Day 350 since the beginning of the war: Ukraine reports more than 1,000 Russian soldiers killed in one day. Melnyk demands more weapons. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Ukraine expects offensive in Kharkiv and Zaporizhia
11:11 p.m.: The Ukrainian government assumes that the soon-to-be Russian offensive it expects will affect the Kharkiv regions in the north-east and Zaporizhia in the south. Russia will try to have flagship results around the first anniversary of the war on February 24, National Security and Defense Council head Oleksiy Danilov said in a Reuters interview in Kyiv on Tuesday. “They need to have something to show their people and they have a strong desire to do something they see big by that date.”
Danilov is skeptical about assumptions by other Ukrainian officials that Moscow could also be planning an attack from the territory of its ally Belarus on north-western Ukraine. It is “doubtful that they will come from that direction” because “there are clearly not enough troops there”.
US sells Himars missile launchers to Poland
11:10 p.m.: The US government has approved the sale of 18 Himars missile systems, including ammunition, to Poland worth $10 billion (€9.3 billion). The sale will expand Poland’s military capabilities while “increasing interoperability with the United States and other allies,” the US Department of Defense foreign sales agency (DSCA) said on Tuesday. Poland will use the rocket launchers to “bolster the homeland’s defenses and ward off regional threats.”
Habeck: Tanks could help against the Russian offensive
10:55 p.m.: Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck hopes that Germany’s pledged further deliveries of tanks will help Ukraine to fend off an expected new wave of Russian attacks. “There are large numbers that are made available there in order to then ward off the Russian spring offensive,” said the Vice Chancellor on Tuesday in the US capital Washington.
Since the tanks still have to be prepared, the exact timetable is not foreseeable, said Habeck. “But of course it should go as quickly as possible.” If you ask yourself afterwards whether such decisions could not have been made earlier, “then of course you have a point,” said the Green politician.
Selenskyj thanks Germany for support
8:22 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius’ visit to Kyiv as “a signal of support for Ukraine”. “Ukraine is very interested in the support of one of the leaders of the European Union – Germany – especially in this difficult time for us,” Zelenskyy was quoted as saying in a statement from his presidential office on Tuesday evening. “We are grateful for the recent decisions, for all decisions,” he said.
“The recent decisions about the armored coalition and the initiative of our European friends in cooperation with our Ministry of Defense cannot give us any advantages, but they can give us parity on the battlefield.” However, this depends on delivery times, quantities and the modernity of the equipment, he explained.
