war
Russian soldiers refuse Donbas deployment, face prosecution – Ukraine Intelligence
Numerous cases recorded of the Russian troops disobeying orders in defiance of deployment in Ukrainian Donbas, according to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. "The Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation opened 80 criminal cases under Art. 337 of the Criminal Code of Russia...
AP: Activists say suspected Russian jets hit Syria’s Palmyra
Suspected Russian warplanes bombed the outskirts of Islamic State-held Palmyra on Monday, sending smoke rising out of an area that includes a historic castle overlooking the Syrian city's Roman ruins, activists said, according to The Associated Press. An activist in Palmyra who goes by the name Nasser al-Thaer said at least...
FSB opens case against one of Crimea blockade coordinators
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has opened a case against one of Crimea's blockade coordinators, Lenur Islyamov, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported referring to the Investigative Department of Russia's FSB Office in Crimea and Sevastopol. "On October 22, 2015, the Investigative Department of...
Islamic State takes over Syrian town in Homs province: monitor
Islamic State fighters took control of the Syrian town of Maheen in the southwest of Homs province on Sunday after an attack on government forces in the area, Reuters reported. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 50 fighters on the government side were killed or wounded, and that clashes...
ATO Headquarters: two Ukrainian servicemen blown on trip-wire
Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed on Saturday after an explosive device detonated in the forest between Avdiyivka and Donetsk bypass road, Head of the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters, Colonel Oleksandr Motuzianyk said at a briefing, according to an UNIAN correspondent. At this, no Ukrainian...
Syria conflict: Russia’s scars from Afghanistan
It is more than 26 years since Soviet troops pulled out of Afghanistan. But today Russia, once again, is at war outside the former Soviet Union — in Syria. The BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow met some veterans of that Soviet war to find out what lessons were learnt. Modern Russia often claims it has learnt the lessons...
Analysis: With Syria deployment, Obama crosses own red line
WASHINGTON (AP) — Even as President Barack Obama sent U.S. troops back to Iraq and ordered the military to stay in Afghanistan, he insisted Syria would remain off limits for American ground forces. Now the president has crossed his own red line. His deployment of up to 50 U.S. special operations troops into northern Syria...
Syria conflict: Russia warns US of ‘proxy war risk’
Russia has warned of the risk of a "proxy war" in the Middle East after the US said it would send special forces to Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this increased the need for co-operation between the US and Russia. US officials said "fewer than 50" troops would "train, advise and...
War-torn Pisky near Donetsk airport sees new fights
Russian proxies have resumed fighting in Donbas, having shelled the positions of Ukrainian troops near the village of Pisky, close to the ruined Donetsk airport, on Friday, according to Ukrainian journalist Oleksandr Rudomanov. "A battle in Pisky is over. Small arms, GP-25 grenade launchers, heavy rocket launchers. Two...
U.S. army chief plans Europe troop surge to counter Putin – The Times
America's new army chief is pushing for a surge of troops, tanks and weapons to be sent to Europe to deter Russia from any new military offensives, The Times has reported. Moscow had to be stopped from thinking it could get away with more aggression, General Mark Milley said during a visit to Germany, the report says. The...
Russian proxies fire mortars and rocket-propelled grenades in Shyrokyne
A provocative shelling of the village of Shyrokyne took place on the day of withdrawal of artillery systems from the demarcation line, Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Yuriy Biryukov said on Friday, Mariupol's city portal 0629 reported. "At about 12:00 on October 29, the illegal armed groups started firing 82mm mortars,...
China: minor incident with U.S. warship could spark war in South China Sea
China's naval commander told his U.S. counterpart that a minor incident could spark war in the South China Sea if the United States did not stop its "provocative acts" in the disputed waterway, the Chinese navy said on Friday, according to Reuters. "If the United States continues with these kinds of...