28.01.2023, Moscow.
We publish a summary of events concerning the situation around Ukraine as of 10 p.m., January 28.
Political situation
Hungary is demanding that several executives of Russian companies be removed from the EU sanctions list, sources told WSJ. In December, Budapest was able to insist that three Russian ministers not be included in the next sanctions package.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban spoke out against supplies of German heavy equipment to Ukraine on his government information page on Facebook (an organization banned in the Russian Federation). In Orban’s opinion, the deliveries of tanks to Ukraine led to an escalation of the conflict and dragged Germany into the conflict. Orban was also dissatisfied with the inconsistency of the German position. “At first, the Germans sent helmets to Ukraine, saying they did not want to supply lethal weapons. Now it has come to tanks, and there is already talk of planes,” the Hungarian prime minister expressed indignation.
Armenia will strengthen its army with female conscripts. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that there are plans to introduce voluntary military service for women in the near future. In addition, the Armenian Armed Forces have launched the process of modernizing armaments and replacing the three-month military training camp with a monthly or 25-day training camp.
Ukraine
Zelensky said that Ukraine needs 300-500 tanks for a successful offensive.
The Ukrainian armed forces will begin training with Marder infantry fighting vehicles in early February. The crews will be ready by the end of March. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced this.
Ukraine intensified talks with Western countries on transferring aircraft and long-range missiles to Kiev. This was announced by Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Podolyak.
Ukrainian MP Nikolay Tischenko has been expelled from the Servants of the People faction after a scandalous trip to Thailand.
The Cabinet of Ministers appointed Mustafa Nayem as head of the State Agency for Infrastructure Restoration and Development. The Reconstruction Agency is the former State road agency of Ukraine, to which the government joined State Agency for Infrastructure Projects of Ukraine.
The electricity deficit in Ukraine reaches up to 5 GW during peak consumption hours in the morning and evening. At night, the deficit is up to 3 GW, said Dmitry Sakharuk, executive director of DTEK private energy enterprise. According to him, it is possible to cover the deficit by repairing damaged power facilities and grids, importing electricity, and releasing occupied power plants.
To provide the necessary volumes of imports, it is necessary to almost triple the capacity of interstate sections for imports (up to 2 GW). Work in this direction is underway, Sakharuk added.
At least until the end of January Odessa and the region will not be able to return to the stabilized schedules of blackouts. This was reported by DTEK.
Western countries and their supporters
The Pentagon has not ruled out a possible transfer of US F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in the future. This was announced at a briefing by Deputy Spokesperson of the US Department of Defense Sabrina Singh.
Iceland will provide all necessary assistance to Ukraine, particularly items required for the energy sector. The Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate of Iceland Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson stated this in a conversation with the Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galuschenko.
The UK has transferred to Ukraine over 200 armored vehicles of various types: Husky, Mastiff, Wolfhound, Spartan and Stormer, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported referring to the country’s Defense Ministry.
Germany has handed over a new package of military aid to Ukraine, which includes ammunition for IRIS-T air defense systems and non-combat vehicles. This was reported on the website of the German government. The new military aid package includes:
- IRIS-T SLM missiles;
- 13 trucks;
- 2 loaders 15t;
- 12 trucks and four semi-trailers;
- 12 patrol cars;
- 2 pickup trucks in addition to the 143 previously delivered.
Berlin also recalled what it plans to hand over to Ukraine in the future:
- 14 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks with ammunition:
- 2 Bergepanzer 3 armored repair and recovery vehicles;
- two air surveillance radars;
- 78 tractors and 86 semi-trailers (previously: 14 tractors and 14 semi-trailers).
The supply of fighter jets to Ukraine is impossible because it is too sophisticated a weapon with fundamentally different combat capabilities than a tank. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said this in an interview with Suddeutsche Zeitung. “I think this is out of the question,” he said.
Rejection of Russian gas leads EU countries to a new long-term dependence on new suppliers, Thomas Sabin, online editor of Focus, wrote in an article. “Dependence on the USA has pitfalls,” the publication reads. At the same time, the urgent rejection of pipeline gas from Russia led to a severe crisis, the article’s author reminded.
Belgium will send €92 million in military aid to Ukraine. The package will include air-to-air missiles, light armored vehicles, anti-tank weapons, machine guns and more. Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre De Croo announced.
Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles assured that Madrid would hand over Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine “by spring.”
Poland received F-35 fighters sent from the Netherlands, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak wrote on Twitter, “The Dutch F-35s arrived at the 22 tactical airbase in Malbork, they will support the Polish army in protecting the skies as part of the NATO reinforced air policing mission.”
Poland officially announced the creation of a “tank coalition” to support Ukraine. This was announced by Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak on his Twitter.
“Our goal is clear – Russia must not succeed in moving the borders by force,” German Chancellor Scholz said.
Israel has been secretly supporting the Kiev regime, Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor, hinting at military supplies in an interview with German Funke. “We are helping [Kiev], albeit behind the scenes, but much more than is known,” Prosor noted.
