Ukraine Daily
Wednesday, January 25
Russia’s war against Ukraine
An elderly local resident walks on a street in the town of Siversk in eastern Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 13, 2023. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)
Tanks for Ukraine
AP: Biden could announce Abrams tanks to Ukraine as soon as Wednesday. The Biden Administration could announce a decision to send more than 30 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine as soon as Wednesday, although it could take months for them to be delivered, the Associated Press reported on Jan. 24, citing United States officials.
Spiegel: Germany decides to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Berlin will also authorize the supply of German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv by other countries, Der Spiegel reported on Jan. 24, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Bloomberg: Germany to approve Poland’s request to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine on Jan. 25. “Berlin wants to make a decision on the issue quickly to quell growing frustration among allies, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the decision is private,” Bloomberg wrote.
The Netherlands may provide Ukraine with 18 Leopard 2 tanks. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that the Netherlands is considering buying 18 Leopard 2 main battle tanks, which it leases from Germany, to provide them to Ukraine.
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Government reshuffle
Governors, government officials lose jobs in biggest reshuffle since start of full-scale war.
The Cabinet of Ministers has officially dismissed six government officials and greenlighted the firing of five governors in the most significant reshuffle since the start of the full-scale war. The Jan. 24 reshuffle came after a series of journalist investigations alleged misappropriation of funds among several top officials.
Photo: Getty Images
Who are officials ousted in Zelensky’s largest reshuffle since start of full-scale war?
A deputy head of the President’s Office, a deputy prosecutor general, several deputy ministers, and several governors were ousted following a number of scandals, including corruption ones.
Photo: Courtesy
State Department: Corruption cases among Ukrainian officials do not involve US aid. The recent corruption scandals that led to the biggest government reshuffle since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 do not appear to have involved the military and humanitarian assistance supplied to Ukraine by the United States, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Jan. 24.
EU on government reshuffle: ‘We welcome Ukrainian authorities taking corruption allegations seriously.’ “The general rule is that we do not comment on ongoing investigations, but we welcome the fact that the Ukrainian authorities are taking this seriously,” Ana Pisonero, a representative of the European Commission, said after the Cabinet of Ministers dismissed six government officials amid allegations of misappropriation of funds.
Court detains another suspect allegedly involved in $400,000 bribe to deputy minister. On Jan. 24, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine said it had detained an unnamed suspect allegedly involved in the $400,000 bribe to now-dismissed Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Development Vasyl Lozynsky.
The human cost of Russia’s war
Russia attacks Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, injuring 4. Russian troops hit the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 24, wounding four people, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported. Among the injured were two children, according to Kyrylenko.
Russian attacks across 8 Ukrainian oblasts kill 5, injure 6 on Jan. 23. Russian attacks were reported in Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk oblasts in the east, south, and north of Ukraine.
General Staff: Russia has lost 122,170 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Jan. 24 that Russia had also lost 3,152 tanks, 6,284 armored fighting vehicles, 4,944 vehicles and fuel tanks, 2,148 artillery systems, 448 multiple launch rocket systems, 220 air defense systems, 289 airplanes, 281 helicopters, 1,897 drones, and 18 boats.
International response
New York Times: Pentagon to increase artillery production by 500% for Ukraine. The United States Army’s top acquisition official told the New York Times that U.S. production of 155-millimeter shells would increase to 90,000 a month within two years.
Finnish president visits Kyiv, meets Zelensky on Jan. 24. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, the two leaders discussed defense assistance and the supply of Western tanks to Ukraine, preparation of the 10th package of EU sanctions against Russia, and Finland’s involvement in the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.
Switzerland may allow re-export of its weapons to Ukraine. On Jan. 24, the Swiss parliament’s lower house security policy commission approved an initiative to allow other countries to re-export weapons made in Switzerland to Ukraine.
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In other news
Zelensky: Russia preparing new wave of aggression. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his evening address that Russia is preparing for a new wave of aggression and is increasing military activity near Bakhmut and Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast.
Zelensky signs law increasing consequences for desertion. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law on Jan. 24 strengthening the criminal liability of military personnel for desertion or the failure to comply with combat orders.
Ukraine sanctions 21 Russian Orthodox Church clerics. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Jan. 23, approving a proposal by the National Security and Defense Council to sanction 21 leaders and priests of the Russian Orthodox Church. Among the sanctioned is Mikhail Gundyaev, a nephew of the church’s head Patriarch Kirill, who has openly supported Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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