Afghan special forces soldiers trained by US troops are now being recruited by the Russian military to fight in Ukraine, three former Afghan generals have told The Associated Press.
They said the Russians wanted to entice thousands of ex-commandos with offers of regular payments of $1,500 a month and promises of safe havens to avoid deportation to what could be death at the hands of the Taliban. Many commandos fled to Iran after the US’ chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last year.
General Abdul Raof Arghandiwal said he has communicated with a dozen commandos in Iran who do not want to fight Ukraine but fear deportation for themselves and their families.
“They ask me: ‘Give me a solution? What should we do?” Arghandiwal said. “If we go back to Afghanistan, the Taliban will kill us.”
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Other developments:
►Norway says it is stepping up its military preparedness, but NATO member Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre says there is no reason to believe ‘Russia will want to invade Norway or any other country directly’ .
►The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down 44 Russian missiles on Monday morning.
►Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and many high-ranking members of his government arrived in Kyiv on Monday as part of European leaders’ latest show of support for Ukraine.
40% of Kyiv without water amid power outages after missile strikes
Russia launched a massive attack on Ukrainian infrastructure during Monday morning rush hour for the third time this month, sending commuters scrambling for shelter and crippling basic services for hundreds thousands of Ukrainians.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on social media that 80% of the battered capital was without water and part of the city was without electricity. As night fell, running water was returned to about half of those who had lost it, and power outages across the city led to a blackout for four hours, then for five hours. .
Providing air defense systems to prevent such attacks has become a top Pentagon priority, two senior Pentagon officials said Monday, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity. The Pentagon has supplied anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine, ranging from pick-up-mounted guided missiles to more sophisticated medium-range systems. The Russians are increasingly relying on Iranian-supplied suicide drones to launch attacks on power plants.
Missile and drone infrastructure strikes were also reported in Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Zaporizhzhia and several other regions. The government will introduce emergency power cuts across Ukraine, according to Deputy Head of President’s Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
The strikes came after Moscow demanded its The Black Sea Fleet in Crimea was attacked this weekend. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia preferred “fighting civilians” to fighting on the battlefield.
“Don’t justify these attacks by calling them a ‘response.'” He said, “Russia is doing it because they still have the missiles and the will to kill the Ukrainians.”
New Russian recruits arrive at front with outdated weapons, report says
Thousands of Russian recruits show up at the front with weapons that are “probably in barely usable condition” and require different ammunition than those used by Russian regular army troops, the UK Ministry of Defense has said. in his press release. last war report. The photos indicate that the rifles are AKM, which date from 1959.
Integrating reservists with contract soldiers and veterans in Ukraine will mean Russia will have to push two types of small arms ammunition to frontline positions, the ministry noted.
“This will likely further complicate Russia’s already strained logistics systems,” the assessment said.
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Russia to start seizing property belonging to Ukrainians in Crimea
The assets of several major Ukrainian companies will be seized by the Moscow-installed government in Crimea, said Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-installed leader. The Ukrainian Zaliv shipyard and a cement factory in Bakhchysarai are among the sites to be taken over, reports The Kyiv Independent. Other commercial and tourist facilities as well as apartments and houses could be targeted, including properties belonging to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Aksyonov said.
“Enemies of Russia will not make money in Crimea, this is a position of principle,” Aksyonov said on Telegram.
Ships leave Ukrainian ports despite threat of Russian blockade
A dozen grain-laden ships left Ukrainian ports on Monday despite Russia’s threat to reimpose a blockade that threatened world hunger, Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry said. A ship has carried Ukrainian wheat to Ethiopia, where a severe drought is affecting millions of people. Ukraine and Russia are the world’s main suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other foodstuffs to countries in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia where many are already facing severe shortages.
It is not immediately clear who would risk leaving Ukraine without Russian protection after Moscow alleged a Ukrainian drone attack on its Black Sea Fleet. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said implementing the grain deal was “hardly feasible” in a situation where it is impossible for Russia to guarantee safe navigation.
Contributor: Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
