Washington: Ukraine Capable of Resuming Attack Despite Losses

A destroyed military vehicle in a street in the city of Kharkiv. (dpa)
A destroyed military vehicle in a street in the city of Kharkiv. (dpa)
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Washington: Ukraine Capable of Resuming Attack Despite Losses

A destroyed military vehicle in a street in the city of Kharkiv. (dpa)
A destroyed military vehicle in a street in the city of Kharkiv. (dpa)

Ukraine maintains a lot of combat capability and power to carry out a counteroffensive despite its preliminary losses, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday following his meeting with the Ukrainian defense minister at the NATO headquarters.

“This is a war, so we know that there will be battle damage on both sides”, Austin said during a press conference following the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and Ukrainian military leaders briefed allies and partners on the situation and military needs.

Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that his forces defied the attack and that the Ukrainian losses were "catastrophic."

Moscow announced capturing several German-made Leopard battle tanks and US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.

“I think the Russians have shown us [those] same five vehicles about 1,000 times from 10 different angles,” Austin said of the video clips. “But quite frankly, the Ukrainians still have a lot of combat capability, combat power,” he said.

He stressed Kyiv’s ability to "repair damaged equipment".

“So, we will continue to provide Ukraine with the urgent capabilities that it needs to meet this moment,“ Austin added.

“It’s a very violent fight, and it will likely take a considerable amount of time,” US Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.

“Armored vehicles, anti-tank weapons, and ammo. This is what we need to protect our land and help the Russians to find their way home,” Reznikov noted in a tweet.

The US announced a new $325 million military aid package for Ukraine that will include ammunition and vehicles. Germany, the UK, Poland, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, and Italy announced contributions as well.

Reznikov welcomed commitments by Denmark and the Netherlands coalition to train Ukrainian pilots on American-made F-16 fighters. The training is scheduled for the summer, but it will take some time, according to Austin.



Hundreds of Journalists in France Stage ‘Die-in’ Solidarity Rally for Colleagues Killed in Gaza

More than 200 journalists lay down on the steps of the Opéra Bastille in a symbolic “die-in” as the names of the reporters killed in Gaza were read out (AFP) 
More than 200 journalists lay down on the steps of the Opéra Bastille in a symbolic “die-in” as the names of the reporters killed in Gaza were read out (AFP) 
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Hundreds of Journalists in France Stage ‘Die-in’ Solidarity Rally for Colleagues Killed in Gaza

More than 200 journalists lay down on the steps of the Opéra Bastille in a symbolic “die-in” as the names of the reporters killed in Gaza were read out (AFP) 
More than 200 journalists lay down on the steps of the Opéra Bastille in a symbolic “die-in” as the names of the reporters killed in Gaza were read out (AFP) 

Hundreds of journalists joined demonstrations in Paris and Marseille (southern France) on Wednesday in a show of solidarity for their colleagues killed in the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, AFP correspondents said.

In Paris, more than 200 journalists, including prominent members of the French press, lay down on the steps of the Opéra Bastille in a symbolic “die-in” as the names of the reporters killed in Gaza were read out.

Nearly 200 journalists were killed in the Palestinian enclave since October 2023.

“Gaza of faces, not just numbers”, read posters bearing photographs of their fallen Palestinian colleagues.

At the demonstration, placards bearing the logos of journalist trade unions stood alongside numerous Palestinian flags and keffiyehs. Some participants also chanted, “We will not be silent,” and “Free Palestine.”

Head of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate Europe branch, Yousef Habash, made a stand against “genocide” in Gaza, demanding an end to the blockade imposed on the Strip.

Head of France’s journalist union SNJ-CGT, Pablo Aiquel, said, “We have never witnessed such a high number of victims in our profession.”

He said the right to information is under threat.

Reporters Without Borders Director General Thibaut Bruttin said “This gathering comes late, perhaps too late. (...) I've never seen a conflict during which a killed journalist is described as a terrorist.”

In Marseille, about 160 people attended a similar demonstration. The names of journalists killed in Gaza were read out, before the participants held a minute's silence to mourn the victims.

In an op-ed in the leading French daily Le Monde earlier this week, several journalist associations, trade unions and around 40 media organizations, condemned the Israeli media blackout in Gaza.

“The Israeli army is imposing a media blackout on Gaza to silence, as much as possible, the witnesses of the war crimes committed by its troops,” said the newspaper column.