, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv, Zelenskky, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Donetsk

☆ Ukraine Must Find Innovative Ways to Fight, New Commander Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Max HunderKYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's armed forces must adapt and find innovative ways to fight to achieve victory over Russian invaders, Kyiv's new armed forces chief said on Friday, in his first public remarks since taking command. Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, previously commander of ground forces, was promoted on Thursday to overall command of Ukraine's 800,000-strong armed forces, the biggest shakeup of top brass since the war began, coming at a challenging time. The cautious, pragmatic tone was notably short of the soaring rhetoric used by Ukrainian politicians throughout the war. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesDefence Minister Rustem Umerov said he had introduced Syrskyi to the General Staff, and promised "all possible support for the actions and decisions of the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine". In his announcement yesterday, Zelenskiy said Syrskyi would present his new team with the aim of "resetting" the military.

Persons: Max Hunder, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi, Rustem Umerov, Umerov, Zelenskiy, Yuliia Dysa, Toby Chopra, Peter Graff Organizations: Max Hunder KYIV, General Staff, Armed Forces, Facebook Locations: Ukraine, United States, Avdiivka, Moscow, Bakhmut

☆ Israeli Military Opens Probe Into Reports of Oct. 7 Friendly Fire Deaths
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By James MackenzieJERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has begun investigating possible breaches of the law by its forces during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, the military said on Tuesday, following reports some Israeli civilians may have been killed by friendly fire in the fighting. Once an investigation is completed, all materials would be handed over to the Military Advocate General's office, which would decide if there were grounds to open a military police investigation. "The IDF is committed to conducting a thorough review and investigation," the military said. Asked about the Be'eri incident, the Israeli military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the army was still focused on fighting in Gaza but was preparing its investigation. "We will emerge on the other side strengthened and much better, and that is exactly what we need," he said.

Persons: James Mackenzie JERUSALEM, Daniel Hagari, General Herzi Halevi, Henriette Chacar, Howard Goller Organizations: Haaretz, Israel Defence Forces, IDF, Military, General Staff Locations: Israel, Be'eri, Gaza

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy Hails Arrival of New Air Defence Systems
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the arrival on Friday of two new air defence systems that he said could "shoot down anything". In his nightly video address, the president pointedly said he could give no details of the newly arrived air defence systems but described them as the culmination of "working tirelessly at various levels for months". And while the systems are not yet sufficient for the complete defence of Ukraine, we are working towards that goal every day." Beefing up air defence has been one of the key priorities for defending cities, towns and infrastructure against Russian missile and drone attacks. "There is a risk that the Ukrainian armed forces may have to withdraw from Avdiivka," Dykiy said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, State Victoria Nuland, Valery Zaluzhnyi, Yevhen Dykiy, Dykiy, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Reuters, Russia, Russian, State, Armed Forces Commander, General Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Russian

☆ Russian Shelling Kills Four in Northern Ukraine, One in Devastated Avdiivka
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russian shelling in northern Ukraine killed four people in two villages in Sumy region near the Russian border, while a woman died in a fresh assault on the devastated eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, local officials said. The local administration in Sumy region said three people died in mortar fire in the village of Znov-Novohorodske. Reuters could not verify the reports, but officials in Sumy region report daily attacks from Russian forces. It has remained in Ukrainian hands in Russia's slow drive through eastern Ukraine despite fierce onslaughts since mid-October. The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces, in its evening report said Ukrainian forces had repelled 13 Russian attacks in and around Avdiivka in the past 24 hours.

Persons: Suspilne, Avdiivka, Natalia Humeniuk, Ron Popeski, Nick Starkov, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, General, Military Locations: Ukraine, Sumy, Russian, Avdiivka, Znov, Ukrainian, Dnipro, Russia, Kherson

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic’s government signed an agreement with the United States on Monday to acquire 24 U.S. F-35 fighter jets as part of a deal worth about 150 billion Czech koruna ($6.6 billion), the biggest single purchase for the Czech military. The Czech government approved the deal in September. The first of the 24 fighter jets should be delivered in 2031, with the rest by 2035. The American aircraft will replace the 14 JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden that are currently used by the Czech army. The Czech ministry has been negotiating the deal with the U.S. for more than a year during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Jana Černochová, Bijan Sabet, ” Černochová, JAS, Černochová, Karel Rehka Organizations: U.S, Czech, Czech Defense Ministry, American, Gripen Locations: PRAGUE, Czech, United States, Sweden, Czech Republic, Ukraine

☆ Flying attack helicopters low on risky runs the way they do in Ukraine is far from easy, former Super Cobra pilot says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewUkraine's attack helicopter pilots are flying low and fast, navigating a dangerous battlefield where almost anything in the air is at risk. Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters attack Russian positions with the use of unguided rockets. And then, of course, there is the serious threat of Russian surface-to-air missiles and other weapons, to include Russian aircraft. AdvertisementThe General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed footage of the combat operation of the Mi-24 attack helicopter. Part of the larger problem facing Ukrainian helicopter pilots is identifying where threats are coming from in combat environments.

Persons: —, lew mede, eli, Hunter, ely, NIEL, IHAILE, e, orde, ines, Sergey Organizations: Service, Business, US Marine Corps, aff, kr, unt Locations: Ukraine, ain, sion, gilan, it use

☆ Russia changed up its latest barrage, likely to try to better break through Ukraine's air defenses, war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia switched up the composition of its latest large-scale strike, likely to stress Ukraine's air defenses. War analysts suspect Russia is trying to make its strike packages harder to defeat. AdvertisementIn its most recent massive barrage on Ukraine, Russia changed up its strike package from previous attacks. From late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning, the Russians conducted a series of missile strikes against Ukraine. Russian efforts to see where it can poke holes in Ukraine's air defense come after it apparently rebuilt its precision-guided munitions stockpiles and ramped up strikes.

Persons: —, that's, ISW, they've Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Staff of, Armed Forces, Washington DC Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Washington, Russian, Iran, Avdiivka, Donetsk

☆ Iran says attacks by its allies won’t stop until Israel’s war in Gaza ends
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Attacks by Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East won’t stop until Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza ends, Tehran’s top diplomat warned on Wednesday, as tensions across the region threaten to spiral into wider conflict. Since Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel and the Israeli offensive in Gaza that followed, the militant group Hezbollah has engaged in daily confrontations with Israeli forces on the Lebanon-Israel border. Houthi rebels have launched a series of attacks on commercial ships and Western military vessels in the Red Sea, a major artery for international trade. Iran also launched missile strikes in Syria and Pakistan against what it described as terrorist groups who it blamed for deadly attacks inside Iran in recent weeks. Meanwhile, there are fears that the ripple effects of the tensions have begun to extend beyond the Middle East.

Persons: Tehran’s, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Hassan Nasrallah, “, Hizam al, Assad, Matt Miller, ” Miller, Israel, Herzi Halevi, ” Halevi, Chris Liakos, Adam Pourahmadi, Jennifer Hansler, Wayne Chang Organizations: CNN, Economic, Sunday, Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Iraq, US, State, Israel’s, Staff, Israel Defence Forces Locations: Gaza, Iranian, Davos, Israel, Lebanon, Red, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Erbil, Pakistan, Yemen, “, East, China, ”

☆ Photos offer an up-close look at how Ukrainian soldiers rig their drones with deadly explosives
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Newly surfaced photos offer an up-close look at how Ukraine attaches explosives to its drones. Both sides have heavily relied on drones throughout the war, targeting high-value assets and operators. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementPhotos that showed up online this week offer an up-close look at Ukrainian troops attaching deadly explosives to their drones before flying them off to Russian targets. The photos offer an interesting look at the process troops go through, from preparing the drone for flight to rigging it with its explosive payload.

Persons: —, they've Organizations: Service, Staff of, Armed Forces, 53rd Mechanized Brigade, Twitter, Troops Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Donetsk Oblast, Russia

☆ Ukraine troops face 'difficult defence' in east as bitter cold sets in - Zelenskiy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a hospital heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Selydove, Donetsk region, Ukraine November 21, 2023. REUTERS/Alina Smutko/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 22 (Reuters) - Ukrainian troops face "difficult" defensive operations on parts of the eastern front with bitter winter cold setting in, but forces in the south are still conducting offensive actions, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday. Russian troops launched offensives on different sections of the front line in Ukraine's east this autumn, trying to advance on the devastated town of Avdiivka and in the northeast between the towns of Lyman and Kupiansk. After one such lull the day before, the head of the "Tavria" military command said on Wednesday that Russian troops had "dramatically increased" the number of assaults and airstrikes. Ukrainian forces continued the offensive on the southeastern Melitopol front, he added.

Persons: Alina Smutko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Kupiansk, Zelenskiy, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Yuliia, Tom Balmforth, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Lyman, Kyiv, Staff, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Selydove, Donetsk region, Ukraine's, Avdiivka, Lyman, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Russia, Kyiv, Dnipro

☆ Israel and Hamas agree to hostage deal in a major diplomatic breakthrough
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Israel's government has approved a hostage deal — a major diplomatic breakthrough amid the war. The outline includes the release of 50 hostages who are in Gaza and the release of 150 Palestinians held in Israel. The deal comes as Israeli forces continue their extensive ground operations in the Gaza Strip. AdvertisementIsrael's cabinet approved a hostage release deal on Wednesday morning local time, a major diplomatic breakthrough that comes more than six weeks into the devastating war between the two sides. Hamas said in a Telegram post that it agreed to the deal and that 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel would be released.

Persons: —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Haim Zach, Handout, John Kirby, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Emi Palmor, Herzi Halevi Organizations: Service, IDF, NBC News, Israel's, Biden, Government Press Office, US, National Security, Israel's Ministry of Justice, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, REUTERS Locations: Gaza, Israel, US, Qatar, Egypt, Tze'elim, Israeli, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Tehran

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