January 25, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

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The German Leopard tanks will be on the ground in Ukraine faster than the US Abram tanks, said John Kirby, the White House’s strategic communications coordinator for national security.

Kirby would not specify a timeline as to when the US would be able to deliver the Abram tanks to Ukraine, and told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Wednesday it would take “many months.”

“These Leopard tanks are very sophisticated, too. They’re very good tanks and there’s a lot of them on the European continent. We’re grateful that the Germans are going to contribute immediately 14 of them, but that they’re going to work with allies and partners to flesh out, you know, a full two-tank battalion, so that’s about 60 tanks, Wolf. And they’re very, very good tanks and you’re right, they will be able to get on the ground in Ukraine faster than the Abrams,” Kirby said.

He added: “We do believe that they can have a significant impact as the fighting begins to get more violent coming in the spring and summer months.”

US President Joe Biden announced the US plans to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine after Germany confirmed it will deliver 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its own stock to the country, following weeks of diplomatic pressure on Berlin. 

Air sirens rang across much of central and eastern Ukraine as officials warn residents to shelter from a possible Russian attack.

“Threat of a missile strike,” Mykola Lukashuk, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Region Council, said on Telegram. “Stay in safe places until the end of the alert. The threat is not over.”

Lukashuk urged others on Telegram not to report the locations of possible interceptions by Ukrainian air defense.

“Do not help the enemy,” he said. “Wait for official information.”

In the southern Mykolaiv region, there were also official reports of possible incoming Russian fire.

“They write that three groups of mopeds [Shahed attack drones] have already taken off,” Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Region Military Administration (or governor), said on Telegram. “The petty crooks couldn’t come up with anything better on the best president’s birthday.”

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, the military administrator warned residents to remain in their shelters: “There is a threat of missile attacks. Do not ignore the alarms.”

In the central Kirovohrad region, the military administrator said on Telegram: “The level of missile threat remains high.”

US President Biden announced Wednesday that he plans to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, reversing the administration’s longstanding resistance to requests from Kyiv for the highly sophisticated but maintenance-heavy vehicles.

Biden said in White House remarks that this US support is about helping Ukraine “defend its sovereignty” and that sending tanks does not mean it is an “offensive threat.”

Biden’s announcement came after Germany confirmed earlier Wednesday that it would send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine from its own stock. The two nations had appeared to be in standoff as German officials indicated Berlin would only send their Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine if the US sent the M-1 Abrams tanks.

If you are just reading in, here’s what you need to know about today’s developments:

Why this is significant: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN’s Kate Bolduan on “At This Hour” Wednesday that the tanks “will significantly strengthen” Kyiv’s combat capabilities. Ukraine’s President  Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently asked Western allies for modern tanks as his country prepares for an expected major Russian counteroffensive in the spring.

With both the US and Germany pledging to send tanks to Ukraine, other countries, especially those with the German-made tanks, have also announced contributions to the front lines. CNN cannot confirm the total number of Leopard 2 tanks to be delivered, but pledges made by multiple countries so far mean the Ukrainian military is in line to receive dozens of the tanks. Germany’s main governing party said on Wednesday that Ukraine’s Western allies will send the country a total of around 80 Leopard 2 main battle tanks.

Why send tanks now: Sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine will provide Kyiv’s forces with a modern and powerful military vehicle ahead of a potential Russian spring offensive. It will also come as a blow to the Kremlin, which has seen a growing campaign to equip Ukrainian troops with high-tech fighting systems as Russia’s ground war nears the one-year mark.

Speaking ahead of Biden’s announcement, senior US officials framed the decision as an investment in Ukraine’s “longer term capabilities,” an indication the administration sees the now 11-month-long war extending well into the future. Ukraine hopes the new tanks can help it retake territory seized by Russia, including in the Donbas. That could also include Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

Possible challenges: The Abrams tanks will take months to arrive, senior Biden administration officials said, and will require extensive training for Ukrainian troops on how to operate and service them. The US must navigate complicated supply chains for the components required for the tanks. 

The procurement process will take months, the officials said, though Germany’s Leopards will arrive in the nearer term. In the meantime, the US will begin a “comprehensive training program” for the Ukrainians on the Abrams, which will require significant maintenance once they are deployed. The training will occur outside Ukraine.

The Portuguese foreign minister said Wednesday it will take two to three months before Western-donated Leopard 2 tanks are fully operational in Ukraine.

Watch CNN’s Jim Sciutto break down the latest on the tanks:

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03:02 - Source: cnn

CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Stephanie Halasz, Sophie Tanno and Sugam Pokharel contributed reporting to this post.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that the decision by the United States and Germany to send main battle tanks to his country proved that “freedom is only getting stronger.”

He thanked ”Mr. President Biden, I thank the Congress, I thank every American family” as well as “Mr. Chancellor, all German politicians and public figures.”

He said that it was critical to get continued progress in the provision of weapons for Ukraine.

“Today I spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg,” he said. “We have to unlock the supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine, it is important for us to expand our cooperation in artillery, we have to achieve the supply of aircraft to Ukraine. And this is a dream. And this is a task. An important task for all of us.”

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry is reforming its “old Soviet-fashioned corruption” weapons procurement system to a modern, NATO-style system, the country’s defense minister told CNN on Wednesday, after a slew of officials were dismissed from Kyiv’s government amid a corruption scandal.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov addressed the issue in an interview with CNN, saying he asked Ukraine’s relevant parliamentary committees on Tuesday to help write new legislation to modernize the government’s system of procuring weapons and army supplies.

It comes after the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine said it was investigating allegations that the defense ministry was buying military provisions, including food for the troops, at inflated prices.

“We have to move forward” in tackling corruption, he added, because Ukraine will continue to need Western support after the war. 

“They will support us if we really show them that we stop [the] Soviet-era corruption systems in our country [and] we become a new, modernized, civilized, European country,” Reznikov told CNN. 

Some background: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired several of senior Ukrainian officials earlier this week due to the corruption scandal in the biggest shakeup of his government since Russia’s invasion began. Zelensky also announced he was banning government officials from traveling abroad on anything but official business.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) outlined a multi-step plan for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate at the upcoming 2024 Summer Games in Paris and the 2026 Winter Games in Milan.

The IOC said it would continue its sanctions against Russian and Belarusian state and government officials and prohibit sporting events organized by both country’s federations. 

The organization said its board had met and “unanimously reaffirmed and called for a reinforcement of the sanctions already in place.” 

The IOC said it would recommit and strengthen the organization’s “solidarity with the Ukrainian athletes and the Ukrainian Olympic community” and would support Ukraine’s effort to field a strong team at the Paris and Milan Games. 

In order for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete, they would represent as “neutral athletes and in no way represent their state or any other organisation in their country,” the IOC said. 

“No flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications whatsoever of these countries being displayed at any sports event or meeting, including the entire venue,” the IOC said. 

John Kirby, the White House’s strategic communications coordinator for national security, said Wednesday that the decision to provide advanced Western tank systems to Ukraine was both a diplomatic and military effort, noting that today’s decision was “several weeks in the making.” 

“There was a lot of diplomacy that went into the announcements today,” Kirby told CNN’s Phil Mattingly. “The decision that you saw today, by both Germany and the United States was several weeks in the making through many, many discussions with the Germans and with our allies.”

Kirby also said that it will likely take the Pentagon “weeks, not months” to finalize a training plan for the M1 Abrams tanks and get it underway, although he again underscored that procuring the tanks and finishing such training will take months. 

“How long is it going to take? I really am not able to say. They’re still working their way through that. We don’t think that it will take too much longer. You know, I’d say probably, you know, weeks, not months before they’re able to really nail down the details of this and start to start to put it in place — the training regimen,” Kirby told reporters.  

When asked later about whether the US plans to meet Ukrainian calls to provide Western fighter jets to Kyiv, Kirby wouldn’t go into details and said it’s unsurprising the Ukrainians are continuing to seek further capabilities.

“We’re in constant discussions with the Ukrainians about their capabilities, and as I’ve said, we evolve those as the conditions change. Can’t blame the Ukrainians for wanting more and more systems. It’s not the first time that they’ve talked about fighter jets, but I don’t have any announcements to make on that front,” Kirby said. 

Ukraine’s “wish list” for Western-supplied weapons includes fighter jets, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told CNN on Wednesday.

“I sent a wish list card to Santa Claus last year, and fighter jets also [were] including in this wish list,” Reznikov said.

But he said that his government’s first priority was air defense systems so it could prevent Russia from carrying out air and missile strikes.

“We have to close our sky, to defend our sky,” Reznikov said. “That’s priority number one. After that, we need to get more armed vehicles, tanks, artillery systems, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), et cetera, et cetera. We have people, but we need weaponry.”

Quoting Winston Churchill, he said, “Give us the tools, we will finish the job.”

Two Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the eastern city of Bakhmut said Wednesday that they feared an attempted encirclement of the city by Russian forces, though they did not expect a dramatic change in the coming days.

“The situation in the city is very alarming, but we keep fighting,” one soldier, whom CNN is not identifying for security reasons, said. 

The unnamed soldier in Bakhmut, with whom CNN has been in constant contact for weeks, said that “there are intense street battles for every house in the east, northeast and southeast,” but said that, while the Russian threat continued to grow, he did not believe that the Russians were likely to make any significant progress in the coming days.

“This is very worrying for us, and for everyone who is sane, especially those who saw what happened to the people surrounded in Soledar. And we were there. And no one wants it to happen again,” the soldier said.

Ukraine’s deputy defense minister acknowledged that Russia is “intensifying their pressure” on the eastern city of Bakhmut.

“The enemy throws a significant number of personnel, weapons and military equipment into the battle, trying to break through our defense, suffers significant losses, but does not abandon its plans,” Hanna Maliar said on Telegram. “Now in Donbas, against their superiority in the number of soldiers and weapons, we have the advantage of professional military command and courage of soldiers.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked US President Joe Biden for the decision to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, saying “it’s an important step on the path to victory.”

See his tweet:

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on allies in possession of German-made Leopard 2 tanks to send “as many of them as possible” now that Germany has said it will give Kyiv tanks from Berlin’s own inventory and approve their re-export from other countries to Ukraine.

An aide to Ukraine’s Presidential Administration Mykhailo Podolyak told CNN last week that Kyiv wanted “300 to 400 of these tanks,” which he said could, “sharply accelerate the tempo of the war and initiate the closing stages.”

CNN cannot confirm the total number of Leopard 2 tanks to be delivered, but pledges made by at least five countries mean the Ukrainian military is in line to receive dozens of the tanks.

It comes as the United States said it will send 31 of its M1 Abrams to Ukraine, President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday. The UK also previously announced it will send 14 of their Challenger 2 tanks.

Here’s a look at what countries have pledged so far:

Germany: Berlin has said it will provide 14 Leopard 2 tanks, which it described as “a first step.” 

Poland: A top foreign policy adviser to the Polish President has told CNN that Warsaw wanted to send “one company” of tanks. Marcin Przydacz, Head of the President’s International Policy Bureau, would not specify exactly how many tanks Poland intended to send but said that a company of tanks was usually made up of “between 10 and 14 Leopard 2 vehicles.” 

The Netherlands: Prime Minister Mark Rutte told CNN affiliate RTL News on Wednesday that his government would “seriously consider” purchasing the 18 Leopard 2 tanks it leases from Germany and sending them to Ukraine. The Netherlands doesn’t own any of the tanks.

Norway: Two Oslo-based newspapers reported on Tuesday that the Norwegian government was considering whether to send some of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, according to Reuters. Dagens Naeringsliv reported that Norway might contribute between 4 and 8 of the country’s 36 Leopard 2 tanks. The Norwegian defense minister told CNN: “We do not wish to comment on these deliberations or any ongoing or future contributions.” 

Spain: Defense Minister Margarita Robles has said Madrid is willing to send some of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Spanish state news agency EFE reported Wednesday. However Robles said it was not immediately possible to determine how many of the tanks might be sent.

Portugal: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that Portugal was among the countries “willing to provide” tanks to Ukraine. On Friday, the Portuguese Minister of Defense reiterated to Western officials at a meeting in Ramstein, Germany, Portugal’s “offer of training in this typology of fighting vehicle, and expressed the Portuguese government’s willingness to identify, in coordination with its partners, ways of endowing Ukraine with this capacity.”

CNN’s Claudia Otto, Antonia Mortensen and Al Goodman contributed reporting to this post.

Ukraine will use Western main battle tanks as an “iron fist” to break through Russian lines and liberate occupied territory, Ukraine’s defense minister told CNN on Wednesday.

“We will use them as a kind of metal fist, or iron fist, to break through the defense line of our enemy,” Oleksii Reznikov said.

Ukraine must “continue our counteroffensive campaign in different directions for the liberation [of] our temporarily occupied territories,” he added.

Ukraine’s Western allies will send the country a total of around 80 Leopard 2 main battle tanks, Germany’s main governing party said on Wednesday.

“Two battalions (a total of around 80 main battle tanks) of the Leopard-2-A6 type are to be delivered quickly,” the Social Democratic Party (SPD) said on Twitter.

“14 of these come from Bundeswehr stocks. In addition, the German government gives other countries permission to supply Ukraine with their own Leopard tanks,” it added

In addition to the Leopard 2 tanks, the United States on Wednesday pledged to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks, and the United Kingdom has pledged 14 Challenger 2 tanks.

It will take two to three months before Western-donated Leopard 2 tanks are fully operational in Ukraine, the Portuguese foreign minister said on Wednesday.

“In the first place it’ll depend on the training of Ukrainian crews,” João Gomes Cravinho told Portuguese broadcaster SIC on the sidelines of an event in Castelo Branco.

“Ukrainian military personnel need to be trained – the Leopard are a very advanced equipment, technologically, and so that will take a few weeks, just the training process … After that there are logistical hurdles that need to be addressed with the allies, so it’ll take two or three months.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that Portugal was among the countries “willing to provide” tanks to Ukraine.

The Portuguese Minister of Defense on Friday reiterated to Western officials at a meeting in Ramstein, Germany, Portugal’s “offer of training in this typology of fighting vehicle, and expressed the Portuguese government’s willingness to identify, in coordination with its partners, ways of endowing Ukraine with this capacity.”

Portugal’s foreign minister on Wednesday celebrated the Leopard 2 initiative. 

“What’s important is we have this commitment, it’s a very important paradigm shift,” he said. 

Cravinho did not go into detail about how many, if any, of Portugal’s 37 Leopard 2 tanks could be sent to Ukraine. 

In a call Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and four other world leaders agreed to provide continued military support for Ukraine in “close Euro-Atlantic coordination,” according to a readout.

Scholz spoke with US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the readout said.

“The exchange focused on the security situation in Ukraine and continued support for Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression. All five leaders agreed to continue military support to Ukraine in close Euro-Atlantic coordination,” it said.

The French Elysée also released a readout, which said that the five leaders welcomed Germany’s authorization to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine, “which complements and amplifies the AMX10-RC tank support announced by France on January 4th. President BIDEN informed his counterparts of the new American support measures announced today.”

“The five leaders have decided to stay in close contact to respond as effectively as possible to the needs of Ukraine and its people,” the French readout added.

Republican US Sen. Lindsey Graham, who just returned from Ukraine, told CNN’s Manu Raju that he believes the Germans and Americans sending tanks to Ukraine marks “a turning point in the war.”

“What happened is a big friggin’ deal,” the South Carolina Republican said. “You’ve got the Germans and the United States making a decision that’s been long overdue. We’re all in.”

He added that he “wanted to compliment President Biden,” on taking this step.

Graham said, “I just got back from Ukraine last week, the tanks will be outcome-determinative militarily. With the tanks, they’ve got a fighting chance to take back their land. Without the tanks, it would be a long drawn-out war.”

Graham said that Germany’s decision to provide tanks is a “recognition that we can’t be bullied by Putin.”

“It’s an all-in approach to helping Ukraine with the weapons they need,” he said.

He also noted that US lawmakers will need to pass another Ukraine supplemental soon, even as some Republicans have expressed opposition to sending more aid.

“We’ll need one in the next few months,” he said, adding that there’s “an element of Congress who echoes the sentiments of the isolationists of World War Two.” However, Graham said, he senses “a bipartisan resolve that I haven’t felt before, seen before.”

“Our Democratic colleagues, quite frankly, have been terrific on Ukraine and I appreciate it,” he said.

Graham added, “Those who are opposed to sending more money, these need to tell me what happens if Putin wins. What’s the cost of a Putin victory in Ukraine? Will China be more likely to invade Taiwan? And does that matter? So I will debate my colleagues.”

US President Joe Biden said that the Ukraine Defense Contact Group members are also sending additional military equipment following their eighth meeting last week.

Biden said the group of 50 nations are each making “significant contributions of their own to Ukraine’s integrity.”

“I want to thank every member of that coalition for continuing to step up,” Biden added.

He said the following countries are sending military equipment and weapons:

Biden added, “France, Canada, the UK, Slovakia and Norway and others have all donated critical air defense systems to help secure Ukrainian skies and save the lives of innocent civilians who are literally the target — the target of Russia’s aggression.”  

Norway will contribute to allies’ efforts to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, a Norwegian Defense Ministry spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday.

“We will contribute,” the spokesperson said, adding that Norway has not yet released details on how many tanks it will send or the timeline for getting tanks to Ukraine. 

Norwegian defense minister Bjørn Arild Gram said in a statement Wednesday they are in “close dialogue” with allies and Ukraine on how they can contribute “in the best possible way.”

“We are working as fast as we can to provide Ukraine with the support they need,” Gram added. “Norway has contributed significantly throughout 2022 and will continue to support Ukraine in 2023.” 

More on the tanks: CNN cannot confirm the total number of Leopard 2 tanks to be delivered, but pledges made by multiple countries so far mean the Ukrainian military is in line to receive dozens of the tanks.

Two Oslo-based newspapers reported on Tuesday that the Norwegian government was considering whether to send some of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, according to Reuters. Dagens Naeringsliv reported that Norway might contribute between 4 and 8 of the country’s 36 Leopard 2 tanks. “We do not wish to comment on these deliberations or any ongoing or future contributions,” the Norwegian defense minister told CNN.

A Ukrainian soldier fighting on the front lines in Bakhmut reacted with elation when told by CNN that Germany had given the green light for the export of Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine.

“Wow! They’re giving them to us? This is really good news, because tankers help us a lot in battles, especially in Soledar. The guys worked very well there,” he said. CNN is not naming the soldier for security reasons.

He told CNN that tank crews had proved incredibly helpful in Ukraine’s attempted defense of Soledar, the eastern Ukrainian town that the military finally conceded Wednesday had fallen to Russia earlier this month.

“If they put a good crew on the Leopard and give them good ammo and manage to send it here, it will be very timely help for the city,” he said of Bakhmut.

US President Joe Biden told reporters Wednesday that Germany did not pressure him to announce sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

This comes as Germany broke its diplomatic logjam with the US on Wednesday as it announced that it will send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Earlier, the two nations appeared to be in a standoff as German officials indicated Berlin would only send their Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine if the US sent the M-1 Abrams tanks.

In his Wednesday address, Biden also said, “Germany has really stepped up. The chancellor has been a strong, strong voice for unity.”

Earlier this morning, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had told the parliament that US-German relations are stronger than they have been in a long time.

President Joe Biden said that the United States’ support for Ukraine is “not an offensive threat” to Russia as he announced the US would send 31 tanks to Ukraine.

Biden said that this US support is about helping Ukraine “defend its sovereignty.”

“That’s what this is about. Helping Ukraine defend and protect Ukrainian land. It is not an offensive threat to Russia. There is no offensive threat,” Biden said,

The President added that he thought Russian troops should return to “where they belong” in Russia. 

“This war would be over today. That’s what we all want, an end to this war,” Biden said.

In what he called a “worldwide” effort to support Ukraine, US President Joe Biden thanked Germany for stepping up aid to the war.

Germany had indicated that it would send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine if the United States offered up tanks of its own. Biden announced Wednesday he plans to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

“I’m grateful to Chancellor Scholz for providing German Leopard 2 tanks and will lead an effort to organize the European contribution of two tank battalions for Ukraine. I want to thank the chancellor for his leadership and his steadfast commitment to our collective efforts to support Ukraine,” he said.

Helping Ukraine fight off Russian aggression is “a worldwide commitment,” the president said.

President Biden announced Wednesday that he plans to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, reversing the administration’s longstanding resistance to requests from Kyiv for the highly sophisticated but maintenance-heavy vehicles.

Biden said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recommended this move because it will strengthen Ukraine’s capacity to “defend its territory and achieve its strategic objectives.”

“The Abrams tanks are the most capable tanks in the world. They’re also extremely complex to operate and maintain, so we’re also giving Ukraine the parts and equipment necessary to effectively sustain these tanks on the battlefield. We’ll begin to train the Ukrainian troops on these issues of sustainment, logistics and maintenance as soon as possible,” Biden said in remarks from the White House.

The Abrams will take months to arrive, senior administration officials said, and will require extensive training for Ukrainian troops on how to operate and service them. The US must navigate complicated supply chains for the components required for the tanks. 

“Delivering these tanks to the field is going to take time. Time that we’ll see and we’ll use to make sure the Ukrainians are fully prepared to integrate the Abrams tanks into their defenses,” Biden added.

As recently as last week, top US officials cited those obstacles as barriers to providing the vehicles to Ukraine. Yet after an intensive bout of diplomacy with Germany, who had made clear it would only send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine if the United States offered up the Abrams, Biden has given the sign-off on sending the vehicles. The 31 Abrams will form a complete Ukrainian tank battalion. 

“This is a tremendous new capability that Ukraine will be getting to boost its long term defenses,” a senior administration official said, noting that the tanks will be procured through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funding.

Marking 11 months of Russia’s war in Ukraine as of yesterday, US President Joe Biden said that he had a call with NATO allies to coordinate their support for Ukraine.

“The United States has worked in lockstep with our allies and partners around the world to make sure the Ukrainian people are in the strongest possible position to defend their nation, their families and against the brutal, truly brutal aggression of Russia.”

Europe and the US are “fully united,” he added, saying on his call with NATO leaders, they spoke about continuing “our close coordination and full support of Ukraine.”

“The expectation on the part of Russia is we’re going to break up. We’re not going to stay united. But we are fully, thoroughly, totally united,” he added.

US President Joe Biden is speaking from the White House about continued support for Ukraine and is set to announce he plans to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, reversing the administration’s longstanding resistance to requests from Kyiv for the highly sophisticated but maintenance-heavy vehicles.

Biden spoke with the leaders of Germany, the UK, Italy and France prior to his remarks.

Germany earlier announced it would send Ukraine Leopard 2 tanks, while CNN reported yesterday that the US plans to send its M1 Abrams tanks to the country.

NATO Security General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Germany’s announcement of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, telling CNN that it “will significantly strengthen their combat capabilities.”

“We have seen how the Russians are digging in and are building fortifications,” Stoltenberg said. “If we want Ukraine to be able to both to defend against upcoming Russian offenses, we know the Russians are planning for new offenses, and also if we want Ukraine to be able to retake territory, we need to give them more armor, more heavy and modern weapons.”

Berlin said it will provide a company of 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from Bundeswehr stocks, with the training of the Ukrainian crews to begin quickly in Germany. In addition to training, the package will also include logistics, ammunition and maintenance of the systems.

Asked if the introduction of the Leopard tanks and reports that the US is finalizing its plans to send Abrams tanks will give Ukraine the capability to win, Stoltenberg said Western allies “need to provide even more support, not only to ensure that Ukraine survives but actually ensure that Ukraine is able to liberate more territory, win and prevail as a sovereign.”

US President Joe Biden spoke with his German, United Kingdom, Italian and French counterparts Wednesday morning, moments before he’s set to give remarks on continued support for Ukraine in the Roosevelt Room. 

The White House said Biden spoke with President Macron of France, Chancellor Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, and Prime Minister Sunak of the United Kingdom “as part of our close coordination on support for Ukraine.” 

Biden’s remarks come after Germany confirmed it will send a long-demanded contingent of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and as CNN reports the US is finalizing plans to send US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov had a phone call with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday, Reznikov tweeted.

“Discussed the results of #Ramstein 8, further strengthening of #UAarmy, including tanks supplies&maintenance of the new armament,” the Ukrainian official said, adding that “more good news” will be announced soon.

See the tweet:

The ongoing war in Ukraine has disrupted education for more than 5 million children, UNICEF said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to UNICEF, the impact of the 11 months of war only compounds the two years of learning lost to the Covid-19 pandemic, and more than eight years of war for children in eastern Ukraine.

“There is no pause button. It is not an option to simply postpone children’s education and come back to it once other priorities have been addressed, without risking the future of an entire generation,” Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia said.

Some context: Explosive weapons being used, especially in populated areas have left thousands of schools, pre-schools or other education facilities across the country damaged or destroyed, and have led to many parents and caretakers reluctant to send children to school amid safety concerns, according to UNICEF.

Attacks on electricity and other energy infrastructure have caused widespread blackouts, impacting the more than 1.9 million children utilizing online learning opportunities and the 1.3 million children enrolled in a combination of in-person and online learning.

Outside of the country, an estimated two out of three Ukrainian refugee children are not currently enrolled in the host country’s education system.

The southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia came under Russian attack on Wednesday, according to the city council.

One woman has been killed, Anatoliy Kurtiev, secretary for Zaporizhzhia’s City Council, said on Telegram. “We offer our sincere condolences to her family and friends,” he said.

“The damned Russian creatures have viciously attacked Zaporizhzhia today in broad daylight. A private house in one of the city’s districts was destroyed as a result of an enemy strike.”

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Wednesday said that it had added the Ukrainian city of Odesa to its World Heritage List.

Under UNESCO’s founding Convention members, that include Russia and Ukraine, are obligated to “not take any deliberate measures that directly or indirectly damage their heritage or that of another State Party to the Convention.”

Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO, said in a statement that he hoped it would help protect Odesa from the war.

“Odesa, a free city, a world city, a legendary port that has left its mark on cinema, literature and the arts, is thus placed under the reinforced protection of the international community,” Azoulay said. “While the war continues, this inscription embodies our collective determination to ensure that this city, which has always surmounted global upheavals, is preserved from further destruction.”

The statement said that the decision would give Ukraine access to “technical and financial international assistance” to protect and rehabilitate the city center.

Ukraine’s foreign minister said Wednesday that he had thanked his Polish counterpart in a phone call for leading the way on pledging Leopard 2 battle tanks.

“I had a call with @RauZbigniew and thanked Poland which was the first country to publicly announce Leopard 2 delivery, thus contributing crucially to the forming of the tank coalition,” Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

He said that the two discussed how better to support passenger and cargo rail between Poland and Ukraine.

An alleged former commander in Russia’s Wagner private military company, who fled to Norway to seek asylum after crossing the country’s arctic border, will be released from police detention on Wednesday and is “subject to duty to stay in a specific place,” Norway’s National Police said in a statement to CNN.

Andrei Medvedev told the head of human rights advocacy group Gulagu.net, Vladimir Osechkin, earlier in January that he feared for his life after refusing to renew his service with Wagner.

“The National Police Immigration Service will release Medvedev from the Police Detention Centre today, subject to duty to stay in a specific place,” said the acting head of the National Police Immigration Service’s legal section, Jon Andreas Johansen.
“The decision is due to the fact that the conditions for keeping him detained under the Immigration Act, section 106, are no longer in place,” Johansen said.

“Anyone seeking protection in Norway are entitled to somewhere to stay. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration are responsible for ensuring that asylum seekers in Norway have somewhere to stay. The responsibility for assessing individuals’ safety and the need for security measures rests with the relevant police district,” he said.

Some more context: On Monday, Gulagu.net head Osechkin said in a statement posted on YouTube that Medvedev called him from the detention center after authorities arrested him on Sunday, and said he is appealing to the Prime Minister of Norway and journalists for protection and to prevent a possible deportation.

Police in Spain have arrested a Spanish man on suspicion of sending six letter bombs to the Spanish prime minister, the Ukrainian ambassador in Madrid, and other high-profile targets late last year, the country’s interior ministry said in a statement Wednesday.  

The arrest of the 74-year-old suspect took place in the town of Miranda de Ebro, about a three-hour drive north of Madrid, the ministry press office said.   

Police said the suspect is retired, is “very active on social media” and has technical and computer knowledge, according to a statement. 

Police determined that the suspect participated in sending the six letters from the city of Burgos, about an hour’s drive southwest of Miranda de Ebro.

Although “it’s presumed that the suspect made and sent the explosive devices on his own, the police don’t rule out the participation or influence of other people in these events,” the ministry said. 

Police searched the home of the suspect in Miranda de Ebro, where it is thought that the bombs were assembled, according to the statement. 

The investigation spanned various provinces before the arrest of the suspect. He was not fully identified, but police provided his initials as “P.G.P.,” the statement added.

The arrest of the suspect is part of an ongoing operation coordinated by an investigating magistrate at Spain’s National Court in Madrid, the interior ministry said.   

The suspect is expected to be arraigned before a National Court judge on Friday in a closed-door hearing, the court’s press office told CNN. 

Some background: The only reported injury from the six letter bombs was at the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid last Nov. 30. An embassy employee was injured while handling the letter, which was addressed to the Ukrainian ambassador, Spanish officials said at the time.   

Authorities said that the other five letter bombs, all intercepted by security screening and resulting in no injuries, were sent in late November or early December.

They were sent to the Spanish prime minister, Spain’s defense minister, the US Embassy in Madrid, a Spanish air force base near Madrid and a Spanish arms maker in the northern city of Zaragoza.  

Spanish media reported that weapons from the Spanish arms maker, Instalaza, had reportedly been sent by Spain last year to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion of that country. The company has declined to comment to CNN about the reports.   

On Dec. 1, 2022, the ministry ordered increased security at embassies and consulates in Spain, and at other sites requiring special protection. Security had already been boosted after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of last year.  

After the spate of letter bombs, the Russian embassy in Madrid tweeted that it condemned the sending of such devices. 

“We condemn any threat or terrorist act,” it tweeted.

But US officials believe that Russian intelligence officers directed a Russian White supremacist group to carry out the letter-bombing campaign as a warning to European governments which have rallied around Ukraine since Russia’s invasion.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on allies in possession of German-made Leopard 2 tanks to send “as many of them [to Ukraine] as possible” now that Germany has said it will both approve their re-export and send tanks from Berlin’s own inventory.

“I call on all new partners that have Leopard 2 tanks in service to join the coalition and provide as many of them as possible. They are free now,” he tweeted Wednesday.

See Kuleba’s tweet:

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Berlin was aiming to “quickly assemble two tank battalions with Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine,” according to a government statement.

US President Joe Biden will give remarks on support for Ukraine at 12 p.m. ET, according to the White House.

The US is finalizing plans to send approximately 30 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, two US officials familiar with the deliberations told CNN.

Germany deciding to send Leopard 2 tanks and the US finalizing plans on sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine are momentous decisions, partly because these are not defensive weapons. They are intended to hit Russia’s troops hard in a ground offensive. They are unequivocally about Ukraine retaking territory. This is new, and fierce, and it portrays a NATO unafraid.

This latest burst of Western help says two things:

These nations are not concerned about breaching Russian “red lines”: The long-held belief is crumbling that some elements of NATO assistance to Ukraine could risk provoking a nuclear power too far.

These NATO members are less concerned about being attacked by Russia itself in the imminent future: They are handing over weapons they would urgently need in the event of such a conflict. The Dutch decision to send all their Cesar artillery; the Norwegian decision to send a large proportion of their Leopards; both are testament to this. These NATO members think the decisive conflict with Russia will be in Ukraine, with Ukraine. And that might suggest they believe Moscow will not win.

Western inventories can be rebuilt or replenished, but it takes time – decades maybe. And NATO members are pledging equipment at such a pace that the last announcement is not in play before the next one comes.

And this will be felt within the walls of the Kremlin. The Russian military is struggling to fashion a strategic plan around its constantly changing leadership, and to convert into substantial gains the brutal use of manpower as an endless and expendable resource. For those around Russian President Vladimir Putin, the colossus of NATO aid is inescapable and surely weighing into how enduring their support for Putin is. This is not going away.

Read the full analysis here.

Germany has announced it will provide Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv’s troops in a major sign of support that is expected to be matched by the United States.

The decision followed weeks of Western pressure, ending a period of deliberation in Berlin that has frustrated its allies and caused exasperation in Kyiv.

Why this matters: Wednesday’s announcement means Ukraine will soon be in possession of a modern tank that would hugely boost its arsenal ahead of renewed ground fighting anticipated in the spring.

Ukraine is bracing for a Russian offensive in the coming weeks, aimed at completing the capture of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions – the primary goal set by President Vladimir Putin for what he euphemistically calls his “special military operation.”

The Ukrainian military’s most senior officer, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhniy, said in December that Ukraine expected a Russian offensive any time between the end of January and March.

Previous military aid, like the American HIMARS rocket system, has been vital in helping Ukraine disrupt Russian advances and make a series of successful counter-offensives in recent months.

Kyiv will hope that Western tanks will have a similar impact on the slow, grinding ground war in Ukraine’s east.

Tanks represent the most powerful direct offensive weapon provided to Ukraine so far, a heavily armed and armored system designed to meet the enemy head on instead of firing from a distance. If used properly with the necessary training, they could allow Ukraine to retake territory against Russian forces that have had time to dig defensive lines.

The US has begun supplying refurbished Soviet-era T-72 tanks, but modern Western tanks are a generation ahead in terms of their ability to target enemy positions. Ukrainian officials say they need several hundred main battle tanks – not only to defend their present positions but also to take the fight to the enemy in the coming months.

“Of course, we need a large number of Western tanks. They are much better than the Soviet models and can help us advance,” Lt. Gen. Serhiy Naiev told CNN.

Read more here.

Despite not currently owning any German-made Leopard 2 tanks, the Netherlands said Wednesday it is prepared to purchase tanks it currently leases in order to send them to Ukraine. 

“If it helps for the Netherlands to also participate, then we are prepared to do so,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told CNN affiliate RTL News.

The Netherlands does not own any battle tanks, having sold all of its Leopard 2 battle tanks to Germany in 2018 and 2021, according to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms.

But the Netherlands does lease 18 Leopard 2A6 battle tanks from Germany. Rutte has suggested that the Netherlands could purchase these tanks outright, and then send them to Ukraine.

“Those conversations are ongoing,” Rutte said. “It could also be that people say, well, it suits us better if you use those tanks in a different manner. So that conversation is taking place.”

He said that while a decision would still have to be taken, “we have said to the Germans that we are prepared to seriously consider it.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is “sincerely grateful” to Germany for agreeing to supply his government with its sought-after Leopard 2 battle tanks. 

Zelensky said in a tweet that he had spoken to Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the telephone.

During their phone call, Scholz told Zelensky that Germany will “further strengthen military support for Ukraine in close coordination with European and international partners,” according to a German government press office readout.

“President Zelensky thanked the Federal Chancellor for the decision to make ‘Leopard 2’ battle tanks available to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and to issue corresponding transfer licences to partner countries wishing to supply such tanks from their stocks to Ukraine,” it said. 

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed the “right decision” by NATO allies to send battle tanks to Ukraine, following Germany’s announcement that it will provide Kyiv with Leopard 2 tanks. 

“The right decision by NATO Allies and friends to send main battle tanks to Ukraine,” tweeted Sunak. “Alongside Challenger 2s, they will strengthen Ukraine’s defensive firepower. Together, we are accelerating our efforts to ensure Ukraine wins this war and secures a lasting peace.”

Sunak was referring to British Challenger 2 tanks. On Jan. 14, the UK government announced that it would send 12 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine as part of efforts to “intensify” support for the Ukrainian defense against Russia.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Wednesday that he was “delighted” by Germany joining the UK, France and Poland in sending Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, adding that it’s time for Russia to realize that Kyiv’s allies are “increasingly determined to help Ukraine resist” Moscow’s “barbaric and illegal invasion.” 

Germany’s announcement that it will send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine comes after a diplomatic logjam with the United States, where German officials had openly stated that they would only send their Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine if the US sent the M-1 Abrams tanks.

So as the German announcement comes, the US is also finalizing plans to send approximately 30 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, two US officials familiar with the deliberations told CNN.

With this backdrop, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the German parliament that Berlin’s relations with the US were better than they had been for a long time.

“I can tell you that the relationship between Germany and the US is on a better level than it has been for a long time. I find great agreement with the American president, who I think is a very capable, very oriented, very goal-oriented politician, especially in terms of international politics and in terms of supporting the transatlantic relationship and emphasizing good cooperation with Germany,” he said Wednesday. “This is a president who is a really good partner.”

CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Kylie Atwood and Oren Lieberman contributed to this reporting.

Spain is willing to provide Ukraine with its Leopard tanks, but in coordination with the allies, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said according to Spain’s state news agency EFE.

Robles however added it was not immediately possible to determine how many of Spain’s Leopard 2 tanks might be sent to Ukraine, the news agency reported Wednesday. 

The minister also said that Spain would provide training to operate the modern battle tanks. 

Robles on Wednesday held a meeting with Spain’s top military officers from the nation’s joint command, the defense ministry said. 

Some context: Thirteen European countries, including Poland and Finland, are in possession of modern German Leopard 2 tanks, which were introduced in 1979 and have been upgraded several times since, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank.

Many of them have agreed to re-export some tanks to Kyiv, but require Germany’s permission. Berlin has said it will allow other countries to export the battle tank.

CNN’s Rob Picheta contributed to this post.

The decision by the German government to approve deliveries of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine is “extremely dangerous” and takes the conflict “to a new level of confrontation,” Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev said in a statement Wednesday.

“This extremely dangerous decision brings the conflict to a new level of confrontation and runs counter to German politicians’ statements about FRG’s [Federal Republic of Germany] reluctance to be involved in such,” Nechaev said. 

“Unfortunately, this happens over and over again. Yet again, we can see that just like its closest partners, Germany is not interested in a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian crisis, has its heart set on its permanent escalation and the unlimited pumping of the Kyiv regime with more and more deadly weapons. ‘Red lines’ are a thing of the past,” he added. 

Nechaev then brought up World War II, claiming that Germany “has forgotten the difficult path of postwar reconciliation between Russians and Germans,” Nechaev said. 

“Battle tanks marked with the German cross will again be sent to ‘the Eastern front,’ which inevitably will lead to the death of not only Russian soldiers, but the civilian population, too,” he said. 

Nechaev said that Berlin’s decision comes as the 80th anniversary of the end of the Siege of Leningrad is observed.

The decision “destroys any remaining mutual trust, causes irreparable damage to Russian-German relations which are already in a pitiful state, and casts doubt on the possibility of their normalization in the near future,” he said. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the decision to send Leopard 2 tanks was made after intensive discussions with allies.

“It is right that we advanced bit by bit, that is the only principle that can work in such dangerous conditions also for Europe,” he said during a statement before his question-and-answer session in the German parliament. 

“Our aim is to send two tank battalions,” he said, adding training needed to come first.

More details: In a first step, Berlin will provide a company of 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from Bundeswehr stocks, with the training of the Ukrainian crews to begin quickly in Germany. In addition to training, the package will also include logistics, ammunition and maintenance of the systems.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday “strongly“ welcomed Berlin’s decision to send German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, saying the tanks can help Kyiv “win” the war. 

Germany has made a landmark decision to send Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, as well as authorizing other countries to re-export their own stocks of the tanks.

Elsewhere, a Ukrainian official has confirmed that the country’s forces have withdrawn from Soledar in the east of the country, and a local pro-Russian official claims that Wagner mercenary forces are advancing in nearby Bakhmut.

Here are the latest headlines:

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking in parliament, said he had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before coming to parliament.

Scholz is in the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, for a question-and-answer session with deputies.

Scholz confirmed that Germany will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine — following weeks of diplomatic pressure to do so — during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, according to a federal government spokesman.

Some context: Germany together with the US and UK had sent the most weapons systems to Ukraine, Scholz added, saying Germany would be at the forefront of support for Ukraine.

All decisions to send weapons systems had been coordinated with allies, he told the parliament.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said that Leopard 2 tanks could be operational in Ukraine in about three months.

Training will be carried out first and then the tanks will be sent to Kyiv, he told reporters.

Pistorius said that Wednesday’s decision to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine was “historic.”

And Germany will discuss further weapons systems deliveries to Ukraine for as long as the war continues, he added.

However, it is important that “we do not become party to the war,” said Pistorius, warning that the decision to deliver Leopard 2s was no reason to be jubilant.

Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the eastern salt mining town of Soledar, a military spokesperson told CNN by telephone on Wednesday.

Russia claimed earlier this month that its forces had captured Soledar, but the Ukrainians have not previously confirmed that the town has fallen.

“The Ukrainian Armed Forces withdrew from Soledar to save the lives of their personnel,” said Serhii Cherevatyi, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. “We withdrew as planned, unit by unit.”

Cherevatyi said that the nearby city of Bakhmut remains under sustained attack from Russian forces, and that “fierce fighting is taking place there.”

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has praised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his decision to allow German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks to be sent to Ukraine. 

“Thank you Olaf Scholz. The decision to send Leopards to Ukraine is a big step towards stopping Russia. Together we are stronger,” Morawiecki said in a tweet.

Poland has been pushing Germany to send Leopard 2s, or at least allow third countries to re-export them.

According to German law, weapons intended for warfare that are manufactured in the country cannot be re-exported without the federal government’s approval.

On Tuesday, Poland’s defense minister said the country had formally asked for approval from Germany to transfer some of its own Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

The French government also issued a statement welcoming the German government’s decision to send Leopard 2s to Ukraine.

“France welcomes the German decision, which extends and amplifies the support we have given with the delivery of the AMX10 RC,” it said.

AMX 10-RCs are French-made light battle tanks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff has welcomed the news that Germany will send his country Leopard 2 combat tanks, and reiterated they needed “a lot” of them.

 “The first tank step has been taken,” said Andriy Yermak on Telegram. “Next up is the ‘tank coalition’. We need a lot of Leopards.”

Germany’s decision to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine is “absolutely logical,” the country’s Economics Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has said.

“Ukraine has been defending itself for almost a year against Russia’s attack, which is contrary to international law. It is defending its territorial integrity and its freedom with a tenacity that impresses me anew every day,” said Habeck in a statement.

“And I am convinced that it is our responsibility to support them in this – together with our European and international partners, especially the USA.”

Habeck said that it is important to “weigh things up carefully” before adjusting the level of support to Ukraine.

“The decisions we have now taken are therefore absolutely logical,” he said. 

“In close cooperation with our partners, we are supplying battle tanks to Ukraine so that it can better defend itself against Russian aggression, and we are also making this possible for our partners,” added Habeck.

“Ukraine’s right to self-defense applies, and we support it in this with great strength.”

The Russian government has ordered the establishment of more than 20 correctional facilities in the occupied regions of Ukraine, a government document shows.

The correctional facilities will be established in the four regions that Russia claims to have illegally annexed – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – according to the document, which was published Tuesday on the official Russian government portal of legal information.

“The main purpose of the activities of the institutions (… ) is the execution of criminal punishment in the form of forced labor, as specified by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation,” the document reads.

Most of the facilities are prison colonies, three are forced labor facilities and three are medical correctional institutions.

The document was signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Germany will provide 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its own stocks as part of a first shipment to Ukraine, according to a government statement.

“The goal is to quickly assemble two tank battalions with Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine,” the statement said. Deliveries from European partners are to make up the remainder.

Germany confirmed that it will authorize the re-export of Leopard 2 tanks from other countries. Re-export of German-made weapons requires permission from the German government under national law.

“Germany will give the partner countries that want to quickly deliver Leopard 2 tanks from their stocks to Ukraine the corresponding authorizations to transfer them,” reads the statement.

Poland has been pushing Germany to allow it to send some of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, and formally requested permission to do so on Tuesday.

Germany will also host Ukrainian tank crews so they can learn about the Leopard 2.

“The training of the Ukrainian crews is to begin quickly in Germany,” reads the statement. “In addition to training, the package will also include logistics, ammunition and maintenance of the systems.”

If the US sends its Abrams tanks to Ukraine they will “burn down just like all the others,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday. 

“I am convinced that many experts understand the absurdity of this idea as well, this plan is quite a failure in terms of technological aspects,” Peskov told reporters during a regular conference call.

“We repeat that these tanks will burn down just like all the others. Only they cost a lot, and all this will fall primarily on the shoulders of European taxpayers,” he added. 

US officials familiar with the negotiations said the Biden administration is finalizing plans to send approximately 30 US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

Previously, Russia’s Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said Russian armed forces will destroy US-made Abrams tanks and other NATO military equipment if they are supplied to Ukraine.

“If a decision to transfer to Kiev M1 Abrams is made, American tanks without any doubt will be destroyed as all other samples of NATO military equipment,” said Antonov in a statement late Tuesday.

Germany has confirmed that it will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, following weeks of diplomatic pressure to do so.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the move in a cabinet meeting Wednesday, according to federal government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.

“This is the result of intensive consultations that took place with Germany’s closest European and international partners,” Scholz said, according to the statement. “This decision follows our well-known line of supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability.”

Wagner mercenary forces are making progress in Bakhmut and fighting in parts of the town that the Ukrainians held until recently, a pro-Russian official has told Russian state news agency TASS. 

“Units, in particular Wagner, are advancing in Artemivsk [the Russian name for Bakhmut] itself,” said Denis Pushilin, the Kremlin-backed governor of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine.

“Battles are already ongoing somewhere on the outskirts, and somewhere in those quarters that were recently held by the enemy.” 

CNN could not verify the battlefield claims.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Tuesday that Russia was “increasing pressure” in the direction of Bakhmut and the nearby town of Vuhledar.

The Ukrainian military’s General Staff made a brief reference to Bakhmut in its daily update on Wednesday, saying that Russian troops “continue[s] to conduct offensives” around the town and it had had “repelled” attacks there. 

“While suffering numerous casualties, the enemy continues to conduct offensives in the direction of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Novopavlivka,” it said.

“Ukrainian Defense Forces have repelled enemy attacks near the towns of Bilohorivka in Luhansk region and Rozdolivka, Krasna Hora, Bakhmut, Novobakhmutivka, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka and Charivne in Donetsk region.” 

On Tuesday, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that Russian forces had “made marginal territorial gains near Bakhmut.” 

Pavlo Kyrylenko, Ukraine’s regional governor in Donetsk, said on Telegram on Wednesday morning that Vuhledar, some 130 kilometers southwest of Bakhmut, had come under “intense shelling.”

Russia’s Admiral Gorshkov frigate, armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, will take part in joint exercises with the Chinese and South African navies, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The exercises are scheduled to take place early next month off the coast of South Africa.

The Admiral Gorshkov was deployed January 4 and performed air defense drills in the Norwegian Sea before heading to the Atlantic Ocean, according to state news agency TASS. 

It is armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, and a successful test was carried out on Wednesday, according to the ship’s commander.

“Today a shipborne combat training exercise was held to practice delivering a missile strike against an enemy surface target. The Tsirkon [Zircon] hypersonic weapon was employed to a distance of over 900 km,” said Captain 1st Rank Igor Krokhmal in a video released by the Defense Ministry. 

“In our scenario, the electronic launch and the work by the shipborne combat team confirmed the missile system’s designed characteristics demonstrated during preliminary and state trials,” he said, adding that the electronic missile launch objective was fully achieved.

The Admiral Gorshkov is a multi-purpose frigate that joined the Russian navy in 2018, according to TASS.

The warship was actively involved in testing Russia’s “breakthrough” Zircon hypersonic missile, designed and produced by the Research and Production Association of Machine-Building, part of Russia’s Tactical Missiles Corporation, according to TASS.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is currently on a visit to Africa. He was in South Africa on Monday and is due to visit Angola today.

Russian armed forces will destroy US-made Abrams tanks and other NATO military equipment if they are supplied to Ukraine, Russia’s Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said in a statement late Tuesday. 

When asked to comment on possible shipments of M1 Abrams tanks to Kiev, Antonov said that “analysis of the entire sequence of Washington’s actions” shows the Americans “are constantly raising the ‘bar’ of military assistance to their puppet government.”

“Obviously, Washington is deliberately trying to inflict strategic defeat on us. It gives ‘green light’ to use of American assistance for attacks on the Crimea. It covers crimes committed by radicals against [the] population of Donbass, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions,” he claimed. 
“If the United States decides to supply tanks, it will be impossible to justify such step using arguments about ‘defensive weapons’. This would be another blatant provocation against the Russian Federation. No one should have illusions about who is the real aggressor in the current conflict,” Antonov said.

US officials familiar with the negotiations said the Biden administration is finalizing plans to send approximately 30 US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials say the Russians are learning from their battlefield mistakes and making it harder for Ukraine’s missiles to hit their ammunition depots and logistics hubs. That’s why, they say, Ukraine needs longer range missiles that can reach inside Russia.

They also believe the appointment of Gen. Valery Gerasimov as the commander of Russia’s offensive in Ukraine is a last throw of the dice by the Kremlin after multiple reshuffles of its military hierarchy.

The deputy chief of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Vadym Skibitsky, told CNN Monday that the Russians have begun dispersing military supplies “across the entire territory of the Russian Federation.”

In particular, he said, “everything is moved to the southern regions through the Crimean peninsula” from logistical hubs in the Russian region of Rostov.

And this requires strikes against facilities not only in Russian-occupied Crimea, “but also in the Russian Federation,” Skibitsky said.

He described Russia’s logistics systems as lying 80 to 120 kilometers (50-75 miles) from the front line, which means Ukraine needs longer-range strike systems to target them.

Another reason for long-range artillery: multiple Ukrainian officials have told CNN that Ukraine wants to launch a counteroffensive before Russian reinforcements are equipped and ready to move. But to do that, Kyiv needs to be able to reach further.

“In order to prepare a counteroffensive or offensive operation you need to destroy many installations, not only on the front line, but also deep behind, 100-150 kilometers behind the enemy lines,” Skibitsky said.
“Especially now, to form strong strike groupings we require tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, heavy weapons that would enable quick counteroffensive operations against the enemy.”

Read the full story here.

US and European donations of tanks to Ukraine will bring “more suffering” to the country and “more tension to the continent,” a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, more weapons from NATO bring more suffering for people in Ukraine. It also brings more tension to the continent. But it cannot prevent Russia from reaching our goals,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN.

His comments come as Germany’s parliament on Wednesday prepares to debate the contentious issue of possibly sending German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, US officials familiar with the negotiations said the Biden administration is finalizing plans to send approximately 30 US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

Strained relations: On Tuesday, Peskov said any approval from Berlin of tank deliveries to Ukraine would inevitably affect relations between Russia and Germany, which are already at a “fairly low point.”

“Of course, such deliveries do not bode well for the future of relations. They will leave an imminent trace,” Peskov added during a regular press briefing.

Vladimir Osechkin says he was walking toward his dining room table, plates of spaghetti for his children in his hands, when he spotted the red laser dancing across the wall.

He knew what was coming.

Slamming off the lights, he says he and his wife pulled their children to the ground, hurrying out of sight and into a different area of the apartment. Minutes later, Osechkin says, a would-be assassin fired, mistaking hastily arrived police officers for the Russian dissident.

For the next 30 minutes, Osechkin told CNN, his wife and children lay on the floor. His wife, nearest their children, shielded them from more bullets during the September 12 attack.

“The last 10 years I do a lot of things to protect the human rights and other people. But in this moment, I understood that my mission to help other people created a very high risk to my family,” Osechkin told CNN from France, where he’s lived since 2015 after he fled Russia and claimed asylum. He now has full-time police protection.

He’s become the champion of a growing number of high-level Russian officials defecting to the West, emboldened and disgruntled by the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. He says ex-generals and intelligence agents are among their number.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown his determination to hunt the Kremlin’s perceived enemies overseas. Osechkin has been arrested in absentia in Russia and is currently on the Russian authorities “wanted list.” France has provided him sanctuary, but security is far harder to come by.

Osechkin’s work as an investigative journalist and anti-corruption activist — which means he has made it his business to know the secrets of the Russian state — helps to a degree. Twice, he tells CNN, tip-offs have beaten the killers to his door.

Osechkin’s response is chillingly calm. “Good evening. Wow. And how much is offered for my gray head?”

Osechkin now lives under constant armed guard, provided by the French authorities, his address and routine are secret.

Read the full story:

Russian exiled dissident Vladimir Osechkin poses during a photo session on September 20, 2022 in Paris. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP) (Photo by JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article High-ranking Russian officials are defecting. This man is aiding them | CNN

The German parliament will debate the contentious issue of possibly sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine on Wednesday. 

The opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) parties have requested the debate, arguing they want to “end the Leopard-blockade of the federal government.” The opposition parties say, according to the parliamentary website, that the German government “must fear losing the trust of its allies.”

The debate will start at 9.05 a.m. ET.

Some context: Poland has formally asked Germany for permission to transfer Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine. Germany has so far resisted calls from Poland, the US and a handful of other NATO countries to transfer the tanks into Ukraine, or authorize other countries to send some of their Leopards to Kyiv.

However, Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said earlier that the country will make a decision on the tanks “very soon.”

Newspaper is set to send its sought-after Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine to help bolster the country’s war effort, Der Spiegel reported on Tuesday evening, attributing to unnamed sources.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has decided to deliver the battle tanks following “months of debate,” according to the German news outlet’s exclusive report.

The Biden administration is finalizing plans to send approximately 30 US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine and could make an announcement as soon as this week, according to two officials familiar with the deliberations.

The US will also send a small number of recovery vehicles, one of the officials said. The tracked vehicles are used to assist in the repair of tanks on the battlefield or their removal for maintenance.

The timing around the delivery of the tanks is unclear and it normally takes several months to train troops to use them effectively, officials said. 

An announcement about the tanks could be part of an attempt to break a diplomatic logjam with Germany, which indicated to the US last week that it would not send its Leopard tanks to Ukraine unless the US also agreed to send its M1 Abrams tanks. 

Top US national security officials have been considering steps they could take to convince Germany to send the Leopards. 

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Tuesday she suspects the matter “will be resolved relatively soon.”

“I think you’ll see in the days ahead resolution of some of these issues,” she said.

Some background: The Biden administration has never taken the possibility of shipping American tanks entirely off the table, but US officials said publicly last week that now is not the right time to send the 70-ton M1 Abrams tanks because they are costly and require a significant amount of training to operate.

The tanks have instead repeatedly been floated as a long-term option — even as critics say the right time is now, as Ukraine braces for the possibility Russia will mobilize more troops and launch a new offensive.

Sky News Arabia was first to report the news that the US is considering sending the tanks.

CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.

The decision to send US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine will take many factors into account, including technical considerations, White House National Security Council Senior Coordinator for Communications John Kirby told CNN on Tuesday.

“We have talked about the fact that the Abrams are an incredibly capable system but it’s a very expensive system to operate and to maintain,” Kirby told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “It has a jet engine — it doesn’t mean that the Ukrainians can’t learn it, it just means that we have to factor all that stuff in with any system that we’re going to potentially provide to them.” 

Earlier Tuesday, CNN reported that the Biden administration is finalizing plans to send tanks to Ukraine, according to three US officials. The timing around the delivery of the tanks is still unclear and it normally takes several months to train troops to use them effectively, officials said.

Kirby acknowledged the complexity of the Abrams systems could play a role in the US’ decision to share tanks with Ukraine, adding that “with any advanced system, you have to factor in things like supply chain and maintenance time and how often can you keep them operational and how do you use them effectively.”

Ensuring Ukrainian troops are sufficiently trained on the systems “absolutely affects,” the US’ decision, he added. 

US-Russia tensions: Kirby also dismissed the idea that providing Abrams tanks might raise tensions with Russia, pointing to Moscow’s attacks against civilians in Ukraine. “It is Russia that is the aggressor here, it is Russia that has escalated,” he said. 

Two Colombians who joined the International Legion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have died in Ukraine, the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Relations announced on Tuesday.

The Embassy of Colombia in Poland has been in contact with the relatives to organize the return of their remains, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The Ministry of Foreign Relations mourns the deaths of the compatriots and will stay attentive to the development of the case,” the ministry said.

The ministry did not provide further details.

Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto welcomed reports Tuesday that the United States and Germany are planning to send battle tanks to Ukraine, telling CNN’s Isa Soares it is “very good news.”

German news outlet Der Spiegel reported Tuesday that Germany is set to deliver its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, citing unnamed sources. CNN reached out to the German government for comment on Tuesday evening but has not received a response.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is finalizing plans to send US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine and could make an announcement as soon as this week, according to three US officials familiar with the deliberations.

Haavisto noted while there isn’t a “final confirmation” of the reported German decision yet, “there can be a connection” between both developments. Germany had indicated to the US last week that it would not send its Leopard tanks unless the US also agreed to send its Abrams tanks.

“Now of course if the Leopard 2 is moving and the Abrams moving on the US side, Ukraine will get those weapons that they are in need of to defend their territory,” the Finnish foreign minister told CNN. “Very good news.”

The Biden administration is finalizing plans to send US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine and could make an announcement as soon as this week, according to three US officials familiar with the deliberations.

The timing around the delivery of the tanks is still unclear and it normally takes several months to train troops to use the tanks effectively, officials said.

An announcement about the tanks could be part of an attempt to break a diplomatic logjam with Germany, which indicated to the US last week that it would not send its Leopard tanks to Ukraine unless the US also agreed to send its M1 Abrams tanks.

Top national security officials in the administration have been actively considering steps they could take to convince Germany to send the Leopards.

On Friday, at a meeting of Western defense leaders in Germany, the US and its allies failed to convince German officials to send the Leopards as part of Berlin’s next round of military assistance to Ukraine. But on Tuesday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said “We are preparing our decision, which will come very soon” on the tanks.

Later on Tuesday, German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has decided to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine after “months of debate.”

CNN has reached out to the German government for comment.

Some background: The Biden administration has never taken the possibility of shipping American tanks entirely off the table, but US officials said publicly last week that now is not the right time to send the 70-ton M1 Abrams tanks because they are costly and require a significant amount of training to operate.

The tanks have instead repeatedly been floated as a long-term option — even as critics say the right time is now, as Ukraine braces for the possibility Russia will mobilize more troops and launch a new offensive.

Sky News Arabia was first to report the news that the US is considering sending the tanks.

Read more here.

Berlin has not yet formally notified Warsaw about a decision to allow Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine, a Polish official told CNN on Tuesday.

Earlier Tuesday, the German government press office confirmed receipt of a Polish request to export the German-made main battle tanks to Ukraine. 

Newspaper Der Spiegel reported Tuesday that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has decided to deliver battle tanks to Ukraine after “months of debate.” It will be part of a larger effort for allies to send tanks to Ukraine, the report said.

CNN reached out to the German government for comment on Tuesday but has not received a response. 

British volunteers Chris Parry and Andrew Bagshaw have been killed during a humanitarian evacuation mission in the eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar, according to a statement from the Parry family, which was released Tuesday by the UK foreign office. Bagshaw was a dual national of New Zealand.

“It is with great sadness we have to announce that our beloved Chrissy has been killed along with his colleague Andrew Bagshaw whilst attempting a humanitarian evacuation from Soledar, eastern Ukraine,” the Parry family statement said. “His selfless determination in helping the old, young and disadvantaged there has made us and his larger family extremely proud.
“We never imagined we would be saying goodbye to Chris when he had such a full life ahead of him. He was a caring son, fantastic brother, a best friend to so many and a loving partner to Olga. 
“He found himself drawn to Ukraine in March in its darkest hour at the start of the Russian invasion and helped those most in need, saving over 400 lives plus many abandoned animals. It is impossible to put into words how much he will be missed but he will forever be in our hearts.”

“We feel so privileged that he chose our family to be part of,” the statement added, which was signed by family members Rob, Christine and Katy Parry. 

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has requested privacy for the family at this time. 

More on this case: The families of both men had previously said the two had gone to Ukraine to work as humanitarian volunteers. CNN has seen no evidence they participated in hostilities in Ukraine.

On Jan. 9, Ukrainian police reported that they were searching for Bagshaw and Parry. Police noted that the two Britons “left Kramatorsk for Soledar” — the scene of intense recent fighting — “and contact with them was lost,” CNN previously reported.

CNN’s Seb Shukla, Mick Krever, Anna Chernova and Eve Brennan contributed reporting to this post.

Germany is set to send its sought-after Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine to help bolster the country’s war effort, Der Spiegel reported on Tuesday evening, attributing to unnamed sources.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has decided to deliver the battle tanks following “months of debate,” according to the German news outlet’s exclusive report.

The German parliament is due to debate the contentious issue on Wednesday morning. Deciding to send them would be a landmark moment in the West’s support for Kyiv that follows days of intense pressure on Berlin from some of its NATO partners.

CNN reached out to the German government for comment on Tuesday evening but has not received a response.

The report comes shortly after United States officials revealed on Tuesday that the Biden administration is finalizing plans to send US-made tanks to Ukraine. Germany had indicated to the US last week that it would not send its Leopard tanks unless the US also agreed to send its own M1 Abrams tanks.

Sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine would provide Kyiv’s forces with a modern and powerful military vehicle ahead of a potential Russian spring offensive. It would also come as a blow to the Kremlin, which has seen a growing campaign to equip Ukrainian troops with high-tech fighting systems as Russia’s ground war nears the one-year mark.

Polish request: Germany had resisted a growing drumbeat of Western pressure to ship some of the tanks to Ukraine, with new German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius repeatedly calling for more time and insisting that the move would come with pros and cons for Berlin.

Warsaw raised the stakes on Tuesday when it formally asked permission to send its own Leopards, a move Berlin had previously said it wouldn’t block.

Several European countries also own some Leopards, and Poland had led an effort to re-export those to Ukraine even if Germany was not on board. But the decision of Scholz and Pistorius was considered crucial because the tanks are German-made and Germany is usually in control of their export and re-export.

Read more here.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired a slew of senior Ukrainian officials amid a growing corruption scandal linked to the procurement of war-time supplies, in the biggest shakeup of his government since Russia’s invasion began.

During his nightly address on Monday evening, Zelensky announced he was banning government officials from traveling abroad on anything but official business, and said he would be making “personnel changes” in the coming days.

The announcement came after the arrest on Sunday of Vasyl Lozynskyy, the acting minister for regional development. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has accused Lozynskyy of receiving $400,000 in “unlawful benefits” for facilitating contracts, including for power generators — a sensitive issue in a country that is struggling to cope with freezing temperatures and frequent power cuts caused by Russia’s attacks on its infrastructure.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau also said it was investigating “high-profile media reports” into allegations that Ukraine’s defense ministry was buying military provisions, including food for the troops, at inflated prices.

Lozynsky’s lawyer Oleksandr Tananakin said Lozynsky had been dismissed from his post before being notified of the allegations. “No funds, let alone in the amounts indicated by the [National Anti-Corruption Bureau], were found and seized from Mr. Lozynsky,” he said in a statement posted on Facebook on Monday. Tananakin then accused the bureau of “deliberately using manipulative tactics to inform the public in order to artificially create a representation of Lozynsky’s guilt and form a negative image of him.”

The full extent of Zelensky’s shakeup began to emerge on Tuesday. Zelensky’s deputy chief of staff Kyrylo Tymoshenko announced his resignation on his Telegram account on Tuesday morning after Ukrainian media reported he was using a vehicle meant for humanitarian purposes and evacuations to go on business trips – allegations CNN is not able to verify.

Read more here.

US and Western officials are urging Ukraine to shift its focus from the brutal, months-long fight in the eastern city of Bakhmut and prioritize instead a potential offensive in the south, using a different style of fighting that takes advantage of the billions of dollars in new military hardware recently committed by Western allies, US and Ukrainian officials tell CNN.

For nearly six months, Ukrainian forces have been going toe-to-toe with the Russians over roughly 36 miles of territory in Bakhmut, which lies between the separatist-held cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. Heavy shelling has left the city almost completely destroyed.

“It is a brutal and grinding fight,” a senior Western intelligence official said last week, with each side exchanging anywhere from 100-400 meters of land per day and exchanging several thousands of artillery rounds almost daily. “[Bakhmut] is less attractive militarily, in terms of any sort of infrastructure, than it might have been if it had not been this destroyed.”

Now, ahead of what is widely expected to be a brutal spring of fighting, there is a tactical opening, US and Western officials say. In recent weeks they have begun suggesting that Ukrainian forces cut their losses in Bakhmut, which they argue has little strategic significance for Ukraine, and focus instead on planning an offensive in the south.

Tactical switch: That was part of a message delivered by three top Biden officials who traveled to Kyiv last week.

In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, and Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl, said the US wants to help Ukraine shift away from the sort of pitched battle of attrition playing out in Bakhmut and focus instead on a style of mechanized maneuver warfare that uses rapid, unanticipated movements against Russia, sources familiar with their discussion said.

The hundreds of armored vehicles the US and European countries have provided to Ukraine in recent weeks, including 14 British tanks, are meant to help Ukraine make that shift, officials said.

Read the full story here.