Tag: military

Cool your jets: Why the West is making Ukraine wait for fighter planes

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The West isn’t really saying “never” on fighter jets for Ukraine — it just wants to focus first on getting Kyiv weapons for a looming offensive.
That’s the sentiment emerging in the wake of U.S. President Joe Biden’s blunt “no” — echoed to various degrees by leaders in Germany and the U.K. — to the question of whether he would be sending Ukraine the fighter jets it is requesting. While officials have publicly remained relatively unequivocal that no jets are forthcoming, private discussions indicate it may actually just be a matter of time.
At the Pentagon, senior U.S. officials acknowledge Ukraine will need to modernize its aging Air Force with new fighter jets — eventually. But for now, officials are focused on sending the weapons Kyiv needs for the immediate fight.

The same conversations are happening in Europe. Countries like Poland, the Netherlands and France have indicated an openness to the idea, but officials stress there’s considerable work to be done just to get Ukraine the taboo-shattering weapons promised in recent weeks.
“I think it is an issue of longer-term perspective,” said one Eastern European senior diplomat. “We need to deliver what was committed in January as soon as possible. It is really impressive, but time is of the essence.”
The chatter indicates that while the tenor is negative for now, the issue is one likely to linger behind the scenes and eventually reemerge.
It’s a pattern that has occurred over and over for the Western alliance since the war began: Something that was once forbidden — from German weapons in a war zone to Ukraine receiving modern tanks — creeps its way toward reality as the war grinds on, the West’s commitment deepens and equipment requiring significant training no longer seems irrelevant.
“A lot of people still don’t understand that the war is far from over,” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk told POLITICO. “In fact, Putin appears to have even more of an appetite than ever. Without air support you can’t fight a modern war.”
The world has changed
The possibility of sending Ukraine fighter jets stretches back to the war’s early days.
In the weeks after Russia sent troops streaming across the border, the Polish government claimed it was ready to transfer Soviet-era fighter planes to the U.S. so they could then go to Ukrainian pilots.
A stunned Washington shot down the offer. The training was too difficult, officials said, and sending planes from a NATO base into Ukraine could risk a direct confrontation with Russia. The subject faded away.
At the Pentagon, senior U.S. officials acknowledge Ukraine will need to modernize its aging Air Force with new fighter jets | Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Nearly a year later, much has changed. An early blitz on Kyiv has morphed into trench warfare. A war that may last days or weeks now could linger for years.
Along the way, Western allies have blown through one red line after another. Heavy weaponry, howitzers, long-range rocket systems, armored vehicles — all eventually made their way to Ukraine. And finally, in a watershed moment last month, allies joined together to pledge roughly 80 modern, Western-made tanks.
Suddenly, the idea of fighter jets didn’t seem so outlandish. Ukraine seized the moment, renewing its request. Momentum seemed to be growing. Then Biden and his European cohorts stepped in to slow things down.
Their caution reflected behind-the-scenes arguments from Western diplomats, who said it was impossible to send Kyiv jets and train pilots in time for a looming Russian offensive. And, they noted, new planes are not crucial for those upcoming battles anyway.
Still, a military adviser to the Ukrainian government said the discussion on jets is simply in its “early days” and expressed confidence the Western position will evolve in the coming weeks.
“In Germany,” Melnyk recalled, “I learned that it was helpful to take people out of their comfort zone. Much of the population had no idea what weapons system the army even had in its arsenal. We helped to educate them.”
U.S. officials, congressional aides and advisers involved conceded they are continuing to work on possible jet deliveries behind the scenes.
“They remember him saying ‘no’ to Patriot and Abrams for a while too,” said one U.S. defense official, recalling Biden’s evolving comments on air-defense systems and tanks.
Fuel up for months of jet talk
Indeed, the jets chatter is far from dead.
Kyiv has focused its demands on so-called fourth-generation jets like the U.S.-made F-16s, which have been in service since the 1980s. Ukrainian military officials estimate the F-16 training could take six months; some U.S. officials say it could even be as little as three to four months for seasoned Ukrainian pilots. The cutting-edge F-35s, meanwhile, have never been on the table.
While it’s unlikely the U.S. would send its own fighter jets, which are in high demand for national security missions around the world, officials might consider letting other countries transfer their own F-16s, said a senior U.S. Defense Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. The U.S. must sign off on any F-16 transfers because of export restrictions.
The West isn’t really saying “never” on fighter jets for Ukraine — it just wants to focus first on getting Kyiv weapons for a looming offensive | Omar Marques/Getty Images
Some European countries with F-16s in their inventory, like the Netherlands, have already shown they are open to doing exactly that. France is also transitioning to an air force of Rafale planes, meaning Paris will have older jets it could give to Ukraine — jets that wouldn’t need American sign-off.
“There are other countries that are talking about this. So, as they come forward with proposals for them to do it, I think we’ll have those conversations,” the senior DoD official said. “I don’t think we are opposed on the fourth-generation aircraft issue, I just think we have to make sure that we continue to prioritize.”
Right now, officials are more focused on sending Ukraine air defenses to protect Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, as well as armor and artillery for the expected spring offensive. Sending Kyiv fighter jets “does not solve the cruise missile problem, it does not solve the drone problem,” the official said, adding that there have been no high-level discussions yet about sending F-16s.
Behind the scenes, U.S. administration officials are careful not to rule out jet shipments. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby refused multiple requests to elaborate on the president’s comments on Tuesday. A Pentagon spokesperson said there were no new announcements.
“The biggest risk is prolonging the conflict,” former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told POLITICO on Wednesday. “That’s why we have an interest in ending the war quickly with weapons.”
Western allies, Rasmussen said, must ship Ukraine everything it needs without delay.
“If we deliver all the weapons Ukraine needs, they can win,” he argued, stressing that even included retaking Crimea, the region Russia annexed in 2014 that many Western allies consider a no-go zone for the moment.
The next major moment on defense ministers’ calendar is February 14, when officials gather at NATO headquarters in Brussels for a meeting of the so-called Ramstein format — the grouping for allies to discuss weapons shipments for Ukraine.
While the issue of jets is likely to come up at the gathering, officials see the conversation on jets as a “long-term” project, as one senior European defense official put it. Ukraine may raise the topic at the February meeting, the official said, “but the focus will still be on air defense, tanks, ammo.”
Back in Paris, the mood was nonetheless upbeat on Tuesday as Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov met with French officials. Reznikov predicted Ukraine could receive F-16s, the Swedish-made Gripens “or something from France.”
During the recent discussions around tanks, France moved early to send Ukraine light tanks — a decision it argues set the stage for allies to later approve the norm-breaking battalion of heavy tanks. Now, France is sending cryptic signals it may aim to play a similar role.
“I wonder what the messaging means,” said Pierre Haroche, a Paris-based lecturer in international security at the Queen Mary University of London. “If France wants to retain leadership, it has to follow words with actions.”
Lili Bayer and Matthew Karnitschnig contributed reporting.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 31, 2023
Ukraine army discipline crackdown sparks fear and fury on the front

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KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to veto a new law that strengthens punishment for wayward military personnel on Thursday, rejecting a petition signed by over 25,000 Ukrainians who argue it’s too harsh.
“The key to the combat capability of military units and ultimately of Ukraine’s victory, is compliance with military discipline,” Zelenskyy said in his written response to the petition.
Ukrainian soldiers have stunned the world with their resilience and battlefield successes, withstanding a year-long onslaught from Russian troops. But among Kyiv’s forces, made up largely of fresh recruits lacking previous military experience or training, some are struggling to cope. There are those who have rebelled against commanders’ orders, gotten drunk or misbehaved; others, running low on ammunition and morale, have fled for their lives, abandoning their positions.
Seeking to bring his forces into line, Zelenskyy in January signed into force a punitive law that introduces harsher punishment for deserters and wayward soldiers, and strips them of their right to appeal.
The law aims to standardize and toughen the repercussions for rule-breaking, improving discipline and the combat readiness of military units. Disobedience will be punishable by five to eight years in prison, rather than the previous two to seven; desertion or failure to appear for duty without a valid reason by up to 10 years. Threatening commanders, consuming alcohol, questioning orders and many other violations will also be dealt with more harshly, potentially with prison time; those who broke these rules in the past may have gotten away with a probation period or the docking of their combat pay.
Those who lobbied in favor of the new law, such as the Ukrainian Army General Staff, argue it will make discipline fairer: Previously, because courts adjudicated infractions on a case-by-case basis, some perpetrators were able to escape punishment for serious rule-breaking entirely, while others received harsher sentences for less significant violations, according to an explanatory note that accompanied the new law.
But soldiers, lawyers and human rights watchdogs have slammed the measures as an inappropriate and blunt instrument that won’t deal with the root causes of military indiscipline — and over 25,000 Ukrainians called on the president to veto the law altogether in a petition submitted to the president late last year.
The new punitive rules remove discretion and turn courts into a “calculator” for doling out punishment to soldiers, regardless of the reasons for their offenses, lawyer Anton Didenko argued in a column on Ukraine’s Interfax news agency.

“This law will have negative consequences for the protection of the rights of military personnel who are accused of committing a crime and will reduce the level of motivation during service,” an NGO, called the Reanimation Package of Reforms Coalition, said in a statement. “This can carry risks both for the protection of human rights and for the defense capability of the state.”
Zelenskyy’s military commanders disagree, arguing the measures are necessary to hold firm in the face of Russia’s assault.
Ukraine’s armed forces have swelled to over a million soldiers in the past year | Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images
“The army is based on discipline. And if the gaps in the legislation do not ensure compliance, and refuseniks can pay a fine of up to 10 percent of combat pay or receive a punishment with probation, this is unfair,” argued the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi in a video in favor of the new rules.
Zelenskyy, in his response to the popular petition asking him to scrap the changes, agreed that disciplinary action against military personnel should take into account their individual circumstances, and promised that the cabinet of ministers would further consider how to improve the disciplinary mechanism — though he did not specify when this work might be done; nor suspend the law in the meantime.
Army of civilians
Ukraine’s armed forces have swelled rapidly to over a million soldiers in the year since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 — up from 250,000 personnel.
The influx of hundreds of thousands of new recruits, whom Ukraine has had to equip and train while withstanding the barrage from Russia, has compromised the usual vetting process and meant some unsuitable soldiers have ended up in combat, Valerii Markus, the chief master sergeant of the 47th Separate Assault Brigade, told subordinates in a lecture about “desertion at the front,” posted to his YouTube channel in January.
“We were trying to vet the candidates as well as we could in those circumstances,” Markus said. “However, many people in our own brigade don’t want to be there.” He said some of those who had joined up for the wrong motivations, such as for a pay check, subsequently “break down under pressure and want to flee; start to revolt.”
Markus said commanders frequently didn’t understand the problems and shortages faced by their troops on the ground due to local sergeants failing to communicate with them. He played videos of soldiers complaining about a lack of weapons or inappropriate or illegal orders from their commanders, before telling those in the audience that most problems could be resolved internally through the proper channels, while publicly airing complaints discredited Ukraine’s army and undermined attempts to help troops.
“Do I recognize the existence of problems that lead to the arbitrary abandonment of positions? Yes,” Zaluzhnyi said in his video supporting the reforms. “Am I working on their elimination? Successful operations to liberate the territories of our state are a confirmation of that.”
But members of Ukraine’s armed forces, many of whom have expressed respect for Zaluzhnyi, were deeply disappointed by his support of the new law.
“It is very demotivating. This is such a striking contrast with Zaluzhnyi’s human- and leader-oriented ‘religion,’” said Eugenia Zakrevska, a human rights lawyer who enlisted in the war effort and is now a member of the 92nd Ivan Sirko Separate Mechanized Brigade. This was a pointed reference to an interview the commander-in-chief gave to the Economist in December, in which he said that unlike the Kremlin, the “religion” he and Ukraine practised was “to remain human in any situation.”
Treating the symptoms, not the disease
Those who oppose the new law argue that Ukraine needs to deal with the underlying causes of desertion and misbehavior, rather than punishing soldiers who break the rules more harshly.
A Ukrainian army officer who recently left the frontline city of Bakhmut (and requested anonymity as officers are not authorized to speak to the press) told POLITICO: “Sometimes abandonment of positions becomes the only way to save personnel from senseless death. If they cannot deliver ammunition or [relieve troops], when you sit in the trenches for several days without sleep or rest, your combat value goes to zero.”
In responding to the petition asking him to reconsider, President Zelenskyy agreed that disciplinary action should take into account the individual circumstances of military personnel | Yuriy Dyachyshyn/ AFP via Getty Images
The officer added that many discipline problems are rooted in ineffective or careless command, as well as the strain placed on Kyiv’s forces battling a far larger army of invaders, meaning they are not rotated as often as they ought to be.
“Fatigue and trauma lead to mental disorders, and bring chaos, negligence and even depravity into a soldier’s life. This strongly affects fighting qualities and obedience,” the officer said.
Zakrevska, from the Ivan Sirko brigade, said Ukrainian soldiers rarely abandon their positions — continuing to fight even when outnumbered and carrying significant casualties.
“Once, I had to call the command and ask for our sergeant to be ordered to go to the hospital — because he refused evacuation even though he was badly wounded,” Zakrevska said. “He stayed with us, although he could not get proper medical help as our doctor was also injured.”
It is only out of sheer desperation that soldiers leave their posts, Zakrevska argued, adding that to prevent desertion, commanders should rotate fighters more frequently. But she acknowledged that in many places, R&R for the troops is impossible due to a shortage of combat-capable fighters.
Most brigades are full, Zakrevska said — but some of those in them aren’t fit to fight, and “it is impossible to fire them. Because no one can be fired from the army at all. Only after a verdict in a criminal case. Such a system also greatly undermines morale. Because it turns service in the army from an honorable duty into a punishment.”
“In the situations of despair and complete exhaustion, fear of criminal liability does not work,” Zakrevska argued.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 31, 2023
NATO’s new secretary-general, same as the old one?

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With war raging in Europe, the race to find NATO’s next chief is on.
Jens Stoltenberg was a steady hand as Western capitals rushed to help Ukraine push back invading Russian troops. But as his term expires in September, speculation is growing over who might succeed him.
Could it be a woman? Someone from Eastern Europe?

Moscow’s war greatly complicates the decision, which requires consensus among the leaders of NATO’s 30 member countries.
The next secretary-general must play a tough balancing act in encouraging capitals to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine and building up NATO’s own defenses — all while formally staying out of the conflict. Few pass muster for this highly sensitive role.
The “overall feeling,” said one senior NATO diplomat, is that it is “time for fresh air.”
But the allies may end up playing it safe after all, and sticking with Stoltenberg.
The Stoltenberg card
A senior European diplomat summed up the buzz around names in three tiers, ranked by intensity of chatter.
An extension of Stoltenberg’s term is the most-mentioned option.
A second tier includes Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.
A third group of less frequently mentioned names, the diplomat said, consists of Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, Slovakia’s President Zuzana Čaputová and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of Germany.
Jens Stoltenberg was a steady hand as Western capitals rushed to help Ukraine push back invading Russian troops. But as his term expires in September, speculation is growing over who might succeed him | Valeria Mongell/AFP via Getty Images
Since all of NATO’s secretaries-general have thus far been male, there is pressure within the ranks to appoint a woman.
“Time for a female Sec Gen,” said the senior NATO diplomat. “If men try to hold their positions forever, fair representation of women will never have a chance.”
And some allies have pushed for more regional diversity. Stoltenberg, who has held the job since 2014, is a former Norwegian prime minister. His most recent predecessors were Danish, Dutch and British.
The current secretary-general’s term was quickly extended last March after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many officials now believe that another extension for Stoltenberg, even if short, is a serious possibility.
The longtime leader is seen as a safe pair of hands. Despite some delegations preferring to see a fresh face soon, Stoltenberg is still perceived as a rare senior official who can keep his cool — and stick to the script — in even the gravest of crises.
“Stoltenberg wants to stay,” said the senior NATO diplomat.
But giving Stoltenberg a short extension could make a future replacement decision collide with the EU’s own top jobs competition in 2024, not to mention the upcoming U.S. presidential election — an outcome some allies would prefer to avoid.
A NATO spokesperson declined to elaborate on Stoltenberg’s future aspirations. Asked in December about the issue, the current secretary-general told the BBC: “My focus now is on my responsibilities.”
“I don’t speculate,” he added, “about what will happen after my tenure.”
The eastern front
Some see candidates from Eastern Europe as particularly suitable.
Already before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there was momentum for the alliance to select a secretary-general from the east. Some officials in the region argue that the war has since strengthened the case for someone from a country like Estonia or Lithuania.
Slovakia’s Zuzana Čaputová ticks both boxes as a female eastern candidate, though her name is mentioned less often in alliance circles | Pool photo by Adrian Dennis/Getty Images
“For years, the countries of the eastern flank have been warning about Russia’s threat,” said an official from the Baltics.
The region’s countries, the Baltic official said, were front-runners in boosting military spending and pushing the alliance to improve its defenses.
“It would be very logical and sobering,” the official continued, “to have someone who is experienced in dealing with Russia and who understands Russia’s logic and mentality, to lead the North Atlantic Alliance.”
Slovakia’s Čaputová ticks both boxes as a female eastern candidate, though her name is mentioned less often in alliance circles.
A spokesperson for Čaputová said she was focused on her current job, but said the possibility of a Slovak being floated for the NATO post was “a strong reflection of our foreign and security decisions.”
Another figure possibly in the running is Klaus Iohannis, Romania’s president. But he could face obstacles from neighboring Hungary, and opposition from those who would prefer a female candidate.
Some western capitals, however, would not support such candidates at the moment, seeing the alliance’s east — and the Baltic states in particular — as too hawkish when war is raging next door.
Estonia’s Kallas herself has played down expectations, telling local media in November that “the likelihood of an offer like this being made” is “extremely low.”
The Western option
Western NATO countries are for some allies a reliable fallback source for possible leadership.
Wallace, Britain’s defense secretary, is well respected and has previously said that NATO would be a “nice job.” However, numerous European capitals — in particular Paris — are expected to object to a London name and insist on an EU candidate.
One possible compromise being floated in Brussels is yet another secretary-general from the Netherlands. Dutch politicians have traditionally been a popular choice for the role, previously holding the post for three terms covering 21 years in the past six decades.
The Dutch are seen as serious on defense but not as hawkish as the Baltics — and the names of current Prime Minister Rutte, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag and Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren are all circulating as possible candidates.
Asked about the speculation, Rutte said he wanted to “leave politics altogether and do something completely different.” The two Dutch ministers did not express interest in the job.
Commission President von der Leyen, a former German defense minister, is a female candidate who could gain support from western capitals nervous about the prospect of a leader from the eastern flank, but it’s unclear whether she is interested in the role. “We never comment on such speculations,” said a Commission spokesperson.
Although her reputation in security circles is mixed, von der Leyen is seen as a strong possible candidate regardless — if the timing aligns and she does not get a second term as European Commission president.
Other female politicians floated include Canada’s widely respected Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly. Nevertheless, officials say, as the alliance focuses on boosting its defenses, Ottawa’s low defense spending and non-European status mean that a Canadian is unlikely to get the job.
Amid all the speculation, some within the alliance dismiss the breathless names game.
“This is more a basket of names that came to anybody’s mind,” said a second senior European diplomat, adding: “My guess: Stoltenberg.”
Jacopo Barigazzi and Cristina Gallardo contributed reporting.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 31, 2023
Iran reports drone attack on military facility

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Tehran: Drones attacked a defence facility in Iran’s Isfahan city, media reports said.
“An explosion has occurred in one of the military centres affiliated to the Ministry of Defence,” deputy head of security for Isfahan Governorate Mohammad Reza Jan-Nesari told Fars News Agency, CNN reported.
Iran successfully repelled a drone attack on one of its military plants on Saturday, the defence ministry said in a statement after local media reported that a loud blast had been heard at a military plant in the city.
One of the drones was hit and brought down by the plant’s air defence system and the other two were caught in its defence traps and exploded, Islamic Republic News Agency reported quoting the statement.
No casualties were reported and the attack only caused slight damage to the roof of the defence equipment facility.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 29, 2023
Republic Day parade 2023 to showcase India’s military prowess, cultural diversity

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Delhi: This year’s Republic Day celebration will witness the country’s military prowess, cultural diversity, and many other unique initiatives. Building on last year’s celebrations, in the 75th year of Independence, celebrated as ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the celebrations this year shall witness zeal, enthusiasm, patriotic fervour and ‘Jan Bhagidari’, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
President Droupadi Murmu will lead the nation in celebrating the 74th Republic Day from Kartavya Path in New Delhi on January 26, 2023.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will be the Chief Guest at the parade.
The week-long celebrations commenced on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
To mark the occasion, a one-of-a-kind Military Tattoo and Tribal Dance Festival ‘Aadi Shaurya – Parv Parakram ka’ was organised in New Delhi on 23rd& 24th January. The events will culminate on 30th January, which is observed as Martyrs’ Day.
The celebrations are marked by attractive performances from Vande Bharatam group of dancers from across the country, tales of bravery by Veer Gatha 2.0 participants, melodious performances by School Bands at the National War Memorial, the first-ever e-invitations, the largest-ever drone show and 3-D anamorphic projection.
The Parade
The Republic Day parade, which will begin at around 1030 hrs, will be a unique mix of the country’s military prowess & cultural diversity, depicting the country’s growing indigenous capabilities, Nari Shakti and emergence of a ‘New India’.
The parade ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial. He will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. Thereafter, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Kartavya Path to witness the parade.
As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. Amongst the many firsts, the 21-gun salute will be given with 105-mm Indian Field Guns. It replaces the vintage 25 pounder gun, reflecting upon the growing ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence. Four Mi-17 1V/V5 helicopters of 105 Helicopter Unit will shower flower petals on the audience present at Kartavya Path.

The parade will commence with the President taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, a second-generation Army officer. Major General Bhavnish Kumar, Chief of Staff, HQ Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command.
The proud winners of the highest gallantry awards will follow. They include the winners of Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra. Param Vir Chakra winners Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Bana Singh, 8 JAK LI (Retd); Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers (Retd) & Subedar (Honorary Lieutenant) Sanjay Kumar, 13 JAK Rifles and Ashok Chakra winners Major General CA Pithawalla (Retd); Colonel D Sreeram Kumar and Lieutenant Colonel Jas Ram Singh (Retd) will follow the Deputy Parade Commander on Jeeps.
The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for the most conspicuous act of bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy, while the Ashok Chakra is awarded for similar acts of valour and self-sacrifice but, other than, in the face of the enemy.
Egyptian contingent.
Marching down the Kartavya Path for the first time will be the combined Band & Marching contingent of the Egyptian Armed Forces, led by Colonel Mahmoud Mohamed Abdel Fattah El Kharasawy. The contingent will consist of 144 soldiers, representing the main branches of the Egyptian Armed Forces.
Indian Army Contingents
The first contingent in the uniform of the 61 Cavalry will be led by Captain Raizada Shaurya Bali. The 61 Cavalry is the only serving active Horse Cavalry Regiment in the world, with the amalgamation of all the ‘State Horse Units’.
The Indian Army will be represented by a Mounted Column of 61 Cavalry, nine Mechanised Columns, six marching contingents and a fly past by Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) of Army Aviation Corps. Main Battle Tank ARJUN, NAG Missile System (NAMIS), Infantry Combat Vehicle of BMP-2 SARATH, Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle, K-9 Vajra-tracked Self-Propelled Howitzer Gun, BrahMos missile, 10m Short Span Bridge, Mobile Microwave Node & Mobile Network Centre and AKASH (New Generation Equipment) will be the main attractions in the mechanised columns.
A total of six marching contingents of the Army, including The Mechanised Infantry Regiment, The Punjab Regiment, The Maratha Light Infantry Regiment, The Dogra Regiment, The Bihar Regiment and The Gorkha Brigade will march past the saluting dais.
Veterans’ Tableau
Another highlight of the parade this year will be Veterans’ Tableau, with the theme ‘Towards India’s Amrit Kaal with Resolve – A Veterans’ Commitment’. It will provide a glimpse of veterans’ contributions in the last 75 years and their initiatives in shaping India’s future during ‘Amrit Kaal’.
Indian Navy Contingent
The Indian Navy contingent will comprise 144 young sailors, led by Lt Cdr Disha Amrith as Contingent Commander. For the first time ever, the marching contingent consists of three women and six Agniveers. It will be followed by the Naval Tableau, designed on the theme ‘Indian Navy – Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Proof’. It will showcase the multi-dimensional capabilities of the Indian Navy, Nari Shakti and key indigenously designed and built assets under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
The forward part of the tableau will illustrate the women aircrew of Dornier aircraft, highlighting all-women crew surveillance sortie undertaken last year. The main section of the tableau will display the ‘Make in India’ initiatives of the Navy.
There will be a model of the new indigenous Nilgiri class ship with a Dhruv helicopter deploying marine commandos. On the sides, models of indigenous Kalvari class submarines will be depicted. The rear section of the tableau will display models of autonomous unmanned systems being indigenously developed under the iDEX-Sprint Challenge.
Indian Air Force Contingent
The Indian Air Force contingent will comprise 144 air warriors and four officers, led by Sqn Ldr Sindhu Reddy. The Air Force tableau, designed on the theme ‘Indian Air Force Power Beyond Boundaries’, will display a rotating globe highlighting IAF’s expanded reach, whereby it has been able to provide humanitarian assistance across borders, as also exercises conducted with friendly countries.
It will also showcase Light Combat Aircraft Tejas MK-II, Light Combat Helicopter ‘Prachand’, Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft NETRA and C-295 Transport aircraft. The tableau will also display a team of GARUDs in combat gear with laser designation equipment and specialist weapons.
DRDO Tableau & Equipment
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) will showcase one tableau and equipment. The theme of the tableau is ‘Securing Nation with Effective Surveillance, Communication and Neutralising Threats’.
The first part shall display Underwater Surveillance Platforms, which include sonars like Ushus-2 for submarines, the Humsa series of sonars for ships and the Low-Frequency Dunking Sonar for helicopter launch surveillance.
The second part of this tableau will have Land Surveillance, Communication and Neutralising platforms showcasing D4 counter-drone systems, which can perform a real-time search, detection, tracking and neutralising targets.
Two units of Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile Weapon System, Battery Multifunction Radar and Missile Launcher Vehicle will also be displayed.
The third part will showcase Aerial Surveillance and Communication platforms Airborne Early Warning and Control systems and TAPAS BH Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAVs. The rear part will represent DRDO’ Research Activities through a semiconductor R&D facility.
Indigenously developed Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP), a modular 8X8 wheeled combat platform carried on a 70-ton Trailer will be displayed by DRDO in the form of equipment.
Indian Coast Guard Contingent
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) marching contingent will be led by Deputy Commandant Rohit Singh. The ICG, with 157 ships and 78 aircraft, is capable of countering threats at and to the sea. The continuous vigil of the ICG has enabled the seizure of contraband worth over Rs 14,546 crore since its inception, including Rs 2,620 crore in 2022 alone. Its reach and capability were demonstrated during the flag hoisting on 100 inhabited & uninhabited far-flung islands as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The ICG has been a pioneer in women’s empowerment, offering opportunities to women officers in all spheres.
Contingents of CAPF & Delhi Police
Also marching down Kartavya Path will be the contingents of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) led by Assistant Commandant Poonam Gupta; the Railway Protection Force led by Assistant Security Commissioner Saurav Kumar and Delhi Police led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Shweta S Sugathan. The Camel Contingent of the Border Security Force (BSF) will march past the saluting dais under Deputy Commandant Manohar Singh Kheechee. For the first time, female camel riders will participate in the parade, showcasing women’s empowerment in various fields.
NCC Contingents
The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Boys Marching contingent, comprising 148 Senior Division cadets, will be led by Senior Under Officer Pujari Sivanand of the Maharashtra Directorate. Senior Under Officer Sonali Sahoo of Odisha Directorate will head the NCC Girls Marching contingent, consisting of 148 Senior Division Cadets drawn from all 17 Directorates.
National Service Scheme contingent
The marching contingent of the National Service Scheme (NSS), comprising 148 volunteers, will march under the command of Aanchal Sharma from Himachal Pradesh, Regional Directorate of NSS, Chandigarh.
Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar winners
Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is conferred on children with exceptional abilities and outstanding achievement in the fields of bravery, art & culture, sports, innovation and social service. Eleven winning children, in jeeps, will be driven down Kartavya Path.
Tableaux of States/UTs & Ministries/Department
Twenty-three tableaux – 17 from States/Union Territories and six from various Ministries/Departments, depicting the nation’s rich cultural heritage, economic progress and strong internal and external security will also roll down the Kartavya Path.
Cultural Performance
Cultural performances by 479 artists chosen through the nationwide Vande Bharatam dance competition will add colour and groove to the Republic Day parade. The theme of the cultural extravaganza will be ‘Nari Shakti’ presented by 326 female dancers, ably supported by 153 male dancers, of the age group 17-30 years. They will present classical, folk and contemporary fusion dances, depicting the ‘Power of Women’ through five elements Earth, Water, Air, Space and Fire. This is the second time that the dancers of the cultural programme have been selected through a Nationwide competition.
Motorcycle Display
Another highlight of the show will be a thrilling motorcycle display by the Corps of Signals’ Dare Devils team. They will enthral the audience with an array of formations, which will also include a Yoga display.
Fly Past
The grand finale and the most eagerly-awaited segment of the parade, the Fly Past, will witness a breathtaking air show by 45 aircraft of the Indian Air Force, one from the Indian Navy and four helicopters of the Indian Army. Vintage, as well as current modern aircraft/helicopters like Rafale, MiG-29, Su-30, Su-30 MkI Jaguar, C-130, C-17, Dornier, Dakota, LCH Prachand, Apache, Sarang& AEW&C, will roar in the skies above Kartavya Path, displaying different formations, including Baaz, Prachand, Tiranga, Tangail, Vajrang, Garud, Bheem, Amrit and Trishul. The concluding Vertical Charlie maneuver will be performed by Rafale fighter aircraft.
Like last year, Doordarshan will broadcast cockpit videos during the flypast. The ceremony will culminate with the national anthem and the release of Tri-colour balloons.
Special Invitees
This year, invites have been sent to common people from all walks of society such as Shramyogis involved in the construction of Central Vista, Kartavya Path, New Parliament Building, milk, vegetable vendors, street vendors etc. These special Invitees will be prominently seated at Kartavya Path.
Unique activities
A number of unique activities formed the part of Republic Day Celebrations this year. These are:
Military Tattoo & Tribal Dance festival: As part of RDC and to mark the 126th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (celebrated as Parakram Diwas), a Military Tattoo and Tribal Dance festival ‘Aadi-Shaurya – Parv Parakram ka’ was organised at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi on January 23 & 24, 2023. Thousands of people were enthralled by 10 Military Tattoo and 20 Tribal Dance performances. The event was interspersed by performances by famous Bollywood playback singer Shri Kailash Kher.
Vande Bharatam 2.0: The second edition of the Vande Bharatam dance competition was organised as part of RDC 2023. Entries were sought from October 15 – November 10, 2022 from participants in the age group of 17-30 years in the genres of Folk/Tribal, Classical and Contemporary/ Fusion. State/UT-level and Zonal-level competitions were conducted from November 17 to December 10, 2022, by the seven Zonal Cultural Centres under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture. The Grand finale was held in New Delhi on December 19 & 20, 2022 and witnessed the participation of 980 dancers.
Veer Gatha 2.0: Veer Gatha, one of the unique projects launched as a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ last year, was organised to inspire and spread awareness among children about the gallant deeds and sacrifices of the Armed Forces. This year too, the Tri-Services organised virtual and face-to-face interaction of school children with Gallantry Award winners and the students (from 3rd to 12th Standard) submitted their entries in the form of poems, essays, paintings, multimedia presentations etc. More than 19 lakh entries were received from all over the country out of which 25 were selected as winners. They were felicitated by Raksha Mantri at a ceremony in New Delhi on 25th January. They shall also attend the RD parade.
Bharat Parv: Reflecting the ‘Jan Bhagidari’ theme, ‘Bharat Parv’ will be organised at Gyan Path in front of Red Fort, Delhi from January 26-31, 2023 by the Ministry of Tourism. It will showcase Republic Day Tableaux, performances by Military bands, cultural performances, Food Courts serving pan Indian cuisines and Crafts Bazaar.
E-invitation: This year, physical invitation cards for guests and spectators have been replaced by e-invitations. A dedicated portal www.amantran.mod.gov.in was launched for the purpose. Sale of tickets, admit cards, invitation cards and car parking labels have been issued online through this portal. This ensured the whole process was more secure & paperless and enabled people from all parts of the country to attend this national event.
School Band Performance at NWM: An All-India School Band competition was organised for various schools to compete and perform in the run-up to Republic Day to encourage values of discipline, teamwork & national pride among the children. Over 300 schools participated in the competition organised by the Ministry of Defence in coordination with the Ministry of Education. Eight school bands were selected, which performed at the National War Memorial from January 15-22, 2023. Prince Academy of Higher Education, Sikar, Rajasthan was adjudged as the winner in both girl’s and boys’ Brass band categories. In the Pipe Band category, Thurbo Higher Secondary School, Darjeeling, West Bengal bagged the top spot in the boy’s section, while Government Girls Secondary School, Namchi, and South Sikkim were named winners in the girls’ section.
Drone Show: The biggest drone show in India, comprising 3,500 indigenous drones, will light up the evening sky over the Raisina hills during Beating The Retreat ceremony on January 29th, weaving myriad forms of national figures/events through smooth synchronisation. It would depict the success of the start-up ecosystem, and the technological prowess of the country’s youth and pave the way for future path-breaking trends. The event will be organised by M/s Botlabs Dynamics.
Anamorphic Projection: For the first time, a 3-D anamorphic projection will be organised during the Beating the Retreat Ceremony on the facade of North and South Block.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 26, 2023
Finland may need to join NATO without Sweden, foreign minister says

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Finland could reconsider its joint NATO bid with Sweden if Stockholm’s application is delayed further, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said Tuesday, a day after Turkey said it would not support the Swedish candidacy.
“You have to assess the situation,” Haavisto told Finnish public broadcaster Yle. “Has something happened that the longer term would prevent the Swedish project from going ahead? It [is] too early to take a position on that.”
Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO together last October, as a consequence of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Turkey and Hungary are the last two members of the military alliance who still need to ratify the joint bid.
While Budapest has pledged it would sign off the bid, Ankara is yet to follow suit.
But relations between Sweden and Turkey have taken a turn for the worse in recent days, after a far-right Swedish politician burned a copy of the Quran during a protest in Stockholm last Saturday.
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the burning was an insult, and that Sweden would not receive “any support from [Turkey] on the NATO issue.”
Haavisto seemed more restrained in an interview to Reuters, also on Tuesday morning. When asked if Finland could join NATO on its own, the Foreign Minister said: “I do not see the need for a discussion about that.”
Haavisto also told Reuters the three-way talks between Finland, Sweden and Turkey on NATO accession would be paused “for a couple of weeks” until “the dust has settled after the current situation.”
“No conclusions should be drawn yet,” Haavisto added.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 24, 2023
Reporting corruption in a time of war: The Ukrainian journalists’ dilemma

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When a major corruption scandal broke in Ukraine last weekend, reporters faced an excruciating dilemma between professional duty and patriotism. The first thought that came to my mind was: “Should I write about this for foreigners? Will it make them stop supporting us?”
There was no doubting the severity of the cases that were erupting into the public sphere. They cut to the heart of the war economy. In one instance, investigators were examining whether the deputy infrastructure minister had profited from a deal to supply electrical generators at an inflated price, while the defense ministry was being probed over an overpriced contract to supply food and catering services to the troops.
Huge stories, but in a sign of our life-or-death times in Ukraine, even my colleague Yuriy Nikolov, who got the scoop on the inflated military contract, admitted he had done everything he could not to publish his investigation. He took his findings to public officials hoping that they might be able to resolve the matter, before he finally felt compelled to run it on the ZN.UA website.

Getting a scoop that shocks your country, forces your government to start investigations and reform military procurement, and triggers the resignation of top officials is ordinarily something that makes other journalists jealous. But I fully understand how Nikolov feels about wanting to hold back when your nation is at war. Russia (and Ukraine’s other critics abroad) are, after all, looking to leap upon any opportunity to undermine trust in our authorities.
A journalist is meant to stay a little distant from the situation he or she covers. It helps to stay impartial and to stick to the facts, not emotions. But what if staying impartial is impossible as you have to cover the invasion of your own country? Naturally, you have to keep holding your government to account, but you are also painfully aware that the enemy is out there looking to exploit any opportunity to erode faith in the leadership and undermine national security.
That is exactly what Ukrainian journalists have to deal with every day. In the first six months of the invasion, Ukrainian journalists and watchdogs decided to put their public criticism of the Ukrainian government on pause and focus on documenting Russian war crimes.
But that has backfired.
“This pause led to a rapid loss of accountability for many Ukrainian officials,” Mykhailo Tkach, one of Ukraine’s top investigative journalists, wrote in a column for Ukrainska Pravda.
His investigations about Ukrainian officials leaving the country during the war for lavish vacations in Europe led to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposing a ban on officials traveling abroad during the war for non-work-related issues. It also sparked the dismissal of the powerful deputy prosecutor general.
The Ukrainian government was forced to react to corruption and make a major reshuffle almost immediately. Would that happen if Ukrainian journalists decided to sit on their findings until victory? I doubt it.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended up imposing a ban on officials traveling abroad during the war for non-work-related issues | Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images
Is it still painful when you have to write about your own government’s officials’ flops when overwhelming enemy forces are trying to erase your nation from the planet, using every opportunity they can get to shake your international partners’ faith? Of course it is.
But in this case, there was definite room for optimism. Things are changing in Ukraine. The government had to react very quickly, under intense pressure from civil society and the independent press. Memes and social media posts immediately appeared, mocking the government’s pledge to buy eggs at massively inflated prices. Ultimately, the deputy infrastructure minister was fired and the deputy defense minister resigned.
This speedy response was praised by the European Commission and showed how far we really are from Russia, where authorities hunt down not the officials accused of corruption, but the journalists who report it.
As Tkach said, many believe that the war with the internal enemy will begin immediately after the victory over the external one.
However, we can’t really wait that long. It is important to understand that the sooner we win the battle with the internal enemy — high-profile corruption — the sooner we win the war against Russia.
“Destruction of corruption means getting additional funds for the defense capability of the country. And it means more military and civilian lives saved,” Tkach said.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 24, 2023
Manpower will be crucial for Russia to mount a spring offensive

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Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor at POLITICO Europe.
It appears it’s only a matter of time before the Kremlin orders another draft to replenish its depleted ranks and make up for the battlefield failings of its command.
This week, Norway’s army chief said Russia has already suffered staggering losses, estimating 180,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Ukraine since February — a figure much higher than American estimates, as General Mark Milley, chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, had suggested in November that the toll was around 100,000.
But whatever the exact tally, few military analysts doubt Russian forces are suffering catastrophic casualties. In a video posted this week, Russian human rights activist Olga Romanova, who heads the Russia Behind Bars charity, said that of the 50,000 conscripts recruited from jails by Yevgeny Prigozhin’s paramilitary mercenary outfit, the Wagner Group, 40,000 are now dead, missing or deserted.
In some ways, the high Wagner toll isn’t surprising, with increasing reports from both sides of the front lines that Prigozhin has been using his recruits with little regard for their longevity. One American volunteer, who asked to remain unnamed, recently told POLITICO that he was amazed how Wagner commanders were just hurling their men at Ukrainian positions, only to have them gunned down for little gain.
Andrey Medvedev, a Wagner defector who recently fled to Norway, has also told reporters that in the months-long Russian offensive against the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, former prisoners were thrown into battle as cannon fodder, as meat. “In my platoon, only three out of 30 men survived. We were then given more prisoners, and many of those died too,” he said.
Of course, Wagner is at the extreme end when it comes to carelessness with lives — but as Ukraine’s deadly New Year’s Day missile strike demonstrated, regular Russian armed forces are also knee-deep in blood. Russia says 89 soldiers were killed at Makiivka — the highest single battlefield loss Moscow has acknowledged since the invasion began — while Ukraine estimates the death toll was nearer 400.
Many of those killed there came from Samara, a city located at the confluence of the Volga and Samara rivers, where Communist dictator Joseph Stalin had an underground complex built for Russian leaders in case of a possible evacuation from Moscow. The bunker was built in just as much secrecy as the funerals that have been taking place over the past few weeks for the conscripts killed at Makiivka. “Lists [of the dead] will not be published,” Samara’s military commissar announced earlier this month.

To make up for these losses, Russia’s military bloggers, who have grown increasingly critical, have been urging a bigger partial mobilization, this time of 500,000 reservists to add to the 300,000 already called up in September. President Vladimir Putin has denied this, and Kremlin press spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also dismissed the possibility, saying that the “topic is constantly artificially activated both from abroad and from within the country.”
Yet, last month, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called for Russia’s army to be boosted from its current 1.1 million to 1.5 million, and he announced new commands in regions around Moscow, St. Petersburg and Karelia, on the border with Finland.
Meanwhile, circumstantial evidence that another draft will be called is also accumulating — though whether it will be done openly or by stealth is unclear.
Along these lines, both the Kremlin and Russia’s political-military establishment have been redoubling propaganda efforts, attempting to shape a narrative that this war isn’t one of choice but of necessity, and that it amounts to an existential clash for the country.
General Valery Gerasimov — the former chief of the defense staff and now the overall commander of Russian forces in Ukraine — said that Russia is battling “almost the entire collective West” | Ruslan Braun/Creative commons via Flickr
In a recent interview, General Valery Gerasimov — the former chief of the defense staff and now the overall commander of Russian forces in Ukraine — said that Russia is battling “almost the entire collective West” and that course corrections are needed when it comes to mobilization. He talked about threats arising from Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
Similarly, in his Epiphany address this month, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church said, “the desire to defeat Russia today has taken very dangerous forms. We pray to the Lord that he will bring the madmen to reason and help them understand that any desire to destroy Russia will mean the end of the world.” And the increasingly unhinged Dmitry Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, has warned that the war in Ukraine isn’t going as planned, so it might be necessary to use nuclear weapons to avoid failure.
As Russia’s leaders strive to sell their war as an existential crisis, they are mining ever deeper for tropes to heighten nationalist fervor too, citing the Great Patriotic War at every turn. At the Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad, which commemorates the breaking of the German siege of the city in 1944, a new exhibition dedicated to “The Lessons of Fascism Yet to Be Learned” is due to be unveiled, and it is set to feature captured Ukrainian tanks and armored vehicles. “It’s only logical that a museum dedicated to the struggle against Nazism would support the special operation directed against neo-Nazism in Ukraine,” a press release helpfully suggests.
In line with Putin’s insistence that the war is being waged to “de-Nazify” Ukraine, Kremlin propagandists have also been endeavoring to popularize the slogan, “We can do it again.”
At the same time, there are signs that local recruitment centers are gearing up for another surge of draftees as well.
Rumors of a fresh partial mobilization have prompted some dual-citizen Central Asian workers — those holding Russian passports and who would be eligible to be drafted — to leave the country, and some say they’ve been prevented from exiting. A Kyrgyz man told Radio Free Europe he was stopped by Russian border guards when he tried to cross into Kazakhstan en route to Kyrgyzstan. “Russian border guards explained to me quite politely that ‘you are included in a mobilization list, this is the law, and you have no right to go,’” he said.
In order to prevent another surge of refuseniks, Moscow also seems determined to put up further restrictions on crossing Russia’s borders, including possibly making it obligatory for Russians to book a specific time and place in advance, so that they can exit. Amendments to a transport law introduced in the Duma on Monday would require “vehicles belonging to Russian transport companies, foreign transport companies, citizens of the Russian Federation, foreign citizens, stateless persons and other road users” to reserve a date and time “in order to cross the state border of the Russian Federation.”
Transport officials say this would only affect haulers and would help ease congestion near border checkpoints. But if so, then why are “citizens of the Russian Federation” included in the language?
All in all, manpower will be crucial for Russia to mount a spring offensive in the coming months. And Western military analysts suspect that Ukraine and Russia are currently fielding about the same number of combat soldiers on the battlefield. This means General Gerasimov will need many more if he’s to achieve the three-to-one ratio military doctrines suggest are necessary for an attacking force.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 24, 2023
Scholz doubles down on refusal of fighter jets for Ukraine

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz doubled down on his rejection of demands by Kyiv to supply Ukraine with fighter jets on the heels of Berlin’s agreement to send battle tanks.
“The question of combat aircraft does not arise at all,” Scholz said in an interview with Tagesspiegel published on Sunday. “I can only advise against entering into a constant competition to outbid each other when it comes to weapons systems.”
His comments come after a top Ukrainian official said on Saturday that Kyiv and its Western allies were engaged in “fast-track” talks on possibly sending military aircraft as well as long-range missiles to help fight the invasion by Russia.
Scholz last week ruled out providing fighter jets, citing the need to prevent further military escalation. “There will be no fighter jet deliveries to Ukraine,” he said on Wednesday, soon after Germany and the U.S. agreed to provide advanced tanks for Kyiv’s war effort.
Ukraine renewed its request for the fighter aircraft almost immediately after Berlin and Washington announced the tanks. Berlin said Germany and its European allies will send about 80 Leopard 2 tanks.
“If, as soon as a decision has been made, the next debate starts in Germany, this does not look very serious and shakes the confidence of the citizens in government decisions,” Scholz told Tagesspiegel. “Such debates should not be conducted for reasons of domestic political profiling. It is important to me now that all those who have announced their intention to supply battle tanks to Ukraine do so,” he said.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Saturday that Kyiv was in talks with allies about aircraft, but that some partners have a “conservative” attitude on arms deliveries. Without citing any partners by name, he said this attitude was “due to fear of changes in the international architecture.”
Hans von der Burchard contributed to this report.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

January 24, 2023
5 killed in airstrike on IS militants in Iraq: Military

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Baghdad: The death toll from Saturday’s airstrike on Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq’s Salahudin province rose to five, the Iraqi military said.
Soldiers found the bodies of two IS militants and body parts of three other militants in the IS hideout that was bombed on Saturday by Iraqi aircraft in a rocky area in eastern Salahudin, in addition to weapons and an ammunition cache, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement from the Joint Operations Command (JOC).
On Saturday, an earlier JOC statement said that Iraqi aircraft carried out an airstrike on two IS militants in their hideout near Tuz Khurmato and killed them all.
The security situation in Iraq has been improving since the defeat of the IS in 2017. However, the IS militants have since melted into urban centres, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 23, 2023