Latest news with #RossiyskayaGazeta
Business Insider
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Russia reportedly has a new ground forces chief. He's led bloody 'meat grinder' attacks in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed a new commander in chief of Russia's ground forces who has been involved in some of the war's most brutal fighting, according to multiple reports. Colonel General Andrei Mordvichev replaced General Oleg Salyukov in the role on Thursday, state-controlled Russian outlet Izvestia reported. Deutsche Welle and several Russian outlets, including the government-published Rossiyskaya Gazeta, also reported the move. A list of official presidential decrees announced Salyukov's departure, but has not yet confirmed that Mordvichev is the replacement. The Institute for the Study of War said Friday that Mordvichev's reported appointment represented an endorsement of his preference for "grinding, highly attritional, infantry-led assaults," and said this suggested the Kremlin "aims to institutionalize these tactics." Military analyst Yan Matveyev credited him as one of the main initiators of the approach, in a post to Telegram after the appointment was reported. Mordvichev has previously said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is "only the beginning." In an interview with Russian state media in 2023, Mordvichev said that the war "will not stop here," Newsweek reported at the time. As deputy commander of the Central Military District, Mordvichev also presided over Russia's capture of the coastal city of Mariupol in 2022, one of the war's most brutal sieges. That battle, which is estimated to have killed more than 8,000 people, ended with Russian forces taking the Azovstal steel plant, where Ukrainian forces had held out for two months. Mordvichev is also credited with the capture of the strategically important city of Avdiivka in February 2024. Ukrainian officials said that Russia lost more than 30,000 troops killed or wounded taking the city, using its infamous "meat grinder" approach of grinding down resistance with wave after wave of infantry attacks. Mordvichev's reputation has grown steadily, and he was embraced by Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen Republic, as "the best commander" during his promotion to head up the Central Military District last year, The Times of London reported. In 2022, Ukraine claimed to have killed Mordvichev in an airstrike near Kherson, but he was later seen meeting with Kadyrov. He is under multiple European sanctions, according to the sanctions database OpenSanctions. Salyukov, who became the ground forces commander in 2014, is a few days away from his 70th birthday, when he will age out of military service. He's being moved to a senior post on the Russian Security Council, per a presidential decree. A provocative appointment during peace talks The reported appointment came as the two sides met in Istanbul for peace talks. The talks, which began Friday, were left to lower-level officials after Putin declined to attend in person. The Russian officials included many of those who carried out fruitless negotiations in Istanbul in 2022, according to ISW.
Express Tribune
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Xi in Moscow to beef up 'no limits' Russia ties
A woman stands on the central Manezhnaya Square decorated for celebrations of the Victory Day, which marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in WWII in Moscow. Photo: AFP Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Moscow on Wednesday for a key three-day visit including a grand Victory Day parade and a show of support for Vladimir Putin. Moscow and Beijing declared a "no limits partnership" weeks before Putin ordered Russia's Ukraine offensive in February 2022. The expanded military and trade ties since have troubled the West. The visit comes with rising China-US tensions over biting US trade tariffs, while President Donald Trump has also made overtures to Putin in a bid to mediate the conflict in Ukraine. In an article for Russia's Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper published Wednesday, Xi hailed "resilient" China-Russia ties and called for other countries to stay out of their relationship. "The two sides should jointly resist any attempt to interfere with and undermine the China-Russia friendship and mutual trust, not be confused by temporary events or disturbed by the rough seas and use the certainty and resilience of China-Russia strategic cooperation to jointly promote the process of world multipolarisation and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," he wrote. Xi's arrival was broadcast on Russian state TV. The Kremlin had a day earlier praised Russia-China relations as a "genuine example" of cooperation and said they were "at their highest point". It said Putin and Xi would discuss Ukraine and Russia-US relations at a one-to-one meeting. China's foreign ministry said the leaders would "rally the Global South, shape global governance in the right direction, unequivocally oppose acts of unilateralism and bullying, and jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world", state broadcaster CCTV said. Putin will address the "grandest" ever annual Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday for the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II to rally support for his troops fighting in Ukraine. Xi is to be the guest of honour at the May 9 parade among 29 other foreign leaders, three of whom come from non-recognised or partially recognised states. Putin has ordered a three-day ceasefire on the Ukraine frontlines to coincide with the celebrations. Kyiv has dismissed the gesture as an attempt by Moscow to secure the safety of the parade and called for a month-long ceasefire instead. Ukraine -- which has fired drones on Moscow in the days running up to the parade -- has said it cannot take responsibility for what happens in Russia. Some countries had approached Kyiv to ask for safety for their leaders attending the parade, it added. China has sent 102 soldiers -- the largest foreign military contingent among the 13 participating nations -- for the event. Ukraine warned Tuesday against any foreign troops participating in the parade, calling it "unacceptable" and helping Moscow "whitewash its war crimes". World War II, officially remembered in Russia as the "Great Patriotic War", had a devastating impact on the Soviet Union, resulting in more than 20 million civilian and military deaths. Throughout his rule, Putin has tapped into this national trauma, making May 9 Russia's most important public holiday and championing his army as defenders against fascism. The Kremlin has also drawn parallels between its offensive against Ukraine and the fight against the Nazis.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
China's Xi lands in Russia to beef up 'no limits' Putin partnership
Russian President Vladimir Putin with Chinese President Xi Jinping (Image: AP) Guest of honour: Fine line: Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Moscow on Wednesday for a key three-day visit including a grand Victory Day parade and a show of support for Vladimir and Beijing declared a "no limits partnership" weeks before Putin ordered Russia's Ukraine offensive in February 2022. The expanded military and trade ties since have troubled the visit comes with rising China-US tensions over biting US trade tariffs, while President Donald Trump has also made overtures to Putin in a bid to mediate the conflict in an article for Russia's Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper published Wednesday, Xi hailed "resilient" China-Russia ties and called for other countries to stay out of their relationship."The two sides should jointly resist any attempt to interfere with and undermine the China-Russia friendship and mutual trust, not be confused by temporary events or disturbed by the rough seas and use the certainty and resilience of China-Russia strategic cooperation to jointly promote the process of world multipolarisation and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," he arrival was broadcast on Russian state Kremlin had a day earlier praised Russia-China relations as a "genuine example" of cooperation and said they were "at their highest point".It said Putin and Xi would discuss Ukraine and Russia-US relations at a one-to-one foreign ministry said the leaders would "rally the Global South, shape global governance in the right direction, unequivocally oppose acts of unilateralism and bullying, and jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world", state broadcaster CCTV will address the "grandest" ever annual Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday for the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Germany in World War II to rally support for his troops fighting in is to be the guest of honour at the May 9 parade among 29 other foreign leaders, three of whom come from non-recognised or partially recognised has ordered a three-day ceasefire on the Ukraine frontlines to coincide with the has dismissed the gesture as an attempt by Moscow to secure the safety of the parade and called for a month-long ceasefire -- which has fired drones on Moscow in the days running up to the parade -- has said it cannot take responsibility for what happens in countries had approached Kyiv to ask for safety for their leaders attending the parade, it has sent 102 soldiers -- the largest foreign military contingent among the 13 participating nations -- for the warned Tuesday against any foreign troops participating in the parade, calling it "unacceptable" and helping Moscow "whitewash its war crimes".World War II, officially remembered in Russia as the "Great Patriotic War", had a devastating impact on the Soviet Union, resulting in more than 20 million civilian and military his rule, Putin has tapped into this national trauma, making May 9 Russia's most important public holiday and championing his army as defenders against Kremlin has also drawn parallels between its offensive against Ukraine and the fight against the has portrayed itself as a neutral party in the more than three-year conflict, although Western governments say its close ties to Russia have given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in April accused China of supplying arms to Russia and alleged Beijing knew of at least 155 Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian denied its citizens were being recruited en masse by Russia and urged Chinese nationals not to become involved in also rejected claims it was supplying weapons to any side in the the past decade, China and Russia have deepened their ties however, with Beijing becoming Moscow's largest trading partner following sweeping Western Russia ranks only as China's fifth-largest trading partner, with Beijing primarily relying on Moscow for its vast supplies of natural gas and companies quickly stepped in to fill the void left by the exodus of Western firms -- particularly in the auto sector -- after Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine.
Int'l Business Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
China's Xi Heads To Moscow To Beef Up 'No Limits' Putin Partnership
Chinese President Xi Jinping headed to Moscow on Wednesday for a key three-day visit including a grand Victory Day parade and a show of support for Vladimir Putin. Moscow and Beijing declared a "no limits partnership" weeks before Putin ordered Russia's Ukraine offensive in February 2022. The expanded military and trade ties since have troubled the West. The visit comes with rising China-US tensions over biting US trade tariffs, while President Donald Trump has also made overtures to Putin in a bid to mediate the conflict in Ukraine. In an article for Russia's Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper published Wednesday, Xi hailed "resilient" China-Russia ties and called for other countries to stay out of their relationship. "The two sides should jointly resist any attempt to interfere with and undermine the China-Russia friendship and mutual trust, not be confused by temporary events or disturbed by the rough seas and use the certainty and resilience of China-Russia strategic cooperation to jointly promote the process of world multipolarisation and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," he wrote. The Kremlin had a day earlier praised Russia-China relations as a "genuine example" of cooperation and said they were "at their highest point". It said Putin and Xi will discuss Ukraine and Russia-US relations at a one-to-one meeting. China's foreign ministry said the leaders will "rally the Global South, shape global governance in the right direction, unequivocally oppose acts of unilateralism and bullying, and jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world", state broadcaster CCTV said. Putin will address the "grandest" ever annual Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday for the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II to rally support for his troops fighting in Ukraine. Xi is to be the guest of honour at the May 9 parade among 29 other foreign leaders, three of whom come from non-recognised or partially recognised states. Putin has ordered a three-day ceasefire on the Ukraine frontlines to coincide with the celebrations. Kyiv has dismissed the gesture as an attempt by Moscow to secure the safety of the parade and called for a month-long ceasefire instead. Ukraine -- which has fired drones on Moscow in the days running up to the parade -- has said it cannot take responsibility for what happens in Russia. Some countries had approached Kyiv to ask for safety for their leaders attending the parade, it added. China has sent 102 soldiers -- the largest foreign military contingent among the 13 participating nations -- for the event. Ukraine warned Tuesday against any foreign troops participating in the parade, calling it "unacceptable" and helping Moscow "whitewash its war crimes". World War II, officially remembered in Russia as the "Great Patriotic War", had a devastating impact on the Soviet Union, resulting in more than 20 million civilian and military deaths. Throughout his rule, Putin has tapped into this national trauma, making May 9 Russia's most important public holiday and championing his army as defenders against fascism. The Kremlin has also drawn parallels between its offensive against Ukraine and the fight against the Nazis. China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in the more than three-year conflict, although Western governments say its close ties to Russia have given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in April accused China of supplying arms to Russia and alleged Beijing knew of at least 155 Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian forces. Beijing denied that its citizens were being recruited en masse by Russia and urged Chinese nationals not to become involved in conflicts. It also rejected claims it was supplying weapons to any side in the war. Over the past decade, China and Russia have deepened their ties however, with Beijing becoming Moscow's largest trading partner following sweeping Western sanctions. But Russia ranks only as China's fifth-largest trading partner, with Beijing primarily relying on Moscow for its vast supplies of natural gas and oil. Chinese companies quickly stepped in to fill the void left by the exodus of Western firms -- particularly in the auto sector -- after Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine. China Russia Vladimir putin
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Yahoo
The century-long reign of the machine gun is over, a Russian strategist argues
Infantry's heaviest weapons like mortars and machine guns are obsolete, a Russian strategist argues. He believes drones will replace them, making infantry units smaller and lighter. Light machine guns are the centerpiece of infantry squads. Infantry troops today typically carry machine guns, an automatic grenade launcher, mortars and anti-tank missiles. Yet everything but their assault rifles is about to be functionally obsolete as infantry small units get lighter and faster, a Russian military strategist argues. First-person view, or FPV, drones "will essentially displace all group infantry weapons, all anti-tank weapons, and will take on most of the tasks of artillery," argued Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies think tank, in an essay for the Russian state-run newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Pukhov believes that combat will be waged by squad-sized units comprising FPV attack drone operators and infantry, backed by reconnaissance UAVs and electronic jammers. "Accordingly, the most important area of military affairs will also be the fight against enemy FPV drones," he warned in a provocative reassessment of land warfare. What the drones can't reach, such as targets deep in the enemy rear, will be targeted by long-range guided missiles. Since the First World War, when riflemen were decimated assaulting enemy trenches and machine gun nests, the infantry have been armed with their own portable heavy weapons to reduce their dependence on artillery and other external fire support. Starting with light machine guns around 1915, grunts have been equipped with light mortars, anti-tank rocket launchers, grenade launchers, guided anti-tank missiles, and most recently drones. Light machine guns such as the US M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) made by FN Manufacturing LLC or the World War II German MG42 are the centerpieces of infantry squads. With their high rate of fire, they form a base of firepower for riflemen to maneuver. However, these are typically direct-fire weapons that require a line of sight to the target. The problem is that if you can see the enemy, they can see you, which invites counterfire. However, tactical drones can be launched and operated from miles behind the front line, out of sight of the enemy. In Ukraine, troops don't maneuver much in the open anymore, especially in large groups. Instead, the combatants stay under the protection of their entrenchments, while launching thousands of drones every day to patrol the front lines for targets, and what they spot is targeted with exploding drones and artillery. "For centuries, line-of-sight fire was the basis for destruction in combat, and the foundations of tactics were built around ensuring the effectiveness of such fire," Pukhov wrote. "Now there is no need to see the enemy directly in front of you." "They can theoretically be seen from any distance and destroyed with the same high accuracy. The survivability of remote dispersed platforms for destruction from closed positions and their crews is much higher than any weapon for conducting line-of-sight fire." The thought of infantry giving up their machine guns and mortars — and relying exclusively on drones — leaves American defense experts aghast. "If someone had told me, 'Hey, we'll give you all these drones, and you've got to give up your .50-caliber and M240 machine guns,' I would have told them they're crazy," Gian Gentile, a RAND Corp. researcher and a retired US Army colonel who commanded armored cavalry in Iraq, told Business Insider. Drones are vulnerable to jamming and aerial attack, and are hampered by bad weather or smoke. An infantry squad whose only heavy weapons were drones would be putting all its eggs in one basket. But those eggs are expendable: Ukraine reported losing 10,000 drones per month in 2023, mostly to Russian jamming. A heavy machine gun that fires more than 100 rounds a minute, by contrast, makes two soldiers able to create a killing zone within 2,000 feet of their position. Pukhov also believes that drones and other indirect fire weapons have made tanks obsolete. "All fire missions performed by a tank in combat can now be assigned to much cheaper, more effective and covert means of high-precision destruction from closed positions — from FPV drones to guided artillery shells and tactical over-the-horizon missile systems," wrote Pukhov, citing weapons such as Israel's non-line-of-sight Spike tactical missile. Drones will also replace artillery, Pukhov argues. "They are already capable of operating at the full range of artillery." Indeed, FPV drones controlled by fiber-optic cables — which can't be electronically jammed — have been hitting targets 10 miles behind the front lines, which historically has been a zone covered by artillery. In theory, this creates a devastating double punch. Massive numbers of cheap FPV drones can flood the front lines. Longer-range weapons, such as the American-made ATACMS ballistic missile (200 mile range) and HIMARS guided artillery rockets (50 mile range) can hit targets farther in the rear. However, Gentile is dubious that small drones dropping small bombs or grenades are equivalent to the firepower of howitzers and multiple rocket launchers. "The kind of mass effects that you can create with artillery" is what enables the attacker to create decisive penetrations of enemy defenses, said Gentile, who also believes that tanks can still be effective if properly supported by air defenses and jammers. Still, most experts would agree that drones are transforming warfare. Pukhov predicts that operations will devolve to "the use of troops in small groups, subdivisions, and individual vehicles, dispersing them as much as possible. The impossibility of concentrating forces overturns all the foundations of military affairs." This has grave implications. The concentration of force is considered one of the basic principles of war. Great commanders like Napoleon achieved stunning victories because they massed their troops where the enemy was weak. If Pukhov is right, and the future is highly dispersed operations by small units, then armies may have difficulty achieving decisive results. Yet the history of military affairs suggest the dominance of drones may be fleeting. The longbow, the armored knight, and the tank all seemed ascendant for a time until some other weapon or tactic ended their reign of terror. Drones have revolutionized warfare, but they won't be the last revolution. Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn. Read the original article on Business Insider
