Latest news with #RussiaInvasion
Arab News
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Zelensky appoints new ground forces chief
KYIV, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Voloydmyr Zelensky on Thursday appointed Gennadiy Shapovalov as commander of the country's ground forces, replacing a previous commander who resigned following a deadly Russian strike on an army training ground. Shapovalov worked as a military aid liaison in Germany and previously commanded Ukraine's southern military district. In his evening address, Zelensky said he hoped Shapovalov would bring 'real combat experience' to the role and called for changes in the Ukrainian army, which is struggling to hold off Moscow's forces more than three years into Russia's invasion. 'Changes are needed, this is a mandatory issue,' Zelensky said in his evening address. Moscow's forces have been advancing across the front line for over a year and have been making inroads in Ukraine's Sumy region, which the Kremlin had not occupied since the start of the war. Peace talks on ending the conflict have stalled in recent weeks and Kyiv's biggest ally, Washington, is now focusing its attention on the Middle East. Russia says it is open to a peace settlement but Kyiv has accused Moscow of deliberately sabotaging talks to prolong the fighting.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Just 1,000 crack Brit troops can fend off ENTIRE Russian invasion, Army chief says – as UK learns from Ukraine's tactics
IT could take only a 1,000 brave British troops to halt a major Russian invasion, the head of the British Army has claimed. General Sir Roly Walker said the tiny British Army was like David fighting Goliath with his troops constantly learning from Ukraine's battlefield tactics. 7 7 7 The former SAS boss leads the smallest British Army for more than 300 years – of just 71,000 trained troops. But he claimed better training and technology – like David's legendary slingshot – would give British troops an 'unfair advantage' in any future conflict. Russia has lost a million troops to death and injury in Ukraine so far. And critics have claimed the British armed forces would run out of shells and drones in an afternoon of war with Russia. Gen Walker insisted Britain's 'combat mass' would come with uncrewed drones in the future. Addressing a Landware Conference in London, he said: 'A better trained force will often defeat a bigger and better equipped one. A lesson Goliath learned from David.' He claimed a 900-strong UK battalion guarding Nato's eastern flank in Estonia was no-longer just a "strategic trip wire'. He claimed lessons from Ukraine – including new secret communication system – was giving British troops the edge. He said: "It's a project that is flipping our forward land forces in Estonia from a strategic tripwire into an invasion stopping capability." He added: "When Russian soldiers eventually return to barracks across the River Narva, they're going to find the same lethal recce-strike systems there, which gave them such a mauling in the Donbas." UK must build a Putin-pounding military like Poland - or he'll steamroll over us, ex-general warns British troops based in Estonia are armed with Challenger 2 tanks are serving as part of Operation Cabrit, to enhance Nato 's forward presence. Gen Walker said the Army still needed tanks – despite the fact that the £20million weapons could be blitzed by a £1,000 drone. But in future he said the Army would need to spend half its money on disposable and uncrewed weapons. He described a new three-tier fighting system, with soldiers at the centre, protected by two outer rings of drones. The troops will continue to operate 'survivable and lethal platforms' such as Challenger 3 tanks and Ajax and Boxer vehicles. He said: 'We wouldn't put troops there without a rifle, radio, body armour and helmet, so why would we put their vehicles there without guns, armour plating and comms?' But he insisted those expensive vehicles would make up no more than a fifth of the army's arsenal. In the future, they will be bolstered by two outer layers of robots and AI powered drones. He said they would provide the Army's 'combat mass'. The first robot later would 'fly, float and drive' and be bristling with sensors to find and track enemy units and loaded with missiles to destroy what they find. He said: 'You don't want to lose them, but it's not a tragedy if you do because, although sophisticated, they're uncrewed.' The final layer will be made up of 'consumable systems'. He said: 'These are your even cheaper single-use platforms, like one-way effectors. When they're gone, they're gone. 'And that's how we are multiplying our fighting power, with a three-ring source of lethality.' 7 7 7
CTV News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Ukraine's Zelenskyy visits Austria for first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of his country
VIENNA — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting Austria on Monday in his first trip to the European Union member country since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Austria is famously neutral -- a stance it declared in 1955 after World War II -- and Vienna has come under heavy criticism since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war for maintaining ties with Moscow. Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 138 strike and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, mainly at the eastern Donetsk region. Of those, 125 were either intercepted or jammed, while 10 reached their targets. Eight others caused damage as falling debris. Zelenskyy was meeting with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and was set to meet later with Chancellor Christian Stocker. The two presidents were expected to hold a news conference later Monday. This is Stocker's first high-profile visit from a foreign dignitary since he took office in March at the head of a previously untried three-party coalition after a record five-month wait for a new administration. Zelenskyy's wife, First Lady Olena Zelenska, and Doris Schmidauer, Van der Bellen's spouse, will also host a discussion about the role of women in promoting peace and security during the trip. Austria, which was annexed by Nazi Germany in the run-up to World War II, declared neutrality after the war under pressure from Western allies and the Soviet Union. It sought a role as a mediator between East and West, developing ties with Moscow that outlasted the Cold War. The Austrian government has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine but also stressed the need to maintain diplomatic relations with Moscow. Vienna has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine but no weapons. Former Chancellor Karl Nehammer was the first EU leader to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin face-to-face after the war started. Nehammer traveled to Moscow in April 2022 in a fruitless attempt to persuade the Russian leader to end the invasion. The Associated Press
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Ukraine's Zelenskyy visits Austria for first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of his country
VIENNA — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting Austria on Monday in his first trip to the European Union member country since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Austria is famously neutral — a stance it declared in 1955 after World War II — and Vienna has come under heavy criticism since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war for maintaining ties with Moscow.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine's Zelenskyy visits Austria for first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of his country
VIENNA (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting Austria on Monday in his first trip to the European Union member country since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Austria is famously neutral — a stance it declared in 1955 after World War II — and Vienna has come under heavy criticism since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war for maintaining ties with Moscow. Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 138 strike and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, mainly at the eastern Donetsk region. Of those, 125 were either intercepted or jammed, while 10 reached their targets. Eight others caused damage as falling debris. Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Christian Stocker, and the two presidents were set to hold a news conference later Monday. This is Stocker's first high-profile visit from a foreign dignitary since he took office in March at the head of a previously untried three-party coalition after a record five-month wait for a new administration. Zelenskyy's wife, First Lady Olena Zelenska, and Doris Schmidauer, Van der Bellen's spouse, will also host a discussion about the role of women in promoting peace and security during the trip. Austria, which was annexed by Nazi Germany in the run-up to World War II, declared neutrality after the war under pressure from Western allies and the Soviet Union. It sought a role as a mediator between East and West, developing ties with Moscow that outlasted the Cold War. The Austrian government has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine but also stressed the need to maintain diplomatic relations with Moscow. Vienna has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine but no weapons. Former Chancellor Karl Nehammer was the first EU leader to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin face-to-face after the war started. Nehammer traveled to Moscow in April 2022 in a fruitless attempt to persuade the Russian leader to end the invasion.
