Tag Archives: crimea

U.S. Led BALTOPS 2015 Begins With Heftier Presence Than Last Year's Exercise

U.S. Led BALTOPS 2015 Begins With Heftier Presence Than Last Year’s Exercise

Ships from various nations in the Baltic Region and the U.S. 6th Fleet command and control ship USS Mount Whitney begin the underway phase of Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2014. US Navy photo.

Ships from various nations in the Baltic Region and the U.S. 6th Fleet command and control ship USS Mount Whitney begin the underway phase of Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2014. US Navy photo.

The 43rd annual Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) exercise begins today, with four additional countries participating and significantly more troops involved compared to last year’s event. Read More

VIDEO: U.S. Navy Denies Russian Fighters Chased Off Destroyer USS Ross in Black Sea

VIDEO: U.S. Navy Denies Russian Fighters Chased Off Destroyer USS Ross in Black Sea

USS Ross (DDG-71) transits the Mediterranean Sea on May 4, 2015. US Navy Photo

USS Ross (DDG-71) transits the Mediterranean Sea on May 4, 2015. US Navy Photo

This post has been updated to include a June 1, 2015 U.S. 6th Fleet video of a Sukhoi SU-24 Fencer flyby near USS Ross.

The Pentagon is pushing back against anonymously sourced reports in state controlled Russian media that guided missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG-71) was chased from Russian controlled waters in the Black Sea by Russian fighters over the weekend, U.S. officials told USNI News. Read More

Panel: Russia Long Term Economic, Political Outlook is Bleak

Panel: Russia Long Term Economic, Political Outlook is Bleak

Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2013.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2013.

Russia is in a period of slow deterioration — economically and politically — with a regime that has neither a mechanism for the transfer of power nor an agenda to achieve long-term sustainable growth, a panel of Moscow watchers agreed during a forum Thursday on the country’s future. Read More

Former NATO Chief Clark Predicts New Offensive in Ukraine

Former NATO Chief Clark Predicts New Offensive in Ukraine

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark at The Atlantic Council on March 30, 2015. Atlantic Council Photo

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark at The Atlantic Council on March 30, 2015. Atlantic Council Photo

The Russians and Russian-backed forces in Ukraine are poised to launch a new offensive, probably between Orthodox Easter and before V-E Day in early May the former supreme commander of NATO Forces said in a presentation at The Atlantic Council. Read More

Russian Military  ‘Snap Drills’ Include Bomber and Ballistic Missile Deployments to Crimea, Kaliningrad

Russian Military ‘Snap Drills’ Include Bomber and Ballistic Missile Deployments to Crimea, Kaliningrad

Undated photo of two Tupolev+Tu-22M Backfire bombers. Finnish Defense Forces Photo

Undated photo of two Tupolev+Tu-22M Backfire bombers. Finnish Defense Forces Photo

A series of so-called snap drills by Russia’s Northern Fleet and its Western Military District will include deployments of high-end ballistic Iskander mobile ballistic missile systems (NATO Reporting name: SS-26 Stone) to Russia’s exclave in Kaliningrad and Tupolev Tu-M22 Backfire bombers to the exclave and Crimea, according to Tuesday Russian state media reports. Read More