US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that Washington will send 4 additional high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) to Ukraine later this week.
“We will keep finding innovative ways to sustain our long-term support for the brave men and women of the Ukrainian armed forces and we will tailor our assistance to ensure that Ukraine has the technology, the ammunition and the sheer firepower to defend itself,” Austin said during his opening remarks at the 4th Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
"Our assistance is making a real difference on the ground", he added. ".... [a]s we have seen time and again over these past months of war, Ukrainian forces are frustrating Moscow’s combat objectives. And they are defending their democracy and their homeland with bravery, resolve, and valor."
According to Austin, Russia's Putin has consistently overestimated his military prowess. "And he has consistently underestimated the power of a free people fighting to defend their homeland and the will of the international community to stand with them."
This is a critical phase of the conflict, per Austin. "And so our collective support for Ukraine is vital—and urgent."
"Russia thinks that it can outlast Ukraine—and outlast us. But that’s just the latest in Russia’s string of miscalculations. We stand united in our support. We stand firm in our commitment. And we will rise to this occasion," he added.
U.S, and its allies will "continue to provide historic levels of security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself," the secretary emphasized.
Per Austin, Ukraine has also made real gains on the ground with other equipment that members of this Contact Group have provided. For example, Ukraine has deftly employed donated Harpoon systems against Russia’s navy in the Black Sea.
"And those systems helped Ukraine reclaim Snake Island" he said.
Alex Raufoglu
Washington D.C.
Politics
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Adalyat Verdiyev, the head of the civil defense staff at the public legal entity Center for Public Health and Reform under the Ministry of Health, and a military expert, has been arrested. On November 22, during a media tour to the liberated territories, Verdiyev filmed and published information and images on his social media accounts revealing Azerbaijani Armed Forces' combat positions in the heights, deployment sites, coordinates, and operational conditions of the border troops. This disclosure caused significant damage to the interests of state security and defense capability. This was stated in a report from the General Prosecutor’s Office.
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On Monday, the Baku Appeals Court considered the appeal of Talysh researcher Iqbal Abilov against the extension of his detention for another four months. The defense argued that the decision to extend Abilov's detention was unjustified, lawyer Fariz Namazly told reporters.
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"Black Monday in Georgia: Police and special forces guard the doors behind which the 'slaves of Georgian Dream' are destroying our Constitution and mocking our Parliament." This is how Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili commented on the convening of the new parliament on Monday, which is not recognized by the opposition.
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Well-known Georgian activist Samira Bayramova was prevented from leaving the plane in Yerevan. She was on a WAW airline flight bound for Tbilisi, but due to bad weather, the plane made an emergency landing in Yerevan. In a post on her Twitter account, Bayramova (an ethnic Azerbaijani) wrote that border guards told her, "Your nationality is a problem."
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