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☆ 4 of Russia's deadliest military systems in its war against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Insider has compiled a list of four of the most effective ones Russia has used so far in the war. Insider has taken a look at four key military systems that Russia has used to do this, from Ka-52 attack helicopters to Lancet drones. Ka-52 "Alligator" attack helicoptersA serviceman checks a Russian Ka-52 "Alligator" attack helicopter. It can also be fitted with VIKHR anti-tank missiles, ATAKA missiles, B8V-20 rocket launchers, and IGLA-V anti-aircraft guided missiles, per the site. Danilov said the number of Russian mines was "insane" and stressed the importance Ukraine was placing on saving its front-line soldiers.

Persons: Bradley, Danilov, James Patton Rogers, Forbes, Patton Rogers, Oleksiy Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Airforce Technology, UK Ministry of Defence, US stingers, Forbes, Emergency Services, REUTERS Ukraine's, National Security and Defense, CNN, Presidential, University of Southern, Soviet, State Emergency Service, FAB, REUTERS, Razumkov, New York Times Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Ka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukrainian, University of Southern Denmark, Kharkiv, REUTERS Russia

☆ A Russian reserve army of 15,000 soldiers is pinned down near Bakhmut and will be destroyed, says Ukraine's spy chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has deployed a new military formation of about 15,000 soldiers to fight around Bakhmut. Ukraine's spy chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said the 25th Army was deployed earlier than planned. Budanov said Ukraine is pinning down Putin's forces near Bakhmut to prevent redeployment to the south. Kyrylo Budanov told The War Zone that Ukraine was pinning down Russian forces in Bakhmut to prevent them from being deployed to other axes where its counteroffensive is pushing forward. "Now it's redeployed to roughly the north of Bakhmut, and that's the place where it's going to be buried."

Persons: Ukraine's, Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, hasn't, Oleksandr Tarnavsky, Bakhmut Organizations: Army, Service, 25th Army, Combined, UK's Ministry of Defence, Ukraine's, CNN Locations: Russia, Bakhmut, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Verbove, Zaporizhzhia

☆ The Russian weapons Ukrainian soldiers most fear, according to an expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian artillery launches missiles during military exercises on September 27, 2011 in Chebarkul, Chelyabinks region, Russia. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussian artillery gunners have played a crucial role in destroying or pinning down Ukrainian units seeking to advance through Russian defenses. AdvertisementAdvertisementDubbed "Putin's vultures" by Ukraine's military, the Ka-52 is highly maneuverable, fitted with tough armor, and can fire tank-busting missiles. The UK's military said that the helicopters give Russia a key battlefield advantage, and have imposed a "heavy cost" on Ukraine. "Ka-52 crews have been quick to exploit opportunities to launch these weapons beyond the range of Ukrainian air defenses," Britain's Ministry of Defence said.

Persons: Gian Gentile, Rand, Sasha Mordovets, Gentile, DJI, SERGEI SUPINSKY, Matt Dimmick, Kamov, Leonid Faerberg, Ukraine's Organizations: Service, US Army, Getty, US National Security Council, of, NGO, BBC . Russian Air Force, Ministry of Defence Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russian, Chebarkul, Chelyabinks, Kyiv, AFP

☆ Italy says it will be equal partner in jet fighter project with UK, Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A concept model of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP)'s fighter jet is displayed at the DSEI Japan defense show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Italy said on Saturday it will be an equal partner in the next-generation fighter program with Britain and Japan, as further talks are still underway on the project, including on where to base its headquarters. The three countries established the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) in December after Britain and Japan agreed to merge their fighter efforts in a ground-breaking collaboration that aims to deploy an advanced aircraft by the middle of the next decade. Reuters on Thursday reported that Japan and Britain were going to dominate design and manufacturing on the project, with London likely to lead its organisation due to its deeper and more recent experience in jet fighter development. "The Global Combat Air Programme, or GCAP, is an actual trinational programme based on the principle of equal sharing, as the Prime Ministers stated in the Joint Ministerial Declaration last December," an Italian defence ministry statement said.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Angelo Amante, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Global Combat Air, Makuhari Messe, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Combat Air, of Defence, Thomson Locations: Japan, Chiba, Tokyo, Italy, Britain, London

☆ Russian officers beat up their soldiers for drinking, despite drinking themselves, per intercepted audio from Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian commanders beat soldiers they find drinking, a Russian solider complained in intercepted audio. That's despite the commanders drinking themselves, the soldier said. "And if they notice a soldier with that smell [of alcohol], they beat him with a stick — can you imagine?" A Russian soldier was also arrested last year, accused of beating a captain to death while "in a state of intoxication," a Russian military court said. AdvertisementAdvertisementMany Russian soldiers use unencrypted communications, making it easier for their enemies to listen in.

Organizations: Service, Russian, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russia

[1/2] A model of a new fighter jet of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) led by Britain, Japan, and Italy, is seen at the DSEI defence event in London, Britain, September 12, 2023. Reuters/Sarah Young/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Japan, Britain and Italy plan to choose Britain as the headquarters for their next-generation fighter program, four sources in Japan said, putting London at the forefront of a partnership that could expand to include other nations. "Discussion about the headquarters is ongoing and we are unable to comment on the location," Japan's defence procurement agency said in an email. "No final decisions have been made on the locations and we will not comment on speculation," a spokesperson at Britain's defence ministry said. Officials at the Italian defence ministry were unavailable for comment.

Persons: Sarah Young, Leonardo, LDOF.MI, Richard Berthon, Britain's, Tim Kelly, Nobuhiro Kubo, Paul Sandle, Angelo Amante, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Global Combat Air, Reuters, Rights, London, United, United Arab Emirates, Combat, Britain's Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems PLC, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Electric Corp, Royce PLC, Japan's IHI Corp, Thomson Locations: Britain, Japan, Italy, London, Saudi Arabia, United Arab, GCAP, European

☆ Russia is barely training its troops, probably rendering them incapable of going on the offensive, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's lack of training is hindering its troops' ability for successful attacks, the UK MOD said. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. "Higher-level training" had mostly been put on hold since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, the UK Ministry of Defence said in a daily update. Russia's most significant effort to increase its manpower began a year ago, with the conscription of around 300,000 Russian reservists. It remains unclear whether those recruitment efforts will translate into meaningful changes in the war.

Persons: Andrei Kartapolov, Vladimir Putin Organizations: MOD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine

☆ Former UK soldier pleads not guilty to prison escape
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Daniel Khalife is shown in a police mugshot released by Metropolitan Police Service on September 6, 2023. Courtesy of Metropolitan Police Service/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - A former British soldier charged with terrorism and Official Secret Act offences pleaded not guilty on Thursday to breaking out of prison and going on the run. Prosecutors say Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, escaped from London's Wandsworth prison on Sep. 6 by attaching himself to the underside of a food delivery truck. After a four-day nationwide manhunt, police said he was recaptured by a plain clothes officer while cycling alongside a canal in west London. Khalife, wearing a blue and yellow sweatshirt, appeared by videolink at the Old Bailey on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to one count of escaping from lawful custody.

Persons: Daniel Khalife, Daniel Abed Khalife, videolink, Bailey, Khalife, Sam Tobin, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: Metropolitan Police Service, REUTERS, Prosecutors, Ministry of Defence's, Administration, Terrorism, BBC, Thomson Locations: British, London's Wandsworth, London, England, Iran

☆ Opinion: US hesitancy on weapons extends the fighting in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Sheena Mckenzie | Opinion Keir Giles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He is the author of “Russia’s War on Everybody: And What it Means for You.” The views expressed in this commentary are his own. CNN —Russia’s war on Ukraine will soon enter another winter. And as the fighting drags on into 2024 and potentially beyond, Western backers will find it ever harder to provide what Ukraine needs. The US’s generous support for Ukraine is under threat from political trends there even before a potential change of presidency. But making Ukraine stronger is a key ingredient for Europe’s long-term security as well as for the outcome of the present war.

Persons: Keir Giles, “, CNN —, Keir Giles Munira, Abrams, —, It’s, there’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, it’s, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Chatham House, CNN, Patriot, West, Tactical Missile Systems, UN, Challenger, British Army, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Russia, Eurasia, Ukraine, Washington, Germany, America, Sweden, Russian, Crimea, China, Europe

☆ Azerbaijan pounds Karabakh as Russia and US call for calm
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Ethnic Armenians in Karabakh said Azerbaijan had triggered a new war against the 120,000 people living in an area they consider their homeland. Armenians in Karabakh, known by Armenians as Artsakh, said fighting was continuing with varying intensity. As the Soviet Union crumbled, what is known as the First Karabakh War erupted (1988-1994) between Armenians and their Azeri neighbours. RUSSIAIn 2020, after decades of skirmishes, energy-rich Azerbaijan began a military operation which became the Second Karabakh War, swiftly breaking through Armenian defences. Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, won a resounding victory in the 44-day war, taking back parts of Karabakh.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Karabakh, Antony Blinken, Ilham Aliyev, Pashinyan, Aliyev, Blinken, Antonio Guterres, Baku's, Guy Faulconbridge, Lidia Kelly, Chris Reese, Lincoln, Gareth Jones Organizations: Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defence, Azerbaijan, Wednesday, Nagorno, Armenian, U.S, Washington, Residents, United Nations, European Union, TASS, Thomson Locations: Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Russia, U.S, Azerbaijan, YEREVAN, United States, Baku, Yerevan, Turkey, Ukraine, Soviet Union, South Caucasus, Iran, Artsakh, Russian, France, Germany, RUSSIA, Moscow, Melbourne

☆ A jet on the bottom of the Mediterranean shows why even small parts can cause big problems for the F-35
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A British F-35B crashed during takeoff from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in late 2017. An investigation found the accident was caused by an air intake cover that was lodged in the intake. A Royal Air Force F-35B takes off of HMS Queen Elizabeth in August 2021. Royal Navy/LPhot Unaisi LukeInvestigators determined that the accident was caused by an air intake cover that became lodged in the intake before takeoff. An F-35B on the Mediterranean seafloor after crashing off HMS Queen Elizabeth in November 2021.

Persons: Elizabeth, HMS, LPhot, Luke, Queen Elizabeth, —, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Marine Corps, Britain's Ministry of Defence, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Luke Investigators, British Ministry of, Gear, British Ministry of Defence, US Air Force, Marine Corps, US Navy, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: British, Wall, Silicon, South Carolina, Forbes

☆ Russia's scramble to strengthen its southern lines has likely weakened its defenses around Bakhmut, with Ukrainian forces just 5 miles from the city, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has redeployed troops away from Bakhmut, likely weakening its defenses, the UK MOD said. Ukrainian troops are within 5 miles of the city, the Ministry of Defence added. It's part of Ukraine's attempts to draw troops away from the main axis of the war, one expert said. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine breached a strategic defensive line and recaptured two villages, with Russian forces "likely battle-weary from the recent efforts to hold Klishchiivka and Andriivka," the ISW said. It added that Russian forces "will likely struggle to replenish their combat strength and defend against any further Ukrainian offensive activity."

Persons: Alex Kokcharov, Kokcharov Organizations: MOD, Ministry of Defence, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, Institute for, P Global Market Intelligence Locations: Russia, Bakhmut, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Klishchiivka, Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, Dnipro, Ukrainian

☆ Russia opened fire on its own surrendering soldiers with artillery, Ukraine says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A different report said "several" Russian soldiers died. According to the Ukrainian account, Ukraine still took two Russian soldiers captive after the explosion. It is not clear how many Russian soldiers were killed, but three soldiers were visible before the explosion in the drone footage shared by the battalion. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkrainian news outlet Euromaidan Press reported that "several" Russian soldiers died, some others survived, and Ukraine's troops were not harmed. Ukraine and Western intelligence have previously pointed to Russia shooting at its own surrendering soldiers.

Organizations: Service, 2nd Mechanized Battalion, Assault Brigade, Euromaidan Press, Ukrainian, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Andriivka, Donetsk, Russian, Bakhmut, Russia

"Unless Zelenskiy gets rid of Tatarov, he won't be seen as serious in purging the country of corruption," she told Reuters. "He knew about law enforcement and warned us to be careful about saying almost anything on the phone," Maiboroda told Reuters. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said experts would need to study the material to verify it. "The main thing is that a person is honest," Zelenskiy told reporters several days after Tatarov's appointment. Zelenskiy told Ukrainian television network ICTV in October 2021 that the offshore arrangement was to protect his TV production business from political pressure by the Yanukovych government.

Persons: Oleh Maiboroda, Maiboroda, Oleh Tatarov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Tatarov, Maiboroda's, Ukraine's, Zelenskiy, Kyiv pollsters, Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov, Daria Kaleniuk, Nicola Mirto, Mirto, Viktor Yanukovych, Yanukovich's, Maxym Mykytas, Mykytas, Maiborada, NABU, Yanukovych, –, General Iryna Venediktova, Artem Sytnyk, Sytnyk, didn't, Oleksiy Symonenko, Symonenko, Andriy Yermak, Yermak, Denys, Dmytro Shtanko, Liudmyla, Sergey Shefir, Shefir, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, Zheleznyak, Zelensky, Ihor, Kolomoisky, Semen Kryvonos, Kaleniuk, ”, Stephen Grey, Dan Peleschuk, Janet McBride Organizations: Reuters, Ukrbud, Prosecutors, Ukraine's, European Union, International Monetary Fund, Kyiv, Kyiv Independent, Tatarov, Ministry, Interior Ministry, Virgin Islands, ICTV, National Agency for, Ministry of Defence, Kiel Institute, NATO, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, KYIV, Vienna, Ukraine, Tatarov, Russia, Europe, European, Kyiv, Italian, Ukrainian, Soviet Ukraine, Zelenskiy's, Switzerland, Spain, Soviet, United States, Irpin

According to Maiboroda, Mykytas used Tatarov for difficult tasks, including bribe payments on behalf of Ukrbud Development. "He knew about law enforcement and warned us to be careful about saying almost anything on the phone," Maiboroda told Reuters. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said experts would need to study the material to verify it. "The main thing is that a person is honest," Zelenskiy told reporters several days after Tatarov's appointment. Zelenskiy told Ukrainian television network ICTV in October 2021 that the offshore arrangement was to protect his TV production business from political pressure by the Yanukovych government.

☆ A Cuban teenager was offered a job doing 'construction work' in Russia. Instead he was sent to fight on the front lines in Ukraine.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Cuban teenager accepted a job offer to do construction work for the Russian military. Instead, he was sent to fight on the front lines of the war in Ukraine, TIME reported. Alex Vegas Díaz, 19, and a friend were taken to a military base, outfitted with weapons, and then sent to fight, according to TIME, which reviewed social media footage posted by Vegas Díaz. In one of the videos, dated August 31, which went viral, Vegas Díaz can be seen in a Russian hospital recovering from an unspecified illness. TIME reported that Vegas Díaz became part of a large operation that openly recruited hundreds of Cubans to join the Russian army to fight in Ukraine.

Persons: Alex Vegas Díaz, Vegas Díaz Organizations: TIME, US State Department, Service, Vegas, Ministry of Defence, Cuban Facebook, Cuban, State Department, Russia Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Cuba, Vegas, Russian, Russia, Cuban

The Russian flag flying outside la Maison Russe, or the Russian House, a cultural center in Bangui. As the Kremlin tries to get its arms around Wagner’s sprawling commercial network, what’s next for the group remains unclear. Anfisa Alexandrovna Kiryanova (right) appears in the background of a photo of Prigozhin outside the Russian House last month. In three tents outside the center, Russian language classes were taking place, while Russian movies were being screened in a cinema room. “He was my friend, he was my best friend in front of all central African people,” he said of the late mercenary boss.

Persons: Central African Republic CNN —, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin’s, ” Nathalia, –, ” Dukhan, Faustin, Masked Wagner, Maison, Dmitry Syty, ”, Syty, Prigozhin, Nafisa, Anfisa Alexandrovna Kiryanova, Kiryanova, begrudgingly, Touadera, Vitali Perfilev, CNN’s, Fidèle, Gouandjika, “, Sebastian Shukla, ” Gouandjika, Putin, ’ Organizations: Central African, Central African Republic CNN, Central African Republic, Russe, Russian, Bangui . CNN, Kremlin, CNN, Wagner, European, European Union, United, Local, Sorbonne, Linguistic University, US, Russia’s Ministry of Defence, Ilyushin IL Locations: Bangui, Central, Central African Republic, la, Russian, Bangui ., Moscow, Russia, United States, Paris, Prigozhin

A view shows the placards of the political parties in front of the European Central Bank (ECB) building in Frankfurt, Germany, September 14, 2023. The central bank for the 20 countries that use the euro has already raised interest rates 10 times to record levels but inflation remains well above its 2% target. ECB President Christine Lagarde said last week that policymakers had not discussed the bond-buying schemes at their latest policy meeting. She described the PEPP as the ECB's "first line of defence" to preserve policy transmission - central bank jargon for bond market stability in the most indebted countries. Slovenian central bank governor Bostjan Vasle recently backed selling bonds bought under the ECB's older Asset Purchase Programme, which is less flexible than the PEPP.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Christine Lagarde, Bostjan Vasle, Peter Kazimir, Catherine Evans Organizations: European Central Bank, REUTERS, Central Bank, Reuters, ECB, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Italy, FRANKFURT, Athens, Slovenian, PEPP, Sintra

☆ Russia is using elite paratrooper units as regular infantry, with the rest of its forces overstretched, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is using elite paratroopers as regular infantry, the UK MOD said. The VDV force isn't at full strength and is being used to help overstretched Russian lines, it said. The situation is one that is unlikely to please the elite force's hierarchy, it added. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe VDV forces have likely reinforced Russia's 58th Combined Arms Army, part of Russia's ground forces, according to the UK MOD, with the situation coming about as Russia's military finds itself overstretched. Once again, they are being used as line infantry to augment over-stretched ground forces," the MOD said.

Organizations: MOD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, Arms Army, Washington DC, for Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Robotyne

☆ Russia is exhausting its resources and 'a reckoning is coming,' says Ukraine's spy chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is running out of military resources, Ukraine's spy chief told The Economist. "Contrary to what the Russian Federation declares, it has absolutely no strategic reserve," Kyrylo Budanov told The Economist in an interview published on Sunday. "If everything is fine and Russia has enough resources, why are they looking for them all over the world? While Russia is reportedly poised to step up its mobilization drive, Budanov told The Economist that head count is the only obvious advantage that Russia retains over Ukraine. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen it comes to Russian human resources "the quality is low, but the quantity is sufficient," he said.

Persons: Kyrylo Budanov, Kim Jong, Budanov, Vladimir Putin's, It's, That's, Burdanov Organizations: Service, Russian Federation, North Korean, Arms Army, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine crowns a week of military successes with a 'significant' tactical breach on the southern front, think tank says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine likely made "a significant tactical breach" on the southern front, a new report says. The advance comes after a successful week for Ukrainian forces. The offensive of Ukrainian forces has been widening a gap in the frontline for several weeks, the report adds, clarifying that "Ukrainian forces have yet to complete a breakthrough of this defensive layer" with heavy armor and vehicles. Ukrainian forces told Reuters and Ukrainian media that an experimental sea drone called Sea Baby, was used as part of this attack. On Saturday, a NATO admiral told the military alliance that "history books will show Ukraine has transformed modern warfare.

Persons: Ukraine's, Al, ISW, Don — Organizations: Service, Assault Brigade, Reuters, Russia, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, Ukrainska Pravda, Fleet, MoD, Kilo, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Robotyne, Andriivka, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Al Jazeera, Rozdolivka, Crimea, Screengrab, Russian, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Russia, Minsk, Rostov

But part of Xi's drive to improve his fighting force has been to stamp out corruption that has long plagued China's military and other state institutions. A leader China's space and cyber warfare development and then head of military procurement, Li, 65, was elevated to defence minister in March. He also has a more public role than others on the Central Military Commission, China's top defence body, commanded by Xi. Li's term at the Central Military Commission highlighted his ties to Xi, who has strengthened his grip across the military. A bigger question is what priority Beijing will continue to place on China's military diplomacy amid ongoing regional tensions.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, Xi, Nancy Pelosi, Lloyd Austin, James Char, Russian Su, Zhang Youxia, Zhang, Laurie Chen, Greg Torode, John Geddie, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Central Military Commission, West, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Strategic Support Force, Equipment Development Department of, Communist Party Congress, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, United States, Taiwan, Beijing, Russia, Washington, U.S, Singapore, China, Belarus, Ukraine, Russian, Hong Kong

☆ Russian forces near Norway at '20% or less' than before Ukraine war, Norway's armed-forces chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

General Eirik Kristoffersen, head of Norway's Armed Forces, poses for a picture at his office in Oslo, Norway, September 26, 2022. REUTERS/Gwladys Fouche/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOSLO, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Russian forces stationed in the Arctic near Norway are "20% or less" of the number they were before the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Norway's chief of defence said on Saturday. "On our border, on the Russian border, there is maybe 20% or less (Russian) forces left than it used to be before Feb. 24, 2022," he told a press conference. "If he believed that we were threatening Russia, he couldn't have moved on his troops to Ukraine to fight the war there." Finland and Russia share a 1,300 km (810 miles) border, with Russian troops along that zone, as with Norway, below the numbers they were before the war.

Persons: Eirik Kristoffersen, Gwladys, Vladimir Putin, couldn't, Rob Bauer, Finland, Bauer, Gwladys Fouche, Sabine Siebold, Nick Macfie Organizations: Norway's Armed Forces, REUTERS, Rights, NATO, Russian, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Rights OSLO, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Northern, Finland, Berlin

Banners displaying the NATO logo are placed at the entrance of new NATO headquarters during the move to the new building, in Brussels, Belgium April 19, 2018. "That means that we cannot make sure that the increased defence spending actually leads to more security." In February, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Kyiv was burning through shells much faster than the West could produce them. Bauer pushed for more private investment in the defence sector to ramp up production capacity, urging pension funds and banks to stop labelling defence investments as unethical. As we have seen in Ukraine, war is a whole of society event," he said, adding such investment was in the private sector's strategic interest as well.

Persons: Yves Herman, Rob Bauer, Jens Stoltenberg, Bauer, Gwladys Fouche, Sabine Siebold, Jason Neely, Ros Russell Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights OSLO, Oslo, Ukraine, Kyiv, Germany, Poland, Baltic, Berlin

☆ Russia is likely growing its cruise missile stockpile to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure this winter, says UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is likely increasing its stockpile of air-launched cruise missiles, the UK MOD said. The weapons could be used to strike Ukraine's energy infrastructure this winter, it said. Last year, Russia bombarded Ukrainian energy targets, cutting off electricity and heat to millions. This suggests that Russia will likely be able to generate a "significant" stockpile of the weapons and there is a "realistic possibility" they will be used to strike Ukraine's energy infrastructure targets in the winter, according to the UK ministry. Last winter, Russia conducted mass long-range strikes against such targets, cutting off electricity, heat, and water to millions of civilians.

Organizations: MOD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, Atlantic Council Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Kodiak, Ukraine

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