17:45, 06 December 2018 War 214 The flight was conducted after Russia had seized three Ukrainian naval vessels off Crimea. Photo from Planespotters.net The U.S. military said on Thursday it carried out an "extraordinary" flight over Ukraine under the Open Skies Treaty to reaffirm its commitment to the country after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval vessels off Crimea. "Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukrainian naval vessels in the Black Sea near the Kerch Strait is a dangerous escalation in a pattern of increasingly provocative and threatening activity," the Pentagon said in a statement, according to Reuters. Read also OSCE SMM's UAV spots over 60 tanks in non-government-controlled areas of Donbas "The United States seeks a better relationship with Russia, but this cannot happen while its unlawful and destabilizing actions continue in Ukraine and elsewhere." As UNIAN reported, three Ukrainian vessels were captured on November 25 by Russian forces at sea near the … [Read more...] about Reuters: U.S. military carries out Open Skies flight over Ukraine
U s military actions
Critics pile on after Trump cancels visit to U.S. military cemetery outside Paris because of weather
PARIS - President Donald Trump flew 3,800 miles to this French capital city for ceremonies to honor the military sacrifice in World War I, hoping to take part in the kind of powerful ode to the bravery of the armed forces that he was unable to hold in Washington. But on his first full day here, it rained on his substitute parade weekend. Early Saturday, the White House announced Trump and the first lady had scuttled plans, due to bad weather, for their first stop in a series of weekend remembrance activities - a visit to the solemn Aisne Marne American Cemetery, marking the ferocious Battle of Belleau Wood. It was not completely clear why the Trumps were unable to attend. The cemetery is 50 miles from Paris. So perhaps the president was planning to travel on Marine One, which is occasionally grounded by the Secret Service. But the sight of dignitaries arriving at other sites outside Paris, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French … [Read more...] about Critics pile on after Trump cancels visit to U.S. military cemetery outside Paris because of weather
U.S. military joins search for Thailand soccer team missing in cave
Last Updated Jun 28, 2018 5:42 AM EDT A team of U.S. military personnel and British divers joined rescue efforts at a flooded cave in northern Thailand where 12 children and their soccer coach have been trapped for five days as heavy overnight rains hampered the search.Flood waters seeped into a second chamber of the Tham Luang cave and forced some of the rescue divers to turn back, according to officials. The children, aged between 11 and 16, went into the cave Saturday and were trapped when heavy rains clogged the main entrance.Around 1,000 Navy SEAL divers, police, soldiers, border guards and officials have been mobilised for the around-the-clock rescue in a remote and mountainous part of Chiang Rai province near the Laos and Myanmar borders.A team of American military personnel from the U.S. Pacific Command, including pararescue and survival specialists, arrived at the site overnight to help rescue operations, according to embassy spokeswoman Jillian Bonnardeaux."Operators are … [Read more...] about U.S. military joins search for Thailand soccer team missing in cave
Assessing chances of U.S. military operation in Syria
There is no high probability of a U.S. military operation against Syria in the next week. However, the forecast may be changed in line with the dynamics of developments in the region. U.S. President's statement on Twitter on an upcoming missile strike emerged just ahead of his consultations with the Defense Secretary and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Thus, Donald Trump's message came against the lack of a specific action plan, calculations and risk assessment of the military campaign. The departure of the U.S. aircraft carrier group headed by USS Harry Truman from the Norfolk base in Virginia on April 11 gives grounds to count on its arrival in the Mediterranean in no earlier than six days. Accordingly, the start of the group's deployment in the area of operation may begin on April 17. The calculation indicates an inadequate assessment of its pace by first deputy chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the Armed Forces General Staff of the Russian Federation, who … [Read more...] about Assessing chances of U.S. military operation in Syria
Defense Minister understands U.S. military action in Syria
Minister Ank Bijleveld of Defense understands why the United States is threatening military action in Syria following what is believed to be a poison gas attack in Douma. "If diplomatic, economical and political measures are insufficient, the Netherlands understands a proportional military action in Syria", she said to Nieuwsuur. The United States and several other countries are convinced that the Syrian army used a chemical weapon in Douma on Saturday to try to drive out rebels, according to NOS. Russia is an ally of Syrian president Assad. Russia used its veto power in the UN Security Council to block an investigation into the use of chemical weapons in Douma. The U.S. and its allies were diametrically opposed to Russia. This conflict resulted in American president Donald Trump tweeting: "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart'!" Bijleveld spoke to her American colleague James Mattis … [Read more...] about Defense Minister understands U.S. military action in Syria