Military
Ukraine to call for heavy arms when top U.S. officials visit Kyiv
Ukraine to call for heavy arms when top U.S. officials visit Kyiv
U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, were set to visit Kyiv on Sunday to discuss Ukraine’s call for more powerful weapons, two months after Russia’s invasion began.
The trip, announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday, would be the highest-level by U.S. officials since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine on Feb. 24.
The White House has not confirmed any visit by Blinken and Austin.
The State Department and Pentagon declined to comment.
As Christians in Ukraine marked Orthodox Easter on Sunday, there was no end in sight to a war that has killed thousands of people, uprooted millions more and reduced cities to rubble.
“I pray that this horror in Ukraine ends soon and we can return home,’’ said Nataliya Krasnopolskaia, who fled to Prague from Odesa last month, one of the more than five million Ukrainians estimated to have escaped the country.
Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the eastern Luhansk region, said Easter celebrations had been shattered by the conflict.
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He said that seven churches in his region had been “mutilated by Russian artillery”.
Reuters could not independently verify his report.
Pope Francis called for an Easter truce: “Stop the attacks in order to help the exhausted population. Stop,’’ he said.
Zelenskiy said in an Easter video message from Kyiv’s 1,000-year-old Saint Sophia Cathedral that Ukraine would not be defeated by “wickedness” and prayed that God returns happiness to children and brings solace to grieving mothers.
He had earlier said talks with his U.S. visitors would cover the “powerful and heavy weapons” Ukraine needed to retake territory and the pace of deliveries.
The U.S. and NATO allies have shown growing readiness to supply heavier equipment and more advanced weapons systems.
Britain has promised to send military vehicles and said it was considering supplying British tanks to Poland to free up Warsaw’s Russian-designed T-72s for Ukraine.
Moscow, which describes its actions in Ukraine as a “special military operation”, denies targeting civilians and rejects what Ukraine says is evidence of atrocities, saying Kyiv staged them to undermine peace talks.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said after talks by phone with Zelenskiy that Ankara was ready to assist in negotiations with Russia.
Zelenskiy said he discussed with Erdogan the need for the immediate evacuation of civilians from the southern city of Mariupol and an exchange of troops.
Russian forces are attempting to storm the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol by land, backed up by aerial and artillery bombardment, Ukrainian Presidential Adviser, Oleksiy Arestovych, said on Sunday.
“Russian troops are trying to finish off the defenders of Azovstal and more than 1,000 civilians who are hiding at the plant,’’ Arestovych wrote on Facebook.
He said on Saturday that troops in the steel complex were attempting counterattacks.
Moscow has previously declared victory in the city and said it did not need to take the plant.
Capturing Mariupol, the site of biggest battle of the conflict, would link up pro-Russian separatists who control parts of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk that make up the Donbas with the Southern Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014.
Ukraine estimates tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in Mariupol and says 100,000 civilians are still in the city.
The UN and Red Cross say the civilian toll is at least in the thousands.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide, called for humanitarian corridors in Mariupol and other areas of Ukraine, where he said “an indescribable human tragedy is unfolding’’.
The governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said two children were killed by shelling in his area on Sunday.
Ukraine said its forces repulsed 12 attacks on Donetsk and Luhansk a day earlier, destroying four tanks, 15 armoured equipment units and five artillery systems.
Reuters could not independently confirm the reports.
British military intelligence said Ukrainian resistance had been strong, especially in Donbas, despite some Russian gains.
“Poor Russian morale and limited time to reconstitute, re-equip and reorganise forces from prior offensives are likely hindering Russian combat effectiveness,’’ it said.
Russia said on Sunday its missiles hit eight military targets overnight, including four arms depots in the northeast Kharkiv region and one facility in the Dnipropetrovsk region producing explosives for the Ukrainian army.
Russian strikes on Saturday severed an arterial gas pipeline and caused a fire at an electricity substation, cutting gas supply to 5,500 people, Serhiy Gaidai, the governor of Luhansk region wrote on Telegram on Sunday.
Moscow said on Saturday its missiles destroyed a logistics terminal in the southern city of Odesa containing weapons supplied by the U.S. and European states.
Zelenskiy said eight people, including a 3-month-old child, were killed in the Odesa strike.
(Reuters/NAN)
Military
Sudanese War Could Spiral Across Africa, Envoy Warns Nigeria, Others
Sudanese War Could Spiral Across Africa, Envoy Warns Nigeria, Others
By: Michael Mike
The Sudanese authorities have called on Nigeria and other African countries to support the ongoing efforts at ending the war in Sudan, warning that the war is a siege and could spiral across Africa if actions are not taken to halt it.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the Sudanese Charge d’ Affairs in Nigeria, Ambassador Ahmed Omer Taboul said no one should be deceived that the war is between two generals or among Sudanese ethic groups, but rather it is a proxy war for the resources of Sudan.
He appealed that there must be conscientious efforts by the international community to stop the onging Rapid Support Forces (RSF) genocide against the people, adding that the international community must pressure United Arab Emirates to end the war.
The envoy alleged that UAE are the major sponsor of the RSF, insisting that it is scramble for Sudan’s gold and rich mineral deposits.
Taboul, who was speaking ahead of the United Nations Security Council meeting on Sudan, said the war is about scavenging for resources by identified external forces.
He stressed that the war in Sudan is nothing but a proxy war, “It is a proxy war. This militia is fighting on behalf of others. On behalf of some Arab countries like UAE. On behalf of Israel. On behalf of some other Western countries.”
He said: “The main pressure the international committee can do is to stop the support and the feed of the United Arab Emirates. If they stop them, the war will stop in no time,” warning that it might affect the peace and security of the entire continent.
He stressed that “it will not stop only in very close neighbouring countries. This will go deep to the western part of Africa, through the Sahel and Sahara states.”
The envoy therefore urged Nigeria and other friendly countries to stand up for them.
He said the international community must endeavour to push for the implementations of resolutions of the UN Security Council.
“So what we need actually is full support from our brothers to be with us, to be very close to us. And to support the people of Sudan. They need a lot of things, we need a lot of things in Sudan.
“And we need the support of our brothers like Nigeria. We need the support of them in the international organisations, in the EU, in the United Nations. tomorrow or the day after tomorrow there will be a meeting for the Security Council on Sudan issues.
“We need the support there. Because I’m quite sure they are going, they are trying to adopt something against Sudan. They are trying to mandate themselves and others to come to Sudan”.
He said previous resolutions were never implemented by the RSF and that is why the war is still going on.
He said: “I have told you this just about the resolution adopted by the Security Council last year. Asking the militia to lift the siege on al-Fashir. But nobody imposed this, nobody pushed the militia to do so. Then after two years the militia invaded the city and killed within two days 3,000 women and children.”
He emphasised that the people of Sudan are not waiting for others to fight their battles but only needed their understanding and support.
He said: “Actually what we do, really, and this is very clear to everybody. We are fighting our own war. We don’t need anybody to fight with us. We don’t need any troops, we don’t need anything from anybody. We are able to do this ourselves. Our National Defence Army with the people of the Sudanese.
“Because now, if you see the news, the government of Sudan are mobilising the people. And now they are fighting with the National Defence Army. thousands of young Sudanese people are fighting and defending themselves, their families, their places, their entities, their everything. We are able to do this with ourselves.
“And we don’t want to involve any sisters or brothers or foreigners in our own war. What we need from our brother, for example, Nigeria is to know well what is going on in Sudan. And to accept our narrative. Because we are telling the truth. We are saying the truth, what is going on in Sudan. We told this to our brother in Nigeria, frankly.”
He also gave reason for the expulsion of two United Nations officials from Sudan. He said
the UN officials were given false report about happenings in Sudan.
“And yesterday (Wednesday) we expelled two of the United Nations officials from Sudan. Because unfortunately, they were reporting about the situation in Sudan. I mean, they were giving very, very false report and it was not real at all.
“So we expelled them out and we said, still, we have a good relation with the United Nations agencies. They are able to work, but these two people, we don’t like them in our country. They have to go bring any other instead of them.”
Sudanese War Could Spiral Across Africa, Envoy Warns Nigeria, Others
Military
Troops neutralise four ISWAP logistics suppliers in multiple ambushes in Borno
Troops neutralise four ISWAP logistics suppliers in multiple ambushes in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised four Boko Haram/ISWAP logistics suppliers in a series of coordinated ambush operations conducted across multiple locations in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.
Sources revealed on Monday, that the ambushes were part of Operation Desert Sanity IV/Diligent Search.
The sources said that the troops carried out three separate ambushes on October 25, 2025, at different terrorist crossing points around Kukauku, Delta Company Kawuri, and Alou Dam, all within Konduga axis.
“At about 11:35 a.m., troops of 222 Battalion conducted an ambush at Kuka Uku crossing point in Delta Company Kawuri, where one terrorist logistics supplier was neutralised,” the report stated.
It added that another ambush team positioned ahead of Charlie Company in Konduga LGA successfully neutralised one more terrorist logistics supplier.
“In a separate operation, an ambush team lying in wait at a crossing point in Alpha Company, Alou Dam, neutralised two additional terrorist logistics suppliers,” the sources said.
The operations were conducted without any casualties on the part of the troops, while the four neutralised suspects were confirmed to be affiliated with Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The sources added that the general security situation in the area remained calm but unpredictable, with troops maintaining high morale and combat readiness.
The sources further noted that the coordinated ambushes were part of ongoing clearance and interdiction operations aimed at cutting off terrorists’ supply routes and denying them freedom of movement within the North-East theatre.
Troops neutralise four ISWAP logistics suppliers in multiple ambushes in Borno
Military
Troops kill notorious bandit Abu A. K, several others in Tsafe operation
Troops kill notorious bandit Abu A. K, several others in Tsafe operation
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s Operation FANSAN YANMA in a joint operation with other security forces, have eliminated a notorious bandit identified as Abu A. K and several of his gang members in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the deceased bandit, who was linked to the infamous warlord Ado Aleiro, was intercepted after sneaking into Tsafe town to attend the weekly Friday cattle market, his first visit to the town in about five years.
According to the sources, Abu A. K had been among the most wanted bandits terrorising the Tsafe axis and surrounding forests, notorious for killings, kidnappings, and cattle rustling. He was reportedly trailed and captured after arriving in the town through one of his female contacts, identified as Halima, who resides in the Gabbacin Tsafe area.
“Following credible intelligence, troops moved swiftly and apprehended him. He was later neutralised during an exchange of fire as he attempted to escape custody,” the source said.
In a related development, troops on joint patrol operations on Monday morning successfully ambushed and neutralised several other bandits in Tsafe forests, recovering a Boxer-type rifle and other arms.
The operation, which took place around 9 a.m., was described by security officials as a major success in the ongoing offensive against bandit groups operating in the area. The troops also launched another offensive deep into the North of Tsafe forests, killing an undisclosed number of bandits.
According to sources, the remains of Abu A. K were taken to Magazu, one of the forward operating bases under Tsafe LGA, where further identification was carried out.
Security officials also confirmed that the slain bandit was responsible for the killing of three construction workers attached to Setraco Construction Company two weeks ago at a site where the firm was excavating sand in Tsafe area.
Troops kill notorious bandit Abu A. K, several others in Tsafe operation
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