Selenskyj speaks of a “very tough” situation at the front

Dhe President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the start of training for Ukrainian crews on the British Challenger 2 main battle tank. “This is a good vehicle and will be a serious reinforcement on the battlefield,” said Zelenskyy in his video address on Saturday evening. He thanked Great Britain for military aid. He described the situation at the front as difficult, but said he was confident of victory.

“The enemy is always throwing in new forces to break through our defenses. Now it’s very hard in Bakhmut, in Wuhledar and in the direction of Lyman,” Zelenskyy said. Nonetheless, he expressed confidence that the Ukrainians’ “steadfastness” would ultimately prevail.

Earlier, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that Ukrainian crews are already being trained on Challenger 2 main battle tanks. Training started this week. The Ministry of Defense in London had published pictures of the training at a military training area.

Zelenskyj confirmed the start of the training on Telegram and said that he had thanked Sunak for it in a telephone call. “We also talked about expanding the capabilities of the Ukrainian army and about various aids to Ukraine in the short and long term,” wrote the 45-year-old head of state.

First promises of tank deliveries

After its decision to supply Leopard main battle tanks, the federal government is still waiting for concrete participation from partner countries. While there are already announcements for the older Leopard model 2A4, the supply situation for the newer type 2A6 was initially thin, as government circles said on Saturday. Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa promised a delivery, but left the exact number open. His country is currently in contact with Germany about the overhaul of Leopard tanks, the Portuguese state news agency Lusa reported.

Meanwhile, Canada has already started loading and shipping Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Defense Minister Anita Anand said on Twitter on Saturday. Ottawa has promised Kyiv four main battle tanks of the type.

With regard to the delivery of battle tanks, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has countered fears that Germany could be drawn into the war. He told the “Bild am Sonntag”: “We carefully weighed every delivery of arms, closely coordinated with our allies, above all with America. This joint approach prevents the war from escalating.” In telephone calls, he made it “very clear” to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia alone was responsible for the war. Putin threatened neither him – Scholz – nor Germany.

Moscow reports successes in the Kharkiv region

The situation at the front remains difficult for Ukraine. According to the Russian military, Ukrainian forces have been expelled from the village of Dvorichne in the Kharkiv region in north-eastern Ukraine. “In the direction of Kupyansk, the enemy was pushed back by attacks by units of Army Group West from the western outskirts of the village of Dvorichne in the Kharkiv region,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in Moscow on Saturday. The information cannot be verified independently. The Ukrainian armed forces had almost completely recaptured the Kharkiv region in the course of their autumn offensive.