A rattled Vladimir Putin has replied violently to the West’s decision to provide Ukraine with dozens of high-tech tanks by launching a barrage of missiles and drones at Kiev.
Early this morning, an air raid alert was issued for the entirety of Ukraine after defense units intercepted a barrage of incoming missiles, and combat broke out in Bakhmut following a pact that has been touted as a potential game-changer.
Defending forces reported shooting down all 24 drones fired from Moscow, including 15 around Kyiv, with no reports of damage as citizens took refuge in subway stations throughout the bombardment.
After weeks of severe infighting, the United States and Germany decided yesterday to meet Volodymyr Zelensky’s demands by sending 31 M1 Abrams tanks, 14 Leopard 2 tanks, and authorization for friends to deploy their own supply.
This morning, a drone was spotted flying over Kyiv as Vladimir Putin responded against the West for its tank sale.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned that the action would significantly escalate the conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders, and the Kremlin has already issued threats in this regard.
After a period of relative peace, Putin wasted little time in punishing Ukraine by launching missiles overnight.
Andriy Yermak, the chief of Zelensky’s office, claimed, “The first Russian missiles have been shot down.”
Since October, Russia has targeted vital infrastructure with missile and drone strikes, resulting in widespread blackouts and other outages over the harsh winter.
Despite the large Western package, there is concern that Ukraine will not be able to utilize the tanks on the front line for months, possibly until after the projected spring onslaught by Russia.
The promised M1 Abrams tanks from the United States are now unavailable, and it will take months before training can even begin, according to senior officials.
Early this morning, an air raid alert was issued for all of Ukraine after defense forces intercepted a barrage of approaching missiles.
According to defending forces, they shot down all 24 drones launched from Moscow, including 15 surrounding Kiev, with no reports of damage as of yet.
During today’s rocket attack in Kiev, people take refuge in a metro station converted into a bomb shelter.
Ukrainian residents waited in underground metro stations as Russia bombarded Kiev with missiles.
After procuring the latest tanks, the United States will launch a “comprehensive training program” for Ukrainian soldiers, who will also require spare parts and extensive upkeep once deployed.
German and European Leopard 2 tanks will likely arrive sooner, but training will still be required, since Ukrainian forces have become accustomed to the Soviet-era tanks employed thus far in the conflict.
Boris Pistorius, the German minister of defense, estimated that the tanks would be ready in three to four months.
Ukraine’s situation will be complicated by the fact that Leopard 2, M1 Abrams, and Challenger tanks will all arrive in the coming months, each requiring unique parts and training.
Brad Martin, director of the RAND Institute for Supply Chain Security, stated on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, ‘Unfortunately, it does mean that each of these capabilities will require their own supply chains because they are unique, their components are unique, and their maintenance requirements are unique.
‘I’m not sure if the difficulty is so great that it can’t be overcome, although it would be preferable to have common systems, but they’re making do with what they have.
‘The United States possesses a lot of Abrams tanks, and some of them would need to be repaired before they could be exported… it’s true that they are not sitting there ready to be deployed; work will be required to get any of them operational.
Germany will initially provide 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, with plans to ultimately provide 80 tanks.
In the coming weeks, the United States will send dozens of M1A2 Abrams tanks to Ukraine to aid in their combat effort.
As attacks continue, a Ukrainian soldier is seen traveling to the frontlines in an armored military vehicle.
“Much of this is quite complex and sophisticated material, and it takes time to learn how to deal with it; training will be a major concern.
Supply chains and the acquisition of spare parts both require time, and the combination of the two will present a hurdle.
According to an advisor to Ukraine’s defense minister, the West has provided “no clear indication” of the number of tanks that will be provided to the country.
Yuriy Sak stated on BBC Radio 4’s Today that 300 to 400 tanks are required for this to be a game-changer.
“We do not have a clear indication of the number of tanks that each nation will contribute to this multinational tank coalition,” We have informed our partners that this is the quantity we require.
If you wish to end missile terror, you must provide us with the means to beat the enemy on the battlefield.
The sooner we defeat Russia on the battlefield with Western weaponry, the sooner we can end missile fear and restore peace.
Zelensky has applauded the United States’ and Germany’s commitments to supply tanks and urged allies to rapidly provide substantial amounts of tanks.
“Currently, speed and volume are crucial.” Swiftness in training our forces and arming Ukraine with tanks. The numbers in tank support,’ he stated in a Wednesday night video address. We must construct such a “tank fist” and “fist of freedom.”
The Ukraine has sought hundreds of modern tanks to provide its troops with the firepower necessary to break through Russian defense lines and regain occupied territory in the south and east. Ukraine and Russia have mostly relied on T-72 tanks from the Soviet era.
Both Ukraine and Russia are likely to launch new offensives in the battle, prompting the pledge of tanks.
Zelensky stated he spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and requested long-range missiles and planes, continuing Kyiv’s drumbeat of requests for additional assistance.
Allies of Ukraine have already contributed billions in military aid, including advanced American missile systems.
The United States was hesitant to deploy the difficult-to-maintain Abrams, but had to reverse course to convince Germany to send its more easily maintained Leopards to Ukraine.
Biden stated that the tanks posed “no offensive threat” to Russia and were necessary to help the Ukrainians “improve their maneuverability in open terrain.”
Germany will send an initial company of fourteen tanks from its stockpiles and authorize shipments from European allies.
According to Ukrainian military expert Viktor Kevlyuk of Espreso TV, the Abrams can be difficult to service, whereas the Leopard was designed to be able to be serviced by any NATO member and for crews and maintenance specialists to be trained on a single model.
If we were admitted to this club by providing us with these vehicles, I would say that our prospects are favorable.
Russia’s reaction to Germany’s decision to approve the delivery of Leopards was furious.
“This extremely dangerous decision escalates the conflict to a new level of confrontation,” warned Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev.
With the declarations from Poland, Finland, and Norway, the number of countries pledging Leopards to the Ukraine has increased. Spain and the Netherlands have expressed interest in the proposal.
The United Kingdom has provided fourteen Challenger tanks, while France is considering sending its Leclercs.
Wednesday, the Ukrainian government announced that its forces had retreated from Soledar, a small salt-mining town near to Bakhmut in the east that Russia claimed to have conquered more than a week ago, marking its largest win in more than six months.
The region surrounding Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of 70,000, has witnessed some of the worst combat of the conflict.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian soldiers are storming in the direction of Bakhmut “with the intention of capturing the entire Donetsk region regardless of their own losses.”
The Russian-installed governor of Donetsk stated earlier that Wagner contract militia groups were advancing inside Bakhmut, with fighting occurring on the outskirts and in newly Ukrainian-held neighborhoods.
Analyst Kevlyuk stated that the loss of Bakhmut would not significantly alter the tactical situation, but he was concerned about Russian plans to regroup and concentrate resources in the Luhansk region.
Donetsk and Luhansk comprise the area of Donbas. Russian forces hold practically the entirety of Luhansk, while the Russians and their proxies claim to control roughly half of Donetsk.
Reuters was unable to confirm battlefield reporting.
The eleven-month battle has resulted in the deaths of thousands, the displacement of millions, and the destruction of entire cities.
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