Evan Gershkovich (born October 26, 1991) is an American journalist and reporter at The Wall Street Journal covering Russia. He was detained by Russia's Federal Security Service on charges of espionage in March 2023.
Former CIA Moscow station chief Daniel Hoffman agreed the timing of the arrest was "probably not a coincidence" and was likely ordered to gain leverage in a prisoner exchange.[59] Hoffman noted the week before the arrest, the U.S. Department of Justice had indicted Sergey Cherkasov for espionage, asserting Cherkasov was a Russian spy enrolled at Johns Hopkins under the guise of being a student from Brazil.[59] In March 2023, Cherkasov was imprisoned in Brazil for falsifying Brazilian documents, but the U.S. could seek to have him extradited in order to facilitate a prisoner swap.[59] Cavalier also hypothesized Russia would use Gershkovich as a "bargaining chip" for Cherkasov.[62] Another exchange, hypothesized by Andrey Zakharov, would be Gershkovich and Paul Whelan for Maria Mayer and Ludwig Gisch, who were arrested in Slovenia on charges of spying for Russia in January 2023.[63][64] The Moscow Times affirmed that speculation centered on Cherkasov, Mayer, and Gisch.[65] President Joe Biden told reporters that he was "serious" about a prisoner swap at a news conference in Helsinki, Finland.[66] Gershkovich's parents told ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos that Biden would "do whatever it takes" to release him.[67]
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Select Russian military commentators continue to complain about superior Ukrainian drone and electronic warfare (EW) capabilities on the battlefield, continuing to highlight the rapid and constant tactical and technological innovation cycles that are shaping the battlespace in Ukraine. A Russian milblogger who formerly served as a "Storm-Z" unit instructor posted a list of complaints on June 4 detailing the challenges that Russian forces face in repelling Ukrainian drones and claimed that effective and pervasive Ukrainian drone use is now the "leading factor" in Ukraine's ability to repel Russian offensive actions.[1] The milblogger made six points about the Russian-Ukrainian drone disparity, claiming first and foremost that Ukrainian troops have a large numerical advantage in first person view (FPV) drones and FPV drone operators. The milblogger claimed that Ukrainian assault groups have a 3-4:1 FPV drone advantage over Russian assault units, while Ukrainian mechanized groups have a 6-10:1 FPV drone advantage over comparable Russian units. The milblogger noted that Ukraine also has specialized and centralized drone units within existing Ukrainian ground units, which allows Ukrainian forces to better integrate reconnaissance and attack drone capabilities into basic tactical maneuvers. Russian forces, by contrast, lack the centralized and organized drone-unit system and adequate EW and electronic reconnaissance (ER) capabilities to counter Ukrainian drones.[2] Another milblogger, whose initial post from May 31 spurred the former Storm-Z instructor to weigh in on the issue, noted that specialized Ukrainian drone units have heavily targeted and destroyed unprotected Russian armored equipment in the Avdiivka direction, inhibiting Russian offensive prospects in the area.[3] The milblogger emphasized that the provision of FPV drones and required EW and ER systems to Russian forces is done on an ad hoc volunteer basis, as there is no centralized supply mechanism from the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD). These remarks on Russia's need to centralize its drone warfare capabilities echo recent calls made by a cadre of Russian commentators, including former Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) head Dmitry Rogozin.[4] As Ukrainian forces adapt and better integrate new technologies into their force, Russian forces will likely feel pressured to do the same in order to retain technological and tactical parity on the battlefield. This offense-defense and capability scaling race is central to the development of combat means in a contemporary war.
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its partners have reportedly drafted a document for the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland on June 15 that calls for future engagement with Russia on a limited number of issues connected to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, although the Kremlin remains unlikely to engage in meaningful negotiations on the proposal or any wider settlement to the war in Ukraine. Bloomberg reported on June 4 that the draft document aims to generate consensus among summit participants on nuclear safety, food security, and the return of abducted Ukrainian civilians and children.[5] The document reportedly states that this consensus will serve as a "confidence building measure" for future engagement with Russian officials on these issues.[6] The reported document specifically deems nuclear threats as "inadmissible" and calls for the return of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to Ukrainian control, and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov so that Ukrainian agricultural products can reach third parties and the return of all deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children and civilians to Ukraine.[7]
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- Select Russian military commentators continue to complain about superior Ukrainian drone and electronic warfare (EW) capabilities on the battlefield, continuing to highlight the rapid and constant tactical and technological innovation cycles that are shaping the battlespace in Ukraine.
- Ukraine and its partners have reportedly drafted a document for the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland on June 15 that calls for future engagement with Russia on a limited number of issues connected to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, although the Kremlin remains unlikely to engage in meaningful negotiations on the proposal or any wider settlement to the war in Ukraine.
- Russia is conducting a wide-scale hybrid warfare campaign targeting NATO states in tandem with Russian efforts to augment its conventional military capabilities in preparation for a potential conflict with NATO
- A joint investigation by Russian opposition student journal DOXA and open-source outlet Kidmapping highlights the role of the Kremlin-backed Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Russifying Ukrainian children whom Russian authorities have deported to Russia.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin named First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council and United Russia Secretary Andrei Turchak the acting governor of the Altai Republic on June 4.
- Newly appointed Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov reportedly invited select Russian war correspondents and milbloggers to meet with him to coopt several Russian information space actors, prompting limited criticism from a prominent Russian milblogger.
- Russian forces recently advanced near Vovchansk, Siversk, and Donetsk City.
- The Russian military reportedly continues to forcibly send Russian military personnel, including those with serious medical issues, to fight in Ukraine.
- Russia continues efforts to militarize deported Ukrainian youth and prepare them for future service in the Russian armed forces.
Revealed - NATO plan to get US troops to the front line to fight RUSSIA: Alliance prepares for rapid deployment of American soldiers amid fears Moscow is plotting major war with Europe https://trib.al/WUTSe8Y
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Russian forces recently advanced near Vovchansk. Geolocated footage published on June 4 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced on the northern outskirts of Starytsya (southwest of Vovchansk). Fighting continued near Starytsya and near and within Vovchansk.
Northern Kharkiv: Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Lyptsi direction (north of Kharkiv City) on June 4, but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline in this area. Fighting continued near Lyptsi and Hlyboke (north of Lyptsi)
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Russian forces recently advanced west and southwest of Donetsk City. Geolocated footage published on June 3 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced within western Krasnohorivka (west of Donetsk City) and west and north of Paraskoviivka (southwest of Donetsk City).
Geolocated footage published on June 4 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced in fields south of Pobieda (southwest of Donetsk City) and west of Solodke (west of Donetsk City) during roughly squad-sized mechanized assaults.
Donetsk: Russia recently advanced in the Siversk direction and continued intensified offensive operations in the area on June 4. Geolocated footage indicates that Russian forces recently advanced east of Verkhnokamyanske (SE of Siversk) & south of Rozdolivka (south of Siversk).
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100 battalions of combat firepower — that’s 10 US sized divisions.....that’s far more ground combat power than in june 6th 1944.... 10 divisions of 90 battalions.
1944