Gen Jonathan A. Maddux

03/20/2024

Israel’s war on Gaza updates: Hamas puts forth proposal aimed at ending war

Israel’s war on Gaza updates: Hamas puts forth proposal aimed at ending war

The Israeli military carried out five separate attacks on aid distribution centres in the past 48 hours in the Gaza Strip, killing 56 people and injuring more than 300 others.

Hamas submitted a new truce proposal to mediators in Egypt and Qatar that Israel’s leader described as “ridiculous”.

The Hamas proposal is “within the bounds” of what negotiators discussed in recent months, the White House says.

US President Biden expressed support for a speech by Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, which heavily criticised Benjamin Netanyahu and called for early elections in Israel.

The number of people killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the start of the war rose to 31,490, according to the latest Health Ministry figures.

Ramadan during war

'Nail guns, metal sticks, dog bites'

Israel-Hezbollah hostilities

Inside the 'Flour Massacre'

Timeline: Biden's words on Gaza

Israel's 'anti-Zionists'

The Israelis who want a ceasefire

Thank you for joining us

03/04/2024

Russia claims German military leak proves Western involvement in Ukraine

Kremlin says the wiretap shows the German military is discussing plans to strike Russian territory.

A wiretap recording of German military officials published over the weekend proves Western countries were participating in the conflict in Ukraine, the Kremlin has claimed.

The assertion was made by a spokesman on Monday, shortly after Moscow had reportedly summoned the German ambassador. The previous day, Berlin said that the release of the recording via social media was part of efforts to “destabilise” Germany.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the discussions among military officials of the potential use by Ukraine of German-made Ta**us missiles to hit Russian targets, “once again highlight the direct involvement of the collective West in the conflict in Ukraine”.

Russia claims German military leak proves Western involvement in Ukraine

Kremlin says the wiretap shows the German military is discussing plans to strike Russian territory.

Ambassador of Germany to Russia Alexander Graf Lambsdorff leaves the

A wiretap recording of German military officials published over the weekend proves Western countries were participating in the conflict in Ukraine, the Kremlin has claimed.

The assertion was made by a spokesman on Monday, shortly after Moscow had reportedly summoned the German ambassador. The previous day, Berlin said that the release of the recording via social media was part of efforts to “destabilise” Germany.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the discussions among military officials of the potential use by Ukraine of German-made Ta**us missiles to hit Russian targets, “once again highlight the direct involvement

03/04/2024

02/14/2024

The latest on the Israel-Hamas war

News by Gen Jonathan A. Maddux
France's Macron voices "firm opposition" to Israeli offensive in Rafah during Netanyahu call
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy in London and Chris Liakos in Paris
President Emmanuel Macron voiced France's "firm opposition" to an Israeli ground operation in Rafah during a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday.
According to readout from the Élysée Palace, Macron told Netanyahu that the "human cost and humanitarian situation" in Gaza are "intolerable" and Israeli operations there "should cease."

The French leader warned that such an operation would "constitute a violation of international humanitarian law" and create an "additional risk of regional escalation."

Macron also used the phone call as an opportunity to call for one of Israel's main cargo points, the Port of Ashdod, to be opened, highlighting the urgent need to "massively send humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza."

More background: Israeli officials are continuing to draw up plans for a ground incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah which is sheltering over 1.3 million Palestinians, the majority of whom have been displaced from elsewhere within the enclave.Turkey’s president renews call for ceasefire in Gaza during visit to Cairo
From CNN's Gul Tuysuz
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his call for a ceasefire saying, “the human tragedy in Gaza and in the occupied Palestinian territories was top on the agenda” in his meeting with Egypt’s Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday.

“Ignoring the reactions, the Netanyahu government recklessly is continuing its policy of occupation, destruction and massacre. Our priority is to establish a ceasefire as soon as possible and to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza without any obstacles,” Erdogan said during a news conference in Cairo after the meeting.

Erdogan warned against attempts to drive Palestinians from Gaza.

02/13/2024

Israel’s war on Gaza live: Journalists wounded in air strike

News by: Gen Jonathan A. Maddux.
An Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent and a photojournalist working with him have been wounded in an Israeli air strike near Rafah, in southern Gaza.
CIA chief William Burns is in Cairo for the latest round of discussions on a truce that would temporarily halt fighting in exchange for the release of captives and Palestinian prisoners.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II tells US President Joe Biden the world “cannot afford” Israel’s planned ground invasion on Rafah, where more than 1.4 million people are sheltering.
Israel’s attacks on Gaza have killed at least 28,473 Palestinians and wounded 68,146 others since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas-led attacks stands at 1,139.
Israeli regulator considers penalising TV channel over remarks against Netanyahu

Israel’s Second Authority for Radio and Television, which regulates commercial broadcasts in the country, has opened an inquiry into Channel 13, after a commentator slammed Netanyahu on the network for rejecting the Hamas deal to free the captives and secure an end to the fighting in Gaza, Haaretz reports.

“I’ve been saying for a month that Netanyahu has no real incentive to free the hostages,” panelist Gil Tamari said on Monday, according to the Israeli newspaper. “He wants them dead, as holy martyrs, for his own reasons.”

The inquiry “could result in a financial penalty – on the grounds that Tamari’s statement potentially harmed public sentiment,” Haaretz reported.

Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has warned that Israel’s incursion into Rafah “would cause a further unmitigated humanitarian catastrophe and result in the death of numerous innocent civilians, again mostly children and women”.

Speaking on X, he called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all captives from Gaza and “a plan for the day after”

01/09/2024

Another war could break out on the Israel-Lebanon border

Israeli officials see Hizbullah as an unacceptable threat

News by Gen Jonathan A Maddux
The bright winter sun playing over caves in the pockmarked cliffs and the views out over the Mediterranean are idyllic. Yet look more closely at the seemingly peaceful view from the point where Israel’s border with Lebanon meets the sea, and menace lurks. Naval patrol boats loiter close to the shore, their guns bristling in readiness. A normally popular tourist attraction is deserted save for armoured vehicles. A short drive up the wooded mountainside just south of the border fence reveals dozens of camouflaged bivouacs where paratroopers of the Israel Defence Forces (idf) have been deployed since October 7th, the day of a devastating surprise attack by Hamas on Israeli communities and army bases in the south.

Though the scenery is tranquil, the risks are rapidly mounting of a full-blown war between Israel and Hizbullah, the Iran-backed Lebanese party and militia. Especially since a blast on January 2nd in Beirut’s Dahiye neighbourhood, Hizbullah’s main stronghold. The explosion, attributed to an Israeli drone strike, killed Saleh al-Arouri, a senior Hamas leader close to Iran, as well as several other commanders. Hizbullah responded by saying the killing would not go without “punishment” and that it has its “finger on the trigger”. Even before this strike, some European officials worried that the front could erupt within days or weeks.

01/07/2024

Israel war on Gaza: Son of Al Jazeera journalist among dead in attack

News in Gen Mark D. Williams

At least two more journalists killed after their vehicle is targeted in an Israeli air strike, including the son of Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh.
At least seven Palestinians killed in an Israeli drone attack on Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

Israel war on Gaza: Son of Al Jazeera journalist among dead in attack

Al Jazeera's bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Al-Dahdouh (C) hugs his daughter during the funeral of his son Hamza Wael Dahdouh, a journalist with the Al Jazeera television network, who was killed in a reported Israeli air strike in Rafah in the Gaza Striary leration
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At least two more journalists killed after their vehicle is targeted in an Israeli air strike, including the son of Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh.
At least seven Palestinians killed in an Israeli drone attack on Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and EU policy chief Josep Borrell visit the Middle East amid efforts to ease tension following last week’s assassination of a Hamas leader in Beirut.
At least 22,835 people have been killed – including 9,600 children – in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. About 1,139 people were killed in Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.
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Israel trying to put Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital ‘out of service’
The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza has said the medical centre in central Gaza is coming under heavy Israeli drone fire that is targeting “anything that moves” and that is aimed at disabling the hospital.

“Putting Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital out of service would be a death sentence for thousands of wounded people and patients in the central area,” the ministry said in a statement.

Israeli police fatally shot Palestinian toddler during attack
Israeli media outlets have reported that a three-year-old Palestinian child was killed during what Israeli authoritie

01/01/2024

Best wishes this 01/02/2024

By Gen Jonathan A. Maddux

Happy New Year to each and every National Guard members & to all American Soldiers. I'm deeply grateful for your hard work and proud of all you accomplished last year 2023, because of you, we are always Ready, Always There! Bravos 👏👏👏

12/22/2023

Troops Going home for holidays after 9 years of war...

News By Gen Jonathan A. Maddux

For the first time in 9years, the US military will not be in the middle of a traditional war this holiday season. There will, of course, still be thousands of troops deployed overseas. But for troops who waged combat during the first 9years of the war on terror, being home with their families this Christmas is special.

MSgt. Scott Neil pointed to a spot on the map of Afghanistan on his office wall, showing where he went to war.
"We went into this center mountain area," Neil said, adding that it was the same place he celebrated Christmas in 2001 and 2011.

"Christmas is very serene," he said. "Kandahar is surrounded by mountains, so you are just amazed."

As a member of the Army Special Forces, Neil retired in 2011, after 25 years of service. He spent a total of eight Christmases on the front lines, from Panama to Iraq to Afghanistan.

"You had different foxholes singing hymns in different locations," he said. "I cannot gain back the Christmases that I missed."

Neither can the 2 to 3 million individual troops who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during America's 20-year response to 9/11.

Many learned how to celebrate remotely, well before the rest of us did.

"You try to capture a phone call or a voice, listen to your children describe a thing that they got," Neil described
And his family, of course, prayed for his safety. One year, Christmas Eve brought the opposite of a present.

"We received some fire. The guys put on their war gear and their Santa hats and went out," he remembered. "I have also seen the most imaginative Christmas trees made out of mortar rounds."

His life in the Special Forces, running tactical operations against suspected terrorists, brought all kinds of memories, though.

"There is also the silence of Christmas Eve under the stars," he said.
He reminded that there are still an untold number of operation happening in Syria, Afghanistan. Iraq

11/30/2023

News Gen Jonathan A. Maddux

Russia, al-Assad step up Syria bombing amid world focus on Israel-Gaza war

Russian and Syrian regime attacks have killed 66 civilians since the start of October, and displaced 120,000 people.

Russia, al-Assad step up Syria bombing amid world focus on Israel-Gaza war

Russian and Syrian regime attacks have killed 66 civilians since the start of October, and displaced 120,000 people.

A destroyed building in Idlib, northwest Syria, on November 30, 2023. Opposition leaders and emergency volunteers say the Syrian government and Russian forces have stepped up attacks on the region since October 7, 2023 [Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera]

By Gen Jonathan A. Maddux

Idlib, Syria — Syrian government forces and Russia have stepped up the bombardment of northwest Syria, killing dozens of people, including children, and wounding hundreds of others, opposition leaders and emergency volunteers have said, at a time when Israel’s war on Gaza is holding the world’s attention.

Russian and Syrian attacks in October focused on cities and villages in the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo. This escalation resulted in the total deaths of 66 civilians, including 23 children and 13 women, and left more than 270 people injured, with 79 children and 47 women among the casualties, according to a Syrian volunteer emergency rescue group.

the pace of aerial and artillery bombardment in northwest Syria has decreased since the beginning of November, Syrian regime forces have shifted their attention to targeting civilian vehicles using guided missiles.

Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, said that from the beginning of the current year until November 8, their teams responded to 17 guided-missile attacks by regime forces. These attacks resulted in the deaths of four civilians, including a White Helmets volunteer, and injured 15 civilians, including two children

11/21/2023

News by Gen Jonathan A. Maddux
The 426th Air Base Squadron recently had the honor of hosting distinguished visitors at in Norway. Major General Derek C. France, commander of the Third Air Force, and Chief Master Sergeant Stephanie Cates, Third Air Force command chief, were briefed on the vital role our wing plays in Europe.

This visit was a valuable opportunity for Third Air Force leadership to engage directly with our personnel and experience the strategic significance of the 501st CSW firsthand.

We're proud to showcase the hard work and dedication of our team and the importance of our mission here in Norway!

Alconbury-Molesworth - 423 ABG | Third Air Force

(U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Jessica Avallone)

11/10/2023

US Announces $150 Million Weapons Package for Ukraine

News By: Gen Jonathan A. Maddux
The Biden administration on Thursday announced a new weapons package for Ukraine worth $150 million that includes ammunition for HIMARS rockets, air defenses, artillery rounds, and other equipment.

The weapons are being provided under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the US to send weapons straight from Pentagon stockpiles. The $150 million is being pulled from funds made available by a Pentagon “accounting error” that overvalued previous weapons sent to Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon said it still had $5.4 billion in drawdown funds available from the money freed up by the error. Based on the weapons packages that have been announced since then, the Pentagon has about $5 billion left to ship weapons to Ukraine until Congress authorizes more.

According to the Pentagon, the equipment in the $150 million package includes:The Pentagon also released a fact sheet on Thursday that said the US has committed $43.9 billion in military equipment for Ukraine since Russia invaded in February of last year. Congress has authorized a total of $113 billion in spending on the war, which also includes economic aid, money for the Pentagon to replenish weapons, funding for troop deployments in Eastern Europe, and other types of spending.

President Biden has requested another $61.4 billion to spend on the proxy war as part of a $105 billion spending package that includes military aid for Israel, Taiwan, and funds for border security.

11/08/2023

News by: Gen Jonathan A. Maddux
Although wounded by seven 7.62x39mm AK-47 rounds and hit by more than 43 pieces of hot fragmentation from a gr***de while using his body to shield an injured fellow Marine, Kasal refused to quit fighting and is credited with saving the lives of several Marines during the U.S. assault on insurgent strongholds in Fallujah in November 2004. By the time he was carried out of the house by LCpl Chris Marquez and LCpl Dane Shaffer, Kasal had lost approximately 60 percent of his blood. The photograph of Kasal, taken by photographer Lucian Read — blood-soaked and still holding his M9 pistol and KA-Bar fighting knife — being helped from the building by fellow Marines, has become one of the iconic pictures of the war.

11/07/2023

Ukraine war: Gr***de birthday gift kills army chief Zaluzhny's aide

News By: Gen Jonathan A. Maddux
A gr***de given as a birthday present has blown up and killed a close aide of the head of Ukraine's armed forces Valery Zaluzhny.

Maj Hennadiy Chastyakov, 39, had returned to his flat with presents from his colleagues and was opening them with his son when the gr***de exploded.

Maj Chastyakov was killed and his 13-year-old son left seriously wounded.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said the boy had started turning the ring on the gr***de.
Then, the serviceman took the gr***de from the child and pulled the ring, causing a tragic explosion."

Prosecutors clarified later that he had accidentally set off the gr***de while trying to take it away from his son.

The blast has been described as a "tragic accident" and the minister appealed to the public to await the outcome of an official investigation. Police said the explosion in the family flat at Chaiky in the western outskirts of Kyiv had been "as a result of careless handling of ammunition".

But it soon emerged that another five gr***des had been found in the flat. Mr Klymenko said that they had been a gift from a colleague in the army.

Two similar gr***des were later found in a search of the colleague, described as a colonel in the army.

Pictures from the scene showed other gr***des on the floor of the flat, along with other gift bags. Maj Chastyakov had apparently brought the gr***des home in a bag with a bottle of whisky.

A source told Ukrainska Pravda that the bottle had been in a gift bag with gr***de-shaped glasses and the explosion happened when he opened the bag. Other reports said that his colleague had handed over the bottle saying: "It's hard to surprise you: That's why I'm giving you combat gr***des and a bottle of good whisky."

Gen Zaluzhny spoke of the unspeakable pain and heavy loss to the Ukrainian military and to him personally, describing Maj Chastyakov as a "reliable shoude" since the start of Rus

10/25/2023

Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israel envoy calls for UN secretary-general’s resignation; Gaza fuel running out
News by Gen Jonathan A. Maddux

Developments on the Israel-Hamas war. See below for the latest updates.
Hospitals in Gaza have been warning that they would have to shut down if they don’t receive more fuel. Other supplies, such as water, medicine and food, continue to run low.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees previously noted it would be unable to carry out aid operations after Wednesday night if it does not receive fuel supplies necessary for transport, water desalination and running medical equipment. The Israel Defense Forces insist that fuel is present in Gaza but monopolized by Hama.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned overnight that the situation is “growing more dire by the hour.”

The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas. Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” he said on the X social media platform, previously known as Twitter.

Meanwhile, Israel’s representative to the U.N. has called for the resignation of Guterres, following his remarks on the Israel-Hamas conflict and action in Gaza.

Messaging app Telegram has restricted access to channels belonging to Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The platform blocked access to the official channel of Hamas, hamas_com and the Al-Qassem brigades, the military wing of the organization, for Android users, CNBC verified Wednesday.

Social media companies have been under intense pressure to act on the spread of misinformation and pro-Hamas propaganda amid the war in Israel.
UK sending plane with humanitarian aid for Gaza to Egypt

A plane carrying British humanitarian aid to support Palestinian civilians is currently en route to Egypt, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said on social media.

Aid delivered to Egypt typically travels onward

10/07/2023

Respect to all our fallen Heros

09/19/2023

News by Gen Jonathan A. Maddux

Today, we remember. We remember the sacrifice, the service, and the individuals who willingly answered the call of danger in order to defend their neighbors and their nation. In response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, where 3,000 innocent lives were lost, the War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001. Since that day, nearly 3 million service members have served our country. Twenty-eight of those service members, whether they were already serving or chose to serve in response to this devastating event, have been recognized with the for their actions and service above self during the Global War on Terror. Eleven of these 28 made the ultimate sacrifice and were awarded posthumously.

Together, we will the attacks of #9/11 and America’s spirit to prevail over them.

09/15/2023

Ukrainian commander says he'd be dead if he fought exactly how the US and its allies taught him

News by Gen Jonathan A. Maddux

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have received NATO training to help them face Russia.

But some have said that the lessons do not work well in practice, and have ignored them.

One commander told the Financial Times that if he followed NATO advice to the letter, he'd be dead.

A Ukrainian commander trained by US, British, and Polish soldiers told the Financial Times that if he followed their advice exactly he would be killed.

Western allies of Ukraine have offered training to thousands of troops in the hope of steeling them for battle against Russia's invasion force.

But some have said that the principles they learn from NATO countries often do not pan out on the battlefield.

"If I only did what [western militaries] taught me, I'd be dead," said a special-forces commander in Ukraine's 78th regiment who spoke to the FT. The outlet didn't give his full name, referring to him as Suleman.

During his training, Suleman said he was offered "some good advice" but also "bad advice ... like their way of clearing trenches. I told them: 'Guys, this is going to get us killed.'"

He isn't the only Ukrainian soldier who has spoken out against the Western approach to instruction.

A senior intelligence sergeant in the 41st Mechanized Brigade, who goes by the name "Dutchman," told openDemocracy last month: "I don't want to say anything against our partners, but they don't quite understand our situation and how we are fighting."

The soldiers believe that instructors have never fought a war like Russia's invasion of Ukraine — the first clash of two heavily-armed militaries for decades.

Most Western forces have experience of very different conflicts, like those in Iraq and Afghanistan where their side had huge advantages in resources and far superior technology.

"We need people to understand how to effectively clear trenches, enter them,

08/27/2023

British Museum seeks recovery of some 2,000 stolen items

News by Gen Jonathan A. Maddux
LONDON, Aug (Reuters) - Around 2,000 artefacts including gold jewellery and gems had been stolen from the British Museum over a long period of time, but recovery efforts were already under way, the museum's chair George Osborne said on Saturday.

The museum, one of London's most popular attractions whose treasures include the Rosetta Stone, an ancient Egyptian relic inscribed with hieroglyphs and other texts, said last week a member of staff had been dismissed after items dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD had been taken from a storeroom.
Museum director Hartwig Fischer said on Friday he would step down after admitting to failings in its investigation into the theft of items from its collection.

Osborne, a former British finance minister, told BBC radio that not all of the museum's collection was properly catalogued or registered, a situation not unique among large institutions whose collections had been amassed over hundreds of years.

A "forensic" inquiry was being conducted to find out what had been stolen, Osborne said. "We think it's around 2,000 items," he said. "But I have to say that's a very provisional figure and we're still actively looking."

"We've already started to recover some of the stolen items," he added, without giving any details of what had been recovered or how.

Osborne said he did not believe there had been any deliberate cover-up after the museum previously rejected a warning in 2021 that the thefts were happening.
But there could have been some "potential group think" at the top of the institution that could not believe an insider was stealing, he said.

He said the thefts had "certainly been damaging" to the reputation of the museum, which casts itself as a trusted custodian of priceless artefacts from cultures around the world.

08/25/2023

Russia-Ukraine war live: Kremlin dismisses Prigozhin assassination rumours

News By Gen Jonathan A. Maddux

Russia-Ukraine war live: Kremlin dismisses Prigozhin assassination rumours
Memorial for Wagner chief

A view shows a portrait of Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at a makeshift memorial in Moscow, Russia
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The Kremlin dismisses rumours that Russia ordered the assassination of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who reportedly died in a plane crash, as an “absolute lie”.
The UK Ministry of Defence says while there is no definite proof Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was on board the crashed plane, it is highly likely he is dead.
Russia claims to have downed a barrage of 42 Ukrainian drones near Crimea, the largest alleged recent air attack on the annexed peninsula.
Ukraine removes the head of its State Emergency Service, Serhiy Kruk, following an internal inspection of the agency.
Putin to hold in-person talks with Turkey’s Erdogan
Putin is expected to hold in-person talks with Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan soon, the Kremlin said.

Asked about Erdogan’s invitation to Putin to visit Turkey to discuss the grain deal and other pressing issues, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “There is an understanding that this meeting will take place soon.”

“We usually synchronise announcements of such visits with our partner countries. We will announce shortly when and where it will take place. The meeting is being prepared, and is being prepared very thoroughly,” he said.

Moscow quit the grain deal, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022 to help alleviate a global food crisis, in July after complaining that an accompanying agreement to facilitate its grain and fertiliser exports was not being implemented.
Wagner Group has no legal existence, says the Kremlin
The Kremlin says the mercenary Wagner Group has no formal legal existence after a plane crash on Wednesday reported killed its founder.

In a call with reporters

08/16/2023

Russia-Ukraine war updates: Western weapons ‘far from perfect’ – Shoigu

News by: Gen Jonatha A. Maddux
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said “much-hyped” Western weapons are “far from perfect” and praised Russian arms.

Ukraine downed three waves of Russian missiles and drones targeting Odesa, its army said, with the falling debris injuring three civilians.

Moscow claimed its air defence systems shot down two unmanned aerial vehicles over the Belgorod region, according to Russia’s news agency TASS.

The Russian rouble has slid to its lowest level since last March as imports jump and exports decrease.
Has Russia pulled the plug on the Wagner Group?

For years, Russia had denied the existence of the Wagner mercenary group – let alone any connections to it.

That is despite multiple reports revealing the group’s involvement in promoting Moscow’s interests in Syria and several African countries.

The Wagner Group chief’s failed mutiny against Moscow in June has shed further light on what was likely a strong connection between the two sides.

But Moscow and Wagner now appear to be at odds with reports suggesting Moscow is no longer funding the private army.

Russian diplomats and families leave Moldova: Moscow
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says employees of Russian institutions in Moldova – the embassy, trade mission and Russian Centre of Science and Culture – and their family members have returned to Moscow.

Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration last month told Russia to reduce its embassy presence in Chisinau, citing concerns about alleged Russian attempts to destabilise the small state, which borders Romania and Ukraine.

“This unfriendly step of official Chisinau will undoubtedly have consequences for Russian-Moldovan relations,” the Russian ministry said in a statement.

Twenty-two Russian diplomats are reported to have left the country.