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☆ Russia is drafting soldiers with 'serious, chronic health conditions' to fight in Ukraine: UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is drafting fighters with chronic health problems to fight in Ukraine, UK intelligence said. "Mobilized reservists have highly likely experienced particularly heavy casualties," it concluded. In an intelligence update Thursday, the ministry addressed the mobilization of reservists by the Russian military in its invasion of Ukraine. Russia ordered the mobilization of around 300,000 reservists in September, after its military suffered heavy casualties in its invasion of Ukraine. Both sides though have sustained heavy casualties.

☆ Russia has crippled half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure and this winter 'will be about survival,' top WHO official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A top WHO official said half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been crippled. Russian forces have relentlessly attacked Ukraine's power grid over the last few weeks. Half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure is either damaged or destroyed," he continued. Kluge said the WHO has verified over 700 attacks on health infrastructure since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. Continued attacks on health and energy infrastructure, he said, means healthcare facilities like hospitals can no longer be operational because they lack electricity, fuel, and water.

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the media after an alleged Russian missile blast in Poland, in Bali, Indonesia, November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden has been adamant that the United States will back Ukraine in its nine-month fight to repel a Russian invasion. We will determine what happened and what the appropriate next steps would be," said White House spokesperson Adrienne Watson. Sullivan, who has been in touch with Russian officials about the risks around the Ukraine invasion, did not make contact in relation to this incident, a White House official said. "It's now just a matter of doing forensics work to determine what kind of missile it was," the official said.

☆ Splits emerge among Ukraine allies over whether Ukraine should negotiate with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Patrick-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Patrick Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON — A split appeared to be opening this week among Ukraine's supporters over whether its government should sit down for peace talks with Russia. He was summing up the feelings of many in the countries bordering Ukraine or Russia. In a separate interview with The Times of London, Lipavský accused Russia of behaving like a 19th century colonial empire. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, in Brussels this week, said the West should not dictate the terms on which Ukraine should negotiate. Michael McFaul, the U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, said that while many would back the idea of peace talks, not everyone would believe Putin would "negotiate in good faith."

☆ Top US general says Russia ignored his call after Poland missile strike — an ominous glimpse at how a future crisis could play out
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gen. Mark Milley said he tried calling his Russian counterpart after a missile hit Poland. The missile strike on the NATO member state sparked concerns that the Ukraine war could escalate. "My staff was unsuccessful in getting me linked up with General Gerasimov," Milley said. In the aftermath of the strike, reports initially said the missile could have been fired by Russia, raising fears of direct military conflict between NATO and Russia. "It is unsettling to learn from General Milley that his counterpart was unreachable or not willing to engage when an explosion occurred in Poland," he added.

[1/3] U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Army General Mark Milley speaks during a news briefing after participating a virtual Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Tom BrennerWASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The top U.S. general on Wednesday said Ukraine's chances of any near-term, outright military victory were not high, cautioning that Russia still had significant combat power inside Ukraine despite suffering battlefield setbacks since its invasion in February. Ukraine has vowed to keep the pressure on Russian forces until it reclaims control of all occupied territory. "The probability of a Ukrainian military victory - defined as kicking the Russians out of all of Ukraine to include what they claim as Crimea - the probability of that happening anytime soon is not high, militarily," Milley told a news conference at the Pentagon. Ukraine is not going to back down," Milley said, adding that Ukraine was free, "and they want to remain free."

☆ Pentagon says Moscow's deliberate targeting of Ukrainian energy grids is a war crime
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon on Wednesday slammed Russia's barrage of missile strikes across Ukrainian cities and said that Moscow's deliberate targeting of energy infrastructure is a war crime. "It was likely the largest wave of missiles that we've seen since the beginning of the war," Milley said, adding that "the deliberate targeting of the civilian power grid, causing excessive collateral damage and unnecessary suffering on the civilian population is a war crime." Austin called Russia's missile and rocket attacks on civilian infrastructure "deliberate cruelty" and called on Moscow to end its "war of choice." They're going to continue that fight until the winter as best we can tell," Milley added. Stoltenberg added that initial assessments found that the incident was caused by an air defense missile launched to "defend Ukrainian territory against Russian cruise missile attacks."

☆ Ukraine dismisses push to compromise with Putin after Kherson retreat
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“Ukrainian servicemen accept no talks, no agreements or compromise decisions,” Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny wrote on Telegram late Monday after a telephone conversation with Milley. Lavrov attended the G-20 leaders' summit in Bali instead of Putin. “They clearly have plans to keep the offensive going,” said Rajan Menon, a director at Defense Priorities, a Washington-based think tank. “It makes perfect sense” for Ukrainian forces to reach the Kinburn Peninsula south of Kherson, gaining a tactical advantage around the Black Sea, he added. “Hard fighting does remain for Ukraine as they seek to liberate occupied territory,” a senior military official said, adding that the U.S. and its allies would “ensure that they have what they need to succeed on the battlefield.”

☆ Ukraine hails China's opposition to nuclear threats
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Zelenskiy, who had earlier visited Kherson, the biggest prize his troops have recaptured since the invasion began in February, welcomed Monday's remarks. "It is important that the United States and China jointly highlighted that the threats of using nuclear weapons were unacceptable," Zelenskiy said in a late Monday address. Zelenskiy said Ukraine had gathered evidence of at least 400 war crimes committed by Russian troops during their occupation of the area, including killings and abductions. Mass burial sites have been found in other parts previously occupied by Russian troops, including some with civilian bodies showing signs of torture. Russia says it is waging a "special military operation" in Ukraine to rid it of nationalists and protect Russian-speaking communities.

"Whatever (the Ukrainians) do, it will be carefully planned, kept secret and will likely be extremely well executed," Ingram added. Some residents in Kherson, meanwhile, are concerned about the risk of Russian shelling of the city once its forces regroup further east. "This Kherson fire support base becomes the anchor to support further manoeuvre by the left flank as it fights its way ... towards Mariupol, Berdyansk, and Melitopol." White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on Friday that the United States would continue to support Ukraine militarily "to put Ukraine in the best possible position on the battlefield" and would not seek to tell it what to do. They still control large parts of Ukraine ... What we should do is strengthen Ukraine's hand," Stoltenberg added.

☆ Why China doesn't actually want to invade Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Biden is trying to reassure Beijing but also trying to deter them from using military force to coerce Taiwan." Biden, however, has gone further, repeatedly asserting that he would respond to a Chinese invasion by committing US troops. For China, the Taiwan threat gives them negotiating leverage with the US and influence over Taiwan's domestic politics. If Congress passes the Taiwan Policy Act, Taiwan will get $6.5 billion in taxpayer money to buy more US-made weaponry. The sanctions that would likely follow an invasion of Taiwan would quickly and severely restrict the country's supply of meat.

The Kremlin’s order for Russian troops to retreat from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and much of its surrounding region may be one of the biggest setbacks yet for President Vladimir Putin's war. Wary Ukrainian leaders have greeted the news with caution rather than celebration, warning Russian forces plan to turn it into a “city of death” filled with mines and bombarded by artillery fire. After more than nine months, the conflict has seen 100,000 troops killed or injured on each side, according to Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Mark Milley, who told an event in New York Wednesday that he believed a Russian retreat was indeed underway. Ukraine retaking the prized port city could mark a decisive moment, Western officials and military analysts said. Here’s what to know about one of the most important developments of the war so far.

☆ More than 100,000 Russian soldiers were 'killed and wounded' and Ukraine's military 'probably' saw similar casualties since the invasion, according to Gen. Mark Milley
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

He estimated that more than 100,000 Russian soldiers were killed and wounded since the invasion. Two days ago, the Ukraine Armed Forces said that more than 77,000 Russian soldiers were killed. "You're looking at well over 100,000 Russian soldiers killed and wounded," Milley said, according to Reuters. The figure did not include wounded soldiers. Amid mounting death tolls, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Wednesday an order for Russian forces in Kherson to retreat across the Dneiper River.

☆ Wives of Russian soldiers showed up at Ukraine border and demanded to take their husbands home, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wives of Russian soldiers traveled to a military base at the Ukrainian border, The Insider reported. They said their husbands were wounded on the front and demanded they be taken out of the country. One woman said if officials don't help, she would go to the front to rescue the soldiers herself. (The Insider is a Russian news outlet and has no affiliation with Insider.) Top US general Mark Milley estimated Wednesday that more than 100,000 Russian soldiers were "killed and wounded" since Russia invaded Ukraine, Reuters reported.

☆ Ex-Putin advisor compares Kherson retreat in Ukraine to the collapse of the Soviet Union, warning of 'really big' consequences
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A former Putin advisor likened Russia's retreat from Kherson to the collapse of the USSR. Sergei Markov, the ex-advisor, said there will be "really big" consequences for this "huge defeat." "Russian sources also emphasized that this is a major defeat for Russian forces because they are losing territory that Russia annexed and claims as its own." The retreat from Kherson is yet another reminder that Russia's forces do not fully occupy or control the Ukrainian regions Putin now claims as part of Russian territory. Ukrainian officials have expressed skepticism over the Kherson withdrawal, with some suggesting it's a trap, but US Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Thursday that "we're seeing the beginnings" of the Russian withdrawal from Kherson.

☆ Gen. Mark Milley: We are experiencing a fundamental change in the character of war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGen. Mark Milley: We are experiencing a fundamental change in the character of warCNBC's Morgan Brennan sits down with Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to discuss how the U.S. is preparing for China's potential invasion of Taiwan.

☆ Russian soldiers in plain clothes are reportedly lingering in Kherson amid fears the retreat is a ploy to ambush Ukrainian troops
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian troops in plain clothes are reportedly lingering in Kherson. Shortly after, a woman in Kherson told BBC News, "I've seen the announcement and I'm really surprised." Ukraine's military earlier this week warned that Russian troops in plain clothes were being moved into homes in Kherson to prepare for street fighting. Russia relocated thousands of Ukrainian civilians from the city as Ukrainian forces gradually advanced. The Russian leader later acknowledged that the mysterious armed men were indeed Russian troops.

☆ Gen. Mark Milley: U.S. will continue to supply Ukraine with the equipment to defeat Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGen. Mark Milley: U.S. will continue to supply Ukraine with the equipment to defeat RussiaCNBC's Morgan Brennan sits down with Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to discuss Russia's retreat from key Ukrainian cities and more.

☆ Explainer: Blood, treasure and chaos: the cost of Russia's war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Following are the main impacts of the war, now in its ninth month:* DEATHThe war has sown death on a level not seen in Europe since World War Two. Besides the military costs, the West has tried to punish Moscow by imposing severe sanctions - the biggest shock to Russia's economy since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Still the impact on Russia's economy is severe - and not yet fully clear. Shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, international oil prices spiked to their highest levels since the records of 2008. In total, about 52 billion euros in military, financial and humanitarian aid had been pledged by Oct. 3 to Ukraine by countries around the world, according to The Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

☆ Winter could be diplomatic opportunity in Ukraine-Russia war, U.S. and Western officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

Some U.S. and Western officials increasingly believe that neither side can achieve all of their goals in the Ukraine war and are eyeing the expected winter slowdown in fighting as an opportunity for diplomacy to begin between Russia and Ukraine, say officials familiar with the matter. “In the winter everything slows down,” said a Western official with direct knowledge of military operations. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan made a surprise visit to Kyiv last week, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top Ukrainian officials. Kherson is the last major front line that could shift before winter, officials said, after which neither side is likely to make large advances. If Ukraine wins in Kherson it could put the Zelenskyy government in a better position to negotiate, U.S. and Western officials said.

☆ Biden's national security advisor held secret talks with Russia warning against using nukes in Ukraine: WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Biden's National Security Advisor held talks with Kremlin officials, per The Wall Street Journal. Jake Sullivan warned Russia against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, its report said. Concerns are growing that Russia could use nuclear weapons as it struggles on the battlefield. The talks came amid concerns that Russia could resort to the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, following a series of setbacks on the battlefield. The New York Times reported last week that Russian military leaders had discussed using them.

☆ Russian military leaders discussed using nukes in Ukraine, a dire possibility that alarmed the US, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian leaders discussed using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, The New York Times reported. Senior US officials told the publication that the group of Russian military leaders had discussed how and when Russia might deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. But US officials did tell the Times that there was no sign that nuclear weapons were being readied for use by Russia. It is not clear when exactly these Russian military conversations took place, but the Times reported that the US government got intelligence about them in mid-October. Putin has annexed territory in east Ukraine, and said Russia would attack the West with nuclear weapons if it sought to interfere.

☆ Ukraine’s Patchwork Air Defense Faces New Threat From Cheap Iranian Drones
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Stephen Kalin | Michael R. Gordon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine is relying on a hodgepodge of air-defense systems to counter the Russian threat from the sky that has intensified with Moscow’s use of drones that Ukraine and Western governments say have been supplied by Iran. Kyiv has pleaded for more air-defense help from the U.S. and other Western backers. The top U.S. military officer, Gen. Mark Milley , and other allied officials have promised to help Ukraine acquire additional systems and connect them into an integrated network. But that assistance is coming slowly, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to continued attacks from drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

The decision to cancel the submarine-launched cruise missile could help President Joe Biden address calls from fellow Democrats to scale back America's nuclear arsenal without sacrificing major components of its nuclear "triad" of nuclear-tipped ground-based inter-continental ballistic missiles, nuclear-capable bomber aircraft and submarine-launched nuclear arms. The Biden administration released three documents on Thursday: the National Defense Strategy, Nuclear Posture Review and Missile Defense Review. Under President Donald Trump's administration, the military made a decision in 2018 to develop a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, with a focus on the threat from Russia. But the Biden administration said in its review the sea-launched cruise missile program (SLCM-N) was unnecessary and would be cancelled because the United States already had the "means to deter limited nuclear use." U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters the military did not need the SLCM-N because there was enough capability in the nuclear inventory already.

☆ Top U.S., Canadian generals discuss Haiti's security situation, Pentagon says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The top U.S. and Canadian generals discussed Haiti's security situation during a call on Wednesday, the U.S. military said in a statement. The office of U.S. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not offer further details on Milley's Haiti discussion with Canada's Chief of Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre. Gangs are currently blockading a key Haitian fuel terminal, leaving the country without gasoline and diesel, and leading to dire shortages of food and clean drinking water, just as the country is facing an outbreak of cholera. Reporting by Phil Stewart; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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