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☆ Trump and other Republicans call for the US 'to shoot down' a suspected Chinese spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump called for the US to "SHOOT DOWN THE BALLOON" as a suspect Chinese spy craft floats above the US. Other Republicans took a slightly more measured approach, arguing that it was "a mistake" not to have shot down the suspected spy balloon but not necessarily saying that it should be done now. Bloomberg reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin advised President Joe Biden not to order the shoot down the balloon due to the risk of falling debris. "It was a mistake to not shoot down that Chinese spy balloon when it was over a sparsely populated area," Rubio wrote on Twitter. "Shoot down the balloon.

☆ Suspected Chinese spy balloon found over northern U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Courtney Kube | Carol E. Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Pentagon would not confirm that the balloon in the photo was the surveillance balloon. The U.S. military has been monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been hovering over the northern U.S. for the past few days, and military and defense leaders have discussed shooting it out of the sky, according to two U.S. officials and a senior defense official. "The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Pentagon spokesperson Brig. A senior defense official said the balloon is still over the U.S. but declined to say where it is now. Pentagon leaders presented the options to President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

☆ A captured member of the infamous Wagner Group said he is more 'afraid of Putin' than dying in battle, Ukrainian soldier reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A captured Russian soldier said he is more afraid of Vladimir Putin than he is of dying in battle. "We're afraid of Putin," a Ukrainian solder recalled the man saying. The Ukrainian solder said the man joined Russia's Wagner Group to expunge his criminal record. In an audio recording reviewed by CNN of the Ukrainian soldier questioning the Russian prisoner, Andriy told the man: "Obviously, you know that you will be killed [in battle.] "Yes, this is true," the Ukrainian soldier named Andriy recalled the man replying.

☆ Wagner troops wouldn't 'stop coming' and climbed over bodies of dead comrades like something out of a 'zombie movie,' says Ukrainian soldier
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Ukrainian soldier compared fighting Russia's Wagner Group to something like a "zombie movie." "They're climbing above the corpse of their friends, stepping on them," the soldier told CNN. He said the fight was between 20 Ukrainian soldiers and about 200 Wagner troops and described it as a "frightening and surreal experience." He even suggested that the Wagner troops might be "getting some drugs before the attack." The soldier said his group's AK-47 rifles became so hot from constantly firing at the Wagner troops that they had to keep switching out guns.

☆ Crimea is shaping up to be the battleground that will decide the Russia-Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Crimea is poised to be the next big battlefield, and one that could decide the Ukraine war. "The decisive terrain for this war is Crimea," Ben Hodges, a former commander of US Army Europe, told Insider. Ukraine will "never be safe or secure" if Russia retains control of Crimea, Hodges siad. The fight to retake Crimea could be extremely bloody, in a war that's already led to massive casualties for both sides. President of UkraineUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pledged to expel Russian forces out of all occupied territory, including Crimea.

☆ U.S. military raid in northern Somalia kills a senior ISIS leader and 10 ISIS fighters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A U.S. military operation in northern Somalia killed a senior leader of the Islamic State terrorist group and 10 other ISIS fighters on Wednesday night, according to two senior administration officials. Bilal al Sudani, who the officials described as a key operative and facilitator of the terror group’s global network, was the target of the raid. The only injury the officials reported was a U.S. service member who was bitten by one of the American military service dogs. The operation took place in a mountainous area in northern Somalia and followed months of planning, the officials said. “Our intelligence community expects to glean valuable information from this operation as well, demonstrating our continued emphasis on maximizing intelligence collection,” one official said.

☆ Inside the Biden administration's decision to reverse course and give tanks to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

When he announced his decision to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine, President Joe Biden made a point to say Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had recommended the move. Biden wasn’t initially sold on sending the tanks, despite pressure to do so to give cover to Germany to send Ukraine some Leopard 2 tanks, the officials said. But because Germany had said it would send Leopards to Ukraine if the U.S. agreed to commit tanks, too, the U.S. promise of a future delivery opened the door for Germany to send tanks to Ukraine now. In the case of the tanks, U.S. military leaders argued the Leopards and the U.K.’s Challengers were much better options. Military leaders, namely Milley, also have been more publicly vocal about the importance of potential talks to end the war.

☆ At least 5 Russian men who escaped conscription have been living in Seoul's airport for months, and their refugee status still hangs in the balance: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

At least five Russian men have been living in South Korea's Incheon airport for months. The men told The Post their lives are hanging in the balance: Seoul could still reject their asylum appeal. But I feel this conflict is extremely political," Maraktaev told The Post. Maraktaev then managed to get a flight to South Korea, and he finally landed in Incheon on November 12. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, most of the refugees given a humanitarian visa in South Korea are from Syria and Yemen.

☆ Ukraine's 'iron general' inherited $1 million from a US software developer and donated it straight to the military
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Zaluzhnyi donated the full amount to Ukraine's military earlier this month, the reports said. Stepanets was born in the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia in 1938, according to the Ukrainian Pravda. He made his fortune after inventing a decoding system and selling it to Microsoft, the Ukrainian Pravda reported. A former soldier himself, Zaluzhnyi reformed Ukraine's military from a Soviet model into a modern fighting force. "His leadership enabled the Ukrainian armed forces to adapt quickly with battlefield initiative against the Russians."

☆ Germany at last green lights sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine after weeks of mounting pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Germany has agreed to send their much-sought-after tanks to Ukraine. "German main battle tanks, further broadening of defense support & training missions, green light for partners to supply similar weapons. Germany has until now been reluctant to send its Leopard 2 tanks or allow other countries with these tanks in their arsenals to send them. A Leopard 2A6 main battle tank of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, participates in the NATO Iron Wolf military exercises on October 26, 2022 in Pabrade, Lithuania. Military experts previously told Insider that these are the right tanks to send to Ukraine at this moment.

☆ Biden administration, in a reversal, is preparing to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

After weeks of discussion, the Biden administration is preparing to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine, according to three senior U.S. officials. The current plan includes a couple dozen Abrams tanks, but the officials stressed that the decision is not yet final and could change. The decision to move forward with providing the tanks would be a reversal for the Biden administration, which had been resisting pressure from Germany to send them to Ukraine. It was not immediately clear what may have led the Biden administration to apparently shift its stance on sending the tanks. Earlier Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration is “leaning toward sending” Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

☆ Russia is sticking to its failed strategy of filling gaps in decimated front-line units with 'ill-equipped, ill-trained' troops, US official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian front-line units are taking heavy casualties, a senior US military official said. To fill gaps in the lines, Moscow is rushing tens of thousands of poorly trained and equipped troops to the front. A senior US military official told reporters on Monday that Russia has been sending replacements for units that have suffered substantial casualties in an attempt to strengthen defensive positions and support operations. Notably, they said, these troops are not arriving as organized units but are just filling in gaps wherever needed. He added that Russian casualties amount to "significantly well over 100,000 now," providing his first updated figure on the matter in months.

☆ Leopard tanks are the 'right' weapon to send Ukraine, but don't expect a 'silver bullet,' military expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

European countries are continuing to press Germany to green light Leopard tanks to Ukraine. One military expert told Insider that these German-made weapons are the "right tank" to send. One military expert said the much-sought-after tanks are the "right" tanks to send to Ukraine at this moment and would be "militarily useful" depending on how many are sent, but don't expect them to be a "silver bullet." Germany has been reluctant to send its Leopards or permit other countries that operate the German-made armor to send tanks to Ukraine, and some countries are growing impatient. The foreign minister said on Monday that while Warsaw will seek Germany's permission, his country will "certainly" send the formidable Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

☆ The company used by Putin to put 50,000 Russian mercenaries in Ukraine will be deemed a 'transnational criminal organization' by the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US will designate Russia's Wagner Group a "transnational criminal organization." The military contractor has committed "atrocities and human rights abuses" in Ukraine, it added. The Wagner Group, which is closely linked to the Kremlin, has about 10,000 mercenaries and 40,000 former prisoners deployed in Ukraine. Its forces were responsible for "atrocities and human rights abuses," according to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby. Wagner mercenaries have also been accused by the United Nations and Human Rights Watch of committing human rights abuses in a number of African nations, including the Central African Republic, Libya and Mali.

☆ Allies offer more weapons to Ukraine, but no decisions have been made on tanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian military vehicles drive along a road outside of the town of Chasiv Yar on January 18, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Western allies on Friday dampened Ukraine's hopes for a rapid shipment of battle tanks to boost its firepower for a spring offensive against Russian forces, with the United States urging Kyiv to hold off from mounting such an operation. The run-up to the Ramstein meeting had been dominated by the issue of whether Germany would agree to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, or permit other countries that have them to do so. The United States was also holding fast to its decision not to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine yet, a senior U.S. official said in Washington. Ukraine was hit especially hard this week, reporting 44 people confirmed dead and 20 unaccounted for after a Russian missile attack on an apartment block in Dnipro.

Despite German efforts to pressure the U.S. into providing Abrams tanks to Ukraine, the Pentagon’s top leaders are against sending them, three U.S. officials said. At the same time, the officials said President Joe Biden would not pressure Germany to send the Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Asked Friday about sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine, Biden was noncommittal. They also have argued they are not the right vehicles for the fight in Ukraine right now, according to the officials. Artur Widak / AP fileU.S. officials said opposition within the Biden administration to sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine is not due to concerns Russia would see the move as escalatory.

☆ Western defense leaders meet amid dissent over tanks for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is regrouping, recruiting and trying to re-equip,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned as the meeting opened. We need to dig even deeper,” Austin told the gathering of as many as 50 defense leaders who were attending in person and by video. The U.S. has also declined, at least so far, to provide M1 Abrams tanks, citing the extensive and complex maintenance and logistical challenges with the high-tech vehicle. The United Kingdom announced last week that it would send Challenger 2 tanks, describing it as a natural progression of military aid to Ukraine. At a Pentagon briefing Thursday, spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said the Leopard and Challenger aren’t comparable to the Abrams tanks because the Abrams is much harder to maintain and wouldn’t be a good fit.

☆ Here's the big deal with the German-made Leopard tanks and why Ukraine desperately wants them
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

One tank Kyiv really wants is the German-made Leopard, but it hasn't been able to get them. These formidable main battle tanks would provide a massive firepower boost on the battlefield. Ukraine is getting many of the items on its wish list, but it hasn't been able to get its hands on the German-made Leopard tanks it wants. The country's president previously said he wanted to send the tanks to Ukraine as part of an "international coalition." Fast, mobile, and well-armedThe Leopard 2 is Germany's main battle tank developed by defense firm Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

☆ Top US general says Ukraine war has become an 'absolute catastrophe' for Russia, estimating it's suffered 'significantly well over' 100,000 casualties
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Milley on Friday said Russia has suffered "significantly well over" 100,000 casualties in Ukraine. Milley urged Putin to end the war, saying it had become an "absolute catastrophe" for Moscow. Milley said that the "tremendous amount of casualties" suffered by Russia included "regular military, and also their mercenaries in the Wagner Group and other type forces that are fighting with the Russians." "Putin could end this war today," Milley said, "It's turning into an absolute catastrophe for Russia." Germany would need to grant permission for the Leopard tanks to be exported by other countries, and so far, that hasn't happened.

☆ Air Force, Marine Generals Seen as Top Picks for Joint Chiefs Job
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | Gordon Lubold | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Army Gen. Mark Milley found himself a target of critics on the right and the left during his time as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. WASHINGTON—President Biden is considering two service chiefs and the head of the U.S. cyber defense command to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in what will be the president’s biggest opportunity to date to shape U.S. military leadership. Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, the Air Force chief of staff, and Gen. David Berger, the Marine Corps commandant, are leading candidates to succeed Army Gen. Mark Milley as the Pentagon’s top officer when his four-year appointment ends Sept. 30. Army Gen. Paul Nakasone , who serves as both head of U.S. Cyber Command and the director of the National Security Agency, also is a contender, U.S. and defense officials said.

☆ Ukraine's top general outlines 'urgent needs' in talks with U.S. military chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Ukraine's top general said he had outlined the "urgent needs" of his armed forces on Tuesday at a first personal meeting with the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, in Poland. "I outlined the urgent needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the fulfilment of which will accelerate our Victory," General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi wrote in a statement on Telegram. The United States has been by far the biggest supplier of military assistance for Kyiv during the war. In his statement, Zaluzhnyi said he thanked Milley for "the unwavering support and assistance provided by the United States of America and allies to Ukraine". Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Max Hunder Editing by Jon Boyle and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia has screwed up over and over in its war in Ukraine, and Western militaries need to learn from its mistakes, former US Army general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The West needs to learn from Russia's screw-ups in its war with Ukraine, a former US Army general said. "Russia has shown us what kinds of problems a large army can have if it hasn't done its homework," he said. The US and the West, Ryan emphasized in discussions with Insider, should be learning from Russia's mistakes. "We should be preparing our own militaries for a possible war with Russia and or China," the former general said. Looking at the future of the war in Ukraine and Western involvement, Ryan said "the West will probably increase its reactions to Russia's actions as they unfold."

☆ Wounded Russians are being sent back to Ukraine with major injuries like punctured lungs and shrapnel still in their bodies, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wounded Russian soldiers are being sent to Ukraine to fight despite their injuries, according to a report. Soldiers with damaged lungs and shrapnel wounds have been returned to the frontline. The presidential Human Rights Council in Russia is investigating the matter, a council member said. There have also been cases of soldiers receiving treatment for ulcers, heart attacks, and strokes being sent back to Ukraine, she said. In November, Army Gen. Mark Milley, the highest-ranking US military officer, estimated that "well over" 100,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded in the war in Ukraine, according to The Washington Post.

☆ Factbox: Who is Russia's new war commander Gerasimov and why was he appointed?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Gerasimov's deputies will be Army General Sergei Surovikin, the previous theatre commander, appointed three months ago and nicknamed "General Armageddon"; Army General Oleg Salyukov; and Deputy Chief of the General Staff Colonel-General Alexei Kim. "Now the General Staff is directly and uncompromisingly responsible for absolutely everything," said Semyon Pegov, a Russian military blogger who uses the name Wargonzo. Gerasimov was appointed chief of the general staff and deputy defence minister by Putin on Nov. 9, 2012, three days after Putin's long-time ally Sergei Shoigu was made defence minister. Gerasimov played key roles in Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and in Russia's game-changing military support for President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War. Gerasimov was born on Sept. 8, 1955, in Kazan, rising through the ranks from Russia's tank forces to graduate in 1997 from the Military Academy of the General Staff.

☆ The war in Ukraine could be decided this year, former US Army general says, warning of dire consequences if Russia faces defeat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's war with Ukraine could come to a conclusion this year, according to a former US Army general. The Kremlin would likely turn to nuclear weapons if Moscow faces defeat in the conflict, he said. Ryan explained: "Both sides are still too strong to agree to say that they don't have a shot at winning this war. Or is it more dangerous that the Russian military should be defeated in the field and destroyed?" Russia suffered a brutal defeat at the end of World War I and "it helped bring to power the communist regime in Russia," Ryan said, adding, "Russia being destroyed — its military being destroyed — would greatly weaken the country and cause internal revolt."

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