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Struggling to energize his campaign, DeSantis this week privately encouraged his donor network to support a newly formed super PAC that's taking over advertising responsibilities. The super PAC has also paid for the bulk of his TV ads and almost all of his organizing. On Aug. 8, the DeSantis campaign announced a staff shakeup, replacing its campaign manager and hiring Polyansky from the super PAC to serve as deputy campaign manager. Polyansky is an Iowa campaign veteran who has worked on several presidential campaigns in the state. DeSantis spokesman Andrew Romeo said it was “totally false” to assert that DeSantis coordinated any campaign strategy with the super PAC.

Persons: scrappy, Koch, Trump, “, ”, Bob Vander Plaats, DeSantis, Jasper County —, David Polyansky, Polyansky, Andrew Romeo, James Uthmeier, Right's, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, ” Uthmeier, ” Haley, Haley, Nachama Soloveichik, Emily Seidel, Drew Klein, ___ Peoples Organizations: DeSantis, Republican, Supreme, GOP, PAC, The Associated Press, “, Iowa Caucus, WIN, ”, Trump, Haley, SFA Fund, Haley SFA, Prosperity, ___ Locations: Iowa, U.S, Jasper, Washington, ” Ports, New Hampshire, South Carolina, New York, Meredith , New Hampshire

☆ Russia's huge Air Force is still mostly intact, but it hasn't been building the jets it needs to win on the ground in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

After nearly two years of combat in Ukraine, Russia's air force is still largely intact. If Russia's air force can't perform that mission, Russian ground forces will continue to struggle. AdvertisementDespite its losses in the Ukraine, Russia's air force is still quite robust. What Russia doesn't have is the support aircraft needed to find and attack enemies on the ground. AdvertisementAs long as Ukraine's air defenses aren't suppressed, the Russian Air Force can't provide meaningful support to ground troops.

Persons: —, Cmdr, Matthew Galamison, Michael Petersen, Galamison, Petersen, Sukhoi Su, Mihail Tokmakov, Sefa, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP, NATO, US, US Naval War College, US Air Force's Air, Space Operations, Getty, Russian Air Force, EA, Kyiv, Russia's, Russian Army, REUTERS, British Defence Ministry, Anadolu Agency, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Chernihiv, Forbes

☆ Ukraine's new ATACMS shook Russia's attack helicopter fleet, but experts say Russian Ka-52 'Alligators' are still a threat to the front lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's first ATACMS strike hit Russia's attack helicopter fleet, destroying several Ka-52 "Alligators." Experts and milbloggers suggest that the attack helicopters are still a threat to the front lines. AdvertisementUkraine's first strike using its MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, dealt a harsh blow to the Russian attack helicopter fleet. AdvertisementRob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute think tank, backed up the assessment that the attack helicopters are very much in use. Russia's Ka-52 helicopters proved to be a headache for Ukrainian forces during the much-anticipated summer counteroffensive in southern Ukraine.

Persons: Ukraine's, —, Moscow's, milblogger, Tatarigami, Rob Lee, Sergey Pivovarov, Lee, Russia's Organizations: Service, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, Tatarigami UA, Foreign Policy Research Institute, REUTERS, NATO Locations: Moscow, Ukrainian, Russia, Russia’s Rostov, FARPs, Ukraine, Russian, Kyiv, American

☆ F-16: Ukraine pilot races to get to grips with fighter jet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Daria Markina-Tarasova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —It can take years to fully train an F-16 fighter pilot. Moonfish is the call sign of a Ukrainian pilot who is training to fly the United States-designed multirole aircraft. In August, after months of lobbying by Kyiv, the US committed to approving the transfer of fourth-generation fighter jets to Ukraine. Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk told CNN that Ukrainian air defenses destroy on average about 75% of incoming cruise missiles and attack drones, but that the remainder of the weapons still reach their targets. He couldn’t attend the funeral or say goodbye but says he continues the F-16 training for the sake of Pilshchikov as well as for his comrades.

Persons: “, –, Moonfish, ”, ” Moonfish, ” Yurii Ihnat, Ben Guerir, Fadel Senna, Mykola Oleshchuk, ” Oleshchuk, Mose, Andriy Pilshchikov, ” Pilshchikov, couldn’t, “ Andriy Organizations: Ukraine CNN, CNN, Swiss Army, Ukraine’s Air Force Command, Russia, US Air Force, Getty, Russian, Ukrainian Air Force, Air, ” Troops, Separate Assault Brigade Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, United States, Swiss, Russia, Ben, Marrakesh, AFP, Moscow, Bakhmut, Donetsk region

☆ Russia and Ukraine are building up huge armies, but they both have the same problem with using them in battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Russian and Ukrainian militaries both lack junior officers who can lead large forces in battle. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe difference between an army and a well-armed mob often comes down to the presence of good junior officers. "The heavy attrition of experienced junior officers and trained field-grade staff has limited the scale at which offensive action can be synchronized." This same pattern can be seen today in Ukraine, where Russian operations have been characterized by rigid tactics and slow reaction times on the ground and in the air. AdvertisementAdvertisementCostumed folk singers pose with a Russian military officer during a celebration in Moscow in September.

Persons: —, Jack Watling, Viktor Fridshon, Watling, there's, Ed Ram, Arkady Budnitsky, Pavel Luzin, Luzin, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Getty, Bradley, Washington, Anadolu Agency, Russian, Jamestown Foundation, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Stalingrad, Rostov, US, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv, Forbes

☆ Ukraine's successful ATACMS strike shows Russia's willingness to 'take it on the chin' when Kyiv gets new weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US was widely expected to transfer ATACMS missiles to Ukraine sometime this fall. But the Russians still appeared surprised when Ukraine fired ATACMS at air bases in October. Repeated failures to anticipate the arrival of new weapons has cost Russia heavily during the war. This has put the burden of air support on Russian attack helicopters. Maxar Technologies via Getty ImagesTo Kofman and other observers, those helicopter bases were "one of the most obvious targets" for Ukrainian ATACMS strikes.

Persons: —, choppers, Michael Kofman, Kofman, Serhii Mykhalchuk, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Ukrainian, Associated Press, Carnegie Endowment, Maxar, Getty, Kyiv, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Russia's Far, Crimea, Ukrainian, Berdyansk, Luhansk, revetments, Swedish, Yom Kippur, Forbes

☆ Ukraine and Russia can't break their stalemate because their troops are spread too thin over 745 miles, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine and Russia are fighting along a 745-mile front line, the UK Ministry of Defence said. And they're struggling to break through because of how scattered their troops are, the MOD said. Ukrainian forces are 'static' in the south, and Russian troops are collapsing in the east, it said. The UK MOD pointed to the sheer scale of the front, which it says stretches for 745 miles. The UK Ministry of Defence cited airpower as a major factor in the apparent standstill.

Persons: —, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zaluzhnyi Organizations: UK Ministry of Defence, MOD, Service, Ukrainian, Ukraine's Armed Forces, The New York Times Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Avdiivka

An armored vehicle escorting a MINUSMA logistic convoy from Gao to Kidal, is parked as trucks pass by, Mali February 16, 2017. Shortly after the last U.N. convoy rolled out, the ethnic Tuareg rebels announced they had taken over the base. The Tuareg rebels signed a 2015 peace agreement brokered by MINUSMA but maintained control of much of the north from Kidal. The first sign of trouble came in early August, when fighting broke out between Mali's army and Tuareg rebels around the U.N.'s camp in Ber in the north. As in Kidal, peacekeepers destroyed equipment before leaving that could have been transported in trucks earlier, if the government had allowed.

Persons: MINUSMA, Sylvain Liechti, jeopardising U.N, couldn't, Fatoumata Sinkoun Kaba, Yvan Guichaoua, Edward McAllister, David Lewis, Michelle Nichols, Mahamat, Alexandra Zavis, Daniel Flynn Organizations: UN, DAKAR, United Nations, U.N, Reuters, Authorities, Security, Islamic State, Department of Peace Operations, Department of Operational, Wagner Group, MINUSMA, University of Kent's Brussels School of International Studies, Thomson Locations: Gao, Mali, Kidal, West Africa, Malian, al Qaeda, Algeria, Mauritania, Ber, Tessalit, Algerian, Bamako, Dakar, Nairobi, New York, N'Djamena

☆ 'They're running out of time': Ukraine's counteroffensive is gaining urgency as winter approaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

"Despite inflicting significant losses on Russian armed forces, Ukraine's four-and-a-half-month-old counteroffensive has not achieved major territorial gains nor managed to slice through Russia's 'land bridge' to Crimea," he added. "The hope is that they're far enough through the Russian defensive lines now ... to make some rapid progress. Russian forces had months to prepare layers of defenses including extensive networks of trenches; anti-tank obstacles such as ditches and "dragon's teeth"; and minefields. Russian forces are also receiving support from artillery, attack helicopters and other aircraft, again impeding Ukraine's forces. Minefields, in particular, have disrupted Ukraine's offensive momentum and rate of advance, according to analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Persons: Roman Pilipey, Tursa, Yevhen, they're, Michael Clarke, John Moore, they'll, Ukraine hasn't, Clarke, Orikhiv, They'll, that's, Seth Jones, Riley McCabe, Alexander Palmer, Ukraine's, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kevin Lamarque Organizations: AFP, Getty, Russian, L119, Armed Forces, Anadolu Agency, Royal United Services Institute, CNBC, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Ukraine, Planet Labs PBC, Handout, Reuters, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CSIS, Ukrainian, 35th Marine Brigade, Hamas Locations: Kostyantynivka, Donetsk, East, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Luhansk, Crimean, Kherson, Central, Eastern Europe, Crimea, Marinka, Krasnohorivka, British, Bakhmut, Dnipro, Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Tokmak, Melitopol, Sevastopol, Moscow, Kyiv, Ukrainian, U.S, Israel

☆ Ukraine's first ATACMS strikes may leave a lasting impact on Russia's airpower and send it scrambling to pull bases back from the front lines, Western intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine revealed it has ATACMS this week after launching several strikes on Russian airbases. The attack destroyed multiple helicopters and other weaponry, Kyiv's defense ministry said. According to Western intelligence, this may cause lasting damage to Russian airpower and force a change in basing. On Tuesday, Ukraine's special operations forces used ATACMS to carry out strikes on Russian airfields in Berdyansk and Luhansk — two locations in Russian-occupied territory. —Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) October 18, 2023Russia has had to do this before in response to other Western weapons.

Persons: —, there's, wishlist, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden, Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, —, Artillery Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Berdyansk, Luhansk, Russia, Azov, Russian, France, Sevastopol, Washington, United States

☆ Israel won't make the same blunders with heavy armor as Russia did in Ukraine, commander says, as the country mobilizes 1,000 tanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"We saw how the Russians fought in Ukraine and the mistakes they made," Brigadier General Hisham Ibrahim told The Economist. "They fought there in a single-corps fashion, instead of using combined arms tactics," he said of Russia's tank deployments. But Israel's tanks, Ibrahim said, have been trained on combined-arms tactics for several years now. Ukraine's tactics of using cheap drones and Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapons (NLAW) exacted a high price on Russia's tanks. As of July this year, Russia is estimated to have lost 2,000 tanks in Ukraine, The Moscow Times reported.

Persons: they've, Israel, —, Hisham Ibrahim, Ibrahim, he's, Ukraine's, Sem Fellman, Mattathias Schwarz Organizations: Service, Armored Corps, Israel Defense Force's, Hamas, The Moscow Times, NLAWs Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, Russia, Israel, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine says it downed 3 Russian Su-25 fighter jets in just one week
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine said it destroyed three Russian Su-25 aircraft in a single week. The jets fly low to give air support, making them vulnerable to antiaircraft attacks. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine said it shot down three of Russia's Su-25 fighter jets in a single week. AdvertisementAdvertisementTarnavskyi said that Ukraine, over the past week, had destroyed multiple Russian ammunition depots, dozens of tanks, antitank missiles, and antiaircraft missiles, and killed thousands of Russian soldiers in the region. This included 797 Russian soldiers between Friday night and Saturday night, he said.

Persons: —, Russia's Su, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Ukraine's, Tarnavskyi Organizations: Service, Strategic Group, Military Today Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Ukraine's, Russia, Avdiivka

The newest U.S. aircraft carrier - and the world's largest - is already in the eastern Mediterranean and set to be joined by a second U.S. aircraft carrier in the next 10 days. While the White House says there are "no plans or intentions" for their use, it means U.S. military assets would be in place to provide air support to protect U.S. national security interests if needed. The U.S. also has an array of bases in the Middle East with troops, fighter aircraft and warships. "That said, we take our national security interests seriously and we have ample military force in the region to protect and defend those interests as needed," Kirby added. Any decision to launch military action in the Middle East would come from U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democract, himself.

Persons: Gerald R, Ford, haven't, Antony Blinken, Israel, Hossein Amirabdollahian, John Kirby, Kirby, Joe Biden, Lindsey Graham, Hezbolllah, Lloyd Austin, We've, Austin, Nandita Bose, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Idrees Ali, Michelle Nichols, Sandra Maler Organizations: USNS Laramie, U.S Naval Forces, U.S . Sixth Fleet, Hamas, aircraft, U.S, United Nations, White House, Reuters, Sunday, . Defense, United, Biden, Thomson Locations: U.S Naval Forces Europe, WASHINGTON, CAIRO, United States, Israel, Palestinian, Iran, U.S, Cairo, New York, Gaza, Lebanon, Lebanese, White

☆ Exclusive: Drone startup Aerodome flies out of stealth with $6.5 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

After seven months in stealth, Aerodome recently closed a $6.5 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz and 2048 VC. Sidhu is currently a reserve officer for the Redondo Beach Police Department and was a full-time officer for two years. Competitors to Aerodome include Motorola, Dronesense, and Skydio, but those companies are more focused on software than the all-in-one package Aerodome is offering. Aside from responding to crime, Sidhu also says Aerodome will also eventually be able to detect wildfires and alert authorities moments after smoke appears. Aerodome has a contract to roll out a trial with Redondo Beach Police Department next month and Albuquerque Police Department in December.

Persons: Rahul Sidhu, Andreessen Horowitz, Jake Paul's, Jamie Siminoff, Nikita Bier, Bier, Sidhu, Kenaniah Cerny, COVID, Aerodome Organizations: Aerodome's, SPIDR Tech, Versaterm, Redondo Beach Police Department, Motorola, Albuquerque Police Department Locations: York

☆ Ukraine's counteroffensive raises doubts about whether the US and Western militaries are training their troops for the right kind of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Some Ukrainian troops said the training didn't reflect the kind of fighting they faced against Russian forces. That has raised doubts about whether Western militaries are training themselves for the right kinds of operations. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe slow progress of the counteroffensive Ukraine launched in early June led to criticism that Ukrainian troops were failing to apply properly the training they received from Western militaries. But what if the problem isn't with the Ukrainians but rather with Western tactics? Ukraine eventually junked those Western tactics in favor a playbook from the Western Front circa 1917.

Persons: —, HENRY NICHOLLS, Klaus, Dietmar Gabbert, insurgencies, openDemocracy, hasn't, Scott Peterson, it's, Michael Peck Organizations: Western, Russian, Service, NATO, Royal Marine, Ukrainian Army, Getty, Bradley, Getty Images, New York Times, Pentagon, US Air Force, Ukrainian Territorial Defense, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, England, Britain, Germany, Russia, China, Ukrainian, Iraq, Afghanistan, Zaporizhzhia Region, Forbes

☆ New missiles could help Ukraine's future F-16 fighters to take on Russian jets, but the planes will likely be more useful for other missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The Pentagon plans to send highly capable air-to-air missiles that the jets can carry. A US Air Force aircraft fuels craftsman marshals a US F-16 at Rovaniemi Air Base in Finland during Astral Knight 23 Part 6 on August 23, 2023. These capabilities, coupled with its physical design, make the F-16 a formidable opponent for Russian fighter jets like the MiG-31 and Su-35, experts and former pilots say. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn F-16C Fighting Falcon from the 85th Test Evaluation Squadron flies a test mission March 19, 2019 near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Snodgrass said these missiles are "fairly comparable" to Russian air-to-air missiles like the R-27 and R-77.

Persons: Albert Morel Additionally, John Baum, Baum, it's, Guy Snodgrass, Russia's Su, Joshua Hoskins, Snodgrass, Biden, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Doug Birkey, Evgeniy, we've, Tannehill, ABIS Kayla Hayes, Moscow's, Perry Aston Organizations: Pentagon, Aviation, Service, AIM, US Air Force, Rovaniemi Air Base, Astral, Russian, Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Air Missiles, Air & Space Forces Magazine, Washington, Air Missile, US Navy, Getty, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, AP, Kyiv, Avionics, 3C Orion, Marine Corps Base, Australian Defense Force, NATO, Army Tactical Missile, Storm, Alabama National, 187th Fighter Wing, Joint Base, Sweden, Gripen Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Finland, Fla, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Crimean, Md, Stockholm

☆ Ukraine's air force has gotten good at fighting on the run, and Russia's military can't catch up, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine's air force has been able to keep operating by spreading out its jets among different bases. Russia has struggled to catch up to that dispersal, the top US Air Force general in Europe says. That success underscores the US Air Force's need to be able to distribute its jets and crews. Russia began the war with a larger and more advanced air force, including better radars and longer-range missiles. US Air Force crew chiefs perform a "communications out" launch of an F-16 during an exercise in Lithuania in August.

Persons: James Hecker, they've, Hecker, Danil, " Hecker, OLEKSII FILIPPOV, Justin Bronk, Bronk, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Stephanie Longoria Organizations: US Air Force, Service, US Air Forces, Air and Space Forces Association, Washington DC, Getty, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Ukraine, Carnegie Endowment, International, Russian BDA, Air Force, Tech Locations: Russia, Europe, Wall, Silicon, Washington, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Lviv, AFP, Moscow, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland

☆ Helicopter pilot Capt. Larry Taylor receives Medal of Honor for daring rescue during Vietnam War
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Now, 55 years after that harrowing evening in Vietnam, Taylor received the Medal of Honor – the nation’s highest military award – from President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday for his heroism. Larry L. Taylor assumed command of one of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment's combat engineer companies in Nuremberg, West Germany. Within two minutes, Hill said, Taylor and his co-pilot had strapped in and taken off, heading towards Hill and his men. On his last try, he learned that any attempt to save the men had been called off, the rescue helicopter was not coming. “I think about 90% of flying a helicopter in Vietnam was making it up as you go along,” he said.

Persons: Larry Taylor, Taylor, ‘ Sir, we’ve, ” Taylor, “, Joe Biden, Larry, ‘, ” Biden, Taylor’s, ”, ’ Taylor, he’d, Larry L, Kyle Holden, US Army David Hill, Hill, ” Hill Organizations: CNN, 1G, White, White House, United States Army, Army, University of Tennessee, Army Reserve, UH, Star, Republic of, 2nd Armored Cavalry, US Army Locations: Vietnam, Tennessee, Republic, Republic of Vietnam, Nuremberg, West Germany, Hill, “

☆ The US and Chinese air forces are rethinking whether it's possible to control the air
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US and Chinese air forces are both thinking about how they'd try to control the air in a war. "It will be a struggle back and forth for air superiority," added Hinote, whose last position was as the Air Force's chief futurist. The most comprehensive is air supremacy, which the US Air Force defines as when "the opposing force is incapable of effective interference within the operational area using air and missile threats." The next level is air superiority, which the Air Force defines as "control of the air by one force that permits the conduct of its operations at a given time and place without prohibitive interference from air and missile threats." AdvertisementAdvertisementUS Army Air Force B-17s bomb an aircraft factory in eastern Germany during World War II.

Persons: they'd, Clinton Hinote, Carlin Leslie, Giulio Douhet, Douhet, Zhou Guoqiang, Derek Solen, Solen, Yu Hongchun, Hinote, haven't, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Air Force, Aviation, Air, Air Force KC, Atlantic, Staff, American, Air Force, North, Army Air Force, Getty, Zhuhai Air Show Center, China's Air Force Command, military's, PLA, US Air, China Aerospace Studies, Jamestown Foundation, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Normandy, Vietnam, Germany, Japan, North Vietnam, Ukraine, Soviet, Taiwan, Guangdong, Xinhua, America, Forbes

☆ Greece wildfires: A losing battle to save the lungs of Athens
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Eleni Giokos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The national park, known as the "lungs of Athens" is now home to a battle to repel wildfires. Now it is the home to a raging battle, as the emergency services try to repel more than 200 wildfires in Greece since Monday alone. Firefighters look at a wildfire burning on Mount Parnitha, in Athens, Greece, August 24, 2023. Burning cars destroyed by the fire on Mount Parnitha in Athens, Greece, on August 23, 2023. It was a welcome glimmer of hope, but it will take more than a little water to protect Greece from these wildfires and those that will surely come again.

Persons: Nikos, Eleni Giokos, CNN Nikos, ”, Nicolas Economou, Kostas, Michalis Diakakis, Parnitha, Giorgos Arapekos, Dr Diakakis, Nikos ’ Organizations: Greece CNN, CNN, Reuters, of Geology, Kapodistrian University of Athens, AP, Police Locations: Athens, Greece, Paraskevi, Panitha, Greece’s, ”, Parnitha, Dadia, Alexandroupoli, Evros

☆ After nearly 60 years in flight, US Air Force special operators took their AC-130 gunship to Australia for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Air Force special operators took their AC-130J to Australia for an exercise in July. As part of Exercise Teak Action, held in southeastern Australia in early July, US Air Force special operators flew their AC-130 gunship in Australia for the first time since it entered service in 1960s. Australian Air Force/Corporal Cameron PeggWhile in Australia, Air Commandos from US Air Force Special Operations Command's 23rd Special Tactics Squadron and their AC-130Js took part in dry-fire rehearsals in coordination with US and Australian Combat Control teams on the ground. AdvertisementAdvertisementA beloved aircraftA US Air Force weapon systems operator gives a tour of an AC-130J to Australian Air Force cadets at Royal Australian Air Force Base Richmond during Talisman Sabre in July. A US Air Force crew chief marshals an AC-130J at Royal Australian Air Force Base Richmond during Talisman Sabre in July.

Persons: It's, Corporal Cameron Pegg, 130Js, Steven Duffy, We've, Duffy, —, Talisman Sabre, Alexcia Givens, Griffin, Tylir Meyer Organizations: US Air Force, Air Force, Service, Australian Army, Australian Air Force, Air Commandos, Squadron, Australian Combat Control, Australian Forward, Control, New, Royal Australian Air Force Base Richmond, Talisman, Army Green Beret, Air Force Special, Command Locations: Australia, Wall, Silicon, New South Wales, Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, Japan, Romania, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia, Southeast Asia

[1/5] People attend an exhibition displaying destroyed Russian military vehicles located on the main street Khreshchatyk as part of the upcoming celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine in central Kyiv, Ukraine August 21. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Ukraine lined up the burnt-out husks of Russian tanks and fighting vehicles along the capital Kyiv's central drag on Monday as Ukrainians prepare to mark their second wartime Independence Day this week. Kyiv resident Natalia Koval, 59, expressed horror at what the battlefield trophies represented, but said she was confident Ukraine would eventually defeat Russia. Ukrainian officials say their military's advance has been hampered by Russian minefields and well-prepared defensive lines, as well as Ukraine's lack of adequate air support. Residents in central Kyiv said they liked having the wrecked Russian hardware on display and that they hoped it would raise the fighting spirit of Ukrainians.

Persons: Gleb Garanich, Natalia Koval, Mark Omelchenko, ” Mykola Kaplun, Dan Peleschuk, Ivan Lyubysh, Tom Balmforth, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Ukraine, REUTERS, Rights, New York Times, Thomson Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Vinnytsia

☆ The Hawaii Fires Didn’t Have to Be This Catastrophic - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Costas Synolakis | George Karagiannis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Maui officials said text alerts were sent out, but it’s unclear how many people received them (power and cellular disruptions may have prevented residents from getting these alerts). Many local residents have said that they didn’t know the flames were approaching until the fire was nearby. We know from New York Times reporting that by 5:19 p.m. the fire had reached the waterfront, and that by 5:33 people were seeking shelter in the water. If the text alerts were sent out at 4:17 p.m., that was at least 47 minutes too late. On Maui alone, firefighters were battling fires near Makawao and Kula when the Lahaina fire erupted, leaving the ranks depleted.

Organizations: New York Times Locations: Maui, Lahaina, County, Mati, Greece, Makawao, Kula, Europe, Hawaii

☆ Troop deaths, injuries in Ukraine war nearing 500,000 - NYT citing US officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows graves of killed Ukrainian defenders, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a cemetery in Poltava, Ukraine May 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dan Peleschuk/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 18 (Reuters) - The number of Ukrainian and Russian troops killed or wounded since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022 is nearing 500,000, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing unnamed U.S. officials. Russia's military casualties are approaching 300,000, including as many as 120,000 deaths and 170,000 to 180,000 injuries, the newspaper reported. The NYT quoted the officials as saying the casualty count had picked up after Ukraine launched a counter-attack earlier this year. There was no immediate response from Ukrainian officials to Reuters requests for comment.

Persons: Dan Peleschuk, Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Yulia Latynina, Rami Ayyub, David Ljunggren, Caitlin Webber, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, New York Times, General Staff, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Poltava, Moscow, Kyiv, Russia

☆ Ukraine claims gains on southeastern front, fighting rages in east
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"In the direction south of Urozhaine they (Ukrainian troops) had success," military spokesman Andriy Kovaliov said on national television. Kovaliov also reported fierce fighting in the northeastern Kharkiv region, and around an eastern village not far from Bakhmut, the city occupied by Russian forces in May after a bloody months-long struggle. "The enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of Senkivka in Kharkiv region and Bohdanivka in Donetsk. "In the Bakhmut direction, defensive forces (Ukraine) continue to conduct offensive actions to the south of Bakhmut." Kyiv says its counter-offensive is progressing slower than it wanted because of vast Russian minefields and heavily-fortified Russian defensive lines.

Persons: Andriy Kovaliov, Urozhaine, Kovaliov, Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Ukrainian, Russian, Kupiansk, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Urozhaine, Donetsk, Azov, Kharkiv, Bakhmut, Senkivka, Bohdanivka, Russia, Lyman, Crimea, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv

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