7:56 a.m.: CDU politicians – Need more than 300 billion special funds for the Bundeswehr
The CDU defense politician Roderich Kiesewetter has shown himself open to a significant increase in the 100 billion euro special pot for the Bundeswehr. “I would not rule out an increase in the special fund for the Bundeswehr,” he told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. It is “absolutely clear that we need 300 billion instead of 100 billion so that the Bundeswehr becomes capable of war.”
The loan-financed special fund was decided after the Russian attack on Ukraine in order to eliminate equipment deficiencies in the Bundeswehr. There were repeated calls that the 100 billion euros were not enough. At the beginning of last year, the Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl, said that she was hearing from experts and the troops that 300 billion euros would be needed to “significantly change something” in the Bundeswehr. This doesn’t seem to be something she’s taken out of thin air.
5:58 a.m.: Heavy Russian air strikes on several regions of Ukraine
On Tuesday night, Ukraine was again attacked by Russia with drones and missiles. There was an air alert in many places. According to the air force, Shahed drones targeted the Dnipropetrovsk region in the east of the country and the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions in the south. The mayor of the city of Dnipro said that Russian forces had attacked civilian infrastructure in the central Ukrainian city. According to local media, electricity and water supplies were interrupted in some parts of Dnipro. The information could not be independently verified.
4:06 a.m.: House of Representatives leader rejects Ukraine aid package
According to its chairman Mike Johnson, the Republican-dominated US House of Representatives does not want to approve the Senate’s current bill for new aid to Ukraine and Israel. Johnson’s reasoning was that the draft did not address “the most pressing issue facing our country” – referring to securing the US border with Mexico. The Senate, for its part, could vote on the aid package as early as Tuesday – approval is considered likely.
The $95 billion legislative package being voted on in the Senate includes military aid for Ukraine worth around $60 billion. Israel is to be supported with 14 billion dollars in the fight against the Islamist Hamas, and further funds are earmarked for Taiwan, among other things.
1:14 a.m.: Zelensky holds first meeting with new military leadership
After the restructuring of the military leadership, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj held a meeting of the high command with the new members for the first time. Among those present was Colonel General Olexander Syrskyj, who was appointed commander-in-chief last week, as Zelenskyj said in his evening video address. It was about the situation on the front in the east and south of the country, he added. It was also discussed how the critical infrastructure – such as electricity and water supplies – could be protected in the best possible way.
00:26: Ukraine – New Russian air strikes
Russia is currently attacking Ukraine again with missiles and drones. There is an air alert in large parts of the country.