The Biden promised advanced air defense systems for the Ukrainians

Russian Defense Assistance for Ukraine: Response to Ukraine’s Crimes on Crimea and the Kerch Bridge, and the annexation of Crimea

During the call, a White House statement said, Biden “expressed his condemnation of Russia’s missile strikes across Ukraine, including in Kyiv, and conveyed his condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured in these senseless attacks. President Biden promised to give Ukraine support to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems.

Biden, the statement said, “also underscored his ongoing engagement with allies and partners to continue imposing costs on Russia, holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance.”

And a second senior administration official provided the following summary of air defense aid provided to Ukraine from the US: “We have transferred more than 1,400 Stinger anti-air systems to Ukraine, as well as air surveillance and multi-mission radars. We enabled our Allies to transfer air defense systems of their own to Ukraine – including Slovakia’s transfer of a critical S-300 system in April. And in August, President Biden announced a new assistance package for Ukraine that included orders for 8 new NASAMS—National Advanced Surface to Air Missile Systems. We will continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to defend itself.”

NASAMS had not been delivered to Ukraine as of late September according to the Department of Defense. At the time, he was a brigadier. Gen. Patrick Ryder said two systems were expected to be delivered in the next two months, with the remaining six to arrive at an undetermined date.

The General Staff of theArmed Forces ofUkraine said on Facebook that Russia launched 84 cruise missiles against targets acrossUkraine on Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strikes were a response to what he described as acts of “terrorism” by Kyiv. He referred to the explosion on the Kerch Bridge linking Russia and Crimea, as well as a list of other alleged crimes.

Putin last month delivered a speech announcing the partial mobilization of some 300,000 reservists following successful Ukrainian counterattacks, raising the specter of nuclear weapons if he deemed the “territorial integrity” of Russia to be jeopardized. Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions in defiance of international law.

According to the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, he thinks Moscow should aim for the “total dismantling” of Zelensky’s regime.

John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said Monday that there will likely be additional support packages for Ukraine announced “in the very near future.”

Kirby told Kate that it is clear that he is feeling the pressures at home and overseas, and that he can only speak for himself.

Last week, Biden delivered a stark warning about the dangers of Putin’s nuclear threats, invoking the prospect of “Armageddon.” Multiple US officials have said that the comment was not based on new intelligence or changes in the Russian nuclear posture.

The Airstrike in Syria After a Suspected Iranian Drone Collided with a Service Member and Produced an American Citizen

The US airstrike came after a suspected Iranian drone hit a facility for US personnel in the country, killing a contractor and wounding five service members.

The contractor was an American citizen, a spokesman for US Central Command confirmed. Five US service members and an additional US contractor were also wounded in the strike.

The Secretary of Defense said that President joe Biden authorized a precision airstrike in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

The president said that the US strikes were done in a manner intended to establish deterrence, limit the risk of escalating, and avoid civilian casualties.

“As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing,” Austin said. No group will strike our troops without consequence.

The drone intentionally crashed into its target, an official familiar with the matter told CNN. The infrastructure that was targeted by the US in response to the suspected Iranian drones wasn’t related to them, but it was targeted because it was known to be supporting Iranian proxies in the country, according to an official.

Nuclear Security Threats in the Middle East: a U.S. View from the Viewpoint of the Commander of Central Command Gen. Erik Kurilla

The commander of US Central Command, Gen. Erik Kurilla, said the US could carry out additional strikes if there were more attacks. “We are postured for scalable options in the face of any additional Iranian attacks,” Kurilla said in a statement Thursday evening.

Kurilla said earlier Thursday that Iranian proxies had carried out drone attacks or rocket attacks against US forces in the Middle East 78 times since the beginning of 2021, an average of nearly one attack every 10 days.

“What Iran does to hide its hand is they use Iranian proxies,” Kurilla told a House Armed Services Committee hearing earlier in the day. It is possible to attack our forces in Iraq and Syria with either drones or rockets.

The first military action taken by Biden was against Iranian-backed militias after rockets were fired into Iraq. And in August, the US struck a group of bunkers used for ammunition storage and logistics support by Iranian proxies in Syria, after rockets landed near another US facility.

Gen. Mark Milley was the top US general for the first time when he visited US troops in Syria. Milley visited troops in northeast Syria who are there as part of the ongoing campaign to defeat ISIS, a mission the US carries out with its partners in the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

A day before the rocket attack, four US troops and one dog were injured in a helicopter raid against a senior Islamic States leader in northeast Syria.

The strikes are likely to increase tensions with Iran, with which the proxy groups are aligned, even though Tehran is not always involved in directing attacks.

Defense of the Pentagon: The Iran-Palmer Plan for the March 11 Nuclear Reactor Strikes and the Security of the Proton

Saturday’s notification is a routine part of the War Powers Act, which requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of military actions. The letter was sent to both House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Sen. Patty Murray.

The US has sanctions against Iran for providing attack drones to Russia. Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint chiefs of Staff, said on Thursday that Iran has the ability to make enough plutonium for a nuke in less than two weeks.

The man is bristling. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, emphasized to reporters Friday that the US is not seeking conflict with Iran, but said the strikes “were intended to send a very clear message that we will take the protection of our personnel seriously and that we will respond quickly and decisively if they’re threatened.”