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Business Recorder
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
India deploys warships towards Pakistan amid escalating cross-border clashes: report
India has deployed a naval strike group, including an aircraft carrier and warships equipped with supersonic cruise missiles, closer to the northern Arabian Sea, placing it within striking range of Pakistan's key economic and strategic hub, the port city of Karachi, amid a surge in cross-border hostilities. According to a report by The Telegraph UK, citing Indian media including Hindustan Times, the Indian Navy has moved its Western Fleet approximately 300-400 miles from Pakistan's coast. The fleet comprises destroyers, frigates, and anti-submarine vessels, with several platforms armed with the BrahMos missile system, a joint Indian-Russian cruise missile capable of delivering a 300kg warhead at speeds of up to Mach 3 over distances of 500 miles. Karachi Port, which handles around 60 percent of Pakistan's trade, also hosts the Pakistan Navy's headquarters, making the deployment particularly sensitive. The naval movement follows days of heightened military exchanges between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. On Friday night, multiple explosions were reported around Srinagar International Airport in Indian-administered Kashmir, and drone strikes were claimed in Amritsar and Jammu. Indian officials accused Pakistan of orchestrating the attacks, which Islamabad denies. India's government claimed to have intercepted a wave of missile and drone attacks from Pakistan targeting 15 cities. In retaliation, Indian military strikes on May 7 reportedly targeted 'terrorist camps' in Pakistan, though Pakistani authorities asserted that the attacks killed at least 31 civilians and damaged religious and civilian infrastructure, including mosques and a power plant. Pakistan said it shot down several Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft, during the exchange. The claim could not be independently verified. At a press briefing in Rawalpindi, DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan reserved the right to respond at 'a time, method and place of our choosing.' He accused India of violating Pakistan's sovereignty and endangering regional peace. Holding up images of children allegedly killed in Indian strikes, he said: 'Remember these pictures when you ask us what Pakistan is going to do.' Cross-border artillery fire since May 7 has reportedly killed nearly two dozen civilians near the Line of Control (LoC). Amid the escalating hostilities, the Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended for one week due to growing security concerns. Meanwhile, the Indian foreign secretary reportedly spoke with his Pakistani counterpart, expressing condolences for civilian casualties and calling for de-escalation. Pakistan's Foreign Office warned that 'India's reckless conduct has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict.'
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First Post
21-04-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Is Russia snatching men from gyms to join Putin's army?
Russian police have been raiding gyms and detaining men as part of an aggressive conscription drive to strengthen troop numbers for the war in Ukraine. Such incidents have been reported from gyms across multiple cities over the past few weeks. This comes after an order from Russian President Vladimir Putin to conscript 160,000 men aged 18 to 30, the largest draft since 2011 read more Similar incidents have been taking place in gyms across several cities in Russia. X/@Mollyploofkins In the middle of treadmill runs and squat sets, gym-goers in Moscow were suddenly told to get on the floor. But this was not part of their workout routine. It was a command from the Russian police conducting a search. Similar incidents have been taking place in gyms across several cities in Russia over the past few weeks. ALSO READ | Why Ukraine paraded Chinese nationals fighting for Russia This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin recently ordered the conscription of 160,000 men between the ages of 18 and 30, the highest draft figure since 2011, as the country looks to strengthen its armed forces. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In this report, we take a look at what is happening inside gyms across Russian cities, how the Kremlin is bringing in fresh recruits, and what Putin's latest order says. Is Russia rounding up men from gyms for military duty? Russian police have been raiding gyms and detaining men as part of an aggressive conscription push aimed at increasing troop numbers in Ukraine. Footage from Spirit Fitness in south-east Moscow shows officers entering the premises and instructing gym-goers to lie face-down on the floor. Russia: Putin's gestapo raided a Spirit Fitness club in Moscow to collect cannon fodder for the invasion of Ukraine. The gym chain has 20 locations across the city. — Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) March 30, 2025 According to The Telegraph UK, police claimed they were targeting undocumented migrants and individuals evading the draft. Human rights groups say such operations have been happening in cities across Russia for weeks, even before Putin signed an order to conscript 160,000 men, the highest figure since 2011. Once the individuals were on the ground, officers reportedly separated them into citizens and non-citizens, witnesses said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Non-citizens were accused of immigration violations and, according to independent Russian outlet Current Time, given a choice: face deportation or agree to enlist. Russian citizens were taken to military enlistment offices where their service records were reviewed. Some were released after the check. Others received call-up papers on the spot and were held for further processing. Witnesses told Current Time that women were allowed to leave, while men were separated based on ethnicity or nationality and asked to show identification. 'I was on the treadmill, watching [a show], minding my own business,' one man told the Telegram channel msk1_news. 'Suddenly someone taps my shoulder. I get off the treadmill and see everyone lying face-down on the floor.' Another man told the independent Russian outlet that police inspected every passport, specifically checking the section showing military obligations. Russia snatches men from gyms in Putin's new conscription drive to enlist more recruits for the war in Ukraine. — Molly Ploofkins (@Mollyploofkins) April 19, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'They'd check the passport, flip to the military service page. If it said you were obligated to serve, off you went to the enlistment office – no matter what, just for 'verification'.' ALSO READ | How Ukraine's conscription squads are forcing men to fight in the war Lawyers said such raids are now taking place about twice a month in cities including Moscow, St Petersburg, Irkutsk, and Yekaterinburg. Anastasia, who lives just outside Moscow, shared her experience with The Telegraph UK. 'My husband is in court now,' Anastasia, who lives in a city just outside Moscow, said. She told the British newspaper, 'They tried to issue him a summons illegally more than two years ago – even though he has an exemption. Now they've dragged him into the enlistment office again. I rushed over with documents, but they wouldn't let him go until the lawyer arrived.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How Russia is luring new recruits Rights activists say migrants accused of minor violations are being offered a way out: sign a contract to fight in Ukraine. One campaigner told The Telegraph UK that the police raids appear to be intentionally targeting 'ethnic gyms', fitness centres frequently visited by migrant communities. The Kremlin is reportedly using both pressure and incentives to increase recruitment numbers. Alongside intimidation, authorities are offering generous cash rewards to attract volunteers. Research by Janis Kluge, a fellow at the German Institute for International Security Studies, found a noticeable rise in enlistments in March. Emily Ferris, a Russia analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, told the British newspaper that authorities have adopted increasingly forceful tactics. 'They've tended to more coercive methods, like suggesting to factory workers, for example, that if they don't present themselves for enlistment, they'll be fired,' she said. Last year, every region in Russia increased its enlistment bonus at least once, with many doing so again in January. Currently, between 1,000 and 1,500 volunteers are reportedly signing up each day, a huge rise from around 600 daily this time last year, the report said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD ALSO READ | When Russia went to war against Ukraine and changed the world Putin's order to conscript 160,000 men for Ukraine war On March 31, the Russian President signed a decree initiating the spring conscription of 160,000 men for mandatory military service, according to state-run agency TASS. The draft, which runs from April through June, applies to men aged 18 to 30. It is the largest conscription drive in Russia since 2011. Putin has instructed federal and regional authorities, along with conscription commissions, to carry out the recruitment campaign. Russia conducts two such drafts annually, in spring and autumn, with each conscript required to serve for one year. In recent months, the government has introduced new rules to simplify the drafting process, making it easier to enlist young men, including those who had previously avoided military service.
