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☆ US needs to speed up delivery of weapons to Taiwan - US general
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, July 14 (Reuters) - The United States and its allies need to speed up the delivery of weapons to Taiwan in the coming years to help the island defend itself, the top U.S. general said on Friday. The United States is Taiwan's most important arms supplier. Beijing has repeatedly demanded the sale of U.S. weapons to Taiwan stop, viewing them as unwarranted support for the democratically governed island that Beijing claims. Milley said Taiwan needed weapons like air defence systems and those that could target ships from land. Milley said the United States was looking at whether it needed to change where some U.S. forces were based within the Asia Pacific.

Persons: Mark Milley, Milley, Antony Blinken, Wang Yi, Idrees Ali, Robert Birsel Organizations: U.S . Army, Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S, Asia Pacific, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, United States, Taiwan, Beijing, U.S, Tokyo, Ukraine, Russian, China, Taipei, Asia, South Korea, Japan

☆ Russian leadership suffers 'friction and confusion' since mutiny, US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"At the strategic level it is pretty clear that you have a significant amount of friction and confusion," General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a small group of reporters traveling with him in Asia. Milley said that lower-level Russian troops in Ukraine were likely more focused on the situation on the ground and surviving day to day. Since the mutiny, which posed the biggest domestic challenge to the Russian state in decades, President Vladimir Putin has so far kept Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in their jobs. In the latest surprise, the Kremlin said this week that Putin met Prigozhin and his commanders just five days after the mutiny. Lukashenko first announced Prigozhin was in Belarus, then said last week that he was back in Russia.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, group's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Mark Milley, Milley, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Putin, Lukashenko, Idrees Ali, Peter Graff Organizations: Southern Military District, REUTERS, U.S, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Staff, Thomson Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Moscow, Asia, Russian, decamp, Belarus

☆ US, Japan, S.Korea hold rare military meeting as N.Korea launches missile
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Washington has been pressing the uneasy neighbors to work more closely to better counter rising threats from China and North Korea. He said the North Korean ballistic missile had been launched towards the Sea of Japan. U.N. Security Council resolutions ban North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology, including for satellite launches. North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said on Tuesday a U.S. military spy plane had entered North Korea's Exclusive Economic Zone eight times. A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said it appeared that North Korea's threats were largely bluster.

Persons: Mark A, Milley, Yves Herman, SMITH, Dave Butler, Mark Milley, Camp, Korea's Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un, Idrees Ali, Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel Organizations: Joint Chiefs, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, United, South, Reuters, North, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Hawaii, United States, North Korea, Washington, China, Seoul, Tokyo, Korea, Japan, Camp Smith, U.S, South Korea

☆ Ukraine right to be cautious with counter-offensive, top NATO official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, July 3 (Reuters) - Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russian forces is proving difficult due to landmines and other obstacles but Ukrainian forces are right to proceed cautiously, NATO's top military official said on Monday. "The counter offensive, it is difficult," said Admiral Rob Bauer, a Dutch military officer who is the chair of NATO's military committee. Bauer's comments echoed remarks by General Mark Milley, the top U.S. military officer, who said on Friday the counter-offensive would be very difficult, very long and "very, very bloody". Bauer said Ukrainian forces were right to be cautious to avoid high casualties as they probed for possible breakthroughs. He said Ukrainian forces should not face pressure or criticism for not moving more quickly.

Persons: Rob Bauer, Bauer, General Mark Milley, Andrew Gray, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Russian, NATO, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Dutch, Brussels, Ukrainian, Normandy, Russia

☆ Ukraine, U.S. agree: counteroffensive creeps ahead, measured in blood
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"War on paper and real war are different. In real war, real people die. He added, "What I had said was this is going to take six, eight, 10 weeks, it's going to be very difficult. watch nowLast week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the counteroffensive was "slower than desired", without getting too specific. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish President Andrzej Duda, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 28, 2023.

Persons: Hanna Maliar, Mihail Ostrogradski, Mark Milley, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, RTVE, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Gitanas Nauseda, Andrzej Duda, Alina Smutko Organizations: Brigade, Anadolu Agency, Getty, National Press Club, Reuters, NATO, Kyiv, U.S, Lithuanian Locations: Storozheve, Donetsk, Ukraine, Moscow, Kyiv, U.S, Washington, Russia, Lithuania, Spanish

☆ Ukraine, US agree: counteroffensive creeps ahead, measured in blood
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Olena Harmash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Students of the school for drone pilots Dronarium Academy practice during a lesson, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine, June 30, 2023. REUTERS/Alina SmutkoJune 30 (Reuters) - Ukraine has been publicly cautious in counting gains in a counteroffensive it launched this month to reclaim territory occupied by Russian forces, and on Friday its president and a U.S. general acknowledged that progress is measured in blood. In real war, real people die. After pushing Russian forces out of northern regions last year, Ukraine took steps to tighten the defense of its border with Belarus, a close ally of Russia. But at the end of the day, Ukrainian soldiers are assaulting through minefields and into trenches" against Russia's much larger army.

Persons: Alina Smutko, Mark Milley, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Hanna Maliar, RTVE, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin's Wagner, Milley, Olena Harmash, Michael Martina, Elaine Monaghan, Grant McCool Organizations: Dronarium Academy, REUTERS, National Press Club, Reuters, NATO, Kyiv, U.S, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.S, Washington, Russia, Lithuania, Spanish, Kyiv, Spain, Belarus, Asipovichi, Minsk, Russian

☆ Rebel Russian mercenaries halt advance on Moscow, Kremlin says fighters to face no action
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

On Saturday night, they began withdrawing from the Rostov military headquarters they had seized, a Reuters witness said. EX-CONVICTS IN WAGNER RANKSThe fighters led by Prigozhin, a former convict, include thousands of ex-prisoners recruited from Russian jails. Residents of the city had milled about calmly, filming on mobile phones as Wagner fighters in armoured vehicles and battle tanks took up positions. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said an offensive was launched near a group of villages ringing Bakhmut, which was taken by Wagner forces in May after months of fighting. Tarnavskiy said the area had been under Russian control since separatist forces backed by Moscow seized it in 2014.

Persons: Prigozhin, Belarus Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Wagner, Dmitry Peskov, Alexander Lukashenko, Peskov, Lukashenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Mark Milley, Hanna Maliar, Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, Tarnavskiy, Andrew Osborn, Kevin Liffey, Peter Graff, Frank Jack Daniel, Giles Elgood, Frances Kerry, Alexander Smith, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Kremlin, Reuters, Belarus, Defence Ministry, Russia's Southern Military District, Residents, Deputy, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Rostov, ROSTOV, VORONEZH, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine, Bakhmut, France, Germany, Britain, East, UKRAINE, Krasnohorivka, Donetsk

Special counsel Jack Smith disclosed in a court filing Wednesday that investigators had more tapes of interviews with Trump conducted by non-government entities and recorded with his consent but did not say what the tapes said or how they were obtained. The new reporting provides more insight into how the special counsel conducted its investigation and what kinds of evidence it has. The special counsel previously revealed it obtained audio of an interview Trump gave at Bedminster for Mark Meadows’ memoir in which the special counsel says Trump shared classified information with visitors and aides. Sources familiar with the investigation told CNN the Trump team does not believe the additional recordings are as incriminating as the recording referenced in the indictment unsealed this month. Trump’s team and the special counsel’s office declined to comment.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Jack Smith, Trump, Mark Meadows, Mark Milley Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Bedminster, Trump, ” Prosecutors Locations: Mark, Bedminster

[1/4] U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley holds a news conference on the day of a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 15, 2023. Milley was speaking after a meeting of the U.S.-led Contact Group of some 50 countries that give military aid to Ukraine. Austin noted the group had already given Patriot, IRIS-T and NASAMS air defence systems that had protected Ukraine from Russian missile attacks. "I ask that the members of this Contact Group continue to dig deep to provide Ukraine with the air defence assets and munitions that it so urgently needs to protect its citizens," Austin said in opening remarks. Later in the day, NATO defence ministers met separately with Reznikov to discuss their support for Kyiv.

Persons: Mark A, Milley, Yves Herman BRUSSELS, Kyiv's, It's, Mark Milley, Lloyd Austin, Austin, We'll, Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov, Phil Stewart, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Joint Chiefs, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, U.S, Ukraine, Russian, Joint Chiefs of Staff, NATO, Group, U.S . Defense, IRIS, Washington, Kyiv, Ukrainian Defence, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Ukraine, U.S, Russian, Kyiv

☆ Kremlin document shows how Russia is instructing state news outlets to handle potential losses in Ukraine counteroffensive: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Kremlin has prepared media talking points about Ukraine's expected counteroffensive, per Meduza. Sources told independent Russian outlet Meduza the document is aimed at priming the public for potential losses, or to capitalize on any Russian success. Reporters have been told "not to downplay expectations for the NATO-supported counteroffensive," and not to say that "Kyiv is unprepared for a 'counteroffensive," Meduza reported. Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody, an Open University lecturer in politics and an expert on Russian media, told Insider that the reported guidance fits "perfectly" with Russia's existing coverage of the war. Most Russian media is subject to strict controls over how the Ukraine war is discussed.

☆ Allies move to bolster Ukrainian tank forces ahead of counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine has pressed its allies for long-range weapons, jets and ammunition ahead of a counteroffensive to push back Russian troops that is expected in the coming weeks or months. Abrams battle tanks will arrive in Germany in the coming weeks for Ukrainian troops to begin training, U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters. NATO member states and their allies have provided Ukraine with weapons and armour, but Ukraine's leadership has repeatedly asked for more powerful weapons and quicker supplies. "The Russians are cautious to come into Ukraine because of the effective use of the Ukrainian air defense system. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban poured cold water on Ukraine's NATO prospects, simply tweeting "What?!"

☆ Ukraine says Russian forces make progress in frontline city of Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Enemy forces had a degree of success in their actions aimed at storming the city of Bakhmut," the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its regular nighttime report. Russian officials say their forces are still capturing ground in street-by-street fighting inside Bakhmut. [1/5] A tank is towed through a road, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, near the bombed-out eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 29, 2023. Russian forces shelled towns in central Zaporizhzhia region, including the contested centre of Hulyaipole, the Ukrainian general staff statement said. Rocket and artillery in the past 24 hours struck two areas of concentration of Russian forces, an ammunition depot and two fuel depots, it said.

[1/7] FILE PHOTO-Dmytro Zilko, a soldier and a patient of the clinic exercises on a new prosthesis with rehabilitation specialist Maria in a prosthetics clinic in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 9, 2023. "Unfortunately, the number of patients has increased significantly," said Andrii Ovcharenko, who works with a team of medics and technicians at the "Without Limits" prosthetics clinic, one of almost 80 now operating in Ukraine. On a recent morning, Ovcharenko's Kyiv clinic assessed two soldiers for artificial legs and adjusted the new limb of a third. U.S. Army General Mark Milley estimated in November at least 100,000 Russian military casualties - killed or wounded, with "probably" the same for Ukraine. It plans to expand, depending on how the war unfolds but is not sure where to open new clinics.

☆ U.S. carries out air strikes in Syria after deadly attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Army General Mark Milley speaks with U.S. forces in Syria during an unannounced visit, at a U.S. military base in Northeast Syria, March 4, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Stewart/File PhotoWASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. military carried out multiple air strikes in Syria on Thursday night against Iran-aligned groups who it blamed for a deadly drone attack that killed a contractor, injured another and wounded five U.S. troops, the Pentagon said. The strikes were in retaliation for an attack against a U.S.-led coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria at approximately 1:38 p.m. (1038 GMT) on Thursday, it said. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes targeted groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. "The airstrikes were conducted in response to today’s attack as well as a series of recent attacks against Coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC," Austin said in a statement.

[1/2] U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Army General Mark Milley speaks with U.S. forces in Syria during an unannounced visit, at a U.S. military base in Northeast Syria, March 4, 2023. The attack against U.S. personnel took place at a coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria at approximately 1:38 p.m. (1038 GMT) on Thursday, it said. The other two wounded American troops were treated at the base in northeast Syria, the Pentagon said. Thousands of other Islamic State fighters are in detention facilities guarded by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, America's key ally in the country. American officials say that Islamic State could still regenerate into a major threat.

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - A U.S. surveillance drone brought down over the Black Sea after a Russian military intercept probably broke apart and would be difficult to recover given the depth of the water in the area, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday. Russia's defense ministry blamed "sharp maneuvering" by the drone for the crash and said its jet did not make contact. Milley said the United States had already taken measures to guard against a loss of sensitive intelligence if the drone were to be recovered by Russia. The State Department on Tuesday summoned Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, to express U.S. concerns over the encounter. Antonov after the meeting said the drone "deliberately and provocatively was moving toward Russian territory with transponders turned off."

☆ Russia making small advances near Bakhmut, but at cost- top U.S. general
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - Russia is making small advances near the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut but this was coming at a great cost, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday. "The Russians are making small, tactical advances (but) at great cost," Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley told reporters. Reporting by Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Rami AyubbOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

American officials say that Islamic State could still regenerate into a major threat. Asked by reporters traveling with him if he believed the Syria mission was worth the risk, Milley tied the mission to the security of the United States and its allies, saying: "If you think that that's important, then the answer is 'Yes.'" Four U.S. troops were wounded during a helicopter raid last month when an Islamic State leader triggered an explosion. U.S. Army Major General Matthew McFarlane, who commands the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, described the attacks as a "distraction from our main mission." McFarlane cited progress against Islamic State, including through the reduction in the numbers of internally displaced people at refugee camps -- a pool of people who could be recruited by Islamic State.

Thousands of other Islamic State fighters are in detention facilities guarded by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, America's key ally in the country. American officials say that Islamic State could still regenerate into a major threat. Four U.S. troops were wounded during a helicopter raid last month when an Islamic State leader triggered an explosion. U.S. Army Major General Matthew McFarlane, who commands the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, described attacks against U.S. forces as a "distraction from our main mission." McFarlane cited progress against Islamic State, including through the reduction in the numbers of internally displaced people at refugee camps -- a pool of vulnerable people who could be recruited by Islamic State.

☆ Ukraine holds defense as battles rage in Donetsk region, top commander says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A tank moves on a road as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine on February 08, 2023. Ukraine's forces hold defense along the frontline in Donetsk, including of the besieged town of Bakhmut, with the fiercest battles raging for the cities of Vuhledar and Maryinka, Kyiv's top military commander said on Saturday. "Fierce fighting continues in the area of Vuhledar and Maryinka," Zaluzhnyi said in a Telegram message after a call with U.S. General Mark Milley. He added that Ukraine continues to hold Bakhmut, tying to "stabilize" the frontline around the town. Wagner's head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said it could take two years for Moscow to control the whole of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine.

☆ Ukraine holds defence as battles rage in Donetsk region, top commander says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Nick Starkov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LVIV, Ukraine, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine's forces hold defence along the frontline in Donetsk, including of the besieged town of Bakhmut, with the fiercest battles raging for the cities of Vuhledar and Maryinka, Kyiv's top military commander said on Saturday. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said Russia carries out some 50 attacks daily in Donetsk, a region in Ukraine's southeast that Moscow has been trying to occupy fully. "Fierce fighting continues in the area of Vuhledar and Maryinka," Zaluzhnyi said in a Telegram message after a call with U.S. General Mark Milley. He added that Ukraine continues to hold Bakhmut, tying to "stabilise" the frontline around the town. Wagner's head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said it could take two years for Moscow to control the whole of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine.

☆ At least 5 Russian men who escaped conscription have been living in Seoul's airport for months, and their refugee status still hangs in the balance: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

At least five Russian men have been living in South Korea's Incheon airport for months. The men told The Post their lives are hanging in the balance: Seoul could still reject their asylum appeal. But I feel this conflict is extremely political," Maraktaev told The Post. Maraktaev then managed to get a flight to South Korea, and he finally landed in Incheon on November 12. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, most of the refugees given a humanitarian visa in South Korea are from Syria and Yemen.

☆ Allies offer more weapons to Ukraine, but no decisions have been made on tanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian military vehicles drive along a road outside of the town of Chasiv Yar on January 18, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Western allies on Friday dampened Ukraine's hopes for a rapid shipment of battle tanks to boost its firepower for a spring offensive against Russian forces, with the United States urging Kyiv to hold off from mounting such an operation. The run-up to the Ramstein meeting had been dominated by the issue of whether Germany would agree to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, or permit other countries that have them to do so. The United States was also holding fast to its decision not to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine yet, a senior U.S. official said in Washington. Ukraine was hit especially hard this week, reporting 44 people confirmed dead and 20 unaccounted for after a Russian missile attack on an apartment block in Dnipro.

☆ Ukraine's top general outlines 'urgent needs' in talks with U.S. military chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Ukraine's top general said he had outlined the "urgent needs" of his armed forces on Tuesday at a first personal meeting with the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, in Poland. "I outlined the urgent needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the fulfilment of which will accelerate our Victory," General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi wrote in a statement on Telegram. The United States has been by far the biggest supplier of military assistance for Kyiv during the war. In his statement, Zaluzhnyi said he thanked Milley for "the unwavering support and assistance provided by the United States of America and allies to Ukraine". Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Max Hunder Editing by Jon Boyle and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: Who is Russia's new war commander Gerasimov and why was he appointed?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Gerasimov's deputies will be Army General Sergei Surovikin, the previous theatre commander, appointed three months ago and nicknamed "General Armageddon"; Army General Oleg Salyukov; and Deputy Chief of the General Staff Colonel-General Alexei Kim. "Now the General Staff is directly and uncompromisingly responsible for absolutely everything," said Semyon Pegov, a Russian military blogger who uses the name Wargonzo. Gerasimov was appointed chief of the general staff and deputy defence minister by Putin on Nov. 9, 2012, three days after Putin's long-time ally Sergei Shoigu was made defence minister. Gerasimov played key roles in Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and in Russia's game-changing military support for President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War. Gerasimov was born on Sept. 8, 1955, in Kazan, rising through the ranks from Russia's tank forces to graduate in 1997 from the Military Academy of the General Staff.

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