Paul A Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/the-46-year-old-mother-australia-is-training-to-fight-putin-s-invaders-20230202-p5chbb.html February 2, 2023 The 46-year-old mother Australia is training to fight Putin’s invaders Southern England: In a field in the south of England, Ukrainian army recruit Olena, a 46-year-old mother from Kyiv with no military experience, is being put through the paces by Australian armed forces. Having signed up for the army last May, she is now learning how to test bodies for booby traps, remove landmines from a field and safely evacuate from artillery fire. It is part of an intensive five-week course that would typically take six months to teach, time that Ukrainians don’t have. Olena, who will not give her real name to protect her identity and the safety of her family, including her teenage daughter, will return to Ukraine trained up with a military kit and ready to help with the war effort. “It was my desire, my wish,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes as she struggled to overcome her emotions to speak. “I can’t stay at home and do nothing when our children die.” She is one of just a handful of women among the 10,000 Ukrainian civilians who have come to Britain to be trained for frontline combat. They are learning the skills first-hand from 70 Australian soldiers who have joined nine other countries in offering to help train. “Physically I am stronger than half the men,” she said, speaking through a translator. “I’m not afraid to go back home. There is no other way for us; we have to be in our motherland and while I’m here at the training course there is everything calm and peaceful but my heart is still in Ukraine and I want to go back there.” The novice recruits are also trained to survive in the elements and basic weaponry. Only a small percentage have any previous military experience. A 24-year-old army officer from Townsville, Queensland, who could not be named for security reasons, said he was proud to be passing on his military knowledge. “Everyone coming over here was highly motivated to do the best that we could, preparing them to go back to defend their country and their freedom,” he said. “Before we came here, we thought the language barrier was going to be quite difficult and the terrain was going to be quite challenging. “However, what we found was the standard of translators here has just been absolutely fantastic so that’s been quite easy.” He said that he had also been learning much from the Ukrainians. “It’s incredibly humbling and I think every soldier that leaves here will take something from here,” he said. “I’m exceptionally proud to be here.” Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Britain’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Wednesday (local time) watched a training drill involving the Australians, coalition and Ukrainians. Olena, a Ukrainian receiving infantry training in Britain, fights back tears as she explains why she joined up. Credit:Getty Images 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 The US Army's most accurate artillery shell that's supporting Ukraine Forces News 677K subscribers Jan 30, 2023 One of the world's most advanced artillery shells is being provided by the US to Ukraine. Said to be the US Army's most accurate artillery shell, the GPS-guided M982 Excalibur is an advanced precision-guided 155mm artillery shell. According to defence contractor BAE Systems, "regardless of the distance from the gun and the target, the round has the same accuracy". 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 How the GLSDB long range weapons system could change the war in Ukraine I DW News DW News 4.43M subscribers Feb 3, 2023 The United States is expected to send a new longer-range weapon to Ukraine. The Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb can send missiles more than 150 kilometers - roughly double the range of Ukraine's current longest-range weapon. That would enable the Ukrainian army to attack Russian forces from a greater distance AND far behind enemy lines. The weapon is made jointly by the American aerospace company, Boeing and Sweden's SAAB. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 HOWITZER in Ukraine. JUST 90 seconds to get out... #shorts #warinukraine #howitzer UNITED24 87.9K subscribers Sep 2, 2022 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 4, 2023 Share Posted February 4, 2023 US weapons package: What's in it and what it means for Ukraine and Russia | DW News DW News 4.44M subscribers Feb 5, 2023 The United States has announced a new weapons package for Ukraine, worth 2.2 billion dollars. It includes new longer-range missiles, which could double the distance Ukraine can strike, and put Russia's supply lines in eastern Ukraine within reach. More armored vehicles and air-defense systems are also being provided. The latest package brings the total US support for Ukraine since Russia's invasion to more than 29 Billion dollars. The aid comes as Kyiv's forces are struggling against an intensifying Russian assault on the city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his forces will hold Bakhmut "for as long as we can." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-politics-64566762 BBC February 8, 2023 Ukraine's Zelensky makes plea for fighter jets in address to UK Parliament 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 Volodymyr Zelenskiy greeted by Rishi Sunak after landing in the UK Guardian News Feb 8, 2023 Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has landed at Stansted airport on a surprise visit. He travelled in a police-escorted convoy to Downing Street for talks with Rishi Sunak before an address to Parliament. Zelenskiy will then head to Buckingham Palace to meet with King Charles III in the afternoon. The president is reportedly planning a trip Brussels to meet EU leaders and address the European parliament on Thursday. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/16/russia-army-tanks-ukraine-losses/ February 16, 2023 Washington Post Russia has lost nearly half its main battle tanks, report estimates Russia is estimated to have lost nearly half its main battle tanks in its war in Ukraine, according to a new analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Almost a year of war has “significantly” changed Russia’s inventory, with losses of around 50 percent of its T-72 tanks, the London-based institute said. Its assessment said the Russian army has lost nearly 40 percent of its broader prewar fleet of tanks, including models older and more modern than the T-72, with the fog of war making it difficult to determine figures beyond estimates. The T-72 is by far the most common tank in Russia’s arsenal. Despite the losses, Moscow maintains a sizable reserve of older tanks that could allow its forces to press on. “Industrial production continues but remains slow, forcing Moscow to rely on its older stored weapons as attrition replacements,” IISS chief executive John Chipman said Wednesday, launching the annual Military Balance review of armed forces around the world. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/15/world/europe/russia-military-vuhledar-ukraine.html Feb. 15, 2023 New York Times Moscow’s Military Capabilities Are in Question After Failed Battle for Ukrainian City A disastrous Russian assault on Vuhledar, viewed as an opening move in an expected spring offensive, has renewed doubts about Moscow’s ability to sustain a large-scale ground assault. KYIV, Ukraine — As Moscow steps up its offensive in eastern Ukraine, weeks of failed attacks on a Ukrainian stronghold have left two Russian brigades in tatters, raised questions about Russia’s military tactics and renewed doubts about its ability to maintain sustained, large-scale ground assaults. The battle for the city of Vuhledar, which has been viewed as an opening move in an expected Russian spring offensive, has been playing out since the last week of January, but the scale of Moscow’s losses there is only now beginning to come into focus. Accounts from Ukrainian and Western officials, Ukrainian soldiers, captured Russian soldiers and Russian military bloggers, as well as video and satellite images, paint a picture of a faltering Russian campaign that continues to be plagued by battlefield dysfunction. In recent weeks, Moscow has rushed tens of thousands more troops, many of them inexperienced new recruits, to the front lines as President Vladimir V. Putin’s forces seek to demonstrate progress before the anniversary of his invasion on Feb. 24. But raising further doubts about Russia’s offensive capabilities, Western officials estimate that a large part of Russia’s army is already fighting in Ukraine. Britain’s defense secretary, Ben Wallace, told the BBC on Wednesday that “97 percent of the Russian army” is in Ukraine, though he did not elaborate or offer evidence for the claim. U.S. military officials estimate that about 80 percent of Russia’s ground forces are dedicated to the war effort. The fighting over Vuhledar has come at a cost for Ukraine, too, both in terms of casualties and in the vast amounts of ammunition it has expended to repel Russia’s growing number of ground troops. Kyiv’s allies this week expressed concern about their ability to meet the demand, raising the possibly that Ukrainian commanders might at some point have to limit shelling to the most important targets. Vuhledar, which sits at the intersection of the eastern front in the Donetsk region and the southern front in the Zaporizhzhia region, has long been in Moscow’s sights. It has been used by Ukraine as a base for harassing shipments on an important rail line supplying Russian forces. But as has happened in previous Russian offenses, including one in November, “the enemy suffered critical losses,” Col. Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi, a spokesman for Ukrainian military forces in the area, said in an interview. As they have done throughout the war, the Russian commanders made some basic mistakes, in this case failing to take into account the terrain — open fields littered with antitank mines — or the strength of the Ukrainian forces, Colonel Dmytrashkivskyi said. Two of Russia’s most elite brigades — the 155th and 40th Naval Infantry Brigades — were decimated in Vuhledar, he said. In one week alone in the Vuhledar clash, the Ukrainian General Staff estimates, Russia lost at least 130 armored vehicles, including 36 tanks. That estimate has been supported by drone footage reviewed by independent military analysts and by accounts from Russian military bloggers, who are ardent supporters of the war but sharp critics of its conduct by top Russian commanders. Mr. Wallace, the British defense secretary, cited reports on Wednesday that “a whole Russian brigade was effectively annihilated” in Vuhledar, where he said that Moscow “lost over 1,000 people in two days.” The British Defense Intelligence Agency reported last week that Russian units had “likely suffered particularly heavy casualties around Vuhledar.” Many of the captured soldiers had been newly mobilized under a call-up Mr. Putin announced in September of some 300,000 recruits, while others had been recruited by the Wagner mercenary group, many of them from prisons, according to Ukrainian and Russian accounts. In recent weeks, a rivalry between Wagner forces and the regular Russian Army has opened up, with the mercenary group claiming that its fighters are more capable. Wagner fighters have led the bloody, monthslong Russian campaign to take the city of Bakhmut, 60 miles north of Vuhledar, while the forces in Vuhledar were made up primarily of regular Russian Army units, though some Wagner fighters were present, Ukrainian officials said. After Russia’s November attack on Vuhledar, which was also reported to have ended with enormous losses, Moscow turned to newly mobilized recruits to replenish its ranks. But those troops had just a bare minimum of training, military analysts say, and probably not enough to mount a serious, organized offensive. The Russians faced another problem in Vuhledar from Ukraine’s deployment of American-made HIMARS missiles that forced commanders to position large concentrations of forces more than 50 miles from the front. That made it hard to attack with either speed or surprise. For the moment, Colonel Dmytrashkivskyi said, the large-scale Russian assaults have subsided, though the Russians are still attacking in small bands of 10 to 15 soldiers, probably probing Ukrainian defenses for weaknesses. If the Russians continue with that tactic, he said, they will be outnumbered by Ukrainian platoons of 30 soldiers. “They are going to their death, and that’s it,” he said. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 Receiving a signal from the drone, Ukrainian tank commanders open fire on Russians’ location Kanal13 1.43M subscribers 264,781 views Premiered 19 hours ago 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 Ukraine drone wipes out '31 Russian tanks' in Vuhledar ambush The Sun 3.7M subscribers 378,575 views Feb 12, 2023 Ukrainian drone drops bombs on Russian tanks destroying over 30 of them, according to Russian estimation. Video evidence shows Russia have suffered catastrophic military losses after its armoured vehicles were ambushed in Vuhledar. A column of dozens tanks was lost and damaged, with many troops killed in strategic attack. Russian troops are seen in aerial footage fleeing under sustained aerial bombardment by the Ukrainians. One Russian estimate was that Vladimir Putin’s forces had lost 31 armoured vehicles in the carnage at Vuhledar, known to the Russians as Ugledar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 17, 2023 Share Posted February 17, 2023 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/02/14/elite-russian-marine-unit-nearly-destroyed-near-ukraines-vuhledar-a80220 Feb. 14, 2023 Elite Russian Marine Unit 'Nearly Destroyed' Near Ukraine’s Vuhledar An elite Russian naval infantry unit made up of mostly mobilized troops has lost nearly all its troops in fighting near the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhledar, Russian media reported Monday, citing one of the survivors. The 5,000-strong 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade has been “nearly destroyed” after up to 300 marines per day were killed in Russia's assault on the coal-mining town, according to comments by the Ukrainian defense forces to Politico on Sunday. A surviving marine who spoke with the 7x7 regional news site said the losses were so severe that only eight men remained in one landing assault company, while the other survivors were taken prisoner. “Those who survived were said to be deserters,” the unnamed marine was quoted as saying, estimating the brigade’s losses at 500 or more men killed. Citing his commander, the marine told 7x7 that the brigade — nearly 90% of whom were recently mobilized soldiers — did not expect to return to Russia alive or unscathed. “I wish I had been taken prisoner and never returned,” he added, complaining about the officers’ treatment of their soldiers. The assault began on Jan. 23, the surviving marine told 7x7. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that its forces had “neutralized” Ukrainian soldiers and military hardware near Vuhledar last week. That claim drew ridicule from Russian pro-war military bloggers for repeating the mistakes of past failed offensives and dented their belief in the military’s capacity to mount a widely reported large-scale offensive. The Russian Pacific Fleet’s 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade made headlines in November after accusing its commander of causing massive losses in an assault near the eastern city of Donetsk. Russia’s Defense Ministry issued a rare statement at the time denying the unit’s claims. The surviving marine told 7x7 on Monday that the brigade commander gave them a “strict reprimand” for airing its accusations in public. The 155th brigade had to undergo three waves of restaffing after suffering defeats in Ukraine, Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskiy, the spokesman for the regional chapter of Ukraine’s defense forces, told Politico. The marine who described the assault on Vuhledar to 7x7 said his command was “bringing in new” soldiers, many of whom are killed on the battlefield. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolverine Posted February 17, 2023 Share Posted February 17, 2023 UK Defense Ministry: Russian losses may have reached 200,000 troops https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/uk-defense-ministry-russian-losses-may-have-reached-200-000-troops 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 20, 2023 Share Posted February 20, 2023 (edited) US President Joe Biden makes surprise visit to Kyiv ahead of Ukraine war anniversary – BBC News BBC News 13.9M subscribers Feb 20, 2023 US President Joe Biden has made a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine - his first since Russia invaded almost a year ago. Ahead of a joint press conference, Biden sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and said he was "looking forward to discussing the world" with him. Biden also praised Ukrainian citizens for their "heroic" fighting - despite a lack of military experience. The US president is due to begin a three-day visit to Poland later today. Edited February 20, 2023 by Paul A 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 20, 2023 Share Posted February 20, 2023 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/20/us/politics/biden-ukraine-visit.html Feb. 20, 2023 New York Times Biden Visits Kyiv, Ukraine’s Embattled Capital, as Air-Raid Siren Sounds President Biden took a nearly 10-hour train ride from the border of Poland to show his administration’s “unwavering support” nearly a year into Russia’s invasion. President Biden made a surprise trip to the embattled capital of Ukraine on Monday, traveling under a cloak of secrecy into a war zone to demonstrate what he called America’s “unwavering support” of the effort to beat back Russian forces nearly a year after they invaded the country. Mr. Biden arrived unannounced early Monday morning to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the two stepped out into the streets of Kyiv even as an air-raid siren sounded, a dramatic moment captured on video that underscored the investment the United States has made in Ukraine’s independence. “One year later, Kyiv stands,” Mr. Biden declared at Mr. Zelensky’s side in Mariinsky Palace, the gilded ceremonial home of the Ukrainian president. “And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands.” “Thank you so much for coming, Mr. President, at a huge moment for Ukraine,” Mr. Zelensky said. Mr. Biden promised to release another $500 million in military aid in coming days, mentioning artillery ammunition, Javelin missiles and Howitzers, but he did not talk about the advanced arms that Ukraine has sought. Mr. Zelensky told reporters that he and the president spoke about “long range weapons and the weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine even though it wasn’t supplied before.” Mr. Biden joined Mr. Zelensky for a visit to St. Michael’s monastery in downtown Kyiv, where the sun glittered off the golden domes as the air-raid alarm wailed. Trailing two soldiers bearing a wreath, the two leaders walked along the Wall of Remembrance, where portraits are on display of more than 4,500 soldiers who have died since Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and first fomented a rebellion in eastern Ukraine. The two leaders at the Wall of Remembrance, which bears portraits of more than 4,500 soldiers who have died since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and first fomented a rebellion in eastern Ukraine.Credit...Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 Dispatch: Ukrainian soldiers train on new tanks in Germany Washington Post 2.13M subscribers Feb 24, 2023 Ukrainian soldiers trained on new German tanks on Feb. 20 as part of an intensive five-week training program. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 🚨 These are the tanks the UK is giving Ukraine Times Radio Jan 15, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 King Charles visits Ukrainian troops being trained by British forces | Ukraine war The Telegraph 3.47M subscribers Feb 21, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 Ukrainian Soldiers Ready to Return To War After Spain Training CRUX 1.71M subscribers Feb 16, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 Inside an ammo factory racing to replenish dwindling US & Nato stocks Forces News 692K subscribers Feb 21, 2023 The US Army has asked that artillery shell production triple over the next two years. It comes as Nato's chief says the West is now in a "logistics race" with Russia to see who can produce weapons quicker. One manufacturer, General Dynamics, has allowed a rare glimpse behind the scenes at one of its factories, Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, as it works flat out to meet demand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFartRides Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 War is bad business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 25, 2023 Share Posted February 25, 2023 Russia interrupts minute's silence for victims of Ukraine war at UN security council meeting Guardian News 3.02M subscribers 231,540 views Feb 25, 2023 During a security council meeting at the United Nations, Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, asked for a minute of silence to be held in memory of all those who lost their lives due to 'Russian aggression'. The silence was interrupted by Russia's representative, who could be seen raising his hand during the tribute. Russia's UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, said: 'All lives are priceless ... we are rising to remember the memory [of all the victims],' before the minute's silence resumed. The meeting was held on the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 25, 2023 Share Posted February 25, 2023 Ukraine receives first shipment of Leopard tanks delivered from Poland The Sun 3.72M subscribers 56,147 views Feb 26, 2023 Poland has delivered its first Leopard tanks to Ukraine, the country's president and its defence minister told a meeting of the National Security Council on Friday (February 24). Officials did not give details on the number of tanks delivered to Ukraine at this stage, but Poland has earlier pledged that a company of Leopard tanks would be handed to Ukraine as part of coalition building. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/02/27/world/russia-ukraine-news New York Times February 27, 2023 KYIV - Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen outside St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Ukraine's future is 'to be in EU and Nato': Finland PM Channel 4 News Feb 28, 2023 "I see that the future of Ukraine is to be part of the European Union and a member of Nato", says Finland's prime minister Sanna Marin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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