UK defence secretary: Russia's invasion of Ukraine is 'not on schedule'
February 28, 2022, 9:20 am

UK defence secretary: Russia's invasion of Ukraine is 'not on schedule'

Robert Ben Lobban Wallace is a British Conservative Party politician currently serving as Secretary of State for Defence since 24 July 2019 and Member of Parliament for Wyre and Preston North, formerly Lancaster and Wyre, since 2005 (File photo: Facebook page)

The Sky News reported, the UK defence secretary has said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is "not on schedule" and Vladimir Putin's forces "are in some significant areas of disarray."

Ben Wallace said the Russian invasion launched last week is not having the "strategic impact" that Moscow believed it would.

The Sky News said that his comments come after the Ministry of Defence shared an intelligence update of the latest situation on the ground in Ukraine.

In a tweet, the MoD said: "The bulk of Putin's ground forces remain more than 30km to the north of Kyiv, their advance having been slowed by Ukrainian forces defending Hostomel airfield, a key Russian objective for day one of the conflict.

"Heavy fighting continues around Chernihiv and Kharkiv; however both cities remain under Ukrainian control.

"Logistical failures and staunch Ukrainian resistance continue to frustrate the Russian advance.

Ben Wallace: Russian forces in Ukraine 'not on schedule'
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says Russian forces in Ukraine are "not on schedule" as Putin had based his plan on the "bizarre assumption that the Ukrainians would welcome them as liberators". Live: https://trib.al/QTC8as2 📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube
Posted by Sky News on Sunday, February 27, 2022

"Despite continued attempts to suppress details of the conflict from the Russian population, the Russian Armed Forces has for the first time been forced to acknowledge suffering casualties."

Boris Johnson spoke with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Sunday evening and promised to do "all he could to help ensure defensive aid from the UK and allies reached" the country.

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Mr Zelenskyy told the PM the next 24 hours would be a "crucial period" for Ukraine.

Mr Johnson has announced that immediate family members will be able to join Ukrainians settled in the UK as they flee the Russian invasion.

Speaking to Sky News, the defence secretary said this announcement was only a "first step" and "we're absolutely looking at all the different range of options we can apply to welcome Ukrainians in need".

It has also been confirmed that plans to tackle the flow of "dirty money" and stop the laundering of ill-gotten wealth in the UK property market will be fast-tracked by the government.

The move, first reported on Saturday by Sky News political correspondent Tamara Cohen, comes just days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Wallace said the Russian president's nuclear warning is a "big attempt to distract away from his troubles in Ukraine".

Vladimir Putin thanks his special forces for fulfilling their 'heroic' military duty in Ukraine

Asked if Mr Putin was "crazy enough" to start a nuclear conflict, Mr Wallace said "he has certainly done a lot of irrational things recently".

But he added: "I think I'm not going to speculate on what he would or wouldn't do, but that's why we all keep our deterrents at a state of readiness in the West."

Source: skynews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”