- Laura Guzzi
- BBC News
Moscow bombed parts of Ukraine, a day after Germany and the United States pledged to supply Kyiv with tanks to help it repel the Russian invasion.
And the authorities in Kyiv announced that at least one person was killed, and two others were injured as a result of missile and drone strikes.
There were reports of strikes targeting other areas in southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western leaders to quickly provide tanks to support his forces.
Zelensky also called on the West to send long-range missiles and fighter jets.
His comments came after the United States and Germany announced that they would send Abrams and Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
Russia denounced the announcement as a “flagrant provocation” and said it would destroy any tanks supplied to Ukraine.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, said the tanks “will burn like all other tanks. They’re just very expensive.”
Zelensky said he told Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that “progress must be made in other aspects of our defense cooperation” – with Ukraine seeking supplies of long-range missiles and artillery.
Zelensky not only pressed for the immediate delivery of Western tanks, but demanded large numbers of them, and said: “We must form a tank force, a force that strikes tyranny, so that it does not stand up after that.”
Enhance Western military support
Zelensky is now likely to focus on supplying the Ukrainian Air Force with more technologically advanced fighter planes after securing the tanks, but many Western governments still oppose such a move – fearing that the planes could be used to strike targets inside Russia.
This is what German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in his speech to Parliament (Bundestag) in Berlin on Wednesday, in which he outlined the details of the tank plan, when he said, “There will be no delivery of combat aircraft to Ukraine.”
On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden announced that the United States would send 31 M1 Abrams combat tanks to Ukraine.
Washington announced the decision to deliver the tanks hours after Germany announced that it would send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to the Ukrainian battlefield.
Berlin paved the way for other European countries to donate German-made tanks from their stocks.
Ukraine has been pressing Western allies to send the equipment for several months.
Kyiv hailed the move as a turning point that would allow its army to regain momentum and retake occupied territories, nearly a year after conquering Moscow.
It also said the tanks could help deter a potential Russian offensive in the spring.
US President Joe Biden, when announcing the decision to send his tanks to the battlefield, said that Putin expected to “weaken the resolve” of Europe and the United States, adding: “He was wrong from the beginning and is still wrong.”
“We will also give Ukraine the necessary parts and equipment to effectively support these tanks in battle,” he said.
He added, “This is about helping Ukraine to defend and protect Ukrainian territory. It is not an offensive threat to Russia.”
Biden said that the Ukrainian tank battalion usually consists of 31 tanks, which is why we agreed on this number.
The US decision represents a reversal of its stance, as the Biden administration has insisted for some time that the M1 Abrams heavy tanks would be difficult to deliver, expensive and difficult to maintain for Ukrainian forces.
The American-made military armored vehicle is one of the most modern battle tanks in the world, and requires extensive training to operate.
The $400 million US package also includes eight rescue vehicles that can tow tanks if they become stuck, as well as ammunition, equipment and funding for training and maintenance.
But it is likely that the tanks will not reach the battlefield for several months.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said there was no surplus stock of Abrams tanks in US warehouses. Accordingly, it will have to be purchased from private contractors, or purchased from another country.
German-made Leopard 2 tanks will be dispatched from existing stocks. It is expected to arrive within two to three months. These tanks are widely regarded as one of the most effective battle tanks available.
The decision to send the heavy weapons came after weeks of diplomatic wrangling. Germany faced increasing international pressure to send the tanks, and there are reports that the final decision was conditional on the United States making a similar decision.
Kirby said when asked if the US decision was taken to give Germany cover to send tanks: “I will not use the word cover. What this decision does is show how united we are with our allies.”
He attributed the change in Washington’s position to the situation on the ground as well as the Russian tactics, without going into further details.
Officials in Berlin said that Ukrainian crews would soon be trained to use Leopard tanks in Germany.
Ukraine’s acquisition of tanks from the West is seen as a diplomatic coup for Zelensky, who said on Tuesday that his country had demanded at least 300 of them to defeat Russia.
Many European countries have Leopard 2 tanks in their weapons lists, and the German decision means that some of these tanks could also be sent to Ukraine. Germany hopes to eventually send about 90 to the battlefield.
Poland wants to export 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, and Norway announced later Wednesday that it would send some of its armored vehicles – although it did not say how many.
Britain was the first NATO member to donate modern tanks to Ukraine when the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that it would provide 14 Challenger 2 battle tanks.
