Kiev says Russian drones shot down in Odessa – DW – 09/03/2023

The Ukrainian commander for the region told British media that Ukrainian forces had breached Russia’s first and strongest line of defense in the southern region of Zaporizhia.

Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy said Ukrainian soldiers expect faster advances as they push into the weaker second line of defence. observer newspaper in an interview.

The counter-offensive against the Russian forces that invaded Ukraine in February last year has long been hampered by a huge minefield in the area. Tarnavsky said that the demining operation took place mainly at night.

The goal of the southern offensive is to reach the Sea of ​​Azov, about 90 kilometers (about 55 miles) away, effectively cutting off half of Russia-held southern Ukraine, and breaking the main supply route to and from Crimea.

Former Russian President and Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow has recruited about 280,000 people into the army since the beginning of the year.

Russia has not announced another mobilization, an unpopular measure, but has led an aggressive campaign to attract more military recruits as its all-out invasion of Ukraine enters its nineteenth month.

“According to data from the Ministry of Defense, as of January 1, 280,000 people have joined the Russian army under contracts,” Medvedev said.

“Part of them were in reserves, and part of them were volunteers and other groups,” he added, during a visit to Sakhalin Island in the far east of Russia. In early August, Medvedev said the army had recruited about 230,000 people since the beginning of the year.

Since the spring, the Russian military has waged a massive propaganda campaign to recruit volunteers, with mass advertisements on the Internet and on Russian streets. It also sought to attract future soldiers by promising higher salaries.

The British Ministry of Defense said in its periodic intelligence update that Moscow was trying to recruit fighters from its neighboring countries until late June.

The report cited advertisements in Armenia and Kazakhstan offering 495,000 rubles ($5,140, ​​4,761 euros) down payments and monthly salaries starting at 190,000 rubles.

She added that Russia has made efforts to attract the ethnic Russian population in the Kostanay region of northern Kazakhstan.

The more than 6 million Central Asian immigrants in Russia are also likely to be seen by the Kremlin as potential recruits, the British government assumes. According to the report, some migrants from Central Asia were approached with the “promise of quick citizenship” and salaries of up to $4,160.

“It is likely that Russia will want to avoid further unpopular internal mobilization measures in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election,” she added.

“The exploitation of foreign nationals allows the Kremlin to acquire additional personnel for its war effort in the face of mounting casualties.”

Ukraine’s air force said on Sunday that Russia launched a night attack in the southwestern region of Odessa that lasted more than three hours.

It said the drones were Iranian-made Shahed, and 22 out of 25 were shot down.

At least two people were injured and the Danube River port infrastructure was damaged in the attack, according to the air force.

Russia has stepped up attacks on Odessa and Mykolaiv, in southern Ukraine, after blocking a UN-brokered deal allowing safe shipments from the Black Sea.

The two Ukrainian regions are home to vital ports and grain shipping infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said late Saturday that two more ships had passed through the temporary “Black Sea Grain Corridor”, which Ukraine has been using to release cargo ships trapped in its ports since the Russian invasion.

Facebook/msh (AFP, Associated Press, dpa, Reuters)