{"id":3185,"date":"2023-01-17T12:03:19","date_gmt":"2023-01-17T12:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=3185"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:36:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:36:37","slug":"tanks-for-ukraine-in-sight-as-holdout-germany-says-new-minister-will-decide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/diplomatic-world\/tanks-for-ukraine-in-sight-as-holdout-germany-says-new-minister-will-decide\/2023\/01\/17\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Tanks for Ukraine in sight as holdout Germany says new minister will decide"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/span>DNIPRO,<\/span> UKRAINE\/KIEV,<\/span> Jan<\/span> 17<\/span> (Reuters)<\/span> –<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> is<\/span> one<\/span> step<\/span> closer<\/span> to<\/span> acquiring<\/span> a<\/span> modern<\/span> main<\/span> battle<\/span> tank,<\/span> announcing<\/span> it<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> first<\/span> item<\/span> on<\/span> his<\/span> new<\/span> Defense<\/span> Minister’s<\/span> agenda<\/span> on<\/span> Monday.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>More<\/span> bodies<\/span> were<\/span> pulled<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> rubble<\/span> of<\/span> an<\/span> apartment<\/span> block<\/span> in<\/span> downtown<\/span> Dnipro<\/span> on<\/span> Tuesday,<\/span> leaving<\/span> 44<\/span> dead<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> deadliest<\/span> attack<\/span> on<\/span> civilians<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> three-month<\/span> Russian<\/span> missile<\/span> bombing<\/span> campaign.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Dozens<\/span> more<\/span> are<\/span> missing.<\/span> Local<\/span> authorities<\/span> said<\/span> 79<\/span> people<\/span> were<\/span> injured<\/span> and<\/span> 39<\/span> people<\/span> were<\/span> rescued<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> rubble.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Almost<\/span> 11<\/span> months<\/span> after<\/span> Russia<\/span> invaded,<\/span> Kyiv<\/span> says<\/span> a<\/span> Western<\/span> fleet<\/span> of<\/span> main<\/span> battle<\/span> tanks<\/span> will<\/span> give<\/span> its<\/span> forces<\/span> the<\/span> mobile<\/span> firepower<\/span> needed<\/span> to<\/span> rout<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> key<\/span> battle<\/span> in<\/span> 2023.<\/span> increase.<\/span> The<\/span> German-made<\/span> Leopard<\/span> main<\/span> battle<\/span> tank<\/span> is<\/span> widely<\/span> regarded<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> main<\/span> battle<\/span> tank<\/span> of<\/span> armies<\/span> across<\/span> Europe<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> only<\/span> plausible<\/span> option<\/span> for<\/span> providing<\/span> the<\/span> large<\/span> armored<\/span> forces<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> needs.<\/span> However,<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> not<\/span> possible<\/span> to<\/span> ship<\/span> from<\/span> Berlin,<\/span> which<\/span> has<\/span> hitherto<\/span> been<\/span> stagnant,<\/span> without<\/span> permission.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Tens<\/span> of<\/span> thousands<\/span> have<\/span> died<\/span> and<\/span> millions<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> displaced<\/span> from<\/span> their<\/span> homes<\/span> since<\/span> Russia<\/span> launched<\/span> a<\/span> so-called<\/span> “special<\/span> military<\/span> operation”<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> last<\/span> February.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ukrainian<\/span> forces<\/span> drove<\/span> back<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> in<\/span> her<\/span> late<\/span> 2022,<\/span> but<\/span> both<\/span> sides<\/span> have<\/span> suffered<\/span> heavy<\/span> casualties<\/span> in<\/span> constant<\/span> fighting,<\/span> even<\/span> though<\/span> the<\/span> front<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> largely<\/span> frozen<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> past<\/span> two<\/span> months.<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> officials<\/span> say<\/span> tanks<\/span> are<\/span> key<\/span> to<\/span> breaking<\/span> the<\/span> stalemate.<\/span> Russia<\/span> claims<\/span> to<\/span> have<\/span> taken<\/span> the<\/span> small<\/span> mining<\/span> town<\/span> of<\/span> Soledar<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> outskirts<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> eastern<\/span> city<\/span> of<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> last<\/span> week.<\/span> Kyiv<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> was<\/span> still<\/span> fighting<\/span> there.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cThe<\/span> situation<\/span> is<\/span> the<\/span> same<\/span> as<\/span> yesterday.<\/span> Our<\/span> units<\/span> are<\/span> in<\/span> Soledar<\/span> and<\/span> are<\/span> constantly<\/span> firing<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> enemy,\u201d<\/span> said<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> military<\/span> spokesman<\/span> Serhiy<\/span> Cherevati.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Moscow,<\/span> meanwhile,<\/span> has<\/span> since<\/span> October<\/span> turned<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> tactic<\/span> of<\/span> dropping<\/span> missiles<\/span> far<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> frontlines<\/span> of<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> cities,<\/span> primarily<\/span> targeting<\/span> power<\/span> infrastructure.<\/span> Russia<\/span> wants<\/span> to<\/span> limit<\/span> Ukraine’s<\/span> combat<\/span> capabilities.<\/span> According<\/span> to<\/span> Kyiv,<\/span> the<\/span> attacks<\/span> were<\/span> intended<\/span> to<\/span> harm<\/span> civilians,<\/span> a<\/span> war<\/span> crime,<\/span> not<\/span> for<\/span> military<\/span> purposes.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> Dnipro,<\/span> residents<\/span> left<\/span> flowers<\/span> and<\/span> stuffed<\/span> animals<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> makeshift<\/span> memorial<\/span> near<\/span> an<\/span> apartment<\/span> block<\/span> destroyed<\/span> in<\/span> Saturday’s<\/span> Russian<\/span> missile<\/span> attack.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> soldier<\/span> staggered<\/span> away,<\/span> wiping<\/span> away<\/span> his<\/span> tears,<\/span> after<\/span> placing<\/span> flowers<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> seats<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> transport<\/span> shelter<\/span> that<\/span> served<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> temporary<\/span> memorial<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> victims.<\/span> Candles<\/span> were<\/span> lit<\/span> next<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> growing<\/span> pile<\/span> of<\/span> toys<\/span> and<\/span> bouquets.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“We’re<\/span> here<\/span> to<\/span> see<\/span> and<\/span> pay<\/span> our<\/span> respects.<\/span> The<\/span> loss<\/span> of<\/span> life<\/span> is<\/span> very<\/span> unfortunate,”<\/span> said<\/span> 63-year-old<\/span> Victoria.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Moscow<\/span> denies<\/span> intentionally<\/span> targeting<\/span> civilians<\/span> and<\/span> blames<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> air<\/span> defense<\/span> systems<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> missile<\/span> that<\/span> hit<\/span> the<\/span> apartment<\/span> building,<\/span> while<\/span> Kyiv<\/span> claims<\/span> an<\/span> inaccurate<\/span> Russian<\/span> anti-ship<\/span> missile<\/span> was<\/span> hit.<\/span> But<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> has<\/span> no<\/span> defense<\/span> against<\/span> this.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Russia’s<\/span> attempt<\/span> to<\/span> seize<\/span> the<\/span> initiative<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> attack<\/span> and<\/span> war<\/span> on<\/span> Dnipro<\/span> stressed<\/span> the<\/span> need<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> West<\/span> to<\/span> “speed<\/span> up<\/span> decision-making”<\/span> on<\/span> arms<\/span> supplies,<\/span> President<\/span> Volodymyr<\/span> Zelensky<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> video<\/span> speech<\/span> Monday<\/span> night.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Russia<\/span> attacked<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> last<\/span> February,<\/span> citing<\/span> Kyiv’s<\/span> close<\/span> ties<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> West<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> security<\/span> threat.<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> and<\/span> its<\/span> Western<\/span> allies<\/span> call<\/span> it<\/span> a<\/span> one-sided<\/span> war<\/span> to<\/span> conquer<\/span> land<\/span> and<\/span> impose<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> will<\/span> on<\/span> its<\/span> neighbors.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0DNIPRO, UKRAINE\/KIEV, Jan 17 (Reuters) – Ukraine is one step closer to acquiring a modern main battle tank, announcing it as the first item on his new Defense Minister’s agenda on Monday. More bodies were pulled from the rubble of an apartment block in downtown Dnipro on Tuesday, leaving 44 dead in the deadliest attack […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[2480,2482,24,26,276],"tags":[76,132,154,170,174,496],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/GERM.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3185"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3185"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3188,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3185\/revisions\/3188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}