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☆ Russian jet's collision with a US drone shows Russia may have a fighter pilot 'problem,' former US aviators say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A Russian fighter jet collided with an American drone this week after harassing it. The collision was likely unintentional, and former US naval aviators say that it could point to problems with Russian fighter pilots. A State Department official said it "probably was the result of profound incompetence on the part of one of these Russian pilots." Russian military failures in Ukraine have altered this view, he continued, "and now, you've got something like this." Charles Larkin Sr./US Air Force via AP"The tactical portion here is that poor training or poor decision making by a Russian pilot caused a collision," Snodgrass said.

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - In a rare move, the Pentagon on Thursday released a de-classified video showing Russia's intercept of a U.S. military surveillance drone downed over the Black Sea two days ago. It was the first direct U.S.-Russian incident since the Ukraine war began, worsening already tense relations between Washington and Moscow. It also shows the loss of the video feed after another close Russian maneuver, which the Pentagon says resulted from the Russian jet's collision with the drone. It ends with images of the drone's damaged propeller, which the Pentagon says resulted from the collision, making the aircraft inoperable. [1/4] A Russian Su-27 aircraft dumps fuel while flying upon a U.S. Air Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance unmanned MQ-9 aircraft over the Black Sea, March 14, 2023 in this still image taken from a handout video.

☆ Moscow was likely trying to send a message by harassing a US drone, but officials say the Russian pilot ran into it because they're bad at flying
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Russian fighter jet harassed a US military MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea this week. But US officials said the fighter pilot demonstrated a "lack of competence" by clipping the drone. On Tuesday, two Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercepted a US military MQ-9 Reaper drone that was flying in international airspace above the Black Sea. A composite image showing the rear of a US MQ-9 Reaper drone before and after the US military says a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with it. The report consists of empirical research completed in 2020 that analyzes years of Russian military activity like intercepts and other engagements.

☆ US releases video it says shows Russian fighter jet taking down Reaper drone over the Black Sea in a 'reckless' intercept
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US released footage of a Russian jet forcing down one of its Reaper drones over the Black sea. The video shows a jet flying up to the drone and dumping fuel, and the drone's propeller getting damaged. 00:09 A Russian jet passes over the drone while releasing fuel, and the video transmission is disrupted. 00:27: A Russian jet starts to release fuel as it approaches the drone, and then starts to pass even closer to the drone. A composite image showing the rear of a US MQ-9 Reaper drone before and after the US military says a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with it.

☆ Russia making small advances near Bakhmut, but at cost- top U.S. general
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - Russia is making small advances near the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut but this was coming at a great cost, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday. "The Russians are making small, tactical advances (but) at great cost," Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley told reporters. Reporting by Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Rami AyubbOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - A U.S. surveillance drone brought down over the Black Sea after a Russian military intercept probably broke apart and would be difficult to recover given the depth of the water in the area, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday. Russia's defense ministry blamed "sharp maneuvering" by the drone for the crash and said its jet did not make contact. Milley said the United States had already taken measures to guard against a loss of sensitive intelligence if the drone were to be recovered by Russia. The State Department on Tuesday summoned Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, to express U.S. concerns over the encounter. Antonov after the meeting said the drone "deliberately and provocatively was moving toward Russian territory with transponders turned off."

☆ Russia expanded its territory in Ukraine by less than 0.04% in a month of brutal fighting that cost it thousands of soldiers and vital equipment, says think tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia gained just 0.039% of additional territory in Ukraine in February, the ISW told Insider. It continues to lose equipment and a large number of soldiers in exchange for meager gains. Washington DC-based think tank The Institute for the Study of War told Insider that its mapping data showed Russia had gained just 0.039% more territory in Ukraine between January 31 and February 28. Russia gained this tiny amount of land while losing thousands of soldiers and hemorrhaging military equipment. And a senior US diplomat was also scathing about Russia's progress, saying: "Russia has declared that it is launching a new offensive.

☆ Gen. Mark Milley in Syria to Support U.S. Troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Gordon Lubold | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a logistics base in northeastern Syria on Saturday. NORTHEAST Syria—The Pentagon’s top officer made an unannounced visit to the U.S. mission in northeastern Syria Saturday in a show of confidence for American operations against Islamic State. Army Gen. Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a brief stop at a logistics base to talk with troops and commanders as he prepares recommendations for the future of the Pentagon’s operations in Syria.

American officials say that Islamic State could still regenerate into a major threat. Asked by reporters traveling with him if he believed the Syria mission was worth the risk, Milley tied the mission to the security of the United States and its allies, saying: "If you think that that's important, then the answer is 'Yes.'" Four U.S. troops were wounded during a helicopter raid last month when an Islamic State leader triggered an explosion. U.S. Army Major General Matthew McFarlane, who commands the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, described the attacks as a "distraction from our main mission." McFarlane cited progress against Islamic State, including through the reduction in the numbers of internally displaced people at refugee camps -- a pool of people who could be recruited by Islamic State.

Thousands of other Islamic State fighters are in detention facilities guarded by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, America's key ally in the country. American officials say that Islamic State could still regenerate into a major threat. Four U.S. troops were wounded during a helicopter raid last month when an Islamic State leader triggered an explosion. U.S. Army Major General Matthew McFarlane, who commands the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, described attacks against U.S. forces as a "distraction from our main mission." McFarlane cited progress against Islamic State, including through the reduction in the numbers of internally displaced people at refugee camps -- a pool of vulnerable people who could be recruited by Islamic State.

☆ Ukraine Military Holds Simulated War Exercises on U.S. Base
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Gordon Lubold | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley said the tabletop exercise is meant to test assumptions and possible outcomes in the war. WIESBADEN, Germany—The U.S. is hosting members of the Ukrainian military here for a weeklong war-planning exercise, designed to help Kyiv game out its strategy against Russia in the next phase of their war. Dozens of members of the Ukrainian military are participating in what is often referred to as a wargame or a tabletop exercise, held at a U.S. military base to give the Ukrainian forces an opportunity to assess their next courses of action in the war, now in its 13th month.

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

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

☆ A bizarre video shows Russians in swimwear dousing themselves in buckets of cold water to show solidarity with soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russians supported Putin's invasion of Ukraine by pouring icy water on themselves. A video shared on Twitter by a BBC journalist shows the event in Blagoveshchensk, Siberia. "Today, we're going to support them with our heroic act by pouring cold water on ourselves." After the speech, about 150 people, ranging from teenagers to pensioners, proceeded to dump buckets of cold water on their heads. In short, Russia has lost — they've lost strategically, operationally, and tactically."

☆ Russia's death toll in Ukraine could be as high as 60,000. Western intel says its forces are being ripped apart by artillery and not getting proper care.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Britain's defense ministry said Russian casualties in Ukraine could be as high as 200,000. They are being torn apart by artillery and not getting proper care, it added. Britain's defense ministry shared in a Friday intelligence update that Russian forces have likely suffered between 175,000 and 200,000 causalities on the battlefield. Britain's defense ministry said that between 40,000 and 60,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the fighting. The 200,000 casualty toll offered by Britain's defense ministry echos a similar estimate provided by a top US diplomat earlier this week.

☆ The mystery objects shot down by US fighter jets were 'most likely' harmless civilian objects, Biden says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Three mysterious objects were shot down by the US military in North American airspace last weekend. The three unidentified objects are "most likely" just civilian objects, he said on Thursday. Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. Biden on Thursday also said he's directed his team to create "sharper rules" for dealing with unidentified objects moving forward, distinguishing between those that pose a security risk and those that don't. In total, four objects — one Chinese surveillance balloon and the three smaller objects that remain unidentified — have been shot down over North American airspace since early February.

☆ The 3 Flying Objects the US Shot Down May Have Been Commercial or Research Craft, White House Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The White House said that three objects shot down over the weekend might have posed no threat. A leading explanation is that they were used for commercial or research purposes, a spokesperson said. US authorities have also found no evidence linking the objects to Chinese spying, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said at a White House briefing. Kirby added that even though the US hadn't determined that the objects were used for spying, authorities couldn't rule that possibility out. Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

☆ Top US general says Russia has already 'lost' the Ukraine war and has paid an 'enormous price on the battlefield'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gen. Mark Milley said Russia has "lost" in Ukraine as the war approaches the one-year mark. The top US general ripped into Moscow for launching an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, emphasizing that Russia has paid an "enormous price on the battlefield" as a consequence. In short, Russia has lost — they've lost strategically, operationally, and tactically," Milley added. But Russian forces failed in that objective as Ukrainian troops put up a far stiffer resistance than expected. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that Putin is unfazed by the high rate of casualties and is vying to overwhelm Ukrainian forces with sheer numbers.

☆ US missile landed harmlessly in Lake Huron after missing 'object': U.S. general
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The first of two missiles fired from an F-16 fighter jet at an unidentified object over Lake Huron on Sunday missed the object, but landed harmlessly in the water, the top U.S. general, Mark Milley, said on Tuesday. "We certainly tracked it all the way down," Milley told reporters at a news conference in Brussels. Reuters reported on Monday that the first of the two missiles had missed the object, one of three unidentified objects shot down by U.S. fighter jets over U.S. and Canadian airspace between Friday and Sunday. Recovery efforts are underway to identify them, and Milley cautioned that those will take some time. Reporting by Andrew Gray and Sabine Siebold in Brussels, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali in WashingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ An F-16 fighter jet missed on its first try to shoot down a mysterious object over Lake Huron, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An F-16 fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile to take down a flying object over Lake Huron on Sunday. "On the fourth one, over Lake Huron, the first shot missed, the second shot hit," Milley said in response to a reporter's question, confirming earlier reports. "And in this case, the missile landed harmlessly in the water of Lake Huron. Sunday's operation marked the fourth instance in about a week in which a US Air Force fighter jet shot down a flying object over North American airspace. The general leading North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command offered an explanation on Sunday for why there has been a seemingly sudden increase in flying objects appearing over North American airspace.

The Chinese balloon, which Beijing denies was a spy vessel, spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before President Joe Biden ordered it shot on Feb. 4. China says the balloon shot down on Feb. 4 was a civilian weather-monitoring aircraft. It has accused Washington of sending its own balloons into Chinese airspace, an allegation Beijing reiterated on Tuesday. 'COMMERCIAL OR BENIGN PURPOSE'The U.S. military said on Monday it had recovered critical electronics from the suspected Chinese spy balloon as well as large sections of the vessel itself. But it has not yet recovered debris from the most recent three objects shot down, with tough weather conditions making recovery operations difficult.

☆ Ukraine holds defense as battles rage in Donetsk region, top commander says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A tank moves on a road as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine on February 08, 2023. Ukraine's forces hold defense along the frontline in Donetsk, including of the besieged town of Bakhmut, with the fiercest battles raging for the cities of Vuhledar and Maryinka, Kyiv's top military commander said on Saturday. "Fierce fighting continues in the area of Vuhledar and Maryinka," Zaluzhnyi said in a Telegram message after a call with U.S. General Mark Milley. He added that Ukraine continues to hold Bakhmut, tying to "stabilize" the frontline around the town. Wagner's head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said it could take two years for Moscow to control the whole of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine.

☆ Ukraine holds defence as battles rage in Donetsk region, top commander says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Nick Starkov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LVIV, Ukraine, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine's forces hold defence along the frontline in Donetsk, including of the besieged town of Bakhmut, with the fiercest battles raging for the cities of Vuhledar and Maryinka, Kyiv's top military commander said on Saturday. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said Russia carries out some 50 attacks daily in Donetsk, a region in Ukraine's southeast that Moscow has been trying to occupy fully. "Fierce fighting continues in the area of Vuhledar and Maryinka," Zaluzhnyi said in a Telegram message after a call with U.S. General Mark Milley. He added that Ukraine continues to hold Bakhmut, tying to "stabilise" the frontline around the town. Wagner's head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said it could take two years for Moscow to control the whole of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine.

☆ Ukraine says Russia faced its deadliest day in the war yet, with over 1,000 troops killed in a 24-hour period
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This would mark the deadliest day for Russian forces since the war began. The Ukrainian military puts the total Russian death toll at 133,190 as fierce fighting continues to rage on in the country's east. Putin announced a partial military mobilization in September, aiming to provide a boost to Russia's struggling war effort. But despite its growing list of setbacks and failures in the war, Russia has shown no signs of giving up. Ukraine is bracing for Russian forces to launch a major offensive in the near future.

☆ U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that had been transiting across the country for several days, according to NBC News. Department of Defense officials have not yet confirmed the balloon being shot down. Defense officials said the Pentagon considered shooting down the balloon earlier this week but decided against it after briefing Biden. Biden concluded that the U.S. would not shoot down the balloon because debris from it could cause damage on the ground, a Pentagon official said. A senior Pentagon official told reporters Thursday night that the object was clearly a surveillance balloon that was flying over sensitive sites to collect intelligence.

☆ China's suspected spy balloon prompts Blinken to postpone Beijing trip as Congress seeks answers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken attends the Freedom of Expression Roundtable, in New York, U.S., September 19, 2022. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will postpone his trip to China next week following a suspected Beijing-operated spy balloon looming over parts of Montana. Chinese authorities said Friday that the balloon operating over U.S. airspace was a civilian weather balloon intended for scientific research. But the State Department said that was immaterial. "It was a mistake to not shoot down that Chinese spy balloon when it was over a sparsely populated area," Rubio tweeted on Friday.

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