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☆ House Jan. 6 committee found military officials were concerned Trump would use troops to overturn the election
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The House January 6 committee found evidence that top military officials had "genuine concerns" about Trump using the military to overturn the election. The revelation adds further context to why top officials were so outspoken about clarifying the military's role. "Again, at this time, there is no evidence the Department of Defense understood exactly what President Trump and his associates planned for January 6th." . . and the employment of forces, and you know, that was something that we were all, you know, conscious of," McCarthy told the committee. "They may try, but they're not going to f**king succeed," Milley told his deputies, according to the book.

☆ Zelenskyy address to Congress about Ukraine-Russia war doesn't mean the U.S. has no limits
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Daniel R. Depetris | Daniel R. Depetris Is A Fellow At Defense Priorities | A Foreign Affairs Columnist For Newsweek. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Zelenskyy then received a rousing welcome on Capitol Hill before he made a prime-time address to a joint meeting of Congress. America has been Ukraine’s primary security benefactor since Russian President Vladimir Putin opted for a war of choice that is failing in all respects. The U.S., however, has other national security priorities beyond aiding a Ukrainian military victory, however morally satisfying it would be. Given these priorities, the Biden administration would prefer the war in Ukraine end in a diplomatic settlement to short-circuit a long, drawn out and even more catastrophically destructive war. Indeed, with Republicans taking control of the House next year, skepticism of U.S. aid for Ukraine is likely to intensify.

☆ Russian soldier says they're suffering more losses 'from their own side' than from Ukrainians, including being fired on by their own tanks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian soldiers are getting killed by their own military, according to multiple reports. In audio released by Ukraine, a Russian soldier said 20 men died after a Russian tank fired on them. The soldier told his mother there are more losses "from our own" than from Ukrainians. A report by the independent Russian outlet iStories, also published on Tuesday, found a pattern of negligence and deadly mishaps among troops fighting in Ukraine. The outlet highlighted two incidents in the last few months where a Russian soldier accidentally killed another because of drunkness and the clumsy use of weapons.

☆ Zelenskyy visited the frontline to see Ukrainian troops in one of his riskiest trips since the war began
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to the frontline Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Tuesday. Russian forces have spent months attacking the city, and fighting has recently intensified. Zelenskyy spent the risky trip presenting several Ukrainian soldiers with medals. Zelenskyy posted photographs to his Telegram on Tuesday showing him shaking hands with Ukrainian soldiers and awarding them medals in Bakhmut. For months, Russian forces have been trying to capture Bakhmut, a city with a pre-war population of over 70,000 people in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.

☆ A Biden admin official recently told members of Congress Ukraine has the military capability to take back Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Carol-Lee-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Carol E. Lee | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

The late November Ukraine briefing to some members of Congress included discussion of the reasons Ukraine will continue to need U.S. weapons and equipment for the foreseeable future. Administration officials say they believe three recent deadly drone strikes against Russian military bases were carried out by Ukrainians, although they say it’s still not clear whether the Zelenskyy government ordered them directly. Senior U.S. military officers and Western governments say Ukraine has shown ingenuity and grit in fighting a larger, better-armed military and quickly incorporated new weapons systems provided by NATO members. If Ukraine made more advances against Russian forces in eastern and southern Ukraine, it could be better placed to eventually strike at Crimea, experts and a U.S. official said. In October, Ukraine indirectly claimed credit for damaging the Kerch Bridge in eastern Crimea, which connects it to mainland Russia.

☆ An elite Russian military brigade was basically 'wiped out,' taking so many losses in Ukraine that it will 'take years to rebuild,' report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An elite Russian brigade suffered so many losses in Ukraine that it will take years to rebuild. The 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade is one of many high-profile units that saw heavy depletion. But despite these advantages, the 200th suffered greatly in the months of combat that would follow. "Nothing of that brigade is left," Col. Pavlo Fedosenko, the commander of Ukraine's 92nd Mechanized Brigade, told The Post in a recent interview. That figure echoes a similar estimate from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, the highest-ranking US general, who said last month that over 100,000 Russian soldiers had been "killed and wounded."

Since the early days of the invasion, Mr. Putin has conceded, privately, that the war has not gone as planned. “I think he is sincerely willing” to compromise with Russia, Mr. Putin said of Mr. Zelensky in 2019. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. “I think this war is Putin’s grave.” Yevgeny Nuzhin, 55, a Russian prisoner of war held by Ukraine, in October.

☆ Syrian rebels say anti-ISIS operations with the U.S. have stopped and ISIS fighters may escape from prisons and a refugee camp
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

If security forces abandon the prisons and refugee camps, thousands of ISIS fighters could be released into Syria and threaten the region and the West, say U.S. military officials. Syrian Kurdish Asayish security forces inspect tents at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp on Aug. 28, during a security campaign by the Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIS "sleeper cells" in the camp. Three U.S. military officials say, however, that patrols with the SDF continued at a reduced rate and without aggressive counter-ISIS missions. So far, the Syrian rebels and the U.S. military say they have not seen signs of de-escalation from the Turks. But if Turkish military operations escalate, say U.S. officials, more SDF fighters will move toward the border, leaving detention facilities and refugee camps with inadequate security, say U.S. officials.

☆ More than 10,000 Ukrainian troops killed in war, official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Late Thursday, Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, relayed new figures about Ukrainian soldiers killed in battle, while noting that the number of injured troops was higher and civilian casualty counts were “significant.”Family members of soldiers attend a memorial event in Kyiv. Jeff J. Mitchell / Getty Images file“We have official figures from the general staff, we have official figures from the top command, and they amount to between 10,000 and 12,500-13,000 killed,” Podolyak told Channel 24. The Ukrainian military has not confirmed such figures and it was a rare instance of a Ukrainian official providing such a count. In the eastern Donetsk region, Ukrainian governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said Russian shelling has intensified significantly. And in northeastern Kharkiv province, officials said that Russian shelling injured two women.

☆ Biden's offer to talk to Putin is a trial balloon to end war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden has floated a trial balloon to President Vladimir Putin to determine whether Russia, after months of battlefield losses and stalled gains, is ready to end its invasion of Ukraine. "I'm prepared to speak with Mr. Putin if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he's looking for a way to end the war. Where does he find himself in a position he does not, not only lose face but lose significant power in Russia," Biden said at a Democratic fundraiser in New York in October. Biden, who talks regularly to Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy, has previously been clear he defers to Ukraine's wishes. "There’s no — nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Biden said Nov. 14, when asked about possible negotiations.

☆ Biden trial balloon to Putin on Ukraine appears to quickly pop
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden floated a trial balloon to President Vladimir Putin intended to determine whether Russia, after months of battlefield losses and stalled gains, is ready to end its invasion of Ukraine. Biden and his national security advisers have wondered for months what it would take to entice Putin into a diplomatic off-ramp. Where does he find himself in a position he does not, not only lose face but lose significant power in Russia," Biden said at a Democratic fundraiser in New York in October. Biden, who talks regularly to Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy, has previously been clear he defers to Ukraine's wishes. "There’s no — nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Biden said Nov. 14, when asked about possible negotiations.

☆ As Ukrainian forces recaptured a key town, another elite Russian unit appears to have gone through 'the meat grinder'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russian troops in Lyman and those who retreated took heavy losses, including an elite GRU unit. In just a few days, Ukrainian forces liberated hundreds of square miles of territory and scores of villages. Its cadre of Spetsnaz commandos is among the best in the Russian military. Competent special operators require years of basic and advanced military training, as well as training tailored to their mission sets. The Russian military as a whole is taking a battering in Ukraine, though casualty estimates vary widely.

☆ A hotline set up between Russian and US militaries at the start of the Ukraine war has been used just once, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia and the US set up a "deconfliction" hotline shortly after Putin's invasion of Ukraine began. But the hotline has only been used once since then, a US official told Reuters. That missile blast, which triggered global concern, was likely caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the time. Both the Russian Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Milley and his counterpart, Russian General Valery Gerasimov, have spoken on two occasions since the start of the war, the outlet said.

☆ Ukraine is getting more THeMIS robots, ground vehicles that Russian troops have been offered $16,000 to capture
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine will receive 14 more THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles, manufacturer Milrem Robotics said Tuesday. A Russian think tank previously offered a bounty for the capture of one of these vehicles. "Automating these tasks with unmanned vehicles alleviates that danger and allows more soldiers to stay in a safe area or be tasked for more important activities." Evacuation robot (unmanned ground vehicle) THeMIS seen on a dusty road during the field tests in Kyiv, Ukraine. At the time, a spokesperson for Milrem Robotics told Insider: "We take the bounty as a compliment."

Reuters is the first to report on the use of the deconfliction line, beyond regular testing. SEVERAL WAYS TO COMMUNICATEThe deconfliction line is just one of several ways the U.S. and Russia militaries still have to communicate. Other military channels include rare high-level talks between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union maintained such hot lines at different levels. Vershbow drew a comparison to the far more active deconfliction line for Syria, where U.S. and Russian military forces sometimes operate in the same airspace or terrain.

☆ Russia is drafting soldiers with 'serious, chronic health conditions' to fight in Ukraine: UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is drafting fighters with chronic health problems to fight in Ukraine, UK intelligence said. "Mobilized reservists have highly likely experienced particularly heavy casualties," it concluded. In an intelligence update Thursday, the ministry addressed the mobilization of reservists by the Russian military in its invasion of Ukraine. Russia ordered the mobilization of around 300,000 reservists in September, after its military suffered heavy casualties in its invasion of Ukraine. Both sides though have sustained heavy casualties.

☆ Russia has crippled half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure and this winter 'will be about survival,' top WHO official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A top WHO official said half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been crippled. Russian forces have relentlessly attacked Ukraine's power grid over the last few weeks. Half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure is either damaged or destroyed," he continued. Kluge said the WHO has verified over 700 attacks on health infrastructure since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. Continued attacks on health and energy infrastructure, he said, means healthcare facilities like hospitals can no longer be operational because they lack electricity, fuel, and water.

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the media after an alleged Russian missile blast in Poland, in Bali, Indonesia, November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden has been adamant that the United States will back Ukraine in its nine-month fight to repel a Russian invasion. We will determine what happened and what the appropriate next steps would be," said White House spokesperson Adrienne Watson. Sullivan, who has been in touch with Russian officials about the risks around the Ukraine invasion, did not make contact in relation to this incident, a White House official said. "It's now just a matter of doing forensics work to determine what kind of missile it was," the official said.

☆ Splits emerge among Ukraine allies over whether Ukraine should negotiate with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Patrick-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Patrick Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON — A split appeared to be opening this week among Ukraine's supporters over whether its government should sit down for peace talks with Russia. He was summing up the feelings of many in the countries bordering Ukraine or Russia. In a separate interview with The Times of London, Lipavský accused Russia of behaving like a 19th century colonial empire. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, in Brussels this week, said the West should not dictate the terms on which Ukraine should negotiate. Michael McFaul, the U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, said that while many would back the idea of peace talks, not everyone would believe Putin would "negotiate in good faith."

☆ Top US general says Russia ignored his call after Poland missile strike — an ominous glimpse at how a future crisis could play out
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gen. Mark Milley said he tried calling his Russian counterpart after a missile hit Poland. The missile strike on the NATO member state sparked concerns that the Ukraine war could escalate. "My staff was unsuccessful in getting me linked up with General Gerasimov," Milley said. In the aftermath of the strike, reports initially said the missile could have been fired by Russia, raising fears of direct military conflict between NATO and Russia. "It is unsettling to learn from General Milley that his counterpart was unreachable or not willing to engage when an explosion occurred in Poland," he added.

☆ Pentagon says Moscow's deliberate targeting of Ukrainian energy grids is a war crime
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon on Wednesday slammed Russia's barrage of missile strikes across Ukrainian cities and said that Moscow's deliberate targeting of energy infrastructure is a war crime. "It was likely the largest wave of missiles that we've seen since the beginning of the war," Milley said, adding that "the deliberate targeting of the civilian power grid, causing excessive collateral damage and unnecessary suffering on the civilian population is a war crime." Austin called Russia's missile and rocket attacks on civilian infrastructure "deliberate cruelty" and called on Moscow to end its "war of choice." They're going to continue that fight until the winter as best we can tell," Milley added. Stoltenberg added that initial assessments found that the incident was caused by an air defense missile launched to "defend Ukrainian territory against Russian cruise missile attacks."

[1/3] U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Army General Mark Milley speaks during a news briefing after participating a virtual Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Tom BrennerWASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The top U.S. general on Wednesday said Ukraine's chances of any near-term, outright military victory were not high, cautioning that Russia still had significant combat power inside Ukraine despite suffering battlefield setbacks since its invasion in February. Ukraine has vowed to keep the pressure on Russian forces until it reclaims control of all occupied territory. "The probability of a Ukrainian military victory - defined as kicking the Russians out of all of Ukraine to include what they claim as Crimea - the probability of that happening anytime soon is not high, militarily," Milley told a news conference at the Pentagon. Ukraine is not going to back down," Milley said, adding that Ukraine was free, "and they want to remain free."

☆ Ukraine dismisses push to compromise with Putin after Kherson retreat
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“Ukrainian servicemen accept no talks, no agreements or compromise decisions,” Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny wrote on Telegram late Monday after a telephone conversation with Milley. Lavrov attended the G-20 leaders' summit in Bali instead of Putin. “They clearly have plans to keep the offensive going,” said Rajan Menon, a director at Defense Priorities, a Washington-based think tank. “It makes perfect sense” for Ukrainian forces to reach the Kinburn Peninsula south of Kherson, gaining a tactical advantage around the Black Sea, he added. “Hard fighting does remain for Ukraine as they seek to liberate occupied territory,” a senior military official said, adding that the U.S. and its allies would “ensure that they have what they need to succeed on the battlefield.”

☆ Ukraine hails China's opposition to nuclear threats
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Zelenskiy, who had earlier visited Kherson, the biggest prize his troops have recaptured since the invasion began in February, welcomed Monday's remarks. "It is important that the United States and China jointly highlighted that the threats of using nuclear weapons were unacceptable," Zelenskiy said in a late Monday address. Zelenskiy said Ukraine had gathered evidence of at least 400 war crimes committed by Russian troops during their occupation of the area, including killings and abductions. Mass burial sites have been found in other parts previously occupied by Russian troops, including some with civilian bodies showing signs of torture. Russia says it is waging a "special military operation" in Ukraine to rid it of nationalists and protect Russian-speaking communities.

"Whatever (the Ukrainians) do, it will be carefully planned, kept secret and will likely be extremely well executed," Ingram added. Some residents in Kherson, meanwhile, are concerned about the risk of Russian shelling of the city once its forces regroup further east. "This Kherson fire support base becomes the anchor to support further manoeuvre by the left flank as it fights its way ... towards Mariupol, Berdyansk, and Melitopol." White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on Friday that the United States would continue to support Ukraine militarily "to put Ukraine in the best possible position on the battlefield" and would not seek to tell it what to do. They still control large parts of Ukraine ... What we should do is strengthen Ukraine's hand," Stoltenberg added.

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