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[1/2] A Ukrainian serviceman rides inside a truck with artillery shells, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a frontline in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine January 5, 2023. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the idea of joint procurement of 155-millimetre artillery shells – badly needed by Kyiv – at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. DEPLETED STOCKPILESA joint procurement effort would aim to replenish the stockpiles of Kyiv's allies, badly depleted after a year of supplying munitions to help Ukraine fight Russia's invasion. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this week Ukraine was using up artillery shells faster than its allies could currently produce them. Diplomats and officials did not put a figure on how much the EU might spend on joint procurement.

Of at least 36 missiles that Russia fired about 16 were shot down, the air force said, a lower rate than normal. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are among many top officials attending the Munich Security Conference. As Russian troops massed on Ukraine's borders, Western leaders in Munich urged President Vladimir Putin not to invade and warned of dire consequences if he did. Russian leaders will be notable by their absence at the conference, which runs until Sunday, but senior Ukrainian officials are expected to address it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address his priority was to hold off Russian attacks and get ready for an eventual Ukrainian counter-offensive.

Following a pattern of heavy bombardments after Ukrainian battlefield or diplomatic gains, Russia launched 36 missiles in the early hours, Ukraine's Air Force said. The Russian missiles triggered air-raid sirens and landed across Ukraine, including at the Kremenchuk refinery, where the extent of damage was unclear. Ukraine said the barrage included three KH-31 missiles and one Oniks anti-ship cruise missile, which its air defences cannot shoot down. [1/6] Ukrainian servicemen of the 80th Air Assault Brigade fire M119 Howitzer artillery weapon towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Bahmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, February 16, 2023. Its capture would give Russia a stepping stone to advance on two bigger Donetsk cities further west, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

"The enemy's offensive continues in the east, (with) round-the-clock attacks," Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said. Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry said Ukrainian forces had retreated in the face of Russian operations in the Luhansk region, although it gave no details and Reuters was not able to verify this and other battlefield reports. "Even the more fortified second line of defence of the enemy could not hold the breakthrough of the Russian military." BAKHMUT ATTACKSRussia's main effort has been an artillery and ground onslaught on the city of Bakhmut, in Donetsk. Russian forces have launched attacks on several settlements, including Paraskoviivka on the northern approaches to Bakhmut, over the past day, Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said.

[1/6] A firefighter walks at a car park near an apartment block that was heavily damaged by a missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, February 15, 2023. "Even the more fortified second line of defence of the enemy could not hold the breakthrough of the Russian military." Later on Wednesday, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said Russian forces were mounting "round-the-clock" assaults on government positions, without specifying where. Near Bakhmut, Russian forces fired on more than 15 towns and villages, including the city itself, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its evening report. Russia calls the invasion a "special military operation" against security threats, saying NATO shows hostility to Russia daily and is growing more involved in the conflict.

☆ Zelenskiy urges speedy help from allies as Russia pounds Ukraine's east
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Much of Russia's artillery fire was focused on Bakhmut, a bombed-out city in Donetsk province and a principal target for President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskiy said Russia was in a hurry to achieve as much as it could with its latest push before Ukraine and its allies could gather strength. Speed saves people's lives, speed brings back security, and I thank all our partners who realize that speed is important." Russian forces had made incremental progress in their assault on Bahkmut, White House spokesperson John Kirby said. Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said Russian forces would not be able to capture the town anytime soon.

☆ Germany to restart production of Gepard ammunition for Ukraine, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Germany has signed contracts with Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE) to restart the production of ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft guns it has delivered to Kyiv, German Defense minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday. "We will quickly start our own production of Gepard ammunition at Rheinmetall. I am very happy we have been able to guarantee the delivery of this important part of air defense," Pistorius said before a meeting with NATO ministers in Brussels. Germany has been trying for months to find new munitions for the Gepard anti-aircraft guns which its own military had decommissioned in 2010. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Sabine Siebold; Editing by Benoit Van OverstraetenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US missile landed harmlessly in Lake Huron after missing 'object': U.S. general
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The first of two missiles fired from an F-16 fighter jet at an unidentified object over Lake Huron on Sunday missed the object, but landed harmlessly in the water, the top U.S. general, Mark Milley, said on Tuesday. "We certainly tracked it all the way down," Milley told reporters at a news conference in Brussels. Reuters reported on Monday that the first of the two missiles had missed the object, one of three unidentified objects shot down by U.S. fighter jets over U.S. and Canadian airspace between Friday and Sunday. Recovery efforts are underway to identify them, and Milley cautioned that those will take some time. Reporting by Andrew Gray and Sabine Siebold in Brussels, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali in WashingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. and NATO see Ukraine in urgent need of more arms
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/10] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov attend a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, February 14, 2023. "Ukraine has urgent requirements to help it meet this crucial moment in the course of the war," U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said at a meeting of the so-called Ramstein group of allies of Ukraine. When it comes to artillery, we need ammunition, we need spare parts, we need maintenance, we need all the logistics to ensure that we are able to sustain these weapons systems." NATO defence ministers were also to discuss adapting a target for members to spend 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. Some nations see this as too low, given the Ukraine war, while others such as Germany are still far below the 2%.

NATO has just completed an extraordinary survey of the remaining munition stocks, a NATO official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "Those NATO (munitions targets) that we set, and each ally has a specific target, those were not being met for the most part (before the Ukraine war)," the official said. "I would be absolutely gobsmacked if the targets…were not increased," said the NATO official. After the Cold War, the production of ammunition had turned "quite artisanal", said the NATO official. "I don't necessarily think that within the next year our stockpile levels will increase massively," the NATO official said.

☆ NATO Secretary General: incidents with balloons over U.S. form part of pattern
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Recent incidents regarding balloons shot down by the United States, which suspects they are surveillance balloons from China, form part of a pattern which highlights the need for NATO to be vigilant, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "What we saw over the United States is part of a pattern where China and also Russia are increasing surveillance activities on NATO allies," Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday. It was the fourth flying object to be shot down over North America by a U.S. missile in a little more than a week. China's foreign ministry said it had no information on the latest three flying objects shot down by the United States. Reporting by Bart Meijer, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NATO's Stoltenberg will not seek another extension of his term, spokesperson says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 12 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will end his term as planned in October, a spokesperson for the alliance said, after a newspaper reported a further extension was in the works. "The mandate of Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has been extended three times, and he has served for a total of almost nine years," NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said late on Saturday. "The Secretary-General's term comes to an end in October of this year and he has no intention to seek another extension of his mandate." Stoltenberg, an economist by training and a former leader of Norway's Labour Party, had his NATO term extended last year. Welt said alliance members wanted to give Stoltenberg the opportunity to chair the organisation's 75th anniversary summit in Washington in April 2024.

☆ NATO to extend Stoltenberg's term to April 2024, Welt am Sonntag reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 12 (Reuters) - NATO will extend again the term of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Welt am Sonntag reported on Sunday, citing unidentified diplomatic sources, as the alliance seeks to maintain stability during the war in Ukraine. Members will extend Stoltenberg's term until April 2024 due to his "outstanding achievements" and to guarantee the military alliance's stability during the ongoing war in Ukraine, the newspaper said. Stoltenberg, an economist by training and a former leader of Norway's Labour Party, had his original NATO term extended last year. He was prime minister of Norway from 2000-01 and 2005-13 before becoming NATO chief the following year. Welt said alliance members want to give Stoltenberg the opportunity to chair the organisation's 75th anniversary summit in Washington in April 2024.

☆ Factbox: Will Ukraine get Western fighter jets and what are the challenges?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday several Western countries were ready to provide Kyiv with aircraft to defeat Russia's invasion. Ukraine has been asking allies to provide modern fighter jets - dubbed "wings for freedom" in Zelenskiy's speech to British lawmakers this week - to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet MiG and Sukhoi planes. WILL UKRAINE GET THE FIGHTER JETS? Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson did not rule out sending fighter jets but played down expectations, saying the issue was not on Stockholm's agenda at the moment. The Kremlin has said that Western countries would be moving towards direct conflict with Russia if they send jets.

☆ German govt security council OKs delivery of 178 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The German government's security council has approved delivery of 178 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine from industry stocks, considerably more than previously announced, a source said, confirming an earlier Spiegel magazine report. "The export of 178 Leopard 1s is approved," said the person, who was familiar with the situation. The report emerged as German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius made a surprise appearance in Kyiv. Some would be sent in the summer but the bulk of the Leopard 1s would be delivered next year, Der Spiegel reported. The move follows the German government's decision last month, amid mounting international pressure, to deliver more modern Leopard 2 battle tanks from army stocks.

DUESSELDORF, Jan 28 (Reuters) - German arms maker Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE) had a record year in 2022 and is approaching an order backlog of 30 billion euros, CEO Armin Papperger told Reuters in an interview. "We are approaching an order backlog of 30 billion euros, and I expect to see an order backlog of 40 billion euros next year," said the CEO of the company, which sells a whole range of defence products but is probably most famous for supplying the 120mm gun of the Leopard 2 tank. Rheinmetall expects sales to grow to 11 billion-12 billion euros ($12 billion -$13 billion) in 2025, he told German magazine Stern. The projection is higher than the 10 billion-11 billion euro range Rheinmetall gave during its capital markets day in November. For 2022, the company expects 6.5 billion euros in sales.

In 2022, Rheinmetall made some 60,000 to 70,000 rounds each of tank and artillery shells, according to Papperger, who said production could be boosted immediately. A few days before the meeting with the new defence minister, Papperger pushed for an increase of Germany's defence budget. "The 51 billion euros in the defence budget will not suffice to purchase everything that is needed. Even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Germany was 20 billion euros short of reaching NATO's target for ammunitions stockpiling, according to a defence source. To plug the munitions gap alone, Papperger estimates the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) would need to invest three to four billion euros per year.

☆ Explainer: Why has Ukraine sought Leopard 2 battle tanks?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Kyiv has been pushing for the Leopard 2 tank in particular because it has several advantages over the alternatives, such as Britain's Challenger 2 and the U.S. M1 Abrams tanks. With some 20 nations operating the Leopard 2, several nations could each chip in a small portion of their tanks to support Ukraine. Germany has about 350 Leopard 2 tanks today, compared to some 4,000 battle main tanks at the height of the Cold War, according to German military expert Carl Schulze. At the same time, it is all but impossible to buy a large amount of Leopard 2 tanks quickly. However, unlike the Leopard 2, it is not widely used, which limits how many can be made available for Ukraine.

Pressure has been building on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government to send its Leopard tanks to Ukraine and let other countries send the ones they own. Ukraine says heavily armoured Western battle tanks would give its ground troops more mobility and protection ahead of a new Russian offensive that Kyiv expects in the near future. Germany has previously said that no country had formally asked for permission to send their Leopard tanks. A German defence source told Reuters that Poland had submitted a request to let it supply up to 14 Leopard 2 A4 tanks to Ukraine. He expressed confidence that a decision on sending battle tanks would come soon.

Still, many Germans feel Scholz is not doing a very good job of explaining his thinking. Scholz has so far neither said he would give the green light nor if he would send tanks from Germany. A main reason given is that Russia could see the deliveries of tanks as tantamount to Germany becoming a party to conflict. The Kremlin would be less inclined to retaliate if another nuclear power such as the United States also sent tanks. Already, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has forced Germany to overcome taboos such as exporting arms to war zones.

☆ Germany to send Leopard tanks to Kyiv, allow others to do so - Spiegel
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, Jan 24 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has decided to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and allow other countries such as Poland to do so while the U.S. may supply Abrams tanks, magazine Spiegel reported on Tuesday. The decision concerns at least one company of Leopard 2 A6 tanks that will be provided out of Bundeswehr stocks, Spiegel said. Other allies, in Scandinavia for example, intend to go along with Germany in supplying their Leopard tanks to Kyiv, the magazine reported. In the longer term, more tanks could be restored to be fit for use, according to the magazine. Reporting by Riham Alkousaa, writing by Sabine SieboldOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Germany to send Leopard tanks to Kyiv, allow others to do so - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Germany delivers its first Leopard tanks to Slovakia as part of a deal after Slovakia donated fighting vehicles to Ukraine, in Bratislava, Slovakia, December 19, 2022. REUTERS/Radovan StoklasaBERLIN, Jan 24 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has decided to send Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine and allow other countries such as Poland to do so while the United States may supply Abrams tanks, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. A government spokesperson, the foreign ministry and the defence ministry declined to comment. Other allies, in Scandinavia for example, intend to go along with Germany in supplying their Leopard tanks to Kyiv, the magazine reported. U.S. officials told Reuters that Washington may soon drop its opposition to sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine, in a move intended to encourage Germany to follow.

☆ Germany starts deploying Patriot air defence units to Poland
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] A view of a part of the convoy as the mobile defence surface-to-air missile systems, Patriot, are transported to Poland, near Gnoien, Germany, January 23, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret HilseGNOIEN, Germany Jan 23 (Reuters) - Germany on Monday dispatched the first two out of three Patriot air defence units that will be sent to the Polish town of Zamosc close to the Ukrainian border where they will be deployed to prevent stray missile strikes. As a result, Berlin offered to deploy three of its Patriot units to Poland to help secure its air space. Ground-based air defence systems such as Raytheon's (RTX.N) Patriot are built to intercept incoming missiles. Sievers, who will command the German unit in Poland, underlined the defensive nature of the Patriot system.

☆ Explainer: How to correctly re-export German tanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The following explains defence export rules in Germany and other countries and the way such deals have been handled previously:HOW DO GOVERNMENTS CORRECTLY RE-EXPORT GERMAN TANKS? The same goes for cases where the weapons may be used to wage a war of aggression or the re-export approval might violate Germany's obligations under international law. As defence exports are a touchy issue in Germany, foreign countries usually do not directly submit a formal request for re-export to the German authorities. If not, the foreign country abstains from submitting a formal re-export request, and no diplomatic harm is done. GERMANY'S HIGH HURDLES FOR DEFENCE EXPORTSGermany has one of the toughest defence export regimes in the world – largely due to its bloody pre-1945 past.

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meets with Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov to discuss how to help Ukraine defend itself, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, January 20, 2023. But the major focus is on whether Germany will send Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine or at least approve their transfer from third countries. Leopard tanks are seen as especially suitable for Ukraine as they are widely in use, meaning several countries could each chip in some of their tanks to support Ukraine. Government sources in Germany have said it would move on the Leopard tanks issue if the United States agreed to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Poland could send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine even without Germany’s re-export approval, a deputy foreign minister said on Friday, ahead of a crunch meeting on weapons for Kyiv.

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