Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis (L) and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy get ready for takeoff in a helicopter at Zurich airport. Photograph: ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesUkraine says it has shot down a Russian spy plane and command aircraft in the Sea of Azov area. On the Telegram messaging app, Ukraine’s army chief said: “Ukraine’s Air Force destroyed an enemy A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and an enemy IL-22 air control centre. In its latest intelligence update, the MoD wrote on X: “On 11 January 2023, Russian deputy chair of the security council, Dmitry Medvedev, stated that 500,000 people had joined the Russian armed forces in 2023. “In efforts to meet recruitment targets, the Russian military has since April 2023 allowed school-leavers to sign contracts with the Russian army.

Source: The Irish Times January 15, 2024 15:31 UTC