The war is coming!The Russian army launches a new round of offensive and the West will provide Ukraine with 321 heavy tanks
News from the Financial Associated Press on January 28 (edited by Niu Zhanlin)Almost a year into the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it shows no sign of ending. On Friday local time, the Russian army launched a new offensive, trying to seize the advantage before the tanks promised by Western countries arrived on the battlefield.
Jan Hakin, an adviser to the acting leadership of the Donetsk People’s Republic, said Russian troops were fighting fiercely to capture Ugledar, having captured the city’s eastern and southeastern suburbs.
Ukrainian forces said on Friday they had repelled a Russian attack on Ugledar and several other villages in eastern Donetsk oblast in the past 24 hours. Russia has also launched 148 attacks on the front lines facing Ukrainian forces in the southern Zaporozhye region over the past day, using tanks, rockets and artillery, the regional military administration said.
Ukrainian forces have warned they are in a race against time, fearing a second Russian offensive could begin within two months and preparing for the coming weeks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his speech that day that he discussed the situation in Ugledar and Bakhmut at a meeting with military leaders.
After months of setbacks, Russian troops breached Ukraine’s defenses in the east earlier this month, capturing the town of Soledar. This makes it harder for Ukraine to hold neighboring Bakhmut. For months, Bahmut has been at the center of this battle.
Senior Ukrainian military officials pointed out that the main war will come this spring, or even earlier, which may be the most intense stage of the war so far.
West pledges 321 heavy tanks
Vadim Omelchenko, Ukraine’s ambassador to France, said on Friday that Western countries had pledged 321 heavy tanks to Kyiv.
Omelchenko said on the BFM TV program: “As of today, many countries have officially confirmed the supply of 321 heavy tanks to Ukraine. Delivery deadlines vary, but we need to get these assistance as soon as possible.”
Omelchenko said Ukraine was aware of the “risk” that the delivery of the tanks could take months. “That’s why Zelenskiy insisted that the tanks should be obtained as soon as possible, if they arrive in August or September, it will be too late,” he said.
The German government previously stated that it had decided to provide Ukraine with German Leopard 2 tanks. Germany intends to form two tank battalions. The first phase plans to transfer 14 “Leopard 2A6” tanks from the Bundeswehr inventory. The Polish leadership stated that it is ready to provide Ukraine with up to 14 Leopard 2 tanks within the framework of the League of Nations. Prior to this, the country had provided Ukraine with about 250 T-72 tanks. US President Biden also announced that his government will provide Ukraine with 31 US-made “M1 Abrams” tanks.
Russia has previously sent a note to NATO countries on the issue of supplying weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that any material containing weapons aided to Ukraine will become a legitimate target of Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that NATO countries are “playing with fire” by providing weapons to Ukraine. Russian President’s Press Secretary Peskov said that the transfer of weapons from Western countries to Ukraine will not help the success of the Russia-Ukraine negotiations and will have a negative impact.
The conflict shows no sign of ending
Kirby, the National Security Council’s strategic communications coordinator, said on Friday that the United States sees no signs of an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Although it has been providing all kinds of support to Ukraine and even provoking a conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the White House recently stated that the United States and NATO are not directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing that this is a war between Russia and Ukraine, not a war between the United States or NATO against Russia.
Peskov said earlier that Russia believes that the supply of weapons to Ukraine by Western countries is a direct involvement in the conflict, and that the degree of Western involvement is increasing. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov also accused NATO and the United States of directly participating in the Ukrainian conflict, pointing out that the means of participation include not only the supply of weapons, but also the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said at a press conference on Friday that NATO has been fully involved in the confrontation with Russia, and the confrontation is constantly escalating. Zakharova pointed out that the supply of tanks by the West to Ukraine will not turn the situation in Kyiv’s favor, but it will raise the confrontation between the West and Russia to a new level. The so-called defense of Ukraine has long been thrown out of the sky. In order to severely damage Russia, Kyiv and the West are now ready to do everything they can.
NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg has repeatedly stressed that NATO is not and will not be a party to the conflict in Ukraine, and will not send troops or aircraft to Ukraine.
