Latest news with #RussianGeneralStaff
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Putin is preparing for another invasion while Nato is fatally distracted
At the latest Nato summit in The Hague, the alliance announced that members had set a new target of spending 5 per cent of GDP on defence and security by 2035. In part, this is likely to have been driven by a realisation that Trump envoy Steve Witkoff's shuttle diplomacy and Europe's denunciations of Vladimir Putin will not be enough to end the war in Ukraine. More fundamentally, however, members are waking up to the need to deter Russia from attacking a Nato country – which, according to Mark Rutte, the alliance's secretary-general, it could be ready to do within five years. As a military intelligence analyst specialising in Putin's thinking and Russian military strategy, I agree with Rutte's assessment about Russia's readiness for another offensive military campaign in just a few years. I'm less convinced that a Nato country is likely to be the Kremlin's next target, unless the alliance directly intervenes in Ukraine by deploying troops onto the battlefield. Nevertheless, what Nato does or doesn't do in the next few years could be highly significant in determining whether Putin decides to attack another post-Soviet state – such as Moldova. The problem is that increasing spending on defence and security-related areas will not do the trick on its own. Money and technology, the staples of the West's style of warfare, do not by themselves prevent or win wars. Strategy does. And a successful strategy must be based on a deep understanding of the opponent's way of war, addressing the key elements of its military planning. I briefed Nato members on Russia's war-fighting strategy in September 2013, just months prior to Putin's invasion of Crimea. Regrettably, no counter-strategy was developed by the Pentagon and its Nato counterparts. Hence Putin's invasions. Developed by the Russian General Staff and often dubbed 'asymmetric warfare', Russia's strategy borrows heavily from the classic works of the British strategist Sir Basil Liddell Hart. He advocated indirect methods of fighting the opponent, rather than the brute application of force. The centrepiece of this approach is to bypass the enemy's areas of strength and focus on exploiting weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Obviously, the war in Ukraine has developed into precisely the sort of conflict Russia seeks to avoid. But that doesn't mean that the Kremlin has fundamentally changed its approach to conflict, particularly when facing new opponents. Since Nato militaries are technologically superior to the Russian forces, Moscow knows it will have to rely on seizing the strategic initiative during the initial period of any future war. It will not be seeking a repeat of what has happened in Ukraine. Russian planners therefore envision undermining Nato's network-centric approach to war by disrupting its forces' 'kill chain', the process that enables military decision-making to detect, target, and destroy adversaries. This could be achieved by targeting, perhaps pre-emptively, the C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) and space systems on which Nato forces depend. So Nato members need to do more than spend money. They need to understand what the Russians consider to be the alliance's vulnerabilities, and take action to remove the Kremlin's incentive to exploit them. There are five principal areas that require action. 1. Secure space-related infrastructure Russia has a formidable arsenal of counter-space weapons, designed to degrade or destroy US and allied satellites. It includes GPS-jamming systems, lasers, orbital interceptors, and anti-satellite missiles. The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned in its 2025 Annual Threat Assessment that Russia is training its space forces, fielding new anti-satellite weapons, and is already using electronic warfare to counter Western assets. Moscow is also developing a new satellite meant to carry a nuclear weapon as an anti-satellite capability. 2. Harden critical infrastructure against cyber attacks Russia has one of the world's most destructive arsenals of cyber weapons, a sophisticated doctrine, and advanced expertise. The 2025 Annual Threat Assessment warned about Russia's repeated success in compromising sensitive targets for intelligence collection. Moscow is likely to already have access to critical infrastructure in the US and Europe. Moscow has a particular strength and practical experience in integrating cyber attacks with military operations in wartime. 3. Establish stronger protocols to guard undersea communications cables Russia's General Staff Main Directorate has a highly secretive deep sea research programme, known as GUGI. Moscow is highly likely to have put this expertise into practice, with several suspected sabotage operations of undersea cables in the Baltic Sea since the war in Ukraine began. A similar risk applies to energy pipelines. In October 2022, the UK Ministry of Defence acknowledged that a Royal Navy frigate was deployed to the North Sea to assist Norwegian forces in protecting gas pipelines, after the rupture of Nord Stream in the Baltic. 4. Bullet-proof against Russian espionage It hardly needs saying that Russia routinely infiltrates spies all across Europe and recruits locals to steal military, political, and economic secrets. But Moscow has also been able to insert intelligence operatives to conduct destabilisation operations, targeting critical infrastructure. Some estimates suggest that such sabotage operations almost quadrupled in number between 2023-24. Multiple arrests have taken place, including in Germany, Poland, and the UK. But the alliance must take a more pro-active approach, neutralising and disrupting Russia's espionage operations before they are able to do damage. 5. Establish advantage in total combat potential Having moved onto a war footing several years prior to the invasion of Ukraine, Russia now produces more ammunition in three months than Europe does in one year. Scaling up production of air defence systems, tanks, drones, and ammunition is imperative for Nato to catch up to Russia and restock its depleted arsenals. Weapons don't shoot themselves, however. The alliance must recruit, train, and equip a fighting force sufficient to change Putin's decision calculus. Moscow has been mobilising overtly and covertly throughout its three and a half year war in Ukraine. And on Tuesday, a bill was submitted to the State Duma introducing year-round conscription for military service. If approved and signed by Putin, the law will come into effect on Jan 1, 2026. In Europe, only a few countries have mandatory military service, and so far most of the others are not considering it. But in a war of attrition, such as the one Russia is fighting in Ukraine, the side that has more manpower is better positioned to win. The good news is that the alliance has time to get its act together to prevent another invasion. It would be tragic if the alliance fails to step up to the plate now, especially given the colossal price Ukraine is paying to defend itself against the Russians. Nato owes it to all those dead Ukrainians and their families to develop a viable counter-strategy to Putin's playbook. Rebekah Koffler is a strategic military intelligence analyst, formerly with the US Defense Intelligence Agency. She is the author of 'Putin's Playbook', Regnery 2021. Her next book 'Trump's Playbook' will be published later this year. Rebekah's podcast Trump's Playbook is running on her channel Censored But Not Silenced and is available on most social media platforms @Rebekah0132. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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Saba Yemen
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Russian Security arrests Ukrainian agent who planted bomb in Moskalyk's Car
Moscow - SABA: The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced the arrest of a Ukrainian intelligence agent who planted a bomb in a car that exploded and killed Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalyk, Deputy Head of the Russian General Staff's Main Operational Directorate. In a statement issued on Saturday, the FSB said: *"Through urgent operational measures, the Russian Federal Security Service has arrested Ukrainian intelligence agent Ignat Kuzin, who held Ukrainian residency permits. Kuzin had rigged a Volkswagen Golf with an improvised explosive device in Balashikha, Moscow Oblast. The remote-controlled detonation, activated from Ukrainian territory on April 25, 2025, killed Moskalyk as he exited the building."* On Friday, Yaroslav Moskalyk, deputy chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the Russian General Staff, was killed in a car bomb explosion in Balashikha, a suburb of Moscow. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
All smiles in the Kremlin as Putin sits down with Trump's deal-maker
It was all smiles in the Kremlin. "It's so good to see you," gushed Steve Witkoff as he shook the hand of the Russian president. From his broad smile you could tell that Donald Trump's special envoy was indeed delighted to see Vladimir Putin. In fact, he's been seeing rather a lot of him. This was their fourth meeting in just over two months. In that period Witkoff has surely had more face time with Russia's president than any other American. The Kremlin released 27 seconds of video from the meeting. What caught my attention wasn't so much the body language or the greetings - it was the table. On one side sat the combined might of the Russian delegation: President Putin, flanked by his veteran foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, his envoy on foreign investment Kirill Dmitriev, plus an interpreter. On the other side, clearly outnumbered: Witkoff and a translator. This is not traditional diplomacy - but then again, Witkoff is not a traditional diplomat. He is a billionaire New York real estate developer and long-time confidant of Trump - who himself is not a traditional president. Like Trump, Witkoff has made a career in doing deals. This is how high-level US-Russian diplomacy is being conducted now in the Trump era. It's how crucial decisions with potential implications for the global order are being debated. Following this round of talks, Ushakov held a conference call for reporters. He insisted that the negotiations with Witkoff had been "constructive and very useful". "May I ask a question?" I began. "What are the main sticking points, the obstacles to peace in Ukraine?" "Thank you," Ushakov said. "We'll end it there." Conference call over. From the various alleged peace proposals that have been leaked to the press, there seem to be plenty of "sticking points". There are differences over the territorial concessions Ukraine would be required to make, security guarantees, sanctions relief for Russia and the sequencing - that is, the order in which obligations undertaken be carried out. The day Witkoff flew to Moscow, on the edge of the city, peace was shattered. A car bomb killed a senior Russian general. Yaroslav Moskalik was deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the Russian General Staff. The Kremlin accused Kyiv of assassinating him. If that's true, it's a sign of how Russia's war in Ukraine has come much closer to home. There is no guarantee that talks between Putin and Witkoff will bring peace. And there will be concern in Kyiv and in Europe that they were not at the table. What is clear is that Putin and Trump are determined to bring their countries closer - whatever happens with the Ukraine peace process. For Moscow and Washington, now their watchword is co-operation. On Friday, I attended a ceremony at a Moscow military park symbolising this. It marked the moment, 80 years ago, when American and Soviet soldiers met on the Elbe River in the dying days of World War Two. That was a time when Russia and America were allies. A military band played as people lined up to lay flowers at a memorial to the Meeting on the Elbe. Putin's invasion of Ukraine put the US and Russia on opposite sides, but times are changing again. The White House and the Kremlin are trying to repair relations. Could they secure a peace deal, one that's acceptable to Ukraine? "We are just re-establishing contact," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told me at the ceremony. "We are just trying to find a way out of this terrible crisis which was created by the previous American administration. They ruined many things." Moscow presents itself as peacekeeper. It blames Kyiv and the "collective West" for the fighting. And yet in February 2022, it was President Putin who ordered Russian troops to invade a sovereign neighbouring country, to force it back into Moscow's orbit. So much has changed, not least the attitude of the White House. President Biden had promised to support Ukraine "for as long as we can". Earlier this month, Trump blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for starting the war. "You don't start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles," Trump said. Why Zelensky can't and won't give up Crimea
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Ukraine: All smiles as Vladimir Putin meets Donald's Trump's envoy
It was all smiles in the Kremlin."It's so good to see you," gushed Steve Witkoff as he shook the hand of the Russian his broad smile you could tell that Donald Trump's special envoy was indeed delighted to see Vladimir fact, he's been seeing rather a lot of was their fourth meeting in just over two that period Witkoff has surely had more face time with Russia's president than any other Kremlin released 27 seconds of video from the meeting. What caught my attention wasn't so much the body language or the greetings - it was the one side sat the combined might of the Russian delegation: President Putin, flanked by his veteran foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, his envoy on foreign investment Kirill Dmitriev, plus an the other side, clearly outnumbered: Witkoff and a is not traditional diplomacy - but then again, Witkoff is not a traditional diplomat. He is a billionaire New York real estate developer and long-time confidant of Trump - who himself is not a traditional Trump, Witkoff has made a career in doing is how high-level US-Russian diplomacy is being conducted now in the Trump how crucial decisions with potential implications for the global order are being debated. Following this round of talks, Ushakov held a conference call for reporters. He insisted that the negotiations with Witkoff had been "constructive and very useful"."May I ask a question?" I began. "What are the main sticking points, the obstacles to peace in Ukraine?""Thank you," Ushakov said. "We'll end it there." Conference call the various alleged peace proposals that have been leaked to the press, there seem to be plenty of "sticking points". There are differences over the territorial concessions Ukraine would be required to make, security guarantees, sanctions relief for Russia and the sequencing - that is, the order in which obligations undertaken be carried day Witkoff flew to Moscow, on the edge of the city, peace was shattered.A car bomb killed a senior Russian Moskalik was deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the Russian General Staff. The Kremlin accused Kyiv of assassinating that's true, it's a sign of how Russia's war in Ukraine has come much closer to is no guarantee that talks between Putin and Witkoff will bring peace. And there will be concern in Kyiv and in Europe that they were not at the is clear is that Putin and Trump are determined to bring their countries closer - whatever happens with the Ukraine peace Moscow and Washington, now their watchword is co-operation. On Friday, I attended a ceremony at a Moscow military park symbolising this. It marked the moment, 80 years ago, when American and Soviet soldiers met on the Elbe River in the dying days of World War Two. That was a time when Russia and America were allies. A military band played as people lined up to lay flowers at a memorial to the Meeting on the invasion of Ukraine put the US and Russia on opposite sides, but times are changing again. The White House and the Kremlin are trying to repair relations. Could they secure a peace deal, one that's acceptable to Ukraine?"We are just re-establishing contact," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told me at the ceremony. "We are just trying to find a way out of this terrible crisis which was created by the previous American administration. They ruined many things."Moscow presents itself as peacekeeper. It blames Kyiv and the "collective West" for the yet in February 2022, it was President Putin who ordered Russian troops to invade a sovereign neighbouring country, to force it back into Moscow's much has changed, not least the attitude of the White House. President Biden had promised to support Ukraine "for as long as we can".Earlier this month, Trump blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for starting the war."You don't start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles," Trump said.
Russia Today
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kremlin comments on assassination of Russian general
The killing of a senior Russian general in a car bomb has again demonstrated the true nature of the Kiev regime, which has long engaged in 'terrorist activities' in Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy operations chief of the Russian General Staff, was killed by a car bomb outside his residence in the suburban Moscow town of Balashikha early on Friday. Commenting on the incident, Peskov called upon the public to 'stay alert,' suggesting Ukraine was likely behind the assassination. 'The Kiev regime once again shows its essence,' Peskov told journalist Pavel Zarubin, adding that it 'continues to engage in terrorist activities' on Russian soil. The incident serves as a reminder that 'despite the peace talks, we must stay alert,' he added, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin. Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova offered a similar comment, stating should Ukrainian involvement in the assassination be confirmed, it would demonstrate the 'barbarian and treacherous nature of the Kiev regime.' Ukraine is betting on escalating the conflict and 'irresponsibly ignoring constructive proposals' to settle it through diplomacy, she noted. 'There is a reason to believe that the Ukrainian special services were involved in the murder, especially given that Moskalik was known to them from the time of his work in the Minsk Contact Group and the 'Normandy [four] format' for the settlement of the conflict in the southeast of Ukraine,' Zakharova added. Last December, a bombing attack in Moscow killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who served as the commander of the Russian Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense Forces. Investigators blamed the incident on Ukrainian intelligence. The explosive device used to kill Kirillov was reportedly concealed inside an electric scooter placed by the entrance of a residential building where the general had lived and monitored through a camera set up in a car parked outside. The bomb was detonated remotely by the perpetrators when the general and his aide were coming out of the building, killing both men on the spot.
