Section: War & conflict
Armed men open fire close to OSCE SMM in Donbas
At 13:27 on February 24, 2017, the SMM heard a burst of small-arms fire (three to five shots) at close range while preparing to launch a mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from the north-western edge of non-government-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), about 130m south-east of the M-04 highway. ”The SMM patrol members took cover...
U.S. to deploy Lockheed Martin`s F-35 fighter jets to Europe
The U.S. Air Force is preparing to deploy Lockheed Martin`s F-35 fighter jets to Europe, according to Defence Blog. The head of U.S. Air Combat Command said Friday the U.S. Air Force`s F-35 joint strike fighter will soon fly over Europe, Defence Blog wrote. ”Europe is certainly a place that I think we would like to send that airplane so I can see...
Italy donates EUR 1 mln to WFP and UNICEF for people affected by conflict in Eastern Ukraine
The Government of Italy has donated EUR 1 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF to assist people affected by the conflict in Eastern Ukraine in 2017, UNICEF Ukraine reported. ”The Italian Government continues to support the non-stop and commendable efforts carried out by UN agencies in Ukraine to assist the...
Russian militants shoot at OSCE monitors in Donetsk, seize UAV
OSCE Chief Monitor in Ukraine has condemned targeting of monitors and seizure of the SMM`s unmanned aerial vehicle by ”Donetsk People’s Republic” militants, the SMM press service wrote on Facebook. ”The incident occurred at around 14:30 on 24 February in `DPR`-controlled Yasynuvata, north of Donetsk city. An SMM patrol was attempting to...
2 Ukrainian soldiers killed and 2 wounded amid 83 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas in last day
Russia`s hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 83 times in the past 24 hours with 1 Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and 2 wounded in action (WIA), according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters. View map in full size ”In the Donetsk sector, an enemy tank...
Ukrainian President appoints envoy to represent Ukraine at International Criminal Court hearings in suit against Russia
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree on the establishment of a Ukrainian delegation to participate in the International Criminal Court`s proceedings into the violation by Russia of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on the Elimination of All forms of...
Russian military admits significant cyber-war effort
Russian authorities have admitted for the first time the scale of their information warfare effort, saying it was significantly expanded post-Cold War, according to BBC. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russian ”information troops” were involved in ”intelligent, effective propaganda”, but he did not reveal details about the team or its...
Iraqi forces reportedly enter western Mosul – media
The first Iraqi troops have entered a neighborhood in western Mosul as the government`s four-month-long offensive to recapture the city from Islamic State (IS) militants enters its final phase, military commanders have said, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Lieutenant General Sami al-Aridhi of the Counterterrorism Service...
Austria calls to “rethink” the sanctions imposed on Russia
Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern called for a rethink on sanctions imposed on Russia, saying that the regime of penalties over Kremlin-backed incursions in Ukraine has failed to yield enough progress, according to Bloomberg. Speaking in an interview in Vienna on Thursday, Kern said that the European Union may need to consider new ways to put...
How Europe can defend itself – Bloomberg
Say this for Donald Trump: He is forcing Europeans to think more seriously about how to protect and defend their continent, Bloomberg reported. The U.S. president`s disparagement of NATO goes too far, and his focus on getting Europeans to spend more on defense is misplaced. That said, European nations have for too long treated their defense...