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March 28, 2023 - North Korean state media reports Kim Jong Un guided the mounting of nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles on March 27th. The North's Academy of Defense Science conducted another test of underwater strategic weapon system from March 25th to 27th. Read more

March 27, 2023 - UPDATES (1) North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile, according to the Japanese Prime Minister's office. Read more

March 25th, 2023 - SYRIA - The death toll resulting from US airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias in Syria has risen to 19, according to the UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Read more

March 24, 2023 - PYONGYANG - North Korea has claimed that it tested a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone with the ability to create a radioactive wave, or "tsunami" capable of taking out naval strike groups and ports. Read more

March 24th, 2023 - Department of Defense: "The U.S. response to the attack on a coalition base in Syria that killed a U.S. contractor and wounded six others highlighted that the U.S. military will do what it must to protect its personnel. Read more

March 24th, 2023 - Central Command: On the morning of March 24th, at approximately 8:05 a.m. Syrian local time, 10 rockets targeted coalition forces at the Green Village in northeast Syria. Read more

March 24th, 2023 - AL-OMAR - A second U.S. base, Green Village in Syria located in the Al-Omar gas field in northeastern Syria was targeted by rockets after retaliatory strikes were carried out by the United States in response to another attack that killed an American contractor and wounded another contractor and four other service members. Read more

March 24th, 2023 - Central Command: "This evening, we responded to an attack on our forces that killed an American contractor and wounded our troops and another American contractor by striking facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Read more

March 22, 2023 - March 22, 2023 - North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles toward the East Sea on Wednesday from the Hamhung region of North Korea's east coast, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Read more

March 19, 2023 - North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile on Sunday as the United States and South Korea carry out joint military drills. Read more

March 17, 2023 - The International Criminal Court (ICC) released a statement on Friday that it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, including the abduction of children from Ukraine during Russia's war on the country. Read more

March 16, 2023 - North Korean state media claims that the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test that the country carried out on Thursday was a Hwasong-17. Read more

March 16, 2023 - The Japanese Ministry of Defense now says that the missile launched by North Korea was a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and that the details are "currently under analysis". Read more

March 16, 2023 - Inspections carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have found that 2.5 tons of natural uranium are missing from an unnamed Libyan site that is not under the control of the Libyan government. Read more

March 15, 2023 - The Japanese Prime Minister's office released a statement that said that North Korea has launched a "suspected ballistic missile". The Japanese Ministry of Defense then released a statement confirming that a ballistic missile was launched from the west coast of North Korea, toward the east. Read more

March 15, 2023 - The Russian ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that Russia views the U.S. drone flight in the Black Sea as a "real provocation" and said that it was flying with its "transponders off" and "entered into the zone of the special military operation" which is the term Russia uses for its war in Ukraine. Read more

March 14, 2023 - Two Russian Su-27 aircraft conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept with a U.S. Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance unmanned MQ-9 aircraft that was operating within international airspace over the Black Sea today. Read more

March 14, 2023 - North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea a day after the United States and South Korea began carrying out a combined military exercise. Read more

March 14, 2023 - The United States and South Korea began carrying out another combined military exercise in the Indo-Pacific called "Freedom Shield" that was announced on March 2nd by the United States Forces Korea after North Korea launched two cruise missiles from a submarine the day before. Read more

March 13, 2023 - North Korea announced that they launched two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine underwater on Sunday. The missiles flew about 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) for about 125 minutes (7,563 to 7,575 seconds). Read more

March 09, 2023 - DOD: Russia Reportedly Supplying Enriched Plutonium to China: Various open-source outlets reported how Rosatom is providing highly enriched uranium for Chinese fast breeder reactors. Read more

March 09, 2023 - SEOUL - North Korea has fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the Yellow Sea, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Read more

March 08, 2023 - A U.S. intelligence report on Wednesday reiterated earlier warnings, as well as a warning in the 2023 Annual Threat Assessment that North Korea is expected to carry out its seventh nuclear test. South Korea has said that it could be carried out at any time. Read more

March 06, 2023 - A statement released by the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that the United States and South Korea are carrying out simulations of nuclear strikes and are planning a "surprise strike" against "major deep strategic [North Korean] bases". Read more

March 06, 2023 - BLACK SEA - Ukrainian Defense Forces have reported that there are currently 16 Russian vessels in the Black Sea, including four missile carriers. Read more

March 06, 2023 - The North Korean National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) said that it has made "steady progress" regarding the development of its satellite program, and has "succeeded" in developing a high-thrust engine carrier rocket in order to launch it into space. Read more

February 28, 2023 - Two years ago a Chinese-linked company purchased 51% of the land on the uninhabited Japanese Okinawan island of Yanaha located a little over 15 miles from the U.S. military's Iejima auxiliary airfield according to a report by Japanese news agency Yomiuri Shimbun citing officials in the village of Izena administering the island. Read more

February 26, 2023 - Kwon Jeong-geun, Director-General for US Affairs and North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement posted by North Korean state-run news agency KCNA that said if the US continued its "hostile and provocative practices" against North Korea, it could be regarded as a "declaration of war" against the country. Read more

February 26, 2023 - A Chinese J-11 fighter jet shadowed a U.S. P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft from a few hundred feet away and issued a warning to stop approaching or "pay full responsibility" while it was in international airspace. Read more

February 25, 2023 - Chinese fishing vessels have been linked to the severing of multiple Taiwanese undersea cables in February according to Chunghwa Telecom, a telecommunications firm that handles Taiwan's undersea cables. Read more

February 24, 2023 - Chinese state-affiliated media Global Times has responded to reports that the United States is expanding their troop presence in Taiwan by saying that it is "illegal" for the soldiers to go to Taiwan, and that the Chinese mainland "won't take any responsibility for their safety" and that they will be "wiped out" together with the "resisting Taiwan troops" if China takes "military action". Read more

February 24, 2023 - 37 Chinese military aircraft and 6 PLA Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on February 24th, 2023 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

February 24, 2023 - North Korea launched "four strategic" Arrow-2 type cruise missiles from the area of Kimchaek City, North Hamgyong Province to the East Sea of Korea, according to North Korean state news agency KCNA. Read more

February 24, 2023 - Though only 30 U.S. Soldiers were located in Taiwan one year ago, the United States is now sending 100 to 200 more soldiers to the island for training (potentially more than quadrupling the number) amidst increasing tensions with China. Read more

February 22, 2023 - Russia suspends the New START nuclear treaty, which is the only nuclear treaty in effect between the US and #Russia, saying that the U.S. is "weakening" the security of the Russian Federation. Read more

February 20, 2023 - Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Putin will be reading out a message to the Russian Federal Assembly on February 21st in Gostiny Dvor that will focus on "the current situation" - the "special operation" and the "economy", as well as "the social sphere". Read more

February 20, 2023 - North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea in response to the joint "flight training" by the United States and South Korea the previous day. Read more

February 20, 2023 - International nuclear inspectors have detected 84% enriched uranium in Iran, "just below" the level needed to manufacture a nuclear weapon. Read more

February 19, 2023 - An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launched by North Korea landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEC), near Hokkaido according to Japan's Prime Minister, and the NHK news agency. Read more

February 18, 2023 - CENTCOM: TAMPA, Fla. - "Last night, during a partnered U.S. and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) helicopter raid in northeastern Syria, an explosion on target resulted in four U.S. servicemembers and one working dog wounded". Read more

February 15, 2023 - Central Command (CENTCOM) has released a statement regarding a "D-ISIS" raid that was carried out on February 10th, 2023 in which an ISIS leader was killed. Read more

February 15, 2023 - The U.S. military had been tracking the first balloon that it shot down for about a week as it left China on a heading toward Guam and Hawaii, before making a sharp turn north towards Alaska. Read more

February 15, 2023 - United States Central Command reports shooting down Iranian-man unmanned aerial vehicle conducting a reconnaissance of Mission Support Site Conoco in Northeast Syria. Read more

February 13, 2023 - AFRICOM: A U.S. Airstrike has killed at least 12 al-Shabaab fighters in Somalia. The airstrike was carried out around 28 miles from northeast Mogadishu, according to U.S. Africa Command. Read more

February 13, 2023 - Statement by the Department of Defense on the "successful" shoot down of an "airborne object" flying at about 20,000 feet in altitude in U.S. airspace over Lake Huron in the state of Michigan. Read more

February 13, 2023 - WASHINGTON - The latest "object" that was shot down on Sunday over Lake Huron, which is located close to the Canadian border was "octagonal shape" with "no discernable payload". Read more

February 13, 2023 - The Michigan state representative Jack Bergman released a statement saying that he has been in contact with the Department of Defense, and that the U.S. military has "decommissioned" another "object" over Lake Huron. Read more

February 12, 2023 - NORAD And NORTHCOM Statement: "With the cooperation of the Federal Aviation Administration, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) implemented a temporary flight restriction airspace in central Montana on Feb. 11, 2023, to ensure the safety of air traffic in the area during NORAD operations. Read more

February 12, 2023 - NORAD: “NORAD detected a radar anomaly and sent fighter aircraft to investigate. Those aircraft did not identify any object to correlate to the radar hits. NORAD will continue to monitor the situation.” Read more

February 12, 2023 - Representative Matt Rosendale statement: "Airspace is reopened – I will remain in contact with defense officials and share more information as it becomes available. Montanans deserve answers". Read more

February 12, 2023 - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a NOTAM over Havre, Montana, near the Canadian border, and declared the region “National Defense Airspace”. Read more

February 12, 2023 - NORAD shoots down an unidentified object violating Canadian airspace over the Yukon with an F-22. Read more

February 12, 2023 - NORAD Statement on Alaskan high-altitude airborne object Shootdown: "February 11, 2023 U.S. Northern Command Update on Recovery Operations At the direction of the President of the United States, fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Norther Command successfully took down a high altitude airborne object off the northern coast of Alaska. Read more

February 12, 2023 - NORAD is monitoring "what appear to be" one or two objects that "appear to be spy balloons" over Canada according to a report by the Canadian Global Television Network. Read more

February 11, 2023 - Department of Defense Press Secretary brigadier general Pat Ryder releases a statement regarding the object shot down over Alaska. Read more

February 11, 2023 - The U.S. just shot down an object that was flying around Alaska around one hour ago, according to John Kirby. Read more

February 11, 2023 - Brazil has declined the two Iranian warships from docking at Rio de Janeiro as the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula sa Silva prepared to visit Washington for a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. Read more

February 10, 2023 - Romania releases a statement regarding the Missile Launched By Russia, Crossing Into Moldova. Read more

February 10, 2023 - The Moldovan Ministry of Defense released the following statement on their official Facebook account regarding the "rocket" that flew over its territory and "strongly condemned" the "violation" of its airspace. Read more

February 10, 2023 - General Valery Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine put out a statement claiming that Russian missiles flew over Romania and Moldova during a missile strike on Ukraine, crossing into NATO-allied airspace. Read more

February 09, 2023 - Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder says that the Pentagon is aware of four previous balloons having gone over the United States, and that they are a part of a "larger Chinese surveillance balloon program". Read more

February 05, 2023 - After the United States Air Force carried out the operation to shoot down the Chinese surveillance balloon, efforts are underway to study and scrutinize both the balloon and its payload. Read more

February 05, 2023 - Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement regarding the "US claim" that it shot down a Chinese unmanned airship. Read more

February 04, 2023 - DoD: "An F-22 Raptor fighter from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, fired one AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at the balloon.The balloon fell approximately six miles off the coast in about 47 feet of water. No one was hurt". Read more

February 04, 2023 - Department of Defense: A U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command successfully brought down the Chinese high altitude surveillance balloon over the water off the coast of South Carolina in U.S. airspace. Read more

February 04, 2023 - CIA Director William Burns said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered China's military to "be ready by 2027 to conduct a successful invasion" of the island of Taiwan. Read more

February 04, 2023 - Statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry regarding the balloon spotted above mainland United States. Read more

February 04, 2023 - A strategicist in surveillance balloons says that balloons are difficult to shoot down and that the one over the United States flying over U.S. military sites looks to have been equipped with an advanced AI guidance system. Read more

February 04, 2023 - EDITS (1) An explosion has been reported over Billings, Montana. The city of Billings, Montana says PD fire and airport have not been called to any incidents". Read more

February 04, 2023 - The Chinese "spy balloon" has altered its flight path and is now moving east at about 60,000 feet over the "central" United States, which demonstrates its ability to maneuver, according to a statement by the U.S. military Friday. Read more

February 03, 2023 - Canadian Ministry of Defense: "A high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected and its movements are being actively tracked by NORAD. Canadians are safe and Canada is taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace, including the monitoring of a potential second incident". Read more

February 03, 2023 - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE transcript of a background briefing regarding the high-altitude surveillance balloon spotted hovering over mainland United States, having come from Alaska, through Canada and into the northern United States from Canada. Read more

February 03, 2023 - NORAD: "NORAD and U.S. Northern Command statement on the high-altitude surveillance balloon. The United States government has detected and is tracking a high altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. Read more

February 03, 2023 - UPDATED (1) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: "The United States Government has detected and is tracking a high altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now". Read more

February 02, 2023 - The U.S. government is currently tracking a balloon that has been in northern U.S. airspace for a few days now, and U.S. officials say they are confident it is a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon. Read more

February 01, 2023 - BAGHDAD - At least 8, some reports say 20 rockets were fired at a Turkish Zilkan military base in northern Iraq Wednesday. Two of the rockets that were fired landed on the inside of the base, wounding an Iraqi contractor. Read more

February 01, 2023 - 34 Chinese military aircraft and 9 PLA Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on February 1st, 2023 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

February 01, 2023 - A U.S. drone strike using blade-based AGM-114 R9X Hellfire missile is suspected to have killed three suspected al-Qaeda militants in Yemen’s Marib province. Read more

February 01, 2023 - The United States is preparing a $2.2 billion package worth of military aid to Ukraine, and is expected to contain longer-range rockets than the United States has previously been willing to give to Ukraine, as well as other weapons and ammunition. Read more

January 30, 2023 - An airstrike targeted a truck convoy on the Syria-Iraq border that consisted of 25 trucks crossing over the border from Iraq into Syria via a crossing that the Hezbollah currently controls. Read more

January 29, 2023 - Israel reported to be behind the attack on the Iranian weapons factory. The Pentagon has stated that no U.S. military forces were involved in strikes, despite claims by Saudi media that the United States Air Force was involved. Read more

January 29, 2023 - Netblocks Internet Observatory: "Confirmed: Network data show a disruption to internet connectivity in Iran with high impact to Mazandaran Province; authorities are attributing the incident to fiber optic cuts on the path between Babol and Sari". Read more

January 28, 2023 - An Admiral serving as the Chair of the NATO Military Committee says that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is ready for a direct confrontation with Russia. Read more

January 28, 2023 - General Mike Minihan, who heads the United States Air Force's Air Mobility Command has warned that he believes the United States will be at war with China in 2025. Read more

January 27, 2023 - ISRAEL - Two rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Both were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system. Israel has carried out an airstrike within Gaza following the rocket launches. Read more

January 27, 2023 - DOD: "Today marks the conclusion of exercise Juniper Oak 23.2. This exercise was the largest U.S-Israel partnered exercise in history, said Deputy Pentagon Spokesperson Sabrina Singh, who held a news conference today. Read more

January 27, 2023 - Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy, Vice Adm. Gene Black, traveled to Japan to meet with his Japanese counterpart, Rear Adm. Nobuyuki Takenaka for a bilateral strategic dialogue at the Japanese Ministry of Defense in Tokyo. Read more

January 27, 2023 - US INDO-PACIFIC COMMAND: "KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- U.S. Airmen and Sailors from Kadena Air Base teamed up in the skies near Okinawa with Japan Air Self Defense Force personnel during the latest iteration of the bilateral Southern Beach exercise. Read more

January 27, 2023 - US INDO-PACIFIC COMMAND: "PHILIPPINE SEA -- The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) fired a RIM-116 rolling airframe missile, during routine operations, while underway in the Philippine Sea, Jan. 24. Read more

January 27, 2023 - U.S. and Albanian defense leaders met today at the Pentagon to make a strong bilateral alliance even stronger. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - "Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Defense Minister Niko Peleshi met as the two nations marked the 30th year of their nations' defense relationship. Read more

January 27, 2023 - Russian Foreign Minister has put out a warning and sent a note to members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that any shipments that contain military equipment will become a legitimate target for Russian Aerospace Forces. Read more

January 27, 2023 - Russia’s Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechayev released a statement after the United States and Germany announced sending tanks to Ukraine that called the decision an "extremely dangerous decision" that "takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation". Read more

January 27, 2023 - The delivery of Western-made uranium shells to Ukraine will be regarded by Russia as "the use of dirty nuclear bombs" and said that the depleted uranium shells used for the Leopard 2 tanks lead to "contamination of the area" and outbreaks of cancer. Read more

January 27, 2023 - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: "The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the procurement of Abrams tanks for Ukraine via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). Read more

January 27, 2023 - RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE: "The crew of Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov's frigate, operating in areas of the western part of the Atlantic Ocean, conducted computer simulation exercises with hypersonic missile weapons. Read more

January 27, 2023 - Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman, and former president Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia may be nationalizing the property of people who are registered in the United States, European Union, and other "unfriendly" jurisdictions in the midst of new "anti-Russian" sanctions. Read more

January 27, 2023 - The aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) carrier strike group joined the joint US/Israel Juniper Oak drills in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea as the exercise wrapped up. Read more

January 26, 2023 - US Military: "CAMP NOVO SELO, Kosovo — Kosovo Force, Regional Command-East recently conducted exercise Cavalry Guardian, an emergency response training exercise, geared toward testing team cohesion, resilience under stress and job proficiency Read more

January 26, 2023 - US Army: "ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Almost 400 New York Army National Guard Soldiers will soon leave for a deployment to Kuwait. Read more

January 26, 2023 - The Department of the Army announced the preparation of Army units for potential deployment to backfill units currently in Europe. This potential deployment would not constitute a change to current force posture levels. Read more

January 26, 2023 - CENTRAL COMMAND: U.S. Central Command and the Israel Defense Forces carry out live-fire exercise Juniper Oak 23.2 in Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Read more

January 26, 2023 - Former Special Agent In Charge Of The New York FBI Counterintelligence Division Charged With Violating U.S. Sanctions On Russia. A Russian Court and Government Interpreter Is Also Charged with Violating U.S. Sanctions on Russia. Read more

January 26, 2023 - The Norwegian Defense Chief Eirik Kristoffersen said in an interview with Norwegian channel TV2 that Russia has approached nearly 180,000 dead or wounded soldiers in Ukraine since the start of the war, to date. Read more

January 25, 2023 - Former Russian President and current Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that The United States is attempting to destroy Russia and that a new global military alliance may be emerging. Read more

January 25, 2023 - The United States says that they will be making an announcement to send around 30 Abrams tanks to Ukraine as soon as Wednesday, but it could take a few months to deliver the tanks. Read more

January 24, 2023 - A new Joint Resolution has been introduced by United States Representative Dan Crenshaw that would allow for the use of military force against Mexican drug cartels in order to fight against drug trafficking into the United States. Read more

January 23, 2023 - The Russian Bologoye strategic missile division in Tver dispatched the Yars mobile surface-to-surface nuclear missile systems to "combat patrol missions," according to the Russian MOD, which says that it is scheduled training. Read more

January 23, 2023 - U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter said that he expects broad support in the United States to for the Netherlands to transfer allied F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, in an interview with Lithuanian news agency Delfi. Read more

January 23, 2023 - The White House has declared the Russian private paramilitary organization PMC Wagner group as "transnational criminal organization". Read more

January 23, 2023 - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova said on Friday that the statements about supplying Ukraine with any weapons, including those that are able to hit Crimea will "inevitably" lead to "an escalation". Read more

January 23, 2023 - State Department: The United States is warning China against material and security assistance to Russia in Moscow’s war on Ukraine, laying out Washington’s red line ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing early next month. Read more

January 23, 2023 - Israel's state-owned IAI Aerospace Industries has announced its new "Point Blank" electro-optically guided missile, capable of being stored in a soldier's backpack. It can take off and land back into the operator's hand. Read more

January 23, 2023 - The FBI Director Christopher Wray stated Thursday that he is "deeply concerned" regarding the artificial intelligence program run by the Chinese government. Read more

January 22, 2023 - Central Command forces conducted a partnered helicopter and ground assault raid in eastern Syria. Read more

January 21, 2023 - The White House has declared the Russian private paramilitary organization PMC Wagner group as "transnational criminal organization". Read more

January 21, 2023 - TAMPA, Fla. – This morning, three one-way attack drones attacked the At Tanf Garrison in Syria. Two of the drones were shot down by Coalition Forces while one struck the compound, injuring two members of the Syrian Free Army partner force who received medical treatment. No US forces were injured. Read more

January 20, 2023 - Pentagon's spokeswoman Sabrina Singh just said if Ukraine decides to carry out a military operation in Crimea, the United States would "be with Ukraine for as long as it takes". Read more

January 20, 2023 - Forces TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command forces partnered with Syrian Democratic Forces to conduct a partnered helicopter assault in eastern Syria on Jan. 18 capturing an ISIS Syrian provincial media and security operative. Read more

January 19, 2023 - While speaking of Russia's war in Ukraine, Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that the "defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war may trigger a nuclear war". Read more

January 19, 2023 - U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Ryan: "If the Ukrainian military was having great success in the spring, and was chopping up the Russian military and was threatening to take back Crimea, then I think that the Russian military and leadership would use a nuclear weapon". Read more

January 19, 2023 - A report released by the New York Times claims that "several anonymous US officials" spoke to the paper and told them that Washington is warming up to the idea of aiding Ukraine in strikes on Ukraine. Read more

January 19, 2023 - Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan says that Saudi Arabia is "open to settling trade in other currencies" other than the US dollar. Read more

January 19, 2023 - Germany says that they will be allowing the export of its tanks to Ukraine on the condition that the United States also sends tanks to the country. If Germany decides to do so, other NATO-allied countries say they will follow suit. Read more

January 18, 2023 - US forces intercepted a drone flying near Forward Operating Site Carroll, nearby Camp Carroll in Seongju County, which is equipped with a missile defense system. The incident happened about 130 miles from Seoul, in South Korea. Read more

January 18, 2023 - Cloudflare Wins CISA Contract for Registry and Authoritative Domain Name System (DNS) Services. CISA is an operational component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Read more

January 16, 2023 - The Chinese Navy held "confrontational drills" in the South China Sea, according to state media, including Global Times, which stated that the drills were carried out "when a US carrier strike group had entered the region".  Read more

January 16, 2023 - GEILENKIRCHEN, Germany - NATO prepares a deployment Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance planes to Bucharest, Romania.  Read more

January 16, 2023 - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has put out a statement calling on the United States and Japan to "Abandon" their "Cold War" mentality and "ideological bias" against China. Read more

January 16, 2023 - Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to disembowel himself after Kishida warned Russia any use of nuclear weapons would be an act of "hostility against humanity". Read more

January 16, 2023 - IAEA - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has put out a Statement saying it will be boosting its presence within Ukraine in order to aid in preventing a nuclear accident from occurring during ongoing battles between Russia and Ukraine. Read more

January 16, 2023 - Israel: Iran has enough enriched uranium to produce four nuclear bombers, according to the Israeli military's outgoing Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi. Read more

January 14, 2023 - UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged Challenger 2 tanks and artillery systems to Ukraine. These are obviously "offensive" weapons now being supplied to Ukraine by NATO-allied countries. Read more

January 14, 2023 - Indonesia says that one of its warships, as well as a patrol aircraft and a drone have been monitoring a Chinese coast guard vessel in their exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a zone rich with resources that both China and Indonesia claim as their own. Read more

January 14, 2023 - Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin stated on Wednesday that he "seriously doubts" that Chinese activities around the island of Taiwan mean that China is planning an imminent invasion of the island. Read more

January 14, 2023 - China is reportedly pressuring Argentina to allow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to build a naval base in the Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego province within the country, allowing them a military base with close access to Antarctica. Read more

January 14, 2023 - The United States has begun sending a "large number" of tanks and other military vehicles to the port of Vlissingen in the Netherlands. on Wednesday, according to a report by Reuters, which has alarmed Russia. Read more

January 14, 2023 - The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 required the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, to submit an annual report to Congress on unidentified aerial phenomena.  Read more

January 14, 2023 - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - "Last year, U.S. Central Command conducted 313 operations in Iraq and Syria as part of the mission to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS.  Read more

January 14, 2023 - The pipeline connecting Lithuania to Latvia has exploded. Although sabotage is not being ruled out, the pipeline operator said that he does not "see any malign cause" or any "potential impact from outside".   Read more

January 11, 2023 - UK MINISTRY OF DEFENSE - "HMS Portland is monitoring the Russian guided missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov and accompanying tanker Kama as they sail in international waters close to the UK.  Read more

January 11, 2023 - The British postal service company Royal mail says that it's facing a major disruption in international export services after a "cyber incident" occurred.  Read more

January 11, 2023 - Normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually across the United States following an overnight outage to the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system that provides safety information to flight crews. The ground stop has been lifted. Read more

January 11, 2023 - *Updates (2)* - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released an alert saying that it's working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System after it failed and caused an outage. Read more

January 09, 2023 - China's military has released a statement that it carried out military exercises around the island of Taiwan practicing land and sea assaults. The exercises are the second such exercises in the region, the first having been carried out in December. Read more

January 09, 2023 - 57 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLA Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on January 8-9th, 2023 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

January 09, 2023 - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday that NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) declined its request to send up to 1,000 police and military personnel into Kosovo in response to rising tensions between the Serbians and Kosovo authorities. Read more

January 09, 2023 - Two men, one of which is Iranian were arrested in Germany on suspicion of planning to carry out a terrorist attack with a bio-weapon. Read more

January 09, 2023 - Poland and Finland voiced support for supplying Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks after the two countries agreed to start sending heavy weaponry to the country to fight against the ongoing Russian war. Read more

January 09, 2023 - A drone was shot down over the Ain al-Asad Air Base that hosts U.S. Forces, according to Iraqi military sources on Sunday, after which the US-led military coalition said it had carried out "an operational exercise", contradicting reports by the Iraqi military that it may have been hostile. Read more

January 08, 2023 - The Ukrainian Defense Ministry says that Russia is planning to mobilize up to 500,000 more conscripts into its military in the middle of January, a larger mobilization than the previous 300,000 Russia called up in October, 2022. Read more

January 08, 2023 - General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated that around 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have either died or been injured in the start of the fighting in Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. Read more

January 08, 2023 - The Japanese trade minister Yasutoshi Nishimura is calling for the rebuilding of a "world order" in order to counter the rise of "authoritarian regimes". Read more

January 07, 2023 - After Israeli Prime Minister said that efforts were underway to revive the JCPOA nuclear deal, the Biden Administration put out a statement saying that claims that it was engaged in talks were "false". Read more

January 07, 2023 - A Russian hacker group called Cold River targeted three different nuclear research labs in the United States between the months of August and September of 2022. Read more

January 07, 2023 - The Norwegian Armed Forces has posted a statement saying that the Russian hypersonic missile boat, the frigate Admiral Gorshkov is sailing south, along the coast of Norway, in international waters. Read more

January 07, 2023 - Former Russian President Medvedev posted a message on the Twitter account to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that Russia should send its Zircon hypersonic missiles close to the Potomac River, which flows through Washington D.C. Read more

January 06, 2023 - Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan says that he believes that a coming recession is the most likely outcome of the recent spate of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve to curb inflation. Read more

January 06, 2023 - The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon transited the Taiwan Strait on January 5th, according to the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which it says was a 'routine' transit. Read more

January 06, 2023 - Alan Greenspan warned that if China invades Taiwan it could trigger an economic "Black Swan" event that could affect economies worldwide. The number of Chinese aircraft spotted around the island of Taiwan has nearly doubled each consecutive year since 2020. Read more

January 05, 2023 - Russian state media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a "Christmas truce" ceasefire for 36 hours from 12:00 on January 6th to 24:00 on January 7th. The offer was rejected by Ukraine, which said that it "should not be taken seriously". Read more

January 05, 2023 - China is running secret overseas police stations around the world, including unauthorized stations in the US, in order to surveil Chinese nationals in countries across the globe. Read more

January 05, 2023 - The British MI5 Security Service addressed threats to the UK posed by Iran, Russia, and China and is expected to declare the Iranian IRGC a terrorist organization in the coming weeks. Read more

January 05, 2023 - South Korea has begun considering sharing real-time radar information along with missile tracking data with Japan. The United States, South Korea and Japan have begun "technical discussions" which involve the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Read more

January 04, 2023 - CENTCOM: "Two rockets targeted coalition forces at Mission Support Site Conoco, northeast Syria, today at approximately 9am local time in Syria (1 am Eastern Standard Time). Read more

January 04, 2023 - The Iranian state-run news agency IRNA has reported that an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Copse officer has been assassinated in front of his residential home in Tehran after being hit by four bullets. Read more

January 03, 2023 - The number of Chinese aircraft spotted around the island of Taiwan has nearly doubled each consecutive year since 2020. Read more

January 03, 2023 - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reported a rocket launch, but the rocket failed. No alert was activated "in accordance with standard operating procedures". Read more

January 03, 2023 - Israel carried out a missile strike on the Damascus International Airport, killing four people while boosting cooperation with the US, and preparing for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. Read more

January 03, 2023 - The Hamas terrorist organization has threatened explosive violence and said that if Israeli National Security Minister Ben Gvir visits the Temple Mount, the visit would lead to violence and a declaration of war. Read more

January 01, 2023 - The Japanese embassy released a statement expressing "outrage" after Russia's New Year's Eve attack on Ukraine that it says resulted in the death and injuries of civilians, which included a Japanese journalist. Read more

January 01, 2023 - *UPDATE (2)* Syrian state news agency SANA, has reported that explosions were heard near Damascus, and reported that there were "separate indications" of Syrian air defense systems having been activated. Read more

January 01, 2023 - North Korea fired another ballistic missile toward the east sea, according to a report by South Korean news agency Yonhap. The North also ordered an "exponential expansion" of its nuclear arsenal. Read more

December 31, 2022 - The Liaoning Chinese aircraft carrier approached the U.S. territory of Guam while carrying out drills in the West Pacific from December 17th to December 27th. Read more

December 31, 2022 - Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Israel after previously holding the office from 1996 to 1999 and 2009 to 2021. He says the new government's first task will be to prevent Iran from destroying Israel with an atomic bomb. Read more

December 31, 2022 - 9 Chinese military aircraft and 3 PLA Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on December 30-31st, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

December 31, 2022 - JAPANESE MOD - "North Korea launched three ballistic missiles toward the northeast from the suburbs of Pyongyang at 8:00 today. The details are currently under analysis, but it is estimated that they all fell near the east coast of the Korean Peninsula outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Read more

December 31, 2022 - USINDOPACOM: "We are aware of the ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. Read more

December 30, 2022 - 9 Chinese military aircraft and 3 PLA Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on December 31st, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

December 30, 2022 - North Korea has fired three ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. Read more

December 30, 2022 - USINDOPACOM: "Navy J-11 fighter pilot performed an unsafe maneuver during and intercept of a U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft, which was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace." Read more

December 29, 2022 - The Belarusian Ministry of Defense say they intercepted and destroyed a Ukrainian S-300 anti-air missile on Thursday. Read more

December 28, 2022 - The Russian Foreign Ministry reportedly put out a statement to Russian State news agency TASS that Moscow hopes that Washington will show enough prudence and is wise enough to prevent the situation from escalating to the point of a direct confrontation. Read more

December 28, 2022 - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has put out a warning to the United States against carrying out a decapitation strike on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Read more

December 26, 2022 - The Serbian armed forces were put on the highest combat alert due to an order from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, according to Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic who spoke to the Serbian news agency Tanjug. Read more

December 26, 2022 - Ukraine called on the UN members states on Monday to remove Russia from the United Nations and to exclude it "as a whole" so that it no longer has the power veto UN Security Council resolutions. Read more

December 26, 2022 - Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia is ready to resume the gas flow to Europe through the Yamal-Europe pipeline. Read more

December 26, 2022 - The Russian military says that it shot down a Ukrainian drone that it detected was on approach to the Engels Air Base located deep within Russian territory, and reported that three servicemen were killed due to the resulting falling debris from the wreckage. Read more

December 26, 2022 - The U.S. government is aware of information that unknown individuals are possibly plotting to attack Americans at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad sometime during the holidays. Read more

December 26, 2022 - The South Korean military says that it deployed fighter jets, helicopters "and other assets" in order to shoot down North Korean drones that it says crossed over the inter-Korean border on Monday "without South Korea's permission". Read more

December 26, 2022 - 71 Chinese military aircraft and 7 PLA Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on December 25-26th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

December 25, 2022 - The Chinese military said that they carried out "strike drills" around the island of Taiwan on Sunday in response to a "provocation" from both the United States and Taiwan. Read more

December 25, 2022 - 8 Chinese military aircraft and 3 PLA Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on December 24-25th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

December 23, 2022 - North Korea has fired two short-range missiles off its east coast, according to the South Korean military, days after U.S. and South Korea carried out joint military exercises involving nuclear-capable bombers and jets. Read more

December 22, 2022 - 39 Chinese military aircraft and PLAN vessels spotted around the island of Taiwan on December 21-22nd, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Rare occurrences: Z-9 ASW plane, Y-20 Aerial Refueling aircraft. Bombers were also spotted. Read more

December 21, 2022 - "Over the past 48 hours, US Central Command forces conducted three helicopter raids in eastern #Syria resulting in the detention of six ISIS operatives". Read more

December 20, 2022 - The Japanese Ministry of Defense reported that On December 19th, a Chinese Shupan-class survey ship entered into its territorial waters south of Yakushima. The MOD reported that this is the 9th time the Chinese navy has entered into Japan's territorial waters, and is a "cause for concern". Read more

December 19, 2022 - The United States has killed 15 al-Shabab militants in Somalia after carrying out airstrikes at the request of the Somalian government. Read more

December 18, 2022 - North Korea has launched two ballistic missiles off of its east coast, according to both the South Korean and Japanese Ministry of Defense. Indo-Pacific Command releases statement regarding the launch. Read more

December 15, 2022 - The Russian Embassy to the United States has condemned the possible shipment of long-range Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine by the US, saying that the move would be a provocative step. Read more

December 15, 2022 - Russia has loaded its RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into a missile silo in the Kaluga Region in central Russia at the Kozelsk missile formation according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Read more

December 14, 2022 - The US is currently deciding on whether to send a Patriot long-range missile system to Ukraine, after receiving a request from Ukraine for more powerful and longer-range missile systems. Read more

December 14, 2022 - Poland To Deploy German Patriot Missile Systems On Border With Ukraine - Polish President Andrzej Duda announced on Monday that Poland will be working with Germany to deploy German Patriot missile systems on its border with Ukraine in the coming days. Read more

December 14, 2022 - On December 13th, China sent 18 nuclear-capable H-6 bombers around the island of Taiwan, which is highly unusual activity. It is the first time China has sent so many bombers at once. China is flying a higher number of aircraft around Taiwan recently. Check the ongoing report... Read more

December 14, 2022 - Ukraine has requested cluster bombs from the United States. Both Russia and Ukraine have used cluster munitions in the war, mostly in populated areas. Read more

December 13, 2022 - According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, a Norwegian P-3C Orion "Spy Plane" was intercepted by Russia over the Barents Sea. Read more

December 13, 2022 - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has threatened Greece with a missile strike on Athens. Both countries are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance. Read more

December 12, 2022 - 150 Indian soldiers and 300 Chinese soldiers are reported to have clashed at the Tawang Sector of Arunachal Pradesh, Northeastern India near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Read more

December 12, 2022 - Belarusian army says that they have deployed tactical battalion groups on the borders between Belarus and the countries where NATO had deployed forces. Skies above Belarus Empty. Read more

December 12, 2022 - Shots were fired, and explosions were heard on the border between Serbia and Kosovo after a stun grenade was thrown. Serbia has asked NATO to deploy the Serbian army and police force. Read more

December 11, 2022 - U.S. Central Command has reported that it has conducted a successful helicopter raid against ISIS at 2:57 a.m. on December 11th, which killed two ISIS officials. Read more

December 10, 2022 - Turkey has carried out airstrikes in the Duhok province in northern Iraq, according Lebanese news agency Al-Mayadeen, targeting Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) elements in the region. Read more

December 09, 2022 - Russian President Vladimir Putin has put out a statement saying that any country that dares attack Russia with nuclear weapons will be wiped from the face of the earth, considers adding Russia to nuclear first strike strategy. Read more

December 09, 2022 - The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the $858 billion defense bill which effectively removes the vaccine mandate for U.S. military personnel. Read more

December 08, 2022 - 27 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on December 7-8th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

December 08, 2022 - Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strategic military operation in Ukraine is taking longer than expected and addressed the usage of nuclear weapons. Read more

December 06, 2022 - USCENTCOM - TAMPA, Fla. – "An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrol boat interacted in an unsafe and unprofessional manner as U.S. Navy ships transited the Strait of Hormuz, the evening of Dec. 5. Read more

December 06, 2022 - 20 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels spotted around the island of Taiwan on December 06th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

December 06, 2022 - Russia has deployed the Bastion coastal missile system on Kuril island of Paramushir, Russia which is an island also claimed by Japan, known by the Japanese as the Northern Territories. Read more

December 06, 2022 - North Korea has fired 90 rounds of multiple rocket launchers into the buffer zone between North and South Korea, as South Korea and the United States continue to carry out joint live-fire military drills near the border. Read more

December 06, 2022 - Russia claims that Ukraine hit two of its air bases located on Russian soil before Russia carried out a large-scale missile attack on Ukraine. Read more

December 05, 2022 - RAYTHEON - The United States is currently working with countries in the Middle East to move some of the U.S. air defense systems to Ukraine. Read more

December 05, 2022 - North Korea has fired around 130 artillery shells off its east and west coasts, some of which landed in the buffer zone between the North's border with the South, according to the South Korean military. Read more

December 03, 2022 - China's semiconductor exports are on the decline amidst the United States moving microchip manufacturing in-house, possibly making an invasion of Taiwan by China more appealing. Read more

November 30, 2022 - Five vehicles that were rented by U.S. President Joe Biden's Secret Service detail went up in flames while in a parking lot on Monday a day after the President went on vacation in Nantucket, Massachusetts for Thanksgiving. Read more

November 28, 2022 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that the ultimate goal for North Korea is to possess the world's most powerful nuclear strategic force and eventually build the world's strongest army. Read more

November 28, 2022 - 9 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 27th and 28th, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 27, 2022 - 8 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 26th and 27th, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 26, 2022 - 11 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 25th-26th, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 25, 2022 - Two rockets targeted coalition forces at the US patrol base in al-Shaddadi, Syria, today at approximately 10:31 p.m. local time in Syria (4:31 p.m. EST). Read more

November 25, 2022 - Turkey has told Russia that it will be continuing to respond to attacks coming from northern Syria, after Russia requested that Turkey not upgrade the conflict in Syria into a full-scale offensive. Read more

November 25, 2022 - The Japanese Ministry of Defense has reported that fighters from the Japanese Air Self-Defense force (ASDF) were scrambled from November 22nd to 23rd due to "threat of territorial infringement" over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. Read more

November 25, 2022 - 6 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 25th, 2022 (by 6am), according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 25, 2022 - The President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko attended a meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Yerevan, Armenia and announced priorities for 2023. Read more

November 24, 2022 - WHITE HOUSE: "As Russia struggles on the battlefield, it is increasingly turning to horrific attacks against the Ukrainian people with punishing strikes damaging energy grid infrastructure, and deliberately doing so as winter approaches".  Read more

November 24, 2022 - 7 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 24th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 24, 2022 - The United States is expanding military presence in the Philippines in order to counter Chinese presence in the region, as well as speeding up the implementation of the 2014 defense pact between the two countries that had been stalled under the previous Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Read more

November 23, 2022 - US DEPARTMENT OF STATE: "The United States continues to support Ukraine with additional military assistance to help defend itself, including from the Kremlin’s relentless attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure. Read more

November 23, 2022 - Ukraine: Russia fired 70 cruise missiles into Ukraine on November 23rd, killing six people and injuring 36. The head of the Ukrainian police Ihor Klymenko said rockets hit 16 'objects' within Ukraine. Read more

November 23, 2022 - The Mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine has reported that Russia has hit the capital's infrastructure facilities. He later reported that there were explosions in various districts in Kyiv, hitting the "residential sector" and "critical facilities". Read more

November 23, 2022 - Iran has claimed that Israel killed an Iranian military officer with a roadside bomb in Damascus, Syria according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) on Wednesday. Read more

November 23, 2022 - Iran has reached 60 percent uranium enrichment purity at its Fordow nuclear plant, according to the United Nations nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday. Read more

November 23, 2022 - 3 Chinese military aircraft, including one submarine hunting helicopter and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 22-23rd, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 22, 2022 - 17 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 21-22nd, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 21, 2022 - The South Korean military has put out a statement saying that they do not have any new information on the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that North Korea recently launched. The North claims that it was a Hwasong-17 missile, but thus far the South Korean military have not been able to verify the claim. Read more

November 20, 2022 - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has put out a new report that the shelling has now stopped, and there are no radiation leaks detected as a result of the explosions. Read more

November 20, 2022 - A 2.0 earthquake hit near North Korea's Pungye-ri nuclear test site, but was found to be likely a naturally occurring earthquake, and not that of nuclear testing, according to South Korea's weather agency. Read more

November 20, 2022 - The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian control has taken fire, causing explosions. Russia has blamed Ukrainian attacks for the explosions, claiming that Ukraine has carried out 12 strikes against the nuclear power plant. Read more

November 20, 2022 - Turkish air raids targeted 89 locations in Iraq and Syria, including the Iraqi locations of: Asos, Qandil, Hakurk, and Northern Syria locations of: Cizire, Tal Rifat, Kobani and Derik, according to the Turkish Defense Ministry. Read more

November 19, 2022 - The Swedish Security Service Reported on November 18th that gross sabotage on the Nord Stream gas pipelines have been confirmed. The Swedish Prosecution Authority said that traces of explosives have been found at the sites of the Nord Stream pipeline ruptures. Read more

November 19, 2022 - Syrian state news agency SANA is reporting that Israel carried out airstrikes on military positions after flying over the Mediterranean and targeting some military positions in the "central" and "coastal" regions of Syria, killing 4 soldiers. Read more

November 19, 2022 - A gas pipeline explosion occurred in Saint Petersburg, Russia (formerly known as Leningrad). Saint Petersburg Governor (Leningrad Oblast) Governor Alexander Drozdenko reported the explosion on his Telegram channel. Read more

November 19, 2022 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the latest ICBM test, vowed that if enemies continue to pose threats, the North Korean government will react with nukes. Read more

November 19, 2022 - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has Reported that two Russian fighter aircraft made an "unsafe and unprofessional" approach toward the Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG1) that was carrying out "routine operations" in the Baltic Sea. Read more

November 19, 2022 - 17 Chinese military aircraft, 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 18th/19th according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 18, 2022 - Event: U.S. Consulate General Erbil is monitoring credible open-source reports of potential Turkish military action in northern Syria and northern Iraq in the coming days. The U.S. government continues to strongly advise U.S. citizens to avoid these areas. Read more

November 18, 2022 - North Korea has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (#ICBM) that flew 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) at an altitude of 6,100 kilometers (3790 miles) at a speed of Mach 22. Read more

November 17, 2022 - The entire North Korean internet was taken offline over a period of two and a half hours, according to a cybersecurity researcher. Read more

November 17, 2022 - Pakistan has shut down its southwestern border with Afghanistan for an indefinite period, according to both officials and local media on Monday. Read more

November 17, 2022 - The South Korean military has reported that the North launched a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) towards its eastern waters after threatening to respond with 'fiercer military responses' to the United States as a result of efforts by the United States to increase military presence on and near the Korean Peninsula. Read more

November 16, 2022 - Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that the missile strike in Poland only proves that the West is "approaching a world war," and that the West wants to "wage war on Russia by all means against Russia", and that talking about Russian missiles falling into Poland is a "provocation" with the intent on escalating the conflict. Read more

November 16, 2022 - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that although the missile that landed in Poland and killed two people was "likely caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile" that it was "not Ukraine's fault". Read more

November 16, 2022 - Reuters reported that U.S. President Joe Biden told the G7 and NATO partners that "a missile blast in Poland was caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile", according to a NATO source who reportedly spoke to Reuters. Read more

November 16, 2022 - Article 5 is not automatic, it needs to be agreed upon. It is unlikely alliance members will agree on article 5 if it was accidental, which thus far it looks to be. If it is found that it was intentional, however, the likelihood of article 5 will increase tremendously. Read more

November 16, 2022 - *Ongoing Report* POLAND - The Associated Press reported that a Russian-made missile crossed into the eastern part of Poland on Wednesday, striking a grain facility near the Ukrainian border on the Polish side and killing two people. Poland is a member of the NATO alliance. Investigations have not yet concluded who manufactured the missile. Read more

November 15, 2022 - CENTCOM: "On Nov 8, CENTCOM forces intercepted a stateless dhow [sailing vessels used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean] in the Gulf of Oman originating from Iran smuggling a massive volume of explosive material to Yemen. Read more

November 12, 2022 - British Ministry of Defense: "Russia's announced withdrawal from Kherson marks another strategic failure for them. In February, Russia failed to take any of its major objectives except Kherson. Now with that also being surrendered, ordinary people of Russia must surely ask themselves "What was it all for?". Read more

November 12, 2022 - 14 Chinese military aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 11th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 11, 2022 - 26 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 10th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 11, 2022 - US AFRICA COMMAND: "Federal Government of Somalia combats terrorists with support from U.S. forces: At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted a collective self-defense strike against the al-Shabaab terrorists who were attacking the Somali forces." Read more

November 11, 2022 - Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on Tuesday that China will be increasing the training of its military and preparation for war as the nation's security is increasingly unstable and uncertain. Read more

November 11, 2022 - The commander of the U.S. Strategic Command has said that the war in Ukraine is just a warm up and that the United States must be prepared for much more, around the corner, because the big one is coming. Read more

November 09, 2022 - The Japanese and South Korean Ministry of Defense reported that North Korea launched a short-range (SRBM) ballistic missile from the Sukchon area in South Pyongang Province. Read more

November 09, 2022 - Syria/Iraq - Airstrikes have been reported on the border between Syria and Iraq. Iranian-backed militia has reportedly blamed the United States for the attacks, but U.S. officials rejected the claims, saying that it wasn't them, but has confirmed that airstrikes were carried out. Al-Mayadeen has claimed that Israel carried out the drone strike. Read more

November 08, 2022 - Russia has been lamenting the sale of Alaska to the United States 155 years ago. Russian State Duma said that Russia could reclaim Alaska. Read more

November 07, 2022 - 63 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 7th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 07, 2022 - 46 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 6th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 07, 2022 - The United States is able to respond quickly to a North Korean nuclear test if necessary, a spokesperson for the Pentagon said on Friday. Read more

November 07, 2022 - Ties between North Korea and both Russia and China have been deepening as Russia and China stand in the way of holding North Korea responsible for continued provocations at the U.N. Security Council. Read more

November 07, 2022 - On Saturday, November 5th the Iranian Revolutionary Guard tested a satellite launch vehicle that Washington has speculated could also launch nuclear warheads. Read more

November 07, 2022 - The United States and South Korea have finished conducting large-scale bilateral air exercises called "Vigilant Storm" that was held from October 31st, 2022 to November 4th, 2022. Read more

November 06, 2022 - DoD authorizes the Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $600 million to Ukraine. This authorization is the Biden Administration’s twenty-first drawdown since August 2021. Read more

November 06, 2022 - Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom Andrey Kelin spoke to Sky News and told them that Russia has "evidence" that the strategic forces in the UK was involved in the attack on Russia's Black Sea fleet, and claimed that he has proof, although as of yet no proof has surfaced. Read more

November 06, 2022 - China launched its third and last component for its Tiangong space station on October 31st, completing construction of the station. Read more

November 06, 2022 - Both Finland and Sweden say they will be deciding issues on nuclear weapons only after they are officially accepted into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but that they do not seek any opt-outs or preconditions for joining the alliance, they said at a press briefing in Helsinki. Read more

November 06, 2022 - The US military carried out onsite weapons inspections in Ukraine in order to make sure that weapons provided to Ukraine by the United States are not being diverted. Finnish news is reporting the weapons are ending up in the hands of criminals in European countries. Read more

November 06, 2022 - 9 Chinese military aircraft and 2 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 5th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 05, 2022 - 27 Chinese military aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on November 4th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

November 05, 2022 - SEOUL - North Korea fired four short-range missiles into the western sea on Saturday, according to the South Korean military. Read more

November 03, 2022 - November 3, 2022 - The FBI has put out a warning of a "broad threat" to synagogues in the state of New Jersey. Read more

November 03, 2022 - Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom Andrey Kelin spoke to Sky News and told them that Russia has "evidence" that the strategic forces in the UK was involved in the attack on Russia's Black Sea fleet, and claimed that he has proof. Read more

November 03, 2022 - North Korea launched at least four more ballistic missiles into the sea today, after launching at least 26 ballistic missiles including one ICBM the day before that triggered Japan's J-alert system and stopped trains from running in northern Japan. Read more

November 03, 2022 - North Korea launched at least 26 ballistic missiles and 100 shells over the last 24 hours, according to South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Japanese Coast Guard, including one suspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). One missile is reported to have flown over Japan, activating Japan's J-alert system. Read more

November 02, 2022 - Norway has reportedly raised its military alert level after unmanned aerial (UAV) drones were sighted over the last few weeks around Norway's oil and gas fields and airports, which has led to at least seven arrests of Russian citizens. Read more

November 02, 2022 - Nord Stream AG has completed "initial data gathering" on the section of the Nord Stream pipeline that was damaged and concluded that there are 'technogenic craters' with a depth of 3 to 5 meters on the seabed located under the damaged section of the pipeline. Read more

November 02, 2022 - North Korea launched at least 23 ballistic missiles and 100 shells over a 6-hour period of time, according to South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Japanese Coast Guard. Read more

November 01, 2022 - Saudi Arabia has reportedly shared intelligence with the United States and warned of an impending imminent Iranian attack targeting both Saudi Arabia and Iraq, including Erbil, Iraq where US forces are stationed. Read more

November 01, 2022 - North Korea on Monday called on the United States and South Korea to stop carrying out joint military exercises, calling the drills a provocation that might cause "more powerful follow-up measures" from the North in response. Read more

October 31, 2022 - Three PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 31st, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 31, 2022 - Both Poland and Finland may be interested in participating in NATO's nuclear sharing program, which would give both countries access to deploying nuclear weapons in their territory, and allow NATO to establish bases within their borders. Poland interested, Finland more reserved on the matter. Read more

October 30, 2022 - 8 Chinese aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 30th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 30, 2022 - The Pentagon said that although Russia is an "acute threat", China "is the only competitor out there with both the intent to reshape the international order, and increasingly the power to do so". Read more

October 29, 2022 - 25 Chinese military aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 29th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 29, 2022 - KYIV - The Russian Defense Ministry put out a statement on Saturday saying that they are suspending the grain deal brokered by the United Nations allowing grain to be exported out of Ukraine after accusing Britain of aiding Ukraine in attacking its vessels in the Black Sea with drones. Read more

October 29, 2022 - *UPDATES* The United States said during a closed meeting with NATO that it will be accelerating the deployment of an upgraded version of the B61-12 air-dropped thermonuclear "gravity bomb" to European bases in December, which is a few months earlier than was originally planned. Read more

October 29, 2022 - MOSCOW - Russia is claiming that the British Navy was involved in what the country calls a "terrorist attack" on the Nord Stream pipeline. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed on Saturday that the British Navy had a part in orchestrating and staging a sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. The British Ministry of Defense released a statement saying that Russia is "resorting to peddling false claims of an epic scale". Read more

October 28, 2022 - 13 Chinese military aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 28th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 28, 2022 - US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said on October 26th that the United States will be cooperating with South Korea and Japan in order to ensure Taiwan's self-defense. Read more

October 28, 2022 - SEOUL - The United States and South Korea have vowed that there would be an unparalleled response if North Korea carries out an expected 7th nuclear test, and have urged North Korea to refrain from provocations. Read more

October 28, 2022 - North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the location of the Tongchon, Kangwon province, according to the South Korean military. The US Indo-Pacific Command put out a statement saying that they are aware of the missile launches. Read more

October 27, 2022 - 20 Chinese military aircraft, 2 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 27th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 26, 2022 - 22 Chinese military aircraft, 3 PLAN vessels, 2 reconnaissance drones were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 26th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 26, 2022 - Intelligence update from the British Ministry of Defense for October 26th, 2022: "On 24 October 2022, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region announced that an explosive device had damaged the railway near the village of Novozybkovo, approximately 15km from the Russia-Belarus border. The line is the main rail link between Russia and southern Belarus. Read more

October 26, 2022 - Russian President Vladimir Putin monitored the launches of ballistic and cruise missiles on Wednesday as part of Russia's yearly "Grom" nuclear exercises, as NATO holds simultaneous nuclear exercises. Read more

October 26, 2022 - Due to U.S. forces conducting an airstrike against al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia, the Africa regional alert has been set to 2. Read statement from Africa Command.. Read more

October 25, 2022 - Norwegian Police Security Service arrested a scientist in Tromsoe, Norway suspected of being a spy for a Russian intelligence service. The suspect was researching "hybrid threats" tied to "Arctic Norway", according to Deputy PST chief Hedvig Moe. Read more

October 25, 2022 - Iran claims that it has arrested 10 agents allegedly working for Israel in West Azerbaijan province as part of an espionage network, according to Iranian state news agency Fars. Israeli officials claim to have struck 90% of Iran's military operations in Syria, targeting a drone assembly factory near Damascus. Read more

October 25, 2022 - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has put out a statement saying that emergency preparedness exercises of the Home Front Command will be taking place during the coming week. "alerts will be heard as part of practicing the emergency system in the localities and practicing behavior guidelines". Read more

October 25, 2022 - 16 Chinese military aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 25th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 25, 2022 - *New Information* - Russia has claimed that Ukraine is preparing a possible 'provocation' involving the use of a 'dirty bomb', while the US and Ukraine claim that this might be a pretext for a Russian 'false flag' operation. Read more

October 24, 2022 - 10 Chinese military aircraft, 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 24th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 24, 2022 - Russia has claimed that Ukraine is preparing a possible 'provocation' involving the use of a 'dirty bomb', while the United States and Ukraine claim that this might be a pretext for a Russian 'false flag' operation. Read more

October 24, 2022 - South Korea Fires Warning Shots At North Korean Vessel After NLL Intrusion: South Korea has fired warning shots at a North Korean vessel after the South accused the North of crossing the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea, which the South calls the "de facto maritime border, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap. Read more

October 23, 2022 - 9 Chinese military aircraft, 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 23rd, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 22, 2022 - The US Army's 101st Airborne Division which consists of about 4,700 soldiers has been deployed to Europe, on the border of Romania and Ukraine, for the first time since World War 2 (80 years ago). Read more

October 22, 2022 - 9 Chinese military aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 22nd, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 22, 2022 - The Ukrainian National Resistance Center has claimed that three Russian aircraft capable of equipping and launching hypersonic missiles were spotted over Minsk, Belarus on Sunday. Read more

October 22, 2022 - Iran has released an advisory to all of its citizens strongly advising them not to travel to Ukraine, and told Iranians currently living in the country to leave the country "for their own safety". Read more

October 21, 2022 - Syrian state media has claimed that Syria has shot down missiles fired by Israel at Damascus late on Friday. It said that they were intercepted and shot down in an area over Damascus close to Syria's shared border with Israel. Read more

October 21, 2022 - UKRAINE - Russia has declared martial law in the four regions that it has annexed in Ukraine, which include: Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia. Read more

October 21, 2022 - The Pentagon has confirmed that the B-1B supersonic bombers that arrived in Guam this week is a show of strength in order to deter "potential provocations," after North Korea carried out a series of ballistic missile tests, and fired into the buffer zone with the South. Read more

October 21, 2022 - According to the White House, Iranian troops were sent to Ukraine to help assist Russia in operating Iranian-made drones that Russia had reportedly purchased from the country. Read more

October 21, 2022 - "North Korea may be preparing to hold a large-scale event, as planes appeared to be parked in front of the Pyongyang International Airport terminal on Oct. 19th-20". Read more

October 20, 2022 - 20 Chinese military aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 20th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 20, 2022 - "On October 19th, General Michael "Erik” Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM, conducted a visit aboard the USS West Virginia, a U.S. Navy Ohio-class nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine at an undisclosed location at sea in international waters in the Arabian Sea. Read more

October 20, 2022 - Russia has declared martial law in the four regions that it has annexed in Ukraine, which include: Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia. Read more

October 20, 2022 - The United States deployed four bombers from South Dakota to the Andersen AFB, in Guam ahead of North Korea's expected nuclear test, as well as recent provocations. Read more

October 20, 2022 - EUROPE - Expressen has used an underwater drone to film the damage to the ruptured Nordstream pipeline 262 feet below the ocean's surface. The following report is based on a translation of Expressen's findings. Read more

October 20, 2022 - 11 Chinese military aircraft and 2 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 19th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 19, 2022 - 11 Chinese military aircraft and 2 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 18th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 19, 2022 - SEOUL - North Korea has fired at least 250 artillery rounds into the buffer zone with South Korea on Tuesday from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff on Wednesday. Read more

October 18, 2022 - NORAD - Russian Tu-95 bombers capable of being equipped with nuclear weapons were intercepted on October 18th (local time) after "entering and operating within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone". Read more

October 17, 2022 - Ongoing Report: Chinese military aircraft have been spotted every day of the month of August, September, and October since Pelosi's visit to the island on August 2nd, 2022. PLAN vessels have also been spotted around the island of Taiwan every day since August 6th. Read more

October 17, 2022 - 5 Chinese military aircraft, and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 16th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 17, 2022 - SEOUL - The office of President Yoon Suk-yeol has been on "24-hour standby" as North Korea is expected to carry out its seventh nuclear test "at any time," according to South Korean officials. The following is a situation overview on North and South Korea over the last 7 months. Read more

October 16, 2022 - The following countries have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine immediately: China, Egypt, Kazakhstan. There are alerts for other countries embassy's floating around social media, but many of those look to be older, previously issued embassy alerts. Read more

October 16, 2022 - Sun Yeli, a spokesperson for the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has reiterated China's stance that while China does not promise to renounce the use of force, they will do their best to achieve "peaceful reunification". Read more

October 16, 2022 - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Thursday that he is looking carefully at "extended deterrence" options as North Korea tests ballistic missiles that it says were intended to simulate a tactical nuclear weapon strike on South Korea. Read more

October 16, 2022 - Russia is transferring dual-equipped Iskander-M missile systems with conventional missiles to Belarus, and converting Belarusian SU-25 jets with the ability to carry nuclear weapons, but it is 'not planned' to equip Belarus with actual nuclear warheads. Read more

October 16, 2022 - On Thursday NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance will be giving Ukraine "hundreds of drone jammers" to counter the Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones that Russia is using. Read more

October 15, 2022 - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - "Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announces the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $725 million to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs". Read more

October 15, 2022 - EUROPE - NATO put out a statement on Friday saying that it would be launching its annual nuclear exercises "Steadfast Noon". NATO also said that it will be monitoring Russia's own upcoming nuclear exercise very closely. Read more

October 15, 2022 - Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Ministers of Defense for Finland and Sweden, Antti Kaikkonen and Peter Hultqvist. Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout.. Read more

October 15, 2022 - 23 Chinese military aircraft, 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 14th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 15, 2022 - South Korea put their military on high alert after the latest ballistic missile launch by the South. The move also followed North Korea sending aircraft near the shared border with the South and firing around 80 artillery shells. Read more

October 14, 2022 - JAPANESE MOD - At around 1:47 today, North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile toward the east from the suburbs of Pyongyang Read more

October 14, 2022 - UK Government: British Air Strikes Against Daesh: "The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria." Read more

October 14, 2022 - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - "I am pleased that the Governments of Israel and Lebanon have agreed to establish a permanent maritime boundary between their two countries." Read more

October 14, 2022 - FRANCE - During a live interview on France 2 Wednesday, France's President Emmanuel Macron said that if Russia chooses to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, France would not be responding with nuclear weapons. Read more

October 13, 2022 - 13 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 13th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 13, 2022 - *Updated* South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff has reported that North Korea has launched another ballistic missile toward its eastern waters and flown military aircraft toward the South Korean border. Read more

October 13, 2022 - SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of two long-range strategic cruise missiles Thursday, according to the country's state media, saying that it was a test in order to confirm reliability and operation of nuclear-capable missiles. Read more

October 12, 2022 - The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution condemning Russia's annexation of the territories of Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, as well as the DPR and LPR regions. Read more

October 12, 2022 - The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused Ukraine's military spy Chief of being a part of carrying out the attack on the Crimean Bridge. Russia has taken eight out of twelve suspects of the bombing into custody according to the FSB. Read more

October 12, 2022 - Department of Defense: "Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meets with allies at NATO headquarters in Belgium this week to discuss the continued support for the defense of Ukraine, amid Russia's unprovoked invasion and recent attacks against civilian targets and infrastructure, according to a defense official. Read more

October 12, 2022 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Russia has ordered 2,400 Iranian-made Shahed drones from the Islamic Republic, and asked leaders of the G7 countries to give medium and long-range missile defense systems to protect against the them. Read more

October 12, 2022 - U.S. Department Of State: "Following years of mediation by the United States, the Governments of Israel and Lebanon today announced consensus on an historic agreement to establish a permanent maritime boundary between the two countries". Read more

October 12, 2022 - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - The 16th annual Garuda Shield exercise started Aug. 3, this year expanding from a bilateral training event between the Indonesian and U.S. militaries to 14 participant nations Read more

October 12, 2022 - The United States has begun restricting visas from being issued to both current, and former members of the Taliban, as well as others over the repression of women and girls in Afghanistan, according to a statement by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday." Read more

October 12, 2022 - Israel Defense Forces (IDF) statement earlier: "Our soldiers spotted a Hamas terrorist drone attempting to cross into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip a short while ago. Read more

October 12, 2022 - Taiwan's Ministry of Defense has reported that 15 Chinese military aircraft, 4 PLAN vessels were spotted in the "surrounding region" around the island of Taiwan on October 12th, 2022. Read more

October 12, 2022 - Statement by Ukrainian intelligence regarding the current situation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant (translated). "All six units are disconnected at the ZNPP, the occupiers are forcing employees to sign contracts with Rosatom. Read more

October 12, 2022 - Ukraine claims that Russia has been transferring Shahed-136 kamikaze drones to Belarus territory Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported. Read more

October 12, 2022 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un released a statement on the 77th anniversary of its ruling Worker's Party that said that the North's recent ballistic missile launches have been to simulate the use of tactical nuclear weapons for "hit and wipe out" potential. Read more

October 11, 2022 - NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg: "Stoltenberg: "hybrid and cyber attacks can trigger Article 5," and, "We are closely monitoring every incident that may constitute a hybrid or cyber attack against the NATO Allies and we are ready to take the necessary measures if needed." Read more

October 11, 2022 - 11 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 11th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 11, 2022 - Official spokesman for the Russian energy giant Gazprom Sergey Kupriyanov said Monday that a NATO mine destroyer, which is an explosive device was discovered near the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in 2015, according to the official Nord Stream company. Read more

October 11, 2022 - A drone strike in northeastern Syria led by the U.S.-led coalition was carried out on Monday, according to The Associated Press, which cited a Syrian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Read more

October 11, 2022 - *Updates* The President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has ordered Belarusian soldiers to deploy along with Russian forces near Ukraine as a response to what he called a clear threat from Ukraine and the West. Read more

October 11, 2022 - Germany's Foreign Ministry has reported that the German visa office located in Ukraine was damaged by rocket fire during Russia's attack on Kyiv in the morning. Read more

October 11, 2022 - Poland has put out an advisory recommending its citizens to leave Belarus territory as tensions increase between the two countries due to the conflict in Ukraine. Read more

October 11, 2022 - Poland is now checking the condition of its bomb shelters and taking inventory in light of recent developments, according to a Polish deputy minister Reuters reports. Read more

October 10, 2022 - U.S. Embassy In Ukraine: Security Alert. Event: Russia has launched attacks against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure as well as government facilities in Kyiv and elsewhere. Russia’s continued strikes in Ukraine pose a direct threat to civilians and civilian infrastructure. Read more

October 10, 2022 - 26 Chinese military aircraft, 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 10th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 10, 2022 - White House national security spokesman John Kirby addressed U.S. President Joe Biden's comments regarding the "prospect of Armageddon" on Sunday, saying that the President's statement reflects "the very high stakes that are in play”, in relation to Russian President Vladimir Putin's nuclear threats. Read more

October 10, 2022 - The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has claimed that Russia has lost 62,500 Russian soldiers from the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022 to October 9th, 2022. Read more

October 10, 2022 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected the military training of tactical nuclear weapon units, according to the country's state media KCNA. Read more

October 10, 2022 - Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin regarding the explosion on the Crimean bridge and said stated that the bombing, which he called a "terrorist attack" was staged by Ukrainian strategic services and that both the Ukrainian strategic services and citizens of Russia and foreign countries participated in the bombing. Read more

October 09, 2022 - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has put out a statement saying that although recent shelling took out the power at Zaporizhzhya , Ukrainian engineers have restored the external power supply to the currently Russian-occupied nuclear power plant. Read more

October 09, 2022 - Armenia and Azerbaijan Trade Accusations Regarding Being Fired Upon By The OtherStatements from the Armenia and Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense pages (statements translated from original languages).. Read more

October 09, 2022 - 12 Chinese military aircraft (1 UAV), and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 9th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 09, 2022 - Ukrainian intelligence claims that Russia is attempting to draw Belarus into an open war with Ukraine. Read more

October 09, 2022 - TEHRAN - Two Iranian hackers from a group called "al-Tahara" hacked into the websites for two natural gas companies: Energean, and Israel Natural Gas Lines. Read more

October 09, 2022 - British Ministry of Defense Intelligence update for Ukraine, October 9th, 2022: "Early on 08 October 2022, an explosion damaged the Kerch Strait Bridge, the road and rail crossing which links Russian-occupied Crimea and the Krasnodar region of Russia. Read more

October 09, 2022 - Statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine regarding alleged provocation by Belarus (accusations by Belarus that Ukraine was planning an attack on Belarus territory) Read more

October 09, 2022 - NORD STREAM PIPELINE - A U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane (P-8A Poseidon) was spotted flying across the Baltic Sea just hours after the Nord Stream pipeline began leaking into the ocean on September 26th, 2022. Read more

October 09, 2022 - Sergei Sorobikin, former commander of Russia in Syria has reportedly been appointed the new senior commander of Russia's "strategic military operation" in Ukraine. Read more

October 09, 2022 - There have been unverified rumors floating around Twitter stating that a Nord Stream sabotage investigator was found dead. We have not seen any evidence supporting these claims. If this can be verified, we'll post any information that we find on the matter. Read more

October 09, 2022 - According to the ASPR government website, The U.S. Government has purchased $290 million worth of Nplate, from Amgen USA Inc. "as part of long-standing, ongoing efforts to be better prepared to save lives following radiological and nuclear emergencies." Read more

October 09, 2022 - A U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane (P-8A Poseidon) was spotted flying across the Baltic Sea just hours after the Nord Stream pipeline began leaking into the ocean on September 26th, 2022. Read more

October 09, 2022 - Translated statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine regarding alleged provocation by Belarus (accusations by Belarus that Ukraine was planning an attack on Belarus territory). Read more

October 09, 2022 - JAPANESE MOD (Translated from Japanese)- "North Korea launched two ballistic missiles toward the east from near the east coast of North Korea at 1:00 today. We are currently analyzing the details, but it is estimated that it fell in the Sea of ​​Japan.." Read more

October 09, 2022 - US Indo-Pacific Command Statement On North Korean Launches: We are aware of the two ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. Read more

October 09, 2022 - North Korea has fired two more short-range missiles toward the East Sea on Sunday, according to the South Korean military. Read more

October 08, 2022 - RIA Novosti has reported that three people died in the bridge explosion, according to Russia's investigative committee. Read more

October 08, 2022 - 6 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 8th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 08, 2022 - A 12 mile long bridge linking Russia-annexed Crimea with Russia across the Kerch Strait has been severely damaged by a bomb. Read more

October 07, 2022 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky put out a video address on Friday announcing that Ukraine has liberated 2,434 square kilometers (940 square miles), as well as 96 settlements in Ukraine's east in their recent offensive against Russian positions. Read more

October 07, 2022 - A U.N. Panel stated Friday that North Korea spent the first half of 2022 advancing its missile programs, and preparing for a possible nuclear test. Read more

October 07, 2022 - Posted by official International Atomic Energy Agency account (IAEA): "Yesterday, an industrial zone outside the #Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine was shelled, damaging the power transmission line that supplies power to the No. 6 reactor unit, which had to temporarily rely on emergency diesel generators for power." Read more

October 07, 2022 - CENTCOM statement: U.S. forces conducted a successful airstrike in northern Syria, killing both Abu-Hashum al-Umawi, a deputy Wali of Syria, and another senior ISIS official associated with him. Read more

October 07, 2022 - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko: Moscow and Minsk will think about the response to the nuclear threat in Poland. Read more

October 07, 2022 - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the threat of nuclear Armageddon is at the highest level since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Read more

October 06, 2022 - U.S. strategic forces have reportedly carried out a helicopter raid in Assad-controlled territory in Syria, south of Qamishli in Northeast Syria overnight. Read more

October 06, 2022 - Swedish security service concluded its investigation on the four Nord stream pipeline leaks and stated: "There have been detonations at Nord Stream 1 and 2 in the Swedish economic zone, which have caused extensive damage to the gas pipelines." Read more

October 06, 2022 - 9 Chinese military aircraft, 4 PLAN vessels spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 6th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 06, 2022 - North Korea conducted firing drills with fighter jets and bombers on Thursday, flying aircraft near the South Korean border. Read more

October 05, 2022 - North Korea has reportedly fired another "unspecified" ballistic missile toward the East Sea, according to Japan's Coast Guard, the South Korean military and South Korea's news agency Yonhap, which is reporting multiple ballistic missiles. Read more

October 05, 2022 - After North Korea sent a missile flying over Japan, the US and South Korea held live-fire missile drills, during which one missile malfunctioned and crashed down inside the Air Force base in Gangneung. Read more

October 05, 2022 - After North Korea sent a missile flying over Japan, the United States has not only commenced joint live-fire missile drills with South Korea in the region, but is now sending nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan back to waters near the Korean Peninsula, according to officials at the U.S. Defense Department. Read more

October 05, 2022 - 33 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 5th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 05, 2022 - A malfunctioned Hyumoo-2 ballistic missile fired by South Korea crashed inside the ground of an air force base in Gangneung on Wednesday during live-fire missile drills with the United States Read more

October 3, 2022 - The Japanese government has issued a warning saying that North Korea appears to have launched at least one ballistic missile toward Japan Read more

October 3, 2022 - "In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike against the al-Shabaab militant network in Somalia on October 1. The strike occurred near Jilib, about 370 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu. Read more

October 3, 2022 - If Russian President Vladimir Putin uses nuclear weapons, the US and its allies "would destroy Russia’s troops and equipment in Ukraine and will sink its Black Sea fleet," former CIA director and retired four-star general for the United States Army David Petraeus stated in an interview Sunday. Read more

October 3, 2022 - EUROPE - The Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea is no longer leaking, according to a Nord Stream 2 spokesman. Read more

October 03, 2022 - 14 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 3rd, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 02, 2022 - 22 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 2nd, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 01, 2022 - 8 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on October 1st, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

October 01, 2022 - North Korea has fired a four rounds of ballistic missiles in less than a week, according to the South Korean military. Read more

September 30, 2022 - North Korea has fired another two ballistic missiles, in their fourth round of missile tests in a week, according to the South Korean military. Read more

September 30, 2022 - White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says the US military in Europe is ready for "any contingency" and says that multiple reinforcements have been sent to bolster US forces in Europe. Read more

September 30, 2022 - The Israeli intelligence firm called ImageSat International (ISI) has spotted an "irregular presence" of Russian TU-160 and TU-95 strategic bomber aircraft at the Olenya Airbase, which is located close to Finland on the Kola Peninsula near Murmansk. Read more

September 30, 2022 - 8 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 30th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 30, 2022 - Ukraine has said that they are officially submitting an application for membership to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Read more

September 29, 2022 - North Korea has fired at least one more short-range ballistic missiles from the Sunchon region, according to the South Korean military. Read more

September 29, 2022 - Multiple reports that the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant was on fire and that power unit Number 6 was damaged. Energodar's official channel, and Russian state media says that these reports are false. Read more

September 29, 2022 - 11 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 11th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 29, 2022 - 31 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 28th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 28, 2022 - ERBIL, IRAQ - The United States has shot down an Iranian Mojer-6 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) headed in the direction of U.S. forces in Erbil, Iraq. Read more

September 27, 2022 - Poland has issued a new travel alert advising against any travel to the Russian Federation in connection with the war in Ukraine and the recognition of Poland by the authorities of the Russian Federation as an "unfriendly state". Read more

September 27, 2022 - German authorities say that a pressure drop of both the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines look to be a "targeted attack". Explosions have been recorded in the area before the leaks were detected. Read more

September 27, 2022 - Russian official Medvedev said that the United States would not intervene even if Russia uses the "most formidable weapon," and said the country has the right to use nuclear weapons "if necessary," and said that it is "certainly not a bluff". Read more

September 27, 2022 - 11 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 27th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 27, 2022 - 12 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 26th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 25, 2022 - 15 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 25th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 25, 2022 - Conflict With Nuclear Peer Possible, As Russia Uses Dangerous Nuclear Rhetoric. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a "partial mobilization", as well as Putin's threats to use "all means" at Russia's disposal to protect the country, saying that Putin's speech used "dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric". Read more

September 24, 2022 - North Korea has reportedly fired an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea, according to the South Korean military. Read more

September 23, 2022 - There is a rumor going around regarding a coup in China. We see no evidence of any coup in China. If we do see some solid evidence, we'll put out an update. Read more

September 22, 2022 - AFRICOM - At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab terrorists who were attacking Somali National Army forces near Buulobarde, Somalia, on Sept. 18. Read more

September 22, 2022 - Statement from Colonel Joe Buccino, CENTCOM communications director: "At approximately 12:25 am on Sept. 20th, seven ISIS fighters in two vehicles headed in the direction of the Internally Displaced Persons camp at al-Hol were interdicted by U.S. partnered Syrian Democratic Forces. Read more

September 21, 2022 - North Korean state media has reported that the country is not exporting weapons to Russia, and does not have any plans at all to do so. Read more

September 21, 2022 - MOSCOW - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has announced that Russia will be drafting 300,000 reservists, and says that mobilization is necessary in order to "consolidate" Ukrainian territory that the country has occupied. Read more

September 21, 2022 - 38 Chinese military aircraft, and 6 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 21st, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 20, 2022 - US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says that President Putin appears to be on the brink of proceeding with plans to hold "sham referenda" in areas of Ukraine and potentially preparing for potential mobilization measures. Russia says, "there will be no general mobilization" but may be martial law. Read more

September 19, 2022 - The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has accused Russia of attempting to shell a second nuclear power plant in the Mykolaiv region. The defense ministry posted a video allegedly showing the shelling taking place. Read more

September 19, 2022 - 9 Chinese military aircraft, and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 19th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 19, 2022 - Biden on 60 Minutes: US would defend Taiwan if invaded by China. Officially, aside from comments made by U.S. President Joe Biden, the United States government hasn't made any declarations that they will be defending Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. Read more

September 19, 2022 - CENTCOM - TAMPA, Fla. – "At approximately 7:05 pm in Syria on September 18th, a rocket attack targeting the Green Village base in northeast Syria failed to strike US or Coalition forces or equipment. Read more

September 18, 2022 - 8 Chinese military aircraft, and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 18th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 17, 2022 - After a ceasefire agreement was reached between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the countries Ministry of Defense is reporting no new activity, indicating that the ceasefire between the two countries is holding up thus far. Read more

September 17, 2022 - 20 Chinese military aircraft, and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 17th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 17, 2022 - Germany has taken control of three Russian oil refineries, it said on Friday, September 16th. Rosneft Deutschland GmbH and RN Refining & Marketing GmbH, it announced will be placed under Germany's Federal Network Agency. Read more

September 17, 2022 - CIA Deputy Director David Cohen said that although we should not underestimate Putin's adherence to his original plan to control Ukraine, the CIA has no concrete evidence that Russia is planning to use "weapons of mass destruction". Read more

September 16, 2022 - SYRIA - The Syrian Ministry of Defense has reported an airstrike "with missile bursts" from the northeastern direction of Lake Tiberias, targeting Damascus International Airport, and some points south of Damascus, with "some material losses". Read more

September 16, 2022 - Fighting has been reported between Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, in which both countries have blamed each other for violating the ceasefire agreement. Read more

September 16, 2022 - DoD authorizes the Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $600 million to Ukraine. This authorization is the Biden Administration’s twenty-first drawdown since August 2021. Read more

September 16, 2022 - 43 Chinese military aircraft, and 5 PLAN vessels have been spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 16th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 15, 2022 - 26 Chinese military aircraft, and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 15th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 14, 2022 - WASHINGTON – Pentagon leaders held a top-secret conference at the Pentagon on September 6th, and 7th, to discuss China and Russia's potential to develop unique space weapons, giving to a publicly posted dossier. The meetings also centered around protecting the US-owned assets currently in orbit around the earth. Read more

September 14, 2022 - Ongoing Report: Azerbaijan and Armenia exchanged fire, with each side's Ministry of Defense putting out a version of events that conflicts with the other's. The below statements from each respective Ministry of Defense has been translated to English. Updated September 14th, 2022. Read more

September 14, 2022 - 24 Chinese military aircraft, and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 14th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 13, 2022 - 11 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 13th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 13, 2022 - EUROPE - Azerbaijan and Armenia exchanged fire, with each side's Ministry of Defense putting out a version of events that conflicts with the other's. The below statements from each respective Ministry of Defense has been translated to English. Read more

September 12, 2022 - 7 Chinese military aircraft, and 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 12th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense, which included a BZK-005 reconnaissance drone. Read more

September 12, 2022 - Greece has fired on a Turkish vessel and said that it entered territorial waters. Turkey, on the other hand, says that the incident happened in international waters, and that Greece shot at it with 'harassment fire'. Read more

September 12, 2022 - UKRAINE - After the six-reactor Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor, the largest nuclear reactor in Europe, and one of the top 10 largest in the world had been disconnected from power for around a weeks time, it has now had its connection to Ukraine's power grid reestablished. Read more

September 12, 2022 - Additions to North Korea's nuclear force policy say that a nuclear attack could commence "automatically and immediately" if the leader Kim Jong Un is either killed or incapacitated by an attack. Read more

September 10, 2022 - After U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei on September 2nd, 2022, both Chinese military aircraft and PLAN vessels have been spotted around the island of Taiwan on a daily basis. Read more

September 10, 2022 - 43 Chinese military aircraft, and 9 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 10th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 10, 2022 - 12 Chinese military aircraft, 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around Taiwan on September 9th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 08, 2022 - TAIWAN - 45 Chinese military aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 8th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 08, 2022 - DOD - The Defense Department has put out a statement saying that the Biden administration has approved another assistance package valued at $675 million in "U.S. assistance to Ukraine", along with another $2 Billion in long-term military financing to "European countries threatened by Russia". Read more

September 08, 2022 - Gas supplies to Europe won't be resumed until the West lifts sanctions against Moscow, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who said that Western sanctions against Russia are to blame for the Nord Stream pipeline being taken offline. Read more

September 08, 2022 - MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he is "confident" that Russia hasn't lost a thing during Russia's ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Brief overview on what started the conflict in 2014. Brief conflict overview.. Read more

September 08, 2022 - The Pentagon has suspended deliveries of new Lockheed Martin's F-35 aircraft to the army after finding that a component of the jet uses an alloy made in China, which, according to a CNN report, and Interfax, violates federal defense procurement policies. Read more

September 08, 2022 - Japan's Ministry of Defense has released another update on Taiwan's defense strategy "to prevent an invasion by China at the furthest distance possible". Read more

September 08, 2022 - China has been increasingly aggressive about controlling the microchip industry and emboldened in its aggressive stance towards Taiwan since the U.S. pullout of Afghanistan, and the lack of direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict by the United States. Read more

September 08, 2022 - The Biden administration has announced plans to invest $50 billion in the US semiconductor industry, in order to "revitalize the domestic semiconductor industry and spur innovation while creating good-paying jobs in communities across the country," according to U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Read more

September 08, 2022 - Russian energy giant Gazprom has said that it has signed a deal with China to pay for Russian gas in the Chinese yuan and Russian ruble, rather than paying with the U.S. dollar. Read more

September 07, 2022 - According to a newly declassified U.S. Intelligence, Russia could be purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea. The White House has indicated that Moscow looking to purchase arms from North Korea and claims that it is further evidence that Russia is desperate, and that its ammunition supplies are running low as its "strategic operation" on Ukraine passes its six and a half month mark. Read more

September 07, 2022 - PYONGYANG - North Korean state news agency, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has said that military drills by the United States and South Korea have increased the possibility of "nuclear war" on the "Korean Peninsula". Read more

September 07, 2022 - 12 Chinese military aircraft, and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 7th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Of the military aircraft, three were SU-30 multirole aircraft. Read more

September 06, 2022 - Eight Chinese military aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 6th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 05, 2022 - 17 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 5th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 04, 2022 - Seven Chinese military aircraft, one UAV, and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around Taiwan on September 4th, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 04, 2022 - Taiwan's Ministry of Defense has put out a statement saying that "unidentified drones" from PRC (People's Republic of China) have been reported "hovering over the barracks in Kinmen". Read more

September 04, 2022 - ZAPORIZHZHIA - One day after a visit by the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) team, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) was forced offline after an artillery shell fell between two reactors, damaging the main power line on Saturday morning, September 3rd. Read more

September 04, 2022 - RUSSIA - Siemens Energy corporation has put out a statement saying that an engine oil leak is no reason to stop the Nord Stream gas pipeline, and said that the leak should have been able to be sealed on site. Read more

September 03, 2022 - The U.S. was threatened by China with a delay of a new product launch from Nvidia if it did not stop with the tech export reduction, and stated that some products might have to leave Chinese manufacturing lines. Read more

September 03, 2022 - After a full month of straight Chinese incursions around the island of Taiwan following the visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on August 2nd, 2022, the Biden administration has announced a $1.1 Billion arms sale to Taipei, angering China. Read more

September 03, 2022 - Four Chinese military aircraft and 5 PLA vessels have been spotted in waters surrounding Taiwan on September 3rd, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 02, 2022 - 19 Chinese military aircraft, and 3 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 2nd, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 02, 2022 - The Taiwanese military have shot down an unidentified unmanned "civilian drone" near Kinmen, Taiwan on Thursday, September 1st. Japan's Ministry of Defense has also put out a statement, along with a map showing Taiwan's defensive strategy, meant to deter "Chinese aggression". The United States is also strengthening "alliance" with the Philippines. Read more

September 02, 2022 - UNITED STATES - Law enforcement agencies across the country are using a mysterious cellphone tracking tool that lies in an unregulated gray zone in regard to personal rights. Read more

September 01, 2022 - The Taiwanese military says they have shot down an unidentified unmanned "civilian drone" near Kinmen, Taiwan on Thursday, September 1st. Read more

September 01, 2022 - 53 Chinese military aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on September 1st, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

September 01, 2022 - The Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom said that if China successfully invades the island of Taiwan, the Taiwanese people may suffer a similar fate as the Uyghurs in western China’s Xinjiang region. Read more

August 31, 2022 - KYIV - On Wednesday, August 31st, The United Nations International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) dispatched its team to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), amid rising tensions between The Russian Federation and the sovereign state of Ukraine. Read more

August 31, 2022 - The crude oil tanker "Affinity V", which is 826 feet long, and 147 feet wide ran aground in the Suez Canal, backing up Maritime traffic, according to local media and analysis of the ship's location in vessel tracking software. It has been released and is now back on course. Read more

August 31, 2022 - Israel has allegedly fired several missiles at the Aleppo International Airport, with "several missiles, causing material damage". This, on the same day that U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, in order to "consult on global and regional security challenges, including threats posed by Iran". Read more

August 30, 2022 - The U.S. Navy prevented a support ship from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) from capturing an unmanned surface vessel operated by the U.S. 5th Fleet in the Arabian Gulf, Aug. 29-30. Read more

August 30, 2022 - BAGHDAD - Following the resignation of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Monday, August 29th, followers who supported him, stormed the green zone with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and automatic rifle fire as Iraqi security forces fought back, sparking a major escalation in the political deadlock that has gripped the nation. Read more

August 30, 2022 - Location: Iraq (countrywide). Event: Ongoing demonstrations within and around the International Zone in Baghdad have turned violent and resulted in deaths and injuries. Read more

August 30, 2022 - Taiwan has fired live ammunition at a Chinese drone that had intruded over one of Taiwan's outer islands for the first time, on Tuesday, August 30th. Read more

August 30, 2022 - 783 Chinese military aircraft (spotted every day of the month so far), and 179 People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels have been spotted around the island of Taiwan every day since August 6th. Read more

August 29, 2022 - Amid renewed shelling at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the UN's IAEA has decided to go ahead and visit the plant and has dispatched a team of nuclear strategicists. The facility, which has a total of six nuclear reactors, has already been taken completely offline during shelling the previous week, according to the IAEA website. Read more

August 29, 2022 - 759 Chinese military aircraft (spotted every day of the month so far), and 168 People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels have been spotted around the island of Taiwan every day since August 6th. Read more

August 29, 2022 - A security alert has been released by the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro, which is located near Kosovo. Event: A persistent and ongoing cyber-attack is in process in Montenegro. Read more

August 29, 2022 - 23 Chinese military aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels were spotted around Taiwan on August 28th, 2022, making the total military aircraft spotted this month around the island: 722, and vessels: 160. Read more

August 28, 2022 - The president of the BRICS International Forum, Purnima Anand told reporters on Thursday that both Russia and India no longer need the U.S. dollar, as they have turned to national currencies to conduct mutual settlements. Read more

August 28, 2022 - Final review and agreement of the U.N. Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which is its foundation for nuclear disarmament, was blocked by Russia due to its critical statements regarding Russia's invasion in nation of Ukraine. Read more

August 27, 2022 - After completing an international patrol mission on August 26th, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, Oliver Henry, was denied clearance for a pre-scheduled resupply port call from the Solomon Islands, a country that has been strengthening ties in the Pacific with China. Read more

August 27, 2022 - 21 Chinese military aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around the surrounding region of Taiwan on August 27th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

August 26, 2022 - WASHINGTON - Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, along with the Senate Homeland Security Governmental Affairs Committee has stated that China is attempting to recruit individuals, which are already employed inside the Federal Reserve (FED), as agents of international espionage. Read more

August 26, 2022 - The United States Treasury Department has issued a letter that contains a threat of possible sanctions for Turkey's leading business organization on the grounds of Russian Collaboration. Read more

August 26, 2022 - 35 Chinese military aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels have been spotted in the 'surrounding region' around Taiwan on August 26th, 2022 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

August 25, 2022 - 653 Chinese military aircraft have been spotted around Taiwan every day so far for the month of August, and 139 People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels have been spotted around the island every day since August 6th. Read more

August 25, 2022 - Israel is reportedly striking targets located in Syria. Explosions have been reported in Tartus, and Syrian state media says that its air defenses are engaging "hostile targets" over the Masyaf region in northwestern Syria. Read more

August 25, 2022 - On Ukraine's Independence Day, Wednesday, August 24th, A Russian missile strike hit a civilian train station in the small town of Chaplyne, which is in the central Dnipropetrovsk region. Originally it was reported that 15 were deceased and 50 were wounded. The death toll has risen to 22. Read more

August 25, 2022 - CENTCOM: forces respond to attempted coordinated rocket attacks at Conoco, Green Village bases in northeast Syria. "U.S. forces responded today to rocket attacks at two sites in Syria, destroying three vehicles and equipment used to launch some of the rockets. Read more

August 24, 2022 - At U.S. President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted precision airstrikes in Deir ez-Zor Syria today. These precision strikes are intended to defend and protect U.S. forces from attacks like the ones on August 15 against U.S. personnel by Iran-backed groups. Read more

August 24, 2022 - Taiwan's Ministry of Defense has reported 13 Chinese military aircraft, and 4 PLAN vessels in the surrounding region of Taiwan on August 24th, 2022. Read more

August 23, 2022 - Gas flow from Nord Stream will be stopped for three days, from August 31st to September 2nd, according to Russian state news agency TASS, who says that the downtime is needed in order to repair the only fuel compressor unit that currently remains in operation. Read more

August 23, 2022 - Three foreign citizens, 2 from Russia and 1 from Ukraine, have been arrested while trying to enter an Albanian Military Plant, with 2 Albanian soldiers injured in the event. Read more

August 23, 2022 - KYIV - Wednesday, August 24th, will mark 31 years free from Soviet rule in Ukraine, but the date will come and go, without celebration, in fears of safety concerns, due to Russia's "strategic military operation." Read more

August 23, 2022 - 20 Chinese military aircraft and four PLAN vessels were spotted in waters surrounding Taiwan on August 23rd, 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

August 22, 2022 - 15 Chinese military aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels have been spotted in the region surrounding the island of Taiwan, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

August 22, 2022 - 12 Chinese military aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted in the 'surrounding region' near the island of Taiwan on August 21st, 2022. Read more

August 22, 2022 - The US Embassy in North Macedonia put out a message saying, "Look up! Today at 2:30 pm there will be a low-altitude flyover of two B-52s in Skopje". Read more

August 22, 2022 - The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that they are deeply concerned about increasing tensions in Northeastern Syria regarding a suspected Turkish drone attack that killed four teenage girls and injured 11 other people who were playing volleyball at a girl's center in Hasakah, Syria. Read more

August 21, 2022 - The daughter of famous Russian public figure and political scientist Alexander Dugin was killed in a vehicle explosion near on a highway near Moscow according to authorities and Russian state media. Read more

August 21, 2022 - On August 18th US military B-52 nuclear-capable bombers returned to the 'RAF' Fairford US Air Force base in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom from the Minot Air Base in North Dakota. Read more

August 20, 2022 - Security Alert for the United States embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia in Africa. The U.S. Embassy in Somalia reminds U.S. citizens that terrorists continue to plot kidnappings, bombings, and other attacks in Somalia. Read more

August 20, 2022 - *Update* Ukraine's Mykolaiv Regional State Administration has put out a radiation exposure notice on its official Facebook page for the Ukrainian population outside of the NPP surveillance zone. Read more

August 20, 2022 - On August 18th, 2022 the Department of Defense released a statement on Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks visit U.S. to Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; and Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Read more

August 20, 2022 - The United States Department of Defense has released a statement regarding another major security assistance package to be sent to Ukraine valued at $775 million. Read more

August 20, 2022 - Ukraine's Mykolaiv Regional State Administration has put out a radiation exposure notice on its official Facebook page. Mykolaiv is located near the Black Sea in southern Ukraine. Read more

August 19, 2022 - 51 Chinese military aircraft and 6 vessels were spotted around Taiwan on August 18th, 2022. Taiwan responded by monitoring the situation, deploying aircraft in CAP, naval vessels and land-based missile systems, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Read more

August 19, 2022 - During a press briefing in Singapore, the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet stated that the amount of unsafe interceptions by Chinese aircraft has increased over the last few months. The United States had carried out wargames simulating an attack by China in 2021, but failed miserably. Read more

August 19, 2022 - CHINA - After post-Taiwan tensions, including live-fire exercises around Taiwan and Chinese missiles falling in Japan's economic exclusion zone (EEC), Akiba Takeo, Japan's National Security Secretariat, and Yang Jiechi, Senior Foreign Affairs Advisor, have met in northern China. Read more

August 18, 2022 - The Chinese Ministry of Defense has reported that their military is carrying out joint military exercises that are co-hosted by 12 countries, with 37 countries in total participating. Read more

August 17, 2022 - Gazprom, Russia's state-owned energy corporation says that gas prices in Europe could go over $4,000 per 1,000 cubic meters for the first time in history on Tuesday. Read more

August 17, 2022 - 21 Chinese military aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan August 17th, 2022. Five of the Chinese military aircraft included two SU-30 and one Y-8 antisubmarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. Read more

August 17, 2022 - Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test re-entry vehicle from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on August 16th. Read more

August 15, 2022 - 30 Chinese military aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels were spotted on the "east part of the median line" of the Taiwan Strait August 15th, 2022. Read more

August 14, 2022 - UNITED KINGDOM - There are major elections being held this fall around the world. In countries such as Australia, Israel, the UK, the United States, and Estonia, political campaigns are ongoing. Due to current price hikes on staple products and commodities, terms like recession and inflation are going around, but a new trend in UK campaigns has been mentioning The China Threat. Read more

August 14, 2022 - Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State, in an analytical statement of world events, states that the U.S. is "Teetering on the brink of war" with China and Russia and owns some responsibility for its manifestation. Read more

August 14, 2022 - A five-member delegation, led by Senator Ed Markey (D) of Massachusetts, meeting in Taiwan to discuss security, economical, and trade topics, according to the American Institute in Taiwan. Read more

August 14, 2022 - White House teleconference press release: On call with Kurt Campbell regarding China and Taiwan and the recent tensions that have arisen in the Taiwan Strait. Read more

August 14, 2022 - TAIWAN - The Foreign Ministry of Taiwan expressed with sincerity, its gratefulness to the United States for its constant presence around Taiwan and for taking specific action to safeguard the region and the Taiwan Strait. Read more

August 14, 2022 - CRIMEA - Approximately 24 Su-35 aircraft have been lost during the strategic military operation in Ukraine, resulting in the Russian Federation resurrecting old and outdated fighter jets, according to a social media post from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Read more

August 13, 2022 - China is sending bombers and fighter jets to Thailand for joint exercises with Thailand's military on Sunday, August 14th, 2022. Read more

August 13, 2022 - NEW YORK CITY - In another escalation due to rising tensions, 5 Chinese state-run global companies have announced their decision to de-list from the New York Stock Exchange. Read more

August 11, 2022 - From the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), For the last two days, there have been two known incursions into the Alaskan Air Defense Zone, a buffer zone that sits between the airspace of Alaska and international air space, by Russian surveillance aircraft, which were detected, identified, and tracked off the coast. Read more

August 11, 2022 - SOUTHERN UKRAINE - Caught in crossfire, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, on the Dnieper River, near the town of Enerhodar, is being watched very closely by international eyes as the power plant receives heavy artillery rounds, causing fears of a Chernobyl-like nuclear incident. Read more

August 10, 2022 - On August 9th at 3:20 pm local time, a very powerful explosion shook Crimea, as the Saky Russian air base in the annexed region explodes into flames, marking a major escalation in the war in Ukraine. Plumes of smoke filled the sky, causing residents and tourists to flee the city as first responders raced towards the blast. Read more

August 09, 2022 - Russia stated on Monday, August 8th that they would no longer allow inspection of weapons under the New START Nuclear Arms Control Treaty for an unspecified time due to restrictions on travel implemented by the United States and the west. Read more

August 09, 2022 - The Chinese military has said that they would be continuing their live-fire military drills Monday, August 8th, 2022 in the waters and skies around the island of Taiwan, focusing on anti-submarine and air-to-ship strikes. Read more

August 08, 2022 - US ARMED FORCES long-range missile support strategicists have selected Northrop Grumman Corporation to attend to the next Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Weapons system process to shield the Continental US from nuclear long-range missile assaults. Read more

August 08, 2022 - The Group of Seven (G7) Foreign ministers released a joint statement regarding Taiwan calling an end to China's provocative exercises around the island of Taiwan, after which the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) condemned the statement and called it scrap paper. Read more

August 07, 2022 - According to multiple Israeli sources around 935 rockets have been fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip. Rockets were also fired into Israel just minutes after the ceasefire deadline had been reached. Read more

August 07, 2022 - 66 Chinese military aircraft and 14 vessels were detected around Taiwan on August 7th, 2022. 22 of the aircraft had flown on the east part of the median line of the Taiwan Strait and the southwest ADIZ according to Taiwan's MOD. Read more

August 07, 2022 - 20 Chinese military aircraft and 14 Chinese vessels conducted an air-sea operation on the surrounding area of Taiwan on August 6th, 2022. Chinese state-run television also says that China will be carrying out regular drills from now on. Read more

August 07, 2022 - GAZA - Another airstrike has claimed the life of another PIJ Top Commander, Khaled Mansour, targeted at an apartment building in the crowded Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza, as the Israeli Defense Force continues their offensive against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Read more

August 07, 2022 - SOCHI, RUSSIA - Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey, met today to secure an end to the global food crisis and resume exporting Ukrainian grain. Read more

August 06, 2022 - TAIWAN - (From Taiwanese Translation) Taiwanese official Ou Yang Li-hsing, who was the vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and led missile production has died of a "sudden heart attack" at 57 years old in the hotel that he was saying in. Read more

August 05, 2022 - Rockets are now firing at Israel from Gaza. The IDF stated, "More sirens are now sounding in cities across central Israel. Read more

August 05, 2022 - The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs have announced a list of "countermeasures" in response to Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island of Taiwan. Read more

August 05, 2022 - Taiwan's Ministry of Defense has reported that 49 Chinese aircraft flew into the east part of the median line of the Taiwan Strait on August 5th, 2022. Read more

August 05, 2022 - *NEW UPDATES* Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have announced that they are currently carrying out strikes on the Gaza Strip after "direct threats" posed by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. Read more

August 05, 2022 - Russia has kicked 14 Bulgarian diplomats from the country and declared them persona non grata, in what looks to be a response to Bulgaria expelling 70 Russian diplomats over the summer. Read more

August 05, 2022 - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, after having visited the island of Taiwan visiting the heavily fortified Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) that sits between the North and South Korean border on her way to Seoul, the Capital of South Korea. Read more

August 04, 2022 - Chinese state-affiliated media announced live fire exercises in the Taiwan Strait. The Japanese Ministry of Defense reported that five Chinese missiles are 'presumed' to have landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Read more

August 04, 2022 - The U.S. Department of State has put out a worldwide travel alert, advising against traveling abroad after Sunday's drone strike where two R9X Hellfire missiles killed al-Qaeda leader, and Osama bin Laden successor, Ayman al-Zawahri. Read more

August 04, 2022 - White House Statement On Senate Ratification of the NATO Accession Protocols for Sweden and Finland. "Today, the Senate overwhelmingly endorsed our close partners Finland and Sweden joining NATO. This historic vote sends an important signal of the sustained, bipartisan U.S. commitment to NATO, and to ensuring our Alliance is prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow"... Read more

August 04, 2022 - At the United Nations, Russia said that although the conflict in Ukraine does not require the use of nuclear weapons, Moscow might decide to resort to a nuclear response as a result of what it says is direct involvement in its conflict with Ukraine by the United States. Read more

August 03, 2022 - 27 Chinese military aircraft entered into the surrounding area of Taiwan on August 3rd, 2022, and 21 Chinese military aircraft violated Taiwan's ADIZ just one day before that, after Pelosi's visit to the island according to the country's MOD. Read more

August 03, 2022 - 21 Chinese military aircraft entered into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on August 2nd, 2022 after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi touched down in Taiwan. Read more

August 02, 2022 - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was confirmed to have been on the aircraft heading toward the Island of Taiwan and has now landed safely. The U.S. air force had been authorized to open fire in case there was any interference from the Chinese on the plane that carried Pelosi. Read more

August 02, 2022 - There have been many reports, and sightings of Chinese military vehicles, equipment and tanks in the Chinese city of Xiamen and the province of Fujian, which sits straight across from the island of Taiwan. Read more

August 02, 2022 - According to Taiwan's official state news The Central News Agency (CNA) and the Xiamen Airlines website, China's Fujian region has announced August 2nd that airspace flow control will be implemented, and a "large number of flights have been canceled". Read more

August 02, 2022 - US Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set to travel to Taipei on Tuesday. Chinese military vessels and aircraft have been spotted carrying out tactical moves by touching the median line in the Taiwan Strait. Read more

August 02, 2022 - The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has carried out a successful drone strike in Afghanistan against al Qaeda leader al-Zawahiri. Read more

August 02, 2022 - The first shipment of grain left Odessa, Ukraine on Monday, August 1st, at 5:30 GMT, according to the Turkish Defense Ministry. Read more

August 01, 2022 - Satellite photos obtained from Planet Labs from the location of Lop Nur nuclear test site in China show what looks to be upgraded and expanded facilities, indicating that China may be preparing for nuclear tests for the first time in 26 years. Read more

August 01, 2022 - An Iranian IRGC-affiliated Telegram channel has posted a video openly declaring that Iran can move its peaceful nuclear program to a nuclear weapons program very quickly, and said that Iran's ballistic missiles are capable of turning New York into ruins. Read more

August 01, 2022 - As Pelosi is expected to arrive in the Asia Pacific, growing concerns come from other countries who are in support of China instead of the United States and an independent Taiwan. Read more

North Korean Statement: Leader Guides Mounting Nuclear Warheads on Ballistic Missiles, Underwater Strategic Weapon System Test Held - North Korean state media reports Kim Jong Un guided the mounting of nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles on March 27th. The North's Academy of Defense Science conducted another test of underwater strategic weapon system from March 25 to 27. See All Alerts

North Korean state media KCNA: "Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), guided the work for mounting nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles on March 27".

North Korean state media statement regarding underwater strategic weapon system test: "The Academy of Defence Science of the DPRK [North Korea] conducted another test of underwater strategic weapon system from March 25 to 27.

The underwater nuclear attack drone "Haeil-1", deployed for the test in Wonsan Bay on the afternoon of March 25, reached the target point in the waters off Hwadae County of North Hamgyong Province on the morning of March 27 after cruising along an jagged and oval course simulating the distance of the 600 kilometers in the East Sea of Korea for 41 hours and 27 minutes and correctly set off the test warhead underwater.

Through the test, all tactical and technical specifications and underwater navigational and technical indices were correctly estimated and the reliability and safety of the weapon system were verified."

North Korea Launches 2 Short-Range Ballistic Missile Into The East Sea - PYONGYANG - Initial Report: North Korea has launched 2 short-range ballistic missiles, according to the South Korean military. The Japanese Prime Minister's office also reported a launch from the North. See All Alerts

Both missiles are believed to have fallen outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) according to Japan's Ministry of Defense.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that a ballistic missile was launched by the North "into the East Sea", according to a report by South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The two ballistic missiles were launched from near the west coast of North Korea and fell outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to a statement by the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

The missiles flew at an irregular trajectory and were launched at around 7:47 am and 7:57 am with the analysis by the Japanese military still ongoing.

Each missile reached a maximum altitude of 50 kilometers (31 miles) and flew a distance of around 350 kilometers (217 miles).

The Defense Ministry said that this is the 8th time that North Korea has launched a ballistic missile this month, and the 11th time this year, including the cruise missiles announced by both North Korea and South Korea.

Japanese Prime Minister's Office Statement

PM’s instructions (07:50): 1. Dedicate maximum effort to gather & analyze information, & provide the public speedy & adequate information. 2. Ensure the safety of aircraft, vessels, & other assets. 3. Take all possible measures for precaution, incl. readiness for contingencies.

Retaliatory Strikes In Syria Against Iranian-Backed Militias Result In 19 Deaths - SYRIA - The death toll resulting from US airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias in Syria has risen to 19, according to the UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Read More Alerts

The SOHR said that air raids killed three Syrian soldiers and 11 Syrians working for Iran-backed militias, five non-Syrian fighters aligned with the government.

Four of the killed are reported by the war monitor as having identities that "remain unknown".

The war monitor reported that the airstrikes "Were executed by US fighter jets and unidentified aircraft on positions of Iranian-backed militias in Deir Ezzor in the early hours of Friday".

After the first response to the attack that killed a U.S. contractor and wounded six others, a series of retaliatory strikes occurred which resulted in another United States service member being wounded, officials said.

The SOHR said that after the attacks, Iranian-backed militias in "Al-Mayadeen, Al-Bokamal and Deir Ezzor cities amassed their troops and were put on high alert, in preparation for new attacks".

North Korea Claims It Tested Underwater Nuclear Capable "Tsunami" Drone - PYONGYANG - North Korea has claimed that it tested a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone with the ability to create a radioactive wave, or "tsunami" capable of taking out naval strike groups and ports. See All Alerts

A translated statement released by North Korean state news agency KCNA said that the test was due to the "intentional, persistent and provocative" joint "war drills" between the United States and South Korea around the Korean Peninsula, which it says has driven the "military and political situation" of the region to an "irreversibly dangerous point".

The statement added that the "dangerous nature" of the "confrontational hysteria" of the United States and South Korea is "unprecedented in history", and reiterated its stance that the joint exercise is actually a drill for "occupying" North Korea.

It went on to say that the exercises being carried out are in defiance of the "repeated stern warnings by the DPRK [North Korean] government, army and its people.

It also said that the "war scenario" being played out in the joint exercise are based on the deployment of "huge nuclear strategic assets" which "urgently require" that North Korea make its entire armed forces gird themselves for an "all out war" and bolster up its nuclear force.

In response, the statement said, The Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) is "energetically" bolstering its war deterrence for "self-defense" in order to strengthen the country's "defense posture" in every way and "promptly counter" and "thoroughly control and manage" any nuclear war threats and challenges "by the enemy".

The WPK organized a combined tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack, it continued, and commanded drills from March 21st to March 23rd, 2023 to serve "as a demonstration" of its military attack capability to "alert the enemy" of an actual nuclear crisis and verify the reliability of its nuclear force for "self-defense".

It then said that a new underwater attack weapon system test was carried out from March 21st to March 23rd with a weapon that the country's "scientific research institute" has been developing since 2012.

It said that the "secret" weapon it tested is an "underwater nuclear strategic attack weapon system based on a new operational concept, studying warfare in the new era and defining the orientation of the development of the self-defense capabilities to outpace the military and technical superiority of the imperialist aggressor forces".

"The mission of the underwater nuclear strategic weapon is to stealthily infiltrate into operational waters and make a super-scale radioactive tsunami through underwater explosion to destroy naval striker groups and major operational ports of the enemy," the statement read.

"This nuclear underwater attack drone can be deployed at any coast and port or towed by a surface ship for operation," it added.

The statement went on to say, "The underwater nuclear attack drone, which was deployed for a drill off the coast of Riwon County of South Hamgyong Province on Tuesday, reached the target point in the waters off Hongwon Bay set as a mock enemy port with its test warhead detonating underwater on Thursday afternoon after cruising along an oval and pattern-8 course at an underwater depth of 80 to 150 meters in the East Sea of Korea for 59 hours and 12 minutes".

It said on March 22nd, a launching drill was carried out where the strategic cruise missile was tipped with a test warhead simulating a nuclear warhead.

"Two "Hwasal-1"-type strategic cruise missiles and two "Hwasal-2"-type strategic cruise missiles, launched in Jakdo-dong, Hungnam District, Hamhung City, South Hamgyong Province, accurately hit the target set in the East Sea of Korea after flying on their programmed 1 500km- and 1 800km-long oval and pattern-8 orbits for 7 557 to 7 567 seconds and 9 118 to 9 129 seconds respectively," the statement said.

U.S. Responds to Attack That Killed U.S. Contractor in Syria - DOD: "The U.S. response to the attack on a coalition base in Syria that killed a U.S. contractor and wounded six others highlighted that the U.S. military will do what it must to protect its personnel. Read More Alerts

Iranian-backed militias in Syria were responsible for the drone attack on the coalition base near Hasakah in northeastern Syria. The coalition base houses personnel working to ensure the lasting defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, at the direction of President Joe Biden, authorized U.S. Central Command forces to conduct precision strikes into eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a news conference today. "The airstrikes were conducted in response to yesterday's attack, as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC," he said.

F-15E fighters assigned in Centcom launched the attack at approximately 2:40 a.m. local time. "We're continuing to assess the outcome of the strikes," Ryder said. "Initial indications are that the facilities were destroyed. These precision strikes were intended to protect and defend U.S. personnel, and the U.S. took proportionate and deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize casualties."

This morning, Iranian-backed groups launched 10 rockets that targeted coalition forces at the Green Village in northeast Syria. The attack resulted in no injuries to U.S. or coalition personnel and no damage to U.S. equipment or facilities, Ryder said.

"Our current assessment is that this these rocket attacks were conducted by IRGC-affiliated groups, that this rocket attack was done in an effort to retaliate for last night's attacks," the press secretary said. "Again, they did not cause any damage at the coalition facility. As far as any type of future action, I'm not going to talk about or preview potential future operations other than to say we will always reserve the right to respond appropriately if our forces are threatened."

Iran is a source of instability all around the region. Ryder noted Iranian proxies operate in Yemen, the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf, and Lebanon. The Iranians have been supplying the drones that Russia is using to attack innocents in Ukraine, he said.

"The United States and our coalition allies and partners … are focused on trying to ensure stability, security in these regions," Ryder said. "And that will continue to be our focus. We do not seek a wider conflict. With that said, if our people are threatened, we will continue to respond appropriately and proportionately."

CENTCOM Statement On Rocket Attack on Green Village, Northeast Syria - TAMPA, Fla. – On the morning of March 24th, at approximately 8:05 a.m. Syrian local time, 10 rockets targeted coalition forces at the Green Village in northeast Syria. Read More Alerts

The attack resulted in no injuries to U.S. or coalition personnel and no damage to U.S. equipment or facilities.

One of the rockets missed the facility by almost five kilometers, striking a civilian house, causing significant damage and causing minor injuries to two women and two children.

“This kind of indiscriminate rocket attack places not only our forces and coalition forces at risk, but also jeopardizes the local civilian population as well as the security and stability of Syria and the entire region,” said Col. Joe Buccino, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command.

“As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing,” continued Buccino.

Second US Base Hit In Syria After US Retaliatory Strikes - AL-OMAR - A second U.S. base, Green Village in Syria located in the Al-Omar gas field in northeastern Syria was targeted by rockets after retaliatory strikes were carried out by the United States in response to another attack that killed an American contractor and wounded another contractor and four other service members. Read More Alerts

In the latest attack, the rockets were fired at the Green Village base but did not result in any casualties according to Major John Moore, who is a spokesperson for the United States Central Command (CENTCOM).

ABC News reporter Luis Martinez reported that 10 rockets were fired at the Green Village base.

The retaliatory strikes by the United States before the second attack on a US base were carried out after a drone strike by militant groups affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to a statement by the Pentagon.

The drone strike occurred at a US coalition base coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria at about 1:38 p.m. local time Thursday.

The statement by Central Command said "Our troops remain in Syria to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS, which benefits the security and stability of not only Syria, but the entire region".

CENTCOM: Attack On Forces Killed American Contractor In Syria, Wounded Troops And Another Contractor - Central Command: "This evening, we responded to an attack on our forces that killed an American contractor and wounded our troops and another American contractor by striking facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Read More Alerts

"We will always take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing. We are postured for scalable options in the face of any additional Iranian attacks.

"The thoughts and prayers of US Central Command are with the Family of our contractor killed and with our wounded servicemembers and contractor.

"Our troops remain in Syria to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS, which benefits the security and stability of not only Syria, but the entire region."

DOD: Attack On Forces Killed American Contractor In Syria, Wounded Troops And Another Contractor - Department of Defense:" Earlier today, a U.S. contractor was killed and five U.S. service members and one additional U.S. contractor were wounded after a one-way unmanned aerial vehicle struck a maintenance facility on a Coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria at approximately 1:38 p.m. local time. Read More Alerts

The intelligence community assess the UAV to be of Iranian origin.

"At the direction of President Biden, I authorized U.S. Central Command forces to conduct precision airstrikes tonight in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)," said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. "The airstrikes were conducted in response to today’s attack as well as a series of recent attacks against Coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC."

These precision strikes are intended to protect and defend U.S. personnel. The United States took proportionate and deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize casualties.

"As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing," said Secretary Austin. "No group will strike our troops with impunity."

"Our thoughts are with the family and colleagues of the contractor who was killed and with those who were wounded in the attack earlier today," said the Secretary.

Two of the wounded service members were treated on site, while three additional service members and the U.S. contractor were medically evacuated to Coalition medical facilities in Iraq."

North Korea Fires Multiple Cruise Missiles Toward East Sea - North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles toward the East Sea on Wednesday from the Hamhung region of North Korea's east coast, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). See All Alerts

The missile firing comes as the United States and South Korea continue the 11-day long Freedom Shield joint military exercise that North Korea claims is preparation for an invasion on the North.

In a press release regarding the Warrior Shield exercise, the JCS said, "Under the firm combined defense posture, our military will successfully wrap up the FS and continue to carry out the ongoing Warrior Shield in a high-intensity manner".

Japan: North Korea Has Launched A Short-Range Ballistic Missile - The Japanese Prime Minister's Office has reported that North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile on Sunday as the United States and South Korea carry out joint military drills that North Korea claims is a rehearsal for an invasion on the country. See More Alerts

The South Korean military has confirmed that a ballistic missile was fired from North Korea toward the East Sea.

South Korean news agency Yonhap has cited the South Korean military as stating that the missile flew around 800 kilometers (497 miles).

North Korean state news agency KCNA released a statement entitled: "March 18 Revolution" on March 19th that said, "The untiring efforts and devotion of the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un, who energetically led the development of Juche-oriented strategic weapons under the uplifted banner of the great line of simultaneously developing the two fronts, brought about the "March 18 revolution" - the accomplishment of the historic great cause of completing the state nuclear forces".

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International Criminal Court Issues Arrest Warrant For Vladimir Putin And Maria Lvova-Belova - ICC - The International Criminal Court (ICC) released a statement on Friday that it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, including the abduction of children from Ukraine during Russia's war on the country. See More Alerts

The statement by Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan KC said that the ICC issued arrested warrants for both Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and Maria Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children's Rights "in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation".

The statement said the arrest warrants were issued "on the basis of evidence and analyzed by my Office pursuant to its independent investigations".

It went on to say that "the Pre-Trial Chamber has confirmed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that President Putin and Ms Lvova-Belova bear criminal responsibility for the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, contrary to article 8(2)(a)(vii) and article 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute".

In response to the announcements of the arrest warrants, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and considers any decisions that the court makes null and void.

AP news cited Adil Ahmad Haque, who is "an expert" with international law as saying, "So Putin might go to China, Syria, Iran, his ... few allies, but he just won’t travel to the rest of the world and won’t travel to ICC member states who he believes would ... arrest him".

North Korea Claims Thursday's ICBM Test Was A Hwasong-17 - North Korean state media claims that the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test that the country carried out on Thursday was a Hwasong-17. Photos of the launch posted by KCNA show the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's daughter with him watching the test launch. See All Alerts

The state media also claimed that the missile launch was a direct response to the "provocative and invasive large-scale drills by the United States and South Korea" that began this week.

South Korea: North Korea Fired Long-Range ICBM - SEOUL - The Japanese Ministry of Defense now says that the missile launched by North Korea was a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and that the details are "currently under analysis". See All Alerts

The South Korean military has released their own assessment on the missile fired by North Korea, saying that it was a long-range ballistic missile and was fired toward the East Sea, which was fired just hours before leaders of South Korea and Japan were set to meet in order to discuss the regional threat posed by North Korea.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that it detected the missile as launching from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at 7:10 in the morning.

The JCS put out a statement that said, "While strengthening its monitoring and vigilance, our military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States".

The South Korean military said that the long-range missile flew at a lofted angle for about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) according to a report by South Korean news agency Yonhap.

Yonhap put out a statement that said, "There will be a price to pay for North Korea's provocation... Intensive ROK-US joint training," and in another article said that the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned North Korea of consequences for the provocations.

IAEA: 2.5 Tons Of Uranium Missing From Libyan Nuclear Site - LIBYA - Inspections carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have found that 2.5 tons of natural uranium are missing from an unnamed Libyan site that is not under the control of the Libyan government. See All Alerts & News

The IAEA chief Rafael Grossi released a confidential statement to member states that Reuters reports to have seen that talk of the findings of an inspection that was originally planned for the previous year, but "had to be postponed because of the security situation in the region," according to the Reuters report.

The postponed inspection was finally carried out on Tuesday, according to the IAEA statement, which was one page long according to Reuters.

The statement said that inspectors, "found that 10 drums containing approximately 2.5 tons of natural uranium in the form of UOC (uranium ore concentrate) previously declared by (Libya) ... as being stored at that location were not present at the location".

The IAEA said that they would be carrying out "further activities" in order to determine how and why the uranium was taken from the site, but the statement reportedly did not state what site the uranium had been taken from.

"The loss of knowledge about the present location of nuclear material may present a radiological risk, as well as nuclear security concerns," the statement said.

Japan: North Korea Launched Ballistic Missile - JAPAN - Initial Report: The Japanese Prime Minister's office released a statement that said that North Korea has launched a "suspected ballistic missile". The Japanese Ministry of Defense then released a statement confirming that a ballistic missile was launched from the west coast of North Korea, toward the east. See All Alerts & News

The Japanese Ministry of Defense statement estimated that the missile will fall outside of Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), about 550 kilometers (342 miles) east of the Korean Peninsula at around 8:18 local time.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense released the following statement regarding the launch (message has been translated):[Translation] "At around 7:09 today, a single ballistic missile was launched from the west coast of North Korea toward the east. As it is currently in flight, it may change in the future, but at this time, it is estimated that it will fall outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), about 550 km east of the Korean Peninsula, at around 8:18".

The office also released the following Prime Minister's instructions:

1. Dedicate maximum effort to gather & analyze information, & provide the public speedy & adequate information. 2. Ensure the safety of aircraft, vessels, & other assets. 3. Take all possible measures for precaution, incl. readiness for contingencies.

Russia: We View US Drone's Black Sea Flight As Provocation And It Had No Business Being Near Russia - MOSCOW - The Russian ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that Russia views the U.S. drone flight in the Black Sea as a "real provocation" and said that it was flying with its "transponders off" and "entered into the zone of the special military operation" which is the term Russia uses for its war in Ukraine. Get All Alerts

Antonov spoke to reporters after speaking to the U.S. Department of State, after being summoned regarding the incident, saying that the United States "provoked" Russia to "take a certain action" so that the US could accuse Moscow and Russia's military of being "non-professional".

"The aircraft was flying with its transponders off, and it entered the zone of the special military operation. It [the information about the zone] was made public via international channels. We, Russia, have warned everyone about it. I think this was a real provocation," he said.

He also added, "We consider this incident a provocation".

Russian aircraft collides into US unmanned system in international waters - "Two Russian Su-27 aircraft conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept with a U.S. Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance unmanned MQ-9 aircraft that was operating within international airspace over the Black Sea today. See All Alerts

At approximately 7:03 AM (CET), one of the Russian Su-27 aircraft struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters. Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner. This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional.

“Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, commander, U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa. “In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash.”

“U.S. and Allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace and we call on the Russians to conduct themselves professionally and safely,” Hecker added.

This incident follows a pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots while interacting with U.S. and Allied aircraft over international airspace, including over the Black Sea. These aggressive actions by Russian aircrew are dangerous and could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation.

U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa routinely fly aircraft throughout Europe over sovereign territory and throughout international airspace in coordination with applicable host nation and international laws. In order to bolster collective European defense and security, these missions support Allied, partner, and U.S. national objectives."

North Korea Fires 2 Short-Range Ballistic Missile Toward East Sea - SOUL - North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea a day after the United States and South Korea began carrying out a combined military exercise, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. Subscribe To All Alerts And Intel

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that the short-range ballistic missiles were launched from the Jangyon region in the Hwanghae Province between 7:41 in the morning to 7:51 in the morning.

In a text message sent to South Korean reporters, the JCS said, "While strengthening its monitoring and vigilance in preparation against the possibility of additional launches, our military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States".

US And South Korea Carry Out Combined Exercise After North Fires Two Cruise Missiles From Submarine - SEOUL - The United States and South Korea began carrying out another combined military exercise in the Indo-Pacific called "Freedom Shield" that was announced on March 2nd by the United States Forces Korea after North Korea launched two cruise missiles from a submarine the day before. Subscribe To All Alerts And Intel

The statement from United States Forces Korea posted early in March said that Freedom Shield was set to begin on March 13th, 2023, and would be conducted "over an 11-day period" which will involve integrating elements of "live exercises" with "constructive simulations".

South Korean news agency Yonhap cited Seoul officials as saying that the simulations will consist of "realistic scenarios reflective of the North's evolving nuclear and missile threats" in the region, and is to "proceed with the concurrent field training exercise, called the Warrior Shield".

A statement released by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of staff said, "The combined exercise is a defensive one based on a combined operational plan designed to defend the ROK from potential North Korean aggression".

Regarding Warrior Shield, the statement by US Forces Korea said, "In addition to FS23, several combined field training exercises (FTX), collectively called Warrior Shield FTX, will also be taking place around the Korean Peninsula".

The purpose of the Warrior Shield training, according to the statement, is to "further enhance the ROK and U.S. militaries’ cooperation through air, land, sea, space, cyber and special operations, and improve upon tactics, techniques and procedures".

U.S. strategic bombers and ROK fighters conduct combined air training

USAG Humphreys, Republic of Korea - U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys - The Republic of Korea Air Force and the United States Air Force conducted a combined air training event with the redeployment of the U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress over the Korean Peninsula today.

In the latest U.S.-ROK combined air training event, ROK Air Force F-15s and F-16s escorted the U.S. B-52 strategic bomber as it entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone and conducted combined flight operations.

The training offered the alliance an opportunity to improve interoperability between the ROK and the U.S. by demonstrating a combined defense capability and providing extended deterrence in the defense of the Korean Peninsula.

The U.S. remains committed to peace and prosperity through the region to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific, and our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea remains ironclad.

U.S. strategic bombers and ROK fighters conduct combined air training

(FS23) March 13, 2023. The word 'Freedom' in the name refers to the strong will in protecting freedom as an immutable value of the ROK-U.S. Alliance, and 'Shield' symbolizes the defensive nature of the exercise.

The exercise will be conducted over an 11-day period and will integrate elements of "live exercises" with constructive simulations.

Participating units will include personnel from the ROK Military, United States Forces Korea (USFK), United Nations Command (UNC), and subordinate component commands under CFC, along with augmented, civilian personnel and representatives of the United Nations sending states.

The exercise will include but not be limited to lessons learned from current and ongoing conflicts to increase the units’ combat readiness and combined defense posture, as well as strengthen the security and stability on the Korean peninsula and across Northeast Asia.

In addition to FS23, several combined field training exercises (FTX), collectively called Warrior Shield FTX, will also be taking place around the Korean Peninsula. The name Warrior Shield stands for the ROK-US Alliance's ability and resolution to solidify their combined defense posture to defend the ROK.

The purpose of the training for Warrior Shield FTX is to further enhance the ROK and U.S. militaries’ cooperation through air, land, sea, space, cyber and special operations, and improve upon tactics, techniques, and procedures.

The ROK-U.S. Alliance remains at a high level of readiness and continues to maintain a robust combined defense posture. All professional militaries train using routine and continuously executed events to maintain proficiency, credibility, and trust.

Freedom Shield 23 is the latest example of that training and the ironclad commitment to support and defend the ROK sovereignty from any threat or adversary.

North Korea Launched Two Strategic Cruise Missiles From Submarine - PYONGYANG - North Korea announced that they launched two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine underwater on Sunday. The missiles flew about 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) for about 125 minutes (7,563 to 7,575 seconds). See All Alerts

According to a translated version of the article by Voice of Korea, the submarine that launched the missile was called "August 24 Hero Warship" and was mobilized for a drill before launching two strategic cruise missiles "at the waters off the Kyongpho Bay off the East Sea of Korea".

A translated report by South Korean news agency Yonhap said: "N. Korea says it fired two 'strategic cruise missiles' from submarine Sunday," along a "figure-8 shaped flight orbit simulating the distance of 1,500 kilometers set on the East Sea of Korea and hit the target".

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff released a statement on Monday that said it had detected the missile launch from a North Korean submarine near the country's eastern port city of Sinpo on Sunday.

South Korean and United States intelligence agencies are analyzing the details of the missile launch, according to South Korean authorities.

Voice of Korea said that the drill "confirmed the reliability of the weapon system" and "inspected and judged the operational posture of the underwater-to-ground attack of the submarine units," and said that the submarine launch "served its purpose".

DOD: Russia Reportedly Supplying Enriched Plutonium to China - Department of Defense: Various open-source outlets reported how Rosatom is providing highly enriched uranium for Chinese fast breeder reactors, said a U.S official during a posture hearing today at the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. See All Alerts

North Korea Fires Short-range Ballistic Missile Toward Yellow Sea - SEOUL - North Korea has fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the Yellow Sea, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). See All Alerts

The JCS said that they detected that a short-range missile was launched from North Korea's port city of Nampo at 6:20 pm local time.

In a text message sent to reporters, the JCS said, "While strengthening its monitoring and vigilance, our military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States".

US Intelligence Repeats Warning That North Korea Likely To Conduct Nuclear Test - A U.S. intelligence report on Wednesday reiterated earlier warnings, as well as a warning in the 2023 Annual Threat Assessment that North Korea is expected to carry out its seventh nuclear test. South Korea has said that it could be carried out at any time. See All Alerts

The report, which was released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said, "Kim almost certainly views nuclear weapons and ICBMs as the ultimate guarantor of his autocratic rule and has no intention of abandoning those programs, believing that over time he will gain international acceptance as a nuclear power".

It added that "North Korea is using its nuclear-capable missile program to try to establish strategic dominance over South Korea and U.S. forces in the region by pursuing missiles probably aimed at defeating missile defenses on the peninsula and the region and issuing threats to militarily respond to any perceived attacks against its sovereignty".

North Korea Claims US, South Korea Simulating Nuclear Strikes So It Can Strike Its Bases - PYONGYANG - A statement released by the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that the United States and South Korea are carrying out simulations of nuclear strikes and are planning a "surprise strike" against "major deep strategic [North Korean] bases". See All Alerts

The statement said: "Recently, the United States and south Korea are heating up the situation on the Korean peninsula to an extremely dangerous level with threatening rhetoric and military demonstrations against the DPRK.

"According to reports, on the 3rd, the United States and South Korea mobilized various strategic equipment that they claim to be superior, such as the strategic bomber "B-1B" and unmanned combat aircraft "MQ-9 Reaper", and conducted the fourth joint air strike over the West Sea of ​​Korea this year. training was extended.

Prior to this, the US and the south Korean military department held a “exercise on the operation of extended deterrence measures” simulating the use of nuclear weapons against the DPRK and even announced a press release mentioning the “end of the regime” in the DPRK.

Even now, the US does not hide the fact that it is carrying out special operations training for the purpose of a surprise strike against major deep strategic bases in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in alliance with south Korea."

Ukraine: Currently 16 Russian Vessels In Black Sea - BLACK SEA - Ukrainian Defense Forces have reported that there are currently 16 Russian vessels in the Black Sea, including four missile carriers. See All Alerts

Natalya Gumenyuk, who is the spokeswoman for the Joint Coordinating Press Center of the Defense Forces of the South of Ukraine was cited by Ukrainian Interfax as saying that the number of missiles in the Black Sea are a powerful potential and that there could be a strike at "any moment".

"The enemy ship grouping consists of 16 ships, among which 4 missile carriers remain: 2 surface and 2 underwater. This means that more than 20 Caliber missiles can be ready for a salvo," Gumenyuk was cited as saying.

"As a rule, the readiness of such a number of launch vehicles on combat duty, including underwater ones, indicates preparation for a missile attack. What it will be depends on the tactics chosen by the enemy command. They have already understood that massive missile attacks give not the result they expect. These are high costs and low returns. Therefore, most likely they will use targeted missile attacks," she added.

"Missile launches can be at any moment"

North Korea: Development of Satellites Propelled in DPRK - PYONGYANG - On March 6th, the North Korean National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) said that it has made "steady progress" regarding the development of its satellite program, and has "succeeded" in developing a high-thrust engine carrier rocket in order to launch it into space. See All Alerts

The statement released by North Korean state news agency KCNA said, "The DPRK has made steady progress in the work to put the satellite on a multi-functional and high-performance basis and improve its reliability. It succeeded in developing high-thrust engine for carrier rocket and thus provided a sure guarantee for launching various kinds of satellites into relevant orbits."

It added, "The work to introduce the space sci-tech achievements into various fields including agriculture, fishery, meteorological observation, communication, natural resources exploration, land management and disaster prevention is getting brisk to give a strong impetus to the comprehensive development of socialist construction."

"All these successes foretell the bright future of the DPRK's space development."

Chinese Linked Company Purchases 51% Of Japanese Island - JAPAN - Two years ago a Chinese-linked company purchased 51% of the land on the uninhabited Japanese Okinawan island of Yanaha located a little over 15 miles from the U.S. military's Iejima auxiliary airfield according to a report by Japanese news agency Yomiuri Shimbun citing officials in the village of Izena administering the island. See All Alerts

North Korean MFA: If US Continues "Hostile" And "Provocative" Practices, It Could Be Regarded As Declaration Of War - PYONGYANG - [North Korean statements translated] Kwon Jeong-geun, Director-General for US Affairs and North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement posted by North Korean state-run news agency KCNA that said if the US continued its "hostile and provocative practices" against North Korea, it could be regarded as a "declaration of war" against the country. See All Alerts

Chinese Jet Shadows US P-8 Poseidon, Gives Warning - SOUTH CHINA SEA - A Chinese J-11 fighter jet shadowed a U.S. P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft from a few hundred feet away and issued a warning to stop approaching or "pay full responsibility" while it was in international airspace, a near-daily occurrence now, according to U.S. officials. See All Alerts

Chinese Vessels Sever Multiple Undersea Cables Linking Taiwan To Malaysia - TAIWAN - Chinese fishing vessels have been linked to the severing of multiple Taiwanese undersea cables in February according to Chunghwa Telecom, a telecommunications firm that handles Taiwan's undersea cables. See All Alerts

Over the past five years, damage to cables between Taiwan and the Matsu islands has been reported over 20 times. It should be noted that it is not known whether the cables are being severed by the Chinese vessels by accident, or deliberately.

Deputy head of Taiwan’s National Communications Commission Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said that on February 2nd, one cable was reported to have been severed by a Chinese fishing vessel. On February 8th damage to the Taima 3 submarine cable was reported to have been linked to a Chinese cargo ship identified by MMSI.

Chunghwa Telecom has filed incident reports with the Taiwanese Coast Guard Administration, according to Central News Agency (CNA) Taiwan.

This is the second time in the last year that two Taiwanese undersea cables were severed at the same time. Last year another incident occurred which resulted in multiple damaged cables.

Vessels are expected to arrive at the location to repair the damaged cables but aren't expected to begin repairs until April 20th, which is the earliest possible date to begin repairs, which will cost between $329,000 and $658,000. See All Alerts

Chinese State Media Responds To News US Expanding Troop Presence In Taiwan - BEIJING - Chinese state-affiliated media Global Times has responded to reports that the United States is expanding their troop presence in Taiwan by saying that it is "illegal" for the soldiers to go to Taiwan, and that the Chinese mainland "won't take any responsibility for their safety" and that they will be "wiped out" together with the "resisting Taiwan troops" if China takes "military action". See All Alerts

Global Times commentator Hu Xijin 胡锡进 said, "It’s illegal for these US soldiers to go to Taiwan,and Chinese mainland won’t take any responsibility for their safety. If we take military action when necessary,they’ll be wiped out together with the resisting Taiwan troops.They can also be eliminated first as the invading army."

37 Chinese Military Aircraft, 6 PLAN Vessels Spotted Around Taiwan On February 24th, 2023 - 37 Chinese military aircraft and 6 PLA Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on February 24th, 2023 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense.

Of the Chinese military aircraft spotted, four were J-16 fighter jets, two were J-11 fighter jets, two were J-10 fighter jets, one was a TB-001 reconnaissance (RECCE) UCAV drone, one was a CH-4 reconnaissance (RECCE) UCAV drone, one was a Y-8 antisubmarine warfare (ASW) aircraft and one was a BZK-005 reconnaissance (RECCE) UAV drone.

12 of the detected military aircraft crossed over the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

Taiwan tasked CAP aircraft, issued radio warnings and deployed air defense missile systems in order to monitor the activities of the Chinese forces.

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense released the following statement: "37 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities".

The MOD added, "12 of the detected aircraft (J-11*2, J-10*2, TB-001 UCAV RECCE, J-16*4, CH-4 UCAV RECCE, Y-8 ASW, BZK-005 UAV RECCE) had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwest ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated".

North Korea Strategic Cruise Missile Firing Exercise - PYONGYANG - North Korea launched "four strategic" Arrow-2 type cruise missiles from the area of Kimchaek City, North Hamgyong Province to the East Sea of Korea, according to North Korean state news agency KCNA. Get More Alerts (And Earlier)

"A strategic cruise missile firing exercise was conducted at dawn on February 23," KCNA reported, adding that "the launch training successfully achieved its purpose".

The news agency reported that the four strategic cruise missiles flew in an "elliptical and 8 shaped flight trajectory" for 10.2 seconds, "simulating the distance line set in the EAst Sea of Korea".

"The Republic's nuclear combat force, which is strengthening its lethal nuclear counterattack capability against the hostile forces in every way, clearly demonstrated once again the state of war," KCNA stated. Read Full Statement

US Sending 200 Additional Soldiers To Taiwan - TAIPEI - Though only 30 U.S. Soldiers were located in Taiwan one year ago, the United States is now sending 100 to 200 more soldiers to the island for training (potentially more than quadrupling the number) amidst increasing tensions with China. Get More Alerts (And Earlier)

The additional soldiers will be added to the smaller training program that has already existed on the island consisting of personnel from the U.S. National Guard, U.S. Marines, and Special Operations.

In addition, the Michigan National Guard will be training Taiwanese soldiers, which will include some training within the United States.

Tensions have been on the increase in the region as China sends military aircraft into the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on a near daily basis since U.S. officials such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island on August 2nd, 2022.

In addition, there are now reports that Chinese vessels are Severing Undersea Cables linking Taiwan to Malaysia. Australian General: China Would Take Out Taiwanese Cables On Ocean Floor At Start Of Invasion

Russia Suspends START Nuclear Treaty With United States - MOSCOW - The Russian Foreign Ministry has released a statement declaring that the START nuclear treaty, which is the only nuclear treaty in effect between the United States and Russia, suspended, saying that the U.S. is "weakening" the security of the Russian Federation, and causing a political and economic "suffocation" of Russia.Subscribe To All Alerts

The Foreign Ministry said however,, "At the same time, in order to maintain a sufficient degree of predictability and stability in the nuclear missile sphere, Russia intends to adhere to a responsible approach and will continue to strictly comply with the quantitative restrictions on strategic offensive arms stipulated by it within the life cycle of the Treaty".

"In addition, the Russian side will continue to participate in the exchange of notifications with the American side on launches of ICBMs and SLBMs on the basis of the relevant agreement between the USSR and the USA in 1988."

"The decision to suspend the START may be reversible. To do this, Washington must show political will, make conscientious efforts for a general de-escalation and create conditions for the resumption of the full functioning of the Treaty and, accordingly, comprehensively ensuring its viability. We urge the American side to do just that. Until then, any steps we take towards Washington in the context of START are absolutely out of the question".

Putin To Give Message To Federal Assembly On February 21st - [Posted in Patreon 4 days ago] MOSCOW - Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Putin will be reading out a message to the Russian Federal Assembly on February 21st in Gostiny Dvor that will focus on "the current situation" - the "special operation" and the "economy", as well as "the social sphere". Get Alerts Early

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti [From translation] reported that the streets in the Gostiny Dvor "will be blocked" in the center of Moscow "on the day of the announcement of the message of Russian President Vladimir Putin".

The Telegram channel of the Moscow Department of Transport said: "On the twenty-first of February, from 00.01 until the end of the event, sections from Novaya Square to Red Square, from Kitaigorodsky Proyezd to Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge and from Ilyinka Street to Varvarka Street in the area of ​​house 5 on Red Square will be unavailable for travel. Parking in the area will also be unavailable ceilings".

Novosti reported that Putin's message will be covering "security and defense", the economy in the "new military-political realities", and address what Moscow calls "gangster methods" to seize the hydrocarbon market and establish a "political and economic protectorate" overall of Europe.

RIA Novosti cited the first deputy head of the international committee of the Federation Council, FSB General Vladimir Dzhabarov as saying that the "first issue could be" to increase defense capabilities and, "The fight against terrorists, the fight against saboteurs, against agents of foreign special services".

Slutsky said that Putin's speech will "set priorities" that will "leave no hope for our enemies to defeat Russia, weaken or try to subdue it to its neo-colonial dictate."

Alexei Didenko, deputy head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) faction in the Russian Duma said, "Surely the president will focus on the work of the military-industrial complex, which is now functioning on a forced basis, on combat capabilities and the latest weapons technologies".

The Russian news agency said that "Almost all parliamentarians" are also assuming that Putin will speak on the economy, sanctions, and "overcoming pressure from the West in one way or another".

South Korea: North Fired Two Short-Range Ballistic Missiles In East Sea - SEOUL - South Korean news agency Yonhap has reported (translated) that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea in response to the joint "flight training" by the United States and South Korea the previous day. Get Alerts Earlier

North Korea has claimed that the SRBM is a 600mm super-large multiple rocket launcher capable of a nuclear attack and threatens to devastate the enemy's operational airfield with four projectiles.

North Korean news agency KCNA stated, "The corresponding radiation artillery division of the long-range artillery unit of the Western Front of the Korean People's Army conducted a radiation firing drill at 7:00 in the morning of the 20th." , and fired two projectiles into the East Sea".

KCNA said that the rocket launcher is, "the latest multiple-shot precision attack weapon system of our military, and is a tactical nuclear strike tool that boasts formidable power enough to allocate 1 to 4 shots per enemy's operational airfield."

“At the presentation ceremony held at the end of December of last year, the Academy of Defense Sciences and the Nuclear Weapons Research Institute expressed a firm view that, against the power of multiple rocket launchers, the explosive power of four rounds could devastate the enemy’s operational airfield to paralyze it."

"Through today's shooting exercise using super-large multiple rocket launchers, a means of tactical nuclear attack, the Korean People's Army's thorough deterrence readiness and will to respond to the combined air force capabilities of the United States and South Korea, which pride themselves on air supremacy, were fully demonstrated."

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said that it had "captured" two short-range ballistic missiles that had been launched into the East Sea from around Sukcheon, South Pyongan Province at around 7:00 am to 7:11 am local time.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, ""Our military is maintaining a full readiness posture while closely cooperating with the United States while strengthening surveillance and vigilance".

Yonhap said that the "super-large" launcher is a weapon that belongs to the category of short-range ballistic missiles because it "has a guidance function" and flies in a trajectory similar to that of a ballistic missile.

Nuclear Inspectors Detect 84% Purity Enriched Uranium In Iran - TEHRAN - International nuclear inspectors have detected 84% enriched uranium in Iran, "just below" the level needed to manufacture a nuclear weapon. Get All Alerts

Iran had told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that its centrifuges were only configured to reach a purity of 60%, conflicting with the recent findings.

The level of enriched uranium needed to manufacture a nuclear warhead is around 90% enrichment purity.

In January of 2023, Israeli military's outgoing Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi had said that Iran had enough enriched uranium to produce four nuclear bombs.

In November of 2022, the IAEA said that Iran had reached 60% uranium enrichment purity at its Fordow nuclear plant.

In July of 2022, an IRGC affiliated Telegram channel had posted a video declaring that Iran can move its "peaceful nuclear program to a nuclear weapons program" very quickly, and said that Iran's ballistic missiles are capable of "turning New York into hellish ruins".

North Korean ICBM Lands In Japan's EEC, Near Hokkaido - JAPAN - An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launched by North Korea landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEC), near Hokkaido according to Japan's Prime Minister, and the NHK news agency. For Live Alerts

Japanese officials say the North Korean missile was launched towards the east at 5:21 pm on Saturday, and landed in the ocean at about 6:27 pm west of Oshima-oshima in Hokkaido.

USINDOPACOM Statement on DPRK Missile Launch

"We are aware of the DPRK’s ballistic missile launch and are consulting closely with the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan, as well as other regional allies and partners.

The United States condemns these actions and calls on the DPRK to refrain from any further unlawful and destabilizing acts.

While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, or territory, or to our allies, we will continue to monitor the situation.

The U.S. commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan remain ironclad."

CENTCOM: ISIS Senior Leader Killed and Four U.S. Servicemembers Wounded in Helicopter Raid in Northeastern Syria - CENTRAL COMMAND: "TAMPA, Fla. - Last night, during a partnered U.S. and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) helicopter raid in northeastern Syria, an explosion on target resulted in four U.S. servicemembers and one working dog wounded. The targeted ISIS senior leader, Hamza al- Homsi, was killed. The U.S. servicemembers and working dog are receiving treatment in a U.S. medical facility in Iraq."Get All Alerts & News

A second statement said, "ISIS Senior Leader Killed and Four U.S. Servicemembers Wounded in Helicopter Raid in Northeastern Syria".

Central Command Carries Out D-ISIS Raid On February 10th, 2023 - Central Command (CENTCOM) has released a statement regarding a "D-ISIS" raid that was carried out on February 10th, 2023 in which an ISIS leader was killed. Get Alerts Early

CENTCOM Statement: "A partnered D-ISIS raid on Feb 10th resulted in the seizure of multiple weapons, ammo, and a suicide belt. We can confirm Ibrahim Al Qahtani, an ISIS official associated with planning ISIS detention center attacks, was killed in the raid. 10,000+ ISIS detainees are held in Syria".

Central Command: US Forces Shoot Down Iranian-Manufactured UAV In Syria - US CENTRAL COMMAND: "On February 14th, at approximately 2:30 PM local time, US forces in Syria engaged and shot down an Iranian-manufactured UAV attempting to conduct reconnaissance of Mission Support Site Conoco, a patrol base in northeast Syria." See Photos & Get All Alerts

US Airstrike Kills 12 al-Shabaab Fighters In Somalia - AFRICOM: A U.S. Airstrike has killed at least 12 al-Shabaab fighters in Somalia. The airstrike was carried out around 28 miles from northeast Mogadishu, according to U.S. Africa Command. Sign up for Live News Alerts.

The Statement By AFRICOM said, "At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia and in support of Somali National Army engagements against al-Shabaab, U.S. Africa Command conducted a collective self-defense strike Feb 10, 2023.

“The initial assessment is the strike killed 12 al Shabaab fighters. Given the remote location of the operation, the command assesses that no civilians were injured or killed," the statement added.

It also said that the airstrike was carried out at the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, and in support of the Somali National Army.

General Michael Langley, the AFRICOM commander said, "U.S. Africa Command provides support to the Somali government to address terrorist threats, but we are only part of the U.S. efforts there".

He added, “Our Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development colleagues have programs that help build resilience through education and training; develop agricultural diversity; improve markets and trade; and strengthen democracy and good governance".

Live Pentagon Update On Latest Objects Shot Down Over United States - Watch Live Pentagon update on the latest objects shot down over North America by the United States Air Force. Watch Now.

DoD Statement On Shoot-Down Of Airborne Object Over Lake Huron, Michigan - The following is a statement by the Department of Defense on the "successful" shoot down of an "airborne object" flying at about 20,000 feet in altitude in U.S. airspace over Lake Huron in the state of Michigan.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: "Today at 2:42 p.m., at the direction of President Biden, and based on the recommendations of Secretary Austin and military leadership, an F-16 fired an AIM9x to successfully shoot down an airborne object flying at approximately 20,000 feet altitude in U.S. airspace over Lake Huron in the State of Michigan. Its path and altitude raised concerns, including that it could be a hazard to civil aviation.

The location chosen for this shoot down afforded us the opportunity to avoid impact to people on the ground while improving chances for debris recovery. There are no indications of any civilians hurt or otherwise affected.

North American Aerospace Defense Command detected the object Sunday morning and has maintained visual and radar tracking of it. Based on its flight path and data we can reasonably connect this object to the radar signal picked up over Montana, which flew in proximity to sensitive DOD sites.

We did not assess it to be a kinetic military threat to anything on the ground, but assess it was a safety flight hazard and a threat due to its potential surveillance capabilities. Our team will now work to recover the object in an effort to learn more."

Latest Object Shot Down Was "Octagonal" In Shape - WASHINGTON - The latest "object" that was shot down on Sunday over Lake Huron, which is located close to the Canadian border was "octagonal shape" with "no discernable payload", Reuters cited a senior official as saying.

The report also said that the United States had "no indication" that the object shot down over Lake Huron posed a military threat, or that it had any surveillance capabilities to speak of.

Although some reports say three objects have been shot down over North America, Reuters reports that four objects have actually been downed in total.

U.S. Military Decommissioned Another "Object" Over Lake Huron - LAKE HURON - The Michigan state representative Jack Bergman released a statement saying that he has been in contact with the Department of Defense, and that the U.S. military has "decommissioned" another "object" over Lake Huron. Read Full Article

Michigan Representative Jack Bergman: "I’ve been in contact with DOD regarding operations across the Great Lakes region today. The US military has decommissioned another “object” over Lake Huron. I appreciate the decisive action by our fighter pilots. The American people deserve far more answers than we have."

FAA - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reopened airspace over Lake Michigan after declaring "potential contact" with an unidentified object over the region, which NORAD declared a "radar anomaly" and deployed fighter jets to investigate.

The FAA reported that it had closed the airspace over Lake Michigan so that they could examine the "potential contact" and later determined that it posed no threat.

The FAA announced on Sunday, "Pilots who do not adhere to the following [procedure] may be intercepted, detained and interview by law enforcement or security personnel".

In another statement to Fox News Digital, the FAA said, "The FAA briefly closed some airspace over Lake Michigan to support Department of Defense activities. The airspace has been reopened".

Montana Representative Matt Rosendale released a statement that said, "I am in constant communication with NORCOM and they have just advised me that they have confidence there IS an object and it WAS NOT an anomaly. I am waiting now to receive visual confirmation. Our nation’s security is my priority".

NOTAM Activated Over Canada Due To "Active Air Defense Operation - CANADA - A NOTAM has been activated over Toronto, Canada to to an "active air defense operation".

Official NORAD Statement: About Temporary Flight Restriction In Montana - NORAD And NORTHCOM Statement: "With the cooperation of the Federal Aviation Administration, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) implemented a temporary flight restriction airspace in central Montana on Feb. 11, 2023, to ensure the safety of air traffic in the area during NORAD operations.

The restriction has been lifted. NORAD detected a radar anomaly and sent fighter aircraft to investigate.

Those aircraft did not identify any object to correlate to the radar hits. NORAD will continue to monitor the situation."

NORAD: Detected Radar Anomaly, Sent Fighter Aircraft To Investigate - National Security Reporter Natasha Bertrand: "This appears to have been a false alarm: New NORAD statement says “NORAD detected a radar anomaly and sent fighter aircraft to investigate. Those aircraft did not identify any object to correlate to the radar hits. NORAD will continue to monitor the situation.”

Representative Rosendale: Airspace Above Montana Reopened- Representative Matt Rosendale statement: "Airspace is reopened – I will remain in contact with defense officials and share more information as it becomes available. Montanans deserve answers". FAA Notice And Map

FAA Issues NOTAM over Havre, Montana Near Canadian Border - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a NOTAM over Havre, Montana, near the Canadian border, and declared the region “National Defense Airspace”. FAA Notice And Map

NORAD shoots down an unidentified object violating Canadian airspace over the Yukon with an F-22. - NORAD shoots down an unidentified object violating Canadian airspace over the Yukon with an F-22. Tweet 2

NORAD Statement on Alaskan high-altitude airborne object Shootdown: - NORAD: "February 11, 2023 U.S. Northern Command Update on Recovery Operations At the direction of the President of the United States, fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Norther Command successfully took down a high altitude airborne object off the northern coast of Alaska at 1:45 pm Eastern Standard Time Feb. 10 within U.S. sovereign airspace over U.S. territorial water. Tweet 2

Recovery operations continue today near Deadhorse, Alaska. U.S. Northern Command's Alaska Command and the Alaska National Guard, in close coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement, are conducting search and recovery activities.

Arctic weather conditions, including wind chill, snow, and limited daylight, are a factor in this operation, and personnel will adjust recovery operations to maintain safety. Recovery activities are occurring on sea ice.

We have no further details at this time about the object, including its capabilities, purpose, or origin.

U.S. Northern Command also continues to conduct recovery operations off the coast of South Carolina following the takedown of the high-altitude surveillance balloon on Feb. 4. U.S. Northern Command's U.S. Navy component continues to conduct survey and recovery activities, and the U.S. Coast Guard continues to support site security.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation continues to assist recovery on site and take custody of debris arriving at on-shore locations. Sea states Feb. 10 permitted dive and underwater unmanned vehicle (UUV) activities and the retrieval of additional debris from the sea floor.

The public may see U.S. Navy vessels moving to and from the site as they conduct offload and resupply activities. Operations will continue as weather permits."

Norad Tracks One Or Two More High-Altitude Objects Over Northern Canada - North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is monitoring "what appear to be" one or two objects over Canada according to a report by the Canadian Global Television Network. National security reporter Natasha Bertrand reported a high-altitude airborne object over Northern Canada. Tweet 1 | Tweet 2

Global News reported that "three security sources" told them of one or two more potential spy balloons exist, but the news agency said that they have no information on where the objects are located, or whether any decision has been made whether or not to shoot them down.

The "high-altitude" object that was taken down on Friday over the Atlantic Ocean in Alaska by the U.S. Air Force did not enter Canadian airspace, the country's Defense Minister Anita Anand said Friday in a statement.

Global News journalist Mercedes Stephenson posted a statement that said, "exclusive reporting that they have spotted another potential spy balloon. This time over Canada. The command says NORAD aircraft are in the area. “we have positively identified a high-altitude airborne object over Northern Canada”#BREAKING NORAD [email protected]".

DoD Releases Statement About Object Shot Down Over Alaska - Department of Defense Press Secretary brigadier general Pat Ryder released a statement regarding the object shot down over Alaska, as well as further details about the balloon shot down on February 4th.

He said that the object was the size of a "small car" and not similar in "size or shape to the high-altitude surveillance balloon that was taken down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4th".

"Debris that's been recovered so far is being loaded on to vessels taken ashore, cataloged, and then moved onwards to labs for subsequent analysis. And while I won't go into specifics due to classification reasons, I can say that we have located a significant amount of debris so far that will prove helpful to our further understanding of this balloon and its surveillance capabilities," Ryder said

"We have no further details about the object at this time, including any description of its capabilities, purpose or origin," Ryder added.

Statement By DoD Press Secretary

"At the direction of the President of the United States fighter aircraft assigned to the U.S. Northern Command successfully took down a high-altitude airborne object off the northern coast of Alaska at 1:45pm Eastern Standard Time today within U.S. sovereign airspace over U.S. territorial water.

On February 9th, North American Aerospace Command detected an object on ground radar and further investigated and identified the object using fighter aircraft.

The object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight. U.S. Northern command is beginning recovery operations now.

U.S. Northern Command's Alaska Command coordinated the operation with assistance from the Alaska international guard, Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

We have no further details about the object at this time, including any description of its capabilities, purpose or origin.

The object was about the size of a small car so not similar in size or shape to the high-altitude surveillance balloon that was taken down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4th".

Another Object Posing A "Reasonable Threat" Shot Out Of The Sky Over Alaska - WHITE HOUSE - The U.S. just shot down an object that was flying around Alaska around one hour ago, according to John Kirby. White House Video Statement

Kirby said, "a high altitude object over Alaska air space...within the last hour" that we had been tracking for "the last 24 hours," and stated, "the object posed a reasonable threat".

"I can confirm that the Department of Defense was tracking a high altitude object over Alaska airspace in the last 24 hours out. The object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight. Out of an abundance of caution and the recommendation of the Pentagon, President Biden ordered the military to down the object. And they did. And it came in inside our territorial waters," Kirby stated.

Kirby also said, "The way it was described to me was roughly the size of a small car as opposed to a payload that was like two or three buses sized," Kirby said.

"We do not know who owns it, whether it's state owned or corporate owned or privately owned".

Brazil Declines Iranian Warships From Docking At Its Port - RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil has declined the two Iranian warships from docking at Rio de Janeiro as the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula sa Silva prepared to visit Washington for a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. Location Maps

The Iranian Navy had begun to operate in South American waters as two Iranian warships had the intention to dock at the port in the seaside city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for a stay of one week, on a mission to the Panama Canal.

The refusal to allow the Iranian warships to dock at the port has been seen as a gesture by Brazil seeking closer ties with the United States.

The Financial Post cited a Brazilian military source as saying, “It’s true that there was a veto (from the government). The Iranian ships could not come during this period".

January 29th, 2023: Iranian Navy Begins Operations In South American Waters

TEHRAN - The Iranian Navy has begun to operate in South American waters as two Iranian warships sought to dock at the port in the seaside city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for a stay of one week, on a mission to the Panama Canal.

Although there were initial reports that the Iranian vessels had docked at the port, reports came in later that they had not yet been allowed to dock, and that their docking was delayed by Brazil.

According to a Report by the Tehran Times and Fars News, Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said, "Today, we have a great opportunity in the sea area for the development of the country, and we can turn this gift from an economic capacity into a civilizational capacity by using the maritime capacity properly. Today, the use of the sea is a geopolitical advantage for us, and those who do not have this capacity are suffering from geopolitical suffocation.”

He said that the Iranian Navy is planning on expanding its scope of operations.

“So far, we have been present in all the strategic straits of the world and we have not been present in only two straits, in one of which we will be present this year and we are planning to be present in the Panama Canal,” he said.

He added, "The actions taken today in the Navy would not have been possible without the support of the elite society, knowledge-based companies, and the Ministry of Defense. Today, this capacity is at the service of the country's progress".

“We started seafaring much earlier than the Europeans, and this maritime civilization can be revived. Today we need to strengthen our maritime presence and today we can say that there is no problem in the scientific field to grow in this field. But most of this capacity is used in the military field and other sectors should also make more efforts in this field."

“Today, if my comrades are approaching the shores of the American continent, they are showing signs of the authority of dear Iran. As a showcase for the dear people of our country, we appeared in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Of course, along this route, Australia and the French created threats for us and tried to violate the laws they had approved to cross their coasts. But we answered them with authority and according to the law.”

He also said that Iran now has command centers in the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans.

“We have formed three oceanic commands, including the Indian Ocean Command, the Pacific Ocean Command, and the Atlantic Ocean Command. Today we are present in the Indian and Atlantic oceans and soon we will be present in the Pacific Ocean. The equipment that will join the Navy in the future is in line with the mission of these three commands,”

The two vessels that docked at the Brazilian port were the Iranian frigate Dena and the warship IRIS Makran,.

The IRIS Makran is Iran's only forward base ship of the Iranian Navy. It was converted from being an oil tanker and is Iran's largest warship.

Makran had been on its way to Venezuela in 2021 carrying seven missile boats onboard but was denied entry by Venezuela after intense diplomatic pressure at the time.

The Dena is a Moudge-class frigate, which according to Wikipedia has:

1 × 76 mm Fajr-27 naval gun, 1 × 40 mm Fath-40 AAA or 1x 30mm Kamand CIWS, 2 × 20 mm cannons Oerlikon, 2 × 12.7 mm heavy machine guns, 4 × Mehrab SAM surface-to-air missiles, 4 × Noor or Qader anti-ship missiles, 2 × triple 324 mm torpedoes

On January 11th, 2023 Iranian Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said, "So far, we have been present in all the strategic straits of the world. This year we are planning to be present in the Panama Canal.”

Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year strategic cooperation agreement in January 2022.

January 12th Transcript Of Ned Price Addressing Claims By Iran Of Visiting Panama Canal

QUESTION: the Islamic Republic of Iran is sending warships to the Panama Canal. Do you have any reactions to that? Do you find it provocative?

MR PRICE: We are aware of this claim by Iran’s navy. We continue to monitor Iran’s attempts or at least its statements of its intent to develop a military presence in the Western Hemisphere.

QUESTION: And also one more about exporting arms to Russia. There are reports that Iran has delayed the delivery of arms to Russia, including ballistic missiles and launchers. Are you aware of these delays and these reports, and what’s your assessment?

MR PRICE: Our overarching assessment has not changed. Iran is and remains Russia’s most important source of security assistance. This is a burgeoning partnership between Russia and Iran that has deepened in recent months but even over the longer time horizon. We’ve released significant detail regarding the provision of UAV technology from Iran to Russia. We have also detailed our concerns that Russia may also seek ballistic missiles, and ballistic missile technology, that Iran has.

We are watching very carefully. We continue to speak out against the provision of these wares, knowing that this technology, despite what we might hear from Tehran or from Moscow, is intended to do one thing: it is intended to kill Ukrainians; it is intended to inflict damage on the country of Ukraine, targeting in many cases civilian infrastructure.

Romanian Statement On Missile Launched By Russia, Crossing Into Moldova- Romania releases a statement regarding the Missile Launched By Russia, Crossing Into Moldova.

Romanian Ministry Of National Defense: "The Romanian Air Forces’ air surveillance system detected on Friday, February 10th, an aerial target launched by a Russian Federation’s ship, navigating in the Black Sea, nearby the Crimea Peninsula. The target is most likely a cruise missile, which flew over the air space of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and reentered the Ukrainian air space without ever infringing Romania’s air space.

The closest point of the aerial target’s trajectory from the Romanian air space was recorded by the radar systems to be at almost 35 kilometers North-East from the border.

The Romanian authorities have applied all standard procedures since the moment the target was detected until the complete clarification of this situation. Furthermore, at 10.38 a.m., two Romanian Air Forces’ MiG-21 LanceR Aircraft of the NATO-led Air Policing Service, which were executing a flight exercise at that moment, were redirected to the Northern area of Romania in order to increase the reaction options.

After approximately two minutes, the situation was clarified and the two aircraft resumed their initial mission.

The Romanian Air Forces are permanently monitoring, in cooperation with the Allied forces, the national air space and the immediate surrounding area."

Moldovan MOD Strongly Condemns Violation Of Its Airspace - MOLDOVA - The Moldovan Ministry of Defense released the following statement on their official Facebook account regarding the "rocket" that flew over its territory and "strongly condemned" the "violation" of its airspace.

Moldovan Ministry of Defense (translation): "In the context of the information about the rocket flying over the airspace of the Republic of Moldova, the Ministry of Defense communicates the following:

The responsible structures within the institution detected, at 10:18, a rocket, that crossed the airspace of the Republic of Moldova, above the locality of Mocra in the Transnistrian region and later over the locality of Cosauti in the Soroca district, with the direction to Ukraine.

We mention that the Ministry of Defense, in collaboration with the responsible structures in the country, closely monitors the situation in the region, and strongly condemns the violation of the airspace of the Republic of Moldova."

The statement comes after Ukraine claimed that Russian missiles flew into NATO-allied territory.

Ukraine Claims Russian Missile Crossed Into NATO-Allied Airspace - General Valery Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine put out a statement claiming that Russian missiles flew over Romania and Moldova during a missile strike on Ukraine, crossing into NATO-allied airspace. See Images

The General's statement said, "Today, Feb 10, at 10:18 a.m., two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles crossed the state border of [Ukraine] with [Moldova] At 10:33 a.m., these missiles crossed the airspace of [Romania]. After that, the missiles again entered the airspace of [Ukraine] at the crossing point of the borders of the three states".

Pentagon: Chinese Balloons Part Of Larger Surveillance Program By China - Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder says that the Pentagon is aware of four previous balloons having gone over the United States, and that they are a part of a "larger Chinese surveillance balloon program".

Pentagon: Chinese Balloons Part Of Larger Surveillance Program By China [Video Transcript]

USNORTHCOM continues their recovery operations in support of the recent takedown of the Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon. Brigadier General Pat Ryder, Pentagon Press Secretary: [Only Statements About Balloon Added]:

GENERAL RYDER: "As of today, recovery operations of the balloon and the payload continue without issue. Sea states Tuesday permitted divers and explosives ordnance technicians to conduct underwater salvage and recovery, and underwater survey activities continue using unmanned underwater vehicles. The USS Carter Hall remains in the vicinity of the debris field and is leading the recovery efforts. US Coast Guard cutters continue to provide security, and the FBI and NCIS agents continue their work cataloguing debris and transporting it for further processing.

Again, we remind members of the public, if you come across debris, please do not handle it, but call your local law enforcement to facilitate safe recovery. Additional information on recovery operations will be forthcoming.

QUESTION: Thank you. To go back to the balloon, does the Pentagon know with certainty now that the balloon actually came from China, i.e., it was launched from China? And if so, where?

And then the DOD has said that there have been at least three other balloon incidents during the previous administration and one other incident during this administration. Can you tell us a little bit about how you were able to discern that these balloons were the same, and they were also Chinese spy balloons?

GENERAL RYDER: GEN. RYDER: Sure. So let me address your second questions - well, your second question first. So again, I'm not able to go into the intelligence. As you highlight, we are aware that there have been four previous balloons that have gone over U.S. territory. This is what we assess as part of a larger Chinese surveillance balloon program. You've heard us talk in the past about the fact that this is a program that's been operated for several years. What we do know is that in some cases whereas some of these balloons previously had not been identified, subsequent analysis, subsequent intelligence analysis did enable us to indicate that these were Chinese balloons.

In terms of where they're coming from, I can't go into the specific location other than to say China, and the last thing I'll say is that this last week provided the United States with a unique opportunity to learn a lot more about the Chinese surveillance balloon program, all information that will help us to continue to strengthen our ability to track these kinds of objects.

QUESTION: Thank you. As you said, as it's part of a wider surveillance program, if four previous ones had transited the U.S., have there been others that maybe got near international U.S. military installations, but didn't actually cross U.S. soil?

GENERAL RYDER: Yeah, so again, for classification reasons, I'm not going to be able to go into a lot of details other than these four are the ones that we assess went over U.S. soil. And I'm not going to go over specifically what they tracked other than what we've acknowledged publicly -- that we know that they were looking to surveil strategic sites, to include some of our strategic bases in the continental United States.

And so when you look at the scope of this program and the fact that we know that these balloons have been spotted, and what we now can subsequently assess to be Chinese balloons operating over at least five continents in regions like Latin America, South America, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Europe, again, it demonstrates why, for the Department of Defense, that China remains the pacing challenge, and something that we'll continue to stay focused on. Thank you.

QUESTION: Thanks, Pat. Do these Chinese surveillance balloons somehow explain the UAP, some of the unidentified aerial phenomena that were reported in that report to Congress? Have you gone back to look? And are some of those UAP incidents perhaps those Chinese surveillance balloons? And also, did you start tracking this balloon when it left China on July 21st? Were you tracking it all over -- the way over the Pacific Ocean, or did you just start tracking it when it got close to Alaska?

GENERAL RYDER: Yeah, thanks, Jennifer. So your first question, that's really a question best addressed by the Director of National Intelligence, that puts that report together. I will say, broadly speaking, that when it comes to our assessment of objects in air and space, you know, that's going to always be ongoing work, right?

So any time there's something that's unidentified, by default, we will track that information, and when new information can become available that we can apply, certainly we're going to do that, but to answer your direct question, the DNI would be the best folks to address that portion.

In terms of when we started tracking this, again, I'm not going to get into those kinds of specifics, other than to say we did see it approaching U.S. airspace. NORAD, NORTHCOM tracked it for the duration. Again, as it entered U.S. airspace, NORAD determined that it did not pose a physical or military threat, and in accordance with their procedures, monitored it.

When it did come over the continental United States, we began to develop options on how to take it down and address this threat, with the idea being that we wanted to wait until it was over water so that we could mitigate any potential civilian harm or property damage, and importantly, as I highlighted, use this as an opportunity to, again, better understand the Chinese surveillance balloon program and apply that information to increase our ability to track these kinds of objects. Thanks.

QUESTION: Can you clarify when the Chinese balloon -- the last surveillance balloon that went down near Hawaii went down? There are reports that it was four months ago and there's another report that it was in June. When did it go down?

GENERAL RYDER: Yeah, I've seen those press reports. Again, I'm not going to have any information to provide on the previous balloon flights that were out there. But again, appreciate your understanding on that.

QUESTION: Thank you. Could you just, in layman's terms, explains why there has been this -- what the General called "awareness gaps," why the U.S. was not able to detect these kinds of balloons previously?

And then given that, is there a kind of intelligence failure here? Did the military and the intelligence somehow fail to understand or grasp this threat or is it a failure of imagination? And how's that being addressed?

GENERAL RYDER: Yeah, thanks, Dan. So to answer your last question there right up front, no, it was not an intelligence failure. You know, as we learn more about this type of capability and really, what General VanHerck was referring to was previously having a domain awareness gap -- but we've learned a lot about these balloons, we've learned a lot how to track them, as evidenced by the fact that, again, we were tracking it as it approached U.S. airspace. And so we're confident that what we've learned about this program enables us to be able to monitor and be on the lookout for these kinds of capabilities.

And when you think about the wide array of activities that we monitor globally, but most importantly when it comes to defense of the homeland along our coasts and our skies, by being able to identify the characteristics of things like this or other potential threats, it all gets put into a broader library, so to speak, of information that our analysts can monitor, track, and detect, and then respond appropriately.

QUESTION: And then in terms of this global program, are the balloons that are spotted elsewhere in the world essentially similar to the one that was flying across the U.S.? And is there reason to believe that those balloons were flying near or over U.S. military bases abroad in those countries?

GENERAL RYDER: Yeah, so beyond the fact that they share the common characteristic of being surveillance balloons, right, intelligence collection assets that the PRC is employing, the only other thing I'd say is that we do know there's variation in the various sizes and capabilities of balloon, but beyond that, I'm not going to go into specifics. In other words yeah, I'll just leave it at that.

In terms of what they're monitoring and what their flight paths are going to be, I'm not going to go into that level of information, but needless to say again it calls into question why China, the PRC, feel that it's okay to violate sovereign airspace of nations in a way that is inappropriate and unacceptable -- so combining this capability with the other intelligence assets that they have at their disposal.

And so again, as I highlighted earlier, this just demonstrates why the PRC continues to remain our pacing challenge and I think that they have a lot of explaining to do when it comes to conducting these types of programs and violating nations' airspace and sovereignty. Thank you.

QUESTION: First, did you guys assess that this was a fleet after this balloon was spotted or from what you've determined in previous UAP investigations?

And with that, are you planning to declassify any information about those 163 reports of balloon and balloon-like entities so that we could understand better how they compare and don't compare?

GENERAL RYDER: Yeah, so on your second question, I'd refer you to the DNI. Clearly, within the realms of operations security and protecting intelligence sources and methods, we are trying our best to provide the public with as much information as we can on this program, recognizing that we don't want to do anything that's going to compromise our sources and methods.

In terms of your question about assessments on the overall surveillance balloon fleet, yes, we were tracking this before this particular incident. As I mentioned, our awareness and understanding of this capability has increased over the last couple of years.

You know, as General VanHerck highlighted, this wasn't information that we necessarily had previously, but again, our analysts have been able to, over time, put the pieces together and learn a lot more about this program.

And the last thing I'd say on that, again, is this was a unique opportunity for us to observe this balloon and its characteristics very closely as it traveled over the United States, and needless to say -- and I won't go into details -- we gained a lot of information on this and I believe we'll continue to gain more information on this.

QUESTION: Following up on -- following up on Tara's question, I thought you said, about the other four previous ones, that they were over strategic sites.

GENERAL RYDER: Again, I'm not going to -- they were over sites that would be of interest to the Chinese but I'm not going to go into the specifics, David. Thank you.

QUESTION: Just a quick follow-up and then a separate question. You said a moment ago the awareness and understanding of the situation has increased. When did the U.S. come to the conclusion that these were in fact surveillance balloon? Because it seems like that was an incredibly recent conclusion, based on the understanding of the situation.

And then just a short time ago in a House Intel briefing, Representative Stewart said the balloon may be the Chinese testing the American people to see their reaction, while General Philip Breedlove suggests that it was the enemy conditioning the U.S. population. Does the Pentagon believe that was China was conditioning or testing the U.S. with these balloons in some way?

GENERAL RYDER: Yes, thanks, Oren. So, you'd really need to talk to China about what its motivations were. Again, the facts are that they sent a surveillance balloon into sovereign U.S. airspace. We responded quickly and appropriately, monitored it, tracked it and took it down as soon as it was safe to do so. And I'll just leave it at that.

GENERAL RYDER: I don't have a specific date to provide you in terms of when the intelligence community developed this other than to say it's been in the last couple of years that we've been able to do the analysis and look at these objects and determine which has built the body of knowledge available to us. So again, as I mentioned, as this object approached U.S. airspace, NORAD NORTHCOM knew what it was and tracked it.

QUESTION: Thank you. You mentioned these four previous incidents. Was this the first time that the U.S. military had the capability of shooting down one of these balloons or was this a consideration in any of those previous incidences as well? And I also have a question on Ukraine.

GENERAL RYDER: Yes. So, we always maintain a variety of options on how best to respond. So, in terms of being able to shoot down any object that violates or threatens the United States, or our airspace, or our people, certainly, that is an option that's available to us. But in each case we took what we consider appropriate action. So, just leave it that.

If anything enters into our airspace whether we know what it is or not, we will monitor and we'll take appropriate action. Luis’ question was, did you have the capability to take down a balloon? Yes. We maintain the capability to take down balloons.

QUESTION: Well, kind of. It was more like, were there discussion about shooting it down --

GENERAL RYDER: Yes, I'm not going to get into those discussions.

QUESTION: Thank you for taking my question. Also wanted to touch on the hearing on the Hill this morning, the former EUCOM commander calling the delay in shooting down the balloon a miscalculation and that it could be China trying to condition the U.S. to miscalculate in the future. Was this a miscalculation? And how confident are we that we'll be able to detect these kinds of balloons in the future?

GENERAL RYDER: GEN. RYDER: Yes, so I think we are very confident that we'll be able to detect these kinds of capabilities, as evidenced by the continuing body of knowledge that we've been able to build up on this. But, obviously, that is something that our intelligence community will continue to work very closely on for this and any other potential threats.

In terms of how others may characterize it, I'm going to allow them to speak for themselves. Again, we detected this balloon, tracked it very closely. When it went into the continental United States we evaluated options on how best to bring it down. As you know, once it was safe to do so, we brought it down over water and we continue to collect the debris to be able to exploit for further intelligence.

QUESTION: And if I could ask, what did China think that they could get at 60,000 feet that they couldn't get with a satellite? What do you think they were collecting?

GENERAL RYDER: Again, that's a question that's best addressed by China. Obviously, at a high altitude you're operating above civilian air traffic. As you've heard us say before, the collection capabilities of this balloon were not of more advantage to other capabilities that we know they maintain. But regardless, we took steps to mitigate the potential collection of information. But as I also mentioned, we learned a lot about this balloon program.

And you know, the last thing I'd say on that is that I would not be surprised that the PRC starts to reevaluate its dirigible collection program. Thank you.

QUESTION: Thank you, General. Just first clarification, because I'm confused. With the previous four balloons, did you say they were not detected, but later intelligence assessment got your awareness? Would -- did this happen -- is this true, and did this happen with this administration, that assessment, or with the previous administration?

GENERAL RYDER: So what we know is that over the last several years, to include time during the previous administration, subsequent analysis determined that objects that had traversed over the United States, although not for the duration of this fifth balloon, were ultimately determined to be PRC surveillance balloons.

QUESTION: And the four previous balloons, they all happened during the last administration?

GENERAL RYDER: Three during the last administration, one during the Biden admin -- at the beginning of the Biden administration.

QUESTION: Well, this is the second balloon during the Biden administration?

GENERAL RYDER: Correct

QUESTION: Okay. And then did the technology you're able now to collect from the debris, did this lead you to think that this is actually part of a spy program, or are you leaving any room for maybe, no, actually, this was for civilian purposes?

GENERAL RYDER: I can assure you this was not for civilian purposes. We are 100 percent clear about that.

QUESTION: And are you willing in the future to share information with the public that confirms this assessment?

GENERAL RYDER: Well, what do you mean?

QUESTION: I mean, we have two narratives here, right? You referred us to the PRC before. The PRC maintains this is for civilian purposes strictly. The DOD and the administration is maintaining, no, this is actually spy balloon for military purposes, although it has no value added to what they have in terms of more than 400 satellites. So we have, as a press corps, we have two narratives here, competing narratives.

GENERAL RYDER: Okay. So I'll give you the facts. Again, based on what we know and have observed about this balloon, it is a surveillance balloon. It was an intelligence-collection capability. You know, a question that I would ask myself is if, in fact, it was a civilian balloon, a weather balloon, and it was approaching a sovereign nation, about to enter their airspace, a responsible nation would have put out some kind of public statement saying, "Hey, heads up. This is heading your way. We just want to let you know." The PRC did not do that. They didn't respond until after they were called out. I'll just leave it at that.

QUESTION: Thank you for taking my question, General. So on the balloon, I -- it -- have you shared the ID characteristics, now that we now have some better definition, with our other allies and partners so that they can watch over their own airspace and detect potential incursions?

GENERAL RYDER: So yes, so we are -- we are in the process of updating our international allies and partners. Not going to have more specifics to provide. Clearly, we maintain an intelligence-sharing relationship with many countries, and so as we have information to provide and as we currently are, we will share that information.

QUESTION: So I've heard multiple stories about the balloon in Hawaii. How exactly did it go down? Was it -- did it crash? Was it shot down? I just want to confirm.

GENERAL RYDER: Yeah, again, I'm not going to be able to talk about what we know on those previous balloons.

QUESTION Second, once we found out that it did go down, however it went down, were we able to recover any information from it?

GENERAL RYDER: Again, I'm not going to have any specifics to provide. As I highlighted earlier, broadly speaking, we've learned a lot about this surveillance balloon program, and every piece of information that we gather contributes to that body of knowledge that enables us to detect them, track them, and take appropriate action.

QUESTION -- one in Guam, anything?

GENERAL RYDER: Again, I'm not going to be able to go into more details.

QUESTION: I just had a very quick follow-up. Is the unofficial U.S. policy now that you're not going to shoot down balloons over land, only over water, or in the way that you're scrutinizing this further information that you have, is that going to change the way you respond to future balloons since it's a fleet?

GENERAL RYDER: Yeah, so I think you need to take a step back and look at our policy has not changed. If something is about to enter our airspace, we're going to track it and monitor it and determine whether or not it's a threat. And in this particular case, as the balloon approached U.S. airspace, the NORAD NORTHCOM Commander determined that it did not present an imminent physical or military threat.

So we're always going to reserve the right to take appropriate action against any foreign objects, unexplained aerial phenomenon, whatever it is, to safeguard the American public, and that's exactly what we did in this case.

QUESTION: Pat, if there were four previous incidents were Chinese spy balloons were over U.S. airspace and they weren't reported, how is this not an intelligence failure?

GENERAL RYDER: So the idea here is that we're going to be tracking all kinds of objects on any given day, both in the air, on the sea. And so as we gain information and as we see the profile of those objects determining whether or not it's a threat -- and so in terms of our ability to collect on those, as I've highlighted, we have learned a lot about their program, we've been able to learn a lot about what they're doing and their intent.

We observe a lot of things every single day in a lot of different ways, from an intelligence collection standpoint, and those are things that we're not necessarily going to talk about publicly for obvious reasons. There's also benefit in us knowing what they're doing and not publicly talking about what they're doing.

But in terms of monitoring these and collecting on them, we have been able to put together a body of knowledge that enables us to be able to detect them and act appropriately.

QUESTION: But did you know they were Chinese spy craft at the time, those four incidents?

GENERAL RYDER: They were tracked and subsequently determined to be Chinese.

QUESTION: And lastly, J-21 Chinese aircraft that came very close to the U.S. surveillance plane on December 21st, was that related to the balloon program or observation of the balloon -

GENERAL RYDER: No, completely discounted.

QUESTION: Thanks very much for doing this. One follow-up on the question of communications with China. You said that responsible nations, if it was a civilian balloon, would have notified the U.S. in advance. Does the Pentagon then assess that China is acting recklessly on purpose, in the hopes of creating some sort of bigger incident?

And then separately on the balloons, how -- is there any evidence or any assessment that some of the balloons, whether the one that was tracked just over the U.S. or the others, had capabilities other than surveillance, perhaps transmission?

And are there any other countries that may be running similar balloon programs to that being run by the PRC?

GENERAL RYDER: Yeah, thanks, Jeff. So on your last question, I mean, obviously nations around the world maintain various degrees of intelligence programs, and I'm not going to get into those from here.

In terms of what message China was trying to send with this balloon, again, I'd refer you to the PRC. I'm going to deal with the facts. The facts are that the balloon went into and violated sovereign U.S. airspace. We tracked it very closely, we developed options, and when the time was right to minimize potential civilian harm, we took a shot and took the balloon down.

And again, this is contributing to our body of knowledge on this program, which we will apply to defending our skies and protecting our citizens well into the future. And I will say also that when it comes to learning about these kinds of programs, I think we all appreciate the fact that this is not static. You're constantly learning, you're constantly applying lessons learned in order to protect the American public and our allies and our partners, and this is no different in that case.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. Appreciate your time today.

Efforts Underway To Study Chinese Surveillance Balloon After Downed - After the United States Air Force carried out the operation to shoot down the Chinese surveillance balloon, efforts are underway to study and scrutinize both the balloon and its payload. Read Full Article

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Issues Statement Regarding "US Claim" It Shot Down Chinese Unmanned Airship - Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and protest against the US's use of force to attack civilian unmanned airships".

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the US claim that it shot down the Chinese unmanned airship

"China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and protest against the US's use of force to attack civilian unmanned airships.

The Chinese side has repeatedly informed the US side after verification that the airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure, which was completely accidental. China clearly requires the US to handle it properly in a calm, professional and restrained manner.

A spokesman for the US Department of Defense also stated that the balloon will not pose a military or personal threat to ground personnel. Under such circumstances, the U.S. insists on using force, obviously overreacting and seriously violating international practice.

China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of relevant companies, while reserving the right to make further necessary reactions."

DoD F-22 Safely Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon Off South Carolina Coast - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: "A U.S. Air Force fighter safely shot down a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a written statement.

President Joe Biden ordered the action on Wednesday, but it was delayed until the balloon was over water off the coast of South Carolina to ensure no Americans on the ground were harmed.

"The balloon, which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above U.S. territorial waters," Austin said.

The action was taken in coordination and support of the Canadian government. "We thank Canada for its contribution to tracking and analysis of the balloon through [North American Aerospace Defense Command] as it transited North America," Austin said.

"Today's deliberate and lawful action demonstrates that President Biden and his national security team will always put the safety and security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC's unacceptable violation of our sovereignty," Austin said referring to the Peoples Republic of China.

U.S. officials first detected the balloon and its payload on January 28 when it entered U.S. airspace near the Aleutian Islands. The balloon traversed Alaska, Canada and re-entered U.S. airspace over Idaho.

"President Biden asked the military to present options and on Wednesday President Biden gave his authorization to take down the Chinese surveillance balloon as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to us civilians under the balloon's path," said a senior defense official speaking on background.

"Military commanders determined that there was undue risk of debris causing harm to civilians while the balloon was overland."

An F-22 Raptor fighter from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, fired one AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at the balloon.

The balloon fell approximately six miles off the coast in about 47 feet of water. No one was hurt.

Long before the shoot down, U.S. officials took steps to protect against the balloon's collection of sensitive information, mitigating its intelligence value to the Chinese. The senior defense official said the recovery of the balloon will enable U.S. analysts to examine sensitive Chinese equipment.

"I would also note that while we took all necessary steps to protect against the PRC surveillance balloon's collection of sensitive information, the surveillance balloon's overflight of U.S. territory was of intelligence value to us," the official said.

"I can't go into more detail, but we were able to study and scrutinize the balloon and its equipment, which has been valuable."

The balloon did not pose a military or physical threat. Still its intrusion into American airspace over several days was an unacceptable violation of U.S. sovereignty. The official said Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration.

While Chinese officials admitted that the balloon was theirs, they said it was a runaway weather balloon. "The PRC has claimed publicly that the high-altitude balloon operating above the United States is a weather balloon that was blown off course.

This is false," the official said. "This was a PRC surveillance balloon. This surveillance balloon purposely traversed the United States and Canada, and we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites."

The mission now transitions to one of recovery. There are a number of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels establishing a security perimeter around the area where the balloon came to Earth. They are searching for debris, said a senior military official also speaking on background.

There is no estimate for how long the recovery mission will take, the military official said, but the fact that it came down in such a shallow area should make recovery "fairly easy".

The military official gave some detail of the engagement. The F-22 fired the Sidewinder at the balloon from an altitude of 58,000 feet. The balloon at the time was between 60,000 and 65,000 feet.

F-15 Eagles flying from Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, supported the F-22, as did tankers from multiple states including Oregon, Montana, South Carolina and North Carolina. Canadian forces also helped track the overflight of the balloon.

The Navy has deployed the destroyer USS Oscar Austin, the cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the USS Carter Hall, an amphibious landing ship in support of the effort."

DoD Statement: Chinese High Altitude Surveillance Balloon Successfully Shot Down - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: "This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in U.S. airspace.

The balloon, which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above U.S. territorial waters.

On Wednesday, President Biden gave his authorization to take down the surveillance balloon as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloon’s path.

After careful analysis, U.S. military commanders had determined downing the balloon while over land posed an undue risk to people across a wide area due to the size and altitude of the balloon and its surveillance payload.

In accordance with the President’s direction, the Department of Defense developed options to take down the balloon safely over our territorial waters, while closely monitoring its path and intelligence collection activities. This action was taken in coordination, and with the full support, of the Canadian government.

And we thank Canada for its contribution to tracking and analysis of the balloon through NORAD as it transited North America.

Today’s deliberate and lawful action demonstrates that President Biden and his national security team will always put the safety and security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC’s unacceptable violation of our sovereignty."

CIA Director: Chinese President Has Instructed Military To Be Ready By 2027 For Invasion On Taiwan - WASHINGTON - CIA Director William Burns said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered China's military to "be ready by 2027 to conduct a successful invasion" of the island of Taiwan.

Burns spoke at Georgetown University on Thursday and said that Xi has been watching Russian President Vladimir Putin's drawn-out war on Ukraine.

"On Taiwan, I guess I would say our assessment at CIA is that I wouldn’t underestimate President Xi’s ambitions with regard to Taiwan. He has been pretty clear about that over the years," Burns stated.

He continued by saying, "I think he has watched very carefully – it seems to us – Putin’s experience in Ukraine and been a little bit unsettled and sobered by that as well".

"We know as a matter of intelligence he has instructed the People’s Liberation Army to be ready by 2027 to conduct a successful invasion."

He added, "Now, that does not mean that he's decided to conduct an invasion in 2027, or any other year, but it's a reminder of the seriousness of his focus and his ambition".

"Therefore, I think it’s very much in our interest as a policy matter in the United States to make clear our commitment to the status quo, to make clear we are not interested as a country in changing that status quo, that we are deeply opposed to anyone trying to change that unilaterally, especially by the use of force".

"And to continue to do all we can to help Taiwan defend itself and think through how best to do that to deter what would be a sort of deeply unfortunate conflict for everyone involved, including China as well".

Taiwan has been sending military aircraft and drones into the airspace around the island of Taiwan, some of which cross into Taiwan's air defense identification zone nearly every single day since former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island on August 2nd, 2022.

Before Pelosi's visit to the island, China's incursions around the island were far less frequent and were not daily occurrences.

China also began sending frequent reconnaissance drones around Taiwan, which were not generally sent around the island before Pelosi's visit occurred.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Statement On Balloon Over United States - Below is a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry regarding the balloon spotted above mainland United States.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Statement

"Q: On February 3, senior US State Department officials said at a briefing via teleconference that due to the entry of a Chinese unmanned airship into US airspace, US Secretary of State Blinken has decided to postpone his planned trip to China. Do you have any comment?

A: Regarding the unintended entry of a Chinese unmanned airship into US airspace due to force majeure, the Chinese side has verified it and communicated it to the US side. It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes.

Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course. This is entirely an unexpected situation caused by force majeure and the facts are very clear.

China always acts in strict accordance with international law and respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.

We have no intention to violate and has never violated the territory or airspace of any sovereign country. Some politicians and media in the US have hyped it up to attack and smear China. The Chinese side is firmly opposed to that.

Maintaining contact and communication at all levels is an important common understanding reached by the Chinese and US presidents at their meeting in Bali.

One of the tasks of the diplomatic teams on both sides is to properly manage bilateral relations, particularly to manage some unexpected situations in a cool-headed and prudent manner. In fact, neither side has ever announced that there would be a visit.

It is a matter for the US to make its latest announcement, and we respect that."

Surveillance Balloon May Be Guided By Artificial Intelligence - A specialist in surveillance balloons says that balloons are difficult to shoot down and that the one over the United States flying over U.S. military sites looks to have been equipped with an advanced AI guidance system. Read Full Article

Explosion Reported Over Billings Montana - An explosion has been reported over Billings, Montana. The governor says that they are "monitoring the situation". The city of Billings, Montana says PD fire and airport have not been called to any incidents, and there have not been any plane crashes picked up on radar. View Tweet.

A Second Chinese "Spy Balloon" Hovering Over Latin America - WASHINGTON - The Chinese "spy balloon" has altered its flight path and is now moving east at about 60,000 feet over the "central" United States, which demonstrates its ability to maneuver, according to a statement by the U.S. military Friday.

A second balloon has also been spotted hovering over Latin America, according to the Pentagon.

China claimed that the balloon was merely a civilian airship that accidentally got blown off course into U.S. airspace.

Pentagon spokesperson: "we are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon.”

Air Force Brigadier General Patrick Ryder spoke at a news briefing and said, ""We know this is a Chinese (surveillance) balloon and that it has the ability to maneuver".

Ryder said that he expects that the balloon will continue on its path over U.S. airspace for a few more days.

He also refused to say where exactly the balloon is located currently, and when asked "Doesn't the public not have a right to know if the balloon is over their state?" he stated, "The public certainly has the ability to look up in the sky and see where the balloon is".

Ryder also said that the balloon "does not pose a physical threat to people on the ground".

Kansas Senator Roger Marshall said that the balloon is hovering over the northeastern portion of his own state, and said "I condemn any attempts the Chinese make to spy on Americans. President Biden must protect the sovereignty of the U.S.".

Ryder said, "We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon".

Canadian Ministry of Defense Statement on High Altitude Surveillance Balloon - "February 2, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces: "A high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected and its movements are being actively tracked by NORAD. Canadians are safe and Canada is taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace, including the monitoring of a potential second incident.

NORAD, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Department of National Defence, and other partners have been assessing the situation and working in close coordination.

Canada’s intelligence agencies are working with American partners and continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard Canada’s sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats.

We remain in frequent contact with our American allies as the situation develops."

Senior Defense Official Holds a Background Briefing on High-Altitude Surveillance Balloon - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE transcript of a background briefing regarding the high-altitude surveillance balloon spotted hovering over mainland United States, having come from Alaska, through Canada and into the northern United States from Canada.

DoD: "BRIGADIER GENERAL PAT RYDER: Good evening, everyone. Brigadier General Pat Ryder here, the Pentagon press secretary. So thank you very much for joining us a little bit later in the day. I'm going to go over a couple of ground rules first. I'll provide you then with an on-the-record statement. And then I'll turn it over our senior defense official.

So first, I'm going to read you an on-the-record statement. This is from Brigadier General Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary.

"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. The U.S. government, to include NORAD, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic, and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information."

STAFF: And with that, we'll go ahead now and revert to on-background. And you can attribute this to a senior defense official.

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Thanks, Pat.

Hey, everybody. Thanks for joining us late. So a couple of things up top, and then happy to take a few questions. I'll let Pat moderate on that. But so a few things.

First, we are confident that this high-altitude surveillance balloon belongs to the PRC. As was said at the top, instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration. In this instance, President Biden was briefed and asked for military options.

Secretary Austin convened senior DoD leadership yesterday, even as he was on the road in the Philippines. It was the strong recommendation by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Milley, and the commander of NORTHCOM, General VanHerck, not to take kinetic action due to the risk to safety and security of people on the ground from the possible debris field.

Currently we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective. But we are taking steps, nevertheless, to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information.

We are also tracking what abilities it could have in gaining insights, and continue to monitor the balloon as it is over the continental United States.

And so with that, let me pause and I'll take your questions.

Pat, you want to run the show?

STAFF: Yes, sir. Thank you.

All right, first we'll go to Tara Copp, Associated Press.

Q: Hey, thanks for doing this. A couple of questions about the balloon itself. Can you give us a sense of how big is it? Is it as big as a car? Big as a bus? Did that factor into the decision not to shoot it down? And, I guess, third on the balloon, when did you first start tracking it? Was it before it crossed into the continental United States?

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yes, good questions. So how big? You know, I'm not going to go into the exact dimensions. We did assess that it was large enough to cause damage from the debris field if we downed it over an area. We had been looking at whether there was an option yesterday over some sparsely populated areas in Montana. But we just couldn't buy down the risk enough to feel comfortable recommending shooting it down yesterday.

So, beyond that, though, I can't really go into the dimensions. But there have been reports of pilots seeing this thing, even though it's pretty high up in the sky. So, you know, it's sizeable.

In terms -- and so whether it factored into the decision, it did in the sense that we had to assess what the possible debris field would look like falling from that height. We wanted to, you know, take care that somebody didn't get hurt or property wasn't destroyed.

And, I'm sorry, how long have we been tracking it. I'm not going to go into all the details because I don't want to reveal sensitive information. But I will say we have been tracking it for some time. And we have had custody of it the entire time it has been over U.S. airspace, entered the continental United States airspace a couple of days ago.

Q: And just one last, you know, Montana's one of the three homes for our siloed nuclear weapons. Was there any concern that the balloon was trying to collect intelligence on those silo fields?

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yes, so clearly the intent of this balloon is for surveillance. And so the current flight path does carry it over a number of sensitive sites. I'd just say a couple of things.

First, our best assessment at the moment is that whatever the surveillance payload is on this balloon, it does not create significant value added over and above what the PRC is likely able to collect through things like satellites in Low Earth Orbit.

But out of an abundance of caution, we have taken additional mitigation steps. I'm not going to go into what those are. But we know exactly where this balloon is, exactly what it is passing over. And we are taking steps to be extra vigilant so that we can mitigate any foreign intelligence risk.

STAFF: Thank you.

Let's go to Jen Griffin, FOX.

Q: Thank you very much. What do you think the target of this balloon was? And has this ever happened before that you've seen either a Chinese surveillance balloon or another country's surveillance balloon over the United States, or is this the first time?

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yes, so, I mean, it is a surveillance balloon. And not to be -- I'm not trying to be a wiseguy. But the goal is surveillance. And clearly they're trying to fly this -- this balloon over sensitive sites, one of which was just mentioned, to collect information. As I said, we do not judge that it provides significant value added over and above what they can currently collect in other means. But nevertheless, it's something we're watching closely.

Is it the first time. It is not the first time that you had a balloon of this nature cross over the continental United States. It has happened a handful of other times over the past few years, to include before this administration.

It is appearing to hang out for a long period of time this time around, more persistent than in previous instances. So that would be one distinguishing factor. Over.

STAFF: Let's go to Jeff Schogol, Task & Purpose.

Q: All right, thank you. What makes you believe this is a Chinese spy balloon? And then just for arguments sake, why not blow it up and just take the risk that it hits something on the ground?

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Right. No, I'm not going to go into all the ways in which we know that it's a PRC balloon. I will just say we have very high confidence that this is a PRC balloon. Very high confidence.

So we do not doubt that this is a PRC balloon. And that is an assessment shared across our intelligence and analytic community. Why not shoot it down? We have to do the risk-reward here. So the first question is does it pose a threat -- physical kinetic threat to individuals in the United States or the U.S. Homeland. Our assessment is it does not.

Does it pose a threat to civilian aviation? Our assessment is it does not. Does it pose a significantly enhanced threat on the intelligence side? Our best assessment right now is that it does not. And so given that risk, that profile, we assess that the risk of downing it, even if the probability was low in a sparsely populated area of the debris falling and hurting somebody or damaging property that it wasn't worth it and that was the recommendation of our military commanders.

That is what we recommended to the White House yesterday.

STAFF: Let's go to Idrees Ali, Reuters.

Q: Hey, just two quick questions. Firstly, have you directly brought this up with Chinese officials and what has their response been? And in terms of altitude, is this over U.S. airspace or is it sort of in the stratosphere? What's sort of the height of this right now?

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yes, both good questions. Good to hear your voice, Idrees. We have engaged PRC officials with urgency through multiple channels. They've been engaged both through their embassy here in Washington and through our embassy in Beijing.

We have communicated to them the seriousness with which we take this issue. But beyond that I'm not going to go into the content of the -- of the message. But we have made clear we will do whatever is necessary to protect our people and our homeland. And so if the risk profile that I described earlier, if that changes we will have options to deal with this balloon.

In terms of the altitude, I'm not going to go into the exact altitude. What I will say is that it is significantly above where civilian air traffic is active, which is why we do not assess that it's a threat to civilian aviation. It -- but it is in the atmosphere and it is over U.S. airspace. It is not in outer space.

STAFF: OK. Let's go to Heather Mongilio, USNI.

Q: Thank you so much. You mentioned this is not the first time. Can you say when the last time a similar situation happened?

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I -- I'm not going to go into the details of that. It's happened a few times in recent years to include before this administration. But beyond that I'm not going to go into the details.

STAFF: Got time for just a few more. We'll go to Dan Lamothe, Washington Post.

Q: Yes, thank you. And can you walk us through how you observed it? NBC News reported that system F-22s were sent up -- I don't if scrambled would be the right terminology there but at least sent up to get a closer look. Thank you.

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yes, so we've been -- we've been observing it through multiple means, including manned aircraft. You did see reports yesterday of a ground stop at billings airport and the mobilization of a number of assets including F-22s.

The context for that was it would put some things on station in the event that a decision was made to bring this down while it was over Montana. So we wanted to make sure we were coordinating with civil authorities to empty out the air space around that potential area. But even with those protective measures taken it was the judgment of our military commanders that we didn't drive the risk down low enough, so we didn't take the shot.

But that's why you saw the reports that you saw, Dan.

STAFF: And Nancy Youssef, Wall Street Journal.

Q: Thank you. (Inaudible) you mentioned earlier that the balloon stayed for a longer period of time than in the past and that it wasn't offering any significant intelligence relative to other means of ISR that the Chinese have. My question is, is there any reason to believe that the Chinese wanted this to be spotted. Is there -- is that your conclusion?

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: You know, I can't speculate. It's probably a question better to direct to the Chinese embassy. I don't know why they did what they did. I will say that the past number of times it did not loiter over the continental United States for an extended period of time. It's different.

And precisely why they made the decision to make this different I think really is a question for them.

STAFF: And last question, Brandi Vincent, DefenseScoop.

Q: Thank you so much for doing this. Does the balloon appear to have technology that is different or more advanced than any technology that the U.S. has? Does the U.S. have a policy for dealing with balloons like this? I can't help but think of the 163 balloons that were made sense of in the UAP report. So is this something that you're developing policy on or does policy exist about how to handle these sort of sightings?

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yes, you know I'm not going to go into the exact nature of the technology. I don't think that the -- that the pay load on this is -- I wouldn't characterize it as revolutionary. I think the thing that is different is the altitude and of course the willingness to put it over the continental United States for an extended period of time.

I think that's the -- that's the biggest difference here. As it relates to do we have a policy, the answer is yes, we do and most importantly we also have sufficient authority given to us to take action under Title 10 against unmanned aerial systems of which this balloon would be a part. So we think we have all the authorities we need to do anything that we need to do to protect the American people and we'll continue to do that.

Q: Thank you.

STAFF: Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen, that's all the time we have. Just as a reminder the comments are as a senior defense official on background. My comment at the top is on the record and we will post a transcript on defense.gov when it's available. Thank you for joining us.

NORAD And Northern Command Statement On Surveillance Balloon Over US - NORAD: "NORAD and U.S. Northern Command statement on the high-altitude surveillance balloon.

The United States government has detected and is tracking a high altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now.

The North Americacn Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) continues to track and monitor it closely.

The NORAD Commander, General Glen VanHerck assesses the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground at this time.

The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic."

U.S. Tracking High-Altitude Surveillance Balloon - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: "An intelligence-gathering balloon, most certainly launched by the People's Republic of China, is currently floating above the United States, the Defense Department announced Thursday evening.

"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during an impromptu briefing Thursday evening. "The U.S. government, to include NORAD, continues to track and monitor it closely."

Ryder said the balloon is well above commercial air traffic and doesn't pose a threat to civil aviation. He also said this isn't the first time such a balloon has been seen over the United States.

After the balloon was detected, Ryder said, the U.S. government "acted immediately" to protect against the collection of sensitive information, though he didn't detail what measures were taken.

A senior defense official who participated in the briefing on background only said the U.S. intelligence community has "very high confidence" the balloon belongs to the People's Republic of China, and that the United States has engaged with Chinese officials "with urgency, through multiple channels" regarding the presence of the balloon.

"We have communicated to them the seriousness with which we take this issue," the official said. "We have made clear we will do whatever is necessary to protect our people and our homeland."

Right now, the official said, following recommendations of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley and Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the U.S. position is to allow the balloon to continue to float above the United States, rather than attempt to shoot is down.

The official said the risk of using kinetic force to take the balloon out of the sky might put civilian communities at risk, and that the threat the balloon poses now to both safety and U.S. intelligence doesn't justify such an action.

"Currently, we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collective collection perspective," the official said. "But we are taking steps, nevertheless, to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information."

The official said this is not the first time such a balloon has been seen above the United States, but did say this time the balloon appears to be acting differently than what has been seen in the past.

"It's happened a handful of other times over the past few years, to include before this administration," the official said. "It is appearing to hang out for a longer period of time, this time around, more persistent than in previous instances. That would be one distinguishing factor."

While the senior defense official would not say how large the balloon is, the official did say its size did figure into the calculation to not use kinetic force to take it out of the sky.

"We did assess that it was large enough to cause damage from the debris field if we downed it over an area," the official said. "I can't really go into the dimension — but there have been reports of pilots seeing this thing, even though it's pretty high up in the sky. So ... it's sizable."

As early as yesterday, the official said, the balloon was seen over Montana."

DoD Statement on High-Altitude Surveillance Balloon - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: "The United States Government has detected and is tracking a high altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now.

The U.S. government, to include NORAD, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information."

U.S. Government Tracking Suspected Chinese "Spy" Balloon Hovering Over Northern United States - UNITED STATES - The U.S. government is currently tracking a balloon that has been in northern U.S. airspace for a few days now, and U.S. officials say they are confident it is a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon.

Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder spoke to NBC news and said, “The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now".

Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information,” he added.

It was detected hovering over Billings, Montana Wednesday, flying in from the Alaskan Aleutian Islands, and entering the United States through Canada.

Defense officials have been discussing shooting it down, two U.S. officials and a senior defense official told NBC.

The senior defense official said, "Currently we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective over and above what the PRC can do through other means".

“Nevertheless we are taking all necessary steps to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information,” he added.

Due to the altitude of the balloon is at, the official told NBC that it does not currently pose a threat to civilian aircraft.

He also said that while the balloon was hovering over Montana on Wednesday, they could have shot it out of the sky. NORAD did send aircraft, which included F-22 Raptors from the Nellis Air Force Base, but NBC says the official wouldn't speak on whether their options included taking the balloon out.

U.S. officials have contacted the Chinese government "through multiple channels both here in D.C. and in Beijing," the official reportedly told NBC.

8 Rockets Fired At Turkish Base In Northern Iraq - BAGHDAD - At least eight, some reports say 20 rockets were fired at a Turkish Zilkan military base in northern Iraq Wednesday. Two of the rockets that were fired landed on the inside of the base, wounding an Iraqi contractor.

The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, a security organization in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region reported the attack. Some sources, such as Al Mayadeen say that the base was targeted with up to 20 rockets.

A Turkish security source said that that were no damages or casualties in the base as a result of the rocket attack.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, and it is not yet known who carried it out. The base hosts Turkish troops and is located in the Ninevah province.

34 Chinese Military Aircraft, 9 PLAN Vessels Spotted Around Taiwan February 1st, 2023 - 34 Chinese military aircraft and 9 PLA Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted around the island of Taiwan on February 1st, 2023 according to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense.

Of the military aircraft spotted, six were J-16 fighter jets, four were J-10 fighter jets, two were Y-8 electronic intelligence (ELINT) aircraft, two were SU-30 multi-role aircraft, one was a BZK-005 reconnaissance (RECCE) drone, one was a BZK-007 reconnaissance (RECCE) drone, one was a Y-8 electronic warfare (EW) aircraft and one was a Y-8 antisubmarine warfare (ASW) aircraft.

20 of the detected military aircraft were reported to have crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered into Taiwan's southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

Taiwan tasked CAP aircraft, issued radio warnings and deployed air defense missile systems in order to monitor the activities of the Chinese forces.

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense released a statement that said, "34 PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities".

A second statement by the MOD said, "20 of the detected aircraft (SU-30*2, J-11*2, J-10*4, J-16*6, BZK-005 UAV RECCE, BZK-007 UAV RECCE, Y-8 EW, Y-8 ASW and Y-8 ELINT*2) had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwest ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated".

Suspected US Drone Strike In Yemen Kills 3 Suspected al-Qaeda Militants - (Based on translations) - A U.S. drone strike is suspected to have killed three suspected al-Qaeda militants in Yemen’s Marib province, according to Yemeni media. See Photos Here

Yemeni media reported that Hassan al-Hadrami was one of the men killed in the suspected drone strike, which "was believed to be" carried out by the United States, according to a report by al Arabiya.

The Arabic news channel said that Hassan al-Hadrami was said to be with two of his companions who were with him in the vehicle that was allegedly hit by the airstrike, citing "tribal sources".

The report also says that it is noteworthy, because Hassan al-Hadrami's house was targeted by a raid in November of 2022, and is "one of the most prominent military leaders of al-Qaeda in Yemen," possessing great experience in "making mines and explosives," which reportedly put him "at the top of the list of targets" for American forces.

The report said that activists from Ma'rib governorate published a photo of al-Hadrami's vehicle which was "completely destroyed" by the strike, and had traces of blood on it.

All three men who were in the vehicle at the time of the alleged drone strike were killed.

A local government official reportedly told AFP news that “Three al-Qaeda members were killed in a strike by a drone that is believed to be American".

“The three were in a car in Wadi Obeida when they were targeted by the suspected US strike that killed them immediately," the report cited the officials as saying.

The photo of the aftermath indicates that a U.S. drone carried out the strike using an AGM-114 R9X Hellfire missile in which the explosives in the missile are replaced with metal blades to minimize collateral damage.

This type of missile is sometimes nicknamed “knife bomb” or the “flying Ginsu" due to the blades that are released at the target.

Another $2.2 Billion In Aid To Ukraine Expected To Be Announced "Very Soon" - WASHINGTON - The United States is preparing a $2.2 billion package worth of military aid to Ukraine, and is expected to contain longer-range rockets than the United States has previously been willing to give to Ukraine, as well as other weapons and ammunition.

White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton said that the United States will be announcing additional security assistance to Ukraine "very soon".

"I expect we're going to have more security assistance to announce soon," Dalton told reporters.

From the start of Russia's war on Ukraine on February 24th, 2022 to January 19th, 2023 the total dollar amount of military equipment given to Ukraine adds up to $26.7 billion.

Part of the $2.2 billion would be allocated to purchase the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which is manufactured by Boeing Co, according to a report by Reuters.

The Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb has a range of about 94 miles, which is longer-ranged than other weapons given by the United States thus far, but does not reach as far as the longer-ranged guided missile system (ATACMS) requested by Ukraine, but rejected by the United States capable of a range o 185 miles. Read More

Airstrike Targets Truck Convoy On Syria-Iraq Border - SYRIA/IRAQ - An airstrike targeted a truck convoy on the Syria-Iraq border that consisted of 25 trucks crossing over the border from Iraq into Syria via a crossing that Hezbollah currently controls.

Al-Arabiya and Israel National News have reported the airstrike on the convoy, which it says belonged to a pro-Iranian militia and likely was transporting weapons.

Israel National News cited former IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi as saying, "We couldn’t have been aware of the Syrian convoy a few weeks ago".

“We couldn’t have known that it was heading from Iraq to Syria, we couldn’t have known what’s in it and we couldn’t have known that out of the 25 trucks, truck number eight was the one carrying weapons," he continued.

“We needed to send pilots to the right place and they had to evade surface-to-air missiles fired at them. They needed to attack, they needed to hit their targets and come back safely and not kill people who shouldn’t be killed. These are very advanced capabilities,” he added.

The Israeli news agency said that the strike followed the attack on the city of Isfahan, Iran, which it says that Iran "downplayed" as an "unsuccessful" drone attack.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) refused to either deny or confirm the attacks were carried out by Israel.

Israel Reportedly Behind Attack On Iranian Weapons Factory - Israel reported to be behind the attack on the Iranian weapons factory. The Pentagon has stated that no U.S. military forces were involved in strikes, despite claims by Saudi media that the United States Air Force was involved. Read Full Article

Netblocks: Iranian Internet Network Cut, Disruption In Connectivity - Netblocks Internet Observatory: "Confirmed: Network data show a disruption to internet connectivity in Iran with high impact to Mazandaran Province; authorities are attributing the incident to fiber optic cuts on the path between Babol and Sari".Read Notice

Admiral Says NATO Ready For Direct Confrontation With Russia - NATO - An Admiral serving as the Chair of the NATO Military Committee says that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is ready for a direct confrontation with Russia.

Lieutenant admiral in the Royal Netherlands Navy Rob Bauer serving as the Chair of the NATO Military Committee since June 2021 was asked by the interviewer if we are ready for a direct confrontation with Russia, to which he responded, "We are" in an interview with DW.

During the video, he said, "They have shown us in a document, it was a concept treaty text in December 2021. They sent us a text which basically said we have to go back to the pre-1997 situation".

He added, "That's what they are aiming for, that's what is their strategic objective".

He continued, "It is about turning back to the old Soviet Union".

"Many nations in NATO thought for decades that we were owning the timelines. We were the ones that decided to go to Afghanistan, to go to Iraq, it was a decision from NATO, from the NATO nations".

"We owned the timelines, we were saying "when are we going, with how many troops, for how long, etc," and added, "Now, we are facing a threat, which is Russia that is coming to us uninvited at a moment of their choosing, so we have to be much more ready. We have no time to prepare because it is up to them when they come".

The interviewer asked, "We are ready for a direct confrontation with Russia?", to which he stated, "We are".

The interviewer then asked, "We are ready for a nuclear war, and do you believe in that possibility?"

The Admiral said, "I think that Vladimir Putin is not insane, so that's the good news. He has ideas that are not our ideas, but he's not insane. He's still a rational person, and I think that is important with regard to the use of nuclear weapons".

"I think it's extremely important that we all continue to agree on the effect that a nuclear war should not be fought, and can never be won".

USAF General Says He Believes US Will Be At War With China In 2025 - General Mike Minihan, who heads the United States Air Force's Air Mobility Command has warned that he believes the United States will be at war with China in 2025. View Documents.

The following is a memo which is dated in the future (February 1, 2023) and according to The Drive has been confirmed as authentic by a spokesperson of the Air Mobility Command (AMC).

SUBJECT: February 2023 Orders in Preparation for - The Next Fight:

1. SITUATION. I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me we will fight in 2025. Xi secured his third term and set his war council in October 2022. Taiwan's presidential elections are in 2024 and will offer Xi a reason. United States' presidential elections are in 2024 and will offer Xi a distracted America. Xi's team, reason, and opportunity are all aligned for 2025. We spent 2022 setting the foundation for victory. We will spend 2023 in crisp operational motion building on that foundation. If you want to know what the operational motion I demand looks like, look at what Total Force Team Charleston did in January.

2. COMMANDER'S INTENT. Go faster. Drive readiness, integration, and agility for ourselves and the Joint Force to deter, and if required, defeat China. This is the first of 8 monthly directives from me. You need to know I alone own the pen on these orders. My expectations are high, and these orders are not up for negotiation. Follow them. I will be tough, fair, and loving in my approach to secure victory.

3. END STATE. A fortified, ready, integrated, and agile Joint Force Maneuver Team ready to fight and win inside the first island chain. Maximize the use of the force and the tools we currently have and extract full value from things that currently exist. Close the gaps: C2, navigation, maneuver under attack, and tempo.

4. RISK. Run deliberately, not recklessly. You will be governed by the principle of calculated training risk, which you shall interpret to mean the avoidance of death, serious injury, and Class A damage to attain higher readiness, integration, and agility. If the Tactic, Technique, and Procedure you are developing increases AMC's ability to fight and win inside the first island chain ... move out. If you are comfortable in your approach to training, then you are not taking enough risk.

5. OT&E. Attached are our OT&E efforts from 2022 Fall PHOENIX Rally, which will guide our preparation but are not intended to limit creativity of approach. This is not an all- encompassing list. I expect you to move out briskly on the monthly tasks, anticipate the projected tasks and weave them eloquently into your units' training and operational battle rhythms.

6. FEBRUARY. (a) All AMC aligned personnel with weapons qualifications will fire a clip into a 7-meter target with the full understanding that unrepentant lethality matters most. Aim for the head. (b) All AMC personnel will update vRED. (c) All commanders will acknowledge this order directly to me immediately. Then, report all 2022 accomplishments preparing for the China fight, and forecast major efforts in 2023 through command chains by COB 28 February 2023.

7. MARCH (Projected). (a) All units will report progress toward established OT&E requirements for INDOPACOM Operations discussed and reviewed at Fall PHOENIX Rally. (b) All AMC personnel will consider their personal affairs and whether a visit should be scheduled with their servicing base legal office to ensure they are legally ready and prepared. (c) KC-135 units will coordinate to provide a conceptual means of air delivering 100 off-the- shelf size and type UAVs from a single aircraft.

8. APRIL (Projected). (a) All units will report their integration and operation plans for MOBILITY GUARDIAN 2023 to include all events (lead-in and concurrent) they wish to include for credit.

9. ADMIN. AMC/A3 will formalize these orders in FRAGO format. Completion, progress, reporting, reporting format, and advancement will be measured, driven, and collected by our AMC/A3 Team through ARC, NAF and EC leadership. LET'S GO!"

Israel Carries Out Airstrikes In Gaza After 2 Rockets Launched From Gaza Into Israel - ISRAEL - Two rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Both were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system. Israel has carried out an airstrike within Gaza following the rocket launches.

Statements by Israel Defense Forces: "Two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip. The rockets were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array".

Earlier report (before the rocket attacks): "IDF & Israeli security forces operated in Jenin to apprehend an Islamic Jihad terrorist squad planning imminent terrorist attacks earlier today. Armed gunmen fired heavily at our soldiers from civilian rooftops as they carried out their critical mission".

Largest U.S.-Israeli Exercise in History Concludes - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: "Today marks the conclusion of exercise Juniper Oak 23.2. This exercise was the largest U.S-Israel partnered exercise in history, said Deputy Pentagon Spokesperson Sabrina Singh, who held a news conference today.

Juniper Oak integrated U.S. and Israeli fifth-generation fighter assets, which are the most advanced and capable, she said.

The USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, which participated in the exercise, involved command and control elements, rescue and refueling aircraft and live fire exercises with more than 140 aircraft, and roughly 6,400 U.S. troops alongside more than 1,500 Israeli troops.

Today, the U.S.-Israel military partnership is stronger than it ever has been, and it continues to grow, stated Army Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command in a news release, while aboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier today.

"I've observed our forces alongside Israeli troops firing HIMARS and MLRS rockets, conducting maritime operations, executing highly complex flight operations, coordinating close air support, operating together on land, at sea and in the air," Kurilla said, referring to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and Multiple Launch Rocket System.

Juniper Oak 23.2 integrated unmanned aerial vehicles, strategic bombers, jet fighters and precision fires. U.S. and Israeli forces conducted long-range strikes, suppression of enemy air defense, electronic attacks, offensive counter and air interdiction, and air operations in the maritime domain. In four days, these troops dropped more than 180,000 pounds of live munitions, Kurilla said.

Logistical support and the command nodes involving the two nations were superb, he added.

"It's remarkable that Israel's transition to and partnership with U.S. Central Command is less than 18 months old. Our shared achievement is a testament to the leadership of the Israel Defense Forces and the enduring commitment of the Department of Defense's most senior leaders to increase military cooperation. Only through a firm commitment to this partnership are we able to plan and organize such an incredibly complex high-end operation across such a large geographic area integrating all aspects of warfighting, some of which are seen and some of which are not," Kurilla said.

Separately, Singh said that this week, the Marine Corps will reactivate Camp Blaz in Guam, part of an agreement with the Japanese government to reposition Marines from Okinawa, as well as contribute to the overall integrity of integrated deterrence and bolster U.S. operational security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Camp Blaz will serve as a strategic hub and training area for joint forces, allies and partners in the region. "The Marine Corps has a deep history in Guam, and we are committed to continuing that strong relationship," she added."

U.S. Navy visits Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, Holds Bilateral Strategic Dialogue - US PACIFIC FLEET: "WASHINGTON -- Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy, Vice Adm. Gene Black, traveled to Japan to meet with his Japanese counterpart, Rear Adm. Nobuyuki Takenaka, Director General, Operations and Plans Department, Maritime Staff Office, Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), for a bilateral strategic dialogue at the Japanese Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, Jan. 25, 2023.

The dialogue built upon the Strategic Approach Plan, originally signed by the JMSDF and the United States Navy in 2020. The Strategic Approach strengthens existing cooperation, addresses mutual strategic priorities and promotes collaborative development of defense capability.

“I am deeply grateful for the remarkable hospitality I was shown during my visit to the Japanese Ministry of Defense. It was my honor to work alongside the JMSDF to identify opportunities to strengthen our longstanding partnership,” said Black. “I believe in our shared efforts to sustain a free and open Indo-Pacific and I’m optimistic about how our combined determination will manifest in collective military advantages.”

Rear Adm. Takenaka echoed the strategic value of the partnership, reflecting on the importance of ongoing dialogue.

“The United States Navy and JMSDF exchanged views on the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region based on the newly developed National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy of both countries, deepening our mutual understanding,” he said. “We renewed our commitment to further improving our interoperability and interchangeability in order to protect the free and open oceans and the order and values based on international law.”

The U.S. – Japan alliance is a cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The two navies routinely operate together to deepen interoperability to enable mutual action. Recent successful joint exercises, including RIMPAC and MALABAR, demonstrate the effectiveness of the bilateral framework and the mutual benefit strong partnerships deliver.

The Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5) is the principal advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) on Navy strategies, plans and policies, including planning and coordinating the global employment of naval forces."

Image: "221009-N-DW158-1021 SEA OF JAPAN (Oct. 9, 2022) A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force SH-60J Seahawk lands on the flight deck of the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), in the Sea of Japan, Oct. 9. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Gray Gibson)".

US, Japanese Forces Team Up for Exercise Southern Beach - US INDO-PACIFIC COMMAND: "KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- U.S. Airmen and Sailors from Kadena Air Base teamed up in the skies near Okinawa with Japan Air Self Defense Force personnel during the latest iteration of the bilateral Southern Beach exercise, Jan. 19.

“Southern Beach is a bilateral exercise between U.S. personnel from Kadena Air Base and the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Sebastian Coburn, 18th Operations Support Squadron dissimilar air combat-training wing chief.

Southern Beach provides U.S. and Japanese personnel the opportunity to integrate as an allied force to better understand each other’s strengths, practice fluidity and execute the mission of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

There were a multitude of aircraft from different units coming together. Aircraft from Kadena AB included F-15C Eagles, KC-135 Stratotanker, E-3 Sentry, HH-60 Pave Hawks and U.S. Navy’s P-8A Poseidon. Japan Air Self-Defense Force aircraft included the F-2, the F-15J and the E-767.

The Southern Beach exercise involves close coordination between all forces involved, from mission planning, execution and debrief.

While U.S. Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force often train together in similar Southern Beach exercises, the inclusion of the U.S. Navy’s P-8A added a unique dimension to this event."

USS America Conducted Missile Launch On January 24th, 2023 - US INDO-PACIFIC COMMAND: "PHILIPPINE SEA -- The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) fired a RIM-116 rolling airframe missile, during routine operations, while underway in the Philippine Sea, Jan. 24.

The crew aboard the ship detected, tracked, and engaged a target to maintain proficiency of the onboard weapons systems and confirm the crew’s warfighting readiness.

"This exercise demonstrated our team's ability to work together, coordinate across multiple departments, and ultimately execute safely and effectively," said Cmdr. Avery Wilson, America's operations officer. "We demonstrated that through the hard work of our technicians and logistics support, our equipment is fully operational and our watch-standers in the Combat Information Center are trained and prepared for any threat."

USS America with Amphibious Squadron 11 and USS Green Bay (LPD 20) are sailing as the America Amphibious Ready Group to create a warfighting team committed to maintaining freedom of navigation and stability in the area of operations.

“The ship has to always be ready to deploy a lethal combat capability if necessary,” said Capt. Shockey Snyder, America’s commanding officer. This evolution reminds every Sailor aboard this ship that they, as tactical watchstanders, are the tip of the spear and we are ready to execute the nation’s defense strategy.

America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, is operating in the 7th Fleet area of operations. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with Allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region."

U.S.-Albanian Leaders Discuss NATO, Bilateral Relations - U.S. and Albanian defense leaders met today at the Pentagon to make a strong bilateral alliance even stronger. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - "Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Defense Minister Niko Peleshi met as the two nations marked the 30th year of their nations' defense relationship.

The men last spoke during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Ramstein Air Base last week. Albania, a NATO ally, is providing aid to Ukraine as the country battles against Russian invaders.

"Over the past three decades, our relationship has only deepened," Austin said at the beginning of the meeting. "Our forces train and exercise together. They work alongside each other in coalition operations.”

Albanian troops have served alongside U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq and Latvia. "More recently, we appreciate Albania[‘s] support and hosting Defender Europe '21,"Austin said.

The secretary also said he appreciated that Albania has volunteered to host Defender Europe '23

"We're meeting at a critical time for European security,"the secretary said. "Last week's contact group underscored the importance of moving urgently to strengthen Ukraine against Russian aggression and to strengthen our shared security."

Austin thanked the Albanian minister for the lethal and humanitarian aid his country is providing Ukraine. Albania is also deploying forces to bolster NATO's defense in the East.

Peleshi told Austin his country is proud to be a member of NATO and an ally of the United States. He said his country wants to do what is needed. "We have been very active in international missions, NATO missions, U.N. missions and operations because we want to deserve being an ally of the great, most powerful political alliance," he said."

Russia Says Tanks Being Sent to Ukraine By NATO Allies A "New Level Of Confrontation" - MOSCOW - Russia’s Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechayev released a statement after the United States and Germany announced sending tanks to Ukraine that called the decision an "extremely dangerous decision" that "takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation".

While addressing Germany's decision to allow their Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine, the ambassador said the following:

"On January 25, 2023, the German government approved the delivery of Leopard 2 heavy battle tanks to the Kyiv regime. Other countries that are armed with such equipment are allowed to re-export it to Ukraine.

This extremely dangerous decision takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation and contradicts the statements of German politicians about the unwillingness of the FRG to get involved in it. Unfortunately, this happens over and over again. Once again, we are convinced that Germany, like its closest allies, is not interested in a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian crisis, it is set up for its permanent escalation and unlimited pumping of the Kyiv regime with more and more deadly weapons. "Red lines" are a thing of the past.

The choice of Berlin means the final refusal of the Federal Republic of Germany to recognize the historical responsibility to our people for the terrible, timeless crimes of Nazism during the Great Patriotic War, the consignment to the oblivion of the difficult path of post-war reconciliation between Russians and Germans. With the approval of the leadership of the FRG, battle tanks with German crosses will again be sent to the "eastern front", which will inevitably lead to the death of not only Russian soldiers, but also the civilian population.

Berlin adopted this decision on the 80th anniversary of the breaking of the blockade of Leningrad, in which hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens died. It destroys the remnants of mutual trust, causes irreparable damage to the already deplorable state of Russian-German relations, and casts doubt on the possibility of their normalization in the foreseeable future."

British Challenger 2 Tanks To Be Delivered To Ukraine

British Challenger 2 tanks are also to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of March, according to British Deputy Defense Minister Alex Chuck.

“Our intention is that it will be at the end of March,” Chuck said (cited by TASS). Training of the Ukrainian military to manage and maintain British tanks should start on Monday, January 30," Chuck stated.

Russia: Shipments Will Be A Legitimate Target For Russian Aerospace Forces

Russian Foreign Minister has put out a warning and sent a note to members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that any shipments that contain military equipment will become a legitimate target for Russian Aerospace Forces.

Russia: Delivery Of Uranium Shells To Ukraine By US Will Be Considered The Use Of Dirty Bombs - MOSCOW - The delivery of Western-made uranium shells to Ukraine will be regarded by Russia as "the use of dirty nuclear bombs" and said that the depleted uranium shells used for the Leopard 2 tanks lead to "contamination of the area" and outbreaks of cancer.

At talks in Vienna on military security and arms control, Konstantin Gavrilov, head of the Russian delegation said, "We warn Western sponsors of the Kyiv military machine from encouraging nuclear provocations and blackmail".

The Russian diplomat went on to say, "We know that the Leopard 2 tank, as well as the Bradley and Marder infantry fighting vehicles, are armed with uranium-core armor-piercing projectiles, the use of which leads to contamination of the area, as happened in Yugoslavia and Iraq" .

"If Kyiv is supplied with such shells for NATO heavy military equipment, we will consider this as the use of dirty nuclear bombs against Russia, with all the ensuing consequences," the diplomat added.

Gavrilov claimed that Western countries "forced" Germany to make the decision to transfer "armored vehicles" to Ukraine.

Gavrilov said, “First, the allies threatened Berlin with international isolation in case of refusal to transfer the Leopards. Then none other than the representative of the US State Department, Ned Price, announced “imminent news” regarding the direction of the German “beast” to Kyiv. This is how transatlantic “solidarity” is forged, — said the head of the delegation".

Russian state-run news RIA Novosti cited the diplomat as saying that Germany made a "conscious" choice in favor of "German tanks with crosses on their armor again attacking Russian soldiers," and said that the Russian army will be destroying them.

Novosti stated that a "doctor of the military sciences" named Konstantin Sivkov told the Russian news agency that the Leopard 2 ammunition load includes armor-piercing sub-caliber depleted uranium shells, which it says leads to "contamination of the area" and "outbreaks of cancer".

Biden Announces Abrams Tanks to be Delivered to Ukraine - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: "President Joe Biden announced today that the United States will provide Ukraine with 31 M1 Abrams tanks. That is the required number to equip an entire Ukraine tank battalion. View Fact Sheet

These tanks are needed, Biden said, because Ukrainian forces are working to defend the territory they hold and will be better prepared for additional counter-offenses.

"They need to be able to counter Russia's evolving tactics and strategy on the battlefield in the very near term. They need to improve their ability to maneuver in open terrain. And, they need an enduring capability to deter and defend against Russian aggression over the long term," the president said.

The Abrams tanks are the most capable tanks in the world. And, they're also extremely complex to operate and maintain. Along with the tanks, the U.S. will be giving Ukraine the parts and equipment necessary to effectively repair and maintain these tanks on the battlefield, he said.

Ukrainian troops will be given training on logistics and maintenance as soon as possible, as actual delivery of these tanks will take some time, he said.

This morning, Biden said he had a long conversation with NATO allies, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni regarding continued close coordination and support of Ukraine.

Biden mentioned strong allied support for Ukraine, which will include German Leopard 2 tanks, a German Patriot missile battery, Challenger 2 tanks from the United Kingdom, and AMX-10 armored fighting vehicles from France.

"This is about helping Ukraine defend and protect Ukrainian land. It is not an offensive threat to Russia," he said.

"The expectation on the part of Russia is we're going to break up, we're not going to stay united. But we are fully thoroughly totally united," Biden said, speaking of the 50 nations that are part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

Senior administration officials said earlier today that these Abrams tanks will be procured through Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funding.

Unlike the presidential drawdown authority, USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry rather than delivering equipment that is drawn down from DOD stocks.

The officials also noted that eight M88 recovery vehicles will also be shipped to Ukraine, to accompany the 31 tanks.

Washington: $400 Million In Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine, Including Abrams Tanks - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: "The Department of Defense (DoD) announces the procurement of Abrams tanks for Ukraine via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), to support Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression. View Fact Sheet

This USAI package underscores the continued U.S. commitment to building the capacity of Ukraine's Armed Forces, now and into the future. Unlike Presidential Drawdown authority (PDA), which DoD has continued to leverage to deliver equipment to Ukraine from DoD stocks at a historic pace, USAI is an authority under which the United States procures new capabilities. This $400 million USAI package represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional capabilities to Ukraine.

The capabilities in this package include: 31 Abrams tanks with 120mm rounds and other ammunition; Eight Tactical Vehicles to recover equipment; Support vehicles and equipment; Funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment.

Alongside the battalion of Abrams tanks provided by the United States, a European consortium is committing to provide two battalions of Leopard tanks to Ukraine in the near term. The United States will continue to work with our Allies and partners to meet Ukraine's battlefield needs to counter Russian aggression and ensure the continued freedom and independence of the Ukrainian people.

In total, the United States has now committed more than $27.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $29.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and more than $27.1 billion since the beginning of Russia's unprovoked and brutal invasion on February 24, 2022."

US And Germany Both Agree To Send Tanks To Ukraine - WASHINGTON/BERLIN - Both the United States and Germany have agreed to send tanks to Ukraine after Germany had said it wouldn't be allowing its Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine by NATO allies unless the United States also agreed to send tanks of its own to the country.

U.S. President Joe Biden made a statement that said, "today I'm announcing the United States will be sending 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, the equivalent of 1 Ukrainian battalion".

"Secretary Austin has recommended this step because it will enhance Ukraine's capacity to defend its territory and achieve its strategic objective".

The German government also confirmed that it will be sending 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine from the stocks of the German Armed Forces, and will, in addition, be allowing allies to send the German-made Leopard 2 tanks.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz released a statement that said, "Ladies and gentlemen, that is the right principle. We are dealing with very effective weapons systems, and it is the right thing for us to never provide these weapons systems on their own, but always in close cooperation".

According to the German Defense Ministry, the German-made tanks could be delivered to Ukraine within the next three months.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius spoke on air on the Die Welt TV channel and said "This (deliveries of tanks - TASS note) will not happen earlier than in three or four months".

German Spokesman Steffen Hebestrait said, "The federal government has decided to provide the Ukrainian armed forces with Leopard 2A6 battle tanks. This is the result of intensive meetings that Germany has held with European and international partners".

"Germany will issue permits to partner countries that want to send Leopard 2A6 to Ukraine from their own stocks".

Russia's Response To The Announcements

Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov replied to the announcement of Abrams tanks being supplied to Ukraine by saying that it was "quite a failure" for "technological reasons," according to Russian state news agency TASS.

“I am convinced that many experts understand the absurdity of this idea too. It’s just that such a plan is quite a failure in terms of technological aspects, and most importantly, this is a clear overestimation of the potential that this will add to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” he said to reporters Wednesday.

He added that "so far there are a lot of mutually exclusive statements, media reports, leaks and so on from Germany and the United States." and said that "It is clear that not everything is going smoothly there, and in the [North Atlantic] alliance itself, not everything is so smooth, and not everything is going smoothly with the presence of tanks".

A report by TASS estimated that Ukraine can receive around 100 modern Western tanks, and had already received 350 to 400 Soviet-made tanks, which were mainly T-72s.

Allied Tanks Ukraine Will Be Receiving'

The following countries either are sending, or are considering sending tanks to Ukraine: Germany, Poland Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Britain, Denmark, and France.

Biden Announces Shipment Of 31 Abrams Tanks To Ukraine - WASHINGTON - U.S President Joe Biden has announced that the United States will be sending 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

During a speech, Biden said "and today, today I'm announcing the the United States will be sending 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, the equivalent of 1 Ukrainian battalion".

"Secretary Austin has recommended this step because it will enhance Ukraine's capacity to defend its territory and achieve its strategic objective".

He added, "The Abrams tanks are the most capable tanks in the world. They are also extremely complex to operate and maintain. So we're also giving Ukraine the parts and equipment necessary to effectively sustain these tanks on the battlefield".

Russian Frigate Admiral Gorshkov conducted hypersonic missile exercises in Atlantic - RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE: "The crew of Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov's frigate, operating in areas of the western part of the Atlantic Ocean, conducted computer simulation exercises with hypersonic missile weapons.

In accordance with the training situation, the frigate practiced arranging of Tsitkon hypersonic missile strike against a maritime target at a distance over 900 kilometers away.

A series of joint exercises with the South African Navy and the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy is planned for February 2023 off the coast of the Republic of South Africa.

The Admiral Gorshkov frigate is a modern multi-purpose ship, equipped with guided missiles, and designed for operating in distant maritime and oceanic areas. Fitted with Tsirkon, the ship is capable of launching pinpoint and powerful strikes at any offshore and onshore targets. The feature of Tsirkon missiles is their ability to overcome any kinds of modern and promising air or missile defense systems."

Medvedev: Russia May Nationalize Property Of US And EU Citizens In Response To Sanctions - MOSCOW - Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman, and former president Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia may be nationalizing the property of people who are registered in the United States, European Union, and other "unfriendly" jurisdictions in the midst of new "anti-Russian" sanctions.

He said that Russia is being threatened with arrests of assets of Russian citizens, as well as companies located outside of Russia.

"just like that, without any sanctions," Medvedev said, adding "in a carpet fashion," and "out of spite," and went on to say that, "this must be responded to in a quite symmetric manner".

On his VK social media page on Saturday, he said, "With the arrest of assets of foreigners and foreign companies in Russia based on country principle. And maybe, with the nationalization of the property of people registered in unfriendly jurisdictions. Like the EU, EU member states and a number of singing-along states of the Anglo-Saxon world will take part in this".

"Thankfully, we have vast experience and we have a law on this issue. A harsh one," he said.

Russian state-run news agency TASS said that "a number of states" have announced "harsh" sanctions against Russia, including financial and technological sectorial restrictions against 64 Russian agencies enforced by the European Union.

Among the agencies were the "Presidential Administration, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and other state structures, as well as companies of military-industrial, energy, plane building and financial sectors of Russia," the news report said.

It added that a number of Russian politicians which include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and other Russian citizens have also been "blacklisted".

USS George H. W. Bush Carrier Group Joins Completion Of US/Israel Juniper Oak Exercises - MEDITERRANEAN SEA - The aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) carrier strike group joined the joint US/Israel Juniper Oak drills in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea as the exercise wrapped up.

CENTCOM Statement On The Strike Group Joining Exercise Juniper Oak 2023-2

CENTCOM: "MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Jan. 24, 2023) The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group sails in formation with the Israeli Navy during exercise Juniper Oak 2023-2, Jan. 24, 2023. Juniper Oak 23-2 is a bilateral military exercise, led by U.S. Central Command and the Israeli Defense Force, designed to enhance interoperability between the U.S. and Israel militaries. Juniper Oak 23-2 joins the long-standing “Juniper” series that the U.S. and Israel have conducted for more than 20-years. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Novalee Manzella)".

Completion of Juniper Oak 23.2 Exercise

CENTCOM: "TAMPA, Fla. – Today, U.S. Central Command and the Israel Defense Forces concluded Juniper Oak 23.2, the largest U.S.-Israel partnered exercise in history. Juniper Oak 23.2 integrated U.S. and Israeli 5th generation fighter assets, the USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, command and control elements, rescue and refueling aircraft during a long-range large force exercise that included a live fire exercise with more than 140 aircraft including B52s, F35s, F15s, F16s, FA-18s, AC-130, AH64s, 12 naval assets, High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems, Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, a mix of jet fighters, and long-range bombers.

Juniper Oak 23.2 enhanced interoperability and the ability of CENTCOM forces to rapidly move combat power into the region. “Today the partnership between CENTCOM and the IDF is stronger and continues to grow,” said Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, CENTCOM commander. “Our partnership is a key pillar of our commitment to expanding regional security cooperation.”

“We at CENTCOM will take the lessons learned from Exercise Juniper Oak and share and incorporate them with all our partners across the CENTCOM region,” Kurilla concluded.

Roughly 6,400 U.S. troops alongside more than 1,500 Israeli troops participated in the exercise. CENTCOM remains committed to strengthening partnerships and enhancing interoperability in support of a more stable, more secure region."

KFOR Soldiers emergency response evaluated during Exercise Cavalry Guardian - US Military: "CAMP NOVO SELO, Kosovo — Kosovo Force, Regional Command-East recently conducted exercise Cavalry Guardian, an emergency response training exercise, geared toward testing team cohesion, resilience under stress and job proficiency, near Camp Novo Selo on Jan. 10, 2023.

During the training, Soldiers from Austria, the U.S., and Great Britain competed to provide the best reaction to an emergency scenario involving role players and emergency response personnel from KFOR.

“This training has helped us to spread awareness amongst even the lowest level of Soldiers how to deal with complex road traffic accidents, especially when they involve multiple casualties,” said British Army Capt. Hugo Hunter, exercise director and safety coordinator.

During the exercise scenario, Soldiers had to complete a very complex iteration with a combination of an unexploded ordnance scenario, a crime scene or weapons cache, a mass casualty event with four civilians and one KFOR Soldier.

On scene, the Soldiers had to coordinate with Film City Fire and Rescue to cut out a role-playing member of KFOR who was simulating they were trapped in the crashed vehicle. Once the victim was freed, competitors requested KFOR aviation unit support to provide medical evacuation.

“[This training] is important because these guys are out patrolling every day, so this is something that they would be likely to come across,” said U.S. Army Maj. Brendan Williams, KFOR Regional Command-East Operations Officer and logistics support for the exercise. “Not to this extreme, but accidents are probably the most common thing that they are going to deal with. So knowing how to treat casualties, knowing how to get those casualties follow-on care quickly, and reporting quickly, is very important.”

The joint exercise also enhanced the interoperability of several NATO partners and allies to include the U.S., the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Slovenia, Italy, Poland, the International Military Police, Film City Fire Services and the Joint Logistics Support Group. By working together, they enhanced the readiness of both their specialties and the competitors through training and developing best practices.

“We have a pretty unique situation in Kosovo where the threat to KFOR Soldiers is not as high as many other theaters and it gives us the best opportunity to practice our training, tactics and procedures, and really learn how to develop best practices,” Hunter said. “It's only through training that we better ourselves and perform to a higher standard.”

The plan is to continue to provide this vital training to Soldiers of future rotations of KFOR. The exercise director, Hunter hopes it will expand to include many other countries with further iterations.

KFOR RC-East comprises 10 contributing NATO partner nations. Its mission is to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo, as mandated by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999."

NY Army Guard aviation Soldiers mobilize for Mideast mission - US Army: "ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Almost 400 New York Army National Guard Soldiers will soon leave for a deployment to Kuwait.

The Soldiers from Rochester, Dunkirk and Long Island will train in Pennsylvania and Texas before heading to the Middle East for 10 months.

Some 350 Soldiers are assigned to the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion, trained to provide logistics and maintenance support to the helicopter units of an Army combat aviation brigade.

Forty-five Soldiers are members of Detachment 1, Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th General Support Aviation Battalion, and fly CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopters.

The 642nd Aviation has elements in Rochester and Dunkirk in western New York and in Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma on Long Island. The battalion is part of the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade.

The 642nd will conduct farewell ceremonies at the Army Aviation Support Facilities in Rochester and Ronkonkoma. The Soldiers from Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th General Support Aviation Battalion, will participate in the Rochester ceremony.

The 642nd will train for two weeks at Fort Indiantown Gap near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and for about two months in Fort Hood, Texas, before deploying to Kuwait.

The Soldiers from Bravo Company will also train at Fort Indiantown Gap and Fort Hood. They will be under the control of their battalion at Fort Hood and in Kuwait while they fly missions to support Army forces in the region.

The 642nd will support the Mississippi Army National Guard’s 185th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade during operations throughout the region.

The 642nd Aviation Support Battalion deployed to Kuwait in 2013 and 2014 as part of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, conducting support operations across the Middle East.

In 2005, the battalion, then known as the 642nd Divisional Aviation Support Battalion, deployed to Tikrit, Iraq, as part of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade and the 42nd Infantry Division.

During that deployment, the battalion conducted 180 combat logistics patrols covering nearly 60,000 miles while repelling multiple attacks by insurgent forces. The unit also recovered three downed aircraft.

During the deployment, two Purple Hearts were awarded and six vehicles were lost to enemy fire, but no Soldiers were killed.

In New York, Soldiers of the battalion responded to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and supported operations after Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th General Support Aviation Battalion is a New York Army National Guard aviation company that is part of an aviation battalion headquartered in Massachusetts.

The Soldiers fly the CH-47F helicopter, the largest in the Army’s inventory.

The company deployed to Afghanistan, where the heavy lift and high-altitude capabilities of the CH-47 were vital. The unit served in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2008, 2012 and 2013, and 2018.

Soldiers from the company participated in state responses to Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and the “Snowvember” Storm in 2014. Last fall, the unit deployed an aircraft and crew to Florida to help respond to Hurricane Ian.

In May, a Bravo Company CH-47 recovered a pontoon in danger of sweeping over Niagara Falls.

Currently, 1,800 New York Army National Guard Soldiers are deployed overseas.

The 369th Sustainment Brigade has deployed 260 Soldiers in Kuwait, supporting the 10,000 Army Soldiers of Task Force Spartan.

The 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, a UH-60 helicopter unit based in Latham and Ronkonkoma, has 250 troops deployed in Kuwait.

The 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, along with companies from the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry, and the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry — 1,130 Soldiers — are operating in the Horn of Africa, securing U.S. military facilities in the area.

And in Germany, 140 Soldiers of Task Force Orion, from the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, are training Ukrainian soldiers as part of the U.S. support for that nation’s war effort."

Army announces unit preparation for potential deployments in support of European allies and partners - WASHINGTON – The Department of the Army announced the preparation of Army units for potential deployment to backfill units currently in Europe. This potential deployment would not constitute a change to current force posture levels.

It would ensure the United States continues to be well positioned to provide a robust deterrent and defensive posture alongside our Allies across the European continent. The United States will continue to adjust its posture as needed in response to the dynamic security environment.

Elements from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division and the 10th Mountain Division Headquarters are preparing for a potential deployment to replace units currently in Europe. Preparation for this potential deployment provides flexibility to reassess conditions and respond to a dynamic security environment.

CENTCOM and Israel Defense Forces Conduct Exercise Juniper Oak 23.2 - CENTRAL COMMAND: U.S. Central Command and the Israel Defense Forces carry out live-fire exercise Juniper Oak 23.2 in Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

"This exercise strengthens collective U.S.-Israeli readiness and improves the interoperability of both forces, thereby contributing to regional stability. Exercises like Juniper Oak show that interoperability and integration represent the improved security in the region.

“Consistent with CENTCOM’s strategic approach of People, Partners, and Innovation, we are committed to strengthening military-to-military relations throughout the region,” said Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM. “Juniper Oak is a Combined Joint All-Domain exercise which improves our interoperability on land, in the air, at sea, in space, and in cyberspace with our partners, enhances our ability to respond to contingencies, and underscores our commitment to the Middle East.”

Juniper Oak 23.2 integrates many military assets and missions, including:

Assets And Missions: Strategic bombers, U.S. and Israeli command and control, Fighter aircraft, Air operations in maritime surface warfare, Rescue aircraft, Combat search and rescue, Refueling aircraft, Electronic attack, Naval forces, Suppression of enemy air defenses, Ground long-range precision fires, Strike coordination and reconnaissance, Air long-range precision fires, Air interdiction, Rotary wing aircraft, Space Force assets, Special Operations Forces, Infantry forces.

This exercise will include a large-scale live fire event with over 140 aircraft including B52s, F35s, F15s, F16s, FA-18s, AC-130, AH64s, 12 naval vessels, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, and Multiple Launch Rocket Systems.

“These kinds of exercises – which CENTCOM routinely conducts with our partners – develop interoperability between military forces, increase military capabilities, and are important to the security and stability of the region. The lessons learned during these exercises are exportable to our partners across the region,” Kurilla concluded."

Former Special Agent In Charge Of The New York FBI Counterintelligence Division Charged With Violating U.S. Sanctions On Russia - Former Special Agent In Charge Of The New York FBI Counterintelligence Division Charged With Violating U.S. Sanctions On Russia. A Russian Court and Government Interpreter Is Also Charged with Violating U.S. Sanctions on Russia.

US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: "Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a five-count Indictment charging CHARLES MCGONIGAL and SERGEY SHESTAKOV with violating and conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) and with conspiring to commit money laundering and money laundering.

SHESTAKOV is also charged with making material misstatements to the FBI. The defendants were arrested on Saturday evening, and they will be presented this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave in Manhattan federal court. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jennifer H. Rearden.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Charles McGonigal, a former high-level FBI official, and Sergey Shestakov, a Court interpreter, violated U.S. sanctions by agreeing to provide services to Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian oligarch.

They both previously worked with Deripaska to attempt to have his sanctions removed, and, as public servants, they should have known better. This Office will continue to prosecute those who violate U.S. sanctions enacted in response to Russian belligerence in Ukraine in order to line their own pockets.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “The FBI is committed to the enforcement of economic sanctions designed to protect the United States and our allies, especially against hostile activities of a foreign government and its actors. Russian oligarchs like Oleg Deripaska perform global malign influence on behalf of the Kremlin and are associated with acts of bribery, extortion, and violence.

As alleged, Mr. McGonigal and Mr. Shestakov, both U.S. citizens, acted on behalf of Deripaska and fraudulently used a U.S. entity to obscure their activity in violation of U.S. sanctions.

After sanctions are imposed, they must be enforced equally against all U.S. citizens in order to be successful. There are no exceptions for anyone, including a former FBI official like Mr. McGonigal. Supporting a designated threat to the United States and our allies is a crime the FBI will continue to pursue aggressively.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]

In 2014, the President issued Executive Order 13660, which declared a national emergency with respect to the situation in Ukraine.

To address this national emergency, the President blocked all property of individuals determined by the U.S. Treasury to be responsible for or complicit in actions or policies that threatened the security, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine, or who materially assist, sponsor, or provide support to individuals or entities engaging in such activities.

Executive Order 13660 and regulations issued pursuant to it prohibit making or receiving any funds, goods, or services by, to, from, or for the benefit of any person designated by the U.S. Treasury.

On April 6, 2018, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) designated Oleg Deripaska as a Specially Designated National (“SDN”) in connection with its finding that the actions of the Government of the Russian Federation with respect to Ukraine constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy (the “OFAC Sanctions”).

According to the U.S. Treasury, Deripaska was sanctioned for having acted or purported to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a senior official of the Government of the Russian Federation and for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy.

CHARLES MCGONIGAL is a former Special Agent in Charge (“SAC”) of FBI’s Counterintelligence Division in New York, who retired in 2018. While working at the FBI, MCGONIGAL supervised and participated in investigations of Russian oligarchs, including Deripaska. SERGEY SHESTAKOV is a former Soviet and Russian diplomat who later became a U.S. citizen and a Russian interpreter for courts and government offices.

In 2021, MCGONIGAL and SHESTAKOV conspired to provide services to Deripaska, in violation of U.S. sanctions imposed on Deripaska in 2018. Specifically, following their negotiations with an agent of Deripaska, MCGONIGAL and SHESTAKOV agreed to and did investigate a rival Russian oligarch in return for concealed payments from Deripaska.

As part of their negotiations with Deripaska’s agent, MCGONIGAL, SHESTAKOV, and the agent attempted to conceal Deripaska’s involvement by, among other means, not directly naming Deripaska in electronic communications, using shell companies as counterparties in the contract that outlined the services to be performed, using a forged signature on that contract, and using the same shell companies to send and receive payments from Deripaska.

MCGONIGAL and SHESTAKOV were aware that their actions violated U.S. sanctions because, among other reasons, while serving as SAC, MCGONIGAL received then-classified information that Deripaska would be added to a list of oligarchs considered for sanctions as part of the process that led to the imposition of sanctions against Deripaska.

In addition, in 2019, MCGONIGAL and SHESTAKOV worked on behalf of Deripaska in an unsuccessful effort to have the sanctions against Deripaska lifted.

In November 2021, when FBI agents questioned SHESTAKOV about the nature of his and MCGONIGAL’s relationship with Deripaska’s agent, SHESTAKOV made false statements in a recorded interview.

CHARLES MCGONIGAL, 54, of New York, New York, and SERGEY SHESTAKOV, 69, of Morris, Connecticut, are charged with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the IEEPA, one count of violating the IEEPA, one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

SHESTAKOV is also charged with one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI New York Field Office’s Counterintelligence Division and the valuable assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as the New York City Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hagan Scotten, Rebecca T. Dell, and Derek Wikstrom are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."

Norwegian Army: Russia Has 180,000 Solders Killed Or Wounded In Ukraine To Date - NORWAY - The Norwegian Defense Chief Eirik Kristoffersen said in an interview with Norwegian channel TV2 that Russia has approached nearly 180,000 dead or wounded soldiers in Ukraine since the start of the war, to date.

"Russian losses are beginning to approach around 180,000 dead or wounded soldiers," he stated.

"Ukrainian losses are probably over 100,000 dead or wounded. In addition Ukraine has about 30,000 civilians who died in this terrible war".

Both Ukraine and Russia give extremely low estimates regarding their own losses and possibly inflated estimates of their opponent's losses.

United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley had announced an estimate of 100,000 dead or wounded in November of last year for both Ukraine and Russia.

Kristoffersen said, "Russia is able to continue (this war) for quite a long time. What worries most is whether Ukraine is going to be able to keep the Russian air force out of the war," he said.

He added that they have been able to keep Russia's air force largely out of the war "thanks to Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses".

Most of Russia's attacks on Ukraine for the last few months have been using long-range missiles on Ukrainian targets.

Regarding tanks that the Norwegian General has called for the delivery of, which has been delayed by indecisiveness by Germany, Kristoffersen said "If they're going to go on the offensive in the winter, they (Ukrainians) need it fast".

Medvedev: Alliance Of Countries "Annoyed With US" Might Appear - MOSCOW - Former Russian President and current Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that The United States is attempting to destroy Russia and that a new global military alliance may be emerging.

The statement was written on his Telegram channel on Sunday, where he said "The Ramstein meeting and heavy weapons supplies to Kyiv leave no doubt that our enemies will try to maul or even destroy us endlessly. And they have enough weapons for that. They could also start producing new ones if need be".

He continued saying that he came to two conclusions. First, it would be "very difficult," and second, "in the event of a prolonged conflict, a new military alliance may appear at a certain moment in time, comprising those countries who will be annoyed with the Americans," and added their allies as well.

Claiming that the world would be a stable place again when the United States abandons Europe and added, "what will be left from poor Ukrainians unless it is too late."

US To Announce Sending 30 M1 Abrams Tanks To Ukraine - WASHINGTON - The United States says that they will be making an announcement to send around 30 Abrams tanks to Ukraine as soon as Wednesday, but it could take a few months to deliver the tanks.

An AP report, as well as a report by Foreign Affairs and PBS Defense Correspondent Nick Schifrin says that U.S. officials have informed him that Washington will announce sending about 30 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, in coordination with an announcement by Germany that their Leopard 2 tanks can be sent to the country.

Germany had said they would not allow the German-made Leopard 2 tanks to be sent by NATO-allied forces to Ukraine unless the United States also made the decision to send its own tanks.

Poland has been asking Germany for authorization to send the German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. An official has said that they would approve the request if it is made.

U.S. officials are still working out the details, but said that it would be under the upcoming Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package providing "longer-range funding" for weapons and equipment to be purchased from commercial vendors, according to the AP report.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spoke to Russia's state-run news TASS and said, "Reflections about red lines are now in the past. The United States has unequivocally declared its intention to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. It is impossible not to notice this reality."

Regarding Germany allowing their tanks to be sent to Ukraine, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "Such shipments do not bode well for the future of [Russian-German] relations. They will, undoubtedly, leave and unavoidable mark for the future of these relations".

Peskov said that Russia's relations with Germany are "already at a rather low point," and added "We do not observe any substantial dialogue with Germany or other EU, NATO countries".

Joint Resolution Introduced To Use Military Force Against Mexican Drug Cartels - WASHINGTON - A new Joint Resolution has been introduced by United States Representative Dan Crenshaw that would allow for the use of military force against Mexican drug cartels in order to fight against drug trafficking into the United States.

The joint resolution would allow "all necessary and appropriate force" against nine Mexican drug cartels including: The Sinaloa Cartel. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, The Gulf Cartel, The Los Zetas Cartel, The Northeast Cartel, The Juarez Cartel, The Tijuana Cartel, The Beltran-Levya Cartel, The La Familia Michoacana, or Knight Templar Cartel.

Crenshaw was interviewed by Fox News and said, "We are at a point now where their resistance is not only hurting them, it’s killing our citizens. We have to say enough is enough. … You’d better work with us, because we don’t want to do this without you, but we will.”

He added, “They’re some of the most capable, most well-funded, most dangerous organizations on the planet, and they’re right there. And Mexico is at risk of becoming a failed state. We have to work together with their government to deal with this.”

What's In The Joint Resolution?

The joint resolution that was submitted states: "To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for trafficking fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance into the United States or carrying out other related activities that cause regional destabilization in the Western Hemisphere".

"Whereas armed cartels such as Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel are responsible for trafficking fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances into the United States;"

"Whereas fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances kill ap- proximately 80,000 Americans every year and is the lead-ing cause of death for American men between the ages of 18 and 45;"

"Whereas the Sinaloa Cartel and the Los Zetas Cartel, among others, consistently engage in violence against each other and other cartels, creating instability mere miles from the border of the United States;"

AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES1 ARMED FORCES

"IN GENERAL, The President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those foreign nations, foreign organizations, or foreign persons affiliated with foreign organizations that the President determines"

Russia Dispatches Yars Nuclear Missile Systems To "Combat Patrol Missions" - Tver - The Russian Bologoye strategic missile division in Tver dispatched the Yars mobile surface-to-surface nuclear missile systems to "combat patrol missions," according to the Russian MOD, which says that it is scheduled training.

Last Monday the Russian Ministry of Defense said, "The Bologoye missile division has dispatched autonomous launchers of the strategic mobile missile system Yars to combat patrol missions. The crews are performing assigned tasks and on-the-fly instructions, including intensive maneuvering on combat patrol routes".

Russian state news agency TASS reported that the Yars crews are carrying out 100-kilometer (62 mile) march and practicing in countering sabotage and reconnaissance groups along the way.

The report also said that the missile units are practicing stealth deployment in the forest while support units carry out extracting special equipment from zones of 'hypothetical' chemical contamination, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

TASS said that the scheduled combat training is to check the readiness of personnel, military equipment and weapons for long-term duty on combat patrol routes.

US Expecting To Support Netherlands In Transferring F-16 Jets To Ukraine - EUROPE - U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter said that he expects broad support in the United States to for the Netherlands to transfer allied F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, in an interview with Lithuanian news agency Delfi.

In an interview with Delfi, Carpenter was asked if Washington is ready to allow the Netherlands to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. He said , “We have long been of the opinion that what our allies supply is their business".

"And we support the countless contributions (to defense - delfi) that our allies have made for Ukraine. And this has been true from the very beginning of the war, when we discussed legacy Soviet systems, to the present period, when we discuss main battle tanks and more sophisticated air and missile defense capabilities and systems." he continued.

"And so I expect there will be broad support in the United States for our allies to continue to increase their contributions".

Netherlands news agency RTL reported that "like other Western countries", the Netherlands had "previously contributed" to "dozens" of old Soviet tanks that the Czech Republic has given over to Ukraine to help defend the country against Russia's ongoing invasion.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos,Switzerland defense minister Kajsa Ollongren spoke to Bloomberg and said "That is certainly something we are willing to do".

The Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands Wopke Hoekstra also said that there are "no taboos" in supplying Ukraine "regular equipment", RTL reported.

The German-Made Leopard Tanks Cannot Be Given Without Germany's Permission

Regarding Leopard 2 tanks, Ollongren said that it must take place within a coalition within Europe or NATO, as the Netherlands to not currently possess Leopard 2 tanks, they are renting 18 of them from Germany.

As Leopard-2 tanks are German made, authorization must be given by Germany before any NATO country will be allowed to supply them to Ukraine.

"We are waiting for Germany's position on this, but I am in favor of trying to find a solution and sending tanks to Ukraine," Ollongren said to Bloomberg at Davos.

The Foreign Ministers of Estonia, Lithuania, and Lavia have all posted the following statement on social media: "We, [Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania] Foreign Ministers, call on Germany to provide Leopard tanks to Ukraine now. This is needed to stop Russian aggression, help Ukraine and restore peace in Europe quickly. Germany as the leading European power has special responsibility in this regard".

U.S. Declares Russian Wagner Group A Transnational Criminal Organization - WASHINGTON - The White House has declared the Russian private paramilitary organization PMC Wagner group as "transnational criminal organization". The Wagner group is known to be the private army of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The White House national security council spokesman, John Kirby announced the move on Friday that the Treasury Department will be applying the new designation in the coming days, which will place the Wagner group in the same category as international mafia and organized crime groups.

The move will allow the United States to apply a broader range of sanctions on the group worldwide, as well as affiliated companies in Africa and in other countries internationally.

During Kirby's statement he said, "Wagner “is a criminal organization that is committing widespread atrocities and human rights abuses".

“We will work relentlessly to identify, disrupt, expose and target those who are assisting Wagner,” he added.

The new designation comes as the White House released evidence, including images of Russia allegedly accepting a delivery of arms from North Korea that it stated was intended to aid Wagner forces on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Washington also released images dated November 18th that it says show Russian rail cars traveling back and forth from Russia and North Korea.

“The arms transfers from are in direct violation of United Nations security council resolution,” Kirby said.

“These actions recognize the transcontinental threat that Wagner poses, including through its ongoing pattern of serious criminal activity with these actions, and there’ll be more to come,” Kirby said.

According to Kirby's statement, around 50,000 Wagner soldiers are fighting in Ukraine along side Russian soldiers, including 40,000 convicts that were recruited from various prisons, and 10,000 contractors.

“We are seeing indications, including in intelligence, that tensions between Wagner and the Russian defense ministry are increasing,” Kirby said.

“Wagner is becoming a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries. Publicly, Prigozhin and his fighters have criticized Russian generals and defense officials for their performance in Ukraine," he added.

White House: "The White House announced Friday new sanctions to be put in place by the U.S. Treasury Department next week on the Wagner Group, designating the Russian private military company as a transnational criminal organization".

"The Biden administration urged other countries to join the U.S. in targeting the group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian oligarch and confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which has been playing a key role in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine."

"The administration also released newly declassified photos taken in November of what it says are Russian rail cars delivering infantry rockets and missiles from North Korea for use by Wagner forces. It submitted the imagery to the U.N. Security Council panel charged with enforcing North Korea sanctions to push for action on what it believes is a violation of Security Council resolutions on arms transfers."

"VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara spoke Friday with John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, about the significance of the designation and possible further actions concerning the Wagner Group, which the administration says has recruited 40,000 convicts to fight in Ukraine."

Russia: Western Air Defense Systems And Tanks To Ukraine To Bring About Escalation - MOSCOW - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova said on Friday that the statements about supplying Ukraine with any weapons, including those that are able to hit Crimea will "inevitably" lead to "an escalation".

She drew attention to one report in particular in by the New York Times claiming that Washington is considering supplying Ukraine with additional weapons to be used to attack Crimea.

"We regard all this as an open, provocative instigation by the West and a raising of the stakes in the conflict, which will inevitably lead to greater casualties and a dangerous escalation," Zakharova stated.

She also said the West is "plunging ever deeper into the conflict in Ukraine," and said that Ukraine is using the Dnepropetrovsk tragedy to secure more weaponry from the United States.

"A freelance adviser to the office of the President of Ukraine, Alexey Arestovich, initially admitted that the Ukrainian air defense’s actions were the cause of the tragedy, but then he began to backtrack," she stated.

"Zelensky's regime is shamelessly trying to use this tragedy to press the West for tougher anti-Russian sanctions and new arms shipments," she added.

State Department: US Warns China of Red Line in Ukraine War Ahead of Blinken Visit - VOA: "State Department: The United States is warning China against material and security assistance to Russia in Moscow’s war on Ukraine, laying out Washington’s red line ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing early next month.

Tuesday, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China Michael Chase spoke to Song Yanchao, deputy director of China’s Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission, according to a U.S. official who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity.

This week’s military-to-military talks come as the U.S. is monitoring closely any decisions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in response to Russian requests for security assistance. The U.S. official took note of reports about Multiple Visits to China by Russian transport aircraft.

“If we see the PRC taking action to systemically assist Russia evade sanctions, of course there will be costs,” said Price.

Tuesday’s two-hour talks came after China turned down a U.S. offer for military de-confliction talks between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe earlier this month.

During a press conference at the State Department after the U.S.-Japan 2+2 talks last week, Austin said he has asked his Chinese counterpart to meet the U.S. “halfway” and keep “open lines of communication” to avoid miscalculation.

Wei is retiring in March. Li Shangfu, a new member of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Military Commission (CM) is widely seen as the PRC’s next minister of national defense.

Li was sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2018 due to Chinese purchases of advanced Russian fighters and missile systems. But the U.S. sanctions would not prevent Li from holding official meetings with American officials, according to a State Department official.

During Tuesday’s talks, the U.S. official told VOA that China also raised concerns about a potential visit to Taiwan by the new U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy said last year he would visit Taiwan if he became the house speaker, a move that would anger China.

China claims sovereignty over the self-ruled democracy, a claim rejected by Taiwan.

U.S. diplomats and military officials have pointed out that the House of Representatives operates independently from the Biden administration and cautioned China against an overreaction near the Taiwan Strait that may lead to an “unintended” military accident.

“We can’t hold our foreign policy hostage to things that China may or may not do,” said a senior State Department official."

Israel Unveils "Point Blank" Missile/Suicide Backpack Drone - JERUSALEM - Israel's state-owned IAI Aerospace Industries has announced its new "Point Blank" electro-optically guided missile, capable of being stored in a soldier's backpack. It can take off and land back into the operator's hand. Read Full Article

The IAI has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to develop the "ROC-X" version of the POINT BLANK system for the U.S. Department of Defense. The first prototype, as well as the accompanying training to use the device is expected to be released next year, according to an IAI statement.

The missile is a hand-launched loitering missile, also called an attack drone which can land back in a soldiers hand without exploding if it is not used against a target.

The 'loitering' missile/drone are also known as 'suicide' or 'kamikaze' drone can be both launched and operated by a single soldier alone.

The Point Blank missile weighs around 15 pounds and is 3 feet in length. The device is capable of flying at an altitude of 1,500 feet at a max speed of 178 miles per hour.

It's also capable of hovering over the target while the soldier analyzes what kind of target it is, as well as its position. It can be retracted and re-stored if the soldier decides against carrying out an attack on the target in question.

In a statement, the IAI said, “The system answers the battlefield requirement to provide tactical units ranging in size from small tactical teams to battalion level, with an independent and organic capability to increase their lethality".

FBI Director Deeply Concerned About Chinese Government's AI Program - WASHINGTON - The FBI Director Christopher Wray stated Thursday that he is "deeply concerned" regarding the artificial intelligence program run by the Chinese government.

During the panel session at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland he said Chinese ambitions with artificial intelligence has been “built on top of massive troves of intellectual property and sensitive data that they’ve stolen over the years".

He also said that China could use the artificial intelligence technology to advance its methods regarding cyberattacks, repress people that China sees as dissidents, as well as those located overseas, use it to steal intellectual property.

“That’s something we’re deeply concerned about, and I think everyone here should be deeply concerned about,” he said.

“AI is a classic example of a technology where I have the same reaction every time. I think, ‘Wow, We can do that?’ And then I think, ‘Oh god, they can do that.'" he stated.

While speaking at the World Economic Forum panel session Wray also said that "The level of collaboration between the private sector and the government, especially the FBI, has made significant strides".

CENTCOM Conducts Ground Assault Raid In Eastern Syria - Central Command forces conducted a partnered helicopter and ground assault raid in eastern Syria.

CENTRAL COMMAND STATEMENT: "CENTCOM Conducts Partnered Helicopter and Ground Assault Raid in Syria TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command forces conducted a partnered helicopter and ground assault raid in eastern Syria, Jan. 21, capturing two ISIS-Syria members, Abdallah Hamid Muslih al-Maddad AKA Abu Hamza al-Suri, an ISIS facilitator, and Husam Hamid al-Muslih al-Maddad, al-Khayr, ISIS facilitator and logistician, and one associate.

One civilian received minor injuries. "The injured civilian was escorted by our partner forces to a nearby medical care facility along with an accompanying family member," said Colonel Joe Buccino, a CENTCOM spokesperson.

"He received care and was released back to his family." "This operation reaffirms CENTCOM's steadfast commitment to the region and the enduring defeat of ISIS," said Buccino.

"The capture will disrupt the terrorist organization's ability to further plot and carry out attacks that threaten regional security and stability."

"ISIS represents a threat to our partners and to the people of Iraq and Syria and beyond," he added. "Our mission to defeat ISIS alongside our Syrian Democratic Forces partners continues."

U.S. Declares Russian Wagner Group A Transnational Criminal Organization - WASHINGTON - The White House has declared the Russian private paramilitary organization PMC Wagner group as "transnational criminal organization". The Wagner group is known to be the private army of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The White House national security council spokesman, John Kirby announced the move on Friday that the Treasury Department will be applying the new designation in the coming days, which will place the Wagner group in the same category as international mafia and organized crime groups.

The move will allow the United States to apply a broader range of sanctions on the group worldwide, as well as affiliated companies in Africa and in other countries internationally.

During Kirby's statement he said, "Wagner “is a criminal organization that is committing widespread atrocities and human rights abuses".

“We will work relentlessly to identify, disrupt, expose and target those who are assisting Wagner,” he added.

The new designation comes as the White House released evidence, including images of Russia allegedly accepting a delivery of arms from North Korea that it stated was intended to aid Wagner forces on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Washington also released images dated November 18th that it says show Russian rail cars traveling back and forth from Russia and North Korea.

“The arms transfers from are in direct violation of United Nations security council resolution,” Kirby said.

“These actions recognize the transcontinental threat that Wagner poses, including through its ongoing pattern of serious criminal activity with these actions, and there’ll be more to come,” Kirby said.

According to Kirby's statement, around 50,000 Wagner soldiers are fighting in Ukraine along side Russian soldiers, including 40,000 convicts that were recruited from various prisons, and 10,000 contractors.

“We are seeing indications, including in intelligence, that tensions between Wagner and the Russian defense ministry are increasing,” Kirby said.

“Wagner is becoming a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries. Publicly, Prigozhin and his fighters have criticized Russian generals and defense officials for their performance in Ukraine," he added.

Multiple Drone Attack on Coalition Outpost in Syria - TAMPA, Fla. – This morning, three one-way attack drones attacked the At Tanf Garrison in Syria. Two of the drones were shot down by Coalition Forces while one struck the compound, injuring two members of the Syrian Free Army partner force who received medical treatment. No US forces were injured.

“Attacks of this kind are unacceptable – they place our troops and our partners at risk and jeopardize the fight against ISIS,” said Joe Buccino CENTCOM spokesperson.

Pentagon Says If Ukraine Carries Out Strike On Crimea US Would Be With Ukraine - Pentagon's spokeswoman Sabrina Singh just said if Ukraine decides to carry out a military operation in Crimea, the United States would "be with Ukraine for as long as it takes".

"This department has said that we will be with Ukraine for as long as it takes. That includes an operation in Crimea. That is a sovereign part of their country and they have every right to take that back".

Note: This does not necessarily mean that the United States will set soldiers down on the ground in Crimea to aid Ukraine in the fighting, but it is one of the strongest messages than have been put out thus far in regards to US support for the country.

A NYT report claimed that "several anonymous US officials" spoke to the paper and told them that Washington is warming up to the idea of aiding Ukraine in strikes on Crimea, Ukrainian territory that was annexed by Russia.

CENTCOM Conducts Partnered D-ISIS Operation With Syrian Democratic Forces - CENTRAL COMMAND - "CENTCOM Conducts a Partnered D-ISIS Operation with the Syrian Democratic Forces TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command forces partnered with Syrian Democratic Forces to conduct a partnered helicopter assault in eastern Syria on Jan. 18 capturing an ISIS Syrian provincial media and security operative.

The individual was involved in the planning and facilitation of ISIS operations in and outside of the region as well as global recruiting efforts. Extensive planning went into this operation to ensure its successful execution. Initial assessments indicate no civilians were killed or injured.

"This operation reaffirms CENTCOM's steadfast commitment to the region and the enduring defeat of ISIS," said Col. Joe Buccino, CENTCOM spokesperson.

"The capture of this ISIS operative will disrupt the terrorist organization's ability to further the plot and carry out global attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians. "ISIS continues to represent a threat to the U.S. and partners in the region.

CENTCOM maintains a sufficient and sustainable presence in the region and will continue to counter threats against regional security."

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev: Defeat Of A Nuclear Power In Conventional War May Trigger Nuclear War - MOSCOW - While speaking of Russia's war in Ukraine, Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that the "defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war may trigger a nuclear war".

In his response, Medvedev, who is a deputy chairman of Russia's security council added that "Nuclear powers have never lost major conflicts on which their fate depends".

This, amidst a report that Washington is warming up to the idea of aiding Ukraine in strikes on Crimea, Ukrainian territory that was annexed by Russia.

When Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked about the remarks by Medvedev and whether it means that Russia is escalating the crisis to another level, he said, "No, it absolutely does not mean that".

Then he added that the remarks by the former President were in line with Russia's nuclear doctrine, which states that a nuclear strike is acceptable in light of any "aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened".

US May Help Ukraine In Operations In Crimea - A report released by the New York Times claims that "several anonymous US officials" spoke to the paper and told them that Washington is warming up to the idea of aiding Ukraine in strikes on Crimea, Ukrainian territory that was annexed by Russia.

A U.S. Army Brigadier General, however, spoke to Insider and said that he believes if Ukraine continues to have success on the battlefield, Russian President Vladimir Putin would resort to using a nuclear weapon. 

The paper cited the officials as saying that fears that Russia would retaliate to such an attack by using nuclear weapons have been assuaged and that the risk of assisting Ukraine in operations in Crimea might very well be worth attempting. 

NATO: Extremely Important Putin Doesn't Win The War In Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland that it is "extremely important that Putin doesn't win this war" and said that if Russia does win, "it will be very dangerous for all of us". 

He went on to say that if Russia were to win the war in Ukraine, it would send a message to all authoritarian leaders, "not only to Putin, but also other authoritarian leaders" that "when they use brutal force, when they violate international law, they achieve what they want". 

"That would be a very bad and dangerous lesson," he added. "It would make the world more dangerous, and us more vulnerable". 

Army Brig. General: Putin Would Use Nuclear Weapon If Ukraine Continues To Succeed On Battlefield

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Ryan said that he believes that if Ukraine continues to have successes on the battlefield, Russia, "would use a nuclear weapon before it allowed its military to be defeated in the field". 

He continued by saying that, "If the Ukrainian military was having great success in the spring, and was chopping up the Russian military and was threatening taking back Crimea, then I think that the Russian military and leadership would use a nuclear weapon"

Ryan added that using a nuclear weapon would not only "destroy Ukrainian military targets," but also "convince Ukraine that continuing to fight this war would leave Ukraine as a nuclear holocaust". 

"The level of deaths could approach Hiroshima, or it could be far less if they only intend to fire like a warning shot of a nuclear weapon," such as using it on a location that isn't heavily populated. 

Saudi Arabia: "Open To Trade In Other Currencies" Other Than The Dollar - Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan says that Saudi Arabia is "open to settling trade in other currencies" other than the US dollar. 

Al-Jadaan told Bloomberg TV from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland., “There are no issues with discussing how we settle our trade arrangements, whether it is in the US dollar, whether it is the euro, whether it is the Saudi riyal". 

He added, “I don’t think we are waving away or ruling out any discussion that will help improve the trade around the world". 

Egypt, Iran, India and Russia are also planning on dropping the US dollar, with China quietly trying to dethrone the US dollar, according to a Report by Foreign Policy last year. 

Germany Will Allow Export Of Tanks To Ukraine If US Also Sends Tanks - Germany says that they will be allowing the export of its tanks to Ukraine on the condition that the United States also sends tanks to the country. If Germany decides to do so, other NATO-allied countries say they will follow suit. Britain already plans to send them. The U.S. Coast Guard is tracking a Russian vessel off Hawaii. Read Full Article

US Forces Intercept Drone At South Korean Base With Jamming Gun - US forces intercepted a drone flying near Forward Operating Site Carroll, nearby Camp Carroll in Seongju County, which is equipped with a missile defense system. The incident happened about 130 miles from Seoul, in South Korea.

Both U.S. and South Korean soldiers detected an unmanned aerial vehicle flying near the base, according to Stars and Stripes which cited an email from Eighth Army spokesman Lt. Col. Neil Penttila. 

In the email, the spokesman said that the soldiers “swiftly acted to deny its entry" and said that the investigation is currently ongoing. 

The drone was intercepted using a jamming gun, but the base is equipped with the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) missile defense system which was deployed at the base in 2017 to defend against North Korean threats. 

The drone, which is presumed to be a civilian drone, was spotted by a United States soldier at 12:54 pm on Tuesday, according to a report by South Korean news agency Yonhap. 

The Yonhap report says that military officials do not believe the drone originated from North Korea, nor does it look like it was equipped with espionage equipment. 

Cloudflare Wins CISA Contract for Registry and Authoritative Domain Name System (DNS) Services - Cloudflare Wins CISA Contract for Registry and Authoritative Domain Name System (DNS) Services. CISA is an operational component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Read Full Article

Chinese Navy Holds "Confrontational Drills" In South China Sea - BEIJING - The Chinese Navy held "confrontational drills" in the South China Sea, according to state media, including Global Times, which stated that the drills were carried out "when a US carrier strike group had entered the region".   

The report by Global Times said that the US carrier only "stirred up tensions" and had "limited military significance". 

The Chinese state media said the drills included the Shandong aircraft carrier group, several different types of warships and dozens of warplanes and that the aircraft carrier conducted realistic combat-oriented "confrontational exercises" in the South China Sea, citing the PLA Navy in a statement released on Saturday. 

It also said that the drills simulated hostile attacks by aircraft, and that J-15 fighter jets took off from the Shandong and carried out "interception training". 

The PLA Navy statement also said that the carrier group practiced "cross-service multidimensional attack and defense on the surface, in the air and underwater".

US Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Begins Operating In South China Sea

The US Navy announced on Thursday that the Nimitz carrier strike group had begun operating in the South China Sea. Global Times reported that it was being tailed by two Chinese vessels. 

Global Times said that the US carrier strike group is "attempting to threaten China" but "actually have limited military significance" and that it "will only stir up tension in the region". 

The state-run media made sure to point out the recent war game scenario run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies "indicated that the US would lose its aircraft carriers should they interfere in a possible conflict in the Taiwan Straits". 

Although the report by Global Times said that the US would "lose its aircraft carriers" the war game scenarios indicated only the loss of two of its aircraft carriers. 

NATO deploys AWACS surveillance jets to Romania - The following is a statement by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office: GEILENKIRCHEN, Germany - NATO prepares a deployment Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance planes to Bucharest, Romania. 

The aircraft are scheduled to arrive on January 17, 2023 and are going to support the Alliance’s reinforced presence in the region and monitor Russian military activity.

The NATO AWACS will start reconnaissance flights, solely over Alliance territory, in the coming days. The mission is scheduled to last several weeks. The aircraft belong to a fleet of 14 NATO surveillance aircraft usually based in Geilenkirchen, Germany. 

Around 180 military personnel will deploy the Romanian Air Force base at Otopeni near Bucharest in support of the aircraft.“

As Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine continues to threaten peace and security in Europe, there must be no doubt about NATO’s resolve to protect and defend every inch of Allied territory,” said NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu. 

"I thank Romania for hosting the aircraft, which makes an important contribution to our early warning,” she added.

“Our AWACS can detect aircraft hundreds of kilometres away, making them a key capability for NATO’s deterrence and defence posture."

Our AWACS can detect aircraft hundreds of kilometres away, making them a key capability for NATO’s deterrence and defence posture.

In response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, NATO has increased its air presence in eastern Europe with additional fighters, surveillance aircraft, and tankers. Since February 2022, NATO AWACS have conducted regular patrols over eastern Europe and the Baltic Sea region to track Russian warplanes near NATO borders.

NATO AWACS planes will be deploying to Otopeni, Romania, conducting air surveillance missions until the end of the month. 

The scheduled deployment showcases NATO’s ability to forward deploy air power reinforcing our posture along the eastern flank. Archive photo courtesy NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force.

China Responds To US-Japan Joint Statement On January 11th - BEIJING - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has put out a statement calling on the United States and Japan to "Abandon" their "Cold War" mentality and "ideological bias" against China. 

A report by Russian Sputnik news cited the spokesperson as saying, “Countries in the region are for justice and against hegemonism. They hope to engage in cooperation, not confrontation. They aspire for true multilateralism and reject small circles that incite bloc confrontation". 

He was cited as adding the the United States and Japan should “stop creating imaginary enemies and stop trying to sow the seeds of a new Cold War in the Asia-Pacific, and not become disrupters of a stable Asia-Pacific". 

The spokesperson also addressed the joint statement hat the United States and Japan released on January 11th by the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee.

The joint statement claimed that China is attempting to “reshape the international order” and “unilaterally change the status quo by force in the East China Sea” which it says is a reason for concern. 

Wang said, “The wording on China in this joint statement smacks heavily of a zero-sum Cold War mentality and contains groundless smears and attacks on China". 

“The US and Japan claim to advance regional peace and security, but engage in finding pretexts for a military build-up and the willful use of force," he continued. 

"They claim to champion a free and open Indo-Pacific, but put up various exclusionary blocs to create division and confrontation. They claim to uphold the rules-based international order, but trample on international law and the basic norms governing international relations and grossly interfere in other countries’ internal affairs". 

Russian Official Told Japanese Prime Minister To Disembowel Himself - MOSCOW - Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to disembowel himself after Kishida warned Russia any use of nuclear weapons would be an act of "hostility against humanity".  

The Japanese Prime Minister said in a statement, "We state unequivocally that any use of a nuclear weapon by Russia in Ukraine would be an act of hostility against humanity and unjustifiable in any way. And we will continue to support Ukraine in the face of Russia's abhorrent attacks on critical infrastructure". 

On a Telegram channel, Medvedev said that Kishida "betrayed the memory of hundreds of thousands of Japanese who burned in the nuclear fires of Hiroshima and Nagasaki," referring to the two nuclear bombs that the United States dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

Medvedev continued by saying, "He should remind the US president about this and demand repentance, even if it was not brought by the American leadership for this act of war. But no, Kysida is just a service staff for the Americans. And servants cannot have courage". 

He then said that Kishida should perform "seppuku" on himself, which is a ritualistic Japanese form of suicide once used by ancient Samarai warriors. 

"It remains to feel sorry for the Japanese. "After all, such a shame can be washed away only after committing seppuku right at the meeting of their Cabinet. Although the concept of honor of this generation of Japanese vassals is not inherent," Medvedev added. 

IAEA To Boost Presence In Ukraine To Prevent Nuclear Incident - IAEA - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has put out a Statement saying it will be boosting its presence within Ukraine in order to aid in preventing a nuclear accident from occurring during ongoing battles between Russia and Ukraine. 

IAEA Director Grossi said that he will be visiting Ukraine next week in order to establish a "continuous presence of nuclear safety and security experts at all the country’s nuclear power facilities, significantly stepping up the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help prevent a nuclear accident during the current military conflict". 

The Statement says the Director General will be traveling to the South Ukraine and Rivne Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) and the Chornobyl site. It also said that the IAEA already has a presence of up to "four experts" at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which is the largest in all of Europe. 

“As this tragic war enters its second year, we must continue to do everything we can to avert the danger of a serious nuclear accident that would cause even more suffering and destruction for the people of Ukraine and beyond,” Director General Grossi said.

He added, "As this tragic war enters its second year, we must continue to do everything we can to avert the danger of a serious nuclear accident that would cause even more suffering and destruction for the people of Ukraine and beyond,” Director General Grossi said". 

Israel: Iran Has Enough Enriched Uranium To Make 4 Nuclear Bombs - JERUSALEM - Iran has enough enriched uranium to produce four nuclear bombers, according to the Israeli military's outgoing Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi. 

"Iran today has enough enriched material to produce four nuclear bombs, three at 20 per cent and one at 60 per cent," he said. 

He said that Iran has an "active weapons team," and "“has been working at a very slow pace, and this is in violation of the nuclear deal.”

He also addressed what will be targeted in Iran if Israel decides to strike the country, "If it comes to entering a major battle, military sites and additional sites will be included in the list of targets."

He added, "We have been engaged in accelerating preparations to attack Iran's nuclear facilities in recent years and many other types of targets". 

The Israeli Chief of Staff spoke to Israel Hayom and addressed plans to prevent Iran from successfully obtaining nuclear weapons. 

“These extend from a retaliatory strike on Iran that would be unrelated to the nuclear issue, to the taking out of the Iranian nuclear installations and auxiliary sites in that project, and if the situation eventually escalates into a full-fledged campaign then these plans also include the targeting of military sites and other assets,” he said. 

UK Prime Minister Pledges Battle Tanks To Ukraine - EUROPE - UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged Challenger 2 tanks and artillery systems to Ukraine. These are obviously "offensive" weapons now being supplied to Ukraine by NATO-allied countries.  

Indonesia Monitoring Chinese Vessel In Its EEZ - INDONESIA - Indonesia says that one of its warships, as well as a patrol aircraft and a drone have been monitoring a Chinese coast guard vessel in their exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a zone rich with resources that both China and Indonesia claim as their own.  

Vessel monitoring data shows the CCG 5901 moving through the Natuna Sea near the Tuna Bloc gas field and the Vietnamese Chin Sao oil and gas field since December 30th, 2022, according to an Indonesian Ocean Justice Initiative that spoke to Reuters.

Laksamana Muhammad Ali told Reuters on Saturday that Indonesia had sent a maritime patrol plane, a warship and a drone to monitor the Chinese vessel. 

"The Chinese vessel has not conducted any suspicious activities. However, we need to monitor it as it has been in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for some time," he was cited as saying. 

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) does allow vessels the freedom to navigate through a country's exclusive economic zone. 

Although Indonesia claims the region as its exlusive economic zone, China rejects the claim and says that the area is within its nin-dash-line territorial claim. 

DOD "Seriously Doubts" Chinese Activities Around Taiwan Mean China Planning Imminent Invasion - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin stated on Wednesday that he "seriously doubts" that Chinese activities around the island of Taiwan mean that China is planning an imminent invasion of the island. 

“We’ve seen increased aerial activity in the straits, we’ve seen increased surface vessel activity around Taiwan,” Austin said at a press conference that was held along with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their Japanese counterparts. 

He added, “But whether or not that means that an invasion is imminent, you know, I seriously doubt that". 

Despite this, the United States has been bolstering ties in the Indo-Pacific, including relations with Japan. If a Chinese invasion of Taiwan did happen and the United States were to come to Taiwan's aid, U.S. bases in Japan would be vital for the U.S. to operate out of due to their close proximity to Taiwan. 

Blinken told reporters, “Both of our countries, Japan and the United States, have complex and consequential relationships with China. “And there are clearly aspects of intense competition between us". 

He continued, “We’re not looking for conflict. We’ll manage the competition responsibly, but we will compete vigorously".

“We will seek to keep these lines of communication open and do all that we can to establish guardrails, to prevent competition, as I said, from entering into conflict". 

China Trying To Establish Naval Base In Argentina, US Convincing UK To Approve F-16s To The Country - SOUTH AMERICA - China is reportedly pressuring Argentina to allow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to build a naval base in the Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego province within the country, allowing them a military base with close access to Antarctica. 

Although quite far from America's southern border, having a base in South America would also allow its naval forces close access to the United States. 

A Report by Dialogo Americas said that a military base in that location would allow China to "control the passage between the Atlantic and Pacific," as well as "monitor communications throughout the hemisphere," citing French news agency Intelligence Online. 

On November 28th, 2022 Alberto Rojas, director of the International Affairs Observatory at Chile’s Finis Terrae University, spoke to Diálogo and said, “A possible Chinese base in Ushuaia would allow Beijing to have a permanent enclave in the Southern Hemisphere, with projection toward the South Atlantic which, depending on the conditions negotiated with Argentina, could allow for the construction of facilities, as well as the presence of naval units and military contingents in this quadrant". 

He added, “China could intercept all kinds of regional communications with a clear economic and strategic impact, in addition to gaining the potential to maintain permanent monitoring of maritime transit". 

Intelligence Online reported that Chinese Communist Party official Shuiping Tu who is based in Argentina, as well as a state-owned HydroChina Corp representative in South America is leading negotiations. 

The news site said that the Chinese Communist Party Official persuaded Tierra del Fuego Governor Gustavo Melella to change his mind on Chinese investment in Tierra del Fuego. 

Rojas said, "In the geopolitical context, the presence of a Chinese base in South America could be interpreted as an important strategic move by Beijing. “The Belt and Road [BRI] project announced by China in 2013 seeks to have a clear projection toward this area of the continent". 

He added, “And if this base in Ushuaia materializes, it could become the first of many others, both on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts or the Andean area". 

He also said that the BRI was a “global infrastructure development and international cooperation strategy” and that it allows China to increase its dominance and control over developing countries. 

China currently has three "operational enclaves" overseas, according to the report. One is located in Djibouti in East Africa, the Ream naval base in Cambodia, and a base in Tadjikistan, currently being constructed in the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region. 

On April 27th, U.S. Army General Laura J. Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command, told Miami based newspaper Infobae, “I see it like this: They are facilities of an authoritarian government, which does not let Argentines access them, except if they go there to visit". 

He added, “What are they up to? They [China] don’t have the same concerns we do in terms of freedom and a free, secure, and prosperous Western Hemisphere. I’m concerned about it. And it’s run by a state-owned enterprise and the People’s Liberation Army. What are they using that facility for?”.

US Sends Large Number Of Tanks To Europe, Allies To Send Tanks To Ukraine - EUROPE - The United States has begun sending a "large number" of tanks and other military vehicles to the port of Vlissingen in the Netherlands. on Wednesday, according to a report by Reuters, which has alarmed Russia.  

NATO allied countries are also now voicing support to send battle tanks to Ukraine in order to aid the country in the ongoing war with Russia. 

Reuters cited Col. Robert Kellam who is overseeing the operation as saying, "There's about 1,250 pieces of military equipment coming into this port". 

Included in the equipment being sent to the Dutch port are: M-1 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas. 

Russian state news RIA Novosti, however, cited the report by Reuters saying that the United States has been to "massively transport tanks to Eastern Europe". 

Both reports say that the transfer of weapons to Poland and Latvia is part of strengthening and reinforcing NATO's eastern flank.

RIA Novosti reported that in December the United States "had already transferred about 700 combat vehicles to Poland, including Abrams tanks" as part of the "Atlantic Resolve" program that began in 2014 in order to strengthen "American Presence in Europe" Novosti reported. 

The Russian news agency claimed that Moscow has "repeatedly noted" that the NATO alliance is "aimed at confrontation".

Allied Countries Talk Of Sending Battle Tanks To Ukraine

Although Britain has moved towards sending battle tanks to Ukraine, a Politico report says that Germany's chancellor Olaf Scholz is not likely going to be willing to send tanks to Ukraine "without taking his lead from Washington". 

Spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit spoke at a press conference in Berlin and said, “There is no change in the situation now because of the step that the British government has announced".

Britain has voiced their own willingness to send tanks to Ukraine. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak has told the UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace to expand Britain's security assistance to Ukraine to "include the provision of tanks," according to a report by the Financial Times on January 11th. 

The report said that the United Kingdom will "work with partners" and "go further and faster with our support for Ukraine including the provision of tanks.”

The Financial Times report said, “If a deal is made for the supply of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine by the British Army, this will be the first time that a Western country will supply Ukraine with modern heavy battle tanks". 

A Downing Street spokesperson told the Financial Times, "“We are accelerating our support to Ukraine with the kind of next-generation military technology that will help to win this war". 

The spokesperson said, “We are accelerating our support to Ukraine with the kind of next-generation military technology that will help to win this war".

The spokesperson added, “It is clear that battle tanks could provide a game-changing capability to the Ukrainians.”

2022 Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena - The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 required the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, to submit an annual report to Congress on unidentified aerial phenomena. ODNI submitted the classified annual report to Congress and published the Unclassified Annual Report.

Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder on the Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder on the Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). Unclassified Annual Report.

"Yesterday the Director of National Intelligence delivered to Congress the Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (now Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP)) as required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022.

Analyzing and understanding the potential threats posed by UAP is an ongoing collaborative effort involving many departments and agencies, and the Department thanks the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) for leading a collaborative effort to produce this report, as well as the other contributing departments and agencies.

The safety of our service personnel, our bases and installations, and the protection of U.S. operations security on land, in the skies, seas, and space are paramount. We take reports of incursions into our designated space, land, sea, or airspaces seriously and examine each one.

The All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is leading DOD's efforts, in coordination with ODNI and other government agencies, to document, analyze, and when possible resolve UAP reports using a rigorous scientific framework and a data-driven approach. 

DOD: U.S., Partners Find Success in Mission to Defeat ISIS - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - "Last year, U.S. Central Command conducted 313 operations in Iraq and Syria as part of the mission to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS.

More than 95% of those operations were in partnership with either the Iraqi Security Force or the Syrian Democratic Forces.

As a result, nearly 700 ISIS fighters were killed and another 374 were detained. No U.S. service members were killed as part of the efforts.

"This really speaks to the professionalism of our men and women in uniform and also the enduring commitment of the United States—from the strategic all the way down to the tactical level—to completing this fight," said Dana Stroul, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East.

During a conference call Wednesday, Stroul told journalists the mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria remains a key priority of the national defense strategy, and it's one senior leaders in Washington follow closely. She also said that, despite successes, ISIS remains a threat, and there is still more work to be done.

One advantage the U.S. has against ISIS is the relationships it has, not just with Iraq and the Syrian Democratic Forces, but also with partners around the world. Stroul said a recent trip to Finland to discuss the state of the fight against ISIS, demonstrated this.

"What was striking to me is the enduring commitment not only of the United States, but` of our European partners, as well as New Zealand, Australia and others," she said. "Our partners across the world recognize the importance of this mission, recognize that ISIS still remains a threat, and are committed to this coalition."

Also of value are the advancements made by Iraq since the U.S. transitioned a year ago to an advise, assist, enable and intelligence-sharing mission there, said Army Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. He said the U.S. continues to retain a presence in Iraq, at the invitation of the Iraqi government.

"In Iraq, things continue to improve in terms of their ability to demonstrate and actually execute independent operations as they're building capabilities, capacity and competence towards gaining an independent ability to conduct enduring operations, sustainable, enduring operations against ISIS," he said.

The general said much has changed in Iraq since the last time he was in the country in 2005. Baghdad, he said, is "alive and awake and illuminated at night," and the Iraqi military is engaged in operations that are part of the “Defeat ISIS” mission in Iraq, as well as providing security for the Arabian Gulf Cup soccer tournament being held Jan. 6-19 in Iraq for the first time in 44 years.

"So, [there is] progress and continued room to grow and build the capacity and capability, but [ also a] very capable force," he said.

Stroul said the U.S. also remains committed to the D-ISIS mission in Syria, in partnership with the Syrian Democratic Forces.

"Not only are U.S. forces continuing to prosecute unilateral operations against ISIS, but we maintain a robust pace of partnered operations with the SDF, who are the only combat-credible, capable and committed partner present in northeast Syria today willing to join us in this fight," she said.

Of importance are the number of ISIS detainees—as many as 10,000—who are in the custody of Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria.

"We know that ISIS continues to have its eyes on these detainees and sees them as the path to reconstituting and resurging across the Middle East, which is why we must stay the course [and] continue to work with the coalition in supporting the SDF to maintain custody of these detainees in a secure and humane manner."