• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Ukraine Invasion
Defense Policy / Programs
Foreign Policy
News Reports

Ukraine Invasion

• Russian Invaders Crash Into Ukrainian Resistance DoD News 08 Mar 2022 -- With almost all the Russian forces that amassed on Ukraine's borders now within the country, the wave of Russian invaders continues to crash on the rocks of Ukrainian resistance, said a senior defense official speaking on background.
• Ukrainian Intelligence Claims Senior Russian General Killed Near Kharkiv, Second In Recent Days RFE/RL 08 Mar 2022 -- Ukrainian intelligence says a top Russian military officer has been killed in fighting near the city of Kharkiv and has released what it says are intercepted phone calls that appear to partly corroborate the death.
• UN Says Ukrainian Refugees Surpass 2 Million, Calls For Safe Evacuation Of Trapped Civilians RFE/RL 08 Mar 2022 -- The United Nations refugee chief says the number of people fleeing Russia's advance into Ukraine has reached 2 million.
• Situation in Parts of Ukraine 'Apocalyptic' as People Run Out of Essential Supplies VOA 08 Mar 2022 -- U.N. and international aid agencies are calling for an end to hostilities in Ukraine as the number of civilian casualties grows and more people flee in terror to safety in neighboring countries. The latest U.N. figures put the number of civilian casualties at 1,335, including 474 people killed and 861 injured.
• Ukraine, Russia Agree to Civilian Evacuations VOA 08 Mar 2022 -- Civilians in some parts of Ukraine besieged by Russian forces were able to evacuate Tuesday, fleeing in buses or on foot amid temporary cease-fires.
• Kiev Has Confirmed Only One of Ten Planned Evacuation Corridors, Russian MoD Says Sputnik 08 Mar 2022 -- The Russian military moved to establish corridors for the safe evacuation of civilians from cities near the frontline on Monday, but later accused the Ukrainian government and ultranationalist militia formations of failing to inform people of the opportunity to leave, or deliberately blocking civilians from exiting urban areas altogether.
• Russian Armed Forces Destroy Almost 2,600 Ukrainian Military Facilities, MoD Says Sputnik 08 Mar 2022 -- The destroyed targets included elements of Ukraine's military infrastructure, such as command facilities and radar stations, and a wide assortment of military hardware.
• No breakthrough in third round of Russia-Ukraine talks People's Daily 08 Mar 2022 -- Russian and Ukrainian negotiators failed to achieve major breakthrough during their third round of peace talks in Belarus on Monday, while a negotiator said the fourth round will take place in "the very near future."
• Russia opens humanitarian corridors in several Ukrainian cities Press TV 08 Mar 2022 -- Russia has opened humanitarian corridors in five Ukrainian cities to allow the safe evacuation of people from the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and other cities in the crisis-stricken country.
• Russia, Ukraine end 3rd round of peace talks with no significant results People's Daily 08 Mar 2022 -- Russian and Ukrainian negotiators failed to achieve significant results during their third round of peace talks in Belarus on Monday.

Defense Policy / Programs

Foreign Policy

• Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett President of Russia 08 Mar 2022 -- Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett, at the initiative of the Israeli side
• Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on military biological activity in Ukrainian biological laboratories Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 Mar 2022
• Russia Rockets Past Iran to 'World's Most Sanctioned Nation' Status Sputnik 08 Mar 2022 -- The United States and its European, Canadian, Australian and Japanese allies slapped Russian businesses, government officials and businesspeople with over 2,700 sanctions after Russia's 21 February move to recognize the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics as independent states, and Moscow's subsequent military operation in Ukraine.
• Russian Foreign Ministry: Gas Prices in Europe Soaring Due to Ban on Nord Stream 2 Sputnik 08 Mar 2022 -- The freeze of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has led to the current surge in gas prices on the European market and Moscow regrets the "politicisation" of this economic project, a senior official in the Russian Foreign Ministry, Dmitry Birichevsky, said.
• Russia hits back with countermoves to withstand West sanctions Global Times 08 Mar 2022 -- As the Russia-Ukraine military conflict entered its 13th day on Tuesday, global attention has increasingly focused on the economic repercussions of the West-fanned tensions around Ukraine, with soaring oil prices in the wake of Western sanctions casting a shadow over the global economic rebound amid inflation woes and the still raging pandemic.
• Russia threatens to cut Europe's gas supplies if West bans energy imports Press TV 08 Mar 2022 -- Russia has threatened to cut its oil supplies to Europe, after the US pushed its European allies to consider banning Russian oil imports over the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine.
• Russia warns West of oil at $300 if they cut energy imports Press TV 08 Mar 2022 -- Russia has warned that Western nations may face oil prices of more than $300 per barrel and the likely shutdown of a gas pipeline to Europe if they implement their threats to cut energy supplies from Russia.
• Council of Europe leaders make joint statement on the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine Council of Europe 08 Mar 2022 -- The Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Chair of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, Luigi Di Maio, the President of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, Tiny Kox, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, have made the following statement:
• DOD Leaders Say Russia, China Provide Challenges to National Security DoD News 08 Mar 2022 -- Every operational plan in the Defense Department rests on an assumption that strategic deterrence is holding, and in particular, that nuclear deterrence is holding, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command said.
• ODNI Releases 2022 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community Director of National Intelligence 08 Mar 2022 -- The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) today released the 2022 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.
• U.S. Intel Officials Detail Threats From China, Russia DoD News 08 Mar 2022 -- Avril Haines, the director of National Intelligence, discussed the intelligence community's assessment of China and Russia — America's strategic competitors — during testimony before Congress this morning.
• U.S. Treasury Guidance on President Biden's Executive Order US Treasury 08 Mar 2022 -- the U.S. Treasury released one General License and several Frequently Asked Questions to aid in the wind-down of deliveries of existing purchases that have already been contracted for.
• Biden Won't Subsidize 'Putin's War,' Bans Russian Energy Imports VOA 08 Mar 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian oil and other energy imports on Tuesday in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.
• US Bans Imports of Russian Oil Amid Ukraine Invasion VOA 08 Mar 2022 -- The U.S. is banning all imports of Russian oil and gas, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday — a move that he said "will deal another powerful blow to Putin's war machine" as Russian forces under the command of President Vladimir Putin continue their assault on Ukraine.
• Biden: US bans Russian oil imports over Ukraine action Press TV 08 Mar 2022 -- US President Joe Biden has announced a ban on American imports of Russian oil, taking aim at the heart of the Russian economy over the military operation in Ukraine.
• Background Press Call by a Senior Administration Official on Announcement of U.S. Ban on Imports of Russian Oil, Liquefied Natural Gas, and Coal The White House 08 Mar 2022
• Remarks by President Biden Announcing U.S. Ban on Imports of Russian Oil, Liquefied Natural Gas, and Coal The White House 08 Mar 2022
• Message to the Congress on Prohibiting Certain Imports and New Investments With Respect to Continued Russian Federation Efforts to Undermine the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine. The White House 08 Mar 2022
• Executive Order on Prohibiting Certain Imports and New Investments With Respect to Continued Russian Federation Efforts to Undermine the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine The White House 08 Mar 2022
• UK to phase out Russian oil imports Gov.UK 08 Mar 2022 -- The UK will phase out imports of Russian oil in response to Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine by the end of the year, the Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has confirmed today (Tuesday 8 March).
• UK to Stop Importing Russian Oil & Oil Products by End of 2022, Energy Minister Says Sputnik 08 Mar 2022 -- The announcement came at almost the same time that US President Joe Biden said that Washington would ban imports of Russian oil.
• Taiwan's inclusion on Russian 'unfriendly list' has little impact: Wu CNA 08 Mar 2022 -- Russia's decision to put Taiwan on a list of foreign countries deemed "unfriendly" to Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine will have little impact on bilateral relations for the time being, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said Tuesday.
• Can China Help Bring Russia To The Negotiating Table? RFE/RL 08 Mar 2022 -- A flurry of high-stakes diplomacy -- with growing calls by Western officials for China to use its influence to pressure Russia to end its war in Ukraine -- has shifted the focus on Beijing's role as a potential mediator in the crisis.
• New Zealand Plans Historic Sanctions on Russia Over Ukraine Invasion VOA 08 Mar 2022 -- A groundbreaking law enabling New Zealand to freeze the assets of those associated with Russia is expected to pass this week.
• Australia Imposes New Sanctions on Russia Over Ukraine Invasion VOA 08 Mar 2022 -- Australia announced a set of new sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including against people identified as "Moscow's propagandists and purveyors of disinformation."

News Reports

• Dual U.S.-Russian National Charged with Acting Illegally as a Russian Agent in United States US Dept. of Justice 08 Mar 2022 -- A federal court in New York unsealed a complaint today charging a dual Russian and U.S. citizen with acting and conspiring to act in the United States illegally as an agent of the Russian government, willfully failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), as well as conspiring to commit visa fraud and making false statements to the FBI.
• Dual US-Russian National Elena Branson Charged With Illegally Acting as 'Russian Agent' Sputnik 08 Mar 2022 -- A New York federal court unsealed charges against a dual US-Russian national for allegedly acting as an illegal foreign agent of Russia without registering with the US government, the Justice Department said.
• Is This the Beginning of the End of Vladimir Putin? VOA 08 Mar 2022 -- Thirteen days into a brutal war in Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to subjugate Ukraine. He appears no nearer to replacing its defiant government with a puppet regime.
• Russian Ministries, Agencies Hacked In Apparent Anti-War Protest RFE/RL 08 Mar 2022 -- Several Russian ministries and other state entities have been hacked in an apparent protest over Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
• Navalny Urges Russians To Continue Anti-War Protests That 'Unnerve' Kremlin RFE/RL 08 Mar 2022 -- Jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has again called for protests against Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, saying the response of Russians to the war "will largely define Russia's place in the history of the 21st century."
• Invasion of Ukraine Prompts Exodus of Western Companies From Russia VOA 08 Mar 2022 -- A growing number of Western businesses are either halting operations in Russia or exiting altogether over that country's military incursion of neighboring Ukraine.
• West Uses Oil As Latest Tool Against Russia As More Ukrainians Look To Flee Fighting RFE/RL 08 Mar 2022 -- The United States has banned imports of Russian oil over Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine as thousands tried to flee cities around the country through humanitarian corridors with limited success as continued Russian shelling and artillery fire cut off some of the exit routes.
• Energy Giant Shell Withdrawing From Russia, Will Stop Buying Moscow's Oil And Gas RFE/RL 08 Mar 2022 -- Energy giant Shell has announced it will halt all purchases of Russian oil and gas and close other operations in the country, joining dozens of other companies in severing ties with Moscow over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.