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☆ As Russia tests for weak spots, Ukraine is banking on enemy mistakes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Tim Lister | Victoria Butenko | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —It generated little attention: another Russian assault in eastern Ukraine, across barren, pock-marked fields, met by determined, nimble resistance. But these frequent mechanized ground attacks by the Russians are like sand-blasting – eroding Ukrainian defenses in multiple spots along the frontlines. Yusov told CNN that recruitment in Russia continues, for contract soldiers, prisoners and international mercenaries. The Ukrainians won’t acknowledge such attacks but Yusov told CNN cryptically that refineries are military targets and “damage there is quite natural. Matthew Schmidt told CNN: “Whatever NATO can get to Ukraine is enough to stabilize its position, not to change it meaningfully.

Persons: Kateryna Stepanenko, Russia’s, ”, Narciso Contreras, Andriy Yusov, Kurt Campbell, Yusov, Matthew Schmidt, Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine “, –, Nazar Volosyn, “, Roman Pilipey, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Trump, what’s, Dmytro Kuleba, ” Kuleba, Andriі Kovalenko, Petr Pavel, Stepanenko, ” Stepanenko Organizations: CNN, Institute for, Russian, Anadolu, Getty, “, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, UK’s Defense Ministry, National Security Department, New Haven University, NATO, Ukrainian, Congress, National Security and Defense Council, European Union Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Tonenke, Donetsk, Washington, Karlivka, Russia, North Korea, Ukrainian, Chasiv Yar, Kyiv, AFP, Rostov, Czech, Europe

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

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

☆ The pope raises eyebrows after saying Ukraine should have the 'courage of the white flag' and negotiate with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Pope Francis said Ukraine should have the 'courage of the white flag' and negotiate with Russia. AdvertisementPope Francis has sparked controversy after saying Ukraine should have the "courage of the white flag" and negotiate an end to the war with Russia. "You are the heirs of the great Russia. The great Russia of the saints, of the kings, of the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, that great imperial Russia, cultivated, with so much culture and humanity," he said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in Istanbul March 8, 2024 Ozan Guzelce/dia images via Getty ImagesBut Russia and Ukraine continue to speak at cross purposes.

Persons: Pope Francis, —, Edgers Rinkēvičs, Matteo Bruni, Bruni, Zelenskyy, Darya, Alexander Dugin, Dugina, Dmytro Kuleba, Francis, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Peter the Great, Catherine II, Oleh, " Bruni, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ozan Organizations: Service, RSI, Catholic Church, Ukrainian Foreign, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Kremlin, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Swiss, Turkey, Visegrad, Latvian, Russian, Moscow, Ukrainian, Istanbul, Turkish, Crimea

☆ ‘Dune: Part Two’ can inspire you to revisit these other timeless sci-fi sequels
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Twentieth Century Fox/Courtesy Everett CollectionWhat better way to start off than with one of the greatest sequels – and sci-fi films in general – ever made, with a screenplay that’s been taught in film schools. ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ (1982)DeForest Kelley, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in 1982's "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ (2014)Andy Serkis in 2014's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes." ‘Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980)"Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" (1980). “Dune: Part Two” is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, which, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros.

Persons: Denis Villeneuve’s, there’s, Sigourney Weaver, –, James Cameron’s Oscar, Ridley Scott’s, Ellen Ripley’s, Carrie Henn, Khan ’, DeForest Kelley, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Khan, Everett, ”, Ricardo Montalban, “ Khan ”, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron, he’s, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s, Linda Hamilton, Sarah Connor –, Andy Serkis, Caesar, “ Dawn ”, Max, Thunderdome, Mel Gibson, Warner, Mad Max, George Miller’s, Tina Turner’s, Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Miller, Theron’s Furiosa, Anya Taylor, Joy, Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Annie Potts, Rick Moranis, Peter MacNicol, Howard Huntsberry, George Lucas Organizations: CNN, Rotten, Century Fox, Paramount, “, TriStar, Columbia, ‘, Lucasfilm Ltd, Wars, Warner Bros . Pictures, Warner Bros . Locations: Ripley, ‘, “ Kingdom

☆ Analysis: Two years of war has been a disaster for Russia with no end in sight
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Matthew Chance | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Moscow CNN —Two years ago, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I was among the many long-time observers of the Kremlin who got it wrong. Even if the war ends tomorrow, it is likely to take many years for its strength and numbers to recover. And the past two years of brutal war have twisted and distorted Russia internally too. Even President Putin has been indicted for war crimes at the Hague. I was in Chechnya when, in 2000, a newly installed President Putin brought that rebellious Russian region to heel, unleashing a relentless Russian military.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Putin, Inna Varenytsia, Reuters Russia’s, toting Wagner, – Alexey Navalny –, Anna Politikovskaya, Anatoli Stepanov, Putin miscalculated, Rather Organizations: Moscow CNN —, Kremlin, Russian, Reuters, Hague, Getty Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Europe, Donetsk, Ukrainian, Chechnya, Russian, Avdiivka, AFP, Georgia, Georgian, Crimea, It’s

☆ Avdiivka: Ukraine’s defeat darkens the mood in the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Traveling from the Munich Security Conference towards Ukraine’s frontlines, the polite frustration and manicured pleas of Western leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky feel yet more desperate. Ukrainian soldiers of Brigade 71 fire artillery in the direction of Avdiivka on February 18, 2024. Latvia’s president spoke of “murder,” Germany’s defense minister of how the death showed Russia was “willing and able to provoke” the West. Tobias Schwarz/ReutersIn and of itself, the Ukrainian defeat Avdiivka does not herald a sea change in Kyiv’s fortunes. Instead they may face larger existential questions about providing a lot more help, very urgently, to stop Ukraine’s war becoming Europe’s.

Persons: Ukraine’s frontlines, Volodymyr Zelensky, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Alexey Navalny, Putin, ”, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Zelensky –, –, Tobias Schwarz, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, —, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Oleksandr Syrsky —, Zelensky, ’, Tucker Carlson, Kostiantyn, Zaluzhnyi Organizations: CNN, Munich, Ukraine’s, Ukrainian, United States Congress, Brigade, Getty, Trump, NATO, Republican, Reuters, European Union Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Avdiivka, Anadolu, Russia, West, Munich, Germany, Moscow, Kyiv, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Russian, Poland, frontlines, North Korea

☆ Putin is tightening his grip over what's left of the Wagner Group
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementThe military formation has been actively recruiting former Wagner Group mercenaries and soldiers who fought in Ukraine for combat operations in Africa. The Kremlin is likely using the Africa Corps to take over many of the functions of the Wagner Group, Parens added. Last week, in a video obtained by the Kyiv Post, Ukrainian special forces were shown interrogating captured Wagner mercenaries in Sudan. "Ukrainian special services have acquired considerable experience of waging non-linear warfare against the Russian side and especially against the Wagner Group," he said. The fate of the Wagner Group, it seems, still hangs in the balance.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, he's, Wagner, Prigozhin, Sergey Sukhankin, Raphael Parens, Parens, Sukhankin, Russia Alessandro Arduino Organizations: Kremlin, Jamestown Foundation, Wagner, Volunteer Corps, Africa Corps, Wagner Group, Fighters, Foreign, Research, Eurasia Program, Military Companies, Africa, Kyiv Post, Russia, Ukraine Locations: Russia, Africa, Ukraine, Western, Ukrainian, Sudan, Russian

☆ Russia's Wagner Group expands into Africa's Sahel with a new brand
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Natalia Kolesnikova | Afp | Getty ImagesWagner Group has been replaced by a new entity known as Russia's Africa Corps across its key strongholds in the continent, its new leader has confirmed. The new entity has been subsuming operations in Mali and Libya for several months, and negotiations to establish a Russian military base in the CAR are reportedly underway. watch now"The Africa Corps consists of mercenaries and volunteers, and does not form part of the Russian Armed Forces. It began recruiting in December 2023, and has also included job offers for former Wagner Group mercenaries; it may also recruit local residents," they explained. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov oversaw the creation of the Africa Corps, which is expected to be fully completed by this summer.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Dmitry Utkin, Anton Yelizarov, Ibrahim Traoré, Piotr Żochowski, Miłosz Bartosiewicz, Yunus, bek Yevkurov, Yevkurov Organizations: Afp, Getty, Wagner, Africa Corps, Central African, Russian National Guard, Russian Federation, Telegram, Centre, Eastern Studies, CAR, Africa, Russian Armed Forces, Wagner Group, CES Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow, Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Belarus, Russia, Cossack, Sahel, Russian, Warsaw, Algeria, Africa, Ouagadougou

“The Russian government must have the data of how many foreign fighters have joined the Russian army and how many Nepalis are fighting for Russia,” she said. The Russian foreign ministry has not responded to CNN’s questions about the number of Nepalis recruited by the Russian army and how many of them have died so far. She thought her husband, Shukra Tamang – a retired Nepali army soldier fighting for Russia – was the person calling. A photo shows Shukra Tamang, a retired Nepali army soldier, training in Russia. Bonuses paidNepali men who want to join the Russian army first travel to Russia on a tourist visa.

Persons: Nepal CNN — Ramchandra Khadka, Khadka, “, ” Khadka, Ramchandra Khadka, ”, Bimala Rai Paudyal, Nepalis, Kritu Bhandari, Russia haven’t, Bhandari, ‘, Januka Sunar’s, hasn’t, Sunar, …, Januka Sunar, it’ll, Tamang, Shukra Tamang, Shukra, –, Russia –, Shishir Bishwokarma, Avangard, Suman Tamang, ” Tamang, “ It’s, It’s, Binoj Basnyat, Ram Sharma, Sharma, ” Sharma, Saud, Nepalis haven’t, Bhupendra Bahadur Khatri, hadn’t, ” Khatri, Basnyat Organizations: Nepal CNN, Russia, Ukraine, CNN, Russian, Henley & Partners, Bank, Communist Party of Nepal, Maoist, CNN CNN, YouTube, AK, Moscow Oblast, Avangard, United Arab, Agents, Moscow, CNN Kathmandu, World Bank Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Bakhmut –, Bakhmut, North Korea, Januka, Nepali, Avangard, Indian, United Arab Emirates, India, Dubai, UAE

BEIRUT (AP) — A drone attack on a base housing U.S. troops in eastern Syria killed six allied Kurdish fighters late Sunday, in the first significant attack in Syria or Iraq since the U.S. launched retaliatory strikes over the weekend against Iran-backed militias that have been targeting its forces in the region. The U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Monday the attack hit a training ground at al-Omar base in Syria’s eastern province of Deir el-Zour and accused “Syrian regime-backed mercenaries” of carrying out the attack. In late January, a drone attack by the same group killed three U.S. troops and wounded dozens more at a desert base in Jordan. The U.S. military launched dozens of retaliatory strikes targeting Iran-backed militant groups in western Iraq and eastern Syria and also struck the Houthis in Yemen. The attack late Sunday came two days after the U.S. military carried out strikes against militant targets linked to Iran in Syria and Iraq.

Persons: Omar, “, Sunday’s, Samy Magdy Organizations: Syrian Democratic Forces, Human Rights, SDF, Sunday, U.S, U.S . Central Command, U.S . Navy, Britain, Associated Press Locations: BEIRUT, Syria, Kurdish, Iraq, U.S, Iran, The U.S, al, Deir el, Jordan, Yemen, Israel, Britain, Red, Cairo

☆ Sylvester Stallone gives ‘incredible credit’ to ‘Rocky’ costar Carl Weathers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The late star also appeared in the third and fourth installments of the franchise through 1985. His character’s son, played by Michael B. Jordan, is the central figure in the popular “Creed” sequel franchise that started in 2015. Carl Weathers, Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan at the 'Creed ' film premiere, Los Angeles, in November 2015. He spoke to the camera while standing in front of a painting that depicted a scene the pair shared in one of the “Rocky” movies. “He was magic, and I was so fortunate to be part of his life,” Stallone said.

Persons: Carl Weathers, Pedro Pascal, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, “, Rocky ’, ” Weathers, Rocky ”, Michael B, Stallone, Weathers, ”, ” Stallone, Jordan, Chelsea Lauren, Weathers –, Arnold, Sly, “ I’ll, Matt Luber, “ Mandalorian Organizations: CNN, Variety, Penske Media Locations: “, Los Angeles

☆ SOCOM is after new tech to help special operations forces spot, track, and take out urban threats without being seen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US special operations forces on the island join their Taiwanese comrades in major urban centers, getting ready for intense urban combat. Looking toward potential future fights like this, US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is after new tech that would help its special operators survive and thrive in urban warfare. Modern Urban WarfareThe ongoing conflict in Ukraine has shown that urban warfare remains as deadly as ever. Advertisement"When I hear the words 'urban warfare' I think of buildings, close ranges, challenges in fires support, CAS [close air support], or MEDAVACs [medical evacuations]. During the industrial counterterrorism campaign against al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Iraqi insurgency, US special operations forces got a good taste of urban warfare and its complexities.

Persons: —, SOCOM, Justin Moeller, isn't Organizations: Service, Business, Operations Command, 5th Special Forces Group, US, Staff, Urban, Wagner Group, Delta Force, Green Berets, Islamic Locations: China, Taiwan, Pacific, Beijing, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Afghanistan, Qaeda, Iraq, Islamic State, Syria, Mosul

☆ Ex-Wagner mercenaries may be heading back to Ukraine, but this time with Russia's National Guard, intel says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewFormer Wagner Group fighters are being absorbed into Russia's national guard and may soon be deployed to Ukraine, according to Western intelligence, as Moscow continues to assume control over the ruthless mercenary organization. Russian President Vladimir Putin in late-December authorized the country's National Guard, also known as Rosgvardia, to create its own volunteer arrangements. AdvertisementMembers of the Wagner Group prepare to depart from the Southern Military District's headquarters and return to their base in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on June 24, 2023. Some in the West observed this as an effort to strengthen the national guard. AdvertisementRussian police and National Guard (Rosgvardia) servicemen patrol Red Square in central Moscow on Oct. 20, 2021.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Arkady Budnitsky, Vladimir Putin's, Viktor Zolotov, Rosgvardia, Putin, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Moscow, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, country's National Guard, Volunteer Corps, Business, Southern Military, Anadolu Agency, Getty, National Guard, Institute for, Bakhmut, Kremlin, Africa Corps, Nazi Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Africa, Russia, Rostov, Don, Red, AFP, Africa —

☆ Odawara: Japanese castle town invites travelers to become ‘daimyo’ for a day
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Julian Ryall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Simon Celestine arrived at Odawara castle as a tourist from France but he is now lord of one of the most impressive feudal-era fortresses in Japan – if only for a day. Odawara Tourism AssociationOdawara has been selected as one of the first recipients of government assistance to tell its story and local tourism authorities have been busy devising initiatives that play on its strengths. Five generations of the Hojo clan made Odawara castle one of the most formidable in the country and it was never successfully stormed in battle. Odawara Tourism AssociationThe innermost courtyard is across another bridge over a moat, up a flight of steep steps and through a gate set into a two-meter-thick wall. The “Lord of the Castle” experience can be booked through the official Odawara Tourism Association website.

Persons: Simon Celestine, Hojo, Naoya Asao, ” Celestine, ”, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi, Meiji, Celestine, Tomomi Iwayama, Iwayama, sashimi Organizations: CNN, Japan CNN, Odawara Tourism, Odawara, Odawara Tourism Association, CNN Travel Locations: Odawara, Japan, France, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone, Izu, Sagami Bay, Mount Fuji, Edo, Kanto

☆ Russian military blogger Igor Girkin sentenced to four years in prison on extremism charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Igor Girkin, a prominent Russian pro-war blogger who criticized President Vladimir Putin’s handling of the war on Ukraine, has been found guilty on extremism charges and sentenced to four years in prison by a Moscow court. Moscow City Court convicted Girkin, also known under his pseudonym, Strelkov, of inciting extremism – a charge he denied. Girkin was an influential blogger and critic of Putin. The court in 2022 found Girkin guilty of mass murder for his role in the incident and he was sentenced in absentia to life in prison. According to the court, Girkin participated in the conflicts in Chechnya, Transnistria and Bosnia.

Persons: Igor Girkin, Vladimir Putin’s, Girkin, Strelkov, Putin, Wagner, Natalia Kolesnikova, ” Organizations: CNN, Court, Federal Security Service, Malaysia Airlines Flight, Getty, Angry Patriots Club, Reuters, Donetsk People’s, DPR Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Crimea, Donbas, Russia, AFP, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic, Netherlands, Chechnya, Transnistria, Bosnia

☆ Russian Parliament to Ask French Counterpart if It Knew of 'French Mercenaries' in Ukraine - Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, plans to formally ask France's National Assembly if it is aware that French mercenaries have been fighting on Ukraine's side, Vyacheslav Volodin, the Duma's chairman, said on Friday. France rejected the allegations, saying it was helping Ukraine defend its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity but had no mercenaries in Ukraine "unlike certain others". "In France, the mercenary trade is forbidden by law," Volodin wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The Duma would consider its address to the French parliament at the next meeting of the lower chamber of parliament which is scheduled for Jan. 23, he said. Russia announced on Thursday it had summoned the French ambassador to the Foreign Ministry over the mercenary allegations.

Persons: Vyacheslav Volodin, Volodin, Vladimir Putin, Andrew Osborn Organizations: State Duma, Russian Defence Ministry, Duma, Foreign Ministry, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Kharkiv, France, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Nepal urges Russia not to recruit its citizens into army; says six killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Nepal government said in a statement that six of its nationals, who had been serving the Russian army, were killed, without providing any details. Diplomatic efforts were underway to get one Nepali citizen serving the Russian army and captured by Ukraine released, the statement added. Nepal also urged its citizens not to join the army of any war-torn country. English daily, The Kathmandu Post, quoted Milan Raj Tuladhar, Nepal's ambassador in Moscow, as saying that 150-200 Nepalis were working as mercenaries in the Russian army. Millions of Nepali nationals are employed in civilian work mainly as labourers in industries and construction sites in South Korea, Malaysia and the Middle East.

Persons: Phil Noble, Milan Raj Tuladhar, Gopal Sharma, Sudipto Ganguly Organizations: Brigade, Catterick Garrison, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Richmond, Britain, Nepal, Moscow, India, China, Russia, Ukraine, Kathmandu, Russian, South Korea, Malaysia, Lincoln

☆ Chechen leader says he is ready to send another 3,000 fighters to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov addresses service members while making a statement, dedicated to a military conflict in Ukraine, in Grozny, Russia February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Chingis Kondarov/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Monday that another 3,000 of his fighters were ready to go to fight in Ukraine as part of new units of the Russian defence ministry and the Russian National Guard forces. "They (the fighters) have the best equipment and modern weapons," Kadyrov said on the Telegram messaging app. Kadyrov's claims could not be independently verified and estimates of the Chechen fighters deployed to Ukraine vary. There have been also been several Chechen armed formations fighting on the side of Ukraine in the war that began with Russia's full-scale aggression in Ukraine 21 months ago.

Persons: Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, Chingis, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Vladimir Putin's, Kadyrov's, Russia's, Wagner, Lidia Kelly, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Russian National Guard, Chechen, Thomson Locations: Chechen Republic, Ukraine, Grozny, Russia, Chechnya, Melbourne

☆ Chechen Leader Says He Is Ready to Send Another 3,000 Fighters to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Monday that another 3,000 of his fighters were ready to go to fight in Ukraine as part of new units of the Russian defence ministry and the Russian National Guard forces. "They (the fighters) have the best equipment and modern weapons," Kadyrov said on the Telegram messaging app. "In addition, the guys are highly combative and very motivated to achieve results." Kadyrov's claims could not be independently verified and estimates of the Chechen fighters deployed to Ukraine vary. There have been also been several Chechen armed formations fighting on the side of Ukraine in the war that began with Russia's full-scale aggression in Ukraine 21 months ago.

Persons: Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Vladimir Putin's, Kadyrov's, Russia's, Wagner, Lidia Kelly, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Russian National Guard, Chechen Locations: Ukraine, Chechnya, Russia, Melbourne

☆ Sam Altman enters his power era
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Michael Cogley | Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A failed coup at OpenAI saw Sam Altman return as CEO and stronger than ever. The botched coup of OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has seemingly reinforced his power. Even more astonishingly, Altman lacks the one obvious lever of power that keeps founder-CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg in power: controlling shares in his company. "He's really, really, really good at both being understood, but also understanding and asking thoughtful questions." They acted in their best interest," one OpenAI staffer posted on Blind, a social network site where employees can post anonymously.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, —, Mark Zuckerberg, Eduard Cristea, — Mira Murati, Satya Nadella, Greg Brockman, Vinod Khosla, Dan Siroker, Paul Graham, Holofy's, Cristea, Sam, OpenAI, would've, Altman OpenAI, Ilya Sutskever, we've, — Ilya Sutskever, Sutskever, Ilya, we'd, it's Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Stanford, New York Times Locations: OpenAI, Silicon Valley, Silicon

☆ Ukraine's risky decision to stay and let Russia bash its forces against Bakhmut came with costs but was worth it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementUkraine fought tooth and nail for months to defend the eastern city of Bakhmut from a never-ending onslaught of Russian soldiers and Wagner Group mercenaries. The risky decision to stay there came with significant costs, and Moscow eventually captured the city in May. AdvertisementThe Bakhmut fight also greatly contributed to the ultimate downfall of the notorious Wagner Group, Barros and Cancian said. Members of Wagner group sit atop of a tank in a street in the city of Rostov-on-Don, on June 24, 2023. AdvertisementAn aerial view of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on April 26, 2023.

Persons: —, Bakhmut, George Barros, Mark Cancian, Wagner, Cancian, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, STRINGER, Barros, it's Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Institute for, Kyiv, ARIS MESSINIS, Getty, US Marine Corps, Center, Strategic International Studies, Barros, Russian, Kremlin, Wagner, AP, Fleet Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Ukrainian, Donetsk Oblast, AFP, Russian, Rostov, AP Ukraine, Kyiv, Crimean

☆ How an Indian startup hacked the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +41 min

The Indian company hacked on an industrial scale, stealing data from political leaders, international executives, prominent attorneys and more. Run by a pair of brothers, Rajat and Anuj Khare, the company began as a small Indian educational startup. The Indian company hacked on an industrial scale, stealing data from political leaders, international executives, sports figures and more. Back in 2012, Kristi Rogers was an executive at Aegis, a London-based security company. Canadian security company GardaWorld, which acquired Aegis in 2015, said it had no information on the incident.

Persons: Chuck Randall, Randall, “, ” Randall, ”, Randall’s inbox, Appin, Rajat, Anuj Khare, Rajat Khare’s, Clare Locke, Khare “, Khare, ” Clare Locke, Ted Kaczynski, Anuj, who’ve, SentinelOne, Tom Hegel, Appin “, Hegel, Mandiant, ” Hegel, Shane Huntley, ” Huntley, Google’s Huntley, ‘, Jochi Gómez, Gómez, Halevi, Tamir Mor, Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, Mohamed Azmin Ali, ” Mor, Berezovsky, Azmin, Mor, Roman Abramovich, Mark Hastings, Hastings, didn’t, Jim H, ” Jim H, Jim H’s, Kristi Rogers, Mike Rogers, he’s, Global’s, sully, Rogers, Damian Perl, – “, Steven Santarpia, ” Santarpia, Santarpia, Leonel Fernández, ” Fernández, Rajat Khare, “ Let’s, Ministry of Home Affairs didn’t, Peter Hargitay, Stevie, Billing, ” Stevie, ’, ” Peter Hargitay, Mookhey, Norman Shark, Jonathan Camp, Shark, Camp, Norman, Dominican Republic –, Dan Brady, Sandra Schweingruber, ” Schweingruber, Schweingruber, Brady, ” Gómez, –, ” –, Anna Carter, Mark Califano, ” Rajat Khare’s, India’s, Educomp, Karen Hunter, Hunter, Bryan, Rajat’s, Vijay Kumar, Deepak Kumar, Kumar, ACSG, Jay Solomon, Solomon, ” Rebsec’s, Vishavdeep Singh, Rebsec, CyberRoot, Sumit Gupta, Gupta, Raphael Satter, Zeba Siddiqui, Christopher Bing, Ryan McNeill, Corinne Perkins, John Emerson, Marla Dickerson Organizations: Reuters, Google, Harvard University, U.S, Symantec, Appin, Caribbean, El, Israeli Defense Forces, Commando, Quillon Law, U.S . House Intelligence, The Michigan Republican, U.S . Senate, Aegis, Global Security, Security, Rogers, Army Corps of Engineers, Rotary, Aegis ’, Global, ” Reuters, Britain’s, Appin Software Security, Ltd, Appin Security, –, Research, Analysis, Intelligence Bureau, Indian, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, India’s Ministry of Defense, of Home Affairs, Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ministry of Home Affairs, Telenor, Broadcom, FBI, Dominican, Criminal Investigation Service, Appin Security Group, CERT, country’s, Bureau of Investigation, Educomp, State Bank of India, State Bank, The National Security Agency, NSA, U.S ., Swiss, Appin Technology, India’s Ministry, Corporate Affairs, Control Security Global, Technology, Kumar, Facebook, Meta, BellTroX, Services, Street, New, Rebsec, BellTroX’s, Hire Locations: Long, New Delhi, India, Yorker, Paris, Swiss, cybersecurity, Appin, Dominican, California, “, Dominican Republic, El Siglo, United States, Britain, Switzerland, New York, French, New Jersey, Israel, Russian, Malaysian, London, Rwandan, Virginia, Canadian, Chuck@shinnecock.org, Texas, Indian, India’s Punjab, Pakistan, Zurich, Australia, Norway, Oslo, Brady, Former, ”, U.S, Islip, Shinnecock, Washington, cyberespionage

☆ Ukraine says it used a car bomb to take out a Russian-backed politician in an occupied city
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine said it killed a Russian-backed lawmaker in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday. Mikhail Filiponenko, a deputy in Luhansk, died in a car bomb explosion, per Ukrainian intelligence. Mikhail Filiponenko, a member of the Russian-backed parliament in occupied Luhansk, and a former leader of its armed forces, died in a car bomb explosion on Wednesday, per the statement. Andriy Cherniak, a representative of Ukrainian intelligence, confirmed to Politico Europe that Ukraine was behind the bombing. Prior to that, Darya Dugina, a prominent war supporter and daughter of Aleksandr Dugin, commonly known as "Putin's brain," was assassinated by a car bomb outside Moscow in August 2022, Insider previously reported .

Persons: Mikhail Filiponenko, —, Andriy Cherniak, Filiponenko, Valery Gerasimov, Darya, Aleksandr Dugin Organizations: Politico, Service, Center, Reuters, Washington Post, General Staff Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Luhansk, Ukrainian, Politico Europe, Moscow, Donetsk

☆ Putin looks set to run for president in 2024 — and there's no one who can oppose him right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - SEPTEMBER 9: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the concert marking the City Day on September 9, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images) Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesRussian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly decided to run in the March 2024 presidential election and he's likely to win another six-year term in office, essentially because there's no one that can oppose him. Analysts say that the bitter truth in modern Russia is that there is no one who can oppose Putin, for now. In this pool image distributed by Sputnik agency, Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the regional head of Inigushetia in Moscow's Kremlin, on August 15, 2023. MOSCOW, RUSSIA - SEPTEMBER 9: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the concert marking the City Day on September 9, 2023 in Moscow, Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sobyanin, he's, —, Vladimir Milov, Alexander Kazakov, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Alexei Navalny, Yulia Morozova, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Sergei Medvedev, Mikhail Svetlov, Medvedev, deigning, Prigozhin's Wagner, Wagner, Kirill Shamiev, Milov Organizations: Moscow's, Getty, Kremlin, Reuters, CNBC, Sputnik, AFP, Kremlin's, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Russia, IK, Wagner Group, Analysts, Saint Petersburg, Economic, Prigozhin's Wagner Group, Anadolu Agency, European Council, Foreign Relations, Putin Locations: MOSCOW, RUSSIA, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Moscow's Kremlin, Ukraine, Vladimir, Iran, North Korea, SAINT PETERSBURG, Concord, Saint Petersburg, Belarus, Prigozhin, Russia's, Tver

☆ Chechen leader Kadyrov says ex-Wagner fighters are training with his forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 6 (Reuters) - A large group of Russia's former Wagner mercenaries has started training with special forces from the southern Russian region of Chechnya, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Monday. Kadyrov said in a message on Telegram that a big group of ex-Wagner fighters was undergoing intensive training with his own Akhmat special forces. He published a video, accompanied by stirring music, showing soldiers in combat training, including some wearing Wagner insignia on their uniforms and masks over their faces. Kadyrov said the drills included shooting, field medicine and training for snipers, machine gunners, sappers and artillerymen. It was not clear how many Wagner men were taking part or whether any of them would stay on with the Chechen forces after the training was over.

Persons: Wagner, Ramzan Kadyrov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Kadyrov, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russian, Chechnya, Ukraine, Chechen, Russia

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