Ukrainian President Zelensky and Turkish President Erdogan (Reuters)
RFE: Ukraine's Zelenskiy Defends Drone Strike On Russia-Backed Separatists
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has defended the use of a Turkish-supplied armed drone to strike Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, saying the military acted in self-defense and did not violate any agreements.
"When the Ukrainian army feels the need to defend its land, it does so. And it will further act under this principle,” Zelenskiy said, according to comments published on the presidential website on October 29.
The Ukrainian military this week released footage of what it said was a Bayraktar T2B drone destroying a Russian-made howitzer in a separatist-controlled area.
The military said the drone was used “for the first time” to suppress artillery fire that killed a Ukrainian soldier and wounded another.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: France and Germany have criticized this escalation mindful of what President Putin said only 10 days ago .... Putin says Western military backing of Ukraine threatens Russia (Reuters).
As to what is my take.
Both sides are using drones in this war. Nothing new here.
And this low intensity war shows no signs of ending absent a political settlement.
But what is new is Turkey's direct involvement in this conflict. These drones had to be controlled and maintained by Turkish personnel, hence the criticisms from Paris and Berlin.
Update: More news and details on Russia's military build-up on the Ukraine border .... Large-Scale Russian Troop Movements Along Ukraine Border Spark Alarm In US & Europe (Zero Hedge).
