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☆ Russia is confiscating passports from its elites, fearing they will defect over its invasion of Ukraine, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is taking the passports of officials and state company execs, per the Financial Times. It's worried that elites may defect as they oppose the war, per the report. The UK MOD earlier said Russia was taking passports to stop "the flight or defection" of officials. The outlet said Russia was worried about defections from people who oppose the invasion of Ukraine. Tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of people also fled Russia after it announced a partial mobilization of reservists in September.

☆ Russia is trying to cover up the decline of a once elite unit that was rendered 'combat ineffective,' UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is trying to fix the reputation of a once elite brigade hammered in Ukraine, the UK MOD said. The military is worried the brigade's reputation reflects how military leaders are seen, it said. In an update published Monday, the UK Ministry of Defence said the once celebrated 155th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet had been rendered "combat ineffective" multiple times when fighting in Ukraine. Experts told Insider that the brigade once had an elite reputation, but that this had been eroded by repeated defeats. Russia's military overall has experienced the same issues.

☆ London's priciest townhouse just listed for $74 million. Here's what's hidden beneath it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Ray Parisi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Will PryceOne of the most expensive townhouses in London listed Monday for 60 million pounds (about $74 million). The home's subterranean level includes a swimming pool that spans 39 feet and a pool deck furnished with daybeds. Below the townhouse residences are subterranean parking spots that eliminate the need for on-street parking. Here's a closer look around — and under — London's newest $74 million listing, which is being sold fully furnished. This can be achieved on a subterranean level because the rear garden is one level below street grade.

☆ The battle for Bakhmut has turned into a 'slaughter-fest' for Russia, says top US general
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's efforts to take Bakhmut have become a "slaughter-fest" for its troops, Gen. Mark Milley said. Russia likely wants a symbolic victory in Bakhmut, but its progress there has been slowing. "They are getting slaughtered, the Russian troops are" he said. Milley went further, describing Bakhmut as a "slaughter-fest for the Russians. The UK Ministry of Defence said last week that Russia's progress in Bakhmut appeared to have slowed.

☆ Russia's plan to get 400,000 more volunteer fighters won't work, so they will have to coerce people, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UK MOD said Russia wants it to appear like people volunteered, to minimize domestic anger. But it will likely struggle to get enough people, and authorities may have to coerce them, it said. But the UK MOD said it is very unlikely that many Russians will choose to sign up, so authorities will end up coercing them instead. "Russia is presenting the campaign as a drive for volunteer, professional personnel, rather than a new, mandatory mobilisation," it said. The UK MOD said that adding new troops would not fix Russia's struggles in Ukraine.

☆ Some Russians can't agree if they should honor convict soldiers who died in Ukraine after trading prison for war: 'They killed, stole, stabbed, raped... What kind of heroes are they?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Wagner Group recruited thousands of Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine in exchange for freedom. While those who died return home to be buried, residents can't agree on how they should be treated. The Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, caused controversy by recruiting convicted criminals to fight in Ukraine in exchange for their freedom. The UK Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence briefing earlier this month that about half of all the Russian prisoners sent to fight Ukraine have been killed or wounded. Some residents are also concerned about pardoned prisoners who return home alive but may still be violent.

☆ Russia's newest army corps lost many of its tanks in an offensive because it simply copied tactics that failed in the past, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's new army corps is losing tanks at a fast rate as it tries to encirle Avdiivka, the UK said. And that's because it's repeating tactics that have failed Russia's military in the past, according to UK intelligence. Avdiivka is a town in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, which the UK MOD said Russia has recently made a priority. Videos show Russian tanks and armored vehicles being blown up by mines and anti-tank missiles in and around Vuhledar. The UK MOD said that the 3rd Army Corps has been "particularly dogged by problems with ill-discipline and poor morale," referencing open-source accounts.

☆ How an elite brigade of Russian marines was repeatedly mauled in Ukraine and became an emblem of the invasion's failures
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

An elite brigade within Russia's military is a shadow of itself after taking huge losses in Ukraine. In many ways, the journey of the 155th reflects the larger struggles of the Russian military, which entered Ukraine expecting a quick victory but has instead suffered embarrassing setbacks. Baev said that its members are supposed to be better trained and more professional than other parts of the Russian military, which can rely on conscripts. And, as the fighting dragged and more marines died, the Russian military kept reinforcing the 155th with fresh recruits, which brought its own problems. Yet earlier this month Ukraine claimed that commanders in the brigade were refusing to fight near the city of Vuhledar.

☆ Russia is sending troops to 'less experienced' Belarus for training because most of its own instructors have been deployed to Ukraine, says UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Belarus is training Russian troops despite its army being "much less-experienced," the UK MOD said. Russia resorted to this after its own training system was upended by the war in Ukraine, it said. The UK MOD said that Russia likely deployed at least 1,000 troops in March 2023 that were trained at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus. The training of Russian troops has been heavily scrutinized since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The UK MOD also said that Russia had political reasons for training troops in Belarus.

☆ Wagner founder rejects claim that he is about to pull back from Ukraine, saying the group will fight there 'as long as our country needs us'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The boss of Russia's Wagner Group denied reports he's set to reduce operations in Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigozhin has been feuding with Russia's military and said his troops have been denied ammo. Instead, he plans to focus on Africa, where Wagner has been accused of war crimes, the sources said. As long as our country needs us, we are fighting on the territory of Ukraine"Wagner, a private paramilitary group, has sent tens of thousands of mercenaries and former prisoners to fight in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Wagner has been barred from recruiting more prisoners from Russia, the UK MOD said, predicting that it would struggle with troop numbers going forward.

☆ Russia's assault on Bakhmut is losing the limited momentum it had, says UK intel, complicating its best chance at a symbolic victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's efforts to take the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut seem to be losing momentum, the UK MOD said. Bakhmut has huge symbolic importance to Russia, and failing to take it would be a big blow. The city is one of the few places Russia has made recent progress, as its latest offensive fails to grow. The UK MOD said that momentum may be slipping "partially because some Russian MoD units have been reallocated to other sectors." The UK MOD said in December that capturing Bakhmut would have "limited operational value" for Russia.

☆ Russia faces an 'exodus' of troops as prisoners recruited to fight in Ukraine start to be pardoned and return home, says UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's Wagner mercenary army fighting in Ukraine is about to see an "exodus" of personnel. It's due to release thousands of troops recruited from prisons in exchange for pardons, UK intel said. It will likely face personnel issues as a result, since it's no longer allowed to recruit prisoners. The Wagner Group is a private, pro-Kremlin group that has sent tens of thousands of mercenaries and former prisoners to Ukraine. Evidence from Russia suggests that the Wagner Group is "following through on its promise to free survivors," the MOD said.

☆ Germany to buy Airbus civil helicopter and convert for combat, Business Insider reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, March 18 (Reuters) - Germany's Defence Ministry wants to buy 82 Airbus (AIR.PA) H-145M civilian helicopters and convert some of them into combat helicopters to replace its Tiger combat fleet, Business Insider reported, citing military internal documents. Germany last year shifted its defence policy after Russia invaded Ukraine, committing 100 billion euros ($107 billion) to modernize the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces. The Defence Ministry was not immediately available for comment. The H-145M helicopters are approved for military use but are not designed as combat aircraft and the Bundeswehr has concerns about the machine's combat suitability and crew protection, which the ministry has ignored so far, the report added. ($1 = 0.9376 euros)Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia gives awards to Su-27 pilots who knocked out a US drone this week, after Western officials slammed the incident as 'unsafe and unprofessional'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia decorated the two pilots whose intercept took down a US Reaper drone over the Black Sea. US and EU officials have described the incident as "unsafe and unprofessional" on Russia's part. The accolade comes after US European Command accused the pilots of making an "unsafe and unprofessional" intercept. The incident forced the Reaper to crash into the Black Sea, increasing tensions between the US and Russia. Russia claims that the drone was flying with its transponders turned off, and that it was violating airspace restrictions Russia says it made public in relation to its military activities.

☆ Russia's new offensive in Ukraine has likely fizzled out after only a month, Western intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UK intelligence suggests Russia's new offensive is on its last legs, just a month after it began. Russian forces have depleted their "combat power," the assessment said. "Even local offensive actions are not currently sustainable," it added. The British Defense Ministry said this is likely because Russian forces have depleted their "combat power" to such a degree that "even local offensive actions are not currently sustainable." There's been an evolving debate between Kyiv and its Western partners over Ukraine's insistence on continuing to defend Bakhmut, which analysts have suggested could fall to Russian forces in the coming days.

☆ Russia's Wagner army is recruiting fighters on Pornhub in a desperate attempt to strengthen troops, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Wagner Group has struggled to recruit more fighters to support Russia in the Ukraine war. "Don't whack off, go work for PMC Wagner," an advert on Pornhub said, according to the report. "Don't whack off, apply for a job with the Wagner Group." The advert also includes a phone number, which is reportedly linked with Wagner Group recruiters. A Ukrainian military intelligence report, published in December and first obtained by CNN, said that Wagner Group fighters, which include prisoners, "have become the disposable infantry" in Ukraine.

☆ Russia wants to replenish its troops by recruiting 400,000 new contract soldiers starting April: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia wants to recruit 400,000 new contract soldiers starting in April, per multiple local reports. Russian contract soldiers are typically volunteers who serve three-year paid stints in the army. The authorities said the summons were issued just to collect information, and not to lay the groundwork for a second mobilization, BBC Russia reported. Russian contract soldiers are typically volunteers who sign up for a three-year paid stint in the army, per the Institute for the Study of War, a think tank. Since the war began in February 2022, recruiters have been offering hefty bonuses and increased salaries to contract soldiers, while the Kremlin rushes to bolster resources for its hard-hit troops.

Egypt desperately needs the proceeds from privatisation after a series of economic shocks. STAKE SALE DRIVEEgypt set a target in 2022 of raising $10 billion annually over four years through private investment in state assets. Egypt has established its own sovereign fund to bring in private investors to develop state assets, but the move appears designed to attract capital without relinquishing control, said Sayigh. "They want others to help the state with its financial burden, but it's still the state that determines priorities and investments," he said. MILITARY TAX BREAKSFuture asset sales will be complicated by an expansion under Sisi of the military's often opaque economic role, analysts say.

☆ Russia is confiscating its officials' passports to stop them fleeing the country or defecting, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some Russian officials have had their passports taken away, UK intelligence said. Thousands have fled Russia, including some officials who offer secrets to try and get asylum. Some European countries have banned Russian tourists, and many nations closed their airspace to Russian planes. Tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of young Russians fled the country when Russia announced a partial mobilization of reservists in September. Some officials have fled Russia and are offering to hand over secrets in exchange for being granted asylum.

☆ Russia expanded its territory in Ukraine by less than 0.04% in a month of brutal fighting that cost it thousands of soldiers and vital equipment, says think tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia gained just 0.039% of additional territory in Ukraine in February, the ISW told Insider. It continues to lose equipment and a large number of soldiers in exchange for meager gains. Washington DC-based think tank The Institute for the Study of War told Insider that its mapping data showed Russia had gained just 0.039% more territory in Ukraine between January 31 and February 28. Russia gained this tiny amount of land while losing thousands of soldiers and hemorrhaging military equipment. And a senior US diplomat was also scathing about Russia's progress, saying: "Russia has declared that it is launching a new offensive.

☆ Russia has been forced to issue old ammunition that was previously declared unfit for use, says UK intel, deepening its struggles in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is issuing old military stock that was previously seen as unfit for use, UK intelligence said. This is likely a key reason why Russia's new offensive hasn't progressed, the MOD said. The UK Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update on Tuesday that Russia "has almost certainly already resorted to issuing old munitions stock which were previously categorised as unfit for use." This likely explains why Russia has not made any significant gains since it started its long-awaited offensive earlier this spring, the MOD said. The UK MOD said earlier this month that Russia has been showing off advanced military technology around the world, at the same time that its soldiers in Ukraine are forced to rely on old equipment.

☆ Half of all Russian prisoners recruited to fight in Ukraine have likely been killed or wounded, says UK intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Around half of the prisoners Russia recruited for Ukraine have been killed or wounded, per UK intel. The private pro-Kremlin Wagner Group has sent many prisoners to one of the war's bloodiest battles. But the group can no longer recruit from prisons, limiting its ability to reinforce, the UK said. The UK Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update on Monday that "about half of the prisoners Wagner has already deployed in Ukraine have likely become casualties." In February, it was reported that Wagner had stopped recruiting prisoners as growing numbers refused to be enlisted on suicide missions in Ukraine, according to multiple reports.

☆ Russia is using one of Ukraine's bloodiest battles to decimate the Wagner Group, after its boss started a feud with military leaders, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The pro-Kremlin mercenary army has aided Russia's military, but its leader has become more critical. And the Wagner Group, which has tens of thousands of mercenaries and former prisoners deployed in Ukraine, is heavily involved in the fighting. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the group's leader, who is also known as Putin's chef, has become highly critical of Russia's military leadership. The think tank added that "Russian military leadership may be trying to expend Wagner forces – and Prigozhin's influence – in Bakhmut." The ISW said that given the high number of Wagner troops there, Russia's leadership might not mind the high death toll.

☆ Britain's Sunak boosts defence spending to try to silence critics
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

With his government unveiling the update to Britain's national security and international policy, Sunak, on a visit to the U.S., will also set out an "ambition" to increase defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product in the longer term. He said his previous increases to defence spending showed he was a man of his word, and described the new commitments as a "strong and positive statement". COUNTERING CHINAMeeting U.S. President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Sunak will want to underline that the increase in spending will only bolster the AUKUS pact. Instead, Britain will seek to engage China and be robust in defending the things it cares about, he said. The island, increasingly concerned about the threat from China, was left out of the earlier document which was published in 2021.

☆ Hundreds of cars confiscated from drunk drivers to be supplied to Ukraine's military and hospitals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Latvia is sending cars that have been confiscated from drunk drivers to Ukraine. Latvia said it would provide two dozen seized vehicles to Ukraine each week. The government tasked the transport of the seized cars to the Agendum group — a Latvian NGO that delivers vehicles to Ukraine — who will donate them to the Ukrainian military and hospitals. "It's actually very scary when you realize how many cars are driving around with drunk drivers," Reinis Poznaks, founder of the NGO Twitter Convoy in association with Agendum, told Reuters in an interview. Last month, the Latvian parliament passed a law allowing the transfer of state-owned vehicles — usually sold or recycled — to Ukraine, according to Euronews.

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