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A leading state television channel opened with its host railing against the West and NATO. THE KREMLIN MEDIA DIETThe Kremlin regularly meets with the heads of TV stations to give “special instructions on what can be said on air,” said Ovsyannikova. State television broadcasts dull debates between representatives of Putin's opponents. GRANULES OF TRUTHRussian propaganda is “sophisticated and multifaceted,” said Francis Scarr, a journalist who analyzes Russian television for BBC Monitoring. Even those soothed by the Kremlin’s propaganda also could long for a real choice at the polls.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Putin, whittle, ”, PUTIN’S, Anna Politkovskaya, Evan Gershkovich, “, Marina Ovsyannikova, Sam Greene, Half, Jade McGlynn, —, Francis Scarr, McGlynn, Greene Organizations: West, NATO, NTV, Russia, Center for, Levada, King's College, Putin, State, BBC Monitoring, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Russia, State, Victoria, Russian, Crimea, Soviet, Washington, West, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, King's College London, RUSSIAN

☆ Russian military bloggers call out gap between Kremlin propaganda and reality over Ukraine's Dnipro bridgehead
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewAs Ukraine's Dnipro bridgehead holds firm, Russian military bloggers are lashing out over reported Kremlin misinformation, the Kyiv Post reported. Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a televised briefing last month that Ukrainian forces had been defeated at the Dnipro River bridgehead near Kherson. AdvertisementAnd Russian military bloggers and think tanks have called out the disconnect between Moscow's public statements and the reality on the ground. Ukrainian soldiers on the Dnipro River in the Kherson region of Ukraine on September 14, 2023. AdvertisementIt added that the Kremlin "is likely setting expectations that the Russian military may fail to meet."

Persons: —, Sergei Shoigu, Mikhail Zvinchuk, Krynky, Libkos, It's, Oleksiy Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, Russia's, Business, Military, UK's Ministry of Defence, New York Times, Washington Post, for, Kremlin Locations: Dnipro, Kyiv, Kherson, Krynky, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine has been a disaster for Russia's troubled army, but the deadlock is shifting things in Moscow's favor, US intelligence says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 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 military has suffered serious damage in the Ukraine war, but after more than two years of hard fighting, the deadlock on the battlefield is shifting the momentum in Moscow's favor, according to a newly released US intelligence assessment. This figure, which is based on information available as of late-January, is much lower than more recent Western estimates. "Nonetheless, this deadlock plays to Russia's strategic military advantages and is increasingly shifting the momentum in Moscow's favor," the report continued. AdvertisementA destroyed Russian tank is seen as Ukrainian serviceman rides a tractor and tows a Russian military vehicle near the village of Dolyna in Ukraine's Kharkiv region in September 2023.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Jose Colon, There's, Gleb Garanich, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Russia's Organizations: Service, Russia, Business, Anadolu, Getty, Russian, intel, REUTERS, Bakhmut, White Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Moscow, Dolyna, Ukraine's Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Anadolu, United States

☆ Russia isn't ready for the surprise NATO attack its strategists foresee
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian strategists argue its military needs more robust systems to defend against a NATO surprise attack that would come in the form of conventional missile strikes, a warning that comes as NATO conducts a massive exercise near Russia's northern border. How exactly NATO would attack Russia in this scenario is unclear, though the Russian analysts seem to be describing what the US military would call "multi-domain operations." The attack would be preceded by "provocations" to justify a war, as well as the deployment of forces near Russia. This perceived NATO strategy of massive strikes risks compelling Russia to use its nuclear weapons, especially tactical nukes, to defend itself. Ironically, the missile strike that Russian military experts accuse the West of planning is a mirror image of how Russia itself would fight a war.

Persons: —, David Petraeus, Cpl, Christopher Hernandez, That's, Julian Waller, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, NATO, TASS, Russian Aerospace Forces, CIA, Army, Marine Corps, US, Corps, Nordic, Kremlin, Russian Air Force, Center for Naval Analyses, West, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russia, Russia's, Ukraine, Andenes, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Barents, Arlington , Virginia, Forbes

☆ US asked China and India for help to prevent Russia from carrying out a nuclear strike in 2022, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe US asked non-allies for help in an attempt to dissuade Russia from carrying out a nuclear strike in 2022, a senior US administration official told CNN. The official said their assessment was that input from the likes of India, China, and others "may have had some effect" on Russia's thinking. In June 2023, President Joe Biden said Russia's nuclear threat remained "real" following the news that Russia had moved nuclear weapons into neighboring Belarus. "All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Sergei Guneyev, Putin, Biden, Sergei Shoigu, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Service, CNN, Business, Getty, Russian, NATO, Reuters Locations: Russia, India, China, AFP, Ukraine, Kherson, Russian, Belarus

☆ Russia-Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine says it’s rebuilding for counteroffensives; EU condemns 'reckless' and 'vile' Odesa attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis (L) inspect the functioning of the 'grain corridor' in the Black Sea in the port of Odesa, Ukraine on March 06, 2024. European Union leaders have sharply criticized a deadly Russian missile strike on Ukraine's southern port city of Odesa, near to where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held a meeting. Zelenskyy and Mitsotakis met in Odesa on Wednesday to pay tribute to the 12 people killed by a Russian drone strike on the city last week. During the meeting, Mitsotakis said the pair heard the sound of sirens and "an explosion that was very close to us." A Ukrainian navy spokesperson said five people were killed in the strike, according to Sky News.

Persons: Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Greece Kyriakos, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, @ZelenskyyUa, Josep Borrell, Ursula von der Leyen, Sam Meredith Organizations: European Union, Sky News, Union, European, Russia's Defense Ministry, Wednesday Locations: Ukraine, Greece, Odesa, Russian, Ukrainian

☆ 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

☆ Leaked audio obtained by Russian spies reveals Germany considered giving Ukraine missiles to destroy key Crimean bridge: WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The officials were discussing plans to send Ukraine missiles that could destroy the Crimean bridge. AdvertisementLeaked audio obtained by Russian spies and later broadcast by the Russian state-controlled news network RT on Friday shows that top German officials were discussing plans to possibly send Ukraine long-range missiles that can take out the key Crimean bridge. Senior German officials confirmed the authenticity of the audio to The Wall Street Journal. The leaked audio does not confirm that Germany was definitively going to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine. "We demand explanations from Germany," Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, told TASS, the Russian state news agency.

Persons: —, Ingo Gerhartz, it's, Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Gerhartz, Maria Zakharova Organizations: Ukraine, Service, Senior, Wall Street, The, Associated Press, Taurus, Russia —, Russian Foreign, TASS Locations: Germany, Russian, Ukraine, Kerch, European

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia relishes NATO division over ground troops; Kyiv needs weapons urgently, ex-president says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed Tuesday that Ukraine had lost 444,000 servicemen since the start of the war, or Russia's "special military operation, as it describes its invasion of Ukraine. "As a result of the decisive and active actions of our military personnel, the combat potential of the Ukrainian armed forces is decreasing. In total, during the operation, the Ukrainian armed forces had lost over 444,000 military personnel, he said, without presenting evidence to back up his comment. Russia's claims that Ukraine has lost over 444,000 personnel is wildly above Ukraine's admission last weekend that it had lost 31,000 troops in the war so far. Ukraine's military said last weekend that over 411,000 Russian personnel had been killed in the war.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Russia's, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Russia's, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Russia, U.S

☆ Russia offering African governments 'regime survival package' in exchange for resources, research says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso - Jan. 20, 2023: A banner of Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during a protest to support the Burkina Faso President Captain Ibrahim Traore and to demand the departure of France's ambassador and military forces. Russia's military intelligence service is offering African governments a "regime survival package" that provides military and diplomatic support in exchange for access to strategically important natural resources, according to a new report. Russia's Defense Ministry was not available to comment on the report's findings when contacted by CNBC. Wagner has for many years been a key component of the Kremlin's efforts to grow its influence in politically unstable countries across central Africa and the Sahel, including the Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso and Sudan. The report's authors Jack Watling, Oleksandr V Danylyuk and Nick Reynolds explained that the GRU chose to divide Wagner's activities in two.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Captain Ibrahim Traore, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Jack Watling, Oleksandr V Danylyuk, Nick Reynolds Organizations: Royal United Services Institute, Wagner Group, Russia's Defense, CNBC, Central African, Volunteer Corps, Russian Military of Defense Locations: OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso, Africa, Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan, Ukraine

☆ Russia's war with Ukraine has its economy facing 'death by a thousand cuts,' economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Aruni Soni | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's war with Ukraine has its economy facing "death by a thousand cuts," a British economist wrote. Russia's economy seems to be getting along amid its protracted war in Ukraine and harsh sanctions from the West, but that can't go on forever, according to one economist. "Russia's economy faces death by a thousand cuts," British economist Roger Bootle wrote in the Telegraph on Sunday. In spite of heavy sanctions, Russia's economy actually grew 3.6% last year, faster than most countries in Europe, Bootle noted. War spending is booming, and as war production rises, its gains spill into other pockets of the economy.

Persons: Roger Bootle, Bootle Locations: Ukraine, British, Russia, Europe, Bootle

☆ Delays in promised Western military aid to Ukraine are costing lives, the defense minister says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Half of promised Western military support to Ukraine fails to arrive on time, complicating the task of military planners and ultimately costing the lives of soldiers in Russia's war, the Ukrainian defense minister said Sunday. Year 2024" forum in Kyiv, stressed that each delayed aid shipment meant Ukrainian troop losses, and underscored Russia's superior military might. Commemorations to mark the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Saturday brought expressions of continued support, new bilateral security agreements and new aid commitments from Ukraine's Western allies. The defense minister also said that a "strong" military strategy is already in place for the coming months, but didn't disclose details. A Russian drone on Sunday morning struck an unspecified facility in Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi region, the regional military administration reported without giving details.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ursula von der Leyen, Giorgia Meloni, Alexander De Croo, Justin Trudeau, Rustan, Umerov, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Valerii Zaluzhny Organizations: Belgium's, Canada's, Russia, U.S . Congress, Sunday Locations: Italian, Hostomel, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Moscow, Russia, Kherson, Kostiantynivka, Russian, Khmelnytskyi, Belgorod

☆ Putin may have fired the admiral of Russia's Black Sea Fleet as punishment for a series of humiliating losses to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Kremlin may've fired the commander of it's Black Sea fleet. The Kremlin has fired the commander of its Black Sea Fleet as punishment for a series of humiliating losses to Ukraine, according to Russian war bloggers. It was the latest in a series of victories for Ukraine, which has a tiny navy, against Russia's much bigger Black Sea fleet. Ukraine's attacks have included strikes on Sevastopol, the base of Russia's Black Sea fleet. Sokolov had taken over as commander of the fleet in September 2022, replacing Admiral Igor Osipov, only months after Ukraine sank Russia's Black Sea flagship, "The Moskva."

Persons: Viktor Sokolov, Sergey Pinchuk, Caesar Kunikov, Nicholas Johnson, Sokolov, Sergei Markov, Igor Osipov Organizations: Ukraine, Analysts, RAND Corporation, Moscow Times, Kremlin, Business Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Sevastopol, Russia's

☆ 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

☆ Russia takes Avdiivka from Ukraine, biggest gain in 9 months
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A general view of smoke rising from the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant on Feb. 15, 2023 in Avdiivka district, Ukraine. Russia on Sunday said it had full control of the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka after Ukraine withdrew though Moscow said that some Ukrainian troops were still holed up in a vast Soviet-era coke plant after one of the most intense battles of the war. Ukraine said it had withdrawn its soldiers to save troops from being fully surrounded after months of fierce fighting. Putin hailed the fall of Avdiivka as an important victory and congratulated Russian troops. "The head of state congratulated Russian soldiers on this success, an important victory," the Kremlin said in a statement on its website.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Igor Konashenkov Organizations: Chemical, Russian Defence Ministry Locations: Avdiivka district, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Moscow, Soviet, Bakhmut, Russian

☆ Putin is tightening his grip over what's left of the Wagner Group
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementThe military formation has been actively recruiting former Wagner Group mercenaries and soldiers who fought in Ukraine for combat operations in Africa. The Kremlin is likely using the Africa Corps to take over many of the functions of the Wagner Group, Parens added. Last week, in a video obtained by the Kyiv Post, Ukrainian special forces were shown interrogating captured Wagner mercenaries in Sudan. "Ukrainian special services have acquired considerable experience of waging non-linear warfare against the Russian side and especially against the Wagner Group," he said. The fate of the Wagner Group, it seems, still hangs in the balance.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, he's, Wagner, Prigozhin, Sergey Sukhankin, Raphael Parens, Parens, Sukhankin, Russia Alessandro Arduino Organizations: Kremlin, Jamestown Foundation, Wagner, Volunteer Corps, Africa Corps, Wagner Group, Fighters, Foreign, Research, Eurasia Program, Military Companies, Africa, Kyiv Post, Russia, Ukraine Locations: Russia, Africa, Ukraine, Western, Ukrainian, Sudan, Russian

☆ Russia could be at war with NATO "within the next decade," intelligence report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia may be preparing for a "confrontation with the West," says Estonia's intelligence service. "Russia has chosen a path which is a long-term confrontation," said Estonia's intelligence chief. AdvertisementNATO may find itself at war with Russia in the next 10 years, says Estonia's foreign intelligence service. The intelligence agency said in a report on Tuesday that Russia may be preparing for a "confrontation with the West." "Russia has chosen a path which is a long-term confrontation," Rosin said during the report's launch, per Reuters.

Persons: —, Rosin, Donald Trump, Trump, he'd, didn't, Trump's, Ben Hodges, Hodges Organizations: NATO, Service, Reuters, US Army, British, Times, Business Insider Locations: Russia, Estonia, Estonian, Ukraine, Russian, South Carolina, US Army Europe

☆ Ukraine is setting up a separate branch of its military focused purely on drone warfare
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine is creating a new military branch for drone warfare, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. A military expert said it's likely the first time a country has set up a separate drone branch. AdvertisementUkraine is creating a new branch of its military dedicated to drone warfare. Ukraine has regularly used drones to take out Russian tanks, bomb trenches, hit equipment stores, and target soldiers. But drone warfare in Ukraine is not one-sided.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, it's, —, he'd, Zelenskyy, Bruce Riedel, Mykhailo Fedorov, Sergei Shoigu, James Patton Rogers Organizations: Service, Defense Forces —, Unmanned Systems Forces, Ukraine's National Security and Defense, Brookings Institution, NBC, Digital Transformation, Russia's, Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia

☆ Russian prisoners sent to Ukraine must now fight until the end of the war rather than for 6 months, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewRussian prisoners who are sent to fight in Ukraine are now being made to serve until the war ends instead of just for six months, the BBC reported. Russia has sent tens of thousands of prisoners to fight in Ukraine since it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. AdvertisementOthers who have family members in Storm V units also say their relatives will have to stay until the war is over, the report said. AdvertisementSome of the recruited prisoners were convicted of violent crimes, and some of those pardoned have been accused of crimes since returning to Russia. Some Storm V soldiers get just three to five days of training before they are despatched to Ukraine, the BBC reported.

Persons: —, Sergei, Storm, SERGEY SHESTAK, Wagner, I've Organizations: Service, BBC, Business, Storm, Getty Images, Russia's Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Transbaikal, Russian, Bakhmut, AFP, Getty Images Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine needs different weapons to blunt Russia's artillery fire advantages because HIMARS aren't enough anymore, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

War experts say Kyiv will need more precision-guided munitions to blunt Moscow's advantage in artillery fire. Western officials continue to warn that giving Ukraine more weapons and ammo is the "path to peace." The experts said Moscow's rate of fire will be sustainable next year "in excess of that number." Notably, Ukraine can no longer rely on its US-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) or Excalibur artillery shells to diminish Russia's firepower, the experts said. "Weapons to Ukraine," he said, "is the path to peace."

Persons: —, Michael Kofman, Dara Massicot, Rob Lee, Dmytro Smolienko, Lee, HIMARS, Serhii Mykhalchuk, Jens Stoltenberg, Antony Blinken Organizations: Service, Kyiv, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Foreign Policy Research Institute, American, Publishing, Getty, Artillery, NATO, EG, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, Republican, Western Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Moscow, Donetsk Oblast, France

☆ Walking away from Ukraine would be an 'own goal' as the war hollows out the army Putin spent decades building, CIA chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewShould the US walk away from the war in Ukraine and abandon it as it attempts to fend off the Russians, it'll be it'll be an "own goal of historic proportions," the CIA director said. Russia's defense industry is on a war footing, and support from pariah states like North Korea and Iran is fueling its war efforts. There are many benefits for the US to continue supporting Ukraine, Burns noted, a "relatively modest investment with significant geopolitical returns." During a Washington, DC visit, the Ukrainian leader pleaded for more US aid and explained that if Russia took Ukraine, Putin wouldn't stop there. The latest aid package to Ukraine has been on hold since October, when Republicans blocked it, along with assistance to Israel.

Persons: —, it'll, William J, Burns, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump's Organizations: Service, CIA, Republicans, Business, Foreign Affairs, Ukraine, Anadolu, Getty, NATO, Democrats Locations: Ukraine, Russia, North Korea, Iran, handout, Taiwan Strait, There's, United States, Washington, Ukrainian, Israel

☆ The US ramped up arms exports by more than 50% in 2023, cutting into Russia's own weapons trade: Politico
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US increased its arms exports by more than 50% in 2023, compared to 2022, while also damaging Russia's own defense trade, Politico reported . In a fact sheet citing the numbers, the Department of State specified that arms exports rose to $80.9 billion in 2023, a 55.9% increase from $51.9 billion in 2022. "We see that because Russia's defense industry is denied the resources that come from exports, that helps to contribute to Russian strategic failure on the battlefield," she said. Resnick cited a $1.8 billion arms deal that the US struck with India last year, and "real tough decisions" in Global South countries about abandoning Russian equipment. Since the early 2010s, Russian arms exports have declined in part due to China and India's efforts to ramp up their own domestic arms production, along with earlier Western sanctions packages meant to dissuade third countries from buying Russian weapons.

Persons: Mira Resnick, Resnick Organizations: Politico, NATO, Department of State, Reuters, State Department, Department's Office, Regional Security, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Moscow, India, Global South, Stockholm, China, Russia

☆ 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

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