Russia is sending Iran more advanced drones which are expected to arrive in the country imminently. It’s unclear how many Russia is sending. A US official said Russia may be sending Starlink-capable drones after Elon Musk turned off Russia’s Starlink access in Ukraine apnews.com/article/russ...
A “sizeable” number of US Patriot air defense missiles have been moved from Europe toward the Middle East, leaving concerning gaps in Europe’s air defenses against Russia, U.S. defense officials told me. Stocks are “absolutely” dwindling and the situation is “concerning.” apnews.com/article/patr...
Zelenskyy: "America produces 60-65 missiles per month. Imagine, 65 missiles per month is is about 700-800 missiles per year, produced each year," he said. "And on the first day in the Middle East war, 803 missiles were used."
Germany fortunately doesn’t need to fire Patriot missiles from its systems now but what if it did?
This is likely to be yet another reminder to European leaders of the perils of being too reliant on the US and of the need to have a robust European defence industry.
If Ukraine has Patriots with nothing to fire from them, they are, effectively, useless
Germany has given 3 Patriot systems & missiles to Ukraine & has placed orders with the US to replenish its stocks. Germany’s order could get bumped down the list as US gov now gets priority.
Zelenskyy says Ukraine will face shortages of missiles due to the US-Israel war with Iran.
Presumably, if Ukraine faces those shortages, so do other European nations - such as Germany - which have Patriots.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Damage in Latvia, Poland, Denmark, Norway. And those are the attacks we know about.
Latvia's security service is the latest warning that Russia is attacking critical infrastructure across Europe. Italy is also investigating unidentified rail sabotage at Winter Olympics. apnews.com/article/russ...
Trump downplayed the importance of Russia reportedly sharing information to strike US targets with Iran saying “it’s not helping them much.”
He seemed to suggest it wouldn’t affect his view of the US-Russia relationship. Via @seungminkim1.bsky.social apnews.com/article/iran...
An American anti-drone system proven to work against Russian drones in Ukraine will soon be sent to the Middle East to bolster U.S. defenses against Iranian drones, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Friday.
Ukraine is the country with the most real-world experience countering drones and the US asked Kyiv for help. Zelenskyy did not specify the type of assistance Ukraine would provide, but a U.S. defense official told @apnews.com the Merops system is part of it. x.com/zelenskyyua/...
The Merops system flies drones against drones - cheaper than a missile - fits in a midsize pickup truck, can identify drones and close in on them, using AI to navigate when satellite and electronic communications are jammed. It’s already deployed in Poland and Romania. apnews.com/article/russ...
The U.S. response to countering Iran’s Shahed drones has been “disappointing,” a U.S. official told me, particularly because the drones fired by Iran are a much more basic version of the same drone that Russia is has updated multiple times to hit Ukraine. apnews.com/article/russ...
The US is soon sending the Merops anti-drone system - proven to work in Ukraine - to the Mideast to counter Iranian drones. There are limited effective anti-drone defenses there now and the US response to Iran’s drones has been “disappointing” US officials told me. apnews.com/article/iran...
Climate change is melting Greenland's ice, affecting its politics, its cultures and its sled dogs. By @eburrows.bsky.social on @apnews.com
Four years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine again.
Among all the headlines, meetings and diplomatic wrangling, it's worth remembering that this is what that war looks like for Ukrainians. apnews.com/photo-galler...
I spent 3 weeks in Greenland.
The temp is normally well below freezing in Ilulissat. This Jan, there was no snow & ice.
That affects dog sled culture. But the town’s glacier also carves more icebergs & sea levels rise, impacting low lying Europe & Pacific islands.
apnews.com/projects/gre...
Putin thinks he can outsmart Trump over Ukraine & Russian officials believe the US remains Moscow's "main enemy," Estonia's intel chief told @apnews.com. Fiona Hill, suggested Trump won’t let that stand in his way as his officials are spinning that he's a peacemaker. apnews.com/article/russ...
I’ve spent months painstakingly tracking Russian sabotage and drone strikes on Ukraine but nothing I’ve done has garnered quite the same response as a Greenlandic sled dog pinching a camera - and hitting record - while we were filming for @apnews.com in Greenland’s Arctic.
Temperatures are as low as -30 in Ukraine and Russia is attacking the energy grid.
Ukrainians are living in homes with no power and heating - they can’t cook for their children or warm milk for babies.
As soon as minimal power is restored, Russia attacks again. apnews.com/article/russ...
“The commander told me, ‘You have been made to sign a contract to join the battalion. You cannot do any other work here. You have been deceived.”
One Bangladeshi man said he was beaten by Russians with shovels, handcuffed and tortured. Must read from @apnews.com
apnews.com/article/russ...
Danish PM Mette Frederiksen has arrived in Greenland after a pretty rough week.
She got off the plane and was met by Greenland PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen: the two greeted each other with a big hug. There’s been no word from either of them yet about what Trump’s “framework” for Greenland looks like.
Trump says he needs Greenland to deter Russia and China but Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat says the only countries his behaviour benefits are those two.
Spoke to a senior military official who said the European decision to send small numbers of troops to Greenland may have given the impression that an “Armada” of ships was sailing there, when the reality was that European nations said they would send not more than a few dozen troops collectively.
Met a 9-year-old girl at today’s protest in Nuuk, Greenland who told me she is being taught about NATO at school and about how to stand up to bullies.
Another Greenlander suggested the threat from Trump’s tariffs is an existential threat to the international order that we’ve lived by since 1945.
Tillie Martinussen, former Greenland MP at protest in Nuuk told @apnews.com
"A tariff of 25% is nothing against the free world…that's the way you have to look at it…This is a fight for freedom. It's for NATO, it's for everything the Western Hemisphere has been fighting for since World War II.”
Particular thanks go to kind former colleagues at CNN who lent us some kit after we arrived - but our bags did not.
bsky.app/profile/ebur...
International journalists have descended on Greenland. Some Greenlanders are doing dozens of interviews a day and they say they want Trump and the White House to "back off."
“It’s just weird how obsessed he is with Greenland," one Greenlander said. apnews.com/article/gree...
Greenlanders told @apnews.com they view Denmark & other allies decision to boost military in Greenland as “protection” even though Euro military officials haven’t said the goal is to deter a US move against the island.
People say they are scared & want Trump to back off. apnews.com/article/gree...
Trump says he needs to control Greenland because he says the sea is full of Russian & Chinese ships.
"The only Chinese I see is when I go to the fast food market,” a man told me in Greenland’s capital Nuuk.
"Fantasy," is what another man called Trump's claim.
apnews.com/article/fact...
Fiona Hill, Trump’s former security advisor, told @apnews.com Russia’s ambassador to US hinted many times that Russia was willing to let the U.S. act as it wanted in Venezuela if the U.S. did the same for Russia in Ukraine. “But nobody was interested then.” 7 years later… apnews.com/article/russ...
