Russia will further strengthen its Armed Forces, said Russian President, Vladimir Putin this Tuesday (21).
“We will continue to develop and strengthen our armed forces taking into account potential military threats and risks,” Putin said in televised remarks.
He added that Russia’s newly tested Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys, would be deployed into service by the end of the year.
Ukraine declares first successful use of Western donated missiles
Ukrainian forces last week claimed their first successful use of Western-donated Harpoon anti-ship missiles to engage Russian forces, British Military Intelligence said on Tuesday.
“The target of the attack was almost certainly the Russian naval tug Spasatel Vasily Bekh, which was delivering weapons and personnel to Cobra Island in the northwest of the Black Sea,” the Defense Ministry said in its daily Twitter update.
The war has entered a phase of brutal attrition in recent weeks, with Russian forces focusing on Ukraine-controlled parts of Donbass, which Russia claims on behalf of the separatists.
On Monday (20), the Russians conquered the city of Metelkine, east of Severodonetsk – in the heart of the Donbass.
“Unfortunately, we currently do not control Metelkine near the regional center,” said Serhiy Hayday, head of Luhansk’s regional military administration.
Putin’s army has intensified its use of artillery and air strikes to target Ukrainian positions in Severodonetsk as the battle for the strategic city continues to drag on, Hayday added.
“They are hard at work in the industrial zone of Severodonetsk and on the outskirts of the city,” said Hayday. “The same is true in Toshkivka and Ustynivka districts.”
(With information from Akanksha Khushida; Edited by Guy Faulconbridge)
Source: CNN Brasil
