Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said taking the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut would let Kremlin forces push further into Ukraine’s defenses, vowing to continue a months-long siege that’s shown limited results so far.
(Bloomberg) — Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said taking the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut would let Kremlin forces push further into Ukraine’s defenses, vowing to continue a months-long siege that’s shown limited results so far.
Bakhmut “is an important link in the defenses of Ukraine’s forces in Donbas,” Shoigu told commanders in televised comments. The founder of Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, earlier blamed a lack of shells and military support for his forces’ failure to seize the city.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ordered his military commander on Monday to summon more forces to defend Bakhmut. Fewer than 4,000 civilians remain there, including 38 children, compared with a total population of around 70,000 before the invasion, according to Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.
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(All times CET)
Poland Ready to Set Up Leopard Maintenance Hub (1:19 p.m.)
Poland is ready to set up a maintenance hub for Leopard tanks transferred to Ukraine, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Tuesday.
Blaszczak expects his German counterpart Boris Pistorius to convince the country’s industry to deliver spare parts for older-type Leopard tanks that Poland has committed to deliver to Ukraine.
“The main problem is the lack of spare parts,” Blaszczak said. “I hope for a breakthrough.” He added that Poland will deliver 10 more Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine this week after handing over four last month.
EU to ask EIB to Help Boost Europe’s Defense Industry (1:08 p.m.)
The EU will ask its lending arm, the European Investment Bank, to help finance the ramp-up of Europe’s defense industry as it seeks to ensure sufficient stocks of weapons for Ukraine and its member states.
‘’We must mobilize private funds, in particular from the EIB and the banks,” Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton told reporters. “It is essential that the financial system contribute to the effort needed to prepare our industry to meet the challenges of our security.”
Putin Praises Bank Chief Gref (12:30 p.m.)
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Sberbank Chief Executive Officer Herman Gref in their first publicly disclosed meeting since the invasion of Ukraine. “Sber has not only gotten through this difficult period, but practically fully restored its operations and is making a profit,” Putin said in a televised meeting.
Gref touted the bank’s home-grown software developers, who were able to replace imported products cut off by sanctions, and what he called an “unprecedented cost-cutting program” since the start of the war. A Putin ally since the 1990s, Gref has long been thought of as one of the relative liberals among his entourage, many of whom were privately skeptical of his decision to go to war.
Russia Oil Still Being Transfered Off Spain (10:40 a.m.)
A large amount of Russian oil continues to be transfered between tankers just a few miles off the coast of Spain. The cargo switching is taking place weeks after authorities there wrote to local firms reminding them that facilitating the activity risks breaching sanctions.
Four Very Large Crude Carriers, or VLCCs, are now anchored off Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in north Africa, according to Vortexa and ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. Between them they can hold about 8 million barrels of oil.
Defending NATO’s Eastern Flank Key: Germany (10:30 a.m.)
Protecting NATO’s eastern flank bordering Russia is more important now that at any time since the end of the Cold War and the security concerns of the Baltic states and nations like Poland are more than justified, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said during a visit to German troops serving in Lithuania.
Lithuania Mulls Expanding Troop Capacity (10:05 a.m.)
Lithuania will look into expanding its military forces into a national infantry division of some 17,500 troops over the next decade, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas told reporters.
The Baltic nation’s intelligence assessment suggests that Russia will aim to restore and boost its military capabilities in its western regions in both the short and longer term, Anusauskas said.
Moldova Flags ‘New Destabilization Tactics’ (10 a.m.)
Moldova’s security situation remains volatile as Moscow-backed groups are resorting to new methods and tactics to try to destabilize Ukraine’s neighbor, according to Interior Minister Ana Revenco.
The new tactics involve recruitment and training of “vulnerable citizens” who are then pushed to protest and undermine the police’s efforts to maintain safety, Revenco was quoted as saying in local media. The tiny nation wedged between Ukraine and Romania has faced rising tensions after Russia invaded Ukraine, with President Maia Sandu accusing the Kremlin of planning to overthrow her pro-European government. Russia has denied any involvement in Moldova’s internal affairs.
Ukraine Forces ‘Stabilized Bakhmut Perimeter’ (9:45 a.m.)
Ukrainian forces likely stabilized their defensive perimeter at the weekend following previous Russian advances into the north of the town, according to the latest intelligence update from the UK Defense Ministry.
“Public disagreements between the Wagner Group and Russian Ministry of Defence over the allocation of munitions highlights the difficulty in sustaining the high levels of personnel and ammunition required to advance with their current tactics,” the ministry said.
Energy Minister Details Allied Support (10 a.m.)
Ukraine received 450 shipments of energy equipment from allies like the US, the European Union and Japan over the past year, according to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
Supplies included more than 1,700 generators, about 1,000 transformers and high-voltage equipment for repairing power lines, Halushchenko said. “With equipment from our partners we restored power and heat supply to millions of Ukrainians, went through this extremely difficult winter and now prepare for the next heating season,” he added.
Germany Rejects Vance Criticism (9 a.m.)
Germany’s ambassador to the US pushed back against criticism of the nation’s support for Ukraine expressed by Ohio Republican senator J. D. Vance, who called the conduct of the government in Berlin in the war “disgraceful” and questioned why “American taxpayers subsidize idiotic German energy policy and weak defense policy.”
Ambassador Emily Haber responded by pointing out that Germany is the EU’s “largest weapons supplier” to Ukraine and has established a fund worth €100 billion ($107 billion) to help modernize the military.
US, EU Discussed Disrupting Russian Diamond Trade (7 a.m.)
US State Department and European Commission officials met with diamond industry representatives to discuss Russia’s trade in the precious stones and the most effective ways to disrupt revenue from it, according to a statement.
“Russia continues to earn billions of dollars from the diamond trade, and the discussion centered on the most effective and impactful ways to disrupt that revenue stream,” the State Department said.
Zelenskiy Vows to Hold Bakhmut (9:44 p.m.)
Zelenskiy said he asked his key military officers Monday whether Ukraine should pull out of Bakhmut and they were unanimous in supporting its continued defense despite Russian successes in surrounding the besieged city on three sides.
It was a change of tone for the president, who last month said that “the enemy is gradually destroying everything that can be used to protect our positions, for reinforcement and defense” and that his forces wouldn’t hold the city “at any cost and with everyone dying.”
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