Small Wars Journal

7/20/22 National Security and Korean News and Commentary

Wed, 07/20/2022 - 6:07pm

Access National Security News HERE.

Access Korean News HERE.

National Security News Content:

1. RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JULY 19 (Putin's War)

2. Kissinger Warns Biden Against Endless Confrontation With China

3. China Warns U.S. Against Nancy Pelosi Visit to Taiwan

4. Putin’s Iran trip shows how isolated Russia has become - White House

5. Russia’s Mass Abduction of Ukrainians Explained

6. FDD | U.S. Standards Body Reaches Critical Milestone for Mitigating the Quantum Threat, But More Work Is Needed

7. China's 4th Aircraft Carrier: What the Experts Think About It

8. Senate Armed Services Committee questions Navy's future role, contribution to cyberspace operations

9. Vital Russian Gas Supplies to Europe Aren’t Expected to Restart, Says European Commission

10. Nominee for top VA benefits job withdraws, restarting search

11. Korean War Veterans Memorial Mural Wall Designer Louis Nelson Talks About His Inspiration

12. Nuclear strategy and ending the war in Ukraine

13. What to read to understand modern warfare

14. US Colonel: Americans lie about Armed Forces' of Ukraine situation in Donbass

15. US plans to reroute $67 million in aid toward Lebanon’s armed forces

16. Ayman al Zawahiri is alive; Taliban and Al Qaeda “remain close,” UN reports

17. Who Cares About Context? The Case for Getting Serious in the Civil Environment

18. Air Force Chief Seems to Back Sending Western Fighter Jets to Ukraine

19. Whose Version of the War on Terror Won?

20. EXCLUSIVE China seeks to stop UN rights chief from releasing Xinjiang report - document

21. Is a Military Coup Expected in Russia?

22. Maurer Delivers the Real Stuff in “The Good Afghan”

23. US to send more HIMARS precision rocket systems to Ukraine in latest package

Korean News Content:

1. Korean War Veterans Memorial Mural Wall Designer Louis Nelson Talks About His Inspiration

2. A New Addition to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Will Be Unveiled on Korean War Armistice Day

3. Exercise puts American troops under South Korean command for first time

4. Rubio, Kaine Bill to Reauthorize North Korean Human Rights Act Advances

5. South Korea willing to back U.S. plan to cap Russian oil price

6. New Construction at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station

7. U.S. Confronts the Reality of North Korea’s Nuclear Program

8. An Appraisal of the Singapore Joint Statement Between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Much Ado About Nothing?

9. How the US should respond if North Korea conducts another nuke test

10. N.K. foreign ministry slams annual U.S. human trafficking report as 'absolute nonsense'

11. Photos of fishermen being dragged back across border spread rapidly in N. Korea

12. N. Korea orders greater oversight of military families near S. Korean border

13. PPP lawmaker claims Moon gov't falsely accused N.K. fishermen of killings

14. Justice ministry found no legal grounds before repatriation of N.K. fishermen in 2019

15. China still appears wary about reopening trade with North Korea

16.  Yellen calls out China trade practices in South Korea visit

17. The U.S. Should Get Out of the Way in East Asia’s Nuclear Debates

7/19/22 National Security and Korean News and Commentary

Tue, 07/19/2022 - 8:23pm

Access National Security News HERE.

Access Korean News HERE.

National Security News Content:

1. RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JULY 18 (Putin's War)

2. Amid flow of weapons to Ukraine, DefMin says black market smuggling is 'artificial' concern

3. Sabotage and War in Cyberspace

4. The West Worries Too Much About Escalation in Ukraine

5. The Quad needs a futures focus

6. Russia’s War Has Created Opportunities for Biden to Go Big

7. Senate Armed Services releases full $847 billion defense bill

8. What If the War in Ukraine Spins Out of Control?

9. How the System Was Rigged: The Global Economic Order and the Myth of Sovereignty

10. Russia Following 2014 ‘Annexation Playbook’ In Eastern Ukraine, White House Says

11. Opinion | How media coverage drove Biden’s political plunge

12. Top US general orders comprehensive review of US-China military interactions

13. Special Forces Soldiers participate in the US Department of State ATLAS program’s culminating exercise CAPSTONE

14. Ukraine destroys two military ammo depots, hurting Russian morale: Official

15. FDD | The UN Has Now Spent $81.6 Million at the Four Seasons Damascus

16. The rodeo that was the Pacific Islands Forum meeting

17. Sen. Marco Rubio: Expose Secret Chinese Communist Party Cells

18. Knocking anti-Israel bias to the mat

19. U.S. military biological activities warrant closest attention: Lavrov

20. China demands U.S. cancel potential arms sale to Taiwan

21. Nancy Pelosi’s plan to visit Taiwan prompts outrage from China

22. U.S. touts progress in hypersonic arms race with China, Russia

23. Ukraine Faces Difficulties Getting Western Weapons to Front Lines

24. U.S. Himars Help to Hold Off Russian Advance, Ukraine Says

Korean News Content:

1. Experts: Seoul, Tokyo Maintain Ties Despite Possible Japanese Military Expansion

2.  FM Park relays Yoon's will to improve Seoul-Tokyo ties in courtesy call on Kishida

3. N. Korea's Supreme Guard Command given lecture detailing Abe's assassination

4. N. Korea concentrates more resources into preparing for nuclear test

5. Daily COVID Cases Surge over 70,000 Overnight

6. N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 300: state media

7. S. Korea's homegrown KF-21 fighter succeeds in 1st flight test

8. N. Korea celebrates 22nd anniv. of joint cooperation declaration with Russia

9. 4 Ways North Korea Can Counter the F-35

10. Mapping Major Milestones in the Evolution of North Korea’s Cyber Program

11. Yoon gov't to push for launch of N.K. human rights foundation

12. Lingering tensions in Panmunjom underline uncertainties in inter-Korean ties

13. New envoy for North Korean rights announced by Foreign Ministry

14. Betting all on Biden isn’t wise

15. Is South Korean Nuclear Proliferation Inevitable?

16. North Korean labour could be sent to rebuild Donbas, Russian ambassador says

17. US Disrupts North Korea Ransomware Group, Recovers Nearly Half a Million in Payments

7/18/22 National Security and Korean News and Commentary

Mon, 07/18/2022 - 9:00pm

Access National Security News HERE.

Access Korean News HERE.

National Security News Content:

1. RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JULY 17 (Putin's War)

2. Ukraine’s Zelenskyy fires top spy chief and prosecutor general

3. Is America growing weary of the long war in Ukraine?

4. As Russia Runs Low on Drones, Iran Plans to Step In, U.S. Officials Say

5. FDD | Degrade and Destroy: The Inside Story of the War Against the Islamic State, from Barack Obama to Donald Trump

6. Iran is testing us. So far, we are failing | Opinion

7. Biden should not pass up chance to reengage Iraq

8. Snake Island: The Start of Ukraine’s Counteroffensive?

9. HASC Moves to Replenish Munitions—But More Remains to Be Done

10. Why Do We Keep Listening to the 'TV' Generals on Ukraine?

11. US sends Syracuse-based National Guard soldiers to help train Ukrainian military

12. C.I.A. Director Issues Warning After Possible Noose Is Found Near Facility

13. The U.S. Needs a Million Talents Program to Retain Technology Leadership

14. The Case Against Security Cooperation in Fragile States

15. "Our F*ckheads Can't Even Hit Them": Russian Soldier Says He Was Sent to 'Slaughter' in Ukraine

16. The AC-130 Gunship Might Be the Ultimate Symbol of U.S. Military Dominance

17. The U.S. Navy SEALs Might Be the U.S. Military's Ultimate Weapon

18. How the United Nations Overlooks Evidence of Hamas Human Rights Violations

19. The US military just awarded a $10 million contract for what could be special operators' latest gadget: jet boots

Korean News Content:

1, Yoon says probes on repatriation of N.K. fishermen must be conducted in line with law

2. S. Korean gov't releases footage of two N.K. fishermen being repatriated in 2019

3. Petition filed against 2019 repatriation of 2 North Korean fishermen

4. S. Korea, U.S. stage combined high-tech training

5. Japan, South Korea foreign ministers agree to improve ties

6. Yellen says any North Korean nuclear test would be very provocative

7. Two Nampo residents arrested for consuming S. Korean TV and radio broadcasts

8. N. Korea orders party committees nationwide to closely monitor public sentiment

9. N. Korean prosthetists arrested for illegally collecting fees from patients

10. N. Korea vows to reinforce military in renewed anti-US propaganda

11. Are North Koreans South Koreans?

12.  Despite COVID-19 surge in region, North Korea says it's close to 'defusing' outbreak

13. N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 400: state media

14.  Covid count doubles again on Sunday (South Korea)

15. Seoul expected to join Washington-led 'Chip 4' alliance

7/17/22 National Security and Korean News and Commentary

Sun, 07/17/2022 - 8:35am

Access National Security News HERE.

Access Korean News HERE.

Please note I am leaving today (for a week) for my frist trip back to Korea since Janaury 2020, pre-COVID. The timing of my messages will be adjusted in accordance with the time difference.

National Security News Content:

1. RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JULY 16 (Putin's War)

2. A Russian Submarine Slaughtered Children in Ukraine With High-Tech Missiles

3. Ukraine special forces free torture victims from Russian prison in dramatic mission

4. Zelensky warns of ‘media terror’ of propaganda, disinformation amid Russian invasion

5. China’s ‘Mysterious Structures’ Captured In Satellite Images; Hint At PLA’s Expansion Of Harbors In Remote South China Sea Islands

6. Russia's information war expands through Eastern Europe

7. Russia's neighbor Latvia wants to bring back the military draft because it fears Russia will attack so quickly that NATO can't help, defense minister says

8. Man acquitted of bombing 1985 Air India flight shot dead in Canada

9. Japan Wants Up to Nine Nuclear Reactors Online This Winter

10. Chinese diplomats flock to Africa in response to Western charm offensive

11.  Philippines’ new leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr tears up $5BILLION railways deal with China after Beijing ‘failed to put up the money’

12. Putin Has A Problem: 38,000 Dead Troops and 1,672 Destroyed Tanks in Ukraine

13. ‘I mean you no harm’: From troubled teen to neo-Nazi foot soldier

14. Why the U.S. Navy Needs to Be in the South China Sea

15. These robots were trained on AI. They became racist and sexist.

16.  Chinese fighter jet had ‘unsafe’ interaction with U.S. military plane in June (SOF MC 130)

17. Statement on the Designation of Bellingcat as an 'Undesirable Organisation' in Russia

18. Biden's Middle East expedition: Reputation dinged, interests secured?

19. I Once Supported Putin. Now I Know the Truth.

20. Japan’s new nationalism is alarming. Not just for China, North Korea, but allies like India

21. Wagner Group massacre: ‘The victims were bloated and deformed – we could only recognise our friends by their clothes’

22. Ukraine map suggests U.S.-supplied HIMARS could be turning tide of war

23. Will ‘Salad Bar Extremism’ Replace ‘Old-School World’ Terrorism?

24. Opinion: Mideast trip shows Biden choosing pragmatism, rejecting 'Woke' policy

25. China’s Roadblocks to Becoming A Science Superpower

26. When Iran Says ‘Death to Israel,’ It Means It

27. Hamas Wants to Rule the West Bank

Korean News Content:

​1. North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Center: Plutonium Production Continues Despite Heavy Rains

2. Auto parts are a hot commodity in a North Korea cut off from new supplies

3. Economic initiatives involving Russia, China derailed under Yoon administration

4. Presidential office hits back at ex-FM Chung over repatriation of N.K. fishermen

5. S. Korea, U.S. defense chiefs to meet in Washington next week

6. Ex-FM Chung says no request from N. Korea for fishermen's repatriation

7. Yoon vows to safeguard constitutional values on Constitution Day

8. Former security chief denies fishermen repatriations were done to appease North

9. Civic group slams China for claiming Arirang as their culture

10. Foreign minister to hold first bilateral talk with Japan this week

 

7/16/22 National Security and Korean News and Commentary

Sat, 07/16/2022 - 12:11pm

Access National Security News HERE.

Access Korean News HERE.

National Security News Content:

​1. RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JULY 15 (Putin's War)

2. RUSSIAN VOLUNTEER UNITS AND BATTALIONS

3. China’s Economy Is Now In Free Fall

4​. China stands in the way of Biden’s Saudi outreach

5. Shadows in the night; Polish, German SOF train with U.S. Special Forces

6.​ Lessons from Ukraine: Exploring Technology for SOCOM’s Urban Missions​

7. The Five Laws of Disinformation

8. John Spencer is a world-renowned expert on urban combat. Here’s how he thinks the war in Ukraine is going

9. ‘A Real Chilling Effect’: A Lefty Scholar is Dumping CAP — For AEI

10. Ukraine Gets First M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems

​11. ​Plan To Train Ukrainian Pilots On U.S. Jets Passed By House Of Representatives

​12. ​Opinion | What Biden Got Right on His Trip to the Middle East

​13. ​Beijing’s Propaganda Support for Russian Biological Warfare Disinformation, Part 1: Accusations Concerning the War in Ukraine

​14. ​Beijing’s Propaganda Support for Russian Biological Warfare Disinformation, Part 2: Historical Context and Contemporary Motivations

​15. ​Opinion | What Biden Got Right on His Trip to the Middle East​ (NY Times Editorial Board)​

​16. ​Western ‘dictator envy’ ignores the far greater strengths of democracy

​17. ​'Bang, bang': Children live and play near Ukraine front line

​18. ​Worst Is Yet To Come: When The Center Does Not Hold – OpEd

​19. ​Jordan Peterson Is Wrong About Russia, and the West

​20. ​West Point alumni accuse academy of 'anti-American woke political indoctrination' in letter

21. Biden administration warns of criminal drone threat to Americans

​22. ​It's time to root out white supremacists in the military and law enforcement

Korean News Content:

​1. House highlights importance of U.S. Forces Korea in passed budget bill

2.  Conversation with COL (Ret) Dave Maxwell, Potential for North Korea Influence & Information Campaign

3.  [Washington Talk] Photos of North Korean defectors repatriated to North Korea released 'shock and astonishment'... Accelerating trilateral cooperation between the United States and Japan

4. N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 500: state media

5 S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit 66-day high at 41,310

6. Could South Korea make the Quad a Quint?

7. 3 Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War for the South Korea-US Alliance

8. ‘I couldn’t sleep,’ defector says of images of North Koreans resisting deportation

9. [INTERVIEW] Teaching and learning from North Korean defectors

10. Crimes Against Humanity Continue Unabated In North Korea - Will Kim Jong-Un Face Justice?

​11. ​U.S. official warns against hiring N. Korean IT workers posing as 3rd country nationals

​12. ​Intelligence on the Civil Servant Killed by North Korea Deleted from Defense Ministry’s Network, the 2 Defectors Sent back to North Korea After the Blue House Abruptly Halted Investigation

13. State-sponsored hackers are launching 'sustained' attacks on journalists

​14. ​Microsoft links Holy Ghost ransomware operation to North Korean hackers

​15. Kim Jong-Un Slams Ukraine For Joining US' Illegal Actions In Past

​16. ​The United Nations Command Needs a Korean Deputy Commander

Ukraine: WAR BULLETIN July 14, 6.00 pm EST

Fri, 07/15/2022 - 10:55pm

 

Embassy of Ukraine in the USA

 

WAR BULLETIN

July 14, 6.00 pm EST

 

WAR ROOM

 

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 14.07 were approximately:

personnel - about 37870 (+300),

tanks ‒ 1667 (+18),

APV ‒ 3852 (+20),

artillery systems – 840 (+1),

MLRS - 247 (+0),

Anti-aircraft warfare systems - 109 (+0),

aircraft – 219 (+2),

helicopters – 188 (+0),

UAV operational-tactical level - 681 (+3),

cruise missiles - 155 (+0),

warships / boats - 15 (+0),

vehicles and fuel tanks - 2720 (+16),

special equipment - 67 (+0).

Russian enemy suffered the greatest losses (of the past day) at the Kramatorsk direction.

Data are being updated

The one hundred forty-first (141) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a Russian military invasion continues.

Russian occupiers cynically continue to attack civilian objects on the territory of Ukraine. After today's rocket attacks on the center of the city of Vinnytsia, the bodies of 22 dead people, including children, have been found so far. 39 people remain on the list of missing persons. In addition, about a hundred people suffered injuries of various degrees of severity.

There are no major changes in the Volyn, Polissya, and Siversky directions. On the last, enemy units shelled the settlements of Doroshivka and Hrabovske of the Sumy oblast.

In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy is trying to hold the previously occupied lines and positions. It carried out shelling from tanks, mortars, barrels and rocket artillery of the city of Kharkiv and the settlements of Protopopivka, Prudyanka, Svitlychne, Mykilske, Cherkaski Tyshky, Stary Saltiv, and Rubizhne. Airstrikes near Petrivka. Conducted aerial reconnaissance by operational-tactical Orlan-10 UAV near Vasylenko and Shevchenkove.

In the Slovyansk direction, the enemy is trying to improve the tactical position of its units. The districts of Dolyna, Ivanivka, Barvinkove, Bohorodychne, Kutuzivka, Velyka Komyshuvakha, Tetyanivka, Novomykolayivka, and Kostyantynivka were shelled with mortars, barrel and rocket artillery. Used aviation to strike the Mayakiv area.

Our soldiers successfully repulsed the enemy's assault in the area of ​​Kurulka settlement.

In the Donetsk direction, the enemy continues shelling units of the Defense Forces along the entire contact line. Uses attack and army aviation. Conducts reconnaissance in order to find weak points in the defense of our troops.

Fired at civilian infrastructure in the areas of Siversk, Verkhnyokamianske, Serebryanka, Spirne, New York, Yakovlivka, Soledar, Bilohorivka, Vyimka, Semihirya, Travneve, Pokrovske, and others. It carried out airstrikes in particular near New York, Nova Kamiyanka, Yakovlivka, Ivano-Daryivka, and Avdiivka.

The occupiers tried to improve the tactical position in the Verkhnokamyanske and Kamyanka districts and establish control over the Vuhlehirska TPP with offensive and assault actions. Ukrainian soldiers inflicted losses on the enemy with accurate fire and forced them to retreat.

The enemy did not conduct offensive and assault actions in the Novopavlivsk and Zaporizhzhia directions. It shelled our positions from artillery in the areas of Novoselivka Persha, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Vuhledar, Velyka Novosilka, Novoukrainka, Vremivka, Olhivske, Temyrivka, Bilohirya, Malynivka, Kamianske, Novoandriivka, Nevelske, Orihiv and others.

In the South Buh region, the enemy carried out systematic shelling of civilian and military infrastructure in the areas of Lymany, Posad-Pokrovske, Stepova Dolyna, Prybuzke, Oleksandrivka, Zorya, Kotlyareve, Lyubomirivka, Novomykolaivka, Myrne, Kyselivka, Blahodatne, Kobzartsy, Yakovlivka, Bereznehuvate, Bila Krynytsia, Olhyne, Knyazivka, Ivanivka, Chervonoy Yar and a number of other settlements. Used aviation for a strike near Tavriyske.

In the water areas of the Black and Azov Seas, the enemy's naval group continues to block the northwestern part of the Black Sea and launch missile strikes on objects on the territory of Ukraine.

Russian occupiers continue to suffer losses on the territory of Ukraine, which leads to a further decrease in morale and psychological state.

 

Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine

Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor's Office opened a pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings concerning the violations of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murders (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), related to the July 14 missile attack by the armed forces of the russian on the central part of the city of Vinnytsia.

https://www.gp.gov.ua/ua/posts/raketnii-obstril-centru-vinnici-rozpocato-rozsliduvannya

 

On the night of July 13-14, 2022, the military of the aggressor launched another missile attack on Kharkiv. As a result of the shelling, a facility in the city's Osnoviyanskyi district and the premises of an underground depot hangar in the Saltivskyi district were damaged. There are no military facilities on these territories.

https://www.facebook.com/pgo.gov.ua/posts/pfbid02zda9pwSo197AHyj9m1aUpukupMovPGGCEcAa3CwUAVra5eemSeekREiYmJEpnEo6l

 

On July 14, 2022, russian servicemen once again carried out a massive rocket attack on Mykolaiv. One civilian is known to have been injured so far. Educational institutions, public transport, transport infrastructure and private businesses, and a hotel were damaged or destroyed. In addition, the shockwave damaged apartment buildings and cars of citizens.

https://www.facebook.com/pgo.gov.ua/posts/pfbid0JdQT3ie74h63E2ZQQx29kxYFXJk8yfUyjvnkSweMYtJ3gafyi4pjBZTzRXsQa7F4l

 

 

 

POLICY

President of Ukraine

Address by President Zelenskyy to Ukrainians

Today I am addressing not Ukrainian men and women, as usual, but our partners. Democratic world. This day once again proved that Russia must be officially recognized as a terrorist state. No other state in the world poses such a terrorist threat as Russia. No other state in the world allows itself to destroy peaceful cities and ordinary human life with cruise missiles and rocket artillery every day.

As a result of just one missile attack on our city of Vinnytsia, 23 people were killed. Three children under the age of ten. And this, unfortunately, is not yet the final number. Debris clearance is ongoing. Dozens of people are listed as missing. Heavily wounded are among those hospitalized.

One of the missiles destroyed the Neuromed medical center. There were people inside. Nataliya, she is 40 years old. Tetiana, she is 32 years old. Volodymyr, he is 61 years old. Vira, she is 55 years old. I saw them among the missing. You see, it was not even known what happened to the people who simply went to the medical center...

And if someone launched a missile attack on a medical center in Dallas or Dresden, God forbid, what would it be called? Wouldn’t it be called terrorism?

A girl is among the dead today in Vinnytsia, she was four years old, her name was Liza. The child was four years old! Her mother is in critical condition...

Russia ended the girl's life just at the time when a conference on Russian war crimes was taking place in the Netherlands, in The Hague. A conference where it was decided what should be done to ensure that every Russian military is punished.

Can you think of any other terrorist organization that would allow itself such audacity? To kill just at the moment when its previous crimes are the subject of international discussion.

Russia has thus shown its attitude to international law, to Europe, and to the entire civilized world. After that, no one can have any doubt that a Special Tribunal on Russian aggression against Ukraine is needed as soon as possible. Also, a special compensation mechanism must be implemented as soon as possible, with the help of which all Russian assets and funds in all countries of the world must be confiscated and aimed at compensations for the victims of Russian terror.

It is absolutely necessary to implement as soon as possible such restrictions against Russian energy exports, which will not allow terrorists to cover their costs at the expense of the international community.

And I want to emphasize: all this is needed not only by Ukraine, not only by our citizens, whose lives are under threat of Russian terror. This is needed by all of you, everyone in the world who values human life at least a little.

Terror is a virus. And if one of the terrorists goes unpunished, it only encourages others.

The ceremony of awarding our defenders upon whom the title of Hero of Ukraine was conferred took place this morning in Kyiv. I presented the Gold Star Orders to our warriors, as well as to the relatives of those warriors who were awarded the title of Hero posthumously.

In total, during the full-scale war since February 24, the title of Hero has been awarded to 157 Ukrainians, 75 - posthumously. More than 23,000 of our defenders have been awarded state awards, more than 3,500 - posthumously.

Hundreds of thousands of our warriors hold back the Russian onslaught every day and every night. Ukrainians make one of the most significant contributions in history to the the fight against terrorism. And we are grateful to everyone who helps us. To every state, international structures, public associations around the world, conscientious business, every person who cares.

But the time has come for the democratic world to enshrine all this in proper legal instruments. The status of a terrorist state for Russia. The special tribunal on Russian aggression. The special compensation mechanism that will direct the funds of the terrorist state to those whom it wanted to destroy. And, of course, new sanctions for terror. New sanctions are needed as soon as possible.

And finally. I want the crew of the vessel, which fired the Kalibrs on Vinnytsia today, to know for sure that prison is the best thing they may face.

https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/cej-den-ukotre-doviv-sho-rosiya-maye-buti-viznana-derzhavoyu-76493

 

President's speech at the International Conference in The Hague on holding Russia accountable for crimes in Ukraine

In a few days, on July 17, it will already be 8 years since one of the most terrible air disasters in history - shooting down of MH17 flight. Then, Russian criminals killed 298 people in the sky over the Ukrainian Donbas. The world, seeing that crime, realized what is happening in Ukraine. Realized what aggression Russia came with to our country.

The shooting down of MH17 attracted global attention. All the world's media, politicians and societies felt the pain of the families who lost their loved ones in that disaster. 80 children died, including three babies.

Time passes by, that tragedy is talked about less and less. But justice does its job. Ukraine, the Netherlands, all our partners, experts and investigators managed to establish a complete picture of what happened to MH17. And I have no doubt that everyone who committed that terrible crime will receive a fair punishment.

However, we must remember why that crime became possible. We must remember that it is neither the only one nor random. That catastrophe became just one of many catastrophes and tragedies caused by the primary Russian crime – armed aggression against Ukraine. It all started in 2014. And it continues to this day. Taking the lives of our people every day.

This morning, Russian missiles hit our city of Vinnytsia. Cruise missiles hit two public buildings. Residential buildings were destroyed, the medical center was on fire. Cars and trams were on fire. This is an audacious act of Russian terror. Eight missiles, two of which hit downtown. As of this moment, 20 people died, among them three children, a large number of wounded...

Due to Russian aggression, tens of thousands of Ukrainians were killed, tortured and maimed. Millions were deported to Russia or made homeless by hostilities. It is still being established how many children Russian forces abducted and took out of Ukraine. The preliminary figure is dreadful - about 200.000 children.

The world saw what happened in Mariupol and Bucha. The world sees Russian missile terror. Literally live, everyone can see Russian artillery burning down cities in Donbas and destroying civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv and in the south of our country. Only since the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24, the law enforcement agencies of Ukraine have registered 34.039 crimes related to Russian aggression. And imagine how many crimes the Russian occupiers have committed since 2014...

For this initial crime of armed aggression, there must be mandatory and principled punishment for all Russian criminals.

Ukrainian justice will do the part of the work that the national jurisdiction allows. I believe that the International Criminal Court will inevitably ensure the liability of those guilty of crimes under its jurisdiction: war crimes, crimes against humanity, the crime of genocide. I am grateful to all our partners who support us along the way.

By the way, to help the investigation - both Ukrainian and international - we launched the "Book of Torturers of the Ukrainian People" project. This project allows you to collect evidence of war crimes and data about those who committed them on an online platform. In today's world, this and similar digital and communication tools significantly accelerate the work of the investigation.

But the existing judicial institutions for jurisdictional reasons cannot bring to justice all those guilty of the primary crime of aggression. That is why we need a Special Tribunal regarding this crime - Russian aggression against Ukraine. A Tribunal that will ensure the fair and lawful punishment of those who started this history of disasters and tragedies, which has become the biggest war in Europe since World War II.

Our efforts will be enough to record the crimes of the Russian occupiers; to gather all the evidence so that it is absolutely admissible in the courts; to establish each of the guilty. However, those people whose decisions led to this array of crimes must not hide behind the so-called immunity of officials. The principle of inevitability of punishment must also apply to these people. This can only be ensured by the Special Tribunal on Aggression against Ukraine.

In addition to such a Tribunal, an instrument for compensation for all damages caused by aggression is also needed.

Time is merciless and plays into the hands of Russia. People can't wait long for justice. If justice is delayed, people feel as if there is no justice.

Today, the world no longer recalls the terrible Russian crimes that were committed back in 2014 and 2015. Now the feelings in the world about Mariupol, "Azovstal" and Bucha are much less intense.

Of course, people have not changed their assessment of these and other crimes. However, to ensure a feeling that justice is being restored, it is necessary not only to punish the guilty. It is necessary to give the victims of crimes full assistance and to rebuild everything destroyed by this aggression. The aggressor must lose both on the battlefield and at the level of meanings, so that the war becomes a heavy loss, first of all, for the aggressor, not for the victims.

The same group of people is behind all the thousands of crimes committed during Russia's war against Ukraine. Those who give criminal orders. Those who have been thinking for nine years already how to make it worse and more painful for everyone around them, how to cause more losses to other states and nations.

The life and wealth of this group of people is ensured by other individuals and legal entities. By the assets registered on them. By the property they own openly or secretly. By the money they hid in different jurisdictions and in different forms - private, state or quasi-state.

Therefore, Ukraine proposed to create a special compensation mechanism. We believe that compensation for the damage caused by Russian aggression can be ensured at the expense of Russian assets and funds located outside the borders of Russia - in other jurisdictions. We must understand that the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine is an extremely complex project that can become successful with the help of partners. And the sooner the compensation mechanism starts working, the more effectively the assets of the terrorist state will be converted into compensation, and the less financial burden our partners will bear.

I would like to thank Canada and other countries that are working to make their legislation allow for this kind of reimbursement process. We have to make it global - so that no one in the world will think again that aggression against a sovereign state contrary to international law can be tolerable for the aggressor. We need just such a global legal path, which will reflect one of our common values - the rule of law.

The power of the law, its supremacy is ensured only when there are effective and stable institutions capable of implementing the law in any conditions.

We know what institutions we need. We can create them. And they will definitely work.

This will be a contribution to the protection of the world order, the world legal order, that can be compared only to the Nuremberg trials. This is our joint task.

https:/www.president.gov.ua/en/news/maye-buti-obovyazkove-j-principove-pokarannya-dlya-vsih-rosi-76477

 

Yermak-McFaul International Expert Group became a key platform for the formation of the sanctions policy of the allies on the aggressor country

Another meeting of the International Expert Group on Sanctions against Russia was held in the format of a video conference under the chairmanship of Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and former US National Security Advisor, Ambassador Michael McFaul.

Andriy Yermak noted that the group's experts prepared four large-scale documents and a number of statements, and also actively informed the public about the need for sanctions against Russia.

The Head of the President's Office emphasized that more than 50% of the steps of the group's action plan have been completed so far.

As Andriy Yermak noted, the International Expert Group has become a key platform for the formation of sanctions on the aggressor country, and almost all world leaders refer to the results of its work.

"Now we see how the EU sanctions coordinators are developing the seventh package based on the materials of our group. We see the reflection of our ideas in the sanctions of Great Britain, the USA and other states of the sanctions coalition. Overall, the group made a very important impact. And I would like us to support this success," he said.

The Head of the President's Office noted that Russia continues the war against our country, therefore it is very important to expand the sanctions package against the aggressor country.

"Further energy and financial sanctions, expansion of individual sanctions. We say to the world: there is no time to get tired of sanctions, and therefore we should continue our work," he said.

The meeting participants agreed on the importance of strengthening sanctions against Russia, in particular recognizing the aggressor as a state sponsor of terrorism, expanding personal sanctions, further sectoral sanctions in the financial and energy spheres, and wider trade and technological restrictions. The aggressor country must suffer as much damage as possible, experts emphasized.

They also proposed to analyze the impact of sanctions on certain sectors of the Russian economy in order to develop recommendations for increasing their effectiveness.

With regard to additional formats of the group's work, Andriy Yermak suggested holding regular video conference briefings with colleagues from other countries who work directly on sanctions policy. Representatives of the International Expert Group, the Ukrainian Parliament and the parliaments of partner countries, the European Commission, the US Department of State and other structures participating in the work on sanctions will be able to join them.

Andriy Yermak thanked the participants of the International Expert Group for their important work and urged them to make new proposals and generate ideas to achieve results.

“Keep generating ideas and persuading. Our work changes the rules of the game. And it is invaluable, it saves the lives of Ukrainians and brings our victory closer," said the Head of the President's Office.

https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/mizhnarodna-ekspertna-grupa-yermaka-makfola-stala-klyuchovim-76469

 

Prime Minister of Ukraine

The key task of the seventh package of sanctions against Russia should be the introduction of so-called secondary sanctions, which eliminate ways of circumventing previous restrictions. The Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal emphasized during a live broadcast of the UARazom information telethon.

"The Yermak-McFaul Group is constantly working on the development of new sanctions against the Russian federation. More efficient. We work very closely with our partners. And indeed we expect the adoption of the seventh package. Some of the first packages lose their effectiveness over time because Russia is looking for ways to adapt and circumvent these sanctions," the head of the Government noted.

The Prime Minister accentuated, Ukraine also calls for Russia to be given the status of a sponsor of terrorism. According to him, both the United States and the European Union should adopt this position.

"This will accordingly impose additional restrictions on cooperation with this aggressor country. We expect more personal sanctions to be imposed on Russian officials, functionaries, and oligarchs. We expect the expansion of sectoral economic sanctions, the continuation and strengthening of sanctions on the export of Russian oil and gas. The first step has already been taken by our partners," Denys Shmyhal emphasized.

https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/premier-ministr-ukraina-zaklykaie-prysvoity-rosii-status-krainy-sponsora-teroryzmu

 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

MFA of Ukraine underlines the importance of the OSCE’s experts Report, which documents numerous violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other atrocities committed by the Russian Federation and its armed forces during the ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.

The Report stresses, in particular, that the magnitude and frequency of the indiscriminate attacks carried out against civilians and civilian objects, including in sites where no military facility was identified, is credible evidence that hostilities were conducted by Russian armed forces disregarding their fundamental obligation to comply with the basic principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution that constitute the fundamental basis of international humanitarian law. As a result, the considerable number of civilians have been killed or injured, and civilian objects have been damaged or destroyed in numerous towns and villages.

Mission confirmed that the Russian military is using incendiary and cluster munitions, phosphorus bombs and thermobaric weapons. Experts identified, that Russian armed forces have used at least six types of cluster munitions in attacks that have resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties and damage to civilian objects, including homes, hospitals, and schools, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

According to the report, the international human rights law has been extensively violated by the Russian occupation troops. Some of the most serious violations include:

  • targeted killing of civilians, including journalists, human rights defenders, or local mayors;
  • the illegal practice of establishment and use of so-called filtration centres by the Russian armed forces;
  • large-scale deportations of Ukrainian civilians to Russia;
  • various forms of ill-treatment, including torture, inflicted on detained civilians and prisoners of war;
  • unlawful detentions, abductions and enforced disappearances;
  • the imposition of the death penalty.

The events concerning the towns of Bucha and Irpin, which that were visited by the Mission, are described in the document as emblematic examples of the grave breaches by the Russian armed forces of international humanitarian law under the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, which constitute war crimes.

Mission also identified that such actions as the export by Russian occupation forces of the Ukrainian grain from the country reveal signs of an organized activity and these acts amount to violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and must be properly investigated, those responsible for them brought to justice and those having suffered compensated for.

MFA of Ukraine takes the view that the Report of the second OSCE Moscow Mechanism Mission of experts constitutes an important contribution to the international community’s efforts on documenting crimes of the aggressor-state, ensuring justice and holding accountable all masterminds and perpetrators of the crimes of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

 

https://mfa.gov.ua/en/news/comment-mfa-ukraine-report-second-osce-moscow-mechanism-mission-experts-context-war-Russian-federation-against-ukraine

 

7/15/22 National Security and Korean News and Commentary

Fri, 07/15/2022 - 9:12am

Access National Security News HERE.

Access Korean News HERE.

National Security News Content:

1. RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JULY 14 (Putin's War)
2. We Will Kill Them Again': As Russia Advances, Ukrainians Dig In
3. Ukrainian Resistance
4. With Few Able and Fewer Willing, U.S. Military Can’t Find Recruits
5. Fewer Military Families Would Recommend Uniformed Service, Survey Finds.
6. A retired US general says Russia's 'weakness' prevents it from advancing to make 'meaningful progress' in Ukraine
7. Are Western Special Operations Forces in Ukraine?
8. Solomon Islands PM rules out China military base and says Australia is ‘security partner of choice’
9. Beijing’s 'list diplomacy' bedevils U.S.-China relations
10. Critical minerals could become a geopolitical weapon
11. Could ISIS Make A Comeback?
12. Biden Is Fighting the Wrong Battle Against China
13. Great-Power Competition Is Bad for Democracy
14. The BA.5 Wave Is What COVID Normal Looks Like
15. Initial transfer of US Special Forces to rural base in Germany in the works
16. The US in the Pacific: delivering on commitments or déjà vu?
17. Biden needs to share intel, get out of the way and let Israel end Iran nuclear threat
18. Troops’ use of TikTok may be national security threat, FCC commissioner says
19. Is imperialism negotiable?
20.  House passes defense authorization with new arms transfers restrictions
21. Pentagon: Hill added $58 billion to current defense budget
22. Gaps in Arms Supplies to Ukraine Point to Countries’ Divergent Strategies
23. The Uvalde shooting video: A 30-year law enforcement officer provides a minute-by-minute breakdown of what happened
24. Ukraine destroys second Russian ammo dump with U.S.-supplied HIMARS missile
25. Ukraine's new US rockets are causing fresh problems for Russia

Korean News Content:

1. 2019 repatriation of N.K. fishermen not unusual: DP lawmaker
2. Three questions remain over repatriation of North Korean fishermen
3. South Korea Is Turbocharging Its Arms Sales Business
4. North Korea reclassifies escapees to South Korea as ‘traitorous puppets’
5. North Korea’s guidance department works to ensure loyalty of citizenry
6. Letter to Korean’s President Yoon Seok-Youl, following the release of photographs of the repatriation of two North Korean fishermen to North Korea on 7 November 2019. – David Alton
7. South Korea seeks to kickstart talks to resolve historical feuds with Japan
8. North stands by decision to recognize two pro-Russian separatist states in Ukraine
9. Ex-NIS chief banned from travelling abroad over probe into handling of North's killing of fisheries official
10. N. Korea holds key Cabinet meeting on this year's national economic goals
11. N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases under 600 for 2nd day: state media
12. S. Korea's new COVID-19 infections continue doubling on-week to near 40,000
13. S. Korea's Navy creates aviation unit tasked with bolstering maritime security
14. S. Korean FM to make 3-day trip to Japan next week
15. S. Korea to deploy around 20 more F-35A fighters by 2028
16. Yoon and the Future of Korea-Europe Relations
17.  U.S. Lawmaker Condemns Forcible Repatriation of N.Koreans
18. N. Korea could conduct one or two more weapons tests during military's summer training period
19. Hoeryong factory officials face trial for inflating performance 
20. Propaganda Takes a Worrying Turn on the Korean Peninsula
 

Criminal Armed Groups Compete with the State and Each Other

Thu, 07/14/2022 - 5:03pm

SWJ-El Centro Senior Fellows John P. Sullivan and Robert J. Bunker discuss their recent curated collection Competition in Order and Progress: Criminal Insurgencies and Criminal Governance in Brazil in "Criminal Armed Groups Compete with the State and Each Other" at the Urban Violence Research Network Blog "Word on the Street" today.

Police Brazil

Their curated collection looks at the competition for power among Brazil's criminal armed groups (CAGs). and the state.  

The text includes research notes and works by Robert J. Bunker, John P. Sullivan, Pablo A. Baisotti, as well as a “Foreword: A Practitioner-Academic Dialogue on Criminal Insurgency and the Crime-Terror Nexus in Brazil” by Rashmi Singh, essays by José de Arimatéia da Cruz and Becky Kohler da Cruz, Robert Muggah, Christian Vianna de Azevedo, Luis Jorge Garay-Salamanca, Eduardo Salcedo-Albarán and Guillermo Macías, Matthew Aaron Richmond, Carlos Frederico de Oliveira Pereira, Natalie D. Baker and Gabriel Leão, Andrea Varsori, and Steven M. Nogera. 

Back matter includes a conclusion by the editors joined by José de Arimatéia da Cruz, an afterword by Robert Muggah and Ilona Szabó, and a postscript in English and Portuguese by Carlos Frederico de Oliveira Pereira.  The appendices include works by Paul Rexton Kan, Pablo Baisotti and Alma Keshavarz. The text concludes with a set of recommended additional readings.

Their article "Criminal Armed Groups Compete with the State and Each Other" is at the "Word on the Street" Blog.

UVRN

John P. Sullivan and Robert J. Bunker, "Criminal Armed Groups Compete with the State and Each Other," Word on the Street (Urban Violence Research Network), 14 July 2022.

Cover

The edited collection John P. Sullivan and Robert J. Bunker, Eds. Competition in Order and Progress: Criminal Insurgencies and Governance in Brazil, a Small Wars Journal–El Centro Anthology was published in March 2022.

 

7/14/22 National Security and Korean News and Commentary

Thu, 07/14/2022 - 10:43am

Access National Security News HERE.

Access Korean News HERE.

National Security News Content:

​1. RUSSIA OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JULY 13 (Putin's War)
2. In Ukraine war, a race to acquire smarter, deadlier drones
3. How Russia's current war in Ukraine echoes its Crimean War of the 1850s
4. Video purportedly shows U.S. naval attaché flicking off a Russian military “Z”
5. John Bolton said he planned foreign coups. The global outcry was swift.
6. FDD | Washington Should Keep the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya on Its Sanctions List
7. Europe’s Tiny Steps Won’t Solve Its Energy Emergency
8. Analysis | So what coups might John Bolton have been involved in, exactly?
9. What China’s ‘Cold War’ rulers want from U.S.
10. Johnstone: Three Illuminating Quotes About The War In Ukraine
11. House Approves Marijuana And Psychedelics Amendments As Part Of Must-Pass Defense Bill
12. Ukraine Situation Report: More Russian Ammo Dumps Blown Up
13.  House tries to avoid messy political battles over Pentagon policy bill
14. Special Operators Await Speedier Helicopters
15. Soldier of the Year 2022 is only Army officer with two post-9/11 Silver Stars
16. Why the US is selling stockpiled oil to China
17. How China Wants to Replace the U.S. Order
18. Ex-CIA engineer convicted in massive theft of secret info
19. Ukraine Is Bringing a Big Gun to a Knife Fight
​20. Special Forces Around the World: Conduct, Oversight, and Opacity
21. When Irregular Becomes Everywhere: The Cybered Fight in Unwanted Places
22. The weaponizing of smartphone location data on the battlefield
23. Iran’s Increasingly Decentralized Axis of Resistance
24. For Richer or for Poorer: Security Cooperation with Developing Countries
25. Iraq, Afghanistan veteran from Hawaii takes command of Army group on Okinawa
25. Rubio, Scott Urge Army, Air Force to Address Lack of Childcare for 7th Special Forces Group
 

Korean News Content:

1. N. Korea officially recognizes independence of 2 separatist regions in Ukraine
2. N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 600: state media
3. S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases more than double in week to near 40,000
4. Unification, justice ministries deny there was legal basis to repatriate N.K. fishermen: lawmaker
5. N. Korea trade sinks 17.3 pct in 2021 on sanctions, pandemic
6. Senior presidential aide asks for ruling party's help in launching N.K. human rights foundation
7. WFP chief meets S. Korean ministers to discuss N. Korea food situation
8. Korea must wean off China and find diverse trade partners
9. Korea, U.S. F-35As fly together for first time
10. Amnesty International blasts 2019 repatriations (Korea)
11. Ukraine cuts N Korea ties over recognition of separatist regions
12. Repatriated N.Korean Fishermen 'Executed for Treason'
13. Clear the suspicion (Korea forced repatriation issue)
14. A perennial division in local newspapers (Korea)
15. [INTERVIEW] 'NK's nuclear tests to inspire unity among West'
16. New US ambassador takes aim
17. Japan and South Korea Can No Longer Let History Thwart Cooperation
18. Mike Pompeo says China derailed Trump's efforts to help denuclearize North Korea
19. The Time Is Right: Why Japan and South Korea Should Get the Bomb
 

7/13/22 National Security and Korean News and Commentary

Wed, 07/13/2022 - 9:30am

Access National Security News HERE.

Access Korean News HERE.

National Security News Content:

1. RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JULY 12 (Putin's War)
2. The Theory of SOF: Generating the Fog of War or Conducting Military Statecraft?
3. Joe Biden sets off aimlessly to the Middle East
4. China says it 'drove' away U.S. destroyer that sailed near disputed isles
5. Former senior U.S. official John Bolton admits to planning attempted foreign coups
6. China's exports bounce back, but global risks darken trade outlook
7. Ukraine Hits Military Depots in Russian-Controlled Cities
8. Opinion | The Ukraine War Is About to Enter a Dangerous New Phase
9.  Opinion Shorten the war. Send 60 HIMARS to Ukraine.
10. U.S. to open new embassies, boost aid in Pacific as China’s sway grows
11. Recording reveals life in captivity for American held by Russian group
12. Beatrice Heuser, Western Ideas of War and the Russia-Ukraine Conflict, No. 528, July 12, 2022 – Nipp
13. Will CEOs finally learn their lesson on boycotting Israel? | Opinion
14. U.S. State Department does “not support organized violent opposition to the Taliban”
15. Exclusive: Watch Uvalde school shooting video obtained by Statesman showing police response
16. Biden’s Trip, and Ukraine’s War, Could Boost the Abraham Accords
17. Western governments confront China-Russia security threats — but US business won’t
18. West’s Ukraine Strategy Will Mean a Prolonged, Bloody Stalemate
19. Russia’s War Against Ukraine Has Turned Into Terrorism
20. Strike kills nearly every deputy commander in Russian division: Ukraine
21. Defense Department Record-Keeping Practices Are Hurting Oversight of Ukraine Aid, Inspector General Warns
22. United States confident in Ukraine’s commitment to safeguard and account for arms
23. 'Stunningly incompetent or simply mad as hatters': How America's ruling class ruined everything by Andrew Bacevich, After the American Century
24. Why the Russian military should be very worried
25. 'Do you wish you were a real pilot?' — Comedian grills her F-35 pilot fiancé in hilarious interview
 

1. USFK chief calls N.K. nuke test 'not a matter of if, but when'
2. Presidential office vows to uncover truth behind repatriation of N.K. fishermen
3. Pictures Suggest N.Korean Fishermen Were 'Forcibly Repatriated'
4. Complaint filed against Moon gov't officials in repatriation of N.K. fishermen in 2019
5. U.S. Lawmaker Demands Probe of Repatriation of N.Korean Fishermen
6. Korea emerges as nuclear front line in U.S. rivalry with China and Russia
7.  Yoon vows to establish cyber warfare reserve forces
8. Prosecutors raid NIS in probe into 2 incidents involving N. Korea during Moon gov't
9. [Exclusive] Commander of Special Warfare in Korea, “Only through practical training, you can have a ‘life-threatening experience’”
10. Esper predicts Korean involvement in any Taiwan conflict
11. USFK expected to resume firing drills at Rodriguez range
12. N. Korean leadership launches corruption probe into Pyongyang's Mirim Horse Riding Club
13.  US Treasury Secretary's Seoul visit raises expectation on currency swap
14. South Korea ventures into its Indo-Pacific strategy
15. US Celebrates Alliance With Seoul: But Is South Korea Worth a Nuclear War?

Korean News Content: