General Mark Milley, America’s top uniformed military officer, says there’s “no silver bullet” the US and its allies can give to Ukraine to ensure it defeats Russia.
(Bloomberg) — General Mark Milley, America’s top uniformed military officer, says there’s “no silver bullet” the US and its allies can give to Ukraine to ensure it defeats Russia.
Milley spoke Friday alongside US defense chief Lloyd Austin, who said Ukraine’s most pressing need is for ground-based air defenses. The pair held a meeting of military donors to Ukraine at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
A Russian Su-34 military jet accidentally fired on the city of Belgorod north of the Ukrainian border, the Russian defense ministry said, leaving a massive crater and damaging homes and cars.
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(All times CET)
Milley Says ‘No Silver Bullet’ for Ukraine (7:30 a.m.)
America’s top uniformed military officer said there’s no “silver bullet” the US and its allies can give Ukraine to ensure it defeats Russia, even as the Ukrainian troops prepare to train on the M1 Abrams battle tank.
“I do think the M1 tank, when it’s delivered, will make a difference,” General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in Ramstein, Germany. “There’s no silver bullet.”
Milley spoke alongside Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who said that Ukraine’s most pressing need is for ground-based air defenses. Ukraine has requested fighter jets to aid in its fight against Russia, a request the US has so far resisted.
Read more: Milley Says There’s No Silver Bullet for Ukraine Against Russia
Holtec to Help Build 20 Small Module Reactors in Ukraine (7 a.m.)
Energoatom, Ukraine’s nuclear operator, and Holtec International have agreed on cooperation to build small modular reactors SMR-160 in Ukraine, Energoatom said on Facebook.
Up to 20 small module reactors will be built in Ukraine to help decentralize power generation and compensate for generating capacities destroyed by Russian strikes over recent months. The first pilot project is planned to be completed in 2029.
Italy Freezes Assets of Russian Who Dodged US Sanctions Charges (7 a.m.)
Italy froze the financial assets of Artem Uss, a politically connected Russian who escaped from house arrest in Milan while awaiting extradition on US charges of sanctions evasion and money laundering.
The Finance Ministry in Rome late Friday approved a decree freezing the assets, which include a stake in a company, a villa and a bank account.
Read more: Italy Freezes Assets of Russian Who Dodged US Sanctions Charges
US Expands Hunt for Russia Sanctions Evaders to Distant Places (3:20 p.m.)
The US Justice Department is looking for new ways to cut off Russian sanctions evasion by focusing on overseas investment advisers, hedge funds, law firms and private equity managers that have previously escaped scrutiny.
“People who are sitting in banks where they don’t care about US sanctions or money laundering or frankly fraud concerns, fit the bill when I say we are prioritizing facilitators,” Andrew Adams, head of the department’s Task Force Kleptocapture, told Bloomberg in an interview.
His remarks can be seen as a warning shot about the expanding US campaign to flush out sanctions evaders. They also underscore a perennial problem: law enforcement has struggled to crimp the ability of wealthy Russians and companies to conceal their money.
Russia Accidentally Strikes City Near Ukraine Border (8:30 a.m.)
A Russian warplane accidentally fired on the city of Belgorod, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the Ukrainian border, Tass reported, citing the defense ministry.
“As a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane was flying over the city of Belgorod, there was an accidental discharge of aviation ammunition,” Tass reported, citing the defense ministry.
An unspecified number of buildings were damaged, the state-run Tass news service reported, citing the ministry. Local authorities reported at least three injuries. The regional governor said on Telegram said the bomb left a 20-meter-wide (66 feet) crater on a main street.
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