The D Brief: Russian refinery hit; Ukrainian grain terminals attacked; Putin’s rock-bottom approval ratings; China’s Taiwan swarm; Suspicion in Syria; And a bit more.

Russian army strikes reportedly hit Ukrainian grain terminals within the port metropolis of Mykolaiv on Wednesday, simply hours after alleged drones strikes hit a Russian oil refinery within the Rostov oblast, about 5 miles east of Ukraine, in keeping with a video that surfaced on-line. Reuters has a bit extra concerning the refinery, right here.

In regards to the grain terminals: They’re owned by Canadian agribusiness Viterra and U.S. grain dealer Bunge Ltd., and a minimum of one individual was injured within the assaults, in keeping with the Wall Road Journal. 

Greater image: “Russia’s invasion has left about 18 million metric tons of grain stranded in Ukraine, heightening fears of a world meals disaster after months by which the battle has already pushed up the price of meals world-wide,” the Journal writes. 

New: International confidence in Vladimir Putin has plummeted to 20-year lows, in keeping with new worldwide polling knowledge from the Pew Analysis Middle printed Wednesday. What’s extra, “A median of simply 9% believe in Putin to do the appropriate factor in world affairs,” and “his already low scores dropp[ed] over the previous yr in all international locations the place traits can be found.” (Notice: The survey didn’t ask questions associated to the invasion of Ukraine.)

In contrast to within the Trump period, even U.S. Republicans are rising chilly towards Putin, “with overwhelming majorities of each Democrats and Republicans now missing belief within the Russian president,” in keeping with Pew’s findings.  

Opinions of NATO have improved in 5 of 11 member nations surveyed since final yr—Germany, the UK, Poland, the U.S., and the Netherlands. Opinions seem to have largely stayed the identical in 4 different nations—Belgium, France, Canada, and Spain—whereas perceptions of the alliance declined in Greece and Italy. Greece is the one alliance member the place a majority of respondents (64%) view NATO negatively.

Maybe unsurprisingly, extra Swedes are keen on NATO than ever recorded beforehand by Pew, which registered a 79% favorability ranking for the alliance there. And one other standout, Malaysia, is “an exception to the general pattern, as it’s the solely nation surveyed the place a majority expresses confidence” in Vladimir Putin. In any other case, double-digit declines had been present in all 17 different nations. Learn over the total dataset (PDF) right here.

Really helpful studying:

From Protection One

Ukrainian Fighter Pilots: Ship Higher Jets and Air Defenses // Tara Copp: They’ve shot down a couple of Russian cruise missiles—however they may do much more with fashionable gear.

Cancel Russia’s UN Contracts // Orde Kittrie: Congress ought to insist that U.S. taxpayer {dollars} not fund UN procurement from Russia.

Leonardo DRS to Merge with Israeli Radar-Maker RADA // Marcus Weisgerber: The deal would beef up the air-defense choices of the U.S. arm of the Italian firm, and into the highest 50 largest protection corporations.

Biden to Ban Most Land Mines, Undoing Trump’s Loosened Restrictions // Jacqueline Feldscher: Advocates applauded the transfer, however urged a ban on the weapons on the Korean peninsula.

The Air & House Transient: Refueling technique in a China battle; SBIRS to remain; $817B for DOD // Tara Copp 

Main Pentagon IT Initiatives Lack Plans to Safe Networks, Provide Chains: GAO // Lauren C. Williams: Watchdog additionally famous price will increase amongst many of the Protection Division’s prime 25 IT efforts.

Welcome to this Wednesday version of The D Transient, delivered to you by Ben Watson with Jennifer Hlad. If you happen to’re not already subscribed to The D Transient, you are able to do that right here. And take a look at different Protection One newsletters right here. On at the present time in 1633, and on the peak of Europe’s “Thirty Years’ Warfare” over faith, the Roman Catholic Inquisition pressured astronomer Galileo to recant his documented assertion that planets revolve across the solar, which was a speculation first put ahead by Copernicus about 100 years prior. Inquisition officers silenced Galileo’s heliocentrism and sentenced him to deal with arrest, the place he died 9 years later on the age of 77. Europe’s non secular wars finally led to 1648, which helped usher within the “age of enlightenment” shortly afterward, vindicating Copernicus and Galileo within the course of. 

China’s air power despatched greater than two dozen plane into Taiwan’s air protection zone Tuesday, a day after China despatched just one plane into the identical zone on Monday, in keeping with the Defense Ministry in Taipei. Twenty-nine plane of 9 totally different varieties participated within the drills Tuesday, which included 17 fighter jets, 6 bomber planes, and an anti-submarine plane. 

China conducts these seemingly antagonistic workouts practically every single day, however the final time so many participated was May 30, when 30 Chinese language plane entered Taiwan’s air protection identification zone from the southwest earlier than heading again to the mainland. The final drill of comparable dimension occurred on Jan. 23 when 39 totally different Chinese language plane entered Taiwan’s ADIZ altogether, and from the southwest once more, as is most typical. 

U.S. State Division reax: “We urge Beijing to stop its army, diplomatic, and financial stress, and intimidation towards Taiwan,” a spokesman advised Focus Taiwan information company on Tuesday. “We now have an abiding curiosity in peace and stability throughout the Taiwan Strait. We’ll proceed to help Taiwan in sustaining a adequate self-defense functionality,” the unnamed spokesman mentioned. 

Talking of financial stress, China has already banned Taiwan’s pineapples and wax apples. Now it’s banning imports of Taiwanese grouper fish, “in an obvious try at turning the financial screws” on Taipei, the New York Instances reported Wednesday from the island, which is a couple of week after the ban took impact. The ban is predicted to price about $50 million, which is about how a lot Taiwan earned from exporting the fish to China final yr. Island officers advised the Instances they might file a grievance with the World Commerce Group. Proceed studying, right here.

From the area: 

The U.S. army detained an airman believed to be linked to a bomb assault at an American base in Syria that wounded 4 service members on April 7. CNN’s Barbara Starr has been monitoring this story for a number of weeks, and filed the newest replace Tuesday. The New York Instances reviews the airman was an explosives knowledgeable. 

No identification is being launched but concerning the arrested airman; “It’s too early within the course of for a cost sheet,” a protection official advised CNN. 

And lastly at this time: Not less than 1,000 individuals are lifeless and 1,600 extra injured after a large earthquake in southeast Afghanistan, close to the Pakistan border. The Afghan protection ministry is main search and rescue efforts, however “wind and heavy rain [are] stopping helicopters from touchdown,” so casualties are anticipated to maintain climbing, The New York Instances reviews from Kabul.  

The catastrophe can be a take a look at for the Taliban authorities, AP reviews, and the group’s supreme chief, Haibatullah Akhundzadah, requested for “the worldwide group and all humanitarian organizations to assist the Afghan individuals affected by this nice tragedy and to spare no effort to assist the affected individuals.” Most worldwide help teams left the nation when the Taliban took management in August, and tens of millions of Afghans had been already dealing with worsening starvation and poverty, even earlier than the quake.