US dishes out further sanctions on Wagner
THE Biden administration has expanded US sanctions against Russia’s Wagner Group.
The private Russian military group is owned by a henchman of President Vladimir Putin and its troops are waging war in hotpots including in Bakhmut in Donbas in eastern Ukraine.
The move by the US aims to land a blow against the Wagner Group and related companies and individuals for their mercenary activities, including human rights abuses, in Africa.
Arms
VOLODYMR Zelenskyy
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launched a fresh bid for Western fighter jets, hours after the UK, US and other Nato allies agreed to give Ukraine high-tech battle tanks.
The push for fourth-generation warplanes such as the American F-16s came as Kyiv switched its focus to beefing up air power to drive out Russian forces.
President Zelenskyy said it was vital that tanks arrived quickly, but also urged the West to send jets and long-range missiles.
Many Western governments are opposed to sending planes, fearing they could be used to strike targets inside Russia. But Ukrainian defence adviser Yuriy Sak said that could change.
He said: “They didn’t want to ■
give us heavy artillery, then they did. They didn’t want to give us rocket systems, then they did. They didn’t want to give us tanks, now they’re giving us tanks.
“Apart from nuclear weapons, there is nothing left we will not get.”
Ukraine’s air force currently has a fleet of Soviet-era jets.
Justin Bronk, of the RUSI thinktank in London, said Ukraine’s pilots would benefit from Nato fighter jets.
But he warned Russian surface-toair missiles would force them to fly very low near the front line, which “would reduce effective missile range and limit strike options”.