Ukraine: Separatists Breach Minsk Protocol Ceasefire Agreement 6 Times, Two Ukrainian Soldiers Injured - According to the Joint Forces Operation HQ, Russian separatists breached the Minsk Protocol ceasefire agreement 6 times on December 9th with two Ukrainian soldiers injured in the fighting.

Near Shumy, the Russian separatists used grenade launchers and small arms. Near Novomykhilivka, anti-tank grenade launchers and small arms were used. Near Prichepylivka 82-mm mortars and grenade launchers were used twice.

Near Pvidenne easel-mounted anti-tank grenade launchers, larage caliber machine guns and firearms were used. In Stanytsia Luhanska 12mm and 82mm mortars were used.

Two Ukrainian soldiers sustained injuries and both were evacuated to a medical facility and are currently undergoing treatment with one soldier 'seriously injured' and the other in 'satisfactory' condition.

Russia Moves Air Defense Missile Systems Closer To Ukraine - Russia continues to move medium range surface to air missile systems closer to the Ukrainian border raising concerns that Putin may indeed preparing to invade Ukraine.

Social media has been abuzz with videos and photos showing Buk-M1 (SA-11 Gadfly) defense systems along with tanks and artillery at the Maslovka railroad yard close to the Ukrainian border.

Senator Roger Wicker Said Biden Shouldn't Rule Out Using Nukes On Russia - U.S. Republican Senator Roger Wicker stated that the United States shouldn't rule out using nukes on Russia in response to the conflict over Ukraine.

"It could mean that we participate, and I would not rule that out, I would not rule out American troops on the ground. We don’t rule out first use nuclear action" he said on Fox News.

"I think the thing to do is not take anything off the table. You know, when it comes to our nuclear policy, if you’ll recall, we don’t take things off the table there. We make it clear that every option is open. That’s been a policy of Democrats and Republicans, administration in and administration out".

Talks To Settle Ukrainian Crisis Has Reached An Impasse - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that seven out of eight meetings of the contract group and its subgroups ended in an impasse and without results.

"Recently, the EU joined the process of militarization of Ukraine. On December 2, the EU decided to allocate 31 million euro for military-technical assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces. This decision does not facilitate peace in Donbass in any way. Against this backdrop, the talks on the peaceful resolution have effectively reached an impasse" she stated.

"They simply ended in nothing. Instead of fulfilling their obligations under the Minsk Complex of Measures, the Kiev regime simply imitates the process, avoids a direct dialogue with Donetsk and Lugansk and tries to shift the responsibility for the stall on Russia, who is a mediator in this negotiations process".

Russia Warns Ukraine Against Attacking Separatists Saying Russia Will 'Suppress' Such Attempts - Russian General Valery Gerasimov has issued a warning to Ukraine against attacking areas controlled by Russian separatists saying that Russia will get involved and 'severely suppress provocations'.


Backup Of Vessels At Kerch Strait - Maritime tracking applications reportedly show a backup of vessels at the Kerch strait, indicating that it has possibly been closed off to maritime traffic by Russia after an incident happened where a Ukrainian vessel sailed towards the strait without permission and did not respond to warnings by Russia to turn away.

Ukranian Warship Sailed Toward Kerch Strait Received Warnings From Russia, Then Turned Away - A Ukrainian warship named 'Donbass' sailed toward the Kerch strait without filing a request to sail through and was given warnings by Russia to turn away. The ship did not respond to the requests, but eventually turned away from the strait.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) stated that "The Donbass command ship changed its course to the opposite from the Kerch Strait, and is not responding to requests. Actions of the Ukrainian ship’s crew are viewed as provocative, posing a threat to safety of navigation"

December 9, 2021 | European Command News

Russian President Vladimir Putin Says Conflict In Eastern Ukraine Looks Like Genocide - Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the conflict in eastern Ukraine in Donbass 'is very reminiscent of genocide'.

Russian Diplomat To Russia: US Could End Up In Situation Like Cuban Missile Crisis - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated on Thursday that Russia and the United States could end up in a situation resembling the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 where the US and Russia had a standoff over the Soviets deploying missiles in Cuba.

*UPDATE* Donbass reportedly answered back saying that they did not plan to follow through to the Kerch Strait.

He told reporters that there is still time to reach an agreement that would keep NATO from expanding to the east. "You know, it could quite possibly reach that point" he said when he was asked if there could be a repeat of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

"That would be a total failure of diplomacy, a failure of foreign policy," he went on to say. "But there’s still time to try to reach an agreement based on reason".

"If comrades on the other side fail to understand us and keep doing what they are doing, we might wake up at some point to see something similar, if that’s what further developments will suggest".

Ukraine's Generals Say They Could Not Repel Attack From Russia Without Help From West - After Biden dashed Ukrainian hopes of help by the US by saying that sending in U.S. troops to defend Ukraine against Russia is 'not on the table', Ukraine's generals now say they have no hope of defending against a Russian invasion without aid from the West.

General Kyrylo O. Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service said, "Unfortunately, Ukraine needs to be objective at this stage. There are not sufficient military resources for repelling a full-scale attack by Russia if it begins without the support of Western forces".

Budanov said that a Russian invasion would start off with airstrikes and rocket attacks taking out ammunition depots and entrenched. He said that the Ukrainian military would be incapacitated at that point and not able to coordinate a proper defense or supply the front.


At that point, he said, frontline commanders would have to continue the fight alone. "They will hold up as long as there are bullets" Budanov stated. "They’ll be able to use what they have in their hands, but believe me without delivery of reserves, there’s not an army in the world that can hold out".

Regarding the lack of commitment from the West, General Budanov said "They need to decide, either we’re allies as they declare — and in that case allies help one another — or they need to say that this is not exactly the case".

"If the civilized world wants to avoid catastrophe — and this will be a catastrophe for everyone — we need military technical support now, not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow, not in year. Now", he said.

Turkey Set To Receive Advanced S-400 Anti-Air Missile Systems From Russia As Cooperation Increases - Cooperation between Turkey and Russia is increasing as Turkey is set to receive another shipment of advanced S-400 anti-air missile systems from Russia according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Ties between Turkey and Russia have been on the rise the past few years as Turkey has sought to work in closer coordination with Russia on regional issues.

Russian state owned media reported "that this kind of cooperation between Russia and Turkey should not be a threat for any country, especially for Greece, because the system is not offensive, it is defensive".

Peskov said, "Russia plans to deliver another batch of S-400 missile systems to Turkey". He then said, "We all know that the United States likes to play this game of sanctions, although we know an understanding they [have] never reached their goals".

"They have never managed to make a single country change their point of view. But our policy is to be open for cooperation with various countries, especially our partners. This kind of cooperation between Russia and Turkey should not be a threat for any country, especially for Greece, because the system is not offensive, it is defensive. 100% defensive".

Russians Now Have 12,000 Troops On Ukrainian Border & Increased Intel - KYIV - The Ukrainian military says that Russia now has 120,000 troops on their border, including 98,000 soldiers on the ground and 22,000 air and naval forces as well as increased intelligence gathering. Full Article

Russia Gives Warning Note Of Consequences For Provocations To US, NATO - MOSCOW - Russia has handed the U.S. Embassy a 'note of protest' underlining the 'perilous consequences' of alleged provocations from US and NATO forces near the Ukrainian/Russian border. Full Article

December 8, 2021 | European Command News

Hours After Biden Met With Putin, Russia Began Rolling Electronic Warfare Vehicles Into Crimea - Just hours after Biden and Putin talked, Russia began rolling in electronic warfare vehicles into occupied Crimea.

Russian Foreign Ministry Sends Note To US Embassy In Moscow: - The Russian Foreign Ministry has sent a note to the US Embassy in Moscow that warns of 'dangerous consequences' for 'provocations near Russia's borders'.


The note reads: "Reserving the right to respond to the corresponding challenges posed by the United States and NATO members, we call for a substantive dialogue on security guarantees and a discussion of pathways to reduce military and political tensions and to prevent dangerous incidents in the air and at sea. Otherwise, all the means at our disposal will be used to prevent and neutralize emerging threats".

France Gives Warning To Russia: Strategic And Massive Consequences If Ukraine Threatened - France has issued a warning to Russia: 'Strategic and massive' consequences if Ukraine is threatened.

Biden To Reporters: We're Having Meetings At A Higher Level With NATO Allies And Russia To Discuss Russia's Concerns - Biden told reporters, "We're having meetings at a higher level, with at least four of our major NATO allies and Russia to discuss the future of Russia's concerns relative to NATO writ large -- and whether or not we can work out any accommodation as it relates to bringing down the temperature".

Russia Delivering Missile System To India Despite Threats Of US Sanctions - India and Russia's defense partnership is increasing as the two countries proceed with an agreement to send a Russian missile system to India, despite threats of sanctions from the United States.

Russia and India met in New Delhi on Monday where they both agreed to increase their military cooperation with one another for the next decade and proceed with the delivery of Russian S-400 surface to air missile systems to India.

Biden Says U.S. Troops Would Not Be Deployed To Ukraine To Defend Against Russia - Senior White House Correspondent Ed O'Keefe reported that Biden said that sending U.S. troops in to defend Ukraine against Russia is 'not on the table' in the event of an attack when talking to reporters at the White House.

Biden stated "The meeting with Putin I was very straightforward. I made it very clear if in fact he invaded Ukraine there will be severe consequences". He also said that the United States "would provide defensive capability to Ukrainians".

Of the meeting that occurred, Putin said "The conversation was very open, substantive and, I would say, constructive. In any case, I hope that this is how the American side assesses the results of our meeting".

"Russia will prepare its considerations literally within a few days, within a week, and we will submit it to the American side for consideration".

Putin Says Russia Will Continue Talks With US And Send Proposals In One Week - Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that he would continue talks with the United States and send proposals to Washington within one week to follow up on his talks with Biden regarding the Ukraine.

Russia Finishes Deploying Bastion Anti-Ship Missile System To Island North Of Japan - Russia has finished deploying the Bastion anti-missile system to an island North of Japan which is able to target and destroy entire carrier groups and landing craft around islands disputed with Japan.


Matua is a deserted volcanic island in the center of the Kuril islands and was once used by Japan's military as a base of operations during world war 2. Russia took the Kuril islands after that and had a base of their own on it until it was closed in 1991 after the fall of teh Soviet Union.

James Brown, an international affairs expert at Temple University in Japan said that Russia has been talking about building a military base of operations on Matua for years. "It now seems to be pushing forward with these plans" he stated.

"Russia is also eager to maintain its control over the Sea of Okhotsk, which is important for its nuclear subs" Brown said.

Russia's Ministry of Defense said "The crews of Bastion coastal missile system of the Pacific Fleet were deployed for the first time and took on duty on the island of Matua".

"On this remote island in the central part of the Kuril Ridge, servicemen will be on a 24-hour watch to monitor the adjacent water area and straits. The personnel began to be on duty and to carry out planned combat training activities".

Britain Considers Giving More Defensive Support To Ukraine - Britain is considering giving more defensive support to the Ukraine due to the increasing buildup of Russian troops, tanks and artillery building up near their border.

British Junior Foreign Minister Vicky Ford told the British Parliament, "Let us be very clear: we stand by Ukraine. We are considering an extension of purely defensive support to Ukraine to help Ukraine defend itself. Putin needs to deescalate now".

December 7, 2021 | European Command News

Ukraine Warns There Will Be 'Bloody Massacre' And 5 Million Fleeing Refugees Into Europe If Invaded - Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov is warning there will be a 'bloody massacre' if Russia invades the Ukraine, along with five million refugees fleeing into Europe and that Russians would come also back home in coffins.

The warning by the Ukraine comes the same day that Russia stated that tensions in escalating in Europe are 'off the scale' before talks between Putin and Biden took place.

Satellite photos shows that new camps full of Russian soldiers have been built near the Ukrainian border, along with tanks and artillery continuing to be brought in by railroad.

Reznikov spoke to CNN and told them that there would be a 'really blood massacre' if Russia invaded the Ukraine and said that "Russian guys also will come back in coffins".

US Looking Into Options To Evacuate US Citizens From Ukraine In Event Of Invasion - Biden is looking into options to evacuate US citizens from Ukraine in the event that Russia initiates an invasion of the country. State Department says options to deter an invasion are limited.

Although the administration does not currently see the need for evacuation, that may change quickly as Russia more than enough forces stationed near the border to carry out a snap invasion of the country with very little warning.

While Washington is still unsure whether Russia has made the decision to invade the Ukraine, it has the ability to move on very short notice and senior State Department official Victoria Nuland said that the United States has limited options to deter an invasion.


CIA Says Intel Agencies Haven't Concluded Russia Will Invade Ukraine - CIA director William Burns said on Monday that US intelligence agencies haven't concluded that Russia will invade Ukraine, but stated that he wouldn't underestimate Putin's appetite for Ukraine and that Russia has put together forces that 'could act in a very sweeping way'.

Burns said that Russia may see an opportunity to move this winter. "I would never underestimate President Putin’s risk appetite on Ukraine" he said at the Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit.

Russian Train Carrying Howitzers, Tanks And Military Trucks Spotted On Its Way To Ukrainian Border - A Russian train carrying BTR armored personnel carriers, howitzers, military trucks, MT-LBs and tanks have been spotted moving towards the Ukrainian border.

Ukraine Says Russia Sending Tanks And Snipers To Line Of Contact In Eastern Ukraine - Ukrainian Defense Ministry says that Russia is sending tanks and snipers to the line of contact in eastern Ukraine in order to 'provoke return fire' hours before the video call between Biden and Putin occurred.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry put out a statement saying that Russia is holding "training camps under the leadership of regular servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces" as well as "reinforcing units near the contact line ... with additional 122-millimeter self-propelled artillery vehicles, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles".

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry also said that Russia is increasing the number of sniper teams in the region.

Russian Navy Carry Out Airstrike Drills As US Warship Deploys To Black Sea - The Russian state owned news agency TASS has reported that the Russian Navy has carried out airstrike 'missile' drills involving 20 aircraft, and made it a point to highlight that the missile strikes against naval targets paralleled the US warship deployment to the Black Sea.

Russian press office stated "The crews of aircraft accomplished bombings against a target field, firings of rockets against coastal and naval targets and practiced the combat training tasks of hunting down and tracking mock enemy submarines and surface ships in the Black Sea in the course of their combat training".

The Defense Ministry of Russia said that the activity of US naval ships in the Black Sea is becoming an 'increasingly destabilizing factor' in the region and meant to 'exploit' Ukrainian territory for 'military purposes'.

The exercise involved Su-30SM multirole fighters, Su-24M frontline bombers, Be-12 and An-26 aircraft and Mi-8 and Ka-27 helicopters.

Senior Administration Official Hints At Additional US Deployments To Ukraine In Event Of Invasion - A senior administration official has hinted toward sending in additional US troops to flank NATO allies in the event of a Russian invasion on the country.

The official told reporters "The US would be prepared to provide that kind of reassurance" regarding sending in additional deployments to eastern flank NATO allies.

Ukraine Asks US For Weapon Systems, Air And Naval Support, Helicopters And Troops, And Fast - Ukraine is asking the United States for help to defend against Russia, including air and naval support, helicopters and forward deployed troops.


Ukraine is also asking the United States for electronic warfare (EW) protection to shield against Russian bombs and electronic warfare electromagnetic attacks that would probably be carried out in the event of an invasion by Russian forces and mechanized vehicles.

Ukrainian President Says Agreed To Continue Joint & Concerted Action In Phone Call With Biden - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that during his phone call with Biden they agreed on joint and concerted action.

Zelensky tweeted "Agreed positions with @SecBlinken before the phone conversation of Presidents Biden and Putin. Agreed to continue joint & concerted action. Grateful to Flag of United States strategic partners & allies for the continued support of our sovereignty & territorial integrity".

Washington Says There Is Still Time For Diplomacy - Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stated on Monday that conflict with the Ukraine is not 'inevitable' and that there is still time for diplomacy with Russia.

"There's room here for leadership. There's no reason that this has to end up in some sort of conflict or incursion" Kirby said.

"We continue to see a buildup of Russian military forces in the areas around northeastern and eastern Ukraine. It is still not entirely clear what Mr. Putin’s intentions are".

A senior defense official who spoke to reporters and said, "We do not know whether President Putin has made a decision about further military escalation in Ukraine, but we do know that he is putting in place the capacity to engage in such escalation should he decide to do so".

"We continue to consult with our allies and partners, particularly our NATO allies about what we're seeing and about what our concerns are" Kirby said.

"But each of those allies is a sovereign nation and they have to make decisions for themselves about their assessments of what we're seeing, and whether and to what degree they want to help hold Russia accountable".

“Should Russia try to make an incursion into Ukraine, another incursion into Ukraine, I can't speak to that,” Kirby stated. "All I can tell you is that we're deeply concerned about it. We're watching it closely. We are consulting with allies and partners".

December 6, 2021 | European Command News

Russia Building Supply Lines, Field Hospitals And Jamming Equipment Near Ukrainian Border - Russia continuing to build supply lines, hospitals, jamming equipment and modified MBTs (Defensive equipment against drones and javelins) as well as calling on reserves and positioning more forces near the Ukraine.

Canada Says They Will Do All To Deter Russian Threat - The Canadian Foreign Minister said that Canada will make every effort to keep Russia from invading the Ukraine.

""We will use every single tool possible to make sure to deter Russia from going ahead" Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said. "The fact that tensions are high, obviously, we're all human beings, and we wouldn't want harm to be done".

Russia Says US Spy Planes Are Threatening Civil Aviation Near Borders - Russia is filing an official diplomatic protest due to an alleged 'increased' and 'unsafe' amount of US spy planes flying over the Black Sea and says that they threaten civilian flights.


Russian Foreign Ministery spokeswoman Zakharova put out a written statement saying, "Increased U.S. and NATO warplanes activity near Russian borders creates risks of dangerous incidents for civilian aviation".

"If this time a catastrophe over the Black sea was avoided, this doesn’t mean U.S. and NATO could risk people’s lives in the future without punishment".

US Says It Will Send Troops To Eastern Europe If Russia Invades Ukraine - US Officials say that the United States will send troops to eastern Europe and reinforce NATO's eastern flank if Russia invades the Ukraine as well as impose economic measures.

Biden also said that he would not rule out allowing the Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) despite demands from Russia that the Ukraine not be allowed to join the organization.

A US official said that the last time there was Russian military involvement in the Ukraine it led to more US forces and equipment to be deployed to eastern Europe and the response this time would be the same.

"It would certainly be the case that if Putin moved in, there would be an increasing request from eastern flank allies, and a positive response from the United States, for additional forces and capabilities and exercises to take place there to ensure the safety and security of our eastern flank allies in the face of that kind of aggression in Ukraine" the official stated.

"The United States is not seeking to end up in a circumstance in which the focus on our countermeasures is the direct use of American military force, as opposed to a combination of support for the Ukrainian military, strong economic countermeasures, and a substantial increase in support and capability to our Nato allies to ensure that they remain safe,” he said, but stated that he would not disclose "what the president is going to say on the question of under what circumstances the US military could get involved".

The official said that there would be 'substantial economic countermeasures' from the United States as well as Europe and that it would impose 'significant and severe economic harm on the Russian economy'.

US Troops Arrive In Ukraine To Send Message Of Support To Ukrainians Standing Up To Russia - US troops have arrived in the Ukraine with the goal to send a message of support to the Ukraine in standing up to Russia.

Ukraine Invites UK, US and Canada To Deploy Soldiers East And South Ukraine - Ukraine has invited the United States, United Kingdom and Canada to deploy soldiers to the East and South of the Ukraine despite the fact that Putin said that deploying foreign troops in the Ukraine is a 'red line' that would lead to provocation and consequences.

Ukrainian Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov said that the United States, Britain and Canada should jointly and quickly give military support to the Ukraine to support its current standoff with Russia to deter Russian president Vladimir Putin from invading the country because 'it will be too late after' an invasion.


"You have a training program with us in Ukraine. I think we can expand it. Instead of having 50 [military] instructors, send 500 instructors" he said.

"Together with United Kingdom guys, with United States guys, in bilateral platforms, without NATO. Three flags – the flag of Canada, the flag of United States and the flag of U.K. – should be flying around these territories. It would also be a good sign for the Russians – that you are here".

US Intel Convinces Allies Russia May Be Preparing To Attack Ukraine - US intelligence sharing has convinced NATO allies that Russia may be preparing to attack the Ukraine as early as next year with 175,000 troops, moving troops in and out to confuse western intelligence of their intentions.

Although the current number of Russian troops stationed near the Ukrainian border is around 100,000, the United States believes Russia plans on adding more, up to 175,000 troops before the suspected planned invasion takes place.

The US believes Russia plans on moving troops in and out of the region in order to confuse western forces about the actual number of troops stationed near the border, obfuscate their intentions and create uncertainty.

A US official told the Washington Post "The Russian plans call for a military offensive against Ukraine as soon as early 2022 with a scale of forces twice what we saw this past spring during Russia's snap exercise near Ukraine's borders".

"The plans involve extensive movement of 100 battalion tactical groups with an estimated 175,000 personnel, along with armor, artillery and equipment." they continued.

"Equipment may be left behind at different training ranges to enable a rapid, final buildup" US officials stated.

December 5, 2021 | European Command News

Russia Says Ukraine Must Be 'Forced' To Implement Minsk Agreements- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on air during the TV broadcast of Channel Russia 1 that if the Ukraine does not intend to follow the Minsk agreements of its own free will, then it must be forced.

"If it [Ukraine] is left alone, with its conscience, of course, it will not do anything. It must be forced, this is why the Normandy format was created, but Berlin and Paris are still manipulating their obligations", Lavrov said during the broadcast.

Russian Paratroopers Test Using Heat Traps To Protect Their Ground Facilities - Russian paratroopers are testing the use of heat traps to protect their ground facilities from heat-seeking missiles, according to Russian Major General Anatoly Kontsevoy, Deputy Commander of the Russian airborne forces.

"Thermal traps have been developed and tested to counter infrared-guided munitions. Airborne Forces are studying and implementing the best practices of combat operations" he stated.

What does a heat trap do? It fires away from the aircraft in order to simulate the heat given off from an engine in order to throw a heat-seeking missile off of its intended target.

Russian state run news, TSS states that the Russians are developing other various 'simulators' that mimic the infared glow pattern of real weapons in order to 'mislead' their adversaries.


December 4, 2021 | European Command News

Ukraine Draws Ire From Russia By Purchasing Drones From Turkey And Wants More - Ukraine has drawn Ire from Russia by purchasing TB2 drones from Turkey which were used in October to destroy Russian mobile artillery in Donbass.

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the drone strike on the artillery which raised tensions considerably, calling the deployment of drones 'provocative'.

US Officials: Russia Planning On Multi-Front Offensive Against Ukraine With 175,000 Troops - According to US intelligence Russia is planning on a multi-front offensive against the Ukraine with 175,000 troops by early 2022.

"U.S. intelligence has found the Kremlin is planning a multi-front offensive as soon as early next year involving up to 175,000 troops, according to U.S. officials and an intelligence document obtained by The Washington Post".

Biden Asked If He Will Accept Putin's Red Line On Ukraine: "I Won't Accept Anyone's Red Line" - As Biden was leaving for Camp David, he was asked if he would accept Russian President Vladimir Putin's 'red line'. Biden replied, "I won't accept anyone's red line".

Biden added, "We’ve been aware of Russia’s actions for a long time and my expectation is we’re going to have a long discussion".

December 3, 2021 | European Command News

US Officials: Russia Planning On Multi-Front Offensive Against Ukraine With 175,000 Troops - According to US intelligence Russia is planning on a multi-front offensive against the Ukraine with 175,000 troops by early 2022.

"U.S. intelligence has found the Kremlin is planning a multi-front offensive as soon as early next year involving up to 175,000 troops, according to U.S. officials and an intelligence document obtained by The Washington Post".

Biden Asked If He Will Accept Putin's Red Line On Ukraine: "I Won't Accept Anyone's Red Line" - As Biden was leaving for Camp David, he was asked if he would accept Russian President Vladimir Putin's 'red line'. Biden replied, "I won't accept anyone's red line".

Biden added, "We’ve been aware of Russia’s actions for a long time and my expectation is we’re going to have a long discussion".

Russian Fighters Escort U.S. Reconnaissance Aircraft Over Black Sea - According to the Russian state run news agency TSS, Russian fighters have escorted a US reconnaissance aircraft and US targeting aircraft over the Black Sea.

The Russian National Defense Control Center stated, "On December 3, Russian airspace controls over the neutral waters of the Black Sea detected air targets approaching the Russian state border. Su-27 and Su-30 fighters from the air defense forces of the Southern Military District on duty were airborne to identify air targets and prevent violations of the Russian state border. The crews of Russian fighters identified the air targets as strategic reconnaissance aircraft RC-135 of the US Air Force and reconnaissance and targeting aircraft CL-600 ARTEMIS of the US Ground Forces and escorted them over the Black Sea".


"The flights of Russian fighters were carried out in strict compliance with international rules of airspace use. There was no violation of the state border of the Russian Federation" they said.

Russian Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets were allegedly scrambled by the Russian Air Force to intercept and escort a reconnaissance aircraft RC-135 of the US Air Force and targeting aircraft CL-600 ARTEMIS of the US Ground Forces.

Russia Says They Will React If US Imposes High Impact Sanctions Over Ukraine - Russian state owned news agency, TASS says that Russia will 'certainly react' if the United States imposes sanctions against Russia over Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists about sanctions mentioned by US Under Secretary of State Victory Nuland regarding 'the likes of which we have not used before'.

"If new, ‘high impact’ as they said sanctions will follow, we will react, of course". Lavrov said. "We have no choice but to react. How we react - well, we’ll see".

"I don’t want to make guesses now what the West will resolve upon," he went on to say. "They are threatening with some financial sanctions, new sectoral reprisals. This is a dead-end road, and eventually it will backfire on the initiators of these illegitimate unilateral measures".

Regarding the comment about sanctions 'that have not been used before' Lavrov stated "There is a first time for everything. There were also sanctions like never before previously. Our Western colleagues simply have absolutely lost the culture of dialogue, diplomatic negotiations, arrival at a consensus, the ability to creatively look for a balance of interests".

Lavrov said the West is imposing sanctions if something goes against their will, and not just against Russia. "We can see negotiations underway almost everywhere, if they involve the countries that don’t share the West’s approaches, sanctions are used as a threat, and then imposed if someone does not listen to somebody".

Ukrainian Defense Minister: Russia Might Use 94,300 Troops To Invade By End Of January- Ukrainian Defense Minister says that Russia might use 94,300 troops to invade the Ukraine by the end of January.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stated, "As of now, 41 battalion tactical groups… are currently deployed around Ukraine and in occupied Crimea" on December 3rd during his address to the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada.

"The most probable variant envisages (Russia) reaching the point of readiness for the escalation by the end of January. I point to the fact that the escalation is a possible though not necessarily imminent scenario. Our task is to prevent it. The better we work this out with our partners, the less probable the risk of escalation will be" he said.

Ukrainian military has previously predicted that Russia will begin an invasion on the Ukraine by the end of January or beginning of February.

Biden Says He's Putting Together Comprehensive Set Of Initiatives To Make It Difficult For Putin To Attack Ukraine - When asked about the tensions on the Russian/Ukrainian border, Biden said that he's putting together the 'most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr. Putin to go ahead and do what people believe he may do'.


CNN: Russian Military Is Capable Of Carrying Out Swift And Immediate Invasion Including Fuel Lines And Medical Units - CNN has reported that Russia's military has capabilities in place to carry out a swift and immediate invasion, and has built supply lines, fuel and medical units that could 'sustain a drawn out conflict' for 7 to 10 days and other support units for up to a month, but Russian news is reporting that there is no planned attack, Russia isn't preparing for an offensive operation and there is no heightened activity as reported by western media.

Yuri Ushakov: "There is no escalation. We have the right to move troops within our territory. No fanning of tensions is afoot".

December 2, 2021 | European Command News

Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Says NATO Refusing To Consider Russian Proposals And Is Escalating Situation - Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov says that NATO is refusing to consider Russian "proposals to ease tensions and prevent dangerous incidents." and that 'NATO continues to escalate the situation right on our borders."

Russia Says The 'Nightmare Scenario Of Military Confrontation Is Returning' In Europe - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the 'nightmare scenario of military confrontation is returning' in Europe and that the Ukraine's goal to take Crimea is a 'direct' threat.

While addressing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Lavrov stated that tensions are rising on the continent which very well could lead to war.

During his speech, Lavrov said that he hopes Russia's proposals on a new European security pact will be carefully considered. "The architecture of strategic stability is rapidly being destroyed, NATO refuses to constructively examine our proposals to de-escalate tensions and avoid dangerous incidents".

"On the contrary, the alliance's military infrastructure is drawing closer to Russia's borders. The nightmare scenario of military confrontation is returning" Lavrov stated.

Russia Deploys Missiles Near Pacific Islands Claimed By Japan - Russia has deployed Bastion missile systems near the Kuril Islands on Matua, which is an uninhabited volcanic island located in the middle of the Pacific chain also claimed by Japan.

Bastion missile systems are able to hit targets from about 500 kilometers, or 270 nautical miles away and is a likely a move by Russia to demonstrate its firm stance on the island dispute with Japan.

The deployment of the missile systems also involved living quarters being setup for military personnel, and vehicle hangers being built according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

When asked about the deployment, Russian spokespeson Dmintry Peskov stated that Russia has a soverign right to deploy forces wherever it deems necessary within its territory.

Peskov also told reporters, "We maintain a political will to pursue a comprehensive dialogue with our Japanese partners in order to find ways of settlement".

Russia Says Probability Of Hostilities In Ukraine High - When Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov was asked about how likely war is between Russia and the Ukraine, he replied saying that the probability of hostilities is high and Ukraine's goal to take Crimea is a 'direct threat'.


"the probability of hostilities in Ukraine is still high" Peskov said. "This is a matter of particular concern and worry for us".

Russia also said that the Ukraine's goal to take Crimea is a 'direct threat' to Russia as well as their 'aggressive' rhetoric and provocative actions.

December 1, 2021 | European Command News

Putin Says Russian Buildup On Ukrainian Border Intended To Force US To Give Up Support For Ukraine NATO Membership - In a speech to ambassadors, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the buildup of Russian forces on the Ukrainian border is intended to force the United States to give up support for the Ukraine joining NATO.

Blinken: US Has Evidence Russia Made Plans For Aggressive Moves Against Ukraine - U.S. Secretary of State Blinken says that the United States is extremely concerned by evidence that Russia has made plans for significant moves against the Ukraine, including plans to destabilize the country from within, as well as large scale military operations.

Blinken told reporters, "In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up planning for potential military action in Ukraine, including positioning tens of thousands of additional combat forces near the Ukrainian border".

"We don't know whether President Putin has made the decision to invade. We do know that he is putting in place the capacity to do so on short order should he so decide".

"Should Russia follow the path of confrontation, when it comes to Ukraine, we've made clear that we will respond resolutely, including with a range of high impact economic measures that we have refrained from pursuing in the past".

Russia Says It Cannot De-escalate Due To Half Ukrainian Army Being Stationed At Its Border - Russia said on Wednesday that they cannot de-escalate tensions due to the fact that half the Ukrainian army is stationed near the Russian border.

Half Of The Ukrainian Army Now Stationed At Border With Russia - Russian news RT says that a total of over 100,000 Ukrainian troops, or well over half of the Ukrainian army along with large amounts of military hardware and weaponry are now stationed in Donbass according to the Russian Foreign Ministry amid rising tensions between Russia and the Ukraine.

Maria Zakharova, Russian diplomatic spokeswoman said that, "the Armed Forces of Ukraine are increasing [their] military force, pulling heavy equipment and personnel".

"According to some reports, the number of troops… in the conflict zone already reaches 125,000 people, and this, if anyone does not know, is half of the entire composition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" Zakharova stated.

Zakharova also condemned the Ukrainian President Voodymyr Zelensky for submitting a bill to the national parliament allowing foreign military units to enter the Ukraine for multinational exercises next year.

Russia Gives US Embassy Staff 3 Weeks Notice To Leave Russia - Russia has told some of the US embassy workers who have worked at the US embassy in Moscow for the last three years to leave the country. The embassy workers are to be out of Russia by January 31st, 2022.


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februarie 13, 2022 - Garda Națională din Idaho și guvernatorul Brad Little fac presiuni pentru a abroga legea statului care interzice milițiile private. Se spune că legea statului încalcă al doilea amendament care prevede că "O Miliție bine reglementată, fiind necesară pentru securitatea unui stat liber, dreptul poporului de a păstra și purta arme, nu va fi încălcat". Citeste mai mult

februarie 11, 2022 - Statele Unite au dislocat bombardiere nucleare B-52 Stratofortress aparținând aripii a 5-a de bombe de la Baza Forțelor Aeriene Minot, Dakota de Nord, în Regatul Unit. Citeste mai mult

februarie 11, 2022 - Administrația Biden ia în calcul desemnarea Houthis-ului drept organizație teroristă... din nou, după ce a inversat decizia lui Trump de a-l desemna pe Houthis o organizație teroristă înainte de a părăsi funcția pe 19 ianuarie 2021. Citeste mai mult

februarie 11, 2022 - Agenția Centrală de Informații (#CIA) are un centru de date masiv secret, ascuns și nedivulgat, care stochează în prezent informații colectate de la cetățeni americani, potrivit a doi democrați din Comisia de Informații a Senatului, care au dezvăluit joi informațiile. Citeste mai mult

februarie 10, 2022 - Specialistul Dajuan Lester Townes, un soldat al Gărzii Naționale care s-a înrolat în octombrie 2019, a fost ucis luni din cauza unei împușcături accidentale în timp ce era dislocat cu misiunea de securitate a Gărzii Naționale din Texas de-a lungul frontierei de sud a SUA, comună cu Mexicul. Citeste mai mult

februarie 8, 2022 - Generalul-maior al Forțelor Aeriene Ferdinand B. Stoss, directorul stratcom pentru planuri și politici, a emis un avertisment în cadrul summitului virtual de descurajare nucleară din 2022, spunând că SUA și aliații nu s-au "confruntat cu acest tip de amenințare în peste 30 de ani" și că "nu avem antecedente în acest sens" în ceea ce privește o China și Rusia nucleară din 2022 și o "dinamică de trei partide în domeniul nuclear". Citeste mai mult

februarie 7, 2022 - Marina SUA a confirmat că imaginile scurse cu avionul F-35C de 103 milioane de dolari care s-a prăbușit pe puntea de zbor a uss Carl Vinson și apoi a luat foc și a căzut în ocean este într-adevăr autentic. Citeste mai mult


februarie 7, 2022 - O instalație militară americană de stocare a combustibilului, odată clasificată, ascunsă în interiorul unui munte din Hawaii, a început să scurgă combustibil cu reacție în apa potabilă și să afecteze cel puțin 5.900 de militari. Citeste mai mult

februarie 7, 2022 - Trupele americane au sosit duminică în Polonia pentru a-și întări aliații est-europeni, în timp ce Rusia continuă să-și întărească forțele în apropierea frontierei ucrainene, atât în Rusia, cât și în Belarus. Citeste mai mult

februarie 6, 2022 - Până la sfârșitul anului 2020, datoria globală ajunsese la 226 de trilioane de dolari. Cea mai mare creștere de un an de la al doilea război mondial. Recent, datoria națională a SUA a ajuns la 30 de trilioane, datoriile nefinanțate ajungând la peste 164 de trilioane. Citeste mai mult

februarie 6, 2022 - Departamentul de Stat pentru Licențiere din Washington spune că a observat o activitate neregulată pe unul dintre sistemele sale luna trecută și că datele cu caracter personal din licențele profesionale ar fi putut fi încălcate și scurse către hackeri. Citeste mai mult

February 6, 2022 - Around 80 members of the Main National Guard is set to be deployed to Eastern Europe in the Spring for a one year deployment to Poland. 120th Regional Support Group will be one of two brigade units in Maine that will be carrying out base support operations for American allies in Europe for 'Operation Atlantic Resolve' under the United States European Command. Read more

February 5, 2022 - Mexican gangs are no longer merely using drones to drop bombs onto opposing cartels, but have upgraded their tactics to include laying improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on the roads to disable army vehicles. Read more

February 5, 2022 - Russian state propaganda machine and Kremlin mouthpiece Provda news claims that Russian nuclear submarines are currently on duty off the U.S. coasts, citing two 'unconfirmed' reports which included one submarine located near the east coast of the United States and one off the west coast, and also another 'presumably' in the Arctic. Read more

February 4, 2022 - After a classified congressional briefing on the situation between Russia and Ukraine a GOP lawmaker stated the briefing is 'top secret' but what he can say is "Americans need to get out of Ukraine". He also stated the importance of focusing on America's southern border. Read more

February 2, 2022 - The U.S. national debt has reached over $30,000,000,000,000 (30 trillion) for the first time in history. This does not include the over $164 Trillion owed in unfunded liabilities. Read more

January 31, 2022 - North Korea stated on Monday that the latest Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) called Hwasong-12 that it tested is capable of hitting Guam, which is an unincorporated territory of the United States. Read more

January 26, 2022 - There have been many reports of people all over New Orleans hearing a large explosion around 11:30 p.m. local time Read more


January 25, 2022 - The Department of Homeland Security is warning of an 'imminent cyber threat' against both American companies and government agencies from Russia Read more

January 24, 2022 - Fort Knox military police has shot and killed a man who breached the main gate at the Fort Knox Army installation in Kentucky. Read more

January 24, 2022 - Seven sailors were reportedly injured today on the deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. Read more

January 24, 2022 - Both US and Russian stocks are crashing over tensions in Europe and fears of a Russian invasion on Ukraine. Read more

January 21, 2022 - 130 soldiers from the Maine Army National Guard have returned home from their 10 month deployment to Africa. Read more

January 21, 2022 - The Defense Department has agreed to pay $52.5 million for blimps that will be used to help surveil and patrol the U.S. border with Mexico. Read more

January 21, 2022 - In early January a federal judge granted relief to Navy Seals who refused the vaccine saying "loss of religious liberties outweighs any forthcoming harm to the Navy” and that “even the direst circumstances cannot justify the loss of constitutional rights.” Read more

January 21, 2022 - The Federal Reserve is currently weighing launching a digital currency as it explores the benefits and drawbacks. Read more

January 20, 2022 - A Marine has been charged over the truck rollover that killed 2 marines and injured 17. Read more

January 20, 2022 - A state of emergency has been declared in South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Maine, Georgia and Virginia, ahead of icy weather that may cause travel issues and power outages all the way to the coastline. Read more

January 19, 2022 - A Marine truck carrying troops has rolled over inflicting 'multiple casualties' outside of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Read more

January 17, 2022 - The chief executives of major U.S. passenger and cargo airline carriers warned on Monday of a 'catastrophic' aviation crisis after AT&T and Verizon reported that they are about to roll out their 5G service. Read more

January 16, 2022 - British foreign minister Liz Truss has put out a statement on Twitter condemning the 'act of terrorism' from a gunman who was a British citizen at the Beth Israel Temple, in Texas. Read more

January 16, 2022 - The hostages at the Beth Israel Temple in Colleyville, Texas have been freed and are safe and the gunman has been killed. Read more

January 15, 2022 - There is reportedly currently a hostage situation at the Beth Israel Temple in Colleyville, Texas involving a gunman and an unknown amount of hostages. Read more

January 15, 2022 - The USS Kitty Hawk, the nation's last oil-fired aircraft carrier departed Bremerton, Washington on Saturday for a 16,000 mile journey around South America, after which it will be dismantled at a Texas shipyard. Read more

January 15, 2022 - The Marine Corps has become the first service to approve religious exemptions for the vaccine mandate in the military. Read more


January 14, 2022 - China is using part of its internal surveillance network to mine data from western social media and provide agents with information on foreign targets. Read more

January 14, 2022 - Russian news, Pravda has claimed that a Russian nuclear submarine with 160 nuclear warheads on board appeared off the U.S. coast and went unnoticed. Read more

January 14, 2022 - NORTHCOM military commanders have launched an investigation into the U.S. troops ordered to the shared border between U.S. and Mexico by the President. Read more

January 5, 2022 - U.S. Military data shows that around 30,000 US troops remain unvaccinated, defying the vaccine order put in place. Read more

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February 13, 2022 | Northern Command News

Bill Introduced By Idaho National Guard May Appeal Idaho Law That Bans Private Militias - The Idaho National Guard and Governor Brad Little are pushing to repeal the state law banning private militias. The state law is said to infringe upon the Second Amendment which reads "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed". Read more

February 11, 2022 | Northern Command News

United States Deploys B-52 Bombers To The United Kingdom - The United States has deployed B-52 Stratofortress nuclear bombers belonging to the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota to the United Kingdom. Read more

Biden Administration Considers Designating Houthi A Terrorist Organization.. Again - The Biden administration is considering designating the Houthis a terrorist organization... again, after having reversed Trump's decision to designate the Houthis a terrorist organization before he left office on January 19th, 2021. Read more

Fighter Aircraft Crashes Near Buckeye, Arizona - A contracted fighter aircraft out of Luke Air Force Base crashed into the desert near the town of Buckey, Arizona on Thursday morning according to base officials.

Neither the pilot, nor anyone on the ground was injured in the accident. The pilot safely ejected from the Mirage F-1 fighter jet before it crashed into an unpopulated part of the desert that was located around 15 miles northwest of the base in Phoenix, Arizona.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation. Nicole Garcia from Fox10 News said on February 10th that they are waiting for an update from the military police at the Luke Air Force Base.

Brigadier General Gregory Kreuder, who is the commander of the base’s 56th Fighter Wing stated "Our airmen and partners are our most important resource and we are committed to conducting our mission to train the world’s greatest fighter pilots as safely as possible".

"We are thankful for the continued outstanding support Luke receives from our community partners, especially during difficult situations like this. Finally, I’m grateful nobody was hurt on the ground and the pilot was safely recovered with only minor injuries" he added.


Sean Clements, a spokesman for the Luke Air Force Base told Stripes that the pilot that was involved in the crash is an 'employee of the company that was contracted to fly against Air Force jets in training missions'.

Units from the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron’s fire department, explosive ordnance disposal unit, 56th Security Forces Squadron and the Buckey Police Department were all sent to the scene of the crash after it happened according to base officials.

Request For Deep Div 2 Review Declassification - The Central Intelligence Agency (#CIA) has a secret, hidden and undisclosed massive data center that is currently storing information collected from U.S. citizens according to two Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee who revealed the information on Thursday. Read more

February 10, 2022 | Northern Command News

Texas National Guard Soldier Has Been Killed In Acidental Shooting - Specialist Dajuan Lester Townes, a National Guard soldier who enlisted in October of 2019 was killed on Monday due to an accidental shooting while he was deployed with the Texas National Guard's security mission along the U.S. southern border shared with Mexico. Read more

According to the Texas Military Deparment, he was a horizontal construction engineer assigned to the 272nd Engineer Company, 386th Engineer Battalion, aligned under the 176th Engineer Brigade in the Texas Army National Guard,

The accidental shooting happened at Fort Clark Springs in Kinney County according to the local law enforcement there. He had been deployed to West Texas county for Operation Lone Star, the state's border security mission.

No details were given about what exactly happened as far as what led to the shooting or whether other soldiers were involved in the incident. 10,000 troops are currently deployed to the southern border for Operation Lone Star, working along with the state police to patrol the border for illegal activity which may include gang activity, drug smuggling, human trafficking or trespassing.

The Texas Military Department put out a statement saying, "The U.S. Military has confirmed that at least two of the soldiers assigned to the mission have also committed suicide. "The Texas Military Department is working directly with the family to provide all support necessary".

February 8, 2022 | Northern Command News

STRATCOM On Facing Nuclear China And Russia: 'We Have No History Of This' - Air Force Major General Ferdinand B. Stoss, STRATCOM director of plans and policy issued a warning at the 2022 virtual Nuclear Deterrence Summit saying that the US and allies have not 'faced this type of threat in over 30 years' and that 'we have no history of this' regarding a nuclear China and Russia and a 'three-party nuclear peer dynamic'. Read more

February 7, 2022 | Northern Command News

U.S. Navy Confirms That Leaked Footage Of F-35C Crash On Carrier Flight Deck Is Authentic - The U.S. Navy has confirmed that the leaked footage of the $103 million dollar F-35C plane crashing onto the USS Carl Vinson’s flight deck and then catching on fire and falling into the ocean is indeed authentic.


The footage of the crash has been making its rounds on social media. According to Stripes news, Naval Air Forces Pacific spokesman Commander Zachary Harrell stated in an email "We are aware that there has been an unauthorized release of video footage from flight deck cameras onboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) of the F-35C Lightning II crash that occurred Jan. 24, in the South China Sea. There is an ongoing investigation into both the crash and the unauthorized release of the shipboard video footage".

There had been footage from another F-35 crash in the end of January that showed the aircraft in the ocean which has also been confirmed to be authentic from the US. Navy.

In November there had been yet another leaked video of an F-35 crashing into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after taking off from the flight deck. That particular incident was from the British HMS Queen Elizabeth and resulted in a sailor who had been aboard the aircraft carrier arrested according to UK Defence Journal.

In the most recent incident, the pilot and six other people were injured in the F-35 crash and three of them were flown to Manila, Philippines while the other two were treated onboard the Carl Vinson. The three who were taken to the hospital in Manila have since been released.

Declassified U.S. Government Facility In Hawaii Accidentally Spills Jet Fuel Into Drinking Water Supply - A once classified U.S. Military fuel storage installation hidden inside of a mountain in Hawaii began leaking jet fuel into the drinking water and sickening at least 5,900 military personnel according to the Stripes news agency. Read more

US Troops Arrive In Poland To Reinforce European Allies - US troops have arrived in Poland to reinforce Eastern European allies on Sunday as Russia continues to bolster its forces near the Ukrainian border in both Russia and Belarus. Read more

February 6, 2022 | Northern Command News

Global Debt Reached 226 Trillion By End Of 2020, Largest One Year Increase Since World War 2 - By end of 2020 the global debt had reached $226 trillion. The biggest one-year increase since World War II. Recently the US national debt reached 30 trillion with unfunded liabilities reaching over 164 trillion.

The World Bank has put out an estimate that 97 million people globally have hit poverty as a result of the pandemic. How did the 'pandemic' cause this? Global lockdowns and hefty restrictions from governments across the world in response to the pandemic.

US Coast Guard Rescues 18 People Stuck On Ice In Lake Erie - The United States Coast Guard stated that it has rescued 18 people that were stuck on an 'ice floe' near Catawbal Island in Lake Erie.

None of the people needed any medical attention according to the Coast Guard. Seven of the people were rescued using a helicopter, four were rescued with the Coast Guard's airboat and the rest taken to the shore by a 'Good Samaritan' after the ice broke away while they had been snowmobiling according to a USCG Great Lakes tweet on February 6th.


"Rescue efforts began about 1 p.m. after an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Detroit noticed approximately 20 people on an ice floe, with several ATVs looking for a route back to land" the Coast Guard released later.

"Station Marblehead airboat and Air Station Detroit helicopter” had been deployed along with a 'Good Samaritan' that also had an airboat, according to the Coast Guard statement.

The Coast Guard statement said "The Coast Guard urges all who seek recreational opportunities on the ice to take precautions, not chances,” the Coast Guard wrote. “Remember to dress appropriately for the water temperature, not the air temperature; to wear a life jacket and carry a reliable form of communication; and to carry icepicks or screwdrivers that can help them self-rescue if they go through the ice".

Washington State Department Of Licensing Possible Cyberattack Breach - The Washington State Department of Licensing says that they observed irregular activity on one of its systems last month and that personal data from professional licenses might have been breached and leaked out to hackers. Read more

Maine National Guard Deploying To Europe This Spring - Around 80 members of the Main National Guard is set to be deployed to Eastern Europe in the Spring for a one year deployment to Poland. 120th Regional Support Group will be one of two brigade units in Maine that will be carrying out base support operations for American allies in Europe for 'Operation Atlantic Resolve' under the United States European Command. Read more

February 5, 2022 | Northern Command News

Mexican Gangs Have Begun Using IEDs On Roads To Disable Army Vehicles - Mexican gangs are no longer merely using drones to drop bombs onto opposing cartels, but have upgraded their tactics to include laying improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on the roads to disable army vehicles.

This new tactic is especially dangerous for non combatants who may accidentally come upon the mines, especially children unaware that there may be an improvised explosive device hidden in various places on the ground.

In the town of Tepalcatepec, the self defense movement which is fighting the Jalisco cartel said that improvised land mines heavily damaged an army vehicle last week and showed photos of the army's armored vehicle and the damages that it had taken from what they claimed was a land mine.

The spokesman for the group said that the army vehicle came upon the land mine on Saturday in the town of Taixtan, which is near Tepalcatepec, a location where gun battles have been recently taken place with the Jalisco cartel. It's the first time such a device has been used by the cartel, though they have been using drones to drop bombs on rivals for some time now.

February 5, 2022 | Northern Command News

Provda Claims Russian Nuclear Submarines Stationed Off US Coasts - Russian state propaganda machine and Kremlin mouthpiece Provda news claims that Russian nuclear submarines are currently on duty off the U.S. coasts, citing two 'unconfirmed' reports which included one submarine located near the east coast of the United States and one off the west coast, and also another 'presumably' in the Arctic.


Pravda says that the Russian submarines on active duty off the coasts of the United States 'can respond to to any act of aggression immediately' and then cited the Sina Military publication saying "The Russian submarines can presumably be located off both the western and the eastern coasts of the United States. Given their stealthiness, the Pentagon may not even be aware of their whereabouts. It is more than likely that another Russian submarine is staying in the Arctic, deep under the ice".

Pravda stated that it is 'impossible to either confirm or deny these reports today' and says that Russian nuclear powered submarines loaded with nuclear weapons are indeed on duty both in the Pacific and 'probably' located a thousand kilometers off the US coast, citing Avia.pro publication reports..

The excessive use of 'probably' and 'unconfirmed' and 'presumably' indicates that this is either attempts by Russia to spread misinformation, or possibly leaking out legitimate information on purpose to fulfill an agenda, such as convey a thinly veiled threat to the United States.

If there are in fact Russian nuclear submarines off the coast, the United States military most certainly knows not only that they are there, but also their precise locations at any given time and silently watching their movements.

February 4, 2022 | Northern Command News

GOP Lawmaker: Americans Should Get Out Of Ukraine And Also Said We Should Be Focused On America's Southern Border - After a classified congressional briefing on the situation between Russia and Ukraine a GOP lawmaker stated the briefing is 'top secret' but what he can say is "Americans need to get out of Ukraine". He also stated the importance of focusing on America's southern border.

Representative Lee Zeldin told Martha MaCallum on 'The Story' that Americans should 'get out' of Ukraine and stated "What happened inside of that briefing was top secret. So there's a lot that I can't share. But what I would tell any Americans who are in Ukraine, they need to get out. It is an important [and] serious moment for their safety".

"Right now, there's commercial air traffic that is going to be capable now, and there's no way to guarantee the safety for them if this escalates" he said.

Zeldin also addressed issues on the Southern Border, saying that there are many people who are currently focused on the situation in Ukraine and their border and who aren't focused on the southern border of the United States.

"We have to make sure that we are putting the highest priority on our own border. And there's a whole lot of people that need to do some reflection because they're caring a lot more about Ukraine's border right now".

February 2, 2022 | Northern Command News

US Reaches 30 Trillion Dollars In Debt For First Time - The U.S. national debt has reached over $30,000,000,000,000 (30 trillion) for the first time in history. This does not include the over $164 Trillion owed in unfunded liabilities. Live US Debt Clock

Without the unfunded liabilities being counted, the debt per every American citizen is now over $90,000.00 and the debt per every taxpaying citizen is nearly $240,000.00.


If you count the unfunded liabilities then the debt per every American citizen is nearly $500,000.00. The Social Security liability stands at almost $22 trillion.

January 31, 2022 | Northern Command News

North Korea Says Latest ICBM Test Capable Of Hitting Guam - North Korea stated on Monday that the latest Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) called Hwasong-12 that it tested is capable of hitting Guam, which is an unincorporated territory of the United States. View Full Article

January 26, 2022 | Northern Command News

*ALERT* Large Explosion Reported In New Orleans - There have been many reports of people all over New Orleans hearing a large explosion around 11:30 p.m. local time. No details about what the explosion was yet. Stay tuned on the Northern Command page for more information as it comes in.

There have also been unconfirmed reports of a large explosion heard in New Mexico, as well as Mexico. The sound of the explosion in New Mexico and Mexico was reportedly heard at the same time as the sound of the explosion in New Orleans.

Some reports on social media are saying that the sky lit up around the same time they heard the sound of the explosion in New Orleans.

The explosion in Mexico appears to have been a gas leak explosion with no apparent bearing on the explosion heard in New Orleans or New Mexico.

Still no official answer as to what the explosion was, but Newsweek just released An Article that addressed the situation and gave a brief overview of the various reports.

January 25, 2022 | Northern Command News

DHS: Imminent Cyber Threat Against America From Russia - The Department of Homeland Security is warning of an 'imminent cyber threat' against both American companies and government agencies from Russia, a national security source reportedly informed Fox News.

The source says that Russia 'may soon launch attacks against critical U.S infrastructure" after the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) put out a statement last week saying that every organization within the United States is 'at risk from cyber threats'.

CISA stated "[e]very organization in the United States is at risk from cyber threats that can disrupt essential services and potentially result in impacts to public safety".

CISA also warned companies and organizations in the United States to take immediate steps to guard against a cyberattack and referred to the recent attacks against Ukrainian government websites which Ukraine intelligence says Russia and Belarus had a hand in carrying out.

January 24, 2022 | Northern Command News

Fort Knox Military Police Fatally Shoot Man Who Breached Gate - Fort Knox military police has shot and killed a man who breached the main gate at the Fort Knox Army installation in Kentucky.

The incident happened early on Sunday when a man began driving toward police officers at Fort Knox after running away from them through the front gate near the U.S. Bullion Depository.

Before the incident, officers responded to a call on Saturday of a person that seemed suspicious outside the gate, according to a statement by the Army post.


The man then fled through the Chaffee Gate in a vehicle and onto the post when the officers arrived on the scene.

After the conclusion of the pursuit, officers attempted to deescalate the situation by communicating with the man for around 90 minutes after which the man tried to run the officers over with his vehicle.

When the man began ramming the officers, the officers began firing at him, at which point he was killed in the gunfire and declared dead at the scene.

The man was 41 years old according to officials and not affiliated in any way with the military. His identity has not yet been released and is pending notification of kin.

"Although a motive is unknown, there is no initial indication that this incident was extremist or terrorist related" the release stated.

The officers involved have been placed on routine leave pending an investigation of the incident.

Seven Sailors Injured On Aircraft Carrier Carl Vinson - Seven sailors were reportedly injured today on the deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

The seven sailors were injured when an F-35 jet had a 'landing mishap' on the deck of the aircraft carrier while deployed in the South China Sea.

Three sailors were medivacked off of the carrier and are currently in stable condition. Four others were treated onboard the carrier.

US And Russian Stocks Crash Over Tensions And Fear Of War In Europe - Both US and Russian stocks are crashing over tensions in Europe and fears of a Russian invasion on Ukraine.

On Monday the rouble fell to its lowest point in over a year against the dollar at 78 rubles. Russian stocks also did a free fall by 8 percent to a 14 month low after two weeks of steady decline.

US stocks also plunged with the DOW falling 1,000 points by 3.15% in a single day. The S&P fell by 3.8% and the Nasdaq Composite fell by 4.48%.

January 23, 2022 | Northern Command News

Maine National Guard Returns Home From 10 Month Africa Deployment - 130 soldiers from the Maine Army National Guard have returned home from their 10 month deployment to Africa.

The soldiers were greeted by Senior leaders on Saturday on the flight line before marching in to music performed by the 195th Maine Army National Guard Band where their family members waited according to WABI-TV.

The soldiers included Bravo Company, 172nd Infantry Regiment and 3rd Battalion according to the Facebook page for the Maine National Guard.

January 21, 2022 | Northern Command News

DOD To Spend $52 Million On Blimps To Surveil U.S. Border With Mexico - The Defense Department has agreed to pay $52.5 million for blimps that will be used to help surveil and patrol the U.S. border with Mexico.

The blimps were originally requested in 2018 and called for an additional 1,500 troops to be deployed to the border mission.

Currently there are about 2,400 troops deployed along the U.S. border with Mexico with 3,000 troops being authorized to deploy through the end of September.

Federal Court Issues Nationwide Pause On Biden's Federal Employee Vaccine Mandate - A Texas federal court has issued an injunction against Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal workers and paused implementation of the requirement.


Judge Jeffrey Brown said that the case was not about whether people should be vaccinated, or even about federal power in general, "It is instead about whether the president can, with the stroke of a pen and without the input of Congress, require millions of federal employees to undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment".

"That, under the current state of the law as just recently expressed by the Supreme Court, is a bridge too far" the judge stated.

Judge Blocks Defense Department From Taking Action Against 35 Sailors Who Refused Vaccine And Sued Biden Administration - In early January a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Defense Department from taking any action against a group of 35 sailors who refused to get the vaccine and sued the Biden administration saying that the mandate violates their religious freedoms.

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor stated that the pandemic 'provides the government with no license to abrogate' the freedoms that any American has and that members serving have a right to avoid getting vaccinated for religious reasons.

A 26 page order O'Connor wrote stated "This Court does not make light of COVID-19′s impact on the military. Collectively, our armed forces have lost over 80 lives to COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic".

The judge also added that the "loss of religious liberties outweighs any forthcoming harm to the Navy" and that "and that "even the direst circumstances cannot justify the loss of constitutional rights".

Federal Reserve Weighing Launching Digital Currency - The Federal Reserve is currently weighing launching a digital currency as it explores the benefits and drawbacks.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell put out a statement saying "We look forward to engaging with the public, elected representatives, and a broad range of stakeholders as we examine the positives and negatives of a central bank digital currency in the United States".

January 20, 2022 | Northern Command News

Marine Charged Over Truck Rollover That Killed 2 And Injured 17 - A Marine has been charged over the truck rollover that killed 2 marines and injured 17.

The driver of the truck was allegedly 19 year old Louis Barrera of Springfield, Tennessee and has been charged with exceeding a safe speed which is what is believed to have caused the truck to roll over. He was also charged with two counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle.

The identities of those who were killed in the accident have not yet been released and are being withheld pending the notification of next of kin.

State Of Emergency Declared In South Carolina- A state of emergency has been declared in South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Maine, Georgia and Virginia, ahead of icy weather that may cause travel issues and power outages all the way to the coastline.

A massive storm is coming in that has triggered winter storm alerts that stretch over 1,000 miles, including South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Maine, Georgia and Virginia which all have declared a state of emergency.


January 19, 2022 | Northern Command News

Marine Truck Carrying Troops Rolls Over, Multiple Casualties- A Marine truck carrying troops has rolled over inflicting 'multiple casualties' outside of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Current reports indicate at least 2 Marines have been killed and 17 have been wounded in the Marine truck accident.

Several Marines were injured after being ejected from the back of the truck after it attempted to make a turn onto a highway.

The official 2nd MLG Twitter account Wednesday stated "We are aware of a vehicle rollover in Jacksonville, North Carolina, involving service members with 2nd MLG. We are working closely with @camp_lejeune and Onslow County officials to gather details regarding this incident. We will release more information as it becomes available".

The Marine truck rolled over at around 1pm local time after a troop transport carrying Marines from the 2nd Marine Logistics Group rolled over near Camp Lejeune, North Carolina located near the Stone Bay area.

Onslow County has sent rescue vehicles to the scene of the accident. Camp Lejeune's fire and emergency services are on the scene to provide support as well.

January 18, 2022 | Northern Command News

WarshipCam Shows Significant Navy Movement - WarshipCam is showing a significant movement of Navy warships around the globe.

Warship movement for January 18th so far is as follows (Taken from WarshipCam on Twitter):

USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) Arleigh Burke-class Flight I guided missile destroyer leaving San Diego - January 18, 2022

USS Tripoli (LHA 7) America-class amphibious assault ship leaving San Diego - January 18, 2022 #usstripoli #lha7

USS Annapolis (SSN 760) Los Angeles-class Flight III 688i (Improved) attack submarine leaving San Diego - January 18, 2022 #ussannapolis #ssn760

USNS Mendonca (T-AKR-303) Bob Hope-class vehicle cargo ship eastbound in the Strait of Gibraltar - January 18, 2022 #usnsmendonca #takr303

Future USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002) Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer coming into Pascagoula, Mississippi for final fitting out - January 18, 2022 #usslyndonbjohnson #ddg1002

USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) Wasp-class amphibious assault ship leaving Norfolk, Virginia - any ideas for what's on deck? - January 18, 2022 #ussiwojima #lhd7

USNS Medgar Evers (T-AKE-13) Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship leaving Norfolk, Virginia - January 18, 2022 #usnsmedgarevers #take13

USNS Zeus (T-ARC-7) Cable Repair Ship leaving Yorktown, Virginia - January 18, 2022 #tarc7 #usnszeus

USS Bataan (LHD 5) Wasp-class amphibious assault ship leaving Norfolk, Virginia - January 18, 2022 #ussbataan #lhd5

USS Arlington (LPD 24) San Antonio-class amphibious transportt leaving Norfolk, Virginia - January 18, 2022 #ussarlington #lpd24

USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) Wasp-class amphibious assault ship leaving Norfolk, Virginia - January 18, 2022 #usskearsarge #lhd3

USCGC Tampa (WMEC 902) Famous-class medium endurance cutter leaving Portsmouth, Virginia - January 18, 2022 #uscgctampa #wmec902


USNS Joshua Humphreys (T-AO-188) Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler leaving Norfolk, Virginia - January 18, 2022 #usnsjoshuahumphreys #tao188

USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA guided missile destroyer leaving Norfolk, Virginia - January 18, 2022 #ddg98 #ussforrestsherman

USS Anchorage (LPD 23) San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock heading to the ammo pier in San Diego - January 18, 2022 #ussanchorage #lpd23

USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship leaving Little Creek, Virginia - January 18, 2022 #ussgunstonhall #lsd44

USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) dock landing ship leaving Little Creek, Virginia - January 18, 2022 #usscarterhall #lsd50

Spanish Navy research/survey vessel ESPS RV Hesperides (A33) leaving Ushuaia, Argentina - January 18, 2022 #espsrvhesperides #a33

Royal Norwegian Navy (Outer Coast Guard) patrol boat KV Bison (W323) coming into Tromso, Norway - January 18, 2022 #kvbison #w323

Royal New Zealand Navy Protector-class offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington (P55) leaving Auckland Harbor, New Zealand for humanitarian aid to Tonga - January 18, 2022 #hmnzswellington #p55 #hmnzs

USNS Puerto Rico (T-EPF-11) Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport coming into Yokohama, Japan - January 18, 2022 #usnspuertorico #tepf11

January 17, 2022 | Northern Command News

Major Airlines Warn Of Catastrophic Aviation Crisis Due To 5G Service - The chief executives of major U.S. passenger and cargo airline carriers warned on Monday of a 'catastrophic' aviation crisis after AT&T and Verizon reported that they are about to roll out their 5G service.

The airlines stated that the C-Band 5G service may make a large number of widbebody aircraft unusable and 'could potentially strand tens of thousands of Americans overseas'.

The chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and other airlines put out a statement saying "Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded".

The FAA has also put out a warning stating that interference from the 5G service could potentially affect the sensitive instruments on the aircraft such as altimeters and also impact low visibility operations.

The airlines have requested that "5G be implemented everywhere in the country except within the approximate 2 miles of airport runways" at key airports.

"Immediate intervention is needed to avoid significant operational disruption to air passengers, shippers, supply chain and delivery of needed medical supplies" they stated.

January 16, 2022 | Northern Command News

UK Condemns Act Of Terrorism In Texas - British foreign minister Liz Truss has put out a statement on Twitter condemning the 'act of terrorism' from a gunman who was a British citizen at the Beth Israel Temple, in Texas.

"My thoughts are with the Jewish community and all those affected by the appalling act in Texas. We condemn this act of terrorism and anti-Semitism" he stated on Twitter.


"We stand with US in defending the rights and freedoms of our citizens against those who spread hate" she stated.

Hostages At Beth Israel Temple Safe, Gunman Dead - The hostages at the Beth Israel Temple in Colleyville, Texas have been freed and are safe and the gunman has been killed.

There were reports of an explosion and gunshots after an offensive move to rescue the hostages. All hostages were rescued safely and the hostage taker was shot dead.

January 15, 2022 | Northern Command News

*ONGOING* Hostage Situation At Beth Israel Temple In Colleyville, Texas - *ONGOING* There is currently a hostage situation at the Beth Israel Temple in Colleyville, Texas involving a gunman and an unknown amount of hostages. The White House is closely monitoring the situation and the President has been briefed.

The gunman is reportedly threatening to kill police officers. SWAT operations are being conducted around the 6100 block of Pleasant Run Rd. All residents are being evacuated from the area. Residents are being told to avoid the area at this time.

The gunman has now reportedly demanded that the Hostage Rescue Unit allow him to see his sister, Aafia Siddiqui who is a Pakistani neuroscientist currently imprisoned in the United States serving an 86-year sentence for attempting to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in 2008.

SWAT is currently negotiating with the gunman.

USS Kitty Hawk Aircraft Carrier Departs Bremerton For Dismantling - The USS Kitty Hawk, the nation's last oil-fired aircraft carrier departed Bremerton, Washington on Saturday for a 16,000 mile journey around South America, after which it will be dismantled at a Texas shipyard.

The Kitty Hawk will be joining the same fate as the rest of Bremerton's dismantled fleet, the USS Constellation, USS Independence and USS Ranger.

The International Shipbreaking Ltd purchased the carrier along with USS John F. Kennedy for only a single penny.

Alan Baribeau, a spokesman for the Naval Sea Systems Command stated "The contract values reflect that the contracted company will benefit from the subsequent sale of scrap steel, iron, and non-ferrous metal ores".

Religious Exemptions For Vaccine Mandate Allowed For First Time By Marine Corps - The Marine Corps has become the first service to approve religious exemptions for the vaccine mandate in the military.

Two Marines have been handed waivers to the vaccine mandate for religious reasons according to a Marine Corps announcement on Thursday.

The two Marines were approved after 3,350 requests were made and 3,212 were denied for a religious exemption to the vaccine mandate.

The Marine Corps have not commented on why those requests were denied, or why the two that were approved were allowed an exemption. 138 requests are yet to be processed.

The Marine Corps statement said "At every step, each accommodation request is given full consideration with respect to the facts and circumstances submitted in the request. In each case, every reviewer weighs the compelling government interest against the individual’s request and the circumstances of their situation".


January 14, 2022 | Northern Command News

China Using Internal Surveillance Network To Mine Data On Foreign Targets - The Washington Post has reported that China is using part of its internal surveillance network to mine data from western social media and provide agents with information on foreign targets.

The Washington Post reported that China's public opinion analysis software used to detect politically sensitive online information is also being used to mine data on foreign targets through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

China is not only using existing software to mine data, but also investing money into creating more specific data mining software. One program that costed china $320,000 mines data from Twitter and Facebook and creates a database of foreign journalists and academics.

Another program which is called a "foreign personnel analysis platform" that costed China $300,000 was programmed to mine social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube and look for 'well known Western Media journalists' and 'key personnel from political, business and media circles'.

Russian Nuclear Submarine Carrying 160 Nukes Surfaces Off US Coast - Russian news, Pravda has claimed that a Russian nuclear submarine with 160 nuclear warheads on board appeared off the U.S. coast and went unnoticed.

Pravda stated that the Russian nuclear submarine was of the Borey project which carries 16 Bulava ballistic missiles, each capable of carrying up to 10 nuclear warheads.

Pravda claimed that the nuclear submarine approached the U.S. coast unnoticed before starting back to its base, and that Russian nuclear submarines will be able to 'constantly patrol the waters near the US coast in the event that Russia decides to build a naval base in Cuba or Venezuela'.

NORTHCOM Launches Investigation Into U.S. Troops Ordered To Mexican Border - NORTHCOM military commanders have launched an investigation into the U.S. troops ordered to the shared border between U.S. and Mexico by the President.

Another investigation was also launched by House lawmakers into the National Guard troops that were sent to the shared border between the United States and Mexico.

The reason behind the investigation has not yet been made known to the public, but Northern Command announced that it was to examine a 'wide range of alleged issues' that have taken place between troops deployed along the southwestern border.

Around 2,400 U.S. service members are currently deployed along the southern border with Mexico which includes both active duty members and National Guard from around 20 states.

Part of their job at the border has been to monitor security cameras and sensors aimed to alert U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents of any suspicious activity along the southern border.

NORTHCOM released a statement regarding the investigation stating "The independent investigation team will take the time required to thoroughly answer the commander’s inquiry, identify concerns, and report findings, as directed. The full extent of the issues, if any, will be determined by the investigation team. Due to the ongoing investigation, we are unable to provide any additional details at this time".


A Russian-made tank seconds before it was destroyed by a US drone near Deir Ezzor, three days after Russian fighters were killed there - CNN

A US air and artillery strike has killed Russian combatants in the first lethal violence in Syria between the two nuclear powers, according to sources on both sides.

The battle, which was briefly alluded to in a US-led coalition statement last week, took place in the oil-rich Deir Ezzor province in eastern Syria.

On 7 February, a large force loyal to Bashar al-Assad and supported by tanks and artillery advanced and fired at a Syrian Democratic Forces base manned by Kurdish troops and American military advisors, a US military spokesman said in a statement to Bloomberg on Tuesday.

The United States, which was communicating with the Russian side during the clash, drove the attackers back with aircraft and artillery fire, suffering no fatalities, the spokesman said.

On 10 February, a US drone destroyed an advancing Russian-made T-72 tank from the “same hostile force,” the US military said on Tuesday.


While reports have varied widely, claiming anywhere from a handful to more than a hundred Russians were killed and describing them alternately as military troops or private contractors, the 7 February clash nonetheless appears to have been the deadliest between US and Russian citizens since the Cold War.

A US military adviser shakes hands with a Kurdish commander in Manbij in northern Syria last week Credit: Susannah George/AP Photo

On Monday, the Russia-based independent research group Conflict Intelligence Team published the names of four Russians who had been killed by the US strike. It said the men were mercenaries from the Wagner group, a highly secretive private military company whose alleged commander was photographed with Vladimir Putin in 2016.

Friends and relatives confirmed to RBC newspaper that the men had been killed in Syria on 7 February. Conflict Intelligence Team told The Telegraph on Tuesday that three other Russians were also killed in the attack, which it said was the only time Russians had been killed by the Western coalition.


The independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that 13 Russians had been killed and 15 wounded in the strike. It said Wagner troops had been operating with a special forces unit known as the “ISIS Hunters”.

Story continues

Bashad regime soldiers wounded in the US strikes near Deir Ezzor are seen in a hospital last week Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Igor Strelkov, a nationalist with links to Russian intelligence who commanded Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, said 100 Wagner employees had died in the strike.

Bloomberg quoted Russian sources as saying that 200 professional soldiers, most of them Russian, were killed, while an American official told the publication about 100 had been killed.

If true, those numbers would easily eclipse previous Russian losses in Syria, which has been presented by Mr Putin as a largely bloodless conflict. Russia has insisted it does not have troops on the ground even as reports have mounted of small numbers of soldiers and mercenaries killed.


Surveys have shown Russians are largely lukewarm toward the Syrian conflict.

Vladimir Putin speaks to servicemen at Russia's airbase in Syria in December Credit: Mikhail Klimentyev/Pool Photo via AP

In other circumstances, such a clash would have likely sparked a diplomatic crisis, but the Kremlin did not appear to want to discuss possible casualties before Mr Putin stands for re-election next month.

After liberal presidential candidate Grigory Yavlinsky called on the president to comment on the Russian deaths, Mr Putin's spokesman said these reports “need verification” and argued that so many Russians were located in so many countries it was “difficult to have any detailed information”.

In a statement last week, the defence ministry said no Russian soldiers were in that area of Deir Ezzor and claimed that the US strike had hit Syrian rebels by mistake, injuring 25 of them.

A memorial ceremony for Russian air force pilot Roman Filipov, who killed himself with a grenade after his aircraft was shot down over Syria this month Credit: Vadim Savitsky/Handout via Reuters


“If public opinion paints a picture for itself that the Syrian war will require losses and those to blame are not terrorists but American soldiers, then they will have to react, and no one wants to react to this right now,” said Carnegie Centre Moscow analyst Alexander Baunov.

The clashes in Deir Ezzor bode ill for the future of the war, suggesting that conflicts between the many regional powers present in Syria could grow more frequent even as the terrorists are defeated.

“The fight with the Islamic State is being replaced by old and new conflicts amid the intersection of internal and external players' interests,” said Conflict Intelligence Team researcher Ruslan Leviev.


Russia is hustling to carry out some damage control in Syria after two embarrassing defeats. First, there was the loss of several hundred Russian military contractors during a failed February attack on American and Kurdish forces in eastern Syria. In April there was the U.S., British and French attack on Assad chemical weapons facilities with 105 smart bombs and missiles. The Syrian air defense system, using recently updated equipment, failed to stop any of the incoming missiles, all of which apparently hit their targets and did so nearly simultaneously. Russia later admitted it did not use its S-400 air defense system in Syria because the incoming missiles, as per previous agreements, avoided all Russian facilities. Russia still insists that the Syrian air defense system shot down a lot of the incoming missiles but has not provided any proof. Such proof would be easy to locate and display if it existed, but it doesn’t and Russia is left insisting that its S-400 system, which it recently sold to Turkey, could have shot down the incoming missiles. Meanwhile, Russia says it is sending some S-300 batteries to Syria to upgrade the Syrian air defenses and that these would also knock down incoming missiles. It is uncertain when the S-300 systems will arrive in Syria, or whether they will be sent at all.


The fact remains that Russia had a chance to demonstrate the effectiveness of the S-400 and refused to engage. Finally, there was the event that triggered the American led missile attack and that was the frequent recent use of nerve gas by the Assad government. Russia denies this is happening but the UN investigators are convinced and this puts a bad light on the Russian effort in 2013 to avoid Western air attacks on Assad by guaranteeing that the Assads would dismantle their chemical weapons facilities and account for all their chemical weapons so they could be destroyed. The continued use of nerve gas and other chemical weapons by the Assads shows the 2013 Russian guarantee to be worthless. Russia says it is all part of a NATO plot to discredit Russia. Despite the confrontational situation leading up to the missile attack and its aftermath (Russia insisting the gas attack was staged by Britain) the Russians and Americans kept their liaison channels open and active. Some with Russia and Israel.


There is a growing list of failures outside of Syria. Russia recently told Angola it would build them to new communications satellite to replace the one lost during a late 2017 effort to get it into orbit. There have been a number of embarrassing failures in their space program and Russia admits it is losing satellite launch business to China and the United States (with their cheaper SpaceX tech). Russia has also been canceling ICBM programs for lack of cash and qualified technical personnel. Same thing with their warship construction efforts. Aircraft development is doing no better. India recently withdrew from the joint development agreement for the Su-57 stealth fighters. This project is way behind schedule while the Chinese already have one stealth fighter in service and others about to be. The American F-35 is getting good reviews and Russia is getting a close up view because Israel recently put its first F-35s into service. Meanwhile, the Russian GDP ($1.3 trillion) is stagnant and the population continues to shrink because more people are leaving and not enough children are being born. Few want to move to Russia, at least not for economic opportunities. Russia projects a more powerful image than it can sustain. Russia needs a win but so far can only manage some feeble spin.


Russia is trying to dissuade Israel and its Western allies from attacking more Syrian targets, especially those that harm the many Iranians and Iranian mercenaries supporting the Syrian forces. Russia also does not want to put its high tech weapons to the test because so far these electronic and anti-aircraft systems have proved ineffective against Israeli attacks and probably won’t do much better against the Americans. This is bad for business, as Russia has been touting the combat experience in Syria to get more sales for their new stuff. It would also be disastrous for Russian diplomacy which has presented Russia as a powerful and technically advanced ally for Syria, Iran and Turkey. Although Russia talks tough against Israel and the Americans it does not want to take this any further, nor does it want to appear like Russia is backing off. Russia is in an embarrassing situation and not getting much sympathy from anyone, not even Russians.

The Invisible War

In March 2018 a cell phone photo of a Russian Mi-8 helicopter equipped with the new Rychag-AV appeared on the Internet. This Mi-8 was operating in northwestern Syria, where it would be used to jam enemy aircraft and missiles that depend on wireless communications. Russia first announced the Rychag-AV jammer in 2015 and in 2016 Russia announced that a custom version of the M-8 transport helicopter (Mi-8MTPR-1) equipped with Rychag-AV was delivered to army units operating near Ukraine. In 2017 Mi-8MTPR-1 was seen operating over Crimea and local Ukrainian hackers, using custom hardware and software they had built, reported details of Rychag-AV in operation over Crimea. Russia claims Rychag-AV can automatically detect and jam enemy radar and other electronic signals up to 400 kilometers away.


Rychag-AV is designed to be operated from aircraft, trucks and ships but it can detect more signals and farther away if airborne or having its sensors and jammers mounted on a high portion of a ship (where radars have long been mounted). In addition to the Ukrainian hackers, NATO has had EW (Electronic Warfare) personnel in Ukraine for several years to monitor local Russian EW efforts. Not many details of what these monitors detected is made public since EW works best if its capabilities are a surprise. It is unknown if Russia has actually used Rychag-AV in Syria or Ukraine. Or if they did use it was it on a sustained basis (required to disrupt a large scale air operation, like the April 13 attack on Syrian chemical warfare facilities) or for short periods, just to test the equipment.

Because EW is largely invisible it doesn’t get much media attention. Yet the most active form of combat the Russians engage is EW and it is an area where they feel they are competitive. Problem is, the more you use it the more you erode your opportunities to surprise your opponent. The opportunity to test new EW gear and tactics was too great to pass up and, as the Russians have discovered, it may be the only military edge they have in Syria (and the world). Moreover, Syria is the only place where Russia can confront their two most powerful potential EW opponents (the United States and Israel). Syria is second to Donbas as an area where Russia is honing its new EW hardware and how best to use it. Russia could still turn an EW edge into a more visible victory but at the moment EW is the only edge they have and these invisible battles continue.