Ukraine: Zelenskiy Appoints Ex-deputy Defense Minister as Ground Forces Chief

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy poses for a picture with Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and newly appointed top military commanders after a meeting, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 10, 2024. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy poses for a picture with Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and newly appointed top military commanders after a meeting, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 10, 2024. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
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Ukraine: Zelenskiy Appoints Ex-deputy Defense Minister as Ground Forces Chief

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy poses for a picture with Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and newly appointed top military commanders after a meeting, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 10, 2024. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy poses for a picture with Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and newly appointed top military commanders after a meeting, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 10, 2024. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has appointed Oleksandr Pavliuk, former first deputy defense minister, as the new commander of Ukraine's ground forces, according to a decree published on Sunday.
Pavliuk, a lieutenant-general who served in the ministry role for a year, replaces Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi after he was tapped this week as commander of Ukraine's armed forces.
On Saturday, Zelenskiy announced five other senior military appointments, filling out a rebooted team to bolster Ukraine's defense against Russia's nearly two-year-old invasion.
Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of men and equipment as it heads into 2024 having made few battlefield gains throughout the past year. It also faces a disruption in military aid from the United States, its biggest backer.



China Coast Guard Says It Conducted Patrols around Scarborough Shoal in South China Sea

A floating barrier is placed at the entrance of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, February 22, 2024. (Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters)
A floating barrier is placed at the entrance of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, February 22, 2024. (Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters)
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China Coast Guard Says It Conducted Patrols around Scarborough Shoal in South China Sea

A floating barrier is placed at the entrance of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, February 22, 2024. (Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters)
A floating barrier is placed at the entrance of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, February 22, 2024. (Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters)

China's coast guard said it had conducted patrols around the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Saturday to safeguard China's territorial rights.

The coast guard has continued to strengthen law enforcement patrols in the territorial waters and surrounding areas of Scarborough Shoal since the beginning of November, and "resolutely safeguarding the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," it said in a statement.

Tensions between China and the Philippines over disputed areas of the South China Sea have escalated throughout the year, particularly over the Scarborough Shoal.