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Helene Cooper
For Helene Cooper's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Ukrainian soldiers who recently pulled out of Avdiivka, Ukraine, replenish supplies in a nearby village on Feb. 19.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 13, 2024
U.S. to send $300 million in weapons to Ukraine under makeshift plan
The package will keep advancing Russian troops at bay for only a few weeks, an official said.
U.K. Royal Air Force planes take off from Cyprus to strike military targets in Yemen on Saturday.
WORLD
Feb 25, 2024
U.S. and U.K. warplanes again strike Houthi-linked targets in Yemen
The strikes were intended to degrade the Iran-backed militants’ ability to attack ships in critical sea lanes.
Relatives and friends touch the coffin of a man who was killed fighting Russian troops in Ukraine's Donetsk region, during a funeral ceremony in Kyiv on Thursday.
WORLD
Aug 19, 2023
Troop deaths and injuries in Ukraine war near 500,000
Ukraine and Russia have lost a staggering number of troops as Kyiv’s counteroffensive drags on. A lack of rapid medical care has added to the toll.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 28, 2023
Russian general knew about mercenary chief’s rebellion plans, U.S. officials say
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, may have believed he had support in Russia’s military.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 6, 2023
Biden to name U.S. Air Force chief to top military post, officials say
If he is formally nominated and approved, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. will succeed Gen. Mark Milley, whose term as chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expires at the end of September.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 22, 2023
Pentagon speeds up tank timeline for Ukraine but resists calls for jets
The U.S. will begin training Ukrainian troops on M1 Abrams tanks in the next few weeks, officials said, and combat-ready tanks could reach the battlefields by the fall.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 9, 2023
Leaked documents reveal depth of U.S. spy efforts and Russia’s military struggles
The information, exposed on social media sites, also shows that U.S. intelligence services are eavesdropping on important allies.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 8, 2023
New batch of classified U.S. documents appear on social media sites
The scale of the leak — analysts say more than 100 documents may have been obtained — along with the sensitivity of the documents themselves, could be hugely damaging, U.S. officials said.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 7, 2023
Ukraine war plans leak prompts Pentagon investigation
The documents do not provide specific battle plans, but to the trained eye of a Russian war analyst, the documents no doubt offer many tantalizing clues.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 3, 2023
Soaring death toll gives grim insight into Russian tactics
The slaughter from fighting in and around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and the town of Soledar has ballooned what was already a heavy toll.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 29, 2023
To fix its problems in Ukraine, Russia turns to the architect of the war
Moscow still does not have the troops, ammunition or equipment that military officials say it needs to mass the big offensive promised by the country’s senior military leader.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 12, 2022
Winter will be a major factor in the Ukraine war, U.S. officials say
Although Moscow is likely to continue to attack Ukrainian troops, bases and infrastructure, the coming winter is expected to bring a slowdown in military advances on both sides.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 3, 2022
Rattle West? Force negotiations? Assessing threats made by Putin.
The prospect of even a small nuclear device going off is so terrible that officials in the United States and elsewhere are concerned.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 2, 2022
Russian military leaders discussed use of nuclear weapons, U.S. officials say
American officials said they had seen no evidence that the Russians were moving nuclear weapons into place or taking other tactical measures to prepare for a strike, however.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 24, 2022
As Russian losses mount in Ukraine, Putin gets more involved in war strategy
Focused on victory at all costs, Putin has become a more public face of the war as the Russian military appears increasingly in turmoil.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 27, 2022
Ukraine weighs a risky offensive to break out of a stalemate
Both Russia and Ukraine are preparing for a protracted standoff, but Ukraine has greater incentive to try to avoid it.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 27, 2022
Commando network coordinates flow of weapons in Ukraine, officials say
A secretive operation involving U.S. Special Operations forces hints at the scale of the effort to assist Ukraine's still outgunned military.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 5, 2022
U.S. intelligence is helping Ukraine kill Russian generals, officials say
Ukrainian officials said they have killed approximately 12 generals on the front lines, a number that has astonished military analysts.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 16, 2022
Russia warns U.S. to stop arming Ukraine or face 'unpredictable consequences'
The Russian message — one of a series of warnings punctuated by a formal protest note — suggested rising concerns that the weapons were seriously hindering Russia's combat capabilities.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 2, 2022
U.S. will help transfer Soviet-made tanks to Ukraine
The decision by the Biden administration — the first time in the war that the U.S. has helped transfer tanks — will help bolster Ukrainian defenses in the country's eastern Donbas region.

Longform

High-end tourism is becoming more about the kinds of experiences that Japan's lesser-known places can provide.
Can Japan lure the jet-set class off the beaten path?