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Russia's war in Ukraine
By Kathleen Magramo, Amy Woodyatt, Leinz Vales, Adrienne Vogt and Aditi Sangal, CNN
Updated 1:40 p.m. ET, January 20, 2023
What we're covering
Germany failed to reach an agreement with its key Western allies on sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, despite growing pressure to step up its military aid and pleas from Kyiv for more weapons.
The US and Germany appear to be in a standoff over delivering the German-made tanks to Kyiv. Germany’s defense minister said Friday at a high-stakes defense meeting of allies that no decision about the tanks has been made.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated Washington’s commitment to supporting Ukraine at the meeting after the US announced it will send Stryker combat vehicles to Kyiv as part of a new aid package.
The US also announced its Treasury Department will designate the Russian mercenary organization Wagner Group as a "transnational criminal organization" and impose more sanctions against it next week.
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5 min ago
Why the Leopard 2 tanks are so important for the war in Ukraine
From CNN's Rob Picheta
A Polish Leopard 2 tank seen in Germany 2022 during a military exercise. (Armin Weigel/picture-alliance/dpa/AP)
Germany failed to reach an agreement with its key Western allies on sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, despite growing pressure from NATO and Kyiv to step up its military aid ahead of a potential Russian spring offensive.
Leopard 2 tanks are seen as a vital, modern military vehicle that would bolster Kyiv’s forces as the war with Russia approaches the one-year mark.
But Germany has batted back claims it is dragging its feet on providing military support to Ukraine, and has called on the US to send its own tanks across the Atlantic and into Ukraine.
Why Leopard 2 tanks are so important: Thirteen European countries, including Poland and Finland, are already in possession of modern German Leopard 2 tanks, which were introduced in 1979 and have been upgraded several times since, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank.
Many of them have agreed to re-export some tanks to Kyiv, but require Germany’s permission. Representatives for those countries that own Leopard tanks met on the sidelines of a meeting at Ramstein air base in Germany, according to the Portuguese Ministry of Defense.
In total, there are around 2,000 Leopard 2 vehicles spread across Europe, at different levels of readiness.
Each tank contains a 120mm Smoothbore gun, and a 7.62mm machine gun. It can reach speeds of 70 km per hour, or 50 km per hour when off-road, making maneuverability one of its key features. There is also an all-around protection from threats, including improvised explosive devices, mines or anti-tank fire, according to its German manufacturer, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.
The vast number of units already based near Ukraine, and the Leopard’s relatively low-maintenance demands compared to other models, lead experts to believe the tanks could help Ukraine quickly.
Why is Ukraine dragging its feet on Ukraine aid? The frustration felt by some NATO members toward Germany has bolstered a narrative in some corners that Berlin has been slower than its Western counterparts in offering support to Ukraine.
Germany had been expected to announce a decision on sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine on Friday, but instead said it needed more time.
Additionally, the appointment of Boris Pistorius as Germany's new defense minister this week has raised questions given his previous stances on Russia.
Polish leader Mateusz Morawiecki cited Pistorius’ previous support for easing sanctions against Russia along with his relationship with “close associate” Gerhard Schröder. The former German chancellor was forced to give up his office at the German Parliament (Bundestag) for failing to sever his Russian business ties following Moscow’s invasion.
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7 min ago
US Treasury will designate Wagner Group as a "transnational criminal organization," White House says
From CNN's Natasha Bertrand and Katie Bo Lillis
The US Treasury Department will designate the Russian mercenary organization Wagner Group as a “transnational criminal organization," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby announced Friday.
The Treasury will also impose new sanctions next week against the group and its global allies, the White House said.
“These actions recognize the transcontinental threat that Wagner poses, including through its ongoing pattern of serious criminal activity,” Kirby told reporters at the White House, ahead of the Treasury Department announcement.
(US Government)
(US Government)
Arms from North Korea: Along with the new sanctions, the US has released newly declassified photos of Russian railcars traveling from Russia to North Korea and back in November, in what the US believes was the initial delivery of infantry rockets and missiles for use by Wagner Group in Ukraine.
While the US does not believe the equipment has yet changed battlefield dynamics, it expects more weapons systems deliveries from North Korea to Russia, Kirby said. Russia has also been receiving equipment, including drones, from Iran, as its military supplies have dwindled over the course of the war.
“The arms transfers from (North Korea) are in direct violation of United Nations Security Council resolution,” Kirby said, adding that the US has shared its intelligence with the Security Council’s DPRK sanctions committee panel of experts.
A senior western intelligence official echoed that assessment Friday, telling reporters that the West is “certainly concerned that North Korea might plan to expand and deliver more military equipment or to sustain those deliveries.”
Wagner's role in Ukraine: More broadly, the US assesses that tensions between the Russian Defense Ministry and Wagner are increasing as Russian President Vladimir Putin increasingly relies on Wagner to carry out operations in Ukraine. There are around 50,000 Wagner Group fighters currently deployed to Ukraine, according to Kirby, including 10,000 contractors as 40,000 convicts.
“Wagner is becoming a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries,” Kirby said, and the US has intelligence suggesting that the Russian Defense Ministry “has reservations” about Wagner’s heavy recruitment from Russian prisons.
18 min ago
Countries with German-made Leopard 2 tanks met on the sidelines of Ramstein summit
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio in London
A Polish Leopard 2 pictured during an international military exercise in Germany in 2022.
A Polish Leopard 2 pictured during an international military exercise in Germany in 2022. (Armin Weigel/picture-alliance/dpa/AP)
Representatives of the countries that own the German-made Leopard 2 tank met on the sidelines of the Ukraine contact group meeting at Ramstein air base in Germany. The meeting was called by Poland and Ukraine, according to Portugal's defense ministry.
Even as Germany has not authorized such a move, Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said he hopes to create a coalition of countries of countries that own these tanks in order to send them to Ukraine.
“In Ramstein, we talked also among the 15 countries that use Leopard tanks,” Błaszczak said according to a tweet by the Polish Ministry of Defense. “Our discussion was devoted to equipping Ukraine precisely with these heavy tanks.”
Błaszczak acknowledged a decision on sending the equipment to Ukraine had yet to be agreed but added “further meetings” had been arranged. “We are consistently strengthening this coalition," the official said.
Portugal, as part of the meeting, offered "training in this typology of fighting vehicle and expressed the Portuguese government’s willingness to identify, in coordination with its partners, ways of supporting Ukraine with this capacity,” its defense ministry's statement said.
Separately, Portugal also said it pledged 14 M113 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine along with eight high-power electrical generators, 120mm ammunition and medical equipment.
The ministry added that it would take part in an EU military support mission that would provide training to Ukrainian troops in Germany: Portuguese trainers will be on the ground from February to train Ukrainian soldiers on disarming explosives, combat medical assistance, nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological defense and lastly military instruction.
1 hr 4 min ago
Top US general says it is difficult to eject Russian forces from Ukraine this year
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley attends a news conference at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley attends a news conference at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley reiterated Friday that Russia's war in Ukraine will likely "end in a negotiation" and not on the battlefield.
"From a military standpoint, I still maintain that for this year it would be very, very difficult to militarily eject the Russian forces from every inch of Russian-occupied Ukraine," Milley said at a news conference after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base.
"What can happen is a continued defense, stabilizing the front," Milley added. "I think it's possible to clearly do that. I think depending on the delivery and training of all of this equipment. I do think it's very, very possible for the Ukrainians to run a significant tactical or even operational level offensive operation to liberate as much Ukrainian territory as possible."
Prior to the key meeting on military aid for Ukraine, the Pentagon announced a $2.5 billion Ukraine security package, including for the first time Stryker armored vehicles and more Bradley fighting vehicles that could be used against any potential Russian offensive in Ukraine this spring.
1 hr 36 min ago
US defense secretary denies any link between US and German tanks in possible deal for Ukraine
From CNNs Michael Conte
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a news conference at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a news conference at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin denied there was any “linkage” between the US potentially sending M1 Abrams tanks and Germany sending or allowing the transfer of Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
“I think you heard the German minister of defense say earlier today that there’s no linkage between providing M1’s [Abrams] and providing Leopards, and I think he was pretty clear about that,” Austin said at a press conference after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein, Germany. “So this notion of unlocking, you know, in my mind, it’s not an issue.”
Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Friday denied any tie between the two countries' tanks. When asked about the issue during an interview with German public broadcaster ARD Thursday, Pistorius said he was “not aware of such an arrangement.”
1 hr 49 min ago
Ukrainian presidential official expresses confidence that Ukraine will receive more military aid
From Yulia Kesaieva in Kyiv and CNN’s Vasco Cotovio
The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, is bullish that his country will receive all the military aid it has not yet gotten.
“We are getting stronger,” Yermak wrote in a Telegram post on Friday. “And we will get everything we have not yet received.”
Yermak’s remarks come after Germany's defense minister said there has been no decision about green-lighting German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks to be sent to Ukraine during a meeting of Western allies at Ramstein Air Base.
Other support packages were agreed to in the days leading up to and during the meeting.
1 hr 47 min ago
Polish defense minister optimistic on Leopard tanks deliveries to Ukraine despite no decision Friday
From CNN's Antonia Mortensen and Radina Gigova
Poland's Minister of Defense Mariusz Blaszczak delivers a statement at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday.
Poland's Minister of Defense Mariusz Blaszczak delivers a statement at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday. (Ronald Wittek/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said Friday he remains optimistic that allies will reach an agreement on deliveries of Leopard tanks to Ukraine even though a decision still hasn't been made.
"I see hope, because the ministers of 15 countries met today on the sidelines of today's conference and talked about it," Blaszczak told reporters at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
"I share the Ukrainian point of view ... hence, our Polish response to deliver equipment to Ukraine and train Ukrainian soldiers at the brigade level before the end of March," he said.
"I am convinced that building this coalition will be successful, just as the issue of transferring Patriot systems to Ukraine was successful," Blaszczak said, adding a discussion on this subject was also raised by Poland after the incident in the village of Przewodów, near the Ukrainian border, where a missile caused an explosion and killed two civilians.
When asked whether Poland would hand over the German-made Leopard tanks it possesses — even if Berlin did not agree — he said he would raise this issue during a meeting with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius soon.
"Today's meeting was a very good conversation," adding that there were speeches from Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and high-level US military leadders.
"We talked about the threat of Russia's imperial activities in Europe and that we can expect another attack on Ukraine. Therefore, Kyiv should be supported so that Ukraine can resist this aggression," he said.
During his speech at the meeting in Germany, Blaszczak said he announced Poland will provide Ukraine with additional infantry fighting vehicles and T-72 tanks.
2 hr 4 min ago
Germany is doing enough to show real leadership in Europe, US defense secretary says
When asked if Germany is doing enough to show real leadership in Europe in terms of its support of Ukraine, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, "yes, but we can all do more," including, the United States.
"Germany has contributed a lot to this campaign," he said, pointing to Germany's provision of air defense capabilities and training for soldiers.
"They have a big oar in the water like the rest of the contact group does, and they are working hand in hand with the rest of our colleagues," Austin added.
"I truly believe they will continue to be a reliable ally going forward," he told reporters Friday.
Austin's comments come as Germany faces pressure to send their Leopard tanks to Ukraine, or allow any other country with the German-made tanks in their inventory to do so.
1 hr 40 min ago
US defense secretary: Germany has "not made a decision" on sending tanks to Ukraine
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin addresses a news conference with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin addresses a news conference with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated the German position that there has been no decision made on sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
"You may have heard the German minister of defense say earlier that they've not made a decision on the provision of Leopard tanks," he said in response to a reporter's question.
"We're really focused on — is making sure that Ukraine has the capability that it needs to be successful right now. So we have a window of opportunity here between now and the spring ... whenever they commence their operation, their counteroffensive. And that's not a long time. We have to pull together the right capabilities," he continued.
Austin referred back to his statements about Western allies sending defense weapons to Ukraine, as well as the United Kingdom's plans to provide battle tanks.
"Poland for example is continuing to offer tanks and will provide tanks, and other countries will offer some tank capability as well. I don't have any announcements to make on [M1 Abrams tanks], and you heard the German minister of defense say that they've not made a decision on Leopards," he said.
Some background: German and US officials appear to be stuck in a deadlock over whether to send tanks following numerous appeals from Kyiv’s leadership. CNN has reported that in recent days, German officials have indicated they won’t send their Leopard tanks to Ukraine, or allow any other country with the German-made tanks in their inventory to do so, unless the US also agrees to send its M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv – something the Pentagon has said for months it has no intention of doing given the logistical costs of maintaining them.
2 hr 19 min ago
Russian foreign ministry warns of escalation in Ukraine if the West increases its weapons supply
From CNN's Katharina Krebs in London
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of an escalation in Ukraine in the event of an increase in the supply of Western weapons to Kyiv, according to the statement published on Friday as NATO partners met in Germany to discuss more aid for Ukraine.
“We regard all this as an open provocative incitement by the West and an increase in the stakes in the conflict, which will inevitably lead to an increase in casualties and a dangerous escalation,” said Maria Zakharova, a ministry spokesperson, in the statement.
On Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that any new NATO deliveries of heavy weapons to Kyiv "will not change anything" in regards to Russia achieving its goals in Ukraine.
2 hr 22 min ago
Ukrainian leaders described what soldiers and citizens are facing, US defense secretary says after key meeting
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin attends the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein-Miesenbach, southwestern Germany on January 20.
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin attends the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein-Miesenbach, southwestern Germany on January 20. (Andre Pain/AFP/Getty Images)
Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and Deputy Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Yevhen Moisiuk gave a presentation at the high stakes meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein air base on Friday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a news conference.
Speaking to reporters after concluding the meeting, Austin said, the presentation gave a first-hand account of "what Ukraine's military and citizens are facing" as Russia's war in the country continues.
"They all represent the exceptional bravery of the Ukraine army, and most importantly, the Ukrainian people," top US Gen. Mark Milley said at the conference.
Both leaders reiterated the United States' commitment to supporting Ukraine, noting that the Pentagon announced a new $2.5 billion Ukraine security package that includes for the first time Stryker armored vehicles.
"Eventually, President Putin, Russia, will realize the full extent of their strategic miscalculation. But until Putin ends this war — his war of choice — the nations of this contact group will continue to support the defense of Ukraine in order to uphold the rules-based international order," Milley added.
3 hr 5 min ago
Turkey's Erdogan repeats offer to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv during a call with Zelensky
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated the offer of mediating between Moscow and Kyiv during a phone call with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, according to the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications statement.
The developments in the Russia-Ukraine war were discussed during the call, the statement said.
President Erdogan also expressed his condolences for the helicopter crash that took place in Ukraine on Wednesday.
A helicopter carrying the leadership team of Ukraine’s interior ministry crashed near a kindergarten and residential block in the Kyiv region on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people, including all nine people on board.
President Erdogan reiterated that they are ready to make a strong diplomatic contribution to the establishment of a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine and to take on the role of facilitator and mediator.
In a recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdogan told him that calls for peace and negotiations should be supported by a unilateral declaration of ceasefire and a vision of “a fair solution.”
3 hr 56 min ago
Germany "is ready to move quickly" if allies reach consensus on tanks for Ukraine, defense minister says
From CNN's Claudia Otto in Berlin and Niamh Kennedy in London
The German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius speaks to the media during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base on January 20, in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany.
The German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius speaks to the media during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base on January 20, in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. (Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)
Germany is "ready to move quickly" if allies reach a consensus on sending tanks to Ukraine, Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Friday.
"As far as the delivery of the Leopard is concerned, there is no unanimous opinion," Pistorius told reporters on the sidelines of a high stakes defense meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
He rebuffed claims Germany has been "standing in the way" of a "united coalition" of countries in favor of sending tanks to Ukraine.
"There are good reasons for the delivery and there are good reasons against it. And given the overall situation of a war that has been going on for almost one year now, all the pros and cons have to be weighed very carefully, and that assessment is explicitly shared by many allies," he added.
Pistorius said he had instructed officials to carry out an audit of Germany's stocks of Leopard 2 tanks so the country can "move quickly" in the event of a "positive decision."
The Defense Minister added that the issue of export authorizations was not discussed during Friday's meetings.
Poland has been waiting on the go-ahead to send German-made tanks to Ukraine. On Thursday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that if Poland does not get the green light from Germany, it will "do the right thing ourselves."
4 hr 54 min ago
First UN aid convoy reaches Ukrainian-held area near frontline town of Soledar
From CNN’s Niamh Kennedy
A UN aid convoy reached Ukrainian-held areas close to the eastern town of Soledar on Friday morning, UN spokesperson Jens Laerke said.
The vehicles in the convoy are delivering food, water, hygiene kits and medical supplies to the more than 800 people who remain there and are “in dire need of humanitarian assistance,” Laerke told a press briefing in Geneva on Friday.
"Our colleagues in Ukraine have this morning local time reached government-controlled areas close to Soledar in eastern Donetsk Oblast with a three-truck humanitarian convoy to support over 800 people who remain in communities surrounding Soledar," Laerke said.
"This is the first inter-agency humanitarian convoy to reach this area," since fighting caused "widespread destruction," he added.
Some context: The situation in Soledar remains unclear, as CNN has reported. Last week, Russia claimed it had taken the small town of Soledar following weeks of fierce battles, but Ukraine denied the claim.
Laerke said the UN had given advance notice to both Ukraine and Russia of the convoy’s arrival.
5 hr 2 min ago
German defense minister says no decision yet on sending tanks to Ukraine and denies decision is tied to Abrams
From CNN’s Chris Stern and Claudia Otto in Berlin and Niamh Kennedy in London
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley pictured during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base on January 20, in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley pictured during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base on January 20, in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. (Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)
Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has denied that the country’s decision to potentially send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine is tied to whether the United States makes a similar move and sends M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.
When asked about the issue during an interview with German public broadcaster ARD Thursday, Pistorius said he was “not aware of such an arrangement.”
According to Pistorius, no decision has been made as to whether Germany will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
The defense minister told reporters on the sidelines of a high stakes defense meeting at Ramstein Airbase on Friday that "we all cannot say today when a decision will be made and what that decision will be on Leopard tanks."
Some background: German and US officials have been stuck in a deadlock over whether to send tanks following numerous appeals from Kyiv’s leadership. CNN reported Friday that German officials indicated they won't send their Leopard tanks to Ukraine or give permission to any other country with the German-made tanks in their inventory to do so, unless the US also agrees to send its M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv.
“If America will decide that they will bring battle tanks to Ukraine, that will make it easier for Germany,” German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck told Bloomberg from Davos on Tuesday.
"They have us over a barrel," a senior Biden administration official told CNN Thursday, adding that the Germans are demanding tanks for tanks, and not budging on considering any other offers the US has made to spur Berlin to send the Leopards.
However, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit denied these claims Friday. "It's hard for me to imagine a German chancellor dictating any conditions to an American president or making any demands."
The spokesperson added that Germany deems it “important” that Ukraine’s allies “act in a very unified and joint manner,” especially when it comes to the delivery of battle tanks.
With previous reporting from CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Kylie Atwood and Oren Liebermann
5 hr 35 min ago
Russian election body begins preparations for presidential election campaign
From CNN's Katharina Krebs in London
Ella Pamfilova, chairwoman of the Russian Central Election Commission, at the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia in Moscow on September 11.
Ella Pamfilova, chairwoman of the Russian Central Election Commission, at the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia in Moscow on September 11. (Gleb Schelkunov/Kommersant/Sipa USA/AP)
The organization responsible for conducting federal elections in Russia has begun preparations for a presidential vote next year, said Ella Pamfilova, the Central Election Commission chairman.
"We are laying it out now with an eye on the presidential campaign, because we understand what the presidential elections are in the current conditions," Pamfilova told journalists Friday, according to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
Russia is expected to hold the presidential election in the spring of 2024. The current head of state, President Vladimir Putin, has not yet announced his decision to participate.
Some background: Putin has been in power for a long time. He served as president from 2000-2008, and then, a job swap with his then prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, in 2008, allowed him to return to the presidency in 2012. He has been serving since then. He would have been obliged by law to step down after this term, which ends in 2024, but he signed a law in 2021 that paved the way for him to run for two more presidential terms, potentially extending his rule until 2036.
4 hr 12 min ago
It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
The United States will support Ukraine "for as long as it takes," US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Friday. He is meeting Western allies in Germany to discuss military aid for Kyiv. It comes as Washington is stuck in a standoff with Berlin over whether to send tanks to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made another desperate plea to send more weapons to Kyiv without delay, warning that "hundreds of thank you are not hundreds of tanks."
Here are some of the latest developments:
US to send armored vehicles: The Pentagon announced a $2.5 billion Ukraine security package on Thursday, including for the first time Stryker armored vehicles and more Bradley fighting vehicles that could be used against any potential Russian offensive in Ukraine this spring.
US intel chief briefs Zelensky: CIA Director Bill Burns briefed Zelensky in Kyiv last week on the US’ expectations for Russia’s battlefield planning in the spring, according to a US official and two Ukrainian sources familiar with the meeting.
Finland promises heavy artillery to Ukraine: Finland has pledged a fresh €400 million ($434 million) in defense aid to Ukraine, its largest package to date.
Russia claims troops occupy small Ukrainian village: Moscow-backed leaders of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine have claimed that Russian troops have taken control of the small settlement of Klishchiivka, a few miles southwest of Bakhmut.
Russian missile strike hits Kramatorsk: At least one person has died after three missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Friday morning, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on national television.
6 hr 11 min ago
Russian defense ministry announces capture of Klishchiivka settlement near Bakhmut
From CNN's Katharina Krebs
Russia’s defense ministry said that its troops have captured the small settlement of Klishchiivka, near Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine.
"In the Donetsk direction, the volunteers of the assault detachments, with fire support from operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Southern Military District, liberated the settlement of Klishchiivka of the Donetsk People's Republic," it said in a statement Friday.
CNN cannot independently verify the claim. The Moscow-backed leaders of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic had made the same assertion earlier on Friday.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the mercenary group Wagner, claimed credit for capturing Klishchiivka on Thursday. Prigozhin said in a statement published by his holding company that the settlement had been captured "exclusively by units of the Wagner Group."
Klishchiivka is a few miles southwest of the city of Bakhmut, where both sides have been locked in a fierce battle for months. Prigozhin said Klishchiivka was "one of the important suburbs" to capture near Bakhmut.
Fighting around Bakhmut has eased slightly as Russian forces focused their efforts on the nearby town of Soledar. If the battle there is in its final stages, it’s widely assumed the Russians will renew their push to take Bakhmut.
Read more on Bakhmut:
'I won't leave': Civilians struggle on with daily life despite battle for Bakhmut | CNN
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6 hr 29 min ago
CIA director briefed Zelensky on US expectations for Russia’s battlefield planning
From CNN's Katie Bo Lillis, Natasha Bertrand and Kylie Atwood
Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns prepares for a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on worldwide threats, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington D.C., on March 10.
Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns prepares for a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on worldwide threats, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington D.C., on March 10. (Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA/AP)
CIA Director Bill Burns briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv last week on the US’ expectations for Russia’s battlefield planning in the spring, according to a US official and two Ukrainian sources familiar with the meeting.
The secret meeting comes as US officials are closely monitoring a potential Russian offensive in the coming months – and in the midst of a fraught debate between the US and its European allies over whether to send increasingly sophisticated and long-range weaponry to Ukraine. Western defense leaders are scheduled to meet Friday to discuss further weapons shipments to Ukraine.
“Director Burns traveled to Kyiv where he met with Ukrainian intelligence counterparts as well as President Zelensky and reinforced our continued support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression,” a US official said in a statement.
Burns, a veteran diplomat, has become a trusted interlocutor in Kyiv, and last week’s trip was not his first. He made two known back-to-back trips to Kyiv in October and November of last year, including one that took place amid a spate of Russian missile strikes across the country.
Read the full story:
CIA director briefed Zelensky on US expectations for Russia's battlefield planning | CNN Politics
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CIA director briefed Zelensky on US expectations for Russia's battlefield planning | CNN Politics
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