What happened to the crews of Ukraine's US-made Patriot systems that were destroyed by Russia?

The crews of Ukraine’s US-made Patriot air defense systems, earlier destroyed by Russian forces, were “almost certainly” killed, Forbes magazine reports.

“The Ukrainians lost—in one calamity—up to 13 percent of their Patriot launchers,” so “the air over eastern Ukraine may have gotten a lot safer for the Russians,” the news outlet adds.

Two Patriot systems were among the military hardware destroyed by a strike by Russia's Iskander surface-to-surface missile in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), a security source earlier told Sputnik.

The Russian Defense Ministry’s data showed that the strike also destroyed an S-300 missile system near the town of Pokrovsk in the DPR.

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"You're a dictator, genocide Joe," a pro-Palestinian activist interrupted Biden's speech during a campaign stop in Atlanta, Georgia.

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"The United States has bloodily disgraced itself with the Ukrainian project," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on Biden's mistake of confusing Afghanistan with Ukraine.

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❗️In the Donetsk area, Ukrainian losses amounted to 280 people, 11 armored vehicles and two warehouse.

🇷🇺🪖 Other statements from the Russian Defense Ministry briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️In South Donetsk, Ukrainian losses amounted to over 150 soldiers;

▪️In the Avdeyevka area, Russian forces occupied more advantageous positions and repeled two attacks by Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian losses amounted to 310 soldiers and 16 armored vehicles;

▪️In the Kupyansk area, Ukrainian losses amounted to over 110 soldiers;

▪️Russian air defenses shot down three Ukrainian HIMARS missiles and destroyed 130 drones.

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France and Poland cannot speak on behalf of NATO, and the alliance's intervention in the conflict "will erase the path to diplomacy," Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said, commenting on the idea of Paris sending troops to Ukraine and statements on the subject from Warsaw.

"France and Poland cannot speak on behalf of NATO, which has not formally and voluntarily intervened in the conflict from the very beginning. Sending troops to Kiev means a step towards a unilateral escalation that will erase the path to diplomacy," he stated.

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📹🎯 "Dnepr" drone group crews brought Russian artillery to a Ukrainian radar station on the right bank of the Dnepr river.

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What it takes for Ukraine to replace the Patriot systems destroyed by Russian forces

It may take oceans of time for Ukraine to get new launchers for the US-made Patriot air defense systems to replace those destroyed near the town of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Forbes magazine reports.

“Ukraine or one of its allies could get in line to buy replacement launchers to replace the two the Russians just destroyed, but that purchase could take months if not years and cost millions of dollars Kiev likely hasn’t budgeted for,” the news outlet notes.

Given that Republican Congressmen “have been blocking further US aid to Ukraine since October, every Patriot launcher the Ukrainians lose is a Patriot launcher they can’t easily replace,” Forbes points out.

A security source earlier told Sputnik that two Patriot systems were among the military hardware destroyed by a strike carried out by Russia's Iskander missile in the DPR’s Pokrovsk.

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Elon Musk was outraged by the violent mobilization methods in Ukraine.

"How many more must die?" US entrepreneur wrote on X, commenting on a video of the brutal arrest of 34 men of military age who hoped to avoid mobilization in Ukraine.

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NATO military personnel are already present in Ukraine, Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski has admitted. However, he refused to say which countries the soldiers were stationed from and in what capacity.

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From smoke to smother: HMS Queen Elizabeth on fire in latest malfunction

A minor fire broke out onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in a new embarrassment for the UK Royal Navy flagship worth a whopping £3.5 billion ($4.5 billion).

The incident occurred while the 65,000-ton aircraft carrier was in dock at Glenmallan in Scotland awaiting repairs.

A Royal Navy spokesperson confirmed it was a "small, isolated" fire that was "quickly brought under control and extinguished," with no injuries and ordnance involved in the blaze. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

This comes shortly after the flagship - nicknamed Big Lizzie - withdrew from a NATO drill after a coupling on the vessel’s 33-ton starboard propeller malfunctioned. The vessel was replaced with its sister ship HMS Prince of Wales, which, however, faced the same malfunctioning.

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🗣 Russian FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented to Sputnik on Polish FM Sikorski’s statement about the presence of NATO soldiers in Ukraine: They could no longer hide it.

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📹🚁Russian specialists of the search and rescue group are conducting combat operations in the Kupyansk region.

The combat group of the Army aviation consisting of the Mi-35 attack helicopter and the Mi-8 helicopter carried out another combat mission. The specialists of the search and rescue group on the Mi-8 helicopter escorted the Army aviation attack helicopters during the combat mission.

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📹 Russian artillerymen repelled two attacks by Ukrainian troops in the Kupyansk area

During the counterbattery fight, crews of towed D-30 howitzers struck the identified firing positions of Ukrainian multiple launch rocket systems and cannon artillery.

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US content to continue supporting Israel while paying ‘lip service to humanitarian aid’ for Palestinians

If the presidential election in the United States were not taking place this year, US President Joe Biden likely would not change his stance on the crisis in the Gaza Strip, says Robinder Sachdev, geopolitical and economic diplomacy analyst and founder president of The Imagindia Institute.

“The American administration of Joe Biden, is under pressure due to simply their voting blocs right now,” he elaborates.

“If any changes in American policy towards Israel-Gaza conflict happen, they will happen only because of cold calculations of world banks. There is otherwise no change going to be an American policy with respect to supporting, standing with and going along with Israel.”

According to Sachdev, Washington “is planning to ride both boats at the same time”: that is, the White House seeks to maintain its “complete support of Israel” while simultaneously paying “lip service to humanitarian aid.”

Ezzat Saad, a former Egyptian Ambassador to Russia, offered a slightly different take on the subject as he argued that there has not actually been a substantial change in the mainstream media attitude “concerning Palestinian perspective of the war.”

“These are cosmetics under some pressure from the American public opinion including the leftist wing of the Democratic Party and also the Arab and Muslim Americans,” Saad suggests.

He also argues the US is not going to change its policy towards Israel, saying that “the aim here is to give the Israeli leadership more time to kill more Palestinians and to pretend an illusionary victory.”

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▪️What it takes for Ukraine to replace the Patriot systems destroyed by Russian forces

▪️What happened to the crews of Ukraine's US-made Patriot systems that were destroyed by Russia?

▪️US content to continue supporting Israel while paying ‘lip service to humanitarian aid’ for Palestinians

▪️From smoke to smother: HMS Queen Elizabeth on fire in latest malfunction

▪️Ukraine confiscates pensioner's apartment for supporting Russia

▪️Russian specialists of the search and rescue group are conducting combat operations in the Kupyansk region

▪️Elon Musk was outraged by the violent mobilization methods in Ukraine

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The German train drivers' union (GDL) announced the beginning of a strike until March 13.

At 18:00 (local time) on March 11 freight train drivers will stop working and at 02:00 on March 12, passenger train drivers will join them.

Israel's military operation against Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip could be over in one to two months, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"We've destroyed three-quarters of Hamas' fighting terrorism battalions. And we're close to finishing the last part in warfare," Netanyahu said in an interview with Politico, adding that fighting would not take "more than two months" and proceeding to specify, "Maybe six weeks, maybe four."

Approximately 13,000 Palestinian fighters have been killed since the start of the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip, while the total death toll including civilians exceeds 26,000, according to the Israeli leader's estimate.

Netanyahu confirmed his country's intention of conducting an operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah.

"We'll go there. We're not going to leave," the prime minister said, claiming that several unspecified Arab leaders were "quietly" in favor of the upcoming Israeli offensive against Hamas in Rafah.

He also rejected the possibility of a Ramadan ceasefire as long as hostages remain in Hamas custody.

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Trump said he would not give money to Ukraine if he became president again, and without the US, Europe would not be able to fund the conflict and it would end, said Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, who met with the former US leader in Florida.

"If the Americans do not give weapons and money, and the Europeans follow them, then the war will end. If the Americans do not give money, then the Europeans are not able to finance this war themselves, and then it will end. Trump is not president now, but his party interferes when the Democrats want to send money to the war. Trump said that if he returns, he will not do this, [he will] not [allocate] a penny. And then this war will end," Orban said in an interview with Hungarian broadcaster M1.

On Friday, Trump met with Orban at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to discuss a wide range of issues of common interest for Hungary and the United States.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian movement Hamas during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as well as for the release of Israeli hostages held in the enclave.

"I am confident that the vast majority of Israelis and Palestinians want the same thing - peace. A step in this direction could be a longer ceasefire: ideally during Ramadan. Such a ceasefire would finally ensure the release of Israeli hostages and an increase in the volume of humanitarian aid flowing into the Gaza Strip. The US president, me and many others advocate for this with all our persistence," Scholz said.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. At least 31,045 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.

On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.

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