Author: Michael

Ukraine Is Bleeding Russia’s Economy Dry: Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign continues, with a new wave of drone and missile attacks hitting critical Russian energy infrastructure overnight on July 1-2. The ongoing attacks continue to expose one of Russia’s greatest vulnerabilities: an economy that is increasingly dependent on oil revenue to finance its war.

Ukrainian officials say that the overnight attacks struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, while Russian authorities acknowledged a strike on an industrial facility.

Russian Tu-160 Bomber.

As the Iran War appears to enter a lull, the Ukraine War is heating up once more. It seems that the war fever gripping the arc of Eurasia and the Middle East will not be stopped.

Russia had been effectively holding the line against Ukraine, while the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the front were diminishing with each intense engagement.

Putin in March of 2021 Russian Federation Photo

Russia was engaging in its traditional tactic of encircling targets, bombarding them, and attriting them until they broke. This is a laborious but methodical process.

The Pilgrims stopped at Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer. The U.S. Marine Corps was founded in a bar. One of the reasons Prohibition failed in in the United States is probably because this country was founded on and was fueled by booze from the get-go—and there just isn’t a lot Americans won’t do to keep the party going a little longer.

The senior commander who oversees healthcare services at one of the Air Force’s largest bases was relieved of command Tuesday, according to Air Force officials. Col. Tracy Allen was fired as the commander of the 633rd Medical Group at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, by Col. Stephen Anderson, the 633rd Air Base Wing Commander, “due to loss of confidence in her ability to lead.”
Base officials said Col. Michael Blowers, deputy command surgeon at Air Combat Command, has assumed responsibility of the unit until a new commander is selected.

Throughout military history, weapons have become symbols of national pride for countries the world over; England has the English longbow, Japan has the katana, Saudi Arabia even has the saif on its national flag. For a country founded after the invention of firearms, It would make sense to have such a weapon become its national symbol.
Also Read: The 10 longest-serving weapons in the US combat arsenalThe United States has produced numerous, iconic firearms that stood the test of time—some for a century (and longer).

Saudi Oil Exports Reach Post-Ceasefire High Through the Strait of Hormuz: Saudi Arabia is now exporting crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz at its fastest pace since the U.S.-Iran ceasefire came into effect. It’s good news for U.S. President Donald Trump, who has remained consistently optimistic about restoring the flow of oil through the Strait, and for the global economy. Gulf energy exports are, for now, recovering after months of disruption – and even after a weekend of continued military hostilities.

BFBS Forces News reporters Simon Newton and Han

The Air Force is hitting refresh on electromagnetic warfare with its first new electronic attack aircraft in forty years. The EA-37B Compass Call is a modified business jet that some experts are already calling a “game changer” thanks to its speed, range, high service ceiling, and ability to upgrade quickly to keep pace with new technology.
But at the same time, other experts warn that the service will need more Compass Calls than the Air Force plans on buying to meet the challenges of the invisible battlefield.

Stalled on the battlefield, American and Iranian negotiators have slowly been hammering out the details of a tentative deal to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Both sides are at a seeming stalemate: in the face of overwhelming American and Israeli military power, Iran has been badly battered, but seemingly not beaten. Both sides need a deal, albeit for different reasons.

In a wide-ranging interview published just days ago by the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin directly addressed the current energy shortage experienced today in Russia — and acknowledged that Ukrainian drone and missile strikes are responsible for the fuel crunch.

“As for the attacks on critical infrastructure in general, and energy infrastructure in particular, they are, of course, creating problems,” Putin said. “That is obvious. We are currently seeing certain shortages, although they are not critical.”

Neptune Missile. Image Credit: Government of Ukraine.