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Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Ukraine minister among dead in helicopter crash (msn.com)

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(Reuters) - Ukraine's interior minister and a child were among at least 14 people killed when a helicopter crashed into a nursery and set it ablaze in a suburb of the capital Kyiv.

CONFLICT

* The national police chief said aside from Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, others killed in the crash included his first deputy, Yevheniy Yenin, and the ministry's state secretary.

* It was not immediately clear what caused the helicopter to crash.

* Monastyrskyi, 42, is the most senior Ukrainian official to die since Russia began the war last February.

* Leaders and diplomats from several countries paid tribute to the late minister and offered condolences to families of the victims.

* Ukrainian forces repelled attacks in the eastern city of Bakhmut and the village of Klishchiivka just south of it, the Ukrainian military said. Russia has focused on Bakhmut in recent weeks, claiming last week to have taken the mining town of Soledar on its northern outskirts.

* Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand visited Kyiv and pledged 200 Senator armoured personnel carriers.

DIPLOMACY

* Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said in a video address to the World Economic Forum in Davos that Western supplies of tanks and air defence units should come more quickly and be delivered faster than Russia was able to carry out attacks.

* Ukraine needs a "significant increase" in weapons at a pivotal moment in Russia's invasion and such support is the only way to a negotiated peaceful solution, NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg said in Davos.

* Russian President Putin, visiting an air defence factory in St Petersburg, said Russia's military industrial might meant "victory is assured, I have no doubt about it."

* Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov accused the United States of preparing the ground for the conflict in Ukraine as part of what he called a hybrid war against Moscow. He also said Moscow saw no prospects of peace talks.

ECONOMY

* Russia's Gazprom said it will ship 32.6 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Wednesday, a volume in line with recent days but around 20% lower than daily shipments recorded in the final months of last year.

* Russian crude oil exports to the European Union fell by 270,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 0.9 million bpd in December from the previous month, International Energy Agency (IEA) data showed.

(Compiled by Angus MacSwan and Alexandra Hudson; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Grant McCool)

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Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Ukraine minister among dead in helicopter crash

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(Reuters) - Ukraine's interior minister and a child were among at least 14 people killed when a helicopter crashed into a nursery and set it ablaze in a suburb of the capital Kyiv. CONFLICT * The national police chief said aside from Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, others killed in the crash included his first deputy, Yevheniy Yenin, and the ministry's state secretary.

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koffl

Last week, Russia announced that it will make "major changes" to strengthen its armed forces' during the 2023-2026 time period, a sign that Moscow is recasting its approach in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin's new strategy is focused on fighting a large-scale war rather than a "special military operation." Here's why this change will likely result in a permanent conflict in the European theater.

Russia and US-led NATO -- a proxy party to the war -- view each other as their respective top security threats. Biden's current National Security Strategy describes Russia as an "immediate threat." Russia's post-Soviet military doctrine has codified NATO as the "primary danger."

Ukraine is the buffer state that each side seeks to rely on in the event of a direct NATO vs. Russia war. Trading territory for enemy's blood to protect the heartland is the essence of this approach. It is why the question of control over Ukraine has been festering since the collapse of the U.S.S.R. in 1991, and it is where the balance of power in Eurasia has been contested for centuries.

Having won the Cold War, the U.S. has been incorporating Ukraine into the Western orbit, allowing the U.S. and Europe to reduce their military posture in Europe. Ukrainians are valiantly fighting the Russians, having sacrificed thousands of military personnel and 20,000 to 40,000 civilians to death or injury to hold the line, while the majority of NATO countries, 22 of 30, fail to contribute the required two percent of GDP towards common defense. Washington views the arming of Ukraine as a sound investment to bleed the Russian military.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR AN OUTLOOK FOR 2023: MORE BLOODSHED TO COME WITH NO END IN SIGHT
Russia, which has been invaded three times in the last 200 years and has seen its buffer zone with NATO reduced to as little as 100 miles, after the Baltic states joined NATO in 2004, has drawn a red line over Ukraine.

Moscow views NATO expansion into Ukraine in the same way as if a Russia-lead Collective Security Treaty Organization moved into Mexico. In other words, the outcome of this war is existential for Putin, who is determined to keep Ukraine away from NATO, even if he has to destroy it.

Putin believes his ultimate fear of having to fight a conventional war with NATO is becoming reality. The arrival of 100 Ukrainian troops in Oklahoma to train on the Patriot missile defense system and the Pentagon's commitment to provide 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Kyiv is taking the conflict to a new level.

Putin is moving to an all-out war strategy, developed on his orders after the Russian military strategists forecast a direct confrontation with NATO a decade ago.

In anticipation of retaliation by Ukraine and possibly NATO to his massive escalation in the theater, Putin is fortifying Moscow, to protect himself, his family, and the Russian elites.

Pantsir anti-aircraft systems were reportedly installed on several rooftops in central Moscow, including near the Kremlin, on top of the ministry of defense building, and near Putin's Valdai residence in Russia's Novgorod region. The system is placed on combat alert.

On December 22nd, Putin, for the very first time, referred to the conflict in Ukraine, as war, rather than a "special military operation." Fighting a large-scale war, based on the Russian military doctrine, is a different animal than a "special operation." It involves a lot more personnel, new generation weapons, and cyber and space warfare capabilities. Russia believes what it views as America's low tolerance for casualties and reliance on technology as vulnerabilities.
PUTIN'S FASHION FAUX PAS: RUSSIAN MILITARY UNIFORMS UNSUITABLE FOR COMBAT IN BRUTAL WINTER FIGHT
On December 21, Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced a plan to beef up Russia's military from 1 to 1.5 million. Towards this goal, Russia is adding half-a-million conscripts, according to Ukraine's defense intelligence, to the previously mobilized 315,000 additional soldiers.

Last week, Shoigu emphasized Russia's goal to augment, naval, aerospace, and nuclear forces, in order "to guarantee the military security of the state." Earlier, Putin also assigned the chief of the military general staff, Valeriy Gerasimov, to lead combat operations in Ukraine, a notable move as Gerasimov is the author of a special anti-U.S. doctrine.

Putin, consistent with Russian warfare traditions, is preparing for a long-term war of attrition. Russia's way of winning wars is relentless attrition of manpower. It is how Russia has fought every war for centuries - throwing millions into the meat-grinder to prevail.

The Russians sacrificed 25 million lives in World War II and their current losses are approximately 100,000. Given Russia's population of 143 million, there's a lot more bleeding that lies ahead before Washington could reach its goals of Ukrainian victory and weakening Russia.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER

The upcoming admission of Sweden and Finland into NATO will create a permanent flashpoint in the region. Contrary to Washington's belief, this move is more likely to further destabilize Europe than bring peace.

Russia shares an 832-mile border with Finland. These two countries' acceptance into the alliance will automatically double the border between NATO and Russia, from around 750 miles to about 1,600, exacerbating Russia's security worries.

Russia shares a turbulent past with both Sweden and Finland dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, having fought multiple wars with them. In fact, Russia defeated Sweden and ended the Great Northern War in July 1709 at the battle of Poltava, which today is located in the eastern part of Ukraine.

The lives of millions of people have already been upended by the war, with more upheavals on the way. The disruptions caused by migration, human tragedy, food insecurity, and energy shortages will go far beyond the immediate crisis, straining the U.S. and European economies, militaries and societies.

The International Monetary Fund warned in a recent study that "geo-economic fragmentation" could decrease global gross domestic product by up to 7% over an unspecified "long-term" period, reversing the economic integration and globalization trends of recent decades.

The IMF forecasted greater impact, 8-12%, on low-income and emerging economies, attributing it to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries are heavily dependent on Russia and Ukraine for food imports and on Russia, for energy. The World Bank recently issued a similar report, highlighting the food crisis as the "most alarming concern."

What originated as a localized conflict is now firmly on a path towards an endless war with international ramifications. Having invested heavily -- financially and emotionally - in this existential battle, the warring parties have no exit strategies.

This long-term impact on Europe and the world will be incalculable.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REBEKAH KOFFLER

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Putin's pivot in Ukraine will bring about permanent war in Europe

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Putin's recent shift in strategy in Ukraine is likely to have a lasting impact on Europe and the way the war is fought. The conflict threatens to become a lasting, one not just with Ukraine but with the Europe as a whole.

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Max Hunder is a business reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He previously worked as a business reporter at the Kyiv Post focusing on

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Tom Balmforth’s Profile | Reuters Journalist | Muck Rack

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Find Tom Balmforth of Reuters’s articles, email address, contact information, Twitter and more

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What we're covering

Ukraine's air defenses shot down an unspecified number of Russian missiles on Thursday morning as air raid sirens sounded across the country and emergency power outages were implemented in several regions.

US President Joe Biden said the US plans to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine after Germany confirmed it will deliver 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its own stock to Kyiv, following weeks of diplomatic pressure on Berlin.

It will likely take the Pentagon "weeks, not months" to finalize a training plan for the US tanks and get it underway, the White House said.

Russia's ambassador to Germany said Berlin's decision takes the conflict "to a new level of confrontation."

Ukraine's air defense systems shot down an unspecified number of Russian missiles on Thursday morning, the Ukrainian president's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram.

At least two of the rockets flew through the southern Mykolaiv region, Gov. Vitaly Kim said on Telegram.

Earlier, Ukraine's largest private energy company on Thursday implemented emergency power outages in several regions including Kyiv "due to the threat of a missile attack," the firm said.

Air raid sirens have sounded across all regions of Ukraine on Thursday morning. So far, there have been no reports of strikes.

Ukraine's largest private energy company on Thursday implemented emergency power outages in several regions including Kyiv "due to the threat of a missile attack," the firm said.

In a Telegram post, the DTEK group said the outages in the capital, Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk were "a necessary preventive step to avoid significant damage to the energy infrastructure if enemy missiles reach their target."

Air raid sirens have been ringing across all parts of Ukraine, including Kyiv, on Thursday morning.

Air sirens rang across much of central and eastern Ukraine Wednesday night as officials warned residents to shelter from a possible Russian attack.

"Threat of a missile strike," Mykola Lukashuk, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Region Council, said on Telegram. "Stay in safe places until the end of the alert. The threat is not over."

Lukashuk urged others on Telegram not to report the locations of possible interceptions by Ukrainian air defense.

"Do not help the enemy," he said. "Wait for official information."

In the southern Mykolaiv region, there were also official reports of possible incoming Russian fire.

"They write that three groups of mopeds [Shahed attack drones] have already taken off," Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv regional military administration, said on Telegram. "The petty crooks couldn't come up with anything better on the best president's birthday."

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, the military administrator warned residents to remain in their shelters: "There is a threat of missile attacks. Do not ignore the alarms."

In the central Kirovohrad region, the military administrator said on Telegram: "The level of missile threat remains high."

A Russian warship armed with advanced hypersonic missiles completed a drill in the Atlantic Ocean, ahead of joint naval exercises with the Chinese and South African navies scheduled for next month, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

Russia's Admiral Gorshkov frigate, armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, practiced "delivering a missile strike against an enemy surface target," the ship's commander Igor Krokhmal said in a video released by the ministry.

The exercise, described by state news agency Tass as an "electronic launch" or virtual simulation, confirmed the "designed characteristics" of the missile system, said Krokhmal, who pointed to the missiles' purported ability to reach distances of more than 900 kilometers (559 miles).

The test was part of a long voyage of the Admiral Gorshkov frigate launched earlier this month, when Russian state media said the warship was dispatched with the hypersonic missiles. The deployment will also include joint training with the Chinese and South African navies off the coast of South Africa, according to Moscow and Pretoria.

The exercises come as Russia nears the first anniversary of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and marks both a show of force and - with the joint exercises - an opportunity for Moscow to show it is not isolated on the world stage, despite wide international condemnation of its unprovoked war.

The White House on Monday said the US "has concerns about any country ... exercising with Russia while Russia wages a brutal war against Ukraine."

During a joint meeting in Pretoria Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor defended the naval drills, with Lavrov saying Moscow does not want any so-called "scandals" regarding the exercises.

Germany will fund the purchase of 20 million euros ($21.8 million) worth of Starlink satellite terminals for Ukraine, Kyiv's minister of digital transformation said Wednesday.

"Expressed my gratitude to the German people for a new batch of 10,000 Starlinks, which we'll get next month," Mykhailo Fedorov said in a Telegram post .

The small, easy-to-use satellite dishes made by Elon Musk's private rocket company SpaceX have been universally hailed as a game-changing source of communication for Ukraine's military, allowing it to fight and stay online even as cellular phone and internet networks have been destroyed in its war with Russia.

Germany's Foreign Ministry said a third of the terminals will benefit the Ukrainian armed forces directly, noting the expanded internet access will also help the Ukrainian people.

"Real-time communication allows Ukrainian soldiers to coordinate their defense of their homeland and better protect themselves against Russian attacks," the ministry said in a statement.
"Internet access is a lifeline for local people and allows the rest of the world to know what is happening in Ukraine."

US President Joe Biden said Wednesday he plans to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, reversing his longstanding resistance to Kyiv's requests for the highly sophisticated but maintenance-heavy vehicles.

His announcement came after Germany said it would send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv from its own stock, ending an apparent standoff that saw Berlin officials indicate they would only send tanks if the US did too.
Here's what you need to know:

Why it's significant: NATO's secretary general said the tanks "will significantly strengthen" Kyiv's combat capabilities. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently asked Western allies for modern tanks as Kyiv prepares for an expected major Russian counteroffensive in the spring.

It's not just the US and Germany: Other countries, especially those with German-made tanks, have also announced contributions. CNN cannot confirm the total number of Leopard 2 tanks to be delivered, but pledges made by multiple nations mean Ukraine is in line to receive dozens of them. Germany's main governing party said Wednesday that Western allies will send around 80 Leopard 2 tanks in total.

Why send tanks now: The donations will provide Kyiv's forces with a modern and powerful military vehicle and come as a blow to the Kremlin, which has seen a growing campaign to equip Ukrainian troops with high-tech fighting systems as Russia's war nears the one-year mark.

But don't expect an instant impact: Speaking before Biden's announcement, senior US officials framed the decision as an investment in Ukraine's "longer term capabilities," an indication the US sees the war extending well into the future. Ukraine hopes the new tanks can help it retake territory seized by Russia, including in the Donbas. That could also include Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

Possible challenges: The Abrams tanks will take months to arrive, senior US officials said, and will require extensive training for Ukrainian troops on how to operate and service them. The US must also navigate complicated supply chains for the components required for the tanks. The procurement process will take months, the US officials said, though Germany's Leopards will arrive in the nearer term. Portugal's foreign minister said it will take two to three months before Leopard 2 tanks are fully operational in Ukraine.

What happens now: In the meantime, the US will begin a "comprehensive training program" for the Ukrainians on the Abrams, which will occur outside Ukraine.

Watch CNN's Jim Sciutto break down the latest on the tanks: CNN's Kevin Liptak, Stephanie Halasz, Sophie Tanno and Sugam Pokharel contributed reporting to this post.

The historic center of the Ukrainian port city of Odesa and sites in Yemen and Lebanon were added to the World Heritage List Wednesday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

All three sites were simultaneously added to UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.

UNESCO's founding Convention obliges all members - among whom are Russia and Ukraine - to "not take any deliberate measures that directly or indirectly damage their heritage or that of another State Party to the Convention."

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, said in a statement that he hoped the listing would help protect Odesa from the war.

"Odesa, a free city, a world city, a legendary port that has left its mark on cinema, literature and the arts, is thus placed under the reinforced protection of the international community," Azoulay said.
"While the war continues, this inscription embodies our collective determination to ensure that this city, which has always surmounted global upheavals, is preserved from further destruction."

The statement said the decision would give Ukraine access to "technical and financial international assistance" to protect and rehabilitate the city center.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday the decisions by the United States and Germany to send main battle tanks to his country proved "freedom is only getting stronger."

"The key thing now is speed and volume," he said. "The speed of training of our military, the speed of supplying tanks to Ukraine. The volume of tank support."

He thanked "Mr. President Biden, I thank the Congress, I thank every American family" as well as "Mr. Chancellor, all German politicians and public figures."

Providing more sophisticated weapons to Ukraine was critical to the war effort, he added.

"Today I spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg," he said. "We have to unlock the supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine, it is important for us to expand our cooperation in artillery, we have to achieve the supply of aircraft to Ukraine. And this is a dream. And this is a task. An important task for all of us."

Ukraine's "wish list" for Western-supplied weapons includes fighter jets, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told CNN on Wednesday.

"I sent a wish list card to Santa Claus last year, and fighter jets also [were] including in this wish list," Reznikov said.

But he said Kyiv's first priority was air defense systems so it could prevent Russia from carrying out air and missile strikes.

"We have to close our sky, to defend our sky," Reznikov said. "That's priority number one. After that, we need to get more armed vehicles, tanks, artillery systems, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), et cetera, et cetera. We have people, but we need weaponry."

Quoting Winston Churchill, he said, "Give us the tools, we will finish the job."

What we're covering

Ukraine's air defenses shot down an unspecified number of Russian missiles on Thursday morning as air raid sirens sounded across the country and emergency power outages were implemented in several regions.

US President Joe Biden said the US plans to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine after Germany confirmed it will deliver 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its own stock to Kyiv, following weeks of diplomatic pressure on Berlin.

It will likely take the Pentagon "weeks, not months" to finalize a training plan for the US tanks and get it underway, the White House said.

Russia's ambassador to Germany said Berlin's decision takes the conflict "to a new level of confrontation."

Ukraine's air defense systems shot down an unspecified number of Russian missiles on Thursday morning, the Ukrainian president's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram.

At least two of the rockets flew through the southern Mykolaiv region, Gov. Vitaly Kim said on Telegram.

Earlier, Ukraine's largest private energy company on Thursday implemented emergency power outages in several regions including Kyiv "due to the threat of a missile attack," the firm said.

Air raid sirens have sounded across all regions of Ukraine on Thursday morning. So far, there have been no reports of strikes.

Ukraine's largest private energy company on Thursday implemented emergency power outages in several regions including Kyiv "due to the threat of a missile attack," the firm said.

In a Telegram post, the DTEK group said the outages in the capital, Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk were "a necessary preventive step to avoid significant damage to the energy infrastructure if enemy missiles reach their target."

Air raid sirens have been ringing across all parts of Ukraine, including Kyiv, on Thursday morning.

Air sirens rang across much of central and eastern Ukraine Wednesday night as officials warned residents to shelter from a possible Russian attack.

"Threat of a missile strike," Mykola Lukashuk, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Region Council, said on Telegram. "Stay in safe places until the end of the alert. The threat is not over."

Lukashuk urged others on Telegram not to report the locations of possible interceptions by Ukrainian air defense.

"Do not help the enemy," he said. "Wait for official information."

In the southern Mykolaiv region, there were also official reports of possible incoming Russian fire.

"They write that three groups of mopeds [Shahed attack drones] have already taken off," Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv regional military administration, said on Telegram. "The petty crooks couldn't come up with anything better on the best president's birthday."

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, the military administrator warned residents to remain in their shelters: "There is a threat of missile attacks. Do not ignore the alarms."

In the central Kirovohrad region, the military administrator said on Telegram: "The level of missile threat remains high."

A Russian warship armed with advanced hypersonic missiles completed a drill in the Atlantic Ocean, ahead of joint naval exercises with the Chinese and South African navies scheduled for next month, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

Russia's Admiral Gorshkov frigate, armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, practiced "delivering a missile strike against an enemy surface target," the ship's commander Igor Krokhmal said in a video released by the ministry.

The exercise, described by state news agency Tass as an "electronic launch" or virtual simulation, confirmed the "designed characteristics" of the missile system, said Krokhmal, who pointed to the missiles' purported ability to reach distances of more than 900 kilometers (559 miles).

The test was part of a long voyage of the Admiral Gorshkov frigate launched earlier this month, when Russian state media said the warship was dispatched with the hypersonic missiles. The deployment will also include joint training with the Chinese and South African navies off the coast of South Africa, according to Moscow and Pretoria.

The exercises come as Russia nears the first anniversary of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and marks both a show of force and - with the joint exercises - an opportunity for Moscow to show it is not isolated on the world stage, despite wide international condemnation of its unprovoked war.

The White House on Monday said the US "has concerns about any country ... exercising with Russia while Russia wages a brutal war against Ukraine."

During a joint meeting in Pretoria Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor defended the naval drills, with Lavrov saying Moscow does not want any so-called "scandals" regarding the exercises.

Germany will fund the purchase of 20 million euros ($21.8 million) worth of Starlink satellite terminals for Ukraine, Kyiv's minister of digital transformation said Wednesday.

"Expressed my gratitude to the German people for a new batch of 10,000 Starlinks, which we'll get next month," Mykhailo Fedorov said in a Telegram post .

The small, easy-to-use satellite dishes made by Elon Musk's private rocket company SpaceX have been universally hailed as a game-changing source of communication for Ukraine's military, allowing it to fight and stay online even as cellular phone and internet networks have been destroyed in its war with Russia.

Germany's Foreign Ministry said a third of the terminals will benefit the Ukrainian armed forces directly, noting the expanded internet access will also help the Ukrainian people.

"Real-time communication allows Ukrainian soldiers to coordinate their defense of their homeland and better protect themselves against Russian attacks," the ministry said in a statement.
"Internet access is a lifeline for local people and allows the rest of the world to know what is happening in Ukraine."

US President Joe Biden said Wednesday he plans to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, reversing his longstanding resistance to Kyiv's requests for the highly sophisticated but maintenance-heavy vehicles.

His announcement came after Germany said it would send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv from its own stock, ending an apparent standoff that saw Berlin officials indicate they would only send tanks if the US did too.
Here's what you need to know:

Why it's significant: NATO's secretary general said the tanks "will significantly strengthen" Kyiv's combat capabilities. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently asked Western allies for modern tanks as Kyiv prepares for an expected major Russian counteroffensive in the spring.

It's not just the US and Germany: Other countries, especially those with German-made tanks, have also announced contributions. CNN cannot confirm the total number of Leopard 2 tanks to be delivered, but pledges made by multiple nations mean Ukraine is in line to receive dozens of them. Germany's main governing party said Wednesday that Western allies will send around 80 Leopard 2 tanks in total.

Why send tanks now: The donations will provide Kyiv's forces with a modern and powerful military vehicle and come as a blow to the Kremlin, which has seen a growing campaign to equip Ukrainian troops with high-tech fighting systems as Russia's war nears the one-year mark.

But don't expect an instant impact: Speaking before Biden's announcement, senior US officials framed the decision as an investment in Ukraine's "longer term capabilities," an indication the US sees the war extending well into the future. Ukraine hopes the new tanks can help it retake territory seized by Russia, including in the Donbas. That could also include Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

Possible challenges: The Abrams tanks will take months to arrive, senior US officials said, and will require extensive training for Ukrainian troops on how to operate and service them. The US must also navigate complicated supply chains for the components required for the tanks. The procurement process will take months, the US officials said, though Germany's Leopards will arrive in the nearer term. Portugal's foreign minister said it will take two to three months before Leopard 2 tanks are fully operational in Ukraine.

What happens now: In the meantime, the US will begin a "comprehensive training program" for the Ukrainians on the Abrams, which will occur outside Ukraine.

Watch CNN's Jim Sciutto break down the latest on the tanks: CNN's Kevin Liptak, Stephanie Halasz, Sophie Tanno and Sugam Pokharel contributed reporting to this post.

The historic center of the Ukrainian port city of Odesa and sites in Yemen and Lebanon were added to the World Heritage List Wednesday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

All three sites were simultaneously added to UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.

UNESCO's founding Convention obliges all members - among whom are Russia and Ukraine - to "not take any deliberate measures that directly or indirectly damage their heritage or that of another State Party to the Convention."

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, said in a statement that he hoped the listing would help protect Odesa from the war.

"Odesa, a free city, a world city, a legendary port that has left its mark on cinema, literature and the arts, is thus placed under the reinforced protection of the international community," Azoulay said.
"While the war continues, this inscription embodies our collective determination to ensure that this city, which has always surmounted global upheavals, is preserved from further destruction."

The statement said the decision would give Ukraine access to "technical and financial international assistance" to protect and rehabilitate the city center.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday the decisions by the United States and Germany to send main battle tanks to his country proved "freedom is only getting stronger."

"The key thing now is speed and volume," he said. "The speed of training of our military, the speed of supplying tanks to Ukraine. The volume of tank support."

He thanked "Mr. President Biden, I thank the Congress, I thank every American family" as well as "Mr. Chancellor, all German politicians and public figures."

Providing more sophisticated weapons to Ukraine was critical to the war effort, he added.

"Today I spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg," he said. "We have to unlock the supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine, it is important for us to expand our cooperation in artillery, we have to achieve the supply of aircraft to Ukraine. And this is a dream. And this is a task. An important task for all of us."

Ukraine's "wish list" for Western-supplied weapons includes fighter jets, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told CNN on Wednesday.

"I sent a wish list card to Santa Claus last year, and fighter jets also [were] including in this wish list," Reznikov said.

But he said Kyiv's first priority was air defense systems so it could prevent Russia from carrying out air and missile strikes.

"We have to close our sky, to defend our sky," Reznikov said. "That's priority number one. After that, we need to get more armed vehicles, tanks, artillery systems, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), et cetera, et cetera. We have people, but we need weaponry."

Quoting Winston Churchill, he said, "Give us the tools, we will finish the job."

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By Tara Subramaniam, CNN

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President Joe Biden announced the US plans to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine after Germany confirmed it will deliver 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its own stock to Kyiv, following weeks of diplomatic pressure on Berlin. Follow live updates here.

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Russia hits Ukraine with missiles, says promised tanks show U.S., Europe’s “direct involvement” in the war is “growing”

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The Kremlin has long cast dire warnings over the potential ramifications of the U.S. and its NATO allies’ “direct involvement” in the grueling conflict.

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Netanyahu open to mediator role 'if asked'
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he would be willing to consider serving as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine if asked by both warring countries and the United States.

"If asked by all relevant parties, I'll certainly consider it, but I'm not pushing myself in," Netanyahu told CNN in an interview. He added it would have to be the "right time and the right circumstances."

Israel's close ally the United States would also need to ask because "you can't have too many cooks in the kitchen," he said.

Netanyahu said he was asked to be a mediator shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of last year but he declined because he was Israel's opposition leader at the time, not the prime minister. "I have a rule: one prime minister at a time," he said.

Netanyahu would not say who asked him to serve in the role but he said the request was "unofficial."

Ukraine asked Netanyahu's predecessor, Naftali Bennett, to act as a mediator and Bennett met in March with Russian President Vladimir Putin and also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy but he was unable to broker a peace deal.

Zelenskiy signals 'reforms' ahead of EU summit in Kyiv
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said remarks on Tuesday night that his administration was planning to introduce changes as part of attempts to proceed with unusually rapid and complex negotiations to secure European Union membership, Reuters reports. Ukraine is holding "summit" talks with EU officials on Friday.

"What is very important is that we are preparing new reforms in Ukraine," he said. "These are reforms which in many aspects will change the social, legal and political realities by making them more humane, more transparent and more effective."

Zelenskiy's latest dismissals included one deputy minister accused of taking a bribe and a second implicated in allegations that officials paid inflated prices for food for soldiers.

Welcome and Summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. My name is Helen Sullivan and I'll be bringing you the latest for the next while.

Our top stories this morning: Volodymyr Zelenskiy said remarks on Tuesday night that his administration was planning to introduce changes as part of attempts to proceed with unusually rapid and complex negotiations to secure European Union membership. Ukraine is holding "summit" talks with EU officials on Friday.

And Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he would be willing to consider serving as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine if asked by both warring countries and the United States.

Here are the other key recent developments:

The US is readying more than $2bn worth of military aid for Ukraine that is expected to include longer-range rockets for the first time as well as other munitions and weapons, two US officials briefed on the matter told Reuters.

Zelenskiy said he was not finished shuffling the ranks of senior officials and that anyone failing to perform according to strict standards faced dismissal.

Ukraine has said it will continue lobbying, arguing that the west had repeatedly said no to supplying weapons such as tanks before relenting over time. Oleksii Reznikov, the defence minister, said on a visit to Paris: "All types of assistance at the beginning went through the no stage. This means no as of today."

Ukraine expects to receive 120-140 tanks in a "first wave" of deliveries from a coalition of 12 countries, the foreign minister has said. Dmytro Kuleba added that the first tranche would include the German Leopard 2, the British Challenger 2 and the US M1 Abrams tanks, and that Ukraine was also "really counting" on supplies of French Leclerc tanks being agreed. The number of heavy tanks publicly pledged to Ukraine appears to be well short of the 321 that Vadym Omelchenko, Ukraine's ambassador to France, stated last week.

Russian forces are preparing for a renewed attack on Ukraine imminently, most likely in the coming months, according to analysts. Citing western, Ukrainian and Russian sources, the US thinktank the Institute for the Study of War said Moscow was "preparing for an imminent offensive", pointing to remarks by the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, who said there were "no signs" that Vladimir Putin was "preparing for peace".

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Russia-Ukraine war live: Zelenskiy signals 'reforms' ahead of EU summit in Kyiv; Netanyahu open to mediator role 'if asked'

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Netanyahu open to mediator role 'if asked' Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he would be willing to consider serving as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine if asked by both warring countries and the United States. "If asked by all relevant parties, I'll certainly consider it, but I'm not pushing myself in," Netanyahu told CNN in an interview.

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Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 342 of the invasion

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Kyiv ‘to receive 120 to 140 tanks’ in first wave but Biden rules out sending F-16 fighters; Russian attacks on Bakhmut and Donetsk

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Western weapon deliveries in a race against Russia offensive

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Ukraine’s allies rush to deliver weapons as Moscow intensifies its war in the east.

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I find it interesting how dedicated these reporters are to covering information regarding the war in Ukraine. Tom Balmforth uses his twitter to send out quick updates regarding what is going on in Ukraine and uses his articles to capture the details. Tom is producing articles consistently and in a timely manner. His situation allows for the information to be shared to outside news sources and eventually the rest of the world.

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After reading articles from both left and right US based news sources, I have learned that different news sources take a different approach when it comes to presenting the news. I have found that right leaning news sources such as fox news emphasis more on how the war in Ukraine can affect the US and NATO. Left leaning sources such as CBS and CNN focus more of what Ukraine is doing within the war. Both news sources are covering the same stories but showing different aspects of the war. As a future officer it is important to keep up with the news but also utilized different platforms to eliminate as much bias as possible.

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The News is handled differently by other countries. Other countries have more control over their news than others. The international news I observed was from The Guardian and Al Jazeera. The Guardian is a British based media source that is owned by the Scott Trust, a private company. Al Jazeera is owned by the Qatar government. Government owned news sources allow the news to be more regulated but in the case of Al Jazeera it does not hinder its credibility as opposed to a north korean news source.

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Why Putin's Invasion of Ukraine is a Failure

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Ukraine War: How the conflict has developed over the past year

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Social media allows for any person to communicate with others from across the globe. In regard to the Ukraine war, social media has been used to spread information of what is going on. Anyone with a smart phone and a social media account has become a viable source of news. I observed different YouTube videos that cover the war. Several of the uploads are of actual news clips that were aired by international news and US news sources. Other accounts have been used to summarized what has been occurring. Social Media has allowed people to express their own opinions and spread relevant information.

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Aid supplies in East Palestine. Dean Logan, a worker at Pepsi, delivers cases of water for volunteers to distribute to residents on February 17, 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio. Prominent Republicans have accused President Biden of focusing more on Ukraine than East Palestine. Michael Swensen/GETTY

Prominent Republicans have hit out at the Biden administration over its response to the February 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, comparing it to the support offered to Ukraine as the war-torn country struggles with Russia's ongoing invasion.

After the 150-car train derailed, which had toxic chemicals as part of its load, local authorities evacuated around 5,000 locals while they disposed of vinyl chloride via controlled burning. To achieve this, they first blew holes into five railway cars, then burned the potentially explosive gas in a ditch.

On Thursday, a joint letter was sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), from the entire 17-member Ohio congressional delegation, asking why the incident "apparently does not meet the eligibility threshold" for agency support.

It came after a request for assistance from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine was turned down, though FEMA later said it would "supplement federal efforts by deploying a Senior Response Official along with a Regional Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT)."

Other federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) have been involved in the testing and cleanup operation.

However, some within the GOP compared this unfavorably with the United States' support for Ukraine, which received $48 billion in American support between January and November 2022, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

Representative Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican, tweeted on Friday: "Instead of sending hundreds of billions to Ukraine, we should be taking care of our own people here at home. Here's a place we could start: East Palestine, Ohio."

Kansas Senator Dr. Roger Marshall wrote: "Biden's Spending Priorities: Ukraine: $100,000,000,000.00 Ohio: $0. Mr. President, who do you work for?"

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky shared a photograph of Governor DeWine, edited so he appears to be wearing a face mask of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "I mean, it's worth a shot," he tweeted.

Kari Lake, who is trying unsuccessfully to overturn her Arizona gubernatorial election defeat in the courts, commented: "Has anyone tried planting a Ukrainian flag in East Palestine, Ohio? Maybe that will encourage @JoeBiden will offer aid."

Expressing a similar sentiment, Donald Trump Jr. said: "Ukraine has been given $130 billion not including what they got from the 220 billion that went 'missing' from the Pentagon's budget, but the people of East Palestine Ohio get nothing from FEMA?!? Joe Biden and the democrats hate your guts and will always put America last!"

Newsweek couldn't find any independent accounts substantiating either the $130 billion or $220 billion figures.

However, other Twitter users hit back at the Republican Ukraine critics.

Responding to Lake, Luke Zaleski, legal affairs editor at publisher Condé Nast, wrote on Saturday: "...Can we connect the dots on how republicans are replacing 'build a wall' with 'build a war' and aping Putin's Ukraine playbook for trump with a relentless fear-mongering campaign that conflates immigrants with enemies and nationalism with rejection of Ukraine aid?"

Another Twitter user, Shay Veno, posted: "The governor has to declare an emergency and ask for aid. DeWine knows that, because he's a governor. And you don't know that because..."

Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian foreign ministry for comment.
Related Articles 2022 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published February 18, 2023, 9:22 AM.

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Republicans Using Biden's Ohio Train Response to Rail Against Ukraine Aid

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Prominent Republicans have hit out at the Biden administration over its response to the February 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, comparing it to the support offered to Ukraine as the war-torn country struggles with Russia's ongoing invasion.

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Heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over Washington's response to a suspected spy balloon, as well as the upcoming one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, are likely to dominate the Sunday talk shows this weekend.

Since Beijing's high-altitude surveillance balloon was first spotted traveling over the U.S. earlier this month, Washington has been preoccupied with the presence of high-flying objects in U.S. airspace.

The Chinese spy balloon spent a week traversing the U.S. before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4. President Biden defended his decision to wait until the balloon was over open water, citing safety concerns on the ground. However, he has faced backlash from Republicans over the delayed response.

In the wake of the balloon's downing, a senior Pentagon official revealed that suspected Chinese surveillance balloons briefly hovered over the U.S. at least three times during the Trump administration and one time previously in the Biden administration.

The U.S. military shot down three more high-flying objects in U.S. airspace last weekend, but the Biden administration has maintained that they were likely connected to a private company or research institution.

"We don't yet know exactly what these three objects were, but nothing right now suggests they were related to China's spy balloon program or that they were surveillance vehicles from any other country," Biden said on Thursday.

However, he added: "I make no apologies for taking down that balloon."

Wang Yi, a top Chinese diplomat, mocked Washington's response to the balloon while at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, calling it "absurd and hysterical." China has repeatedly claimed that the balloon was primarily being used for meteorological research and was blown off course.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whose trip to China was postponed over the spy balloon, is set to make the rounds on the Sunday shows this weekend - including ABC's "This Week", NBC's "Meet the Press" and CBS' "Face the Nation" - to discuss relations with Beijing.

Blinken met with Wang in Munich on Saturday and reportedly emphasized that "this irresponsible act must never again occur," according to a State Department readout of the meeting.

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) are also set to discuss China on ABC's "This Week" and Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures," respectively.

With the war in Ukraine reaching the one-year mark on Feb. 24, the ongoing conflict will also likely be a major topic of discussion on the Sunday shows circuit.

Russia has begun its long-feared counter-offensive in eastern Ukraine ahead of the war's one-year anniversary, as it makes a push to reclaim territory it lost to Ukrainian forces last year.

Moscow has reportedly sent in tens of thousands of "ill-equipped and ill-trained" troops, resulting in high numbers of casualties, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday. U.K. intelligence estimated on Friday that as many as 60,000 Russian soldiers have died so far in the war.

Vice President Kamala Harris said on Saturday at the Munich conference that the U.S. has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity, pointing to its widespread attack against Ukrainian civilians.

Blinken and Graham are also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine during their appearances on the Sunday shows.

John Sullivan, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, and Fiona Hill, a former White House adviser on Russia, will also discuss Moscow's possible next moves and potential ways to the end the war on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, while White House national security spokesman John Kirby will join "Fox News Sunday" to discuss the latest on the war.
Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week's Sunday talk shows:
ABC's "This Week" - Secretary of State Antony Blinken; Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

NBC's "Meet the Press" - Blinken; former Gov. Larry Hogan (R-Md.)

CBS' "Face the Nation" - Blinken; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); Poland's prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki; John Sullivan, former U.S. ambassador to Russia; Fiona Hill, former White House adviser on Russia; Dr. Joshua Gordon, director of the National Institute of Mental Health

CNN's "State of the Union" - U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield; Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Mike Turner (R-Ohio); Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)

"Fox News Sunday" - John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council; Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley

Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures" - Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.); Reps. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Lance Gooden (R-Texas) and Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.); Miranda Devine, New York Post columnist and author; Peter Schweizer, author and Government Accountability
Copyright 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Read more from The Hill at thehill.com
This story was originally published February 18, 2023, 4:54 PM.

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Sunday shows preview: US-China tensions grow over balloon response, Russia-Ukraine war nears one-year mark

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Heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over Washington's response to a suspected spy balloon, as well as the upcoming one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, are likely to dominate the Sunday talk shows this weekend. Since Beijing's high-altitude surveillance balloon was first spotted traveling over the U.S.

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The Local News Source I observed was the Star-Telegram, which is based out of Fort Worth, TX. I found that this news source had less coverage compared to other news sources. The star-telegram focused more on how US citizens thought about the war in comparison to other events that occurred in the US. For example, with the spy balloon and the Ohio train derailment, people expressed how war has little significance to US security and that our country needs to focus on its own issues before it should assist with Ukraine.