Ukrainian success in Crimea; US defense leaders & Chinese counterparts in Singapore; Russian & Iranian disinfo ops; Air Force SOF controller honored; D-Day heroes arrive in Paris for 80th anniversary
The Economist: Ukrainians seeing real success in Crimea as key weapons come online
News from Ukraine has been mostly grim for those, like The Economist, firmly on the side of the invaded country against the invader, Russia. But today we published a report suggesting that the long-delayed passage in April by America’s Congress of a military-aid package worth $61bn is already beginning to make a difference.
In particular, the arrival of ATACMS ballistic missiles, with a range of 300km, means Ukrainian forces can hit any target anywhere in Russian-occupied Crimea. As a result, says a former commander of American forces in Europe, the Ukrainians are in the process of making Ukraine “uninhabitable” for Russian forces. Crimea was supposed to be Vladimir Putin’s “unsinkable aircraft-carrier”. It is becoming a strategic liability.
Politico: Ukraine hitting Russian assets hard in Crimea
KYIV — Ukraine is making it increasingly difficult for Russia to hang on to illegally annexed Crimea thanks to an ongoing campaign that's targeting air defenses, rail links and water connections.
The latest blows were struck on Friday, when a joint Ukrainian navy and army operation hit a ferry crossing and oil terminal at the port of Kavkaz, located on the Russian side of the Kerch Strait that divides Crimea from Russia, Ukraine’s general staff said in a statement.
Hours earlier, Ukrainians hit the Crimean side of the Kerch ferry crossing — damaging two rail ferries, the Avanguard and the Conro Trader, that are crucial to Russia's ability to keep Crimea supplied.
Ian Ellis, X: Newly installed Indo-Pacific Commander, Adm. Sam Paparo to the Chinese Ambassador to the US in Singapore:
You’re speaking as if all the panelists here want to fight. We are the life insurance policy against fighting. We have children in uniform. And that is the very last thing that we do.
Deterrence is our first duty. The assumption somehow that all of us want to fight, & you are the lone human being on this panel that wants peace — if that is the point you're making, my dear friend, that is not the case.
Washington Post, “News site editor’s ties to Iran, Russia show misinformation’s complexity”
Recently unearthed documents reveal that leaders of an online news site aimed at Americans have received money from both Russian and Iranian government media outlets, showing how widening geopolitical alliances are making it harder to identify and trace foreign influence operations.
Hacked emails and other documents from the Iranian government-funded Press TV show payments of thousands of dollars to a writer who is now a Washington-based editor for Grayzone, whose founder regularly appears on Russian television and once accepted a trip to Moscow for a celebration of Russian state-controlled video network RT that featured Vladimir Putin.
Kyle Rempfer, Washington Post: Air Force combat controller honored for heroism against Russians in Syria in 2018
Super delayed FOIA response, but got back a request for awards from the Battle of Khasham, where US and Russian Wagner forces clashed in Syria. A JSOC operator received the Air Force Cross for the battle - 2nd only to the Medal of Honor. Doesn't appear the DoD ever publicized it
Sophie Pedder, The Economist: D-Day heroes begin to arrive in France in advance of 80th anniversary
France is preparing for quite an extraordinary week. Here are US veterans arriving at Paris CDG airport ahead of commemorations of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Most of them are around 100 years old
