Tag Archives: Featured

by Susan Katz Keating Wave of drone attacks continue to light up targets deep inside Russian territory and beyond. But the notion of drones doing the killing isn’t as new as it might seem. The history of drones is long, strange, and full of surprises. The roots run deep into …

by A.R. Fomenko VIENNA BUREAU – A massive wildfire inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone revived scrutiny of the radioactive timber trade, wartime disruption, and the shadow economy investigators say has operated inside the contaminated forest for decades. Flames vaulted across the tree tops, carried by wind gusts that whipped through the …

Years after his death, sworn testimony alleged that Mitchell WerBell III didn’t die of a heart attack after all; he’d been poisoned. The allegation remains one of the most curious episodes connected to the legacy of the legendary OSS veteran and firearms designer. by Jose Campos Mitchell WerBell III had …

by Royce de Melo I was sitting in my hotel room in London in early 2016, catching up on business while attending a discreet security and law enforcement event. I was following up on a shipment of US Ordnance M60E6 Light Machine Guns (LMGs) that had gone to Canada. Little …

by Jonathan Stumpf A dispatch from Ukraine. News of Prigozhin’s mutiny rips through the International Legion like wildfire. Stretched out on our cots, “Austria,” “Niente,” and I feverishly track the latest developments on our smartphones. I gave Niente his nickname because he wanted to be called “Nothing.” He had joined …

by Jose Campos In the shadow of Japan’s Mount Fuji, Marine explosive ordnance disposal technicians trained with live ordnance, refining the precision stand-off techniques used to safely neutralize dangerous munitions. The rocket motor lay on the range at Camp Fuji, waiting to be destroyed. Marine explosive ordnance disposal technicians regarded …

by Igor Rozin The world’s most popular rifle, with 100 million units in circulation, is not without its drawbacks. The AK platform is popular worldwide for its reliability and ease of production. Today, there are roughly 100 million Kalashnikov rifles in 55 countries around the globe. And that’s only those …

COMMENTARY by Susan Katz Keating Russia repeatedly has been accused of poisoning its enemies. The historical record offers a useful test before drawing conclusions about this case. My inbox filled up within hours of the news. The question was consistent: “Did the Russians poison Lindsey Graham?” I don’t know. Did anyone …

In this installment of our investigative series, we examine how booby-trapped equipment slipped into wartime aid networks in Ukraine, targeting Russian soldiers. by Susan Katz Keating The Russian soldier placed the FPV goggles on his head, and flipped the switch on his drone console. He expected to see real-time images …

In California’s harsh border country, Marines and Border Patrol agents turn to horses for the kind of mobility no vehicle can match. by Jose Campos The U.S. military and the U.S. Border Patrol are reaching back to one of the oldest methods of moving through unforgiving country: horseback. Near El …