President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked the Leopard 2 and Abrams tanks in his daily message, but stressed that the “speed and scale” of the aid were key elements going forward, while the next phase of Western military support should be long-range missiles. and high performance aircraft. Anti-aircraft sirens sounded in several parts of Ukraine on Thursday morning, and officials in Kyiv said 15 drones were shot down over the capital.
Highlights for Thursday, January 26:
The time is 19:04 Russian authorities on Thursday banned the Medusa news website, classifying it as an “undesirable organization,” Reuters reported. Details here.
19:00 According to the BBC, discussions have begun within NATO on the delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine, the European edition of the Politico publication reports, citing its sources. Details here.
The time is 18:54 Ukraine is to receive tanks and heavy armored vehicles from allies like Germany, USA, UK, Sweden, Netherlands and Poland. Poland’s deputy defense minister, Wojciech Szczerkiewicz, told Radio Plus that his country’s tanks could be sent “in a few weeks”. Details here.
The time is 18:45 The US has officially designated Wagner, a Russian private military firm, a “transnational criminal organization” and frozen its assets in the US for aiding the Russian military in its war in Ukraine. Details here.
The time is 17:44 The Wall Street Journal reports that the United States has asked Turkey to comply with US sanctions imposed in February against Russian and Belarusian aircraft carriers and stop supplying spare parts and fuel to their American-made planes, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources. Details here.
The time is 17:23 Russia launched 55 missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal said in a Telegram, adding that the strikes targeted the country’s “energy facilities” and some power substations were hit, CNN reported. Details here.
The time is 16:24 Two thousand kilometers from Moscow, in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, the influence of the Kremlin on Russian exiles who oppose the invasion of Ukraine is painfully felt, AFP commented on Thursday. Details here.
The time is 15:58 A German citizen was arrested at Munich airport on treason charges after he allegedly conspired with an employee of the German Intelligence Services (BND) to pass information to Moscow, the attorney general’s office announced on Thursday, Reuters reports. Details here.
The time is 15:25 The Kremlin on Thursday condemned the West’s supply of modern battle tanks to Ukraine as “direct involvement” in the war between Russia and Ukraine, CNN reported. Details here.
The time is 14:58 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in an interview with Sky News and Broadcasting on Thursday that he was not interested in any meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at peace talks. Details here.
The time is 13:29 CNN reports that Germany is going to finance Ukraine’s purchase of some Starlink terminals worth 20 million euros ($21.8 million), Ukrainian “Digital Transformation” Minister Myhailo Fedorov announced. Details here.
The time is 13:05 Slovakia is not ready to transfer its Leopard tanks to Ukraine because they are replacing combat vehicles already sent to the neighboring country, Defense Minister Jaroslav Knot indicated, DPA reports Thursday. Details here.
The time is 12:59 Germany will deliver the promised Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine “at the end of March, beginning of April,” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday. Le Figaro. Details here
The time is 12:46 German tanks being sent to Ukraine have been described by the Defense News Agency as an “armored fist” and a “critical battlefield capability”. Sky News. Details here
The time is 12:34 Moldovan portal NewsMaker reports that pensioners from the Russian Federation living in the Transnistrian region did not receive their money for January. Details here
The time is 12:28 Poland will receive its first Abrams tanks from the United States in the spring, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said Thursday. CNN. Details here
The time is 12:10 French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonnade and Dutch Foreign Minister Voepke Hoekstra arrive in Romania on Friday, where they will visit the Cinque military base where NATO troops are stationed. Details here
The time is 11:57 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that in Moscow’s view, the delivery of heavy tanks to Ukraine represented the West’s “direct involvement” in the war. Details here
The time is 11:33 Finland has agreed to export defense equipment to Turkey for the first time in recent years, according to Finnish media reports on Wednesday picked up by DPA and cited by Agerpres. Details here
The time is 11:15 One person killed and two injured in Kiev following a Russian missile attack.
The time is 10:32 Distinguished analyst Alexander Gabov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, talks about the worrying signs of Vladimir Putin’s current state of mind following the Russian leader’s comments yesterday. Sky News. Details here
The time is 10:15 The US Institute of War (ISW) reports that small Russian offensives in the Zaporizhia and Donetsk regions in recent days may be an attempt to push Ukrainian forces forward. line and eventually north, to create the conditions for a major offensive in the Luhansk region BBC. Details here
The time is 10:05 Ukraine said on Thursday that Russian forces had fired more than 30 missiles at targets across the country in the latest attacks that have put pressure on Ukraine’s air defense systems, AFP news agency reported. Details here
The time is 09:31 The new US ambassador to Russia, Lynn Tracy, has arrived in Moscow, the US embassy announced on Thursday, The Guardian reported.
С вгугранением в Россию, Ambassador Tracy! #US Ambassador #Pasoltracei https://t.co/TiYxwhVWQC pic.twitter.com/nwtNLbou15
— Посольство США в РФ/ US Embassy in Russia (@USEmbRu) January 25, 2023
The time is 09:15 The Ukrainian Defense Forces now posted on Telegram: “Missiles in the direction of Vinnytsia and Kyiv region. I can change the path. Stay in hostels. We believe in air defense”.
The time is 08:31 CNN: More officials from Moscow, including the FSB, are leaving Russia. Who is the person who helps them abroad?
The time is 08:21 Ukraine has now ordered an airstrike alert across most of the country, with regional authorities alerted to a possible missile attack, The Guardian reported.
The time is 08:19 Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodner reported that the entire legal framework for the construction of a Pyrektor DP2 drone production plant in Ukraine has been developed and the design of the future company has already been completed. (Details here)
The time is 08:17 Russia on Wednesday evening condemned a “political” decision to place the historic center of the Black Sea city of Odessa on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage in Danger. (Details here)
The time is 08:16 A European country has offered to send cluster bombs to Ukraine, an official said Wednesday, saying the controversial weapons – whose use has been criticized by Russia – would be effective on the battlefield. (Details here)
The time is 08:05 Anti-aircraft sirens were also heard in Zhytomyr and Nikolaev.
The time is 08:04 Kyiv city’s military administration says “about 15 enemy drones were shot down in the air during the night.” The Ukrainian military says Russian forces launched an unsuccessful drone attack on Ukraine on Thursday morning, mainly targeting central regions and the capital, The Guardian reported.
The time is 07:43 President Volodymyr Zelensky, who turned 45 on Wednesday, thanked the Leopard 2 and Abrams tanks in his daily message. Key elements in the future, the next level of Western military support should be long-range missiles and high-performance aircraft, News.ro reported.
The time is 07:36 News.ro reported that air raid sirens began sounding in much of central and eastern Ukraine on Wednesday evening.
The time is 07:26 The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has outlined a multi-phase plan for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the upcoming 2024 Summer Games in Paris and 2026 Winter Games in Milan. CNN. Details here
The time is 07:15 Two Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the eastern city of Bahmut said Wednesday they feared an attempt by Russian forces to encircle the city, though they did not expect a dramatic change in the coming days. Details here
The time is 07:00 Providing tanks to Ukraine’s armed forces will help Ukraine liberate its territory and protect itself from future attacks by the Russian military, Joe Biden administration officials said. BBC. Details here
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