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☆ 'Highly likely' Wagner boss Prigozhin dead but no definitive proof yet -UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - There is not yet definitive proof that Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was onboard a plane that crashed with no survivors earlier this week but it is "highly likely" he is dead, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Friday. "There is not yet definitive proof that Prigozhin was onboard and he is known to exercise exceptional security measures. However, it is highly likely that he is indeed dead," the British ministry said in a defence intelligence update posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. "The demise of Prigozhin would almost certainly have a deeply destabilising effect on the Wagner Group. His personal attributes of hyper-activity, exceptional audacity, a drive for results and extreme brutality permeated Wagner and are unlikely to be matched by any successor."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Dimitry Utkin, Valery Chekalov, Kylie MacLellan, Farouq Suleiman, Kate Holton Organizations: Britain's Ministry of Defence, Wagner Group, Thomson Locations: Moscow

General Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, visits the Joint Headquarters of the Russian armed forces involved in military operations in Ukraine, in an unknown location in Russia, in this picture released December 17, 2022. His reported removal suggests the authorities found fault with his behaviour, but the details of his alleged wrongdoing remain unknown. Surovikin earned the nickname "General Armageddon" during Russia's military intervention in Syria for the brutal tactics he employed there. He was placed in charge of Russian military operations in Ukraine last October, but in January that role was handed to General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, and Surovikin was made a deputy to Gerasimov. Afzalov was previously deputy to Surovikin and has been chief of staff of the Aerospace Forces for at least four years, according to British military intelligence.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Russian Air and Space Forces Sergei Surovikin, Viktor Afzalov, General Valery Gerasimov, Afzalov, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, RBC, Telegram, Ministry of Defence, Russian Air and Space Forces, Main Staff of, Air Force, Reuters, Aerospace Forces, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Kremlin, MOSCOW, Moscow, Syria, Gerasimov, Surovikin

☆ Ukraine is re-engineering a 36-foot-long Soviet-era missile system to strike inside Russia, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine is repurposing the Soviet-era S-200 surface-to-air missile system to strike inside Russia. The weapon, which weighs 7.5 tons and is 36 feet long, is used for ground attacks, the UK MoD says. The weapon also called the S-200 surface-to-air missile system, weighs 7.5 tons and is 36 feet long. Forbes reported in July that Kyiv might be repurposing the obsolete weapons for ground attacks to replace its diminishing stockpile of Tochka ballistic missiles. A video showed what appears to be a V-860 or V-880 missile, the munition used in the S-200 system, hitting the ground in Bryansk Oblast in Russia, just north of the border with Ukraine.

Persons: Forbes, Vladimir Putin Organizations: MoD, Russia's Aerospace Forces, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, GAMMON Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, Moscow, Kyiv, Bryansk Oblast, Crimea

☆ Ukraine sends its US-supplied Stryker combat vehicles into battle for the first time in the counteroffensive against Russia, say reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Stryker combat vehicle is officially in action near the Zaporizhzhia frontline. The US-supplied vehicles can be outfitted with various weapons and move quickly while carrying soldiers. Its impressive arsenal includes 90 US-supplied Stryker vehicles, 40 German-produced Marders, 24 US M113 infantry carriers, as well as 14 British Challenger tanks, Politico reported. A US Army Stryker armored vehicle fires a Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided missile at Fort Polk in Louisiana in June 2009. There are 18 variants of the combat vehicle, and more than 4,900 have been built in the last 20 years by General Dynamics.

Persons: –, Jimmy Rushton, Michael Clarke, Victor Ayala Organizations: Stryker, Service, Air Assault Brigade, Kyiv Post, 82nd Brigade, NATO, US, British Challenger, Politico, Challenger, US Army Stryker, US Army, Spc, Pentagon, Kyiv, General Dynamics, New York Times, Ministry of Defence, Russian Federation Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Zaporizhzhia Region, Kyiv, Fort Polk, Louisiana, Zaporizhzhia

CNN —Russia has barred 54 more British citizens from entering the country, in response to the UK’s sanctions against its citizens and enterprises, according to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The sanctions list includes several government ministers as well as journalists from public broadcaster the BBC, the Guardian newspaper and the Daily Telegraph newspaper. “We would like to emphasize again that any efforts by London to further spin the anti-Russian sanctions flywheel will inevitably receive a decisive response from our side,” the Russian ministry said in a statement. Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan. Vanessa Jimenez/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesIn February, Khan submitted applications to the ICC for warrants of arrest for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova.

Persons: “, Karim Khan, Vanessa Jimenez, Khan, Vladimir Putin, Rights Maria Lvova, Lucy Frazer, Frazer, Goldie Organizations: CNN, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BBC, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Criminal, Anadolu Agency, ICC, Russian, Rights, State for Culture, Media, Sport, Olympic, State, British Ministry of Defence Locations: Russia, ”, London, Belarus, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine says it downed 2 Ka-52 attack helicopters, which Russia calls the world's best, in a single morning
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine said it shot down two Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters on Thursday morning. But Ukraine has been fighting back: Independent weapons monitoring group Oryx said 40 Ka-52 helicopters have been confirmed as damaged or destroyed through visual evidence. The group added that in total 88 Russian helicopters have been confirmed as destroyed in Ukraine, with 12 more damaged and one captured. Insider reported in November 2022 that Ka-52s have been used more than any other attack helicopter by Russia in its full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022. Nico Lange, a Ukraine expert at the Munich Security Conference, told The Economist that Ka-52 attack helicopters are being picked off "piece by piece" by Ukrainian forces, in a sign that Ukraine is now making progress in its counteroffensive efforts.

Persons: Mykola Oleshchuk, Insider's Rebecca Rommen, Nico Lange Organizations: UK intel, Service, 47th Mechanized Brigade, Facebook, NATO, Kremlin, UK Ministry of Defence, Munich Security Conference Locations: Ukraine, UK, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Russia, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine is figuring out how to destroy the Ka-52 helicopters and mobile artillery holding back its offensive, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine is picking off Russia's Ka-52 helicopters and self-propelled artillery, an expert said. Nico Lange, a Ukraine expert at the Munich Security Conference, said Ukraine's counteroffensive, which began in June, had started to make more progress in the last two weeks. And that number does not include two Ka-52 helicopters that Ukraine said it shot down on Thursday morning. Oryx also records 350 destroyed pieces of Russian self-propelled artillery, with 29 more damaged, seven abandoned, and 10 captured. But Lawrence Freedman, a war expert at the UK's King's College London, told The Economist that Ukraine is making progress.

Persons: Nico Lange, Russia's, Insider's Rebecca Rommen, Oleksii Reznikov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Lawrence Freedman Organizations: Service, Munich Security, UK Ministry of Defence, NATO, Kremlin, King's College London, Economist Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine hit 2 key bridges with powerful Storm Shadow missiles, and just got a load more of them from France
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine shared images of French-supplied SCALP-EG missiles the day it struck two Crimean bridges. The SCALP-EG, France's version of the Storm Shadow, is a powerful air-launched cruise missile. That same day, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense released images confirming the arrival of SCALP-EG missiles — the French version of the Storm Shadow. Ukraine announced it had damaged two Crimean bridges with a Storm Shadow missile on August 7, 2023 Ministry of Defense of UkraineThe SCALP-EG missile is France's version of the Storm Shadow, which the UK started to give to Ukraine earlier this year. In the tweet, Ukraine said that Russians had only "found" the missiles when the Crimean bridges were struck by them.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Le, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Saldo, Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko Organizations: Storm, Service, Ukraine, Storm Shadow, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, of Defense, Ukraine's Air Forces Day, Eiffel, —, Times, UK's Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Crimean, France, Ukrainian, Kherson, —, Henichesk, London, Russia

☆ Storm Shadow missiles give Ukraine 'a much longer stick,' but Russia is already learning to adapt, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Storm Shadow cruise missile is the latest highly touted weapon employed by Ukraine. Some observers believe Storm Shadow will be crucial to Ukraine's counteroffensive. The missile's 155-mile range allows Ukrainian jets to launch it while staying out of range of Russian air defenses. A British Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 loaded with four Storm Shadow missiles during a test over the Atlantic Ocean. Storm Shadow missiles, while effective, have a "very similar capability with a very similar payload used very much against the targets that ATACMS would have been used against," Kofman said on the podcast.

Persons: Storm Shadow, Michael Kofman, Cpl Mark Parkinson, HIMARS, we've, Kofman, Serhii, You'd, Biden, ATACMS, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Carnegie Endowment, International, Royal Air Force Tornado, Storm, UK Ministry of Defence, Getty, MGM, Tactical Missile, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, France, Russian, Crimea, Kyiv, Kherson, Forbes

☆ Ukrainian troops finish training on 'formidable' AS90 self-propelled artillery that can wipe out Russian targets from 18 miles away, UK says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Earlier this year, the British government promised to send Ukraine AS90 self-propelled howitzers. An AS90 self-propelled howitzer has an effective range of around 30 kilometers (18.6 miles). After completing their seven-week training course, Ukrainian artillery recruits will be sent back home, according to the MoD's update and Forces News. "The program is part of the UK's enduring commitment to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia," the MoD added. In May, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Britain's support for his country will "never waver."

Persons: 000 U Organizations: Ukraine, Ministry of Defence, Service, British Ministry of Defence, Forces, Russia, MoD, — Ministry of Defence Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine

☆ Britain investigates after Mali gets defence emails meant for Pentagon
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - UK authorities said on Friday they were investigating defence ministry emails that were mistakenly sent to the wrong recipient, after reports that messages intended for U.S. military intelligence ended up with Russian ally Mali. Ministry of Defence officials were trying to contact the Pentagon, whose domain name is ".mil", but accidentally sent the mails to Mali, which has the domain name ".ml", the Times newspaper reported. Britain said the information that was mistakenly shared was not highly sensitive. "We have opened an investigation after a small number of emails were mistakenly forwarded to an incorrect email domain," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, without confirming the domain's name. "All sensitive information is shared on systems designed to minimise the risk of misdirection," the spokesperson said.

Persons: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan romcom, Alistair Smout, John Stonestreet Organizations: Ministry of Defence, Pentagon, Times, MoD, BBC, Britain's MoD, Thomson Locations: Mali, Russia, France, Britain, U.S

☆ The UK has been accidentally sending classified information to Russian-allied Mali because of a one-letter typo in a domain name: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

British officials have been accidentally sending emails containing classified information to Mali. Millions of US military emails were sent to Mali due to the same error, the FT previously reported. Officials from the UK Ministry of Defence have also been sending emails containing classified information to Mali because of the same mistake, per The Times, which saw five emails from UK email addressess. Earlier this month, the Financial Times reported that millions of US military emails had been accidentally sent to Mali. Representatives from the UK Ministry of Defence and the Malian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: they're, It's, Johannes Zuurbie Organizations: Service, US, UK Ministry of Defence, The Times, Times, Financial Times, Wagner, Kremlin Locations: Mali, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Dutch, Russia, Mali ., Malian

☆ Russia is using heavily modified Ka-52M aircraft in Ukraine and has equipped its fleet with long-range anti-tank missiles, says UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ka-52 attack helicopters have given Russia a strong advantage in Ukraine, the UK MOD said. Russia has now started using heavily modified versions of the aircraft in southern Ukraine, it said. Dutch open-source intelligence group Oryx said that 38 Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters have been visually confirmed as lost since the start of the invasion. Insider reported in November 2022 that the helicopters had been used more than any other attack helicopter by Russia in its invasion. At that time, more than 25% of the Russian Air Force's in-service Ka-52 fleet had been shot down, the UK MOD said.

Organizations: MOD, Service, Russia, UK Ministry of Defence, NATO, Russian Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, Syria

CNN —The leader of Niger has reportedly been seized by members of the presidential guard, triggering warnings from regional powers a coup is underway. They said heavily armed members of the Presidential Guard began assembling outside the Presidential Palace early on Wednesday morning. The journalist observed roughly twenty members of the Presidential Guard outside the palace complex later in the day. A statement on the presidency’s social media channels said President Mohamed Bazoum is “doing well.” CNN cannot verify the statement. Boureima Hama/AFP/Getty ImagesNigerian president Bola Tinubu – the current chair of ECOWAS – has also issued a statement condemning “unpleasant developments” in Niger.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, ”, Boureima, Bola Tinubu, –, Tinbu, Bazoum Organizations: CNN, West African States, “, Presidential Guard, Republic, Army, National Guard, “ ECOWAS, United States Africa Command, Reuters, Agence France, Presse, country’s Ministry of Defence, Ministry, Interior, la Republique, Agency, Getty Images, ECOWAS Locations: Niger, Niamey, ”, West, Republic, United, AFP, “, Rue, Boureima Hama, Republic of Niger, West Africa, France

☆ Russia had a super-advanced air defense system within 300 meters of a drone attack in Moscow, but failed to shoot it down
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A drone attack close to Russia's Defence Ministry on Monday left two buildings damaged. But less than 300 meters away from the attack, Russia has an air defense system, Radio Liberty reported. The defense system was not activated on the morning of the attack, eyewitnesses told Radio Liberty. "As for the development of the defense system, ensuring its more intensive work, this is a question for the Ministry of Defense." Ukraine has not formally accepted responsibility for the attack, though one unnamed intelligence official told CNN that Kyiv was behind it.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Mykhailo Fedorov Organizations: Russia's Defence, Radio Liberty, Service, Russia, Drones, Russia's Ministry of Defence, Pravda, Ministry of Defense, Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ukraine, Ukrainian Pravda, CNN, Kyiv Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Moscow —, Russian, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ China is sending enough military gear, including drones, to Russia to equip an army, thanks to a loophole in the West's attempts to stop Putin's war machine: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian buyers are ordering significant amounts of Chinese military equipment, Politico reported. Russia has imported more than $100 million of drones from China this year alone, the report found. China has repeatedly denied sending military equipment to Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But the US said it had not seen any evidence that China had given Russia weapons or lethal aid. Ukraine is also a customer for Chinese weapons, though Politico reported that its imports of many types of Chinese equipment have plummeted in 2023.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, hasn't, Helena Legarda Organizations: Politico, Service, Privacy, China, Ukraine, The Washington Post, Win, UK Ministry of Defence, Mercator Institute for China Studies Locations: Russia, China, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Shanghai, Russian, Bakhmut

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Wheat prices jump as Russia terminates Black Sea grain deal; two dead in Crimea bridge blast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Russia is suffering from a shortage of counter-battery radars, the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence reported in its daily intelligence update on Twitter. Russian military forces in Ukraine rely heavily on counter-battery technology to intercept Ukrainian artillery fired at their positions. "Russia is suffering from a worsening shortage of counter-battery radars, especially its modern ZOOPARK-1M. Only a handful of the originally deployed ZOOPARK fleet are likely to remain operational in Ukraine," the MoD wrote in its post. "The priority Popov apparently gave to this problem highlights the continued centrality of artillery in the war," it added.

Persons: Major Ivan Popov, Popov, — Natasha Turak Organizations: Ministry of Defence, Twitter, Arms Army, MoD Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Russia's massive exploding tank bombs make a big boom but don't do much damage, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is filling armored vehicles with explosives and directing them at Ukraine's troops, the UK MOD said. The MOD said there was a good chance Chechen forces were pioneering the use of the tactic. According to the UK MOD, most uses of this tactic have been recorded near Marinka, a city in eastern Ukraine that has been obliterated in the fighting. "There is a realistic possibility that Chechen forces are pioneering the tactic," the MOD said. Chechen forces have mostly been operating outside of Russia's military command during the conflict, but recently signed contracts with Russia's defense ministry to be brought under the ministry's control.

Persons: hasn't, Romanov_92, Mark Hertling, Sam Fellman Organizations: MOD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, Twitter, Chechen Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Marinka, Ukraine

☆ Russia wants to tempt back the talented youth who ditched it for invading Ukraine, but hasn't figured out how, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Thousands, if not millions, of Russians have fled the country since it invaded Ukraine last year. Russian officials are now trying to get them to return, The Moscow Times reported. Now Russian officials are trying to lure them back, The Moscow Times reported. One politician suggested that Russians who come back should be investigated for treason, the report highlighted as an example. The Moscow Times reported that this prompted more Russian officials to make new open calls for citizens to come back.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, they've Organizations: Moscow Times, Service, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia

☆ The Storm Shadow missile is 'absolutely critical' to Ukraine's counter-offensive, say experts. But Ukraine needs to use it carefully.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ukraine has received powerful Storm Shadow missiles from the UK, and appears to be putting them to use. A hole in the Chonhar bridge that connects Russian-held Kherson to Crimea, which Russia says was caused by a Storm Shadow missile strike. When that happens, "Storm Shadow will be absolutely critical in making it difficult for the Russians to react," he said. An RAF 41 Squadron Tornado GR4, preparing to test fire four Storm Shadow missiles over the Atlantic Ocean. Celebrity weaponsThere's no doubt that when wielded effectively, the Storm Shadow is a major piece of the counter-offensive puzzle.

Persons: Ben Wallace, Michael Clarke, Marina Miron, Clarke, Vladimir Saldo, Ukraine's, Jake Epstein, hasn't, It's, Oleksii Reznikov, Oleksii, Miron, Cpl Mark Parkinson, Ukraine ATACMS Organizations: Russian, Service, Royal United Services Institute, Storm, Defence Studies Department, London's King's, Storm Shadow, Raytheon, Russia's Ministry of Defense, Ukraine Defence, Forbes, 7th Bomber Regiment, UK Defence, RAF, Squadron Tornado, UK Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Defence, Street Journal Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Kherson, Crimea, Berdyansk, Russian, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian, Soviet, West

☆ Pardoned Wagner convicts are once again committing crimes, and Russian authorities are trying to cover it up, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former prisoners pardoned after fighting with the Wagner Group in Ukraine have returned to Russia. Some, including those convicted of murder, are committing violent crimes again, per Russia's Verstka. And Russian authorities are trying to hide the cases, including in court documents, it reported. Independent Russian outlet Verstka said it discovered recent cases against former Wagner fighters when it looked at court documents. UK intelligence said in March that half of all Russian prisoners recruited to fight in Ukraine had likely been killed or wounded.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Verstka, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Independent, Internal Affairs, CBS News, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Independent Russian, Russian, Moscow, Belarus

☆ Russia is failing to look after its injured soldiers, with around half of deaths preventable and military hospitals likely being reserved for officers, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is "struggling with a crisis of medical combat provision," a UK intelligence update said. Up to half of fatalities were preventable, and hospitals are likely being reserved for officers, it said. As a result, "Russia is almost certainly struggling with a crisis of medical combat provision," it said. It also said that claims made by a Russian official that up to 50% of Russia's combat fatalities were preventable are likely true. "Very slow casualty evacuation, combined with the inappropriate use of the crude in-service Russian combat tourniquet, is reportedly a leading cause of preventable fatalities and amputations," it said.

Organizations: MOD, Service, Russia, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian

☆ Ukraine spy chief says nuclear threat at Zaporizhzhia plant subsiding
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Major General Kyrylo Budanov, chief of the Military Intelligence of Ukraine, speaks during an interview with Reuters, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoKYIV, July 6 (Reuters) - Ukraine's military spy chief said on Thursday that the threat of a Russian attack on the vast Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was receding, but that it could easily return as long as the facility remained under occupation by Moscow's forces. The intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, made the comment in an interview with Reuters after days of warnings by Ukrainian and Russian officials accusing each other of plotting an attack at Europe's largest nuclear plant. Budanov did not give details of what had been done to reduce the threat, or what it consisted of. "Sorry I can't tell you what happened recently but the fact is that the threat is decreasing", he said.

Persons: Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, It's, let's, Tom Balmforth, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Military Intelligence, Reuters, REUTERS, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Valentyn, KYIV, Bakhmut

☆ IAEA has seen no sign of explosives at Zaporizhzhia yet, more access needed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Francois Murphy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday accused each other of plotting to stage an attack on Europe's biggest nuclear power plant, where the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned of potential catastrophe from nearby military clashes. "The IAEA experts have requested additional access that is necessary to confirm the absence of mines or explosives," it added. loadingIt was not clear from the IAEA statement why the agency wanted access to those two reactor units' rooftops. The IAEA said it was aware of reports that mines and other explosives have been placed in and around the plant. "With military tension and activities increasing in the region where this major nuclear power plant is located, our experts must be able to verify the facts on the ground," the IAEA said.

Persons: Francois Murphy, Alex Richardson, Conor Humphries Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, British Ministry of Defence, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, Russian, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Chinese military delegation visited UK, France - ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, July 1 (Reuters) - A Chinese military delegation visited the Britain and France from June 24 to Saturday to discuss the development of bilateral defence relations, China's Ministry of Defence said on Saturday. The delegation of the People's Liberation Army's defence strategy consultation exchanged in-depth views on international and regional security issues of common concern, and enhanced mutual understanding and trust, the ministry said in a statement. Reporting by Beijing News Room; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: William Mallard Organizations: China's Ministry of Defence, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Britain, France

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