Russian military - The African Mirror

Jul

11

2024

A Ukraine diary: Reflecting on two years of war

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian. By Nizar Al Rifai TWO years after Russia launched its attempted full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I finally feel safe enough to publish my experiences using my real name. During the first month of the Russian invasion, which began on 24 February 2022, the small village I live in with my family west of the capital Kyiv, was directly in the line of attack. I kept a diary of writing and artwork during that time, which The New Humanitarian published shortly after Ukrainian resistance forced the Russian military to withdraw from the…

Russia expands war recruitment drive with video ad calling for ‘real’ men

WORLD

ANDREW OSBORN THE Russian military has launched a video campaign to lure more professional soldiers to fight in Ukraine which challenges those interested to show they are "a real man" and swap what it casts as hum-drum civilian life for the battlefield. The ad, set to stirring music, follows a report from British military intelligence and Russian media reports that suggest Moscow is seeking to recruit up to 400,000 professional soldiers - on a volunteer basis - to bolster its forces in Ukraine. The ad has so far been released on major Russian social networking sites. Russia, which says it…

Putin reviews Russian military might as tensions with West soar

WORLD

PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin reviewed Russia's traditional World War Two victory parade yesterday, a patriotic display of raw military power that this year coincides with soaring tensions with the West. The parade on Moscow's Red Square commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two featured over 12,000 troops and more than 190 pieces of military hardware, including intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, and a fly-past by nearly 80 military aircraft under cloudy skies. Putin, who has been in power as either president or prime minister since 1999, stood beside Soviet war veterans on a…