Russian MoD releases VIDEO of Ukrainian vehicles destroyed in combat

©Russian Defense Ministry

The Russian Ministry of Defense published a video on Friday showing the destruction of armored vehicles supplied to Ukraine by the US and its allies, overlaid by a snippet from the iconic radio broadcast announcing the 1941 invasion by Nazi Germany.

The 45-second video opens with a group of armored cars getting caught by artillery in an open field, somewhere on the Zaporozhye front. This is followed by drone footage of exploding armored cars, personnel carriers and tanks. A still image shows a group of US-supplied Bradley infantry vehicles and a knocked-out Leopard tank. Another Leopard is then seen burning on a dirt road.

While the footage is accompanied by electronic music, the video opens with a blast from the past. “Our cause is just. The enemy will be defeated,” says Yuri Levitan (1914-1983), known as the voice of Soviet radio, quoting from the June 22, 1941 broadcast announcing that Nazi Germany and its allies had invaded the USSR.

The Russian Defense Ministry frequently uses another quote from Levitan’s broadcast, “Victory will be ours!” to sign its announcements.

Ukrainian Troops Made 6 Failed Attempts to Break Through Russian Lines - Senior Official

The Ukrainian forces have attempted six times to break through the Russian defense lines over the past 24 hours and failed, Vladimir Rogov, a senior official of the Zaporozhye regional administration, said on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Ukrainian offensive in the special military operation zone had started as Kiev was using its strategic reserves. He emphasized Ukrainian forces had failed to reach their goals in all of the combat sectors.

©Sputnik / Sputnik

"Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian armed forces have made six attempts to break through the frontline and into our defense positions. Four attacks have been repelled near the Vremevka salient and two south off the city of Orekhov," Rogov said.

He added that the enemy failed to achieve significant success and was thrown back with heavy personnel and material losses.

"Our army has actively engaged artillery and aircraft to strike against the enemy and its reserves," Rogov said.

The Ukrainian government has been planning a major "counteroffensive" against Russia for several months. Ukrainian and Western military experts have repeatedly named the Zaporozhye Region as one of Kiev's main targets, as it would open the access to the Azov Sea and cut off the land corridor to Crimea.

Russia has considered the Zaporozhye Region to be part of its territory since September 30, 2022, when Putin and the head of the region signed an agreement on its accession to the country following a referendum in which an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.

Around 70% of the region is currently controlled by Russia, but Ukrainian troops are still holding the region's capital and biggest city, Zaporozhye.

How Does Russian Kornet Anti-Tank Missile Work

The Ukrainian conflict has become a harsh reality check for people who thought that Western military hardware would be no match for Russian weaponry.

Russian air defense systems and electronic warfare systems have already displayed their effectiveness against Western UAVs, rocket artillery systems and cruise missiles used by the Kiev regime.

©Sputnik / Viktor Antonyuk / Go to the mediabank

However, Ukrainian crews operating Western-made tanks and armored vehicles have also learned the hard way that Russian anti-tank weapons do not discriminate.

Mobile Russian "tank hunter" teams armed with portable anti-tank missile launchers played an important role in overcoming the recent attempts by the Ukrainian forces to break through Russian defenses in the vicinity of Donetsk. In Donestsk, Kiev forces ended up losing scores of tanks and armored vehicles, including several German-made Leopard tanks and US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.

One such team operating an anti-tank missile launcher mounted on the back of a small buggy, has already managed to take out four enemy armored personnel carriers and two tanks.

Currently, Russian Armed Forces employ several types of anti-tank missile weapons, some of which have already displayed their effectiveness during the conflicts in the Middle East over the past two decades.

How Good is the Kornet Missile?

One of these weapons is the 9M133 Kornet, a man-portable anti-tank guided missile system that can hit targets at a range of up to 5,500 meters, with its tandem warhead capable of punching through about 1,200 mm of tank armor.

The Kornet-D modification, typically mounted on a vehicle, boasts even more impressive characteristics, with its missiles being able to strike at targets at a distance up to 10,000 meters and penetrating up to 1,300 mm worth of armor.

Kornet missiles are designed to defeat the explosive reactive armor used by modern tanks, while a particular feature of this weapon system also makes it capable of bypassing enemy active protection systems: two missiles can be fired in quick succession, thus giving enemy countermeasures little time to switch to the second threat.

Aside from being a potent tank-hunting weapon, Kornet can also be used to destroy buildings and fortifications.

Can a Kornet Take Out an Abrams?

During the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iraqi forces managed to take out at least two US M1 Abrams main battle tanks and one Bradley infantry fighting vehicle with Kornet missiles, while Hezbollah fighters successfully used Kornets against Israeli Merkava main battle tanks during the conflict in Lebanon in 2006.

Kornet Missile's Price

The price of a single Kornet missile was estimated by media at about $26,000 apiece in 2019, which makes it a real bargain considering that one such missile can take out an Abrams tank worth over $10 million.

Is Javelin Better Than Kornet?

The chief difference between Kornet and one of its Western counterparts, the US-made FGM-148 Javelin man-portable anti-tank missile system, is the guidance system: while Kornet missiles are guided by laser and require the system’s targeting module to keep the target in its sights until a hit is scored, Javelin is a “fire-and-forget” weapon whose missile homes in on a target by itself.

That said, the Kornet has a greater range than a Javelin (5,500 meters versus about 2,500 meters) and can punch through thicker armor, not to mention that Kornet missiles can also be used not just against armored vehicles, but against fortifications as well.

‘UN Security Council must prioritize Arab and global crises, not only Ukraine’ says league secretary general

UN official Rosemary DiCarlo noted about the role of Arab countries that would be ‘key’ to end the conflict in Sudan. (AFP)

The League of Arab States on Thursday called on the UN Security Council not to let the Ukraine war take priority over other global conflicts and their ensuing humanitarian crises, especially in the Arab region including Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Sudan.

The league’s Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told council members that the world was at a “very critical juncture,” which has seen heightened tensions and the polarization of major powers. This has pushed the world “to the precipice of a nuclear confrontation,” with the mitigating effects of collective action increasingly unlikely.

Aboul Gheit said this has resulted in an inadequate response to modern challenges including counterterrorism, climate change, disruptions caused by technological advances, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Aboul Gheit’s remarks came at a council meeting organized by the UAE, the Security Council’s president for the month of June, to discuss ways to enhance joint action by the UN and Arab League on various issues including regional security and humanitarian challenges.

The UAE’s concept note for the meeting emphasized that such challenges, including ongoing conflicts in Libya, Syria, Sudan and Yemen — and the Israeli-Palestinian situation — “have led to unimaginable suffering for millions of people.

“In addition, countries such as Lebanon and Somalia are facing deep economic crises, high unemployment and spiraling inflation, thereby exacerbating fragilities and humanitarian needs.”

The note said that the earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkiye earlier this year have compounded the suffering in the region, resulting in widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, a high death toll and the displacement of millions.

“While the humanitarian response was substantial, it faced considerable obstacles, in particular in coordinating assistance from various donors.”

Aboul Gheit said “the prevailing tension at the pinnacle of the international order diminishes any opportunities to address regional conflicts. It also comes at the expense of the global attention that should be paid to humanitarian and relief aid.”

Sudan has for two months been witnessing an “unprecedented situation in its contemporary history with Khartoum turning into a battlefield,” where death, displacement, looting and dismantling of state institutions continue, said Aboul Gheit.

“The League of Arab States senses the seriousness of this situation both on Sudan and its neighboring countries and (it) is actively working in coordination with other regional organizations, especially the African Union, towards achieving a total cessation of hostilities (and) creating an environment conducive to the resumption of political action.”

He urged member states to help keep “a unified Sudan as our aim without any threats to its territorial integrity and without weakening its national institutions.”

Palestinians also continue to suffer from persisting occupation, and “heightened oppression and violence on the part of the Israeli government” whose practices and “extreme ideologies reflect an unprecedented turn to the right.

“This is a government that chooses annexation and settlement instead of peace,” Aboul Gheit told world ambassadors.

“This government, every single day, applies policies and practices that are totally divorced from international law, undermining any future prospect for the two-state solution.

“What is most concerning today is the feeling of despondency and despair currently felt by the Palestinian people as they have lost all hope in giving impetus to the political settlement process.”

He called on the council to renew its commitment to a two-state solution, one of the “mainstays” of the Arab League, as the “only path, and I do repeat the only path for sustainable peace.”

Syria’s return to the Arab League should serve as a step toward tackling its decade-long crisis, said Aboul Gheit.

“Maybe this step would also compel us all to actively work towards a political settlement in Syria according to Security Council Resolution 2254.”

He expressed hope that Arab countries hosting Syrian refugees would be able to “reach a solution for the voluntary and dignified return of Syrian refugees by creating the environment conducive for this return.”

In Yemen, notwithstanding the Houthis’ breaches, the truce has contributed considerably to de-escalating tensions, said Aboul Gheit.

Despite the ongoing “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis in the country, a political solution remains possible, “especially if enough efforts were made on the part of the Houthis,” said Aboul Gheit. He added that the rapprochement agreement last March between Saudi Arabia and Iran “opens new prospects that should be optimized to achieve de-escalation and maybe even settlement in Yemen.”

He voiced the Arab League’s support for UN efforts in Libya and reiterated that elections there are the only path toward a sustainable solution for the protracted crisis in the country.

DiCarlo said that the role of Arab countries would be “key” to end the conflict in Sudan, as she commended for their peace efforts the Arab league, the AU, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and other partners.

The UN official said that the Jeddah Agreement, brokered by Saudi Arabia and the US on May 20, “gave rise to much hope (but) unfortunately, the parties have failed to implement (it).

“Furthermore, the Sudanese Armed Forces announced the suspension of their participation in the talks, citing the Rapid Support Forces’ violations of the ceasefire.

“It is critical that the parties remain committed to the ceasefire agreement. But this will not be enough. We need a permanent cessation of hostilities and, eventually, a resumption of the political process.”

DiCarlo also echoed Aboul Gheit’s call for a renewed commitment to a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and also commended the Arab League’s efforts in trying to reach a solution for the Libyan crisis.

Turning to Syria, DiCarlo noted the Arab meetings in Amman and Jeddah, and the resolution adopted at the Jeddah Summit, “which reflected the importance of Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015), the only internationally agreed roadmap to resolve the Syrian conflict.”

She said that “if the renewed regional attention on Syria is translated into action, we could see momentum build toward a negotiated political settlement of the conflict,” adding that “addressing the fate of the detained, the disappeared and the missing is essential to move closer towards sustainable peace.”

She called on all parties to “take meaningful steps to this end,” and urged member states to support the establishment of a body dedicated to clarifying the fate of the missing.

Wildfires spread in British Columbia, Quebec sees signs of progress

Smoke rises from a wildfire in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, in this screen grab taken from a video, June 8, 2023. BC Wildlife Service/Handout via REUTERS

Wildfires spread in the western Canadian province of British Columbia on Friday, while in the east, Quebec said it would start efforts to control blazes that have sent smoke billowing across North American cities.

Canada is enduring its worst start to the wildfire season, with 2,392 fires so far this year and 4.4 million hectares (10.9 million acres) burned, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), roughly 15 times the annual average over the last decade.

The CIFFC reported 427 active fires, of which 232 were out of control.

Around 2,500 people were told to evacuate the community of Tumbler Ridge in northeastern British Columbia on Thursday. Officials also expanded evacuation orders for the Donnie Creek fire, the second-largest recorded in the province.

In the eastern province of Quebec, forestry minister Maite Blanchette Vezina said that as extra resources arrived, authorities would be better able to control the fires. Hundreds of firefighters from across the world have flown to Canada.

"This sprint phase is over - now we're in a marathon phase. So in the next days and weeks we will be working to contain those active fires to bring them under control and eventually extinguish them," she told a briefing.

"We also hope the weather will cooperate. Some precipitation is expected in some areas, but in the next few days the situation will remain critical."

Earlier, fire fighters contained blazes that had threatened hydro-electric facilities in the Lac-Saint-Jean area, about 300 km (190 miles) north of Quebec City, public broadcaster Radio-Canada said.

Federal authorities said this week they were concerned by the threat that blazes could pose to critical infrastructure.

Temperatures in parts of British Columbia soared to more than 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) this week, nearly 10 degrees above the seasonal average. While rain is expected over the weekend there is a risk of lightning strikes.

Although wildfires are common in Canada, it is unusual for blazes to be burning simultaneously in the east and west, stretching resources and fuelling concerns about the worsening consequences of climate change.

In the western province of Alberta, more than 3,500 people remain under evacuation orders and heat warnings were in effect over much of the central area.

Wildfire smoke continued to plague millions of people across eastern Canada and the northeastern United States.

Poor air quality is expected to persist in cities including Ottawa, Toronto, New York and Washington until Sunday when the wind direction shifts.

Nearly a third of the fires burning across Canada are in Quebec, more than any other province. Rain is expected in Quebec and neighbouring Ontario on Monday.

VIDEO shows destroyed Ukrainian Bradleys and Leopard tanks

©Telegram / voin_dv

Videos emerged on Friday purporting to show the destruction of a Leopard 2A6 tank as well as several US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles during a failed Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region.

Another video apparently shot by Ukrainian soldiers showed a Leopard 2A4 that had been blown up by a mine during an unsuccessful attempt to break through the front line near the town of Orekhov in Zaporozhye.

On Thursday, Colonel-General Aleksandr Romanchuk, a commander of a Russian unit operating in Zaporozhye Region, reported that Kiev’s forces had lost over 30 tanks during an overnight offensive. Ukrainian losses also reportedly included up to 350 personnel, as well as three Leopard tanks and more than 10 infantry fighting vehicles.

According to Romanchuk, the first losses suffered by the Ukrainian army were during an attempt to cross a minefield. The official claimed that four tanks had been destroyed, as well as a demining machine.

He stated that Russian forces had then opened fire on Ukrainian troops, who chose to abandon their plan to cross the minefield.

On Friday, Russia’s Defense Ministry released its latest battlefield report in which it claimed that Ukraine had lost up to 1,240 troops and 39 tanks in just 24 hours. The losses are in addition to the heavy toll suffered during a week when Kiev is believed to have finally launched its long-anticipated counteroffensive.

The ministry claimed that Ukraine’s armed forces also lost 30 infantry fighting vehicles, 38 armored vehicles, dozens of pieces of artillery and other military hardware, as well as two military jets, two UK-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles, and 13 drones.

Earlier this week, the Russian Defense Ministry also released a black-and-white video that purportedly showed a Ukrainian Leopard tank being hit by a Russian anti-tank missile. That was after the ministry claimed that eight similar tanks as well as three French-made AMX-10 wheeled tanks had been destroyed by Russian forces on Monday.

Kiev has not commented on the reported losses, having repeatedly stated that it would not confirm or deny any information about its casualties.

The commander of the 58th Army of the Southern Military District, Major General Popov, told the details of the night battle in the Zaporozhye direction:

▪️the grouping of Kyiv forces that participated in the attempted offensive in the Zaporozhye direction included the most combat-ready units;

▪️the enemy tried to break through the defenses of the 58th army, in order to then go to the sea;

▪️the highest density of minefields made it possible to stop all four columns of Ukrainian troops;

▪️an important role in the defense was played by special forces, reconnaissance, artillery, aviation, an important role in repelling the attack was played by infantry;

▪️"Hard work ahead of us, everything is just beginning"

Special operation, June 8th. Main:

▪️Shoigu said that Kyiv tried to break through the defenses in the Zaporozhye direction tonight, the enemy was detected in a timely manner, and a preemptive strike was delivered. As a result of a two-hour battle, the enemy lost 30 tanks, 11 infantry fighting vehicles, up to 350 personnel;

▪️On Thursday night, Ukrainian troops tried to break through the defenses of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces in order to then go to the sea, said Army Commander Major General Ivan Popov. "We have hard work ahead of us, everything is just beginning," he said, commenting on the repulse of the offensive in the Zaporozhye direction;

▪️Ukrainian troops lost 945 soldiers and more than 100 units of military equipment in battles over the past day, Shoigu said;

▪️Shoigu at the arsenals and storage bases of the Western Military District checked the preparation of equipment for shipment to the special operation zone. The minister demanded to reduce the time for receiving equipment from enterprises and its delivery to the troops, drew attention to the installation of additional protection for armored vehicles, taking into account the special operation;

▪️Putin discussed by phone with the acting head of the Kherson region Saldo the situation in the region after the sabotage at the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station and instructed the Ministry of Emergency Situations to provide assistance to all affected households in accordance with the norms of the Russian Federation, Peskov said;

▪️Pushilin, in an interview with RIA Novosti, described the situation in the liberated Artemovsk as difficult due to the constant shelling of Ukrainian troops, but controlled;

▪️The Russian heavy flamethrower system "Solntsepek" hit the strongholds of the Ukrainian military near the villages of Kirovo and Druzhba in the Artyomovsk region of the DPR, Astafiev, head of the press center of the "South" group of troops, told RIA Novosti;

▪️Ukrainian troops shelled an evacuation point in Hola Pristan, killing two people, including a pregnant woman, Saldo said;

▪️The death toll during the shelling of Gorlovka by Ukrainian troops increased to 4, another wounded man died in the hospital, the mayor said.

Putin - Ukrainian Counteroffensive Has Begun

©Sputnik / POOL / Go to the mediabank

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that the much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive has been launched.

Putin has explained that Kiev's use of strategic reserves during recent attacks means it can be "stated with absolute certainty" that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has started.

The Russian president also observed that, so far, Ukrainian forces have failed to achieve their objectives and that their plans have been thwarted by Russian troops while addressing reporters on Friday. He did warn, however, that despite all these setbacks suffered by the Ukrainian forces, the offensive potential of the troops loyal to the regime in Kiev has not yet been depleted.

"As to whether the (counteroffensive has got) bogged down or not, it can be said that all counteroffensive attempts made so far have failed. But the offensive potential of the troops of the Kiev regime still remains," Putin said.

This week, Ukrainian forces attempted to punch their way through Russian defenses near Donetsk and in the Zaporozhye region. The attacks have been repelled by Russian forces, with Kiev troops sustaining heavy casualties.

When Could West Pull the Plug on Military Assistance to Kiev?

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has announced that up to 1,500 Ukrainian soldiers and 150 armored vehicles attempted to break through the Russian defense lines in the Zaporozhye direction on Wednesday night as part of efforts to defeat Moscow’s ongoing special military operation in Ukraine.

According to Shoigu, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) lost up to 350 soldiers, as well as 30 tanks and 11 infantry fighting vehicles as a result of a two-hour battle.

"The Russian reconnaissance forces detected the enemy in a timely manner, delivered a preventive strike by artillery, aviation and anti-tank weapons," Shoigu said.

This comes as senior Ukrainian officials continue to deny or decline confirmation that their much-anticipated counteroffensive against Russia is under way.

A Washington-based think tank monitoring the conflict in Ukraine has, meanwhile, tweeted that Kiev’s counteroffensive "has begun" and that "activity throughout Ukraine is consistent with a variety of indicators that Ukrainian counteroffensive operations are underway across the theater."

This was echoed by US media that also mentioned the beginning of the counteroffensive in "several directions", something that the news outlets reported saw the AFU suffer "stiff resistance" and losses in men and materiel.

When asked about the reports, a spokesperson for the AFU's General Staff told a UK news network, "We have no such information."

It seems that Kiev remains tight-lipped on its much-hyped counteroffensive because "instead of the victory that the Zelensky regime expected to see, they witnessed heavy casualties without any significant result," Podolyaka told Sputnik.

"They have only captured a combat outpost line of the (Russian troops’) 291st regiment, literally a few trenches. And for this to happen, the AFU lost thousands of lives and dozens of pieces of military equipment. There is information several (German-made) Leopard-2 tanks were damaged as a result of these attacks," he pointed out.

The military expert underscored that "both US journalists and AFU servicemen speak of Kiev’s counteroffensive" amid reports that Ukrainian media were banned from reporting about the matter.

F-16 Supplies

The counteroffensive-related developments come as Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced earlier this week that Kiev would not deploy the US-made F-16 Fighting Falcon jets in its possible counteroffensive this summer, because the process takes time and stipulates training for pilots, engineers and technicians.

"The F-16s will not [be a] game-changer this summer," he told a Japanese broadcaster, claiming that Kiev will possibly be ready to deploy the warplanes this autumn or winter.

Following the US' go-ahead to its European allies to provide Ukraine with F-16s last month, an international coalition has been recently formed to provide Ukraine with the jets and train Ukrainian pilots to fly the aircraft. Several countries have volunteered to host the training, including Denmark and Holland, but it has not yet been decided which of them would provide it and when.

Bundestag Defense Committee chairwoman Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said in this vein that Germany can become a hub of this coalition, but that it will not provide the aircraft.

Moscow has called possible deliveries of the “Fighting Falcons” to Ukraine another stage of escalation of the conflict and warned that these warplanes will become a legitimate target for Russian forces.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for his part, stressed that the Russian Armed Forces have the ability to retaliate against the intention of Western countries to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16s.

"As for Denmark and the Netherlands and their intention to be at the forefront of those who train Ukrainian pilots on Western aircraft, well, there is, first of all, a desire to please the hegemon. These countries are actively pursuing Washington’s line in European affairs. As for our reaction, I have no doubt that our Armed Forces have the ability to respond to this," Lavrov told reporters.

The US and its allies ramped up their military supplies to Kiev shortly after Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine, with Washington already sending around $36 billion worth of military assistance to the Zelensky regime.

Moscow has repeatedly warned countries sending weapons to Kiev that it may further prolong the Ukraine conflict. Lavrov, for his part, emphasized that NATO allies arming and training Ukrainians is tantamount to direct involvement in the standoff.

Touching upon Kiev’s chances to get the F-16s, Podolyaka suggested that “If the so-called counteroffensive ends up at least in a draw, or with some small victories for the AFU, then, of course, the fighter jets will be in place in Ukraine.”

But if the AFU sustains a defeat, then "it is quite possible" that the Americans and Europeans will think that the supply of the F-16s to Kiev is irrelevant, he said, adding "everything will depend on the results of the battle that is now unfolding."

When asked if the West will continue increasing its military supplies to Kiev given the AFU’s stuttering attempts to launch a counteroffensive, the military expert referred to what he described as Americans and Britons’ practical approach to things.

"They are business people. They understand that if the project is unsuccessful, then it is not worth investing in it. And they are already directly saying and hinting to the Kiev regime that ‘if you don’t achieve any significant results as a result of the counteroffensive, […] then there will be a decrease in investments," according to Podolyaka.

He explained that such a scenario is fraught with a "very rapid collapse" of the Zelensky regime because it can no longer exist without Western assistance. "Militarily, the Ukrainian state would have been destroyed long ago but for the West’s aid. […] The Zelensky regime will fall or [be] significantly weakened as soon as Western assistance dries up, something that Kiev is afraid of. That is why they have launched this suicidal counteroffensive, knowing about all the risks related to the decision," Podolyaka noted.

Giving his insight into when it is relevant to expect the above-mentioned "significant results," he underlined that one should wait and see how developments will further unfold given the fact that the AFU will almost certain try to reverse the tide of the battle in its favor in the coming days.

NATO Troops in Ukraine?

Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has meanwhile told reporters that several Eastern European members of the alliance were prepared to send troops into Ukraine to support the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if Washington refuses to offer Kiev security guarantees at the forthcoming summit in Vilnius scheduled for July.

"If NATO cannot agree on a clear path forward for Ukraine, there is a clear possibility that some countries individually might take action," Rasmussen said.

He added that the alliance knows "Poland is very engaged in providing concrete assistance to Ukraine" and that he "wouldn’t exclude the possibility that Poland would engage even stronger in this context on a national basis and be followed by the Baltic states, maybe including the possibility of troops on the ground."

"I think the Poles would seriously consider going in and assemble a 'coalition of the willing' if Ukraine doesn't get anything in Vilnius," the ex-NATO chief argued.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba reacted by assuring that foreign countries would not send their troops to Ukraine before the end of the conflict. Deputy chief of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev also commented on the matter, writing on his Telegram page that "While Fogh Rasmussen previously was not a very smart person, he has now completely fallen into doctrinaire dementia."

He also warned that a possible scenario of NATO forces being deployed to Ukraine may have a negative impact on the US. "What does Uncle Sam think about this? After all, they’ll be impacted too. […] This is what happens when one becomes a freelance adviser to all sorts of greedy scumbags like former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and other corrupt Nazis at an inappropriate time," Medvedev added.

Dwelling on the issue, Podolyaka, in turn, said that he was "sure that Poland will try to seize a significant piece of land from Ukraine", something that he added cannot be resolved without the Polish entering Ukrainian soil.

He added that while the probability of the scenario of Polish forces being stationed in Ukraine remains, this won’t take place right now because Warsaw “will wait for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to fall apart” as a result of the Russian special military operation.

At the same time, Poland hopes that Russia will be purportedly weakened due to NATO’s actions and that it will allow Warsaw to claim and annex the territory of Western Ukraine in line with the 1939 borders,” he concluded.