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☆ Russian reserves running low as Ukrainian forces make 'tactically significant gains' around the besieged city of Bakhmut, a think tank says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Alia Shoaib | George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine has made "tactically significant gains" around the besieged city of Bakhmut, a think tank says. Geolocated footage published Thursday shows that Ukrainian troops made gains in Yahidne, around a mile north of Bakhmut, according to Washington DC-based think tank the Institute of the Study of War (ISW). However, it is unlikely that they have many more reserves to commit to the battle, the UK Ministry of Defense said. Along with the gains around Bakhmut, Ukraine's forces have also continued operations in at least three other sectors of the frontline on Friday, according to ISW. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesIn August 2022, Russia attacked Bakhmut using a combination of Wagner Group mercenaries, Russian soldiers, and pro-Russian separatist forces.

Persons: ISW, Bakhmut, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mark Milley, Milley, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin Organizations: MoD, Service, Washington DC, of, Ukrainian, Staff, UK Ministry of Defense, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Moscow, US Joint Chiefs, CNN, Bakhmut, Wagner Group, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Bakhmut, Wall, Silicon, Yahidne, Russia, Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, Zaporizhia Oblast, Zaporizhia, Donetsk, Russian, Belarus

☆ Inside Reddit's path to an IPO, where employees see 'thrash' from constant pivots and say more managers may leave amid a flattening
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Thomas Maxwell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Reddit employees say the company has a bloated leadership structure with too many managers. They described some leadership moves and road-map changes that caused what one employee described as "thrash." Managers who attended the summit told employees that leadership suggested the company would in the second half of the year consolidate teams with managers overseeing fewer than six employees, two employees said. Leadership shake-upsReddit had some leadership changes earlier this year. Three employees described Lobez's departure as a surprise, as he was well liked within the data-science organization.

Persons: Reddit, Mark Zuckerberg, Shopify, Reddit hasn't, Steve Huffman, Jack Hanlon, Hanlon, Reddit's, Jose Lobez, Tyler Otto, who'd, Huffman, —, Lopez Organizations: Employees, Meta, Reddit Locations: New York City, Hipmunk

☆ After Wagner's mutiny, Russia's military is now fighting with war bloggers because they won't celebrate its few wins the way they want
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's claims of a small battlefield victory have drawn criticism from military bloggers. The milbloggers won't celebrate with Moscow, causing the defense ministry to clash with the writers. Russian military bloggers, or milbloggers, have disputed some of the defense ministry's claims, according to a Sunday assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank. The milbloggers, said Ukrainian forces had managed to establish positions and that fighting was ongoing. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, continue to make use of their huge inventory of heavy Western armor — including advanced tanks and infantry fighting vehicles from the US and its NATO allies — to liberate territory in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Persons: Russia's, Putin, —, Wagner Group's, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Pat Ryder, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Institute for, Russian MoD, Russia's Defence Ministry, Military District, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS Wagner Group, Kremlin, Pentagon Press, Air Force, NATO, The General Staff of, Armed Forces, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Dnipro, Kherson, Russian, Washington, Russia, Rostov, Belarus, Ukrainian, —

☆ What next for Wagner? Russia’s Putin battles to regain control after short-lived revolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Members of Wagner group looks from a military vehicle in Rostov-on-Don late on June 24, 2023. It marked what many regard as the greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin's authority in his more than two decades in power. Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with servicemen at the Kremlin in Moscow on June 27, 2023. At best, Granville said the Wagner Group was likely to be "a shadow of its former self" in Ukraine following the revolt. Russia's political crisisRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday dismissed questions about a political crisis.

Persons: Wagner, Roman Romokhov, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Tereshchenko, nationalize Wagner, Putin, Wagner Group's Prigiozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, that's, Pat Ryder, Faustin, BARBARA DEBOUT, Ryder, It's, Christopher Granville, Granville, Sergey Lavrov, Lavrov, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin Organizations: AFP, Getty, Wagner Group, Kremlin, Russian Ministry of Defense's, Wagner, Russian Armed Forces, Belarusian, Analysts, CNBC, Pentagon, Central African, TS Lombard, Reuters, Associated Press Locations: Rostov, Ukraine, Moscow, Europe, U.S, Russia, Asipovichy, Belarus, Belarusian, Africa, Syria, BANGUI, Central African Republic, Bangui, France, AFP, Russian

Some Russian military bloggers with substantial followings expect a serious reshuffle of the military in the light of the Wagner uprising, and perhaps within the security services for not seeing the preparations for it. Putin has sought to reassert his authority after Prigozhin's mutiny. There is no way to verify Rybar’s allegations, but their airing may demonstrate a level of apprehension in the Russian military in the light of the mutiny. At one point, according to Russian military bloggers, Surovikin interceded to try to procure ammunition for Wagner. There is still considerable respect in Russian military circles for what Wagner has contributed to the Ukraine conflict.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Wagner, Sergey Shoigu, Rybar, ” Rybar, Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Teplinsky, Boris Rozhin, Sergey Surovikin, “, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Surovikin, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, Tatiana Stayonova, Rob Lee, “ Wagner, ” Surovikin, Prigozhin, Vyacheslav Volodin, ” Volodin, Anastasia Kashevarova, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Stayonava, Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, George W Bush, Concord Company ”, we’ll, eking, Viktor Zolotov, ” Zolotov, ” Anastasia Kashevarova, Russia “, there’s Organizations: CNN, FSO, Federal Guard Service, Federal Protective Service, AP, General Staff, The New York Times, Mayak Intelligence, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Russian Aerospace Forces, Sputnik, Getty, Western Military, Concord Company, Kremlin, MoD, Defense Ministry, Russian National Guard, Ministry of Defense, Telegram Locations: Rostov, Moscow, Don, Russia, Ukraine, AFP, Bakhmut, Shoigu, Putin, St, Petersburg, Russian, Minsk, Belarus, Prigozhin

☆ Putin's embattled defense minister Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner mutiny that experts say is confusing and feels off
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian defense chief Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner Group's armed rebellion. Moscow published the video purportedly showing Shoigu in Ukraine, though its unclear when it was filmed. Some Russian milblogger channels have arrived at the same conclusion, that the video of Shoigu was older footage. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the notorious Wagner mercenary organization, has long criticized Moscow's military leadership over its handling of the war in Ukraine. Russia denied the allegations, but it didn't stop Prigozhin from openly encouraging his mercenaries to take up arms against the defense ministry in open rebellion.

Persons: Shoigu, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, —, Sergei Shoigu, General Yevgeny Nikiforov, Yevgeny Nikiforov's, Sergei Shoigu's, Jimmy Rushton, Mark Krutov, Yevgeny Nikiforov, I'm, Dara Massicot, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Russia's, Moscow's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Don, Stringer, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, he's, Antony Blinken, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Service, Russian Defense, Wagner Group, Russian Ministry of Defence, Twitter, Radio Free, Radio Liberty's, Russian Ministry of Defense, RAND Corporation, Prigozhin Press Service, Prigozhin Press, Associated Press, Don REUTERS, Stringer Western, ABC News, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty's Russia, Shoigu, Rostov, Don, Russia, Belarus, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ Wagner fighters almost certainly aim to march on Moscow, UK intel says. What happens next depends on the loyalty of Russia's security forces.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner Group fighters entered the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don in an apparent armed rebellion. What happens next will largely depend on the loyalty of Russia's security forces, the department said. "With very limited evidence of fighting between Wagner and Russian security forces, some have likely remained passive, acquiescing to Wagner," the department said. The loyalty of Russia's security forces, particularly the Russian National Guard, will be "key to how the crisis plays out," it added. Unverified videos have circulated on social media appearing to show Wagner fighters moving through the Voronezh region toward Moscow.

Persons: Wagner, —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sergei Sobyanin, Yevegny Prigozhin Organizations: Wagner Group, MoD, Service, Group, UK Department of Defense, Russian National Guard, Guardian Locations: Russian, Rostov, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Voronezh Oblast, Voronezh

☆ Russia has doubled its pens of trained dolphins near Ukraine to guard its ships from attack by enemy divers, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia has ramped up its trained dolphin force that protects its Black Sea fleet, UK intelligence said. Russia has been training dolphins in the Black Sea since the Cold War, according to the United States Naval Institute. The MOD also noted Russia's documented use of marine animals elsewhere, saying "Russia has trained animals for a range of missions." Russia's Black Sea fleet includes attack submarines and vessels with long-range strike capabilities and air defense missiles. Russia accused Ukraine of launching drone attacks on the fleet earlier this month, after Ukraine started its long-awaited counteroffensive.

Persons: — Organizations: British Ministry of Defence, Service, Russia, UK Ministry of Defence, MOD, Google, United States Naval Institute, Maxar Technologies, Naval News, US Navy, Washington Post Locations: Russia, Sevastopol, Ukraine, Crimea, Norway, Petersburg, Sweden, Iraq, Ukrainian, Ukraine's Kherson

☆ A NSFW Reddit community is now a 'Christian Minecraft server' as moderators attack the site's 'disgusting' and 'disrespectful' monetization moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A popular NSFW Reddit community has been transformed into a "Christian Minecraft server." An adult content community on Reddit says it's turned into a "Christian Minecraft server" in protest over the platform's "treacherous" pricing policy. Its moderators said it's "bidding farewell" to its NSFW content and is attempting to become an "amusing" place instead. "The important takeaway here is Reddit does not care about this community and Reddit does not care about you," they wrote. Another moderator for the community r/IndianSkincareAddicts said it's making its subreddit private "indefinitely" from June 23 and called the company's actions "disgraceful, disrespectful and downright disgusting."

Persons: subreddit, it's, subreddits, Reddit, Steve Huffman, VinlandSaga, IndianSkincareAddicts, Reddit didn't Organizations: Financial Times Locations: Reddit

☆ In Branson, Missouri, a Two-Wheeled Fix for the Commuter Blues
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Richard Fausset | Chase Castor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WHY WE’RE HEREWe’re exploring how America defines itself one place at a time. In this Midwest tourist town, a housing crisis has led to creative transportation solutions. Eventually, she was evicted, her car was repossessed, and she found herself living at first in the woods, and later in one of the old motels around the city’s gaudy entertainment strip. By some estimates, close to 20 percent of the people living in Branson are homeless or staying in motels. They are workers and drifters, service industry strivers and worn-down honky-tonkers, some struggling with addiction, some raising children under trying circumstances.

Persons: Christie Schubert, Schubert Locations: Branson, Mo, America

☆ Reddit sent messages to its protesting mods threatening to boot them if they don't get in line and end their virtual protest, The Verge reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Verge reported that Reddit admins reached out to protesting mods to urge them to work or be removed. Critics argue the move is punishing users for protesting changes to the platform. Reddit administrators sent messages to protesting moderators threatening to kick them out of their roles if they don't get in line and end their virtual blackout, The Verge reported. Rathschmidt told Insider that mods currently being removed from their posts were being removed for violating the code of conduct, not for protesting. As if the mod code of conduct is some kind of moral or legally binding document.

Persons: Reddit, Tim Rathschmidt, That's, Redditors, Rathschmidt, Reddit's, Casey Newton, Newton

☆ Once allies, Russia's mercenary boss is now in a more precarious position with Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, arrives during a funeral ceremony at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, April 8, 2023. It's well known that there's no love lost between the outspoken Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russia's Ministry of Defense; Prigozhin has openly and repeatedly criticized the ministry's most senior officials, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in expletive-laden rants slamming Russia's military strategy in Ukraine. But now, however, tensions appear to be emerging between Prigozhin and the Russian leadership, putting him in a precarious position with the Russian president. Precarious place for PrigozhinPrigozhin has stated that he's confident a compromise can be found that avoids the need for a contract with the defense ministry, but analysts say the mercenary boss is on shaky ground in his apparent defiance of Putin. Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin attends the funeral of Dmitry Menshikov, a fighter of the Wagner group who died during a special operation in Ukraine, at the Beloostrovskoye cemetery outside St. Petersburg, Russia, on Dec. 24, 2022.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Klimentyev, Shoigu, Putin, Prigozhin Prigozhin, he's, Dmitry Menshikov Organizations: Wagner Group, AP, Kremlin, Wagner, Russia's Ministry of Defense, Putin, Russian Defence Ministry Board, Afp, Getty, Shoigu, Defence Ministry, Ministry of Defense, Google, Wagner PMC, MoD Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Prigozhin, Russian, St . Petersburg

Budrul Chukrut | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesAt midnight on Tuesday, the moderators of the Reddit community r/Gaming decided to go dark. "We're talking hundreds of thousands of volunteers putting in hours a day to keep the site safe, entertaining and enjoyable for community members. As a private company, Reddit doesn't have to disclose its financials or provide revenue and profit projections. "You have a lot of people, both professionals and general community members, who are running the numbers on this," Croach said. Jacqueline Sheeran, known as "MCHammerCurls," is the head moderator of r/Fitness, which has more than 10 million members.

Persons: Budrul, Dacvak, Slack, weren't, Croach, Reddit, Christian Selig, Selig, Steve Huffman, Huffman, Horacio Villalobos, subreddits, they're, –, David DeWald, subreddit, Shane McCarthy, McCarthy, Meepster23, ModCoord, Omar, Jacqueline Sheeran, Sarah Gilbert, Gilbert, Huffman's, RamsesThePigeon, that's, there's Organizations: Lightrocket, Reddit, CNBC, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Amazon, Yahoo, Microsoft, Corbis, NBC, Wall, NBC News, Cornell University, school's Citizens, Technology Locations: U.S, Lisbon, Portugal

☆ One of Ukraine's new, US-equipped 'Storm' brigades was spotted in the east
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Adrian Bonenberger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The fate of Ukraine's counter-offensive depends on how effective its brigades are in taking and holding territory. A June video showed Ukrainian armored vehicles driving across a field, targeted by artillery and mines. It claimed to prove that the Ukrainian counteroffensive for which so many had such high hopes was foundering. One of them confirmed that the unit engaged was, in fact, the unit that I had trained, reconnaissance soldiers with the 31st Separate Mechanized Brigade. Training units at the squad and platoon level in urban movement, and close-quarters battle, or CQB, I had the impression some of them might be used to assault, instead of to reconnoiter.

Persons: Ukraine's, —, Adrian Bonenberger, Long, Bakhmut, It's, they're Organizations: Service, Mechanized Brigade, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, MoD, Twitter, Separate Mechanized Brigade Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Russia, Ukraine's, Ukraine, Bakhmut, reconnoiter, U.S

☆ Russia's defense ministry is pressuring volunteer brigades fighting in Ukraine to fall under its command, but at least one is resisting
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's MOD said Tuesday it signed contracts with 4 detachments and 3 brigades of volunteers. It came after the MOD announced last week that Russian "volunteer" groups fighting in Ukraine would be required to sign contracts with the country's defense ministry. The move was widely seen as an effort to bring the Wagner Group under official military control, the BBC reported. Wagner group head Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Sunday that he received an order from Russia's defense ministry to bring his group under its command. The Wagner group — which sent tens of thousands of mercenary fighters and convicts to fight in Ukraine — and Russia's defense ministry have been involved in an escalating public feud.

Persons: It's, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Vladimir Alekseev, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Sergey Surovikin, Vladimir Putin Organizations: MOD, Service, Ministry of Defense, Kremlin Wagner, Volunteer Assault Corps, Wagner Group, BBC, Russian MOD, Washington DC, for, Ukraine's, Kremlin, Washington Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Bakhmut

☆ What you need to know about the 48-hour Reddit user blackout, which kicks off today and affects more than 7,000 subreddits
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

As of press time, the moderators of 7,266 subreddits are expected to stage a blackout on Monday, according to a Reddit post. Why are Reddit users protesting right now? According to the ELI5 post, these third-party apps scraped Reddit posts by using something called the Application Programming Interface, or API. How are Reddit users protesting? Reddit users are protesting by making certain subreddits inaccessible to users for 48 hours.

Persons: —, Reddit's, Reddit Organizations: BBC

☆ Reports of Russian casualties as they 'withdraw through their own minefields' driven back by Ukraine's counteroffensive, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Reports of Russian casualties as they 'withdraw through their own minefields,' per UK intel. Military progress on both sides of the conflict has been mixed in the last two days, the UK MoD said. "In some areas, Ukrainian forces have likely made good progress and penetrated the first line of Russian defenses. In others, Ukrainian progress has been slower," Britain's MoD said in a statement. "Russian performance has been mixed: some units are likely conducting credible maneuver defense operations while others have pulled back in some disorder, amid increased reports of Russian casualties as they withdraw through their own minefields," the ministry added.

Persons: —, Mykhalchuk, Sam Fellman, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Insider's Ryan Pickrell Organizations: intel, MoD, Service, UK's Ministry of Defence, Russian Airforce, CNN, US, Mine Locations: Ukraine, Donetsk Oblast, Russia, Russian, Azov

☆ Wagner boss Prigozhin is escalating his feud with the Russian military to stay relevant after Bakhmut, but he risks taking it too far, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Wagner founder and financier Yevgeny Prigozhin continues to escalate his feud with the Russian defense ministry. But some prominent voices in Russia's pro-war ultranationalist community are troubled by his antics, ISW observed. But in that same information space, Prigozhin also voiced repeated, profane, and blunt criticisms of the regular Russian military and its leadership. This aspect of his online activities appears to have become more pronounced as Wagner forces come off the line and reposition to rear areas. "Prigozhin is exposing a similar hatred for select individuals within the Russian military command," she said.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ISW, —, Prigozhin, Russia's ultranationalist, Bakhmut, Stepanenko, Roman Venevitin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Igor Girkin, Shoigu, Russian oligarch Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Russia's, Kremlin, Institute for, Press, REUTERS, 72nd, Motorized Rifle Brigade, Wagner, Russian MoD, RIA, MoD, Washington DC Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Belgorod Oblast, Russia, Concord, Russian, Soledar

☆ Ukraine posts ominous video saying nobody should be talking about its counteroffensive: 'Plans love silence'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine posted a video saying nobody should be talking about its counteroffensive plans. The short, ominous clip shows various soldiers putting a finger to their lips. In the slickly-produced, 35-second clip, various Ukrainian soldiers in the field look to the camera and raise a finger to their lips. Beyond military secrecy, the video — subtitled in English — also appears to be aimed at reassuring Western allies, who have poured resources into Ukraine for its keenly-anticipated counteroffensive. Ukraine's MOD produced a rousing video at the end of May that also seemed aimed at galvanizing anticipation for the operation.

Persons: —, Defense Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Defense, Street Journal, Ukraine, MOD, — Locations: Ukraine, Russia

☆ Ukraine has a network of sabotage agents in Russia and is sending them drone for attacks, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US officials believe Ukraine is fostering a network of anti-Putin rebels in Russia, CNN reported. They also believe that such groups were behind the drone explosion over the Kremlin in May. Ukraine has not claimed any connection to such groups, but is reaping the military benefits. Several unnamed US officials believe the May 3 drone incident above the Kremlin was among several attacks carried out by such agents, the outlet reported. But, CNN reported, some US officials believe that pro-Ukraine partisans could have launched the drone from within Russia, bypassing such defenses.

Persons: —, Vasyl Malyuk, Cotton, Malyuk, Russia's, Kyrylo, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Putin, CNN, Kremlin, Service, Liberty of Russia Legion, UK's Ministry of Defense, coy, for Locations: Ukraine, Russia, May, Belgorod, Putin Russian, Russia's, Ukrainian, Zelenskyy, Moscow

☆ Russian attempts to waste Ukraine's advanced air-defense missiles with cheap drones are failing, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The goal was to get Ukraine to waste its valuable stock of air defense missiles, the UK MOD said. But the efforts failed, with 90% shot down without Ukraine needing to use advanced missiles, it said. Russia's failure to get Ukraine to waste its advanced air defense missiles comes alongside Russia's inability to destroy Ukrainian air defence systems, the UK MOD added. Ukraine has a variety of air defense systems, including the advanced Patriot missile systems it received from the US and European allies. The UK MOD also said that Russia was likely trying to "locate and strike Ukrainian forces well behind the front line," but without much success.

Persons: — Organizations: MOD, Service, Russia, UK Ministry of Defence, Patriot Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Russia deployed its feared thermobaric missile launcher on its own territory to repel an attack by insurgents, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia said it deployed at least one thermobaric missile launcher on its own territory, per the UK MOD. Russia said it was to repel attacks, as Russian rebel groups raided Belgorod. It shows Russia has a dilemma between using weapons on its own territory or in Ukraine, the MOD said. Russia has previously deployed thermobaric rocket launchers in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials, who shared footage of their forces destroying one. The UK MOD said that with the equipment deployed, the "Russia military and interior forces have likely seen quicker success in containing this raid than the previous one."

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin Organizations: MOD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, Russian, Forbes, Russia, Liberty of Russia Legion, Russian Volunteer Corps, of Russia Legion, Russia Legion Locations: Russia, Belgorod, Ukraine, Russia's, Belgorod —, Liberty, Russians, Russian

☆ Russia is caught between using its military to fight attacks within its own borders and invading Ukraine, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UK MOD said it shows how Russia caught in a "dilemma" about how to use its strength. The UK Ministry of Defence said in an update on Friday that recent attacks in the Russian region of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, left Russia's military with hard choices to make. The UK MOD said "partisan groups" attacked the city on Thursday, for the second time in 10 days, though it didn't name any. That shows the decision Russia's military now has about where to use its weaponry. The Liberty of Russia Legion says it cooperates with Ukraine's military, though Ukraine denied any involvement with attacks in Russia and said the group is made up entirely of dissident Russians.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, they've Organizations: MOD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, Russia, Liberty of Russia Legion, Putin, Russian Volunteer Corps, Russia Legion Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Russian, Belgorod, Russia's, Liberty, Vladivostok, Putin Russian

Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —Three people, including a young girl, were killed in Kyiv on Thursday while desperately trying to take cover in a closed bomb shelter amid fresh Russian strikes, in an incident that sparked anger in the Ukrainian capital. This is the largest bomb shelter. “Closed bomb shelters during the war are not just indifference. “I gave a separate order to the heads of the capital’s districts to immediately check all bomb shelters,” he added. The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, also denied these latest claims of a border incursion.

Persons: Ihor Klymenko, …, ”, “, Yaroslav, Kateryna Didukh, Serhii Okunev, Klymenko, Oleksii, Roman Pilipey, Vitalii Klitschko, Klitschko, Klitchko, Valentyn Ogirenko, Dmitry Peskov, Vyacheslav Gladlov, Gladkov, Peskov, –, Igor Konashenkov, Vyacheslav Gladkov, ” Gladkov, Putin Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Internal, Ukraine’s National Police, Ukraine Armed Forces, Anadolu Agency, Kyiv’s, Reuters, Grad, Russian Volunteer Corps, Putin, Russia Legion, CNN, Russian Defense Ministry, Federal Security Service, Russian MoD, Russian Federation, for Russia Legion Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Russian, Desnianskyi, Reuters Belgorod, Russia’s Belgorod, ” Belgorod, Gladkov, Belgorod –, Ukraine’s Kharkiv, –, Belgorod, Putin Russian, Moscow, Novaya Tavolzhanka, Shebekino

☆ Russia's efforts to knock out Ukraine's much-improved air defense systems aren't working, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's efforts to target Ukraine's air defenses have had "little success," the UK MOD said. Ukraine shot down several Kinzhal missiles this month, which Russia had bragged were unstoppable. In its latest update, the UK MOD described a slew of recent aerial attacks on Ukraine. But the UK MOD described Russia as otherwise focused on reacting to Ukraine's moves rather than being proactive in its war. Both sides are now gearing up for Ukraine's expected counteroffensive, after Russia's own recent offensive to try to take more territory failed to achieve noticeable results.

Persons: — Organizations: MOD, Service, UK Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Western, Kyiv

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