Svetlana Shkolnikova

Svetlana Shkolnikova covers Congress for Stars and Stripes. She previously worked as a reporter for The Record newspaper in New Jersey and the USA Today Network. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and has reported from Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Russia and Ukraine.

@svetashko

shkolnikova.svetlana@stripes.com

‘Prices are going to go up’: Trade war threatens US weapon production

The Defense Department has agreements with 28 partner countries that allow it to override congressionally mandated “Buy American” requirements. It is unclear how those arrangements will be affected by Trump’s tariffs and whether the defense industry will be strategically carved out of the levies.

The U.S. Capitol building with red tulips.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow enforcement of transgender military ban

A DJI Phantom drone flies during Remagen Ready 24-1, on Fort Cavazos, Texas, 31, Oct. 2023. Remagen Ready 24-1 is an 11-day training exercise focused on Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) with the division as unit of action. LSCO requires team cohesion to properly execute multi-domain operations across warfighting functions.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jacob Nunnenkamp)

Lawmakers propose bill that makes it a crime to shoot drone video footage of military sites

Lieutenant General John D. Caine testifies on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, during a hearing to examine his nomination to be general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the Department of Defense in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

Senate confirms Air Force veteran Dan Caine as Joint Chiefs chairman

Navy Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, left, and Army Gen. Xavier T. Brunson, commander, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea testify Thursday, April 10, 2025, during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to receive testimony on the posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Forces Korea in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2026 and the Future Years Defense Program in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

Potential US troop drawdown in South Korea would be ‘problematic,’ commanders say

The Pentagon has not announced plans to change the force posture in South Korea, but senators on Thursday said they were concerned by rumors that troops there will be redeployed elsewhere.

Two men in suits speak while standing on opposite sides of a witness table in a congressional hearing room.

‘Collateral damage’: Democrats warn tariffs on Indo-Pacific nations will harm military partnerships

Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee warned Wednesday that tariffs levied against Australia and other security partners in the Indo-Pacific region were harming relationships needed to deter China.

Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, commander of US European Command, testifies Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Washington during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

House lawmakers say US troop levels in Europe must not be reduced, rebuking Trump administration plans

The Defense Department is reportedly considering the removal of thousands of troops from Eastern Europe as part of an effort to cut costs and prioritize the Indo-Pacific and other regions. Members of the House Armed Services Committee are urging the administration to reconsider.

Gen. Timothy Haugh, director of the National Security Agency, awaits questioning on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 during a Senate Committee on Intelligence hearing on Worldwide Threats in Washington. Haugh was fired Thursday, April 3, after far-right activist Laura Loomer advocated for his removal during a meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, April 2. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

‘Inexplicable’: Lawmakers condemn sudden firing of Cyber Command general

The abrupt firing of the general in charge of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency drew sharp condemnation on Friday from lawmakers, mostly Democrats, who oversee defense and the intelligence community.

Two military officers in dress uniforms lean towards each other while seated at a table in a congressional hearing room.

‘A daunting task’: Commanders weigh in on possible merger of Europe and Africa commands

The commanders of U.S. troops in Europe and Africa expressed trepidation Thursday about the Pentagon’s reported plans to consolidate commands and give up America’s role as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Joint Chiefs chairman nominee vows to serve as nonpartisan leader, denies he wore MAGA hat

Dan Caine, a retired Air Force lieutenant general, committed Tuesday to serving as a nonpartisan leader who would give unvarnished military advice and always “strive to do the right thing” if confirmed as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Side-by-side headshots of Sens. Jack Reed and Roger Wicker at congressional hearings.

Senate Armed Services Committee leaders request Pentagon investigation of Signal scandal

The request is bipartisan, with the Republican chairman of the committee and the top Democrat on the panel asking the Defense Department’s inspector general to assess whether anyone in the chat transferred classified information, and if so, how.

A man in glasses and a blue suit speaks into a microphone while seated at the witness table in a congressional hearing room.

Nominee for Air Force secretary promises focus on space innovation, pilot retention

Troy Meink, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Air Force, told senators that he will focus on technical innovation and workforce retention if confirmed as the next secretary for the service.

Three military officials in dress uniforms sit at a table in a congressional hearing room with binders and documents in front of them.

Military academies cancel handful of classes to comply with Trump’s DEI purge

Only a handful of courses at the military’s service academies have been eliminated to comply with President Donald Trump’s directive to scrub diversity programming from their campuses, the academies’ superintendents told a Senate subpanel hearing Wednesday.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe gestures with his hand while speaking into a microphone and sitting next to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard during a congressional hearing.

Top Trump intelligence officials deny classified information was shared during Signal chat about war plans

Top U.S. intelligence officials denied Tuesday that any classified information was shared in a commercial group chat that was used to discuss plans to bomb Houthi targets in Yemen and inadvertently included a journalist.

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