:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/TUAXDWKKFBEX5PRAHWYCVDAAY4.jpg "Russia pronounces itself on the Patriot missiles delivered by the US to Ukraine: “It only aggravates the war”")
The Kremlin warned on Wednesday that increasing US arms supplies to Ukraine will aggravate the war started 10 months ago, while the Russian Defense Minister asked to increase the ranks of the Russian army by at least 500,000 elements.
During a meeting with the military leadership, the Russian president Vladimir Putin expressed that Moscow would use the lessons learned in the conflict to “develop our armed forces and strengthen the capacity of our troops”. He noted that special emphasis would be placed on the development of his country’s nuclear forces, which he described as “the main guarantee of Russia’s sovereignty.”
SIGHT: Biden receives Zelensky at the White House: “It is an honor to be by his side”
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met with his US counterpart Joe Biden in Washingtonwhere US officials announced a new military aid package for kyiv.
putin also said that the Russian army’s new Sarmat ICBM will enter service soon. The Sarmat will replace outdated Soviet-made ballistic missiles and will form the heart of Russia’s nuclear forces. Putin has praised its ability to dodge missile defenses.
SIGHT: Zelensky visits the United States and gets more military aid for Ukraine
The Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the reinforcement of the Russian army will include 695,000 volunteers with contract as soldiersof whom 521,000 should be drafted by the end of 2023. The Russian military had some 400,000 contract soldiers as part of its 1 million-strong army before fighting began in Ukraine.
All Russians between the ages of 18 and 27 are required to serve in the military for one year, but many use study deferrals and health exemptions to avoid conscription. Shoigu said the conscription age will be changed to be 21 to 30 years old, and recruits will be offered the choice between serving for a year as conscripts or signing a contract with the army as volunteers.
He also commented that Russia would form new units in the west of the country in view of the intentions of Finland and Sweden to join NATO.
The Kremlin plans represent a return to the military structure of the Soviet erawhat Russia abandoned during recent reforms that led to the creation of smaller units. Some Russian military experts have argued that the more compact units intended for use in local conflicts were understaffed and underequipped for a massive conflict like the one in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented that the increase in Western arms supplies to Ukraine “leads to an aggravation of the conflict and, in fact, does not bode well for Ukraine.”
The comments of peskov were the first official Russian reaction to the news that Zelesnky visited Washington on his first recorded trip abroad since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
The White House announcement about military aid came hours before Zelensky will visit Washington to thank the United States leadership and the American people for their support in the fight against the Russian invasion and to press for continued aid.
Biden said the United States and Ukraine would continue to have a “united defense” as Russia carries out “a brutal attack on Ukraine’s right to exist as a nation.”
$1.8 billion aid package includes Patriot missile battery for the first time and precision bombs for combat aircraft, US officials said.
Moscow also conducted high-level diplomacy. Russian Security Council number two Dmitry Medvedev met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday. Medvedev, former president of Russia, said in a video statement that he had spoken with Xi on various issues, including “the conflict in Ukraine.” She did not elaborate.
China has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticized sanctions against Moscow. Beijing has only referred to the invasion as “the Ukrainian situation” in deference to Moscow, and accused the United States and NATO of provoking Putin by expanding into eastern Europe.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
