Massive shelling destroys power infrastructure in six Ukrainian provinces as UK announces first tank shipment to kyiv
After several of relative calm, the anti-aircraft sirens sounded again yesterday throughout Ukraine. Two new waves of massive bombardments by Russia destroyed several energy infrastructures, vital in the dead of winter, in various parts of the country, which cut off the electricity supply in much of the country. However, the worst for the civilian population took place in Dnipro. A missile impact destroyed a nine-story residential building and killed at least five people. Sixty others, including six children, were hospitalized. The authorities did not rule out that more bodies appear under the rubble.
The images were gruesome. Where before there was a building, now only a gigantic hole remains. Rubble was piled up on the asphalt. “The world must stop this evil,” denounced the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelensky.
This is the largest attack perpetrated by the Kremlin since December 29. The hitherto very effective Ukrainian air defenses did not react in time. In fact, the sirens began to sound after the first impacts. The reason is that Russia resorted to ballistic missiles instead of cruise missiles, as usual, Yuri Ignat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, explained on television. Ballistic missiles, unlike cruise missiles, do not have propulsion systems, that is, they are launched and the inertia of the launch itself and gravity determine where they fall, while cruise missiles are self-propelled projectiles, that is, propelled by a engine. “In all likelihood, they were missiles that flew with a ballistic trajectory, which is what a projectile describes due to its own inertia and affected by gravity,” Ignat said. “We don’t have systems in place to detect and shoot them down,” he lamented.
Even so, the kyiv Army’s air defense systems managed to intercept 21 of the 33 shells fired by Russia. A significant number but insufficient to avoid damage. In addition to the Dnipro tragedy, Russian missiles wreaked havoc at various vital energy supply points in kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Lviv, although no fatalities were reported. However, the attacks triggered massive blackouts across the country, a goal Russia is pursuing as part of its hybrid war against Ukraine. In addition to attacks on the ground or against civilians, this tactic seeks to decimate the population. And nothing more effective than leaving civilians unable to warm themselves in the dead of winter. “The next few days will be difficult,” admitted Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko.
In parallel to the massive bombardments, the United Kingdom Government announced yesterday that it will send Challenger 2 type tanks, the most advanced that the British Armed Forces have, to help the Ukrainian Army. This is the first shipment of these characteristics. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also promised new artillery systems in a phone conversation with Zelensky.
The Western Debate
The Ukrainian leader thanked the UK on Twitter for decisions that “will not only strengthen us on the battlefield, but also send the right signal to other partners.” Zelenski thus referred to the open debate in the West regarding the sending of tanks.
Until now, priority has been given to sending armored vehicles for the transport of infantry or reconnaissance. The most reticent country is Germany, which fears that the Kremlin will perceive the presence in Ukraine of the powerful German-made Leopard tanks as an aggression. Berlin demands that the sending of tanks be carried out jointly, so the passage of Sunak puts pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz. A decision in this regard is expected to be adopted on the 20th.
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