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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 11 april 2022
Continued from Front starting as a platoon com- ter fighters were forced to
"This general will just be an- mander in 1982. He fought choose between an am-
other author of crimes and during the second war in nesty in return for dropping
brutality against Ukrainian Chechnya and took sev- their arms or being taken
civilians," Sullivan said. "And eral top positions before by buses into rebel-held ar-
the United States, as I said being placed in charge of eas. The last major Russian-
before, is determined to do the Russian troops in Syria in backed offensive in Syria
all that we can to support 2015. lasted several months, until
Ukrainians as they resist him Under Dvornikov's com- March 2020, when a truce
and they resist the forces mand, Russian forces in Syr- was reached between Rus-
that he commands." ia were known for crushing sia and Turkey, which sup-
White House press secre- dissent in part by destroy- ported rival sides.
tary Jen Psaki echoed that ing cities, lobbing artillery Sullivan on Sunday said the
thought. "The reports we're and dropping what were Russian general has a re-
seeing of a change in mili- often crudely made bar- cord of brutality against ci-
tary leadership and putting People shelter underground following explosions in Lviv, western rel bombs in sustained at- vilians in Syria and "we can
a general in charge who Ukraine, Saturday, March 26, 2022. tacks that have displaced expect more of the same"
was responsible for the Associated Press millions of Syrian civilians. in Ukraine. But he stressed
brutality and the atrocities The United Nations says the that the U.S. strategy re-
we saw in Syria shows that up for what is expected nence while leading the more than decade-long mains the same in support-
there's going to be a con- to be a large and more Russian group of forces in war has killed more than ing Ukraine and its presi-
tinuation of what we've al- focused push to expand Syria, where Moscow has 350,000 people. dent, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
ready seen on the ground Russian control in Ukraine's waged a military cam- In 2016, Russian President "Our policy is unequivocal
in Ukraine and that's what east and south, including paign to shore up President Vladimir Putin awarded — that we will do whatever
we are expecting," she the Donbas, and follows a Bashar Assad's regime dur- Dvornikov the Hero of Russia we can to help Ukraine suc-
said. failed opening bid in the ing a devastating civil war. medal, one of the country's ceed," Sullivan said. "Which
The decision to establish north to conquer Kyiv, the Dvornikov is a career mili- highest awards. Dvornikov means that we need to
new battlefield leader- capital. tary officer and has steadily has served as the com- keep giving them weap-
ship comes as Russia gears Dvornikov gained promi- risen through the ranks after mander of the Southern ons so that they can make
Military District since 2016. progress on the battlefield.
Lt. Col. Fares al-Bayoush, a And we need to keep
Syrian army defector, said giving them military sup-
Sunday that while the situa- port and strong economic
tion in Syria is different than sanctions to improve their
in Ukraine because the position, their posture at
Russian military was fight- the negotiating table."
ing insurgent groups and Defense Secretary Lloyd
not Ukraine's professional Austin, meanwhile, spoke
army, he expects a similar by video conference Sun-
"scorched-earth" strategy. day to a small number of
Al-Bayoush said he be- Ukrainian troops in the U.S.
lieves the aim of naming who are now returning to
Dvornikov as Ukraine war their country. The group
commander is to turn the has been in the U.S. since
war into "rapid battles" in last fall for military school-
several places at the same ing and were given training
time. on new drones the U.S. sent
"I expected him to use the to Ukraine last week for the
scorched earth policy that war with Russia.
was used in Syria," al-Bay- Austin thanked the Ukrai-
oush said, referring to Rus- nian troop members for
sian-backed attacks in Syr- their courage and service
ia in which cities and towns and pledged continued
were put under long sieges U.S. support and security
while being subjected to aid, according to Penta-
intense bombardment that gon spokesman John Kirby.
left many people dead Kirby said the small group
and caused wide destruc- was given some advanced
tion to infrastructure and tactical training, including
residential areas. "He has on the Switchblade armed
very good experience in kamakazi drones, as well as
this policy." instruction on patrol craft
"This commander is a war operations, communica-
criminal," al-Bayoush said tions and maintenance.
by telephone from Turkey. In an interview Saturday
Since Russia joined the war with The Associated Press,
in Syria in September 2015, Zelenskyy acknowledged
Assad's forces have taken that despite his hopes for
control of most of the coun- peace, he must be "realis-
try after being on the verge tic" about the prospects for
of collapse. The Russian a swift resolution given that
air force carried out thou- negotiations have so far
sands of airstrikes since, been limited to low-level
helping Russian-backed talks that do not include
Syrian troops take areas af- Putin.q