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☆ Australia names air force veteran as cybersecurity chief amid rise in data breaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, June 23 (Reuters) - Australia on Friday named a senior air force commander as its first cybersecurity boss to help lead the government's response to major data breaches and boost the nation's security capabilities amid a recent spike in network intrusions. Air Marshal Darren Goldie, a 30-year veteran, will become the national cybersecurity coordinator, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. He will be supported by a national office within the department of home affairs and begin his term on July 3. HWL Ebsworth has flagged ransomware group BlackCat, also known as ALPHV, may have published some stolen data on the dark web. Major breaches were reported by health insurer Medibank Private (MPL.AX) and telco Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications (STEL.SI).

Persons: Darren Goldie, Anthony Albanese, " Albanese, HWL Ebsworth, Goldie, Clare O'Neil, telco, Renju Jose, Jamie Freed Organizations: SYDNEY, Home Affairs, Medibank, telco Optus, Singapore Telecommunications, Thomson Locations: Australia, Sydney

☆ Russian Missile Attack on Kyiv Sends Civilians Racing for Cover
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Marc Santora | Natalia Yermak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Even in a city where people have adapted the routines of ordinary life to wartime, the spectacle unfolding overhead in Kyiv was areminder that while the fighting has been concentrated hundred of miles east, the Ukrainian capital still has a Russian bull’s-eye on it. Ballistic missiles began roaring in shortly after 11 a.m. Monday — a rare daytime barrage that sent city residents racing for cover — and were quickly shot down. Then the attacks erupted again early Tuesday, making it clear that even as Kyiv, aided by Western allies, builds up its air-defense system, Russian forces are intent on testing for soft spots. Russia is trying to “confuse and mislead our air defense system,” Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Air Force Command, said in an appearance on national television over the weekend. “It uses the topography of the area to disappear from radars.”

☆ Ukraine says it shot down 6 of the high-powered Kinzhal missiles that Russia boasted were unstoppable
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine says it shot down six of Russia's "unstoppable" Kinzhal missiles over Kyiv early Tuesday. In total, a barrage of 18 missiles were intercepted from land, sea and air, officials claimed. According to the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's army, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, six Russian MiG-31K jets launched the Kinzhal missiles overnight. "It was exceptional in its density — the maximum number of attack missiles in the shortest period of time," said Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, of the barrage, per The Telegraph's translation. Firefighters work at a site of a vehicle parking area damaged by remains of Russian missiles, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 16, 2023.

☆ Belarus opposition told to 'be ready' for democracy push as rumours of leader's ill health swirl
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Exiled Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya speaks at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, in Copenhagen, Denmark May 15, 2023. State TV later broadcast a clip of Lukashenko at what it said was a central air force command base. Dressed in a military uniform, Lukashenko appeared to have a bandage on his left hand and to be short of breath at times. "There are many rumours about the dictator Lukashenko's health," Tsikhanouskaya she tweeted to supporters. Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military intelligence agency, said in televised comments that Kyiv had information about Lukashenko's health, but said he would not comment for various reasons.

☆ Belarus state media publish photo of Lukashenko following health speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 15 (Reuters) - A Belarusian state news channel on Monday published a photo of President Alexander Lukashenko at what it said was a military command centre in what would be his first public appearance in almost a week, following speculation over the health of the 68-year-old leader. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Russia and Belarus at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia April 6, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERSThe Pul Pervovo Telegram channel, a state outlet that reports on Lukashenko's activities, said the president was working at a central air force command base. Lukashenko was last seen in public on May 9 at Victory Day events in both Moscow and the Belarusian capital Minsk. His failure to appear in public since then had prompted reports, not confirmed officially, that he had been taken to a medical facility.

CNN —Ukraine says it has for the first time used a US-made Patriot air defense system to intercept a Russian hypersonic missile. Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, said on Telegram Saturday: “Yes, we have intercepted the ‘unmatched’ Kinzhal,’” adding the word “Patriot” and an emoji of the Ukrainian flag. Ukraine has received at least two Patriot systems, one from the United States and one from Germany, to enhance its air defenses, which have previously been unable to intercept more modern Russian missiles such as the Kinzhal. “Building a multi-level air and missile defense system as soon as possible is our priority,” he declared. Patriot systems create a capability that did not exist before – to defeat ballistic targets.”

☆ Ukraine says it used a US-made Patriot system to shot down a Russian hypersonic missile for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine reportedly shot down a Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missile for the first time. One of the photos shows a nose cone that strongly resembles the one used in the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile, the outlet noted. A shot of a Patriot missile battery firing an interceptor in a US Army test. The Patriot missile defense system is a ground-based interceptor able to eliminate airborne threats. The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile was introduced in 2017 as one of Russia's "super weapons."

☆ Ukraine downs Russian hypersonic missile with U.S. Patriot
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It was also the first time Ukraine is known to have used the Patriot defense systems. Oleshchuk said the Kh-47 missile was launched by a MiG-31K aircraft from Russian territory and was shot down with a Patriot missile. The Ukrainian military has previously admitted to lacking assets to intercept the Kinzhals. At such a cost, it was widely thought that Ukraine would only use the Patriots against Russian aircraft or hypersonic missiles. Russian forces have not commented on the claim but have rejected previous accusations from Ukraine that they had used phosphorus.

Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said the Kh-47 Kinzhal had been shot down on Thursday night over the region outside Kyiv. The Air Force said it had been taken down by a U.S. Patriot air defence system. Ukraine said the missile was fired during a drone attack on Kyiv and other cities in the early hours of Thursday. Ukraine's Air Force was previously seen as unable to shoot down ballistic missiles, which Russia used to strike residential areas and Ukraine's power infrastructure. The Air Force on Saturday said it shot down eight Shahed drones launched by Russia on the eastern and south-east Ukrainian regions in an overnight attack.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Grain deal meeting set to take place; Russia targets Ukraine's capital and other regions in drone strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Air raid alerts sounded in various parts of Ukraine overnight as Russian forces reportedly launch a mass drone strike against the country. The capital Kyiv was among the locations targeted by Russian forces again last night, marking the third time in six days that the city has been targeted. Ukraine's Air Force Command said Wednesday that its defense forces had destroyed 21 of 26 Russian "Shahed-136/131" type one-way attack drones overnight. The drones had been launched from both the north, from the Bryansk region in Russia and to the north of Ukraine, and the south, from the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov. In other news, the deputy defense ministers of Russia, Ukraine and Turkey will reportedly meet in Istanbul on Friday May 5 to discuss a possible extension of the grain export deal that has helped to ease vital agri-food exports from Ukraine and cap global price rises.

☆ Ukrainian drones strike Crimea oil depot, Russian official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A still image from a video shows smoke rising following an alleged drone attack on oil depot in Sevastopol, Crimea, April 29, 2023. A massive fire erupted at an oil depot in Crimea after it was hit by two of Ukraine's drones, a Russia-appointed official there reported Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel. Razvozhayev said the oil depot was attacked by "two enemy drones," and four oil tanks burned down. Razvozhayev said the oil depot fire did not cause any casualties and would not hinder fuel supplies in Sevastopol.

☆ Two U.S. Air Force commanders suspended in unit of accused intelligence leaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Dan Whitcomb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force has suspended two commanders from the National Guard unit where accused classified intelligence leaker Jack Teixeira served, a USAF spokesman said on Wednesday. The Air Force spokesman said on Wednesday that it had suspended the operation commander and detachment commander of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, where Teixeira served. The Air Force did not identify the commanders by name. "This means that both the squadron's state Air National Guard operational commander and current federal orders administrative commander have been suspended pending completion of the Department of the Air Force Inspector General Investigation," the spokesman said. "Also, the Department of Air Force has temporarily removed these individuals' access to classified systems and information," he said.

☆ Poor training and outdated equipment left Russia's air force unable to help much in the invasion of Ukraine, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's air force has struggled to exploit air superiority over Ukraine since the start of the war. Pilots lack basic training to fly at low altitudes and sophisticated weapons, the report said. The report, published this week, outlines the strengths and weaknesses of Russia's air force in Ukraine based on a series of interviews with intelligence services, military experts, and Ukrainian air force commanders. The Russian air force has lacked success since the start of its invasion mostly due to the resilience of Ukraine's ground-to-air defense systems. "We need to do everything that we can to get Ukraine as much air defense capability as we possibly can."

☆ Russian jets, some flown by Wagner mercenaries, are making risky attacks to test Ukraine's defenses around Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian aircraft, some operated by mercenaries, are also being used in fighting around the city. Yet the Russian Air Force is still conducting airstrikes with limited success, including around Bakhmut. Russian aircraft "are bombing in Bakhmut, particularly at night so that they can avoid most types of MANPADS. A retired Russian air force general named Kanamat Botashev may have been one of them. In addition to its other struggles, Russia's air force has been plagued by a shortage of fully trained pilots.

☆ Russia launches 17 drones on Ukraine, 14 destroyed - Ukraine's Air Force
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 4 (Reuters) - Russia sent 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones to attack Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's Air Force command said early on Tuesday, with its air-defence systems destroying 14 of them. "In total, up to 17 launches of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attacks were recorded, presumably from the eastern coast area of the Sea of Azov," the command said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. Yuriy Kruk, head of the regional military administration in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, said the region was struck with a number of drones. "As a result of the work of the air defence systems, there is damage," Kruk said on the administration's Facebook page. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

HELSINKI/BRUSSELS, April 4 (Reuters) - Finland will become a member of NATO on Tuesday, completing a historic security policy shift triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while neighbour Sweden is kept in the waiting room. "It will be a good day for Finland's security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday. Sweden underwent a similar transformation in defence thinking and Stockholm and Helsinki applied together last year to join NATO. Moscow said on Monday it would strengthen its military capacity in its western and northwestern regions in response to Finland joining NATO. Stoltenberg said he was "absolutely confident" that Sweden will become a NATO member.

☆ Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark struck a deal to run their 200+ advanced fighter jets as a single fleet, creating a new headache for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Air force commanders of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark said Friday that they have signed a letter of intent to establish a unified Nordic air defense, Reuters reported. "Our combined fleet can be compared to a large European country," commander of the Danish air force, Major General Jan Dam, told Reuters. Norway, Denmark, and Finland have all committed to the F-35 jets which are the most advanced Western fighter planes. NATO Air Command chief General James Hecker was also present at the signing of the letter at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022, jolted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine into ending decades of their position of "non-alignment."

☆ Nordic countries plan joint air defence to counter Russian threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COPENHAGEN, March 24 (Reuters) - Air force commanders from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark said on Friday they have signed a letter of intent to create a unified Nordic air defence aimed at countering the rising threat from Russia. The move to integrate the air forces was triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year, commander of the Danish air force, Major General Jan Dam, told Reuters. Finland has 62 F/A-18 Hornet jets and 64 F-35s on order, while Denmark has 58 F-16s and 27 F-35s on order. The signing at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany last week was attended by NATO Air Command chief General James Hecker, who also oversees the U.S. Air Force in the region. The Nordic air force commanders first discussed the closer cooperation at a meeting in November in Sweden.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Russia attacks along Ukraine front
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A destroyed Russian tank remains on the side of the road near the frontline town of Kreminna, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Luhansk region, Ukraine March 24, 2023. * Russia's defence ministry said its forces had destroyed a hangar housing drones belonging to Ukraine's armed forces in the southwestern Odesa region of the country. DIPLOMACY* Russia's parliament speaker proposed banning the activities of the International Criminal Court after it issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of the war crimes. * Democratic and Republican U.S. senators urged the Biden administration to share information with the ICC as it pursues war crimes charges against Putin. * U.S. President Joe Biden, appearing in Ottawa with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said he would continue to pressure Putin and help Ukraine.

☆ Under the radar, Germany trains Ukrainians on advanced air defence weapon
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It is a modern system, whereas they have known the potential of the Leopard tanks for a while," said a German air force officer by way of explanation. Asked about the main differences to older Soviet-built air defences such as the S-300 or Buk, the Ukrainians cited greater effectiveness but also greater complexity. A German trainer said IRIS-T, built by German arms maker Diehl, could not be operated by "turning a switch on and off. It takes only a third of the time to set up its radar compared with the decades-old Patriot system - a critical factor, as any air defence system gives away its position once the radar is turned on. In Ukraine, the air space is closed - if anything flies there, it can be dangerous," said Dmytro.

☆ Lula: Brazil's intelligence services failed ahead of Brasilia pro-Bolsonaro riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday his intelligence services had failed on Jan. 8, when Brasilia buildings were stormed by supporters of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro. “We made an elementary mistake: my intelligence did not exist (that day),” Lula told TV channel GloboNews in an interview. The president stressed he would like to maintain civilized relations with Brazil’s armed forces but noted they must not be politicized. The Brazilian insurrection resembled the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. The Brazilian president said he was also set to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Brazil later this month, as Reuters first reported last month.

☆ Brazil's Lula says intelligence services failed ahead of Brasilia riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ricardo Brito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRASILIA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday his intelligence services had failed on Jan. 8, when Brasilia buildings were stormed by supporters of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro. "We made an elementary mistake: my intelligence did not exist (that day)," Lula told TV channel GloboNews in an interview. "We have Army intelligence, Air Force intelligence, ABIN (Brazil's Intelligence Agency); none of them warned me." The Brazilian insurrection resembled the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. The Brazilian president said he was also set to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Brazil later this month, as Reuters first reported last month.

That was on top of 31 missile attacks and 12 air strikes across the country in the past 24 hours. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said on Twitter: "Russia coldly and cowardly attacked Ukraine in the early hours of the new year. But Putin still does not seem to understand that Ukrainians are made of iron." Russian media also reported multiple Ukrainian attacks on the Moscow-controlled parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with local officials saying at least nine people were wounded. There was no immediate response from Kyiv, which rarely comments on attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territories in Ukraine.

Since the early days of the invasion, Mr. Putin has conceded, privately, that the war has not gone as planned. “I think he is sincerely willing” to compromise with Russia, Mr. Putin said of Mr. Zelensky in 2019. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. “I think this war is Putin’s grave.” Yevgeny Nuzhin, 55, a Russian prisoner of war held by Ukraine, in October.

☆ Russia appears to have restocked its supply of Iranian-made suicide drones as it unleashes fresh wave of attacks, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has unleashed a fresh wave of Iranian suicide drone attacks on Ukraine, suggesting a restock. This follows a three-week hiatus in the attacks, and it was suspected that their drone supply was low. It also appears that Russia has resolved issues that prevented the drones from working in cold weather. Reports suggested that Russia appeared to be running out of its supply of the deadly drones. The United Nations is looking into accusations that Iran supplied Russia with drones, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this week.

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