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☆ Ukrainian forces are training on fast and well-armed Leopard tanks in Spain, prime minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian forces are training on Leopard tanks in Spain, according to the Spanish Prime Minister. Leopard tanks are notable for their firepower, armor, and speed on various terrains. Sanchez revealed that the arrival of Leopard tanks in Ukraine would correspond with the return of trained soldiers. Spain is one of several countries to pledge to send tanks to Ukraine. The British are presently training Ukrainian forces on Challenger tanks in southwestern England, and last month, US Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced that the US military was training Ukrainian troops in Germany, the Associated Press reported.

☆ A bizarre video shows Russians in swimwear dousing themselves in buckets of cold water to show solidarity with soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russians supported Putin's invasion of Ukraine by pouring icy water on themselves. A video shared on Twitter by a BBC journalist shows the event in Blagoveshchensk, Siberia. "Today, we're going to support them with our heroic act by pouring cold water on ourselves." After the speech, about 150 people, ranging from teenagers to pensioners, proceeded to dump buckets of cold water on their heads. In short, Russia has lost — they've lost strategically, operationally, and tactically."

☆ Russia's death toll in Ukraine could be as high as 60,000. Western intel says its forces are being ripped apart by artillery and not getting proper care.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Britain's defense ministry said Russian casualties in Ukraine could be as high as 200,000. They are being torn apart by artillery and not getting proper care, it added. Britain's defense ministry shared in a Friday intelligence update that Russian forces have likely suffered between 175,000 and 200,000 causalities on the battlefield. Britain's defense ministry said that between 40,000 and 60,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the fighting. The 200,000 casualty toll offered by Britain's defense ministry echos a similar estimate provided by a top US diplomat earlier this week.

☆ The mystery objects shot down by US fighter jets were 'most likely' harmless civilian objects, Biden says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Three mysterious objects were shot down by the US military in North American airspace last weekend. The three unidentified objects are "most likely" just civilian objects, he said on Thursday. Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. Biden on Thursday also said he's directed his team to create "sharper rules" for dealing with unidentified objects moving forward, distinguishing between those that pose a security risk and those that don't. In total, four objects — one Chinese surveillance balloon and the three smaller objects that remain unidentified — have been shot down over North American airspace since early February.

☆ The 3 Flying Objects the US Shot Down May Have Been Commercial or Research Craft, White House Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The White House said that three objects shot down over the weekend might have posed no threat. A leading explanation is that they were used for commercial or research purposes, a spokesperson said. US authorities have also found no evidence linking the objects to Chinese spying, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said at a White House briefing. Kirby added that even though the US hadn't determined that the objects were used for spying, authorities couldn't rule that possibility out. Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

☆ US missile landed harmlessly in Lake Huron after missing 'object': U.S. general
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The first of two missiles fired from an F-16 fighter jet at an unidentified object over Lake Huron on Sunday missed the object, but landed harmlessly in the water, the top U.S. general, Mark Milley, said on Tuesday. "We certainly tracked it all the way down," Milley told reporters at a news conference in Brussels. Reuters reported on Monday that the first of the two missiles had missed the object, one of three unidentified objects shot down by U.S. fighter jets over U.S. and Canadian airspace between Friday and Sunday. Recovery efforts are underway to identify them, and Milley cautioned that those will take some time. Reporting by Andrew Gray and Sabine Siebold in Brussels, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali in WashingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Top US general says Russia has already 'lost' the Ukraine war and has paid an 'enormous price on the battlefield'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gen. Mark Milley said Russia has "lost" in Ukraine as the war approaches the one-year mark. The top US general ripped into Moscow for launching an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, emphasizing that Russia has paid an "enormous price on the battlefield" as a consequence. In short, Russia has lost — they've lost strategically, operationally, and tactically," Milley added. But Russian forces failed in that objective as Ukrainian troops put up a far stiffer resistance than expected. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that Putin is unfazed by the high rate of casualties and is vying to overwhelm Ukrainian forces with sheer numbers.

☆ U.S. and NATO see Ukraine in urgent need of more arms
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/10] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov attend a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, February 14, 2023. "Ukraine has urgent requirements to help it meet this crucial moment in the course of the war," U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said at a meeting of the so-called Ramstein group of allies of Ukraine. When it comes to artillery, we need ammunition, we need spare parts, we need maintenance, we need all the logistics to ensure that we are able to sustain these weapons systems." NATO defence ministers were also to discuss adapting a target for members to spend 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. Some nations see this as too low, given the Ukraine war, while others such as Germany are still far below the 2%.

☆ An F-16 fighter jet missed on its first try to shoot down a mysterious object over Lake Huron, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An F-16 fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile to take down a flying object over Lake Huron on Sunday. "On the fourth one, over Lake Huron, the first shot missed, the second shot hit," Milley said in response to a reporter's question, confirming earlier reports. "And in this case, the missile landed harmlessly in the water of Lake Huron. Sunday's operation marked the fourth instance in about a week in which a US Air Force fighter jet shot down a flying object over North American airspace. The general leading North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command offered an explanation on Sunday for why there has been a seemingly sudden increase in flying objects appearing over North American airspace.

The Chinese balloon, which Beijing denies was a spy vessel, spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before President Joe Biden ordered it shot on Feb. 4. China says the balloon shot down on Feb. 4 was a civilian weather-monitoring aircraft. It has accused Washington of sending its own balloons into Chinese airspace, an allegation Beijing reiterated on Tuesday. 'COMMERCIAL OR BENIGN PURPOSE'The U.S. military said on Monday it had recovered critical electronics from the suspected Chinese spy balloon as well as large sections of the vessel itself. But it has not yet recovered debris from the most recent three objects shot down, with tough weather conditions making recovery operations difficult.

☆ Ukraine holds defense as battles rage in Donetsk region, top commander says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A tank moves on a road as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine on February 08, 2023. Ukraine's forces hold defense along the frontline in Donetsk, including of the besieged town of Bakhmut, with the fiercest battles raging for the cities of Vuhledar and Maryinka, Kyiv's top military commander said on Saturday. "Fierce fighting continues in the area of Vuhledar and Maryinka," Zaluzhnyi said in a Telegram message after a call with U.S. General Mark Milley. He added that Ukraine continues to hold Bakhmut, tying to "stabilize" the frontline around the town. Wagner's head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said it could take two years for Moscow to control the whole of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine.

☆ Ukraine holds defence as battles rage in Donetsk region, top commander says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Nick Starkov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LVIV, Ukraine, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine's forces hold defence along the frontline in Donetsk, including of the besieged town of Bakhmut, with the fiercest battles raging for the cities of Vuhledar and Maryinka, Kyiv's top military commander said on Saturday. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said Russia carries out some 50 attacks daily in Donetsk, a region in Ukraine's southeast that Moscow has been trying to occupy fully. "Fierce fighting continues in the area of Vuhledar and Maryinka," Zaluzhnyi said in a Telegram message after a call with U.S. General Mark Milley. He added that Ukraine continues to hold Bakhmut, tying to "stabilise" the frontline around the town. Wagner's head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said it could take two years for Moscow to control the whole of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine.

☆ Ukraine says Russia faced its deadliest day in the war yet, with over 1,000 troops killed in a 24-hour period
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This would mark the deadliest day for Russian forces since the war began. The Ukrainian military puts the total Russian death toll at 133,190 as fierce fighting continues to rage on in the country's east. Putin announced a partial military mobilization in September, aiming to provide a boost to Russia's struggling war effort. But despite its growing list of setbacks and failures in the war, Russia has shown no signs of giving up. Ukraine is bracing for Russian forces to launch a major offensive in the near future.

☆ U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that had been transiting across the country for several days, according to NBC News. Department of Defense officials have not yet confirmed the balloon being shot down. Defense officials said the Pentagon considered shooting down the balloon earlier this week but decided against it after briefing Biden. Biden concluded that the U.S. would not shoot down the balloon because debris from it could cause damage on the ground, a Pentagon official said. A senior Pentagon official told reporters Thursday night that the object was clearly a surveillance balloon that was flying over sensitive sites to collect intelligence.

☆ Trump and other Republicans call for the US 'to shoot down' a suspected Chinese spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump called for the US to "SHOOT DOWN THE BALLOON" as a suspect Chinese spy craft floats above the US. Other Republicans took a slightly more measured approach, arguing that it was "a mistake" not to have shot down the suspected spy balloon but not necessarily saying that it should be done now. Bloomberg reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin advised President Joe Biden not to order the shoot down the balloon due to the risk of falling debris. "It was a mistake to not shoot down that Chinese spy balloon when it was over a sparsely populated area," Rubio wrote on Twitter. "Shoot down the balloon.

☆ China's suspected spy balloon prompts Blinken to postpone Beijing trip as Congress seeks answers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken attends the Freedom of Expression Roundtable, in New York, U.S., September 19, 2022. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will postpone his trip to China next week following a suspected Beijing-operated spy balloon looming over parts of Montana. Chinese authorities said Friday that the balloon operating over U.S. airspace was a civilian weather balloon intended for scientific research. But the State Department said that was immaterial. "It was a mistake to not shoot down that Chinese spy balloon when it was over a sparsely populated area," Rubio tweeted on Friday.

☆ Suspected Chinese spy balloon found over northern U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Courtney Kube | Carol E. Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Pentagon would not confirm that the balloon in the photo was the surveillance balloon. The U.S. military has been monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been hovering over the northern U.S. for the past few days, and military and defense leaders have discussed shooting it out of the sky, according to two U.S. officials and a senior defense official. "The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Pentagon spokesperson Brig. A senior defense official said the balloon is still over the U.S. but declined to say where it is now. Pentagon leaders presented the options to President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

☆ Wagner troops wouldn't 'stop coming' and climbed over bodies of dead comrades like something out of a 'zombie movie,' says Ukrainian soldier
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Ukrainian soldier compared fighting Russia's Wagner Group to something like a "zombie movie." "They're climbing above the corpse of their friends, stepping on them," the soldier told CNN. He said the fight was between 20 Ukrainian soldiers and about 200 Wagner troops and described it as a "frightening and surreal experience." He even suggested that the Wagner troops might be "getting some drugs before the attack." The soldier said his group's AK-47 rifles became so hot from constantly firing at the Wagner troops that they had to keep switching out guns.

☆ A captured member of the infamous Wagner Group said he is more 'afraid of Putin' than dying in battle, Ukrainian soldier reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A captured Russian soldier said he is more afraid of Vladimir Putin than he is of dying in battle. "We're afraid of Putin," a Ukrainian solder recalled the man saying. The Ukrainian solder said the man joined Russia's Wagner Group to expunge his criminal record. In an audio recording reviewed by CNN of the Ukrainian soldier questioning the Russian prisoner, Andriy told the man: "Obviously, you know that you will be killed [in battle.] "Yes, this is true," the Ukrainian soldier named Andriy recalled the man replying.

☆ Crimea is shaping up to be the battleground that will decide the Russia-Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Crimea is poised to be the next big battlefield, and one that could decide the Ukraine war. "The decisive terrain for this war is Crimea," Ben Hodges, a former commander of US Army Europe, told Insider. Ukraine will "never be safe or secure" if Russia retains control of Crimea, Hodges siad. The fight to retake Crimea could be extremely bloody, in a war that's already led to massive casualties for both sides. President of UkraineUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pledged to expel Russian forces out of all occupied territory, including Crimea.

☆ U.S. military raid in northern Somalia kills a senior ISIS leader and 10 ISIS fighters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A U.S. military operation in northern Somalia killed a senior leader of the Islamic State terrorist group and 10 other ISIS fighters on Wednesday night, according to two senior administration officials. Bilal al Sudani, who the officials described as a key operative and facilitator of the terror group’s global network, was the target of the raid. The only injury the officials reported was a U.S. service member who was bitten by one of the American military service dogs. The operation took place in a mountainous area in northern Somalia and followed months of planning, the officials said. “Our intelligence community expects to glean valuable information from this operation as well, demonstrating our continued emphasis on maximizing intelligence collection,” one official said.

☆ Inside the Biden administration's decision to reverse course and give tanks to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

When he announced his decision to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine, President Joe Biden made a point to say Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had recommended the move. Biden wasn’t initially sold on sending the tanks, despite pressure to do so to give cover to Germany to send Ukraine some Leopard 2 tanks, the officials said. But because Germany had said it would send Leopards to Ukraine if the U.S. agreed to commit tanks, too, the U.S. promise of a future delivery opened the door for Germany to send tanks to Ukraine now. In the case of the tanks, U.S. military leaders argued the Leopards and the U.K.’s Challengers were much better options. Military leaders, namely Milley, also have been more publicly vocal about the importance of potential talks to end the war.

☆ At least 5 Russian men who escaped conscription have been living in Seoul's airport for months, and their refugee status still hangs in the balance: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

At least five Russian men have been living in South Korea's Incheon airport for months. The men told The Post their lives are hanging in the balance: Seoul could still reject their asylum appeal. But I feel this conflict is extremely political," Maraktaev told The Post. Maraktaev then managed to get a flight to South Korea, and he finally landed in Incheon on November 12. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, most of the refugees given a humanitarian visa in South Korea are from Syria and Yemen.

☆ Germany at last green lights sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine after weeks of mounting pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Germany has agreed to send their much-sought-after tanks to Ukraine. "German main battle tanks, further broadening of defense support & training missions, green light for partners to supply similar weapons. Germany has until now been reluctant to send its Leopard 2 tanks or allow other countries with these tanks in their arsenals to send them. A Leopard 2A6 main battle tank of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, participates in the NATO Iron Wolf military exercises on October 26, 2022 in Pabrade, Lithuania. Military experts previously told Insider that these are the right tanks to send to Ukraine at this moment.

☆ Ukraine's 'iron general' inherited $1 million from a US software developer and donated it straight to the military
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Zaluzhnyi donated the full amount to Ukraine's military earlier this month, the reports said. Stepanets was born in the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia in 1938, according to the Ukrainian Pravda. He made his fortune after inventing a decoding system and selling it to Microsoft, the Ukrainian Pravda reported. A former soldier himself, Zaluzhnyi reformed Ukraine's military from a Soviet model into a modern fighting force. "His leadership enabled the Ukrainian armed forces to adapt quickly with battlefield initiative against the Russians."

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