Researchers identify likely site for Russia’s new nuclear missile
U.S. researchers say they believe they’ve identified the probable deployment site for Russia’s new nuclear missile called “Burevestnik,” 295 miles north of Moscow. The researchers pinpointed the likely deployment site using commercial satellite imagery from Planet Labs.
Analysts with the CNA research organization identified nine horizontal launch pads under construction, protected by high berms.
The findings raise significant concerns about escalating nuclear tensions and the missile’s potential impact on global security dynamics.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has touted the missile as “invincible” and claims the missile has nearly unlimited range and can evade U.S. defenses.
However, the missile’s development has been fraught with challenges and controversy. With a poor test record – the missile has seen only two partial successes out of at least 13 known tests since 2016, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Critics, including former State Department official Thomas Countryman, have called the weapon a “flying Chernobyl,” suggesting it poses a greater threat to Russia than to its intended targets.
On Sunday, Sept. 1, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov announced plans to revise guidelines on nuclear weapon use, citing Western escalation in Ukraine as the catalyst.
Russia launches largest air assault on Ukraine since start of war
Russia launches its largest air assault against Ukraine since the war began, targeting critical infrastructure in the country. And the Department of Justice is appealing a judge’s decision last month to toss out former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024.
Russia launches largest air assault on Ukraine since start of war
At one point the entirety of Ukraine was under air raid alerts and residents were warned to take cover. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there were more than 200 drones and missiles launched at Ukraine’s “critical civilian infrastructure.”
The main target appears to have been Ukraine’s power grid. While one missile missed, another one hit a dam that was providing electricity to Kyiv, causing widespread power outages. The strike also puts millions at risk of devastating flooding.
Civilians’ homes were also hit. At least seven people were said to have been killed in the attack.
While Ukraine says its forces have advanced nearly two miles into the area and seized two more villages, Russia is also making gains in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow’s air assault on Ukraine was the largest seen in more than two and a half years since the war began.
Federal judge temporarily blocks Biden admin’s new ‘parole in place’ policy
A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the Biden administration’s new “parole in place” policy. The ruling sides with 16 Republican-led states that challenged the policy.
Parole in place allows unauthorized immigrants to apply for temporary work permits and deportation protections under an immigration benefit known as “parole” if they’re married to U.S. citizens, have lived in the country for at least 10 years, and pass background checks. The policy also offers a path to citizenship for up to half a million undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens.
The judge said the Republican states’ complaint raised legitimate questions about the authority of the president to bypass Congress and set immigration policy.
The Biden administration can keep accepting applications for the program, but it can’t approve them, under the judge’s order. That order is set to remain in place for 14 days while both sides submit arguments in the case, but it could be extended.
DOJ appeals to revive Trump’s classified docs case tossed by judge last month
Special Counsel Jack Smith is pushing to revive the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. This comes after judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case last month.
Smith is now arguing that Cannon’s decision was flawed and lacked merit.
In a new court filing, Smith contends that Cannon’s ruling — which claimed the prosecutors’ office did not have the constitutional authority to pursue the case — was incorrect. Judge Cannon had ruled that the Justice Department couldn’t appoint or fund special counsels like Smith without congressional approval.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is now reviewing this decision.
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign has responded to the DOJ’s appeal, calling for all charges against Trump in different cases to also be dismissed.
1 killed in Alaska landslide; authorities concerned more landslides to come
So far, we know four homes were critically damaged, but homes next to where the landslide went through are still being assessed.
The National Weather Service said Ketchikan got more than 2.5 inches of rain in about 36 hours over the weekend, but rainfall totals at higher elevations ranged from 5 to 9 inches.
Australian airline accidentally sells first-class tickets 85% off
An airline accidentally sold hundreds of first-class tickets for about 85% cheaper than usual — and it wasn’t some sort of sale. A coding error that caused a glitch in its system and customers took advantage of it while they could.
Here’s how that happened: on June 26, Danny Jansen was on the Toronto Blue Jays and up to bat in their game against the Boston Red Sox when the game had to be suspended because of bad weather. On July 27, Jansen was traded from the Blue Jays to the Red Sox.
The unfinished June game finally picked up Monday after a two-month delay, with Jansen behind home plate playing catcher for the Red Sox. So, while it was months apart, it was technically still the same game, earning Jansen a spot in the MLB history books.
Kursk residents feel abandoned as many flee, some regions out of body bags
Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is leaving civilians caught in the middle, and now many are fleeing. The residents said they feel abandoned by Moscow as reported on Thursday, Aug. 22. While many of these Russians blame Kyiv for the recent attack in Kursk, they wonder if their own government truly cares about them and if the Russian military is competent. Interviews also revealed that Ukraine’s surge into Kursk may be turning public sentiment further against Ukraine.
“Attitudes toward Ukraine have significantly worsened,” one Kursk resident told The Moscow Times. “If before there were people who sympathized or held a neutral position, now they’ve sifted to intense anger.”
Kyiv’s infiltration has left at least 31 people dead and 143 others injured. Human rights groups reported that at least 130,000 people have fled the region and 2,000 people are currently missing. Ukraine forces have captured at least 92 settlements in Kursk and have taken hundreds of Russian soldiers’ prisoner.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not yet publicly addressing the incursion. However, state-run media outlets claim that more people are enlisting in the military and that the Ukrainian incursion is “uniting” Russians.
Meanwhile, Kyiv’s military successes have come at a time when Russian casualties are mounting. So many Russian soldiers have died that some regions are resorting to crowdfunding for body bags as municipal funds run dry. One wife of a Russian soldier killed pleaded for help on social media, saying that the Russian Defense Ministry is not transporting the bodies of troops from battle.
Russia says Ukraine launches one of the largest drone attacks on Moscow
Moscow officials said Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on the Russian capital late Tuesday night Aug. 20, and early Wednesday morning, Aug. 21 since the start of the war. Russian air defense systems intercepted at least 12 drones over Moscow, with no casualties or significant damage reported, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
Russia’s defense ministry confirmed that a total of 45 drones were shot down across multiple regions, including 23 over Bryansk, and several others in the Belgorod, Kaluga and Kursk regions. The attack briefly halted flights at three major Moscow airports, but operations resumed after a four-hour disruption.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that 45 drones were "shot down" overnight. Of these, 23 were destroyed over the Bryansk region and 11 over the Moscow region. Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, described the night’s drone attack on the city as one of the largest to… pic.twitter.com/GWcOpmrKJD
This latest assault marks one of the most significant drone strikes on Moscow since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022. The attack follows months of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian military, energy and transport infrastructure. While Moscow described the operation as an act of terrorism, Kyiv often frames such actions as retaliation for Russia’s continued strikes on Ukrainian territory.
The drone strikes come as Russia presses forward in eastern Ukraine, where it controls roughly 18% of the territory. At the same time, Ukraine has been conducting an incursion into the Kursk region, which marks the largest foreign attack on Russian soil since World War II.
Russian media aired footage showing drones being destroyed in a ball of flames over the Moscow region, highlighting the effectiveness of the city’s layered defense system.
Fmr. President Obama rallies support for Harris at Night 2 of DNC
Former President Barack Obama headlined night two of the DNC, rallying support behind Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency. And Russian officials say Moscow came under the largest attack by Ukrainian drones since the war began over two years ago. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024.
Former President Obama rallies support for Harris at Night 2 of DNC
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will formally accept the nomination for vice president at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago Wednesday night. Among those set to speak on night three of the DNC is former President Bill Clinton.
Tuesday, Aug. 20, was a night of Democratic Party star power — including speeches from the Obamas.
Former President Barack Obama closed out the night by rallying up the crowd and throwing his full support behind Vice President Kamala Harris while speaking out against her opponent, former President Donald Trump.
“We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos,” Obama said. “We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse. America is ready for a new chapter. America is ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”
Her running mate, Gov. Walz, will headline night three with a primetime speech Wednesday night.
Running mate says RFK Jr. can stay in the race or back Trump
Former President Donald Trump is continuing a rally blitz across battleground states. He spent Tuesday, Aug. 20, campaigning in Michigan with an emphasis on crime and inflation.
On Wednesday, Trump will join his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, in North Carolina.
This comes as it looks like Trump could potentially pick up an endorsement from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan. Shanahan said on a podcast they have two options: stay in the race or join forces with Trump to avoid a Kamala Harris presidency.
RFK Jr. has yet to comment on this direction of his campaign, but said Tuesday he is open to talks with other political parties with similar goals.
A CNN reporter asked Trump whether he would consider RFK Jr. for a spot in his administration following the news of the potential endorsement. Trump said he is open to the idea.
Matt Gaetz defeats McCarthy-backed candidate in Florida primary
McCarthy and his allies had targeted Gaetz as well as three other Republicans who voted to oust him from the speakership late last year.
McCarthy did claim one win — helping to defeat House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R, in Virginia earlier this summer. However, South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace and Arizona Rep. Eli Crane won each of their races despite the opposition from McCarthy.
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez officially resigns after bribery conviction
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, D, has officially resigned. Tuesday, Aug, 20, was his last day in office.
It comes just over a month after a jury convicted him on federal bribery charges.
The state’s Democratic governor is tapping former top aide George Helmy to succeed the three-term incumbent until the November election results for the Senate seat are certified. It’s a high stakes race, with Democrats holding a narrow majority in the Senate.
Russia says it fought off Ukraine’s largest drone attack yet on Moscow
Russian officials said they shot down at least 12 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow late Aug. 20 night and early Aug. 21 morning, local time. Russia said it was part of one of the largest drone attacks since the Russia-Ukraine War began in 2022.
While it’s not clear how many drones were launched in total, Russia said it took out more than 45 over various regions.
The attacks come as Russia is advancing in eastern Ukraine while also trying to fight off Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region — which is the biggest foreign attack on Russian territory since World War II.
Federal judge blocks FTC’s rule banning noncompete agreements
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) plan to ban noncompete agreements in the workplace is no longer happening — at least for now. On Tuesday, Aug. 20, a federal judge in Texas blocked the new rule that would have made it easier for employees to quit a job and go work for a competitor or start a competing business.
The judge ruled the FTC “exceeded its statutory authority” in making its decision back in April and said the ban would cause irreparable harm. The FTC has previously said noncompete agreements restrict workers’ freedoms and suppress wages.
The rule was to take effect on Sept. 4. An FTC spokesperson said the agency is considering appealing the judge’s decision.
Ukraine declares full control of Russia’s Kursk region in day 10 of offensive
Ukraine declared full control over parts of Russia’s Kursk region on Thursday, Aug. 15, just 10 days into its surprise offensive. The incursion is the deepest breach into Russian territory since the war began in February 2022.
Ukrainian forces announced on Thursday that they have setup a military administrative office to “maintain law and order” and to “meet the immediate needs” of people in the area.
The Ukrainian military also said that it had captured another 100 Russian soldiers. The new soldiers are in addition to the hundreds of Russian soldiers who have already surrendered, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s intelligence agency revealed that the surprise offensive may be larger than previously thought. The agency described fighting in Russia’s Belgorod region as “fierce” and it has been reported that Ukrainian forces have run into tougher obstacles in Belgorod than Kursk. Units reported dealing with so-called dragon’s teeth barriers and trenches dug by Russian forces.
However, Kyiv said that its ultimate goal is not “taking over” Russian territory, rather, it is to pressure Moscow into agreeing to “restore peace.” Reports indicate that Ukraine may use captured Russian soldiers and territory for future prisoner swaps.
Additionally, tanks donated by the United Kingdom were reportedly used during Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory. The U.K. Ministry of Defense did not respond to the specific report but maintained that Ukraine has the right to use U.K. weapons “for self-defense against illegal Russian attacks.”
The Kremlin has already accused the West of being behind the attack on its territory and previously warned Western nations not to give Ukraine tanks.
Ukraine takes war to Russia, capturing dozens of villages
On Tuesday, Aug. 13, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said it now controls around 386 square miles in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, an area roughly the size of Indianapolis. This region includes nearly 30 different towns or settlements and is home to hundreds of thousands of Russians, many of whom are now fleeing.
Previously, Kyiv took the territory after sending troops, tanks, drones and other equipment across the border from Sumy Oblast in northern Ukraine.
“Firstly, Russia did not expect this,” Pavel Luzin, a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and an expert on Russian affairs, said. Luzin added Moscow is being forced to redistribute its military forces from other parts of the frontline and its reserves to Kursk to stop the Ukrainian advance.
A week after Ukraine’s initial incursion, Russian troops finally launched a coordinated strike using artillery and missiles on Ukrainian forces in Kursk. The fight to control the territory is ongoing.
“That means that the Russian authoritarian regime is not so strong,” Luzin said. “And the war, the ongoing war, is probably the only thing which still consolidates this regime.”
According to Luzin, Ukraine’s incursion into Russia reveals several weaknesses. He pointed out Russia’s institutions of political power are highly dysfunctional. Under the Putin regime, Luzin said no one acts without orders from above.
“They are afraid,” Luzin said. “And this is a result of a quarter-century of the new Russian authoritarianism. The current situation is very different from the Soviet times. [In] the Soviet military mayors, colonels, generals [knew their] places, their positions. Whether or not it was Afghanistan, Angola, Vietnam or many other places in this world where the Soviet military were active, even if they denied this activity, doesn’t matter. These people [knew they] must act by themselves. They must be smart enough, clever enough and so on.”
In addition to the dysfunction within Russia’s ranks, Luzin pointed out the incursion highlights Moscow’s inaccurate method of gathering battlefield information.
“These people from the bottom level to up, they provide the information about the reality, but they try to provide the information which will not lead to punishment against them,” Luzin said, accusing Russia’s soldiers on the frontlines of painting a rosier picture for their commanding officers than what might actually exist.
Lastly, Luzin said Ukraine’s incursion exposes Russia’s hollow threats about using nuclear weapons.
“They mentioned nuclear weapons hundreds of times during the last 10 years,” Luzin said. “Hundreds of times. Now they are silent. So when reality comes, the Russian doctrine does not work. And that means if Russia will continue to pose a threat to NATO, to the Baltic states, the Baltic members of NATO and so on, that means NATO army can act against Russia on the Russian territory.”
Some NATO nations previously indicated they may send troops to Ukraine in a training capacity. As of publish time, there are no further plans by any NATO nation to attack Russia on Russian territory.
In Kursk, the reasoning behind the invasion remains unclear. The motive for the attack remains unclear. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said the country doesn’t plan to hold the territory its forces captured. Kyiv did not inform Washington or its European allies about the attack beforehand.
“There can be no sustainable peace with Russia,” Elena Davlikanova, a fellow at CEPA, said. “Undemocratic Russia will always be a threat to the Western alliance, and we should expect either a hot war or a cold war.”
Straight Arrow News spoke to Davlikanova before Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk. She talked about the long-term security agreements Ukraine was signing with around 20 nations. At the time, she said Ukraine viewed the agreements as a step in the right direction, but not as effective as NATO membership.
“Since 2022, our Western allies have been very creative in looking for ways to ensure Ukraine’s security, and at the same time not offering NATO membership,” Davlikanova said. “So, we don’t feel safe. We don’t feel relieved.”
“Even these bilateral agreements — in the title of the agreements, it doesn’t say ‘security guarantees,’” Davlikanova continued. “It says these are agreements on cooperation in security and long-term support for Ukraine.”
If Ukraine did not feel safe even with some signed security cooperation agreements in place, perhaps that is why it chose to attack Kursk, potentially securing a few more bargaining chips ahead of possible peace talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that was the reasoning behind Ukraine’s bold move. Whether it will be enough to turn the tide of the war remains to be seen.
Regardless of how things play out on the battlefield, Davlikanova believes the only way to truly topple the Russian regime is to gut its economy.
“Even though their economy is suffering, it doesn’t suffer as much as it should suffer,” Davlikanova said. “And there are thousands of Western companies that continue working in Russia, and they continue creating all these different economic processes, supporting the Russian economy indirectly. So I think that the answer to sustainable peace is Russia’s economic decline, and if we do everything to achieve that, then we will be able to more or less coexist in a peaceful format. Just like we did back in the 1990s.”
Ukraine troops enter Russia, taking territory and prisoners
What was first thought to be a small cross-border raid by Ukraine into Russia is now the deepest incursion into enemy territory made by either side since the war began. Kyiv is being pretty tight-lipped about the operation, but Russian military bloggers are not. As is usually the case, much of the information coming from the front lines can’t be independently verified, but here’s how the picture is shaping up.
The operation started in the early morning hours of Aug. 6 when Ukraine sent hundreds of troops across the border from Sumy Oblast in northern Ukraine into Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Using combined tactics of artillery fire, electronic warfare and coordinated drone swarms, Ukrainian troops were able to push at least 5 miles into Russian territory, possibly even up to 9 miles in some locations.
Video released by Ukraine’s armed forces shows dozens of Russian soldiers surrendering to Ukrainian troops. One Russian posted a video of himself driving around the abandoned town of Sudzha while his vehicle was under constant small arms fire.
Russia said Ukrainian shelling in the region has killed two people so far and injured 24, including a Kremlin-connected war correspondent whose vehicle was struck by a Ukrainian FPV drone.
After a visibly upset Vladimir Putin received an update from his defense cabinet on the situation in Kursk, the Russian leader called Ukraine’s actions a “large-scale provocation.”
Russia’s former president, Dmitry Medvedev, said the Kremlin should think about taking all of Ukraine as retribution for the attack.
Ukrainian leadership, meanwhile, is slow to acknowledge the incursion publicly. An aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian aggression is the sole root of any escalation. President Zelenskyy praised all of Ukraine’s fighters and said Ukraine’s armed forces still know how to “surprise” the enemy.
As for what the goal of Ukraine’s incursion into Russia could be, it’s still a little murky. Some military analysts said Ukraine is risking an awful lot and gaining very little, other than a morale boost for its beleaguered troops.
There is a nuclear power plant in the region, and Ukrainian troop movements are trending in that direction, so they could try and take that facility and use it as a bargaining chip. Or it could be a distraction meant to draw Russian troops in from other areas of the frontlines, like in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow is coming very close to making what could be considered tactical gains.
While there have been small raids into Russian territory since the war started, those were conducted by Russian nationals fighting on the side of the Ukrainians. This current excursion is being carried out by seasoned Ukrainian soldiers using mechanized brigades and combined tactics. It marks the first time since World War II that Russian territory was invaded by another nation.
US, Russia secure largest prisoner swap deal since fall of Soviet Union
The United States announced a prisoner swap with Moscow on Thursday, Aug. 1, that freed Wall Street Journalist Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and more than a dozen others from prison in Russia. Their release is part of the largest prisoner exchange involving the United States and Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. The deal included at least 24 people.
“This deal would not have been possible without our allies: Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey,” President Joe Biden said. “They all stepped up and they stood with us. They stood with us, and made bold and brave decisions, released prisoners being held in their countries, who were justifiably held and provided logistical support to get Americans home.”
The United States and its allies gave Russia a cyber hacker in the United States, alleged “sleeper agents,” who lived double lives in Slovenia and one person who was charged for the shooting death of a man in a Berlin park.
Earlier in July, a judge sentenced Gershkovich to 16 years in a high security penal colony after Russian authorities charged him with “gathering secret information.”
The U.S. State Department maintains that both men were innocent and wrongfully detained.
“Their brutal ordeal is over, and they are free,” Biden said. “Moments ago, the families and I were able to speak to them on the telephone from the Oval Office. They’re out of Russia earlier today. They were flown to Turkey and soon they’ll be wheels up on their way home to see their families.”
The multinational deal also secured the release of former regional office coordinators for the late Alexei Navalny.
Negotiations between the United States, its allies and Russia reportedly began in 2022 following the release of WNBA star Briteny Griner.
Some NATO members turn to WWII tech as fears of Russian invasion grow
Latvia, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member, has started installing “dragon’s teeth,” which are anti-tank concrete pyramids, along its border with Russia. This is part of an effort to defend the country as tensions rise with Moscow over the war in Ukraine. A video circulating social media on Wednesday, July 24, appears to show the barriers being installed.
Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, shared the footage on X.
“Latvia has started installing defensive barriers on its border with Russia,” he wrote. “The so-called ‘dragon’s teeth’ were spotted near the easternmost Latvian town of Zilup.”
Dragon’s teeth were first used in WWII as a defense against approaching tanks. Latvia’s ongoing efforts to put the concrete pyramids along the border is part of a plan Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia agreed to earlier this year: to build a common defense line with “anti-mobility infrastructure elements.”
With the effort to bulk up NATO’s eastern border with Russia and Moscow’s ally Belarus now underway, Latvia’s Ministry of Defense said that it will help with NATO’s “collective defense.”
Tensions between the Kremlin and NATO were not particularly friendly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the relationship is only getting worse. Moscow said NATO nations are directly involved in the war in Ukraine because the organization provides military aid and weapons to Kyiv. Russia has previously said it may strike NATO members who are helping Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Poland’s defense minister also expressed concerns that Moscow could attack within his country’s borders. However, he still maintained confidence in NATO’s defense capabilities.
Latvia’s move to use decades-old technology to defend its border is not unheard of, with Ukraine’s use of 50-year-old propeller-driven planes to take out Russia’s unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Kyiv also equipped advanced drones with medieval-style caltrops to disable Russian vehicles and to disrupt supply efforts.