CRUXMEDIA

Japan and the US signed an agreement to jointly develop a new type of missile defence system. The deal was inked as the allies seek to defend against the growing arsenal of hypersonic weapons possessed by China, Russia and North Korea. Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida and US President Joe Biden had agreed to the project during their summit in August 2023 The Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) is planned for deployment by the mid-2030s, AP reported. The latest agreement outlines responsibility and decision-making, marking a major project milestone, according to Japanese defence officials. Watch the video to find out is the US and Japan rattled by hypersonic lead of rivals?

President Putin said Russian forces advancing in Ukraine's Kharkiv region were creating a "buffer zone" to protect Russian border regions. However, Putin said capturing the city of Kharkiv was not part of Russia's current plan. Russia said its army is still advancing in Kharkiv and has seized 12 villages since it launched its newest ground assault a week ago. Putin questioned the political legitimacy of Zelensky and said Russia has been cheated when it withdrew its forces from Kyiv’s proximity in spring 2022 as a precondition for negotiations. Meanwhile, A top NATO commander said Russia does not have sufficient forces to make a major breakthrough in Ukraine after launching an offensive in Kharkiv.

Former US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner landed a contract with the Serbian government to re-develop a military complex bombed by NATO in 1999. Kusher together with another former White House aide, Richard Grenell, will convert the heavily damaged former Yugoslav army headquarters into a $500-million hotel. Belgrade has signed a 99-year lease deal with Affinity Global Development, a Kushner-affiliated firm backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Although the government officials have welcomed the project, opposition groups and many in the general public have spoken out against it.

Russian President Putin highlighted the importance of trade with China after pledging a "new era" of strategic partnership with Xi Jinping. Xi gave Putin a rare hug in front of cameras, sealing a vaunted “new era” of strategic partnership between the two nations. Putin said Russia could deliver oil as well as gas to China along a planned route via Mongolia, which would not be “interfered” by sanctions. Russia's deputy PM said both sides expect to sign a sign a contract on the Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline "in the near future". Putin said West's sanctions are illegitimate and said they were "completely devoid of common sense" and showed US "stupidity."

Lebanon’s Hezbollah has regularly launched cross border attacks but its latest missile strike that has displayed use of advanced weaponry has worried Israel. Hezbollah’s May 16 missile attack marked the first successful airstrike on Israel that the group launched from within the Israeli airspace. On May 16, the Iran-backed Hezbollah said it struck a military post in northern Israel using a drone that fired two missiles. A drone packed with explosives launched from Lebanon crashed and blew up in an area near the northern community of Metula, the IDF said. After seven months of war, experts say Hezbollah is not only resorting to more advanced weaponry but is also changing war tactics.

France deployed additional police officers and gendarmes to crack down on unrest in the overseas territory of New Caledonia. The number of police and gendarmes on the French-ruled island was set to rise to 2,700 from 1,700 by the evening of May 17. The move came after riots on the Paris-ruled Pacific Island territory resulted in five deaths and hundreds of arrests. Tensions remained high in Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia, as the French officials said areas of territory have “escaped” state control. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the government hoped to regain full control of events in the Pacific island "in the coming hours." On May 16, France's High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said the situation was relatively calm on the night. However, there were still points of confrontation and concern in Nouméa, Le Franc added. Operations to supply food and medicine to the public were to begin with teams, removing road barricades, according to Le Franc.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels shot down a US MQ-9 ‘Reaper’ drone over the country’s Marib province, Iranian media reported. The wreckage of the drone fell in areas under the control of the coalition, according to reports Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree claimed that rebels shot down the Predator on Thursday with a surface-to-air missile. Saree described the drone as “carrying out hostile actions" in Marib, which remains held by allies of Yemen's exiled, internationally recognised government. This was the fourth MQ-9 reaper drone that the Houthi rebels had destroyed in Yemen since November last year.

Russia intercepted more than 100 Ukrainian drones in the south of the country, Black Sea and annexed Crimean peninsula on May 17, the Defence Ministry said. Russian air defenses overnight destroyed and intercepted 51. Ukrainian drones over Crimea, according to the Russian Defence Ministry Moscow also destroyed 44 Ukrainian drones over the Krasnodar region, six over the Belgorod region, and one over the Kursk region. The Russian Defence Ministry said that its Black Sea Fleet helicopters sunk over a dozen remotely-piloted boats launched by Ukraine towards Crimea. Meanwhile, CNN's exclusive satellite images showed three destroyed Russian jets and damaged buildings at Belbek airbase in Sevastopol on May 16.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed the fighting in Rafah was "critical" for Israel in its offensive in the Gaza Strip. In a video released by his government's office, Netanyahu was shown flying over the Gaza Strip with military officers. The Israeli PM also acknowledged the deaths of five Israeli soldiers and vowed to “continue until victory.” Meanwhile, Spanish Foreign Minister said Madrid refused permission for an Israel-bound ship carrying arms to call at the southeastern port of Cartagena. Jose Manuel Albares confirmed reports that the Marianne Danica was carrying a cargo of arms to Israel and had requested permission to call at Cartagena on May 21. Albares said refusing permission to dock in Spanish ports was consistent with Spain's policy to ban the exports of all arms to Israel since the outbreak of the war. The Danish-flagged cargo ship, 'Marianne Danica,' departed from India with 27 tonnes of explosives, according to the Spanish newspaper El País.

Russia is now developing a thermal imaging system for the Black Sea Fleet to effectively repel enemy overnight naval drone attacks. The thermal imaging system that is being developed will help detect targets at a distance of over 1 km. A Russian military airfield in Crimea has reportedly caught fire for a second night in a row after Kyiv launched consecutive long-range strikes on the peninsula. The Belbek airfield, near Crimea’s Sevastopol port city, where Russia bases its Black Sea naval fleet, is "on fire again," as per Russia’s Astra news. Russian military bloggers reported a second night of Ukrainian strikes on Sevastopol, with one account saying up to 12 missiles were fired toward the city.

The Ukrainian military said it had forced Russian troops to reduce the tempo of their offensive in Kharkiv region’s north on May 16. Kyiv’s military said its forces continued combat in the northern part of the city of Vovchansk, and had “partially stabilised the situation.” “The advance of the enemy in certain zones and localities has been halted," Ukrainian army spokesman Nazar Voloshin said. "But the enemy is still trying to create the conditions for further advances," Voloshin warned. Ukraine's General Staff said its forces had "significantly reduced the activity of the Russian occupiers." Officials in Kharkiv said Russian strikes killed one person and damaged a five-storey building and cars overnight.

The US Army's 1st Multi-Domain Task Force experimented with long-endurance drones and ballons during the Balikatan exercise in the Philippines. The 1st MDTF used the exercise to evaluate its organisation and identify the assets that can best support joint and coalition forces when regional access is denied. The bilateral exercise with the Philippine armed forces took place from April 11 to May 9. One of the drones used by the US Army was the Aerospace K1000 made by Kraus Hamdani. As per the US Department of Defense the drone was deployed to fly over the South. Watch the video to know about the K1000 "pseudo-satellite" drone.

Hundreds of police officers fanned out across northern France in a massive manhunt for a fugitive gangster known as "The Fly". “The Fly” escaped on May 14 after gunmen ambushed a prison van transporting him, killing two guards. Interior Minister Darmanin said that France had mobilised extensive resources, including foreign assistance, to capture the armed gang. Four-hundred and fifty officers were deployed to Eure region where the attack took place. Interpol on May 15 said it issued an international arrest warrant, a ‘Red Notice’, for fugitive Mohamed Amra, at the request of French authorities. Watch the video to see how did “the Fly” escape from the police van in just two minutes.

Russia and China have warned the US against setting up military infrastructure in Afghanistan on Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to Beijing. The US and NATO should refrain from trying to set up military infrastructure in Afghanistan again, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping warned. A high-ranking Russian foreign ministry official told TASS that the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) is no longer an enemy to Russia. Putin also trained guns on the West, lashing out at "closed" political and military alliance in the Asia-Pacific region which he said were "harmful". Meanwhile, China rejected US accusations on export of dual use military products to Russia amid its war on Ukraine.

A widely circulated image on social media of what is claimed to be a US-made Patriot air defence missile launcher has sparked several conspiracy theories. Some Twitter accounts with considerable following claimed that it is a picture of a Patriot system that Ukraine sold to China. However, an expert told The War Zone that the undated photograph actually depicts a mock-up. Watch the video to find out did Ukraine sell US-made Patriot to China?

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant called on PM Benjamin Netanyahu to take “tough decisions” to advance non-Hamas governance of Gaza. Gallant warned that Netanyahu's refusal to discuss the creation of an alternative to Hamas rule in Gaza could reverse Israel’s military achievements in the war. Gallant said the “indecision” over the “day after the Hamas” would lead to Israel being sucked into a long and drawn-out stay in the besieged strip. It’s the first time that Gallant publicly spoke out against the policy being led by PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Analysts said Gallant's statements were illustrative of the growing rift among the political and defence leadership over the Gaza war.

Israel reported death of five soldiers due to “friendly fire” in Gaza's north, where intense fighting has resumed after seven months into the war. "Five soldiers of the 202nd Paratrooper Battalion were killed last night in a mass casualty incident as a result of fire by our forces,” the IDF said. The Israel Defence Forces confirmed that Lebanon's Hezbollah hit a sensitive military facility in the area of Golani Junction on May 15. Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it launched "more than 60" rockets at Israeli military positions in retaliation for overnight air strikes on May 16. Hamas’s Qatar-based chief Ismail Haniyeh has said any post-war plan for Gaza that excludes Hamas will be rejected by the group.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was no longer in a life-threatening condition after he was shot in an assassination bid outside Bratislava on May 15. The gunman shot Fico, 59, five times, as he shook hands with a small group of supporters in the town of Handlová. Fico was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital before being flown to another hospital in Banska Bystrica, east of Handlova. The attack initially left Fico in critical condition, following which he underwent a surgery that lasted over 3 hours. According to reports, the Slovak PM suffered wounds to one of his limbs, the stomach and the chest.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was Ukraine's decision whether to strike Russia with US weapons. Kyiv has reportedly urged US President Joe Biden's administration to lift the ban on using US-supplied weapons to strike inside Russian territory, Politico reported. The US ban on using its arms to attack Russian territory had reportedly deterred Kyiv from attacking Moscow's positions. A group of Ukrainian lawmakers was reportedly meeting with US Congress officials in an attempt to influence Washington to remove its restrictions. Blinken who visited Kyiv on May 14-15 also defended Ukraine's latest mobilisation as "difficult but necessary", urging young people to join the military to fight Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow said Blinken's visit was proof of the US alarm over the worsening frontline situation for Ukraine's military. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman of Russian Foreign Ministry, also slammed British Foreign Secretary David Cameron statement on Ukraine's right to use UK supplied weapons to hit Russian territory as "absolutely crazy".

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed his country's troops for advancing on "all fronts" on the battlefield in Ukraine. Putin’s remarks came as Russian forces advanced in both north and south Ukraine, capturing three new settlements. The Russian MoD* said army units "completely liberated the village of Robotyne" as well as Glyboke and Lukyantsi in the northeast Kharkiv region. Robotyne, one of the few villages Ukraine re-claimed in last year's counteroffensive, was intended as a milestone for advancing to Melitopol. Watch the video to know more about Russia-Ukraine war updates.

Niger's PM Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine stated in a Washington Post interview that the military junta cut ties with the US because it threatened sanctions. Niger announced in mid-March that it was ending military cooperation with the US shortly after a delegation left the country Niger has been a key base for counter-terrorism operations in West Africa, with a major US drone base near Agadez city. PM Zeine said that Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee had threatened sanctions if Niger sold its uranium to Iran.

China sent 45 military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan during the past 24-hours, the island’s defence ministry said on May 15. This was the highest single-day number this year and came less than a week before the island inaugurates its new president. Taipei defence ministry claimed that "twenty-six of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait”. The median line bisects the 180km waterway that separates Taiwan from China. The ministry added that it "monitored the situation and responded accordingly."

The United States has blocked a Chinese-backed crypto mining firm from owning land near a strategic nuclear missile base in Wyoming. On May 13, the Biden administration said that the mining firm’s proximity to the base could pose a “national security risk”. The order forces the divestment of property operated as a crypto mining facility near the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base. The Francis E. Warren Air Force Base houses the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. MineOne Partners Ltd, a firm partly backed by Chinese nationals, and its affiliates are also required to remove certain equipment on the site. Watch the video to know more.

The US has given Saudi Arabia given an informal green light to try to revive a peace deal with the Houthis. The move comes as Yemen-based rebels have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea since November. The proposed Yemen UN roadmap for peace was agreed in outline in early December but progress was immediately frozen. Last week, the Houthis claimed responsibility for two missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on maritime targets, capturing one ship and sinking another, according to the US Maritime Administration. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has been heavily affected due to the threat.

A fight broke out in the Georgian parliament during a debate over the controversial "foreign agents” bill. Georgian lawmakers pushed and shoved each other as the debate heated up. Lawmaker Dimitri Samkharadze from the ruling Georgian Dream party charged at Levan Khabeishvili of the United National Movement. This was after Khabeishvili accused him of orchestrating attacks on opposition supporters. The Georgian parliament voted 84 to 30 to pass the bill, which critics see as a danger to democratic freedoms, in its third and final reading. The legislation now faces a likely veto by Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, which parliament can override by holding an additional vote on the bill.