Latest news with #GeneralStaffoftheArmedForces
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Five life-saving principles of the adaptation course for recruits
Five life-saving principles of the adaptation course for recruits At the end of last year, the General Staff of the Armed Forces introduced a mandatory 14-day adaptation period for recruits in brigades after completing basic military training at training centers. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, attributes the recorded decrease in Ukrainian combat losses in March to this measure, along with several other updates to the basic general military training course. The Reforms Support Office of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine conducted a study, commissioned by the General Staff and the Command of the Ground Forces, to evaluate the experience of implementing this adaptation period in combat brigades. The research included analysis of units that had already implemented effective adaptation for recruits, as well as those that organized such efforts after the General Staff decided to scale the practice across the army. In total, in-depth interviews were conducted with deputy brigade commanders, heads of combat training, personnel training officers from 16 units of the Armed Forces and the National Guard. The insights and recommendations gathered during these interviews were used to develop proposals addressing common problems and challenges in fields of a unified recruit training methodology, salaries for instructors, logistical support etc. Of course, each brigade has its own context and characteristics — from internal culture to the specifics of tasks and terrain. These factors influence the decisions and processes involved in adapting recruits. Units looking to adopt others' experience must take their own circumstances into account. Still, we identified five best practices as foundational for broader implementation across the army. Below is a summary of each approach. Instructors with extensive combat experience. Most instructors have long service histories, particularly in these brigades. They often have friends and close connections in the units they are training recruits for and deeply understand the operational specifics. They actively use peer-to-peer networks to keep experience up to date. This ensures the training is aligned with the brigade's current mission. Recruits clearly understand the relevance of the skills and knowledge they are gaining — how and why these will be used in real operations. It's also worth noting that in some brigades all instructors have multiple serious injuries, while in others only a portion have. Many can no longer serve on the front line, but they continue to serve by applying their experience in this new role. Respectful treatment of recruits. Brigade instructors communicate with newcomers humanly. They understand that discipline and disrespect are not the same — and that humiliating a soldier does not replicate combat conditions. Respectful treatment, the presence of team spirit, and a shared sense of responsibility for the brigade's outcomes are critical instructors selection criteria. The personal example set by the head of combat training and training officers in showing zero tolerance for superiority toward new soldiers is especially important. Involvement of the "receiving side." Sergeants and commanders of the platoons and companies where recruits will be assigned after training are involved in the adaptation process. This allows them to form their own impressions of the recruits' abilities, establish communication early on, and, in some cases, immediately create pairs or squads that will later transfer into combat units and undergo coordination. Train as you fight. Training is maximally close to real combat conditions. The focus is not on isolated exercises, but on scenario-based training that mirrors real missions: deploying to a position, fortifying it, repelling an assault. All types of training, such as medical or tactical, are integrated into these scenarios. The emphasis is not on completing a training program, but on preparing for the actual types and formats of combat the recruits will soon face, and drilling critical skills until they become automatic. For example, radio operation is practiced until recruits can do it blindfolded, without illumination. The presence of enemy drones is constantly simulated, with mock air-dropped explosives introduced at unpredictable times to build constant vigilance. After Action Review (AAR) and a culture of trust. The AAR protocol is used consistently after exercises, training missions, and simulations. Instructors don't draw conclusions for recruits — they teach them to self-analyze and correct mistakes. They foster a climate of mutual trust, where recruits are not ashamed to share thoughts, observations, or point out problems that others might overlook. In conclusion, one of the most significant benefits of a high-quality adaptation period is a reduced rate of desertion. Brigades that recognize its importance and invest in its success help new soldiers better adapt to the exact combat roles they will soon take on. Understanding that commanders are committed to your training builds trust and confidence in one's own abilities. Viktoriia Dvoretska, veteran and expert at the Reforms Support Office of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
CBC
30-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Russian drone attack kills 2 in Ukraine; Trump 'angry' at Putin over Zelenskyy comments
Russian drones hit a military hospital, shopping centre and apartment blocks in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, killing two people and wounding dozens, while U.S. President Donald Trump voiced anger at Russian President Vladimir Putin for comments he made about the leader of Ukraine. Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces denounced the "deliberate, targeted shelling" of the military hospital late Saturday. Among the casualties were service members who were undergoing treatment, it said. Regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said those killed were a 67-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman. According to Ukrainian government and military analysts, Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in the coming weeks to maximize pressure on Kyiv and strengthen the Kremlin's negotiating position in ceasefire talks. Ukraine's air force reported that Russia fired 111 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Sunday. It said 65 of them were intercepted and another 35 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that over the past week "most regions of Ukraine" came under Russian attack. In a social media post, he said that "1,310 Russian guided aerial bombs, over 1,000 attack drones — mostly 'Shaheds' — and nine missiles of various types, including ballistic ones" had been launched against Ukraine. Zelenskyy also repeated his assertion that "Russia is dragging out the war," echoing comments he made Thursday in Paris that Russia is prolonging ceasefire talks "just to buy time and then try to grab more land." Russia's Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, said its air defence systems shot down six Ukrainian drones. It also claimed on Sunday that its troops had taken control of a village in Ukraine's partly occupied Donetsk region. The Russian claim could not be independently verified, and Ukraine did not comment. Trump threatens Russia with sanctions In an early Sunday morning phone interview with NBC News, Trump referred to comments Putin made on Friday about temporarily putting Ukraine under external governance. Trump said he was "angry, pissed off" when Putin "started getting into Zelenskyy's credibility." Putin repeated his claim that Zelenskyy, whose term expired last year, lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace deal. Under Ukraine's constitution, it is illegal for the country to hold national elections while it's under martial law. "If a deal isn't made, and if I think it was Russia's fault, I'm going to put secondary sanctions on Russia," Trump told Kristen Welker, adding that there would be "a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil." "Anybody buying oil from Russia will not be able to sell their product, any product, not just oil, into the United States," he said.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine says its latest attack on a Russian air base blew up 96 cruise missiles
Ukraine said a recent attack on Russia's Engels-2 air base destroyed 96 cruise missiles. Satellite images show blackened craters. Russia has used the air base to launch regular bomber attacks on Ukraine. Ukraine's armed forces said that a recent attack on one of Russia's key military air bases caused a stockpile of 96 air-launched cruise missiles to explode. Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces said Thursday that the missiles were destroyed as the result of a secondary explosion. It's unclear if any aircraft were hit. Images of a massive plume of flame and smoke went viral last week after the attack on Russia's Engels-2 military air base, in the Saratov region, which is used by Russia to launch Tu-95 and Tu-160 bomber attacks on Ukraine. The missiles had been intended for use in three upcoming operations, Ukraine said. It added that further strikes took out large fuel reserves intended for the aircraft. Business Insider was unable to independently confirm the statement. Before-and-after satellite images of Engels-2 showed large, blackened craters and damaged bunkers as of March 21. The region's governor, Roman Busargin, said the strike was the largest to date in the region. While Russian authorities typically do not give out numbers of strikes, Busargin said that 54 Ukrainian drones had been shot down in the attack. The March 20 strike, around 450 miles away from unoccupied Ukrainian territory, comes as part of Kyiv's campaign to degrade the Russian military and energy infrastructure that fuels the war effort. It was the latest in a string of attacks that targeted the base. In January, Ukraine said it had conducted its "largest ever" attack on Russian military facilities, hitting an oil storage facility for refueling the planes at Engels-2 in the process. That was its second attack on Engels in a week. More recently, a likely drone attack set ablaze the Kavkazskaya oil pumping station in Russia's Krasnodar Krai for a full week, putting it out of action for the foreseeable future. Ukraine said that the strike on Engels-2 took out a chunk of Russian firepower, but military analysts have long warned that, despite sanctions, Russia has few barriers when it comes to resupplying itself with missiles. Analysis of Russian cruise missile strikes show that Moscow has launched up to 223 missiles a month against Ukrainian targets since late 2022. Read the original article on Business Insider
Bloomberg
21-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
European Gas Jumps After Attack on Key Russian Transit Point
European natural gas prices jumped after an attack on a pumping station in Russia's Kursk region, which formed part of a link that until recently sent fuel to Europe. Benchmark futures rose as much as 6.2% in early trading on Friday. Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces confirmed the Sudzha gas metering station was shelled, but said it was Russians who struck the facility, pointing to previous instances in which Russia appeared to send soldiers through a disused natural gas pipeline.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More Than A Million Russians Have Emigrated Since Putin Invaded Ukraine, UK Says
More than a million Russians have emigrated since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, according to the UK. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in its latest update that Russia has a 'serious demographic problem' due to its 'ageing and declining population'. In a post shared on X, the intelligence officials said: 'This is further accentuated by the emigration of approximately 1.3 million Russians since the invasion of Ukraine, including many younger and well-educated, coupled with significant Russian casualties.' According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Russia has lost approximately 850,490 of its soldiers since Putin invaded in February 2022. The MoD added: 'Demographic problems present a long-term structural challenge to Russian society and the Russian economy. 'The Russian leadership's attempts to increase birth rates are highly unlikely to arrest Russia's declining population in the short term.' Putin has repeatedly tried to encourage Russians to procreate. Back in November 2023, the Russian president said increasing the population would be 'our goal for the coming decades' and encouraged people to have up to eight children. The MoD also noted that the Russian president signed a law in November last year banning alleged 'childfree propaganda'. The MoD said: 'The legislation reportedly imposes fines of up to 400,000 rubles (approximately USD $4,100 for individuals and up to 5m rubles (approximately USD $51,000) for organisations convicted.' A fine was issued for the first time – in either Russia or occupied Ukraine – earlier this month. A local woman in illegally annexed Crimea was charged 50,000 rubles (USD $500) for alleged 'childfree propaganda,' according to independent Russian media Novaya Gazeta Europe. Latest Defence intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 11 February 2025. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: 🇺🇦 — Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 11, 2025 Tory Peer Urges Ukraine To 'Accept' Its Occupied Land Now Belongs To Russia Putin Makes Rare Admission About Ukraine's Incursion As Troops Push Further Into Russia Putin's Diplomat Sends Blunt Message To Trump Over US-Russia Relations
