• 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

• Investigative Group Confirms Russian Missile Carrier Ship Sank In Crimea RFE/RL 23 May 2024 -- The investigative group Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) confirmed on May 23 that a Ukrainian missile attack four days earlier on the port of Sevastopol hit a Cyclone missile carrier ship belonging to Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
• At Least 8 Killed In 'Extremely Brutal' Russian Strikes On Kharkiv, Donetsk RFE/RL 23 May 2024 -- At least seven people were killed on May 23 in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv in a wave of Russian strikes that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called "extremely brutal" as he again appealed to allies for more air-defense systems for his embattled country.
• Russian missiles kill 7 in Ukraine's Kharkiv as Zelenskyy appeals for more weapons VOA 23 May 2024 -- Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks killed at least seven people Thursday and injured at least 28 others in the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
• Russia jolts Ukraine's Kharkiv with strikes, claims fresh advances Press TV 23 May 2024 -- Russia's latest strikes have rocked Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, with Moscow claiming fresh advances on the frontline.
• Russian Forces Liberate Andreyevka in Donetsk People's Republic Sputnik 23 May 2024 -- Units of the Yug Battlegroup have liberated Andreyevka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.
• Russian Ambassador Warns US Against Reckless Calls for Ukrainian Aggression Sputnik 23 May 2024 -- Calls by politicians of the United States to allow Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons against the territory of Russia are "reckless" and threaten to drag Washington into the conflict, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov has said.
• Armed Forces of Ukraine to Rebuild 6,200 Miles of Fortifications - Reports Sputnik 23 May 2024 -- The Armed Forces of Ukraine plan to rebuild 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) of fortifications along the front line, Ukrainian publication Liga reported.
• UK condemns Russia's torture and mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war: UK statement to the OSCE UK FCDO 23 May 2024 -- Ambassador Holland condemns reports of Russia's "systematic and widespread use of torture" against Ukrainian prisoners of war and calls on Russia to uphold the laws of war it helped to create.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Senior Russian Military Official Held As Kremlin Continues Corruption Sweep RFE/RL 23 May 2024 -- A military court in Moscow has sent to pretrial detention Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, who is the latest top military official arrested in what the Kremlin has called its ongoing fight against corruption.
• Russian Military Court Arrests Deputy Chief of General Staff Shamarin in Bribery Case Sputnik 23 May 2024 -- Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff and head of the Russian armed forces' main communications directorate Vadim Shamarin has been arrested in a bribery case, the 235th garrison military court told Sputnik on Thursday.
• Deputy chief of Russian military's general staff arrested on bribery charges VOA 23 May 2024 -- Russian media reports on Thursday say a deputy chief of the Russian military's general staff has been arrested on charges of large-scale bribery.
• Baltic Fleet surface action group train to search for and eliminate ships and vessels of mock enemy at sea Russia MoD 23 May 2024 -- The Baltic Fleet surface action group made up of the small missile ships Odintsovo and Naro-Fominsk of the Baltic Naval Base, have undergone training for detecting ships and vessels of a mock enemy in the Baltic Sea.
• Pacific Fleet's corvette Gremyashchy conducts anti-submarine exercise off Kamchatka Russia MoD 23 May 2024 -- The corvette Gremyashchy of the Pacific Fleet conducted an anti-submarine exercise off the coast of Kamchatka in the Pacific Ocean.
• Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov conducts air defence exercise in Atlantic Ocean Russia MoD 23 May 2024 -- The frigate Admiral Gorshkov being on the long-distance sortie in the Atlantic Ocean conducted a training exercise to protect the Northern Fleet detachment from the air attacks of a mock enemy.
• Russia to Take Security Measures If Japan Repeals Article 9 of Constitution - Diplomat Sputnik 23 May 2024 -- Russia will take countermeasures if Japan repeals Article 9 of its constitution, which implies the prohibition of the maintenance of armed forces, Director of Second Asian Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Lyudmila Vorobyova told Sputnik.

Foreign Policy

• Executive Order establishing the procedure for compensating damages caused to Russia and its Central Bank by the US' hostile actions President of Russia 23 May 2024 -- The President signed the Executive Order On Special Procedure for Compensating Damages Caused to Russia and the Bank of Russia by Unfriendly Actions of the United States.
• Putin Signs Decree on Compensation for US Damage to Russia, Central Bank Sputnik 23 May 2024 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday that outlines steps for claiming compensation from the United States for the damage done to Russia and its central bank.
• Putin signs decree allowing authorities to seize US property in Russia Press TV 23 May 2024 -- President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree which allows authorities to seize American property in the Russia Federation as compensation for any seizure of Russian assets in the United States.
• Vladimir Putin arrives in Minsk President of Russia 23 May 2024
• Russian-Bahraini talks President of Russia 23 May 2024 -- Vladimir Putin met at the Kremlin with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, who arrived in Russia on an official visit.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement at a reception on the occasion of Africa Day, Moscow, May 23, 2024 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 May 2024
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement at a reception on the occasion of Africa Day, Moscow, May 23, 2024 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 May 2024
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's greetings to the organisers and participants of the International Workshop on International Law dedicated to the 80th anniversary of MGIMO University Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 May 2024
• U.S. Pushes Back On British Claim That China Sending Lethal Aid To Russia RFE/RL 23 May 2024 -- In a split with Britain, U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan said he had not seen evidence that China was directly sending lethal military assistance to Russia for its war against Ukraine.
• UK's accusation on China providing 'lethal aid' to Russia slammed by China, questioned by US Global Times 23 May 2024 -- China condemned on Thursday the UK's accusation that it was providing "lethal aid" to Russia amid the Ukraine crisis, noting the claims made by the UK's defense secretary have even been questioned by its major ally, the US. Given that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party badly lags in the polls ahead of July elections, the Conservatives will undoubtedly seize every opportunity to take a strong stance against China, experts said.
• UK's accusation of China providing lethal aid to Russia totally groundless: Chinese Embassy Global Times 23 May 2024 -- The Chinese Embassy in the UK called Britain's Defense Secretary Grant Shapps' accusation against China of "providing or preparing to provide Russia with lethal aid" in the Russia-Ukraine conflict totally groundless, the embassy said in a statement issued early Thursday.
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faisal Mekdad Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 May 2024
• Statement of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the border incident on the Estonian-Russian border in the Narva River Estonia MFA 23 May 2024 -- On 23 May at 3 a.m., Russian Border Guard unilaterally removed the light buoys placed by Estonia to demarcate the border with Russia on the Narva River.
• Pevkur at Northern Group meeting: Russian aggression is increasing in both Ukraine and the nordic region Estonia MoD 23 May 2024 -- Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said at the Northern Group meeting held in Palanga, Lithuania, on Thursday that all Allies must consider the increasing Russian aggression against NATO and the faster recovery of its military power than previously expected.
• We are united by the common threat of Russia, says L. Kasčiūnas after the Norther Group Defence Ministers' meeting Lithuania MND 23 May 2024 -- On May 23 Lithuania for the first time hosted a meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the Norther Group. Ministers of Defence of the twelve European countries and their representatives discussed security situation in the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic regions, assistance to Ukraine and the agenda of the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington.
• Solidarity of the Baltic states is stronger than ever in the face of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, says L. Kasčiūnas Lithuania MND 23 May 2024 -- At a meeting in Palanga on May 22 Ministers of Defence of the Baltic states agreed that in the face of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, it was critical to continue the trilateral cooperation thus strengthening collective deterrence and defence, while the Baltic solidarity had to be stronger than ever before.
• Russia's representative summoned to explain media reports about legislative amendments planned in Russia, related to state maritime boundaries Lithuania MFA 23 May 2024 -- On May 22, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania summoned a representative of the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Lithuania and requested a full explanation of media reports about legislative amendments planned in Russia related to state maritime boundaries.

News Reports

• Amid Reports Kadyrov Is Ill, Kremlin Mulls What's Next For Chechnya RFE/RL 23 May 2024 -- It was apparently business as usual on May 22 when Ramzan Kadyrov reportedly stopped by the Kremlin for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• With Russian Nuclear Fuel Ban, U.S. Also Tries To Fix A (Self-Inflicted) Problem RFE/RL 23 May 2024 -- It was one of the marquee U.S. disarmament programs of the post-Soviet era: Get Russia to downgrade tons of highly enriched uranium, turn it into power-plant fuel, sell it to the United States, keep weapons-grade uranium off the black market -- and potentially out of terrorists' hands.
• Potential Northern Sea Route Projects With India Under Discussion, Rosatom Says Sputnik 23 May 2024 -- Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said on Thursday it was discussing potential joint projects on the Northern Sea Route with New Delhi, with a focus on the use of the corridor in the interests of the Indian economy.