Latest news with #Russian-Chinese
NDTV
26-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
China Supplying To 20 Russian Military Plants: Ukraine Intelligence Chief
Kyiv: Ukraine has confirmed information that China is supplying a range of important products to Russian military plants, the chief of Ukrainian foreign intelligence was quoted on Monday as saying. "There is information that China supplies tooling machines, special chemical products, gunpowder, and components specifically to defence manufacturing industries," Oleh Ivashchenko told Ukrinform state news agency. "We have confirmed data on 20 Russian factories," he said. Reuters has requested a comment from the Chinese foreign ministry. China, the world's second-largest economy, has forged even closer trade and other economic relations with Russia since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering Western sanctions on the Russian economy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last month that China was supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia, the first time he had openly accused Beijing of direct military assistance for Moscow. China dismissed the accusation as "groundless" but Kyiv imposed sanctions on three Chinese entities. Ivashchenko said Ukrainian intelligence also had information on at least five cases of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the aviation sector in 2024-2025, including the supply of equipment, spare parts and documentation. He added that there were six cases of "large shipments" of speciality chemicals, without providing details. Reuters could not independently confirm the assertions.
Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Ukraine confirmed Chinese supplies to 20 Russian military plants, intelligence chief says
KYIV - Ukraine has confirmed information that China is supplying a range of important products to Russian military plants, the chief of Ukrainian foreign intelligence was quoted on Monday as saying. "There is information that China supplies tooling machines, special chemical products, gunpowder, and components specifically to defence manufacturing industries," Oleh Ivashchenko told Ukrinform state news agency. "We have confirmed data on 20 Russian factories," he said. Reuters has requested a comment from the Chinese foreign ministry. China, the world's second-largest economy, has forged even closer trade and other economic relations with Russia since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering Western sanctions on the Russian economy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last month that China was supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia, the first time he had openly accused Beijing of direct military assistance for Moscow. China dismissed the accusation as "groundless" but Kyiv imposed sanctions on three Chinese entities. Ivashchenko said Ukrainian intelligence also had information on at least five cases of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the aviation sector in 2024-2025, including the supply of equipment, spare parts and documentation. He added that there were six cases of "large shipments" of speciality chemicals, without providing details. Reuters could not independently confirm the assertions. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
American Military News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
US eyes Aleutian Military Revival as Russia, China expand operations near Alaska
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. In October 2024, the US Coast Guard spotted two Chinese maritime enforcement vessels operating alongside a pair of Russian border patrol boats as they transited the Bering Sea, just kilometers from Alaskan waters. It was the third consecutive year that a joint Russian-Chinese military convoy sailed through the strategic waterway. A year earlier, the two nations staged joint naval exercises in the region with 11 ships — a clear signal of their growing military cooperation near US territory. The October transit, which China said continued through the Bering Strait into the Arctic Ocean, came less than three months after the first joint flight of Chinese and Russian strategic bombers over the Bering Sea. The uptick in Russian and Chinese activity near Alaska — home to America's largest fleet of advanced fighter jets and a cornerstone of its missile defense architecture –is fueling calls to reestablish Cold War-era military infrastructure on the Aleutian Islands. Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 10 that he supports reopening the shuttered naval facility on Adak Island and upgrading Eareckson Air Station on Shemya, the westernmost outpost of the chain. Facilities on Adak and Shemya would give the United States 'time and distance on any force capability that is looking to penetrate' American waters or airspace, Paparo said. Reactivating Adak would allow the United States to increase maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) coverage in the region by a factor of 10, he told lawmakers. A Gateway To The Arctic The Aleutian chain, made up of 14 large volcanic islands and 55 smaller ones, stretches more than 1,600 kilometers from the Alaskan mainland toward Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The islands sit astride the great circle routes, the shortest paths between Asia and North America, and serve as a gateway to both the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea. Kamchatka — 800 kilometers west of Shemya — is home to Russia's Pacific submarine fleet and squadrons of long-range fighters. Paparo described Russia's Pacific Fleet as a 'growth enterprise' that now operates 'frequently' along the great circle routes. General Gregory Guillot, commander of the US Northern Command, testified in February before a Senate committee that reviving Adak could provide important 'maritime and air access.' The Pentagon is currently evaluating future uses for Adak, which features a deep-water port with three piers, two 7,000-foot (2,100-meter) runways, multiple hangars, de-icing platforms, and one of the largest bulk fuel storage facilities in the United States. During the Cold War, Adak served as the primary anti-submarine warfare base in the Pacific, with P-3 Orions regularly patrolling the surrounding waters. The island also stored B57 nuclear depth bombs designed to detonate underwater and destroy enemy submarines. At its peak, the island was home to 6,000 military personnel and their families. The base was officially closed in 1997. Today, fewer than 200 people live on the island. Alaska Airlines operates a single commercial route to Adak using Boeing 737s. Eareckson Air Station on Shemya hosts a 10,000-foot (3,000-meter) runway and hangars. Shemya is also home to the Cobra Dane radar system — an advanced sensor used to track ballistic missile launches and satellites. The air station also serves as an emergency diversion airport for civilian flights crossing the North Pacific. 'A Real Challenge' US forces in September carried out an exercise on Shemya in response to the joint Russia-China bomber flight. 'Every time a state vessel or aircraft enters the area, it's collecting information,' said Troy Bouffard, an Arctic security expert at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 'The only way to respond is to intercept and push them out.' 'This is a real challenge,' he added. 'And places like Adak provide outstanding positions to base the assets needed to meet it.' Adak, which will be part of Indo-Pacific Command's Northern Edge exercise in August, could host P-8A Poseidon aircraft — America's most advanced maritime patrol aircraft and the successor to the P-3. Based on the Boeing 737 airframe, the P-8 is designed to detect and destroy both surface ships and submarines. The P-8 plays a central role in US and allied anti-submarine warfare. The US resumed P-8 flights from its airbase at Keflavik, Iceland, in 2018 amid renewed Russian activity near the GIUK Gap, a key maritime chokepoint into the Atlantic. Allies including Canada, Germany, and Norway have announced plans to purchase the aircraft to replace their P-3s. Norway reversed plans to close an Arctic air station after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and will now use it for maritime drone flights that complement the P-8s. Shortest Missile Flight Path To The US Russia's Pacific Fleet is expected to grow to 45 modernized warships by the early 2030s, including 19 submarines. Some of its newest vessels are armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, which can reach speeds over Mach 5 and strike targets hundreds of kilometers away. Meanwhile, China is expanding the world's largest navy by hull count. The Congressional Research Service estimates its fleet could grow from 370 to 435 ships by 2030. Intelligence reports suggest Russia is helping China reduce the acoustic signatures of its submarines — critical to making them harder for US forces to track. Experts warn that, if Chinese nuclear-armed submarines reach the Arctic, it would significantly enhance Beijing's second-strike capability against the United States. The shortest missile flight path to the continental US is over the Arctic. Russia's air presence in the Bering and Arctic regions is also growing. A senior Alaskan commander told reporters in 2021 that US intercepts of Russian aircraft near or inside the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone had reached a post-Soviet high. The spike coincides with Moscow's rapid expansion and renovation of dozens of Arctic military installations, including airfields and radar sites. In the event of a reopening, the United States is not expected to station many military personnel on the islands, which are renowned for their high winds, dense fog, persistent overcast skies, and freezing temperatures. A 1937 Naval War College assessment described them as having 'some of the worst weather in the world.' Imperial Japan captured two of the islands in June 1942, marking only the second time in US history that its territory had been seized by a foreign adversary. Though US forces recaptured the islands, the 14-month Aleutian Campaign cost 225 American aircraft, most lost to the region's extreme weather.
South Wales Guardian
09-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Ukraine to host ‘coalition of the willing' talks, says Zelensky
The Ukrainian president said in a video address to the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Oslo on Friday that he would host leaders of the coalition the following day. He said there was 'serious work ahead', adding: 'We need this coalition and we need it to be strong enough to guarantee security the way we all agree on.' The coalition has been spearheaded by Britain and France, but Downing Street would not confirm whether Sir Keir Starmer planned to attend Saturday's meeting. Sir Keir was present at the Oslo summit when Mr Zelensky made the announcement, and later told broadcasters the 'absolute focus' of leaders was on supporting Ukraine. Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for the coalition which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine. Last month, Defence Secretary John Healey said the plans were 'real and substantial' as he hosted a meeting of his counterparts in Brussels. But prospects for a truce remain distant as Moscow continues to resist calls for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire backed by the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a 72-hour ceasefire on Thursday to coincide with celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. But his forces have continued offensive operations along the front line as well as air strikes on residential areas, according to Ukrainian officials. Moscow has also accused Kyiv of breaching the unilateral ceasefire and claimed Russian troops would 'mirror' Ukraine's actions. Meanwhile, Mr Putin welcomed Chinese president Xi Jinping to Moscow for the annual victory parade on Thursday, saying the 'brotherhood of arms between our peoples' was 'one of the fundamental foundations of modern Russian-Chinese relations'. China has provided diplomatic support for Russia since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and has become both a major market for Russian oil and gas and the main supplier of the machinery and electronics required to maintain the Kremlin's war effort.
Glasgow Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Ukraine to host ‘coalition of the willing' talks, says Zelensky
The Ukrainian president said in a video address to the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Oslo on Friday that he would host leaders of the coalition the following day. He said there was 'serious work ahead', adding: 'We need this coalition and we need it to be strong enough to guarantee security the way we all agree on.' The coalition has been spearheaded by Britain and France, but Downing Street would not confirm whether Sir Keir Starmer planned to attend Saturday's meeting. Sir Keir was present at the Oslo summit when Mr Zelensky made the announcement, and later told broadcasters the 'absolute focus' of leaders was on supporting Ukraine. Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for the coalition which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine. Last month, Defence Secretary John Healey said the plans were 'real and substantial' as he hosted a meeting of his counterparts in Brussels. Defence Secretary John Healey hosted a meeting of his counterparts in Brussels last month (James Manning/PA) But prospects for a truce remain distant as Moscow continues to resist calls for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire backed by the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a 72-hour ceasefire on Thursday to coincide with celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. But his forces have continued offensive operations along the front line as well as air strikes on residential areas, according to Ukrainian officials. Moscow has also accused Kyiv of breaching the unilateral ceasefire and claimed Russian troops would 'mirror' Ukraine's actions. Meanwhile, Mr Putin welcomed Chinese president Xi Jinping to Moscow for the annual victory parade on Thursday, saying the 'brotherhood of arms between our peoples' was 'one of the fundamental foundations of modern Russian-Chinese relations'. China has provided diplomatic support for Russia since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and has become both a major market for Russian oil and gas and the main supplier of the machinery and electronics required to maintain the Kremlin's war effort.
