BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Ukraine will use fighter jets on Tuesday to deter Western powers from invading Moscow as senior defense officials of the US and its NATO allies say war with Russia is nearing a critical moment I appealed.
As the war enters its second year later next week, a Ukrainian contact group met at her NATO headquarters in Brussels and Ukraine clarified its requirements.
Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov showed reporters pictures of fighter planes and asked what military aid his country is currently seeking.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited London, Paris and Brussels last week on his second trip abroad since Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, urging military aircraft. His request came days after Western allies promised to supply Kiev with tanks.
Russian forces have invaded eastern Ukraine and strengthened the southern defense line. The war remained largely unchanged during the winter months, but both sides are expected to begin their offensive as the weather improves.
Putin hoped Western support for Kiev would die off so he could move forward, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the meeting.
Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram announced that his country would make eight Leopard 2 tanks and support vehicles available in Ukraine, adding:
“The situation in Ukraine is approaching a critical stage and they are dependent on prompt and comprehensive assistance from the West.”
Another of his problems plaguing NATO allies is how to continue to supply Ukraine with ammunition without depleting its own stockpiles. By some estimates, Ukraine fires up to 6,000 to 7,000 shells daily, about a third of what Russia uses each day.
Stoltenberg warned on Monday that Ukraine is running out of ammunition much faster than its allies can supply.
Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the search for ammunition and air defense “is now much more important than the discussion about fighter aircraft”.
Pistorius told reporters that it takes months for pilots to get used to the new aircraft.
He said Kiev had signed a contract to produce ammunition for self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery Germany supplied to Ukraine after it had trouble finding ammunition elsewhere.
This ammunition is vital for Kiev, especially to counter Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure aimed at cutting off heating and drinking water supplies.
But Russia appears to have few resources for a large-scale attack at the moment, the UK Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. “Overall, the current operational situation is such that Russian forces are under orders to advance in most sectors, but have not amassed sufficient offensive combat power on any axis to exert decisive impact.
In Ukraine, the country’s president’s office said on Tuesday that Russian artillery fire has killed at least three of his civilians in the past 24 hours and injured eight more.
Russian troops shelled her 17 towns and villages in the Donetsk region. governor Pablo Kirilenko said. “The Russians are destroying everything in their path,” he said.
Ukrainian authorities also reported heavy artillery and airstrikes in the Luhansk region, while South Russian forces shelled the city of Kherson 13 times in 24 hours, destroying railways and houses.
