Ukraine war in the live ticker: +++ 06:00 a.m. military expert: “Battle tanks are not a silver bullet +++

Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 06:00 a.m. military expert: “Battle tanks are not a silver bullet +++

According to a military expert from Switzerland, logistics plays a decisive role in the supply of main battle tanks to Ukraine. With a minimum of 100 western tanks, Ukraine could equip a western-style tank brigade, says Niklas Masuhr, a researcher at the Center for Security Studies at the ETH University in Zurich. “But main battle tanks are not a miracle weapon. They have to be used and repaired in combination and equipped with ammunition.” The expert also pointed to a logistical nightmare for Ukraine if deliveries are not well coordinated. Even different versions of the same type meant additional challenges. “If Ukraine is to be able to defend itself in the longer term, it is important that the logistics system is not overly complicated,” said Masuhr.

+++ 05:32 NATO chief warns of equipment gaps after arms deliveries +++
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warns of equipment shortages in the member states of the alliance in view of the arms and ammunition deliveries to Ukraine. “Our support for Ukraine has continued to deplete NATO’s stockpiles of weapons and ammunition,” he told Die Welt. The massive support was right and necessary due to the needs of Ukraine. “But of course we have to replenish our own stocks of ammunition and weapon systems, also to ensure that we can continue to supply Ukraine.” Stoltenberg also warns of an ongoing threat from Russia. There is nothing to indicate that Kremlin chief Putin is preparing for peace.

+++ 04:11 Russian ambassador – US battle tanks to Ukraine would be “blatant provocation” +++
According to the Russian ambassador to the United States, a delivery of main battle tanks from the USA to Ukraine represents “another blatant provocation” to the conflict “defense weapons” argument. This would be another blatant provocation against the Russian Federation,” Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said in a statement on Telegram. It is obvious that the government in Washington is working towards a strategic defeat of Russia.

+++ 02:44 Prime Minister of Sweden on joining NATO: The situation is serious +++
In view of the NATO dispute with Turkey, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson points out the importance of speedy accession to the defense alliance. No question is more important for national security, Kristersson said at a press conference called at short notice. Everyone in the country should recognize the seriousness of the situation. Agents provocateurs are trying to worsen Sweden’s relations with other countries and thus its prospects of accession, he says, referring to the Burning of a Koran by a Swedish right-wing extremist. Sweden is in the most uncertain security situation since the Second World War, adds Foreign Minister Tobias Billström.

+++ 01:38 Insider: USA could deliver 30 Abrams tanks to Ukraine +++
According to an insider, in the event of a possible delivery of US main battle tanks to Ukraine, the US commitment could amount to around 30 Abrams tanks. It’s possible the Washington government could use funds from the USAI (Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative) funding program to buy the Abrams from allies, have it refurbished, and then ship it to Ukraine instead of taking it from US arsenals, says one with the matter familiar person. However, this process could take months or even years. The US Department of Defense could not immediately be reached for comment.

+++ 00:45 Melnyk praises Scholz for “tank double boom” +++
The Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk acknowledges the German decision to supply Leopard main battle tanks as historic. Even if it comes with a delay, it is “without a doubt a real breakthrough and a game changer for Ukraine on the battlefield,” says Melnyk. “This will go down in history.” The fact that Scholz apparently even helped convince the United States to deliver their M1 Abrams tanks is even “a tank double whammy,” said Melnyk.

+++ 23:52 Kyiv pleased with delivery of main battle tanks +++
In a first official reaction to the breakthrough in talks on the supply of heavy tanks from the West, the Ukrainian government expressed its delight. The head of the chancellery of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Andriy Yermak, writes on Telegram: “We will have everything, everything for the reconquest of our territories and for the counteroffensive. Tankers will be happy, as will artillerymen and later also pilots.” Soon “everything will be Ukraine again”.

+++ 22:57 Swiss Commission wants to allow weapons transfer +++
The Swiss National Council’s Security Policy Commission is proposing to allow other countries to transfer weapons systems to Ukraine. The recommendation was approved by a vote of 14 to 11 and now requires Parliament’s approval. Referring to its neutrality, Switzerland has so far rejected requests from Germany to supply Swiss-made ammunition to Ukraine.

+++ 22:17 governor reports 25 dead from attacks in Belgorod since the beginning of the war +++
According to the governor there, 25 people have been killed in Ukrainian attacks in the Russian border region of Belgorod since the start of the military intervention in Ukraine. “The enemy, Ukraine, is bombing peaceful villages, we have killed 25 and injured 96,” said regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov in a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was broadcast on state television. This is the first time in eleven months that the Russian authorities have given an indication of the number of victims in a region. The governor does not say how many of those killed in the area north-east of Ukraine were civilians and how many were soldiers.

+++ 22:03 They wanted to evacuate a woman in Soledar: Two missing Brits killed +++
According to the families, two British nationals died during an aid operation in Ukraine. This was announced by the Foreign Ministry in London, citing the relatives, on Tuesday evening. The two men, aged 28 and 48, who had traveled to the war zone as civilian workers, had been missing for more than two weeks. According to the statement, they were killed trying to evacuate from the town of Soledar. Media in New Zealand, where the 48-year-old lived, quote a statement from his parents. Accordingly, the men’s car was hit by artillery when they tried to bring an elderly woman to safety.

+++ 21:54 Schmyhal announces financial Ramstein meeting next week +++
The G7 launched a platform to coordinate donations and investments in Ukraine. Those responsible want to hold a so-called financial Ramstein meeting next week, says Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The platform will help ensure “the stability of the Ukrainian state,” he adds.

Read earlier developments in the Ukraine war here.

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