Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered authorities to tighten controls on Ukraine’s borders after a spate of drone strikes targeting regions within Russia, with one crashing just 60 miles from Moscow.
Ukrainian officials took no responsibility for the attack, but claimed they had the right to carry out such an attack to deter a Russian aggression. A near range was reported, indicating an inability to carry large amounts of explosives.
Russian forces shot down a Ukrainian drone in the Bryansk region early Tuesday morning, local governor Alexander Bogomaz said in a Telegram post. He said there were no casualties. Three drones also targeted Russia’s Belgorod region along the border, and one flew through the windows of an apartment building in the capital of the same name, local officials reported.
Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov said drones in the Moscow region appeared to have aimed at Gazprom’s gas supply facilities but did not hit them.
“No casualties or destruction on the ground,” he said on Telegram. “There is no danger to the safety of local residents.”
development:
►Putin signed a bill to that effect on Tuesday, carrying out last week’s pledge to suspend the last remaining nuclear weapons ban treaty with the United States. Putin and Russian officials have said they have no intention of withdrawing completely from the New START Treaty, will respect nuclear weapons restrictions, and will continue to notify the United States of ballistic missile test launches.
►Air raid warnings disrupted TV and radio programming in several parts of Russia on Tuesday. Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said in an online statement that the announcement was a hacking hoax.
► Flights to and from the main airport of St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, were halted for an hour on Tuesday, reportedly due to an unidentified drone. The Russian military later said it was for air defense training.
At least four civilians have been killed and five injured in renewed Russian shelling in the southern Ukraine city of Kherson and surrounding villages, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.
► According to the survey of about 15,000 respondents, one-third of Ukrainians who fled to EU countries because of the war eventually want to return to their home country. Implemented by EU Fundamental Rights InstitutionsAbout a quarter of respondents were undecided.
Wesley Clark:Putin’s war is driven by his fear of Russia’s decline. It gives Ukraine a path to victory.
Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman:Victory in Ukraine is vital for America and the world. Biden has to do more.
Russia’s death toll surpasses all wars since WWII
More than 60,000 Russian troops died in the first year of the Ukraine war, more than in all Russian wars since World War II combined, says a new study.
Analysis by Institute for Strategic and International Studies estimates that between 60,000 and 70,000 Russian soldiers died in Ukraine. Analyzes show that Russia suffered approximately 200,000 to 250,000 total casualties (dead, wounded, or missing personnel) in the first year of the war.
By contrast, in Russia 13,000 to 25,000 died in Chechnya between 1994 and 2009, and 14,000 to 16,000 died in Afghanistan between 1979 and 1989.
“Certain authoritarian regimes are willing to accept high casualties in interstate conflicts, but Russia’s casualty figures are unprecedented for post-World War II Russia,” the analysis said. ing.
The Ukrainian military has also performed “very well” against the much larger and better-equipped Russian army, in part due to military innovation, the analysis said. Putin has so far been willing to accept Russia’s large number of deaths, which have limited political influence, but added, “It is unclear whether he will be able to do so forever.”
‘Grinding slugs’ on the front lines unlikely to recover in the near future
A senior Pentagon official has called the Ukrainian frontline a “struggling”, and field conditions are unlikely to change much in the near future.
Defense Secretary for Policy Colin Carle told a House committee on Tuesday, “I don’t think there is anything to suggest that Russia can sweep Ukraine and gain significant territory anytime next year or so.” .
Heavy fighting continues in the eastern Donbass region as Russia seeks to consolidate its hold, but neither side has been able to gain much of an edge in the winter. does not lead to significant progress.
“As you can see, spring means mud, so both sides stay in their respective positions. told Reuters.
I have a tank, but I don’t have a tank
Ukrainian leaders wanted modern tanks to counter Russian forces before their current insistence on getting fighter jets. The United States and Germany overcame their initial hesitation and announced that they would provide vehicles, paving the way for other countries to do so as well.
They just don’t do that much.
Ukraine has requested 300 tanks, the US and its allies have promised about 100, and so far few have entered the battlefield. Some delay was expected due to training needs and the difficult logistics of delivering the tanks. For example, her M1 Abrams in the US weighs at least 60 tons.
However, the same countries that pressured Germany to allow the Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine have been forced, partly based on lack of available supplies, partly on political resistance or other factors. Yes, we are facing obstacles. The New York Times reported.
Quoting German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month, the paper said: “Of course, some countries have done it, or at least announced that it will happen.” “But other people aren’t doing it.”
Contributions: Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY. Associated Press
