Earlier this year, a contingent of U.S. Special Operations troops working alongside Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria were engaged in a four-hour long firefight against a Syrian government-backed force of some 500 troops. Among those pro-Assad troops, it was reported at the time, were a number of Russian civilians -- widely recognized among those in the region as … [Read more…]
Moscow, Russia -- The Russian misinformation machine has reached new levels of operation. According to the mainstream Russian media, another American Civil War is about to break out. “The next presidential election could lead to a definitive split in American society and a new civil war,” stated RIA Novosti, a state-owned news agency, which also owns second most popular news … [Read more…]
National Security Advisor John Bolton met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, October 22nd. Below is a transcript of their conversation, as relayed by the Kremlin: President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Bolton, colleagues, We are pleased to see you in Moscow. At the beginning of our conversation I would like to recall our meeting with the President … [Read more…]
The dry dock housing Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, sank late Monday night, damaging the troubled carrier, injuring four, and potentially killing one ship worker. One worker remains missing, as search and rescue teams comb the frigid waters of the Kola Bay near Murmansk. The carrier itself -- which has been undergoing long overdue repairs and upgrades … [Read more…]
Dolna Krupa, Slovakia -- Paramilitary and influence operations can take many forms. They could be a team of Delta Force operators conducting Operational Preparation of the Battlefield (OPB) in an unstable region; they could be a CIA front company creating a pro-U.S. narrative in a far-away country; but they could also be a Russian biker-gang launching branches across Europe: … [Read more…]
On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced to the world that the United States would be pulling out of a Cold War era missile treaty first established between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1987. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty had a specific aim: to ban the development and deployment of conventional or nuclear missiles with an operational range … [Read more…]
There's never been any doubt that cyber warfare is a unique facet of the national defense apparatus that comes with unique challenges and equally specific best practices. However, there's something to be said for the Naval tradition of firing "a shot across the bow" of your opponent. The phrase usually refers to firing a warning shot past an adversary's vessel to let them know … [Read more…]
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan and the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty -- a document widely known today as simply the INF treaty. The breadth of the treaty pertained to ground-launched, medium-range missiles that could engage targets between 300 and 3,400 miles away. It was part of a broader focus on reducing nuclear … [Read more…]
Stockholm, Sweden—An official neutral country for decades, Sweden is edging ever closer toward NATO. Last May, the Swedish government sent a booklet to almost five million families. Titled If Crisis or War Comes, the brochure included information and instructions on basic wartime survival and “total defence.” It also informed Swedes of other threats like climate change, … [Read more…]
As Arctic ice sheets continue to melt, Russia has rapidly positioned themselves to take advantage of new northern shipping lanes created by the thinning ice. Russia's massive fleet of icebreakers -- which dwarfs that of the United States and most of its allies combined -- bolster six new and a number of other re-opened arctic military installations that Russian President … [Read more…]
According to recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data, the Russian Far East chain, the Kuril Islands, was hit by a massive 6.3 magnitude earthquake, with initial reports stating a 6.5. The epicenter was south of the archipelago, approximately 93 miles from the closest town, Severo-Kurilsk. The quake occurred beneath the surface of the ocean, on its floor—exactly like the … [Read more…]
Russia is no stranger to luring washed-up American celebrities to their international causes as a means of clinging to their last remaining bits of fame. Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, for instance, fell in love with the Russian people so much that he moved to recently annexed Crimea to begin making Kremlin-funded films. Vladimir Putin's interest gave Durst credibility. And … [Read more…]
