The Russian invasion.

 

Cargo Ship Leaving Odesa, Grant Shapps. Archive images. TT  

 

The Russian invasion. The outside world's response  

Britain wants an "active role" in the Black Sea  

 

Britain plans to send military instructors to Ukraine - and wants a more "active role" in the Black Sea. This is what the new Defense Minister Grant Shapps says to The Telegraph.  

 

Both initiatives are interpreted as a clear escalation of Britain's commitment to Ukraine.  

 

In the Black Sea, the country could defend commercial ships against Russian attacks.  

 

- We are a seafaring nation. We could help and give advice, not least because it concerns international waters, says Shapps in the interview. 

 

 

Paasikivi/Zelenskyj and Sunak. AP 

 

The Russian invasion|The response of the outside world

"Britons in Ukraine would change the situation significantly" 

 

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, the new British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps opens up about sending British military instructors to Ukraine.  

 

That would change the situation considerably, says Lieutenant Colonel Joakim Paasikivi to TV4 Nyheterna. 

 

- After all, there will be foreign troops on Ukrainian soil who will train Ukrainians to fight against Russians. It becomes a natural target for Russian robot attacks.  

 

The Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, reacts strongly to Shapp's announcement. 

 

"It means that you turn your instructors into legal targets for our armed forces, knowing that they will be mercilessly destroyed," he writes on Telegram.  

 

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak played down Shapp's remarks, saying there were no immediate plans to send instructors, according to Reuters.

 

 

Military parade on Red Square. Pelagia Tikhonova / AP  

 

Russian Invasion|Russian Reactions  

Details: Russia is preparing for years of war  

 

Next year, 30 percent of Russian public spending will be spent on defense. This is according to documents that appear to have been leaked from the Kremlin, the UK Ministry of Defense writes in a situation update. 

 

"(The Russian Ministry of Finance) proposes a defense budget of 10.8 trillion rubles, which corresponds to around six percent of GDP and a 68 percent increase compared to 2024."  

 

It is highly probable that Russia can afford such large defense expenditures, but it is at the expense of the economy in general, the British write. The numbers suggest Russia is preparing for more years of fighting in Ukraine, they add.

 

  

Israeli air defense system "Iron Dome". TT  

 

The Russian invasion. The outside world's response  

Information: Sweden can buy air defense from Israel  

 

Sweden is discussing a possible air defense deal with Israel, according to SvD's sources. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many countries have realized that they have holes in their air defenses, the newspaper writes.  

 

- Now we see how the Russians both shoot at civilian targets and threaten with nuclear weapons. It is a threat picture that was not really imagined, says FOI's weapons and air defense expert Erik Berglund.  

 

Israel has become a world leader in developing air defense systems after being at war for 75 years. Since the war in Ukraine, interest in defense systems from the Israeli defense company Rafael has increased significantly, according to SvD.