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☆ China's warplanes have all but erased the dividing line in the Taiwan Strait, creating a dangerous new normal
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

AdvertisementChina's warplanes are pressuring Taiwan and have all but eliminated an important dividing line, with near-daily incursions creating a dangerous new normal. Since 2020, Taiwan has released regular, almost daily updates on incursions in its air defense identification zone by Chinese military aircraft. In 2021, the Chinese military flew 972 aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ, and that number nearly doubled in 2022. "We've become desensitized to high numbers of the military aircraft flying across the median line of the Taiwan Strait," Shattuck told Business Insider. AdvertisementChinese incursions are tiring out Taiwan's forcesThe near-daily ADIZ incursions aren't just changing the status quo in the area; they're also exhausting Taiwan's military.

Persons: —, Thomas J, Shattuck, Benjamin Lewis, They're, Nancy Pelosi, We've, hasn't, Lai Ching, of National Defense Yen Teh, Lewis, Lai, Taiwan's, Amanda Hsiao, GAO Organizations: Service, Foreign, Research, deconfliction, Taiwan, Getty, CAP, People's Liberation Air Force, Taiwan's Military News Agency, Anadolu, Getty Images, People's Liberation Army, of National Defense, Democratic Progressive Party Locations: Taiwan, China, AFP, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan's, Getty Images China, Taipei, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan's ADIZ, United States

To date, the pier has been used to move thousands of tons of aid into Gaza, officials have said. The Pentagon acknowledged that there was some Israeli military activity “nearby” to the staging area for the pier but denied that the pier was used in the operation. Humanitarian officials say while any assistance getting into the Gaza strip is useful, the pier is not a sustainable mode for doing so. Even with additional openings, major obstacles to distribution within the Gaza strip remain and humanitarian officials tell CNN that there is still not an effective deconfliction method to protect aid workers. “A very expensive distraction,” one humanitarian aid official said of the pier.

Persons: Cindy McCain, we’re Organizations: CNN, Logistics, Shore, Hamas, Pentagon, CBS, UN, Department of Safety, Security Locations: Gaza, Israel, Ashdod, ”

☆ Here’s what Gaza’s humanitarian aid crisis looks like after eight months of war
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Rachel Wilson | Sana Noor Haq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Here is a breakdown of how the aid crisis has deepened in the territory after 245 days of war. Crossing closures nearly halt all aidIsrael’s restrictions on land routes into Gaza meant aid was barely trickling into the strip. Aid workers say they can barely meet humanitarian demands on the ground. Israeli attacks on aid convoys have sparked fierce condemnation from rights groups, drawing attention to growing Western skepticism of Israel’s war in Gaza. The attacks “reveal fundamental flaws with the so-called deconfliction system, meant to protect aid workers,” according to the report.

Persons: ”, “, ” Raed Redwan, Louise Wateridge, it’s, Trucks, COGAT, Ahmad Salem, Wateridge, “ It’s, Mahmoud Shalabi, ” Mahmoud Shalabi, Shalabi, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, Gaza’s Ministry of Health, UN, US, Pentagon, UNRWA, United Nations, Bloomberg, Getty, Humanitarian Affairs, NGO, Aid, humanitarians, Relief, Human Rights Watch, HRW Locations: Deir al, Gaza, Palestinian, Israel, Rafah, Egypt, Kerem, Wadi Gaza, “

☆ Blinken holds high-stakes meetings in Israel as he ramps up pressure on Hamas to accept ceasefire deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He is expected to meet with senior Israeli government officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. US officials have signaled some optimism about the potential of reaching an agreement to secure a ceasefire and release of the hostages held by Hamas after Israel put forward what Blinken described Monday as an “extraordinarily generous” proposal. Israel is awaiting a response from Hamas before deciding whether to send its own delegation to Cairo. Blinken’s visit is his latest since the deadly Israeli strike on a World Central Kitchen aid convoy in Gaza in early April. “We have not yet seen a plan that gives us confidence that civilians can be effectively protected,” Blinken said Monday.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Blinken, ” Israel “, ”, “, ” Blinken, Biden, Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Israel, Rafah, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Cairo

☆ Middle East Crisis Army Begins Work on Floating Pier Meant to Get More Aid to Gaza, U.S. Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Helene Cooper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

- [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] More than 200 aid workers have been killed in the war in Gaza, according to the United Nations. Weeks before the World Central Kitchen strike, a logistics coordinator for another American aid group called ANERA returned home after distributing supplies. Mousa Shawa was still wearing his ANERA vest when an Israeli strike hit the house, killing him; his 6-year-old son, Kareem; and several neighbors. “We’ve seen tracers going towards the sea.” At this shelter on January 8, the aid group said a projectile was fired through the building, killing a 5-year-old girl. What went wrong in the deconfliction system is still not clear to the aid group.

Persons: “, misclassification, It’s, ANERA, Shawa, Kareem, Mousa, Dua, they’d, they’ve, —, ” Israel, Israel Organizations: Central Kitchen, Washington , D.C, Israel Defense Forces, United Nations, The Times, Hamas, Times, Munitions, Sky News, International Rescue Committee, Aid, “ Locations: Washington ,, Gaza, Israel, Israeli, ANERA, British, U.S

And when Russia invades Ukraine, he immediately decided it was time for World Central Kitchen to step into a war zone. michael barbaroAfter the break, my colleague Adam Rasgon on what happened to the World Central Kitchen workers in that caravan. So Adam, what ends up happening to this convoy that our colleague Kim Severson just described from World Central Kitchen? adam rasgonSo what we know is that members of the World Central Kitchen had been at a warehouse in Deir al-Balah in the Central Gaza Strip. michael barbaroAnd so what is the reaction from not just World Central Kitchen, but from the rest of the world to this airstrike?

Persons: michael barbaro, ” I’m Michael Barbaro, Kim Severson, Adam Rasgon, Kim, kim, José Andrés, you’re, kim severson, tapas, He’s, severson, he’s, kim severson He’s, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Harvey, Maria, Hurricane Maria, José, he’d, Goya, couldn’t, Nobody, there’s, they’ve, — michael barbaro, Chef Olivier, We’re, we’ve, Michael Jordan, Adam, adam rasgon, Al Rashid, Israel, adam rasgon There’s, adam rasgon President Biden, —, David Cameron —, david cameron, adam rasgon —, benjamin netanyahu, adam rasgon — Benjamin Netanyahu, Herzi Halevi, WCK, rasgon, that’s, michael barbaro Adam, it’s Organizations: The New York Times, Hurricane, Army, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, National Guard, Kitchen, Central, Central Kitchen, Gaza, UN, Red Crescent, White, British, IDF, Jerusalem Bureau Locations: Gaza, Haiti, Spanish, America, Washington ,, New York, DC, Miami, Hurricane, Houston, Puerto Rico, José, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lviv, Israel, North Gaza, Great Britain, Asia, Central America, Deir al, Rafah, Palestine, Jerusalem, Cyprus

☆ German warship accidentally opened fire on an American drone, nearly costing the US another Reaper in its Red Sea fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jake Epstein | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A German warship accidentally tried to shoot down a US military combat drone this week. The frigate Hessen targeted the MQ-9 Reaper as it was on a mission around the Red Sea, a US official said. AdvertisementA German warship accidentally targeted an American combat drone that was operating around the Red Sea earlier this week, but a malfunction spared the US from losing another Reaper drone. A missile launches from a US Navy destroyer in the Red Sea earlier this month. Screengrab/US Central Command via XMeanwhile, with this week's engagements — which saw Germany shoot down the two Houthi drones — Berlin joins the US, UK, and France in eliminating deadly threats launched by the rebels.

Persons: —, Boris Pistorius, Sina Schuldt, Aspides, Dwight D Organizations: Service, Berlin's, Airmen, Squadron, Nevada, Air, Bomb, US Air Force, Victoria, US Central Command, Hessen, Getty, Hellfire, Prosperity Guardian, EU, US Navy, Central Command, Eisenhower Carrier Strike Locations: Hessen, American, Sachsen, Germany, Red, Yemen, Russia, France

☆ Israeli forces fired on food convoy in Gaza, UN documents and satellite analysis reveals
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Katie Polglase | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“A convoy that had food on it, heading to the northern parts of the Gaza Strip. In the wake of the strike on February 5, UNRWA decided to stop sending convoys to northern Gaza. The UN estimates that 300,000 people are still living in northern Gaza, with very little assistance. “Because of the level of desperation in Gaza, people would see an aid convoy, they would come to the aid convoy, take the stuff from the aid convoy,” Touma told CNN. “By the time we get the approval, the aid convoy is empty.”Other routes are impassable due to debris and craters, satellite imagery reviewed by CNN shows.

Persons: ” Juliette Touma, CNN’s, Al Rashid, ” Touma, Thomas White, Tom White, “, ” Janina Dill, it’s, ”, Philippa Greer, COGAT, Abed Zagout, Israel “, Craig Jones, ” Jones, ” Gianluca Mezzofiore, Jennifer Hansler Organizations: UN, CNN CNN, United Nations, CNN, UNRWA, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Ministry of Health, Al, X, Oxford University’s Institute for Ethics, Law, US State Department, “, Government, Planet Labs, Food, Getty, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Health Organization, International Court of Justice, Newcastle University Locations: Gaza, Israel, Wadi Gaza, Palestinian, “ Israel, Al, Gaza City, Rafah, Egypt, Anadolu, French, Palestine, United Kingdom

CNN —Ukraine says it has intelligence suggesting only five bodies were delivered from the crash site of a Russian military transport plane to a nearby morgue, a Ukraine military intelligence official told CNN, casting doubt on Moscow’s claim that dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in the explosion. Moscow says the plane was transporting Ukrainian prisoners of war, while Kyiv says it was carrying Russian missiles to be used in further strikes on Ukraine. Ukraine’s military command said it regarded Russian military aircraft approaching Belgorod as legitimate target, but did not confirm it had fired at the plane. Traffic officers block off a road near the crash site of the IL-76 plane outside the village of Yablonovo, Russia, January 24, 2024. Russia has not yet provided evidence that dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were on board the plane that crashed.

Persons: Andriy Yusov, ”, –, Yusov, Stringer, Dmytro Lubinets, Mykola Oleschuk, Reuters Lubinets, Cross, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, “ Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Russian Aerospace Forces, Russian, Reuters, Ukraine, UN, International Committee, Ukraine’s Security Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Russia’s Belgorod, Kyiv, Yablonovo, Russia, Belgorod, Belgorod city, Ukrainian, Kharkiv

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Gaza famine, Houthi attacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Children cry out for food relief in Rafah, Gaza on December 31, 2023. Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua/Getty ImagesIsrael's war in Gaza has brought famine with "such incredible speed," the United Nations’ relief chief told CNN on Monday, as he warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are starving in the besieged enclave. "It's been an extraordinary and holy unwelcome aspect of the Gazan war," he said. Last week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Israel had denied critical supplies from entering northern Gaza. "We worry for the security of Israel as much as the security of Gaza," he said.

Persons: Rizek Abdeljawad, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, It's, Israel, Griffiths, Monday Organizations: Getty, United Nations, CNN, UN, Humanitarian Affairs, Emergency, UN Office, Palestinian, of Health Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Xinhua, Israel

☆ Hundreds of thousands are starving in Gaza as famine arrives at ‘incredible speed,’ UN aid chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Helen Regan | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Israel’s war in Gaza has brought famine with “such incredible speed,” the United Nations’ emergency relief chief told CNN on Monday, as he warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are starving in the besieged enclave. Griffiths told CNN Monday that work to provide humanitarian aid to 300,000 Gazans who remain in the north of the strip continues to be a challenge. “People in Gaza risk dying of hunger just miles from trucks filled with food,” said WFP head Cindy McCain. People wait for food relief in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on December 31, 2023. But the agencies echoed relief chief Griffiths’ warning that humanitarian aid alone cannot reverse the worsening hunger among Gaza’s population.

Persons: CNN —, “, ” Martin Griffiths, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, “ It’s, ”, Israel, Griffiths, Rizek Abdeljawad, Monday, Cindy McCain, Salwa, ” Tibi, Shadi Bleha, Catherine Russell, ” Russell, Phillipe Lazzarini Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, Humanitarian Affairs, Emergency, UN Office, Palestinian, Getty, of Health, Food Programme, UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, World Health Organization, “, Food Security, IPC, Palestine Refugee Agency Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Xinhua, Israel, Palestine

☆ Israeli women and children have been freed by Hamas. But families of other hostages are in limbo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Each weekend since the Hamas attacks, Sherman has taken part in a rally in Tel Aviv for the hostage families. Under the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas, groups of Israeli citizens and other nationals have been freed from Gaza every day since Friday, while Israel has released Palestinian women and children detainees. All of the Israelis released under this deal have been civilian women and children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured on October 28, has indicated he would be open to extending the country's truce with Hamas. Tsafrir Abayov/APA group of Israelis watch as a helicopter carrying hostages released by Hamas lands in Petah Tikva, in Israel, on November 26.

Persons: Israel CNN — Alex Sherman, Ron, Sherman, Yahya Sinwar, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Hamas , Abir, Nadav Eyal, Eyal, Khan Younis, ” Amir Oren, ”, Tsafrir, Leo Correa, Netanyahu, ” Eyal, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Oren, Biden Organizations: Israel CNN, Hamas, CNN, Israeli, Reuters, Palestinian, Israel Defense Forces, Israel Democracy Institute, US, United Nations Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, United States, Qatar, Abir Sultan, Khan, Israel’s, Egypt, Petah Tikva, “ Israel, Sinwar

Iran-backed militias have packed even larger loads of explosives — more than 80 pounds — onto drones launched at American bases, U.S. officials said. “The president has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.”“The United States is fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities,” he added. The United States has 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria, mostly to help local forces fight remnants of the Islamic State. The Biden administration also uses a “deconfliction” line with Russia to try to manage escalation in Iraq and Syria, two officials said. Russia has troops in Syria, and American officials say they expect that telling Russia before a strike in Syria is the same as telling Iran, as Russian officials often inform Tehran of what is coming.

Persons: ratcheting, Biden, Lloyd J, Austin III, ”, Antony J, Blinken, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mr, Khamenei, ” Christine S Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, American, Air Force, Pentagon, U.S, Quds Force, ”, Palestinian, Biden, Sunday, United, Military, Pentagon’s Central Command, National Counterterrorism Center Locations: United States, Syria, Iraq, U.S, Iran, I.R.G.C, Yemen, Israel, Islamic State, Russia, Tehran, Lebanon, Persian, Gaza, Tehran , U.S

☆ Turkey's drones are a big hit in Ukraine, but they're also showing how they can pose a threat to the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 drone has been praised for its performance against Russia in Ukraine. A Bayraktar TB2 drone, purchased in a crowdfunding campaign, displayed at a Lithuanian air base in July 2022. ReutersThe US no doubt supports Turkish drone sales to Ukraine and welcomes the TB2's success against Russian forces. In 2021, the US took issue with Turkey's sale of TB2 armed drones to Ethiopia during the Tigray War. The US government frequently touts its efforts to rally international support for Ukraine, and it undoubtedly welcomes the addition of Turkish TB2s Kyiv's arsenal.

Persons: Turkey's, —, Petras Malukas, TB2, Jodi Eastham, Pat Ryder, Ryder, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Joe Biden, GABRIEL BOUYS, Donald Trump, Biden, Paul Iddon Organizations: Russia, Service, Russian, Ukraine, Reuters, ISIS, Syrian Democratic Forces, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, US Army, Staff, Pentagon, Turkish Foreign Ministry, US, NATO, Getty, Turkish, Government, Islamic Locations: Ukraine, Turkey, Turkish, Kyiv, Ankara, Washington, Russia, Lithuanian, Syria, TB2s, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Ethiopia, Tigray, Kurdistan, Hasakah, United States, Madrid, AFP, Government of Turkey, Islamic State, Iraq, today's

CNN —A Russian surveillance aircraft flew above a US base in Syria for an “extended period of time” on Friday morning in what officials deemed an intelligence collecting mission, a senior defense official said. The official said there was a “lot of protest over the deconfliction line” established with Russia in Syria, which Russia brushed off. Despite the increased aggression from Russian aircraft, the official said there is no apparent willingness to get into an escalation with American forces, nor is there an American desire to engage Russian forces. There has, though, been a “qualitative difference” in Russian military flights in Syria and how they interact with US aircraft, the official said. The growing stability of the Syrian regime may also contribute to the willingness to interact with American aircraft.

Persons: Antonov, would’ve, ”, “ We’re, they’re, “ Organizations: CNN, Al, Force, US, Kremlin, American, US Navy Locations: Russian, Syria, Tanf, Iraq, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Gulf of Oman, Iran, Hormuz, Iranian

CNN —Russian fighter jets harassed an American drone operating over Syria for the second time in two days, according to the US Air Force, a sign of increasing friction between the two countries in Middle East airspace. On Thursday, a US MQ-9 Reaper drone was conducting a mission against ISIS targets in northwest Syria when Russian fighter jets approached, Air Force Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich said in a statement about the incident. Video of the encounter released by Air Force Central Command shows two Russian fighters flying near the US drone. In the Wednesday encounter, the Russian jets dropped parachute flares in front of the US drones, forcing the drones to take evasive maneuvers. In March, a Russian SU-27 fighter jet collided with a US MQ-9 Reaper drone in international airspace over the Black Sea.

Persons: Alex Grynkewich, Michael Andrews, ” Grynkewich, Bashar al, Assad, ”, Brig, Pat Ryder Organizations: CNN, US Air Force, ISIS, Air Force, Air Force Central Command, Coalition, Russian, French Rafale, French Armed Forces, Pentagon Locations: Russian, Syria, Middle East, Iraq, Russia

☆ Video shows Russian fighter jets bullying US Reaper drones with their afterburners and flares
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian fighter jets were captured on video harassing US military drones above Syria. The US Air Force said the MQ-9 Reaper drones were conducting a mission against ISIS Wednesday. US officials have warned that Russian aircraft are increasingly carrying out aggressive actions. An unclassified video published by the Air Force shows some moments of the engagement. "These events represent another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by Russian air forces operating in Syria, which threaten the safety of both US and Russian forces," Grynkewich said.

Persons: —, Alexus Grynkewich, Grynkewich, Michael Kurilla, Russian Su Organizations: US Air Force, ISIS Wednesday, Service, Russian, Islamic State, US Air Forces Central Command, Air Force, ISIS, Central Command, Raptors, Moscow, Islamic Locations: Syria, Russian, Islamic State, Washington

☆ F-22 stealth fighter jets are back in the Middle East as a US commander warns of 'buffoonery' by Russian pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

US Air Force F-22 stealth fighter jets were redeployed to the Middle East in mid-JuneTheir redeployment comes amid repeated cases of aggressive flying by Russian air force pilots. Grynkewich spoke shortly after the US Air Force redeployed F-22s to the Middle East. The US planned to compensate by deploying A-10 attack planes, which are designed to strike ground targets, to the Middle East. A US Air Force A-10C refuels from a KC-135 over the Middle East in April. Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history.

Persons: —, Alexus Grynkewich, Äzzeddin Kasim, Grynkewich, you've, Devin Boyer, Ryan Bohl, RANE, Al, DELIL SOULEIMAN, There's, Bohl, Nicholas Heras, Christopher Ruano, Heras, Su, Paul Iddon Organizations: US Air Force, Russian, Service, Air Force's, US Air Forces Central Command, Wagner Group, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, Pacific, KC, Tech, East, Getty, New Lines Institute, UAE, Russia, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Syria, Russian, Ukraine, Idlib, East, Europe, North Africa, Al Tanf, AFP, United States, Moscow

☆ US sends stealth F-22 Raptors to deter 'unsafe' Russian pilots stirring up trouble in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US military has deployed F-22 stealth fighters to positions in the Middle East. US Central Command indicated the move is to deter aggressive actions by Russian aircraft. Officials have noted several instances in recent months where Russian jets made "unsafe" maneuvers. In recent months, US officials have called attention to several instances in which Russian aircraft appear to have executed aggressive maneuvers around American assets and interests across the Middle East. While the jets send a message, an AFCENT spokesperson told Insider that the "primary purpose" of the fighter jets is to contribute to the ongoing defeat-ISIS mission.

Persons: —, CENTCOM, Alexus Grynkewich, Chris Drzazgowsk, Michael Kurilla Organizations: Command, Russian, Service, Raptors, Central, Air Forces Central, ISIS, . Air Force, REUTERS, Russian Forces, Soviets, Islamic, Air Force, US Locations: East, Europe, North Africa, Central, South Asia, Syria, China

CNN —The US military deployed F-22 fighter jets to the Middle East this week due to concerns about ‘unsafe and unprofessional behavior,’ by Russian aircraft, the US military announced on Wednesday. “Russian Forces’ unsafe and unprofessional behavior is not what we expect from a professional air force. A US Air Forces Central spokesperson said there has been an increase “over the past several weeks” of unprofessional behavior by Russian aircraft. “While the unprofessional and unsafe behavior varies from day to day and pilot to pilot, compared to behavior a year ago, Russian pilots have become significantly more unprofessional and unsafe in their attempts to challenge Coalition enduring defeat-Da’esh operations,” the spokesperson said. “Previously, Russian military leadership in Syria had been willing to comply with agreed upon deconfliction protocols,” they added.

Persons: ”, Michael “ Erik ” Kurilla, Alex Grynkewich, Kurilla, “ Organizations: CNN, “ Russian Forces, 94th Fighter Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, US Air Forces Central, Raptors, US, Russian, Coalition Locations: Virginia, Europe, Ukraine, Syria, Russia

☆ Russian pilots trying to ‘dogfight’ US jets over Syria, US Central Command says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russian pilots are trying to “dogfight” US jets over Syria, according to a spokesman for US Central Command, part of a recent pattern of more aggressive behavior. The attempts have happened in several of the most recent instances of aggressive behavior from Russian pilots, Col. Joe Buccino said. A video released by US Central Command from April 2 shows a Russian SU-35 fighter jet conducting an “unsafe and unprofessional” intercept of a US F-16 fighter jet. That also includes 26 instances in which armed Russian jets flew over US and coalition positions in Syria. Russia subsequently presented state awards to the pilots of the Russian jets.

☆ Russian fighter jets are circling a US airbase in Syria a week after a fiery confrontation between Russian jets and a US drone over the Black Sea: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian fighter jets flew over a US military outpost in Syria 25 times in March, per NBC News. The escalation comes a week after Russian fighter jets clashed with a US drone over the Black Sea. On March 14, two Russian Su-27 fighter jets approached, poured fuel on, and then clipped a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea, forcing the US to down the damaged drone. In Syria, Grynkewich said that Russian jets swarming over the US' At Tanf Garrison outpost has created an "uncomfortable situation." Russian and US troops have both had a military presence in Syria since at least 2015.

☆ Putin wanted to boast about Russia launching a nuclear-capable ICBM — but the launch failed so he couldn't, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A recent Russian test launch of its Sarmat missile appears to have failed, two US officials told CNN. But Putin didn't mention the Sarmat launch in his annual speech, his first since invading Ukraine. The Kremlin tipped off the US in advance about the planned test launch using deconfliction channels, one of the unnamed officials told the outlet. Footage from a prior Sarmat test launch. Russia's most recent notable test launch of the Sarmat missile was in April, just after its invasion of Ukraine began.

☆ How Biden's wartime visit to Kyiv came together
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden's decision to make a risky wartime visit to Kyiv took root after a similarly clandestine mission just two months ago — when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to Washington and addressed a joint meeting of Congress, according to two sources familiar with the matter. But privately, among a small universe of senior officials, the thinking was that this might be the moment to realize a long-held hope among some officials for an even more potent demonstration of U.S. solidarity: having Biden visit Ukraine. "Discussions about possibly going have been underway for months and really accelerated in recent weeks," a senior administration official said. First lady Jill Biden made a surprise Mother's Day visit to western Ukraine, spending two hours in the border town of Uzhhorod to meet first lady Olena Zelenska. But the level of security needed for the president of the U.S. had long been considered incompatible.

☆ How Biden's surprise trip to Kyiv was kept secret - but not from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] President Joe Biden arrives for a surprise visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in Kyiv. After months of planning, Biden on Friday decided to go ahead with the trip, according to the White House. By then it was Sunday night, and Biden's train traveled in the dark with a heavy security presence on board. "It's good to be back in Kyiv," Biden said after stepping off the train. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who accompanied the president, said U.S. officials did notify Russian officials that Biden would be traveling to Kyiv.

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