{"id":73400,"date":"2020-03-30T10:00:33","date_gmt":"2020-03-30T10:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/03\/30\/us-military-may-be-hunkered-down-by-covid-19-but-shooting-war-continues-in-ukraine\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:20:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:20:41","slug":"us-military-may-be-hunkered-down-by-covid-19-but-shooting-war-continues-in-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/03\/30\/us-military-may-be-hunkered-down-by-covid-19-but-shooting-war-continues-in-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. military may be hunkering down for COVID-19, but shooting war continues in Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For much of the U.S. military\u2019s 72,000 troops stationed in Europe, these are days of hunkering down in an effort to help stop the spread of COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to travel bans imposed by the Pentagon and other precautions, Defender 2020 \u2014 the planned massive international exercise that included 20,000 U.S. soldiers who were meant to conduct training across 10 European countries<\/a> \u2014 has been greatly scaled back. Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, commander of U.S. European Command, estimated only about 40 percent of what was intended will be accomplished. U.S. Army Europe officials, however, anticipate the armored brigade combat team already deployed to Europe will conduct gunnery and other combined training events with Allies as part of a modified Allied Spirit exercise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith this decision, we continue to preserve the readiness of our force while maximizing our efforts to advance our alliances and partnerships,\u201d according an email to Military Times from the Army Europe media desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, most other U.S. training exercises on the continent and around the globe have been scaled back or cancelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But all is not quiet in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially on Ukraine\u2019s eastern front, where Russians are attacking Ukraine forces on land, from the air and on the water, Ukraine military officials tell Military Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, between March 4 and March 24, there were 10 Russian troops killed and 46 wounded, while Ukraine saw 4 of its troops killed and 24 wounded, according to a Ukraine military PowerPoint presentation obtained by Military Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn general, the enemy continued to use heavy weapons, mortars, and anti-tank missile systems,\u201d according to that presentation.<\/b> \u201cA total 170 shellings were counted, 84 of which were with forbidden weapons. The intensity of the fire remained quite high.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, \u201cthe enemy used 443 mines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The situation in the areas of troops disengagement \u2014 near the towns of Stanytsa, Luganska, Zolote and Bogdanivka Petrivske \u2014 remains under control of Ukraine military forces, according to the PowerPoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But on March 10, and from March 13 to 19, \u201cprovocative shellings” were carried out “within the PETRIVSKE area of disengagement,\u201d according to the PowerPoint presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Russian forces used snipers, anti-tank guided missiles and increased its intensity of UAV use, according to the PowerPoint.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn particular, the enemy increased air reconnaissance efforts by employing a UAV operational-tactical level\u201d in an area where a Russian motorized infantry battalion is set up, according to the PowerPoint. \u201cIn total there were 8 sorties of the \u2018Orlan\u2019 type UAVs noted. In the Mariupol direction, the enemy once again used attack UAVs\u201d on Ukrainian military equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A medical vehicle was damaged by a grenade dropped from one of the drones, the presentation added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the water, a Ukrainian patrol boat recently repelled Russian naval vessels \u201cusing dangerous maneuvers to try to intimidate the Ukrainian vessel in international waters in the Black Sea,\u201d according to Ukraine\u2019s Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials from the Russian Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, just as the U.S. military is trying to cope with COVID-19 \u2014 with more than 300 service members testing positive<\/a> \u2014 Ukraine forces are fighting both a shooting war and<\/i> the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kyiv Post reported that the number of officially confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ukraine has reached 356 as of the evening of March 28, according to the health ministry, with the number of deaths rising to nine people, and cases increasing by 45 in the last day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S provided Ukraine more than $1.2 million in medical and humanitarian aid for the fight against coronavirus, the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States posted on Facebook recently. The assistance will be spent on \u201cthe preparation of laboratory systems, the detection of disease, the provision of technical assistance in responding to and raising awareness about the risks of the spread of Covid-19.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The transfers will start on April 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Ukraine is also turning to China for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On March 23, a Ukrainian Air Force transport aircraft delivered a shipment of coronavirus infection tests and kits from China needed for combating the spread of COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the first medical cargo from China and several more flights are to come,\u201d according to Ukraine\u2019s Ministry of Defense. \u201cMoreover, International defence cooperation was focused to direct its efforts to review current priorities and to place health and lives of the personnel on the top. The Minister of Defence and his Deputies personally contact their vis-a-vis in partner countries and international organisations in order to swiftly align multinational plans in response to the rapidly emerging new threat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, Ukraine\u2019s military is taking steps similar to the U.S. military, which on Friday began planning for a call-up of ready reserve forces to active duty status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the Army sent out an email to more than 800,000 former soldiers with specific medical skills to see who might want to return to duty. The response was overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the world and in Ukraine in particular, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine similarly reached out to retired military personnel, volunteers and concerned citizens who have relevant experience in the medical field, as well as medical students and interns with a call for joint activities to tackle cases of coronavirus infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll these extensive efforts are being undertaken under conditions that the Armed Forces of Ukraine remain the key element to deter the ongoing Russian aggression and to ensure security in the Black Sea and the Azov area,\u201d according to Ukraine\u2019s Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coronavirus-induced slowdown of U.S. and NATO military operations comes as Ukraine\u2019s new defense minister looks to increase his armed forces\u2019 ability to shoot, move and communicate with NATO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MOD Andrii Taran\u2019s 2020 objective is \u201cto maximize the ability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to interoperate with (NATO) as well as expedite technological modernization using the latest technologies and building the thought-out weapon development program,\u201d according to the Ukraine Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also stressed that this can be achieved only with the help and assistance from the NATO strategic partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe ultimate goal of Ukraine is to return all its temporarily occupied territories, stop Russian military aggression and restore international order and peace, crudely violated for the first time since 1945,\u201d according to the Ukraine Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday nobody but NATO is capable to help Ukraine to achieve this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 #Ukraine<\/a> highly appreciates the U.S. health and humanitarian assistance in response to #COVID19<\/a>\u2019s challenges.

\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 #\u0423\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0430<\/a> \u0432\u0438\u0441\u043e\u043a\u043e \u0446\u0456\u043d\u0443\u0454 \u043c\u0435\u0434\u0438\u0447\u043d\u0443 \u0442\u0430 \u0433\u0443\u043c\u0430\u043d\u0456\u0442\u0430\u0440\u043d\u0443 \u0434\u043e\u043f\u043e\u043c\u043e\u0433\u0443 \u0421\u0428\u0410 \u0443 1,2 \u043c\u043b\u043d \u0434\u043e\u043b, \u0432\u0438\u0434\u0456\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0443 \u043d\u0430\u0448\u0456\u0439 \u0434\u0435\u0440\u0436\u0430\u0432\u0456 \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0431\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0442\u044c\u0431\u0438 \u0437 \u043a\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0456\u0440\u0443\u0441\u043e\u043c. pic.twitter.com\/mMum8qBJyP<\/a><\/p>— UKR Embassy in USA (@UKRintheUSA) March 27, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>