Russian defense minister asks for more weapons for military operation, West promises Ukraine this
Russia's Defense Ministry said on May 1 that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had ordered more weapons and accelerated the transfer of weapons for Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine.
Gold price today 1/5/2024: Domestic gold prices are difficult to maintain at low levels, the world 'plunges without brakes', is this still the best investment channel right now? Amid delays in Western military aid to Ukraine, Russian forces have made significant advances in recent weeks along the front line in southeastern Ukraine.
Russia has taken control of several villages in the Donetsk region, while consolidating battlefield positions in the Kharkiv region.
Also new information about Russian weapons, earlier, on May 1, General Director of Russia's Geran UAV research and production enterprise Oleg Zhukov told TASS that it has developed anti-drone devices powered by artificial intelligence (AI) for use on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Zhukov said the mobile anti-UAV system, called "Abzats," is capable of jamming in all operating frequency bands. It has been used by the Russian military in the conflict in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Brown, announced that Western nations would supply Ukraine with not only F-16 fighters, but also weapons for the model.
Speaking in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, General Brown said: "When we bring in the F-16s, it's not just the planes, it's the pilot training, the maintenance training, as well as the weapons systems that come with it. It was a dialogue where we were talking not only about the aircraft but also the full (combat) capability
According to the Pentagon official, the dialogue took place within the framework of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group. In early April, Kyiv confirmed that five groups of Ukrainian pilots were being trained to fly F-16 fighter jets in Britain, Denmark, the United States and France. In late August 2023, the Netherlands announced it would deliver 42 F-16s to Ukraine, while Denmark promised 19.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the F-16s can carry nuclear weapons, and Moscow will take note of the possibility during combat operations. On April 29, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg assessed that Ukraine's allies had pledged unprecedented amounts of military aid to Kyiv, but delays in supplies had given Russia an advantage on the battlefield.
