Ukrainian forces are fighting “meter for meter” in Donbass, where the situation on the front lines “remains extremely difficult,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his usual evening message to the country. Zelenskyy referred in particular to the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, the scene of a repeated Russian offensive.
A complicated day for NATO as alarms grow of a new, impending major Russian offensive. Dutch F-35s based in Poland made an effort at dawn to intercept and repel three Russian planes in the Kaliningrad region. Airspace over the Vltava River was closed (and then reopened) amid fears an unidentified drone was flying over the country, while Norwegian intelligence has warned that Moscow has begun targeting ships and submarines with tactical nuclear weapons in the Baltic Sea (for the first time since the fall of the USSR). Not only. The Kremlin is reportedly mustering fighters on the border with Ukraine for a massive airstrike while the ground offensive is struggling to produce the desired results. And allies must navigate an increasingly complex picture with potential new implications.
ANSA agency
Norwegian services warning, it’s the first time in 30 years (ANSA)
“Almost a year has passed since the beginning of the war, but we, the Contact Group for Ukraine, are more united than ever and will support Kiev to the end,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said of the Ramstein format, which was dedicated to the occasion at NATO Headquarters in Brussels at the same time as the Defense Ministers Meeting; The meeting was attended by Minister of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov – who presented himself with a purse with a technical diagram of a jet – and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell. American sources quoted by the Financial Times have sounded the alarm about a possible massive airstrike by Russia. The US allegedly just exchanged intelligence data on the possibility of an airstrike during the NATO meeting. “What we really need to focus on now is Ukraine’s ability to defend the skies using air artillery equipped with the right ammunition. Fighter jets are not and will not be as crucial against the Russian Air Force,” a US official said. However, Austin denied in a press conference that he “sees” the concentration of aircraft on the border with Ukraine, limiting himself to stating that Russian aviation is still “very effective” and it is therefore imperative to provide Kiev with anti- Aircraft systems and anti-missile defense to have “all the means of self-defense” even in case the Russians “decide to use the air force”. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated that we can talk about anything, but it’s not very “sexy” things like “munitions” and “logistics” that make the difference.
Ukraine: Losses of Russian soldiers at record high since war began
“Before considering sending new platforms, it is crucial to deliver the tanks, armored vehicles and in general what has been promised so far to ensure the integration of vehicles on the battlefield,” he specified. The ammo chapter in particular is sore. Because the Allies don’t produce enough of it, be it artillery or anti-aircraft. Stoltenberg then announced new policies for the allies (higher stockpiling obligations expected) and Borrell hypothesized using the European Peace Facility for joint purchases, both for EU countries and donations to Kiev. In short, Russia poses a security challenge to the entire alliance, and everyone must make their own assessments when it comes to donating vital military assets to Ukraine. The jets have therefore been discussed, but the allies are not yet ready and the priorities have been judged to be different. Austin made it clear that Kiev would attempt “a counteroffensive” in the spring and that the Allies would do their part. The tank coalition has been formed – led by Berlin along with seven other countries – and is due to deliver the first 30 Leopard 2s to Ukraine by April. The combined efforts of Holland, Denmark and Germany are then expected to bring another 100 Leopard 1s to the table. “Despite some setbacks, Ukraine has shown that it will prevail in this war and that these setbacks will only be temporary,” Austin commented on his charge voice. ..