Explaining: Visit of Slovakia’s PM to Moscow, disproving claims by The Guardian, new technologies in AFU

VISIT OF SLOVAKIA’S PRIME MINISTER TO MOSCOW

On December 22, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

● This marked the first visit of a Slovak leader to Moscow since tо beginning of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine.

● Besides Fico, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have also visited Moscow during the war.

● Such visits by European leaders undermine the security of Ukraine and Europe as a whole, weakening Putin’s international isolation and encouraging further escalation.

● Fico claimed that his meeting with Putin was a "response" to Ukraine's decision to terminate the transit of Russian gas to Europe.

● Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reiterated that Ukraine’s position remains unchanged: Russian gas transit will end on January 1, 2025, upon the expiration of the current agreement.

DISPROVING CLAIMS BY “THE GUARDIAN”

The British publication The Guardian released an article claiming that air defense specialists are being reassigned to infantry, allegedly compromising Ukraine's air defense capabilities.

● The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine refuted these claims.

● The reassignment of personnel within the Air Force adheres strictly to their military specialties.

● Such decisions aim to reinforce military units without weakening air defense forces.

● The effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defense is not compromised and is evidenced by the high number of aerial targets intercepted during enemy attacks.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has approved the use of the domestically produced “Wolly” remotely operated combat module by the Defense Forces.

● The Wolly module is equipped with a machine gun, an automatic ammunition feed system, a thermal imaging camera, an automatic target detection, recognition, and tracking system, and a battery that lasts several days.

● In November, the Ukrainian-made “Pernach” and “Tavria” turrets, also equipped with machine guns and remotely operated capabilities, were approved for use in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

● In December, the National Guard’s 13th Brigade "Khartia" conducted its first fully robotic combat operatio

● The operation utilized ground-based robotic systems along with strike and reconnaissance drones.

● The adoption of such technological solutions minimizes risks to the lives of service members.

Photo: EPA/UPG