DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Dozens of soldiers freed in Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dozens of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war have returned home following a prisoner swap, officials on both sides said Saturday. Top Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak said in a Telegram post that 116 Ukrainians were freed. Russian defense officials, meanwhile, announced that 63 Russian troops had returned from Ukraine following the swap, including some "special category" prisoners whose release was secured following mediation by the United Arab Emirates. Two people were killed and 14 others wounded in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region by Russian shelling and missile strikes, local Gov. Elsewhere, regional Ukrainian officials reported overnight shelling by Russia of border settlements in the northern Sumy region, as well as the town of Marhanets, which neighbors the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

☆ The US is taking aim at Wagner, the only Russian force seemingly having any success in Ukraine, with crippling sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US government has taken aim at the notorious Wagner Group with sweeping new sanctions. A pedestrian walks past a mural depicting the logo of the Russian mercenary 'Group Wagner' and a slogan in Russian on January 20, 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia. Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty ImagesA defaced mural of Russia's mercenary group Wagner reading "Wagner Group - Russian knights" on the side wall of an apartment bock in Belgrade on January 20, 2023. Wagner's prominence in Ukraine has been underscored by rifts between the mercenary group and the regular Russian military. "Wagner is becoming a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries."

☆ Russia says it carried out hypersonic missile exercises using a frigate in the Atlantic
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

This photo taken on April 21, 2019 shows the Russian missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov arriving in Qingdao in China's eastern Shandong province. The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday one of its hypersonic-missile carrying frigates had conducted "hypersonic missile exercises" in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean. The frigate Admiral Gorshkov tested the strike capabilities of Russia's much-hyped Zircon hypersonic missile in the western Atlantic Ocean, according to a statement released by the ministry, using "computer simulation" exercises. "In accordance with the training situation, the frigate practiced arranging [a] Tsirkon hypersonic missile strike against a maritime target at a distance over 900 kilometers away," Russia's defense ministry said in its statement about the exercise. The ministry noted that the Admiral Gorshkov frigate "is a modern multi-purpose ship, equipped with guided missiles, and designed for operating in distant maritime and oceanic areas."

REUTERS/Igor Russak/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The United States will impose additional sanctions next week against Russian private military company the Wagner Group, which U.S. officials say has been helping Russia's military in the Ukraine war, the White House said on Friday. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. Treasury Department will designate Wagner as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization. Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin last month denied taking delivery of arms from North Korea and characterized the report as "gossip and speculation." Kirby said Russian President Vladimir Putin has been increasingly turning to Wagner for military support, causing some tensions in Moscow. "Wagner is becoming a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries."

☆ State media reports Russia has built its first batch of Poseidon doomsday torpedoes, one of Putin's 'super weapons'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The first batch of Russia's Poseidon torpedoes has been produced, state media reported. The Poseidon is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's six so-called "super weapons." A Russian Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone is captured in an undated video grab provided by the Russian Defense Ministry. Poseidon torpedoes are considered to be one of Russia's six experimental "super weapons." TASS reported on Sunday that the Poseidon torpedoes are made for the Russian nuclear-power submarine Belgorod, which was launched in April 2019.

☆ Kalashnikov boosted production by 40% last year as the Russian army kept buying weapons to use in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kalashnikov has fulfilled "the largest contracts" in its history after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The company boosted production by 40% last year compared with 2021. Contracts with the Russian defense ministry boosted sales despite Western sanctions. The arms-maker that makes the AK-47 and is officially called JSC Kalashnikov Concern boosted production last year by 40% in comparison with 2021 to hit a 20-year high. According to its website, Kalashnikov accounts for 95% of Russia's production of machine guns, sniper rifles, pistols and other handheld firearms.

☆ Putin's military command reshuffle reveals a power struggle at the heart of the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesRussian President Vladimir Putin's latest reshuffle of the top brass in charge of Ukraine operations reveals a deeper power struggle between Moscow's military command and its domestic detractors, analysts say. One of the most prominent and powerful critics of Moscow's strategy in Ukraine is Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group — a private military company fighting in Ukraine. His criticism seemed to bear fruit with the October appointment of Gen. Sergei Surovikin as the overall battlefield commander for Russian troops in Ukraine. Nonetheless, Prigozhin's criticism of Russia's military commanders and frequent boasts over the Wagner Group's triumphs have raised heckles in Moscow. Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, seen here in 2021.

☆ Russia tried to claim months ago it destroyed American-made armored vehicles that the US didn't even offer Ukraine until last week
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

However, the US only announced last week that it plans to send the armored vehicles to Ukraine. The problem is that the US only offered the vehicles to Kyiv last week, and they haven't even arrived yet. Konashenkov's false claims also appear in a September 4, 2022 report that was published to the Russian defense ministry's official Telegram page. "During the day of hostilities in this direction, the enemy lost 11 tanks, 17 infantry fighting vehicles, including four US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 10 other armored combat vehicles, 5 pickup trucks with heavy machine guns and more than 150 military personnel," the defense ministry said. The US only announced last week that it would send Bradleys to Kyiv, along with NATO allies Germany and France, which are expected to deliver Marder infantry fighting vehicles and AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicles.

☆ Russia's top general has inherited a poisoned chalice in Ukraine, after his predecessor lasted just 3 months. This could lead to an escalation in the war.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia appointed a new general in charge of Ukraine war, replacing predecessor after just 3 months. The ministry described Gerasimov not as a simple replacement, but as occupying a new role with even greater oversight over Russia's war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov in Moscow, Russia, on December 21, 2020. McGlynn said Gerasimov's appointment "is definitely a commitment to keep fighting. McGlynn said Gerasimov's appointment "leaves him in an impossible situation and one that is only likely to get worse."

☆ Russia says it killed more than 600 Ukrainian troops in a revenge strike after a deadly attack on its forces, but there is no evidence that happened
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia said it killed hundreds of Ukrainian troops in revenge for a deadly strike on its forces. The Kremlin claimed over 600 Ukrainian troops died in a strike on Sunday in Kramatorsk. "As a result of a massive missile strike on these temporary bases of Ukrainian units, more than 600 Ukrainian servicemen were killed." Kyiv used a US-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to strike Russian positions in the occupied city of Makiivka. The Kremlin said the attack killed nearly 90 of Moscow's troops in a rare disclosure of battlefield losses.

☆ No sign of casualties after Russia claims revenge attack on Ukrainian soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Vladyslav Smilianets | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/7] People look at the site of a missile strike that occurred during the night, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, January 8, 2023. A Reuters team visited two college dormitories that Moscow said had been temporarily housing Ukrainian personnel and which it had targeted as revenge for a New Year's attack that killed scores of Russian soldiers and caused outcry in Russia. There were no obvious signs that soldiers had been living there and no sign of bodies or traces of blood. "This is an information operation of the Russian defense ministry," Cherevatyi told Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne News. If true, it would be the single largest loss of Ukrainian troops since Russia invaded on Feb. 24 last year.

☆ Ukraine says its forces repel constant Russian attacks in east
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/10] A woman stands at the site of a missile strike that occurred during the night, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh KilcoyneJan 8 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces are repelling constant Russian attacks on Bakhmut and other towns in the eastern region of Donbas, Ukrainian authorities said on Monday, after denying Kremlin claims of 600 soldiers killed in a missile strike. Russia launched seven missile strikes, 31 air strikes and 73 attacks from salvo rocket launchers in the past day, the general staff of Ukraine's armed forces said in a daily report. "And even though most of the town has been destroyed by Russian strikes, our soldiers are repelling constant Russian attempts to advance." Some prominent Russian military bloggers have criticised the Russian defence ministry claims.

☆ Russia says their troops were killed in a devastating HIMARS strike because some soldiers were using cell phones and gave their location away
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia said a Ukrainian HIMARS strike in the occupied Donetsk region in Ukraine killed dozens of its soldiers. The Russians say 89 soldiers were killed, and blamed their own troops for using cell phones. The Russians say they were struck by Ukrainian troops equipped with US-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers. The use of cell phones on the battlefield by Russian soldiers has become a risk for Russian soldiers. "We listened to the Russian soldiers as they panicked and called their friends and relatives," a Ukrainian official told The Times.

☆ Putin is sending a warship into the Atlantic armed with new hypersonic cruise missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia is sending a warship armed with hypersonic missiles on a deployment that will take it into the Atlantic Ocean. Putin has boasted that the new Zircon hypersonic missile is unrivalled. Xinhua/ via Getty ImagesThe Admiral Gorshkov is setting sail armed with Zircon, sometimes spelled Tsirkon, hypersonic missiles — a relatively new weapon in Moscow's arsenal. Speaking Wednesday, Putin said the Zircon missile has "no analogues in any country in the world." Hypersonic missiles are highly maneuverable and fast, and they can fly along unpredictable flight paths, thus creating headaches for traditional air defenses.

☆ Dozens of Russian soldiers feared dead as Ukraine strikes Moscow-controlled region
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

DONETSK, UKRAINE - DECEMBER 30: Soldiers of the 59th brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fire grad missiles on Russian positions in Russia-occupied Donbas region on December 30, 2022 in Donetsk, Ukraine. A large swath of Donetsk region has been held by Russian-backed separatists since 2014. (Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)Ukraine killed dozens of Russian servicemen using U.S.-supplied artillery to hit a base in an occupied part of the country on New Years Eve, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Monday. Sixty-three servicemen died after 4 HIMARS artillery warheads struck a "provisional base," the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday in a Telegram post. "A significant number of dead and wounded," Daniil Bezsonov, said in a Telegram post on Sunday night.

☆ Exclusive: US says Russia's Wagner Group bought North Korean weapons for Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We can confirm that North Korea has completed an initial arms delivery to Wagner, which paid for the equipment. Last month, North Korea delivered infantry rockets and missiles into Russia for use by Wagner," the official said, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled new curbs on technology exports to the Wagner Group in a bid to further choke off supplies to the contractor. The Wagner Group, staffed by veterans of the Russian armed forces, has fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic and Mali, among other countries. "It is apparent that Wagner is emerging as a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries," the official said.

☆ Ukraine Defends Bakhmut Against Russian Assaults as Zelensky Heads to U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( James Marson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LVIV, Ukraine—The Ukrainian military said it had repelled a fresh wave of Russian assaults around the eastern city of Bakhmut following a visit there on Tuesday by President Volodymyr Zelensky , who is due to visit the U.S. on Wednesday. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in its regular morning report that Russian troops had assaulted Bakhmut and other towns and villages in the eastern Donetsk region, including with artillery and tanks, but without success. The Russian Defense Ministry said its military had seized some territory in Donetsk, without giving details, Russian state-run news agency TASS reported.

☆ Putin heads for Belarus as Russian drones target Ukrainian capital
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin heads for Belarus on Monday, fueling Ukrainian fears he intends to pressure his ally to join a new offensive, as Russian drones attacked Kyiv in the latest assault targeting key infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said. “Protecting our border, both with Russia and Belarus — is our constant priority,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after a meeting on Sunday of Ukraine’s top military command. But Ukrainian officials have warned for months that Belarus could again serve as a base for a ground attack on Kyiv. Russian troops that moved to Belarus in October will conduct battalion tactical exercises, the Russian Interfax news agency reported, citing the Russian defense ministry. It was not immediately clear when and where in Belarus the latest in a flurry of recent exercises will start.

☆ Russia, China to Hold Joint Naval Drills as Moscow and Belarus Vow to Cement Ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Ann M. Simmons | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MOSCOW—Russia said it would hold joint naval drills with China, highlighting the close partnership between the two nations as the Kremlin seeks to bolster support among partners to offset Western isolation for its war in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday that a detachment of warships of the Pacific Fleet from Vladivostok has been put to sea to participate in naval exercises with their Chinese counterparts, starting Wednesday and running through Dec. 27.

☆ Russian military releases propaganda pop song fantasizing about its nukes wiping out NATO and the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A branch of Russia's defense ministry released a pop song celebrating its vast nuclear arsenal. The song celebrates the power of the "Sarmat" missile, also known as the "Son of Satan." The music video for the song was published by ParkPatriot.media, an arm of the Russian defense ministry focused on propaganda. It shows images of the Sarmat missile being test-fired and, at one point, showed Maidanov watching Putin speak on TV. The Russian Sarmat is ready/ To strike our enemy," Maidanov sings in the video, translated by Insider.

This video still shows a "Yars" ballistic missile loaded into a silo launcher in the Kaluga region. (Russian Defense Ministry)In a further sign of the importance it attaches to its strategic nuclear deterrent, the Russian military has loaded a "Yars" ballistic missile into a silo launcher in the Kaluga region. The Ministry of Defense released video to mark the event, just ahead of Russia's "Day of Strategic Missile Forces." It said that an "intercontinental ballistic missile of the Yars complex was loaded into a silo launcher at the Kozelsky missile formation in the Kaluga region." (Russian Defense Ministry)"The importance of this operation lies in the fact that the missile will be on combat duty as planned.

☆ Russia deploys defense missile system on Kuril island near Japan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Russia’s defense ministry said Monday it has deployed mobile coastal defense missile systems on a northern Kuril island, part of a strategically located chain of islands that stretch between Japan and the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula. Japan lays claim to the Russian-held southern Kuril islands, which Tokyo calls the Northern Territories, a territorial row that dates to the end of World War Two, when Soviet troops seized them from Japan. The Russian Bastion systems, which have missiles with a flight range of up to 500 km (310 miles), were deployed on the island of Paramushir, the Russian defense ministry said Monday. The Bastion coastal missile system went on duty on the Kuril island or Paramushir. Russia withdrew from peace treaty talks with Japan and froze joint economic projects related to the disputed Kuril Islands because of Japanese sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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

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

CNN —A series of attacks deep inside Russia this week have raised the stakes for Moscow at a time when its war on Ukraine is faltering. Russia has said that Ukrainian drones carried out three strikes on its air bases, yet two of the targets are hundreds of miles inside Russian territory and beyond the reach of Ukraine’s declared drone arsenal. Russia said it was targeted in three separate drone attacks on Monday and Tuesday. Russia said a second drone flew to the city of Engels, around 500 miles southeast of the capital, before attacking an air base with the same name. However, they have so far refused to provide Kyiv with long-range attack drones, fearing that strikes inside Russian territory would escalate the war and draw them directly into a conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

☆ Explosions rock Russian military airbases; new strikes hit Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Explosions rocked two Russian military airbases hundreds of miles from the border with Ukraine on Monday, according to local officials and state media. Russian authorities said they were investigating the media reports about the explosions on the base. A Tu-95 strategic bomber from the Russian air force prepares to take off from an air base in Engels, Russia on Jan. 24, 2022. AP“Engels airfield is one of the most important bases of Russian air forces,” said Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko in a tweet. Analysts said it was unclear that the new wave of Russian strikes were in any way retaliation for the blasts at the airbases.

Search resuls for: "Russian Defense Ministry"

25 mentions found