Russian invasion
War against Ukraine: This is the situation
A Sea King Mk41 helicopter landing. photo
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Ukraine needs weapons from abroad against Russia, but help has been slow in coming lately. The Foreign Minister shakes up the partners with a daring comparison. The overview.
As part of international arms assistance for the Ukraine will supply Germany with military helicopters for the first time. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has promised the country attacked by Russia six Sea King Mk41 multi-purpose helicopters, accessories and spare parts packages as well as training for them, the Defense Ministry in Berlin announced in the evening.
Ukraine’s supporters had previously met for consultations in the so-called Ramstein format. “A sovereign and secure Ukraine is essential to global security, and our support for Ukraine will not waver,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said after the meeting.
Meanwhile, the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv was again attacked by Russian missiles late in the evening. There is damage to civil infrastructure, the region’s governor wrote on Telegram. After the rocket fire with many deaths in Ukraine the night before, Russian drones once again brought danger to large parts of the country.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for almost two years – today is the 700th day of the war.
Zelensky speaks of 18 deaths from rocket fire
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Russian missile attacks killed 18 people and injured around 130 people. He did not break down the information. Until then, Ukrainian authorities had given slightly lower figures.
In Kharkiv, a normal high-rise building in which normal people lived was hit, Zelensky said in his evening video speech. “A normal life is what modern Russia sees as a threat to itself.” But Russia should know that Ukraine has a long arm. “The Russian war will definitely return home – to where this evil came from.”
Bundeswehr is giving away old transport helicopters
According to US Defense Secretary Austin, around 50 countries took part in the discussions on military aid for Ukraine, the so-called Ramstein format. In the video conference, he asked his colleagues to deliver as many weapons as possible to Kiev. There were no new commitments from the USA, because domestic political disputes there are blocking future financing of aid to Ukraine. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov said his armed forces needed a lot more artillery ammunition. “And it is absolutely necessary that we maintain our air defense network,” he said, according to his ministry.
During the consultations, Germany promised military transport helicopters from the Bundeswehr. Defense Minister Pistorius (SPD) praised the Sea King as a proven and robust helicopter “that will help the Ukrainians in many areas: from reconnaissance over the Black Sea to transporting soldiers.” In Germany, naval aviators use the Sea King Mk41 for sea rescue on the North and Baltic Seas. The approximately 50-year-old machines are to be replaced by the new naval transport helicopter NH-90 Sea Lion.
Ukrainian Minister: Does North Korea help faster than friends?
The slow supply of artillery ammunition was also criticized by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. He criticized the ramping up of arms production in Western supporting countries as being too slow. “We appreciate everything we receive, but the scale of the war demands more,” he said in an interview with “Bild”, Welt TV and “Politico” in Kiev.
Officers and soldiers repeatedly reported to him that Russia was clearly superior in the supply of artillery ammunition, Kuleba said. One reason for this is deliveries from North Korea to Moscow. “As ridiculous as it may sound, it seems that North Korea is a more efficient partner for Russia than the friends who are trying to supply Ukraine with artillery ammunition.” The EU has promised to procure a million bullets by this spring, but is falling short of this goal.
This will be important today
New Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrives in the western Ukrainian border town of Uzhhorod in the Transcarpathian Mountains, where he will meet Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Fico is a difficult partner for Kiev. Slovakia supports the EU sanctions against Russia and, unlike Hungary, also supports an EU perspective for Ukraine. However, Fico’s government rejects joining NATO. He believes that the war cannot be won for Ukraine and a non-military solution must be found.