Violence and atrocities : #military

Showing posts with label #military. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Fresh row erupts between China and Taiwan over visit of Greg Hands, British Trade Policy Minister to Taiwan

There are indications that China has plans to make use of the massive civilian maritime fleet it has in order to transport military equipment to seize Taiwan. This appears to be the result of the visit of Greg Hands, the British Trade Policy Minister, to Taiwan. Photos in the social media reveal a massive military convoy of trucks, main battle tanks (MBT), and armored fighting vehicles (AFV) at civilian ports. These are moving in between passenger ships and car carriers. Chinese defense enthusiasts claim the design of the concept has a Taiwan operation in mind. China has its own fleet of roll-on-roll-over (RoRo) ships and dedicated car carriers. These can double up as amphibious transport vessels when required. In short, China wants to assert its claims over Taiwan and use every possible means. Photos in the media do not identify the port and the date of the military exercises. China had conducted such exercises in the past. Civilian Ship Armed With Tanks — Scary Images Reveal China’s ‘Notorious Plan’ To Invade & Annex Taiwan.

It seems, the civilian fleet can be commandeered under China’s January 2017 National Defense Transportation Law, which treats basic infrastructure and transport systems as “civil-military fusion assets”. This is as informed by Ian Easton, Senior Director of the Project 2049 Institute. On August 31 this year, seven dual-use amphibious ferries landing craft came to a Chinese beach near the Taiwan Strait. This is according to a defense analyst Tom Shugart. One of the RoRo ferries was the Bo Hai Heng Tong, a 15,000-ton multipurpose cargo ship. As Tom Shugart explains – “The ferry’s internal parking ‘lane’ is 1.6 miles long and three meters wide, spread across three decks. It translates into a vehicle cargo capacity almost three times that of a San Antonio-class amphibious warship (LPD-17).” Obviously, the plans of China appear to have a single agenda – Taiwan. Whether these weapons of warfare are actually used is anybody’s guess.

Monday, November 7, 2022

Japan rearming itself to deter China in East Asia

In order to boost its defense setup, Japan has recently signed a security pact with Australia. Its purpose is to boost practical defense cooperation between the two nations. Japan wants to re-arm itself in the next five years to deter China in East Asia. This partnership has come soon after Xi Jinping took charge as the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for the third term. In October, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and Australian PM Anthony Albanese confirmed the significance of a "free and open Indo-Pacific.” This is in conformity with the vision advocated by late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The agreement between Japan and Australia came with the concern mounting that China may intensify its military provocations against Taiwan following an unprecedented third term by Xi Jinping. Incidentally, after World War II, the defense policies of Japan have always been governed by pacifism. That concept is changing as Japan steps up its efforts to build its arms and ammunition to counter modernization of China's military. Japan Likely To Rearm By 2027 As China-Taiwan Tensions Heighten: Reports. Beijing appears rattled by Japan's newly developed bonding with Taiwan and it has described such bonding as dangerous.

A media report quotes Yoji Koda, a former commander of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force fleet, saying that Tokyo's trust in Beijing is vanishing. He attributes this to the rapid military build-up by Beijing and its flouting of an international court ruling that rejected China's claim over the South China Sea. Moreover, tensions have increased between Japan and China over the territory known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan. Another factor is the disturbance in key shipping lanes that might arise if China takes over Taiwan. These shipping lanes supply nearly all of Japan's oil and many other materials it uses for manufacturing.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Missiles fired by North Korea leads to evacuation warning in parts of Japan

North Korea has fired a number of missiles, among these one was an intercontinental ballistic missile. It prompted Japan to issue an evacuation warning for parts of Japan. One of these missiles reached an altitude of 1,200 miles and travelled about 460 miles. Japan's defence minister Yasukazu Hamada said the flight pattern was "lofted trajectory." It means the missile flew high into space to avoid flying over neighboring countries. The Japanese military lost track of the suspected ICBM over the water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The minister corrected an earlier report that mentioned it had flown over Japan. In the opinion of South Korea, it might have failed mid-flight. According to officials in Seoul, the launching of the first missile was from some location near Pyongyang. Subsequent ones were from Kaechon, north of Pyongyang. Evacuation alert in parts of Japan and bullet trains halted after North Korea fires missiles. After the first launch, the office of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida broadcast alerts through different devices to residents in three prefectures. These were Miyagi, Yamagata and Niigata. The alerts were for people to get inside strong buildings or to head underground. Simultaneously, there was suspension of bullet train services in these regions.

Prime Minister Kishida described the repeated missile launches of North Korea as an “outrage and absolutely cannot be forgiven." South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman described these as "deplorable, immoral." The action of the North came a day after it fired at least 23 missiles. One of these landed just 40 miles off the coast of South Korea. It prompted the South to issue its own air raid warnings and launch its own missiles. Pyongyang has also been calling for the U.S. and South Korea to stop large military exercises. It says - "military rashness and provocation (which) can be no longer tolerated." Incidentally, nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea remain in a limbo since early 2019.

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Tensions increase between North and South Korea with exchange of warning shots off their western coast

North and South Korea accused each other of breaching their maritime border. They exchanged warning shots off their western coast and led to heightened tensions because of the weapons tests conducted by Pyongyang. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea explained that it broadcast warnings and did fire warning shots. The purpose was to repel a merchant vessel of North Korea that crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL). This is a de facto sea boundary. The North, on its part, said its military fired 10 rounds of artillery warning shots towards its territorial waters. It was because it had detected “naval enemy movement.” It also accused a naval ship of South Korea of intruding into the waters of North Korea on the pretext of cracking down on an unidentified ship. the North Korean People’s Army said - “We ordered initial countermeasures to strongly expel the enemy warship by firing 10 shells of multiple rocket launchers near the waters where the enemy movement occurred.” This was as per the official KCNA news agency. Two Koreas exchange warning shots near sea border amid tensions.

JCS said the actions by North Korea breached a 2018 inter-Korean accord on reducing military animosities and undermined stability on the Korean Peninsula. It also said the shells fired by the North did not land in the waters of South Korea but did boost its military readiness. In this case, there were no reports of clashes. However, the poorly marked sea boundary off the Korean Peninsula’s west coast has always been a source of long-running animosities between the two Koreas. It witnessed a number of bloody inter-Korean naval skirmishes and violence in recent years. These included the shelling of a South Korean navy ship that killed 50 people in 2010. In recent weeks, Pyongyang has launched short-range ballistic missiles and hundreds of artillery rounds off its east and west coasts on a number of occasions to protest over the military activities of its southern neighbor. A professor at Ewha University in Seoul cautioned, “Pyongyang’s politics of blaming external threats and projecting confidence in military capabilities can motivate greater risk taking. Actions of this nature could give rise to a serious exchange of fire and unintended escalation.

Thursday, October 13, 2022

Kim Jong-un supervised long-range cruise missile tests to demonstrate Pyongyang's readiness for "actual war"

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reports that its leader Kim Jong-un supervised long-range cruise missile tests. He described them as a demonstration of his country’s readiness for "actual war." The two missiles flew for nearly three hours and showed their ability to strike targets roughly around 1,250 miles away. The agency said the test was conducted to improve the "combat efficiency and might" of long-range strategic cruise missiles "for the operation of tactical nukes." The leader of North Korea said his country's nuclear forces were prepared for "actual war to bring enemies under their control at a blow." He described his weapons systems as "mobile, precise and powerful." He went on to clarify that the missile tests send "another clear warning to enemies." Moreover, he said North Korea would "resolutely deter any crucial military crisis and war crisis at any time and completely take the initiative in it." North Korea's Kim Jong Un supervises cruise missile test.

North Korea has launched 12 ballistic missiles in a span of two weeks through October 9. One of these flew over Japan. Authorities in Pyongyang said the tests were a warning to the South and the US for staging joint naval exercises that including a US aircraft carrier. North Korea called these drills "dangerous." It seems the parliament of the North passed a law giving permission for preemptive use of nuclear weapons against these countries in the event of an attack on the leadership of North Korea. Pyongyang added that it would surrender its nuclear arsenal only if there were global disarmament. This would come as a big blow to those who still nurse hopes of negotiating Pyongyang's disarmament individually. Officials in South Korea do not rule out possibilities of the North conducting a nuclear test in the coming months.

Saturday, October 8, 2022

America imposes fresh sanctions on North Korea after it conducts more ballistic missile tests

Within the last two weeks, North Korea has launched as many as six missiles. This happened within the past two weeks and the western world is worried. In view of this situation, the US has imposed fresh sanctions on the hermit kingdom. The US Treasury and State Department announced this. These would target two individuals and three entities. They have links to the delivery of refined petroleum to the DPRK. Such an action directly supports the development of DPRK weapons programs and its military. Secretary of State Antony Blinken disclosed this and provided details. The targets indicated by the Treasury Department are two Singapore registered companies and an entity registered in the Marshall Islands associated with illicit ship-to-ship (STS) transfers to circumvent UN sanctions. US imposes new sanctions connected to North Korea following spate of missile tests. Blinken explained that the purpose of this action is to send a clear message that the U.S. “will continue to take actions against those who support the development and sustainment of the DPRK’s military and weapons arsenal.”

The activities of North Korea vis-à-vis aggressive acceleration in weapons testing has become a matter of concern for South Korea and Japan. They along with the US responded with missile launches and joint military exercises. The US has also redeployed an aircraft carrier into waters near the peninsula. This is a move described by South Korean authorities as “very unusual.” Blinken warned that if North Korea continues “down this road” of provocation “it will only increase the condemnation, increase the isolation and increase the steps that are taken in response to their actions.” Incidentally, these recent tests have added to the concerns of the administration. It feels these could be in preparation of Kim Jong-un overseeing his nation’s seventh nuclear test.

Friday, September 30, 2022

President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan wants to achieve self-sufficiency in defense

A new, domestically made amphibious warfare ship has joined the navy of Taiwan. Such a warship can land troops and bolster supply lines to vulnerable islands. This is a part of push to achieve self-sufficiency in defense, as envisaged by Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen. The name of the warship is Yu Shan. It is derived from the name of Taiwan’s tallest mountain. This is a program for modernizing the armed forces in view of increased pressure from the military of China. President Tsai said - “When it comes to China’s military threats, only by strengthening our self-defence capabilities can there be true peace.” She said the Yu Shan was a proof of the efforts of Taiwan to boost production of its own warships and ensure autonomy in national defense to “defend the country.” Taiwan adds new amphibious warfare ship to defence inventory. The arsenal of the warship consists of forward cannon, for use against air and surface targets. There are also anti-aircraft missiles, apart from rapid-fire Phalanx close-in anti-aircraft and anti-missile guns.

The warship was an amphibious warfare vessel. It has space for landing craft and helicopters. It will assume the “main transport role” for the South China Sea and offshore Taiwanese islands that lie close to the coast of China. It considers these islands as easy targets in the event of war. The Air Force of Taiwan has already taken advantage of the new and upgraded F-16 fighter aircraft. The focus of President Tsai is now on submarines that are already in production. In addition, she has plans for launch of a fleet of highly maneuverable stealth corvette ships. China has already conducted live fire drills near Taiwan last month. This was to express its anger at a visit to Taipei by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. China has continued its military activity at a much-reduced tempo. America is the most important international arms supplier for Taiwan and Tsai is determined to make Taiwan self-sufficient. A UK-based defense and security think-tank indicated last month that the military of China could struggle to launch an amphibious assault on Taiwan. This would be because of the island’s anti-ship missile defense systems.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Shooting incident in school in Russia kills at least 17, injures another 24 - gunman takes his own life

A gunman opens fire in a school in central Russia, kills at least 17 people and injures another 24 before committing suicide. The tragic incident happened in the city of Izhevsk, a city located some 600 miles east of Moscow. Russian authorities have identified the gunman. He was in his early 30s and a graduate of the same school. It seems he wore a black T-shirt bearing “Nazi symbols.” His motives are still shrouded in mystery. The dead included 11 children. Another 22 children suffered injuries in the attack. According to the governor of Udmurtia, Alexander Brechalov, the gunman was registered as a patient at a psychiatric facility. He committed suicide after the attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the attack as “inhuman.” Russia: At least 17 dead, 24 wounded in Izhevsk school shooting. A spokesman of the Kremlin said - “President Putin deeply mourns the deaths of people, children, at a school where there was a terrorist attack by a person, who apparently belongs to a neo-fascist group.” He added - the president wishes for the recovery of those injured as a result of this inhuman terrorist attack.

Authorities of Russia reveals that the gunman used two non-lethal handguns adapted to fire real bullets. The guns were not registered. The authorities have launched criminal investigation into the incident on charges of multiple murders and illegal possession of firearms. After the incident, students were made to evacuate the premises and it was cordoned off. The school caters to children aged six to 17. The population of the city of Izhevsk is about 640,000 people and it is located west of the Ural Mountains in central Russia. While shooting in schools is more frequent in the United States and many other countries, it is not so in Russia. In April 2022, a man killed two children and a teacher at a kindergarten in the central Ulyanovsk region before killing himself. Before that, in May 2021, a lone teenage gunman opened fire in the city of Kazan and killed nine people. Seven of them were children. In another incident of 2018, a student at a college in Russian-annexed Crimea killed 20 people. Then he committed suicide. Incidentally, in Russia, military service is compulsory for men aged between 18 and 27. There have been a few incidents in the past of death from gun violence in the military.

Monday, September 12, 2022

Chinese drones in the skies of Taiwan increase tension in the region

As many as 30 unarmed drones buzzed over two islands near the coast of China. These islands belong to Taiwan and most of these aerial vehicles were either civilian, or unidentified. Garrison of Taiwanese soldiers stationed on the rocky outcrops appeared to be the targets. In the initial stages, the Taiwanese soldiers ignored them. However, when the frequency of flights increased, the soldiers fired warning shots and shot down one of them into the sea. This added to the tensions between the two sides. China continues to claim that Taiwan, even though self-governed, is its territory. The presence of Chinse military in the Taiwan Strait has increased. They are flying jets and sailing ships closer to the island. The intention could be to test the defenses of Taiwan, thereby raising the risk of conflict. Chinese Drones: The latest irritant buzzing Taiwan’s defenses. As an analyst explains - “China is using such harassment to increase pressure, deliberately raising tensions around Taiwan. Don’t assume that a civilian drone has nothing to do with military purposes.”

It remains to be seen how Taiwan responds to future Chinese drone flights that might enter its airspace. In addition, whether it can deter Beijing without provoking conflict. China could be using the military drones to gather intelligence. It might be making use of the civilian drones for domestic propaganda purposes in order to undermine the image of Taiwan and mount a campaign of intimidation and psychological warfare. President Tsai Ing-wen has made it clear to China that the military of Taiwan will “not provoke disputes, and we will exercise self-restraint, but it does not mean that we will not counter.” She said this in a recent speech on the Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait.

Friday, September 9, 2022

North Korea declares itself as a nuclear weapons state

Kim Jong-un described the decision of declaring itself as a nuclear weapons state ‘irreversible.’ He also ruled out any possibility of reopening talks on denuclearization. The law emphasizes the country's right to go in for a pre-emptive nuclear strike to protect itself. During the tenure of Donald Trump as the president of the United States, there were talks on this subject but Donald and Kim could not arrive at an acceptable solution. Later, the Joe Biden administration tried to reopen the subject but there has not been much progress. In spite of facing crippling international sanctions, the North carried out six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017. North Korea declares itself a nuclear weapons state. Pyongyang has continued to increase its military capability. This was a breach of United Nations Security Council resolutions. It meant threat to its neighbors and possibilities of bringing the United States mainland within striking range.

Incidentally, Kim Jong-un conducted long-range launches and nuclear tests in 2019. There were summits with the then US president Donald Trump that grabbed headlines but provided no result. Talks between the countries have since stalled. The Biden administration indicated its willingness to talk. It has reviewed its North Korea policy last year and reiterated that "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula was the goal. President Biden indicated he would pursue it with a mix of diplomacy and "stern deterrence." To this, Kim Jong-un said his country must prepare for both "dialogue and confrontation."

Friday, September 2, 2022

China and Russia launch war games to confront tensions with the United States

Russia wants to use the latest round of war-games Vostok 2022 to demonstrate that it has sufficient military might to undertake massive drills. This is in spite of its engagement in other fronts. The intention of the weeklong war games between China and Russia is to show their cooperation against the United States. The Vostok 2022 (East 2022) exercises will go on at seven firing ranges in Russia’s Far East and the Sea of Japan. The Russian participation would be of more than 50,000 troops and 5,000 weapons units. These would include aircraft and warships. China, on its part, would join with more than 2,000 troops along with more than 300 military vehicles, 21 combat aircraft and 3 warships. The chief of the Russian General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, will personally oversee the drills. These would involve troops from a number of former Soviet nations apart from countries like China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua and Syria. The Defense Ministry revealed that the navies of Russia and China would conduct exercises in the Sea of Japan. Russia launches war games with China amid growing tensions for both with the U.S. . This will be the first time that China has sent forces from three branches of its military to involve in a single Russian drill.

Vostok 2022 is described as an exercise to showcase the extent of the Sino-Russian military cooperation and mutual trust. These have strengthened recently. China has blamed the U.S. and NATO for imposing sanctions on Moscow. Russia responded by backing China in the tensions with the U.S. following the visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted that Washington was trying to foment global instability. Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have developed a bond that bolsters a “strategic partnership” between the former communist rivals. Both of them have a common rival in the United States.

Taiwan shoots down civilian drone near China

Tension between Taiwan and China heightens as Taiwan shit down a drone off the coast of China. It flew over a Taiwanese-controlled island. Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang described it as an appropriate action in spite of repeated warnings. It seems the unidentified civilian drone entered the airspace of Taiwan. The incident happened near the outlying Kinmen islands very close to Xiamen city of China. Taiwan’s military confirms that it shot down the drone after it entered restricted airspace near the tiny Shiyu (Lion) islet. It later crashed into the sea. The Premier of Taiwan told media persons that Taiwan had repeatedly issued warnings and “asked them not to encroach on our doorstep.” However, they ignored the warnings. As a result, the military shot it down in self-defense. The Premier added that China should exercise restraint. In his words - “We will never provoke, and we will do the most appropriate thing to protect our land and our people.” Taiwan premier says drone shot down near China was ‘appropriate’. The foreign ministry of China accused Taiwan of trying to increase tension.

The Kinmen Defense Command mentioned that in spite of firing flares and warning shots, the drone maintained its position. The drone was meant for “civilian” use. There is no mention of its recovery or how it was brought own. Taiwan occupies three of the islands off the coast of the Chinese port city of Xiamen. Incidents of drones hovering over these islands had increased. The Taiwanese military says there have been hundreds of aerial incursions by Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. These have taken place so far this year. Tension between Taipei and Beijing went up following the recent visit of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. China responded by conducting live-fire military drills for more than a week in the waters around the island. President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan gave orders to the military to take “strong countermeasures” against what she termed Chinese provocations.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

North Korea reactivates its missile programs

After a brief lull, North Korea appears to have reactivated its missile program. It seems the North fired two cruise missiles towards the sea off its west coast recently. The country has been pursuing its missile programs in spite of sanctions against it by the global community. This had been imposed in order restrict the nuclear ambitions of the hermit kingdom and maintain peace in the Korean Peninsula. However, North Korea appears to be determined to pursue the testing of its missiles irrespective of consequences. The latest launch appears to be the first one by the secretive country since 8 June. At that time, it had conducted test of eight short-range ballistic missiles. North Korea fires two cruise missiles as South Korea leader calls for diplomacy. This comes even as South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed concern over the weapons program of its neighbor. The president of South Korea called for diplomatic procedures in an effort to create an atmosphere of sustainable peace.

During a news conference, President Yoon Suk-yeol made it clear that he was not in favor of bringing any political change in the North by force. Simultaneously, he urged North Korea to return to dialogue that would open the doors towards denuclearization. Such a step would result in economic benefits. Incidentally, Kim Jong-un, the leader of the North, has claimed about mobilizing his country’s nuclear war deterrent. He has also added that North Korea was prepared for any potential military conflicts with not only the United States but also South Korea. He went to the extent of criticizing the new president Yoon Suk-yeol for the first time and cautioned that Seoul was pushing towards the brink of war.

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Russia admits to loss of more than 1,300 troops in the month long war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin insists on calling the conflict in Ukraine as a “special military operation.” It began on Feb. 24 and Russia has finally admitted to loos of its forces. U S News says more than 1,300 Russian troops have been killed. However, the figures are much less than the assessment of Western powers and Kyiv. Incidentally, an official of the Russian Ministry of Defense indicated the state would take care of rehabilitation of the families of soldiers who lost their lives in the war. Casualties will be there during wars and the United States. had lost 7,000 troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan. That was across two decades.

Russia conducted different methods to subdue Ukraine. However, it seems various issues have bogged down the plans. Some of these are a depletion of Russian armaments coupled with effective defenses of Ukraine. Putin took a decision to use more indiscriminate weaponry and siege tactics against dense civilian centers like Mariupol and the capital Kyiv. These have led to increased civilian casualties. There are concerns in some quarters about Russia going in for chemical weapons or biological warfare. It seems Putin could induct foreign fighters to carry out such attacks.

Source - U S News 25 March 2022.

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Sunday, March 20, 2022

At least 50 sleeping soldiers killed in Mykolaiv due to Russian missile attack, toll could increase

This time the Russians targeted a military base in Mykolaiv. It was another missile attack and a part of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The calculations of Russian President Vladimir Putin appear to be off course. This is because of the defiance of the Ukrainians. There were 200 troops inside the barracks and the attack took place as they slept. The exact number of casualties yet to be ascertained but the authorities have recovered at least 50 bodies. A serviceman of Ukraine has indicated this to a media agency. Details are provided by Sky News.

It will take time to assess the full extent of losses. This is because the site was under the control of the military. Many more bodies could still be in the rubble. A media outlet from Belgium visited the scene of the missile attack. They tried to record the scenes of destruction. According to the media outlet, the Russians had launched at least two missiles. In the words of a soldier, probably someone wants to test his weapons. A war does provide opportunities to test out new weapons.

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Sunday, May 21, 2017

Taliban ambush kills at least 20 Afghan soldiers

Taliban ambush in south central Afghanistan have killed at least 20 Afghan policemen. Fighting is an ongoing affair and the police were attacked in an ambush in the areas of Chino and Ghulam Rabat. Apart from the dead, there are at least 10 more wounded and the numbers may increase once full details are known. Dozens of Taliban fighters were also believed to have been killed and wounded.
This has been reported in indiatimes.com dated 21 may 2017.

Reinforcements have been sent to the area and fighting was also going in another nearby district, but the extent of casualties was not readily known. It seems the Taliban offensives have reappeared because American and allied officials are considering reinforcing the military setup by sending some more military advisers to help train and assist the Afghan security forces who are battling a 16-year-long Taliban insurgency.

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