Zelenskiy Orders Ukraine to Strengthen Northern Defenses

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish President Andrzej Duda, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 28, 2023. (Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish President Andrzej Duda, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 28, 2023. (Reuters)
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Zelenskiy Orders Ukraine to Strengthen Northern Defenses

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish President Andrzej Duda, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 28, 2023. (Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish President Andrzej Duda, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 28, 2023. (Reuters)

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ordered top military commanders on Friday to strengthen Ukraine's northern military sector following the arrival of Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in Belarus.

He said Ukrainian intelligence and security forces had reported on the situation in Belarus, Ukraine's northern neighbor, at a meeting of top military and political leaders.

"The decision...is for Commander-in-Chief (General Valeriy) Zaluzhnyi and 'North' commander (General Serhiy) Naev to implement a set of measures to strengthen this direction," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app.

He did not mention Wagner Group boss Prigozhin in the brief post on Telegram.

Prigozhin flew from Russia into exile in Belarus on Tuesday under a deal negotiated by President Alexander Lukashenko that ended his mercenaries' mutiny in Russia on Saturday.

Media have reported that Wagner could set up a new base at a vacant military facility near the town of Asipovichi, about 90 km (50 miles) from the Belarusian capital, Minsk.

After pushing Russian forces out of northern regions last year, Ukraine took steps to tighten the defense of its border with Belarus, a close ally of Russia.

"Right now, there is no direct threat of offensive actions from Belarus and Russia in the zone that is the responsibility of the Northern Group of Forces," Naev said.

But he said moves to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities were needed in the event of a growing threat, and added: "Our intelligence does not stop work to obtain information."

Zelenskiy said the situation in other frontline areas, supplies of artillery and shells, and advances by Ukrainian troops against Russia's occupying forces were also discussed at Friday's meeting.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said earlier on Friday that Ukrainian troops were advancing in all directions of the counteroffensive they began against Russian forces this month.

"If we talk about the entire frontline, both east and south, we have seized the strategic initiative and are advancing in all directions," she told Ukrainian television.

"In the south, we are moving with varying success, sometimes there are days when it is more than a kilometer, sometimes less than a kilometer, sometimes up to 2 kilometers," she said.

Reuters was unable to verify the situation on the battlefield. Russia, which began its full-scale invasion in February 2022, has not acknowledged the Ukrainian gains and has said Ukraine's military are suffering heavy casualties.



China Accuses Australia of 'Hyping' Chinese Naval Drills

FILE PHOTO: Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian attends a press briefing in Beijing, China August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Yew Lun Tian/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian attends a press briefing in Beijing, China August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Yew Lun Tian/File Photo
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China Accuses Australia of 'Hyping' Chinese Naval Drills

FILE PHOTO: Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian attends a press briefing in Beijing, China August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Yew Lun Tian/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian attends a press briefing in Beijing, China August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Yew Lun Tian/File Photo

China’s defense ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said on Sunday that Australian complaints over recent Chinese live-fire naval drills in international waters between Australia and New Zealand were "hyped up" and "inconsistent with the facts”
Australia Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday that Beijing had failed to give satisfactory reasons for what he called inadequate notice for live-fire drills a day earlier, which he said had forced airlines to divert flights.
Qian said in a post from the Chinese defense ministry that China had issued repeated safety notices in advance, and that its actions complied with international law and did not affect aviation flight safety.
"Australia, fully knowing this, made unreasonable accusations against China and deliberately hyped it up," Qian's post said, according to Reuters. "We are deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied."
New Zealand said on Saturday it had also observed the Chinese navy conducting a second day of live-fire exercises and that it was monitoring a fleet of Chinese vessels.