War in Ukraine: Poland requests delivery of Leopard – Moscow threatens Berlin

International

Almost a year has passed since Russia the Ukraine and heavy fighting is still raging in the East. The focus is on the strategically important city of Bachmut. Three of the four major roads in the region run through it. Those who hold Bakhmut control large parts of the Donbass.

Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine are preparing for spring offensives. Ukraine has been demanding western main battle tanks for months, but has so far been blocked by Germany’s veto.

Everything you need to know war in Ukraine you read here

January 24th

12:23 p.m .: Five governors and four deputy ministers in Ukraine fired

In connection with the corruption allegations against the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, several high-ranking officials in Kyiv announced their resignations on Tuesday. Among them are Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko and Deputy Prosecutor General Oleksiy Simonenko.

Reports had been released on Saturday accusing the Department of Defense of to have concluded a contract for the procurement of food at inflated prices. They are said to have been two to three times higher than the usual purchase prices. According to the news website “zn.ua”, the contract in question is worth the equivalent of 325 million euros.

10.12 a.m .: Poland applies for Leopard delivery – Moscow threatens Berlin

Poland has officially applied to the federal government to be able to deliver its own Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine. Germany “I have already received our request,” said Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak on Tuesday in the online service Twitter. He called Berlin also to “join the coalition of countries supporting Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks”.

Like Finland, Poland wants to hand over its own Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Since they come from German production, the federal government would have to give their approval. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is under increasing pressure because of his opposition to a delivery of Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia has warned Germany about the consequences of supplying Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine. Deliveries of main battle tanks made in Germany would mean “no good” for German-Russian relations and “leave indelible marks”said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday.

6.30 a.m.: 29 spring ring exchange leopards done

According to the armaments company Rheinmetall, the Leopard battle tanks intended for so-called ring exchanges with Slovakia and the Czech Republic will be fully repaired in the spring. “These tanks belong to the federal government. They can do what they want with them,” said CEO Armin Papperger to “Stern”. By the end of March, Rheinmetall had around 29 Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks ready for use, which were intended for the ring exchange. On the other hand, a Rheinmetall spokesman told the editorial network Germany (RND) that the 29 ring exchange tanks would be “ready in April/May 2023”.

Ukraine is demanding “a few hundred” tanks from the West to recapture the Russian-occupied territories.Image: dpa / Armin Weigel

The federal government has organized part of the military aid for Ukraine in its defensive struggle against Russia as an exchange with eastern NATO partners. give these weapons Soviet design to the Ukraine and receive more modern replacements from Germany. In the course of this so-called ring exchange, Germany promised Slovakia 15 and the Czech Republic 14 Leopard tanks – these are outdated vehicles from Rheinmetall stocks, both countries already received the first vehicle in December. Most recently, pressure had grown on Germany to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

January 23

7:29 p.m .: According to Kyiv, Ukraine needs hundreds of battle tanks

According to Ukraine, it needs “several hundred” battle tanks for the intended reconquest of the areas occupied by Russia. “Every tank that is combat-ready has to join ours today front without a victory for Ukraine with a return to the 1991 borders and punishment of Russia, there will be neither stable development nor a clear world order. “This is a front of civilization against backwardness and barbarism from the swamps,” emphasized the 51-year-old with regard to Moscow.

Financially and in terms of armaments, Kyiv is almost entirely dependent on the West. Most recently, Ukraine had received modernized tanks of Soviet design from the Czech Republic. Great Britain, Poland and Finland offered Kyiv Western tanks, including German-made Leopards. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been delaying a decision on the delivery of the Leopard main battle tanks for weeks.

6:24 p.m .: Prigozhin thanks Soledar fighters: Heavier than Stalingrad

The head of the notorious Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, thanked his fighters for their efforts in the battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Soledar. In a video excerpt distributed on Monday, he recalled the past months in the war. “We now have half a year of war behind us, like neither your grandfathers nor great-grandfathers experienced,” said Prigozhin. Compared to the battles for Soledar, the Red Army’s battle for Stalingrad in 1942 against the German Wehrmacht was “more of a vacation”. In response to complaints from Volgograd, as Stalingrad is called today, Prigozhin later declared that he respected them Story the ancestors.

The head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has recruited thousands of criminals for the war. Image: AP / Uncredited

During weeks of bitter fighting for the small town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, mercenaries from Wagner’s troops spearheaded the Russian attacks. The mercenaries suffered heavy losses while capturing the place. Prigozhin, a confidante of Russian President Vladimir Putin, had recruited thousands of prisoners for deployment in Ukraine in Russia.

earlier News You can read about the war in Ukraine here.

(nik/with material from dpa and afp)