US Intelligence Shows Flawed China Missiles Led Xi to Purge Army
Peter Martin and Jennifer Jacobs | Bloomberg
US intelligence indicates that President Xi Jinping’s sweeping military purge came after it emerged that widespread corruption undermined his efforts to modernize the armed forces and raised questions about China’s ability to fight a war, according to people familiar with the assessments… The US assessments cited several examples of the impact of graft, including missiles filled with water instead of fuel and vast fields of missile silos in western China with lids that don’t function in a way that would allow the missiles to launch effectively, one of the people said.
White House Says Russia Used Missiles from North Korea to Strike Ukraine
Jeff Mason and Josh Smith | Reuters
Russia recently used short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) sourced from North Korea to conduct multiple strikes against Ukraine, the White House said on Thursday, citing newly declassified intelligence. National security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters the United States will raise the development with the United Nations Security Council. Kirby called North Korea's arms transfer to Russia a "significant and concerning escalation" and said the United States would impose additional sanctions against those facilitating the arms deals.
Russia Moves Forward With Plans to Buy Iranian Ballistic Missiles
Michael R. Gordon, Gordon Lubold and Benoit Faucon | Wall Street Journal
Russia is planning to buy short-range ballistic missiles from Iran, a step that would enhance Moscow’s ability to target Ukraine’s infrastructure at a critical moment in the conflict, U.S. officials said. Moscow’s plans have provoked deep concern within the Biden administration and come as support wanes in Congress for continued U.S. military assistance for Ukraine.
Dutch Man Sabotaged Iranian Nuclear Program Without Dutch Government's Knowledge: Report
NL Times
In 2008, a Dutchman played a crucial role in the United States and Israeli-led operation to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program. The then 36-year-old Erik van Sabben infiltrated an Iranian nuclear complex and released the infamous Stuxnet virus, paralyzing the country’s nuclear program. The AIVD recruited the man, but Dutch politicians knew nothing about the operation, the Volkskrant reports after investigating the sabotage for two years.
UK to Launch High-assay Low-enriched Uranium (HALEU) Production Programme
World Nuclear News
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the investment will support domestic production of HALEU and is part of plans to help deliver up to 24 GW of nuclear power by 2050, providing about 25% of the UK's electricity needs. At present, only Russia and China have the infrastructure to produce HALEU at scale. With the first advanced reactor scheduled to be operational in the early 2030s, DESNZ said the funding will boost the existing nuclear fuel production hub, supporting local industry in England's northwest while helping to expand the nuclear revival in the UK and overseas.
North Korea Issues Ominous Warning About Nuclear Strike This Year
Rachel Dobkin | Newsweek
North Korea has issued an ominous warning about "the highest risk of clashes this year" between the totalitarian state and its neighbor to the south, which could end in "a nuclear strike," according to South Korean media. Yonhap News Agency, a major media outlet in Seoul, reported on Thursday that North Korea media condemned recent Army artillery exercises and naval firing drills and exercises. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the state news agency of North Korea, said the exercises are "self destructive" and called South Koreans "warmongers," according to Yonhap.