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☆ Ukraine war footage captures a different kind of exploding drone driving for miles on a suicide mission to blow up a bridge
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewNew footage from the war in Ukraine to show an unmanned ground vehicle loaded up with explosives driving for miles to hit a road bridge. Eventually, the drone makes its way to the underpass of a large road bridge, subsequently exploding beneath it. Video was posted a week ago.https://t.co/SSvl2IaRcZ pic.twitter.com/tTbqKI5E7S — Rob Lee (@RALee85) June 12, 2022Some UGVs, like the THeMIS vehicle Ukraine has, are designed to evacuate injured troops and transport supplies. UAVs, which have shaped much of the fighting in Ukraine, are often employed for one-way strike missions, dropping explosives, and reconnaissance. Ukraine has also used exploding drone boats, unmanned surface vessels, or USVs, loaded with explosives, to strike targets at sea.

Persons: —, Andriy Tsaplienko, Lee (@R, sid Organizations: Service, Business, Andriy Tsaplienko Telegram, kr, unm Locations: Ukraine

☆ Russia said a military transport plane crashed with 65 Ukrainian POWs on board. Reports saying Ukraine shot it down were quickly changed.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia said an Il-76 transport aircraft crashed — and that it was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war. AdvertisementRussia said one of its transport aircraft crashed with 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on board. At least two outlets — Ukrainian Pravda and Ukraine-RBC — posted articles saying Ukraine had shot down the planes, citing military sources. AdvertisementRussia's defense ministry said that the plane, an Il-76 cargo vessel, had 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, six crew and three escorts on board when it crashed, per state media. AdvertisementAn early report on the crash by the outlet Ukrainian Pravda cited a Ukrianian defense source calling the shootdown "our work."

Persons: —, Vyacheslav Gladkov Organizations: Service, Ukrainian Pravda, RBC, Pravda Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Belgorod

☆ Ukraine's military spy chief says Russia would have struggled without North Korea's arms
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's military spymaster Kyrylo Budanov says Russia is reliant on North Korean weapons. Budanov said that for the Russians, using North Korean arms is an "indignity" to them. AdvertisementRussia would have been in a tough spot without North Korea's arms, says Ukraine's military spymaster. A shortage of arms meant the Russians had to turn to allies like Iran and North Korea for supplies. On January 5, the UK's defense secretary claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had to beg North Korea for their weapons.

Persons: Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Grant Shapps Organizations: Financial Times, Service, Business Insider Locations: Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, Iran

☆ A dozen Russian marines were killed when an RPG shell rolled into a fire they'd lit beside a pile of ammo and exploded, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian soldiers died after lighting a fire beside a pile of ammunition, per Russian outlet 161.ru. An RPG-7 grenade launcher shell rolled into the fire and exploded, killing at least 12, it said. AdvertisementAt least 12 Russian marines were killed when an RPG shell rolled into the fire they had lit beside a pile of ammunition, a source told Russian news outlet 161.ru. Three sources in Russia's military, law enforcement, and investigative agencies told the outlet about the incident, it said. An RPG-7 grenade launcher shell then rolled into the fire and exploded, the source told 161.

Persons: — Organizations: Service Locations: Russia, Vladivostok, Ukrainian

☆ Kremlin tries to stifle war bloggers' 'hysteria' over Ukrainian offensives in Dnipro, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

However, Russian military bloggers said they're failing, per the Institute for the Study of War. AdvertisementThe Kremlin is struggling to stamp out Russian military bloggers' "hysteria" around Ukrainian offensives in the Dnipro River, according to war analysts. Shoigu's speech is likely intended to play down Russian military bloggers' fears about Russia's struggles on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, the Institute said. On Monday, a Russian milblogger called Two Majors on Telegram, posted a letter allegedly written by a Russian soldier. It said the lack of drones in the area meant Russian forces were moving more slowly and exposed them to Ukrainian strikes.

Persons: —, Sergei Shoigu, Russia's, Vladimir Putin, OGPU, Krynky, Serhiy Bratchuk, Ukraine's Espreso, Natalia Gumenyuk, Andriy Yermak, Su Organizations: for, Service, Institute, Novosti, Telegram, 1st Battalion, 35th Motorized Rifle Brigade, Ukrainian, Odesa's, Administration, AFP Locations: Dnipro, Kherson, Ukraine, Krynky, Censor.Net, Russian, Crimea, Russia, Donetsk

☆ Ukraine says it has pushed Russian forces back up to 5 miles from the banks of Dnipro river, in first possible counteroffensive success
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian and Ukrainian foces have been battling on the banks of the Dnipro river. A Ukrainian official said Russian forces had been pushed back around 3 to 5 miles. AdvertisementUkraine said it had pushed Russian forces back three to eight kilometers, or around 3 to 5 miles, from the banks of the Dnipro river, which, if confirmed, would be a major breakthrough in Ukraine's lagging counteroffensive. Ukrainian and Russian forces have been positioned on opposite sides of the river in Kherson after Russia retreated from the region's western part last year. "We need to be realistic about what can be achieved here," Franz-Stefan Gady, a military analyst who recently visited the front lines in Ukraine, told the WSJ.

Persons: —, Natalia Gumenyuk, Gumenyuk, Vladimir Saldo, Oleksandr Kovalenko, Franz, Stefan Gady Organizations: Russian, Service, AFP, Reuters, Wall Street Journal Locations: Ukrainian, Dnipro, Ukraine, Russian, Kherson, Russia, Moscow

☆ A Russian official said soldiers are dying in large numbers, but he'll get in trouble if he doesn't send more to fight, leaked video shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A leaked video clip shows a Russian official saying troops are dying in droves in Ukraine. But Alexander Avdonin said he would get in trouble if he didn't send more, per Russian media. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA Russian official said that soldiers were dying in large numbers in Ukraine but that he could get in trouble if he didn't send more men to fight, according to Russian news outlet Siberia Realities . About 120,000 Russian soldiers have died since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, US officials told The New York Times in August.

Persons: Alexander Avdonin, —, Avdonin, Dmitry Medvedev Organizations: Moscow Times, Service, Yakutia Foundation, Telegram, Eastern Military District, Russia's Security, Free Yakutia Foundation, UK Ministry of Defence, New York Times Locations: Ukraine, Siberia, Russia's, Republic, Sakha, Russia

☆ Russian naval ships struck by exploding drone boats in the night sank to the bottom of the Black Sea, Ukraine says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine says its sea drones hit and sank two Russian Black Sea Fleet landing ships. Ukraine has relied on its fleet of explosive drone boats to trouble Russian ships in the Black Sea. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine's explosive sea drones have struck again, and this time, Kyiv says they struck and sank two ships belonging to Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF). The hit has again raised questions about Russia's ability to protect its Black Sea Fleet from Ukraine. Elsewhere in the Black Sea this week, a Russian anti-radar missile slammed into a Liberian-flagged cargo ship, killing one person and injuring four more.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Fleet, Defense Ministry, Sig, Security Service, Ukraine Telegram, Russian, Institute for, Liberian Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Kyiv, Russian, Crimean, Novorossiysk, Kerch, Russia, Ukrainian, Washington, Moscow

☆ Ukraine said it hit 2 Russian vessels with sea drones, as it continues to hammer Russia's Black Sea Fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian intelligence said it damaged 2 Russian landing ships in Crimea. Ukraine has been targeting Russian ships in the Black Sea, forcing Russia to move some further away. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkrainian intelligence said the country hit two Russian landing ships off the coast of occupied Crimea with sea drones, showing how Ukraine has continued to attack Russia's navy in the Black Sea. Ukraine has been escalating its attacks on Russia's ships in Crimea, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, in recent months. These attacks include firing cruise missiles against a Russian naval shipyard and at the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet.

Persons: —, GUR, Serna Organizations: Service, Directorate of Intelligence, Intelligence, Kyiv Post, Black, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Crimea, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Chornomorske, Crimean, Russian, Crimea's Sevastopol

☆ Video shows the moment a new Russian submarine test-fired an intercontinental-range 'Bulava' missile
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Video footage shows the moment a new Russian submarine test-fired an intercontinental-range ballistic missile. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia's new strategic nuclear submarine has successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, it's defense ministry said, releasing video footage it said was from the test. The test involved the firing of an intercontinental-range Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) and was a significant step for the vessel. Video footage from the defense ministry that was shared by Russian state media outlets on Sunday showed what they said was the newest Borei-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine Imperator Alexander III launching an RSM-56 Bulava ballistic missile. Russian nuclear submarine Yuri Dolgorukiy (NATO reporting name: SSBN "Borei", or "Dolgorukiy") is seen during the Navy Day Military parade July, 27, 2014, in Severomorsk.

Persons: —, Alexander III, Imperator Alexander III, it'll, Generalissimus Suvorov, Yuri Dolgorukiy, Sasha Mordovets, Bulava SLBMs Organizations: Service, RSM, Missile, Navy, Russia's, Russian Locations: Russian, Russia, Kamchatka, Severomorsk, Soviet Union, Europe, Atlantic

☆ Russia says it shot down 36 Ukrainian drones as fighting grinds on in Ukraine’s east
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A satellite image shows smoke billowing from Russian Black Sea navy headquarters after a missile strike, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Sevastopol, Crimea, on Sept. 22, 2023. Russian air defense shot down over 30 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula overnight Saturday, Russia's Defense Ministry said Sunday. "The air defense systems in place destroyed 36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean peninsula," the ministry wrote on Telegram. Local authorities in the southern Krasnodar region bordering the Black Sea said that a fire broke out at an oil refinery in the early hours of Sunday, but did not specify the cause. In Ukraine, the country's air force said Sunday it had shot down five Iranian-made Shahed exploding drones launched by Russia overnight.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Vyacheslav Volodin, Volodin, Ursula von der Leyen Organizations: Russia's Defense, Telegram . Local, Russia, Russian, UK Ministry, European Union, State Duma, European, Russian Federation Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Sevastopol, Crimea, Crimean, Krasnodar, Moscow, Siversk, Donetsk province, British, Russia, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Kyiv, Belgium, Europe

☆ Here's the 'experimental' sea drone, called the 'Sea Baby,' that Ukraine claims has carried almost 1,900 pounds of explosives and has been attacking Russia's Black Sea Fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine intelligence officials claim that an experimental sea drone hit two Russian military ships. The drone has been dubbed the "Sea Baby," an invention of Ukraine's security services. The drone is called the "Sea Baby," which officials in Ukraine have now claimed is behind at least three covert drone operations against Russia. AdvertisementAdvertisementAround mid-September Ukrainian sources said that the sea drone attacked a small Russian missile ship that was part of the Black Sea Fleet. The other sea drone that Ukraine developed, with a 300-kg payload, can hit targets 500 miles away, CNN reported.

Persons: —, Vasyl Maliuk, Maliuk Organizations: Service, The Washington Post, Russia, Security Service, CNN, Black, Russia's, Baby Security, Reuters, Security Service of Ukraine, New Voice, New York Times, Ammo Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Kerch, Russian, Russia, Kyiv, Ukrainian

☆ Drone Attack Near Moscow Thwarted by Russian Defence Forces TASS
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russian air defence forces took down a Ukrainian drone near Moscow early on Saturday that appeared to cause no damage or injuries, Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported. The attack, repelled over the Istra district northwest of the capital, was an attempt by Ukraine to attack Russian facilities, TASS reported, citing Russia's Defense Ministry. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said preliminary reports showed no casualties or damage but that "emergencies services are working at the scene," TASS said, citing his channel on the Telegram messaging app. The reported attack on Russia follows Russian air strikes on Ukraine on Friday that Ukrainian officials said killed a 10-year-old boy and his grandmother in Kharkiv and damaged grain and port infrastructure in the Odesa region. A day earlier, Ukrainian officials said dozens were killed in the village of Hroza in northeastern Ukraine during a gathering to mourn a fallen Ukrainian soldier.

Persons: Sergei Sobyanin, Rishabh, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, TASS, Russia's, Ministry, Moscow, Moscow's Locations: Ukrainian, Moscow, Russian, Istra, Ukraine, Russia, Kharkiv, Odesa, Hroza, Bengaluru

☆ A wounded Russian soldier was denied compensation for his war injuries because he got blown up by his own comrades, not Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A court ruling against Khizri Kurazov, a corporal, says he was wounded by an accidental mine blast. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Russian corporal wounded in Ukraine has been denied standard compensation for his war injuries because they were inflicted by his own comrades instead of Ukrainian forces, court documents show. Kurazov, a contract soldier, was wounded in Ukraine by a mine accidentally detonated by fellow Russian personnel, according to the September 8 decision. Kurazov argued that the one-time payment to injured troops should be given to any Russian soldier wounded in Ukraine, including the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the filing said. He appealed the Nalchik Garrison military court's decision, bringing his case to the southern district military court in Rostov-on-Don in August.

Persons: Khizri Kurazov, he's, —, Kurazov, weren't, Garrison, Viktor Alekseevich Kostin, Dmitry Viktorovich Merkulov, Shuaipov —, Kurazov's, Aziz Magomedov Organizations: Service, Russian Guard, Garrison, Radio Free Liberty, Russia's Defense Ministry Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russia's, Russian, Donetsk, Luhansk, Rostov

☆ Russian soldiers who drink and break rules get sent to punishment battalions where they are likely to die fighting, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

These "Storm Z" units have been sent to where the heaviest fighting is. AdvertisementAdvertisementReuters interviewed 13 people as part of the investigation, five of whom were Storm Z fighters. Reuters found that soldiers are sent to Storm Z for being drunk on duty, for using drugs, or for refusing to carry out orders. Relatives of a missing Storm soldier fighting in Ukraine told Reuters that Russia's Defense Ministry never responded when they asked where he was. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the summer, some Storm fighters said in a video that they refused to carry out combat missions due to their treatment.

Persons: —, Storm, Storm Z, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Serhii, we've Organizations: Reuters, Service, Storm, Wagner Group, Russian Ministry of Defence, The, Pravda, Russia's Defense, Russia's Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Bakhmut, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Russia is highly likely using an amphibious plane from the 1960s to hunt for a new threat to its Black Sea Fleet, Western intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine has battered Russia's Black Sea Fleet with cruise missile strikes and sea drone attacks. To deal with the new sea drone threat, Russia is increasing its maritime air patrol operations. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia is highly likely relying on a decades-old amphibious plane to seek out a dangerous Ukrainian threat to its Black Sea Fleet, according to Western intelligence. This includes cruise missile strikes on a key shipyard and the fleet's headquarters and attacks with uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) — or sea drones — on Russian ships. It remains to be seen if the Be-12 makes a difference in curbing the threat of Ukraine's sea drones.

Persons: —, Michal Fludra, sonobuoys Organizations: Fleet, Service, Kyiv, Black, Sig, Naval Aviation, Aviation, Getty, Kacha Air Base Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Crimean, Kyiv, Novorossiysk, Russian, Kerch, Moscow, Crimea, Kaliningrad, Soviet, Sevastopol, Black

☆ Putin is offering double pay to attract officials to jobs in occupied Ukraine, but many are scared of being killed: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Meduza cited two officials who described fears of new Ukrainian attacks among Russian officials. Russian officials have died in Ukraine's counteroffensives in the occupied regions, the outlet said. But higher pay does not make up for the risk of Ukrainian attacks, the two unnamed officials told Meduza. An unspecified number of Russian officials, including Alexei Katerinichev, a Russian-installed official in Kherson, have also been killed, per the outlet. Russia's Defense Ministry also announced last month that people in the four occupied regions will be included for the first time in its conscription campaign.

Persons: Meduza, —, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Katerinichev Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Russia's Defense Ministry Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine's counteroffensives, Russian, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia

☆ Russia to begin drafting soldiers from occupied regions of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's fall draft begins October 1 and seeks to call up 130,000 new soldiers to fight in the war. The Kyiv Independent reported eligible men from occupied regions of Ukraine will be drafted. Russian state media claims no conscription has previously occurred in occupied Ukraine. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia's Defense Ministry announced Friday that its upcoming conscription campaign will for the first time include eligible men from four occupied regions in Ukraine. Russian men aged 18-27 are required to enlist for a year of mandatory military service.

Persons: —, Putin, shams, France24, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Kyiv Independent, Service, Defense, CNN, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Government of, Russian Federation Locations: Ukraine, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Russian, Russia

☆ Putin's pick to lead the Wagner Group is likely considered a 'traitor' by his own men, UK says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The new head of Wagner is likely seen as a "traitor" by his men, per a UK intelligence assessment. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussian President Vladimir Putin has picked someone to lead the powerful Wagner paramilitary group who is likely viewed as a "traitor" by his own men, according to a British military intelligence assessment published Saturday. A Kremlin spokesperson later described Troshev, a veteran of Wagner operations in Syria, as an employee of Russia's defense ministry. As a result, "Many Wagner veterans likely consider him a traitor," stated the Sept. 30 assessment. And that future, it continued — in contrast with the Prigozhin days — will likely entail "greater oversight from the Kremlin."

Persons: Wagner, Andrei Troshev, Vladimir Putin, —, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, iva, ann Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Ministry of Defense, Ukraine –, Defence Locations: Ukraine, Syria, osh

☆ Putin marks anniversary of annexation of Ukrainian regions as drones attack overnight
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday insisted that the residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed a year ago "made their choice — to be with their Fatherland." A concert was held in Red Square on Friday to mark the anniversary, but Putin did not participate. Serhii Borzov said that air defenses shot down 20 drones over his central Ukrainian region, but that a "powerful fire" broke out in the town of Kalynivka when a drone struck an unspecified infrastructure facility. Russia's Defense Ministry said Saturday that it had shot down nine Ukrainian rockets fired at its southern Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. Drone strikes and shelling in the Russian border regions are a regular occurrence.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Malashko, Serhii Borzov, Vyacheslav Gladkov Organizations: Senezh, Russia's, Commission, Russia's Defense, Ukraine, EU Foreign Affairs, Security, Gov, Romania's Ministry of National Defense, Romanian Army, NATO, Belgorod Gov, Local Locations: Russia, Solnechnogorsk, Moscow region, Moscow, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Red Square, Ukraine, EU, Odesa, Russian, Ukraine's, Matviivka, Mykolaiv, Vinnytsia, Ukrainian, Kalynivka, Romania, Galati, Tulcea, Belgorod, Russia's Bryansk, Pogar

☆ Wagner fighters, some of the best in the Russian ranks, are back in Ukraine, but they're not as much of a threat without Prigozhin running the show, Kyiv says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

After a long hiatus, Wagner Group mercenaries are back on the battlefield, Ukraine's military says. AdvertisementAdvertisementWagner Group mercenaries are back in Ukraine after a lengthy absence from the battlefield. These fighters appear to be some of the best within the Russian ranks, but the threat is still low without their leader, Kyiv's military says. It's been several months since Wagner mercenaries last saw combat in eastern Ukraine. They captured the city in May, but amid the bloody campaign led to tensions flared between Wagner and the regular Russian military, ultimately leading to the mutiny.

Persons: Wagner, they're, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, It's, Illya, REUTERS Yevlash, Yevlash, Africa —, Stringer, Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Podolyak Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Wagner, Telegram, REUTERS, RBC, Institute for, Southern Military District, Russian Defense Ministry Locations: Belarus, Russian, Bakhmut, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Africa, Ukrainian, Washington, Rostov, Don

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Belarus says it wants peace in Ukraine; mystery surrounds Russian video showing 'dead' navy chief alive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Belarus again ruled out participating in the war in Ukraine alongside Russia, with its top diplomat insisting that a political and diplomatic solution is the only way to end the conflict. Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleynik was asked by the Associated Press whether he foresees a situation in which Belarus could take part in the war. "My answer is no," Aleynik said, adding that Russia's longstanding ally Belarus has always supported peace in its neighboring country and will continue "to do everything in our power" to achieve it. Russia's Defense Ministry published a video in which Admiral Viktor Sokolov was seen attending a video conference with Russian defense officials Tuesday. Ukraine admitted Tuesday that Sokolov's death had not been confirmed, but a top defense analyst has questioned the authenticity of the Russian video.

Persons: Sergei Aleynik, Aleynik, Viktor Sokolov Organizations: Associated Press, Fleet, Russia's Defense, Russian Locations: Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Belarusian, Crimea

☆ Russia's using its elite paratroopers in an unusual way to hold the line, leaving the force 'airborne in name only,' war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia is relying on its elite paratroopers, the VDV, to defend against Ukraine's counteroffensive. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia has turned to its elite paratroopers, the VDV Airborne Forces, to help defend against Ukraine's battlefield advances. As so-called "elite" Russian forces have taken losses, they have at times been backfilled with poorly-trained replacements, degrading the overall capability of the unit. Since those figures were released, VDV units have been transferred to support Moscow's defensive efforts in the face of Ukraine's pressing counteroffensive. The VDV is one of several elite units to suffer severe casualties during the war as Moscow has relied heavily on them.

Persons: —, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Gen, Mikhail Teplinsky Organizations: Ukraine's, Service, VDV Airborne Forces, Russian, Institute for, Victory, Russian MoD, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Paratroopers, Rifle Brigade, 155th Naval Infantry Brigade Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, Russian, Alabino, Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Kherson, Luhansk, Kyiv

☆ Dead or alive? Mystery surrounds the fate of Russia's Black Sea Fleet commander
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Admiral Viktor Sokolov attends a ceremony marking 240th anniversary of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, Crimea May 13, 2023. Alexey Pavlishak | ReutersMystery continues to surround the fate of the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, who Ukraine claimed it had killed in a missile strike on the Russian naval headquarters in Crimea. Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Viktor Sokolov (left) appears on the screen at the meeting that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held with ministry officials in Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 26, 2023. Viktor Sokolov attends a ceremony marking the 240th anniversary of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, Crimea, on May 13, 2023. U.K. defense officials noted Tuesday that "a dynamic, deep strike battle is underway in the Black Sea."

Persons: Viktor Sokolov, Alexey Pavlishak, Sokolov, Sergei Shoigu, it's, Michael Clarke, there's, Reuters Clarke, Sam Ramani, Kyrylo Budanov, Ramani, Stringer Organizations: Reuters, Fleet, Russia's Defense, Russian, Defense Ministry, Zvezda, NBC, Russia, Russian Defense, Russian Defense Ministry, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Sky News, Black, Russian Federation, Russian Army, Royal United Services Institute, Defense, Russia's, Afp Locations: Russian, Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine, British, Moscow, Russia, Novorossiysk

☆ Russia's navy is like a 'chicken running around without a head' after a major strike on its Black Sea HQ, says Ukraine official
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine claimed it killed Russia's Black Sea Fleet commander, Viktor Solokov, in a strike on Friday. Dmytro Pletenchuk said Russia's navy is now like a "chicken running around without a head," per CNN. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia's navy is like a "chicken running around without a head" after the alleged death of its top commander in the Black Sea, a Ukrainian official said. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine's special forces claimed on Monday that an airstrike on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Crimea on Friday killed Sokolov, along with 33 other officers. Russia has been struggling with increased Ukrainian attacks on its Black Sea Fleet and its naval base in Sevastopol.

Persons: Russia's, Viktor Solokov, Dmytro Pletenchuk, Sokolov, —, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, Pletenchuk, Sergei Shoigu, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Sokolov's, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, Service, Naval Forces of, Armed Forces of, Black, Fleet, Defence, Ministry of Defense, UK's Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukraine, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia, Russian, Ukrainian

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