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☆ US military completes withdrawal from Niger
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The US military completed its withdrawal from Niger on Sunday, US Africa Command announced in a news release. The US had previously said that the withdrawal would be complete by September 15. The withdrawal comes months after Niger’s military government — which took power in a coup in 2023 — ended an agreement signed with the US that allowed military personnel and civilian staff from the Department of Defense to operate in Niger. A Niger military spokesman said in March that the agreement “is not only profoundly unfair in its substance but it also does not meet the aspirations and interests of the Nigerien people.”The announcement was made just days after a US delegation visited Niger in March. Those concerns were only furthered when, weeks after Niger announced the end of its military agreement with the US, Russian forces were operating out of the same military base as US troops in the country.

Persons: Sabrina Singh, ” AFRICOM, ”, —, Major Amadou Abdramane, Michael Langley, Celeste Wallander, “, ” Abdramane, Singh, Russia “, ” Langley, Chris Maier Organizations: CNN, Africa Command, Air Base, US, Pentagon, U.S . Africa, Department of Defense, US Special Forces, ” CNN, US Africa Command, American, Russian Federation, Niger, Islamic State, US Department of Defense, Nigerien Ministry of National Defense Locations: Niger, Niamey, Agadez, U.S, Nigerien, Russia, Africa, Russian, al Qaeda

☆ Russian forces are operating at same base as US troops in Niger
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Russians have been using a separate hangar on the base, known as Air Base 101, the sources said, and are not operating in the same space as the Americans. They also raised questions about the future of Air Base 101 and whether it would be ceded to the Russians, CNN previously reported. Reuters first reported that the Russians troops had entered Air Base 101. Russian media reported on April 11 that Russia was sending equipment and 100 military trainers to Niger, though one of the sources said Russian troops were in the country well before April. More than half of the US troops stationed at the French military base in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, have now left the country and relocated to Germany.

Persons: Michael Langley, Celeste Wallander, Sabrina Singh Organizations: CNN, Russian, Air Base, US Africa Command, Nigerien, Pentagon, Reuters, Russia’s Defense Locations: Niger, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Chad, N’Djamena, Germany

☆ Ukraine is defying the US over strikes on Russian oil refineries. Experts say it's a necessary risk.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

While the US dithered over aid, Ukraine had a robust argument for prosecuting the war pretty much as it pleased. "Taking out a particular refinery is not going to immediately undermine Russia's war effort," said Dailey, the RAND strategist. "But consistently putting pressure on Russia's oil sector would have a significant impact on Russia's ability to fight this war." AdvertisementVakulenko, in his article, also noted that that strikes on Russian oil refineries have "little impact on Russian export earnings." Later, Ukraine said that its attacks had reduced Russian oil production and processing by 12%.

Persons: —, Ann Marie Dailey, Rafael Loss, Joe Biden's, Marina Miron, Dailey, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Olga Tokariuk, Tokariuk, Donald Trump, Miron, Whittling, Celeste Wallander, Lloyd Austin, Sergey Vakulenko, There's, Sir Tony Radakin, Biden, James Patton Rogers, Patton Rogers Organizations: Service, White, Telegraph, Business, RAND Corporation, European Council, Foreign Relations, Washington Post, Department of, King's College, London's, House, Carnegie, RAND, Financial, Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Krasnodar, King's College London, Russia

☆ New US military aid package to Ukraine expected to be worth around $1 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration is preparing a new aid package for Ukraine that is expected to be worth around $1 billion, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN, and is set to be approved by President Joe Biden after the Senate passes a new foreign aid funding bill as soon as Tuesday afternoon. In briefings to Congress in recent weeks, administration officials have indicated that the US will likely send Ukraine long-range ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile Systems, for the first time as part of the new aid package, three of the sources said. Ukrainian officials have been asking the US both in private and in public for the long-range missile to target deeper behind Russian lines. Broadly, Russia has maintained a “significant quantitative advantage” over Ukraine in terms of munitions, manpower and equipment, a NATO official said earlier this month. The military aid will be sourced from the US’ own stockpiles through a funding mechanism known as presidential drawdown authority, or PDA, and will be the first PDA package for Ukraine since March.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Joe Biden, Bill Burns, Chris Cavoli, Sen, Mark Warner, we’ve, ” Warner, Bradley, ” Celeste Wallander Organizations: CNN, Senate, Army Tactical Missile Systems, US, CIA, NATO, Senate Intelligence, CBS, Pentagon, White, Command Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Europe, Russia

☆ Russia's artillery advantage over Ukraine will double in only a matter of weeks as shortages bite, top US general in Europe warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia artillery advantage in the Ukraine war is set to double soon, a top US general said. AdvertisementUS European Command's Gen. Chris Cavoli says Russia's artillery advantage over Ukraine will double within weeks as the latter's supply shortages persist. Ukraine had the artillery advantage last summer, but now it is firing about 2,000 shells while Russia hammers its positions with 10,000 shells each day. AdvertisementUkraine's military has been heavily reliant on drones as alternatives to artillery shells. "It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war," Zelenskyy said last Sunday.

Persons: —, Chris Cavoli, we're, Cavoli, Caesar, Celeste Wallander, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Armed, Separate Artillery Brigade, REUTERS, Defense, International Security Affairs, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Europe, Kharkiv

The intensifying military cooperation between Russia and Niger is central to the dispute between the US and the Nigerien junta, officials said. Russia and Niger agreed to strengthen their military ties in January, Russia’s Defense Ministry said at the time. If the US were forced to withdraw, counterterrorism efforts across the region could take a hit, officials said. In return, Russia is profiting off the region’s natural resources, another official said, including the gold mines in Niger. Several European countries shared this goal, offering a measure of support to the junta, the official noted.

Persons: Michael Langley, Celeste Wallander, Col, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Langley, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, what’s, Nusrat al, “ Organizations: CNN, US Africa Command, Air Base, American, Nigerien, Russia’s Defense, EU, Pentagon, Kremlin, West, Russian Federation, National Council, Wagner, US Locations: Africa, Russia, Africa . Niger, Niger, United States, America, Nigerien, Sahel, stoking, China, Russian, Central Africa, ”, Niamey, US, Agadez, Mali, Burkina Faso, Abdramane, Western Africa, Northwest Africa

☆ Ukraine says it can't fire more than 2,000 shells a day as Western allies fail to meet pledges: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine is limited to firing 2,000 artillery shells a day, roughly one-third of Russia's capacity, the country's defense minister, Rustem Umerov, said in a letter seen by Bloomberg. While Ukraine's Western allies stall, and US military aid is held up in Congress, Russia has ramped up production. AdvertisementMartin Herem, commander of Estonia's defense forces, told Bloomberg last week that he believes Russia is now capable of producing several million shells a year. Shell hunger is not a new problem for Ukraine — throughout the last year, soldiers often reported having to husband their ammunition supplies. Alongside further appeals to its allies, Ukraine has, in recent months, been refocusing on its domestic military production capacities.

Persons: Rustem Umerov, Umerov, Boris Pistorius, Celeste Wallander, Martin Herem Organizations: Bloomberg, EU, Politico, Ukraine —, Times, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Congress, Russia, London

☆ Ukraine looks to be losing the 'battle for ammunition,' and its forces are being massively outshot by the Russians
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewNearly two years into Russia's war against Ukraine, and it appears to have the upper hand in a key fight: the ammunition battle. Ultimately, Ukraine's "ammunition challenge is rooted in increasing defense production," Wallander told reporters Tuesday. "Russia's war in Ukraine has become a battle for ammunition, so it is important that Allies refill their own stocks, as we continue to support Ukraine." AdvertisementEfforts to boost ammunition production are not just limited to NATO, either. "We also discussed the launch of new production lines for weapons and ammunition in Ukraine — at our enterprises and together with partners," he said.

Persons: —, Celeste Wallander, Dmytro Smolienko, Wallander, Archer, Jens Stoltenberg, Ukraine's, NATO's, Stoltenberg, Libkos, ISW, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden, ROMAN PILIPEY, Pat Ryder Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Business, Armed Forces, American, Publishing, Getty, The New York Times, NATO, Tuesday, Russia, Institute for, Assault Brigade, European Union, 45th Artillery Brigade, Getty Images Pentagon, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Donetsk Oblast, NATO, Bakhmut District, Donetsk Region, Kyiv, Donetsk, AFP, Washington

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