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When the United States withdrew its nuclear forces from the Korean Peninsula in 1991, it could not have known how the strategic environment would change over the next three decades. Today, alternative strategies to current nuclear weapons policy are needed. Understanding the fluid nature of the nuclear threat to South Korea from the north and […]
The North Korean Missile Threat was originally published on Global Security Review.
The theory of self-deterrence has emerged as a pivotal factor in shaping the behavior of nuclear-armed states. At the heart of this concept lies the intricate interplay between reputational concerns, precedents of nuclear use, and the credibility of nuclear deterrence. When leaders are self-deterred from employing nuclear weapons due to the fear of tarnishing their […]
Self-Deterrence, Narrative Control, and Nuclear Deterrence: The Case of Israel was originally published on Global Security Review.
THE FAMILY of a ballerina detained by Putin’s cronies have said they fear she could be killed inside the prison just like Alexei Navalny.
Ksenia Karelina, 33, was taken away by Russia’s FSB security services on suspicion high treason after she raised just £41 for the Ukrainian army.
Karelina being taken away on suspicion of ‘high treason’ by members of FSB[/caption]
Putin’s top rival Alexie Navalny was killed inside a Russian Prison[/caption]
Putin has been accused of killing all his political opponents[/caption]
Her worried family is now pleading for help to have her freed and brought home to the US.
Karelina’s former mother-in-law told the New York Post: “We are all in shock.
“She is just a wonderful soul. She would never do anything evil to anyone.”
Her family says they fear Karelina could be killed inside the prison for going against Putrin’s agenda, just like Navalny.
“We are so worried because we are reading stories about [Alexei] Navalny’s supporters arrested for mourning him,” she added.
“Knowing Ksenia, she would never do anything criminal.
“Her mom and dad had recently divorced and she wanted to see the family.”
Karelina, who holds a dual Russian-US citizenship, was travelling to Russia to spend New Year’s Eve with her parents.
However, the 33-year-old dancer was detained in January by local police in her hometown of Yekaterinburg and accused of “petty hooliganism”
She was later arrested by Putin’s FSB officers who claimed to have found her “involved in providing financial assistance to a foreign state”.
Karelina was suspected of collecting money for a New York-based Ukrainian organisation called Razom for the past two years since Putin invaded Ukraine and started his bloody war.
Reports suggested she only raised £41 for the cause.
She has also been accused of participating in public events in the US to help support Ukraine.
Dramatic footage shows the ballerina being taken away with her hat covering her eyes by Putin’s cronies.
She was then paraded blindfolded and in handcuffs by masked security agents in a Russian courtroom Tuesday.
Karelina’s ex-mother-in-law and her ex-husband are now fighting to get her back in the US.
“My son was calling her, and when we found out what had happened, we have all been in shock,” the lady added.
“He told me this morning ‘Let’s think what we can do to help her.’ We don’t want to cause her any trouble.”
Karelina reportedly arrived in the US in 2012 – and got married to her ex-husband the next year.
The couple, who were based in Maryland, divorced a few years ago before Karelina moved to California.
Political scientist Fyodor Krasheninnikov claimed: “She probably supported Ukraine a couple of times on social networks, maybe she collected something there.
“If you participated in any anti-war protests, wrote something on social networks, or, especially, donated to Ukrainians or encouraged them to do this, think a hundred times.
“Do you really need to go to Russia urgently? A second passport will not save you from anything.”
Karelina’s detention casts more light on Putin’s crackdown on dissent days after Russian authorities announced Navalny’s death in prison.
The top Putin rival was found dead at the feared “Polar Wolf” jail, where he was serving a three-decade sentence, as he went on a walk, said prison authorities.
Russia gave the official cause of death as “sudden death syndrome” on Saturday, say Navalny’s family and lawyer.
But no one has been allowed to see his body yet outside of Russian cops and selected emergency responders as an autopsy is still yet to be conducted.
This has led to speculation over his ‘real’ cause of death as many fear the worst for Putin’s biggest critic.
Just two days ago, Navalny’s heartbroken wife accused Putin of murdering her husband with the deadly nerve agent novichok in jail.
Yulia’s sensational claims come as Russian authorities continue to refuse to let Navalny’s family see his body.
The 47-year-old widow has also called out the Kremlin for “lying and waiting” for the fatal toxins to vanish before they release his body.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the claims are “nothing but unsubstantiated accusations because they are not supported by anything, not confirmed”.
Yesterday, Navalny’s mother Lyudmila Navalnaya, 69, stood outside the intimidating Arctic jail in sub-zero temperatures and demanded Putin release her son’s body.
She said in a video: “Behind me is the penal colony IK-3 Polar Wolf, where my son Alexei Navalny died on February 16.
“For the fifth day, I cannot see him. They don’t give me his body and they don’t even tell me where he is.
“I appeal to you, Vladimir Putin, the solution to the issue depends only on you. Let me finally see my son.
“I demand that Alexei’s body be immediately handed over so that I can bury him humanely.”
February 14: Several officers from the FSB, the Russian intelligence service, are said to have paid a visit to “Polar Wolf” prison — and proceeded to disconnect and dismantle some of the security cameras and listening devices there.
February 16, 2.17pm local time: Navalny, 47, was officially reported to have died.
February 16, 2.19pm: The prison service put out what appeared to be a prepared press release.
It read: “On February 16, 2024, in correctional colony No. 3, convict Navalny A.A. felt unwell after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness.”
February 16, 2.23pm: A state-controlled channel on the Telegram messaging site claimed the cause of death was a blood clot, or thrombosis.
February 16, 2.30pm: Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, fronted the media about Navalny’s death.
February 16: US President Joe Biden blasted: “Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death. Even in prison he was a powerful voice for the truth.”
February 16: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “Obviously, Putin killed him.”
February 16: Protesters and mourners line the streets of Russia and other cities worldwide to pay their respects to Navalny.
February 17: Navalny’s mum Lyudmila Navalnaya, 69, said to be told she couldn’t see her son until an “examination” was completed.
February 17: Russian authorities claim the dad died of “sudden death syndrome”.
February 18: Navalny’s body is said to be covered in bruises ‘ showing signs of someone being held down whilst having convulsions’, paramedics said.
February 19: Navalny’s wife Yulia accuses Putin of killing her husband using deadly novichok agent
February 19: Russian authorities say body won’t be handed over for another two weeks “until a chemical examination is completed”.
The FSB has recently detained a record number of people for alleged espionage and high treason.
This includes a string of scientists – some in their 70s – accused of supplying hypersonic missile secrets to the West or China.
Putin’s henchmen are said to be engaged in a “spy mania” witch-hunt among leading aerospace academics.
Six world-class hypersonic and laser scientists have been detained so far, one of whom died in custody.
“They are starting to see enemies everywhere,” said one Western diplomat. “It feels like paranoia.”
Also among those detained on espionage charges is Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
The American, 32, was falsely jailed over bogus spy charges and has spent 278 days behind bars so far.
He was arrested by the FSB on March 29 while on a reporting trip in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.
Russia continues to extend his pre-trial detention without providing any public evidence to back up their claims.
Washington has repeatedly called the charges “ridiculous” and President Joe Biden branded Gershkovich’s detention as “totally illegal”.
The WSJ denies the charges and has called for his immediate release, as has his family.
He is the first Western reporter to be jailed on espionage charges in Russia since the Soviet era, and he faces a prison term of up to 20 years if convicted.
Just last year, Russian warlord Igor Girkin was also arrested after branding Putin a “useless coward”.
The commander-turned-military blogger repeatedly criticised the tyrant and warned the country would not survive another term under him.
Picture of Karelina behind the bars of a Russian prison[/caption]
VLADIMIR Putin is “not stupid” and will know that Britain’s nuclear deterrent still works despite two failed Trident 2 missile launches, an ex-Navy chief told The Sun.
Former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West said the failed Trident launches were, “e…
Missile embarrassingly plopped into sea at launch attended by Grant Shapps, but MoD says ‘anomaly’ would not happen in a warA Trident nuclear missile failed, plopping into the Atlantic during a test launch attended by the defence secretary last month, …
PUTIN has suffered a devastating blow when a HIMARS missile wiped out 65 Russian soldiers after he boasted about the “absolute success” of his military operation.
Harrowing pictures show bodies strewn on a military training ground in th…
VLADIMIR Putin will go on a “major killing spree” against his UK enemies after the death of Alexei Navalny, his British target number one has warned.
Bill Browder, who tops the Kremlin’s UK kill-list, now fears more Novichok-style nerve agent attack…
DRAMATIC footage shows the moment a valuable trove of Putin’s war weapons were blown up by just a handful of Kamikaze drones.
The Ukrainian military wreaked havoc on a Russian hanger, destroying the high-level equipment from Putin’s war chest.
Footage shows the deadly Kamikaze drone entering the hanger and hovering around what appears to be the rare Russian BMPT “Terminator” tank before shredding it up into pieces.
It is supposed to be one of Russia’s most advanced weapons systems as Putin attempts to portray his armed forces as some of the strongest in the world.
The 53-ton, 23ft long, 1,000 horsepower behemoths are designed for fighting in cities as support tanks alongside the main armoured columns.
Bristling with supersonic anti-tank missiles which can hit targets nearly four miles away, two 30mm autocannons and grenade launchers – the Terminators appear to be fearsome weapons.
Another drone then attacks two T72 tanks before blitzing a sophisticated BMP-3 tank.
Massive fire can be seen ripping through the hangar as the kamikaze drones continue to destroy Russian weapons.
Ukrainian troops also claim to have blasted two C60 anti-aircraft guns, and military mobilisation trucks including Gazelle and Ural.
The deadly Kamikaze drones were supplied by the US as part of a military package to Ukraine.
These sophisticated bits of military kit weigh 50lb and can fly 25 miles and “loiter” above a target for 40 minutes before striking them at 115mph.
The deadly suicide drones – which are operated by a tablet device and can be pre-programmed – have special armour-piercing warheads that can shred a tank to pieces.
Kamikaze drones weigh a light 5.5 pounds each, can fly about six miles and hover over a target for up to 15 minutes before spiralling down at a speed of 100mph.
Both Switchblades make prime killing tools for the Ukrainians because they are easy and don’t require a lot of training.
It comes after Putin lost top commander Colonel Magomedali Magomedzhanov in a tragic loss for Russia.
He was wounded in a series of strikes on February 14 which hit a command post.
Magomedzhanov died later in hospital.
He was commander of the 61st Separate Kirkenes Red Banner Marine Brigade of the Northern Fleet, and deputy commander of Russia’s 18th army.
Sergei Melikov, head of the Dagestan region, where the commander was from, said: “He died while performing his military duty in the Special Military Operation zone.
Russia has been suffering immense blows in the war as Ukraine stands strong against Putin’s force.
On Valentine’s Day, Ukraine unleashed hellish strikes on Putin’s prized Black Sea Fleet as a “gift” to the Russian tyrant.
Dramatic footage showed a squad of Ukrainian special officers blasting one of the dictator’s warships – killing all on board and sinking the vessel.
The 369ft Caesar Kunikov was blitzed by drones – the 15th Russian warship to either be sunk or destroyed by Ukraine since war broke out.
Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency released footage of the daring strike – spearheaded by Group 13 special forces.
It shows the landing ship’s silhouette before it is blasted with an enormous explosion.
A clip from another sea drone then appears to show the mighty ship turned on its side in the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s military said it attacked the ship with naval drones called “Magura V5” – leaving it full of holes.
The huge vessel – one of Russia’s newest – was used by Putin’s armed forces to transport missiles and drones for attacks on Ukraine.
Kyiv has struck and sunk several large landing ships, including the most recent attack on the Novocherkassk, which left 33 sailors dead.
VLADIMIR Putin has been left red-faced by a series of naval losses during the Ukriane war.
February 2024 – Putin’s £55m Black Sea missile ship Ivanovets sinks
December 2023 – Novocherkassk landing ship destroyed
November 2023 – Putin’s newest missile ship Askold wrecked before setting sail
September 2023 – Feared Black Sea Fleet HQ blown up
September 2023 – Submarine Rostov-on-Don and Minsk landing shop attacked by missiles
August 2023 – Olenegorsky Gornyak landing ship seriously damaged
June 2022 – Naval tugboat Vasily Bekh blown up
May 2022 – Ukrainian drone wipes out Russian high-speed assault boat
April 2022 – Black Sea flagship Moskva sinks after attack
March 2022 – Russian Navy Alligator-class landing ship catches fire
March 2022 – Raptor-class patrol boats hit and damaged by missiles
RUSSIA invaded the Ukrainian territory of Crimea ten long years ago today – but it is still the most “decisive terrain” in the battle against Putin.
Kyiv has always had a bold battle plan to recapture the highly strategic peninsul…
LANGUISHING in a bone-chilling gulag in the Arctic Circle, opposition leader Alexei Navalny bore no possible threat to tyrant Vladimir Putin.
Yet — riddled with dictators’ paranoia many believe the Kremlin butcher ordered the democracy fighter’s d…