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CNN —A top Russian general who went missing after the mercenary group Wagner’s insurrection in June has been fired from his role as head of the country’s aerospace forces, Russian state media reported Wednesday citing unnamed sources. Gen. Sergey Surovikin has spent four decades as part of the Russian military, including a brief stint running Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. A Russian lawmaker said in July that Surovikin is “resting.”Documents shared with CNN in June suggested that Surovikin was a secret VIP member of Wagner. As the head of the aerospace forces, Surovikin oversaw the Kremlin’s campaign in Syria, during which Russian combat aircraft were accused of causing widespread devastation in rebel-held areas. Surovikin’s official bio on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website still lists him as the head of the aerospace forces.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sorovikin, Gen, Viktor Afzalov, Surovikin’s, Ivan Popov, Vladimir Putin, Gleb Irisov, –, ” Irisov, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, Alexey Venediktov Organizations: CNN, The New York Times, RIA Novosti, Aerospace Forces, Moscow’s Defense Ministry, Kremlin Press Office, Russian, Human Rights Watch, Getty, Ministry of Defense, RBC, Russian Defense, Russian Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kerch, Crimean, Russia, Afghanistan, Syria, Moscow, AFP

☆ A Backfire bomber being blown apart deep inside Russia's territory is the latest in a string of glaring failures to protect its strategic bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Last weekend, an apparent drone strike destroyed a prized Russian Tu-22M3 Backfire bomber. The attack occurred far from the front lines of the war and may have been launched from inside Russia. The strike on a vulnerable Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire bomber is part of a growing list of Russian failures to protect its critical bases and vital aerial assets. If that's the case, it may speak to both Ukraine's expanding ability to threaten domestic Russian air bases and Russia's inability to protect them. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the aftermath of the Tu-22M3 attack, there's a question of how Russia might adapt.

Persons: — Engels, Samuel Bendett, they're, Bendett, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, It's, Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko Organizations: Service, Russian Defense Ministry, Aviation, Center for Naval Analyses, Russia, Russian Aerospace Forces, NATO, Russian Defence Ministry, Kremlin, Nazi, Getty, Internal Affairs, Mobility Artillery, Systems Locations: Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Saratov, Ryazan, Moscow, Novgorod Oblast, Russia's, Nazi Germany, AFP, Murmansk, Finland

☆ Russia scrambles jets to force reconnaissance drones off Crimea -defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Aug 22 (Reuters) - Russia's air force scrambled two jets to force two drones to stop reconnaissance near the Crimean peninsula, the Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday. "On August 22, the flight of two unmanned aerial vehicles MQ-9 Reaper and TB2 Bayraktar carrying out aerial reconnaissance in the area of the Crimean Peninsula was recorded over the Black Sea by means of the airspace control of the Russian Aerospace Forces," the ministry said. According to the statement, Russia scrambled two jets forcing the drones "to change the direction of the flight and leave the areas of aerial reconnaissance". Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bayraktar, Maxim Rodionov, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Russian Aerospace Forces, Thomson Locations: Crimean, Russia

☆ 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

☆ Fact Check-Video of traffic jam in Ukraine predates Putin's promise to retaliate for Crimean bridge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

As a result of the attack, a Russian couple were killed and their 14-year-old daughter wounded. Later on Monday Russia's President Vladimir Putin said his defence ministry was preparing proposals for a response (here). Posted to Twitter and Facebook, the video shows a traffic jam that users allege shows people living in Kyiv reacting to the potential threat by fleeing the Ukrainian capital. However the same video (here) can be traced back to at least Aug. 22, 2022. The video was filmed and published before the blast on the Crimean bridge in 2023.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Read Organizations: Twitter, Facebook, Russian Aerospace Forces, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Moscow, Ukrainian, Russian, Kyiv, “

☆ 'Chaos' is fueling fights among Putin's top commanders. These are the players battling for power.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

More than three weeks after the historic challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin's authority, there's still internal power plays and high-level purges in motion. "We are seeing a lot of military formations and military figures that are pushing for their own objectives." For example, in Kadyrov's case, he may be pushing for control to shield his fighters from the battlefield in Ukraine and send conventional Russian forces instead. Consequences for disobedienceInsubordination against Moscow's military leadership, such as Teplinsky's criticisms or the Wagner's rebellion, has undermined Russian military leaders but has also come with consequences for members of the anti-Gerasimov camp. The instability increasingly endemic to the Russian military comes as the Ukrainians try to break through their defensive lines.

Persons: Wagner Group's, Vladimir Putin's, Wagner, Putin, doesn't, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Alexander Ermochenko, he's, Stepanenko, Valery Gerasimov, Sergei Shoigu, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, there's, Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Alexei Nikolsky, Gen, Mikhail Teplinsky, Russia's, Teplinsky, Sergei Surovikin, There's, Friedemann Kohler, hasn't, Russia's Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin, Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Staff Sergei Rudskoi, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Popov, Vladimir Seliverstov, Popov, vilely, Viktor Zolotov, it's, ISW, Vyacheslav Gladkov Organizations: Service, Institute for, Wagner Group, Kremlin, Southern Military, REUTERS, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces, Russian Defense, Russian, Staff, AP, Russia's VDV Airborne Forces, Getty, Russia's Aerospace Forces, Armed Forces, Sputnik, Arms Army, 106th Guards Airborne, Russian MoD, National Guard, Russian National Guard Service, PMC Wagner Group Locations: Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Moscow, Prigozhin, Belarus, Rostov, Don, Russia's Belgorod, Sputnik, Washington, Chechnya, Sochi, REUTERS Maj, Belgorod

Early Tuesday, a Ukrainian missile slammed into a hotel in the coastal town of Berdyansk that had been taken over by the Russian military. ‘Colossal support’Russian military bloggers have suggested that both Tsokov and Popov were capable soldiers who inspired loyalty among their men. Tsokov, 51, appears to have been a rising star in the Russian military. Senior Russian general, Ivan Popov, raised questions about the mass deaths and injuries of Russian military personnel. The loss of more capable commanders is another sign that Russia’s “special military operation” is looking less special by the week.

Persons: CNN —, Oleg Tsokov, Tsokov, Ivan Popov, Popov, Valery Gerasimov, vilely, Sergei Shoigu, ”, Vladimir Putin, Rybar, “ Popov, General Popov, “, Wagner, Oleg Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Surovikin, Prigozhin, Defense Andrei Kartapolov, Kartapolov, specter, OGPU –, Gerasimov, “ alarmism, Shoigu, George Hall, Russia Dara Massicot, Tweeting, Massicot, ” Rybar, upbraided, viscerally, Putin Organizations: CNN, Ukraine –, Southern Military District, Arms Army, Kremlin Press, Major, Institute for, Ukrainian, of Defense, Kremlin, Russia’s Aerospace Forces, State, Defense, Defense Ministry, Senior, Ministry of Defense, Surovik, George Hall of, RAND Corporation, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Berdyansk, Russian, Svatove, frontlines, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Senior Russian, St, Russia, Vuhledar

☆ Russia's military leaders are at each other's throats at a crucial time in the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian military leaders are at each other's throats amid continued losses in the Ukraine war. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has been accused of treason by a general in the Russian military claiming he was fired for raising concerns. But at this critical juncture in the war and while Russia's army continues facing losses, Russian military leaders appear to have more pressing targets in mind: each other. But even after Prigozhin all but disappeared following the Wagner revolt, concerns about Russia's military leadership persist. Popov claimed he was removed from his post after flagging issues that Russian forces were facing on the front lines in Ukraine.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Putin, Prigozhin, Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Ivan Popov, Popov, Andrey Gurulyov, vilely, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Andrei Kartapolov, Gerasimov, Gen, Viktor Afzalov Organizations: Defense, Service, Russian, Wagner, Bakhmut, Politico, Arms Army, Street Journal, Prigozhin, The New York Times, Times, Russian Aerospace Forces Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Syria

☆ A Missing Russian General Is ‘Taking a Rest’ a Top Lawmaker Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Paul Sonne | More About Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gen. Sergei Surovikin of Russia, a onetime ally of the Wagner chief who hasn’t been seen publicly since a short-lived mutiny last month, is “taking a rest,” one of the country’s top lawmakers said Wednesday, when pressed by a reporter. “He is unavailable right now,” the lawmaker, Andrei Kartapolov, the head of the Russian Duma’s defense committee, added in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app before hurrying away from the reporter. General Surovikin, the chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, was considered to be an ally of Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary company, whose forces mounted the brief insurrection in June aimed at toppling Russia’s military leadership, before standing down in a deal with the Kremlin. In the days since then, intense speculation has surrounded General Surovikin, who skillfully pulled out Russian forces from Kherson amid Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year and has often been dubbed “General Armageddon” for his ruthless tactics.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Wagner, hasn’t, Andrei Kartapolov, General Surovikin, Yevgeny V, Surovikin, ” Organizations: Russian Aerospace Forces Locations: Russia, Russian, Kherson

Summary Gerasimov shown in public on state TVHad not been seen in public since early JunePutin keeps Gerasimov in his jobGerasimov shown giving ordersWhereabouts of Surovikin still unclearMOSCOW, July 10 (Reuters) - Russia's most senior general, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, was shown ordering subordinates to destroy Ukrainian missile sites in a video released on Monday, his first appearance in public since a failed June 24 mercenary mutiny. It described him as chief of the general staff of Russia's armed forces and commander of Moscow's forces in Ukraine, the positions he held before the mutiny. In the video, Gerasimov was shown asking for and listening to a report by Viktor Afzalov, deputy to General Sergei Surovikin in the aerospace forces, who has not been since in public since the mutiny. It was unclear where Surovikin, who before the rebellion was deputy commander of Russia's forces in Ukraine and who was repeatedly praised by Prigozhin, was. "We note that the aerospace forces have coped with the task," Gerasimov was shown as saying.

Persons: Putin, Surovikin, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Viktor Afzalov, Sergei Surovikin, Prigozhin, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Toby Chopra, Alex Richardson Organizations: Staff, Defence, Kremlin, Afzalov, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukrainian, Crimea, Moscow, Ukraine, Rostov, Kaluga, Russia, Russian

☆ Russia canceled its premiere international air show because it was afraid nobody would show up, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia has canceled its premiere international air show out of fears nobody would come. UK intel says security concerns over recent drone attacks in Moscow also led to the cancelation. It would've been the first air show since the war began, and intel suggested Russia canceled it for two main reasons: "Reputational damage if fewer international delegations attended" and "security concerns" over recent drone attacks in Moscow. Russia's aerospace industry has been hit hard since the country's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It is struggling under sweeping international sanctions and Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the commander of Russia's aerospace forces, is now missing from public view.

Persons: —, MAKS, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Surovikin hasn't Organizations: intel, Service, UK Ministry of Defense, Wagner Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Prigozhin

Colonel General Sergei Surovikin attends a briefing in the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, on June 9, 2017. Rumors about his whereabouts — and his potential role in the short-lived insurrection — have been swirling in recent days. CNN has reached out to the Kremlin and Russian Ministry of Defense for comment on Surovikin’s whereabouts. Surovikin first served in Afghanistan in the 1980s before commanding a unit in the Second Chechen War in 2004. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces during Russia’s operations in Syria, which saw Russian combat aircraft causing widespread devastation in rebel-held areas.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Pavel Golovkin, Sergey Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Surovikin, “, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Peskov, Putin, “ Surovikin, Alexey Venediktov –, –, Sergey Markov, ”, Surovikin “, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Mikhail Gorbachev, Organizations: Russian Defense Ministry, Moscow Times, CNN, Kremlin, Russian Ministry of Defense, General Staff, Defense, Ministry, Echo, New York Times, Russian Aerospace Forces, Washington DC, Jamestown Foundation, Human Rights Watch Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russian, Surovikin, Echo Moscow, Rostov, Afghanistan, Syria, Idlib

The commander of the Russian air force Sergey Surovikin and the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin have not been seen in public in days as questions swirl about the role Surovikin may have played in Prigozhin’s short-lived mutiny. The Russian air force commander Sergey Surovikin (left) and the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin APWhy is everyone talking about Surovikin? Prigozhin meanwhile, played the central role in the short-lived insurrection – it was he who ordered Wagner troops to take over two military bases and then march on Moscow. Putin assembled Russian security personnel in Moscow Tuesday, telling them they “virtually stopped a civil war” in responding to the insurrection. Prigozhin was last spotted leaving the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don Saturday, after abruptly calling off his troops’ march on Moscow.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Surovikin, “ Surovikin, ”, Alexey Venediktov –, –, Sergey Markov, Surovikin’s, “, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Don Saturday, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Peskov, ” Peskov, Mikhail Gorbachev, , Joe Biden, Josep Borrell Organizations: CNN, Moscow Times, Russian Telegram, Baza, Yevgeny Prigozhin AP, New York Times, PMC Wagner, Russian Ministry of Defense, Kremlin, Street, Belarusian, General Staff, Defense, Ministry, Washington DC, Jamestown Foundation, Russian Aerospace Forces, Human Rights Watch, Union’s, Foreign Affairs Locations: Kremlin, Russian, Moscow, Rostov, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Minsk, St . Petersburg, Ukraine’s, Afghanistan, Syria, Idlib, ”, Brussels, Dagestan, Derbent

Some Russian military bloggers with substantial followings expect a serious reshuffle of the military in the light of the Wagner uprising, and perhaps within the security services for not seeing the preparations for it. Putin has sought to reassert his authority after Prigozhin's mutiny. There is no way to verify Rybar’s allegations, but their airing may demonstrate a level of apprehension in the Russian military in the light of the mutiny. At one point, according to Russian military bloggers, Surovikin interceded to try to procure ammunition for Wagner. There is still considerable respect in Russian military circles for what Wagner has contributed to the Ukraine conflict.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Wagner, Sergey Shoigu, Rybar, ” Rybar, Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Teplinsky, Boris Rozhin, Sergey Surovikin, “, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Surovikin, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, Tatiana Stayonova, Rob Lee, “ Wagner, ” Surovikin, Prigozhin, Vyacheslav Volodin, ” Volodin, Anastasia Kashevarova, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Stayonava, Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, George W Bush, Concord Company ”, we’ll, eking, Viktor Zolotov, ” Zolotov, ” Anastasia Kashevarova, Russia “, there’s Organizations: CNN, FSO, Federal Guard Service, Federal Protective Service, AP, General Staff, The New York Times, Mayak Intelligence, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Russian Aerospace Forces, Sputnik, Getty, Western Military, Concord Company, Kremlin, MoD, Defense Ministry, Russian National Guard, Ministry of Defense, Telegram Locations: Rostov, Moscow, Don, Russia, Ukraine, AFP, Bakhmut, Shoigu, Putin, St, Petersburg, Russian, Minsk, Belarus, Prigozhin

☆ Shocking images show the wreckage of a Russian Il-22 airborne command plane shot down during the Wagner revolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Shocking images and videos show a destroyed Russian Il-22 command plane. Wagner Group forces are said to have shot down the plane during their revolt, killing the crew. Prigozhin said he regrets destroying Russian aircraft, but he argued they were attacking Wagner forces. The Ilyushin Il-22M aircraft — a valuable airborne command post operated by Russia's air force — was apparently shot down by Wagner Group forces during their revolt against Russian military leadership. Along with the Il-22 aircraft, Wagner shot down six Russian helicopters, killing 13 pilots in total, according to Ukraine, as well as expert observers, like Michael Kofman, the director of Russia Studies at CNA.

Persons: Prigozhin, Wagner, —, Russia's, Franz, Stefan Gady, OSINTdefender, Michael Kofman, Prigozhin — Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Ilyushin, Russian, Center for Naval, Defense, Russian ] Aerospace Forces, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Russia Studies, CNA Locations: Russian, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine's 'Iron General' is facing off against his 4th Russian war commander. Here's why the others lost their jobs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Russian general, however, does not appear to be living up to those expectations. Alexander DvornikovWhen Russia first launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late-February 2022, it relied on district commanders rather than overall commander of the war effort. Sergey SurovikinIn early October, Putin appointed Army Gen. Sergey Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon," to be the overall theater commander. "Putin likely viewed Surovikin as the last untarnished high-ranking commander in Ukraine he could appoint to overall theater command," the think tank said. As 2023 rolled around, and Russian forces continued to suffer heavy losses in eastern Ukraine, Putin seemingly gave in to Gerasimov's campaigning.

☆ Ukraine hails return of 45 Azov fighters, Russia says 3 pilots released
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) pose for a picture after a swap, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at an unknown location in Ukraine, in this handout picture released May 6, 2023. The freed Ukrainian prisoners included 42 men and three women from the Azov battalion, said Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office. Thirty-five privates and sergeants, 10 officers," Yermak said on the telegram app in a post that did not mention the release of Russian prisoners. The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement that three pilots had been returned and were being provided with medical and psychological assistance. There were no reports on Russian state media of additional Russian prisoner releases.

☆ Video shows a bomb that Russia accidentally dropped on its own city blowing up, sending cars flying into the air
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A Russian fighter jet accidentally dropped a bomb on its own city late Thursday. The blast from the weapon erupted in the city of Belgorod, sending cars flying in the air. Three people were reportedly injured in the explosion that left several cars and buildings damaged. Dramatic video footage shows the moments the explosion erupted in Belgorod after a Russian Su-34 aircraft dropped the weapon. Cars were driving by on a city street as the blast went off, catapulting vehicles in the air and leaving a crater with a 65-foot radius in the ground.

☆ A Russian warplane bombed one of Russia's own border cities, adding to the country's stack of embarrassing wartime blunders
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian Su-34 mistakenly bombed the Russian city of Belgorod on Thursday, authorities said. Photos posted by Gladkov showed extensive damage to the nearby apartments — the outer wall of one property was completely blasted apart. Belgorod is some 25 miles from the Ukrainian border, and Russian warplanes often fly over the city on combat missions. Ukrainian and Western observers have also recorded multiple instances of Russian troops firing on their comrades. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov wrote on his Telegram channel that several apartment buildings were damaged in the blast. Russian state media boasted about the country’s Su-34 warplanes last December, when it said a “new batch of … frontline bombers” had been delivered to Russian forces to use against Ukraine. Russia state media did not say what kind of munition fell on Belgorod late Thursday. The Belgorod region has been the scene of several explosions and bombings since Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. Local media reported two drones dropped small bombs at the local thermal power plants, citing an anonymous source.

☆ Ukraine servicemen accused of treason over unauthorised mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, April 20 (Reuters) - A number of Ukrainian servicemen have been accused of treason for giving away information during an unauthorised mission that enabled Russia to attack a military airfield, Ukraine's SBU security agency said on Thursday. The SBU said in a statement that the servicemen had attempted, "without coordination with the relevant state authorities", to seize a Russian plane last July after its pilot said he would defect. The SBU did not say how many service personnel were involved, or identify them, but said they were accused of treason and abuse of their position. "These actions of individual servicemen, which led to serious consequences, death and injury of Ukraine's defenders and harmed the country's defence capabilities, require an appropriate legal assessment." Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February last year, did not comment on the SBU statement.

☆ Russia plans air defence reform, to bolster defences near Finland - commander
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, April 10 (Reuters) - Russia plans to overhaul its air defence forces after gaining new experience in the war in Ukraine and will also bolster its air defences to counter Finland's accession to the NATO military alliance, a commander in Russia's aerospace forces said. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year in what it calls "a special military operation", the fighting has descended into a grinding artillery war with extensive use of drones and missiles, testing the air defences of both Russia and Ukraine. In an interview published on Monday with the Red Star newspaper, Lieutenant General Andrei Demin, deputy commander-in-chief of aerospace forces, said air defence forces had faced a number of challenges in the face of Ukrainian strikes. In Ukrainian regions under Russian control, air defence units had been set up to defend key installations, Demin said, while Russia had ramped up production of the RLK-MC anti-drone system. Demin said that Russia would also bolster is defences after Finland, which shares a 1,300-km (800-mile) border with Russia, joined NATO.

☆ The Russian air force's struggles in Ukraine reveal glaring problems in now Moscow trains its pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +35 min

Despite being bigger and more advanced than its enemy, Russia's air force has struggled in Ukraine. It's commonly said that Russian fighter pilots are not as well trained as their Western counterparts, particularly those from the United States. But however ineffective you may think Russian pilot training is compared to the West, the truth seems to be … much worse. A Russian air force pilot prepares to take off in an Su-35 fighter jet at Hemeimeem air base in Syria in September 2019. Put simply, the Gulf War air campaign creates a damning juxtaposition when compared directly to Russia's air campaign over Ukraine.

☆ Russia starts exercises with Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 29 (Reuters) - Russia has begun exercises with its Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system and several thousand troops, its defence ministry said on Wednesday, in what is likely to be seen as another attempt by Moscow to show off its nuclear strength. President Vladimir Putin has aimed to make the Yars missile system, which replaced the Topol system, part of Russia's "invincible weapons" and the mainstay of the ground-based component of its nuclear arsenal. During the exercises, the Yars mobile systems will conduct manoeuvres in three Russian regions, the ministry said, without identifying the regions. There are few confirmed tactical and technical characteristics of the Yars mobile intercontinental ballistic missile systems, which reportedly have an operational range of 12,000 km (7,500 miles). Since launching an invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Russia has conducted numerous military exercises on its own or with other countries, such as China or South Africa.

☆ Russia boosts defences near Japan, accuses US of expanding Asia-Pacific presence
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine. Shoigu said the Bastion system would bolster Russian security around the Kuril island chain. Japan, a close U.S. ally, claims the four southern Kuril islands, which were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War Two. Shoigu also said the modernisation of Moscow's air defence system would be completed this year. On the Ukraine conflict, Shoigu said Russian aerospace forces had so far destroyed more than 20,000 Ukrainian military facilities since the start of what Moscow calls its "special military operation".

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