Konstantin Toropin

Konstantin Toropin is a reporter for Military.com specializing in coverage of the Navy and Marine Corps. He is also a US Navy veteran, having served five years in the surface fleet as a signals intelligence analyst.

He has previously covered breaking national news for CNN, reporting on everything from protests to hurricanes from the field and the newsroom. Toropin's coverage also included investigative work on false 2020 campaign claims and food processing plants amidst the pandemic.

Toropin holds a Bachelor's degree from The Pennsylvania State University in journalism and a Master's degree in mass communication from the University of Minnesota.

Email: Konstantin.Toropin@Military.com

Latest Articles

U.S. Navy SEAL candidates participate in BUD/S training.

Navy SEAL Instructors 'Hunted' Weaker Candidates Amid Poor Medical Care, Drug Use

The SEAL training course is rife with overzealous instructors, spotty medical care and students who were so determined to...

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.

'$2B for 10 Aircraft': Pentagon Looks to Allies to Fund Ukraine F-16 Training

U.S. officials have yet to say where the actual aircraft or maintenance parts will come from, and all remarks to date have...

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn.

Navy Fires Destroyer's Leadership as Ship Moves Homeport to Japan

Cmdr. Angela Gonzales, the commanding officer, and Cmdr. Jonathan Zang, the executive officer, were fired from the John Finn...

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington.

'A 9/11-like Event': Navy Report on Carrier Suicides Cites Missed Warning Signs, Leadership Failures

Investigators found that the ship had the highest number of suicide-related behaviors from 2017 to 2019 when compared to all...

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center’s Dynamic.

Sailors Sent to a Maintenance Center Died of Suicide. The Navy Says It Wasn't Prepared to Help Them.

The latest investigation noted that all of the deaths at the maintenance center were among first tour sailors who were at...

Two U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons of the Ohio Air National Guard.

Ukraine F-16 Training Won't Aid Expected Counteroffensive, Pentagon Says

Gen. James Hecker, the head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe as well as Air Forces Africa and Allied Air Command, told Military...

F-16 Fighting Falcon at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla.

US Will Train Ukrainians on F-16 Fighter Jet After Months of Speculation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he welcomed the "historic" decision and that it will "greatly enhance our...

Insurrectionists storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Intel Marine Allegedly Touted New Civil War. He May Still Have a Security Clearance.

Cpl. Micah Coomer was one of three active-duty Marines who were arrested in after they stormed the Capitol in a bid to...

A 111-home family housing development at Trumbo Point, an annex of Naval Air Station Key West.

Navy Will Let Housing Companies Charge Pet Fees. Marines to Follow.

The move, according to the memo, is being put in place to move Navy housing "in alignment with standard industry practice and...

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Pacific Ocean.

Navy Investigation of Carrier Water Contamination Finds Crew, Equipment Failures

The investigation found the incidents of contamination with E. coli and jet fuel were exacerbated by actions of crew members...

Abrams Tanks Arrive in Germany, Setting Stage for Ukrainian Training

The 31 tanks that are now in Germany are not the same ones that the Ukrainians will ultimately take into battle. They are...

U.S. Navy sailor receives assistance with a cash transaction.

Retirees Forced to Repay Money After Navy Software Glitch

The Navy has acknowledged that a software issue last winter led to issues for more than 1,200 of its retirees who are now...

Recruits with Golf Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, execute a figure-four variation during a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) session at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

A Marine Vet Used a Chokehold Leading to a Man's Death. The Technique, Taught in Basic Training, Faces Fresh Scrutiny.

Days after Jordan Neely died after being held in a chokehold by a Marine veteran aboard a New York City subway train, the vet...

Violent insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Judge Sentences Former Sailor Inspired by Hitler and US Terrorists for Storming the Capitol

A former Navy reservist who told an undercover FBI agent that he was inspired by the Unabomber and admired Adolf Hitler was...

The guided-missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) prepares to drydock at BAE Systems Ship Repair Norfolk, Virginia, for a docking selected restricted availability (DSRA).

Navy's Growing Shortfalls on Ship Readiness Frustrate the Marine Corps

The Navy's troubles with keeping ships maintained and at sea have only worsened in the last several years, resulting in a...

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Most Popular Military News

Twenty dollar bills are counted in North Andover, Mass.

Bill Guaranteeing Cost-of-Living Increase for Veterans in 2024 Heads to President's Desk

The annual task in Congress ensures that VA compensation keeps pace with Social Security increases.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough.

VA Issues New Warning that Default Could Have 'Catastrophic' Effects for Veterans

VA Secretary Denis McDonough said Wednesday there is "no blueprint for what could happen."

Navy Fires Destroyer's Leadership as Ship Moves Homeport to Japan

Cmdr. Angela Gonzales, the commanding officer, and Cmdr. Jonathan Zang, the executive officer, were fired from the John Finn...

Class of 2026 during the Acceptance Day parade at West Point.

Academy Cadets with Kids Still Waiting as Pentagon Lags on Rule Change

Military students remain in limbo as final Pentagon guidance for a new policy allowing cadets at America's service academies...

Green Berets conduct combat training in the Republic of Korea.

Army Special Operations Could Be Cut 10% as Military Looks to Conventional Warfare

As the service pivots its focus toward China, Green Berets and other commando units could see cuts in favor of building up...

Front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington.

How Veterans Benefits Could Be Delayed in June by a US Default

Billions of dollars of veterans benefits could be imperiled if the U.S. defaults on its debts, though the full extent of the...

Latest Military Videos

Cocaine Labeled with Swastika Seized in Peru

Peruvian anti-drug police seized 127 pounds of packages of cocaine on Thursday bearing a picture of a Nazi flag...

NASA Launches Storm-Tracking Satellites

Rocket Lab on Friday launched another pair of storm-tracking satellites for NASA from Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand. (May...

Hundreds Attend Funeral of Black WWII Veteran

Peter Brown died alone in London without any known family. But hundreds of people — mostly strangers — gathered...

China MOFA Comments on Vietnam, US-Taiwan

China on Friday reasserted its claim over the waters of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea...

Investigations and Features

The Threat from Extremist Groups Is Growing. Service Members and Vets Are Getting Sucked into the Violence.

The U.S. intelligence community deemed racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism -- with adherents such as white...

They Said the Rise in Military Suicide Is a Mystery. Traumatic Brain Injury May Be an Answer.

Veterans who have had a head injury are at higher risk for suicide, but these deaths can be prevented, experts say.

Army News

Retired Staff Sgt. Nick Maimer and retired Lt. Col. Perry Blackburn.

Body of US Special Forces Veteran Turned Over by Russian Mercenary Group

Nick Maimer was killed in the embattled city of Bakhmut on May 15 or 16.

Trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and four others charged with seditious conspiracy.

Army Veteran Who Stormed Capitol Gets More Than 8 Years in Prison

Jessica Watkins is the third member of Oath Keepers to receive her punishment this week in one of the most serious cases the...

Navy News

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the U.S. Naval Academy graduation.

Defense Secretary Tells Navy Graduates They Are Ready to Serve

The secretary said naval officers have a special understanding of the power of teamwork, and "we need that spirit for the...

Navy SEAL Instructors 'Hunted' Weaker Candidates Amid Poor Medical Care, Drug Use

The SEAL training course is rife with overzealous instructors, spotty medical care and students who were so determined to...

Air Force News

Massachusetts National Guard Changes Linked to Leak Case

Top brass at the Massachusetts National Guard said the military outfit is holding off on making changes before findings are...

Redstone Arsenal moves its main gate farther from the interstate

Have Space Command HQ Requirements Changed? Investigations Underway

The secretary of the Air Force, authorized with making the final decision on the permanent home for Space Command...

Space Force News

Have Space Command HQ Requirements Changed? Investigations Underway

The secretary of the Air Force, authorized with making the final decision on the permanent home for Space Command...

Space Launch Delta 30 at the monthly Delta Dash at Vandenberg SVB.

Space Force Rolls Out Fitness Trackers to Guardians in Lieu of Traditional Testing

The Space Force announced it will conduct a two-year testing period on wearable fitness trackers as part of its newly...

Marine Corps News

Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers.

Veteran Who Led Oath Keepers Sentenced to 18 Years for Role in Jan. 6 Attack

Stewart Rhodes is the first person charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack to be sentenced for seditious conspiracy, and his...

A photo of then Second Lieutenant Lou Schott poses for a portrait in 1943. (TNS/ Jeffrey F. Bill)

102-Year-Old Maryland Veteran Awarded Silver Star for World War II Service in the Pacific

Nearly 78 years after his actions, Schott, 102, was awarded the Silver Star, the U.S. Armed Forces' third-highest military...

Coast Guard News

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas delivered the keynote address at the Coast Guard Academy

Sending Out Ensigns on Humanitarian Missions, Coast Guard Academy Graduates 243

The United States Coast Guard Academy graduated 243 students at its 142nd commencement, preparing to send many to far-off...

U.S. Coast Guard Port Security Unit (PSU) 311 members and U.S. Navy Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron 11 members complete joint agency exercises aboard a 32-foot transportable port security boat off San Clemente Island.

Coast Guard Suspends Search for Plane with 3 Passengers that Crashed off California Coast

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a plane that crashed in the ocean near San Clemente Island on Wednesday...