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Robles assures that the “political decision” on sending battle tanks to Ukraine will arrive in February

Robles assures that the "political decision" on sending battle tanks to Ukraine will arrive in February

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This Friday marks 331 days since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Fifty hundred countries of the Ukrainian contact group meet in the Ramstein US Air Basein western Germany, to decide what immediate help they bring to that country while kyiv claim fast shipment of Leopard 2 main battle tanks to stop the advances of Russian troops. However, the Pentagon has already announced a new $2.5 billion military aid package for Ukraine, with armored cars and anti-aircraft defenses, but without the Abrams tanks. Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky trusts in the prompt arrival of Western tanks in the country to deal with the great offensive What Russia is preparing for February or Marchwhile the Kremlin warns of the danger of a further escalation with unforeseen consequences.

Russia extends until February 4 the terrorist alert in the Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine

The authorities of the Russian region of Belgorod, bordering Ukraine, reported this Friday that they have extended the terrorist alert in the area again until February 4. The region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has indicated that the alert remains “yellow” and that it will remain so for at least another two weeks, as he has indicated on his Telegram account. This allows the authorities to take additional measures to guarantee the safety of the population against possible threats, although the measure is part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The region in question has suffered attacks since the war began almost a year ago. The terrorist alert dates back to April 2022when it was first established.

Data update of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Russia announces the seizure of two towns in Donetsk and Zaporizhia

The Ministry of Defense of Russia has announced this Friday the taking of the Ukrainian town of Klishchiivkain the vicinity of the city of Bakhmut, in the eastern Donetsk region, and the town of lobkovein the province of Zaporizhia, in the southeast.

Map of the situation in Ukraine from British Intelligence

Robles assures that the “political decision” on sending battle tanks to Ukraine will arrive in February

The Spanish Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, has spoken about the meeting that the countries of the contact group for Ukraine are holding at the Ramstein military base in full debate on the need for new shipments of battle tanks to fight against Russia, about which she has insisted that it is a technical appointment. To questions from the media from Toledo, Margarita Robles has abounded that it is limited to one of the usual appointments that are held on a monthly basis, one month before the next meeting between the defense ministers of the member countries of the NATO, where decisions of a “political” nature will be made. It is, however, an appointment “of those that are made periodically” with the coordination of the Secretary of State for Defense of the United States, in which the needs of Ukraine are assessed “from a technical point of view and what contribution can be made “.

Zelensky insists before the allies that he needs tanks

The Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, has insisted this Friday that his country needs tanks, since with the anti-aircraft systems it is not enough to defend itself against Russia, in a virtual intervention before the contact group for Ukraine focused on kyiv’s demand for Leopard armored vehicles. “We greatly appreciate all the support received so far and their anti-aircraft defense systems, but we need artillery and tanks,” said the Ukrainian leader, at the opening of the meeting held by that group in the Ramstein US base.

Wagner Group has up to 50,000 troops in Ukraine, UK says

The Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom assures in its report issued this Friday that “the Wagner Group almost certainly now commands up to 50,000 fighters in Ukraine and has become a key component of the campaign”. In addition, it notes that it has already been listed as a legal entity in the Russian registry since December 27, registered as a company basically dedicated to consulting work, “without mention of combat services.”

Belarus and Russia continue joint tactical air exercises

The Russian and Belarusian air forces continue their joint tactical air exercises from Belarusian territory, amid ongoing speculation about a possible new Russian attack from Belarus against northern Ukraine and its capital kyiv. The Belarusian Ministry of Defense released a video on Friday from the Baranavichy airfieldon the Brest province, bordering Poland and Ukraine, where joint aviation crews are trained in “combat air coverage for important state and military installations.” In addition, Russian and Belarusian units carried out tasks from other airfields and in the polygon of Ruzhany, in the same Belarusian region, to train under air cover in attacks against anti-aircraft defense and command posts, and concentrations of enemy equipment and soldiers. In turn, from Machulishchy airfield, an AWACS airborne early warning and control aircraft, has performed aerial reconnaissance and control of fighter crews. The exercises, which began on Monday, will continue until February 1, and Belarus has assured that they are solely defensive in nature.

Ukraine accuses Russia of killing four civilians in the Donetsk region

The Ukrainian authorities have accused Russian forces on Friday of killing four civilians and injuring three others in the Donetsk region, in the east of the country, during the last day. “Russia kills civilians. On January 19, the Russians killed four civilians in the Donetsk region. Three more civilians were injured,” the military governor of the Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, detailed in a statement on Telegram. . Specifically, two of the dead would have lost their lives in the city of drobysheveanother in Maksimilianivka and a last one in Bakhmut.

The CIA director went to kyiv to give Zelensky information about Russia

CIA Director William Burns met the last week in secret with the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelensky, to transmit his forecasts about Russia’s plans, he reported on Thursday The Washington Post. According to several sources familiar with that trip to kyiv, what interested the Ukrainian president and his entourage the most was how long Ukraine can expect US and Western aid to continue after the Republicans have taken control of the lower house and that support for the country has decreased in part of the electorate. The newspaper noted that William Burns stressed that he is in a key moment on the battlefield and he admitted that there will come a time when it will be more difficult to obtain funds. The Ukrainian authorities came away from that meeting with the feeling that the support of the Democrat Joe Biden Administration remains strong.



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