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☆ 'Pulsating' mechanized assaults in Ukraine may reflect the limit of Russia's offensive abilities, war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Conflict analysts say these armored assaults are constrained to specific areas and may reflect the limits of Moscow's offensive power and inability to execute a large-scale, multi-directional offensive operation. AdvertisementThese "periodic and pulsating Russian mechanized assaults likely represent the extent of Russia's current offensive capacity, and Russia is unlikely to mount a distinct new summer offensive operation due to material and manpower constraints," the analysts wrote in an assessment on Wednesday. Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe analysts said Russia has struggled throughout the war to stage multiple large-scale offensive operations simultaneously. In late June, ISW noted that "Russian forces continue to prioritize gradual advances through consistent grinding assaults over operationally significant gains through rapid maneuver." The analysts said that Russia aims to "win a war of attrition against Ukrainian forces," exhausting its manpower and materiel.

Persons: —, Diego Herrera Carcedo, John Kirby, Ukraine —, Russia's, Kirby, Vladimir Putin's, ISW Organizations: Service, Business, Institute for, Getty, Ukraine's, White House National Security Council, Ukrainian Locations: Ukraine, Donetsk, Moscow, Russia, Toretsk, Anadolu, Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Russian

☆ Israel tried to kill a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut who has a $5 million US bounty on his head
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewIsrael said it conducted a strike in Beirut on Tuesday targeting a Hezbollah commander who it deemed responsible for a deadly rocket attack in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights over the weekend. Israel and the US blamed Iran-backed Hezbollah for a rocket attack that killed 12 children and teenagers in Majdal Shams, a town located in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Saturday. Damaged vehicles are seen after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on July 30, 2024 in this screen grab from a video. It marked the second time the IDF has targeted Beirut since October 7. John Kirby, a White House spokesperson, said on Monday that Israel has "every right to respond" to Saturday's attack in Majdal Shams but downplayed concerns about an all-out conflict.

Persons: —, Israel, Fuad Shukr, Hasan Nasrallah, Majdal Shams, Ahmed Al, Yoav Gallant, REUTERS Shukr, It's, John Kirby Organizations: Service, Business, IDF, REUTERS, Front Command, Israeli, Hezbollah's Jihad, Justice, Reuters, US Marine Corps, The State Department Locations: Beirut, Golan, Majdal, Israel, Iran, Majdal Shams, Lebanon, Hezbollah's

☆ How bombing Gaza to rubble created headaches and a tough fight for invading Israeli tanks and troops
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The IDF launched a devastating and widespread bombing campaign of Gaza immediately following Hamas' October 7 massacre in Israel, during which some 1,200 people were killed. Palestinians cycle past destroyed buildings leveled as a result of Israeli bombardment in northern Gaza in July 2024. One of the issues that arose was that Israeli tank drivers had a hard time figuring out the depth of a crater left by an explosion while using night vision. To make matters worse, the IDF has suffered from tank shortages during its monthlong campaign in Gaza. The destruction in Gaza also turned the battlespace into an "irregular, congested, and complex visual environment," the RUSI conflict analysts said.

Persons: —, OMAR AL, Jack Watling, Nick Reynolds, rubblization, Ohad Organizations: Service, Israel Defense Forces, Royal United Services Institute, Business, IDF, Hamas, Getty, REUTERS Former US, rubblization Locations: Gaza, Israel, AFP, Israeli

☆ Russian soldiers are relying heavily on their personal cellphones to wage war in Ukraine even though it risks getting them killed
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Former US military officers say this trend underscores a lack of secure military communication options or discipline and leaves Russian soldiers vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks. Russian military officers look at their smartphones while walking past the Kremlin in Moscow in April 2024. Ukrainian soldiers prepare a BM-21 artillery vehicle in its fighting position in the Donetsk region in July 2024. AdvertisementOne such incident occurred at the very end of 2022, when Ukraine launched a devastating precision strike against Russian troops gathered in Makiivka, in the eastern Donbas region. Related storiesUkraine's military intelligence agency, the HUR, regularly publishes audio of purported interceptions from calls made by Russian soldiers.

Persons: —, Dan Rice, Rice, Mark Cancian, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Cancian, HUR Organizations: Service, Former US, Business, State Duma, State, Defense, Institute for, Kremlin, US, American University Kyiv, US Marine Corps, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Getty, Russian, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Russian Defense Ministry, US Army, United Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Donetsk, Anadolu, Makiivka, Russia, United States

☆ A US Navy fighter squadron scored a series of firsts fighting the Houthis from an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA US Navy fighter squadron that was recently attached to the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower scored several historic firsts while flying combat missions against the Houthis. During its deployment, the fighter squadron — nicknamed the "Gunslingers" — racked up a number of firsts, the Navy revealed this month. AdvertisementSailors observe as an F/A-18E Super Hornet lands on the flight deck of the Eisenhower in the Red Sea on March 12. Related storiesThis fighter squadron was also the first to fire AGM-88 HARM missiles from an F/A-18E in combat. AdvertisementAn F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the Eisenhower in the Red Sea on April 9.

Persons: —, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Ike, Truman, Travis Amerine Organizations: Service, US Navy, Strike Fighter Squadron, Business, Hornet, Navy, US, VFA, AIM, 9X, EA, Eisenhower Carrier Strike Locations: Gulf, Aden, Iran, Yemen, Virginia

☆ Defeating Russia's massive 6,600-lb glide bomb may mean risking Ukraine's Patriots if it can't take out the fighter-bombers on the ground
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewRussia has increasingly been striking Ukrainian positions with its new 6,600-pound glide bomb, a highly destructive weapon that is notoriously difficult to defeat. AdvertisementA FAB-3000 glide bomb is seen in this video released on July 14 by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The new FAB-3000 glide bomb's first known combat usage was in June, and it has been used extensively in the weeks since. AdvertisementOnce released from an aircraft, glide bombs have short flight times, generate small radar signatures, and travel on non-ballistic trajectories. AdvertisementA FAB-3000 glide bomb is seen mid-flight in this video released on July 14 by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Persons: —, Russian Su, Justin Bronk, George Barros, Su, Bronk, Maxim Shemetov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden, Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Business, Warfare, Russian Ministry of Defense . Russian Ministry of Defense, FAB, Institute for, Royal United Services Institute, Holding, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, Russian Aerospace Forces, International Army, REUTERS, Russian Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Moscow, Holding Ukraine, Ryazan

☆ A US Air Force B-2 stealth bomber helped sink an old warship in the Pacific with new anti-ship QUICKSINK bombs
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber used a new anti-ship munition to sink a decommissioned warship during a series of recent live-fire drills with partner forces in the Pacific Ocean, the US Navy said this week. US Air Force photo / 1st Lt Lindsey Heflin"This capability is an answer to an urgent need to quickly neutralize maritime threats over massive expanses of ocean around the world at minimal costs," it added. Over the years, the various elements of the US armed forces have been pursuing more and more anti-ship capabilities. AdvertisementIn addition to B-2s dropping QUICKSINK bombs, a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet used a Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, or LRASM, to help sink the Tarawa.

Persons: —, Lindsey Heflin, Royal Netherlands Navy De Zeven, Tromp, Cristian Schrik, John Wade Organizations: Service, Air Force, US Navy, Business, Defense, Research, Engineering, US Air Force, Air Force Research Laboratory, Navy, Ship, Fleet, Malaysian, Royal, Royal Netherlands Navy, US, Task Force Locations: Hawaii, Pacific, Dubuque, South, Royal Netherlands

☆ Unusual photos show A-10 attack aircraft built to hunt tanks escorting a ballistic missile submarine
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewNewly released US Navy photos captured an unusual sight: multiple US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft — ground-attack planes built for close-air support and anti-tank missions — escorting a ballistic missile submarine at sea last week. An A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft above the ballistic missile submarine USS Wyoming on July 15. Related storiesThe A-10s that flew above the submarine USS Wyoming recently are assigned to Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. An A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft above the ballistic missile submarine USS Wyoming on July 15. Earlier this year, several Warthogs were photographed escorting the ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska in the Pacific Northwest alongside US Coast Guard vessels.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Navy, US Air Force, Thunderbolt, Business, Submarine, Air Force, Coast Guard, US Navy, Moody Air Force Base, Trident, US Coast Guard Locations: Georgia, Wyoming, an Ohio, Ukraine, East, Ohio, Nebraska, Pacific Northwest

☆ What the West's foes may be learning from the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementShe explained that from a tactical perspective, Ukraine and Russia are learning much about each other, and in response, the cycles of adaptation and countermeasures are rapidly compressing. "Russia's allies and their partners are learning from them, and this is now a currency that Russia has to give to Iran, China, North Korea — that learning of our equipment." Iran and North Korea have collectively outfitted Russia with a bunch of lethal aid, including missiles, rockets, artillery shells, and drones. Photo by ANONYMOUS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty ImagesChina's support for Russia as it wages war in Ukraine has been more discreet. Experts and officials have also said that North Korea is likely learning about how its weapons perform in actual combat conditions.

Persons: —, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Baiba Braže, Alina Smutko, Tehran's, Abrams, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, It's, Luke Coffey, Iran's Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, Carnegie Endowment, International, Latvia's, Mechanized Brigade, REUTERS, Getty, CNN, Russian, Army Tactical Missile, West, Ukraine —, Hudson Institute, North, General Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Institute for, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington, Iran, China, North Korea, Moscow, Iranian, Kermanshah, Beijing, Tehran, Pyongyang, AFP, Israel, Korea, Ukrainian, X

☆ A US Navy carrier strike group fired nearly 800 missiles and bombs during its Red Sea fight against the Houthis
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewUS Navy warships and aircraft attached to a carrier strike group that spent months battling the Houthis fired off nearly 800 munitions during their restless Middle East deployment. The Eisenhower strike group recently returned from its deployment, but another carrier, the Truman, and additional warships are replacing it. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jonathan WordThe warships launched 155 Standard surface-to-air missiles, used to intercept missiles or drones, and 135 Tomahawk missiles, used to hit targets on land, during the deployment. REUTERS/Hamad I MohammedHowever, by mid-April, the Navy revealed that the strike group had already launched some $1 billion worth of missiles. The strike group returned to the US earlier this month, following what Navy officers and leaders described as an "unprecedented" and "historic" nine-month-long deployment.

Persons: —, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Truman, Jonathan Word, Ike, Hamad, Mohammed, Adm, George Wikoff Organizations: Service, Navy, Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, Business, Eisenhower, Hornet, EA, REUTERS, 5th Fleet Locations: Iran, Gulf, Aden, Red, Yemen

☆ Destroyer captain says the US Navy's Red Sea fight is more intense than even the Tanker War in the 1980s
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

One rare exception to this was the Tanker War that was a part of the larger Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. "And that's why I compare that more so to World War II than, I'd say, even outpacing what was seen during the Tanker War." Specifically from the perspective of the almost non-stop air-defense engagements, the Red Sea fight has definitely been more intense than anything the US Navy has seen since World War II, including the Tanker War, he said. AdvertisementThe Second World War was much more intense given the fleets that were facing off. "Certainly, it's the most intense air-defense challenge we've encountered in a long time," Macy said of the Red Sea fight.

Persons: —, Houthi, Mason, Dwight D, Cmdr, Justin Smith, Samantha Alaman, Carney, Smith, Eisenhower, Archer Macy, Mark Duncan, Macy, we've Organizations: Service, US Navy, Business, Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, Navy, Tanker, AP, Center for Strategic, Studies ' Missile Defense, US Locations: Gulf of Aden, Korea, Vietnam, Iran, Iraq, Gulf, Aden, Persian Gulf, Tehran, Iraqi, Red, Persian, Salle, La Salle, Okinawa, Yemen

☆ The US Navy's Red Sea fight is more intense than even the Tanker War in the 1980s, destroyer captain says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

☆ The Houthis struck deep into Israel with an Iranian-made attack drone likely upgraded for longer-range strikes, IDF says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the rare attack on Tel Aviv early Friday morning local time, which marked their first lethal attack in Israel. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesperson, said an initial assessment suggests the system used in the attack was an Iranian-made Samad-3 one-way attack drone with an extended range. AdvertisementVery clear footage of a kamikaze UAV fired by Yemen’s Houthis targeting Tel Aviv overnight, near the United States Embassy Office. He added that the IDF is investigating this latest incident to determine why the Samad-3 was not identified as a threat and shot down before it reached Tel Aviv. Investigators examine what, according to a police spokesperson, seems to be part of an aerial device, at the site of an explosion in Tel Aviv on July 19, 2024.

Persons: —, Daniel Hagari, Samad, Yemen’s, nvMTna32YJ, Hagari, Fabian Hinz, Ricardo Moraes Israel, Israel Organizations: Service, Business, Embassy, United States Embassy Office, US Defense Intelligence Agency, REUTERS, International Institute for Strategic Studies, US Navy, US Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, Iran, Iranian, Yemen, State, Gaza, Gulf of Aden, Lebanon, Hamas

☆ US-made Abrams are better than Russia's best tanks in the war, Ukrainian commander says, and it's not even close
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewUkraine is operating a small fleet of US-made Abrams tanks, combat-proven vehicles that were built to destroy Russian armor. Another sophisticated Russian tank is the T-80BVM, which according to Oryx has suffered at least 150 losses. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via APZakon did not specify on T-90 variants when he compared the American-made Abrams to Russian armor. M1A1 Abrams tanks needed for training Ukrainian soldiers await offloading in Grafenwoehr, Germany. "We do need Abrams tanks, we do need people, and first of all, we do need dynamic protection," Zakon said, adding that "we need them as much as possible."

Persons: —, Abrams, Ukraine hasn't, YASUYOSHI CHIBA, Vladimir Putin, Gian Gentile, RAND's, it's, Zakon, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Christian Carrillo, Rinat Organizations: Service, Business, Kyiv, YASUYOSHI, Getty, Mechanized Brigade, Russia, Oryx, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP Zakon, RAND's Arroyo Center, US Army, Ukrainian, US, Spc, Rinat Akhmetov's Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Soviet, Russian, Kharkiv, AFP, Russia, Moscow, Grafenwoehr, Germany

☆ A US Navy captain was in disbelief when his destroyer came under fire from missiles never before seen in combat while dealing with pirates
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewUS Navy warships that spent months battling the Houthis have faced unprecedented threats during their restless deployments, chief among them being anti-ship ballistic missiles, a deadly weapon that had never been used in combat until recently. The missiles came in as it was responding to a hijacking attempt by pirates, marking the first operational use of such weapons. It was right after this that the Mason first detected inbound anti-ship ballistic missiles. AdvertisementSince their campaign began last fall, the Houthis have launched dozens of anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen. Multiple Navy officers with the strike group have applauded their warships' ability to engage the anti-ship ballistic missiles.

Persons: —, Arleigh Burke, Mason, Cmdr, Justin Smith, Bill Mesta, Smith, Jason Dunham, Dwight D, Eisenhower Organizations: Service, Navy, Business, Pirates, ASBMs, US Navy, Central, Eisenhower Carrier Strike, Hamas Locations: Aden, Handout, Gulf of Aden, Yemen, Iran, Israel, Gaza, China

☆ Ukraine is cranking out lots of homemade weapons but needs more of a key ingredient, defense industry official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewUkraine is rapidly producing a variety of homemade weapons as its defense industry aims to meet the needs and demands of soldiers fighting on the front lines. But a senior official says Kyiv still needs more of a key ingredient to keep the arms flowing. Now, the country is cranking out its own drones, artillery, missiles, and more at a breakneck pace to supplement this inventory. Kamyshin said Ukraine will always be reliant on Western support because there's no one country that can outproduce Russia right now. Meanwhile, Ukraine is taking greater steps to further integrate its domestic defense industry with those of NATO and the European Union.

Persons: —, Oleksandr Kamyshin, We've, Kmayshin, Paula Bronstein, Kamyshin, Pavlo Bahmut Organizations: Service, Business, NATO, Publishing, Getty Images, Neptune, Fleet, European Union Locations: Ukraine, Washington, Kyiv, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Moscow, Soviet, Ukrainian, Getty Images Ukraine, Russian, NATO, Western, Soviet Union, Europe

☆ A US warship's Red Sea battle with the Houthis years ago helped the Navy ready for round two, its captain says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Unlike some other ships, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer battled the Houthis years before they started targeting merchant shipping lanes in what has become a monthslong campaign. The Mason's commanding officer says that earlier fight helped the Navy prepare for its latest clash with the Iran-backed rebels. AdvertisementDuring its exhausting deployment, the Mason intercepted a number of Houthi drones and missiles — including some fired at the destroyer. Though long in various arsenals, these weapons had never seen combat until the Houthis launched them in late 2023.

Persons: —, Mason, Arleigh Burke, Cmdr, Justin Smith, Dwight D, Blake Midnight, Smith, USS Mason, Steve Helber Smith, Marc Miguez, we'll Organizations: Service, US Navy, Houthi, Business, Eisenhower Carrier Strike, Navy, AP, Eisenhower Locations: Iran, Florida, Gulf, Aden, Mandeb, Norfolk , VA

☆ Russia's showing NATO its hand in the air war over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

Experts told Business Insider the Ukraine war has underscored how some elements of modern air combat are radically changing. And in fights like Desert Storm and the Iraq War, the West established air superiority by taking out its opponent's air defenses. The Russian air force can't meet Western air forces air to air in a major attack without being "shot to pieces," Bronk said. "Nobody really wants an air war with Russia," said John Baum, a Mitchell Institute expert and retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel. "It is not a highly desirable thing, I think, from either side, to want to have this air war."

Persons: It's, Justin Bronk, hasn't, DIMITAR DILKOFF, Bronk, Andrew Curtis, Mark Cancian, Guy Snodgrass, Hoshang, Giorgio Di Mizio, David Allvin, it's, James Hecker, NATO hadn't, " Hecker, that's, Maxim Shemetov, Fabian Hinz, Riivo Valge, Mattias Eken, They're, Paula Bronstein, Anthony Sweeney, US Army Cancian, REUTERS Lockheed Martin, Timothy Wright, disaggregation, Schmuelgen Jarmo Lindberg, Evelyn Hockstein Valge, John Baum Organizations: Kyiv, NATO, Business, Royal United Services Institute, Western, Getty, US Air Force, Storm, Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Russian Defense Ministry Press, AP Russia, AP, Hudson Institute nonresident, International Institute for Strategic Studies, REUTERS, RAND Corp, Patriots, US Army, West, Patriot, Ukraine, REUTERS Lockheed, Finnish Defense Forces, Eurofighter Typhoons, Mitchell Institute Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, AFP, Iraq, Europe, West, Afghanistan, Baltic, Western Europe, Estonian, Finnish, Finland, Washington

☆ With Ukraine short on battle tanks like the Abrams, US-made Bradley fighting vehicles are proving their worth
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Among the wartime additions to Ukraine's arsenal is the US-made Bradley fighting vehicle, a formidable asset that continues proving its worth on the battlefield several decades after it first saw combat. A 'very effective' infantry fighting vehicleThe Bradleys were built as a response to the Soviet infantry fighting vehicles and entered service in the 1980s. A Bradley fighting vehicle from the US Army 2nd Armored division drives through Saudi Arabian desert on Jan. 18, 1991. Hassani RiberaThe Bradley infantry fighting vehicle is lighter than an Abrams tank by roughly 40 tons. Ukrainian soldiers on a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle near Avdiivka on Feb. 23, 2024.

Persons: —, Bradley, Abrams, Kyiv didn't, Mark Cancian, Sadayuki Mikami, Ukraine's Abrams, Bradley isn't, Ribera, Tayler P, Schwamb, Pat Ryder, Bradleys, Cancian, What's, scrappy, GENYA SAVILOV Organizations: Service, Russia, Business, Abrams, Kyiv, US Marine Corps, US Army 2nd, AP, Bradley, US Army, Pentagon, Ukraine, Army, US Army National Guard, Spc, M1A2 Abrams, Tank, Marine Corps Base, 47th Mechanized Brigade, Center for Strategic, International Studies, intel, Getty, XM30 Mechanized Infantry, US, 47th, Mechanized Brigade Locations: Ukraine, US, Iraq, Saudi, Kyiv, Trzebien, Poland, Pendleton, Ukraine's Donbas, Anadolu, Avdiivka, Afghanistan, Ukrainian, Bradley, Western

☆ Russia is already fighting NATO, just not with tanks and fighter jets, argues a former top US general
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Recent covert acts of sabotage are far from the level of aggression and brutality that Russia has put on display in Ukraine. But make no mistake, a former top US general argued this week, Moscow is already fighting NATO. "We face wider Russian aggression directed at our own democracies, from hybrid attacks to threats in the high north," he added. "We, ourselves, have been experiencing hybrid attacks from Russia for decades, so that's why the threat has been quite clear, what we're facing." The Russian hybrid attacks were a notable discussion point on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington this week.

Persons: —, Ben Hodges, Vladimir Putin's, Vladimir Putin, Pavel Byrkin, John Healey, We've, Andris Sprūds, Healey, Hodges, Antony Blinken, Blinken, It's Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, US Army, NATO Public Forum, Ukraine, Security, Sputnik, Public, Latvian Defense, Alliance Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, US Army Europe, Washington ,, Russian, Baltic, Washington

☆ Ukraine is on track to make 'significantly' more 'mortar drones' than it planned, defense industry official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Oleksandr Kamyshin, who serves as Ukraine's minister of strategic industries, shared in December that Kyiv planned to produce 1 million first-person-view, or FPV, drones by 2025. "This year we will produce significantly more than 1 million" of the FPV drones, Kamyshin told Business Insider this week, providing an update on the production efforts but declining to provide specific figures. Throughout much of Russia's brutal war in Ukraine, FPV drones have been heavily featured in combat. AdvertisementUkrainian FPV drone operator from the 53rd Mechanized Brigade launches a drone toward Russian positions in Donetsk Oblast. He referred to FPV drones as "mortar drones" and "artillery drones" in a nod to their explosive potential that's similar to the ranged weapons.

Persons: —, Oleksandr Kamyshin, Kamyshin, Ukraine Kamyshin, Paula Bronstein Organizations: Service, Business, 53rd Mechanized Brigade, General Staff of, Armed Forces, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Donetsk Oblast, Washington ,, Russia, Kyiv, Washington, Soviet

☆ Zelenskyy says the problem with the coming F-16 fighter jets is the same one Ukraine had with the Abrams tanks
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewWestern-provided F-16 fighter jets are on their way to Ukraine and set to start flying missions later this summer. But they may not yet be enough to make a difference on the battlefield, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated in a discussion this week on what Ukraine needs, comparing the jets to the US-made Abrams tanks that Ukraine got last fall. "The problem with F-16," the Ukrainian president said, "is the number and the dates." The US sent only 31 M1A1 Abrams in total, and they were delivered to Ukraine months after British and German tanks. For comparison, Ukraine received about 300 US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, nearly ten times more than the number of Abrams sent.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Abrams, Bret Baier, Zelenskyy, Derek Seifert, Zelenskky, haven't, Michael Currie, Antony Blinken's, it's, Zachariah Lopez, Jake Sullivan Organizations: Service, Business, Fox News, Reagan Institute, Abrams Ukraine, NATO, Egyptian, Force, US Air Force, US, Abrams, Bradley, Getty, Ukraine —, Ukrainian Air Force, Osan Air Base, US Air Force Tech, White, National Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Washington , DC, Russia, Egypt, Denmark, Netherlands, Soviet, South Korea

☆ NATO is taking greater control of Western efforts to back Ukraine's fight as US politics raise questions about its reliability
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewNATO is moving forward with a new initiative that will see it take greater control over Western efforts to arm and train Ukraine's military. The move comes as the alliance aims to solidify the long-term support for Kyiv as it battles the Russian invasion. Growing concern about the potential change in US leadership has hung over the highly consequential NATO summit in Washington this week. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden at the 2024 NATO summit. "There are 32 countries in the alliance," the NATO official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Thursday.

Persons: —, Donald Trump —, Donald Trump, NICHOLAS KAMM, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Joe Biden, Susan Walsh, Trump, Ivo Daalder, Laurynas Organizations: Service, Kyiv, NATO, Ukraine —, Business, Wednesday, Assistance, Training, White, Getty, Ukraine Defense Contact, AP, Ukraine, Russian, Trump, Wall Street, Kiel Institute, Politico, Republican, Democratic Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Washington, Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Kyiv, Russia, Europe, NATO

☆ Russia's brutal missile strike on a Ukrainian children's hospital just before the big NATO summit appears to be backfiring
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

AdvertisementEmergency officials and civilians conduct search and rescue operations among the rubble of Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital on Monday. The deadly Russian missile attack saw child cancer patients evacuated and moved with medical tubes still in their bodies. Women hold patients at Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital that was damaged during Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday. He said that "when you hit not just a hospital or a children's hospital —and not just a children's hospital, but a children's hospital in which there are children were being treated for cancer — it doesn't get much worse than that in terms of brutality." A UN investigation found the children's hospital likely took a direct hit from a Russian missile, likely a Kh-101.

Persons: —, Kyiv's, Joe Biden, Biden, Gleb Garanich, Rajan Menon, Columbia University's, Russia's, Menon, Mykhailo Podolyak, Beata Zawrzel, Keir Starmer, Aleksandr Gusev, Getty Images Biden, Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Antony Blinken, Dmytro Kuleba, Blinken, ORI AVIRAM, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Jake Epstein Organizations: Service, NATO, Ukraine, Business, Kyiv Regional Military Administration, Getty, NATO's, Ohmatdyt, Russian, Monday, REUTERS, Columbia, Columbia University's Saltzman Institute of War, Peace Studies, NATO Summit, UN, Children's Clinic, Getty Images, Ukrainian Foreign, MOD, Moscow Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Okhmatdyt, Anadolu, Washington ,, Russia, Russian, Ukrainian

☆ Front-line NATO allies say the West needs to give Ukraine the 'technological superiority' it needs to beat Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe West should send Ukraine the kind of weapons it needs to inflict a lasting, strategic defeat on Russia, NATO countries on the front lines of the military alliance said Tuesday. With this threat in mind, the Baltic nations have long pushed for increased defense spending among NATO member states. "The goal must be [the] strategic defeat of Russia in Ukraine," said Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds. The Baltic states say enabling Ukraine to win will require a massive political buy-in and support from the West. "We have to say clearly: 'Yes, we will help Ukraine to win this war.'"

Persons: —, Hanno Pevkur, Pevkur, Serhii, Laurynas, Kasčiūnas, Andris Sprūds, Joe Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Andrew Mellon, Kevin Dietsch Organizations: Service, Lithuania —, Kyiv, Business, Estonian, POLITICO, NATO, Artillery, System, Getty, Russian, Moscow, Chamber of Commerce, Latvian Defense, Andrew Locations: Ukraine, Russia, NATO, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Baltic, Moscow, Washington ,, West, Europe, AFP, Kyiv, Washington , DC

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