Zelenskyy authorises territorial troops deployment to combat zones as war enters day 109

In another attempt to bolster Ukraine’s resistance against Russian invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Saturday, signed a new decree allowing to send territorial defence troops to combat zones. According to the TASS news agency, the document was signed by parliament chair Ruslan Stefanchuk on May 6 and was submitted for presidential approval on the same day. Since the ‘military operation’ commenced on February 24, hundreds of thousands of foreign troops have joined the Ukrainian military in resisting the invasion.

Notably, Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces, at present, perform tasks solely within their region or community. The law, if signed, will authorise their deployment all across the country, including not only the current zones of hostilities but also regions that Kyiv views as its occupied territories. Meanwhile, it was reported that the decision on deployment will be made by the commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces. 

Zelenskyy signed the bill past deadline

It is pertinent to note that Zelenskyy was given only until June 7 to approve the bill. However, the approval was delayed. As of now, officials have not given any explanation for the delay. This comes days after Ukraine’s defence minister Alexey Reznikov had called for an increase in the number of soldiers battling the Russians at the war front. 

While Ukrainians are deploying more soldiers, Putin's forces are using Soviet-era weapons. On Friday, the British Ministry of Defence said in its latest intelligence updates that Russians marred by a dearth of weapons have now resorted to using Soviet-era ammunition, In a tweet, the UK ministry said that since April, Russian medium bombers have likely launched dozens of  Kh-22 air launchers and heavy anti-ship missiles against land targets- all manufactured and used in the 1960s era. As per the report, the launchers were designed for a nuclear warhead and their usage with conventional warheads considerably increased collateral damages.

The British Ministry reasoned the Russian actions stating that it was because Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s forces were “running short” of more precise modern missiles. On the other hand, it said the Ukrainian air defences were still deterring its tactical aircraft from conducting strikes across much of the country. 

(Image: AP)