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☆ Putin orders Russian army to expand to become the world's second largest
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The Kremlin said Tuesday that an order by President Vladimir Putin to transform Russia’s army into the second largest in the world was needed to address growing threats on Russia’s western borders and instability to the east. Putin on Monday ordered the regular size of the Russian army to be increased by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million active servicemen in a move that would make it the second largest in the world after China’s. “This is due to the number of threats that exist to our country along the perimeter of our borders,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. Putin since 2022 had previously ordered two official increases in the number of combat troops — by 137,000 and 170,000 respectively. Dara Massicot, an expert in the Russian military at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, questioned whether Moscow was ready to foot the bill for the increase in active servicemen.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Andrei Kartapolov, —, Dara Massicot, ” Massicot, Massicot, ” Organizations: Monday, International Institute for Strategic Studies, NATO, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace Locations: ”, Russia, United States, India, China, Ukraine, Russia’s Kursk, Finland, Japan, U.S, Moscow

☆ Ukraine's attack took perfect advantage of Russia's internal dysfunction, where nobody was in charge
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russia's convoluted military structures likely hindered its ability to defend Kursk, experts say. Ukraine "knew where to press" to exploit its dysfunction, defense expert Dara Massicot wrote. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementUkraine exploited the disorganization of Russia's border defenses to make its surprise attack on Kursk, according to expert analyses.

Persons: Dara Massicot, — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Ukraine, Kursk

☆ What the West's foes may be learning from the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementShe explained that from a tactical perspective, Ukraine and Russia are learning much about each other, and in response, the cycles of adaptation and countermeasures are rapidly compressing. "Russia's allies and their partners are learning from them, and this is now a currency that Russia has to give to Iran, China, North Korea — that learning of our equipment." Iran and North Korea have collectively outfitted Russia with a bunch of lethal aid, including missiles, rockets, artillery shells, and drones. Photo by ANONYMOUS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty ImagesChina's support for Russia as it wages war in Ukraine has been more discreet. Experts and officials have also said that North Korea is likely learning about how its weapons perform in actual combat conditions.

Persons: —, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Baiba Braže, Alina Smutko, Tehran's, Abrams, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, It's, Luke Coffey, Iran's Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, Carnegie Endowment, International, Latvia's, Mechanized Brigade, REUTERS, Getty, CNN, Russian, Army Tactical Missile, West, Ukraine —, Hudson Institute, North, General Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Institute for, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington, Iran, China, North Korea, Moscow, Iranian, Kermanshah, Beijing, Tehran, Pyongyang, AFP, Israel, Korea, Ukrainian, X

☆ 'Fierce' Russian attacks test Ukraine's defenses near its 2nd largest city
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia has launched a major attack in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces have responded to the attack, but "a fierce battle is underway." There are fears it could be part of a renewed drive for the city of Kharkiv that Russia failed to seize in the war's early months. AdvertisementRescuers work at a house in Kharkiv on May 10, 2024 after a Russian missile attack. The analysts said Moscow lacks enough troops in the area, and did not try to attack the city from multiple directions.

Persons: Zelenskyy, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dara Massicot, Andrii, Andrii Kovalenko, Kovalenko Organizations: Service, Images, Slovakian, Carnegie Endowment, International, AP, Institute for, National Security and Defense Locations: Russia, Ukraine's, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Vovchansk, Moscow, Russian

☆ Photos show Ukraine bracing for Russian assaults with some of the same tricks that derailed its big counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Digging DefensesWorkmen are seen preparing trenches on the new defense line on March 12, 2024 in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. Dragon's Teeth"Dragon's teeth", anti-tank obstacles, are seen on the new defense line on March 12, 2024 in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. AdvertisementThe ToolsDrone view of the construction of the defense line on March 12, 2024 in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. Drone view of the construction of the defense line on March 12, 2024 in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. AdvertisementDrone view of the construction of the defense line on March 12, 2024 in Kharkiv region, Ukraine.

Persons: —, Kostiantyn, They're, Dara Massicot, Kostiantyn Liberov, crowdfunding, Emma Ashford, Putin Organizations: Service, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Getty, Russia, Stimson Center Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russia, Avdiivka, Kharkiv region, Washington

☆ The Russian war machine is fired up but won't be able to keep going like this indefinitely, war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewRussia's war machine has picked up momentum in concert with its increased industrial capacity and decreased Ukrainian resistance, but current Russian manufacturing capabilities and stored combat systems won't last forever, war experts say. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a major factor in its ongoing labor shortage, an issue that can affect weapons manufacturing. Many Russian citizens who might have worked key jobs have either enlisted in the military or have fled the country. AdvertisementThe increased capacity of Russia's defense industrial base, ISW said, is "capable of sustaining Russia's current tempo of operations" in the short-term.

Persons: —, Forbes, Russia's, ISW, Dara Massicot Organizations: Service, Institute, Business, Street Journal, Royal United Services Institute, Avdiivka, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace's, Eurasia Locations: Russian, Russian Soviet, Russia, London, Ukraine, International Peace's Russia

☆ Ukraine needs different weapons to blunt Russia's artillery fire advantages because HIMARS aren't enough anymore, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

War experts say Kyiv will need more precision-guided munitions to blunt Moscow's advantage in artillery fire. Western officials continue to warn that giving Ukraine more weapons and ammo is the "path to peace." The experts said Moscow's rate of fire will be sustainable next year "in excess of that number." Notably, Ukraine can no longer rely on its US-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) or Excalibur artillery shells to diminish Russia's firepower, the experts said. "Weapons to Ukraine," he said, "is the path to peace."

Persons: —, Michael Kofman, Dara Massicot, Rob Lee, Dmytro Smolienko, Lee, HIMARS, Serhii Mykhalchuk, Jens Stoltenberg, Antony Blinken Organizations: Service, Kyiv, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Foreign Policy Research Institute, American, Publishing, Getty, Artillery, NATO, EG, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, Republican, Western Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Moscow, Donetsk Oblast, France

☆ Russia has the advantage, and Ukraine needs to dig in if it's going to fend off the enemy's war machine, conflict experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russian maintains several advantages over Ukraine, including manpower and material, experts say. To keep Moscow's forces at bay, Kyiv will need to dig in and strengthen its defenses, they said. AdvertisementNearly two years into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia again has the initiative, and its advantages over Ukraine are mounting. They're struggling as the Russian war machine gains momentum. "Ideally," the experts explained, "Ukraine can absorb Russian offensives while minimizing casualties and position itself to retake the advantage over time."

Persons: —, Michael Kofman, Dara Massicot, Rob Lee, They're, Congress —, Biden, Elif, Dmytro Smolienko, Vladimir Putin, Pat Ryder, Kostiantyn, Lee, Massicot Organizations: Service, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Russian, Roman, Getty, Kyiv, Congress, American, Publishing, Getty Images, Pentagon, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Moscow, Ukrainian, Donetsk Oblast, Washington, Anadolu, Russian, Avdiivka, Kreminna, Kofman

☆ Putin has been ignoring his generals and directing the war himself, analysts say — and has been surprisingly cautious
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin is largely ignoring the expertise of his military advisors, US analysts said in a report. The experts at the RAND Corporation said Putin has proved more cautious than many expected. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussian President Vladimir Putin is making key decisions about the Ukraine war largely on his own, without input from his generals, analysts said in a report published last week. "Putin [is] making key decisions largely on his own without substantial influence from the Russian General Staff," the analysts said in the report. AdvertisementAdvertisementDespite this, Western countries have provided billions of dollars of equipment to Ukraine, including steadily expanding its capabilities with aid including advanced Western tanks, artillery, and cruise missiles.

Persons: Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Defence Sergei Shoigu, Dara Massicot Organizations: RAND Corporation, Service, Russian General Staff, RAND, Defence, New York Times, NATO, Associated Press, West, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Putin, Russia, Kremlin

☆ The mastermind of Russia's treacherous defenses in Ukraine appears to be in a kind of faraway 'exile' as the line is being breached
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian Army Gen. Sergey Surovikin appears to be in Algeria, according to recent photos. Surovikin is the mastermind of Russia's formidable defensive lines and fortifications in Ukraine. But as Kyiv's forces break through these elaborate fortifications, the mastermind behind them is nowhere near the action. The experts cited several additional photographs of Surovikin purportedly in Algeria, which were published to Telegram by Russian sources. Insider was unable to independently verify any of the recent photographs of Surovikin shared to X and Telegram.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Wagner, Surovikin, Dara Massicot, Yevgeny Prigozhin —, Russia's Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin, Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Staff Sergei Rudskoi, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, subsume Wagner Organizations: Russian, Wagner Group, Service, RAND Corporation, Twitter, Institute for, Commonwealth, Independent States, CIS, Kommersant, Russia's Aerospace Forces, Staff, Russian Armed Forces, Armed Forces, Sputnik, Russian MoD Locations: Algeria, Ukraine, Africa, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Moscow, California, Washington, Yevgeny Prigozhin — Russia, North Africa, Russian, Sochi

☆ Ukraine's air force has gotten good at fighting on the run, and Russia's military can't catch up, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine's air force has been able to keep operating by spreading out its jets among different bases. Russia has struggled to catch up to that dispersal, the top US Air Force general in Europe says. That success underscores the US Air Force's need to be able to distribute its jets and crews. Russia began the war with a larger and more advanced air force, including better radars and longer-range missiles. US Air Force crew chiefs perform a "communications out" launch of an F-16 during an exercise in Lithuania in August.

Persons: James Hecker, they've, Hecker, Danil, " Hecker, OLEKSII FILIPPOV, Justin Bronk, Bronk, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Stephanie Longoria Organizations: US Air Force, Service, US Air Forces, Air and Space Forces Association, Washington DC, Getty, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Ukraine, Carnegie Endowment, International, Russian BDA, Air Force, Tech Locations: Russia, Europe, Wall, Silicon, Washington, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Lviv, AFP, Moscow, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland

☆ Russian military leaders will likely start hiding critical information from Putin to save their own necks, researcher says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Top Russian military leaders will likely start hiding information from Putin out of self-preservation, a Russia researcher wrote for NYT. Those generals are "now even more dependent on Mr. Putin for their safety and positions," she added. Indeed, as Russia is at a critical point in its war against Ukraine, Russian military officials have shown more interest in sniping at each other. "In this atmosphere of suspicion and uncertainty, where prominent generals disappear and Mr. Putin is quick to blame traitors, self-censorship among top military leaders is likely to become more prevalent," Massicot wrote in a New York Times op-ed. But even though Russia is at a critical juncture in its war against Ukraine and the Russian army continues racking up losses, Russian military leaders have focused more on sniping at one another.

Persons: Putin, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Russia's, Sergei Shoigu, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Shoigu, Gerasimov —, Prigozhin Organizations: NYT, Service, RAND Corporation, New York Times, NATO, Russian, Mr Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Wall, Silicon

☆ After Prigozhin’s Mutiny, Putin Is Doubling Down on Failure - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Dara Massicot | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In the wake of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed rebellion, it seems as if Russia’s leaders are living in an alternate reality. Most strangely, Mr. Prigozhin — the architect of it all — goes between being ‘‘unpersoned’’ to apparently meeting with Mr. Putin to smooth over differences of opinion. Yet on the ground, the Russian war effort grinds on as before. Mr. Shoigu and Gen. Valeriy Gerasimov, Russia’s highest-ranking officer, will continue to conduct the war in an inept fashion. Retained by Mr. Putin for their loyalty, they are now even more likely to suppress negative information and present a distorted image of the war.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, chatted, Sergei Surovikin, Prigozhin, ’, Putin, It’s, Shoigu, Valeriy Organizations: . Defense, Russia’s, Mr Locations: Moscow, Russian, Belgorod, Crimea, Ukraine

☆ Russia's air force 'remains largely intact,' but more jets won't fix all its problems in Ukraine, NATO commanders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

After 16 months of fighting, most of Russia's air force remains intact. And even though Russia has a vastly larger air force, other issues may keep it from operating effectively, according to two NATO air commanders. Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal Rich Knighton at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference on July 13, 2023. Massicot and others say Russia's air force could still exploit its numerical advantage if Ukraine's air-defenses network falters, though other factors could inhibit Russian air operations going forward. "The Russians have recapitalized a fair amount of their tactical air force, and they've done a lot on the weapons front as well.

Persons: Rich Knighton, Knighton, Muhammed Enes Yildirim, James Hecker, " Hecker, Hecker, hasn't, We've, Dara Massicot, Johnny Stringer, Stringer Organizations: NATO, Service, Royal Air, Jets, Global Air & Space Chiefs, Conference, Air, British Defence Intelligence, Royal Air Force Air, Global Air & Space Chiefs ’ Conference, Space Power Association, YouTube, Ukrainian Air Force, Russian, Anadolu Agency, Getty, US Air Forces, NATO's Allied Air Command, Aircraft, Russian Ministry of Defense, Rand Corporation, British Air Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, London, Donetsk, Europe, Poland, Romania, Russian, Bakhmut, Kherson, Massicot

☆ Russia plans to build dozens of prison camps across Ukraine over the next few years, documents show, hinting Moscow's readying for a long war
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has been imprisoning Ukrainian civilians since the early months of the invasion. A document shows that Moscow plans to build 25 more prison camps in Ukraine by 2026, per AP. War analysts previously noted how Russia is prepared for a protracted war. The plan is another reflection of what war analysts have described as Russia's vision for a prolonged war after Ukrainian resistance dashed Moscow's hope for a swift victory. The think tank also added that a prolonged war is a narrative that Russia would want to push to discourage the West's support for Ukraine.

Persons: Dara Massicot, German Intelligence Agency Bruno Kahl, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Mark Milley Organizations: Service, Russia, Associated Press, RAND Corporation, German Intelligence Agency, Russian Security Council, Ukraine, Kyiv, US, Chiefs, Staff Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Vietnam, Kyiv, Washington

Early Tuesday, a Ukrainian missile slammed into a hotel in the coastal town of Berdyansk that had been taken over by the Russian military. ‘Colossal support’Russian military bloggers have suggested that both Tsokov and Popov were capable soldiers who inspired loyalty among their men. Tsokov, 51, appears to have been a rising star in the Russian military. Senior Russian general, Ivan Popov, raised questions about the mass deaths and injuries of Russian military personnel. The loss of more capable commanders is another sign that Russia’s “special military operation” is looking less special by the week.

Persons: CNN —, Oleg Tsokov, Tsokov, Ivan Popov, Popov, Valery Gerasimov, vilely, Sergei Shoigu, ”, Vladimir Putin, Rybar, “ Popov, General Popov, “, Wagner, Oleg Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Surovikin, Prigozhin, Defense Andrei Kartapolov, Kartapolov, specter, OGPU –, Gerasimov, “ alarmism, Shoigu, George Hall, Russia Dara Massicot, Tweeting, Massicot, ” Rybar, upbraided, viscerally, Putin Organizations: CNN, Ukraine –, Southern Military District, Arms Army, Kremlin Press, Major, Institute for, Ukrainian, of Defense, Kremlin, Russia’s Aerospace Forces, State, Defense, Defense Ministry, Senior, Ministry of Defense, Surovik, George Hall of, RAND Corporation, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Berdyansk, Russian, Svatove, frontlines, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Senior Russian, St, Russia, Vuhledar

☆ 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

☆ Where are Russian generals Gerasimov and Surovikin after Wagner rebellion?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Absent from view too is General Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon" by the Russian press for his aggressive tactics in the Syrian conflict, who is deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine. Rybar, an influential channel on the Telegram messaging application run by a former Russian defence ministry press officer, said a purge was underway. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov attend an annual meeting of the Defence Ministry Board in Moscow, Russia, December 21, 2022. Dara Massicot, an expert in the Russian military at the RAND Corporation think-tank, said that something looked odd about the video, in which Surovikin has an automatic weapon on his lap. "Surovikin (is) a brute but also one of the more capable Russian commanders," Freedman said on Twitter.

Persons: Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gerasimov, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Dmitry Peskov, Wagner, Rybar, Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Kuravlev, Prigozhin, Michael Kofman, Viktor Zolotov, Shoigu, Dara Massicot, He’s, he’s, Alexei Venediktov, vilifying Shoigu, Lawrence Freedman, Freedman, Andrew Osborn, Mike Collett, White, Lisa Shumaker, Angus MacSwan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: New York Times, Wednesday, Staff, Reuters, Moscow Times, Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Defence Ministry Board, Sputnik, REUTERS, Carnegie Endowment, Twitter, National Guard, Moscow, Tuesday, RAND Corporation, Western, King's College London, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Surovikin, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kremlin, Moscow's, Lefortovo, Chechnya, Syria

☆ Putin is facing a new threat at home while Russia's military is making itself 'vulnerable globally,' experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It comes as Russia's military is tied down in Ukraine and less able to respond to crises elsewhere. Those questions come as a Ukrainian offensive bears down on Russia's military, which since late last year has been replenishing its forces in Ukraine with aging equipment and under-trained personnel. These efforts have bolstered Russian units in Ukraine but left the Russian military more vulnerable elsewhere and undermined its ability to respond to other crises, experts say. Russia's military has tried to show it still has muscles to flex, mostly with air and naval forces that are largely undamaged by the war. Russian troops board a military aircraft on their way to Kazakhstan in January 2022.

Persons: Wagner, it's, Putin, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Russia's, Dara Massicot, Maxym, I've, there's, Massicot, Gorshkov, Kassym, Tokayev, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, It's, Prigozhin, SERGEI GUNEYEV, Angela, John Kirby, Kirby Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Rand Corporation, Georgetown University, Getty, Russia's, Fleet, Northern Fleet, Iranian Army, Anadolu Agency, Moscow, Russian Defense Ministry Press, Kremlin, SPUTNIK, Center for, East European Studies, Brookings Institution, National Security Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine's Kharkiv, Siberia, Norway, Georgia, Central Asia, Russia, Syria, Kazakhstan, Russia's, Armenia, Tajikistan

☆ Putin's embattled defense minister Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner mutiny that experts say is confusing and feels off
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian defense chief Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner Group's armed rebellion. Moscow published the video purportedly showing Shoigu in Ukraine, though its unclear when it was filmed. Some Russian milblogger channels have arrived at the same conclusion, that the video of Shoigu was older footage. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the notorious Wagner mercenary organization, has long criticized Moscow's military leadership over its handling of the war in Ukraine. Russia denied the allegations, but it didn't stop Prigozhin from openly encouraging his mercenaries to take up arms against the defense ministry in open rebellion.

Persons: Shoigu, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, —, Sergei Shoigu, General Yevgeny Nikiforov, Yevgeny Nikiforov's, Sergei Shoigu's, Jimmy Rushton, Mark Krutov, Yevgeny Nikiforov, I'm, Dara Massicot, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Russia's, Moscow's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Don, Stringer, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, he's, Antony Blinken, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Service, Russian Defense, Wagner Group, Russian Ministry of Defence, Twitter, Radio Free, Radio Liberty's, Russian Ministry of Defense, RAND Corporation, Prigozhin Press Service, Prigozhin Press, Associated Press, Don REUTERS, Stringer Western, ABC News, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty's Russia, Shoigu, Rostov, Don, Russia, Belarus, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ Russia's 'least capable' troops aren't in Ukraine, but they're still causing problems next door, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Moldova, next door to Ukraine, has been under pressure from Russia for decades. Amid the war in Ukraine, Kyiv and Western officials say Moscow is stepping up its interference. As a result of a 1992 war between Moldovan forces and Transnistrian separatists, Russian troops entered the breakaway region to support the separatists. Following that war, Transnistria gained a form of autonomy. SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty ImagesMoldova declared a state of emergency after Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, and it remains in effect.

Persons: —, that's, John Sullivan, SERGUEI VORONIN, Chișinău, Maia Sandu, Diego Herrera Carcedo, SERGEI GAPON, Moldova's, John Kirby, Kirby, Pierre Crom, Thomas de Waal, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Jamar Marcel Pugh, Sandu, Ursula von der Leyen, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Georgetown University, Getty, Moldovan, NATO, EU, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images Moldova, White House National Security Council, Carnegie, RAND Corporation, US Army National Guard, European Commission, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn Locations: Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Transnistria, Kyiv, Western, Moscow, Soviet Union, Romania, Europe, Baltic, Poland, Bender, Transnistrian, Chisinau, May, Lithuania, Sweden, AFP, Russian, Carnegie Europe, NATO, Bulgaria

☆ Russia's navy is flexing its muscles around the world, but it may end up paying for Moscow's losses in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russia's navy has had little involvement in Ukraine, losing only one major warship so far. Russia's military closed off parts of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan to practice firing torpedoes, missiles, and artillery. Russia's navy received heavy investment in the 2000s, as President Vladimir Putin rebuilt the military after a decade of post-Soviet decay. While it still struggles with its larger ships, Russia's navy now has dozens of frigates and corvettes armed with effective long-range weapons. Russian navy corvette Gremyashchiy, front, and the frigate Admiral Kasatonov in St Petersburg in July 2019.

☆ Surprise drone attacks hint at how Ukraine is going after Russia's missile 'chokepoints'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

While its military struggles on the ground in Ukraine, Russia has leaned heavily on aerial attacks. It has also hit bases on the Crimean Peninsula that support the Black Sea Fleet and its missile-equipped warships. The Black Sea Fleet has been reinforced by ships from Russia's Caspian Flotilla, which arrived through a canal connecting the seas. Though the Black Sea Fleet has been able to blockade Ukrainian ports, Ukraine has scored significant victories against it. In December, Ukrainian drones blasted two air bases east of Moscow — hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border.

☆ An ominous policy change is a sign Russia is preparing for a long, bloody war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Recent changes to Russian conscription law indicate Moscow is preparing for a long war in Ukraine. Beyond a need for manpower, the changes may reflect the Kremlin's embrace of more heavy-handed rule. But Russian leaders appear to preparing for a long and bloody fight, judging by a series of new measures related to military conscription. The Russian government is "methodically stepping through a process to go over to a higher readiness and protracted war," Massicot added. Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications.

☆ Russia's air force has taken a beating, but its jets could still turn the tables in Ukraine, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's air force has had a limited role in Ukraine, despite numerical and technological advantages. Russia has held its air force back largely because of Ukraine's effective air-defense network. Which raises the question: If Ukrainian air defenses fade, will the Russian Air Force — known as the VKS — finally become a decisive factor in the war? Ukraine's small but resourceful air force put up spirited resistance that mitigated Russia's numerical and technological superiority, however. "So the air force, I think, would definitely be committed much more heavily if they had a chance."

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