French President Emmanuel Macron announced after a phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky that he would send tanks to Ukraine. It was initially unclear how many tanks France plans to hand over to Ukraine by when. Report from the Elysee Palace was that these were the first Western-style main battle tanks delivered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Selenskyj praised: “This sends a clear signal to all our partners: there is no rational reason why tanks of Western design have not yet been delivered to Ukraine.”
In fact, Ukraine has received Western tanks in the past, although these were mostly troop carriers like the US model M113 – a smaller tracked vehicle. Germany also supplied Ukraine with 30 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks. Ukraine attacked by Russia has not yet received a full-fledged Western main battle tank, such as the French model Leclerc or the German Leopard.
That, too, could now change, as the US considers supplying infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. The US government is considering supplying the Bradley model to Ukraine. According to the US military, the armored tracked vehicles usually have a cannon, a machine gun and armor-piercing missiles. US President Joe Biden said yes on Wednesday to a reporter’s question whether the government is considering supplying the armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. He gave no details. It was initially unclear which model variant of the “Bradley” would be suitable for Kiev.
The US is already supplying Ukraine with several heavy weapon systems, including the Himar-type multiple rocket launchers, which sometimes inflict heavy casualties on Russian forces. During Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyj’s visit to Washington shortly before Christmas, Biden also pledged to provide Ukraine with a Patriot air defense system.
The current developments in the live ticker:
The Ukrainian army reported another successful attack on the Russian army. In the occupied city of Tokmak in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, 80 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded in an offensive on Tuesday, the General Staff in Kiev said.
However, a spokesman for the Russian occupation administration of Zaporizhia, Vladimir Rogov, claimed that the Ukrainian attack targeted the Tokmak district hospital. A military doctor and several patients were killed. In addition, photos of a heavily damaged building were shown. However, there was no independent confirmation of the information.
For days, Ukraine has repeatedly reported massive blows to Russian troop concentrations. According to Kiev sources, 400 enemy soldiers alone were killed in an attack on a Russian military barracks in Makiivka in the Donetsk region, and 500 in another offensive in the village of Chulakivka in Kherson. Moscow, on the other hand, has so far only admitted that at least 89 were killed in its own ranks in view of the Ukrainian artillery attacks on New Year’s Eve.
In the Ukrainian church conflict, the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine will hold its first Christmas in the famous Kiev cave monastery. According to the calendar of the Orthodox Churches, the service will take place next Saturday. Previously, the lease from the rival Ukrainian Orthodox Church had not been renewed at the end of the year.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has traditionally had close ties with Russia, only completely broke away from Moscow after the Russian invasion last February. Previously, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church had been established in 2018 with state support as the new national church. It is assigned to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (Istanbul).
Heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces continues in the Donbass. Russia continues to unsuccessfully try to take control of the illegally annexed regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. Fighting is also still going on in the Cherson and Zaporizhia areas occupied by Moscow but partly liberated by Ukraine. (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
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