MTQ News

An MQ-9 Reaper on San Clemente Island in California on June 23. 2022.US Air National Guard/Staff Sgt. Joseph Pagan   Business Insider: Top US general predicts that much of the world's armies, navies, and air forces 'will be robotic' in 15 years, if not sooner   * The top US general says technology is changing the ways that wars are being fought.  * He said that robots will play a huge role in the world's armies, navies, and air forces within the next decade or so.  * Gen. Mark Milley also highlighted the role of artificial intelligence as a military application.  Technology is changing the ways that war is being fought, and the top US general predicts this will lead to an increasing use of robots in armies, navies, and air forces.  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told the Eurasia Group Foundation on a podcast that the world is undergoing a "fundamental change" in the "character of war."  Unlike the "nature of war,...

  WNU Editor: A lot of updates on the Russia - Ukraine war from the Military Summary channel (see above). Alexander Mercouris gives his updates on the war below.  from War News Updates https://ift.tt/CIwH5XZ via IFTTT

  CNBC: Deutsche Bank shares slide after sudden spike in the cost of insuring against its default   * The German lender’s shares retreated for a third consecutive day and have now lost more than a fifth of their value so far this month.  * The emergency rescue of Credit Suisse by UBS, in the wake of the collapse of U.S.-based Silicon Valley Bank, triggered contagion concern among investors, which was deepened by further monetary policy tightening from the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday.  Deutsche Bank shares fell on Friday following a spike in credit default swaps Thursday night, as concerns about the stability of European banks persisted.  The Frankfurt-listed stock was down 14% at one point during the session but trimmed losses to close 8.6% lower on Friday afternoon.  The German lender’s Frankfurt-listed shares retreated for a third consecutive day and have now lost more than a fifth of their value so far this month. Credit default swaps — a ...

The guided-missile destroyer USS Milius conducts a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea on Friday. MC1 Greg Johnson/US Navy   France 24: China says again drove away US warship in South China Sea; US says asserting navigational rights   China’s defence ministry said on Friday that it yet again had to monitor and drive away the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Milius that entered its territorial waters in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands.  “We sternly demand the U.S. to immediately stop such provocative acts, otherwise it will bear the serious consequences of unforeseen incidents,” a spokesperson said in a statement from the Ministry of National Defence.  The U.S. Navy said the guided-missile destroyer was asserting its navigational rights and freedoms. “Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded co...

Mexico's President AMLO says the United States cannot talk about human rights with Julian Assange detained, cartel violence with President Joe Biden bombing the Nord Stream pipeline, or democracy while arresting the leading presidential candidate Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/BIh93L1I43 — kanekoa.substack.com (@KanekoaTheGreat) March 22, 2023 FOX News: Mexican president backs Trump, says potential indictment is 'fabrication' to keep him off 2024 ballot   'Why not allow the people to decide,' López Obrador asked when discussing the Trump legal battle   Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador appeared to side with for former President Donald Trump amid his ongoing legal battle with the Manhattan district attorney's office, slamming the potential indictment as a way to prevent Trump from seeking the White House in 2024.  "Right now, former President Trump is declaring that they are going to arrest him," López Obrador said Tuesday during a ...

5⃣ stories you need to know today: The Federal Reserve delivers a small rate hike, Russia's Bakhmut assault loses steam, China says US warship illegally entered waters in South China Sea, protests continue across France, and potential TikTok ban sends advertisers scrambling pic.twitter.com/zDU2lr6Cj5 — Reuters (@Reuters) March 23, 2023 • Zelenskyy visits troops in eastern Donbas region • Scientists say climate change and pollution driving critical water scarcity • French President Macron defends his unpopular pension reforms Today’s top stories in a minute: pic.twitter.com/805j9eIJT8 — DW News (@dwnews) March 23, 2023 #UPDATE Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Thursday he would seek an explanation from Hungary about why it is delaying its parliament's ratification of Sweden's NATO bid but not Finland's ➡️ https://t.co/WuNuSgYS4s pic.twitter.com/TlN49jfPPw — AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 23, 2023 Israeli lawmakers have passed legislation tha...

Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands during a signing ceremony, following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, on 21 March 2023 (AFP)   RT: Russia now China’s biggest oil supplier – Reuters   January-February volumes spiked more than 20% year-on-year   Russia became China’s largest oil supplier in the first two months of 2023, overtaking Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing data from Beijing’s General Administration of Customs.  Crude deliveries from Russia amounted to 15.68 million tons in January-February, roughly 1.94 million barrels per day (bpd). It marked a 23.8% increase compared to the same period in 2022.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: The benefits to China for this trade have been enormous .... Factbox-How China benefits from Western sanctions on Russia's energy exports (Today On Line).  Russia Is Now China's Biggest Supplier For Oil    Russia surpasses Saudi Arabi...

DW: 'Pandora's box': EU weighs changing relations with China   China's show of solidarity with Russia displeased officials in Brussels, where concerns are growing that Beijing is considering supplying arms to Moscow.  But for now there is no real desire to decouple from China. If Xi Jinping chooses to "befriend a war criminal, it is our duty to get very serious about China," Lithuania's foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, told DW when asked what he thought about the Chinese president's three-day visit to Moscow and his meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.  The International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Putin late last week, accusing him of war crimes. The only way forward for the European Union now, Landsbergis said, is to take "first steps on de-risking and eventual decoupling from China. The sooner we start, the better for the union."   Read more ....   Update #1 : China's Russia ties after Xi visit...

  FOX News : Mike Pompeo sounds alarm on China-Russia alliance: Biden is making an 'enormous strategic mistake'    Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday on "America's Newsroom" that the Biden administration is making an "enormous strategic mistake" by seeking to downplay the meeting between China and Russia's presidents. Pompeo said the Biden foreign policy has failed, as Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin strengthen ties against the West.  Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement to expand their economic ties during a bilateral meeting in Moscow on Tuesday.  Xi arrived in Moscow for a multiday series of meetings with his Russian counterpart, aimed at demonstrating the two countries' new "friendship without limits." Xi and Putin emphasized the importance of jointly safeguarding their countries' energy security. Read more ....   Update #1 : Pompeo: The Biden administration...

Part of the ‘Razvyazka’ system. Screenshot from a documentary by Zvezda TV. © Zvezda TV   RT: Moscow’s missile defenses beefed up   A new regiment and ground radar facility are part of the protective upgrade for Russia's capital  The Russian military is set to complete an overhaul of Moscow’s air and missile defense systems this year, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has reported. The Russian capital was fortified against a possible nuclear strike during the Soviet era.  Speaking on Wednesday at a ministerial meeting on military procurement, Shoigu detailed that the upgrade will involve a change in the composition of the forces tasked with protecting the city, including the formation of a new regiment armed with S-350 Vityaz medium-range anti-missile systems.   Read more ....   Update #1 : Russia Building Up Defenses in Moscow After Strikes Hit Inside Borders (Newsweek)   Update #2 : Russia to Modernize Moscow’s Air Defense Systems (Defense P...

According to a statement released by the Czech Ministry of Defense on March 22, 2023, the Czech army has finalized a report on the military trials of the Leopard 2A4 MBT (Main Battle Tan), which was presented to the Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, Major General Karel Řehka. The tank was successful in all tested parameters and can be adopted for use by the Czech Army. Read full Defense News at this link ... The Czech army conducted military trials of Leopard 2A4 tanks, which will officially enter service with the Czech Armed Forces. (Picture source Czeh MoD) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/XhcOPEl via IFTTT

 According to a PR published by the Bangladeshi government on March 23, 2023, Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated the country's first submarine base, named 'BNS Sheikh Hasina', at Pekua in Cox's Bazar. Read full news at this link Virtual opening of the first submarine base in Bangladesh.  (Picture source: Indian Navy) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/xDS4KuU via IFTTT

  According to information published by Global Times on March 23, 2023, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) expelled a US destroyer when the latter sailed off the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea amid. Read full news at this link Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Milius. (Picture source: US DoD) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3Qil9XZ via IFTTT

Once again, the  Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has published a highly interesting report about worldwide arms trade. The imports of major arms by European states which increased by 47 per cent between 2013–17 and 2018–22, while the global level of international arms transfers decreased by 5.1 per cent.  Arms imports fell overall in Africa (–40 per cent), the Americas (–21 per cent), Asia and Oceania (–7.5 per cent) and the Middle East (–8.8 per cent)—but imports to East Asia and certain states in other areas of high geopolitical tension rose sharply. The United States’ share of global arms exports increased from 33 to 40 per cent while Russia’s fell from 22 to 16 per cent, according to new data on global arms transfers published today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Read full news at this link... Ukraine becomes world’s third largest arms importer in 2022 (Picture source: Ukrinform) Read more... from W...

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping leave after a reception in honor of the Chinese leader's visit to Moscow, at the Kremlin, March 21, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Byrkin/Kremlin via REUTERS   WNU Editor: The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... Putin welcomes China's Xi to Moscow (Reuters). from War News Updates https://ift.tt/kVcPUtI via IFTTT

As reported by several sources, the UK is planning to send armour-piercing rounds which contain depleted uranium (DU) to Ukraine, for use with the Challenger 2 tank squadron donated by the British army. As reported by Declassified UK, British Defence minister Baroness Goldie made the admission on 20th March, in response to a written parliamentary question from crossbench peer Lord Hylton. Goldie said: “Such rounds are highly effective in defeating modern tanks and armoured vehicles”. Russia has previously warned it would regard the use of depleted uranium in Ukraine as a ‘dirty bomb’. Read full news at this link... The British army is donating 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. They might be supplied with uranium-depleted (DU) armour-piercing shells (Picture source: Si Longworth/British MOD) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/B32RQHZ via IFTTT

On March 16, 2023, the Croatian parliamentary Defense Committee gave a positive opinion on projects to procure SPIKE anti-tank guided missiles, Patria APCs Armored Personnel Carriers and rigid inflatable boats (RIB) and to modernize the radar system and upgrade the combat communications system of the Croatian Air Force (HRZ). Read full Defense News at this link ... Spike LR anti-tank guided missile weapon system. (Picture source Eurospike) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/sbkULTI via IFTTT

 According to information published by Военный Осведомитель on March 22, 2023, three Ukrainian Unmanned surface vessels (USV) attempted to strike the coastal bays in Sevastopol. One USV was stopped by the visual observation post on a ship in the north. Read full news at this link Ukrainian Unmanned Surface Vessel. (Picture source: Ukrainian government) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/GvLiqSe via IFTTT

 According to a tweet published by the Malaysian MoD on March 22, 2023, the Royal Thai Navy's Chonburi class patrol craft HTMS Phuket made a port visit to Lumut Naval Base, Malaysia. Read full news at this link Thai Chonburi class HTMS Phuket. (Picture source: Malaysian MoD) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/9yFVgG8 via IFTTT

On March 21, the U.S. Defense Department published that, in January 2023, 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks would be delivered to Ukraine, but officials had speculated it would take about a year to make that happen. Now, they say, the U.S. will instead send M1A1 Abrams tanks from refurbished hulls already in U.S. inventory, and the delivery will be in the fall — faster than what was initially expected. C. Todd Lopez reports. Read full news at this link... U.S. Marines with Charlie Company, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, conduct live-fire training with M1A1 Abrams tanks during exercise Native Fury 20 in the United Arab Emirates, March 19, 2020 (Picture source: USMC Lance Cpl. Brendan Mullin) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/K9ygJR6 via IFTTT

In 2016, the U.S. Air Force launched a major program for 113 helicopters to replace their ageing HH-60G Pave Hawk. Lockheed Martin won the competition with their newly designed HH-60W “Whiskey”, built on the state-of-the-art UH-60M Black Hawk. Read full news at this link... The FN EMGS (External Mount Gun System) was designed to provide the customer with an integrated system featuring a specific mounting and interface to install three types of weapons – the .50 cal FN M3M machine gun (GAU-21); but also, for the first time in FN Herstal history, third-party guns such as the GAU-18/A (unmodified) machine gun; and the 7.62mm M134 minigun – on the HH-60W windows  (Picture source: Lockheed Martin) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/bjyW4GC via IFTTT

  The Hill : North Korea describes latest missile launch as simulated nuclear attack on South   North Korea on Monday said it used a ballistic missile launch to simulate a nuclear attack on neighbor South Korea over the weekend.  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the drill, according to Korean state media, as the country perceives “aggression” from enemies. It’s the latest demonstration in protest of joint military exercises from the U.S. and South Korea in the Korean Peninsula.  North Korea’s drill was “carried out under the tense situation in which a large-scale war drill is being frantically scaled up by the U.S.-South Korean allied forces to invade the DPRK and U.S. nuclear strategic assets are massively brought to South Korea,” according to state outlet Rodong Sinmun.   Read more ....  North Korea Describes Latest Missile Launch As A Simulated Nuclear Attack On South Korea   Kim says North Korea must be ready to launch nuclear cou...

US News and World Report: U.S. Intel Helped India Rout China in 2022 Border Clash: Sources   A previously unreported act of intelligence-sharing prevented another deadly standoff in disputed Himalayan territory and rattled the Chinese government, sources say.   India was able to repel a Chinese military incursion in contested border territory in the high Himalayas late last year due to unprecedented intelligence-sharing with the U.S. military, U.S. News has learned, an act that caught China’s People’s Liberation Army forces off-guard, enraged Beijing and appears to have forced the Chinese Communist Party to reconsider its approach to land grabs along its borders.  The U.S. government for the first time provided real-time details to its Indian counterparts of the Chinese positions and force strength in advance of a PLA incursion, says a source familiar with a previously unreported U.S. intelligence review of the encounter into the Arunachal Pradesh region. The informa...

  WNU Editor: A lot of updates on the Russia - Ukraine war from the Military Summary channel. Alexander Mercouris gives his updates on the war below.  from War News Updates https://ift.tt/sG7zwlj via IFTTT

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 20 March 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/RUOZvpV91Q 🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/ahiysSYYdz — Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 20, 2023 NEW: Tonight's report discusses growing Russian concern about a prospective Ukrainian counteroffensive near Bakhmut or in southern Ukraine and Russian efforts to prepare mitigations for these claimed efforts. https://t.co/e84fWxvjV3 pic.twitter.com/9KgsqplPZo — ISW (@TheStudyofWar) March 20, 2023 Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the Kremlin, sending a message to Western leaders allied with Ukraine that their efforts to isolate Moscow have fallen short. https://t.co/Q0kutv4jrw — The Associated Press (@AP) March 20, 2023 Russia's Vladimir Putin has said he will discuss China's Xi Jinping's plan to "settle the acute crisis in Ukraine...

Former President Donald Trump said he expects to be arrested on Tuesday as New York prosecutors consider charges over a hush money payment system to a porn star. French President Macron’s government faces two motions of no confidence, and more. 5⃣ stories you need to know pic.twitter.com/dMXbL5jn0o — Reuters (@Reuters) March 20, 2023 • Switzerland’s UBS set to take over rival Credit Suisse • Xi Jinping visits Russia as a show of support for Putin • Former Taiwanese leader to visit China, the first since the start of communist rule Today’s top stories in a minute: pic.twitter.com/K6dJRdOodb — DW News (@dwnews) March 20, 2023 Stocks closed higher on Monday as traders grew hopeful that a crisis in the banking sector may be easing. The gains followed a forced takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, engineered by the Swiss government. The Dow gained 1.20%. The S&P 500 rose 0.89%. The Nasdaq rose 0.39%. pic.twitter.com/1yKwD76Fgs — CNBC (@CNBC) March 20, 2023 #UPDATE The ...

Bloomberg: Dutch Call on EIB and Pension Funds to Invest in Defense Sector   (Bloomberg) -- The Netherlands’s defense minister, Kajsa Ollongren, called on the European Investment Bank to invest in the defense industry and said the Dutch government is already putting pressure on pension funds to fund the sector as the European Union struggles to supply Ukraine with sufficient artillery munitions.  “We need to have a highly capable defense industry in the European Union and the Netherlands and for that you have to invest, you have to innovate and you need funding,” she said in an interview from her office in The Hague. “If it’s not coming from big pension funds or banks then there is a real issue.”  EU member states are trying to reach an agreement over joint procurement of artillery ammunition to support Ukraine. Ukraine has said it will need 1 million rounds of ammunition this year, and Estonia has estimated that would cost around €4 billion ($4.3 billion).   R...

A Ukrainian serviceman prepares artillery shells [File: Kateryna Klochko/AP Photo]   BBC: EU gives Ukraine €2bn of ammunition after shell plea   More than a dozen European Union member states have agreed to supply Ukraine with at least one million artillery shells over the next year. The plan, worth €2bn in total, was agreed in Brussels on Monday.  Ukraine had told the EU it needed 350,000 shells a month to hold back advancing Russian troops and launch a counter-offensive this year.  Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hailed the "game-changing decision" from the EU. "Exactly what is needed," he wrote on Twitter. "Urgent delivery and sustainable joint procurement."  The deal comes as Russia grows concerned at a Ukrainian counter-offensive near Bakhmut or in southern Ukraine, according to a report from think tank Institute for the Study of War.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: About 90,000 artillery shells per month is not enough for Ukrai...

  CNN: Fed and other central banks try to head off crisis by keeping dollars flowing   The US Federal Reserve and several other major central banks announced a coordinated effort Sunday night to boost the flow of US dollars through the global financial system with the aim of keeping credit flowing to households and businesses.  “The Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, and the Swiss National Bank are today announcing a coordinated action to enhance the provision of liquidity via the standing US dollar liquidity swap line arrangements,” the central banks said in a joint statement.  Sunday’s statement came just hours after Swiss authorities orchestrated an emergency takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS. Credit Suisse — one of the 30 most important banks in the global financial system — was bleeding money last week after investor and customer confidence collapsed.   Read more ....   Update...

  Washington Post: Swiss banking giants combine to quell growing global bank crisis   Credit Suisse, the battered Swiss bank, has agreed to an emergency takeover by its rival UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank, a move engineered by the Swiss government to stave off immediate concerns of a global financial crisis.  The hasty deal, which was announced Sunday following a weekend of negotiations, offers a temporary reprieve after days of panic in global markets triggered by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.  But it does little to ease longer-term worries of instability in the banking system. A “swift and stabilizing solution was absolutely necessary,” Alain Berset, president of the Swiss Confederation, said during a Sunday afternoon news conference. The UBS deal, he added, was “the best solution for restoring the confidence that has been lacking in financial markets recently.”  Read more ....   WNU Editor: These people are really pissed-off .... Credi...

Iran, China, and Russia hold joint drills in Sea of Oman Dubbed "the Marine Security Belt 2023", the military maneuver aims to strengthen regional security. Follow Press TV on Telegram: https://t.co/7h1TYXZOQt pic.twitter.com/cvuDJgBizb — Highlights (@highlightsnews1) March 17, 2023 Zero Hedge: China, Russia, Iran Wrap Up Joint Military Drills In Gulf Just Ahead Of Xi-Putin Visit   The Biden administration and National Security Council say they closely monitored multiple days of rare joint naval drills between China, Russia, and Iran held in the Gulf of Oman.  The "Security Bond-2023" exercises took place from Wednesday through Saturday, and were focused on deepening "practical cooperation between the participating countries’ navies ... and inject positive energy into regional peace and stability," according to China's Defense Ministry. The allies confirmed the exercises concluded Saturday and hailed their 'success'.   Read more ...

The ongoing global sanctions against Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine may have rightly isolated Moscow, but they've also weakened the standing of the US dollar in the process. Shutterstock   Jay Norton, NYPost: Why the US dollar has become an at-risk currency   Everywhere you turn there’s chatter about the ongoing US economic sanctions against Russia. The Russian Central Bank, Russian banks, Russian companies, Russian oligarchs — and anyone caught helping them — have seen their fortunes entangled since Moscow invaded Ukraine just over a year ago.  From Davos to Aspen, American Treasury officials tout the unprecedented scale and scope of this powerful economic weapon.  And why not? The effort has been impressive.  The US government task forces have beached scores of yachts, grounded planes, blocked hundreds of millions of dollars of central bank assets and cut Russian financial institutions off from the global SWIFT financial system.  Sa...

The Kh-47 Kinzhal (Russian: Х-47 Кинжал), also known as the Dagger, is a Russian-made air-launched nuclear-capable hypersonic missile. It is a highly maneuverable and high-speed weapon designed to engage a wide range of targets, including naval and ground-based targets. The missile system is an important part of Russia's military arsenal and is seen as a response to the development of advanced missile defense systems by other countries. Read  Kh-47 Kinzhal Fact Sheet at this link ... The Kh-47 Kinzhal is Russian-made air-launched nuclear-capable hypersonic missile Read Fact Sheet Here from World Defence News https://ift.tt/jM6azbC via IFTTT

FOX News : Navy secretary cited climate change as top priority as Biden proposes shrinking the fleet   The Biden administration proposed cutting two ships from the Navy in its 2024 budget plan   Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said he sees fighting climate change as a top priority for the Navy as the Biden administration proposes shrinking the fleet by two ships and worries grow about how the U.S. Navy stacks up to China’s.  "As the Secretary of the Navy, I can tell you that I have made climate one of my top priorities since the first day I came into office," Del Toro said March 1 in remarks at the University of the Bahamas.  Del Toro said he met with Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis during his visit and spoke "at length" with him about the climate crisis and focused the bulk of his remarks on climate.   Read more ....   Update #1 : Secretary of the Navy touts climate as a 'top priority' despite growing threat from China (Washington Examin...

On March 17, 2023, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency released a statement to announce that the U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Greece of 63 Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAVs) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $268 million. Read full Defense News at this link ... U.S.Marines with Bravo Company, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, come ashore in their Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) on Camp Schwab beach, Okinawa, Japan, June 29, 2018. (Picture source U.S. DoD) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/YxPNhye via IFTTT

A soldier in front of some Chinese PLA and Russian military weapons in Taipei, Taiwan, Nov. 30, 2021. Daniel Ceng Shou Yi / EPA / TASS   Politico : ‘Hunting rifles’ — really? China ships assault weapons and body armor to Russia   Customs data obtained by POLITICO reveals direct shipments of Chinese assault rifles, as well as drone shipments and body armor routed via Turkey and the UAE.   Chinese companies, including one connected to the government in Beijing, have sent Russian entities 1,000 assault rifles and other equipment that could be used for military purposes, including drone parts and body armor, according to trade and customs data obtained by POLITICO.  The shipments took place between June and December 2022, according to the data provided by Import Genius, a customs data aggregator.   Read more ....  Report Says China Is Shipping Weapons, Body Armor, And Drone Parts To Russia   Chinese ammunition used in Ukraine battlefields: US gov...