Contents tagged with Pentagon

  • Pentagon chief: Russia is doing virtually nothing to fight ISIS in Syria

    According to the Pentagon chief, Ashton Carter, Russia has done "virtually zero" in the fight against the so-called Islamic State in Syria. Speaking in an interview with NBC News that was published on Sunday, January 8th, Carter said that Moscow promised to come in, fight the so-called Islamic State, and help end the civil war in Syria. However, Moscow hasn’t done either of those things and thus, “we are fighting the Islamic State on our own,” Carter said. The Pentagon chief stated that the US …

  • The Pentagon reported that Russia tested a new anti-ballistic missile

    Russia successfully tested a new anti-ballistic missile, created in the framework of the research and development initiative Nudol. This was reported by the Washington Free Beacon, citing Pentagon sources. The launch of the missile took place at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. According to Pentagon specialists, Nudol missiles are capable of intercepting satellites.

    The article notes that the missile launch took place on December 16th. This test was the fifth in a row and the third successful one for …

  • The Pentagon reiterated that it has no intention of cooperating with Russia in the fight against terrorists in Syria

    The press secretary of the US Department of Defense, Peter Cook, stated at the regular briefing for journalists that the United States has no intention of cooperating with Russia in airstrikes on terrorist positions in Syria. “Currently, we have no intention to cooperate with Russia in this direction,” Peter Cook noted, speaking about joint airstrikes on militants.

    Representatives of the US administration previously stated that such operations are impossible after the suspension of agreements …

  • Pentagon: Russian aircraft took of from the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and flew over Syria

    The Pentagon expects massive Russian missile attacks and air strikes on targets in Syria to begin soon, Interfax reported. Military sources from the U.S. Defense Department headquarters said on Thursday that the Russian aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov” would likely spearhead this initiative since Su-33 and MiG-29K naval aircraft have already started flying over Syrian territory.

    Although they have not yet participated in the fighting, the Pentagon noted, "there are signs that the deck- …

  • Pentagon: The US and Russia have yet to reach an agreement on coordination in Syria

    Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook reported on Monday that the US and Russia have yet to finalize an agreement on coordination in Syria, Defense News reported.

    “Contrary to recent claims, we have not finalized plans with Russia on potential coordinated efforts. Serious issues must first be resolved before we can implement the steps [Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov] discussed in Moscow last month,” Cook said.

    Cook also noted that Russia’s recent actions in …

  • The Pentagon could provide $500 million for Ukraine in 2017

    The US Senate has passed the S.2943 bill on Tuesday, which details the Pentagon’s budget for the 2017 fiscal year. The documents states that an amount of up to $500 million will be allocated to the defense needs of Ukraine. 

    “In order to assist and support, as described in paragraph A, $250 million could be transferred to the Ukrainian government,” the document states.

    There is also the possibility of using an additional $250 million as per a separate decision by the Minister of Defense in …

  • Pentagon: Russia would be able to capture Riga or Tallinn in 60 hours

    The Pentagon has agreed with analysts’ views that Russia could capture Riga or Tallinn in less than three days. This was reported by the Weekly Standard.

    The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Michael Carpenter, has agreed with a report of RAND research center which states that Russian troops would be able to seize the city of Riga in 60 hours or less.

    “NATO would have a few options for further action, of which none are good. These options include an offensive action, which is associated …

  • The Pentagon warns Russia of the risks of an 'accidental confrontation'

    Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work stated that the cases of Russian aircraft maneuvering near U.S. ships and aircraft can cause an “accidental confrontation.”

    “One minor incident, of which both parties will accuse each other, may lead to an accidental confrontation, and none of us is interested in that,” he said at the American-Norwegian Defense Conference in Washington.

    Work noted that the U.S.A. has already seen “unsafe and unprofessional maneuvers made by Russian aircraft and ships.”

    In …

  • The Pentagon: Russia has established a military base near Palmyra, Syria

    The Pentagon stated that Russia has established a military base in the vicinity of Palmyra, Syria, despite Vladimir Putin’s announcement in March that the majority of Russian troops would be withdrawn from the war-torn country, Rosbalt reported.

     "It seems that they [Russia] created a kind of forward operating base, which gives them a base for a longer presence,” US Colonel Steve Warren stated during a videoconference from Baghdad.

    According to him, Russia has not, in fact, reduced its troop …

  • US Deputy Defense Secretary: Putin's threats over missile defense shield are problematic

    As was stated by the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, Robert Work, the Pentagon is concerned about statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding threats against Russia due to the placement of U.S. ABM systems, The Wall Street Journal reports.

    “We would like to ask Russia to think about what they are saying, because we intend to cooperate with them wherever possible. However, such threats are highly problematic and of serious concern to us,” Work said.

    On the 13th of May, Work …