Russian forces pressed on with a multipronged offensive within the japanese areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukraine’s army stated early on January 27, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy voiced his gratitude for the rising variety of international locations which have pledged superior tanks to Kyiv whereas urging them to speed up the supply of the offensive assault autos.
Ukrainian troops repelled assaults in 11 places within the two japanese areas over the previous 24 hours, a day after Moscow unleashed one other wave of missile strikes throughout Ukraine, killing at the very least 11 folks and damaging power infrastructure regardless of Kyiv’s air protection destroying a lot of the incoming projectiles.
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“The Protection Forces over the previous day repelled the invaders’ assaults in Ploshanka, Nevske, and Chervonpopyivka in Luhansk, and Verkhnyokamyanske, Paraskoviyivka, Bakhmut, Klishchiyivka, Vodyane, Nevelske, Maryinka, and Vuhledar in Donetsk,” the Common Workers of the Ukrainian army stated in its each day report, which RFE/RL couldn’t independently confirm.
The most recent reviews of heavy combating within the east got here after Ukraine’s army stated on January 26 that it had shot down 47 of 59 Russian missiles — some fired from Tu-95 strategic bombers within the Russian Arctic.
Moscow additionally launched 37 air strikes, 17 of them utilizing Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones. All drones have been destroyed, the Ukrainian army stated.
Zelenskiy stated in his nightly video tackle on January 26 that “there are already 12 international locations in our tank coalition” to supply superior Western battle tanks to assist Ukraine’s protection towards Russia’s 11-month Russian invasion.
He thanked “everybody on this planet who is really combating towards terror along with us” and re-emphasized the “dashing up” of the supply of protection tools to his nation.
In response to media reviews, round 100 German-manufactured Leopard 2 tanks are being pledged by Germany and its allies initially, along with the U.S. contribution of 31 M1 Abrams tanks and Britain’s earlier promise of 14 Challenger 2 tanks.
Canada was the most recent nation to declare its intention to offer Ukraine tanks. Ottawa will ship 4 Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, the Canadian protection minister stated, after Germany this week allowed different international locations to re-export the German-built tank.
Poland, the Netherlands, and Spain beforehand introduced their readiness to switch a number of the Leopard 2 tanks of their shares to Ukraine, one thing they’ll solely do with producer Germany’s categorical permission.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated that Warsaw will give an additional 60 tanks to Ukraine along with the 14 German-made Leopards it has already promised.
Morawiecki, in an interview with Canadian CTV Information tv on January 26, stated, “Proper now, we’re able to ship 60 of our modernized tanks, 30 of them [Polish-made] PT-91.”
Coaching of Ukrainian crews and supply of tanks will take at the very least about two months within the earliest instances, in accordance with public statements.
In response to two diplomatic sources quoted by Reuters, France and Italy are near finalizing the technical particulars to produce an SAMP/T air-defense system to Ukraine.
Hours after the German and U.S. tank bulletins, Zelenskiy stated he’d spoken to NATO Secretary-Common Jens Stoltenberg and was urgent for the Western provide of long-range missiles and plane to Ukraine — a line that these governments have thus far declined to cross.
Poland’s Morawiecki was quoted by dpa as telling a French broadcaster on January 26 that his nation can be prepared to ship fighter jets to Ukraine if Warsaw’s NATO allies selected such a transfer.
The Kremlin has reacted with fury to the most recent gesture of Western solidarity with Ukraine, saying it noticed the promised supply of superior tanks as proof of escalating “direct involvement” of the USA and NATO in Russia’s warfare of aggression, one thing each deny.
