Ukraine’s first lady emerges as a staunch defender of her nation on social media

Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, posted an open letter addressed to the world’s media on Tuesday, detailing what she described as the “mass murder of Ukrainian civilians.”

In recent weeks Zelenska has repeatedly used social media to highlight the plight of her nation, yet none have been quite as direct as her recent post, which ends with the rallying cry: “We will win. Because of our unity. Unity towards love for Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!”
As her husband, President Volodymyr Zelensky, has emerged as the face of Ukrainian defiance of the Russian invasion, Zelenska has become increasingly vociferous online as a means to support him and bolster international awareness of their country’s plight.
When Russia first invaded Ukraine on February 24, Zelensky declared in a video statement that he believed “enemy sabotage groups” had entered Kyiv and that he was their number one target. His family, he said, was the second target.
The whereabouts of his wife and two children are secret, for security reasons. Nonetheless, Zelenska has been playing an active role on social media, inspiring her people and backing resistance to Russian forces, while garnering support from the rest of the world. On Instagram alone, she has 2.4 million followers.
The 44-year-old published the open letter Tuesday on her various social media platforms, as well as on the President’s official website, in response to what she said was the “overwhelming number of media outlets from around the world” that had requested an interview with her.

Australia Pledges $28 Billion to Expand Defence Personnel by a Third

Australia will spend about A$38 billion ($28 billion) out to 2040 to expand its active defence personnel by a third to keep the country safe “in an increasingly uncertain global environment”, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.

Australia has been boosting its defence spending over the past few years as China looks to step up its presence in the Indo-Pacific region. Last year, Australia entered into a deal to buy nuclear submarines from the United States and Britain.

“This is a significant investment in our future force,” Morrison said during a media briefing on Thursday. The planned expansion would see the number of defence personnel rise to 80,000, a level not seen since the Vietnam War.

Morrison, behind in opinion polls in an election year, has made national security a core issue and has attacked the opposition Labor party as being “soft” on China, viewed by two-thirds of Australians as more of a security threat than an economic partner.

Source: https://www.news18.com/news/world/australia-pledges-28-billion-to-expand-defence-personnel-by-a-third-4858568.html

Russia admits it sent young conscripts into its Ukraine war after Putin denied those troops were involved

Russia’s military admitted on Wednesday that young draftees were sent to fight in its war against Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin denied that conscripts were involved in the attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin.MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

“Unfortunately, some facts have come to light about the presence of conscript servicemen among the Russian armed forces conducting the special military operation on Ukrainian territory,” said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

“Practically all of the conscripts have been returned to the territory of the Russian Federation,” Konashenkov added.

Konashenkov said, however, that some of the conscripts have been captured.

“In addition, one of the divisions operating toll security has been attacked by a diversionist group of the national battalion,” he said, adding, “A number of military personnel, some of which conscripts, were captured in this attack.”

Source: https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/russia-admits-it-sent-young-conscripts-into-its-ukraine-war-after-putin-denied-those-troops-were-involved/articleshow/90109450.cms

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