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Russia said that it would launch further lunar missions and then explore the possibility of a joint Russian-China crewed mission and even a lunar base. NASA has spoken about a "lunar gold rush" and explored the potential of moon mining. The conditions of the moon mean robots would have to do most of the hard work, though water on the moon would allow for long-term human presence. It has not been ratified by any major space power. The United States in 2020 announced the Artemis Accords, named after NASA’s Artemis moon program, to seek to build on existing international space law by establishing “safety zones" on the moon.

Persons: Guy Faulconbridge, Peter Graff Organizations: NASA, European Space Agency, 2.1b, Vostochny, REUTERS, Boeing, United Nations, RAND Corporation, Artemis Accords, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, United States, China, India, Russian, Sun, Amur

☆ The 5 deadliest Western-provided weapons Ukraine is using to fight Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The West has been sending Ukraine weapons and armed vehicles since the start of the war. Now, as Ukraine is in the midst of its counteroffensive to regain crucial territory from Russia, many of these weapons are proving useful. Insider spoke to three military experts about which of the Western-provided weapons have been the most effective for Ukraine in the war. Only time will tell how useful the weapons really areIt is still unclear how Ukraine's counteroffensive will unfold, and how long the Western weapons will hold until Ukraine will need more. A top Ukrainian general told the BBC on Thursday that because Russia has littered the frontlines in south Ukraine with multi-layered minefields, Western tanks are proving ineffective.

Persons: Serhii, Ben, that's, Zelenskyy, Fabrizio Bensch, Oleksii Reznikov, Huseyn Aliyev, Javelin, of, Cave, Lewis Joly, Marina Miron, Bradley, Hanna Maliar, Aliyev, Alivey, Alivey said.It, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Tarnavskyi Organizations: Shadow, Service, Leopard, US, Patriot, Challenger, Ukraine, High, Artillery, Getty, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, RAND Corporation, Patriot Missile Systems, Army MIM, Defense, Research Center, East European Studies, Patriots, Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Service, Javelin, AP, Military Times, Kyiv, Paris Air, Department of, King's College London, Soviet, Bradley Infantry Fighting, Bradley, BBC Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Germany, Russia, Donetsk Oblast, Ben Caves, Russian, Kherson, Rzeszow, Jasionka, Poland, Moscow, of Ukraine, Le Bourget, Paris, France, Ukrainian, Europe

☆ A sanctions loophole is allowing China to quietly send millions of dollars worth of military gear to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China is shipping huge amounts of gear to Russia, including bulletproof vests and helmets. The deliveries toe the line between civilian and military use, which lends deniability to China. The goods are non-lethal, but still useful enough to have a material impact on the war in Ukraine, per Politico. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Drones and dual-use goods, however, won't trigger a response from authorities in the European Union, sources told Politico, as they aren't something that would have been explicitly agreed upon in sanctions.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Silva, Rika, Cindy Zheng, Zheng Organizations: Politico, Service, Privacy, China, European Union, RAND Corporation Locations: China, Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Beijing, Shanghai, Moscow

☆ Exclusive: Hunter Biden's gallery sold his art to a Democratic donor 'friend' who Joe Biden named to a prestigious commission
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Internal gallery documents reveal that sales of Hunter Biden's art brought in $1.3 million. The messaging seemed to suggest that Hunter Biden's art patrons came from a rarified universe of collectors who had nothing to do with the hurly burly of politics. Hunter Biden did in fact learn the identity of two buyers, according to three people directly familiar with Hunter Biden's own account of his art career. In the past, Hunter Biden has privately suggested that he could arrange to have friends seated on the commission. In fact, according to the person familiar with Hunter Biden's account, Morris purchased the art through Biden's gallery.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, Kevin Morris, Hunter Biden's, Joe Biden, Hunter, Hirsh Naftali, Biden, Kamala Harris, Hirsh Naftali's, —, Nancy Pelosi, Ian Sams, Bruce Weinstein, it's, Weinstein, Eric Schwerin, Barack Obama, Eric, Schwerin, Abbe Lowell, Lowell, Georges Bergès, Hunter Biden's gallerist, Hunter Biden deplanes, Elizabeth Frantz, Morris, Charlie Horne, Gurr Johns, he'd, Kedric Payne, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: Service, Biden White, Biden White House, California Democratic, Democratic National Campaign, Commission, America's, RAND Corporation, Air Force, New York Times, Times, Department of Justice Locations: Wall, Silicon, New York, Los Angeles, California, Israel, Europe, Syracuse , New York

☆ Russian military leaders will likely start hiding critical information from Putin to save their own necks, researcher says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Top Russian military leaders will likely start hiding information from Putin out of self-preservation, a Russia researcher wrote for NYT. Those generals are "now even more dependent on Mr. Putin for their safety and positions," she added. Indeed, as Russia is at a critical point in its war against Ukraine, Russian military officials have shown more interest in sniping at each other. "In this atmosphere of suspicion and uncertainty, where prominent generals disappear and Mr. Putin is quick to blame traitors, self-censorship among top military leaders is likely to become more prevalent," Massicot wrote in a New York Times op-ed. But even though Russia is at a critical juncture in its war against Ukraine and the Russian army continues racking up losses, Russian military leaders have focused more on sniping at one another.

Persons: Putin, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Russia's, Sergei Shoigu, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Shoigu, Gerasimov —, Prigozhin Organizations: NYT, Service, RAND Corporation, New York Times, NATO, Russian, Mr Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Wall, Silicon

☆ Political scientist discusses China-Japan ties and Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailGetting 'buy-in' from Saudi Arabia may help Japan push back on China influence: Political scientistJeffrey Hornung of Rand Corporation discusses Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's trip to the Middle East says Saudi Arabia is a "very important actor" in increasing Japan's political influence.

Persons: Jeffrey Hornung, Fumio Organizations: Rand Corporation, Japanese Locations: Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, East

☆ Sea drones, missile strikes and blockade: Ukraine's counteroffensive in Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Ukraine War Analysis Sea drones and the counteroffensive in CrimeaOn Tuesday, Russia reported its forces had repelled a Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea. The reports highlight Ukraine’s counteroffensive in Crimea, which is being mostly waged through drone and long-range missile strikes. In the Black Sea, Ukraine has opened a new era of naval warfare by employing suicide sea drones — drones armed with explosives designed to ram into targets and detonate. On October 29, 2022, Ukraine used naval drones to attack Russian warships in the port of Sevastopol, home of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The Crimean Peninsula is connected to Russian-occupied southern Ukraine through just three vulnerable main roads that pass through swampy areas.

Persons: Scott Savitz, Zelenskiy, Sutton, he's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Yevheniia Horiunova, Vernadsky, EUTERS, Shamil Zhumatov, Michael, Archangel, Thomas Peter . Organizations: Russian, REUTERS, RAND Corporation, Fleet, Investment, Russian Navy, National University, Tourism Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Russia, Ukrainian, Russian, Black, Sevastopol, Handout, Sea, Moscow, Crimean, NATO, Kyiv, Water, Crimea Crimea, Yalta, St, Thomas Peter . Crimea

☆ The counteroffensive in Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine War Analysis The counteroffensive in CrimeaOn Monday, Moscow reported an attack on the Crimean Bridge, a crucial artery connecting occupied Crimea with the Russian mainland. While he's been reticent about Ukraine's goals for their ongoing counteroffensive, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that Ukraine's forces will not rest until Crimea is brought back under Ukrainian control. Damage following an alleged attack on the Crimean Bridge that connects Russia with occupied Crimea, July 17, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made several visits to the peninsula throughout the war to underscore his claim that Crimea is Russian soil. Water in Crimea Crimea has historically relied on the North Crimean Canal, flowing in from the Ukrainian mainland, for up to 85% of the water it needs for crop irrigation, industry and drinking water.

Persons: he's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Scott Savitz, Zelenskiy, Sutton, Yevheniia Horiunova, Vernadsky, EUTERS, Shamil Zhumatov, Michael, Archangel, Thomas Peter . Organizations: Russian, REUTERS, RAND Corporation, Fleet, Investment, Russian Navy, National University, Tourism Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Moscow, Russian, Black, Sevastopol, Russia, Handout, NATO, Kyiv, Crimean, Sea, Crimea Crimea, Ukrainian, Yalta, St, Thomas Peter . Crimea

☆ Russia's air force 'remains largely intact,' but more jets won't fix all its problems in Ukraine, NATO commanders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

After 16 months of fighting, most of Russia's air force remains intact. And even though Russia has a vastly larger air force, other issues may keep it from operating effectively, according to two NATO air commanders. Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal Rich Knighton at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference on July 13, 2023. Massicot and others say Russia's air force could still exploit its numerical advantage if Ukraine's air-defenses network falters, though other factors could inhibit Russian air operations going forward. "The Russians have recapitalized a fair amount of their tactical air force, and they've done a lot on the weapons front as well.

Persons: Rich Knighton, Knighton, Muhammed Enes Yildirim, James Hecker, " Hecker, Hecker, hasn't, We've, Dara Massicot, Johnny Stringer, Stringer Organizations: NATO, Service, Royal Air, Jets, Global Air & Space Chiefs, Conference, Air, British Defence Intelligence, Royal Air Force Air, Global Air & Space Chiefs ’ Conference, Space Power Association, YouTube, Ukrainian Air Force, Russian, Anadolu Agency, Getty, US Air Forces, NATO's Allied Air Command, Aircraft, Russian Ministry of Defense, Rand Corporation, British Air Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, London, Donetsk, Europe, Poland, Romania, Russian, Bakhmut, Kherson, Massicot

☆ Russia plans to build dozens of prison camps across Ukraine over the next few years, documents show, hinting Moscow's readying for a long war
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has been imprisoning Ukrainian civilians since the early months of the invasion. A document shows that Moscow plans to build 25 more prison camps in Ukraine by 2026, per AP. War analysts previously noted how Russia is prepared for a protracted war. The plan is another reflection of what war analysts have described as Russia's vision for a prolonged war after Ukrainian resistance dashed Moscow's hope for a swift victory. The think tank also added that a prolonged war is a narrative that Russia would want to push to discourage the West's support for Ukraine.

Persons: Dara Massicot, German Intelligence Agency Bruno Kahl, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Mark Milley Organizations: Service, Russia, Associated Press, RAND Corporation, German Intelligence Agency, Russian Security Council, Ukraine, Kyiv, US, Chiefs, Staff Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Vietnam, Kyiv, Washington

Early Tuesday, a Ukrainian missile slammed into a hotel in the coastal town of Berdyansk that had been taken over by the Russian military. ‘Colossal support’Russian military bloggers have suggested that both Tsokov and Popov were capable soldiers who inspired loyalty among their men. Tsokov, 51, appears to have been a rising star in the Russian military. Senior Russian general, Ivan Popov, raised questions about the mass deaths and injuries of Russian military personnel. The loss of more capable commanders is another sign that Russia’s “special military operation” is looking less special by the week.

Persons: CNN —, Oleg Tsokov, Tsokov, Ivan Popov, Popov, Valery Gerasimov, vilely, Sergei Shoigu, ”, Vladimir Putin, Rybar, “ Popov, General Popov, “, Wagner, Oleg Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Surovikin, Prigozhin, Defense Andrei Kartapolov, Kartapolov, specter, OGPU –, Gerasimov, “ alarmism, Shoigu, George Hall, Russia Dara Massicot, Tweeting, Massicot, ” Rybar, upbraided, viscerally, Putin Organizations: CNN, Ukraine –, Southern Military District, Arms Army, Kremlin Press, Major, Institute for, Ukrainian, of Defense, Kremlin, Russia’s Aerospace Forces, State, Defense, Defense Ministry, Senior, Ministry of Defense, Surovik, George Hall of, RAND Corporation, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Berdyansk, Russian, Svatove, frontlines, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Senior Russian, St, Russia, Vuhledar

☆ China has a reputation for exporting shoddy weapons, but its sales may get a boost from Russia's blunders in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

If Russia's arms exports falter because of the war in Ukraine, China's appeal may only grow. Despite the drawbacks, Chinese arms exports may get a boost from the war in Ukraine. Mazhar ABID/Gamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesQuality concerns could be one reason for a pre-Ukraine decline in Chinese arms sales. On the other hand, SIPRI also found that German and British arms sales declined 35% and Israeli sales fell 15% during the same period. "As Russia's weapons availability may change as the war continues, China is prepared for when that time arrives."

Persons: Cindy Zheng, AAMIR QURESHI, Zheng, —, Mazhar ABID, SIPRI, NOEL CELIS Organizations: Service, RAND Corporation, Kamra, Getty, Nigerian Air Force, Pakistan —, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Germany's Puma, Getty Images Arms Locations: China, Beijing, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Islamabad, Africa, South Asia, Nigeria, Soviet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Aslat, Karachi, Stockholm, Russia, AFP, Venezuela, Iran

Also, Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted some military supplies to India, reinforcing New Delhi's long-term desire to diversify imports or replace them with home-built hardware, Indian defence officials said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India intends to order weapons from the domestic arms industry worth over $100 billion over the next decade. "It is a reality, that we have to reduce dependence on Russia," said a senior Indian defence officer working on future capabilities of the Indian military, who declined to be identified. GAP WITH CHINAIndia still uses mostly Russian technology for traditional arms. Over time these purchases will reduce the share of Russian military technology used by India, but this would take at least two decades, Indian officials said.

Persons: Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi's, Eric Garcetti, Washington, Arzan, Tarapore, Sukhoi Su, Bill Greenwalt, Derek Grossman, Grossman, Krishn Kaushik, David Brunnstrom, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: NEW, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Defence, GE, Stanford University, GAP, CHINA, U.S, Sukhoi, Pentagon, International, Rand Corporation, Thomson Locations: NEW DELHI, WASHINGTON, India, Ukraine, Russia, Stockholm, Indian, Washington, U.S, CHINA India, China, Pakistan, Russian, Australia, Japan, Moscow, DELHI

Lithuania is the only one of the three states to have a land link to a fellow NATO ally, Poland. The three Baltic states have also attracted journalists who have fled Russia. DEFENCESpurred by Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, the three Baltic states sharply increased military spending. According to NATO estimates for 2022, all three exceeded the NATO agreement to spend 2% of gross domestic product on defence. Since the invasion of Ukraine, the Baltic states have requested the forces deployed are beefed up to 3,000-5,000 troops in each state.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Boris Pistorius, Andrius Sytas, Edmund Blair Organizations: NATO, RAND Corporation, European Union, Corruption, German, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Lithuania, Baltic, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Soviet Union, Siberia, Soviet, Russia, Belarus, NATO, Poland, Russia's Kaliningrad, Estonian, U.S, RUSSIA, UKRAINE, United States, West, Moscow, Vilnius, Russian, Crimea, Germany, Britain, Canada, British

☆ Russia is 'accepting risks' and dropping its guard against other threats to hold its ground in Ukraine, British military says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Shifting the bulk of its military to Ukraine has made Russia vulnerable elsewhere, experts say. The war has become a nearly all-consuming effort for Russia's military. Units from across Russia are now "bearing the brunt" of the Ukrainian counteroffensive that kicked off in early June, the British Ministry of Defense said in an update published Thursday. "The way Russia is accepting risks across Eurasia highlights how the war has dislocated Russia's established national strategy," the ministry said. "Russia has really made itself vulnerable globally," Dara Massicot, an expert on the Russian military at the Rand Corporation think tank, said in April.

Persons: —, Ukraine's, Ben Wallace, Muhammed Enes Yildirim, Dara Massicot, Adm, Tony Radakin, Radakin, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Christopher Cavoli, Cavoli, we've, Justin Bronk, They'd, Bronk, they're Organizations: Service, British Ministry of Defense, Russian, Eastern Military District, 61st Naval Infantry Brigade, NATO, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Arms Army, Rand Corporation, US European Command, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia, Belarus, Zaporizhzhia, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Crimea, Velyka, Donetsk Oblast, Bakhmut, Moscow, Russian, Oskol, Ukraine's Kharkiv, AFP, British, Kaliningrad, Finland

☆ Putin expected to meet Xi and Modi at SCO Summit following Wagner insurrection
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —All eyes will be on Vladimir Putin this week, with the Russian president expected to make his first appearance on the world stage since the Wagner insurrection threatened his steel grip on power. In the brief, chaotic insurrection, Wagner – a private mercenary group led by warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin – took control of key military facilities in two Russian cities. Participants of the 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leaders' summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 16, 2022. By contrast, Putin managed to end the Wagner insurrection before it reached the capital, without bloodshed. Modi made headlines at last year’s in-person SCO summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, when he told Putin that now is not the time for war, appearing to directly rebuff the invasion.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Putin, Wagner –, Yevgeny Prigozhin –, Prigozhin, Xi, India’s Narendra Modi –, –, they’re, ”, Derek Grossman, Grossman, ” Grossman, Murat Kula, “, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Matsuda, ” Matsuda, “ Xi Jinping, Alexander Korolev, That’s, won’t, Korolev, India’s Modi, Modi, Joe Biden, RAND’s Grossman, India’s Organizations: CNN, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SCO, Kremlin, RAND Corporation, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Russia, NATO, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Tokyo, “ Russia, China –, Kazakhstan, University of New Locations: Russian, Beijing, Moscow, Belarus, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, US, Russia, China, Samarkand, Central Asia, Iran, Ukraine, Europe, Asia, University of New South Wales, Australia, India, Washington, Indian, Goa, Delhi

News of General Surovikin’s detention was earlier reported by The Financial Times. There were conflicting reports in the Russian news media about General Surovikin’s fate. One popular account posted a recording of an interview with a woman it said was General Surovikin’s daughter, who denied that her father had been arrested. The question is a critical one for Mr. Putin as well. For years, Mr. Putin has allowed different factions to exist inside the Russian military.

Persons: Wagner Group’s, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Yevgeny V, Dmitri S, Peskov, Surovikin’s, ”, “ He’s, Vladimir V, Putin, Sergei K, Prigozhin, Putin’s, Shoigu, Valery V, Prigozhin’s, Shoigu’s, ’, Samuel Charap, “, Mr, Charap, ” Steven Erlanger, Anton Troianovski Organizations: New York Times, The Financial, RAND Corporation Locations: U.S, Russia, Ukraine, NATO

☆ Where are Russian generals Gerasimov and Surovikin after Wagner rebellion?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Absent from view too is General Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon" by the Russian press for his aggressive tactics in the Syrian conflict, who is deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine. Rybar, an influential channel on the Telegram messaging application run by a former Russian defence ministry press officer, said a purge was underway. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov attend an annual meeting of the Defence Ministry Board in Moscow, Russia, December 21, 2022. Dara Massicot, an expert in the Russian military at the RAND Corporation think-tank, said that something looked odd about the video, in which Surovikin has an automatic weapon on his lap. "Surovikin (is) a brute but also one of the more capable Russian commanders," Freedman said on Twitter.

Persons: Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gerasimov, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Dmitry Peskov, Wagner, Rybar, Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Kuravlev, Prigozhin, Michael Kofman, Viktor Zolotov, Shoigu, Dara Massicot, He’s, he’s, Alexei Venediktov, vilifying Shoigu, Lawrence Freedman, Freedman, Andrew Osborn, Mike Collett, White, Lisa Shumaker, Angus MacSwan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: New York Times, Wednesday, Staff, Reuters, Moscow Times, Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Defence Ministry Board, Sputnik, REUTERS, Carnegie Endowment, Twitter, National Guard, Moscow, Tuesday, RAND Corporation, Western, King's College London, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Surovikin, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kremlin, Moscow's, Lefortovo, Chechnya, Syria

☆ Putin is facing a new threat at home while Russia's military is making itself 'vulnerable globally,' experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It comes as Russia's military is tied down in Ukraine and less able to respond to crises elsewhere. Those questions come as a Ukrainian offensive bears down on Russia's military, which since late last year has been replenishing its forces in Ukraine with aging equipment and under-trained personnel. These efforts have bolstered Russian units in Ukraine but left the Russian military more vulnerable elsewhere and undermined its ability to respond to other crises, experts say. Russia's military has tried to show it still has muscles to flex, mostly with air and naval forces that are largely undamaged by the war. Russian troops board a military aircraft on their way to Kazakhstan in January 2022.

Persons: Wagner, it's, Putin, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Russia's, Dara Massicot, Maxym, I've, there's, Massicot, Gorshkov, Kassym, Tokayev, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, It's, Prigozhin, SERGEI GUNEYEV, Angela, John Kirby, Kirby Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Rand Corporation, Georgetown University, Getty, Russia's, Fleet, Northern Fleet, Iranian Army, Anadolu Agency, Moscow, Russian Defense Ministry Press, Kremlin, SPUTNIK, Center for, East European Studies, Brookings Institution, National Security Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine's Kharkiv, Siberia, Norway, Georgia, Central Asia, Russia, Syria, Kazakhstan, Russia's, Armenia, Tajikistan

☆ Putin's embattled defense minister Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner mutiny that experts say is confusing and feels off
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian defense chief Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner Group's armed rebellion. Moscow published the video purportedly showing Shoigu in Ukraine, though its unclear when it was filmed. Some Russian milblogger channels have arrived at the same conclusion, that the video of Shoigu was older footage. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the notorious Wagner mercenary organization, has long criticized Moscow's military leadership over its handling of the war in Ukraine. Russia denied the allegations, but it didn't stop Prigozhin from openly encouraging his mercenaries to take up arms against the defense ministry in open rebellion.

Persons: Shoigu, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, —, Sergei Shoigu, General Yevgeny Nikiforov, Yevgeny Nikiforov's, Sergei Shoigu's, Jimmy Rushton, Mark Krutov, Yevgeny Nikiforov, I'm, Dara Massicot, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Russia's, Moscow's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Don, Stringer, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, he's, Antony Blinken, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Service, Russian Defense, Wagner Group, Russian Ministry of Defence, Twitter, Radio Free, Radio Liberty's, Russian Ministry of Defense, RAND Corporation, Prigozhin Press Service, Prigozhin Press, Associated Press, Don REUTERS, Stringer Western, ABC News, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty's Russia, Shoigu, Rostov, Don, Russia, Belarus, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ F-16s are no 'wonder weapon,' but they could deal serious damage to Russian forces in Ukraine with the right missiles, former US Navy pilot says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

After months of asking, Ukraine finally got the West to shift its stance on outfitting its air force with F-16s. But the fourth-gen fighter jets won't necessarily be a game-changer or give Ukraine air superiority. But the right weapon systems may allow F-16s "to strike targets that Ukraine might not otherwise be able to hit." "The decision to give Ukraine F-16s is not about helping it survive the next phase of the war, but helping it ensure its sovereignty in the long term." Two US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons US Air Force photo by Tech.

Persons: —, Biden, David Kujawa, Pat Ryder, Ryder, Tannehill, Charles Vaughn, Kevin Gruenwald, Matthew Lotz, JASSMs Organizations: US Navy, Service, RAND Corporation, US Air Force, Alpena Combat Readiness, Center, Pentagon Press, Air Force, RAND, AIM, Alabama Air National Guard, Air, Controller, Mirgorod Air Base, Tech, Incirlik Air Base, Staff of, Armed Forces, Fighting Falcons US Air Force, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Michigan, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Ukrainian, California, Kyiv, Turkey, Russian, Crimea

☆ Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers leaker and anti-war activist, dies at 92
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Kaanita Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —Daniel Ellsberg, a former military analyst and anti-war activist whose disclosure of the so-called Pentagon Papers revealed systemic US government deception about the Vietnam War, has died, his family announced in a statement. As part of his work with RAND, Ellsberg had access to classified documents that demonstrated how the US government had systemically lied to the public about the war, and Ellsberg felt compelled to reveal the information. In a letter to his friends that he shared on social media in March, Ellsberg reflected on his decision to leak the Pentagon Papers. “It was a fate I would gladly have accepted if it meant hastening the end of the Vietnam War, unlikely as that seemed (and was). “No organization really wants to show how the sausage is made or legislation is made, and they prefer to be the only voice on policy to the public,” Ellsberg told NPR.

Persons: Washington CNN — Daniel Ellsberg, Ellsberg, ”, “, ” Ellsberg, “ Daniel, systemically, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Robert McNamara, Lyndon B, John F, Ngo Dinh Diem –, Nixon, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, “ It’s, Chelsea Manning, Roe, Wade, Patricia, Robert, Mary, Michael Organizations: Washington CNN, New York Times, Press Foundation, RAND Corporation, RAND, The New York Times, Times, Washington Post, Pentagon, Committee, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Harvard University, Marine Corps, Harvard, International Security Affairs, State Department, White House, WikiLeaks, NPR Locations: Vietnam, Kensington , California, Chicago, Detroit, United Kingdom, Amherst, Iraq

☆ Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked 'Pentagon Papers,' dies at 92
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Bill Trott | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

In his later years Ellsberg would become an advocate for whistleblowers and leakers and his "Pentagon Papers" leak was portrayed in the 2017 movie "The Post." Courtesy Daniel Ellsberg Papers, Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center, UMass Amherst Libraries. Ellsberg secretly went to the media in 1971 in hopes of expediting the end of the Vietnam War. Courtesy Daniel Ellsberg Papers, Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center, UMass Amherst Libraries. He said he was inspired to copy the "Pentagon Papers" after hearing an anti-war protester say he was looking forward to going to prison for resisting the draft.

Persons: Daniel Ellsberg, Ellsberg, Long, Edward Snowden, Robert S, Henry Kissinger, Robert McNamara, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Baines Johnson, CourtesyDaniel Ellsberg, John F, Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Gordon Liddy, Howard Hunt, Snowden, Chelsea Manning, Carol Cummings, Patricia Marx, Bill Trott, Kanishka Singh, Dan Grebler, Diane Craft Organizations: U.S, Wikileaks, University Archives Research Center, UMass Amherst Libraries, Nixon, State Department, Harvard, Marine Corps, Pentagon, RAND Corporation, Ellsberg's, Chiefs, Staff, RAND, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York Times, The Times, Washington Post, Times, FBI, UMass, Libraries, National Security Agency, WikiLeaks, Thomson Locations: Vietnam, Kensington , California, America, Saigon, United States, Boston, U.S, North Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, American, Chicago , Illinois

Asked on June 2 about Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it "would be a potential problem for many, many years." Hanging over the deliberations is the question of whether alliance members can show unity by forging agreements ahead of the July 11-12 summit in the Lithuanian capital. But all agree on the need to further boost Ukraine's security between now and the day it joins NATO. Gabrielle Tarini, co-author of a new RAND Corporation report on Ukraine reconstruction, said that until Ukraine can join NATO the alliance needs to explore such measures. NATO will bolster a program of non-lethal aid for Ukraine's security forces to help them transition from Soviet-era to NATO standards, he said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, NATO Julianne Smith, Smith, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Ukraine's, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Emmanuel Macron, Gabrielle Tarini, Jonathan Landay, Andrew Gray, Humeyra Pamuk, Andrea Shalal, John Irish, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: NATO, Russian, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kyiv, Kremlin, Ukraine, U.S . National Security, Diplomats, RAND Corporation, Ukraine Council, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, U.S, Germany, Russia, Europe, Lithuanian, Eastern, Poland, United States, Israel, Russian, Kyiv, Washington, Paris

☆ Russia's 'least capable' troops aren't in Ukraine, but they're still causing problems next door, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Moldova, next door to Ukraine, has been under pressure from Russia for decades. Amid the war in Ukraine, Kyiv and Western officials say Moscow is stepping up its interference. As a result of a 1992 war between Moldovan forces and Transnistrian separatists, Russian troops entered the breakaway region to support the separatists. Following that war, Transnistria gained a form of autonomy. SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty ImagesMoldova declared a state of emergency after Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, and it remains in effect.

Persons: —, that's, John Sullivan, SERGUEI VORONIN, Chișinău, Maia Sandu, Diego Herrera Carcedo, SERGEI GAPON, Moldova's, John Kirby, Kirby, Pierre Crom, Thomas de Waal, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Jamar Marcel Pugh, Sandu, Ursula von der Leyen, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Georgetown University, Getty, Moldovan, NATO, EU, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images Moldova, White House National Security Council, Carnegie, RAND Corporation, US Army National Guard, European Commission, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn Locations: Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Transnistria, Kyiv, Western, Moscow, Soviet Union, Romania, Europe, Baltic, Poland, Bender, Transnistrian, Chisinau, May, Lithuania, Sweden, AFP, Russian, Carnegie Europe, NATO, Bulgaria

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