The United States on Thursday announced a new package of military assistance for Ukraine it valued at up to $2.5 billion, including hundreds of armored vehicles and support for Ukraine’s air defense. Stay with TOI for live updates:Read Less
German intelligence alarmed by Ukrainian losses in Bakhmut: Report
Germany’s foreign intelligence service is alarmed by losses the Ukrainian army is suffering in fighting against Russian forces in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, news magazine Der Spiegel reported on Friday.The Ukrainian army is losing a three-digit number of soldiers every day, the BND intelligence service told a group of Bundestag lawmakers who focus on security at a secret meeting this week, Spiegel said, citing information it had received. The BND warned that the capture of Bakhmut by Russian forces would have significant consequences, as it would allow Russia to make further advances. It also said the Russian army was using its own soldiers like cannon fodder in Bakhmut, Spiegel added.
Putin discusses ‘special military operation’ with his Security Council
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Moscow’s “special military operation” with his Security Council, state media reported on Friday, citing the Kremlin.According to the RIA news agency, the meeting was attended by former president Dmitry Medvedev, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, as well as other high-profile officials.”During the meeting, there was an exchange of views on the progress of the special military operation,” RIA cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying, using the official term for Moscow’s invasion.
Britain joins international push to make Russia accountable for invasion
Britain said on Friday it had joined a group of international partners pursuing criminal accountability for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”These atrocities must not go unpunished,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement, citing the deaths of soldiers and civilians and the displacement of millions of Ukrainians.”That’s why the UK has accepted Ukraine’s invitation to join this coalition, bringing our legal expertise to the table to explore options to ensure Russia’s leaders are held to account fully for their actions.”
Kremlin tells 'deluded' West that tanks for Ukraine will change nothing
The Kremlin said on Friday that Western countries supplying additional tanks to Ukraine would not change the course of the conflict and the West would regret its “delusion” that Ukraine could win on the battlefield. “We have repeatedly said that such supplies will not fundamentally change anything, but will add problems for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” a Kremlin spokesman said.
Ukraine says detained seven ‘Russian agents’
Ukraine said Friday it had detained seven “Russian agents” suspected of handing coordinates to Moscow’s forces to carry out strikes in the eastern region of Dnipropetrovsk, where dozens of civilians were recently killed in a missile attack.”The detainees gave the Russians the coordinates of critical infrastructure facilities,” Ukraine’s security services said in a statement. “Information about the possible involvement of the detainees in the Russian missile attack on a residential building in Dnipro on January 14, 2023 is currently being checked.”
The United States announced an additional $2.5 billion in military aid for Ukraine on Thursday, a package which will include more armored vehicles and ammunition.
US calls for countries to ‘dig deeper’ on Ukraine as pressure builds for tanks
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged allies on Friday to dig deeper to support Ukraine at the start of a meeting of dozens of defense ministers at an air base in Germany, as pressure piled up on Berlin to provide tanks to Kyiv.NATO and defense leaders from roughly 50 countries are meeting at Ramstein Air Base, the latest in a series of arms-pledging conferences since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly 11 months ago.
Kremlin says international community will regret ‘delusion’ that Ukraine can succeed on the battlefield
Ukraine conflict is spiralling upward
Kremlin says western tanks for Ukraine will change nothing, won’t stop russia achieving goals
Ukraine's Zelenskyy thanks US for 'powerful' $2.5 bn defence package
Finland promises $400 million euros of new military aid to Ukraine
Finland announced a new donation of 400 million euros ($434 million) worth of defence equipment for Ukraine. The new donation would triple the total value of Finland’s defence aid to Ukraine, bringing the total so far to 590 million euros, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. A ministry spokesperson said the package does not include Leopard 2 tanks. ($1 = 0.9227 euros)
Russian forces claim control of Klishchiivka near bakhmut in eastern Ukraine
Ukraine expects decisions on tanks at Western defence leaders’ meeting
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy said his government was expecting “strong decisions” from defence leaders of NATO and other countries meeting on Friday to discuss boosting Ukraine’s ability to confront Russian forces with modern battle tanks. The meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany is the latest in a series since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly 11 months ago, and where future weapons supplies will be discussed, particularly of Germany’s Leopard 2 tanks used by armies across Europe.
CIA director visits Kyiv, meets with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy
CIA Director William Burns visited Kyiv last week to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a US official has said, in the latest example of high-level contacts between the US and Ukraine. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the director’s classified schedule, declined to disclose what Burns and Zelenskyy discussed. Burns also met with Ukrainian intelligence officials.
Western allies pledge fresh weapons for Ukraine
The United States and European allies announced substantial new supplies of armored vehicles, artillery and munition for Ukraine on Thursday, on the eve of a crucial meeting on military support for the next stage of the country’s war with Russia. The Pentagon released a long list of $2.5 billion worth of supplies, including Bradley fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, air defense systems and tens of thousands of rockets and artillery round to bolster Ukraine forces.
US to send hundreds of armored vehicles, rockets to Ukraine
The package includes 59 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 90 Stryker Armored Personnel Carriers, 53 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles and 350 high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles, the U.S. Defense Department said in a statement.
US announces $2.5 billion in military assistance for Ukraine
The United States on Thursday announced a new package of military assistance for Ukraine it valued at up to $2.5 billion, including hundreds of armored vehicles and support for Ukraine’s air defense. The latest assistance includes 59 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and 90 Stryker Armored Personnel Carriers, the U.S. Defense Department said in a statement.
‘Despite risk of a Russian escalation, US may help Ukraine attack Crimea’
Now the Biden administration is considering what would be one of its boldest moves, helping Ukraine attack the peninsula that Putin views as an integral part of his quest to restore past Russian glory.
Fears that the Kremlin would retaliate using atactical nuclear weapon have dimmed, US officials said — although that the risk remained.
White House officials insist there is no change in position.
Crimea, they say, belongs to Ukraine. But the Biden administration has come to believe that if the Ukrainian military can show Russia that its control of Crimea can be threatened, that would strengthen Ukraine’s position in any future negotiations.
The US is finally starting to concede that Ukraine may need the power to strike the Russian sanctuary, even if such a move increases the risk of escalation, according to US officials.
Pro-Ukrainian activists in Serbia file criminal complaint against Russia’s Wagner group
Kremlin rubbishes Zelenskyy’s claims about Putin
Denmark will send French-made Caesar Howitzers to Ukraine: News agency Ritzau quotes defence minister
UK to send 600 Brimstone missiles to Ukraine: Defence minister