Ukraine prepares for a spring counter-offensive as Western weapons – including tanks and a million artillery shells – flow in to assist fight Russian forces.
Germany said this week that it had delivered 18 Leopard 2 tanks, while Poland, Canada and Norway had already delivered their Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
Ukraine also received British Challenger tanks, and it was assured that American Abrams tanks and French light tanks would even be sent. The US also sent highly mobile artillery missile systems and thousands and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Armored vehicles might be the important thing to the upcoming counter-offensive, by James Nixeydirector of the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, a London-based think tank.
“The sheer variety of tanks could drive a deeper wedge into Russian positions,” said Nixey.
Nixey added that the fate of Europe is determined by Ukraine’s success.
If Ukraine is defeated, “it’ll have global consequences and there shall be no such thing as European security as we (now) understand it,” Nixey said.
13 months of brutal fighting have exposed the weaknesses of the Russian armed forces.
Moscow’s shortcomings included its inability to achieve Kiev within the early stages of the invasion, and its inability to capture the war-torn eastern city of Bakhmut after seven months of bloody fighting for that city.
The dismal performance of Russian forces could soon lead Moscow to eliminate a top general, the UK Ministry of Defense has suggested.
The Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov took over a “special military operation” in Ukraine on January 11 this yr. interview update on saturday.
Nonetheless, Gerasimov’s attempts to seize the Donbass region – where Bakhmut had been warding off Russian forces for months – got here to nothing.
“Russian forces have achieved only marginal gains at the fee of tens of hundreds of casualties,” reads the British update. “After ten years as [Chief of General Staff]there is a real possibility that Gerasimov is pushing the bounds of how far Russia’s political leadership will tolerate defeat.”
While the Russian offensive is not gaining ground, other parts of Ukraine are beginning to get better due to funds from the West.
Over the past yr, Ukraine has cleared greater than 1,300 miles of road debris, rebuilt 41 of the 330 damaged bridges, renovated 900 railroad points, including train stations and depots, and created 80 temporary crossings across the country.
“Are we aware that what we now have rebuilt may be destroyed again?” – said Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandra Azarkhina guardian. “Yes, but it surely is a risk we’re forced to take. And admittedly, rebuilding is also a part of our resistance.”
One emotional rebuilding effort has centered around Bucha, the positioning of a massacre by Russian forces uncovered a yr ago, reports the Guardian.
Saturday marked the anniversary of the invention of the mass killings in Bucza, which reportedly killed 1,400 civilians – including at the very least 175 present in mass graves and torture chambers.
“These crimes have to be fully investigated and prosecuted along with all other crimes in addition to crimes against humanity committed by Russian forces.” – Michael Carpenter, US Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Friday in Vienna.
“And similar to at Nuremberg last century, the US fully supports the event of an internationalized tribunal to prosecute crimes of aggression against Ukraine,” he added.
Amongst those more likely to face prosecution are Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last month, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, charging him with war crimes.