 Defense &
National Security |
Defense &
National Security |
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US accuses four Russians of torturing American in Ukraine |
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said the Russians illegally detained, tortured and subjected the American to inhumane treatment. |
Attorney General Merrick Garland said the U.S. can bring the charges under a war crimes statute passed 30 years ago. And Garland said the case was only the beginning: "This is our first, and you should expect more." The DOJ charged Suren Seiranovich Mkrtchyan, 45, a commanding officer in Russia's army, along with another officer and two lower-ranking Russian soldiers. Mkrtchyan is accused of directing his soldiers to abduct an unidentified American in the village of Mylove in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine. The Russian soldiers are accused of severely beating and threatening to kill the American. "The evidence gathered by our agents speaks to the brutality, criminality, and depravity of Russia's invasion," said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Separately, the United Nations and Ukraine have also documented what they call Russian war crimes since the February 2022 invasion. The U.S. has provided billions of dollars to help Ukraine thwart the Russian invasion, but Kyiv also considers Washington's support in prosecuting Russians for alleged war crimes just as important. FBI Director Christopher Wray said the indictment marks the first time the U.S. has ever used the War Crimes Act of 1996. "Cases like this one are among the most complex the FBI works," Wray said. "But bringing them is essential to deterring crimes like these." Read the full report at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Brad Dress — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. |
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How policy will affect defense and national security now and in
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The House will consider a short-term extension of the nation's warrantless surveillance powers as part of the defense policy bill, House intelligence leaders confirmed Wednesday. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will include a provision to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) into mid-April — dodging its end of the year expiration as Congress battles over four competing plans to … |
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| A U.S. Navy destroyer on Wednesday shot down another drone that came from Houthi-controlled Yemen, according to a defense official. The official said the drone was shot down around 10:20 a.m. local time over the southern Red Sea by the USS Mason, an Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer. There was no damage to U.S. forces or assets. U.S. forces have been attacked by Iranian-backed forces at least 76 times in both Iraq and Syria since … |
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The Biden administration unveiled a new Ukraine aid package Wednesday, as the White House pushes for Congress to approve legislation that would provide additional support for Kyiv amid its ongoing war with Russia. The package "uses the limited resources that remain available to help Ukraine," the State Department said in a release, to provide up to $175 million of arms and equipment under previously directed drawdowns. "Unless … |
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The U.S. and Sweden signed a major defense cooperation agreement that gives American troops access to bases on Swedish territory as the Nordic nation forges closer ties with western allies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson at the Pentagon on Tuesday to sign the agreement, which Stockholm has touted as necessary to boost national security. … |
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Top Intel Dem warns Congress of potential lapse in warrantless spy powers amid quibbling over 702 |
The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said he fears a lapse in the nation's warrantless surveillance powers as Congress struggles to settle on a proposal or a pathway to reauthorize them ahead of an end-of-the-year expiration. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said Section 702 of the Foreign … |
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The White House on Wednesday scolded the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and the Massachusetts Institute of … Read more |
| Nevada’s attorney general on Wednesday announced charges against six so-called fake electors who falsely claimed former President Trump won the … Read more |
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