Siegfried Hecker, from left, Daniel Holz, Sharon Squassoni, Mary Robinson and Elbegdorj Tsakhia with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists,…
FILE – A soldier walks past a line of M1 Abrams tanks, Nov. 29, 2016, at Fort Carson in Colorado…
Workers pass the scene where a helicopter crashed on civil infrastructure in Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday,…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has told Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine can “count on the UK” to provide support for the…
Ukraine says about 400 Russian soldiers have died in a missile attack on the occupied Donetsk region. Russian officials contested…
Many Ukraine civilians are leaving Kherson as it comes under increasing bombardment from Russian forces. The city was one of…
Smoke billows after Russian attacks in the outskirts of Bakhmut, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. (AP Photo) KYIV, Ukraine (AP)…
A firefighter examines a burned car after what Russian officials in Donetsk said was a shelling by Ukrainian forces, in…
Patriot missile defence system is seen at Sliac Airport, in Sliac, near Zvolen, Slovakia, May 6, 2022. REUTERS WASHINGTON, Dec…
Defence and Security Analyst Professor Michael Clarke analyses the drone strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gives a lecture on Russia, Ukraine and NATO’s security policy challenges, during the Civita breakfast…
An aerial view of Bakhmut, the site of the heaviest battles with the Russian troops, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine,…
Sky’s defence and security analyst Professor Michael Clarke explores the significance of Vladimir Putin’s drive across a key bridge linking…
Ukraine’s president says he wants to start raising funds to buy “a whole fleet of sea drones.” Kyiv used sea…
Sean Bell, retired Air Vice-Marshal, has told Sky News that although he does not think the withdrawal from Kherson is…
Russian troops have been ordered to withdraw from the key southern city of Kherson. General Sergei Surovikin said it was…
Defence and security analyst Professor Michael Clarke says Russian forces are using “barrier troops” to “shoot convicts” who are trying…
A Russian drone, which local authorities consider to be Iranian made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Shahed-136, is seen during a…
Retired Air Vice-Marshal Sean Bell says Russia appears to be short of rifles creating a “logistics nightmare” as winter approaches.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. (AP Photo) WASHINGTON…
The 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, now headquartered in Europe for the first time since World War II.…
In this photo posted by the mayor of Mykolaiv on his Telegram channel, a residential building is seen damaged following…
Ukraine has been facing a barrage of missile strikes in the last few days. In the latest, Russia fired missiles…
Evacuees from Kherson gather upon their arrival at the railway station in Dzhankoi, Crimea, Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. Russian authorities…
Russia Declares Martial Law in Four Regions of Ukraine It Claims Getty Images MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday declared martial…
to the Donetsk People’s Republic’s (DPR) mission to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination, six 155mm munitions were fired…
A man reacts near the body of his cousin, killed in a Russian rocket attack in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Oct.…
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has called for increased pressure on Russia as well as military aid for Kyiv during a virtual…
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, global powers have picked sides and they have been pushing to isolate…
People receive medical treatment at the scene of Russian shelling, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. The Russian missiles…
Ukrainian forces were on Monday said to have recaptured towns along the west bank of the Dnieper River in southern…
Ukraine’s President Zelensky says his troops have made more advances against Russian forces. It comes days after Ukrainian forces retook…
Four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine (Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia) that held so-called “referendums” on joining Russia will be incorporated…
Belarus’ Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei speaks during a high level Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine, Thursday, Sept.…
President Joe Biden addresses to the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, at U.N.…
A view of unidentified graves of civilians and Ukrainian soldiers in a cemetery in the recently retaken area of Izium,…
Defense and Security Analyst Professor Michael Clarke details the troop mobilization of both Ukrainian and Russian forces. He mentions unconfirmed…
Ukrainian forces have seized more territory from Russia as they continue their counter-offensive, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. The Ukrainian…
The Ukrainian state agency in charge of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant says operations at the Russian-occupied facility have been fully…
FILE – This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant occupied by Russian forces, in…
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A close-up of a heliport under construction in Rutog County.
On volatile border between India and China, a high-altitude military buildup is underway
Construction crews are now scattered around Ladakh as Indian authorities speed up their infrastructure race with China.
An overview of a heliport under construction near Aksai Chin Lake, in a region administered by China but contested by India, on May 28.
An overview of a heliport under construction in Rutog County in the Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, on Nov. 28.
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Runway
China is expanding the construction of its facilities on Fiery Cross Reef. Provided by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), this June 28, 2015 photo reveals Beijing has nearly completed a 3,000 meter (9,800-foot) airstrip, long enough to accommodate most Chinese military aircraft. Two h...
Expansion
Reclamation on Fiery Cross Reef, which lies on the west side of the Spratly Islands, began in August of 2014 and its principal landmass was finished by November. Dredgers have created a land mass that spans the entire existing reef and is approximately 3,000 meters long and 200-300 meters wide.
Facilities
This picture taken last November shows construction work being carried out on Fiery Cross Reef. The reef reportedly already houses a helicopter landing pad, a 300-meter-long wharf, a harbor large enough to dock military tankers, barracks and artillery emplacements.
South Johnson Reef
This reef was one of the first facilities to finish principal land reclamation. This recent picture shows that a radar tower is nearing completion at the north end of the land mass. According to AMTI, a new large multi-level military facility has been built in the center of the island. Up to six sur...
A naval base?
Beginning in early 2015, Mischief Reef - also located in the Spratlys - has undergone extensive reclamation activity. Experts say that the recent widening of the southern entrance to the reef, coupled with sightings of Chinese navy vessels, may suggest a future role for the reclaimed reef as a naval...
From reef to island
Significant construction on Gaven Reef began in 2014, with a total of 114,000 square meters of land already created. Satellite pictures show just how fast construction has progressed on the reef. A new artificial island was created between March (left) and August (right) 2014.
Troop garrison
According to AMTI, China has had a troop garrison on Gaven Reef since 2003, which has included a large supply platform where ships can dock. Experts say a new main square building in the reef appears to be an anti-aircraft tower.
A standardized process
As seen in this image, the basic process of expanding these features involves dredging sand from the seafloor and dumping it onto the reefs. The structure is raised above the high water line, hiding the status of the bank or reef beneath. The sand is then smoothed out and workers surround the island...
'Historic rights'
China claims most of the potentially energy-rich waterway, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The US Pacific Fleet commander recently said China was "creating a great wall of sand" in the South China Sea, causing serious concerns about its territorial intentions. Beijin...
Territorial disputes
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims, which have led to territorial disputes in the area. Last summer, China's deployment of a massive oil rig in waters also claimed by Hanoi escalated tensions in the region, sparking a standoff at sea and violent anti-C...
US concerns
Washington is concerned China's efforts carry a military dimension that could undermine the US' naval and economic power in the Pacific, and has weighed sending warships and surveillance aircraft within 12 nautical miles of the new artificial islands. Washington has repeatedly called on Beijing and ...
Ecological impact
The Philippines filed a formal plea at the UN last year, challenging Beijing's territorial claims. Manila said China's reclamation activities are causing "irreversible and widespread damage to the biodiversity and ecological balance of the South China Sea." It also claimed that the destruction of co...
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