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☆ Wagner Group mercenaries are being butchered in Ukraine, but US intel expects them to keep stirring up trouble elsewhere on Russia's behalf
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The notorious Wagner Group has operated around the world on Russia's behalf for years. For years, the Wagner Group has put boots on the ground in countries across Africa and the Middle East. A pedestrian walks past a mural depicting the logo of the Russian mercenary 'Group Wagner' and a slogan in Russian on January 20, 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia. Graves of Russian Wagner mercenary group fighters are seen in a cemetery near the village of Bakinskaya in Krasnodar region, Russia, January 22, 2023. Like Russia's regular military, Wagner has endured heavy losses on the battlefield.

☆ Russia used rarely seen missiles and wildly unpredictable ones Ukraine's forces can't stop in deadly strikes across the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's air defenses are unable to shoot down these weapons, a military official said. Ukraine's military said Russia fired 81 missiles and eight Iranian-made suicide drones at cities across the country, leaving multiple civilians dead and injured. Among the missiles that were fired were 28 Kh-101 and Kh-555 air-launched cruise missiles, 20 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles, 13 S-300 surface-to-air missiles, eight Kh-31P and 6 –Kh-59 guided missiles, six Kh-47 Kinzhal missiles, and six Kh-22 missiles, according to Ukrainian state media. Three rockets launched against Ukraine from Russia's Belgorod region are seen at dawn in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 9, 2023. AP Photo/Mykola TysYurii Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine's military, said Thursday's attack was "really large-scale and for the first time using such different types of missiles.

☆ Russia's elite tank unit was meant to get its most advanced armor. Instead it's fighting with obsolete Soviet tanks from the '60s, UK intel says.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But instead it's relying on 60-year-old T-62 tanks, per a UK Ministry of Defence update. Russia has retrieved approximately 800 T-62 tanks from storage since the summer of 2022, it said. But, instead, it is receiving T-62 tanks, which were first adopted by the Soviet Union in 1961, and ceased production in the 1970s. The UK Ministry of Defence also noted the absence of modern explosive reactive armor as a potential vulnerability. Since the summer of 2022, approximately 800 T-62 tanks have been retrieved from Russian storage, the MOD intelligence update said.

☆ Putin's army can't figure out how to use tanks, and the battlefield in Ukraine is littered with burnt wrecks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

According to an open-source intelligence analysis by Oryx, more than 1,780 Russian tanks have been destroyed, damaged, captured, or abandoned since Moscow launched its invasion in February 2022. Due to the design of many of Russia's tanks, a hit can cause the ammunition to detonate, killing the crew as the overpressure blows the top off. And it's "questionable" how well Russia's tanks are integrated into its overall operations. A destroyed Russian tank covered by snow stands in the village of Kamyanka, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, FileClearing a minefield is a slow, complicated, and deliberate process that involves several steps, but Russian tanks appear to drive right through them.

☆ Putin's top troops are being 'decimated' as Russia relies too much on so-called 'elite' forces to wage war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Several so-called "elite" Russian units have suffered heavy casualties on the battlefield in Ukraine. The 155th is only the latest so-called "elite" Russian unit to face serious setbacks on the battlefield. An abandoned Russian military tank left in the Ukrainian city of Balakliia after Russian Forces withdrew from the Kharkiv region on September 15, 2022. So I think it's much more of a blow to Russia's ground force's combat power than it is to their reputations." Russia's military leadership has at times faced criticism and even domestic outrage over its decision-making.

☆ UK navy seizes anti-tank missiles being smuggled out of Iran, adding to a mountain of weapons intercepted by the US and its partners at sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UK forces recently intercepted a small boat illegally smuggling missiles from Iran to Yemen. It's the latest incident to see the US and partner forces seize weapons in Middle East waters. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. Once these weapons are seized, there are a handful of places they can end up — depending on what, exactly, was obtained during the raid. In some past cases, explosives have been detonated at sea while the rifles and ammunition were sent ashore to be destroyed.

☆ Russia and Ukraine have a lot of the same tanks and jets, but Kyiv has a decisive 'flesh and bone' advantage, top US enlisted leader says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia and Ukraine have often fought against each other using the same military hardware. But Ukraine has a "human dynamic" advantage that Russia lacks, a top US enlisted leader said. US and Ukrainian officials have praised the role of Ukraine's NCOs during the conflict for being leaders on the front lines. "The government of Ukraine decided to go all in on an NCO development model," Colón-López said this week. "It is definitely a decisive advantage that the Ukrainians have that the Russians do not."

☆ The US military set off its largest nuclear explosion in testing 69 years ago, but scientists had no idea the blast would be that big
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Dozens of nuclear tests were carried out by the US in the Pacific between 1946 and 1958. The largest of these was the detonation of the Castle Bravo device on March 1, 1954. It was 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that leveled Hiroshima during World War II. Castle Bravo was a real 'eyeopener'Despite the devastation caused by Castle Bravo, the US military continued to conducting nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific. The US, UK, and Soviet Union signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963, which barred nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere, in outer space, and underwater.

☆ Russia will emerge from the Ukraine war a 'shattered military power,' top Pentagon official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia will emerge from war in Ukraine a "shattered military power," a senior Pentagon official said. Colin Kahl told lawmakers that Russia lost the war — echoing a similar remark by the top US general. He added that US military support for Kyiv has been, and will continue to be, flexible and dynamic. "They intended for Russia to emerge out of this war a great power in a multi-polar world — they will emerge from this conflict a shattered military power," he added. His remarks in November, and again on Tuesday, echo what other top US officials and generals have said in stating that Russia has already lost and failed in Ukraine.

☆ The US military created an illusion of success in Afghanistan by handling tasks it was supposed to train Afghan troops to do, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new watchdog report details how Afghanistan's security forces collapsed in August 2021. It said the US handled tasks that it was supposed to be training Afghan troops how to do. Washington lacked the political will and effort to actually develop an Afghan security force in a "war-torn and impoverished country," which is a monumental task. Additionally, the report placed blame on the Afghan government, which it said was riddled with corruption that trickled down into the military. "However, nothing affected morale more than the realization in February 2021 that US military forces were leaving."

☆ More of Russia's soldiers have died in Ukraine — a war Putin thought would be over in days — than in all its wars since World War II combined, new analysis finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

More Russian soldiers have died fighting in Ukraine than in all of Russia's wars since World War II combined. Putin originally thought the war would be over in days, but Russia has failed in its objectives. According to a brief from the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), between 60,000 and 70,000 Russian soldiers have been killed on the battlefield in Ukraine. When Russia invaded Ukraine in late February 2022, Putin originally believed he could capture Kyiv in a matter of days. But Russian generals seriously overestimated Russia's military and underestimated Ukrainian forces, resulting in poor strategy, command failures, and completely mismanaged logistics.

☆ The US Navy is changing the name of a warship to honor a former slave who escaped to freedom on a stolen Confederate ship
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The ship, formally known as USS Chancellorsville, will be named USS Robert Smalls. Robert Smalls was born into slavery but went on to become a prominent sailor and politician. Del Toro on Monday said he is "proud" to rename the ship after Robert Smalls. "Robert Smalls is a man who deserves a namesake ship and with this renaming, his story will continue to be retold and highlighted." The USS Chancellorsville was commissioned in 1989 and is assigned to Carrier Strike Group Five in Japan, although it is scheduled to leave active service in 2026.

☆ An 'elite' Russian unit has been weakened by severe front-line losses, and the replacements appear to be making things worse, Western intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's 155th Naval Infantry Brigade has suffered heavy losses while fighting in Ukraine. The 155th was considered to be an "elite" unit, but has been degraded, Western intelligence says. It's the latest high-profile Russian unit to see a high number of causalities on the battlefield. SERGEY BOBOK/AFP via Getty ImagesThe 155th is not the only Russian unit considered elite that has suffered severe setbacks and losses in Ukraine. Western intelligence estimates that Russian forces may have suffered as many as 200,000 casualties while fighting in Ukraine, with up to 60,000 troops dead.

☆ How Ukraine's 'lifeline' railway runs even as Russia bombs it, according to a man fighting to keep the trains on time
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Alexander Kamyshin, CEO of Ukrainian Railways, explained to Insider how the operation keeps going. "Some people say that railways is the lifeline of Ukraine," Kamyshin said in a recent interview with Insider. Kamyshin oversees Ukrainian Railways, the state-owned company that has kept Ukraine's economy and people moving through a brutal year of war. AP Photo/Leo CorreaBut even with the burdens of war, Ukrainian Railways also managed to innovate and expand during 2022. We want to keep growing, to keep constructing, and to keep doing new projects even during the war," Kamyshin said.

☆ Russians hung out with US Army soldiers at a weapons expo and played with the missiles killing Putin's tanks in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US Army soldiers found themselves situated near Russian weapons contractors at an expo in Abu Dhabi. At one point, the Russians came over to the US booth and played with Javelins, a Breaking Defense report said. These weapons have been used by Ukraine to strike Russian tanks on the battlefield. At least one of the Russians even picked up a Javelin, an anti-tank missile system that the US military has sent to Ukraine and has been used to destroy Russian tanks. US and Russian troops crossed paths last October in Syria, where they shook hands, exchanged patches, and even posed for photographs together.

☆ After a year of war, Ukraine's military is facing a new test of its resolve, holding the line until key weapons arrive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Military experts told Insider that Russia is pushing forward with an offensive in eastern Ukraine. Putin has a small window to attack before Kyiv receives advanced Western armor, but Ukraine will need to hold out. The challenge for Kyiv's forces will be absorbing assaults by Russia's numerically larger force long enough for more advanced Western tanks and artillery to arrive that could drive the Russians back. The Russians have that same problem, and Ukraine is trying to attack Russia's logistics system to degrade its ammunition stockpiles. Just as the Russians have been trying to exhaust Ukrainian forces, the Ukrainians have been delivering heavy losses to the Russians.

☆ Putin gave Biden a $12,000 writing set in 2021. It was among the unusual presents world leaders offered the US president that year.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

These are 7 of the most unusual, unique, or noteworthy presents gifted to President Joe Biden that year. These are 7 of the most unusual presents gifted to President Joe Biden in 2021. Putin gave Biden a $12,000 desk setLess than a year before Vladimir Putin launched his unprompted war in Ukraine, the Russian president gifted Biden a Kholuy Lacquer miniature workshop desk writing set and pen valued at $12,000, according to the State Department. Queen Elizabeth gave the president a photo of herselfThe late Queen Elizabeth gave the gift of herself during the 2021 G7 summit in England. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office of the White House, Sept. 1, 2021, in Washington.

☆ Timelapse map shows how close Russia came to taking Kyiv and how Ukraine reclaimed its land over a year of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new timelapse map from AP shows how close Russia came to taking Kyiv and how Ukraine fended them off. Putin believed he could capture Kyiv in a matter of days, underestimating Ukraine's military. After a year of war, the conflict is focused on a hard fight in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Insider previously reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin thought Russia could capture Kyiv in about two days, but he seriously overestimated Russia's military. While the war in Ukraine has ebbed and flowed over time, the battle for Kyiv stands as one of the first testaments to Ukraine's resilience and Putin's failure.

☆ Wagner boss drops gruesome photo of war dead while blasting top Russian military leaders for getting them killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin, who founded the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group, shared a graphic photograph of dead Russian mercenaries earlier this week and criticized the country's military leadership for getting them killed. Prigozhin shared the gruesome image, which shows dozens of corpses placed in multiple rows on the ground, to his Telegram channel on Tuesday. Russia's defense ministry denied the claims and said any statements about munitions shortages are "absolutely untrue," Russian state media TASS reported. A pedestrian walks past a mural depicting the logo of the Russian mercenary 'Group Wagner' and a slogan in Russian on January 20, 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia. "Wagner is becoming a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries."

☆ These battles and major moments have shaped a brutal year of war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

There have been major moments — some of which were symbolic — that saw the country take steps to harness crucial Western military support and also boost its own morale. While Zelenskyy's presence helped to gain Western support, several other moments helped to sustain it and also boost the country's morale. And in October, Ukraine bombed a crucial bridge connecting Crimea with mainland Russia that Putin's troops used to transport equipment. Ukraine has also attacked several Russian bases in mainland Russia and in Crimea, bringing the war closer to the Russian people. "But these things built — brick by brick — this Western support that has been crucial to them."

☆ Ukrainian forces are training on fast and well-armed Leopard tanks in Spain, prime minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian forces are training on Leopard tanks in Spain, according to the Spanish Prime Minister. Leopard tanks are notable for their firepower, armor, and speed on various terrains. Sanchez revealed that the arrival of Leopard tanks in Ukraine would correspond with the return of trained soldiers. Spain is one of several countries to pledge to send tanks to Ukraine. The British are presently training Ukrainian forces on Challenger tanks in southwestern England, and last month, US Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced that the US military was training Ukrainian troops in Germany, the Associated Press reported.

☆ PHOTO: A U-2 pilot took a selfie with the Chinese spy balloon the day before the Air Force shot it down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A US Air Force pilot took a selfie with the Chinese spy balloon before it was shot down. The pilot, flying a U-2 spy aircraft, took the image a day before the balloon was downed by an F-22. A US Air Force pilot looked down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovered over the Central Continental United States February 3, 2023. Photo courtesy of the Department of DefenseThe U-2's involvement in gathering intelligence on the spy balloon was first reported by The Drive on February 6. Just days later, US Air Force fighter jets downed three unidentified aerial objects flying in North American airspace in three separate engagements on February 10, 11, and 12.

☆ The average life expectancy of a front-line soldier in eastern Ukraine is around 4 hours, says an American fighting in 'the meat grinder'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The average life expectancy of a front-line soldier in eastern Ukraine is just 4 hours, says a former US Marine. He said fighting is especially deadly in the war-torn city of Bakhmut, dubbed "the meat grinder." Fighting in Bakhmut is so bad, Offenbecker said, that it's been dubbed "the meat grinder." Bakhmut, which is located in Ukraine's occupied Donetsk region, has been besieged by Russian forces throughout much of the full-scale war. Despite a months-long attempt by Russian forces to encircle the city, Ukrainian troops have provided a stiff defense and have so far prevented the Russians from capturing it.

☆ Putin put the last major nuclear arms treaty with the US on 'life support,' risking pulling the world back to a 'dangerous' time of uncontrolled arsenals, nuke experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Putin said Russia will suspend its participation in major nuclear arms control pact with US. Without the New START pact and nuclear arms control, the US and Russia could expand their nuclear arsenals. "More nuclear weapons and less arms control makes the world more dangerous," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. What is the New START treaty? "Suspension of the treaty is not equal to leaving the treaty, I assume there will be no Russian build-up above the treaty limits.

☆ Here's what happens to the thousands of weapons the US military seizes from smugglers and gunrunners
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Tim Hawkins, a public affairs officer with the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), told Insider. In one incident, US forces seized dual-use chemical fertilizer, which can be used for agricultural purposes and also to make explosives. U.S. naval forces seized 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles from a fishing vessel transiting along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen. US Navy photoEarlier in 2022, UK naval forces confiscated surface-to-air missiles and cruise-missile rocket engines. Shortly after that, and most recently, French special forces seized over 3,000 assault rifles, 578,000 rounds of ammunition, and 23 advanced anti-tank guided missiles.

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