soldier – USMAIL24.COM

Jack Fitzgibbon funeral: Cessnock comes to a standstill for soldier killed in parachute incident as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese leads mourners

Albert Elence — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 03:10:36 +0000

By Madeleine Achenza for Nca Newswire

Published: 8:28 PM EDT, March 17, 2024 | Updated: 11:07 PM EDT, March 17, 2024

The mother of a soldier who died during parachute training has told a packed funeral service attended by the Prime Minister how her life changed forever when there was a knock on the door.

Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon died on March 6 during special forces training at RAAF Base Richmond in Sydney’s north.

A funeral service was held at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cessnock, attended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Defense Minister Richard Marles, Hunter MP Dan Repacholi and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

Streets and car parks in the city’s CBD were closed overnight in preparation for the full military funeral – with diggers lining the streets as his coffin passed.

Arm in arm, pallbearers carry the casket of Lance Corporal Fitzgibbon into St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Monday morning

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among the mourners. Upstairs he hugs Joel Fitzgibbon

The 33-year-old was the only son of former Rudd Defense Secretary Joel Fitzgibbon.

His mother Di Fitzgibbon told the service that her life changed when there was a knock on the door and that she would miss her son ‘with all my heart’.

“We have laughed so much over the past few weeks at your various exploits because your mother’s worries are no longer attached to them,” she said through tears.

Speaking at the funeral, a senior military official said the 33-year-old had died while serving his country after a decade in the ADF, including an operational deployment to Papua New Guinea and roles with the commando regiment.

“The nature of a soldier’s life is inherently dangerous and without risks and consequences,” he said.

“Jack will never be forgotten and his service as one of the most skilled signal operators will inspire future players.

“He leaves behind an honorable legacy and will be missed. Now rest, your service is done.”

The Ministry of Defense confirmed that an investigation had been launched into the cause of death and that all skydiving activities had been temporarily halted.

Soldiers lined the streets to say goodbye to Lance Corporal Fitzgibbon

Former Defense Secretary Joel Fitzgibbon and his wife Di lead the mourners

His sister, TV reporter Grace Fitzgibbon, shared powerful tributes to her brother on social media

He will be remembered for his courage, humor and service, the memorial service heard

In a statement released through the department, Joel Fitzgibbon said the family was “heartbroken by the loss of our wonderful Jack.”

“Serving in the Special Forces was Jack’s dream job and we take some comfort in the fact that he died serving his country in an ADF uniform,” he said.

‘Jack was a dedicated, highly skilled and courageous soldier. He was an experienced paratrooper.

“Our lives will never be the same without Jack, but we will always be proud of him and his many achievements.”

Mr. Fitzgibbon served with the 2nd Commando Regiment, which is part of the Army’s Special Operations Command.

“Jack was loved for his courage and was known for his sense of humor and his service to country,” Brigadier General James Kidd told reporters the day after his death.

The post Jack Fitzgibbon funeral: Cessnock comes to a standstill for soldier killed in parachute incident as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese leads mourners appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

They soldier on! As Tim Laurence showed this week, an outdoorsy life means we often see the royals patched up with slings and bandages…

Sabir Ansary — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 09:41:54 +0000

For a family dedicated to military service, sport in general and horses in particular – not to mention the rumbustious art of polo – it’s a surprise the Windsors aren’t injured more frequently.

Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, husband of Princess Anne, was the latest – seen at a thanksgiving service for 200 years of the RNLI with a black eye. It was apparently sustained while gardening

Prince Charles’s morning routine of stretches and standing on his head is said to counteract the long-lasting effects of a nasty polo fall.

While the frost-bite suffered by Prince Harry on an expedition to the Arctic is thoroughly documented in his memoir, Spare.

Fortunately there are no pictures.

But whenever we do see a royal injury or two, there is no shortage of interest and speculation…

Commander Tim Laurence

Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence was impeccably smart at Westminster Abbey for an RNLI Service of Thanksgiving. But gardening duties had left clearly left their mark on his right eye

Princess Sofia of Spain

Spanish King Felipe VI, his wife Queen Letizia and their daughters Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia pictured on the island of Mallorca during their summer holidays in August 2020

Princess Sofia of Spain battled through a painful leg injury in 2020 after suffering a fall at Marivent Palace, the Spanish royals’ summer residence in Majorca.

She was treated at home with five stitches, bandaged-up and given a crutch to help her support herself for a rapid recovery.

Prince William

Prince William pictured with his arm in a sling at the reception of the christening of his godson, Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece, in London back in 1999

The Prince of Wales was spotted wearing a sling on his left arm in 1999 while attending the christening of his godson, Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece, in London.

The 16-year-old Prince William was recovering from surgery on a broken finger but was in high spirits as he chatted with his fellow guests.

King Charles

The then Prince Charles with his hand bandaged-up during a visit to Vienna with his late wife, Princess Diana of Wales, in April 1986

In 1986, Prince Charles was left wearing a sling after gruesomely injuring his index finger in a gardening accident. ‘It was a damn great hammer,’ he explained.

‘I missed the stake but my finger came down on it.

‘The end of the finger came off — that was the trouble. It did not completely drop off, but was hanging by a bit.’

The royal showcased his bandaged-up hand during a Vienna with his late wife, Princess Diana of Wales.

Charles and Princess Diana pictured leaving Cirencester Hospital with his arm bandaged and in a sling in July 1990

The worst in a lengthy catalogue of spills took place in 1990 when King Charles broke his right arm after falling from his horse during a match at Cirencester.

The accident, during the second chukka, was described by a spokesman as a ‘nasty break above the right elbow’.

Charles, then 41, was galloping to cut off an opponent when his pony swerved to the right as he leaned over to take a backhand shot. He lost his balance and tumbled between the two animals, one of which kicked him in the arm.

The Prince spent three nights in hospital, dismissing his injury as a ‘silly thing to do’.

But the wound failed to heal properly and after three months of pain — and a warning that, untreated, it could leave him so badly crippled he would be unable to salute — he had an operation to fix it.

A bone was taken from his hip and packed around the break and a metal plate was secured with screws. He was discharged from hospital a week later and was back on the field within the year.

King Charles wearing a dressing over an injured left eye after getting dust in his eye while sawing a tree in his garden in November 2001

There were some curious stares in November 2001 when Charles reported for royal duties sporting a rather alarming bandage over his left eye.

It transpired the Prince had been sawing a branch off a tree at Highgrove, his Gloucestershire estate when he managed to get sawdust in his eye.

The dust scratched his cornea and temporarily affected his vision. After treatment from a local doctor, he was transferred to a specialist and prescribed a day’s rest.

A Palace spokesman said his eye was ‘still sore’ several days later, when Charles proudly displayed his patch at a meeting of business leaders. ‘It’s really a result of talking to trees once too often,’ he joked.

The former Prince of Wales pictured in January 2001, shortly after facing a minor injury

During a fox hunt in Derbyshire in January 2001, Charles’s horse took an ‘unexpected jump’ and flung him to the ground. He fell awkwardly and it was thought he had dislocated his shoulder.

Royal protection officers, who were riding with the Prince in the Meynell Hunt, drove him to a nearby hospital — where an X-ray revealed he had, in fact, broken his acromion, a small bone on the edge of the shoulder blade.

‘He’s fine,’ his spokesman insisted. ‘It was a minor injury and it’s just inconvenient, that’s all. He’s not in any pain.’

Charles had to wear a sling for several days while the fracture healed.

King Felipe of Spain

Just two weeks ago, King Felipe of Spain was spotted with a bandage on his left wrist while attending the opening concert of the Princess of Asturias awards in Oviedo, Spain.

King Felipe of Spain, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia pictured at the opening concert of the Princess of Asturias awards in Oviedo, Spain

Thankfully, the Palacio de la Zarzuela confirmed that the Monarch was only suffering from tendonitis in his left wrist and the bandage was only a precautionary measure.

Over the years, royals have showcased a range of injuries, and here are just a few…

Queen Camilla

Queen Camilla pictured sitting in her wheelchair during an event in Clarence House in April 2010

After breaking her left leg during a walking accident in 2010, Queen Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, had to use a wheelchair to get around.

Camilla broke her leg after catching her foot in a rabbit hole while walking near Birkhall, King Charles’ Scottish home.

She limped back to her car believing it was nothing more than a sprain but an x-ray the following day revealed that she had suffered a fracture of the fibula, caused by the leg twisting awkwardly underneath her.

However, the royal didn’t let her injury stop her from attending her royal engagements as Charles pushed her around in her chair.

The Princess of Wales

Catherine, Princess of Wales, attending a SportsAid mental fitness workshop at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre in October

Kate, now recuperating from abdominal surgery, but she’s shown us in previous times occasions that she’s made of tough stuff.

The Princess of Wales has been pictured with bandaged fingers on a few occasions, including a SportsAid mental fitness workshop in Marlow.

Not that her poorly hand stopped her playing wheelchair rugby in Yorkshire or netball and a range of other games at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

The cause of her injury? A bout of trampolining with her children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, at home.

Princess Anne

Princess Anne pictured with an injured wrist after suffering from an injury at the European Championships in Kiev, Russia in 1973

Princess Anne was seen pairing her colourful knitted waistcoat with a makeshift sling to support her sprained wrist after falling off her horse during a three-day event for the European Championships in Kiev in 1973.

Queen Elizabeth II

The late Queen Elizabeth pictured with her arm in a sling because of a fractured wrist in 1994

Known for her love for bright colours and impeccable sense of style, Her Majesty even extended her approach to her choice of sling when she suffered a fractured wrist in a riding accident.

She supported her injured wrist with a stylish blue silk scarf that perfectly matched her coat and hat.

An adept horsewoman, The Queen has only had one notable injury while out riding on the Sandringham Estate in 1994.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden

Crown Princess Victoria with a plaster on her wrist with Prince Daniel at a Reception by the German Federal President at Bellvue Palace as part of the National Day of Mourning 2023

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden arrives with crutches and a leg splint due to a skiing accident for a reception at the town hall in Hamburg, Germany, in January 2014

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden sprained her ankle in the Italian Alpine resort of Cervinia in December 2013 where she was holidaying with family.

She was taken by private helicopter to a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, where doctors X-rayed her foot to assess the damage.

The post They soldier on! As Tim Laurence showed this week, an outdoorsy life means we often see the royals patched up with slings and bandages… appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Family gun massacre ‘leaves four dead as soldier shoots ex-girlfriend, her child, her new boyfriend and his mother’ in Germany

Albert Elence — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 10:34:59 +0000

Ammunition and explosives were found in the soldier’s car and police are searching an army barracks for clues to what happened
There was also a shooting in the nearby town of Bothel, about eight miles away

By Jamie Shapiro

Published: 04:07 EST, March 1, 2024 | Updated: 05:27 EST, March 1, 2024

A soldier is accused of killing four people, including a child, at a house in Germany last night.

The victims are said to be his ex-girlfriend, her child, her new boyfriend and her boyfriend’s mother.

The incident happened at 3:30 in the morning.

Several police forces were called to the building in Scheeßel in the Rotenburg district after reports of a shooting and a helicopter was deployed to search for the shooter from above.

The armored officers cordoned off the building and stormed it with machine guns.

The armored officers cordoned off the building and stormed it with machine guns

Several police forces were called to the building in Scheeßel in the Rotenburg district

German newspaper Image Police said there were “several victims” in the home.

The age and motive of the soldier are not yet known, but the police do not rule out that it is ‘a motive in the family environment’.

Police spokesman Heiner van der Werp told Bild that the incident was a ‘family story’.

He also said, “Everything available was in use.” This includes troops from the Lower Saxony State Police and the Federal Police.

The police presence continued throughout the night and into the morning, with officers surrounded at Rotenburg train station and houses.

Then, at dawn, police said the suspect surrendered himself.

The soldier’s car was found parked outside the barracks and cordoned off by police

After police searched it, a Molotov cocktail was found in the side compartment of the car

Weapons magazines were discovered in the trunk of the car. It is still unknown whether they are soldiers

The location of the car prompted the police to launch a search of the von Düring barracks

As the search began, the area was cordoned off, with a helicopter also deployed

The perpetrator is said to have been a soldier of the Bundeswehr and has now been arrested.

Ammunition and explosives were found in the soldier’s car, after which police began a search of the von Düring barracks in Rotenburg.

The car was parked outside the barracks.

Police found a Molotov cocktail in the side pocket of the driver’s door, as well as several firearm magazines and other ammunition, all of which were seized.

It is still unknown whether the suspect’s weapon came from the possession of the Bundeswehr.

Shots were also fired today in the community of Bothel in Lower Saxony, reportedly by an active Bundeswehr soldier.

Forensic officers work behind a police cordon at the Von D’ring barracks in Rotenburg

The two crime scenes are about eight miles apart and there is a heavy police presence at both locations

The two places are about eight kilometers apart.

There was a heavy police presence at both locations, the family home in Scheeßel and the other scene in Bothel.1314

“A motive in the family sphere cannot be ruled out,” the police press release said.

One of the most important military units in the von Düring barracks that the shooter may have worked for is the Jagertruppe.

The Jagertruppe is a group within the army that is specifically trained in urban combat (such as cities) in places where tanks do not have access.

They are trained with light weapons to fight enemy infantry.

The post Family gun massacre ‘leaves four dead as soldier shoots ex-girlfriend, her child, her new boyfriend and his mother’ in Germany appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Ex-US soldier who killed Iraqi citizen accused of attacking police on January 6

Sabir Ansary — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 01:14:07 +0000

A former U.S. Army soldier convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the 2004 killing of an Iraqi civilian was charged Monday with assaulting police officers with a baton during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, the department announced of Justice known.

The former soldier, Edward Richmond Jr., 40, of Geismar, La., who was arrested Monday in Baton Rouge, faces several federal charges, including civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted area with a deadly or dangerous weapon; and attacking, resisting or hindering certain officers, prosecutors said.

A U.S. Army spokesman, Bryce S. Dubee, confirmed that Mr. Richmond was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 2004, the same year he deployed to Iraq. Mr. Richmond, who served in the military from 2002 to 2008, was sentenced by the military court to a reduction in the rank of soldier, forfeiture of all wages and allowances, three years of confinement and a dishonorable discharge, Mr. Dubee said.

According to The Associated Press, he was released on parole in 2006 with almost a year remaining on his original sentence.

According to The Associated Press, Mr. Richmond killed a cow herder who had been held with the other men in an Iraqi village near Taal Al Jai that the army raided on February 28, 2004. The shepherd, Muhamad Husain Kadir, was handcuffed. when Mr. Richmond shot him in the back of the head from five feet away as the man stumbled, the AP reported.

In his defense, Mr Richmond, then 20, said that although he had not seen Mr Kadir with a weapon, he believed Mr Kadir had lunged to attack another soldier, adding that he had hands of Mr Kadir. was bound according to the telegraph service.

In the Justice Department's announcement on Monday, prosecutors said Mr. Richmond was among a group of about 10 people who traveled from Ohio to Washington, D.C., to attend pro-Trump rallies planned for Jan. 6, when Congress would certify the results. the 2020 presidential election at the Capitol.

Investigators identified Mr. Richmond from several images and footage of the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol, including closed-circuit television footage and video captured by officers' body-worn cameras, according to an affidavit written by an FBI agent filed with the criminal complaint in the US District Court in Washington.

Mr. Richmond is seen in the images filed in the complaint wearing a black helmet, goggles, shoulder pads and a Louisiana state flag patch attached to a camouflage patterned vest.

Closed-circuit television footage shows him sitting among a group of rioters near the tunnel the capital. Body-worn camera footage from officers shows him “using a baton to strike law enforcement officers multiple times,” prosecutors said.

Mr. Richmond will make his first appearance in the U.S. Middle District Court of Louisiana at 10 a.m. Tuesday, said his attorney, John McLindon. He declined to comment on the case.

To date, federal authorities have charged more than 1,265 people in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 charged with “assaulting or obstructing” police officers, according to the Justice Department.

The department's efforts have resulted in more than 720 convictions to date, with sentences ranging from a few days to more than 20 years in prison.

The post Ex-US soldier who killed Iraqi citizen accused of attacking police on January 6 appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Army soldier killed, two others injured in landmine blast in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir

Sabir Ansary — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 11:52:06 +0000

The blast took place around 10.30 am on Thursday morning in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

File photo (ANI)

Jammu Kashmir News: An Indian Army soldier was killed while two others were injured in a landmine explosion near the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. The blast took place around 10.30 am on Thursday morning in the Nowshera sector of the border district, officials said.

A defense spokesperson said the troops were patrolling the forward area in the Nowshera sector when an explosion occurred about 300 meters from the Forward Defense Line (FDL) in the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the 17th Sikh Light Battalion under the 80th Infantry Brigade.

The injured soldiers were airlifted to the command hospital in Udhampur where one of them succumbed to injuries while the two others underwent treatment. Their condition is said to be stable.

This is a development story. Stay tuned to India.com for more updates.

(With PTI inputs)

The post Army soldier killed, two others injured in landmine blast in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Serena Williams donates her leftover ‘Super Soldier’ breast milk

Sabir Ansary — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 01:09:40 +0000

Serena Williams. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Serena Williams gets into the spirit of giving an unconventional gift to fellow parents this holiday season.

“I’m really excited to donate some breast milk left over from my trip in New York to people who really need it,” Williams, 42, said in a video shared via Instagram on Wednesday, Dec. 20, when the camera showed the inside of a refrigerator filled with milk. “It will be anonymous, but super excited to help in some way.”

Williams explained in her caption that after going through a screening, she was “able to donate it instead of taking the milk home.”

“I know so many wonderful women who are adopting or failing to make milk,” she continued. “It felt great. Besides, someone out there is getting some super soldier milk.

Instagram users were quick to make fun of the athlete’s breast milk, writing in the comments section: “That’s GOAT milk!” and “Some kids’ backhand just got stronger.”

Williams and husband Alexis Ohanian welcomed daughter Adira in August. The couple also share daughter Olympia, now 6.

Courtesy of Serena Williams/Instagram

Williams recently shared that she has found alternative ways to use her breast milk.

“Okay, is this totally weird???” she captioned a TikTok video earlier this month. “I have to say that after a week of using MY breast milk under my eye – it worked! I’m eager to hear your thoughts. Be nice lol.”

In the clip, Williams appeared to complete her skincare routine as she explained that she was “completely burned” under her eye.

“I put this retinol and cleaned my skin,” she said. “I have sensitive skin, so I lay in the sun. Long story. Anyway, I’ll try some breast milk.’

Williams then poured her breast milk onto a cloth and dabbed it under her eye, noting that the method “works for my child.”

“They say to put breast milk on everything, and I have a lot of extra, so I’m going to try it under my eye for a week or so and see how it goes,” she said, adding that “it already feels better because, like, it hurts.”

Adjusting to life as a mother of two comes with a number of challenges. Last month, Williams candidly shared her struggles, adding that it’s “OK not to be OK.”

“No one is okay every day,” she wrote via X (formerly Twitter). “If you’re not well today, I’ll be with you. There is always tomorrow. Love you.”

Williams then shared a selfie cuddling with her youngest daughter in a subsequent post. “This makes me so happy,” she wrote via X.

The post Serena Williams donates her leftover ‘Super Soldier’ breast milk appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

War between Israel and Hamas: son of Israeli minister, soldier killed in Gaza

Sabir Ansary — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 02:13:20 +0000

Tel Aviv: Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, another tragic incident has been reported from the Gaza Strip. The son of Israeli Minister Gadi Eisenkot, Master Sgt. (res.) Gal Meir Eisenkot and Sgt. Major (res.) of the 55th Brigade’s 6623rd Reconnaissance Battalion, Jonathan David Deitch, was killed on Thursday, the Times of Israel reported. According to the Israel Defense Force (IDF), 25-year-old Eisenkot, from the 699th battalion of the 551st Brigade in Herzliya, was killed in northern Gaza.

The IDF added that three other soldiers suffered horrific injuries and were taken to hospitals for treatment, confirming that Deitch was killed during a firefight in the southern Strip. Notably, the deceased soldier’s father, Gadi Eisenkot, is a former IDF chief of staff and currently serves as a minister in the emergency government on behalf of Benny Gantz’s National Unity Party. Eisenkot is also an observer in the high-level war cabinet, responsible for leading the decision-making team amid the ongoing war, the daily said.

The IDF stated that Gal Meir Eisenkot was killed after a bomb explosion in a tunnel shaft in the Jabaliya camp in northern Gaza. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

Eisenkot received news of his son’s death Thursday while touring the IDF’s Southern Command with Benny Gantz, the Times of Israel said in its report.

A total of 89 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ground offensive in Gaza began.

The IDF announced the deaths of Eisenkot and Deitch during heavy fighting in Gaza as Israeli forces pushed into major Hamas strongholds in the northern and southern parts of the coastal enclave, The Times of Israel reported.

Politicians and other dignitaries expressed their condolences to the minister over the huge loss.

In a statement, Benny Gantz said: “Our hearts are broken. On the eve of Hanukkah, Gal’s candle was extinguished,” referring to the Jewish day of light that begins on Thursday evening.

“We are all determined to continue fighting for the sacred mission in whose name Gal fell,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also expressed his condolences, stating that Gal Eisenkot was a brave warrior and a true hero.

“Our heroes did not fall in vain. We will continue until victory,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, adding: “May we be worthy of the sacrifice of Gal, and of all those who fell in this just war.”

Speaking about the late soldier’s military career, Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that he had “dedicated his entire life to the security of Israel, the IDF and the country, and that he and his family are now paying an unbearable price.”

“Gal has been trained in the love of nation and country since his youth and acted in this spirit all the time, even when he was murdered,” Herzog added.

“Together with the entire nation, I embrace the heartbroken Israeli families, whose sacrifice is heavy and unbearably heavy, and pledge: we will continue to protect our people and our beloved country, for them and for ourselves,” the president said.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid also spoke about the glittering military careers of Gadi Eisenkot and Gal Meir Eisenkot. He shared a photo of Gadi and Gal Eisenkot and wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “They answer the call, show up when they’re needed and do what they need to do. The fate of an entire country in one embrace.”

The post War between Israel and Hamas: son of Israeli minister, soldier killed in Gaza appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

A Russian village buries a soldier and tries to understand the war

Sabir Ansary — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 10:43:48 +0000

A cold wind blew across the steppe, but Sapura Kadyrova saw no point in bundling up. She waited to greet her son, who came home from the war in a crimson government-issue casket.

“So maybe I’m not warm,” moaned Ms. Kadyrova, 85. “Then let me die.”

Throughout the day, she and her daughters had greeted relatives, friends and neighbors who came to pay their respects to her son Garipul S. Kadyrov, who was killed on the front line in Klishchiivka in eastern Ukraine.

“He would have turned 50 in February, and he promised me he could come home then,” Mrs. Kadyrova told her guests. “Now I will meet him alone in his grave.”

In major Russian cities, the war can feel like distant background noise, where the latest iPhones are on sale and things look much the same as before – except for the ubiquitous army recruitment posters. While there are no less than 80 percent of Ukrainians If I have a close friend or family member who was injured or killed in the war, many Russians in urban centers still feel isolated from it.

It is in villages like Ovsyanka, a former collective farm in southwestern Russia, where the pain and loss of the war is felt most deeply. And as friends and neighbors gathered in Ms. Kadyrova’s cottage, preparing food in the kitchen and sharing memories of the deceased, grief mixed with a longing to understand the loss of another soldier.

“He was sure he was doing the right thing,” said Lena Kabaeva, Kadyrov’s sister, who said he “never complained” about conditions at the front and used his salary to buy gifts for his cousins and nieces.

Another of Mr. Kadyrov’s sisters, Natasha, was so beside herself with grief that her siblings gave her a sedative. Ms. Kabaeva said the family felt it necessary to tell their mother that her son had been killed fighting with Americans.

“She still doesn’t understand what this war is about,” Ms. Kabaeva said, explaining that her mother grew up when Ukraine and Russia were both part of the Soviet Union. “It would be impossible for her to understand that we are fighting the Ukrainians today.”

Mr. Kadyrov, a mild-mannered farmer known at home by his nickname Vitya, thought he was too old to be called up to fight. But in October 2022, shortly after President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia ordered the mobilization of soldiers, Mr. Kadyrov was drafted at the age of 49. A few months later he was killed along with two other soldiers.

“They used to not take the elderly, but now they take everyone,” said the elderly Ms. Kadyrova, an ethnic Kazakh whose ancestors emigrated from Kazakhstan to Russia, whose border is about 100 miles away.

All day long, female relatives crowded the kitchen, serving milky tea and preparing beshbarmak, a Kazakh specialty of boiled meat with onions on a layer of thick noodles.

Other family members and friends gathered in the largest room of the house, cross-legged on the floor. Almost all of them spoke of other loved ones who had been killed in Ukraine, either because they had been mobilized or because they had joined the Wagner mercenary group, such as one of Kadyrov’s cousins, Aleksei.

“The West has turned Ukraine against us,” said Mindiyar S. Abuyev, 77, after saying he attended Aleksei’s funeral. “We are simple people, and we support our Putin – and we will win.”

As darkness fell in mid-November, mourners went outside to greet Mr. Kadyrov’s casket. Ms. Kadyrova and Natasha wept as the men in the family placed the closed coffin on a stand in front of three funeral wreaths brought by members of the local government. (One of the wreaths bore the wrong name, presumably that of another dead soldier.)

Two officials presided over the ceremony with military honors.

“This is a tragic, devastating event,” said the head of the local government, Sergei V. Yermolov, in the smooth voice of a professional announcer. “But it is thanks to guys like him that there is a peaceful sky above our country. By participating in the special military operation, they defend our freedom, our lives and the health of our children and loved ones. Eternal memory and eternal glory to him.”

The regional military commissar presented the family with a Russian flag and a military band played a shortened version of the Russian national anthem as an honor guard fired into the air.

The coffin was then taken to the family compound where, according to local Kazakh custom, it would spend the night before being buried the next day.

It’s a scene playing out in villages like Ovsyanka in the Volga region and across Russia.

“I have another friend who was mobilized,” said Alyona, 22, the wife of one of Mr. Kadyrov’s cousins. “He left for the war weighing 120 kilograms. All that came back was 20 pounds of bones, she said. She was devastated that the Kadyrov family could not wash the body according to Muslim custom, or open the coffin for a final farewell.

Ovsyanka is located three hours south of Samara, Russia’s eighth largest city. No longer a collective farm, the village is now impoverished and offers few jobs other than subsistence farming, said a local resident named Pasha. Escaping poverty has been a major incentive for soldiers to join the army and earn a signing bonus of up to 550,000 rubles (almost $6,150), in addition to a monthly salary far higher than the average salary in the villages in the region.

In addition, the Russian state provides financial compensation to the families of the deceased soldiers, usually five million rubles (about $56,000) from the federal government, plus another payment from the regional government, usually between three and five million rubles. The Kadyrov family was in the process of filing paperwork to access the funds, a relative said.

Pasha referred to the monetary compensation when he spoke about two men in the village who hanged themselves last year. “They could have at least participated in the special military operation, died with honor and made sure their families were taken care of,” he said.

Mr. Kadyrov’s older brother, Murat, hanged himself in 2016, making the family’s pain over the loss of a second son all the more acute.

After the ceremony, a group of Mr. Kadyrov’s closest male relatives sat next to the closed coffin in the main room. The debate about the value of the war became emotional.

Zhaslan, 34, married to Mr Kadyrov’s niece, questioned the government’s reasoning for why Russians should fight and die. “People say it is for the motherland,” he said. ‘But where is the motherland? The homeland is the one you protect, not the one you destroy.”

He said Russian television was full of lies. “On the zombie box they show us that everything is fine and that our side is winning,” he said. But why was it, he asked, that the front lines had hardly moved since Wagner mercenaries took Bakhmut last spring?

“This is a worthless war,” he said.

He debated Ms. Kabaeva’s husband, Sagindyk Kabaev, who continually advanced the argument, peddled by Mr. Putin and the Russian media, that the West had provoked the war.

“This war was inevitable,” Mr Kabaev said. He pointed to America’s record of initiating foreign wars. “Let’s do the math: How many wars has America started?”

He also cited a common argument made by Mr. Putin that “Ukraine has historically always been Russian territory,” a claim disputed by many Ukrainians.

Yet Mr Kabaev admitted: “Ordinary people are suffering: collective farmers, machinists and drivers. The sons of the ministers are not there. If that had been the case, the war would have been over long ago.”

The next day, Mr. Kadyrov was interned next to his dead brother on the hard, rocky ground of a small cemetery near the ruins of another destroyed farm.

Gennady A. Bergengaliyev, a retired school principal from a nearby town, watched as the men took turns shoveling dirt onto the burial mound. Earlier he had given a short speech about the importance of defending Russia and the role local men played in the war.

At the cemetery, he gestured to the gravestone of Murat, Mr. Kadyrov’s brother, and back to the men tending the new grave.

“This is a great achievement for his parents,” he said. “He was a simple, ordinary man. And this has brought them honor.”

The post A Russian village buries a soldier and tries to understand the war appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Ukrainian sniper claims new world record after ‘picking up Russian soldier from 3.76 miles away using ‘Lord of the Horizon’ rifle’

Albert Elence — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:43:06 +0000

A Ukrainian sniper claims to be a world record holder after picking off a Russian soldier from 3.76 kilometers away with a special rifle called ‘Lord of the Horizon’.

The unnamed sniper, who serves in the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), has reportedly managed to beat the previous record of 3.5 kilometers, set by a Canadian special operations sniper in Iraq in 2017.

Video reportedly shows the Russian target falling seconds after the SBU sniper took the shot.

A line of three stationary Russian soldiers quickly becomes a line of two as the bullet takes out the soldier at the currently unknown location.

The SBU said: ‘SBU snipers are rewriting the rules of global sniping and demonstrating unparalleled capabilities to operate effectively at remarkable ranges.’

Video reportedly shows the Russian target falling seconds after the SBU sniper took the shot

A line of three stationary Russian soldiers quickly becomes a line of two as the bullet takes out the soldier

(File image) Ukrainian snipers are often deployed as a vanguard for planned counter-offensive maneuvers and are tasked with eliminating high-value Russian targets before other forces can enter

The Ukrainian military did not provide any other details about the incident, such as when or where it was filmed, or say how it had confirmed the deployment of their sniper.

‘Lord of the Horizon’ was developed and created by MAYAK, a Ukrainian weapons manufacturer, and measures a whopping 6 feet tall, the Firearms Blog reports.

With the right ammunition, the gun can fire bullets at a speed nearly 10,000 feet faster than the speed of sound.

The shot comes after another Ukrainian sniper claimed to have carried out the second-longest combat killing in history in 2022.

The unnamed sniper killed a Russian soldier at a range of 2,710 meters (about 2.7 miles) according to the Ukrainian military, which last year published footage of the shot looking through the sniper’s crosshairs.

Footage of their killing released by Ukrainian forces last year showed a man moving among trees before the gunman centered the crosshair on his chest.

Ukraine claimed that in 2022 one of its snipers took out a Russian soldier at 2,710 meters, which would be the second-longest range kill in the battle if confirmed

A Canadian sniper previously held the record for the longest sniper kill ever at 11,000 feet, while Briton Craig Harrison held the official second place before a Ukrainian sniper took it

The thermal sight was seen popping up, indicating the gun had fired, before the figure fell to the ground about three seconds later.

A second figure then came running towards the first in an apparent attempt to help his wounded comrade, before the sniper fired a second time.

Both figures then collapsed to the ground.

The Ukrainian sniper has apparently taken the record from British sniper Craig Harrison, who killed two Taliban fighters from a range of 2,475 meters in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2009.

The Afghan National Police confirmed that he had killed two Taliban fighters when they visited the scene of the shooting shortly afterwards to try to recover the militants’ weapons.

An Apache helicopter equipped with a laser rangefinder was then sent over Corporal Harrison’s firing position to measure the distance between the two points.

Harrison later said that he took the photo with an L115A3 long-range rifle and that the conditions at the time were “perfect”: no wind, mild weather and good visibility.

In the case of the record-breaking Canadian shot, it is believed to have been captured on film by a Predator drone that was circling overhead at the time.

The Canadian military said the shot was taken by a McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle, fired from the upper floors of a high-rise building.

According to a report by news site SOFREP, the killing took place in Mosul and the gunman and his team had recently trained in long-range sniping.

They had been shooting over the city at increasing ranges for several days prior to the record-breaking killing.

A second shot from the same sniper at a slightly closer range, just after the first missed its target, the site reported.

A separate record is held by another British sniper who killed six Taliban with a single bullet after it hit the trigger switch of a suicide vest he was wearing.

Lance Corporal, 20, of the Coldstream Guards, scored a stunning shot in Kakaran, southern Afghanistan, in December 2013.

His shot traveled a distance of 850 meters to reach its target, but the same gunman had previously taken out a Taliban fighter at 1,340 meters.

Confirming military killings is a notoriously difficult matter that relies largely on self-reporting by soldiers due to the difficulty of obtaining information from behind enemy lines during a conflict.

Over-reporting of casualties is therefore common and has plagued military tacticians throughout history.

Ukrainian snipers are often deployed as a vanguard for planned counter-offensive maneuvers and are tasked with eliminating high-value Russian targets before other forces can enter.

Kills made by the squad, which is named after their leader, are recorded electronically using the sights of their guns

The unit’s snipers often have to wait in one position for up to 16 hours a day and must be very well camouflaged.

The commander of the already legendary Ghosts of Bakhmut revealed that his unit’s snipers often have to wait in one position for up to 16 hours a day.

“It’s nothing like American films that romanticize the work of snipers and show it as very glamorous.”

The commander, Ghost, who claims to have killed at least 113 Russian targets, said most of the unit’s work is based on survival.

‘You learn to count, you do math. You learn to camouflage yourself, you learn about the environment. You can shoot well, but if you can’t survive, it’s of no value.’

‘We work 24 hours a day, we make no distinction between day and night. There are no weekends. You’re completely exhausted, all your juices have been squeezed out of you, and when you come back from a mission, you’re a complete mess.”

The post Ukrainian sniper claims new world record after ‘picking up Russian soldier from 3.76 miles away using ‘Lord of the Horizon’ rifle’ appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

CRPF soldier killed and two others in Maoist-triggered IED blast in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum

Sabir Ansary — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 15:52:49 +0000

A CRPF team was carrying out an anti-Maoist operation in a forest area of West Singhbhum district when Maoists activated an IED, injuring three personnel.

CRPF personnel patrol a forest area in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand (FILE PHOTO/ANI)

Chaibasa (Jharkhand): A CRPF soldier was killed and two others injured in a Maoist-triggered IED blast when a team of paramilitary forces carried out an anti-Maoist operation in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Friday.

According to police, a team of the Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF), accompanied by security personnel from other forces, was carrying out an anti-Maoist operation in a forest area of West Singhbhum district when the ultras activated an improvised explosive device (IED). ), resulting in injuries to three CRPF men.

“The incident took place around 2.30 pm when a team of security personnel carried out an anti-Maoist operation in Goilkera area,” Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar told news agency PTI.

The injured jawans were airlifted to a hospital in Ranchi where one of the soldiers succumbed to his injuries, the SP said.

ITBP jawan killed in Naxal-induced blast in Chhattisgarh

In a similar incident, an ITBP soldier was killed in an explosion triggered by Naxals in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district, where the second phase of Assembly elections were held on Friday.

According to police, the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawan was part of a security team escorting a polling station when they were targeted by an explosion near Bade Gobra village under Mainpur police station.

Polling was held in 70 constituencies in the state from 8 am to 5 pm. But at nine polling booths in Naxal-affected Bindranawagarh constituency in Gariaband district, voting took place from 7am to 3pm due to security reasons, officials said.

Bade Gobra was one of these nine stalls in Bindranawagarh, which borders neighboring Odisha.

When election officials, escorted by security personnel, returned to Mainpur after polling ended, Naxals caused an explosion that killed ITBP head constable Joginder Singh on the spot, police said.

The rest of the team reached Mainpur police station safely, he added.

The first phase of elections in 20 of the 90 parliamentary seats in Chhattisgarh took place on November 7.

(With PTI inputs)

The post CRPF soldier killed and two others in Maoist-triggered IED blast in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

soldier – USMAIL24.COM

Jack Fitzgibbon funeral: Cessnock comes to a standstill for soldier killed in parachute incident as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese leads mourners

Share or comment on this article: Jack Fitzgibbon funeral: Cessnock comes to a halt for soldier killed in parachute incident as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese leads mourners

They soldier on! As Tim Laurence showed this week, an outdoorsy life means we often see the royals patched up with slings and bandages…

Commander Tim Laurence

Family gun massacre ‘leaves four dead as soldier shoots ex-girlfriend, her child, her new boyfriend and his mother’ in Germany

Share or comment on this article: Family gun massacre ‘leaves four dead as soldier shoots ex-girlfriend, her child, her new boyfriend and his mother’ in Germany

Ex-US soldier who killed Iraqi citizen accused of attacking police on January 6

Army soldier killed, two others injured in landmine blast in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir

The blast took place around 10.30 am on Thursday morning in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

Serena Williams donates her leftover ‘Super Soldier’ ​​breast milk

Related: Serena Williams through the years: from tennis court to Met Gala red carpet

Related: Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian’s Fairy Tale Romance: A Timeline

Related: Which celebrities have married or dated professional tennis players? A guide

Thank you!