NU.nl regularly gives you an overview of the situation in Ukraine. With this time: There is still fierce fighting in eastern Ukraine. And Kyiv expects an even bigger Russian attack around February 24, when the war has lasted exactly one year.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said during a visit to France that he expects a new Russian offensive on February 24. He estimates that the Russian armed forces now have 500,000 soldiers ready, more than the 300,000 Moscow previously announced.
Reznikov went on to say that Ukraine has not yet given up hope of warplanes. The US said this week that it does not want to do that, and European countries also have serious doubts. “It’s a no for today, not for tomorrow,” said the defense minister.
Heavy fighting in the east continues
Eastern Ukraine remains the scene of heavy fighting. According to Deputy Defense Secretary Hanna Malyar, the Russians are trying to take the city of Lyman. It is on the route to important cities such as Slovyansk, Kramatorsk and Izium.
The Russians also continued their advance at Bakhmut and Avdiivka, Malyar reported. There has been heavy fighting around those places for weeks. In addition, the Russians continue to bombard cities such as Kherson with missiles. Kramatorsk was also bombarded again on Wednesday. At least two people were killed and at least seven injured.
According to Malyar, the Ukrainian troops are holding out for the time being and the Russians are losing a lot of men. Still, it seems only a matter of time before the more numerous and better armed Russian troops break through the Ukrainian defense lines.
US may supply Ukraine with long-range weapons
The Americans do not yet want to send fighter jets to Ukraine, but the latest package may contain missiles that can travel greater distances. This is reported by the news agency Reuters.
The US would, among other things, provide Ukraine with the so-called Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb. It has a range of 150 kilometers. This means that Ukraine can strike far into Russia.
The package, worth more than 2 billion dollars (1.84 billion euros), will also include ammunition and other weapons. The military aid is expected to be officially announced later this week.
1:53The British are not (yet) sending any aircraft either
Following the example of the Americans, the British have also announced that they will not send fighter planes for the time being. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said sending aircraft “is not the right decision at the moment”.
“How this conflict continues depends on how Ukraine uses Western weapons against Russia,” Wallace said. “For now, we focus on supplying tanks so that Ukraine can win the battle on the ground.”
