Russia’s war against Ukraine could continue indefinitely, according to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Group. Russian forces could take two years to capture the Donbas heartland, and would likely spend another three years taking control of wider territories east of the Dnieper River. Prigozhin made his comments …
Read More »Russia Aims to Regain Momentum in Yearlong War, as Ukraine Ramps Up Resistance
by Mike Eckel/ RFE-RL For weeks if not months, Ukrainian military and political leaders, along with some Western intelligence officials, have warned that Russia is preparing for a major new offensive. Cold temperatures had dialed down the tempo of fighting while both sides replenished their manpower and materiel, positioning equipment, digging …
Read More »‘Free Russia Legion’: These Defectors Are Fighting Putin’s Forces in Ukraine
For weeks, some of the most intense fighting in the war in Ukraine has centered on the Donetsk region city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces seem determined to capture even at enormous cost. The nearly deserted city is being held by Ukrainian forces, including Russian volunteers serving in the Free Russia legion …
Read More »Pentagon Will Send Longer-Range Rockets to Ukraine as Part of New Aid Package
A new package of U.S. military aid for Ukraine includes rockets with a range twice the distance of the rockets Kyiv now has. The Pentagon announced the new package on Friday. The Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) is included in a $2.2 billion U.S. military aid package announced by the Pentagon. …
Read More »The Second Battle of Fallujah: American Forces at War Inside a Hotbed of Insurgency
By Liam Collins and John Spencer Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from the book “Understanding Urban Warfare” published by Howgate Publishing and available for purchase at Amazon here. The excerpt is an edited conversation John Spencer had with Lt. Gen. James Rainey about the 2004 Second Battle of Fallujah …
Read More »Chechen Strongman Kadyrov Ridicules Russian General’s Order to Shave Beards
The Russian military is facing an unexpected situation that brought equal measures of protest and ridicule from fighters in the war against Ukraine. In a bid to tighten up discipline in the ranks, the Commander of Russian forces in Ukraine has ordered all men to cut their facial hair. However, …
Read More »American Forces Kill Key ISIS Leader and 10 Fighters in Daring Somalia Raid
American military forces killed a key ISIS facilitator and about 10 ISIS operatives in a Wednesday night raid in Somalia, senior administration officials said Thursday. No Americans were killed in the raid, officials said. The key target was Bilal al-Sudani, who had been expanding the terror group’s footprint in Africa. “The …
Read More »American Tanks to Join German Armor Headed for Ukraine
Russian forces in Ukraine will face additional armor and firepower, following an agreement between the United States and Germany to send some of the world’s most lethal and coveted tanks into the fight. In Ukraine, locals have been celebrating the announcements by wearing leopard print designs, sources inside the country …
Read More »Germany Okays Sending Leopard 2 Tanks to Ukraine, Drawing Ire From Kremlin
Germany will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and allow other countries such as Poland to do so, defense sources told Soldier of Fortune. The development was reported also in Germany, and brought a swift and unhappy response on Tuesday from the Kremlin. “Such shipments do not bode well for the …
Read More »Wagner Fighters and Russian Infantry Attacked Soledar in Waves
“There is deep cold, frozen earth, and fighting.” In this special report, RFE/RL correspondent Maryan Kushnir shows what he encountered on the front line in recent days in Soledar. Ukrainian troops faced waves of Russian and Wagner Group fighters, Kushnir found. Later, Russian forces claimed to have seized control of …
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