Oorlog in Oekraïne #928 Moedig voorwaarts

quote:

Guard Chief: First Ukrainian F-16 Trainees Are ‘On Track,’ But Funds Aren’t There for More
The first four Ukrainian pilots training to fly the F-16 at Morris Air National Guard Base, Ariz., are “on track,” the head of the National Guard Bureau said Feb. 8, and the first batch of pilots are funded to complete their schooling. But Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson told the Pentagon press that Congress must authorize more funding to add additional pilots to the training queue.

Ukrainian pilots arrived in the U.S. to train to fly F-16s in September, first at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, for a crash course in English, and then beginning in October at Morris Air National Guard Base, Ariz., home of the 162nd Wing, where the day-to-day mission is focused on training foreign pilots to fly F-16s.

The U.S. and its allies expect the Ukrainian Air Force to achieve initial operating capability with its F-16s by the end of 2024, according to Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander, who said pilot training was on track.

Hokanson echoed Wallander’s assessment, but added the caveat that without additional funding, things could change in the coming months.

“Everything we see right now, they’re on track,” Hokanson said. “Obviously as we get further on to higher levels, they may be more advanced or less. But we look at each pilot individually, because what we want to do is prepare them, as much as possible before they go back to Ukraine, to be successful.”

Pilots at Morris complete the six-month “B Course”—or Basic Course—to become proficient in the fundamentals necessary to transition to the F-16. That is the course the four Ukrainian pilots are now undergoing, a defense official previously told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

Hokanson’s senior enlisted advisor, Air Force CMSgt. Tony L. Whitehead added that maintainers currently being trained on the F-16 will get resources to help them over the long term.

“Our standard operating procedures and [operating instructions] are translated for those maintainers, so they can make sure that the continuity of training can continue when they go back to Ukraine,” he said.

Such resources will likely be crucial, as officials and observers alike have noted that maintaining F-16s inside of Ukraine will represent a major effort in and of itself.

Building out a corps of F-16 pilots and maintainers takes time, though, and while Ukrainian personnel are also training in Denmark, the possibility of expanding training in the U.S. appears unclear.

“We do have the resources to continue the training that has already started … and hopefully get all of those folks completed later on this year,” Hokanson said. “Then if we decide to increase that, then obviously we’ll need the resources to train additional pilots and ground support personnel.”

Hokanson did not specify where such resources would come from, but lawmakers in Congress are currently locked in a heated debate on Ukraine funding. On Feb. 8, the Senate took a procedural step to advance a massive foreign security aid package that includes $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and more. However, that bill’s fate remains uncertain in the House. Lawmakers must also pass a budget for the federal government by early March or risk a shutdown.

Previously approved funding for Ukraine ran out in late January.

quote:

President Zelenskyy’s dual citizenship proposal presents wartime dilemmas
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked the country’s recent Unity Day holiday on January 22 by thanking Ukrainians around the world for their wartime support and calling for changes to the Ukrainian Constitution that would allow for dual citizenship. Zelenskyy confirmed he was submitting the relevant legislative proposal to the Ukrainian Parliament.

If passed, the bill would allow Ukrainians to hold more than one citizenship. This would have significant implications for Ukraine itself and for the large international Ukrainian diaspora. According to the Ukrainian World Congress, the Ukrainian diaspora currently numbers around 20 million people. Most would potentially be eligible for Ukrainian citizenship. Restrictions on dual citizenship have previously deterred many members of the diaspora from applying for Ukrainian passports.

Zelenskyy’s proposal has been welcomed by many within the Ukrainian diaspora. If adopted, it could help strengthen ties between Ukraine itself and the global Ukrainian community, while granting diaspora members an opportunity to have a greater say in Ukraine’s development. It would make it far easier to visit Ukraine and open a business, purchase property, or otherwise invest in the country, while also providing diaspora Ukrainians with the chance to vote in elections or even run for office themselves.

For existing Ukrainian citizens, acquiring a second passport would potentially open multiple doors in terms of travel, work, and study. Ukrainians have enjoyed visa-free access to the European Union’s Schengen Zone for limited time periods since 2017, and have also benefited from a range of measures to ease border restrictions since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Nevertheless, the prospect of holding an EU, US, or other Western passport would certainly appeal to many.

While there is likely to be considerable public support for Zelenskyy’s dual citizenship proposal, any attempt at implementation in today’s wartime environment could prove highly problematic. Crucially, it remains far from clear what the initiative would mean for military service.

With Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine now approaching the two-year mark, most analysts believe the conflict has evolved into a war of attrition. With its far larger population, economy, and industrial base, this places Russia at a considerable advantage. The Russian military has also demonstrated a striking disregard for heavy losses in Ukraine, repeatedly employing so-called “human wave” or “meat assault” tactics to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses by sheer weight of numbers.

Ukraine cannot afford to accept such high casualty rates. The country has a far smaller pool of military-age men to draw from, and has already experienced a major decline in population as a direct result of Russia’s invasion. Current martial law restrictions mean most Ukrainian males eligible for military service are not permitted to exit the country. However, if changes to the Ukrainian Constitution made it possible to apply for a second citizenship, opportunities may arise for Ukrainian citizens to use newly acquired passports in order to leave Ukraine and avoid conscription.

Meanwhile, a relaxation in Ukraine’s dual citizenship restrictions could also potentially result in members of the Ukrainian diaspora who took Ukrainian passports becoming eligible for military service. Any uncertainty over the status of new passport holders with regard to conscription would be likely to deter many from applying.

The issue of military service is currently high on the Ukrainian wartime agenda amid debate over how best to bolster the depleted ranks of the army. A recent proposal by Ukraine’s military chiefs to conscript up to 500,000 civilians has met with a mixed reaction in Kyiv, with Zelenskyy refusing to offer his public support and instead calling for further details before making a decision.

Differences of opinion over the correct approach toward mobilization are believed to have contributed to mounting tensions between Ukraine’s civilian and military leadership. This was widely cited as a contributing factor behind Zelenskyy’s February 8 decision to replace Ukraine’s top general, Valery Zaluzhny. Any constitutional changes to introduce dual citizenship would further complicate an already challenging and politically sensitive situation.

President Zelenskyy’s proposal to enshrine the right to dual citizenship in the Ukrainian Constitution reflects growing awareness of the important role played by the global Ukrainian diaspora. If implemented, it would probably prove a popular measure that would significantly increase the number of Ukrainian passport holders and provide millions more people with a stake in the country’s future. However, there are a number of practical reasons why progress on this issue remains unlikely in the current wartime conditions.

SPOILER

Om spoilers te kunnen lezen moet je zijn ingelogd. Je moet je daarvoor eerst gratis Registreren. Ook kun je spoilers niet lezen als je een ban hebt.

quote:

Russia complained about mass drone attack
Russia has stated that combat drones attempted to attack at least four regions. It is reported that air defense forces allegedly shot down 19 kamikaze drones, according to RIA Novosti.

"The air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 19 drones overnight over the territories of the Kursk, Bryansk, and Oryol regions, the Krasnodar Krai, and the Black Sea," the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

Explosions were heard and a fire was recorded at the Il'sky Oil Refinery overnight, located in the Krasnodar Krai of the Russian Federation. Eyewitnesses report that before the explosions and the large blaze, the characteristic sounds of drone operation were heard.

What preceded this
Before this, experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated that Russia is increasingly concerned about the significant advantage of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the use of drones.

Additionally, former head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin previously stated that the front line buzzes like a beehive due to the large number of Ukrainian drones, which systematically and accurately strike targets, complicating the rotation of Russian personnel.

quote:

Op donderdag 8 februari 2024 19:17 schreef Akkerdjie het volgende:

[..]
Mja, het gros in Nederland zou niet meevechten. Jij waarschijnlijk ook niet als je de statistieken volgt. Het is ook een vrij rationele keuze in een land waar het leven niet ronduit kut is. Je hebt immers meestal wel wat geld hier om elders een leven op te bouwen. Als die niet-faggots die zijn gaan vechten toen de oorlog in Oekraine uitbrak zijn dood.

Lekker boeiend wat mensen van je vinden. Het zijn altijd de armen die de eer krijgen te mogen sneuvelen voor hun plaatselijke elite.

https://www.defensieplatf(...)en%20in%20Defensie).

quote:

Op vrijdag 9 februari 2024 07:53 schreef Mr.Anderson83 het volgende:
Vrije pers!

[ afbeelding ]

Voor de liefhebbers hier:

https://tuckercarlson.com/the-vladimir-putin-interview/

Enjoy!

quote:

Op vrijdag 9 februari 2024 09:08 schreef TLC het volgende:

[..]
had die vent nog in de Tweede Wereldoorlog geleefd dan had ie vast hitler in zijn bunker geinterviewd zonder ook maar 1 kritische vraag te stellen

quote:

Op vrijdag 9 februari 2024 09:10 schreef Mr.Anderson83 het volgende:

[..]
Jij hebt het interview gezien zie ik...