Ukraine is about to get new US long-range bombs. How will it use them?

Striking Russian pressure points deep behind enemy lines has become a near-daily task for Ukraine — and the country’s long-range arsenal continues to grow to serve the purpose.

Ukraine’s latest acquisition, the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb, is due for its combat debut any day now.

The #GLSDB is the brainchild of Boeing and Saab. As its name suggests, it is an attempt to combine the versatility of a ground launcher with the cost-efficiency and precision of a small guided bomb.

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-about-to-get-new-us-long-range-bombs/

#RussianAggression #Imperialism #RussiaInvadedUkraine #StandWithUkraine

Ukraine is about to get new US long-range bombs. How will it use them?

Striking Russian pressure points deep behind enemy lines has become a near-daily task for Ukraine — and the country’s long-range arsenal continues to grow to serve the purpose. Ukraine’s latest acquisition, the Ground-Launched Small Diameter...

Is Congress Really Going to Abandon Ukraine Now? - The Atlantic

Tens of millions of other people—Poles, Germans, Romanians, Finns, Estonians, Swedes, Slovaks, Lithuanians, Czechs, Latvians, Norwegians—are also in range of Russian conventional missiles, whether launched from Belarus, Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine, or Russia itself. Anyone in Europe could also be hit by Russian nuclear weapons, of course, as Russian television propagandists so frequently like to remind us.

Dmitri Medvedev, a former Russian president, in recent months has:

• Threatened Poland with the loss of its statehood
• Threatened Sweden and Finland with nuclear and hypersonic missiles
• Said the Baltic states belong to Russia anyway.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/01/us-congress-support-ukraine-war/677256/

#Warmongering #RussianAggression #Imperialism #WarCrimes #Torture #nuclear #war #StopRussianAggression #StandWithUkraine

Is Congress Really Going to Abandon Ukraine Now?

The U.S. rallied the world to help the Ukrainians. Are Americans really going to leave them to their fate?

Romania: Russia 'will not stop' with war in Ukraine, calls for better preparation amid potential conflict with NATO

"The Russian Federation has become a problem for the world order, for #democracy. In fact, it is a war of Russia with the democratic world. It is not a war with Ukraine," said Vlad, Romania's highest-ranking military officer.

Vlad, who was recently appointed Chief of Defense in November 2023, said he believes that Russia "will not stop" at Ukraine.

"If (Russian President Vladimir Putin) wins in Ukraine, the main target will be the Republic of #Moldova. We will witness tensions in the Western #Balkans. I am more than convinced that President Putin's policy will escalate in the immediate future."

https://kyivindependent.com/romanian-defense-chief-russia-will-not-stop-with-war-in-ukraine-calls-for-better-preparation-amid-potential-conflict-with-nato/

#Imperialism #RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussianAggression #StandWithUkraine #war

Romanian defense chief: Russia 'will not stop' with war in Ukraine, calls for better preparation amid potential conflict with NATO

In an interview with Europa Libera Romania on Feb. 1, Romanian Chief of Defense Gheorghita Vlad urged Romania and Europe to better prepare for a potential war with Russia, warning that Russia will continue its escalation if it is successful in...

Ukrainian Navy Commander signals Kyiv would win faster if there's permission to fire Western weapons deep inside Russia

Kyiv would be able to win the war faster if it had permission to fire Western weapons against targets inside Russia, Sky News reported.

"We must have the capabilities to make sure that Russia will give up forever the thought of even looking in Ukraine's direction, including at sea,"

For example Ukraine's recent attacks on Russia's Black Sea Fleet have led to the "functional defeat" of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea

https://kyivindependent.com/sky-news-ukrainian-navy-commander-signals-faster-victory-if-given-permission-to-target-deep-inside-russia/

#RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussianAggression #WarCrimes #LongRange #weapons #StandWithUkraine

Sky News: Ukrainian Navy сommander signals Kyiv would win faster if there's permission to fire Western weapons deep inside Russia

Ukrainian Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa told Sky News that the state of the war would have been very different if allies had not given restrictions to Kyiv on the use of Western weapons.

Increase in arson attacks at Russian enlistment offices likely signals 'disaffection' amid war, potential mobilization

The doubling of arson attacks on Russian enlistment offices in the past six months is likely attributed to a "greater sense of disaffection" among Russians as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues and a potential second wave of mobilization looms

https://kyivindependent.com/uk-defense-ministry-increase-in-arson-attacks-at-russian-enlistment-offices-signals-disaffection-with-war/

#arson #RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussianAggression #WarCrimes #mobilization #EnlistmentOffices #StandWithUkraine

UK Defense Ministry: Increase in arson attacks at Russian enlistment offices likely signals 'disaffection' amid war, potential mobilization

The doubling of arson attacks on Russian enlistment offices in the past six months is likely attributed to a "greater sense of disaffection" among Russians as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues and a potential second wave of...

Russia aims to create new world order via alliance with China

#Russia is attempting to deepen its economic and diplomatic ties with #China and the #GlobalSouth to allow it to challenge the international financial system

The document reportedly envisioned a new financial system and a Eurasian digital currency based on alternative payment systems between Russia and China to bypass the U.S. dominance of global financial transactions through the dollar

https://kyivindependent.com/washington-post-russia-aims-to-create-new-world-order-through-alliance-with-china/

#StopRussianAggression #RussianAggression #financial #transactions #StandWithUkraine

Washington Post: Russia aims to create new world order via alliance with China

Russia is attempting to deepen its economic and diplomatic ties with China and the Global South to allow it to challenge the international financial system dominated by the U.S. and to undermine the West, the Washington Post (WP) reported.

F-16s, other weapons, can help Ukraine regain control over its airspace in 2024

"If we receive F-16s, if we have combat and reconnaissance drones – that's the importance of our cooperation with #Lithuania — if we have electronic #warfare equipment and missiles, we will control our sky. It's achievable," Kuleba told journalists.

"All these decisions are currently being implemented. There is nothing unprecedented here. We just need to obtain all these elements in sufficient quantities and in due time," he said, adding that that is why the European Peace Facility (EPF) is so important.

https://kyivindependent.com/kuleba-f-16s-other-weapons-can-help-ukraine-regain-control-over-its-airspace-in-2024/

#RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussianAggression #defense #weapons #InternationalLaw #StandWithUkraine

Kuleba: F-16s, other weapons, can help Ukraine regain control over its airspace in 2024

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba believes it's realistic for Ukraine to regain control over its airspace in 2024, he said during the press conference with his Lithuanian counterpart, Gabrielius Landsbergis, in Kyiv on Jan. 27.

Gaza War Has Convinced Russia It Was Right All Along

The conflict in the Middle East is the perfect crisis for Russia, which is reaping a whole host of political benefits. The confrontation between Israel and Hamas has not only boosted the Kremlin’s hopes of changing the mood around the war in Ukraine, but also strengthened its belief that the Western-centric system of international relations is breaking down.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 put an end to most internal Western disagreements when it came to Russia, uniting countries on both sides of the Atlantic. But the Israel-Hamas war has seen divisions resurface at a state level

A vision of the world in which morals and ideologies are irrelevant—and the only thing that counts are state interests—has long been the dominant one in the Kremlin. And this logic dictates that there is no better outcome for Moscow than the continuation of the Middle East conflict, which is destroying the West’s strategy toward Russia. Moscow does not even have to lift a finger: Israel’s ground operation in Gaza looks unlikely to end anytime soon. When it does, intractable issues will remain.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/12/18/the-gaza-war-has-convinced-russia-it-was-right-all-along-a83468

#RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussianAggression #StandWithUkraine #morals #dictatorships #authoritarian

The Gaza War Has Convinced Russia It Was Right All Along - The Moscow Times

Opinion | The conflict in the Middle East is the perfect crisis for Russia, which is reaping a whole host of political benefits.

All EU members appear to agree on approving 4-year aid package for Ukraine

All 27 members of the European Union appear to agree on approving a four-year 50 billion euro ($54 billion) aid package for Ukraine

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier in January that the EU would pass the package even with 26 members, implying it was possible to do so without Hungary's consent

https://kyivindependent.com/pm-shmyhal-all-eu-members-appear-to-agree-on-approving-4-year-aid-package-for-ukraine/

#RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussianAggression #EU #MilitaryAid #StandWithUkraine

PM Shmyhal: All EU members appear to agree on approving 4-year aid package for Ukraine

All 27 members of the European Union appear to agree on approving a four-year 50 billion euro ($54 billion) aid package for Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Jan. 26.

UK must train 'civilian army,' prepare for land war

The U.K. must increase its military readiness and prepare for the possibility of a land war with Russia that could see civilians conscripted into the army, the U.K.'s Chief of the General Staff, General Patrick Sanders, said

"Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them," Sanders said, adding that the U.K. cannot simply rely on its air and naval power.

Civilians in NATO countries should be ready for the prospect of an all-out war with Russia within the next 20 years.

https://kyivindependent.com/general-uk-must-train-civilian-army-prepare-for-land-war/

#RussianAggression #RussiaInvadedUkraine #WarCrimes #UK #Imperialism #RussianImperialism

General: UK must train 'civilian army,' prepare for land war

Britain's recent cuts to its army indicate it is not taking the threat from Russia and other countries seriously enough, said the U.K.'s Chief of the General Staff, General Patrick Sanders.

Russian proxy leader in occupied Moldovan territory calls for military preparedness

#Transnistria is a breakaway region internationally recognized as part of Moldova. Russian troops have occupied Transnistria since the early 1990s when Russia invaded the region under the pretext of protecting ethnic Russians.

There have been heightened tensions between #Moldova and Transnistria since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine when there were fears that armed conflict could erupt in Moldova.

https://kyivindependent.com/russian-proxy-leader-in-occupied-moldovan-territory-calls-for-military-preparedness/

#Imperialism #RussianAggression #RussiaInvadedUkraine #InformationWarfare #StopRussianAggression

Russian proxy leader in occupied Moldovan territory calls for military preparedness

There have been heightened tensions between Moldova and Transnistria since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, when there were fears that armed conflict could erupt in Moldova.

North Korea currently Russia's largest arms supplier

North Korea has transferred "a significant amount" of artillery ammunition to Russia

"This allowed Russia to breathe a little,” Budanov said. “Without (North Korea's) help, the situation would have been catastrophic.”

Russia has been struggling to keep up with the production of its weapons and munitions at a rate that matches their usage on the front. As a result, they have been compelled to seek military assistance from countries such as North Korea.

"This has always been considered beneath them, it’s an indignity,"

https://kyivindependent.com/budanov-north-korea-currently-russias-largest-arms-supplier/

#RussiaInvadedUkraine #Imperialism #WarCrimes #RussianAggression #NorthKorea #weapons #ArmsDealers #StandWithUkraine

Budanov: North Korea currently Russia's largest arms supplier

North Korea is currently Russia's largest arms supplier, Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) chief Kyrylo Budanov told the Financial Times in an interview published on Jan. 21.

Slovak PM promises to block Ukraine's NATO entry, says it must cede territory

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico came out with another anti-Ukrainian public statement on Jan. 20, telling Slovak radio that he would block Ukraine's accession to NATO.

Fico is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Jan. 24.

The Slovak premier, who consistently joins Hungarian leader Viktor Orban in repeating Russian talking points about Ukraine, then claimed that Kyiv is dominated by Washington.

He said Ukraine will have to give a piece of its territory to Russia, which he called a "compromise."

https://kyivindependent.com/slovak-pm-promised-to-block-nato-entry-for-ukraine-said-it-must-cede-territory/

#RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussianImperialism #RussianAggression #Imperialism #WarCrimes #Slovak #Hungary #Ukraine #StandWithUkraine

Slovak PM promises to block Ukraine's NATO entry, says it must cede territory

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Jan. 24.

Russian air defense sufficient on front lines, in Crimea but not on Russian soil

"Russian air defense is thinning out. They filled the front line and Crimea with it (air defense). But you see that the Russian territory is not so filled with air defense equipment," Ihnat told Focus's journalist.

"Moscow, Saint Petersburg, (Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin's bunkers will be more or less protected, but Ukrainian-made drones reach Moscow, St. Petersburg, and oil depots in other cities. This is a very good sign."

Reports of drone attacks against military targets on Russian soil have increased in recent months. Kyiv usually doesn't officially comment on such strikes.

https://kyivindependent.com/air-force-russian-air-defense-sufficient-on-front-lines-in-crimea-but-not-on-russian-soil/

#AirDefense #RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussianAggression #war #RussianSoil #Moscow #Drones #Ukraine #StandWithUkraine

Air Force: Russian air defense sufficient on front lines, in Crimea but not on Russian soil

The Air Force spokesperson's statement follows reports that Ukrainian drones attacked oil depots in Klintsy in Russia's Bryansk region and in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg on Jan. 18-19.

Poor training, coordination likely limiting Russia’s offensive capabilities in Kherson Oblast

Poor training and coordination of Russian troops stationed on the east bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast likely prevent them from dislodging Ukrainian forces from the area, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on Jan. 20.

After a series of military operations on the Dnipro River’s east bank, held by Russian troops since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces established footholds in the area, continuing to repel Russian attacks despite logistical challenges.

https://kyivindependent.com/uk-defense-ministry-poor-training-coordination-likely-limiting-russias-offensive-capabilities-in-kherson-oblast/

#RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussianAggression #Kherson #RussianTroops #Dnipro #DniproRiver #training #logistics #Ukraine #StandWithUkraine

UK Defense Ministry: Poor training, coordination likely limiting Russia’s offensive capabilities in Kherson Oblast

“Russia’s Dnepr (the Russian name for the Dnipro River) Grouping of Forces has been unsuccessful in all its attempts to dislodge the Ukrainian defenders, despite almost certainly having a significant advantage in the balance of forces on this...

NATO official warns of 'all-out war' with Russia within next 20 years

“We have to realize it’s not a given that we are in peace. And that’s why we (NATO) are preparing for a conflict with Russia,"

As Russia has increasingly put its economy on a wartime footing, Europe has fallen short of even its pledges to deliver weapons to Ukraine, let alone prepare its own armies for war. Europe's supply of military equipment to Ukraine has already strained its capacity and stockpiles, creating concerns that it may take years to refill reserves, barring a full mobilization of industrial output.

https://kyivindependent.com/nato-official-warns-of-all-out-war-with-russia-within-next-20-years/

#RussianAggression #RussiaInvadedUkraine #WarCrimes #NATO #war #weapons #WarFooting #threats #invasion

NATO official warns of 'all-out war' with Russia within next 20 years

“We have to realize it’s not a given that we are in peace. And that’s why we [Nato forces] are preparing for a conflict with Russia," said Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee.

Baltic countries to build defenses on Russian, Belarusian borders

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked concerns that the Baltic states, which are among Moscow's biggest critics and Kyiv's staunchest allies since day one of the all-out war, could become the next target for aggression,

These fears are reinforced by Russian leader Vladimir Putin's repeated threats to NATO countries.

https://kyivindependent.com/baltic-countries-to-build-defenses-on-russia-belarus-border/

#BalticCountries #RussiaInvadedUkraine #WarCrimes #InternationalLaw #RussianAggression #Estonia #Latvia #Lithuania #borders #defenses #Belarus

Baltic countries to build defenses on Russian, Belarusian borders

The agreement signed by the defense ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania provides for defensive installations on their borders to deter and, if necessary, protect against military threats.

Cameron compares situation in Europe to 1930s, warns against appeasement

"To me, Ukraine is the absolute number one priority," he answered when the podcast host asked if Russia's invasion of Ukraine was at risk of being forgotten.

"This is the challenge for our generation. This is like being a Foreign Minister or a leader in Europe in the 1930s. We have got to not appease Putin, we have got to stand up to the evil that his invasion represents," he said.

https://kyivindependent.com/cameron-europe-1930s/

#RussiaInvadedUkraine #WarCrimes #RussianAggression #RussiaUkraineWar #imperialism #Russia #StandWithUkraine

Cameron compares situation in Europe to 1930s, warns against appeasement

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has meant that the current reality is "like being a Foreign Minister or a leader in Europe in the 1930s" in a podcast published by Politico on Jan. 18.

All Russian missiles have dozens of critical foreign-made parts

Despite extensive Western sanctions aimed at cutting off supply lines, Russia continues to obtain #sanctioned goods, such as #microchips, via third-party countries, fueling its war machine.

However, #Moscow lacks some modern weapon parts like modern optics and #electronics due to restrictions, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said.

According to Zelensky, there are “clear facts” that many of the parts in Russian missiles are made by “companies from the free world.” He wants allies to respond more actively to Moscow’s attempts to circumvent sanctions and prevent it from producing weapons

https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-all-russian-missiles-have-dozens-of-critical-foreign-made-parts/

#RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussianAggression #WarCrimes #missiles #Ukraine #StandWithUkraine

Zelensky: All Russian missiles have dozens of critical foreign-made parts

According to Zelensky, there are “clear facts” that many of the parts in Russian missiles are made by “companies from the free world.” He wants allies to respond more actively to Moscow’s attempts to circumvent sanctions by preventing it from...

European Parliament backs resolution calling for suspending Hungary's EU voting rights

The European Parliament supported on Jan. 18 the resolution calling on the European Council and member states to suspend Hungary's voting rights, said Petri Sarvamaa, a senior member of the European Parliament (MEP).

Earlier this month, Sarvamaa launched a petition to remove some of Budapest's membership rights due to the country's "erosion of the rule of law" and obstructive behavior in the face of EU #consensus building.

https://kyivindependent.com/european-parliament-backs-resolution-calling-for-suspending-hungarys-eu-voting-rights/

#Hungary #EU #VotingRights #law #treaty #erosion #obstructive #Ukraine #StandWithUkraine #RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussianAggression

European Parliament backs resolution calling for suspending Hungary's EU voting rights

The resolution, supported by 345 MEPs with 104 voting against and 29 abstaining, calls on the European Council to examine whether Hungary is committing a "serious and persistent breach" of the bloc's values under Article 7.2 of the EU treaty.