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☆ From warning on nuclear war to 'psychotropic drugs': Here are 5 things Putin told the Russian media
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin making a speech at the second Eurasian Economic Forum on May 24, 2023, in Moscow, Russia. In an interview with pro-Kremlin media published Tuesday, Putin laid out his vision for relations with the West, war and peace. 1) Russia 'technically' ready for nuclear warPutin was again keen to point out that Russia is ready for a nuclear war on a technical and military level. Nonetheless, Putin said Russia would be ready to conduct nuclear tests — if the U.S. did so. It's estimated that the war has cost Russia at least 315,000 dead and wounded troops during two years of war in Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Kiselev, Mikhail Klimentyev, Ria Novosti, Rossiya, We've, Ukraine's, Joe Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ludovic Marin, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Economic Forum, Getty, Kremlin, RIA Novosti, Ukraine Rossiya, It's, Afp, Ria, Russian Federation —, NATO, AFP, Ukraine Locations: Moscow, Russia, U.S, Ukraine, Crimea, Europe, Paris

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia attacked by wave of Ukrainian drones, shelling; Vatican rows back on 'white flag' comments
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian authorities said seven regions were targeted by a wave of Ukrainian drones overnight, with attacks carried out against the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Leningrad, Moscow, Oryol and Tula regions. Air defense systems destroyed and intercepted 25 Ukrainian drones (also known as UAVs, unmanned aerial vehicles) overnight over the regions, the Russian Ministry of Defense said, according to a statement published by the Tass news agency. In a separate report, Tass cited the defense ministry as saying it had foiled a separate attempt to target the border region of Belgorod with missiles and shelling. "In the morning, the Kstovo industrial zone, a fuel and energy complex facility, was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian territory with drones on previous occasions, however, particularly targeting energy and fuel infrastructure, such as oil refineries.

Persons: Gleb Nikitin, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Russian Ministry of Defense, Tass, Russian Federation, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ministry of Defense, CNBC Locations: Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Leningrad, Moscow, Oryol, Tula, Kiev, Nizhny Novgorod, Ukraine

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's president on Monday called on other members of the NATO alliance to raise their spending on defense to 3% of their gross domestic product as Russia puts its economy on a war footing and pushes forward with its invasion of Ukraine. President Andrzej Duda made his call both in remarks in Warsaw and in a piece published by The Washington Post. His appeal came on the eve of a visit to the White House, where U.S. President Joe Biden will receive both him and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday. NATO increased its spending to 2% of GDP for its members after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, but most members, including Germany, still fall short of that benchmark. It is allocating close to 30 percent of its annual budget to arm itself," Duda argued.

Persons: —, Andrzej Duda, Joe Biden, Donald Tusk, “ Russia’s, ” Duda, Duda, Vladimir Putin’s, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: NATO, The Washington Post, White, Polish, United, Russian Federation, Brussels Locations: WARSAW, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Warsaw, Moscow, Ukraine's Crimean, Germany, U.S, United States

☆ US wants to reopen embassy in Libya
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The United States wants to reopen an embassy in Libya - a decade after suspending operations there – as Russia maintains an influential foothold in the country. A State Department official said Monday that the US is in “active negotiations for an interim facility that would provide appropriate security and staffing support” in the capital city of Tripoli. The move to reopen a US diplomatic compound in Libya comes as Moscow holds significant influence in the country. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in that attack. The US continues to advise citizens not to travel to Libya “due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”CNN’s Haley Britzky contributed reporting.

Persons: Michael Langley, Antony Blinken, J, Christopher Stevens, ” CNN’s Haley Britzky Organizations: CNN, Facility, State Department, Russian Federation, ”, Corps, US Africa Command, Diplomatic Security Locations: United States, Libya, Russia, Malta, Tripoli, ”, Moscow, Russian, Maghreb, Morocco, Pacific, Eastern Caribbean, Libyan, Benghazi

☆ Analysis: As Putin sails to re-election, Russia’s leader has a succession problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to sail to re-election in a nationwide vote that begins on March 15, securing a fifth term in office and a full third decade as Russia’s paramount leader. As Kremlin chairman, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin would become the country's leader temporarily if Putin were to die or be incarcerated while in office. In 2008, Putin reached the end of his second presidential term, and stepped aside for a handpicked placeholder, Dmitry Medvedev. Some Russian political observers speculate that the real competition to succeed Putin is not likely until the 2030s, when Putin reaches his sixth term. Even the former president Medvedev, who lost the number two slot in 2020 when he stepped down in a government shakeup, may still have aspirations.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexey Navalny, Joseph Stalin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Putin “, Joe Biden, Putin’s, …, ”, Andreas Umland, “ Putin, ” Umland, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin –, “ It’s, Umland, Mikhail Mishustin, Gleb Schelkunov, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Irina Buzhor, Leonid Brezhnev, Alexander Lukashenko, Xi Jinping, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Nazarbayev, President Kassym, Tokayev, Andrey Pertsev Organizations: CNN, Stockholm Centre, Eastern European Studies, Russian, Russian Federation, Soviet, Air Force One, United Russia, Russian Security Council, AP, Chinese Communist Party, country’s Security, Kremlin Locations: Soviet, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Belarusian, Kazakhstan

☆ Russia can't reach a pro-Russian region in Moldova easily — but there are ways it can cause trouble
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Mikhail Svetlov/Getty ImagesMoscow is continuing its saber-rattling over the pro-Russian region of Transnistria in Moldova, and analysts are saying that while Russian authorities would find it hard to physically reach the breakaway region to annex it, there are still ways it can stir up pro-Russian unrest — and trouble for Moldova. All U.N. members consider the region to be part of Moldova, which has expressed a desire to reintegrate the region. Similarly to Ukraine, Moldova has a pro-Western government and wants to join the European Union. Problematically for Russia, Moldova and Transnistria are landlocked, sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. CNBC has asked the Kremlin to comment on concerns that Moscow could look to destabilize Moldova and is awaiting a response.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Russia, Problematically, it's, Ian Bremmer, doesn't, Maia Sandu, Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Abdoulaye Diop, Maxim Shipenkov, Lavrov, Bogdan Tudor Organizations: Getty, Moldovan, Kremlin, Russia's Defense Ministry, European Union, Eurasia Group, Gazprom, Western, CNBC, Foreign Affairs, Cooperation of, Reuters, Russian, West, RIA Novosti, Google, Russian Federation, Institute for, EU, Afp Locations: Kremlin, Moscow, Russian, Transnistria, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Moldovan, Romania, Cooperation of Mali, Reuters Russia, Central Asia, USSR, Sochi, Donetsk, Luhansk, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Georgia

☆ West closely watching Putin's next move after breakaway region asks Moscow to 'protect' it from Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with his confidants for the 2024 election at Gostiny Dvor in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 31, 2024. Maxim Shemetov | ReutersSpeculation is mounting that Russian President Vladimir Putin will use his annual address to Russian lawmakers Thursday to announce that Russian troops will be sent to "protect" the pro-Russian, breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova. Officials in the separatist region appealed to Russia on Wednesday for "protection" against Moldova's pro-Western government. "We keep a close eye and reiterate that the Transnistrian region is aligned with the goal of peace and security of Moldova. A map of Moldova, including the breakaway region of Transnistria.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Maxim Shemetov, —, Putin, Moldova's, Daniel Voda, Matthew Miller, Tursa, Russia's, Ivana Stradner, Daniel Mihailescu Organizations: Gostiny Dvor, Reuters, Moldova's, Russia's Foreign, RIA Novosti, Analysts, Federal, U.S . State Department, EU, Getty Russia, United Nations, Defense, Democracies, CNBC, Kremlin, Russian Federation, Institute for, Afp, Getty Locations: Moscow, Russia, Transnistria, Moldova, Soviet Union, Europe, Pridnestrovie, Moldavian Republic, Transnistrian, Ukraine, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Georgia, Washington, U.S, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Chisinau

☆ Opinion: Who is winning? Gen. Petraeus on Ukraine war, two years in
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Two years into the Ukraine war, the tide has shifted, and Russian forces have some momentum, according to retired US General David Petraeus. Michal Dyjuk/AP/FILELast weekend Gen. Petraeus was at the Munich Security Conference, the leading global national security conference that was attended by pretty much every European leader and by top American officials – including Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. BERGEN: At the Munich Security Conference, what was the mood like? BERGEN: Who’s winning the war in Ukraine? BERGEN: What’s going on in Ukraine looks a lot like World War I, in the sense that it’s trench warfare, minefields, machine guns.

Persons: Peter Bergen, ”, David Petraeus, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Lord Andrew Roberts, ” David Petraeus, Michal Dyjuk, Petraeus, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Alexey Navalny’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, Gen, PETRAEUS, I’ve, Olaf Scholz, Jens Stoltenberg, Tobias Schwarz, they’ll, Who’s, I’m, Vladimir Putin, Alexey Navalny, we’re, didn’t, Thomas Peter, –, Zelensky, can’t, what’s, There’s, Sergei Supinsky, it’s, Andrew Roberts, Biden, Donald Trump’s Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, Trump Administration, CNN, Munich Security Conference, Conference, Supreme, NATO, Munich, Reuters, Republicans, Kremlin, Russian Federation, Kherson –, Tactical Missile Systems, Pentagon, Getty, Congress, Munich Security, PETRAEUS Locations: New America, Ukraine, United States, Afghanistan, Iraq, Avdiivka, BERGEN, Munich, Europe, Russia, Russian, Spain, Moscow, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kherson, Ukrainian, Swedish, Donetsk, Sevastopol, Crimea, North Africa, Egypt, Kremlin, St, Petersburg, Moldova, Transnistria, Baltic, Soviet Union, AFP, ” BERGEN

☆ After recent gains, Russia signals it could try to seize Kyiv again — saying the 'regime must fall'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A senior Russian official has signaled that Russian forces could make another attempt to capture Kyiv, after a failed attempt to seize the Ukrainian capital early in the war. Deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, told Russian media agencies that Russia could "reach Kiev," using the Russian spelling of the city, saying it could happen later, if not now. Russia claims that the partially occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson are now a part of Russia, a claim roundly rejected by Ukraine and its allies. In his latest interview, Medvedev commented that "this regime must fall, it must be destroyed, it must not remain in this world." Kyiv was a "Russian city," he claimed, warning that in Ukrainian hands it was "a threat to the existence of the Russian Federation."

Persons: Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Russian, Russian Security, RIA Novosti, Russian Federation Locations: Kyiv, Russian, Russia, Kiev, Moscow, Ukraine, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, United States of America

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russian forces cement hold on Avdiivka; Ukraine investigates alleged shooting of POWs in captured city
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Russian forces are consolidating their hold on Avdiivka after capturing the city at the weekend. Russian troops say they have now taken full control of the Donetsk city's chemical and coke plant. Russian news agency Tass, citing Russia's Defense Ministry, stated that Russian forces had now "completely liberated the coke plant in Avdiivka, the flags of the Russian Federation have been hoisted on the buildings of the enterprise." Russia's Defense Ministry said Sunday that some Ukrainian units were still entrenched at the plant, which used to be one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday that they've launched an investigation into the alleged shooting of unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war in Avdiivka and the village of Vesele.

Persons: they've Organizations: Russia's Defense Ministry, Russian Federation, Russia's Defense Locations: Donetsk, Russian, Avdiivka, Europe, Vesele, Russia

☆ Zelensky pleads for help to plug ‘artificial’ weapons deficit amid signs of Russia seizing advantage
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Maria Kostenko | Manveena Suri | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pressed partner nations for more military assistance to Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference in Germany Saturday, amid signs of the war turning in Russia’s favour. His plea came soon after Ukrainian forces announced their withdrawal from the key eastern town of Avdiivka. “It is essential to unblock the sky…Where there are air defense systems, Russia immediately withdrew because they were losing aircraft. Real world,” Zelensky said. Last year, Zelensky opened the Munich Security Conference with an impassioned video address pleading for faster weapons to repel Russian forces.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin, ” Zelensky, ”, Zelensky, Jose Colon, Donald Trump, “, Kamala Harris, ” Harris Organizations: CNN, Munich, Ukrainian, Republicans, Wednesday, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Russian Federation, Republican Locations: Ukraine, Germany, Avdiivka, Europe, Donetsk Oblast, Russia, Instagram ., Munich, United States

☆ Russia's Wagner Group expands into Africa's Sahel with a new brand
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Natalia Kolesnikova | Afp | Getty ImagesWagner Group has been replaced by a new entity known as Russia's Africa Corps across its key strongholds in the continent, its new leader has confirmed. The new entity has been subsuming operations in Mali and Libya for several months, and negotiations to establish a Russian military base in the CAR are reportedly underway. watch now"The Africa Corps consists of mercenaries and volunteers, and does not form part of the Russian Armed Forces. It began recruiting in December 2023, and has also included job offers for former Wagner Group mercenaries; it may also recruit local residents," they explained. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov oversaw the creation of the Africa Corps, which is expected to be fully completed by this summer.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Dmitry Utkin, Anton Yelizarov, Ibrahim Traoré, Piotr Żochowski, Miłosz Bartosiewicz, Yunus, bek Yevkurov, Yevkurov Organizations: Afp, Getty, Wagner, Africa Corps, Central African, Russian National Guard, Russian Federation, Telegram, Centre, Eastern Studies, CAR, Africa, Russian Armed Forces, Wagner Group, CES Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow, Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Belarus, Russia, Cossack, Sahel, Russian, Warsaw, Algeria, Africa, Ouagadougou

☆ Putin hints at swapping detained Wall Street Journal reporter for Russian prisoner
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said "an agreement can be reached" over the release of detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, signaling he is open to an exchange for a Russian prisoner serving time in Germany. "At the end of the day, it does not make any sense to keep [Gershkovich] in prison in Russia. We want the U.S. Special Services to think about how they can contribute to achieving the goals our special services are pursuing. We are ready to talk," Putin said, repeatedly indicating that negotiations over the journalist's future were underway. The Wall Street Journal strongly denies the charges of espionage levied against Gershkovich, a Russia correspondent at the paper, and says he was in Yekaterinburg on a legitimate reporting trip before he was imprisoned in March 2023.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Vladimir Putin, Putin's, Tucker Carlson, Putin, Vadim Krasikov, Zelimkhan Organizations: Street, Fox News, Kremlin, Russian Federation, U.S . Special Services, Gershkovich Locations: Russia, Lefortovsky, Moscow, Germany, Ukraine, U.S, Russian, Chechen, Berlin, Yekaterinburg

☆ Yaroslava Mahuchikh: ‘When I see Russian athletes …. I see every city destroyed,’ says Ukrainian high jumper
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Mahuchikh won her first world championship title in August, then successfully defended her Diamond League Final victory in September. That’s often a source of anxiety for Mahuchikh, especially when Russian attacks target the eastern city. This year’s Olympics, Mahuchikh believes, will enable Ukrainian athletes to promote a message of peace, though perhaps inevitably, the Games have also become entwined in geopolitics. However, international federations have the first say on whether Russian and Belarusian athletes can qualify for the Olympics. “When I see Russian athletes … I see every city destroyed, every life that was destroyed by Russian people, by the Russian Federation,” she says, adding that she would find it “difficult” to compete against athletes from Russia and Belarus.

Persons: Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Mahuchikh, “, ” Mahuchikh, –, Ben Stansall, itinerancy, ”, ‘, it’s, ’ ”, General’s, Kirby Lee, Vadim Guttsait, Greg Baker, shouldn’t, …, Emmanuel Macron, Dean Mouhtaropoulos, Guttsait, Karsten Warholm, Duplantis, Puma – Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Diamond League, Paris Olympics, Getty, Department, USA, Reuters, Olympic Committee, International Olympic Committee, Games, Olympics, Athletics, Ukrainian, Russian Federation, IOC, Millrose, Puma Locations: Ukraine, New York, Glasgow, Budapest, AFP, Europe, Dnipro, That’s, “, ’, ’ ” Dnipro, Russia, Belarus, Xiamen, China, Paris, Belarusian, Russian, Silesia, Poland, Tokyo, Cottbus, Germany

☆ Kremlin Says Goals of Russia's 'Special Military Operation' in Ukraine Remain Unchanged
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the goals of what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine remain unchanged nearly two years after President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops to fight there. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's objectives in Ukraine were still relevant, before describing what they were. "Demilitarisation, denazification, (and) ensuring the safety of people living in those regions that have already become Russian, protecting them from direct attacks and actually saving their lives," Peskov told reporters on a conference call. Ukraine and the West have repeatedly accused Russia of using what they say are false pretexts to wage an unjustified war of colonial conquest which Kyiv has pledged to resist until the last Russian soldier leaves its territory. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 Images(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Russian Federation, NATO, Kyiv, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Global powers have a plan to use $250 billion in frozen Russian funds to help rebuild Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewRussia's frozen assets could finally have a role in funding Ukraine, used as collateral in a new debt scheme under Western consideration, sources told the Financial Times. "Of course, the Russian Federation will challenge such decisions, we will protect our interests and our assets illegally seized," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Meanwhile, US brinkmanship is keeping Washington sidelined, with further Ukraine funding unlikely ahead of the electionSome, such as former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, have called to transfer Russia's reserves directly to Ukraine. The German government has instead supported seizing the returns generated by the assets, but leave the underlying reserves untouched.

Persons: —, Dmitry Peskov, it's, Larry Summers Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Business, Russian Federation, Western, European Union, EU Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Belgian, Washington

☆ Tucker Carlson’s Visit to Russia Draws Speculation of Putin Interview
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Jim Rutenberg | Milana Mazaeva | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If so, Mr. Carlson would be the first American media figure to land a formal interview with the Russian leader since he invaded Ukraine nearly two years ago. Mr. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, has indicated that Mr. Putin was denying requests from Western new outlets because their countries had been “stupefied” by anti-Russian propaganda. But Mr. Carlson has been a defender of Mr. Putin while attacking his Western critics, placing him at the vanguard of a pro-Putin wing of the American conservative movement. In a call with reporters on Monday, Mr. Peskov said: “Many foreign journalists come to the Russian Federation every day. Many continue to work here, and we welcome this.” He added, “As for possible interviews with the president, including with foreign media, we have nothing to report at the moment.”

Persons: Tucker Carlson, Vladimir V, Putin, Carlson, Putin’s, Dmitri Peskov, Mr, Peskov Organizations: Fox News, Putin, Russian Federation Locations: Moscow, Russia, United States, American, Ukraine

☆ Armenia Can No Longer Rely on Russia for Military and Defence Needs - PM Pashinyan Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Armenia can no longer rely on Russia as its main defence and military partner because Moscow has repeatedly let it down so Yerevan must think about forging closer ties with the United States and France, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said. Armenia, a tiny former Soviet republic bordered by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey, has long relied on Russia as a big power ally, though Pashinyan has angered the Kremlin by questioning the foundations of the alliance. Pashinyan said Armenia should think about what security ties it should build with the United States, France, India and Georgia. Pashinyan says Russia failed Armenia when Azerbaijan launched a lightning-fast military operation that took back control over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, triggering an outflow of ethnic Armenians living there. Azerbaijan has accused France of sowing the seeds of a new war by supplying arms to Armenia, which is also being courted by the United States.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Armenian Public, Russian Federation Locations: MOSCOW, Armenia, Russia, Moscow, Yerevan, United States, France, Soviet, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, India, Israel, Gaza, Soviet Union, Karabakh, South Caucasus

☆ Ukraine's intelligence chief hints at more attacks on Russian soil, targeting critical infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's intelligence chief hinted that his country would conduct more attacks on Russian soil following a string of unclaimed attacks that took place on Russia's oil and gas infrastructure. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's defense intelligence directorate, told CNN that drone attacks on Russian soil were "quite possible." "And I believe that this plan includes all the major critical infrastructure facilities and military infrastructure facilities of the Russian Federation." Budanov said attacks on Russian soil mean the country's citizens finally "see the real picture," and that helps Ukraine. Ukraine's allies have said that they don't want the weaponry they've given to be used against targets on Russian soil, something Ukraine has agreed to.

Persons: Budanov, Insider's Alia Shoaib, Jan Kallberg Organizations: CNN, Russian Federation, Sky News, Centre for, Russian Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv

Kyiv CNN —Aid to Ukraine is frozen in US Congress, and Kyiv could be dealing with a Trump presidency more sympathetic to Moscow. “I don’t worry much about it,” Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence directorate, told CNN in an exclusive interview in Kyiv. His agency has claimed notable successes, including raids on the Russian-occupied Crimea and attacks on Russian airfields, inflicting embarrassing wounds on the Kremlin. Ukrainian social media is bursting with footage from frontline troops showing drones spying on, attacking and even capturing Russian troops, although Moscow uses many of the same tactics. But as Ukraine’s long-held hopes for F-16 jets come to fruition – with Kyiv’s pilots already training on the aircraft – Budanov echoed Ukraine’s newest request.

Persons: Ukraine’s, isn’t, Kyrylo Budanov, Trump, ” Budanov, “, ” Trump, Putin, Budanov, Zelensky, Valeriy Zaluzhny, Moscow, ” Organizations: CNN —, Trump, CNN, Ukraine, Republican Party, Russian Federation, Kremlin, Artillery, US Air Force’s Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, Russian, Crimea, Russia, Ukrainian, North Korea

☆ Ukraine floats the theory it may have been tricked into shooting down the plane Russia says was full of Ukrainian POWs
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia accused Ukraine of shooting it down, killing 74 people on board, including prisoners of war. AdvertisementUkraine has suggested that it may have been tricked into shooting down a plane that Russia claims was carrying 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war. Russia said there were no survivors after an Il-76 plane crashed near Yablonovo, 44 miles southeast of the Belgorod border region of Russia. Ukraine's Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said that Russia was seeking to undermine Ukraine's international support by exploiting the plane crash. AdvertisementUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for an international investigation into the incident and accused Russia of "playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners."

Persons: —, GUR, Mykola Oleshchuk, Oleshchuk, Ukrainska, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmitry Peskov, Zelenskyy, We've, we're, John Kirby Organizations: Service, Russian Federation, Air, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainska Pravda, Associated Press, National Security Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Yablonovo, Belgorod, Russian, Ukraine's Kharkiv, Lyptsi, Kharkiv, Ukrainian

☆ NATO vastly underestimated Russia's ability to resupply its army with troops and ammo, general says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NATO has vastly underestimated Russia's capabilities, a top general said. AdvertisementNATO has significantly underestimated Russia's capacity to replenish its armed forces with personnel and ammunition, a senior general said. AdvertisementIn September 2023, an unnamed Western official warned of Russia's ability to make two million artillery shells a year, per Reuters . And Christopher Cavoli, the commander of US European Command, said in April 2023 that despite significant losses in Ukraine, Russia's ground forces were bigger than when it invaded Ukraine. AdvertisementAs recently as Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the war in Ukraine had become a "battle for ammunition."

Persons: Martin Herem, —, Herem, Sir Tony Radakin, Christopher Cavoli, Jens Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: NATO, Bloomberg, Service, Estonian Defense Forces, Financial Times, UK Ministry of Defence, European Command, Congress, Davos, Business, Russian Federation Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine War Drives Shift in Russian Nuclear Thinking -Study
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

NSNWs include all nuclear weapons with a range of up to 5,500 km (3,400 miles), starting with tactical arms designed for use on the battlefield - as opposed to longer-range strategic nuclear weapons that Russia or the U.S. could use to strike each other's homeland. "The Russian perception of the lack of credible Western will to use nuclear weapons or to accept casualties in conflict further reinforces Russia's aggressive NSNW thought and doctrine," it said. But he has shifted Russia's stance on key nuclear treaties and said he is deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. NUCLEAR DEBATEWestern analysts and policymakers have been closely tracking a debate among Russian military experts about whether Moscow should lower its threshold for nuclear use. William Alberque, author of the IISS report, said Karaganov was part of a wider discussion in Russia on the failure of its military to win the Ukraine war decisively and quickly.

Persons: Mark Trevelyan, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, hawkish, Russia's, Sergei Karaganov, William Alberque, Karaganov, Alberque, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Mark Trevelyan LONDON, NATO, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Russian Federation, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Western, Russia, U.S, West, Russian, Belarus, Europe, United States

☆ Zelenskyy says he owes a 'big shoutout' to the makers of the Patriot, which Ukraine says has been killing Russia's supposedly unbeatable missiles
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week name-checked the surface-to-air missile system that has given Ukraine a fighting edge against Russia's purportedly invincible weapons systems in recent months. AdvertisementBut the Ukrainian president specifically heralded the American-provided Patriots as the "most powerful" weapons system "in the world today." He added that the Ukrainian battlefield has proven to be the true test for the Patriot systems in action. A military analyst told Newsweek last year that the Ukrainians have used the Patriot missile systems in ways that have even surprised the Pentagon. Zelenskyy had long been requesting the US to send the missile systems.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia's, Zelenskyy, Kinzhals, Vladimir Putin, Zelenskky, Nicholas Carlson Organizations: Service, Business, Economic, Russian Federation, Patriots, Western Patriots, Russia's, Newsweek, Patriot, Pentagon, The New York Times, Ukraine, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Davos, Russian, Russia, Congress, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Spain

☆ Ending US war aid will bring a 'big crisis' worse than just a weakened Ukraine, Zelenskyy warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Without continued Western support for Ukraine's war efforts, the consequences could be dire, according to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who warned of a "big crisis" not just for Ukraine but for other countries as well. Zelenskyy has been warning about that worst case scenario outcome for months, as have experts and top war watchers. The roughly $111 billion package, which includes aid to Ukraine and Israel, has been held up by Republicans since October 2023. Should US aid to Ukraine dry up, it'll be a test of how Ukraine's European allies can fill in the gaps. Ukrainian servicemen drive a T-72 tank on the frontline in eastern Ukraine on July 13, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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