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☆ After months of stalemate, it looks like Russia's long-feared new offensive in Ukraine has begun
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's threats of a renewed assault on Ukraine are already coming to pass, a military chief said. Multiple reports indicate a flurry of Russian attacks along the front line in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine says Russia hasn't had much success so far but "fighting has intensified," one soldier said. Ukrainian politician Anton Geraschenko tweeted on Wednesday that the Russian offensive is already taking place. Officials and analysts have been predicting for months that a new Russian offensive would begin in the spring, with the country likely to commit hundreds of thousands of additional soldiers to the fight.

☆ Russia is expected to launch a new Ukraine offensive, but it faces a familiar obstacle: Mud
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Global Images Ukraine | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesUkraine and many Western analysts believe Russia is on the precipice of launching a new, large-scale offensive but it's likely to encounter a familiar obstacle: mud. Ukrainian servicemen push a car stuck in mud on a field road on the frontline in Donetsk region, on December 17, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Global Images Ukraine | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesUkraine has urgent, pressing problems to contend with before the mud arrives with its forces observing Russian forces slowly but surely approaching and encircling the Donetsk city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian tankers near an undisclosed front line position in eastern Ukraine on Nov. 28, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Yevhen Titov | Afp | Getty Images

☆ Russia has lost at least 1,500 tanks since the start of the Ukraine war, more than half of its invasion force: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

More than 1,500 Russian tanks have been lost since it invaded Ukraine, a monitoring group found. That's over half of the operational tanks Russia likely started its invasion with, the group said. It also said that it was able to confirm 79 additional Russian tanks as damaged, and 65 that it could confirm as abandoned. Reports of Russian tanks destroyed and Ukrainian troops seizing tanks from Russian forces have been widespread since the invasion began. Germany is sending Ukraine its Leopard 2 tanks, with other European countries also planning to send tanks to Ukraine.

☆ Russian state energy giant Gazprom is starting its own private security force, a move Ukraine fears will lead to a new Wagner-like mercenary army
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's government is allowing energy giant Gazprom to start a private security outfit. Ukraine's Ministry of Defence drew comparisons with the notorious private army the Wagner Group. Experts said it's plausible that another Russian mercenary army is in the works. Russia's government gave its go-ahead for the energy giant to create a private security organization on February 4, under the pretext of securing the country's energy sector. "Ukrainians are handling Wagner, they are handling the Russian army."

☆ Ukraine is using Palantir's software for 'targeting,' CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Jeffrey Dastin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Its software helps Ukraine target, for instance, tanks and artillery, a Palantir spokesperson said. The company, whose co-founders include Karp and investor Peter Thiel, has opened an office in Ukraine. "There are huge ethical issues on the battlefield," he said at an event Palantir hosted in Palo Alto. Japan is a "very high priority" market for Palantir including in defense, another Palantir official, Kevin Kawasaki, said in an interview. Reporting by Jeffrey Dastin in Palo Alto, Calif.; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A UK nuclear submarine had its broken bolts fixed with superglue, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The British Navy launched a probe after finding a " defect" in a nuclear submarine, The Sun reported. Broken bolts on HMS Vanguard's reactor chamber were glued on instead of replaced, the report said. A Royal Navy source told The Sun that the discovery was a "disgrace." Nuclear standards are never compromised." A spokesperson for both the Royal Navy and Babcock did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

[1/2] A car rides on an empty road near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine January 29, 2023. In Paris after meeting Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said "there was no taboo" about supplying Kyiv with fighter planes. Russian forces on Tuesday made no headway in attempts to advance on Avdiivka, the second focal point of Russian attacks in Donetsk region, Kyiv's military general staff said. Russian forces also tried to advance near Lyman, a town further north in Donetsk region that was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in October, the military said. Russia was reaching further west in Donetsk by firing on the town of Vuhledar and a half dozen other towns and villages, the Ukraine military said.

☆ Major Russian assault in Vuhledar unlikely to yield breakthrough, UK says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 31 (Reuters) - A major new Russian assault on the Ukrainian-held bastion of Vuhledar could make local gains but is unlikely to lead to an operational breakthrough, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday. However, it is unlikely that Russia has sufficient uncommitted troops in the area to achieve an operationally significant breakthrough." Vuhledar lies at the southern-most end of the eastern front in Ukraine, overlooking railway lines that supply Russian forces on the adjacent southern front. Ukraine has repelled several Russian attacks on the town since the start of the war. The administrator of Russian-held territory in the Donetsk region has claimed that Russian forces have secured a foothold inside Vuhledar since launching their latest assault there.

☆ Russia is preventing migrant workers from leaving the country as authorities consider more military call-ups, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is keeping dual-citizen migrant workers from leaving the country, UK military intel says. It cited a report that said Kyrgyz workers were stopped by border guards as they tried to leave. Russia is "keeping open the option" of another round of military call-ups, per the update. The UK defense ministry said these reports come as Russian authorities are "keeping open the option" of another round of military call-ups. But this latest UK military update said that Russia's leadership is "highly likely" to continue looking for ways to meet the huge numbers of personnel required to launch any future offensive in Ukraine.

☆ Russia dismissed a successful commander as power struggles grip its top ranks, UK intelligence says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia dismissed a top general who had been praised for his performance in Ukraine, the UK MOD said. The MOD said there are "continued divisions" in the Russian military since the shake up. Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported on Tuesday that Teplinsky "cursed at" Gerasimov during a meeting and was "immediately dismissed." Other Russian military figures have also been given new roles as part of the reshuffle. The UK ministry suggested earlier this month that Russia had been using almost all deployable VDV troops as ground-holding troops up until November.

☆ Russia's new top general in Ukraine is fixated on getting soldiers to shave more often, sparking derision among its military, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's new Ukraine general is fixated on soldiers' shaving habits, the UK defense ministry said. Valery Gerasimov's focus is drawing the ire of other military factions, it added. The UK defense ministry said that Gerasimov's focus on grooming is drawing the ire of officials in Russia-occupied areas, who see it as a pointless distraction. The UK defense ministry said that Gerasimov's focus on aspects like shaving means he's yet to prove his critics wrong where it counts: on the battlefield. Washington-based think-tank the Institute for the Study of War, meanwhile, said this month that the new Russian focus on personal habits may have a purpose, Insider's Jake Epstein reported.

☆ Russia plans to send its strongest tanks to drive around Ukraine but is too scared to put them in combat, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia may deploy its new T-14 Armata tanks in Ukraine, British intelligence said Thursday. But it is "unlikely to trust" the tank in combat given problems in its development, it said. "If Russia deploys T-14, it will likely primarily be for propaganda purposes," it concluded. "Production is probably only in the low tens, while commanders are unlikely to trust the vehicle in combat." The T-14 isn't the only advanced combat vehicle Russia appears to be using mostly for show in Ukraine.

☆ Putin's desperate for a win, and he's throwing troops at some of Ukraine's toughest defenses to get it, former general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Intense fighting between Ukraine and Russia has been taking place around the eastern city of Bakhmut. Putin has been sending troops into some of Ukraine's most heavily defended areas, a former general said. Mick Ryan argues the Russian leader is trying to get a win before the war's one-year anniversary. Fighting between Ukraine and Russia has intensified in recent weeks around Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. Ukrainian soldiers shelter in the woods along a road outside of the strategic city of Bakhmut on January 18, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine.

☆ Drone footage shows Ukrainian forces trapping fighters from Russia's Wagner Group in a lethal crossfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Drone footage shows the Ukrainian troops annihilating a unit of Wagner fighters in Soledar. The video shows soldiers — who the State Border Service of Ukraine identified as Wagner Group fighters — being monitored by a drone. The soldiers then come under fire from Ukrainian fighters using large-caliber machine guns, resulting in a number of injuries, according to the border force. In a Telegram post, the State Border Service of Ukraine described the events. "Although the enemy has concentrated its greatest forces in this direction, our troops – the Armed Forces of Ukraine, all defense and security forces – are defending the state."

☆ Russia's defense manufacturing sector is using convict labor to meet war-time demands: UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia announced it's using the forced labor of convicts to manufacture weaponry. The UK MOD said that manufacturers are likely under intense pressure to keep the army supplied. Russia, which reintroduced forced prison labor in 2017, has a prison population of around 400,000, as well as a system accused of perpetuating "extreme brutality and corruption," the UK MOD said. It is likely under "intense pressure" to produce more, the UK MOD said. The UK MOD report follows several signals that Russia, like Ukraine, is grappling with difficulties in keeping its front line supplied with a wide range of munitions.

☆ 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.

☆ Wagner chief says he wants to seize a key Ukrainian city for its vast network of caves and tunnels that could be used for war
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's Wagner Group has been fighting on the front lines in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Prigozhin is referring to a vast network of caves and salt mines underneath the city. Its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said over the weekend that he wants to seize the location because of its vast tunnel network, which he termed "underground cities." Prigozhin, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is referring to a winding labyrinth of caves and salt mines under Bakhmut. The US has also accused Wagner Group troops of exploiting the natural resources in warzones in the Middle East and Africa where they fought for Russia in other conflict.

☆ Russian prisoners sent to the front lines in Ukraine have been publicly executed for not charging into enemy fire, captured inmates say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Captured members of a Russian mercenary group say disobedient troops and deserters are being publicly executed in Ukraine. The infamous Wagner Group has recruited prisoners to fight on the front lines. One captured former inmate described many of the recruited prisoners as "completely insane." The Russian military has suffered staggering losses since Moscow launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine last February. In an effort to address worsening manpower issues, the Wagner Group has fought alongside the Russian military and has recruited Russian prisoners in the process.

☆ Russia is holding back on using its most advanced fighter jets over Ukraine because it's scared they will get shot down, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is using its most advanced combat jets against Ukraine, British intelligence said Monday. But the jets are only firing missiles into Ukraine from Russian territory, the brief added. Russia is keeping them back over worries about "reputational damage" if they're shot down, it said. In its latest intelligence update, the UK's Ministry of Defence said Moscow has "almost certainly" used Su-57 Felon fighter jets to conduct missions against Ukraine since at least June 2022. "These missions have likely been limited to flying over Russian territory, launching long-range air-to-surface or air-to-air missiles into Ukraine," the brief said.

☆ Kremlin: confident that defence ministry report on Kramatorsk strike is correct
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday that it was confident its defence ministry was correct when it said that 600 Ukrainian servicemen had been "destroyed" in an attack on the city of Kramatorsk, despite reporting which showed the attack missed its target. "The Kremlin has absolute confidence, I would like to remind you of the President's words that the main source of information is the Ministry of Defence", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a daily briefing. A Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk missed its targets and there were no obvious signs of casualties, a Reuters reporter said on Sunday, after Moscow claimed the strike had killed 600 Ukrainian soldiers. Reporting by ReutersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK considering giving battle tanks to Ukraine - Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Britain is considering supplying Ukraine with tanks for the first time to help the country fight Russian forces, Sky News reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources. Discussions have been taking place "for a few weeks" about delivering the British Army's Challenger 2 main battle tank to Ukraine, Sky said, quoting a Western source with knowledge of the conversations. Supplying tanks would represent a significant step-up in Western support to Ukraine, but the British government has not yet taken a final decision on the matter, the report added. Sky cited one unnamed source saying Britain could offer around 10 Challenger 2 tanks. The Challenger 2 is a battle tank designed to attack other tanks, and has been in service with the British army since 1994.

☆ Taliban criticises Prince Harry over Afghan killings comment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Harry's highly personal book "Spare" went on sale in Spain days before its global launch on Jan. 10. When asked about Harry's comments, a spokesperson for Britain's Ministry of Defence said: "We do not comment on operational details for security reasons." Representatives of Prince Harry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. As is usual for the royal family, spokespeople for King Charles and Prince William have declined to comment. Some of those who were willing to talk said they thought Harry had gone too far.

☆ Japan says it scrambled jets to monitor Chinese aircraft carrier operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Japan said on Monday it scrambled jet fighters and dispatched aircraft and warships over the past two weeks to keep tabs on China's Liaoning aircraft carrier and five warships that conducted naval manoeuvres and flight operations in the Pacific. Japan monitored the operations after the Chinese naval group, which included missile destroyers, sailed between the main Okinawa island and Miyakojima island into the Western Pacific from the East China Sea on Dec. 16, Japan's Ministry of Defence said in a press release. Before returning the same way on Sunday, the Chinese carrier conducted more than 300 take-offs and landings of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, added the ministry, which did not report any incursions into Japanese territorial waters or skies. Japan also reported that it had detected flights by a Chinese WZ-7 drone close to Miyakojima on Sunday and again on Monday, the first time it has spotted the high-altitude drone in the area. Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine can freeze their sperm for free says Putin's government: TASS
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine will have access to free sperm-freezing services. The offer applies to "those called up for military service as part of the partial mobilization." Soldiers want to freeze their sperm that their wives can access if they are killed in action, said local reports. The number of Russian soldiers killed or wounded fighting in Ukraine, where Putin's forces have experienced a series of military setbacks in more than 300 days of fighting, remains unclear. In November, a US military chief put the number of Russian soldiers killed or wounded at up to 100,000, according to CNN.

☆ West backs Nigeria's war on extremists, and backs off on human rights
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +21 min

“While respect for human rights is unquestionably a high priority, we have many other equities at stake,” McCulley wrote. He said the focus on human rights had sent relations between the two countries into the “lowest ebb” in his three years there. Nigeria’s human rights record wasn’t only a moral issue – it was a legal one. Working under these laws provided “openings to incentivise and institutionalise” human rights protections within the Nigerian military, the State Department said. The pact also noted that London and Abuja had agreed on an “enhanced human rights dialogue” to ensure compliance with international rights standards.

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