DefenceTalkThe sinking of the warship Moskva on Thursday after it was engulfed in an inferno was a “big blow” to Russia’s naval strength in the Black Sea, the Pentagon said Thursday. The guided missile cruiser sank in rough seas after being damaged by fire during Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, Moscow’s defense ministry said. But […]https://www.defencetalk.com/sinking-of-warship-a-big-blow-to-russian-fleet-pentagon-78696/

DefenceTalkRussia’s setbacks in its invasion of Ukraine could lead President Vladimir Putin to resort to using a tactical or low-yield nuclear weapon, CIA director William Burns said Thursday. “Given the potential desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership, given the setbacks that they’ve faced so far, militarily, none of us can take lightly the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/cia-warns-desperate-putin-poses-nuclear-threat-78693/

DefenceTalkFormer Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned Thursday that Russia would deploy nuclear weapons close to the Baltic States and Scandinavia if Finland or Sweden decide to join NATO. Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s security council and president from 2008 to 2012, wrote on Telegram that if the countries joined, this would more than double Russia’s […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-would-deploy-nuclear-arms-near-finland-sweden-if-join-nato-78688/

DefenceTalkFinland is preparing for a potentially historic decision “before midsummer” on whether to apply to join NATO as a deterrent against Russian aggression. The Nordic nation of 5.5 million has traditionally been militarily non-aligned, in part to avoid provoking its eastern neighbor, with which it shares a 1,300 kilometer (830 mile) border. But Russia’s invasion […]https://www.defencetalk.com/finland-gears-up-for-historic-nato-decision-78661/

DefenceTalkEU foreign ministers are on Monday to discuss a sixth round of sanctions on Moscow for its war in Ukraine but the bloc remains divided over a ban on Russian gas and oil imports. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a visit to Kyiv on Friday that the EU was now engaged […]https://www.defencetalk.com/eu-to-discuss-sixth-round-of-sanctions-on-russia-78657/

DefenceTalkUkraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday called on NATO members to provide Kyiv with all the heavy weaponry it needs to fight Russia’s invading forces. “My agenda is very simple. It has only three items on it. Its weapons, weapons, and weapons,” Kuleba told journalists ahead of a meeting with NATO foreign ministers in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/ukraine-calls-for-weapons-weapons-weapons-at-nato-talks-78631/

DefenceTalkPoland said on Tuesday it had ordered Abrams tanks and other heavy US battle vehicles worth $4.74 billion (4.32 billion euros), in line with a decision announced last year. “The agreement covers 250 Abrams tanks, armored recovery vehicles, assault bridges … training and logistics systems and a serious amount of ammunition,” Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak […]https://www.defencetalk.com/poland-orders-us-tanks-other-battle-vehicles-for-4-74-bn-78620/

DefenceTalkChina on Wednesday called reports of civilian deaths in the Ukrainian city of Bucha “deeply disturbing”, as international condemnation grows over what Kyiv has described as “genocide” carried out by Russia. Beijing has throughout refused to condemn Moscow’s invasion, now into its fifth week, as it treads a diplomatic tightrope between backing its close ally […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-calls-bucha-civilian-deaths-deeply-disturbing-78614/

DefenceTalkThe United States announced Tuesday it will send $100 million in additional anti-armor weapons to Ukraine. “I have authorized, pursuant to a delegation from the President earlier today, the immediate drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $100 million to meet Ukraine’s urgent need for additional anti-armor systems,” Blinken said in a statement. He […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-announces-extra-100-mn-in-military-aid-to-ukraine-78604/

DefenceTalkThe United States supports having permanent US military bases on the eastern flank of NATO, but for regular short-term rotations of US troop units rather than long-term basing, the top Pentagon general said Tuesday. In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley told a hearing in the House of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-wants-bases-in-e-europe-but-for-short-term-deployments-general-78617/