Putin announces ceasefire, France sends tanks to Ukraine

ON THURSDAY, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN ANNOUNCED A 36-HOUR CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE TO HONOR THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS. 

THE CEASEFIRE COMES AT A GOOD TIME FOR RUSSIA, AS UKRAINE ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK IT KILLED 800 RUSSIAN SOLDIERS IN A SINGLE DAY.

MOST OF THOSE DEATHS CAME IN THE EASTERN DONETSK REGION. RUSSIA IS INTENT ON CAPTURING THE BAKHMUT SECTOR AND IS PAYING A HEAVY PRICE FOR ITS AMBITION.

MILITARY OFFICIALS SAY THE TYPE OF INTENSE FIGHTING SEEN IN DONETSK WILL BE COMMON ALONG THE FRONTLINES IN THE COMING MONTHS. IT’S ONE OF THE MANY REASONS WHY UKRAINE IS ASKING THE WEST FOR TANKS AND ARMORED VEHICLES.

THE FRENCH ARE SET TO DELIVER A NUMBER OF LIGHT TANKS TO UKRAINE SOON. THE AMX-10 RC IS A WHEELED TANK DESTROYER. IT CARRIES A 105-MILLIMETER CANNON AND TWO MACHINE GUNS. THE AMX-10 RC IS DESIGNED FOR RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS AND IS MORE MOBILE THAN TANKS WITH TRACKS.

SO FAR, THE U.S. HASN’T SENT ANY TANKS TO UKRAINE, BUT PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID THIS WEEK HE’S OPEN TO THE IDEA OF SENDING ARMORED BRADLEY FIGHTING VEHICLES.

BRADLEYS BOAST MEDIUM ARMOR AND PRIMARILY SERVE AS TROOP CARRIERS. THEY CAN CARRY ABOUT 10 PERSONNEL OR BE CONVERTED TO CARRY AMMO AND EQUIPMENT.

OLDER EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES LIKE THE BRADLEY ARE IN FAIRLY WIDE USE BY BOTH SIDES IN UKRAINE. AT THE SAME TIME, THOUGH, THE WAR IS ACCELERATING ADVANCES IN SOME OF THE NEWEST MILITARY TECH, DRONES.

MILITARY EXPERTS SAY THE WAR MAY SOON FEATURE THE WORLD’S FIRST FULLY AUTONOMOUS FIGHTING ROBOT, WHICH WOULD OBVIOUSLY MARK A NEW ERA IN WARFARE.

UKRAINE IS ALREADY USING DRONES WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, LIKE THE U.S. MADE SWITCHBLADE 600. THE SWITCHBLADE MANUFACTURER SAID THE DRONE COULD BE MADE FULLY AUTONOMOUS FAIRLY EASILY, BUT WOULD REQUIRE A POLICY SHIFT TO REMOVE HUMANS FROM THE DECISION-MAKING LOOP.

THERE HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTS AT THE UN FOR YEARS TO LAY SOME INTERNATIONAL GROUND RULES FOR MILITARY DRONES, BUT THOSE DISCUSSIONS HAVE, SO FAR, GONE NOWHERE.