Tanks for Ukraine in sight as holdout Germany says new minister to
decide
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[January 17, 2023]
By Herbert Villarrga and Tom Balmforth
DNIPRO, Ukraine/KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine came a step closer on Tuesday
to winning the fleet of modern battle tanks it hopes could turn the
course of the war against Russia, after the West's big holdout Germany
said this would be the first item on its new defence minister's agenda.
In the central city of Dnipro, more bodies were pulled from the rubble
of an apartment block on Tuesday, raising the death toll to 44 in the
deadliest attack for civilians of a three-month Russian missile
bombardment campaign.
Dozens more people were still missing. Local officials said 79 people
were wounded and 39 rescued from the rubble.
Nearly 11 months after Russia invaded, Kyiv says a fleet of Western
battle tanks would give its forces the mobile firepower they need to
drive Russian troops out in decisive battles in 2023.
German-made Leopard battle tanks - the workhorse of armies across Europe
- are widely seen as the only plausible choice to supply Ukraine with
the large-scale tank force it needs. But they cannot be delivered
without authorisation from Berlin, which has so far stalled.
With Western allies meeting at a U.S. airbase in Germany on Friday to
pledge military support for Ukraine, Berlin is under intense pressure to
lift its objections this week, in what would be one of the most
consequential shifts in Western aid so far.
The decision will be the first item on the agenda for Boris Pistorius,
announced on Tuesday as the replacement for German Defence Secretary
Christine Lambrecht, who quit on Monday.
"When the person, when the minister of defence, is declared, this is the
first question to be decided concretely," German Economy Minister Robert
Habeck told Deutschlandfunk radio broadcaster on Tuesday.
Germany has been cautious about approving weapons that could be seen as
an escalation. Many allies say that concern is misplaced, with Russia
showing no sign of backing down from its assault on its neighbour.
Britain broke the taboo over sending heavy tanks over the weekend,
pledging a squadron of its Challengers. But it has too few for them to
form the basis of a Ukrainian force. Washington's Abrams tanks are also
seen as inappropriate in large numbers because they run on turbine
engines that burn too much fuel to be practical for Ukraine.
That leaves the Leopards, which Germany made in the thousands during the
Cold War and which are now fielded by armies across Europe. Poland and
Finland have already said they would send Leopards if Berlin gives
approval.
"We hope and are trying to organise bigger support for Ukraine. We hope
a few partners, allies, will give tanks to Ukraine," Polish President
Andrzej Duda said on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland.
Germany's new defence minister is expected to host U.S. Defense
Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday ahead of Friday's big meeting of
allies at Ramstein air base, where big pledges of new military support
for Ukraine are expected.
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A view shows a kitchen inside an
apartment block heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid
Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine January 15, 2023.
REUTERS/Yan Dobronosov
CUDDLY TOYS AT MEMORIAL
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions driven
from their homes since Russia launched what it calls a "special
military operation" in Ukraine in February last year.
Ukrainian forces drove Russian troops back during the second half of
2022, but over the past two months the front lines have largely been
frozen in place despite both sides enduring heavy losses in
relentless fighting. Ukrainian officials say tanks would be key to
breaking the stalemate.
Russia claims to have captured the small mining town of Soledar on
the outskirts of the eastern city of Bakhmut last week. Kyiv has
said it is still fighting there.
"The situation is the same as yesterday. Our units are located in
Soledar and are constantly hitting the enemy with fire," Serhiy
Cherevaty, a Ukrainian military spokesman, said.
Moscow, meanwhile, has turned since October to a tactic of raining
missiles down on Ukrainian cities far from the front, mainly
targeting electricity infrastructure.
Russia says it aims to reduce Ukraine's ability to fight; Kyiv says
the attacks serve no military purpose and are intended to harm
civilians, a war crime.
In Dnipro, residents left flowers and cuddly toys at a makeshift
memorial near the apartment block destroyed during Russia's wave of
missile attacks on Saturday.
A soldier staggered away, wiping away tears, after laying flowers on
the seat of a transport shelter turned into a temporary monument to
the victims. A candle burned beside the growing pile of toys and
bouquets.
"We came here to look, pay our respects. It is very tough, such a
shame about lives lost," said 63-year-old Viktoria.
Moscow denies intentionally targeting civilians and blamed Ukraine's
air defences for the missile that hit the apartments. Kyiv says it
was hit by a notoriously inaccurate Russian anti-ship missile for
which Ukraine has no defences.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his Monday night video address
that the attack on Dnipro and Russia's attempts to gain the
initiative in the war underscored the need for the West "to speed up
decision-making" in supplying weapons.
Russia attacked Ukraine in February last year, saying Kyiv's close
ties with the West created a security threat. Ukraine and its
Western allies call it an unprovoked war to seize land and impose
Russia's will on its neighbour.
(Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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