Author: JRL Russia List

“Ukraine’s president is fuelling talk that he will replace the popular General Valery Zaluzhny — and that his shake-up may not stop at the military” “… Klitschko warned that the dismissal of Zaluzhny could have an adverse effect on Ukrainian society, saying that the general was the reason … people ‘truly trust the armed forces.’ He has also previously criticised […]

“Early in the War, Moscow Struggled to Shift Gears—but Now It’s Outlearning Kyiv” “… Empowered by … Western weapons, motivated by the existential threat posed by Russia’s aggression, and well prepared …, Kyiv was able to develop new ways of fighting in remarkably short order. Russia, in contrast, fumbled: a big, arrogant, and lumbering bear, overconfident of a rapid victory. […]

“President says upcoming reshuffle will target more than just the army’s top brass” “… Zelenskyy is considering a sweeping ‘reset’ of Ukraine’s military and civilian leadership … attempt[ing] to reinvigorate its war effort …. [Zelenskyy] Sunday evening confirmed … he was not only seeking to replace General Valery Zaluzhny, … popular commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, but also top government […]

“Removal of Valeriy Zaluzhny would mark biggest shake-up of military command since Russia’s full-scale invasion began” “Zelenskyy on Monday [reportedly] offered Valeriy Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, a new role but the general refused …. [Sources] said Zelenskyy had made clear … that regardless … [Zaluzhny] would be removed from his current position. … Zelenskyy [reportedly] … might not […]

“Kremlin nowhere near breaking point, military chief says. Moscow can produce several million shells, recruit thousands.” “… Martin Herem, … commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, said predictions that Russian forces would reach the limits of their resources haven’t come true. … [indicating that] Putin’s military has the capacity to produce several million artillery shells a year, far outstripping European […]

“Despite Western perceptions, Iran and Russia are not natural allies, and have generally had a touchy relationship. But that appears to be changing amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and turmoil in the Mideast.” “With the war in Ukraine deepening Russia’s urgent need for weapons untouched by Western sanctions, Moscow is rapidly ramping up its relations with Iran, particularly through arms […]

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Angela Stent – Jan. 25, 2024) As Russia begins its one-year presidency of the BRICS in a turbulent world, great power competition in the Global South will intensify. The Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war have enabled the Kremlin to solidify and increase its influence in the Global South, or what Russia now calls the […]

“Non-strategic nuclear arms have range to hit Europe not U.S. Moscow increasingly relies on NSNWs to deter NATO -report Russia sees lack of Western will to use own nuclear arms” “The war in Ukraine [reportedly] has dented Russia’s confidence in its conventional forces and increased the importance to Moscow of non-strategic nuclear weapons (NSNWs) as a means of deterring and […]

“Top NATO official Adm. Rob Bauer warned Thursday that a larger war with Russia and other adversaries is a real threat amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine …. [saying] ‘not everything is going to be hunky dory in the next 20 years.’ ‘I’m not saying it is going wrong tomorrow, but we have to realize it’s not a given that […]

“ABOARD A FRENCH AIR FORCE AWACS … Off in the distance, Ukraine, fighting for its survival. Seen from up here, in the cockpit of a French air force surveillance plane flying over neighboring Romania, the snow-dusted landscapes look deceptively peaceful. … Circling on auto-pilot at 34,000 feet … the plane … fed intelligence in real time to ground-based commanders. Its […]