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| Photo: Roni Rekomaa/Bloomberg News |
Moscow could increase defenses or attacks but is already struggling to gain ground
Months before modern Western tanks reach Ukraine, their anticipated delivery has the power to shift battlefield dynamics by forcing Russia to act faster than it had planned—or is ready—to do.
The U.S., Germany, Poland and other allies of Ukraine on Wednesday said they would send dozens of modern tanks, greatly expanding a British pledge of 14 from earlier in the month. The mobile, armored weapons are more advanced and lethal than any tanks Russian forces possess, military specialists say, and they will join a far larger number of modern armored vehicles and other weapons systems also recently pledged by Ukraine’s Western supporters. Ukrainian leaders have for months asked for 300 Western tanks.
The U.S. is considering three options that would see the tanks delivered as soon as several months and as far out as two years, Pentagon officials said.
General Dynamics Corp., the defense company that produces the Abrams, could manufacture new tanks, which would see Kyiv receiving fresh off-the-assembly-line machines as far out as 18 to 24 months from now, an official said. General Dynamics Chief Executive Phebe Novakovic said Wednesday that the company has plenty of capacity to accommodate new orders.
The Pentagon could also refurbish tanks in the U.S. inventory, or find tanks from allies to whom the U.S. has already sold tanks. Those approaches would also mean Ukraine wouldn’t see the tanks for many months, officials said. The U.S. has decided to send Kyiv the M1A2 variant, officials said.
Russian officials attacked the tank pledges. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Moscow sees the pledges of tanks and other weapons as increasing the West’s “direct involvement in the conflict” despite statements from countries linked to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that they aren’t parties to the war.
Moscow’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, said Wednesday on the Telegram messaging app that “American tanks without any doubt will be destroyed” alongside other Western equipment in Ukraine. --->READ MORE HERE
Invading Russian forces launched 55 air and sea-based missiles against Ukraine on Jan. 26, of which 47 were downed by Ukrainian air defense forces, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi said on the Telegram messenger.
According to Zaluzhnyi, the enemy launched Kh-101, Kh-555, Kh-47 Kinzhal, Kalibr, and Kh-59 missiles from Tu-95, Su-35, MiG-31K aircraft and ships from the Black Sea.
He added that Ukrainian air defense forces had destroyed 20 out of 47 missiles near the capital city of Kyiv.
At the same time, three out of four Kh-59 guided cruise missiles did not reach their targets.
“The Russians’ goal remains unchanged – psychological pressure on Ukrainians and the destruction of critical infrastructure,” Zaluzhnyi said.
On Jan. 26, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported explosions in the Dniprovskyi district and parts of a downed missile hitting a non-residential building in the Holosiivskyi district.
One person was killed and two more were wounded, reportedly by falling debris from the shot-down Russian cruise missile. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:
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