War entering ‘protracted phase’: Ukraine’s defence ministerMay 18, 2022 - 10:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The war with Russia is entering “a protracted phase”, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said, as Moscow’s troops are now trying to take full control of the east and south of the country, Al Jazeera reports. “Russia is preparing for a long-term military operation,” Reznikov told EU defense ministers and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Al Jazeera reports. “The war is entering a protracted phase,” he added in the speech, the text of which was published on his Facebook page. According to Reznikov, Russian troops are currently building fortifications in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in order to “move to defense if necessary”. In a recent intelligence briefing, the UK defense ministry said that despite Russian troops having circled the port city of Mariupol for more than ten weeks, Ukraine’s stiff resistance delayed them gaining full control of the city. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |