Ukraine war in Newsblog | Alleged Russian balloons shot down over Kyiv

Day 357 since the beginning of the war: Germany cannot keep its tank commitment. Ukraine shot down balloons over Kiev. All information in the news blog.

5:12 p.m.: The armaments company Rheinmetall wants to deliver the ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft tank ordered by Germany on behalf of Ukraine from the summer. “The first cartridges will be delivered in the summer of 2023,” said Rheinmetall in Düsseldorf on Wednesday. A total of 300,000 cartridges are to be produced in two versions. According to the company, the ammunition is intended to support the Ukrainian armed forces that are using the cheetah. The order value is in the low three-digit million euro range.

Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said in Brussels on Tuesday that the contracts had been signed. For Ukraine, it is currently a matter of not losing airspace to the Russian air force and not having to accept more bombing and attacks on critical infrastructure, the minister said. According to the ministry, Germany has delivered 32 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine since the summer, with five more to follow by the end of February.

The ammunition is to be produced in a new production line at the Unterlüß site in the Lower Saxony district of Celle. It will start operations at the end of the first quarter of 2023. With the additional production line, Rheinmetall is reacting to the increased demand on the world market.

5:03 p.m.: According to Ukraine, six Russian balloons have been spotted over the capital Kiev. Most were shot down, writes the military administration in a short message on Telegram. The balloons could have transported radar reflectors or spy equipment, it is said.

4:12 p.m.: For the time being, Germany cannot fulfill its battle tank promise to Ukraine to the extent announced. Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said on Wednesday after talks on the sidelines of the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels that “half a battalion” of Leopard 2 tanks had come together. These included the 14 tanks of the newer type A6 promised by the federal government and three more from Portugal. Read more about it here.

4:11 p.m.: EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has announced further details on planned new trade restrictions against Russia. Specifically, the commission is proposing restrictions on dozens of electronic components used in Russian weapon systems such as drones, missiles and helicopters, she said in Strasbourg on Wednesday. Machine parts and spare parts for trucks and jet engines are also included.

But Russia is also using hundreds of Iranian-made drones in Ukraine, von der Leyen said. Therefore, it is suggested that Iranian companies should also be targeted, including those with ties to the Revolutionary Guard. It is specifically about dual-use goods. So-called dual-use goods can be used for both civil and military purposes. Seven facilities from Iran are said to be affected by restrictions. Von der Leyen said there would then be a complete ban on selling certain goods to Russia.

12:47 p.m.: Almost a year after the start of the Russian war of aggression, 62 international seagoing vessels are still stuck in Ukraine. Among them is a German ship, said the President of the Association of German Shipowners, Gaby Bornheim, on Wednesday in Hamburg. A total of 364 seafarers were affected. “We are very concerned for the seafarers who, even after a year of war in Ukraine, are still unable to return home.” Bornheim appealed to everyone involved to allow the seafarers to return to their home countries.

12:34 p.m.: Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) once again backed the planned German tank deliveries to Ukraine, but criticized the late timing. “With the decision to now deliver Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks, we are doing what we can at the moment,” Habeck told the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”. This comes “a bit too late, but at least it happened now”.