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☆ US to send controversial depleted-uranium munitions to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cezary Aszkielowicz/ Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday announced a new security assistance package worth up to $175 million for Ukraine, including depleted uranium ammunition for Abrams tanks, the first time the U.S. is sending the controversial armor-piercing munitions to Kyiv. Reuters was first to report last week that the rounds, which could help destroy Russian tanks, would form part of a new military aid package for Ukraine, which Russian forces invaded in February 2022. Although Britain sent depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine earlier this year, this would be the first U.S. shipment of the ammunition and will likely stir controversy. Washington previously announced it would send cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite concerns over the dangers such weapons pose to civilians. The use of depleted uranium munitions has been fiercely debated, with opponents like the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons saying there are dangerous health risks from ingesting or inhaling depleted uranium dust, including cancers and birth defects.

Persons: Cezary, Wyborcza.pl, Antony Blinken's, Blinken, Washington, Costas Pitas, Mike Stone, Kanishka Singh, Ronald Popeski, Rami Ayyub, Eric Beech, Grant McCool Organizations: Abrams, REUTERS Acquire, Pentagon, Reuters, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, International Coalition, Thomson Locations: U.S, Szczecin, Poland, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Ukrainian, Washington, United States

☆ US is sending Ukraine ammunition that can not only pierce Russian tank armor but also ignite inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US officially announced Wednesday it will send Ukraine depleted-uranium tank ammunition. This powerful ammunition gives Kyiv the capability to not only punch holes in Russian armor, but also do additional damage inside enemy vehicles as the fragments potentially ignite. The Pentagon listed the 120 mm depleted-uranium tank ammunition as part of a $175 security assistance package that was officially revealed on Wednesday. The US is not the first NATO member to send Ukraine depleted-uranium ammunition. The latest US security assistance announcement, which includes the depleted-uranium tank rounds, comes ahead of what is expected to be an imminent delivery of 31 Abrams tanks.

Persons: Biden, Antony Blinken, Nicholas Perez, Thomas Spoehr, Vladimir Putin, Tylon Chapman, John Kirby, Blinken, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: US, Pentagon, Service, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Factory, US Air Force National Guard Explosive Ordnance, Technicians, Tooele Army Depot, US Air National Guard, Staff, US Army, 1st Armored Division, NATO, British, Challenger, Armed Forces, National Security, Oryx, British Challenger, Ukrainian Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Kyiv, Germany, UT, Washington, Grafenwoehr, Russia, Moscow, United States

☆ Blinken, in Kyiv, Says U.S. Will Send $1 Billion More in Aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

The aid will also include demining assistance to clear Russian land mines and prevent the remnants of war from causing further harm to civilians, Mr. Blinken said. It includes ammunition made with depleted uranium for Abrams tanks, which are scheduled to arrive in Ukraine this fall, Mr. Blinken said. Mr. Blinken traveled by train to Kyiv with Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, according to a State Department statement. He was replaced by Rustem Umerov, who has been the chairman of Ukraine’s State Property Fund. A senior State Department official told reporters traveling with Mr. Blinken that the effort was aimed at “putting global support on a long-term, sustainable path.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, Dmytro Kuleba, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Mr, Zelensky, ”, “, Lynsey Addario, Mr, Mette Frederiksen, Blinken’s, Oleksii, Rustem Umerov, Umerov’s, Tyler Hicks, Putin, Vladimir V, Russia, Erin Mendell, Anushka Patil Organizations: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kyiv, United, Pentagon, The New York Times, Ukraine’s, Department, Property Fund, 22nd Mechanized Brigade, State Department Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, U.S, United States, matériel, Kostyantynivka, Ukrainian, ”, Russia, “, Denmark, Ukraine’s, Bakhmut, Israel

☆ Exclusive: US to send depleted-uranium munitions to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Although Britain sent depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine earlier this year, this would be the first U.S. shipment of the ammunition and will likely stir controversy. The use of depleted uranium munitions has been fiercely debated, with opponents like the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons saying there are dangerous health risks from ingesting or inhaling depleted uranium dust, including cancers and birth defects. While depleted uranium is radioactive, it is considerably less so than naturally occurring uranium, although particles can linger for a considerable time. The Wall Street Journal reported in mid-June the U.S. was considering sending depleted uranium rounds to Ukraine. Recent weapons aid packages for Ukraine have included artillery, air defense missiles and ground vehicles as Ukraine's counteroffensive grinds on.

Persons: Abrams, Kacper, Biden, Mike Stone, Jonathan Landay, Don Durfee, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: U.S . 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Abrams, International Coalition, NATO, International Atomic Energy Agency, Street, Presidential, Authority, Thomson Locations: Drawsko, Pomorskie, Ukraine, U.S, United States, Yugoslavia, Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon, Washington

☆ Huge purchases of tanks and helicopters suggest Poland is borrowing a battlefield idea from the US Army
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Among its purchases are US-made tanks and helicopters designed to work in tandem on the battlefield. Despite only being a member of NATO since 1999, Poland is spending much more than older alliance members. Poland has sent some of its older hardware to Ukraine, including Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets and T-72 tanks and Polish-built Krab 155-mm self-propelled howitzers. WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty ImagesWhat is significant isn't just Poland's spending spree but also what it is buying. Poland is also spending $10 billion for 18 HIMARS launchers and reportedly plans to acquire up to 500 more launchers.

Persons: Mariusz Blaszczak, WOJTEK RADWANSKI, Radosław Sikorski, Artur Widak, Abrams, Vladimir Putin's, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, NATO, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Apaches, Polish Army, Getty, Abrams, US State Department, Joint, Army Tactical Missile, Financial Times, AHS, Nowa, Soviet, US Army, Apache, U.S . Army, Aviation, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Poland, Europe, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Germany, France, Soviet, Warsaw, AFP, South Korea, Russia, Polish, Forbes

☆ U.S. approves shipments of F-16s to Ukraine in major gain for Kiev
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Even so, Air Force Gen. James Hecker, commander of U.S. air forces in Europe and Africa, told reporters in Washington he did not expect the F-16s to be a game-changer for Ukraine. Ukrainian air forces supporting infantry are using decades-old Soviet-era planes, which are vulnerable to air-to-air missile attacks from Russian fighter jets, Capt. Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Friday that the training of Ukrainian pilots is starting this month. A coalition of 11 Western countries — the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom — pledged in July to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s. In other developments:— Russian air defenses stopped drone attacks on central Moscow and on the country's ships in the Black Sea, officials said Friday, blaming the attempted strikes on Ukraine.

Persons: James Hecker, Yevgen, Rakita, Jake Sullivan, State Anthony Blinken, Jakob Ellemann, Jensen, —, Joe Biden's, Abrams, Joseph Schulte Organizations: Air Force, NATO, NATO Air Policing, United, Kyiv, 18th Army Aviation Brigade, Associated Press, State, Danish, Sukhoi Locations: Netherlands, United States, Denmark, Ukraine, Washington, Europe, Ukrainian, U.S, Africa, Russia, Russian, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, United, Moscow, Hong Kong, Istanbul

☆ Ukrainian soldiers knocked out a crash course on the M1 Abrams tank, but Kyiv doesn't want to stop there
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukrainian soldiers have reached the end of their planned training on American M1 Abrams tanks in Germany. US M1A1 Abrams tanks needed for training the Armed Forces of Ukraine arrive by rail at Grafenwoehr, Germany, May 14, 2023. While US officials have routinely asserted that the Abrams tanks would make their way to the battlefield this fall, an exact timeline remains unclear. US soldiers and an M1 Abrams tank in a wooded area during a multinational exercise at the Hohenfels training area in Germany. American officials, meanwhile, have suggested that the Abrams tanks are expected to give Kyiv a significant firepower boost on the battlefield.

Persons: Martin O'Donnell, O'Donnell, Biden, Abrams, Pat Ryder, Nicolas Armer, Douglas Sims, they'll, Sims Organizations: Abrams, Service, US Army, Training, Grafenwoehr, NATO, US, Armed Forces, US Air National Guard, Tylon Chapman, Russia, Stripes, Pentagon, Formidable, US military's Joint Staff, Kyiv, Western Locations: Germany, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Kyiv, US Army Europe, Africa, Grafenwoehr, Washington, Formidable Russian, Gen, Russia

☆ Poland to hold biggest military parade in decades, as its clout in Europe grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Kacper Pempel/ReutersPolish military vehicles are seen during a Saturday rehearsal for this week's parade in Warsaw. “Nobody is going to say that military security is not an important issue and that we shouldn’t be strengthening the military. With the UK out of the European Union and Germany still hesitant to take on a leadership role on Ukraine, Poland has sensed its opportunity. In November, two people were killed in eastern Poland, about four miles (6.4 kilometers) west of the Ukrainian border, by a Ukrainian missile defending against incoming Russian fire. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko asked the group to help train his country’s military, and earlier this month the two forces held joint training exercises near the Polish border.

Persons: Russian Wagner, Kacper Pempel, Pawel Supernak, ” Edward Arnold, Arnold, Aleks, ”, Jamie Shea, Putin, ” Arnold, ” Shea, Abrams, “, Dominika, Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Mariusz Blaszczak, Lukashenko Organizations: CNN, NATO, Poland’s Defense Ministry, Polish, Russia’s, Abrams, University of Sussex, University of Exeter, Chatham House, Eastern Europe …, European Union, Ukraine, United Nations, “, Polish Army, Getty, Kremlin . Locations: Poland, Belarus, Korean, Crimea, Ukraine, Russian, Kaliningrad, Warsaw, Russia, Polish, Soviet, North Korea, Iran, Communist Poland, England, East, Afghanistan, Central, Eastern Europe, Germany, France, Washington, Ukraine Poland, South Korea, Italy, Polanka Wielka, Ukrainian, Minsk

☆ Poland holds huge military parade as voters focus on defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Polish soldiers maintain Abrams M1A1 FEP tanks during preparations before National Army Day Parade at Wesola military base, in Warsaw, Poland, August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File PhotoWARSAW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Poland's biggest military parade since the Cold War takes place in Warsaw on Tuesday as the NATO-member country flexes its military muscle in what the government hopes will be both a message to Moscow and to voters ahead of elections in October. "This parade will be different from the previous ones; we will be able to see how the process of modernising the equipment of the Polish Army is progressing," Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Sunday. PiS, in power since 2015, says the parade will demonstrate how it is rebuilding the army after years of under-investment under the previous administration. The party has vowed to double the size of the army and spend around 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence this year.

Persons: Kacper, Mariusz Blaszczak, Michal Szczerba, Alan Charlish, Kuba Stezycki, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Abrams, National, REUTERS, Poland's, NATO, Justice, Polish Army, Armed Forces, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, Moscow, Russia's, Ukraine, Soviet Union, United States, South Korean, PiS

☆ Ukraine Warns of Renewed Russian Infrastructure Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Enjoli Liston | Diego Ibarra Sanchez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The findings echoed the warnings President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he gave allies ahead of the counteroffensive that began in early June. “The most glaring deficiency is the inability of Ukraine’s partners to appreciate the lead times between decisions and their desired effects,” Mr. Watling wrote. Even so, Mr. Watling noted, decisions to fulfill the requests were not made until mid-January. That is when Britain, France, Germany and the United States agreed to send Western tanks and other armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine, essentially allowing other NATO countries to follow suit. But the fight has unfolded slowly, with Ukraine’s forces tripped up by minefields and outgunned by Russian forces.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Jack Watling, Mr, Watling, Abrams, “, Zelensky, ” Organizations: Royal United Services Institute for Defense, Security Studies, United, Ukrainian, NATO Locations: British, Ukraine, Britain, France, Germany, United States, Russia, Russian

☆ Ukraine's offensive has a problem: Russia knew what was coming and was given way too much time to figure out how to beat it
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine has received various Western tanks, weapons systems, fighting vehicles, and armor. But Russia has often sidelined the assets with trenches, anti-tank mines, and fortified defenses. An expert told Insider the West's piecemeal rollout gave Russia time to adapt to each weapons system. Landmines, booby traps, and trip wires are a favorite Russian tactic, turning Ukraine's environment against Kyiv's own troops. To deal with Ukraine's mine clearers and sappers, Russia has stacked anti-tank mines to destroy de-mining equipment that can only handle so much explosive force.

Persons: George Barros, Thomas Alvarez, Joe Biden, They've, Abrams, Mykhailo Podolyak, Barros, Serhii, we've, Bradley, they're, Viktor Fridshon, Ritzau Scanpix, It's Organizations: Service, Russian, Ukraine, Institute for, M1A2 Abrams Tanks, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat, Idaho Army National Guard, Orchard Combat Training, Pentagon, Getty, Ukrainian National Guard Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Moscow, Soviet, Odesa, AFP

☆ Ukraine can't advance with tanks alone and is coming up short on what it really needs to break Russia's defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Mines are a big problem for Ukraine's forces, but that's not all there is to it, one warfare expert said. As one expert told Insider previously, Leopards are very capable tanks, but no one should expect a "silver bullet." These systems are effective, but Ukraine's forces needs more of this kind of capability, the top general said. "Lack of a comprehensive combined arms approach at scale makes Ukrainian forces more vulnerable to Russian ATGMs, artillery etc. Ed Ram/For The Washington Post via Getty ImagesUnable to carry out those kinds of complex warfare, Ukraine may find itself stuck in an attritional artillery fight with Russia.

Persons: that's, it's, Valery Zaluzhny, ErtÃ ¼, Zaluzhny, Franz, Stefan Gady, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Gady, Ed Ram, It's Organizations: Service, Bradley, Leopards, Washington Post, New York Times, 35th Marine Brigade, ErtÃ ¼ rk, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images Ukraine, Post, Center for New American Security, NATO, 57th Brigade, Getty, Washington, Western Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, There's, Donetsk, ErtÃ, Kyiv, Donetsk oblast, Russian, Dnipropetrovsk region, Russia

☆ Israel's workhorse Merkava tank could soon be refilling foreign arsenals depleted by the war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Israel may be about to export its workhorse Merkava tank for the first time. Israel isn't selling the newest version of the 45-year-old Merkava tank family, the Merkava 5, or even the Merkava 4, which is used in front-line Israeli armored units. An Israeli Merkava tank in the Negev desert in November 1997. Israel Defense Forces/Michael ShvadronThough Israel is small, home to less than 10 million people, it's one of the world's top 10 arms exporters. If Merkava tanks are sold overseas, they may yet end up on surprising battlefields.

Persons: Yair Koles, Israel isn't, Antoine GYORI, Merkava, Mark, Michael Shvadron, Israel —, Efraim Inbar, MENAHEM KAHANA, Recep Erdogan, Michael Peck Organizations: Israel, Service, Israel's Ministry of Defense, Haaretz, Cypriot, El, Getty, Israel Defense Forces, United Arab, Morocco —, US Army, Jerusalem Institute for Strategy, Security, Polisario, Iranian, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Arab, European, Turkey, Cyprus, Morocco, Spanish, El Espanol, Israeli, Soviet, Lebanon, Israel's, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Algeria, AFP, Turkish, Russian, Europe, Eastern, Merkavas, Russia, Syria, Iran, North Korea, Forbes

☆ Battlefield conditions in Ukraine aren't 'ideal' for F-16 fighter jets, but Abrams tanks will 'certainly make a difference,' US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Kyiv hopes to one day field F-16 fighter jets, and it is expecting to receive Abrams tanks soon. F-16s aren't ideal for the fight now, a US general said, but Abrams tanks will make a difference. While there are still questions about Ukraine's F-16s, Abrams tanks are definitely going to be delivered and are expected to have a significant effect on the battlefield, Sims said Thursday. US M1A1 Abrams tanks needed for training the Armed Forces of Ukraine arrive by rail at Grafenwoehr, Germany, May 14, 2023. The Abrams tanks promised to Ukraine are part of more than $41.3 billion in security assistance that the US has provided Kyiv since Russia attacked in February 2022.

Persons: Abrams, Russia's, they're, Douglas Sims, Biden, Tylon Chapman, Sims, Kyiv's, Tylon, they'll Organizations: Service, Ukraine, NATO, Abrams, Russian, US military's Joint Staff, U.S . Air Force, Falcons, Ohio Air National, 180th Fighter Wing, U.S . Air Force KC, Iowa Air National, Air Refueling Wing, US Air National Guard, Tylon, Attack Munitions, Pentagon, US, Armed Forces, Tylon Chapman Locations: Kyiv, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Gen, Iowa, Tylon Chapman Russia, Moscow, Grafenwoehr, Germany, Russia

And France pledged a shipment of the same missiles, which it calls SCALPs, as NATO leaders gathered in Lithuania on Tuesday. Like the United States, France had previously ruled out providing Ukraine with longer-range missiles, over concerns they could be used to attack targets in Russia, escalating the conflict. The ATACMS are among the last major weapons systems that Kyiv wants and the United States is reluctant to give. France’s announcement on Tuesday could either fuel the pressure campaign or, conversely, ease it now that Ukraine is receiving long-range missiles from other countries. Mr. Reznikov made clear that he would not stop asking for ATACMs or long-range missiles from any ally.

Persons: Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Mr, Macron, Abrams, America’s, Lockheed Martin, ATACMS, what’s, ”, Franklin D, Kramer, Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov, “, Eric Schmitt, Matthew Mpoke Bigg, Zolan Kanno, Youngs Organizations: NATO, Tactical Missile Systems, Pentagon, Russian, United, Kyiv, Lockheed, Republicans, Taurus Locations: Ukraine, France, Lithuania, United States, Russia, Britain, Crimea, Vilnius, Lithuanian, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Romania, Korean, “, Washington, London

☆ Here's why Ukraine needs the US Army Tactical Missile System to win the 'deep battle' against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US is considering providing ATACMS to Ukraine, according to a WSJ report. Kyiv has long sought ballistic missiles, which could strike targets far beyond the front lines. Kyiv has long been asking the US for the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, which has a range of about 190 miles and could be used to strike Russian targets far beyond the front lines, including Crimea. "ATACMS is a long-range guided missile that gives operational commanders the immediate firepower to win the deep battle," says its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. The House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a resolution last week calling for ATACMS to be sent to Ukraine immediately.

Persons: Biden, Ben Hodges, Sergei Shoigu, Hodges, Lockheed Martin, Putin, ATACMS, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Brendan Smialowski, Abrams, James Risch Organizations: Kyiv, Washington DC, Service, Wall Street, Army Tactical Missile, Army, Russian, The Telegraph, British Storm Shadow, US High Mobility Artillery, Lockheed, Black, White, Getty, Politico, US, Pentagon, Foreign Affairs, GOP, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Crimea, Army Europe, Kherson, Kerch, Russia, Ukrainian, Odesa, Sevastopol, Washington , DC, Washington

☆ No Russian ammo depots would be safe in Ukraine if the US provided longer-range HIMARS missiles and better drones, retired US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

ATACMS and new drones would allow Kyiv hit all Russian positions in Ukraine, a retired US general said. The Biden administration has been reluctant to send longer-range missiles and drones to Ukraine. Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges told Insider that Washington is likely concerned about Russian escalation. ATACMS in particular could make it easier for Ukraine to target the occupied Crimean peninsula and Russia's Black Sea Fleet. "Because we, the US, have continued to refuse to provide ATACMS, we have, in effect, created a safe haven for the Russians inside Ukraine.

Persons: Biden, Ben Hodges, —, it's, Hodges, Serhii Mykhalchuk, Pat Ryder, Mark Milley, ATACMS, they've, Abrams, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Army Tactical Missile, US Army, Army, Getty, Street, Pentagon Press, Air Force, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Artillery, Shadow, AP, NATO, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, US, Washington, Moscow, Russian, Army Europe, Kyiv, ATACMS, Crimean, Ukrainian, Odesa, Sevastopol, Donetsk Oblast, Zaporizhzhia region, Russia

☆ The US is close to approving the supply of ATACMS to Ukraine, a report said. Here's why Kyiv need them to win the 'deep battle.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US is considering providing ATACMS to Ukraine, according to a WSJ report. Kyiv has long sought its ballistic missiles, which could strike targets far beyond the front lines. "ATACMS is a long-range guided missile that gives operational commanders the immediate firepower to win the deep battle," says its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. The Pentagon said on Thursday that it was not aware of any imminent decision to send ATACMS to Ukraine following the Wall Street Journal report, per Reuters. However, US and European officials say that behind the scenes, the tone in Washington has recently shifted, and there appears to be a greater appetite to send Ukraine more advanced weapons, per the Journal report.

Persons: Biden, —, Sergei Shoigu, HIMARS, Ben Wallace, Lockheed Martin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Brendan Smialowski, ATACMS, Abrams, James Risch, General Kyrylo Budanov Organizations: Kyiv, Washington DC, Service, Wall Street Journal, Army Tactical Missile, Russian, The Telegraph, British Storm Shadow, US High Mobility Artillery, Lockheed, White, Getty, Politico, US, Pentagon, Foreign Affairs, Reuters, Military Intelligence Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Kherson, Kerch, Russia, Washington , DC, Washington

☆ Russia says US supply of depleted uranium weapons to Ukraine is 'criminal'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 7 (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that the US supply of depleted uranium weapons to Ukraine was "a criminal act", state media reported. The Pentagon on Wednesday announced a new security assistance package worth up to $175 million for Ukraine, including depleted uranium ammunition for U.S. Abrams tanks. A by-product of uranium enrichment, depleted uranium is used for ammunition because its extreme density gives rounds the ability to easily penetrate armor plating. Critics say there are dangerous health risks from ingesting or inhaling depleted uranium dust, including cancers and birth defects. Russia has long accused the West of using Ukraine to wage a proxy war aimed at inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Moscow.

Persons: Kacper, Sergei Ryabkov, Ryabkov, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S . 2nd Armored Brigade, REUTERS, Pentagon, U.S, Abrams, TASS, The, West, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Gdynia, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, The United States, Belarus

☆ NATO hesitated when Ukraine begged for weapons. Now their counteroffensive against Russia is hitting snags, analysts say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NATO hesitation to give Ukraine weapons is one aspect of the snagging counteroffensive. The timing prevented Ukraine from taking full advantage of Russia's weaknesses, analysts said. The US and NATO have provided Ukraine with billions of dollars of aid, including Western weapons, air defense systems, tanks, artillery, and combat vehicles. Since the beginning of the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. "There's no world in which Putin can drop one tactical nuke and then that fundamentally changes the outset of the war," Barros added.

Persons: —, George Barros, Mykhailo Podolyak, Kyiv's, Joe Biden's, Barros, it's, could've, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Seth G, Jones, Harold Brown, Putin Organizations: Service, Ukraine —, Institute for, Kyiv, Russian, Institute, NATO, Abrams, Leopard, AP, Western, Transnational, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Western, Russian, Belarus

☆ Armed with depleted-uranium ammo, Ukraine's tank gunners could punch through tough Russian armor and set tanks on fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Reports say the US is expected to send Ukraine depleted-uranium tank rounds along with M1 Abrams tanks. The rounds do what other tank rounds don't, like sharpening on impact and starting fires. Two, depleted-uranium tank rounds are pyrophoric, which means they burst into flame under intense heat and pressure. Explosive reactive tank armor "kind of increases the chance that the penetrator will not hit at the correct angle," Spoehr said. Tank rounds, of course, aren't the only way to defeat an enemy tank.

Persons: —, Thomas Spoehr, Gertrud Zach, there's, Spoehr, Abrams, that's, Austin Berner, Jack Watling, hasn't, Watling, Nick Reynolds, M1A2 Abrams, Joshua Taeckens Organizations: M1 Abrams, US Army, Service, 1st Armored Division, M1A2, 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command, Army, Center for National Defense, Heritage Foundation, M829, Abrams, Staff, M1A2 Abrams, Minnesota National Guard US Army, Royal United Services Institute, Army Armor, Fort, Spc Locations: Ukraine, Grafenwoehr, Germany, Russia, Russian, Fort Benning, Georgia

☆ Russia put out a video claiming its forces captured prized German-made Leopard tanks and US fighting vehicles in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia released a video claiming it captured German-made Leopard tanks and US fighting vehicles. The video, shared on Twitter by OSINTdefender, showed two captured Leopard 2A6 tanks and a few M2A2 Bradleys. The German-made Leopard tank is a capable third-generation main battle tank that was promised to Ukraine along with British Challenger tanks and American Abrams tanks and arrived in Ukraine in February and March. According to OSINTdefender, it's the first time Russia has released video footage of equipment it's claimed to have captured in battle. The video comes as Ukraine conducts counteroffensive operations in a few different areas of the front lines, including Zaporizhzhia.

Persons: ISW, —, OSINTdefender, American Abrams, it's Organizations: Russian Ministry of Defense, Service, Bradley, Twitter, Leopard, British Challenger, OSINTdefender, Russian Defense Ministry, Reuters, Institute Locations: Russia, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, American

The debt deal capped national security spending in fiscal 2024 at $886 billion, which is what U.S. President Joe Biden requested. Ordinarily, some of the $16 billion worth of unfunded priorities would get tacked on, as well as billions worth of lawmaker initiatives. In recent years Congress has increased defense spending by more than any president requests, generally by tens of billions of dollars. This year, the debt ceiling deal could make that more difficult. That Ukraine supplemental spending request is now expected to include a broader range of military spending and could include some items and pet projects left behind.

Persons: Joe Biden, Abrams, Lockheed Martin, Biden, Mackenzie Eaglen, Eaglen, Mike Stone, Patricia Zengerle, David Holmes Organizations: U.S, Department of Defense, General Dynamics, Lockheed, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Congressional, Pentagon, Congress, Democratic, Republican, American Enterprise Institute, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Washington

“Everyone recognizes that Ukraine needs a modernized air force and everyone knows that. It’s going to take a considerable length of time, effort, money, to build that air force,” Milley said. Russia’s has hundreds of fourth and fifth generation fighters and bombers, dwarfing the smaller, older Ukrainian fleet or military aircraft. The flow of aerial defense systems has been effective at forcing Russia’s air force to largely remain out of Ukrainian air space and prevent Russia from establishing aerial supremacy over Ukraine. With an aerial defense system established across critical parts of Ukraine, the effort has now shifted to bolstering Ukraine’s air force with modern Western fighter jets.

Persons: Mark Milley, ”, “, Milley, ” Milley, Russia’s Organizations: Kyiv, “, Russian, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russian, France, Germany, Russia

☆ Why Ukraine Might Struggle to Maintain U.S. M1 Abrams Tanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

How Jamie Dimon Turned Chase Into the Most Powerful Bank in the U.S. When JPMorgan Chase bought First Republic Bank in May, all eyes were on its CEO, Jamie Dimon. Here’s how the executive’s strategy for managing risk propelled him to the top of the banking world. Photo illustration: John McColgan

Persons: Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase, John McColgan Organizations: Bank, JPMorgan, First Republic Bank Locations: U.S

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