Skip next section Russian mercenaries leave Burkina Faso for Kursk, says Le Monde
08/30/2024August 30, 2024
Russian mercenaries leave Burkina Faso for Kursk, says Le Monde
Mercenaries from the Russian private military company Bears, which is linked to the Russian Defense Ministry, are leaving the African country of Burkina Faso due to the , the French newspaper Le Monde reported.
According to Le Monde, nearly a hundred mercenaries arrived in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, in May, presumably to support the local military junta, particularly its leader, Ibrahim Traore.
The reason for their departure, according to the newspaper, only three months after their arrival, was to take part in the Russian defense effort against the offensive launched by the Ukrainian army in the Kursk region on August 6.
https://p.dw.com/p/4k5aC
Skip next section EU defense ministers discuss training of Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine
08/30/2024August 30, 2024
EU defense ministers discuss training of Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine
EU defense ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss the European Union’s ongoing operation to train Ukrainian soldiers to defend their country against a full-scale Russian invasion, as well as a plan to move some of the EU training operations inside Ukraine.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said the move has to be “a careful decision” and the risks and benefits weighed up by the European Union. “We are open to talk about this,” he added.
Hi Latvian counterpart, Andris Spruds, stressed the importance of such a plan to be a “collective decision” before the meeting of his EU counterparts.
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said he was in favour of theidea, but top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said there was no EU agreement currently to train Ukrainian soldiers on Ukrainian soil.
Training is currently taking place in and Poland. The training mission began in November 2022.
So far, 52,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained, according to EU figures from May. The EU wants to train another 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of summer 2024. EU defense ministers are expected to discuss extending the mission until 2026.
French President , backed by Lithuania, has signaled his support for training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine. But a number of EU countries, including Germany, are concerned about the move.
https://p.dw.com/p/4k5WX
Skip next section Russia’s attack kills 1, injures at least 8 in Ukraine’s Sumy
08/30/2024August 30, 2024
Russia’s attack kills 1, injures at least 8 in Ukraine’s Sumy
Russian strikes overnight damaged a factory in the northeastern city of Sumy, killing one person and injuring at least eight others, local officials said.
An airstrike caused a fire at the factory, which makes baby food packaging, prompting regional authorities to urge residents to stay inside and close windows.
A drone strike also hit an industrial facility in the eastern city of Poltava, causing no casualties, regional governor Filip Pronin said.
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 12 of 18 Russian-made drones over five Ukrainian regions overnight. Four other drones fell over Ukrainian territory.
Russia also used an Iskander-M missile in the attack, the air force added.
dh/rc (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
https://p.dw.com/p/4k5RI
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