The UK government is considering sending Challenger 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
(Bloomberg) — The UK government is considering sending Challenger 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the discussions.Â
A key member of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party said his government will continue to send heavy weapons to Ukraine to help it fight back against Russia’s invasion after already pledging Marder armored fighting vehicles.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine is sending reinforcements to two front-line towns in the Donetsk region that he said have seen some of the bloodiest fighting since Russia’s invasion.Â
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On the Ground
Russia shelled a market and residential areas in the Sumy, Kharkiv and Kherson regions, killing at least two people and injuring several others, including a child, authorities said. Moscow’s forces also carried out seven missile and 31 air strikes, as well as 73 multiple rocket launcher attacks over the past day, Ukraine’s General Staff said on Facebook. Ukrainian forces repelled attacks near 13 settlements in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the military said.
(All times CET)
UK Mulls Sending Battle Tanks to Ukraine (2:50 p.m.)
If it goes ahead, the move would be the first time a Western country has provided Ukraine with modern battle tanks to fight Russian forces. No final decision has been taken, the people said. Neither wished to not be identified because of the sensitivity of the discussions.
The Challenger 2 is a main battle tank designed to destroy other tanks, according to the UK’s Ministry of Defence website.
Scholz Ally Sees No Limits on Arming Ukraine (1:57 p.m.)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government will continue to send heavy weapons to Ukraine to help it fight back against Russia’s invasion.Â
Lars Klingbeil, the co-leader of Scholz’s ruling Social Democrats, told reporters in Berlin that his party is backing the chancellor’s course without limit, including Scholz’s latest decision — in tandem with the US — to supply Ukraine with armored infantry fighting vehicles and an additional Patriot air-defense system.
Scholz has won praise from his domestic allies for pledging to send 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, but some of his coalition partners have called on him to go further by giving Kyiv NATO-grade Leopard 2 battle tanks.
Vessel That Ran Aground in Suez Canal Was Loaded With Ukrainian Grain (11:29 a.m.)
The ship that briefly ran aground in the Suez Canal earlier Monday was among the latest crop-export vessels that had departed Ukraine under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
The Glory had left Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port in late December, loaded with 65,970 tons of corn bound for China, according to the initiative’s shipping data. The ship has since been refloated and was being pulled by tugboats as of 10 a.m. local time.
Sweden Plans to Bring Back Civil Conscription (10:01 a.m.)
Sweden’s government plans to bring back civil conscription to shore up its defense capabilities, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told reporters.
The government will ask the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency to prepare education for people who would be asked to serve with municipal emergency services in the event of a military conflict. The plan aims at bolstering civil defenses while also providing an option for conscripts who are unwilling to undergo military training.
Power Demand Rises in Ukraine on Cold Weather (10 a.m.)
Power consumption in Ukraine is rising amid cold weather and increased demand from industry and businesses, forcing an expansion of limits on electricity consumption in all regions of the country, national grid operator Ukrnergo said on Telegram.
The energy supply situation in areas near the front line remains difficult after Russian forces shelled a power-generating facility in the country’s east overnight. The nation’s energy system remains unable to cover all electricity needs in full, according to the statement.
Zelenskiy Announces More Troops for Bakhmut, Soledar (9:30 p.m.)
Ukraine’s army is transferring additional units to defend Bakhmut and Soledar in the Donetsk region against Russian forces, Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
The situation on the front line hasn’t significantly changed in the first week of the year and remains difficult, he said. Near Bakhmut, a front-line city that has been largely destroyed during months of fighting, Ukrainian forces are repelling Russian attacks, he said.
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