Tag: Russia

U.S. Air Force test-launches unarmed nuclear missile

The Air Force launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean in a routine test early Wednesday, the service said in a release. The missile was fired from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, around 1:30 a.m. local time, and traveled about 4,200 miles to the Marshall Islands, where the U.S. has conducted nuclear weapons tests for…

UK to Ban Russia’s Wagner Group as ‘Terrorist’ Organization: Reports

Britain is to ban Russian mercenary outfit the Wagner Group as a terrorist organization, media reports said on Tuesday, quoting Home Secretary Suella Braverman. The UK was set to make the Wagner Group a “proscribed” organization under anti-terror laws, putting it on a par with Islamic State and al-Qaeda, a report in the Daily Mail said. “Wagner is a violent…

Russia Pitches Combat Tested Weapons For Exports

Ukraine’s ongoing confrontations with Russia have captivated international attention, moving beyond mere territorial disputes. Ukrainian Defence Minister Alexey Reznikov had indicated a notable shift in these standoffs, which now double as a significant platform, not just for geopolitical engagements but also for the rigorous examination of cutting-edge military innovations. Western allies gauge their armament efficacy against Russia’s formidable array, while…

Russia says it confirmed Wagner leader Prigozhin died in a plane crash

MOSCOW — Russian authorities on Sunday confirmed the death of Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, putting to rest any doubts about whether the wily mercenary leader turned mutineer was on a plane that crashed Wednesday, killing everyone on board. Genetic testing on the 10 bodies recovered at the crash site “conform to the manifest ” for the flight, Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said…

Putin Signs Decree Forcing Paramilitary Fighters to Swear Oath

Russian paramilitary fighters will have to swear an oath to the Russian flag, a presidential decree signed Friday stipulates, two days after the presumed death of mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. The measure is aimed at “forming the spiritual and moral foundations for the defence of the Russian Federation” and… applies to members of volunteer formations — a term usually describing…

US intel believes ‘intentional’ blast downed Wagner chief’s plane

  Editor’s note: This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. EST with additional information. A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment has concluded that the plane crash presumed to have killed Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was intentionally caused by an explosion, U.S. and Western officials said Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin eulogized the man who staged the biggest challenge to his…

Russian court extends US reporter Evan Gershkovich’s detention

Russia on Thursday, August 24, extended the detention of US reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested in March on spying charges that he denies and held in a Moscow prison since, by three months. Gershkovich, a Moscow correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, had continued to report from Russia during Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine. “The time of detention has been extended by…

Putin foes who have suffered mysterious fates

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was believed dead after a private jet on which he was listed as a passenger crashed north of Moscow with no survivors. Prigozhin, 62, spearheaded a mutiny against Russia’s top army brass on June 23-24, which President Vladimir Putin said could have tipped Russia into civil war. Others who have opposed Putin or his interests…

Two founders behind Russian crypto mixer Tornado Cash charged by U.S. federal courts

The two founders behind Tornado Cash, a Russian cryptocurrency mixing service, have been charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, according to a statement on Wednesday. Roman Storm and Roman Semenov were officially charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit sanctions violations and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business,…

Russian officials say Wagner boss Prigozhin was on passenger list of jet that crashed

(AP) — A private jet crashed in Russia on Wednesday, killing all 10 people aboard, emergency officials said. Mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list, but it wasn’t immediately clear if he was on board. Prigozhin’s fate has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in late June….

Reports: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin dies in ‘plane crash’ in Russia

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was widely reported to have led a “coup” attempt in Russia two months ago, was killed on Wednesday after his plane “crashed” in Russia’s Tver region, according to RT. A private jet traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg crashed on Wednesday in Russia’s Tver Region. The Russian Emergencies Ministry said all 10 people on board…

CIA knew of Ukraine plan to blow up Nord Stream pipeline: Report

A European spy agency told the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) it knew of an Ukraine special operations team plan to blow up the Nord Stream gas pipeline three months before explosions damaged the undersea system last year, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper cited US intelligence allegedly leaked earlier this year by a low-level US Air National Guard computer technician who had access to large amounts of highly classified materials.

The leaked documents indicated that an unnamed European intelligence body told the US spy agency in June 2022, four months after Russia invaded Ukraine, that Ukraine military divers reporting directly to the country’s military commander-in-chief were planning the attack.

Biden Asks Congress for $13B in New Ukraine Military Spending

President Joe Biden‘s administration on Thursday asked Congress for more than $13 billion in new military spending for Ukraine, citing the need for continued support following Russia’s “unprovoked” invasion of the country last year. The funding would help Ukraine and other vulnerable countries “impacted by Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion,” Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Shalanda Young wrote…

Biden asks Congress for $40 billion to support Ukraine, replenish US disaster aid and bolster border

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Thursday asked Congress to provide more than $13 billion in emergency defense aid to Ukraine and an additional $8 billion for humanitarian support through the end of the year, another massive infusion of cash as the Russian invasion wears on and Ukraine pushes a counteroffensive against the Kremlin’s deeply entrenched forces. The package…

US Was Behind Both Crimean Bridge Attacks: Seymour Hersh

Legendary national security journalist Seymour Hersh has published a report this week alleging US intelligence helped the Ukrainians blow up the Kerch Bridge (or also, Crimean Bridge), which happened earlier this month and corresponded to President Putin refusing to renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative deal. What’s more is that Hersh’s sources described that the US assisted in the initial,…

Russian fighter jet strikes another American drone over Syria

A Russian fighter jet fired flares and struck another U.S. drone over Syrian airspace on Wednesday, the White House said, in a continued string of harassing maneuvers that have ratcheted up tensions between the global powers. It’s the sixth reported incident this month, and the second in the past 24 hours, in which the United States has said Russian warplanes have flown…