- 15:53: Spanish police discover exploitation of Ukrainian refugees in tobacco factory
- 2:10 pm: ➤ Tanks for Ukraine? Head of Russian parliament warns of ‘disaster’
- 13:31: Ukraine’s Defense Ministry rejects corruption allegations
- 11:38 am: Brits: Russia will have problems with army increase
- 10:03 am: According to the media report, the German population of Leopard 2 is known
- 9:54 am: Poland’s head of government calls German position on delivery of Leopard “unacceptable”
- 06:15: Hofreiter calls for immediate training of Ukrainian soldiers on Leopard tanks
➤ Tanks for Ukraine? Head of Russian parliament warns of ‘disaster’
The head of the Russian parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, has warned of a possible “tragedy of global proportions” if the main battle tanks are delivered to Ukraine. “The delivery of offensive weapons to the Kiev regime leads to a global catastrophe,” Volodin wrote in Telegram on Sunday. Russia will use even “more powerful weapons” if the United States and NATO deliver weapons to Kyiv that can be used to recapture areas.
The head of the State Duma made it clear that Russia considers attacks on the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, occupied by its own troops, as attacks on its territory. Russia itself annexed the areas with tanks and other heavy weapons. Members of the German Bundestag and other countries’ parliaments must be aware of their “responsibility to humanity”, Volodin said. Such decisions led to a “terrible war” with combat operations completely different from the previous ones.
“Taking into account the technological superiority of Russian weapons, foreign politicians who make such decisions must understand that this could end in a tragedy of global proportions that will destroy their countries,” Volodin said. “Arguments that nuclear powers have not used weapons of mass destruction in local conflicts in the past are untenable,” Volodin said. (apf)
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Summary of the situation:
Since February 24, 2022, Russia has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine from the air and from the ground. Shortly before, President Vladimir Putin questioned Ukraine’s right to exist as an independent state and recognized the so-called People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.
Since then, the Ukrainian army has been fighting the invaders as best it could. Thousands of dead are reported on both sides, but the exact number of soldiers and civilians has not been independently verified. The fact is: the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is getting worse by the day.
The UNHCR refugee agency has registered more than 17.6 million border crossings from Ukraine (as of January 17). Refugees are mostly women and children, as men aged between 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country. According to UNHCR, more than 9.5 million border crossings into Ukraine were recorded during this period (up to 17 January).
The EU and US reacted with sanctions. They are also supplying arms to Ukraine, and Germany is also supporting Ukraine with arms deliveries. Ukraine also received Gepard-class tanks from Germany. (dpa)
Russia’s Attack on Ukraine: Frontline Story Through the Year
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The other reports on the war in Ukraine of January 22
Spanish police expose exploitation of Ukrainian refugees in tobacco factory
In Spain, the police dismantled a network that exploited Ukrainian refugees in illegal cigarette factories and smuggled large amounts of tobacco. During the course of the investigation, in which Europol was also involved, 27 people were arrested in different parts of Spain, as announced this Sunday by the Civil Guard. In addition, ten tons of tobacco leaves and 3.5 million packs of cigarettes were seized for a total value of 37.5 million euros.
Asylum seekers who fled Ukraine because of Russia’s war of aggression and who were “crammed together” in emergency shelters worked at the three tobacco factories illegally operated by the network. In order not to be discovered, they were not allowed to leave the factory premises and had to work extremely long hours, the police statement said. (apf)
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Ukraine’s defense ministry rejects corruption allegations
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has denied allegations of corruption linked to the procurement of food for the military. The food for the soldiers was purchased according to “the legally established procedure”, the ministry said on Sunday. Media reports to the contrary are “wrong”. An investigation will be launched into the dissemination of this “misleading” information, which harms Ukraine’s “defense interests”.
Reports emerged on Saturday accusing the Ministry of Defense of sourcing food supplies at prices “two to three” times higher than normal wholesale prices. According to the news portal “zn.ua”, the contract in question has a value equivalent to 325 million euros.
On Sunday, the ministry referred to internal control mechanisms aimed at preventing corruption. At the same time, it announced an internal audit of food purchases for soldiers.
An emergency meeting with the head of the department, Oleksiy Resnikov, is also planned for Monday. If violations are found by Department of Defense officials, they will be “responsible under applicable law”. (apf)
British: Russia will have problems with the increase in the army
According to British estimates, Russia will have difficulty implementing the announced significant increase in its armed forces. “Russia is likely to have difficulties in providing personnel and equipment for the planned expansion,” the Defense Ministry said at its daily intelligence briefing in London on Sunday.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu recently announced, among other things, that he wants to increase the number of troops from 1.15 to 1.5 million troops. “Shoygu’s plans signal that the Russian leadership is likely to assume that a growing conventional military threat will persist for many years beyond the current war in Ukraine,” he said in London.
The British Ministry of Defense publishes daily information on the course of the war since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine at the end of February last year, citing intelligence information. In doing so, the British government wants to counter the Russian portrayal and keep the Allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a targeted disinformation campaign. (dpa)
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Zelenskyy confident of victory on Ukrainian Unity Day
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the people of the country attacked by Russia on Unity Day and expressed confidence in victory. Russia’s attack on Feb. 24 led to a “revitalization of our Ukrainian unity,” Zelensky said in a video distributed in Kyiv on Sunday. Millions of people in Ukraine stand together today to defend their country. Zelenskyi also highlighted Ukraine’s regions and their historic places in the heartwarming video.
“Each region protects the other,” he said. “And all together we defend Kyiv. And all together we defend Kharkiv. And all together we liberate Kherson.” Although the town of Kherson is under Ukrainian control, most of the Kherson area is occupied by Russian troops. “And we will win. Together. And all of Ukraine will hear the sounds of victory,” the president said.
With Ukrainian Unity Day celebrated on January 22, the country commemorates the proclamation of the Act of Unification of 1919 between the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic. (dpa)
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“Spiegel”: A list of available Leopard models was already available in early summer
The federal government could provide further explanation on the issue of a possible delivery of modern Leopard tanks. As “Spiegel” (paid content) reports, the Ministry of Defense has a detailed list of several Leopard models that are available in the troops and can be considered for delivery to Ukraine from the beginning of summer 2022. The table was classified as information confidential and was available to “Spiegel”, he said.
The new Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) announced on Friday that he had ordered a list to be drawn up of which and how many Leopard tanks could be delivered to Kyiv.
According to “Spiegel”, the Bundeswehr has 312 different Leopard 2 tanks of different series, of which 99 went to maintenance and repair work in the defense industry in May last year, and one was already being scrapped. The list therefore contains 212 Leopard 2 models under the heading “Stock Troops”. Among them are models 2A5, 2A6, 2A7 and 2A7V – the most modern version of the weapon system. As of May 22, the troops had 53 copies of the Leopard 2A7V variant.
The list also shows which models would be suitable for delivery to Ukraine, writes Der Spiegel, citing Bundeswehr insider information. It is therefore conceivable that the Bundeswehr could deliver the 19 Leopard 2A5 models because they are only used for exercises. (apf)
Poland’s head of government calls German position on Leopard delivery “unacceptable”
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has sharply criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s (SPD) continued hesitancy to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Germany’s position on this issue is “unacceptable”, Morawiecki said in an interview with Polish news agency PAP published on Sunday.
If the German government persists in not supplying Ukraine with the Leopard 2 main battle tank, Poland will create “a small coalition” of countries that will supply Ukraine with “modern equipment” and “modern tanks” from its own stockpiles, announced the Prime Minister. Polish minister. Minister.
As a result of Russia’s war of aggression, “innocent people are dying every day,” Morawiecki said, referring to German hesitation with the Leopard 2. “Russian bombs are wreaking havoc in Ukrainian cities. Civilian objects are being attacked, women and children are being killed.” (apf)
Hofreiter demands immediate training of Ukrainian soldiers on Leopard tanks
In view of the lack of deliveries of Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine, Green politician Anton Hofreiter is pushing for Ukrainian soldiers to be trained on the tanks. In Ramstein, Germany “made a significant mistake and, as a result, lost more respect,” the president of the European Bundestag Committee told newspapers of the Funke media group on Sunday. “This must now be rectified quickly.”
Specifically, Hofreiter urged Ukrainian soldiers to start training in Leopard main battle tanks “right now”. Leopard 2 is “a crucial support that Germany can offer,” Hofreiter said. “Putin will only be willing to negotiate when he realizes he cannot win this war.”
At the Ukraine contact group meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate on Friday, no decision was taken on the delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine. However, participants in the meeting in Ukraine promised several other weapons to repel the Russian attack. (apf)
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With material from dpa, Portal and AFP
Last days tickers to read:
Updated on 01/21/2023 at 5:18 pm
According to British estimates, there is currently a military stalemate in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The conflict is therefore at a dead end.