Category Added in a WPeMatico Campaign
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth via the Pentagon released a statement announcing the requirement for testosterone tests to optimize warfighter performance.
Statement by Chief Pentagon Spokesman, Sean Parnell, on Enhanced Screening Protocol to Optimize Warfighter Performance and Enhance Force Readiness
The Department of War is committed to building and maintaining a ready, lethal fighting force prepared to dominate the battlefield and achieve peace through strength.
The Royal Saudi Air Force launched a failed cruise missile strike on Sana’a International Airport in Yemen, with its apparent objective of disabling the airport’s runway having not been achieved as multiple British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles missed their target. Approximately ten Storm Shadow missiles were launched from long ranges by Saudi Eurofighters in an attempt to render the runway unusable, but the attack reportedly failed to inflict decisive damage sufficient to shut down operations.
The Republic of China Army has deployed the world’s largest NATO standard self-propelled howitzer, the M110 203mm artillery system, as part of its Joint Defense Exercise on July 15. The operational scenario progressed to the critical “key area fire destruction” phase, during which artillery units rehearsed delivering concentrated firepower against simulated enemy forces that had established beachheads following an amphibious landing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in an increasingly unenviable situation. There are multiple forces not trending in his favor, but the central dilemma comes down to this: The number of allegedly rational arguments used to justify the Ukraine war at the outset that are still defensible today is zero.
At the same time, the number of complications arising from the Russian military’s progressive underperformance and former KGB Lt. Col. Putin’s overpromising is multiplying.
According to recent reports, the Kremlin is repositioning air defense installations from remote regions of Moscow to better protect valuable positions from Ukrainian drone attacks. The information comes as Ukraine has been ramping up its strikes against oil refineries and other critical infrastructure across the country, causing the Kremlin to rethink its defense strategy. The war in Ukraine has exposed many critical shortcomings in Russia’s air defense structure.
EU Agrees to Major Drone Deal With Ukraine: The European Union and Ukraine have agreed to establish a major new drone production operation that aims to combine Kyiv’s proven battlefield experience with Europe’s larger manufacturing capacity to make the continent safer in the future. The news is just another example of Ukraine’s wartime successes changing how Europe views defense, with Ukraine also recently announcing a partnership of nine countries to build new, affordable anti-ballistic missile defense systems.
Ships Are Rejecting U.S. Guidance Through Hormuz: After forcefully opening the Strait of Hormuz by ordering devastating new strikes against Iranian coastal sites and military infrastructure, President Donald Trump had hoped that traffic would once again begin moving freely through the waterway. But according to a Reuters report on Wednesday, July 15, sources claim that many ships are refusing U.S. escorts and refraining from transiting for the time being.
What Trump Said vs.
In the last two months, perceptions of the war in Ukraine have shifted in the West. After Ukraine increased its drone campaign against Russian oil refineries, the economic situation in Russia has worsened considerably, as the country’s supply of gasoline has diminished. This campaign, along with successful attacks against Russian logistics, is a sign to many that the tide of the war is now turning in Ukraine’s favor. In her most recent visit to Kyiv, the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, declared on social media that “It’s a special moment.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has been dismissed from his role by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
As Russia ramps up its ballistic missile strikes against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, Ukrainian Defense Minister Myhailo Fedorov has sought to explain just how rapidly a missile strike can reach the nation’s capital.
Writing in a Facebook post on July 14, Fedorov described the reality of Russian strikes and noted that a rocket can reach Kyiv in as little as two minutes, leaving air defenses little room for failure.
Russian Artillery. Image Credit: Creative Commons.