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☆ With Probes of Russian Lines, Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Takes Shape
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Andrew E. Kramer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine’s army has sent forward German Leopard 2 tanks and American Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, upgrading its aging fleet of Soviet-legacy armored vehicles. In all, Ukraine has received hundreds of Western tanks, armored vehicles and machines for breaching minefields. The Ukrainian government has been mostly silent about its opening moves, citing the need to maintain an element of surprise. The Russian government has been triumphal in claims of fending off attacks while offering little evidence. American officials, who said in recent days that the counteroffensive appeared to be underway, have said it is too early to make broad assessments, although they have generally been bullish on the prospects for Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Organizations: American Bradley, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Orikhiv, Donetsk, Velyka Novosilka, crisscrossed, Crimean, Moscow

☆ Putin meets 'dear friend' Xi in Kremlin as Ukraine war grinds on
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 20, 2023. Putin and Xi greeted one another as "dear friend" when they met in the Kremlin on Monday, and Russian state news agencies later reported they held informal talks for nearly 4-1/2 hours, with more official talks scheduled for Tuesday. In televised comments, Putin told Xi he viewed China's proposals for resolution of the Ukraine conflict with respect. Xi, for his part, praised Putin and predicted Russians would re-elect him next year. Putin signed a "no limits" partnership with Xi last year shortly before the Kremlin leader ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

☆ US announces $400 mln arms aid to Ukraine including tactical bridges, ammunition
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) - The United States announced a new military aid package for Ukraine on Friday worth $400 million primarily comprised of ammunition, but for the first time will include tactical bridges to move tanks and armored vehicles. The additional ammunition is being sent to help boost stocks in anticipation of a spring offensive. "Importantly, assault bridges are only critical for offensive operations showing that the US is preparing Ukraine to continue retaking its territory," Watling added. In January, Berlin agreed to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine and said it would work with allies to send more. Reporting by Mike Stone and Jasper Ward; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

For much of the winter, the war in Ukraine settled into a slow-moving but exceedingly violent fight along a jagged 600-mile-long frontline in the southeast. Now, both Ukraine and Russia are poised to go on the offensive. They are looking for vulnerabilities, hoping to exploit gaps, and setting the stage for what Ukraine warns could be Moscow’s most ambitious campaign since the start of the war. Ukraine must now defend against the Russian assault without exhausting the resources it needs to mount an offensive of its own. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has given an order to take all of the Donbas region by March, Ukrainian intelligence says.

☆ Ukraine is getting a new heavy-duty armored vehicle to haul its damaged tanks off the battlefield, US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Christopher Woody | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US officials announced on Wednesday that US-made Abrams tanks would be sent to Ukraine. Ukraine will receive other armored vehicles, including a US-made vehicle designed to haul others off the battlefield. Along with the Abrams, the US will send another armored vehicle designed to haul tanks and other vehicles off the battlefield. The US announcement that it would send Abrams tanks to Ukraine comes after the US and other European partners announced that they would be sending other armored vehicles to Ukraine in the near future. This opened the door for other countries to send armored combat vehicles to Kyiv.

☆ This is the M1 Abrams, the powerful US battle tank that Kyiv wants but can't have
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But German Leopards and American Abrams tanks are still off the table. "I just don't think we're there yet," Colin Kahl, undersecretary for defense policy, said this week, "The Abrams tank is a very complicated piece of equipment," he argued. Just over 2,000 Abrams tanks were deployed with combat units during the war, and only 23 were damaged or destroyed. In the aftermath of the Gulf War, the US military developed the M1A2 Abrams, which has steadily been upgraded over the past two decades. The Abrams tank also saw extensive combat early in the Iraq War and was used to some extent in Afghanistan.

☆ Here's the big deal with the German-made Leopard tanks and why Ukraine desperately wants them
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

One tank Kyiv really wants is the German-made Leopard, but it hasn't been able to get them. These formidable main battle tanks would provide a massive firepower boost on the battlefield. Ukraine is getting many of the items on its wish list, but it hasn't been able to get its hands on the German-made Leopard tanks it wants. The country's president previously said he wanted to send the tanks to Ukraine as part of an "international coalition." Fast, mobile, and well-armedThe Leopard 2 is Germany's main battle tank developed by defense firm Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

☆ Ukraine needs more weapons now because Putin 'clearly' thinks he can still win, former US general Petraeus says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Ellie Zofagharifard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

David Petraeus is among those calling for more aid for Ukraine. He said the war with Russia was at a pivotal moment, and that Putin is not giving up. His warning came ahead of a NATO meeting and pressure to give Ukraine Western tanks. "This is an inflection point because Russia is taking steps which clearly indicate they don't think the war is lost," Petraeus told the Financial Times. The warning came as NATO defense ministers prepared to meet Friday to agree to a new arms package for Ukraine.

But Colin Kahl, the Pentagon's top policy adviser, said the Pentagon still wasn't prepared to meet Kyiv's calls for gas-guzzling M1 Abrams main battle tanks. "I just don't think we're there yet," said Kahl, who had just returned from a trip to Ukraine. U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said President Joe Biden's administration is next expected to approve Stryker armored vehicles for Ukraine. Pressure has been mounting on Germany to send its Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine -- or at least approve their transfer from third countries. A German government source told Reuters Germany would allow German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine to help its defense against Russia if the United States agrees to send its own tanks.

☆ Russia tried to claim months ago it destroyed American-made armored vehicles that the US didn't even offer Ukraine until last week
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

However, the US only announced last week that it plans to send the armored vehicles to Ukraine. The problem is that the US only offered the vehicles to Kyiv last week, and they haven't even arrived yet. Konashenkov's false claims also appear in a September 4, 2022 report that was published to the Russian defense ministry's official Telegram page. "During the day of hostilities in this direction, the enemy lost 11 tanks, 17 infantry fighting vehicles, including four US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 10 other armored combat vehicles, 5 pickup trucks with heavy machine guns and more than 150 military personnel," the defense ministry said. The US only announced last week that it would send Bradleys to Kyiv, along with NATO allies Germany and France, which are expected to deliver Marder infantry fighting vehicles and AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicles.

☆ The tank-killing armored vehicle that France is sending to Ukraine is 'a bit of an oddity,' but don't call it a tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

France said on January 5 that it would send the AMX-10RC armored vehicle to Ukraine. The "tank" vs. "armored vehicle" debate is a long and often contentious one, but AMX-10RCs are armored reconnaissance vehicles and not tanks, which usually have large-caliber main guns, heavy-duty armor, and tracks. Fighting there has become trench warfare, with incremental gains rather than sweeping armored offensives in which fast, armored scout vehicles excel. Armored vehicles are still vital on the battlefield, but an armored car may have limited utility against swarms of anti-tank missiles, attack drones, and smart artillery shells. What's important is that the West is sending armored fighting vehicles.

☆ Factbox: What is the Bradley Fighting Vehicle?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday that it will send Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine to bolster Kiev's fight against Russia's invasion. What is a Bradley Fighting Vehicle? The Bradley is a tracked, medium-armored vehicle armed with a 25-mm gun. France has pledged a similar armored vehicle called the AMX-10 RC. Germany will send about 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine before the end of March.

☆ U.S. announces $3.8 billion security assistance package for Ukraine, European allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration announced nearly $3.8 billion in security assistance for Ukraine and European allies on Friday, Washington's largest package since Russia's full-scale invasion began nearly a year ago. The $2.85 billion weapons package includes Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, artillery systems, armored personnel carriers, surface-to-air missiles and ammunition. New to this aid package are 50 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, armored tracked vehicles manufactured by U.S. defense firm BAE Systems . Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked President Joe Biden for the "very powerful" security package during a video message on his official Telegram channel. For the first time, we will receive armored vehicles Bradleys, this is exactly what is needed," Zelenskyy said.

☆ U.S. announces over $3.75 billion in new military assistance to Ukraine, other countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The United States will provide more than $3.75 billion in military assistance to Ukraine and countries affected by the Russian invasion of its neighbor, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Friday. That authority allows the United States to transfer defense items like Humvees, trucks and munitions from stocks quickly without congressional approval in response to an emergency. RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles, used for air defense, will also be sent to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stressed the need for better air defenses to curb Russian missile strikes that have damaged the country's energy infrastructure during winter. The United States and Germany have also pledged to send Patriot missile systems to repel Russian missile and drone attacks.

In a joint statement after a call between President Joe Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the United States said it would provide Ukraine with Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles while Germany would provide Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles. The U.S. weapons package, to be announced on Friday, is expected to include about 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles as part of security assistance totalling about $2.8 billion, U.S. officials told Reuters. Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy expressed his appreciation for Germany's contribution, saying on Twitter that "Germany is making an important contribution to intercepting all Russian missiles!" The decision was announced after Scholz's government faced a chorus of calls from within his three-way coalition to beef up military support for Ukraine after France announced it was sending light AMX-10 RC armoured combat vehicles. That includes weapons that "Ukraine needs to free occupied areas and the people who are suffering under Russian terror", she said.

☆ Ukraine is getting Western armored vehicles as US, Germany, and France agree to send more firepower its way
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US, Germany, and France are sending Ukraine Western-made armored vehicles for the first time. The White House announced in a joint press statement on Thursday that the US intends to provide Kyiv with Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, while Germany plans to send Marder infantry fighting vehicles. Earlier, both countries had hinted that Western armored vehicles could be included among future military aid. Zelenskyy did not specify which light vehicles he was referring to, though French politician Benjamin Haddad later confirmed that they are AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicles. Ukraine has repeatedly requested heavy tanks and armored vehicles from Western countries.

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