Ukraine's drone attack sparks fire at oil depot in Russia's Sochi, governor says
Rosaviatsia, Russia's civil aviation authority, said on Telegram that flights were halted at the city's airport to ensure air safety.
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Wall Street Journal
21 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Ukrainians' Anticorruption Victory
Ukraine passed a law Thursday to restore the independence of two key anticorruption institutions, which is a positive end for the country's biggest political crisis since Russia invaded in 2022. Breathe a sigh of relief and give credit to the Ukrainian people for a public outcry that forced President Volodymyr Zelensky and parliament to reverse course. Lawmakers voted on July 22 to give a presidential appointee control over Ukraine's anticorruption prosecutor's office and the National Anticorruption Bureau. Mr. Zelensky argued he was trying to clear out Russian influence. Yet Ukraine has made meaningful strides against graft over the past decade, and one reason is that these anticorruption bodies were shielded from political interference. The Ukrainian public saw the danger. If safeguards against corruption are seen as faltering, Western partners will be less inclined to send weapons for the front lines and provide financing for domestic Ukrainian arms production. Backsliding on good governance would also jeopardize Ukraine's hope of eventual European Union accession. Allegations of wartime corruption are politically corrosive, and Ukrainians knew the Kremlin would try to exploit the change to sow division. That's why thousands of people in cities across Ukraine peacefully protested the law, forcing the government to backtrack last week. Their stand shows a reassuring cultural shift toward zero tolerance for corruption. Mr. Zelensky's quick signing of the reversal also illustrates that even under martial law Ukraine's leaders are accountable to its people.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
OPEC+ Countries Agree to Boost Oil Production: What to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) on Sunday announced plans to increase oil production by over half a million barrels per day for September as concerns over supply disruptions persist. The eight members of OPEC+ held a virtual meeting in response to U.S. pressure on some nations—such as India—to halt all Russian oil purchases in an additional move aimed at pressuring Moscow to end its ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, OPEC+ said it would increase output due to a healthy economy and low oil inventory, with oil prices remaining at a higher level even as output has increased from members. Newsweek reached out to the White House and Department of Energy (DOE) by email on Sunday outside of normal business hours for comment. Why It Matters President Donald Trump in last year's presidential campaign promised to tackle a number of major targets, including an end to the Russia-Ukraine war and lowering prices for Americans amid high inflation. Russian President Vladimir Putin's resistance to diplomatic efforts has frustrated Trump and forced the U.S. to seek more creative means to try and achieve an end to the war that began in February 2022. What To Know The U.S. has looked at imposing tariffs on Russia and convincing countries that still purchase Russian oil to switch to other sources. Some feared that these actions could drive up gas prices for Americans, as well. However, those fears appear to have been averted as OPEC+ agreed to increase production, providing a healthy alternative to Russian oil. OPEC+ includes Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman. It remains unclear how this could impact Russia's other sales and negotiations. OPEC+ has made voluntary production cuts since November 2023, with plans to phase those cuts out by September 2026, but the announcement means that the countries will increase output for the second time this year—following July's announcement of a similar increase in August—and effectively ending the program early. Prices have remained at the higher rate of around $70 a barrel for Brent crude despite the increased output, however, raising some doubts as to what impact the increased output might have on gas prices. An Austrian soldier stands outside of the building headquarters of OPEC (Organization of The Petroleum Exporting Countries) in Vienna, Austria on May 28. An Austrian soldier stands outside of the building headquarters of OPEC (Organization of The Petroleum Exporting Countries) in Vienna, Austria on May 28. Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images What People Are Saying President Donald Trump last week wrote on Truth Social, in part: "We have just concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves. We are in the process of choosing the Oil Company that will lead this Partnership. Who knows, maybe they'll be selling Oil to India some day!" Mark Temnycky, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank's Eurasia Center, previously told Newsweek: "If the U.S. follows with new restrictions or tariffs, Americans could see higher energy prices, especially at the gas pump and in sectors tied closely to fuel, like transportation and manufacturing." He added: "These cost increases may filter down to everyday goods as companies adjust for rising input expenses. In addition, inflation will be a concern for many American consumers and policymakers." What Happens Next? The members will meet again in September for further discussions and adjustments to production. This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Biggest AIM-120 Missile Order Ever Just Signed By Pentagon
The Pentagon has signed a record $3.5 billion contract with Raytheon to procure AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), telemetry systems, spare parts and service. The deal will provide these missiles for foreign military sales (FMS) to 19 nations, including Japan, Germany, Poland, Australia, the U.K., Israel and Ukraine. Both Raytheon and the U.S. Air Force declined to say how many missiles will be provided under the contract. AIM-120s can cost over $1M per example, depending on variant. The deal for the missiles comes amid growing global tensions and the erosion of the existing AMRAAM stockpile. They can be carried by every fighter in the U.S. inventory as well as by those of most allied nations. Designed for beyond-visual-range air-to-air combat, they have also been used as surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) in the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). A product of Norway's Kongsberg Defense and Raytheon, NASAMS currently protects the U.S. Capital Region, over a dozen countries around the globe. It has been extensively battle-proven in Ukraine over nearly three years of operations. There is a voracious appetite for these weapons. The AMRAAMs were heavily used during the U.S. fight against Houthi drones as well as against drones over Syria and Iraq during the defense of Israel from multiple Iranian attacks. Ukraine has expended a large number of these missiles defending against Russian drones and cruise missiles via NASAMS and now its F-16 fighters, as well. These weapons came from the U.S. and NATO members. The deal with Raytheon follows a decision last month to finally provide AMRAAMs to Egypt, ostensibly for its new NASAMS order but potentially for its F-16s as well. Egyptian F-16s never received AIM-120s, instead having to rely on AIM-7 Sparrows and AIM-9 Sidewinders due to restrictions put in place that were focused on giving Israel a qualitative edge over its neighbors. You can read all about this in our recent report here. In addition, Thursday's award comes less than a year after Raytheon received another $1.2 billion FMS production contract for AIM-120s. Despite the massive combat-proven success of the AMRAAM that dates back multiple decades, the U.S. is working to both improve the range and effectiveness of the missiles as well as develop improved air-to-air missiles as concerns grow about a potential conflict with China. There are signs that a new AIM-120E variant may now be in development. Hints that work on the AIM-120E is underway came after the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) put out a notice in April regarding a sole-source contract that it had awarded to Raytheon (now formally known as RTX) earlier in March. The newest known variant of is the AIM-120D-3 In addition, the Air Force and Navy are working together on a new, longer-range air-to-air missile, the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), details about which remain limited. There are other air-to-air missile programs — such as the AIM-174 — and initiatives in the works and development of new missiles is clearly moving forward in the classified realm, as well. The need to massively scale-up production of the AIM-120 is glaring. While many thousands of these missiles have been built (roughly 5,000 have been tested), the expenditure on multiple fronts of the stockpile in recent years is a major problem. This is especially true as one-way attack munitions (drones that act like cruise missiles) can be produced en-masse for cheap and can chew through effectors very quickly. While more cost effective ways of downing drones are emerging, the enemy is adapting these systems to make that harder. There is also a growing threat of traditional air-to-air combat with a major power and the danger traditional cruise missiles pose is also evolving. So, the AIM-120 will continue to be a primary of taking down any air-breathing target for years to come. All this combined with under investment in stockpiles for decades means that the U.S. and its allies are scrambling to produce enough weapons for future contingencies. These missiles are high-tech 'mini aircraft' in their own right and take a long time to build, with certain highly-specialized long-lead components being critical bottlenecks in the supply chain. This is why we are seeing big dollars being spent now to spin-up production, especially as Ukraine and activities in the Middle East, continue to burn through allied AMRAAM stocks. The situation with Patriot missile production appears even more dire. With a possible fight over Taiwan and Russia descending into a full-on wartime economy, the hope is these large orders aren't coming too late. Contact the author: howard@
