Author: Steven Sahiounie

March 24 marked a month of the Russian military operations in Ukraine. After the Russian blitzkrieg thrust in the first days and Kiev’s incapacity to negotiate with Moscow, Russian troops together with DPR and LPR forces have moved to the implementation of their goals by military means, orderly destructing military infrastructure all around Ukraine and eliminating the AFU grouping in the eastern regions. The speed of Russian advance raises doubts about the success of the Russian tactics. On the other hand, the AFU are yet to claim any strategic victories. While the most powerful AFU groupings are surrounded or risk to…

NATO members will discuss additional military aid one month into the Ukraine-Russia conflict The UK said it will send more anti-armor missiles to Ukraine, as NATO member states are set to discuss additional support for Kiev amid Russia’s military campaign, which started exactly one month ago. London will deliver 6,000 anti-tank and “high explosive” missiles, as well as £25 million ($32.9 million) in military aid, the government announced on Thursday. This adds to over 4,000 anti-tank weapons, including Javelin and NLAW missiles, already sent to Kiev. The BBC, meanwhile, will receive an extra £4.1 million ($5.4 million) for its Ukrainian and Russian…

Seoul’s military fires projectiles from the ground, sea, and air in a show of force The South Korean military test-fired missiles from ground, sea, and air platforms in response to an apparent test of an intercontinental ballistic missile by North Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday. The joint test involved a domestically-made Hyunmoo-II surface-to-surface missile, a US-made MGM-140 ATACMS surface-to-surface missile, a Haeseong-II ship-launched cruise missile, and two JDAM-equipped air-launched precision-guided munitions, the agency said, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The launches were meant to confirm Seoul’s “capability and readiness to strike” North Korean missile launch sites and command…

Moscow, SANA- Russian Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that a weapons and ammunition depot in Ukraine’s Orgev was targeted with high-precision and long-range weapons from naval bases. ” Yesterday evening, Russian precision-guided war systems destroyed a Ukrainian arms and ammunition depot in Orgev town, 14 km away from Rovno ” Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said in a press briefing on Wednesday. Konashenkov added that this depot contains weapons and military equipment, a large part of which the Ukrainian forces obtained from Western countries. Konashenkov stated that Russian aircraft and helicopters targeted 97 Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities…

Moscow will use rubles in gas deals with “hostile” countries, the Russian president says Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the sanctions have dealt a large blow to public trust in US and EU currencies. Many Western countries imposed sweeping restrictions on Moscow in response to its ongoing military campaign against Ukraine. “During the last few weeks, as you know, several Western countries adopted unlawful decisions to freeze Russian assets,” Putin said during a government meeting held via video link. “The West has de facto destroyed the credibility of its currencies.” Putin argued that the sanctions showed it “makes no sense…

If the US-led military bloc deploys its peacekeepers to Ukraine, it may lead to a military confrontation with Russia The top diplomat warned that if NATO agrees with Poland’s proposal to deploy peacekeepers to Ukraine, the move could trigger a military conflict between the alliance and Moscow. “Our Polish colleagues have already stated that there will be a NATO summit now, and peacekeepers should be deployed. I hope they understand what is at stake. This will be a direct clash between the Russian and NATO armed forces, which everyone not only wanted to avoid but said that it should never…

A year-long agreement with Kiev has been approved by the bloc, Bloomberg sources claim The EU has approved an agreement with Ukraine under which they will be able to provide classified information to Kiev, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources. It said satellite images are one example of what would be shared. The agreement will last for a year and could be renewed as necessary, the news agency said. EU ambassadors were informed about it during a meeting on Tuesday, according to the report. It is not clear if the deal would only cover EU members’ own intelligence or…

Beijing says no group member can exclude others Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin commented on Wednesday on potential plans of the US and Western allies to kick Russia out of the G20 in the wake of its military offensive in Ukraine. “G20 is the main forum for international economic cooperation, bringing together the world’s major economies. Russia is an important member, and no member has the right to expel other countries,” the spokesman said during a regular press conference. Wang said that at the moment, the global economy is at a critical stage, recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, while instability…

Jake Sullivan believes Moscow cannot do “business as usual” in international institutions US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told a White House press briefing on Tuesday that the issue of Russia’s membership in the G20 amid its offensive in Ukraine could be subject to discussion with the White House’s European allies. The warning came as President Joe Biden prepared to travel to the continent. “On the question of the G20, I will just say this: We believe that it cannot be business as usual for Russia in international institutions and in the international community,” he said, answering a question on whether…

On March 22 and in the first half of March 23, intense fighting between Russian-led forces and units loyal to the Kyiv government continued in the region of Donbass. Active military developments also took place in the regions of Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia. In the region of Donetsk, the most intense clashes took place in the city of Mariupol. According to DPR sources, units of the Russian Armed Forces and DPR established full control over about a half of the city. The operation to eliminate pro-Kyiv units has been developing in the rest of it. Launch of Kalibr cruise missiles on…