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Russian military chief inspects forces fighting in eastern Ukraine
Russian military chief inspects forces fighting in eastern Ukraine

LBCI

time2 hours ago

  • Politics
  • LBCI

Russian military chief inspects forces fighting in eastern Ukraine

The chief of Russia's general staff, Valery Gerasimov, has inspected the "Centre" group of Russian forces which is fighting in the Pokrovsk area of the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, Russia's defense ministry said on Monday. Pokrovsk, which Russia refers to by its Soviet-era name of Krasnoarmeisk, is one of the focal points of Russian military action in the drive to secure control over all of the Donetsk region. The defense ministry said the commanders of Russian units updated Gerasimov on battlefield developments. It posted a video on its Telegram channel, showing Gerasimov boarding, flying, and disembarking a military helicopter and then meeting the officers in military fatigues. Reuters

Japan to name Defense Ministry policy chief as its top bureaucrat
Japan to name Defense Ministry policy chief as its top bureaucrat

The Mainichi

time3 hours ago

  • Politics
  • The Mainichi

Japan to name Defense Ministry policy chief as its top bureaucrat

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government plans to appoint Taro Yamato, who leads the Defense Ministry's policy bureau, as its next top bureaucrat, sources familiar with the matter said Monday. As a specialist in strategic affairs, Yamato promoted measures to fundamentally strengthen Japan's defense capabilities under the National Security Strategy and two other related key policy documents updated in late 2022. Yamato will replace Kazuo Masuda as vice defense minister, the sources said, adding Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet is set to approve the appointment soon. After joining the Defense Agency, the predecessor of the ministry, in 1990, Yamato, a native of the western prefecture of Osaka and a graduate of Keio University in Tokyo, held positions such as director general of its local cooperation bureau. The government is also considering appointing Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, chief of staff of the Air Self-Defense Force, as the next head of the Joint Staff, the top uniformed post in the Self-Defense Forces currently held by Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, the sources added.

China Blasts US Ally Over Spying in Air Defense Zone
China Blasts US Ally Over Spying in Air Defense Zone

Newsweek

time9 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Newsweek

China Blasts US Ally Over Spying in Air Defense Zone

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. China has accused Japan—a United States treaty ally in Northeast Asia—of sending spy planes to its so-called Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the contested East China Sea. The remarks from Beijing come after Tokyo said YS-11EB intelligence-gathering aircraft had experienced close aerial encounters with Chinese planes while conducting surveillance over the region last week. Newsweek has reached out to the Japanese Defense Ministry for further comment via email. Why It Matters Japan forms part of a defensive island line known as the First Island Chain under a U.S. containment strategy that aims to restrict China's military activities in its immediate waters, including the East China Sea, which lies off China's eastern coast and separates it from Japan. The East Asian neighbors have two ongoing disputes in the East China Sea: one over the sovereignty of the uninhabited Senkaku island group—administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing as the Diaoyu Islands—and the other over energy exploration in the region. In 2013, China established an ADIZ—for the purpose of identification and early warning—over international waters in the East China Sea, outside its territorial airspace. The zone overlaps with those of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, a Newsweek map shows. What To Know In a statement released on Sunday, Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, claimed that Japan Air Self-Defense Force reconnaissance aircraft had entered China's ADIZ in the East China Sea multiple times for what the official called "close-in reconnaissance." Regarding the close aerial encounters between Japanese and Chinese aircraft that occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, the Chinese spokesperson defended the actions taken by his country's military. "Chinese aircraft responded by verifying, identifying, following, and monitoring [the Japanese aircraft]," the spokesperson said, adding that those actions were "fully justified, reasonable, professional, and standardized." The Chinese aircraft involved on both occasions were identified by Japan as JH-7 fighter-bombers. The Chinese official said the Japanese military's close-in reconnaissance and interference were the "root causes" of air and sea safety risks affecting the two militaries. China's Defense Ministry has not yet released any footage or images of the close aerial encounters. It remains unclear how close the Japanese YS-11EB aircraft were to China's territorial airspace, which extends 13.8 miles from its East China Sea coastline. A Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flies close to a Japanese YS-11EB intelligence-gathering aircraft over the East China Sea on July 9, 2025. A Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flies close to a Japanese YS-11EB intelligence-gathering aircraft over the East China Sea on July 9, 2025. Japan's Defense Ministry Japan has been closely monitoring China's military activities around the First Island Chain, including the recent tracking of two Chinese aircraft carriers in the broader Western Pacific Ocean, during which Chinese fighter jets intercepted a Japanese patrol aircraft in early June. What People Are Saying Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, said in a statement on Sunday: "We hope that the Japanese side will work with the Chinese side to create a proper atmosphere for the stable development of bilateral relations." Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday of the Chinese interceptions: "Such an unusual approach by Chinese military aircraft could provoke an accidental collision." What Happens Next Japan is likely to continue its spy flights over the East China Sea as disputes with China remain unresolved. Aerial encounters between the two sides are expected to occur again.

Russia launches 136 drones into Ukraine ahead of expected Trump announcement

time9 hours ago

  • Politics

Russia launches 136 drones into Ukraine ahead of expected Trump announcement

BUDAPEST -- Russia launched four missiles and 136 drones into Ukraine overnight into Monday morning, according to Ukraine's air force, after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would provide Kyiv with more Patriot surface-to-air systems to help defend against Russia's nightly bombardments. Ukraine's air force said in a post to Telegram that 108 drones were shot down or otherwise neutralized during the latest attack, with 28 drones impacting in 10 locations. Falling debris from downed drones was reported in four locations, the air force said. Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces downed 11 Ukrainian drones overnight into Monday morning. Russian President Vladimir Putin is continuing the long-range bombardment of Ukrainian cities despite criticism from Trump, whose months-long push for a ceasefire and eventual peace deal has thus far failed to achieve a breakthrough. Ahead of an expected announcement on his Ukraine-Russia policy on Monday, Trump said Sunday that the U.S. would provide more "sophisticated" equipment to aid Kyiv in its defense against Russian attacks. Trump is also expected to meet with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Washington, D.C., on Monday. "We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military equipment," Trump told reporters on Sunday. "They're going to pay us 100% for them, and that's the way we want it," Trump said. Asked if he would still send 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine -- as announced last week -- the president said the number has not been finalized but that Kyiv would be receiving more aid. "I haven't agreed on the number yet, but they're going to have some because they do need protection," he said. "But the European Union is paying for it," Trump added. "We're not paying anything for it, but we will send it. It will be business for us, and we will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because Putin really surprised a lot of people." "He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening. There's a little bit of a problem there," Trump continued. Trump declined to say whether he would be announcing new sanctions on Russia on Monday. Sen. Lindsey Graham told ABC News last week that Trump is "ready" to act on a sweeping Senate bill that would impose tariffs of up to 500% on countries that buy oil and gas from Russia. Trump, Graham said Wednesday, is "trying to get Putin to the table, but Putin's not responding." The legislation will include a waiver allowing Trump to lift sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil or uranium for 180 days, Graham said. Meanwhile, Trump's Russia-Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv on Monday. Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's presidential office, welcomed Kellogg in a post to Telegram. "Peace through strength is the principle of U.S. President Donald Trump, and we support this approach," he said.

Woman busted for planning to assassinate military officer on Kiev's orders
Woman busted for planning to assassinate military officer on Kiev's orders

Russia Today

time9 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Russia Today

Woman busted for planning to assassinate military officer on Kiev's orders

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced that it has thwarted a planned terrorist attack in Crimea, saying a woman had been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence to kill a senior Defense Ministry officer. In a statement on Monday, the agency identified the alleged culprit as a 25-year-old woman with dual Russian-Ukrainian citizenship who had been recruited by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU). Kiev later instructed her to carry out the car bombing on the eve of Victory Day in May 2025, the FSB said, without revealing any data about the target. The FSB reported that the suspect had received an explosive device from her Ukrainian handlers, which was to be used to detonate the personal vehicle of the officer. 'The SBU agents who carried out the recruitment and grooming of the terrorist have been identified,' the agency added. It said the woman was arrested, and components of a Western-made explosive device were seized. The FSB also released a short clip of a brunette with a blurred face being escorted by two law enforcement officers. The woman could now face up to life in prison. Since the start of the conflict, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted Russian military officers and public figures, while also carrying out sabotage attacks that have often resulted in civilian casualties. One of the most high-profile cases involved the death of Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy chief of Russia's General Staff operations, who was killed in April by a car bomb in Moscow Region. In December, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed in a blast outside his Moscow apartment. Authorities have said that Ukraine was responsible for both assassinations.

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