DefenceTalkRussian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that Moscow would create new military bases in western Russia in response to the expansion of NATO. “By the end of the year, 12 military units and divisions will be established in the Western Military District,” Shoigu said at a meeting in televised remarks. The army expects […]https://www.defencetalk.com/new-russian-military-bases-response-to-nato-expansion-78817/

DefenceTalkPresident Joe Biden has ordered the reestablishment of a US troop presence in Somalia to help local authorities combat the Al-Shabaab militant group, a senior American official told reporters Monday. The move reverses an order from Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump, who in late 2020 pulled nearly all US forces from the East African nation as […]https://www.defencetalk.com/biden-reestablishes-us-troop-presence-inside-somalia-78796/

DefenceTalkPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday confirmed Turkey’s opposition to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, again accusing them of failing to take a clear stance against terrorism. “We will not say ‘yes’ to those (countries) who apply sanctions to Turkey to join security organization NATO,” Erdogan said. Sweden has suspended any arms sales to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-will-not-say-yes-to-nato-membership-for-sweden-finland-erdogan-78789/

DefenceTalkSweden on Monday officially announced it will apply for NATO membership as a deterrent against Russian aggression, entering a “new era” as it reverses two centuries of military non-alignment. “The government has decided to inform NATO that Sweden wants to become a member of the alliance,” Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told reporters a day after […]https://www.defencetalk.com/sweden-enters-new-era-with-nato-bid-78786/

DefenceTalkIn a muddy car park in Norway’s Far North, Finnish troops show off their military might, lining up rocket launchers, artillery and snowmobiles as they prepare to train alongside their NATO brothers-in-arms. While Finland and Sweden’s partnership with the Atlantic Alliance is nothing new, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed the two militarily non-aligned nations […]https://www.defencetalk.com/with-war-next-door-finland-sweden-train-with-nato-78504/

DefenceTalkTwin attacks in Mali this week have killed 16 soldiers and wounded 18, the army said late Tuesday, in the latest violence sweeping the Sahel state. The statement lifted the casualty toll of four soldiers dead and 17 injured in separate attacks Monday in the northeast and center of the conflict-torn country. Thirty-seven “terrorists” were […]https://www.defencetalk.com/mali-attacks-leave-16-soldiers-dead-78482/

DefenceTalkThe Kremlin said Monday it may still opt to take control of large cities in Ukraine, as Moscow’s military advances steadily towards several major urban hubs in its pro-Western neighbor. “Putin gave orders to hold back on any immediate assault on large cities because the civilian losses would be large,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-says-may-take-full-control-of-big-ukraine-cities-78414/

DefenceTalkNATO must not allow Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to spill over into a war between the alliance and Moscow, its chief Jens Stoltenberg said Friday, again ruling out a no-fly zone. “We have a responsibility to prevent this conflict from escalating beyond Ukraine’s borders to becoming a full-fledged war between Russia and NATO,” the NATO […]https://www.defencetalk.com/ukraine-must-not-become-full-fledged-nato-war-with-russia-stoltenberg-78389/

DefenceTalkRussian President Vladimir Putin on Friday asked his defense minister to prepare plans for possible fortification of Russia’s western border in response to NATO troop movement in eastern Europe. “As for the strengthening of our western borders because of the actions adopted by NATO countries… this needs to be considered separately, I ask you to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/putin-weighing-response-to-nato-troop-movement-in-eastern-europe-78378/

DefenceTalkRussia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday accused the European Union and other countries of “dangerously” backing the supply of arms to Ukraine, as it resists an incursion by thousands of Russian troops. “We see how dangerously our Western colleagues, including in the European Union, are acting now, which, in violation of all their so-called […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russias-lavrov-slams-dangerous-arms-deliveries-to-ukraine-78365/