Sputnik International

US aid can’t buy troops: Ukrainian soldier says ‘no one’ willing to join army A Ukrainian soldier from the notorious Azov battalion offered a frank analysis of the country’s war effort to a local news outlet this weekend.

“No one is willing to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine nowadays,” said the soldier, identified as “Niko,” to a local news outlet. The soldier continues to fight on despite having lost one of his legs in combat, insisting that there is no one to replace him.

A shortage of personnel has wreaked havoc in the country’s armed forces in recent months, with fatigue contributing to a breakdown in discipline and effectiveness as troops are unable to be rotated. The dynamic was on display recently as Russia was able to liberate a village in the Donetsk People’s Republic reportedly almost unopposed. The soldier added that “literally no one” is willing to go to Ukraine’s front lines. It has emerged in recent weeks that multiple Ukrainian troops have refused to take orders from the country’s new commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky, who is viewed less favorably than former military head Valerii Zaluzhny. Fighting-age Ukrainians “do whatever they come up with” to try to escape the draft, the soldier added, including “swimming across the Tisza River and drowning themselves in there.” Some 22 Ukrainians have reportedly died attempting to cross the river separating Ukraine from Romania. Subscribe to @SputnikInt

UK’s defense of Israel reveals hypocrisy, cynical abuse of “human rights” claims New light is being shed on the United Kingdom’s military and diplomatic ties with Israel as a report by Amnesty International accuses European countries of “grotesque double standards” in their alleged concern over human rights abuses.

“The bilateral relationship has never been stronger,” begins a so-called “Roadmap” agreement between the two countries that has received little attention. “Our strategic partnership is underpinned by extensive security and defence cooperation.”

The UK has repeatedly refused to share details of its extensive support for Israel with the public, issuing so-called “D Notices” that ban British media from reporting on certain defense-related stories. A separate section of the UK’s Roadmap entitled “Antisemitism, delegitimisation, and anti-Israel bias” details the countries’ strategy of deflecting criticism by accusing detractors of “disproportionate focus on Israel.” The UK and other European countries have repeatedly moved to crack down on pro-Palestine protests by accusing demonstrators of bias and “antisemitism.” Meanwhile, mainstream media outlet BBC punished employees for sharing pro-Palestine messages on social media. The revelation of the agreement comes as London-based human rights group Amnesty International slams the UK for its selective concern over alleged human rights abuses. The organization’s searing indictment claimed the entire post-World War II human rights framework is “at risk of decimation” as global powers exploit their influence in international organizations to shield Israel from criticism. The group also criticized European countries’ repression of pro-Palestine activism as threatening key freedoms of assembly and expression. Germany made headlines earlier this month after police in the country shut down a pro-Palestine conference taking place in Berlin, cutting off power to the venue where it was being held. Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Some members of the UK Conservative Party have developed a plan to destabilize or remove Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after local elections on May 2, the Financial Times newspaper reported. Sunak will face a challenge to his leadership if the Conservatives suffer heavy losses in the elections, the report noted. Among those lawmakers who want to remove Sunak, there are diehard supporters of the former UK prime ministers, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, the report said.

"The polls and focus groups that have gone round show that nothing Rishi does matters… People just don’t like the guy," a lawmaker was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

On Thursday, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly said that trying to remove Sunak would be a "catastrophic idea," the newspaper reported. Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Sixty percent of Americans disapprove of Joe Biden's job as US president, a poll conducted by CNN showed. The poll added that 71% of respondents do not approve of Biden’s policy on the Gaza conflict, and only 28% support it. At the same time, 49% of US citizens support former US President Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election in the United States, with Biden gaining 43% of support, the report read on Sunday. The poll was conducted from April 18-23 and surveyed 1,212 people. Subscribe to @SputnikInt

World Central Kitchen to resume work in Gaza as hunger, malnutrition still stalks enclave The not-for-profit organization World Central Kitchen has announced its plans to resume humanitarian activities in the Gaza Strip after a deadly Israeli drone strike earlier this month killed seven of its workers. The group’s CEO Erin Gore announced the plan as human rights organizations warn Gazans continue to face mass hunger amid an Israeli blockade of the besieged enclave.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire,” the CEO emphasized. “We are restarting our operation with the same energy, dignity, and focus on feeding as many people as possible.” A news release on the World Central Kitchen’s website claimed a Palestinian-run team would distribute aid starting Monday.

"We have 276 trucks, with the equivalent of almost 8 million meals, ready to enter through the Rafah Crossing. We’ll also send trucks from Jordan," Gore said.

“Limited access to northern Gaza has hindered the ability of aid agencies to fully assess the situation there,” noted a report in Western media last month, but numerous instances of the starvation of children have been reported on social media. Newborn infants are particularly vulnerable, with the Israeli destruction of hospitals in the enclave exacerbating health concerns for babies born prematurely or with special health needs.

Gore added that aid workers are still under threat in Gaza, likely contributing to the group’s decision to fully delegate its work to local Palestinians for now. The Israeli airstrike on the aid convoy prompted condemnation from the United States and other traditional allies of Israel. However, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby claimed that is "no evidence" that Israel deliberately struck World Central Kitchen aid workers. Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Yale University students have re-established their campus pro-Palestine encampment according to media reports. Footage shows dozens of people gathered at the school's campus demonstrating against US military support for Israel's operation in Gaza, which has resulted in the death of over 34,000 and the wounding of more than 77,000 Palestinians. Protestors are also calling for Yale's divestment from US and Israeli weapons manufacturers and other financial interests linked to Israel's occupation. Subscribe to @SputnikInt

The Russian armed forces struck a major railroad hub in the settlement of Borovaya, the Kharkov region, where Ukrainian forces were distributing servicemen, equipment, and ammunition to the frontlines, Sergei Lebedev, the coordinator of the Nikolayev underground, told Sputnik, citing his colleagues. Subscribe to @SputnikInt

US police have detained around 900 people over the past 10 days at pro-Palestinian demonstrations held on the campuses of some of the nation's largest universities, the Washington Post reported. According to the newspaper, the detentions were the largest law enforcement response to student-led protests “in recent years,” which the Post said threatens police with “myriad potential challenges.” Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🔺China's 'upper hand over US' in many fields feeds into mutual tensions – scholar 🔺Factors that may drag down Britain’s hypersonic high hopes 🔺Israel reportedly frets Biden may throw Netanyahu ‘under the bus’ at the ICC 🔺Ukraine attacks a church in Donetsk on Palm Sunday 🔺Runaway Ukrainian nationalists warmonger from abroad - Italian journo 🔺Spain's old Patriot missiles and other arms are a drop in the ocean for Ukraine Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Night hunt: a crew of the Uragan MLRS of the Russian Battlegroup Vostok destroyed a Ukrainian command post to the south of Donetsk. Subscribe to @SputnikInt